Kamikaze class destroyer
Encyclopedia
The was a class
of nine destroyer
s of the Imperial Japanese Navy
. Some authors consider the Nokaze-class, Kamikaze-class and Mutsuki-class
destroyers to be extensions of the Minekaze-class
, and the Kamikaze-class is sometimes referred to as the "Kiyokaze-class" to distinguish it from the earlier WW-I era
destroyer class of the same name
. Obsolete by the beginning of the Pacific War
, the Kamikaze were relegated to mostly secondary roles. Most ultimately were lost to U.S.
submarines.
Plan. They were ordered under the 1921-1922 fiscal budget. As with the Wakatake class
, they were originally numbered, but were assigned individual names after 1928.
Construction of the last two planned Kamikaze vessels was cancelled in conformance with the Washington Naval Treaty
. Oite, Hayate, Asanagi and Yūnagi were called the Kamikaze class late production model (or occasionally Oite class), as the powerplant and armaments were different.
and the addition of an improved 4.7"/50 cal. main gun which was designed as a dual purpose mount
.
The Kamikaze-class was the first destroyer class in the Japanese Navy to be built with a bridge strengthened by steel plating. This gave the vessels a higher center of gravity, and to counteract this they were built with an increased displacement and a wider beam for better stability. Although they had slightly less speed >37.5 knots (73.5 km/h) they were considered satisfactory compared with the Minekaze class.
, with Hayate having the distinction of being the first Japanese destroyer to be lost in combat during that conflict. She was sunk during the Battle of Wake Island
in December, 1941. By 1944 four Kamikaze-class vessels had been sunk by American submarines and a fifth was lost in an air raid on Truk. In 1945 a sixth ship was sunk by submarine action. Only Kamikaze and Harukaze survived the war, but Harukaze was in such poor condition when surrendered at Sasebo
that she was soon scrapped. Kamikaze continued on as a repatriation ship after it was surrendered at Singapore
, but grounded off Cape Omaezaki
in June 1946 and was written off.
plan. This proved to be extremely unpopular with the crews and was a constant source of confusion in communications. In August 1928, names were assigned, but not the original names that were planned.
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 nine 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...
. Some authors consider the Nokaze-class, Kamikaze-class and Mutsuki-class
Mutsuki class destroyer
The was a class of twelve destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. All were given traditional poetic names of the months of the year by the Lunar calendar or phases of the moon...
destroyers to be extensions of the Minekaze-class
Minekaze class destroyer
The was a class of fifteen 1st-class destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Obsolete by the beginning of the Pacific War, the Minekaze class ships were relegated to mostly secondary roles, serving throughout the war as patrol vessels, high speed transports, target control vessels, and as kaiten...
, and the Kamikaze-class is sometimes referred to as the "Kiyokaze-class" to distinguish it from the earlier WW-I era
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
destroyer class of the same name
Kamikaze class destroyer (1905)
The was a class of 32 torpedo boat destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Kamikaze-class of destroyers were the first destroyers to be mass-produced in Japan. The class is also sometimes referred to as the Asakaze-class...
. Obsolete by the beginning of 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...
, the Kamikaze were relegated to mostly secondary roles. Most ultimately were lost to U.S.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
submarines.
Background
The Kamikaze-class vessels were an extension and improvement to the ongoing Minekaze-class program as part of the Eight-eight fleetEight-eight fleet
The was a Japanese naval strategy formulated for the development of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the first quarter of the 20th century, which laid down that the Japanese navy should include eight first-class battleships and eight armoured cruisers or battlecruisers.-History and development:The...
Plan. They were ordered under the 1921-1922 fiscal budget. As with the Wakatake class
Wakatake class destroyer
The was a class of eight 2nd-class destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy.-Background:The medium-sized Wakatake-class destroyers were a follow-on to the Momi class destroyer as part of the Imperial Japanese Navy's 8-6 Fleet Program from fiscal 1921 as a lower cost accompaniment to the larger...
, they were originally numbered, but were assigned individual names after 1928.
Construction of the last two planned Kamikaze vessels was cancelled in conformance with the Washington Naval Treaty
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
. Oite, Hayate, Asanagi and Yūnagi were called the Kamikaze class late production model (or occasionally Oite class), as the powerplant and armaments were different.
Design
The Kamikaze class ships were visually identical to the earlier Minekaze-class, apart from slight detail changes in the bridgeBridge (ship)
The bridge of a ship is the room or platform from which the ship can be commanded. When a ship is underway the bridge is manned by an OOW aided usually by an AB acting as lookout...
and the addition of an improved 4.7"/50 cal. main gun which was designed as a dual purpose mount
Dual purpose gun
A dual purpose gun is a naval artillery mounting designed to engage both surface and air targets.-Description:Second World War-era capital ships had four classes of artillery: the heavy main battery, intended to engage opposing battleships and cruisers ; a secondary battery for use against enemy...
.
The Kamikaze-class was the first destroyer class in the Japanese Navy to be built with a bridge strengthened by steel plating. This gave the vessels a higher center of gravity, and to counteract this they were built with an increased displacement and a wider beam for better stability. Although they had slightly less speed >37.5 knots (73.5 km/h) they were considered satisfactory compared with the Minekaze class.
Operational history
The Kamikaze class vessels all saw combat during the Pacific WarPacific 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...
, with Hayate having the distinction of being the first Japanese destroyer to be lost in combat during that conflict. She was sunk during the Battle of Wake Island
Battle of Wake Island
The Battle of Wake Island began simultaneously with the Attack on Pearl Harbor and ended on 23 December 1941, with the surrender of the American forces to the Empire of Japan...
in December, 1941. By 1944 four Kamikaze-class vessels had been sunk by American submarines and a fifth was lost in an air raid on Truk. In 1945 a sixth ship was sunk by submarine action. Only Kamikaze and Harukaze survived the war, but Harukaze was in such poor condition when surrendered at Sasebo
Sasebo Naval District
was the third of five main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included the western and southern coastline of Kyūshū, the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan and Korea, as well as patrols in the East China Sea and the Pacific...
that she was soon scrapped. Kamikaze continued on as a repatriation ship after it was surrendered at Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, but grounded off Cape 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 :...
in June 1946 and was written off.
Class members
| Kanji | Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 神風 | Kamikaze Japanese destroyer Kamikaze (1922) was the lead ship of nine Kamikaze-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.-History:Construction of the... DD-1 |
Mitsubishi-Nagasaki Mitsubishi Heavy Industries , or MHI, is a Japanese company. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi Group.-History:In 1870 Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of Mitsubishi took a lease of Government-owned Nagasaki Shipyard. He named it Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and started the shipbuilding business on a full scale... , Japan |
1921-12-15 | 1922-09-25 | 1922-12-19 | renamed Kamikaze 1928-08-01; demilitarized repatriation ship 1945-12-01; grounded Omaezaki 1946-06-07; stricken 1946-06-26 |
| 朝風 | Asakaze Japanese destroyer Asakaze (1922) was the second of nine Kamikaze-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.... DD-3 |
Mitsubishi-Nagasaki Mitsubishi Heavy Industries , or MHI, is a Japanese company. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi Group.-History:In 1870 Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of Mitsubishi took a lease of Government-owned Nagasaki Shipyard. He named it Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and started the shipbuilding business on a full scale... , Japan |
1922-02-16 | 1922-12-08 | 1923-06-16 | renamed Asakaze 1928-08-01; Torpedoed W of Luzon [16.06N, 119.44E] 1944-08-23; stricken 1944-10-10 |
| 春風 | Harukaze Japanese destroyer Harukaze (1922) was the second of nine Kamikaze-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.... DD-5 |
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... , Japan |
1922-05-16 | 1922-12-18 | 1923-05-31 | renamed Harukaze 1928-08-01; surrendered to USN 1945-11-10; scrapped 1947 |
| 松風 | Matsukaze Japanese destroyer Matsukaze (1923) was one of nine Kamikaze-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.... DD-7 |
Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan | 1922-12-02 | 1923-10-30 | 1924-04-05 | renamed Matsukaze 1928-08-01; Torpedoed NW Chichijima [26.59N, 143.13E] 1944-06-09; stricken 1944-08-10 |
| 旗風 | Hatakaze Japanese destroyer Hatakaze was one of nine Kamikaze-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolete by the start of the Pacific War.... DD-9 |
Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan | 1923-07-03 | 1924-03-15 | 1924-08-30 | renamed Hatakaze 1928-08-01; Air attack off Takao [22.37N, 120.15E] 1945-01-15; stricken 1945-03-10 |
| 追風 | Oite Japanese destroyer Oite (1924) was the sixth vessel of the Kamikaze-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.-History:Construction of the... DD-11 |
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... , Japan |
1923-03-16 | 1924-11-27 | 1925-10-30 | renamed Oite 1928-08-01; Air attack at Truk [07.40N, 151.45E] 1944-02-18; stricken 1944-03-11 |
| 疾風 | Hayate DD-13 |
Ishikawajima Shipyards IHI The acronym IHI can refer to:* Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, a Japanese company which produces ships, aero-engines, and other transport-related machinery* Information Holdings Inc., part of The Thomson Corporation since 2004... , Japan |
1922-11-11 | 1925-03-24 | 1925-11-21 | renamed Hayate 1928-08-01; combat loss Battle of Wake Island [19.16N, 166.37E] 1941-12-11; stricken 1942-01-10 |
| 朝凪 | Asanagi Japanese destroyer Asanagi was the eighth vessel of the Kamikaze-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.-History:Construction of the... DD-15 |
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... , Japan |
1923-03-05 | 1924-04-21 | 1925-12-29 | renamed Asanagi 1928-08-01; torpedoed W of Ogasawara [28.20N, 138.57E] 1944-05-22; stricken 1944-07-10 |
| 夕凪 | Yūnagi Japanese destroyer Yunagi (1924) was the ninth and final vessel of the Kamikaze-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.-History:Construction... DD-17 |
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... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
1923-09-17 | 1924-04-23 | 1925-05-24 | renamed Yunagi 1928-08-01; torpedoed NW of Luzon [18.46N, 120.46E] 1944-08-25; struck 1944-10-10 |
Naming History
The IJN originally planned that the Kamikaze class ships should have names, but upon completion they were given numbers due to the projected large number of warship the IJN expected to build through the Eight-eight fleetEight-eight fleet
The was a Japanese naval strategy formulated for the development of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the first quarter of the 20th century, which laid down that the Japanese navy should include eight first-class battleships and eight armoured cruisers or battlecruisers.-History and development:The...
plan. This proved to be extremely unpopular with the crews and was a constant source of confusion in communications. In August 1928, names were assigned, but not the original names that were planned.
| Planned name and transliteration | Name as completed | Renamed 24 April 1924 | Renamed 1 August 1928 |
| Pure Wind or Breeze |
, 1st Destroyer |
, No.1 Destroyer |
, God Wind |
| , Light Wind |
, 3rd Destroyer |
, No.3 Destroyer |
, Morning wind |
| True Wind | , 5th Destroyer |
, No.5 Destroyer |
, Spring Wind |
| , Great Wind |
|||
| , Whirlwind |
|||
| , 7th Destroyer |
, No.7 Destroyer |
, Pine Wind |
|
| , 9th Destroyer |
, No.9 Destroyer |
, Flag Wind |
|
| , No.11 Destroyer |
, Favorable Wind |
||
| , No.13 Destroyer |
, Gale |
||
| , No.15 Destroyer |
, Morning Calm |
||
| , No.17 Destroyer |
, Evening Calm |
||