Yukikaze
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Yukikaze (雪風, "Snowy Wind") was a Kagero-class destroyer originally in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), commissioned in 1940 and seeing frequent combat during World War II, most notably during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Yukikaze survived the war and was given to the Republic of China as war reparations, renamed ROCS Dan Yang (丹陽). It then served as the Republic of China Navy's flagship for a further 23 years until it was ultimately scrapped in 1970 after being damaged beyond repair by a typhoon. In an alternate universe explored in the 2023 film Godzilla Minus One, the Yukikaze was returned to Japan in 1947, albeit stripped of its weapons, and played a crucial role in the defeat of Godzilla during Operation Wada Tsumi. During the campaign, it was captained by Tatsuo Hotta, who had previously served as the ship's captain during the war.
Development
The limited budget of Godzilla Minus One made it impossible to create individual sets for every warship that appeared in the film, so only one side deck section of a ship was built. Every ship in the film used the same stationary set, including Yukikaze, Takao, and the Ukuru-class escort ship Ikuno. Shirogumi used VFX to extend the ship set and its surroundings in accordance with the needs of each scene. A set was also built for Yukikaze's bridge, but the budget didn't allow for hydraulic cylinders to be installed to make the bridge sway. Instead, a combination of cranes and actor performances were utilized to create the illusion of Yukikaze rocking during Operation Wada Tsumi. For the scene of Yukikaze returning to port, the side deck section was stationary, so the camera was moved on a rail.[2]
History
- Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Reiwa era
Godzilla Minus One
Following Godzilla's destructive raid on Tokyo's Ginza district, the Japanese government secured the return of four IJN destroyers as part of a desperate civilian-led plan to destroy the monster in Sagami Bay, dubbed Operation Wada Tsumi. Captain Tatsuo Hotta, who had previously commanded the Yukikaze during World War II, returned to lead it into one more battle; the plan's mastermind, former Navy technical officer Kenji Noda, was assigned to the Yukikaze as well. At a dock near Sagami Bay, Yukikaze, Hibiki, Yūkaze, and Keyaki were prepared for the operation. Yukikaze was fitted with a large crane near the stern, with a winch in front of the crane's base and a cable leading to a winch on Hibiki's stern. Two diagonal racks were installed on the rear port and starboard, with seven large Freon canisters on each rack attached to the cable connecting the two ships.
After Koichi Shikishima, one of Noda's crewmates aboard the minesweeper Shinseimaru, led Godzilla to Sagami Bay in the Local Fighter Shinden. Two of the destroyers, Yūkaze and Keyaki, sped towards Godzilla; unbeknownst to him, both were uncrewed. He expends his atomic breath on the harmless ships, leaving him unable to use it again while he regenerated from his self-inflicted wounds. After enduring the massive waves kicked up by the monster's attack, Yukikaze and Hibiki encircled Godzilla and wrapped the cable attached to the Freon canisters around him while Shikishima continued to distract him. The ships scraped against each other as they completed the circle. However, Godzilla noticed Yukikaze and began charging his atomic breath. As Godzilla prepared to fire his heat ray again, the cable became tense and the canisters were ruptured, forcibly sinking him underwater. Upon surpassing the target depth of 1,500 meters, Godzilla froze in place and stopped charging his ray, but withstood the crushing change in pressure. Noda then ordered the balloons attached to the canisters to be inflated under him, rapidly drawing the monster to the surface. When Godzilla tore through the balloons, Yukikaze and Hibiki tried pulling him the rest of the way themselves, but the monster's weight proved too great, causing Yukikaze's crane to collapse. The plan seemed hopeless until a fleet of tugboats, led by another of Noda's crewmates, Shiro Mizushima, arrived to help the destroyers. The tugboats tied ropes on the bow of each destroyer and pulled, rising the kaiju. Upon surfacing, Godzilla appeared heavily mutilated, having suffered critical damage to his body from decompression, but was still alive. Noda and the others accepted their deaths as an enraged Godzilla coursed with power and prepared to unleash his atomic breath. Shikishima interceded, flying his plane into Godzilla's mouth and ejecting just before it exploded. The smoke cleared moments later, revealing that the top of Godzilla's head had been destroyed, after which the accumulated atomic energy overloaded, causing the rest of his body to crumble. Spontaneously, the crews of all the ships saluted. They returned to port to find a jubilant crowd waiting.
Capabilities
Armament
In its final wartime configuration, Yukikaze carried four 127mm Type 3 naval guns, up to 28 25 mm Type 96 AA guns, up to four 13.2mm AA guns, and eight 610mm torpedo tubes. In real life, after the war ended every single piece of armament were completely stripped off the ship and later replaced with completely different armaments while in Taiwanese service. In Godzilla Minus One, however, the turrets that originally housed the 127mm guns and the two quadruple torpedo launchers were kept, though the torpedo tubes and the blast bags of the 127mm guns were covered.
For Operation Wada Tsumi, Yukikaze was fitted with a large crane near the stern, with a winch in front of the crane's base and a cable leading to a winch on Hibiki's stern. Two diagonal racks were installed on the rear port and starboard, with seven large Freon canisters on each rack attached to the cable connecting the two ships.
Durability
Yukikaze's hull was able to withstand scraping against Hibiki to complete the crossing during Operation Wada Tsumi.
Video games
- Godzilla Battle Line (2021; added in 2024) - Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows [environmental asset]
Yukikaze in Godzilla Battle Line
Books
Gallery
Production
A 1/350 scale model of Yukikaze (far left) among various other ship models
Pre-render of Yukikaze and Hibiki
The Visual Effects of Godzilla Minus One
The single section of ship built to represent every ship in the film
The set built of Yukikaze's bridge
The actors pretending that the ship is rocking
Screenshots
Godzilla Minus One
Yukikaze (middle left) docked next to Yūkaze along with Hibiki (middle right) and Keyaki (far right), being prepared for Operation Wadatsumi
A crane lowering Freon canisters onto the racks on Yukikaze's stern
(From furthest to closest) Yukikaze, Hibiki, Yūkaze, and Keyaki sailing toward Sagami Bay
The interior of Yukikaze's bridge
(From closest to furthest) Yukikaze, Hibiki, Yūkaze, and Keyaki in position before the operation
Yūkaze and Keyaki sail together toward Godzilla
Yūkaze and Keyaki explode from Godzilla's atomic breath in front of Yukikaze (right) and Hibiki (left)
The light of the explosion floods the bridge
Yukikaze and Hibiki enduring the wave caused by the explosion
Yukikaze and Hibiki commence Operation Wadatsumi
Yukikaze (right) and Hibiki (left), showing the Freon gas canisters
The Freon canisters are deployed off Yukikaze's stern
Koichi fires upon Godzilla; Yukikaze can be seen on the top left
Yukikaze (bottom) and Hibiki (top) about to scrape against each other to loop the cable around Godzilla
"Brace for impact!"
Yukikaze and Hibiki collide
Yukikaze's crane passses above Hibiki
The crossing is complete
Akitsu prepares to detonate the 46cm shells
Yukikaze's cable goes tense
Akitsu ruptures the Freon canisters
Yukikaze's depth gauge passes 1,500 meters
Noda and Akitsu standing on the port bridge wing of Yukikaze
Yukikaze returns to port
Trivia
- The sign on the Yukikaze's hull is likely a reference to the ship in its post war configuration prior to its service in Taiwan.[3]
See also
References
This is a list of references for Yukikaze. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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