Kagerō-class destroyer

The Kagerō-class destroyers (陽炎型駆逐艦, Kagerō-gata Kuchikukan) were a class of nineteen 1st Class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the 1930s, and operated by them during the Pacific War, when all but one were lost. It also called Shiranui-class destroyers (不知火型駆逐艦, Shiranui-gata Kuchikukan) because the second ship, Shiranui was launched before first ship, Kagerō

Yukikaze in December 1939
Class overview
Name	Kagerō class
Operators	Imperial Japanese Navy Republic of China Navy
Preceded by	Asashio class
Succeeded by	Yūgumo class Shimakaze
In commission	1939–1947 (Japan), 1947–1966 (Republic of China)
Planned	18 (1937) + 4 (1939)
Completed	19
Cancelled	3 (the dummies for the naval budget of the Yamato-class battleships)
Lost	18
Scrapped	1
General characteristics
Type	Destroyer
Displacement	2,000 long tons (2,032 t) standard 2,500 long tons (2,540 t) battle condition
Length	118.5 m (388 ft 9 in) full, 116.2 m (381 ft 3 in) waterline
Beam	10.8 m (35 ft 5 in)
Draught	3.76 m (12 ft 4 in)
Propulsion	3 × Kampon water-tube boilers, 2 × Kanpon impulse turbines, 2 × shafts, 52,000 shp (39,000 kW)
Speed	35.5 knots (65.7 km/h; 40.9 mph)
Complement	239 (Kagerō, 1939)
Armament	(Kagerō, 1939) 6 × Type 3 127 mm 50-caliber naval guns (3×2) 4 × 25 mm Type 96 AA guns 8 × Type 92 torpedo tubes (2×4) 16 × 610 mm (24 in) Type 93 torpedoes 18 × Type 95 depth charges 2 × paravanes (Yukikaze, April 1945) 4 × Type 3 127 mm 50-caliber naval guns (2×2) 27 × 25 mm Type 96 AA guns 4 × 13 mm Type 95 AA guns 8 × Type 92 torpedo tubes (2×4) 16 × 610 mm Type 93 torpedoes 36 × Type 2 or Type 3 depth charges

The class was also one of a series called Destroyer Type-A (甲型駆逐艦, Kō-gata Kuchikukan) within the Imperial Japanese Navy from their plan name. At the time of introduction, these destroyers were among the deadliest destroyers afloat, primarily due to the excellent range and lethality of their "Long Lance" torpedoes.

Background

Following on the success of the Asashio class, the Kagerō class was very similar in design, but was slightly larger and incorporated a number of improvements which had been gained through operational experience. It had a heavier main battery and much heavier torpedo armament than other contemporary foreign destroyer designs. The first 15 ships of this class were ordered in 1937 under the 3rd Naval Armaments Supplement Programme and the final four vessels were ordered in 1939 under the 4th Naval Armaments Supplement Programme. The final vessel in the class, Akigumo, was sometimes mistaken for part of the succeeding Yūgumo class by immediate postwar historians due to confusion over the number of fictitious destroyers listed in the Japanese budgetary records in an effort to conceal the budget devoted to the secret Yamato-class battleships.

Design and description

The Kagerō class used the same hull and bridge as the preceding Asashio class and had an almost identical silhouette. The main visual difference was that the reloads for the forward torpedo launcher were located in front of the launcher instead of to the rear. The ships measured 118.5 meters (388 ft 9 in) overall, with a beam of 10.8 meters (35 ft 5 in) and a draft of 3.76 meters (12 ft 4 in). They displaced 2,065 metric tons (2,032 long tons) at standard load and 2,529 metric tons (2,489 long tons) at deep load. The displacement and beam were thus slightly larger than for the Asashio class, giving greater stability.

Their crew numbered 240 officers and enlisted men. The ships had two Kampon geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by three Kampon water-tube boilers. The turbines were rated at a total of 52,000 shaft horsepower (39,000 kW) for a designed speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). The ships had a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at a speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph). Amatsukaze had an experimental boiler which developed a higher steam pressure, but this did not result in any increase in performance.

Armament

As built, the weapons suite of the Kagerō class was identical to that of the preceding Asashio class. The main battery consisted of six 5-inch 12.7 cm/50 Type 3 naval guns in three twin-gun turrets, one superfiring pair aft and one turret forward of the superstructure. The guns were capable of 55-degree elevation. The ships were also armed with eight 610-millimeter (24.0 in) torpedo tubes for the oxygen-fueled Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedo in two quadruple traversing mounts; one reload was carried for each tube. Their anti-submarine weapons initially comprised 16 depth charges, which was increased to 36 during the course of the Pacific War.

In terms of anti-aircraft capability, initially two twin-mount Type 96 AA guns were placed forward of the second smokestack. As the war progressed, the number of Type 96 guns was gradually increased. In 1942–1943, the twin mounts were replaced by triple mounts, and another twin mount was added forward of the bridge. From 1943 to 1944, on surviving vessels the superfiring "X" turret was removed and replaced by two more triple mounts. In late 1944, the seven surviving vessels were fitted with a varying number of additional guns. Isokaze and Hamakaze received seven single mounts, whereas Yukikaze received 14 single mounts and four Type 93 13 mm machine guns.

Hamakaze became the first Japanese destroyer to be equipped with radar when a Type 22 set was installed in late 1942. The other vessels were equipped with radar as they rotated back to Japan for repair or refit. All seven vessels surviving in mid-1944 also received a Type 13 radar.

Operational history

During the war the Kagerō class was used extensively in the Solomons campaign, and wartime attrition was severe, with 18 of 19 vessels lost. In all, six were sunk by air attack, five by submarine attack, five in battle with other surface forces, one by a mine, and the remaining two sunk by a combination of mines and air attack. Yukikaze was the only Kagerō-class ship afloat at the end of the war. All but the Natsushio (sunk in February 1942) took part in the Battle of Midway. 7 out of the only 9 destroyers of the Pearl Harbor strike force were of the Kagero class.

Ships in class

Construction data

Prog. no.	Ship	Kanji	Shipyard	Laid down	Launched	Completed	Fate
17	Kagerō	陽炎	Maizuru Naval Arsenal	3 September 1937	27 September 1938	6 November 1939	Air attack SW of Rendova (New Georgia Campaign), 8 May 1943 at 08°08′S 156°55′E
18	Shiranui	不知火	Uraga Dock Company	30 August 1937	28 June 1938	20 December 1939	Air attack N of Iloilo, Panay, 27 October 1944 at 12°0′N 122°30′E
19	Kuroshio	黒潮	Fujinagata Shipyards	31 August 1937	25 October 1938	27 January 1940	Mined leaving Vila, Kolombangara (New Georgia Campaign), 8 May 1943 at 08°08′S 156°55′E
20	Oyashio	親潮	Maizuru Naval Arsenal	29 March 1938	29 November 1938	20 August 1940	Mined, air attack leaving Vila, Kolombangara (New Georgia Campaign), 8 May 1943 at 08°08′S 156°55′E
21	Hayashio	早潮	Uraga Dock Company	30 June 1938	19 April 1939	31 August 1940	Scuttled after air attack, Guna Bay (New Guinea Campaign), 24 November 1942 at 07°0′S 147°30′E
22	Natsushio	夏潮	Fujinagata Shipyards	9 December 1937	23 February 1939	31 August 1940	Torpedoed S of Makassar, 9 February 1942 at 05°10′S 119°24′E
23	Hatsukaze	初風	Kawasaki-Kobe	3 December 1937	24 January 1939	15 February 1940	Sunk in Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 2 November 1943 at 06°01′S 153°58′E
24	Yukikaze	雪風	Sasebo Naval Arsenal	2 August 1938	24 March 1939	20 January 1940	Surrendered to Republic of China on 6 July 1947 at Shanghai, renamed DD-12 Tan Yang (丹陽); scrapped 1970
25	Amatsukaze	天津風	Maizuru Naval Arsenal	14 February 1939	19 October 1939	26 October 1940	Air attack E of Xiamen, 6 April 1945 at 24°30′N 118°10′E
26	Tokitsukaze	時津風	Uraga Dock Company	20 February 1939	10 November 1939	15 December 1940	Air attack SE of Finschhafen, 3 March 1943 at 07°16′S 148°15′E
27	Urakaze	浦風	Fujinagata Shipyards	11 April 1939	19 April 1940	15 December 1940	Torpedoed NNW of Keelung, Taiwan, 21 November 1944 at 26°09′N 121°23′E
28	Isokaze	磯風	Sasebo Naval Arsenal	25 November 1938	19 June 1939	30 November 1940	Scuttled SW of Nagasaki following air attack, 7 April 1945 at 30.46°N 128.92°E / 30.46; 128.92 (IJN Isokaze scuttled after air attack, 7 April 1945)
29	Hamakaze	浜風	Uraga Dock Company	20 November 1939	25 November 1940	30 June 1941	Air attack SW of Nagasaki, 7 April 1945 at 30°47′N 128°08′E
30	Tanikaze	谷風	Fujinagata Shipyards	18 October 1939	1 November 1940	25 April 1941	Torpedoed in Sibutu Passage, 9 June 1944 at 05°42′N 120°41′E
31	Nowaki	野分	Maizuru Naval Arsenal	8 November 1939	17 September 1940	28 April 1941	Sunk in the aftermath of the Battle off Samar, 26 October 1944 at 13°0′N 124°54′E
32–34	—	—	—	—	—	—	The dummy for the naval budget of the Yamato-class battleships
112	Arashi	嵐	Maizuru Naval Arsenal	4 May 1939	22 April 1940	27 January 1941	Sunk in Battle of Vella Gulf (New Georgia Campaign), 6 August 1943 at 07°50′S 156°55′E
113	Hagikaze	萩風	Uraga Dock Company	23 May 1939	18 June 1940	31 March 1941	Sunk in Battle of Vella Gulf, 6 August 1943 at 07°50′S 156°55′E
114	Maikaze	舞風	Fujinagata Shipyards	22 April 1940	13 March 1941	15 July 1941	Sunk in surface action during Operation Hailstone at Truk, 17 February 1944 at 07°45′N 151°20′E
115	Akigumo	秋雲	Uraga Dock Company	2 July 1940	11 April 1941	27 September 1941	Torpedoed SE of Zamboanga, Philippines, 11 April 1944 at 06°43′N 122°23′E

References

• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter & Mickel, Peter (1977). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 0-87021-893-X.
• Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.

Further reading

• "Rekishi Gunzō"., History of Pacific War Vol.64 Mutsuki class destroyer, Gakken (Japan), May 2008, ISBN 978-4-05-605091-2
• Collection of writings by Sizuo Fukui Vol.5, Stories of Japanese Destroyers, Kōjinsha (Japan) 1993, ISBN 4-7698-0611-6
• Model Art Extra No.340, Drawings of Imperial Japanese Naval Vessels Part-1, Model Art Co. Ltd. (Japan), October 1989, Book code 08734-10
• Daiji Katagiri, Ship Name Chronicles of the Imperial Japanese Navy Combined Fleet, Kōjinsha (Japan), June 1988, ISBN 4-7698-0386-9
• The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.41 Japanese Destroyers I, Ushio Shobō (Japan), July 1980, Book code 68343-42

External links

• "Kagerō class" at CombinedFleet.com
• "KAGERŌ Class Notes by Allyn Nevitt"