Жапон "Кагеро" классы эсминецтері

Class of Japanese destroyers

The Kagerō class destroyers (陽炎型駆逐艦) were a class of nineteen 1st Class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the 1930s, and operated by them during the Pacific War, when all but one were lost. It also called Shiranui class destroyers (不知火型駆逐艦) because the second ship, Japanese destroyer Shiranui was launched before first ship, Japanese destroyer Kagerō

The class was also one of a series called Destroyer Type A (甲型駆逐艦) within the Imperial Japanese Navy from their plan name. At the time of introduction, these destroyers were among the deadliest destroyers afloat, primarily due to the excellent range and lethality of their "Long Lance" torpedoes.

Following on the success of the , the Kagerō class was very similar in design, but was slightly larger and incorporated a number of improvements which had been gained through operational experience. It had a heavier main battery and much heavier torpedo armament than other contemporary foreign destroyer designs. The first 15 ships of this class were ordered in 1937 under the 3rd Naval Armaments Supplement Programme and the final four vessels were ordered in 1939 under the 4th Naval Armaments Supplement Programme. The final vessel in the class, Japanese destroyer Akigumo, was sometimes mistaken for part of the succeeding by immediate postwar historians due to confusion over the number of fictitious destroyers listed in the Japanese budgetary records in an effort to conceal the budget devoted to the secret battleships.

The Kagerō class used the same hull and bridge as the preceding Asashio class and had an almost identical silhouette. The main visual difference was that the reloads for the forward torpedo launcher were located in front of the launcher instead of to the rear. They displaced at standard load and at deep load. The displacement and beam were thus slightly larger than for the Asashio class, giving greater stability. Japanese destroyer Amatsukaze had an experimental boiler which developed a higher steam pressure, but this did not result in any increase in performance.

As built, the weapons suite of the Kagerō class was identical to that of the preceding Asashio class. The main battery consisted of six 5 inch 12.7 cm/50 Type 3 naval guns in three twin gun turrets, one superfiring pair aft and one turret forward of the superstructure. The guns were capable of 55 degree elevation. The ships were also armed with eight torpedo tubes for the oxygen fueled Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedo in two quadruple traversing mounts; one reload was carried for each tube. Their anti submarine weapons initially comprised 16 depth charges, which was increased to 36 during the course of the Pacific War. In terms of anti aircraft capability, initially two twin mount Type 96 AA guns were placed forward of the second smokestack. As the war progressed, the number of Type 96 guns was gradually increased. In 1942–1943, the twin mounts were replaced by triple mounts, and another twin mount was added forward of the bridge. From 1943 to 1944, on surviving vessels the superfiring "X" turret was removed and replaced by two more triple mounts. In late 1944, the seven surviving vessels were fitted with a varying number of additional guns. Japanese destroyer Isokaze and Japanese destroyer Hamakaze received seven single mounts, whereas Japanese destroyer Yukikaze received 14 single mounts and four Type 93 13 mm machine guns. Japanese destroyer Hamakaze became the first Japanese destroyer to be equipped with radar when a Type 22 set was installed in late 1942. The other vessels were equipped with radar as they rotated back to Japan for repair or refit. All seven vessels surviving in mid 1944 also received a Type 13 radar.

During the war the Kagerō class was used extensively in the Solomons campaign, and wartime attrition was severe, with 18 of 19 vessels 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. Japanese destroyer Yukikaze was the only Kagerō class ship afloat at the end of the war. All but the Japanese destroyer Natsushio (sunk in February 1942) took part in the Battle of Midway. 7 out of the only 9 destroyers of the Pearl Harbor strike force were of the Kagero class.

+ Construction data Prog. no. (Program number) Ship Kanji Shipyard Laid down Launched Completed Fate 17 Japanese destroyer Kagerō 陽炎Maizuru Naval Arsenal 3 September 1937 27 September 1938 6 November 1939 Air attack SW of Rendova (New Georgia Campaign), 8 May 1943 at 18 Japanese destroyer Shiranui 不知火Uraga Dock Company 30 August 1937 28 June 1938 20 December 1939 Air attack N of Iloilo, Panay, 27 October 1944 at 19 Japanese destroyer Kuroshio 黒潮Fujinagata Shipyards 31 August 1937 25 October 1938 27 January 1940 Mined leaving Vila, Kolombangara (New Georgia Campaign), 8 May 1943 at 20 Japanese destroyer Oyashio 親潮Maizuru Naval Arsenal 29 March 1938 29 November 1938 20 August 1940 Mined, air attack leaving Vila, Kolombangara (New Georgia Campaign), 8 May 1943 at 21 Japanese destroyer Hayashio 早潮Uraga Dock Company 30 June 1938 19 April 1939 31 August 1940 Scuttled after air attack, Guna Bay (New Guinea Campaign), 24 November 1942 at 22 Japanese destroyer Natsushio 夏潮 Fujinagata Shipyards 9 December 1937 23 February 1939 31 August 1940 Torpedoed S of Makassar, 9 February 1942 at 23 Japanese destroyer Hatsukaze 初風 Kawasaki Kobe 3 December 1937 24 January 1939 15 February 1940 Sunk in Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 2 November 1943 at 24 Japanese destroyer Yukikaze 雪風Sasebo Naval Arsenal 2 August 1938 24 March 1939 20 January 1940 Surrendered to Republic of China on 6 July 1947 at Shanghai, renamed DD 12 Tan Yang (丹陽); scrapped 1970 25 Japanese destroyer Amatsukaze 天津風 Maizuru Naval Arsenal 14 February 1939 19 October 1939 26 October 1940 Air attack E of Xiamen, 6 April 1945 at 26 Japanese destroyer Tokitsukaze 時津風 Uraga Dock Company 20 February 1939 10 November 1939 15 December 1940 Air attack SE of Finschhafen, 3 March 1943 at 27 Japanese destroyer Urakaze 浦風 Fujinagata Shipyards 11 April 1939 19 April 1940 15 December 1940 Torpedoed NNW of Keelung, Taiwan, 21 November 1944 at 28 Japanese destroyer Isokaze 磯風 Sasebo Naval Arsenal 25 November 1938 19 June 1939 30 November 1940 Scuttled SW of Nagasaki following air attack, 7 April 1945 at 29 Japanese destroyer Hamakaze 浜風Uraga Dock Company 20 November 1939 25 November 1940 30 June 1941 Air attack SW of Nagasaki, 7 April 1945 at 30 Japanese destroyer Tanikaze 谷風Fujinagata Shipyards 18 October 1939 1 November 1940 25 April 1941 Torpedoed in Sibutu Passage, 9 June 1944 at 31 Japanese destroyer Nowaki 野分Maizuru Naval Arsenal 8 November 1939 17 September 1940 28 April 1941 Sunk in the aftermath of the Battle off Samar, 26 October 1944 at 32–34 The dummy for the naval budget of the s 112 Japanese destroyer Arashi 嵐Maizuru Naval Arsenal 4 May 1939 22 April 1940 27 January 1941 Sunk in Battle of Vella Gulf (New Georgia Campaign), 6 August 1943 at 113 Japanese destroyer Hagikaze 萩風Uraga Dock Company 23 May 1939 18 June 1940 31 March 1941 Sunk in Battle of Vella Gulf, 6 August 1943 at 114 Japanese destroyer Maikaze 舞風 Fujinagata Shipyards 22 April 1940 13 March 1941 15 July 1941 Sunk in surface action during Operation Hailstone at Truk, 17 February 1944 at 115 Japanese destroyer Akigumo 秋雲Uraga Dock Company 2 July 1940 11 April 1941 27 September 1941 Torpedoed SE of Zamboanga, Philippines, 11 April 1944 at