The destroyer Yukikaze was completed on Jan. 20, 1940 as the eighth ship of the Kagero class. Her construction site was the Sasebo Arsenal. After completion, she was assigned to the 16th Destroyer Squadron of the 2nd Torpedo Squadron along with Hatsukaze, Tokitsukaze, and Amatsukaze. During the Pacific War, she participated in the southern invasion operation at the outbreak of the war, and exchanged fire with the Allied fleet at the Battle of Surabaya. Since then, she was involved in fierce battles such as the Battle of Midway, the Battle of the South Pacific, the Third Battle of the Solomons, the Ga Island evacuation operation, the Battle of the Mariana Gulf, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and the Yamato surface suicide attack; miraculously she has always survived. Through these battles, Yukikaze's hull changed significantly, and she transformed from a powerful ship with strong weapons for ship-to-ship combat to a ship with enhanced air defense combat weapons. A new machine gun turret was built in front of the bridge, and one twin 25mm machine gun was installed there. In addition, the 25mm twin machine guns installed in the center of the hull were changed to triple guns, and in 1944, the second main gun turret at the rear was removed and two 25mm triple anti-aircraft machine guns were installed.
As the battle intensified day by day and her consort ships were lost one after another each time she participated in battle, she became the only survivor of the A-class destroyers, including not only the Kagero class but also the similar type Yugumo class. After the war, all of her weapons were removed, a living facility was built, and she became a demobilization ship, transporting Japanese people from overseas. It is said that more than 10,000 demobilized soldiers were carried on board the Yukikaze, including manga artist Shigeru Mizuki. On July 6, 1947, she was delivered to the Republic of China as a war reparation ship, and her name was changed to Danyang. The Republic of China welcomed Yukikaze as the flagship of their fleet. She was dismantled in 1970 due to the effects of typhoons and deterioration.
Aoshima brings us a 1/700-scale waterline model kit of the eighth Kagero-class destroyer, Yukikaze, a lucky ship that fought in various battles throughout the Pacific War and survived until the end of the war! Her appearance in the latter half of the war, when her turret was removed and her anti-aircraft weapons strengthened, can be accurately reproduced in a simple and easy-to-assemble parts configuration. Newly designed equipment has been added, including 12.7cm twin guns, anti-aircraft guns, naval vessels, and other items. Many parts are slide-molded for density and precision; in addition to armaments such as destroyer main guns and machine guns, carrier-based aircraft and other equipment have been updated. The following parts are updated with new molds:
- Type 96 25mm triple machine gun
- 70cm signal searchlight
- Direction finder antenna
- Third-year model 12.7cm twin gun (C/D type)
- No. 13 electric probe
- No. 22 electric probe
- Type 92 quadruple torpedo tube
- Type 94 depth charge thrower
- Quartrant davit
- 7m cutter
- Anchor
