The (""divine wind"") 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 32 torpedo boat destroyers (TBDs) 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...

. 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. This class of destroyer should not be confused with the later Kamikaze-class (1922) destroyers, which participated 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...

.

Background

The Kamikaze-class destroyers were part of the 1904 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...

 Emergency Expansion Program created by the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War

Russo-Japanese War

The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...

. Twenty-five vessels were ordered, and an additional four vessels were ordered in 1905, and three more in 1906, bringing the total to thirty-two ships. The Japanese governmental shipyards were overwhelmed with the volume of construction, and for the first time civilian shipyards were also assigned to produce warships.

Design

In terms of design, the Kamikaze-class ships were substantially identical to the previous Harusame-class, in terms of hull

Hull (watercraft)

A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...

 design and external appearance, retaining the flush deck

Flush deck

In naval architecture, a flush deck refers to when the upper deck of a vessel extends unbroken from stem to stern. There is no raised forecastle or lowered quarterdeck. Ships of this type may be referred to as "flush deckers", although this is often taken as referring to a series of United States...

 design with a distinctive "turtleback" forecastle

Forecastle

Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...

 inherited from the Ikazuchi-class, as well as the four-smokestack profile. However, with operational experience gained in the Russo-Japanese War

Russo-Japanese War

The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...

, the Kamikaze-class employed shorter smokestacks with spark and glow arrestors to give the ships a more stealthy capability for night combat operations.

Internally, design and production issues still existed with the Japanese copies of the Yarrow water-tube boiler

Water-tube boiler

A water tube boiler is a type of boiler in which water circulates in tubes heated externally by the fire. Fuel is burned inside the furnace, creating hot gas which heats water in the steam-generating tubes...

s in the coal-fired

Coal

Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...

 triple expansion steam engines

Steam engine

A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...

, which could produce only 6,000 shp; however, with the final three vessels (Uranami, Isonami, Ayanami), many problems had been resolved, and the engines modified to be run on heavy oil

Heavy oil

Heavy oil may refer to:*Fuel oil that contains residual oil left over from distillation.*Heavy crude oil, viscous crude oil.*Coal tar creosote, a wood preservative and waterproofing agent....

 as well as coal.

Armament was the similar in layout to the previous Harusame-class, but with larger secondary guns; i.e. two QF 12 pounder

QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun

The QF 12 pounder 12 cwt gun was a common calibre naval gun introduced in 1894 and used until the middle of the 20th century. It was produced by Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick and used on Royal Navy warships, and exported to allied countries...

 mounted on bandstands on the forecastle

Forecastle

Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...

 and fantail, four additional short barrel 12 pounder guns (two sided abreast the conning tower

Conning tower

A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....

, and two sited between the funnels, and two single tubes for 18 inches (457.2 mm) 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...

es.

Operational history

Only two Kamikaze-class vessels were completed in time to see combat service in the Russo-Japanese War

Russo-Japanese War

The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...

.

Considered too small, unsuitable for heavy seas, and obsolete by the time of completion, the Kamikaze-class destroyers were quickly removed from front-line combat service after the end of the war, and were de-rated to third-class destroyers on August 28, 1912. Asatsuyu was wrecked off Nanao Bay on November 9, 1913.

However, despite the re-classification, all remaining vessels saw service in World War I

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...

. Shirotae was lost in combat

Battle of Tsingtao

The Siege of Tsingtao was the attack on the German-controlled port of Tsingtao in China during World War I by Imperial Japan and the United Kingdom....

 on September 3, 1914 off Tsingtao (36°00′N 110°30′E), while in combat against the German

Kaiserliche Marine

The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...

 gunboat SMS Jaguar. This was the first significant warship loss by Japan during World War I.

The remaining surviving vessels were converted into minesweepers

Minesweeper (ship)

A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...

 on December 1, 1924, however, most were retired and/or scrapped soon afterwards.

List of ships

Kanji	Name	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Completed	Fate	name mean
神風	Kamikaze	Yokosuka Naval Arsenal Yokosuka Naval Arsenal was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was located at Yokosuka city, Kanagawa prefecture on Tokyo Bay, south of Yokohama... , 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...	1904-08-20	1905-07-15	1905-08-16	minesweeper 1924-12-01 BU 1928-04-01	the divine wind
初霜	Hatsushimo	Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan	1904-08-20	1905-05-13	1905-08-18	minesweeper 1924-12-01 BU 1928-04-01	the first frost (October)
弥生	Yayoi	Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan	1904-08-20	1905-08-07	1905-09-23	retired 1924-12-01 scuttled 1926-08-10	manth of born plants(March)
如月	Kisaragi	Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan	1904-09-10	1905-09-06	1905-10-19	minesweeper 1924-12-01 BU 1928-04-01	(February)
朝風	Asakaze	Mitsubishi shipyards 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... , Nagasaki, Japan	1904-12-30	1905-10-28	1906-04-01	minesweeper 1924-12-01 struck 1928-04-01, scuttled 1929-08-01	Moning wind
白露	Shiratsuyu	Mitsubishi shipyards 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... , Nagasaki, Japan	1905-02-25	1906-02-12	1906-08-23	reserves 1924-12-01 BU 1928-04-01	white dew
白雪	Shirayuki	Mitsubishi shipyards 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... , Nagasaki, Japan	1905-03-24	1906-05-19	1906-10-12	reserves 1924-12-01 BU 1928-04-01	white snow
松風	Matsukaze	Mitsubishi shipyards 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... , Nagasaki, Japan	1905-09-25	1906-12-23	1907-03-15	reserves 1924-12-01 BU 1928-04-01	wind to pines in coast
春風	Harukaze	Kawasaki Dockyards Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation -External links:*... , Kobe Kobe , pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka... , Japan	1905-02-16	1905-12-25	1906-05-14	reserves 1924-12-01 BU 1928-04-01	spling wind
時雨	Shigure	Kawasaki Dockyards Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation -External links:*... , Kobe, Japan	1905-06-03	1906-03-12	1906-07-11	scrapped 1924-12-01	East Asian rainy season
朝露	Asatsuyu	Osaka Iron Works, Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... , Japan	1905-04-28	1906-04-02	1906-11-16	wrecked at Nanao Bay 1913-11-09 struck 1914-04-15	moning dew
疾風	Hayate	Osaka Iron Works, Osaka, Japan	1905-09-25	1906-05-22	1907-06-13	BU 1924-12-01	fresh breeze
追手	Oite	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	1905-08-01	1906-01-10	1906-08-21	BU 1924-12-01	pursuer（a army of the front）
夕凪	Yunagi	Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan	1906-01-20	1906-08-22	1906-12-25	BU 1924-12-01	an evening calm
夕暮	Yugure	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	1905-03-01	1905-11-17	1906-05-26	minesweeper 1924-12-01 struck 1928-04-01, scuttled 1930-01-23	evening(sunset)
夕立	Yudachi	Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Japan	1905-03-20	1906-03-26	1906-07-16	minesweeper 1924-12-01 BU 1928-04-01	a shower
三日月	Mikazuki	Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Japan	1905-06-01	1906-05-26	1906-09-12	minesweeper 1924-12-01 struck 1928-04-01, scuttled 1930-07-21	a sickle moon
野分	Nowaki	Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Japan	1905-08-01	1906-07-25	1906-11-01	BU 1924-12-01	a gale between grass(typhoon of autumn)
潮	Ushio	Kure Naval Arsenal Kure Naval Arsenal was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Kure Naval District was established at Kure, Hiroshima in 1889, as the second of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands along with the establishment of the... , Japan	1905-04-12	1905-08-30	1905-10-01	minesweeper 1924-12-01 BU 1928-04-01	a tide
子日	Nenohi	Kure Naval Arsenal, Japan	1905-06-25	1905-08-30	1905-10-01	minesweeper 1924-12-01 BU 1928-04-01	pine of New Year's Day
響	Hibiki	Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan	1905-09-28	1906-03-31	1906-09-06	minesweeper 1924-12-01 BU 1928-04-01	an echo
白妙	Shirotae	Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan	1905-03-24	1906-07-30	1907-01-21	combat loss off Shantung Peninsula 1914-09-04 written off 1914-10-29	white cloth
初春	Hatsuharu	Kawasaki Dockyards Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation -External links:*... , Kobe, Japan	1905-11-11	1906-05-21	1907-03-01	retired 1924-12-01 scuttled 1928-04-01	early spring(new year)
若葉	Wakaba	Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan	1905-05-20	1906-11-25	1906-02-28	minesweeper 1924-12-01 BU 1928-04-01	young leaves
初雪	Hatsuyuki	Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan	1905-09-11	1906-03-08	1906-05-17	minesweeper 1924-12-01 BU 1928-04-01	the first snow of the year
卯月	Uzuki	Kawasaki Dockyards Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation -External links:*... , Kobe, Japan	1906-03-22	1906-09-20	1907-03-06	BU 1924-12-01	month of Deutzia(April)
水無月	Minatsuki	Mitsubishi shipyards 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... , Nagasaki, Japan	1906-02-25	1906-11-05	1907-02-14	minesweeper 1924-12-01, renamed W-10 1928-08-01 retired 1930-06-01, scuttled 1931-05-28	manth of The rice field was submerged(June)
長月	Nagatsuki	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	1905-10-28	1906-12-15	1907-07-31	minesweeper 1924-12-01, renamed W-11 1928-08-01 retired 1930-06-01	month of longnight(September)
菊月	Kikutsuki	Uraga Dock Company, Japan	1906-03-02	1907-04-10	1907-09-20	minesweeper 1924-12-01, renamed W-12 1928-08-01 retired 1930-06-01	month of chrysanthemum (September)
浦波	Uranami	Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan	1907-05-01	1907-12-08	1908-10-02	minesweeper 1924-12-01, renamed W-8 1928-08-01 utility vessel 1930-06-01	wave in　a inlet
磯波	Isonami	Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan	1908-01-15	1908-11-21	1909-04-02	minesweeper 1924-12-01, renamed W-7 1928-08-01 utility vessel 1930-06-01	wave in a sea shore
綾波	Ayanami Japanese destroyer Ayanami (1909) |...	Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan	1908-05-15	1909-03-20	1909-06-26	minesweeper 1924-12-01, renamed W-9 1928-08-01 utility vessel 1930-06-01	cross wave