One of the few genuine warships sunk in Truk Lagoon, the Fumizuki was under repair when the attack began with all engines in varying states of disassembly. The ship was tasked primarily as a convoy escort and had spent the prior several months on troop transport runs between Truk and Rabaul. On one of those runs, she was heavily damaged in an airstrike and retired to Truk for repairs. When the Hailstone attacks began, the crew was able to work tirelessly to get a single engine fired up and the ship underway. That evening, Fumizuki was engaged and sunk by Avengers from the USS Enterprise.
As she was underway and undergoing evasive action, the location of the shipwreck was not discovered until 1987. Today she is a very picturesque shipwreck lying upright with a slight list to port. This pic will make a spooky black and white:
More pics after the continuation.
The bow gun (made in Britain, by the way)
The torpedo tube mechanism:
Evidence of the desperate mechanical efforts:
Props built for speed (reported max of 34kts)
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