Japanese destroyer Teruzuki (1941)
Design and description. The "Akizuki"-class ships were originally designed as anti-aircraft escorts for carrier battle groups, but were modified with torpedo tubes and depth charges to meet the need for more general-purpose destroyer. Her crew numbered 300 officers and enlisted men. The ships measured overall, with a beam of and a draft of . They displaced at standard load and at deep load. The ship had two Kampon geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by three Kampon water-tube boilers. The turbines were rated at a total of for a  designed speed of . The ship carried up to of fuel oil which gave them a range of at a speed of . The main armament of the "Akizuki" class consisted of eight Type 98 dual purpose guns in four twin-gun turrets, two superfiring pairs fore and aft of the superstructure. They carried four Type 96 anti-aircraft guns in two twin-gun mounts. The ships were also armed with four torpedo tubes in a single quadruple traversing mount; one reload was carried for each tube. Their anti-submarine weapons comprised six depth charge throwers for which 72 depth charges were  carried. Construction and career. During the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, Teruzuki escorts the Carrier Strike Force. 7 of her crew are killed and minor damaged sustained from a Catalina bomb strike. On 12–13 November 1942, "Teruzuki" was part of the Bombardment Force commanded by Rear Admiral Hiroaki Abe. In the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, she claimed hits on seven U.S. ships, including one sinking. The following morning, she assisted the crippled battleship . On 14–15 November, she joined the Emergency Bombardment Force commanded by Admiral Nobutake Kondō. In the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, she and the destroyer  provided close cover to the heavy ships. Afterwards, she assisted the crippled battleship and helped remove survivors. On the night of 11–12 December 1942, "Teruzuki" led a transport run to Guadalcanal. While patrolling close to shore at low speed, she was attacked by patrol torpedo boats and , torpedoed and left dead in the water. Fires spread over the next three hours until reaching depth charges, resulting in explosions sinking the ship.