Kagerō-class destroyer

Yukikaze in December 1939.
Class overview
Name:	Kagerō class
Operators:	Imperial Japanese Navy  Republic of China Navy
Preceded by:	Asashio class
Succeeded by:	Yūgumo class Akizuki class
In commission:	1939–1947 (Japan), 1947–1966 (Republic of China)
Planned:	18 (1937) + 4 (1939)
Completed:	19
Cancelled:	3 (The dummy for the naval budget of the Yamato-class battleships)
Lost:	18
Scrapped:	1
General characteristics
Type:	Destroyer
Displacement:	2,000 long tons (2,032 t) standard 2,500 long tons (2,540 t) battle condition
Length:	118.50 m full, 116.20 m waterline
Beam:	10.80 m
Draught:	3.76 m
Propulsion:	3 × Kampon water tube boilers, 2 × Kanpon impulse turbines, 2 × shafts, 52,000 shp
Speed:	35.5 knots (40.9 mph; 65.7 km/h)
Complement:	239 (Kagerō, 1939)
Armament:	(Kagerō, 1939) 6 × Type 3 127 mm 50 caliber naval guns (3×2) 4 × 25 mm Type 96 AA guns 8 × Type 92 torpedo tubes (2×4) 16 × 610 mm Type 93 torpedoes 18 × Type 95 depth charges 2 × paravanes (Kagerō, 1943) 6 × Type 3 127 mm 50 caliber naval guns (3×2) 8 × 25 mm Type 96 AA guns 8 × Type 92 torpedo tubes (2×4) 16 × 610 mm Type 93 torpedoes 18 × Type 95 depth charges 2 × paravanes (Yukikaze, July 1944) 4 × Type 3 127 mm 50 caliber naval guns (2×2) 24 × 25 mm Type 96 AA guns 4 × 13.2 mm (0.52 in) Type 95 AA guns 8 × Type 92 torpedo tubes (2×4) 16 × 610 mm Type 93 torpedoes 36 × Type 2 or Type 3 depth charges (Yukikaze, April 1945) 4 × Type 3 127 mm 50 caliber naval guns (2×2) 27 × 25 mm Type 96 AA guns 4 × 13 mm Type 95 AA guns 8 × Type 92 torpedo tubes (2×4) 16 × 610 mm Type 93 torpedoes 36 × Type 2 or Type 3 depth charges

The Kagerō-class destroyers (陽炎型駆逐艦,, Kagerō-gata Kuchikukan) were a group of 19 destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the 1930s. The IJN called them Destroyer Type-A (甲型駆逐艦,, Kō-gata Kuchikukan) from their plan name.

Design and description

The Kagerō class was an enlarged and improved version of the preceding Asashio class. Their crew numbered 240 officers and enlisted men. The ships measured 118.5 meters (388 ft 9 in) overall, with a beam of 10.8 meters (35 ft 5 in) and a draft of 3.76 meters (12 ft 4 in).^[1] They displaced 2,065 metric tons (2,032 long tons) at standard load and 2,529 metric tons (2,489 long tons) at deep load.^[2] The ships had two Kampon geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by three Kampon water-tube boilers. The turbines were rated at a total of 52,000 shaft horsepower (39,000 kW) for a designed speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). The ships had a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at a speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph).^[3]

The main armament of the Kagerō class consisted of six Type 3 127-millimeter (5.0 in) guns in three twin-gun turrets, one superfiring pair aft and one turret forward of the superstructure. They were built with four Type 96 25-millimeter (1.0 in) anti-aircraft guns in two twin-gun mounts, but more of these guns were added over the course of the war. The ships were also armed with eight 610-millimeter (24.0 in) torpedo tubes for the oxygen-fueled Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedo in two quadruple traversing mounts; one reload was carried for each tube.^[2] Their anti-submarine weapons comprised 16 depth charges.^[3]

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 guns at the start of the war to twenty-eight mounts by the war's end, which necessitated the removal of the upper rear turret.

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. Yukikaze was the only Kagerō-class ship afloat at the end of the war.

Ships in class

Notes

References

• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter & Mickel, Peter (1977). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 0-87021-893-X.
• Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.

Further reading

• "Rekishi Gunzō". , History of Pacific War Vol.64 Mutsuki class destroyer, Gakken (Japan), May 2008, ISBN 978-4-05-605091-2
• 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 Fleet, 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

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kagero class destroyers.

• "Kagerō class" at CombinedFleet.com
• "KAGERŌ Class Notes by Allyn Nevitt"