Kamikaze-class destroyer (1922)

Kamikaze underway on 23 December 1922.
Class overview
Name:	Kamikaze class
Builders:	Maizuru Naval Arsenal Mitsubishi-Nagasaki Uraga Dock Company Ishikawajima Shipyards Fujinagata Shipyards Sasebo Naval Arsenal
Operators:	Imperial Japanese Navy
Preceded by:	Wakatake class
Succeeded by:	Mutsuki class
In commission:	1921–1947
Planned:	27
Completed:	9
Cancelled:	18
Active:	0
Lost:	7 + 1 (postwar)
Retired:	1
General characteristics
Type:	Destroyer
Displacement:	1,400 long tons (1,400 t) normal, 1,720 long tons (1,750 t) full load
Length:	97.5 m (320 ft) pp, 102.6 m (337 ft) overall
Beam:	9.1 m (30 ft)
Draught:	2.9 m (9.5 ft)
Propulsion:	(Kamikaze to Hatakaze) 4 × Ro-Gō Kampon water-tube boilers 2 × Parsons geared turbines 38,500 shp 2 shafts (Oite to Yūnagi) 4 × Ro-Gō Kampon water-tube boilers 2 × Kampon geared turbines 38,500 ihp (28,700 kW) 2 shafts
Speed:	(Kamikaze to Hatakaze) 37.25 knots (68.99 km/h) (Oite to Yūnagi) 36.88 knots (68.30 km/h)
Range:	3600 nm @ 14 knots (6,700 km at 26 km/h)
Complement:	154
Armament:	4 × Type 3 120 mm 45 caliber naval gun 2 × 7.7mm machine guns 6× 53cm torpedoes (in 3 double mounts) 18 × depth charges

The Kamikaze-class destroyers (神風型駆逐艦, Kamikazegata kuchikukan) were a class of nine destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy.^[1] Some authors consider the Nokaze, Kamikaze and Mutsuki classes to be extensions of the Minekaze-class destroyers, and the Kamikaze class is sometimes referred to as the "Kiyokaze class" to distinguish it from the earlier World War I-era destroyer class of the same name. Obsolete by the beginning of the Pacific War, the Kamikazes were relegated to mostly secondary roles. Most ultimately were lost to 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 fleet 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.^[2]

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.

Design

Kamikaze-class Oite group four destroyers, circa 1926.

The Kamikaze-class ships were visually identical to the earlier Minekaze class, apart from slight detail changes in the bridge and the addition of an improved 120 mm/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 (69.5 km/h) they were considered satisfactory compared with the Minekaze class.^[3]

Operational history

The Kamikaze-class vessels all saw combat during the Pacific War, 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.^[4] 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.^[5]

Class members

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 warships the IJN expected to build through the Eight-eight fleet 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.

Notes

References

Books

• Brown, David (1990). Warship Losses of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-914-X. 
• Evans, David (1979). Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941. US Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-192-7. 
• Hara, Tameichi (1978). Japanese Destroyer Captain. Ballantyne Books, New York. ISBN 0-345-27894-1. 
• Howarth, Stephen (1983). The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895-1945. Atheneum. ISBN 0-689-11402-8. 
• Jentsura, Hansgeorg (1976). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945. US Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-893-X. 
• Watts, Anthony J (1967). Japanese Warships of World War II. Doubleday. ASIN B000KEV3J8. 
• Whitley, M J (2000). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 1-85409-521-8. 

External links

• Nishida, Hiroshi. "Materials of IJN: Kamikaze class destroyer". Imperial Japanese Navy. 
• Globalsecurity.org. "IJN Kiyokaze class destroyers". 
• Jones, Daniel H. (2003). "IJN Minekaze, Kamikaze and Mutsuki class Destroyers". Ship Modeler's Mailing List (SMML). 
• Japanese Destroyers: Tabular Movement Records (TROMs)
• Kamikaze Class, Japanese Destroyers

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