JDS ''Nagatsuki'' (DD-167) was the fourth ship of the of

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

s. She was commissioned on 12 February 1970.

Construction and career

''Nagatsuki'' was

laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one ...

on 2 March 1968, at

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the prede ...

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 ...

Shipyard & Machinery Works as No. 2307, a 3,000-ton type A II guard ship planned for 1966 based on the Second Defense Build-up Plan, and to be laid down in 1969. Launched on 19 March 1970, commissioned on 12 February 1970, she was incorporated into the 3rd Escort Group as a ship under direct control and deployed to

Maizuru is a city in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 78,644 in 34,817 households and a population density of 230 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Maizuru is located in northern Kyoto Prefectu ...

, which remained her homeport throughout her career. In 1976, ''Nagatsuki'' participated in a practicing voyage to the ocean with the training vessel , and at that time, participated in the observing ceremony of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the United States in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. On 30 March 1984, the 2nd Escort Corps was newly formed under the 3rd Escort Corps group and incorporated with

sister ship A sister ship is a ship of the same Ship class, class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They o ...

. In 1986, ''Nagatsuki'' participated in a practicing voyage to the ocean, at which time she participated in the International Fleet Review Ceremony for the 100th Anniversary of the

Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; ) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of French Thir ...

in New York. On 25 January 1989, the 2nd Escort Corps was reorganized under the Maizuru District Force. ''Nagatsuki'' participated in a training voyage to North America from June to November 1994 as the

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 ...

of the training fleet, which consisted of escort vessels , ''Mochizuki'', and . For this reason, a wood grain sheet was attached to the equipment of the salute (removed after the end) and the equipment panel of the officer's room. ''Nagatsuki'' was decommissioned on 1 April 1996, and a year later, on 3 August 1997, she was sunk as a

target ship A target ship is a vessel — typically an obsolete or captured warship — used as a seaborne target for naval gunnery practice or for weapons testing. Targets may be used with the intention of testing effectiveness of specific types of ammunit ...

north of

Wakasa Bay is a bay located in the Chūbu region of Japan, and spans the coasts of Kyoto Prefecture, and Fukui Prefecture. Geography Wakasa Bay is the area south of the straight line from Cape Kyoga on the west of Tango Peninsula to Cape Echizen on the e ...

by bombardment by , ''Takatsuki'', and . ''Nagatsuki''s bell was the one that was installed on the former

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, Potsdam Declaration, when it was dissolved followin ...

's that was stranded in the Bennett cove, Kolombangara Island. That ''Nagatsuki'' was dismantled after the war, but her bells were kept by the locals at that time, and then the ones brought back to Japan were handed over to the Maritime Self-Defense Force by the efforts of the then general manager of the

Kure is a city in the Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 208,024 in 106,616 households and a population density of 590 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . With a strong industrial and naval heritage, ...

district, Tatsuo Chikudo, in November 1970. The bells were fitted to the ship on 17 March. After the ship's retirement, both the ''Nagatsuki''s bell are both preserved at the Maizuru Navy Memorial Hall.

Gallery

File:JS Nagatsuki (DD-167) in New York Harbor, -4 Jul. 1986 a.jpg, JDS ''Nagatsuki'' at

New York Harbor New York Harbor is a bay that covers all of the Upper Bay. It is at the mouth of the Hudson River near the East River tidal estuary on the East Coast of the United States. New York Harbor is generally synonymous with Upper New York Bay, ...

on 4 July 1986. File:JS Nagatsuki (DD-167) and JS Katori (TV-3501) in New York Harbor, -4 Jul. 1986 a.jpg, JDS ''Nagatsuki'' and at

on 4 July 1986.

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nagatsuki (DD-167) 1969 ships Takatsuki-class destroyers Ships built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ships sunk as targets