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) • 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 Type 93 torpedoes • 18 × Type 95 depth charges • 2 × paravanes (Kagerō, 1943) • 6 × Type 3 127 mm 50 caliber naval guns (3×2) • 8 × 25 mm Type 96 AA guns • 8 × Type 92 torpedo tubes (2×4) 16 × 610 mm Type 93 torpedoes • 18 × Type 95 depth charges 2 × paravanes (Yukikaze, July 1944) • 4 × Type 3 127 mm 50 caliber naval guns (2×2) • 24 × 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 (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 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

Media related to Kagero class destroyers at Wikimedia Commons

External links

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

Books

• "Rekishi Gunzō"., 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