The was a class

Ship class

A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....

 of ten destroyer

Destroyer

In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...

s of the Imperial Japanese Navy

Imperial Japanese Navy

The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...

 in service before and during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

Background

The Imperial Japanese Navy was not entirely satisfied with the performance of the , particularly in terms of operational range and speed. However, given the limitations of the 1930 London Naval Treaty

London Naval Treaty

The London Naval Treaty was an agreement between the United Kingdom, the Empire of Japan, France, Italy and the United States, signed on April 22, 1930, which regulated submarine warfare and limited naval shipbuilding. Ratifications were exchanged in London on October 27, 1930, and the treaty went...

, it was considered impossible to modify these vessels any further to improve their specifications. This obstacle was removed after the Japanese government allowed the Treaty to expire without renewal. The final four vessels of a projected 14 destroyers in the Shiratsuyu-class were cancelled, and the larger new Asashio-class vessels were approved under the Maru-2

2nd Naval Armaments Supplement Programme (Japan, 1934)

The otherwise known as the "Circle Two" Plan was the second of four expansion plans of the Imperial Japanese Navy between 1930 and the start of World War II.-Background:...

 Supplementary Naval Expansion budget of 1934, with construction spanning 1935-1936. All ten vessels were lost in the Pacific War

Pacific War

The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...

Design

The Asashio class was the first Japanese destroyer class to exceed 2,000 tons displacement

Displacement (ship)

A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...

 and the first to be equipped with sonar

Sonar

Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...

. Early critical issues with the Asashio class included the reliability of their new steam turbine

Steam turbine

A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....

s engines, and issues with the design of their rudder

Rudder

A rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft or other conveyance that moves through a medium . On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane...

, which were addressed by the start of the Pacific War.

In terms of armament, the Asashio class was similar to the previous and classes, but with twin mount 5-inch guns instead of a single mounts. The guns were mounted in Type C gun turrets capable of 55 degree elevation. Also, the position of the "X" turret at the shelter deck level forward of the quarterdeck

Quarterdeck

The quarterdeck is that part of a warship designated by the commanding officer for official and ceremonial functions. In port, the quarterdeck is the most important place on the ship, and is the central control point for all its major activities. Underway, its importance diminishes as control of...

 "Y" turret, gave the Asashio class a different silhouette than the Shiratsuyu class, where both turrets were at quarterdeck level. The torpedo armament of eight 24” torpedo in three triple launchers was retained, with the torpedo reloads stored in a deckhouse on the centerline. This design became the basic plan for all future destroyers in the Japanese navy.

The Asashio-class vessels had three boilers running two geared turbine shafts with an output of 50000 hp at the screws, giving it a top speed of 35 knots (68.6 km/h) and a range of 5,700 nautical miles at 10 knots (19.6 km/h) or 960 nautical miles (1,777.9 km) at 34 knots (66.6 km/h).

In the middle of the Pacific War (1943–44), on surviving vessels the "X" turret was removed and replaced by triple Type 96 25 mm anti-aircraft guns, increasing the total number to 15. After June 1944, even more anti-aircraft guns were added, raising the total to between 15 and 28 Type 96 guns and four Type 93 13 mm guns

13.2 mm Hotchkiss machine gun

The 13.2 mm Hotchkiss machine gun was a heavy machine gun designed and manufactured by Hotchkiss et Cie from the late 1920s until World War II where it saw service with various nation's forces, including Japan where the gun was built under licence....

. Four depth charge

Depth charge

A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...

 throwers and 36 depth charges were also fitted at between 1943 and 1944. The last four surviving vessels were also equipped with Type 13 and Type 22 radar

Radar

Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...

.

Operational history

During the war the Asashio-class was used extensively in the protection of the Combined Fleet

Combined Fleet

The was the main ocean-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Combined Fleet was not a standing force, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units normally under separate commands in peacetime....

. Arare was attacked

Action of 5 July 1942

The Action of 5 July 1942 was a naval engagement fought during the Aleutian Islands Campaign of World War II. During the action, the American submarine attacked three Japanese warships anchored off Kiska island...

 and sunk off Kiska Island during the Aleutian Islands Campaign by USS Growler

USS Growler (SS-215)

, a Gato-class submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy named for the growler, a large-mouth black bass. Her keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut. She was launched on 2 November 1941 , and commissioned on 20 March 1942 with Lieutenant Commander...

 on July 5, 1942. The Kasumi was also heavily damaged along with one other destroyer. Asashio and Arashio escorted the 7th Cruiser Division at the Battle of Midway

Battle of Midway

The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...

, where both were damaged by air attack. Although repaired and returned to service, both were sunk in 1943 when a large Japanese transport force was destroyed by American planes in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea

Battle of the Bismarck Sea

The Battle of the Bismarck Sea took place in the South West Pacific Area during World War II. During the course of the battle, aircraft of the U.S. 5th Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force attacked a Japanese convoy that was carrying troops to Lae, New Guinea...

. Michishio, Asagumo, and Yamagumo were lost in 1944 in the Battle of Leyte Gulf

Battle of Leyte Gulf

The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battles for Leyte Gulf", and formerly known as the "Second Battle of the Philippine Sea", is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.It was fought in waters...

. Kasumi, last of the class to be laid down, served as escort on the attack on Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...

 and joined the battleship during Operation Ten-Go

Operation Ten-Go

was the last major Japanese naval operation in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Other renderings of this operation's title in English include Operation Heaven One and Ten-ichi-gō....

 against the American fleet at Okinawa. None of the Asashio-class ships survived the Pacific War.

List of ships

|大潮>

Ships of the Asashio-class

	Ship	Shipyard	Laid down	Launched	Completed	Fate
朝潮		Sasebo Naval Arsenal Sasebo Naval Arsenal was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Sasebo Naval District was established at Sasebo, Nagasaki in 1886, as the third of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands. After the establishment of the...	7 September 1935	16 December 1936	31 August 1937	Air Strike,4 March 1943
	Maizuru Naval Arsenal Maizuru Naval Arsenal was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Maizuru Naval District was established at Maizuru, Kyoto in 1889, as the fourth of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands. After the establishment of the...	5 August 1936	19 April 1937	31 October 1937	Torpedoed, 20 February 1943
大潮		Fujinagata Shipyards Fujinagata Shipyards was a shipyard and railroad car manufacturer in Osaka, Japan.-History:Fujinagata claimed to have been founded in 1689, making it one of the oldest shipbuilders in Japan. Originally called Hyōgo-ya, and located in central Osaka, it was contracted in 1854 by officials representing the Tokugawa...	5 November 1935	15 March 1937	31 October 1937	Surface action, 25 October 1944
荒潮		Kawasaki-Kobe Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation -External links:*...	1 October 1935	26 May 1937	30 December 1937	air attack, 4 March 1943
夏雲		Sasebo Naval Arsenal Sasebo Naval Arsenal was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Sasebo Naval District was established at Sasebo, Nagasaki in 1886, as the third of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands. After the establishment of the...	1 July 1936	26 May 1937	10 February 1938	air attack, 15 October 1942
山雲		Fujinagata Shipyards Fujinagata Shipyards was a shipyard and railroad car manufacturer in Osaka, Japan.-History:Fujinagata claimed to have been founded in 1689, making it one of the oldest shipbuilders in Japan. Originally called Hyōgo-ya, and located in central Osaka, it was contracted in 1854 by officials representing the Tokugawa...	4 November 1936	24 July 1937	15 January 1938	surface action, 25 October 1944
峯雲		Fujinagata Shipyards Fujinagata Shipyards was a shipyard and railroad car manufacturer in Osaka, Japan.-History:Fujinagata claimed to have been founded in 1689, making it one of the oldest shipbuilders in Japan. Originally called Hyōgo-ya, and located in central Osaka, it was contracted in 1854 by officials representing the Tokugawa...	22 March 1937	4 November 1937	30 April 1938	surface action, 5 March 1943
朝雲		Kawasaki-Kobe Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation -External links:*...	23 December 1936	5 November 1937	31 March 1938	surface action, 25 October 1944
霰		Maizuru Naval Arsenal Maizuru Naval Arsenal was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Maizuru Naval District was established at Maizuru, Kyoto in 1889, as the fourth of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands. After the establishment of the...	5 March 1937	16 November 1937	15 April 1939	torpedoed, 5 July 1942
霞		Uraga Dock Company Uraga Dock Company was a major privately owned shipyard in Uraga, Japan, which built numerous warships for the Imperial Japanese Navy.-History:Uraga Dock Company was founded by Enomoto Takeaki in 1869. A shipyard had already existed in Uraga from the end of the Edo period...	1 December 1936	18 November 1937	24 June 1939	air attack, 7 April 1945