Midway Discovery

Shinpachi said:

Be friends forever

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Hello Shinpachi,

For about 4 years of my career, I worked as a programmer / developer / technician for the US Navy on project for the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force.
I only spent a few weeks in Japan but did make some pretty good friends while I was there. Kongo and Kirishima were new ships when I was there.

One of the ships we saw on a regular basis was the Murakumo. It always had sounded like it had some diesels running. One evening, a Lieutenant I had been working with invited me aboard one of the helicopter cruisers. It was named something-"Kaze". From what I recall, there were several helicopter cruisers there and they all had pretty similar names and although I noted the hull number at the time, I can't recall what it was this many years later. The helicopter cruisers and others were not regulars there though and I didn't see the same ones often enough to figure out exactly which ships they were.

Another ship we saw on a pretty regular basis was the Mikasa from the war with Russia back in 1905 though with that ship, I never really got close enough to take a really good look. I am sure all of the spirits still remain with that ship as they should.

- Ivan.

You seem to have had some good experiences in Japan, Ivan
If it was in the 1990s, the destroyer you were invited would be DDG-171 Hatakaze or DDG-172 Shimakaze. These were predecessors of the Kongo class destroyers but are still in service.

DDG-172 Shimakaze

Source: 護衛艦「はたかぜ」型｜水上艦艇｜装備品｜海上自衛隊 〔JMSDF〕 オフィシャルサイト

Hello Shinpachi,

I am pretty sure that wasn't one of the ships. I believe the ships were older and don't think the hull number was a 17-something. I believe the ships were smaller than Murakumo and at least one had a hangar near the stern.
I wasn't really that interested in the ships at the time so there are many details I do not recall today.
I never actually got a close look at the Kongo class but saw the DD-174 Kirishima from the top of our hotel in Yokosuka as she was moving out.

Another ship I saw was what looked like a WW2 era destroyer with the hull number 7010. For a while, we could see her anchored out in the distance. Until last night, I had never actually tried to identify her. She was ASU-7010, the Akizuki, a destroyer from circa 1960 (formerly DD-161).

- Ivan.