:Japanese destroyer Asashio (1936)

The Asashio-class destroyers were larger and more capable that the preceding {{sclass|Shiratsuyu|destroyer|4}}, as Japanese naval architects were no longer constrained by the provisions of the London Naval Treaty. These light cruiser-sized vessels were designed to take advantage of Japan's lead in torpedo technology, and to accompany the Japanese main striking force and in both day and night attacks against the United States Navy as it advanced across the Pacific Ocean, according to Japanese naval strategic projections.Peattie & Evans, Kaigun. Despite being one of the most powerful classes of destroyers in the world at the time of their completion, none survived the Pacific War.Globalsecurity.org, IJN Asashio class destroyers

Asashio, built at the Sasebo Naval Arsenal was laid down on 7 September 1935, launched on 16 December 1936 and commissioned on 31 August 1937.{{cite web | url= http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/stc0427.htm | title= Asashio class 1st class destroyers | last= Nishidah | first= Hiroshi | year= 2002 | work= Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy | access-date= 25 July 2010 | archive-url= https://archive.today/20120721073917/http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/stc0427.htm | archive-date= 21 July 2012 | url-status= dead }} During trials, Asashio experienced steering problems and her maneuverability was unacceptable. The class was retrofitted with a redesigned stern and rudder design to resolve the problem. Other problems, chiefly involving the new and sophisticated {{convert|50000|hp|abbr=on}} turbines, were also resolved.{{cite web | url= http://www.combinedfleet.com/asashi_c.htm | title= Asashio class Destroyers |author= Allyn D. Nevitt |year= 1998 |publisher= combinedfleet.com | access-date= 6 February 2008 }}

At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Asashio served as the flagship of Destroyer Division 8 (Desdiv 8), and a member of Destroyer Squadron 2 (Desron 2), escorting Admiral Nobutake Kondō's Southern Force Main Body out of Mako Guard District as distant cover to the Malaya and Philippines invasion forces in December 1941.{{cite web| url= http://www.combinedfleet.com/asashi_t.htm | title= IJN Asashio: Tabular Record of Movement |author= Allyn D. Nevitt |year= 1998 |publisher= combinedfleet.com | access-date= 6 February 2008 }} Asashio escorted a Malaya troop convoy from Mako towards Singora, then put into Hong Kong on 5 January 1942. She escorted another troop convoy to Davao, and then accompanied the Ambon invasion force (31 January), the Makassar invasion force (8 February) and the Bali/Lombok invasion force (18 February).

On the night of 19 February 1942, Asashio participated in the Battle of Badoeng Strait. Asashio was guarding the transport Sasago Maru off Bali when an Allied fleet attacked. Asashio has been credited with sinking the Dutch destroyer {{HNLMS|Piet Hein|1927|6}} with a torpedo, plus gunnery hits on the Dutch light cruiser {{HNLMS|Tromp|1937|6}} and the American destroyer {{USS|Stewart|DD-224|6}}. Asashio suffered light damage: she was hit once with a {{convert|76|mm|in|abbr=on|0}} shell from Tromp, losing a searchlight, four men killed, and 11 wounded. She towed her damaged sister ship {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Michishio||2}} to Makassar after the battle.

In March, Desdiv 8 returned to Yokosuka. In April, Desdiv 8 was reassigned to Destroyer Squadron 4 (Desron 4). Desron 4 sailed to Manila Bay to assist in the shelling of Corregidor in late April and May 1942, returning to Kure, before deploying to Guam.

At the Battle of Midway on 4–6 June 1942, Asashio and Desron 4 escorted Admiral Takeo Kurita's Support Group covering the Midway troop convoy. She suffered medium damage in air attacks on 6 June, when she was hit by one {{convert|500|lb|kg|abbr=on|adj=on}} bomb, which killed 22 crewmen. She assisted her sister ship {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Arashio||2}} in rescuing 240 survivors from the heavy cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Mikuma||2}}, then escorted the crippled cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Mogami|1934|2}} to Truk on 14 June. After emergency repairs by the repair ship {{ship|Japanese repair ship|Akashi||2}}, Asashio sailed to Sasebo for more extensive repairs on 29 June. She was then reassigned to Desdiv 8 and was based at Yokosuka Naval District.

After a successful supply run to Jaluit and troop transport runs to Guadalcanal in September and October, Asashio was part of the escort for Admiral Gunichi Mikawa's Support Force during several naval battles near Guadalcanal in November, but did not see combat. On 14 November, Asashio assisted the damaged light cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Isuzu||2}}. Desdiv 8 then made three "Tokyo Express" troop transport runs from Rabaul to Buna in late November and early December 1942. After the first, Asashio towed the damaged destroyer {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Umikaze|1936|2}} back to Rabaul on 21 November. The third run was aborted due to Allied air attack on 8 December; Asashio was temporarily disabled by near-misses by bombs off of her stern. The division then made a successful troop transport run to Finschhafen on 18 December.

On 7 January, Asashio and Desdiv 8 escorted {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Zuikaku||2}}, {{ship|Japanese battleship|Mutsu||2}} and {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Suzuya|1934|2}} from Truk to Kure, then returned to Truk. On 7 February, Desdiv 8 repeated the escort mission to Kure with the carrier {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Chūyō||2}}. The division then escorted another convoy from Truk to Rabaul, and a troop transport run from Rabaul to Madang and back. Desdiv 8 was assigned to Destroyer Squadron 3 of the IJN 8th Fleet on 25 February.

On 3 March 1943, Asashio and Desron 3 escorted a troop convoy from Rabaul towards Lae. In the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, the convoy was hit by an Allied air attack. After weathering the first waves, Asashio was bombed and strafed later in the day while attempting to rescue survivors from destroyer {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Arashio||2}} and troopship {{ship|SS|Nojima Maru|1919|2}}. She was lost with some 200 men,{{cite web | title=IJN Asashio (+1943) | url=http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?57781|publisher=Wrecksite| access-date=2016-10-01 }} approximately {{convert|45|nmi|km}} southeast of Finschhafen, New Guinea at position ({{coord|07|15|S|148|15|E|display=inline, title}}). Among the casualties was Destroyer Division 8 Commander, Captain Yasuo Sato. Few survivors escaped in a lifeboat that also rescued Nojima Maru's captain.[http://www.combinedfleet.com/asashi_t.htm IJN Asashio: Tabular Record of Movement]

Asashio was removed from the navy list on 1 April 1943.{{cite book | last = Brown | first = David| year = 1990 | title = Warship Losses of World War Two| publisher = Naval Institute Press| isbn = 1-55750-914-X}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book | last = D'Albas | first = Andrieu| year = 1965 | title = Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II | publisher = Devin-Adair Pub| isbn = 0-8159-5302-X}}
• {{cite book | last = Brown | first = David| year = 1990 | title = Warship Losses of World War Two| publisher = Naval Institute Press| isbn = 1-55750-914-X}}
• {{cite book | last = Hammel | first = Eric | author-link = Eric M. Hammel | year = 1988 | title = Guadalcanal: Decision at Sea : The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Nov. 13–15, 1942 | publisher = Pacifica Press | location = (CA) | isbn = 0-517-56952-3 | url = https://archive.org/details/guadalcanaldecis00hamm }}
• {{cite book | last = Morison | first = Samuel Eliot | author-link = Samuel Eliot Morison| year = 1961| title = Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, June 1942 – April 1944, vol. 7 of History of United States Naval Operations in World War II | publisher =Little, Brown and Company | location = Boston | id = ASIN B0007FBB8I}}
• {{cite book | last = Howarth | first = Stephen | year = 1983| title = The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895–1945 | publisher = Atheneum | isbn=0-689-11402-8}}
• {{cite book| last = Jentsura | first = Hansgeorg | year = 1976 | title = Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945 | publisher = US Naval Institute Press | isbn=0-87021-893-X}}
• {{cite book | last = Nelson | first = Andrew N. | year = 1967 | title = Japanese–English Character Dictionary | publisher = Tuttle | isbn = 0-8048-0408-7 | url = https://archive.org/details/modernreadersjap00nels }}
• {{cite book | last = Watts | first = Anthony J | year = 1967 | title = Japanese Warships of World War II | publisher = Doubleday | isbn = 978-0-3850-9189-3}}
• {{cite book | last = Whitley | first = M J | title = Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia | publisher = Arms and Armour Press | year = 2000 | location = London | isbn=1-85409-521-8}}

• [http://www.combinedfleet.com/asashi_c.htm CombinedFleet.com: Asashio-class destroyers]
• [http://www.combinedfleet.com/asashi_t.htm CombinedFleet.com: Asashio history]
• [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/japan/asashio-dd.htm GlobalSecurity.org: Asashio class destroyers]
• [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/japan/asashio-dd-unit.htm GlobalSecurity.org: Asashio class ship list]
• [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/japan/asashio-dd-schem.htm GlobalSecurity.org: Asashio class schematics]
• [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/japan/asashio-dd-specs.htm GlobalSecurity.org: Asashio class specifications]

{{Asashio class destroyer}}

{{Imperial Japanese Navy}}

{{March 1943 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Asashio}}

Category:Asashio-class destroyers

Category:Ships built by Sasebo Naval Arsenal

Category:World War II destroyers of Japan

Category:Destroyers sunk by aircraft

Category:Shipwrecks in the Solomon Sea

Category:1936 ships

Category:Maritime incidents in March 1943

Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean

Category:Ships sunk by US aircraft

Category:Shipwrecks in the Bismarck Sea