Japanese cruiser Sendai
Encyclopedia
was a Sendai-class
light cruiser
in the Imperial Japanese Navy
. She was named after the Sendai River in southern Kyūshū
.
of the three vessels completed in her class of light cruiser
s, and like other vessels of her class, she was intended for use as the flagship of a destroyer
flotilla.
Nagasaki shipyards on 29 April 1924. Immediately on completion, she was assigned to Yangtze River
patrol in China. She played an important role in the Battle of Shanghai
in the opening stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War
, and later covered the landings of Japanese forces in southern China.
of DesRon 3 under Rear Admiral
Shintaro Hashimoto
.
At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor
, Sendai was engaged in escorting transports carrying Lieutenant General
Tomoyuki Yamashita
and the Japanese 25th Army to invade Malaya
. At 23:45 on 7 December 1941, Sendai and her destroyer squadron (Ayanami, Isonami
, Shikinami
, and Uranami
) commenced a bombardment of Kota Bharu
, Malaya. They were attacked by seven RAAF
Hudson bomber
s, which sank one of the transports and damaged two others.
On 9 December 1941, reported sighting of Royal Navy
Force Z
(the Royal Navy battleship
, battlecruiser
and supporting destroyers). The report was received by Sendai, which relayed the message to Vice Admiral
Jisaburō Ozawa
aboard his flagship, Chokai. However, the reception was poor and the message took another 90 minutes to decode. Moreover, I-65s report was incorrect about the heading of Force Z. The following day, Force Z was overwhelmed by torpedo bomber
s of the 22nd Air Flotilla from Indochina
.
On 19 December 1941, off Kota Bahru in the South China Sea
, Royal Netherlands Navy
submarine O-20 sighted Sendai escorting the second Malaya Convoy's 39 transports. At 1115, the Sendai's floatplane
, a Kawanishi E7K
2 "Alf", spotted and bombed the O-20, which was also attacked by Ayanami and Yugiri with depth charge
s. That night O-20 surfaced to recharge her batteries, and a flame from her engines' exhaust gave her away; she was sunk by Uranami.
Sendai made three more troop convoy escort runs to Malay at the end of December 1941 and in January 1942. On the fourth run, 10 January 1942 spotted the convoy and fired two torpedoes at the last transport, but both missed. On the fifth run, on 26 January, Sendai and her convoy were attacked by the and about 80 nautical miles (148 km) north of Singapore
in the Battle off Endau
. The torpedoes from the Allied vessels missed, and Shirayuki and Sendai returned fire with their 4 inches (102 mm) guns. Thanet was sunk, while Vampire was undamaged and escaped to Singapore
.
From February through March, Sendai was assigned to cover Japanese landings in Sumatra
, and in sweeping the sea lanes and the Strait of Malacca
for British and Dutch vessels escaping from Singapore. At the end of March, Sendai covered the landing of one battalion of the IJA's 18th Infantry Division
at Port Blair
, Andaman Islands
. At the end of April, Sendai returned to Sasebo
for repairs.
for Midway
. The Main Body remained 600 nautical miles (1,111.2 km) behind Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo
's First Carrier Striking Force and thus did not engage American forces. Sendai returned to Kure
on 14 June 1942 without having seen combat.
, arriving at Mergui
, Burma 31 July. However, with American landings on Guadalcanal
, the planned Indian Ocean
operations were cancelled and Sendai was sent to Makassar
, Davao
and Truk instead, to escort troop convoys to Rabaul
, New Britain
and Shortland
, Bougainville
. On 8 September, Sendai shelled Tulagi
and on 12 September Sendai (with destroyers Shikinami
, Fubuki
and Suzukaze
) bombarded Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. Sendai remained active in Solomon Island operations through November 1942, participating in both the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (where she remained as distant cover) and the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
(where it was attacked by the 's 16 inches (406 mm) main guns, but she escaped undamaged) of which in this engagement, the battleship Kirishima
and the destroyer Ayanami were attacked and sunk by Washington, while attempting to destroy .
On 25 February 1943 Sendai was reassigned to the Eighth Fleet at Rabaul under Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa
and remained on patrol around Rabaul through April. Returning to Sasebo in May, Sendai was repaired and modified. Her No.5 5.5 inches (140 mm) gun mount was removed and two triple 25 mm AA gun mounts and Type 21 radar
were installed. Repairs were completed 25 June 1943 and Sendai returned to Truk on 5 July. On 7 July Rear Admiral Baron
Matsuji Ijuin
assumed command of DesRon 3. During the next three months, Sendai operated out of Rabaul covering reinforcement convoys to Buin, Papua New Guinea
and Shortland.
On 18 July 1943 off Kolombangara
the group was attacked by Guadalcanal-based Marine Grumman TBM Avenger torpedo-bombers, and two days later by North American
B-25 Mitchell
bombers but was not damaged; it also escaped damage after being bombed by a Consolidated
B-24 Liberator
on 1 November 1943.
The following day, 2 November 1943, at the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay
, the Japanese fleet attempting to reinforce Bougainville was intercepted by Task Force 39 with the light cruisers , , and and destroyers , , , , , , and . The Japanese force included Myoko
and Haguro
, Sendai and Agano
with destroyers Shigure
, Samidare
and Shiratsuyu
, Naganami
, Wakatsuki
and the Hatsukaze
and Amagiri
, Yūnagi
, Uzuki and Fuzuki.
Shigure spotted the American destroyers at 7500 yards (6,858 m), turned hard starboard and launched eight torpedoes. Sendai also turned hard starboard, but bore down on Shigure, barely avoiding a collision. All four Allied cruisers took Sendai under radar directed 6-inch fire. They hit her with their first salvo and more thereafter, setting her afire. Sendai sank the following morning at 06°10′S 154°20′E, along with Hatsukaze. Captain Shoji and 184 crewmen went down with the ship, but 236 other crewmen were rescued by destroyers.
On 3 November 1943, Admiral Ijuin and 75 more survivors from Sendai were rescued by the Japanese submarine .
Sendai was removed from the Navy List on 5 January 1944.
Sendai class cruiser
The were a group of warships operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Named after rivers, they participated in numerous actions during the Pacific War and were mainly used as destroyer flotilla leaders.-Design:...
light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
in the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
. She was named after the Sendai River in southern Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
.
Background
Sendai was the lead shipLead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
of the three vessels completed in her class of light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s, and like other vessels of her class, she was intended for use as the flagship of a destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
flotilla.
Early career
Sendai was completed at the MitsubishiMitsubishi Heavy Industries
, or MHI, is a Japanese company. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi Group.-History:In 1870 Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of Mitsubishi took a lease of Government-owned Nagasaki Shipyard. He named it Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and started the shipbuilding business on a full scale...
Nagasaki shipyards on 29 April 1924. Immediately on completion, she was assigned to Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
patrol in China. She played an important role in the Battle of Shanghai
Battle of Shanghai
The Battle of Shanghai, known in Chinese as Battle of Songhu, was the first of the twenty-two major engagements fought between the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China and the Imperial Japanese Army of the Empire of Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War...
in the opening stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, and later covered the landings of Japanese forces in southern China.
Invasions of Southeast Asia
On 20 November 1941, Sendai became flagshipFlagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of DesRon 3 under Rear Admiral
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...
Shintaro Hashimoto
Shintaro Hashimoto
-Web:- Firsthand account of the battle by a member of HMS Vigilant's crew.- Fairly detailed account of the battle...
.
At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, Sendai was engaged in escorting transports carrying Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
Tomoyuki Yamashita
Tomoyuki Yamashita
General was a general of the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. He was most famous for conquering the British colonies of Malaya and Singapore, earning the nickname "The Tiger of Malaya".- Biography :...
and the Japanese 25th Army to invade Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
. At 23:45 on 7 December 1941, Sendai and her destroyer squadron (Ayanami, Isonami
Japanese destroyer Isonami
was the ninth of twenty-four destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. When introduced into services, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world...
, Shikinami
Japanese destroyer Shikinami
was the 12th of 24 destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. When introduced into service, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world...
, and Uranami
Japanese destroyer Uranami
was the tenth of twenty-four destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. When introduced into service, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world...
) commenced a bombardment of Kota Bharu
Kota Bharu
Kota Bharu is a city in Malaysia, is the state capital and Royal City of Kelantan. It is also the name of the territory in which Kota Bharu City is situated. The name means 'new city' or 'new castle/fort' in Malay. Kota Bharu is situated in the northeastern part of Peninsular Malaysia, and lies...
, Malaya. They were attacked by seven RAAF
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
Hudson bomber
Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
s, which sank one of the transports and damaged two others.
On 9 December 1941, reported sighting of Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
Force Z
Force Z
Force Z was an Allied naval detachment consisting of the battleship , the battlecruiser , and four destroyers, , , , and . Initially an aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable was included, but she ran aground in the Caribbean, and was not replaced by HMS Hermes which was regarded as too slow.A renamed...
(the Royal Navy battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
, battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
and supporting destroyers). The report was received by Sendai, which relayed the message to Vice Admiral
Vice admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the United States Maritime Service, vice admiral is a three-star flag officer, with the pay grade of...
Jisaburō Ozawa
Jisaburo Ozawa
was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He was the last Commander-in-Chief of Combined Fleet. Many military historians regard Ozawa as one of the most capable Japanese flag officers.-Biography:...
aboard his flagship, Chokai. However, the reception was poor and the message took another 90 minutes to decode. Moreover, I-65s report was incorrect about the heading of Force Z. The following day, Force Z was overwhelmed by torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
s of the 22nd Air Flotilla from Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
.
On 19 December 1941, off Kota Bahru in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
, Royal Netherlands Navy
Royal Netherlands Navy
The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
submarine O-20 sighted Sendai escorting the second Malaya Convoy's 39 transports. At 1115, the Sendai's floatplane
Floatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
, a Kawanishi E7K
Kawanishi E7K
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, Ph.D., Réne J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970 . ISBN 0-370-30251-6....
2 "Alf", spotted and bombed the O-20, which was also attacked by Ayanami and Yugiri with depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s. That night O-20 surfaced to recharge her batteries, and a flame from her engines' exhaust gave her away; she was sunk by Uranami.
Sendai made three more troop convoy escort runs to Malay at the end of December 1941 and in January 1942. On the fourth run, 10 January 1942 spotted the convoy and fired two torpedoes at the last transport, but both missed. On the fifth run, on 26 January, Sendai and her convoy were attacked by the and about 80 nautical miles (148 km) north of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in the Battle off Endau
Battle off Endau
The Battle off Endau was a Second World War naval battle. It took place off Endau on 27 January 1942. Part of the Battle of Malaya, it was the first major naval engagement since the sinking of the battleship and the battlecruiser , and the last effort by the Royal Navy to intercept Japanese convoy...
. The torpedoes from the Allied vessels missed, and Shirayuki and Sendai returned fire with their 4 inches (102 mm) guns. Thanet was sunk, while Vampire was undamaged and escaped to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
From February through March, Sendai was assigned to cover Japanese landings in Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, and in sweeping the sea lanes and the Strait of Malacca
Strait of Malacca
The Strait of Malacca is a narrow, stretch of water between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is named after the Malacca Sultanate that ruled over the archipelago between 1414 to 1511.-Extent:...
for British and Dutch vessels escaping from Singapore. At the end of March, Sendai covered the landing of one battalion of the IJA's 18th Infantry Division
18th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the .-History:The 18th Division was formed in Kurume, Kyūshū on 13 November 1907, together with the 17th Division, as part of the post Russo-Japanese War expansion of the standing Japanese military...
at Port Blair
Port Blair
Port Blair is the largest town and a municipal council in Andaman district in the Andaman Islands and the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India...
, Andaman Islands
Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
. At the end of April, Sendai returned to Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
for repairs.
Battle of Midway
On 29 May 1942, Sendai departed with the Main Body of the Combined FleetCombined Fleet
The was the main ocean-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Combined Fleet was not a standing force, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units normally under separate commands in peacetime....
for Midway
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
. The Main Body remained 600 nautical miles (1,111.2 km) behind Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo
Chuichi Nagumo
was a Japanese admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II and one time commander of the Kido Butai . He committed suicide during the Battle of Saipan.-Early life:...
's First Carrier Striking Force and thus did not engage American forces. Sendai returned to Kure
Kure, Hiroshima
is a city in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 240,820 and a population density of 681 persons per km². The total area is 353.74 km².- History :...
on 14 June 1942 without having seen combat.
Solomon Islands campaigns
On 15 July 1942 DesRon 3 was reassigned to the Southwest Force to cover operations in Burma and raids in the Indian OceanIndian Ocean raid
The Indian Ocean raid was a naval sortie by the Fast Carrier Strike Force of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 31 March-10 April 1942 against Allied shipping and bases in the Indian Ocean. It was an early engagement of the Pacific campaign of World War II...
, arriving at Mergui
Mergui
Myeik is a city in Tanintharyi Division in Myanmar , located in the extreme south of the country on the coast of an island on the Andaman Sea. the estimated population was over 209,000. The area inland from the city is a major smuggling corridor into Thailand.-History:Myeik was the southernmost...
, Burma 31 July. However, with American landings on Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
, the planned Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
operations were cancelled and Sendai was sent to Makassar
Makassar
Makassar, is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the largest city on Sulawesi Island. From 1971 to 1999, the city was named Ujung Pandang, after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably...
, Davao
Davao
Davao refers to several closely related places in Mindanao in the Philippines. The term is used most often to refer to the city.*Davao Region, an administrative region*Davao del Norte province*Davao del Sur province*Davao Oriental province...
and Truk instead, to escort troop convoys to Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
, New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
and Shortland
Shortland
-Geography:* Shortland Island* Shortland Islands* Shortlands, a ward of the London Borough of Bromley* Shortland, New South Wales* Shortland's Bluff, an old name for Queenscliff, Victoria, Australia-People:...
, Bougainville
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
. On 8 September, Sendai shelled Tulagi
Tulagi
Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida...
and on 12 September Sendai (with destroyers Shikinami
Japanese destroyer Shikinami
was the 12th of 24 destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. When introduced into service, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world...
, Fubuki
Japanese destroyer Fubuki
was the lead ship of twenty-four destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. When introduced into services, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world. They served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, and remained formidable weapons systems well...
and Suzukaze
Japanese destroyer Suzukaze
was the tenth and final vessel of ten destroyers, and the fourth to be built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle Two Program .-History:...
) bombarded Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. Sendai remained active in Solomon Island operations through November 1942, participating in both the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (where she remained as distant cover) and the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, sometimes referred to as the Third and Fourth Battles of Savo Island, the Battle of the Solomons, The Battle of Friday the 13th, or, in Japanese sources, as the , took place from 12–15 November 1942, and was the decisive engagement in a series of naval battles...
(where it was attacked by the 's 16 inches (406 mm) main guns, but she escaped undamaged) of which in this engagement, the battleship Kirishima
Japanese battleship Kirishima
was a warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War I and World War II. Designed by British naval engineer George Thurston, she was the third launched of the four Kongō-class battlecruisers, among the most heavily armed ships in any navy when built...
and the destroyer Ayanami were attacked and sunk by Washington, while attempting to destroy .
On 25 February 1943 Sendai was reassigned to the Eighth Fleet at Rabaul under Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa
Gunichi Mikawa
was a Vice-Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.Mikawa was the commander of a heavy cruiser force that carried out spectacular I.J.N. victory over the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Navy at the Battle of Savo Island in Ironbottom Sound on the night of August 1942. In...
and remained on patrol around Rabaul through April. Returning to Sasebo in May, Sendai was repaired and modified. Her No.5 5.5 inches (140 mm) gun mount was removed and two triple 25 mm AA gun mounts and Type 21 radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
were installed. Repairs were completed 25 June 1943 and Sendai returned to Truk on 5 July. On 7 July Rear Admiral Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
Matsuji Ijuin
Matsuji Ijuin
- External links :* by Vincent P. O'Hara- Notes :...
assumed command of DesRon 3. During the next three months, Sendai operated out of Rabaul covering reinforcement convoys to Buin, Papua New Guinea
Buin, Papua New Guinea
Buin is a settlement at the southern end of the island of Bougainville, a part of the North Solomons Province, located in the northern Solomon Islands in the South Pacific Ocean.-History:...
and Shortland.
On 18 July 1943 off Kolombangara
Kolombangara
Kolombangara is an island in the New Georgia Islands group of the Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean...
the group was attacked by Guadalcanal-based Marine Grumman TBM Avenger torpedo-bombers, and two days later by North American
North American Aviation
North American Aviation was a major US aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service...
B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
bombers but was not damaged; it also escaped damage after being bombed by a Consolidated
Consolidated
Consolidated may refer to:*Consolidated *Consolidated Aircraft , an aircraft manufacturer*Consolidated city-county*Consolidation...
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
on 1 November 1943.
The following day, 2 November 1943, at the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay
Battle of Empress Augusta Bay
The Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, on 1–2 November 1943—also known as the Battle of Gazelle Bay, Operation Cherry Blossom, and in Japanese sources as the Sea Battle of Bougainville Bay Shore —was a naval battle fought near the island of Bougainville...
, the Japanese fleet attempting to reinforce Bougainville was intercepted by Task Force 39 with the light cruisers , , and and destroyers , , , , , , and . The Japanese force included Myoko
Japanese cruiser Myoko
was the name-ship of the four-member of heavy cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy — the other ships of the class being the Nachi, Ashigara, and Haguro....
and Haguro
Japanese cruiser Haguro
|-External reference links: -External links:**...
, Sendai and Agano
Japanese cruiser Agano
|-External links:*Tabular record:...
with destroyers Shigure
Japanese destroyer Shigure
was the second of ten s, and the first to be built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle One Program . Along with the destroyer , she developed a reputation within the Imperial Japanese Navy for being "lucky" or "unsinkable", emerging as the sole surviving Japanese warship from numerous...
, Samidare
Japanese destroyer Samidare
was the sixth of ten destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle One Program .-History:The Shiratsuyu class destroyers were modified versions of the , and were designed to accompany the Japanese main striking force and to conduct both day and night torpedo attacks against the...
and Shiratsuyu
Japanese destroyer Shiratsuyu
was the lead ship of ten destroyers, and first of six to be built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle One Program .-History:...
, Naganami
Japanese destroyer Naganami
was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy.During the 30 November 1942 Battle of Tassafaronga, Naganami led a supply-drum transport run to Guadalcanal , and engaged a U.S. cruiser-destroyer group. During this action, she possibly torpedoed , and/or ....
, Wakatsuki
Japanese destroyer Wakatsuki
was an Akizuki-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her name means "Young Moon".Wakatsuki participated in rescuing sailors from two of the aircraft carriers that participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor: and when each was sunk by US forces.On 11 November 1944, Wakatsuki was...
and the Hatsukaze
Japanese destroyer Hatsukaze
was the seventh vessel to be commissioned in the 19-vessel destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late-1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program...
and Amagiri
Japanese destroyer Amagiri
was the 15th of 24 s, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. When introduced into service, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world. They served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, and remained formidable weapons systems well into the Pacific War. She...
, Yūnagi
Japanese destroyer Yunagi (1924)
was the ninth and final vessel of the Kamikaze-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.-History:Construction...
, Uzuki and Fuzuki.
Shigure spotted the American destroyers at 7500 yards (6,858 m), turned hard starboard and launched eight torpedoes. Sendai also turned hard starboard, but bore down on Shigure, barely avoiding a collision. All four Allied cruisers took Sendai under radar directed 6-inch fire. They hit her with their first salvo and more thereafter, setting her afire. Sendai sank the following morning at 06°10′S 154°20′E, along with Hatsukaze. Captain Shoji and 184 crewmen went down with the ship, but 236 other crewmen were rescued by destroyers.
On 3 November 1943, Admiral Ijuin and 75 more survivors from Sendai were rescued by the Japanese submarine .
Sendai was removed from the Navy List on 5 January 1944.