Japanese destroyer Suzutsuki
Encyclopedia
was an Akizuki-class
Akizuki class destroyer (1942)
The was one of the primary classes of new destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy after 1942. The IJN called them from their plan name. They were designed to fight larger ships, aircraft and submarines....
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
. Her name means "Clear Moon (in Autumn)".
On 6–7 April 1945, Suzutsuki escorted from the Inland Sea on her attack mission
Operation Ten-Go
was the last major Japanese naval operation in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Other renderings of this operation's title in English include Operation Heaven One and Ten-ichi-gō....
against the Allied forces fighting on Okinawa. Her bow was torn off by a torpedo from aircraft of Task Force 58, but survived and returned to Sasebo, by steaming in reverse the whole way. She, her sister , , and (sunk two days later by a mine off the Inland Sea), survived the ordeal, despite suffering heavy damage, but Yamato, and five escorts, , , , and were all sunk with heavy losses of life. Some of the survivors were picked up by Suzutsuki.
Following the end of the war, Suzutsuki was initially used as a breakwater at Takamatsu in November 1945, then was sold for scrap that same month after her name was delisted from the Navy List on 20 November.