| Kagerō-class destroyer | |
|---|---|
 Yukikaze | |
| Class overview | |
| Name: | Kagerō-class destroyer |
| Operators: |
 Imperial Japanese Navy Republic of China Navy |
| Preceded by: | Asashio class |
| Succeeded by: | Yūgumo class |
| In commission: |
1939–1947 (Japan), 1947–1966 (Republic of China) |
| Planned: | 18 (1937) + 4 (1939) |
| Completed: | 19 |
| Cancelled: | 3 (The dummy for the naval budget of the Yamato-class battleships) |
| Lost: | 18 |
| Retired: | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Destroyer |
| Displacement: |
2,000 long tons (2,032 t) standard 2,500 long tons (2,540 t) battle condition |
| Length: |
118.50 m (388 ft 9 in) full, 116.20 m (381 ft 3 in) waterline |
| Beam: | 10.80 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 |
| Speed: | 35.5 knots (40.9 mph; 65.7 km/h) |
| Complement: | 239 (Kagerō, 1939) |
| Armament: |
(Kagerō, 1939) • 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 Kagerō-class destroyers (陽炎型駆逐艦, Kagerō-gata Kuchikukan) were a class of ships in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. There were 19 ships total in the class. The IJN called them Destroyer Type-A (甲型駆逐艦, Kō-gata Kuchikukan) from their plan name.
Description[]
This class was armed with six 5 in (127 mm)/50 cal. guns and eight 24 inch (610 mm) torpedo tubes for the "Long Lance" torpedo. At the time of introduction, these destroyers were among the most deadly destroyers afloat, primarily due to the excellent range and lethality of its 'Long Lance' torpedo. Only the lack of radar hindered their otherwise superb design. As with most pre-World War II ships, Kagerōs were also deficient in anti-submarine and anti-aircraft weaponry as designed. Over the course of the war these deficiencies were remedied, with depth charge capacity increased to 36 and the addition of four depth charge launchers; anti-aircraft weaponry also increased steadily from four 25 mm cannons at the start of the war to twenty-eight mounts by the war's end, which necessitated the removal of the X turret.
Wartime attrition was hard on the Kagerōs, with 18 of 19 ships 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. The Yukikaze was the only Kagerō-class ship afloat at the end of the war.
Ships in class[]
| Ship # | Ship | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
| 17 | Kagerō (陽炎) means: Shimmer of hot air |
3 September 1937 at Maizuru Naval Arsenal |
27 September 1938 | 6 November 1939 | Sunk 8 May 1943 |
| 18 | Shiranui (不知火) means: Phosphorescent Foam |
30 August 1937 at Uraga Dock Company |
28 June 1938 | 20 December 1939 | Sunk 27 October 1944 |
| 19 | Kuroshio (黒潮) means: Black Tide (cf. Kuroshio Current) |
31 August 1937 at Fujinagata Shipbuilding Yard |
25 October 1938 | 27 January 1940 | Sunk 28 April 1943 |
| 20 | Oyashio (親潮) means: Parental Tide (cf. Oyashio Current) |
29 March 1938 at Maizuru Naval Arsenal |
29 November 1938 | 20 August 1940 | Sunk 8 May 1943 |
| 21 | Hayashio (早潮) means: Swift Tide |
30 June 1938 at Uraga Dock Company |
19 April 1939 | 31 August 1940 | Sunk 24 November 1942 |
| 22 | Natsushio (夏潮) means: Summer Tide |
9 December 1937 at Fujinagata Shipbuilding Yard |
23 February 1939 | 31 August 1940 | Sunk 9 February 1942 |
| 23 | Hatsukaze (初風) means: First Wind |
3 December 1937 at Kōbe-Kawasaki Shipbuilding Yard |
24 January 1939 | 15 February 1940 | Sunk 12 November 1943 |
| 24 | Yukikaze (雪風) means: Snowy Wind |
2 August 1938 at Sasebo Naval Arsenal |
24 March 1939 | 20 January 1940 | Surrendered to Republic of China on 6 July 1947 at Shanghai, renamed DD-12 Tang Yan (丹陽), scrapped 1970 |
| 25 | Amatsukaze (天津風) means: Heavenly Wind |
14 February 1939 at Maizuru Naval Arsenal |
19 October 1939 | 26 October 1940 | Sunk 6 April 1945 |
| 26 | Tokitsukaze (時津風) means: Season's Wind |
20 February 1939 at Uraga Dock Company |
10 November 1939 | 15 December 1940 | Sunk 3 March 1943 |
| 27 | Urakaze (浦風) means: Inlet Wind |
11 April 1939 at Fujinagata Shipbuilding Yard |
19 April 1940 | 15 December 1940 | Sunk 21 November 1944 |
| 28 | Isokaze (磯風) means: Seaside Wind |
25 November 1938 at Sasebo Naval Arsenal |
19 June 1939 | 30 November 1940 | Sunk 7 April 1945 |
| 29 | Hamakaze (濱風) means: Beach Wind |
20 November 1939 at Uraga Dock Company |
25 November 1940 | 30 June 1941 | Sunk 7 April 1945 |
| 30 | Tanikaze (谷風) means: Valley Wind |
18 October 1939 at Fujinagata Shipbuilding Yard |
1 November 1940 | 25 April 1941 | Sunk 9 June 1944 |
| 31 | Nowaki (野分) means: Pacific typhoon |
8 November 1939 at Maizuru Naval Arsenal |
17 September 1940 | 28 April 1941 | Sunk 25 October 1944 |
| 32 33 34 |
3 destroyers | The dummy for the naval budget of the Yamato-class battleships | |||
| 112 | Arashi (嵐) means: Storm |
4 May 1939 at Maizuru Naval Arsenal |
22 April 1940 | 27 January 1941 | Sunk 6 August 1943 |
| 113 | Hagikaze (萩風) means: Clover Wind |
23 May 1939 at Uraga Dock Company |
18 June 1940 | 31 March 1941 | Sunk 6 August 1943 |
| 114 | Maikaze (舞風) means: Whirlwind |
22 April 1940 at Fujinagata Shipbuilding Yard |
13 March 1941 | 15 July 1941 | Sunk 17 February 1944 |
| 115 | Akigumo (秋雲) means: Autumn Cloud |
2 July 1940 at Uraga Dock Company |
11 April 1941 | 27 September 1941 | Sunk 11 April 1944 |
See also[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kagero class destroyers. |
External links[]
Books[]
- "Rekishi Gunzō". http://rekigun.net/., History of Pacific War Vol.64 Mutsuki class destroyer, Gakken (Japan), May 2008, ISBN 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
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