Japanese destroyer Asagumo (1938)

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Career

Ordered:
Laid down:	23 December 1936
Launched:
Commissioned:	31 March 1938
Decommissioned:
Fate:	Sunk 25 October 1943
Struck:	10 January 1945
General Characteristics
Displacement:	2,370 tons
Length:	388 ft (118.3 meters
Beam:	33 ft 11 in (10.3 m)
Draft:	12 ft 1 in (3.7 m)
Speed:	35 knots (65 km/h)
Complement:	200
Armament:	6 × 5 in (127 mm) / 50 cal DP guns, up to 28 × 25 mm AA guns, up to 4 × 13 mm AA guns, 8 × 24 in torpedo tubes, 36 depth charges

Asagumo (朝雲) was a Asashio-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her name translates to "Morning Clouds".

Completed on 31 March 1938 at Kawasaki Heavy Industries' Kobe, Japan shipyard, she was the fifth destroyer of her class to be built. At the commencement of World War II, she was assigned to the 9th Destroyer Division to take part in various operations. During 1942 Asagumo participated in the battles of Badung Strait and Midway, after which she headed to reinforce the Japanese force at Solomon Islands. During August, Asagumo saw engagement in the Japanese Guadalcanal reinforcement operation and in November, she was made the flagship of the 4th Torpedo Squadron. This squadron was to enter the 3rd Solomon Battle during February the following year and engage in action in the Bismark Sea during March. Also during 1943, Asagumo was involved in the Japanese retreat from Kiska Island in July. Asagumo spent her final hours assigned to Vice Admiral Nishimura's fleet. During the Battle of Leyte Gulf at Surigao Strait, Asagumo was torpedoed by an American Destroyer and subsequently sunk.