Kagero class destroyer
Encyclopedia
The was 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 from their plan name.
s 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.
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.
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...
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...
. There were 19 ships total in the class. The IJN called them 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 tubeTorpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
s for the "Long Lance" torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
. 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
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...
hindered their otherwise superb design. As with most pre-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...
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
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...
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.
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
Japanese destroyer Yukikaze
was a in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She was the only member of her class to survive the war. The attrition rate of Japanese destroyers was extremely high due to heavy, prolonged combat and the need to use them to transport supplies to scattered Japanese island...
was the only Kagerō-class ship afloat at the end of the war.
Ships in class
| Ship # | Ship | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
| 17 | means: Heat waves |
3 September 1937 at 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... |
27 September 1938 | 6 November 1939 | Sunk 8 May 1943 |
| 18 | means: Phosphorescent Foam |
30 August 1937 at 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... |
28 June 1938 | 20 December 1939 | Sunk 27 October 1944 |
| 19 | means: Kuroshio |
31 August 1937 at Fujinagata Shipbuilding Yard |
25 October 1938 | 27 January 1940 | Sunk 28 April 1943 |
| 20 | means: Oyashio Current Oyashio Current , also known as Oya Siwo, Okhotsk or the Kurile current, is a cold subarctic ocean current that flows south and circulates counterclockwise in the western North Pacific Ocean. It collides with the Kuroshio Current off the eastern shore of Japan to form the North Pacific Current... |
29 March 1938 at 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... |
29 November 1938 | 20 August 1940 | Sunk 8 May 1943 |
| 21 | means: Swift-Moving Tide |
30 June 1938 at 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... |
19 April 1939 | 31 August 1940 | Sunk 24 November 1942 |
| 22 | means: Summer Tide |
9 December 1937 at Fujinagata Shipbuilding Yard |
23 February 1939 | 31 August 1940 | Sunk 9 February 1942 |
| 23 | means: Season's First Wind |
3 December 1937 at Kōbe-Kawasaki Shipbuilding Yard |
24 January 1939 | 15 February 1940 | Sunk 12 November 1943 |
| 24 | means: Snowy Wind or Snowstorm |
2 August 1938 at 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... |
24 March 1939 | 20 January 1940 | Surrendered to Republic of China Republic of China The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor... on 6 July 1947 at Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010... , renamed DD-12 Tang Yan (丹陽), scrapped 1970 |
| 25 | means: Heavenly Wind |
14 February 1939 at 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... |
19 October 1939 | 26 October 1940 | Sunk 6 April 1945 |
| 26 | means: Season's Wind |
20 February 1939 at 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... |
10 November 1939 | 15 December 1940 | Sunk 3 March 1943 |
| 27 | means: Seaside Wind |
11 April 1939 at Fujinagata Shipbuilding Yard |
19 April 1940 | 15 December 1940 | Sunk 21 November 1944 |
| 28 | means: Wind of the Coast |
25 November 1938 at 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... |
19 June 1939 | 30 November 1940 | Sunk 7 April 1945 |
| 29 | means: Wind of the Beach |
20 November 1939 at 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... |
25 November 1940 | 30 June 1941 | Sunk 7 April 1945 |
| 30 | means: Warm Wind from the bottom of the Valley to Hillside |
18 October 1939 at Fujinagata Shipbuilding Yard |
1 November 1940 | 25 April 1941 | Sunk 9 June 1944 |
| 31 | means: Pacific typhoon Pacific typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean between 180° and 100°E. This region is referred to as the northwest Pacific basin. For organizational purposes, the northern Pacific Ocean is divided into three regions: the eastern , central , and... |
8 November 1939 at 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... |
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 battleship Yamato class battleship The were battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy constructed and operated during World War II. Displacing at full load, the vessels were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed. The class carried the largest naval artillery ever fitted to a warship, nine naval... s |
|||
| 112 | means: Storm Storm A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather... |
4 May 1939 at 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... |
22 April 1940 | 27 January 1941 | Sunk 6 August 1943 |
| 113 | means: Blow to the Lespedeza Lespedeza Lespedeza is a genus of some 40 species of flowering plants in the pea family , commonly known as bush clovers or Japanese clovers... |
23 May 1939 at 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... |
18 June 1940 | 31 March 1941 | Sunk 6 August 1943 |
| 114 | means: Whirlwind |
22 April 1940 at Fujinagata Shipbuilding Yard |
13 March 1941 | 15 July 1941 | Sunk 17 February 1944 |
| 115 | means: Autumn Clouds |
2 July 1940 at 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... |
11 April 1941 | 27 September 1941 | Sunk 11 April 1944 |
External links
Books
- , History of Pacific War Vol.64 Mutsuki class destroyer, 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), 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 FleetCombined FleetThe 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....
, 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