Chidori class torpedo boat
Encyclopedia
The was a Imperial Japanese Navy
class of torpedo boat
s that served during the Second World War. They proved to have too much armament for the hull and capsize
d shortly after completion in heavy weather. The entire class had to be rebuilt before they became satisfactory sea-boats. They saw service in the Battle of the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies campaign
as escorts and continued in that role for the rest of the war. Three were sunk during the war and the fourth was seized by the British at Hong Kong after the end of the war where it was scrapped later.
In 1930, the London Naval Treaty
was concluded in which the IJN received a heavy limit on the destroyers. The IJN planned to build the under 600 tons class destroyer which were not limited by the treaty, and the category Torpedo boat was revived for them. The aim for these ships was to have half the armament of the Fubuki-class
destroyer. Initially, four boats were constructed for evaluation, out of a planned twenty, in the Circle 1 Programme
. After Chidori was completed, the IJN discovered on her trials that her center of gravity
was too high and that she was 92 tonne overweight. The IJN ordered 250 millimetres (9.8 in) bulges fitted to the rest of the class. However, this proved to be insufficient.
gun mounted in a single power-driven gun turret
placed on the forecastle, ahead of the bridge, and a power-driven twin-gun turret aft. Sources are contradictory on her anti-aircraft
armament, Whitley says that they had a single license-built Vickers 40 mm (2 pounder pom pom) and others credit them with a single 12.7 mm (0.5 in) machine gun
. Two sets of twin 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes were mounted abaft the single funnel. In total these weapons represented 22.7% of the displacement.
During the war the rear gun was landed and replaced with Type 96 25mm AA guns. A total of ten of these were carried by the end of the war. The number of depth charge
s carried was also increased over the course of the war to 48.
and docked where she was rebuilt and returned to service.
torpedo boats were redesigned to reduce the top-heaviness that caused Tomozuru to capsize.
In 1937, the 4 sisters were organized into Torpedo Flotilla 21 and made a sortie for the Battle of Shanghai
. All four saw action in the Battle of the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies campaign
. Chidori and Manazuru returned to home waters after Torpedo Flotilla 21 was disbanded in the spring of 1942 and were on escort duties for the rest of the war. Hatsukari and Tomozuru remained in that area for most of the rest of the war on escort operations. Tomozuru returned to Japan late in the war, but Hatsukari entered Hong Kong
on 21 May 1945 and was engaged in anti-aircraft battles until the end of war. Following Japan's surrender, the Hatsukari was seized by the Royal Navy
, and later scrapped.
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...
class of torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s that served during the Second World War. They proved to have too much armament for the hull and capsize
Capsize
Capsizing is an act of tipping over a boat or ship to disable it. The act of reversing a capsized vessel is called righting.If a capsized vessel has sufficient flotation to prevent sinking, it may recover on its own if the stability is such that it is not stable inverted...
d shortly after completion in heavy weather. The entire class had to be rebuilt before they became satisfactory sea-boats. They saw service in the Battle of the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies campaign
Dutch East Indies campaign
The Dutch East Indies campaign of 1941–1942 was the conquest of the Dutch East Indies by forces from the Empire of Japan in the early days of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Forces from the Allies attempted unsuccessfully to defend the islands. Indonesia was targeted by the Japanese for its...
as escorts and continued in that role for the rest of the war. Three were sunk during the war and the fourth was seized by the British at Hong Kong after the end of the war where it was scrapped later.
Background
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...
was concluded in which the IJN received a heavy limit on the destroyers. The IJN planned to build the under 600 tons class destroyer which were not limited by the treaty, and the category Torpedo boat was revived for them. The aim for these ships was to have half the armament of the Fubuki-class
Fubuki class destroyer
The was a class of twenty four destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Fubuki class has been called "the world's first modern destroyer." The Fubuki class not only set a new standard for Japanese vessels, but for destroyers around the world...
destroyer. Initially, four boats were constructed for evaluation, out of a planned twenty, in the Circle 1 Programme
1st Naval Armaments Supplement Programme (Japan, 1931)
The , otherwise known as the "Circle One" plan was the first of four expansion plans of the Imperial Japanese Navy between 1930 and the start of World War II.-Background:...
. After Chidori was completed, the IJN discovered on her trials that her center of gravity
Center of gravity
In physics, a center of gravity of a material body is a point that may be used for a summary description of gravitational interactions. In a uniform gravitational field, the center of mass serves as the center of gravity...
was too high and that she was 92 tonne overweight. The IJN ordered 250 millimetres (9.8 in) bulges fitted to the rest of the class. However, this proved to be insufficient.
Description
As initially completed the Chidori-class torpedo boats displaced 535 LT (544 t) at standard load, but displaced 738 LT (750 t) at full load. They were 82 metre long overall, had a beam 7.4 metre and an average draft of 2.5 metre.Armament
They were exceedingly heavily armed for their size with three 127 mm (5 in) Type 312.7 cm/50 Type 3 naval gun
The 12.7 cm/50 Type 3 naval gun was a medium calibre naval gun of the Imperial Japanese Navy used during World War II. It was the standard weapon for Japanese destroyers between 1928 and 1940...
gun mounted in a single power-driven gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
placed on the forecastle, ahead of the bridge, and a power-driven twin-gun turret aft. Sources are contradictory on her anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
armament, Whitley says that they had a single license-built Vickers 40 mm (2 pounder pom pom) and others credit them with a single 12.7 mm (0.5 in) machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
. Two sets of twin 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes were mounted abaft the single funnel. In total these weapons represented 22.7% of the displacement.
During the war the rear gun was landed and replaced with Type 96 25mm AA guns. A total of ten of these were carried by the end of the war. The number of 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...
s carried was also increased over the course of the war to 48.
Propulsion
Two Kampon geared turbines drove two shafts. They were powered by two Kampon water-tube boilers and produced a total of 11000 shp. They were rated at 30 kn (36.5 mph; 58.8 km/h) and had a range of 3000 nmi (5,556 km) at 14 kn (17 mph; 27.4 km/h) or 9000 nmi (16,668 km) at 10 kn (12.2 mph; 19.6 km/h) using the 152 tonne of fuel carried.The Tomozuru Incident
On 12 March 1934, shortly after completion, sailed in company with her sister and the light cruiser Tatsuda for night torpedo training. The weather worsened during the exercise and it was called off at 0325; the ships returning to port. Tomozuru never arrived and a search was launched. She was spotted at 1405 that same day, capsized, but still afloat. Thirteen of her 113 man crew were rescued. She was towed to SaseboSasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
and docked where she was rebuilt and returned to service.
Consequences
This disaster forced the IJN to review the stability of every ship recently completed, under construction or still being designed. The Chidori's themselves exchanged their 127 mm (5 in) Type 3 guns for hand-worked 12 cm 11th Year Type M guns, landed the rear twin torpedo tube mount and the bridge structure was cut down by one level. The bulges were removed, but displacement increased to 815 long tons (828.1 MT) with the addition of 60 tonne ballast. Their speed dropped to 28 kn (34.1 mph; 54.9 km/h) and range decreased to 1600 nmi (2,963.2 km) at 14 kn (17 mph; 27.4 km/h). Their successors, the Ōtori-classOtori class torpedo boat
The were a class of eight 840 ton fast torpedo boats of the Imperial Japanese Navy.-Development:The eight ships were ordered in 1934 and were commissioned between 1936 and 1937...
torpedo boats were redesigned to reduce the top-heaviness that caused Tomozuru to capsize.
Service
Battle of Shanghai
The Battle of Shanghai, known in Chinese as Battle of Songhu, was the first of the twenty-two major engagements fought between the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China and the Imperial Japanese Army of the Empire of Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War...
. All four saw action in the Battle of the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies campaign
Dutch East Indies campaign
The Dutch East Indies campaign of 1941–1942 was the conquest of the Dutch East Indies by forces from the Empire of Japan in the early days of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Forces from the Allies attempted unsuccessfully to defend the islands. Indonesia was targeted by the Japanese for its...
. Chidori and Manazuru returned to home waters after Torpedo Flotilla 21 was disbanded in the spring of 1942 and were on escort duties for the rest of the war. Hatsukari and Tomozuru remained in that area for most of the rest of the war on escort operations. Tomozuru returned to Japan late in the war, but Hatsukari entered Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
on 21 May 1945 and was engaged in anti-aircraft battles until the end of war. Following Japan's surrender, the Hatsukari was seized by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, and later scrapped.
Ships in class
| Ship | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Improved | Fate |
| Maizuru Naval Construction Department | 13-10-1931 | 01-04-1933 | 20-11-1933 | November 1934 | Sunk 21-12-1944 by USS Tilefish USS Tilefish (SS-307) USS Tilefish , a Balao-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the tilefish, a large, yellow-spotted deepwater food fish.... at west of Omaezaki Omaezaki, Shizuoka is a city in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Omaezaki is located at the tip of a peninsula on Japan's Pacific coast. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 34,614 and the density of 530 persons per km². The total area was 65.86 km².- Geography :... 34°33′N 138°02′E. |
|
| Fujinagata Shipbuilding Yard | 22-12-1931 | 11-07-1933 | 31-01-1934 | November 1934 | Sunk 01-03-1945 by air raid at Naha Naha, Okinawa is the capital city of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.Naha is a coastal city located on the East China Sea coast of the southern part of Okinawa Island, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands... 26°17′N 127°35′E. |
|
| Maizuru Naval Construction Department | 11-11-1932 | 01-10-1933 | 24-02-1934 | May 1935 | Sunk 24-03-1945 by air raid at west of Amami Ōshima Amami Oshima is a semi-tropical island in the Amami Islands, which is part of the larger Nansei Islands in Japan. Ōshima literally means big island, and it is the largest of the Amami Islands. It lies roughly halfway between the islands of Okinawa and Kyūshū. Briefly part of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, in 1624 it was... 29°15′N 125°13′E. |
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| Fujinagata Shipbuilding Yard | 06-04-1933 | 19-12-1933 | 15-07-1934 | Captured by United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... at the end of war. Decommissioned 03-05-1947, scrapped 1948. |
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Books
- , History of Pacific War Vol.62 Ships of The Imperial Japanese Forces, GakkenGakkenis a Japanese publishing company founded in 1947 by Hideto Furuoka, which also produces educational toys. Their annual sales is reported at ¥ 821 billion ....
(Japan), January 2008, ISBN 4-05-605008-0 - Collection of writings by Sizuo Fukui Vol.5, Stories of Japanese Destroyers, Kōjinsha (Japan) 1993, ISBN 4-7698-0611-6
- Collection of writings by Sizuo Fukui Vol.10, Stories of Japanese Support Vessels, Kōjinsha (Japan), December 1993, ISBN 4-7698-0658-2
- Model Art Extra No.340, Drawings of Imperial Japanese Naval Vessels Part-1, Model Art Co. Ltd. (Japan), October 1989
- Model Art Ship Modelling Special No.25, Genealogy of Japanese Destroyers Part-2, Model Art Co. Ltd. (Japan), August 2007
- The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.39 Japanese torpedo boats, Ushio Shobō (Japan), May 1980
- The Maru Special, War ship mechanism 4, Japanese destroyers, Ushio Shobō (Japan), November 1982