Michael McFadyen's Scuba Diving - Fumitsuki
The Imperial Japanese Navy ship Fumitsuki, a Mutsuki class destroyer, was planned in 1923 and built during 1925. She was launched on 16 February 1926 from the Fujinagata Zosen shipyard at Osaka, although then she was simply known as "No 29". She was completed on 3 July 1926. The name Fumitsuki did not come until 1928 (alternative spellings are Fumizuki and Humiduki). The new ship originally displaced 1,772 tons and was 103.3 metres (338.7 feet) long and 9.2 metres (30 feet) wide. She was powered by four oil fuelled Kampon boilers which supplied steam to two Parsons geared turbines. The resulting 38,500 shaft horsepower propelled the ship at 33.5 knots fully loaded and 37.5 knots when lightened considerably. The two props are three bladed and high pitched.
The new ship was quite well armed, with four 45 calibre guns, two 7.7mm guns, two by three torpedo launchers, 16 mines and 18 depth chargers. However, in 1941-42 the Fumitsuki was refitted and many changes were made. The displacement was increased to 1,913 tons, the aft torpedo launchers removed, mines removed, all guns removed and in place two 50 calibre guns and ten 25mm anti-aircraft guns installed. An additional 18 depth charges were carried and four throwers installed. As would be expected, maximum speed dropped to 34 knots.
As part of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla, the Fumitsuki saw service in the Solomon Islands in 1942-43, mostly around Guadalcanal. Many of her sisterships were also involved in this action and many lost. In fact, none of the 12 Mutsuki class destroyers lasted to the end of the War. After Guadalcanal, the ship was stationed in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. In March 1943 the Fumitsuki was attacked and damaged by American planes while travelling from Finschhafen to Kavieng (New Ireland) and on 3 April 1943 was again attacked and damaged, again while on her way to Kavieng. One of the boilers was flooded after a near miss opened up the hull.
On 4 May 1943 the Fumitsuki arrived at Yokosuka escorting the destroyer Fujikawa Maru.
On 5 and 6 October 1943, the Fumitsuki was involved in the evacuation of Guadalcanal and got caught in a fight with US destroyers. Her group withdrew but the other ships in the Japanese fleet remained and lost. On 9 October 1943 while on her way to Rabaul and Kavieng (surely a hex destination for the Fumitsuki), she was damaged again by US planes. On 4 January 1944 the Fumitsuki was attacked by planes from the USS Bunker Hill and USS Monterey.
The Fumitsuki was definitely destined for disaster as on 31 January 1944 she was again attacked and damaged (at least the fourth time in 10 months) by Consolidated Vultee B-24 Liberator bombers while moored in Rabaul. This damage was severe but she was still able to proceed under her own power, as escort for a convoy, to Chuuk for repairs. The convoy arrived in Chuuk on 6 February 1944. Repairs apparently began almost immediately, with boilers, machinery and other items disassembled. Most ammunition was also removed. The Fumitsuki was anchored about half way between the northern points of Dublon and Fefan Islands, near the Kiyozumi Maru and Kansho Maru.
On the morning of 17 February 1944, the first photos taken during Operation Hailstone show the Fumitsuki lying as described in the preceding paragraph. After the first wave of American aircraft pummelled the Chuuk fleet, the Fumitsuki made urgent repairs to the one boiler and turbine available and made off to the north-west using one prop. At about 1030 hours she was attacked by planes and a near-miss fell adjacent to the port of the aft engine room. This apparently had a delay fuse and it exploded under the ship causing a deal of damage to the hull. The only fully assembled engine was now out of service.
The captain dropped anchor and the crew attempted to make urgent repairs to the leaking hull. A tug (or perhaps the destroyer IJN Matsukaze) came to try to move the Fumitsuki to Dublon but the ship was low in the water, her anchor still out (there was no power to pull it in) and the wind was against he