Minekaze class destroyer

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Coming between the foreign designed (and often built) vessels of the earlier part of the century and the innovative Kagero and Fubuki 'Special Type' destroyers of the 1930s, the Minekaze 峯風 ('Summit Wind') Class was a significant transitional design for the Imperial Navy. An entirely Japanese effort, Minekaze represented a complete break from previous practice of closely following British designs and methods. Rated as First Class destroyers, they displaced about 1,214 tons when built.

The lead ship of her class and the similar Kamikaze and Mutsuki Classes to follow, Minekaze incorporated a number of distinctive design innovations including a lengthened forecastle with a break forming a well deck immediately forward of the bridge. This odd arrangement, apparently derived from contemporary German torpedo boat practice, offered the advantage of a low, semiprotected area for the forward torpedo tubes. Armament consisted of four 4.7"/50cal. s.p. guns, six 21" torpedo tubes in double launchers and two 7.7mm machine guns. Ships of this class could also be equipped to carry up to 20 mines. Machinery consisted of four Kampon boilers running two shaft geared turbines at 38,500 shp. Rated speed was an impressive 39 knots. One ship of this class, Shimakaze, reportedly achieved 40.698 knots on trials. Actual speeds under operational conditions were, of course, somewhat lower, but these ships were still very fast and compared quite favorably with their foreign contemporaries.

Commissioned during the 1920s, the thirteen ships of the Minekaze class were the mainstay of the Imperial Navy destroyer squadrons throughout the decade until gradually replaced by more advanced types. Obsolete by the beginning of the Pacific War, the Minekazes were relegated to secondary roles, much as the U.S. 'four pipers' had been. They soldiered on throughout the war as patrol vessels, high speed transports, target control vessels, and even as Kaiten (human torpedo) carriers. Most ultimately were to fall to U.S. and British submarine torpedoes.

[edit] Class members

• Minekaze
• Sawakaze
• Okikaze
• Hakaze
• Yakaze
• Akikaze
• Shiokaze
• Yukaze
• Hokaze
• Tachikaze
• Nokaze
• Namikaze
• Numakaze

[edit] References

• Hansgeorg Jenschura, Dieter Jung, and Peter Mickel Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1869-1945 , U.S. Naval Institute Press, Maryland, 1977.
• Watts, A. J. Japanese Warships of World War II, Ian Allen, London, 1967.