Takatsuki class destroyer (1966)

Japanese Self Defence Naval Force – ASW destroyers:
たかつき Takatsuki, きくづき Kikuzuki, もちづき Mochizuki, ながつき Nagatsuki (DD164 to DD167)

The Takatsuki-class destroyer were four destroyers of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force built between 1964 and 1970 as anti-submarine warfare specialists. Designed to operate the DASH ASW drone system it was soon removed in 1977. Instead, when modernized, they received new surface-to-air and anti-ship missile however the second bact saw her upgrades cancelled. The 1985-1988 refit that only concerned Takatsuki and Kikuzuki saw the installation of Sea Sparrow, Harpoon anti-ship missile, Phalanx CIWS and a new fire control system and TASS. Thus, they were discarded in 2002-2003 unlike their sisters Mochizuki and Nagatsuki, decommissioned early in 1996-1999.

Development

For the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s destroyers (DD), the Harukaze-class (28DD) was the first built, based on a plan National Guard era plan followed by MDAP transferred Asakaze-class (Greaves-class) Ariake-class (Fletcher) under a loan Agreement signed on May 14, 1954. Domestic construction resumed in the early 1950s with the First Defense Force Development Plan leading to ASW destroyers (30DDK; Ayanami class). They compromised on artillery in exchange for expanding ASW capabilities. The Navay needed SAM protection against long range Soviet Bombers of the Pacific fleet, so destroyers of the 31DDA Murasame type and Akizuki type equipped with both ASW and artillery were initiated through the out-of-area procurement (OSP). They were world-class weapons platforms, but all depended of the US the Military Assistance Defence Program (MDAP). The second defense development plan laid the base for a new generation of ships with still US-made weapons and the country was expected to be equipped with the very best and lastes in the USN arsenal.

During the second defense plan era, the ships loaned under the 1954 agreement were scheduled to be retired, and replacement ships to be built. However, the escort fleet at that time only had three escort groups, two main groups, plus one group made up of older vessels. In particular, the 3rd escort group still had Kusu-class (wartime ex-US escort destroyers), significantly inferior in performance to modern fleet destroyers. Indeed the Soviet Pacific fleet from 1960 features its first nuclear-powered subs, capable of 30 knots. A replacement was still in the process of being developed, so it was necessary to secure new replacement destroyers even within the limited budget. For this reason, it was decided to build a well-balanced, large destroyer (DDA) and in parallel an anti-submarine destroyer (DDK) retaining anti-submarine warfare capabilities, but compromised on main engines and artillery. This became the Takatsuki class.

In the budget paper, it was designated “class A II guard ship”. Like the first-generation Murasame class, it was customary to have the unofficial designation “DDA “assigned to it. It had enhanced AA capabilities in addition to ASW with numbers consecutive to the Akizuki-class (DD-161-162) and Amatsukase (DDG-163), that emphasized air defense. The name also follows the “~tsuki” of the first Akizuki-class to follow the same logic. So just like the Akizuki-class, had its command function emphasized, the new class was expected to play a similar role as leader of ASW flotillas of DDKs and escorts, serving as the core of ASW operations for escort groups.

Design

General Layout

In terms of design, there are many similarities with the missile destroyer Amatsukase (35DDG) built earlier. The basic plan number in the JMSDF register is F107. The hull was similar to the 35DDG, with a wave-shielding type and two-storey deck.

The foredeck had a strong shear to protect the Bofors rocket launcher at the bow with its ultimate freeboard at 7 meters, unusual for a 3,000 ton class destroyer. Due to potential damage to the rocket launcher mount by high waves, in the last two ships Nagazuki and Mochizuki, a protective bulwark was installed in front of the Bofors. The bow also received a knuckle to improve seaworthy performance, making the bow deck more efficient in high waves. In addition to the Bofors, the bow deck also sported the No. 51 gun and Type 74 ASROC launcher behind. This this pushed back the bridge structure amidship, resulting in a flowing sheer line. This was very much like a California class cruiser in reduction (at design stage by then).

Like the 35DDG, the blocky bridge was designed to be three-tiered in order to accommodate at the same time a large combat command center (CIC) above water, and not buried into the hull contrary to the usual practice as well as the group command center, plus a navigation and command bridge.

A new type of Mack

The first “mack” (mast+stack) was installed behind, in a shapre that recalled early 1960s US ships of the time. This structure integrated both the funnel (needed since the ship still ran on steam power) and mast, a structure strong enough to support increases electronics, but together with the elegant shear lines, it created a neat hull for the time. Before adopting the Mack, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force sent a research team to the US to conduct on-site inspections of the Leahy-class missile cruiser, so that was its Mack type that was adopted. In addition, based on early reports from Takatsuki as she was just completed, improvements were made after Kikuduki such as masking the foremack taller by 2 meters, and enlarging it by 0.5 meters.

Crew, protection and rescue

An independent passageway was created on its starboard side, second deck, running all the way from bow to stern, separating the passageway and the living quarters. It also improved habitability, streamlining hose line when making damage control. The new design also adopted the same air-conditioning system as the 35DDG. Its living area for each personel was 2.6 square meters, larger than the 35DDG. Still, it’s tiny compared to this day of heavy automation. The ships carried two 7.9m boats and one 7m cutter. One of the former was installed horizontally on the middle deck, and a deck crane was used for lifting and lowering it. The other one was on the starboard side close to the second mack, and the cutter on the opposite port side, under davits for quick deployment. The Takatsuki class were provided with emergency sprinkers using saltwater in the most sensitive places, with halon fire extinguisher bottles also provided in many spots. The external hatches were reduced in numbers and all sealed with heavy closing bolts and wheels to make the ship full BNC protected, with overopressure provided by the air conditioning system.

Hull and general arrangements

The completed ship displaced 3,100 long tons (3,150 t) standard and 4,500 long tons (4,572 t) full load. This was larger than the already large and versatile design JDS Amatsukaze (1963) but necessary to integrate that ASW command capability. The Takatsuki class measured 136 m (446 ft 2 in) overall for a beam of 13.4 m (44 ft) and draft of 4.4 m (14 ft 5 in). The crew ranged from 270 in 1967 to 260 in 1985 after automation helped to reduce personal destpite the extra armament, showing a massive improvement.

Powerplant

The main powerplant was not revolutionart and largely followed the 35DDG design. It was a traditional stem plant. The main boilers were of the two-body water tube type, rated for 40 kgf/cm2 (570 lbf/in2) at 450 °C (842 °F) max. The main steam turbines sets were three-shell impulse reaction type, but differing for each ship:
Takatsuki and Nagatsuki had two Mitsubishi/WH reaction/impulse steam turbines and Mitsubishi CE water tube boilers
Kikuzuki had Mitsubishi/EW impulse steam turbines only and the same Mitsubishi CE water tube boilers
Mochizuki had two Kawasaki Model NH-300 impulse steam turbines and Model BD-120-1 water tube boilers
These turbines anyway had an output of 30,000 horsepower (22,000 kW). They were coupled to a two-stage locked train gear reduction type.
As main generators, earlier ships had a smaller steam turbine generator rated fpr 800 kW plus two backup diesel generators for 400 kW.
On later ships, the steam turbine generator was rated for 1,000 kW, the diesel to 500 kW.
Additionally, all ships had the same emergency generator, an extra diesel rated for 200 kilowatts.
This output of 60,000 shp (45 MW) on two shafts gave 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph) and a great agility, as well as a range of 6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph).

Armament

Main Guns

The Takatuski class came out with two Type 73 54-caliber 5-inch single rapid-fire guns Mk.42. At the time, this was the most powerful dual-purpose gun in the world. It was planned but abandoned for the 35DD due to budgetary reasons, leaving the Takatsuki the only ones equipped with this type. On the first two ships thess were US-made Mk.42 Mod.7 and on the last two, the Japanese Type 73 under license at the Japan Steel Works. The associated fire control system was the US Mk.56, like for the Yamagumo type. It was used to direct A/S artillery fire, but also confirm ASROC’s separation and landing point and to track DASH drones, making them vital. The last ship in class, Nagatsuki (41DDA) had instead the Type 72 Fire Control System Type 1A (FCS-1A), Japanese version of it.

The associated main gun fire control system was the latest American Mk.56, a high-performance model with a X-band Mk.35 radar, capable of automatic tracking, blind firing. The Harukaze-class (28DD) requested this early but this was rejected by the USN. The secondary GFCS aft was the same Mk.63 as the Ayanami-class with a Japanese windscreen. However the use of ASROC led to use the Mk.56 for missile tracking, and anti-aircraft fire was solely handled by the manual Mk.63, resulting in a reduced ability to counter airborne threats when performing an ASW attack. In later batches this was resolved by standardizing both the main and secondary GFCSs using the Japanese Type 72 Fire Control System Type 1B (FCS-1B), capable of autotracking and blind firing.
Anti-submarine weapons include the medium-range Type 71 Bofors Rocket Launcher, the short-range surface launch tube HOS-301 (324mm triple short torpedo launcher), the long-range Asrock used in the Yamagumo-class (37-39DDK), and the ultra-long-range QH-50 used in the Minegumo-class (40-42DDK).

DASH

This was the first class designed to be equipped with a DASH unmanned anti-submarine attack helicopter (drone). Pushed forward by the US to reduced R&D costs, this unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was also the first destrpyer-based ASW aircraft, expected to provide long-range ASW detection and kill, far exceedin the Bofors and ASROC, making a triple defensive bubble. The torpedo store and fuel tank with 15L of JP-5 for DASH were also installed and all the servicing equipment and trained personal in the Unfortunately, the innovative drone was never mature and eventually droppped by the US in 1969 due to frequent accidents, leaving the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force the world’s only operator. It was also unused due the lack of spare parts and removed in 1980s refits.

Type 71 375mm ASWRL Bofors

For closer range ASW attacks, these destroyers were the second to come out with the Type 71 Bofors rocket launcher, a licensed version of the M/50 375mm anti-submarine rocket launcher already used on the Kitakami-class. This was associated with the Underwater Strike Control System (SFCS). Trajectory calculations were done in conjunction with GFCS.

RUR-5 ASROC

In addition, the longer-range ASROC with their 8-barreled launchers were installed for the first on a Japanese DD, on the center deck, with the spare magazine installed on the aft superstructure. This location was criticized for significantly restricting the firing range forward and aft however, but not conttadicted naval commanders’s preferred circular method of attack, in which multiple ships surrounded the submarine, maintained sonar detection while attacking, used at the time. For specs, see navweaps

Bofors and ASROC direction

As an underwater attack command system for directing these, the first ship “Takatsuki” (38DDA) was equipped with an American-made Mk.114 for ASROC, and domestically produced SFCS-1C-3 for Bofors.
The second ship was updated to SFCS-1C-3A, which automated wind direction and wind speed as inputs. Mochizuki was equipped with the SFCS-2, domestically produced unified system in command of the ASROC and Bofors. In addition, Nagatsuki was equipped with the SFCS-2A, an anti-roll system with pitch detection with the SFCS-2, gyrocompass Mk.19 for navigation. Thus fourth ship also had the Type 3 towed decoy for countermeasures against torpedoes.

HOS-301 324mm TTs

A Japanese copy of the US standardized triple 324 mm torpedo tibes for the Mark 46 acoustic ASW torpedo, built in Japan, both the tubes and torproedoes as the HOS-301. Installed on the first two ships in 1986.

Sensors

Sensors & processing systems compmrised the OPS-11B EWR, OPS-17 SSR, AN/SQS-23, AN/SQS-35(J), and in 1986 refit, the OPS-11C EWR. The main guns were directed by the Mark 56 fire-control system

Regarding the radar installed, it followed in all respects that of the anti-submarine destroyer of the same generation. For anti-aircraft direction it had the OPS-11 modeled after the American-made AN/SPS-40. For ASW it had the OPS-17 with the same performance as US AN/SPS-10. They had the radio wave detection system ESM and Mochizuki had the domestically produced NOLR-1B electronic warfare system while Takatsuki, Kikuduki, and Nagatsuki had the latest American-made AN/WLR-1C, purchased from FMS. For the sonar they had the American-made low-frequency, high-output AN/SQS-23. However the later two and the Type 66, first full-fledged domestically produced sonar with similar performance. They had also the fixed OQS-3 mounted on the bow, and the first two were later equipped with the variable depth SQS-35(J) sonar in the 1970 refit.

Takatsuki was later equipped with the NYYA-1 tactical information processing system in her later refit in 1970, developed by Ring Temuco Boat (LTV) as a derivative of the US Coast Guard TACNAV system, used for streamlining CIC operations, but wtill with functional limitations. It was originally planned to nstall it on Kikuzuki (39DDA) but this was never carried out.

Conway’s rendition of the Takatsuki class

⚙ specs. of the Takatuski as completed
Displacement	3,100 long tons standard, 4,500 long tons FL
Dimensions	136 x 13.4 x 4.4m (446 ft 2 in x 44 ft x 14 ft 5 in)
Propulsion	2 shafts impulse steam turbines, 2× water tube boilers: 60,000 shp (45 MW)
Speed	32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Range	6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Armament	2× Mk.42 5-in, 1×8 ASROC, 1×4 Bofors 375 mm ASW, 2×3 Mk.32 ASW TTs, 2× QH-50D DASH
Armament 1986	Mk.42 5-in, 2×4 Harpoon SSM, 1×8 Sea Sparrow SAM, Mk.15 CIWS, ASROC, Bofors 375 mm, 2×3 323mm TTs
Active Protection	NOLR-1B, NOLQ-1 (1986)
Sensors	OPS-11B EWR, OPS-17 SSR, AN/SQS-23, AN/SQS-35(J), OPS-11C EWR (1986), Mark 56 FCR
Crew	270 (Takatsuki, 1967), 260 (Takatsuki, 1985)

Modernizations

JDS Nagatsuki (DD-167) and JDS Katori in New York Harbor 4 July 1986

Takatsuki had her own “FRAM” modernization and was equipped with an extremely powerful suite, both armament and sensors, but with the trend toward better missiles, she started to be obsolete in the 1980s. However, the new destroyers that followed were expensive and it was and issue to have them in large numbers quickly. So in order to maintain their fighting strength, there was a large-scale modernization planned at the Gosan Churyo. It was planned to give tjem a comprehensive anti-air, anti-surface, and electronic warfare upgrade, roughly equivalent to latest Hatsuyuki-type (52DD). They were to be equipped equipped with a new tactical information processing system to integrate these. This modification was named FRAM after the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Reconstruction and Modernization Program.

The first stage was the removal of the aft 5-inch gun and its associated director, all the DASH-related equipment, TACAN, the mid-deck crane, and the 7-meter cutter. Next was the addition of a new short ranged SAM system type 2 Sea Sparrow with its GMLS-3 octuple reloadable launcher, and the associated FCS-2-12 for fire direction. Also, two quad canisters for the Harpoon anti-ship missile were instaled as well as a 20mm CIWS for close in defence.
On the sensors front, they received the OYQ-5-5B/C-2 tactical information processing system. The OPS-11B associated to the OYQ-C was updated. The radio wave detection system was replaced with NOLR-6 EW system and in complement the Mk 36 SRBOC was fitted. For ASW they also received the SQR-18A VDS-TASS and hull prairie masker to reduce radiation noise, while the powerplant underwent a large-scale overhaul of all its elements and was semi-rafted to restore performance and reduced noise further, while extending their service by eight years, bu at great cost.

The original plan was indeed to refurbish all four ships at Gosan Chuei, but cost seared more than expected, so the first request in the budget was reduced to two ships FY1986 and for the same year, weapons-related costs for Takatsuki were approved, hull-related costs included in FY1987. In addition, FRAM budget for a second ship was approved FY1988, but the FRAM cost for Takatsuki amounted to 16.1 billion yen, comparable to the 16.6 billion yen for the 57DE Yubetsu, newly built. Therefore, it was cancelled for the 3rd and 4th ships. The next Iroku mid-life upgrade was shifted instead to the more capable Haruna-class helicopter destroyer. The Sea Sparrow ordered for the last two ships were instead reused in the Shirane class.

So to resume, Kikuzuki and her sister in 1986 had still a Mk.42 5 in (127 mm) gun forward, two canisters for four RGM-84 Harpoon SSMs, a single 8 Mk.29 Sea Sparrow launcher aft, one Mk.15 CIWS, also aft, she still had her original octuple ASROC launcher amidship, quadruple Bofors 375 mm (15 in) ASW rocket launcher forward, and an extra two Mk.32 ASW triple torpedo tubes for acoustic torpedoes like the Mark 46 or Japanese licenced versions. The ship also was upgraded with the OPS-11C EWR system and had the NOLQ-1 for electronic warfare. In fact, they served for longer thazn expected, making the best of the modernization cost, from 1986 to 2002-2003 so double that was expected (16-17 instead of 8 years).

Planned Succession

In the 4th “Defense Power Development Plan” planned to build a 3,600-ton class (standard) destroyer, essentially an advanced version of the Takatsuki. This was the first time for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force to have a ship fitted with a proper ship-to-ship missile armament at its core, to strengthen surface strike power of the escort group as a whole. Although the new planned ship was 600 tons larger, its basic performance like top speed was said to be the same. She was to have a single 54-caliber 5-in Mk.42 as well as a new set of Japanese ship-to-ship missiles and two 90-caliber 35mm twin L-90 CIWS, plus a new tactical information processing system. There was also a hangar for ASW helicopters instead of the ill-fated DASH. The original plan was to build one ship for the 4th defense plan, scheduled FY1975. However, in 1973, due to the direct impact of the soaring costs after the first oil crisis it became impossible to keep that addition within the defense budget. As a result it was postponed.

It was decided also as a cost-saving measure, the construction of new 2,500-ton, “revised Yamagumo” class and 1,500-ton class “revised Chikugo” class scheduled for the same time would be cancelled. This left and unsolved issues with strengthening the anti-ship missile defense capabilities. The cancelled ships notably had to have gas turbine engines, the new trend at the time. Ironically, the cancellation led to drastic and systematic measures, starting with the construction of the Hatsuyuki-type (52DD) for post-4th defense eventually.

The Takatsuki class in service

JDS Takatsuki (DD-164)

Takatsuki was ordered and laid down at the Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, Tokyo 8 October 1964, launched on 7 January 1966 and commissioned on 15 March 1967. JDS Takatsuki, DD-164 entered service with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, named a susual in a very poetic way as “the moon that shines high in the sky.” She however never recalled a WW2 destroyer, her name was thus “new”. It was the first time a JDS destroyer was not named by the former Navy, despite many navy veterans still alive at the time. Her construction proceeded at the Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries’ Tokyo 2nd Factory as the “2304th 3,000-ton class A II-class patrol ship”, planned under the Second Defense Force Development Plan of 1963. She was transferred after her initial trials to the 1st Escort Group under direct control, deployed to the Kure Naval Base.

On March 27, 1968, the 1st Escort Group was created with the Kikuzuki commissioned on the same day. Her first major refit was carried out at the same Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Tokyo 2nd Factory from November 1970 to March 30 1971, seeing the addition of a variable depth sonar (VDS) and NYYA-1 tactical information processing system. On February 1, 1971, she was transferred to the 2nd Escort Group as flagship, homeported to Sasebo. On November 9, 1974, she was sent to take part in the “10th Yomaru Exercize” in Tokyo Bay. On November 26, she arrived on site along with the destroyers Haruna, Mochizuki, and Yukikaze, and on 27-28 November, sinking ships to be disposed of by gunnery. In 1977, she took part in an ocean training cruise, spanning the globe.
On March 27, 1981, she was transferred to the 1st Escort Group as flagship but homeport was transferred to Yokosuka. On March 30, 1983, she was under the 4th Escort Group.

She had her major modernization and renovation (FRAM) from April 1, 1984 to October 31, 1985, extending her service life for a decade and half. From June 1994, she took part in another world(spanning cruise to North America, visiting New York among others with the destroyers Nagatsuki, Mochizuki, and Shirayuki, dropping anchor fir the 4th of July celebration as a good will visit.
On March 16, 1995, she was transferred to the Maizuru District, 2nd Escort Squadron, homeported to Maizuru. On March 24, 1997, her unit became the 24th Escort Squadron.
She was decommissioned on August 16, 2002, after 35 years and 5 months service, 814,113 miles (37.6 circumnavigations) and 65,480 hours at sea.

JDS Kikuzuki (DD-165)

JDS Kikuzuki was ordered from the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nagasaki Shipyard on 15 March 1966. She wa slaunched there on 25 March 1967 and completed, then commissioned on 27 March 1968. DD-165 was the second ship in class, her name derived from the alternative name for “September” (Nagatsuki) in the lunar calendar adn remambered the 1920s kamikaze-class, and 9th Mutsuki-class destroyer of WW2. Her factory name was “2305th 3,000-ton Class A II patrol ship”. She was assigned to the newly formed 1st Escort Group under along with her sister Takatsuki, homeport Kure. On June 30, 1970, with JDS Katori she took part in the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s round the world cruise. On October 30th, just before entering Colombo Port in Ceylon, she grounded, damaging her main engine turbine, and she had to sail on the single port shaft home, on November 18th.

On February 1, 1971, her unit became the 2nd Escort Group. In 1973, she took part in another ocean-spanning training cruise. From May 12 to June 27, 1977, she went to Hawaii with Mochizuki, the submarine Makishio, and eight P-2Js to take part in RIMPAC (created in 1971). From November 1 to December 17, 1980 she was in another oceanic cruise to Hawaii with Tachikaze and Mochizuki, and eight P-2Js for the same, RIMPAC 1980. On March 30, 1983, her unit became the 4th Escort Group, and she was transferred to Yokosuka. Ffrom June 15th , she took part in another globe-spanning training cruise. She has her FRAM modernization from 30 May 1985 to 26 December 1986. On March 25, 1993, she was transferred to the Maizuru District, 2nd Escort Squadron, homeport Maizuru.
On March 24, 1997, her unit became the 24th Escort Squadron. She was decommissioned last of her class on November 6, 2003. In all she sailed for 67,678 hours, over 791,213.4 nautical miles (36.5 circumnavigations around the globe), including three globe-spanning training cruise (two were complete).

JDS Mochizuki (DD-166)

Mochizuki (DD-166) was laid down at Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, Tokyo, on 25 November 1966. She was launched on 15 March 1968 and commissioned on 25 March 1969. Ordered as part of the defense power development plan, she was assigned to the 2nd Escort Group at Sasebo. She had Kawasaki Impulse type turbines, boilers of the Kawasaki BD120-1 type, only in class iin that case. On February 1, 1971, she was transferred to the 1st squadron, 2nd Escort Group, homeported to Kure. She saw word-spanning cruises in 1972 and 1979. On November 9, 1974 she was sent to Tokyo Bay and on the 26th disposed of a ship by gunnery for two days. From May 12, 1977 to June 27, 1977, she made a cruise to Hawaii with Kikuduki, the sub Makishio and eight P-2Js. and from November 1st to December 17th, 1980, same with Tachikaze and Kikuzuki, and eight P-2Js. On March 30, 1983, she entered the 3rd Escort Group, homeported to Maizuru. By March 30, 1984, the 2nd Escort Squadron became the 3rd Escort Squadron with her sister Nagatsuki.
On January 25, 1989, her unit became the Maizuru District Corps. By June 1994, she started a new training cruise to North America with Nagatsuki, Takatsuki, and Shirayuki. On March 16, 1995, she was transferred to the Maizuru Regional Corps. On April 1st she became a “special duty ship”, ASU-7019, based in Sasebo. She was decommissioned on March 19, 1999. In her career she travelled 706,382.6 miles (32.7 circumnavigations of the Earth).

JDS Nagatsuki (DD-167)

Nagatsuki (DD-167) was laid down at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nagasaki Shipyard on 2 March 1968. She wa slaunched on 19 March 1969 and commissioned on 12 February 1970. She was last in class, the 2307th 3,000-ton class A II-class patrol ship, assigned to the 3rd Escort Group at Maizuru. In 1976, she took part in a wold cruise with the training ship JDS Katori, and took part in the US 200th anniversary naval review held in New York. On June 15, 1982, a Japanese JS-1 flying boat from the 31st Air Group, while conducting take-off and landing training off Cape Ashizuri, broke its left float when landing so she was unable to take off and was left drifting. Nagatsuki took her in towe back to Iwakuni Air Base. On March 30, 1984, the 2nd Escort Squadro was reformed under the 3rd Escort Squadron. In 1986, she took part in a world cruise and the International Review off the Statue of Liberty in New York to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the latter. On January 25, 1989, the 2nd Escort Corps was reorganized under the Maizuru District Corps.

From June to November 1994, she took part in another cruise to North America as flagship for the training group along with the Takatsuki, Mochizuki, and Shirayuki. Traditional sheets with wood grain patterns were attached to the salute gun, which was removed after completion and to panels in the officer’s quarters. She was decommissioned and written off the register on April 1, 1996.
On August 3, 1997, she was disposed of by artillery north of Wakasa Bay by the more recent destroyers JDS Hiei and Takatsuki and coup de grace by a torpedo from the submarine JDS Natsushio. The ship’s bell was special. It was the one from the former Mutsuki-class destroyer Nagatsuki lost at Bennett Cove, Kolombangara Island in the South Pacific. It was retrieved as a gesture and hommage to last IJN veterans of WW2. When the wreck was reclaimed indeed in the 1950s for scrap and dismantled, her bell was kept by locals. It was then brought back to Japan, handed over to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force via Admiral Tatsuo Chikuto, CiC, Kure region, and installed on the new destroyer on November 17, 1970. After the latter was retired in turn, this bell was preserved at the Naval Memorial Museum in Maizuru. It is likely to be used on the next namesake destroyer, if built.