JDS ''Harukaze'' (DD-101) was the

lead ship The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships that are all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels. Large ships are very comple ...

Harukaze-class destroyer The ''Harukaze''-class destroyer was the first indigenous post-World War II Japanese destroyer class. Its main mission was anti-submarine warfare. Almost all equipment was supplied from the United States according to the U.S. and Japan Mutual De ...

s, and the first destroyer of the

Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force The , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy ( ...

to be built in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

since the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Construction and career

The ship was laid down at the Mitsubishi shipyard in

Nagasaki , officially , is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Founded by the Portuguese, the port of Portuguese_Nagasaki, Nagasaki became the sole Nanban trade, port used for tr ...

on 15 December 1954, launched on 20 September 1955 and commissioned on 26 April 1956 with the

hull number A hull number is a serial identification number given to a boat or ship. For the military, a lower number implies an older vessel. For civilian use, the Hull Identification Number (HIN) is used to trace the boat's history. The precise usage varie ...

(DD-101). She was put into service on 26 April, and was incorporated into the

Sasebo District Force is a Core cities of Japan, core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is the second-largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. , the city had an estimated population of 230,873 in 102,670 households, and a populat ...

. On 1 April 1957, it was incorporated into the 2nd Escort Group as a flagship. From 14 January to 25 February 1958, the Maritime Self-Defense Force's first pelagic training voyage to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

was carried out by the training fleet, participating as a flagship, from 6 August to 10 October of the same year. He also participated as a

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

in the second pelagic training voyage to

and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

held on the same day. At the time of regular repairs carried out in March of the same year, the 5-inch gun fire control system was replaced from Mk.51 with a Swiss contrabass fire control system. In addition, on 1 April, the same year, it was incorporated into the 1st Escort Group as a flagship, and her homeport was transferred to

Yokosuka is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has a population of 373,797, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th-most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region. The city i ...

. On the 14 of December 1959, A British Sailor nicknamed "Porcupine johnson" joined Her as a transfer from the British Royal Navy. From 20 January to 20 March 1959, a large-scale armament repair was carried out at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and four rear depth charge projectors and one depth charge projection rail were removed. Equipped with one Mk2 short torpedo depth charge on each side. The anti-submarine active sonar was changed from QHBa to SQS-11A, and the passive sonar was changed from QDA to SQR-4 / SQA-4. In addition, construction work was carried out, such as the installation of a new identification friend or foe device, the replacement of the electronic warfare device from OLR-3 to OLR-4, and the installation of air conditioning and ventilation equipment in the battle compartment rooms. In February 1960, an offshore refueling device was installed. On 1 February 1961, it was incorporated into the 2nd Escort Group as a flagship, and the fixed port was transferred to Sasebo again. In March 1967, the sonar was replaced with SQS-30. Transferred to the

on 15 October 1969 (Showa 44). On 1 February 1971, he was transferred to the 12th escort corps, which was newly formed under the 3rd escort corps group, together with JDS Yukikaze. This was the first time that both ships had formed an escort. On 16 December 1973, the 12th Escort Corps was abolished, and it was transferred to the 1st Submarine Corps as a ship under direct control, and the fixed port was also transferred to Wu. In order to engage in submarine training support missions, the stern depth charge projector and depth charge drop rails were removed, and training torpedo collection dabits and torpedo loading mounts were installed. On 27 March 1981, she was changed to a training auxiliary ship, and the ship hull number was changed to (ASU-7002). She was decommissioned on 5 March 1985. Until November 2001, it was moored and stored at the Maritime Self-Defense Force 1st Service School as a special pier, but it was sold due to significant damage caused by salt damage, and it was dismantled after leaving the area on the 19th of the same month.

Gallery

File:JDS Harukaze.jpg File:JS Harukaze (DD-101).png File:JapanesedestroyerHarukaze002.JPG, JDS ''Harukaze'' as a

training ship A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house class ...

on 5 December 2000

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harukaze 1955 ships Harukaze-class destroyers Harukaze