IJN Oite Destroyer

Hokuyo Maru 

IJN Oite Destroyer 

             Truk Lagoon, FSM           

   

 

The IJN OITE was a Kamikaze Class destroyer built for the Imperial Japanese Navy and launched 1924 and was the first class to have a reinforced bridge for protection. The ship's name means "Favorable Wind" in Japanese.

OITE had left Truk prior to the "Hailstone" attack, as an escort for a group of ships including the cruiser Agano, bound for Guam. When the ships were about 200 NM from Truk, the Agano was sunk by the U. S. submarine Skate. The OITE and other ships picked up the survivors and then returned to Truk to help defend against the attack.   When she entered the North passage American "Avenger" torpedo bombers from the carrier USS Bunker Hill  attacked her and put a torpedo into OITE aft of the bridge. The explosion was devastating and the OITE broke in two and sank immediately. Only a few sailors survived.  She now lies in over 210 fsw

    

 Hokuyo Maru 

             Truk Lagoon, FSM           

   

  

The Hokuyo Maru was built as a medium coastal freighter.   She was designed to operate between North Korea, Hokkaido and other Japanese islands and as a result had a very strong bow to penetrate the ice flows.  During the "Hailstone" attack, Hokuyo Maru was attacked by aircraft from the carrier Essex and sunk by a bomb that struck her stern. She now lies in 165 fsw.

VHS:  $24.95  SWV039       Back to Truk Videos / CD-ROM       CDROM:  $24.95   SWC039
                                                                                                                                      

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IJN Oite Destroyer

Hokuyo Maru 

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