Japanese destroyer Hinoki (1944)

Hinoki (檜) was one of 18 Matsu-class destroyer escort destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Completed in September 1944, the ship began convoy escort duty on 25 October. She damaged an American submarine in December after it had sunk an aircraft carrier in one of her convoys. In January 1945, Hinoki was one of the escorts for a convoy to Manila, the Philippines. While trying to leave Manila Harbor several days later, her small convoy was discovered by the Americans and fruitlessly engaged by American and Australian ships detached from their own convoy. After the Allied ships had disengaged, the Japanese ships were attacked by American aircraft that sank one of Hinoki's sister ships and damaged Hinoki. Two days later the destroyer attempted to leave Manila again, but she was discovered not long afterwards by American destroyers who sank her in a gun duel with the loss of all hands.

Design and description
Designed for ease of production, the Matsu class was smaller, slower and more lightly armed than previous destroyers as the IJN intended them for second-line duties like escorting convoys, releasing the larger ships for missions with the fleet. The ships measured 100 m long overall, with a beam of 9.35 m and a draft of 3.3 m. Their crew numbered 210 officers and enlisted men. They displaced 1282 t at standard load and 1554 t at deep load. The ships had two Kampon geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by two Kampon water-tube boilers. The turbines were rated at a total of 19000 shp for a speed of 27.8 kn. The Matsus had a range of 4680 nmi at 16 kn.

The main armament of the Matsu-class ships consisted of three 127 mm Type 89 dual-purpose guns in one twin-gun mount aft and one single mount forward of the superstructure. The single mount was partially protected against spray by a gun shield. The accuracy of the Type 89 guns was severely reduced against aircraft because no high-angle gunnery director was fitted. The ships carried a total of twenty-five 25 mm Type 96 anti-aircraft guns in 4 triple and 13 single mounts. The Matsus were equipped with Type 13 early-warning and Type 22 surface-search radars. The ships were also armed with a single rotating quadruple mount amidships for 610 mm torpedoes. They could deliver their 36 depth charges via two stern rails and two throwers.

Construction and career
Authorized in the late 1942 Modified 5th Naval Armaments Supplement Program, Hinoki was laid down on 4 March 1944 at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal and launched on 7 July. Upon her completion on 30 September, the ship was assigned to Destroyer Squadron 11 of the Combined Fleet for training. From 25 October to 2 November, Hinoki escorted the aircraft carriers JAPANESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER Ryūhō and JAPANESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER Kaiyō as they ferried supplies from Sasebo, Japan, to Keelung, Japanese Taiwan. The ship was assigned to Destroyer Division 52 on 15 November and Commander Iwagami Juichi assumed command of the destroyer while serving as the division's commander. Five days later the division was transferred to Escort Squadron 31 of the 5th Fleet. She was part of the escort for the carrier JAPANESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER Unryū on a ferry mission to Manila, the Philippines when the carrier was torpedoed and sunk by the American submarine USS Redfish (SS-395) on 19 December. Hinoki damaged the submarine with depth charges and was briefly diverted to Takao, Taiwan, before proceeding to Manila on 22–24 December. The day after her arrival, the ship steamed for Cape St. Jacques in the Japanese-occupied French Indochina. On 31 December Hinoki and her sister JAPANESE DESTROYER Momi helped to escort the ex-Italian reefer ship Ikutagawa Maru from Cape St. Jacques to Manila, arriving on 4 January 1945.

The following day the trio attempted to leave Manila for Indochina despite the presence of a nearby Allied convoy headed towards Lingayen Gulf. Their departure was spotted by American aircraft and the three ships comprising the convoy's escort attempted to intercept them. The destroyer USS Bennion (DD-662) led the two Australian ships, the frigate HMAS Gascoyne (K354) and the sloop HMAS Warrego (U73) towards the Japanese ships. The destroyer's radar picked up the Japanese convoy at 15:48 at a range of 23300 yd and her lookouts spotted the ships two minutes later. Bennion then slowed to the frigate's best speed of 20 kn to allow her to catch up. Not long afterwards, the Allied ships were spotted in their turn by the Japanese who promptly reversed course back towards Manila. They opened fire at a range of 18700 yd at 15:57 and began making a smoke screen. Bennion replied a minute later and Gascoyne opened fire at 16:03, but it fell about a nautical mile short of the Japanese ships. The American ship increased her speed at 16:11 in an attempt to close the range and opened fire again at 16:24 at 17400 yd distance. The range had decreased to 14300 yd by 16:36 and the ship's captain ordered rapid and continuous fire a minute later. He broke off the engagement at 16:40 upon receiving notice that a large number of Japanese aircraft were inbound and having expended 349 rounds of ammunition with no effect; the Japanese return fire was equally ineffective. The report was incorrect, but the nearby escort carriers of Task Group 77.4.1 had launched 16 torpedo bombers, escorted by 19 fighters. Their attack sank Momi and they moderately damaged Hinoki with a torpedo hit, killing 21 and wounding 45 crewmen.

After emergency repairs were completed on 7 January, the ship attempted to depart Manila again, this time several hours after dark. The radar of the destroyer USS Charles Ausburne (DD-570), one of four ships of Destroyer Squadron 23 escorting a convoy, acquired her at 21:15 at a range of 40000 yd, but the contact was irregular enough that the ship's captain initially believed it was a false contact. An hour later, the radar was still picking up the Japanese ship and he ordered a speed increase to 25 kn in an attempt to close and identify the blip. A star shell fired at 22:26 silhouetted Hinoki some 10000 yd away. The Japanese ship immediately turned away to bring her torpedoes to bear and missed with all of them as the Americans had been making evasive turns throughout the pursuit in case of lurking submarines. Hinoki was hit by multiple shells at 22:35 and immediately slowed. The Charles Ausburne went to rapid fire while closing the range to 1100 yd and sank the Japanese ship twenty minutes later at coordinates 14.5°N, 119.5°W with the loss of all hands. Her return fire had frequently near-missed the American ship and her captain considered his ship lucky not have been hit. The IJN struck Hinoki from the navy list on 10 April.