Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Japanese Destroyer Asashio, Japanese Destroyer Asagumo, Japanese Destroyer Minegumo, Japanese Destroyer Natsugumo, Japanese Destroyer Michishio, Japanese Destroyer Arashio, Japanese Destroyer Yamagumo, Japanese Destroyer Kasumi, Japanese Destroyer ÅŒshio, Japanese Destroyer Arare. Excerpt: Asashio, "Morning High Tide") was the lead ship of her class of destroyer in the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was built at the Sasebo Navy Yard. During trials, Asashio experienced steering problems and her maneuverability was unacceptable. The Asashio class was fitted with a redesigned stern and rudder design to resolve the problem. Other problems, chiefly involving the new and sophisticated 50,000 hp turbines, were also resolved. As the flagship of Destroyer Division 8 (Desdiv 8), and a member of Destroyer Squadron 2 (Desron 2), Asashio's first wartime mission was escorting Admiral Kondo's Southern Force Main Body out of Mako as distant cover to the Malaya and Philippine Islands invasion forces in December 1941. Asashio escorted a Malaya troop convoy from Mako towards Singora, then put into Hong Kong on 5 January 1942. She escorted another troop convoy to Davao, and then accompanied the Ambon invasion force (31 January), the Makassar invasion force (8 February) and the Bali/Lombok invasion force (18 February). On the night of 19 February 1942, Asashio participated in the Battle of Badoeng Strait. Asashio was guarding the transport Sasago Maru off Bali when an Allied fleet attacked. Asashio has been credited with sinking the Dutch destroyer HNLMS Piet Hein with a torpedo, plus gunnery hits on the Dutch light cruiser HNLMS Tromp and the American destroyer USS Stewart (DD-224). Asashio suffered light damage: she was hit once with a 75mm (3 in) shell from Tr. More:
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