Kamikaze class destroyer (1905)

The nihongo|"Kamikaze"-class destroyers|神風型駆逐艦|Kamikaze-gata kuchikukan was a class of 32 torpedo boat destroyers (TBDs) of the Imperial Japanese Navy. 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. [ Jentsura, Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945 ] This class of destroyer should not be confused with the later "Kamikaze"-class (1923) destroyers, which participated in the Pacific War

Background

The "Kamikaze"-class destroyers were part of the 1904 Imperial Japanese Navy Emergency Expansion Program created by the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War. 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. [ Howarth, The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun]

Design

In terms of design, the "Kamikaze"-class ships were substantially identical to the previous "Harusame"-class, in terms of hull design and external appearance, retaining the flush deck design with a distinctive "turtleback" forecastle inherited from the "Ikazuchi"-class, as well as the four-smokestack profile. However, with operational experience gained in the Russo-Japanese War, 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 boilers in the coal-fired triple expansion steam engines, 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 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 mounted on bandstands on the forecastle and fantail, four additional short barrel 12 pounder guns (two sided abreast the conning tower, and two sited between the funnels, and two single tubes for 18 inch torpedoes.

Operational history

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

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 1912-08-28. "Asatsuyu" was wrecked off Nanao Bay on 1913-11-09.

However, despite the re-classification, all remaining vessels saw service in World War I. "Shirotae" was lost in combat on 1914-09-03 off Tsingtao (coord|36|00|N|110|30|E), while in combat against the German gunboat SMS "Jaguar". [ [http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/sunk14.htm] WWI Naval Combat] This was the first significant warship loss by Japan during World War I. [http://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyJapanese.htm]

The remaining surviving vessels were converted into minesweepers on 1924-12-01, however, most were retired and/or scrapped soon afterwards. [Nishida, Imperial Japanese Navy ]

List of ships

References

Books

*cite book
last = Evans
first = David
year = 1979
title = Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887–1941
publisher = US Naval Institute Press
location =
id = ISBN 0870211927
*cite book
last = Howarth
first = Stephen
year = 1983
title = The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895–1945
publisher = Atheneum
location =
id = ISBN 0689114028
*cite book
last = Lyon
first = David
year = 2006
title = The First Destroyers
publisher = Mercury Books
location =
id = ISBN 184560010X
*cite book
last = Jentsura
first = Hansgeorg
year = 1976
title = Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945
publisher = US Naval Institute Press
location =
id = ISBN 087021893X

External links

*cite web
last = Nishida
first = Hiroshi
url = http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/stc0407.htm
title = Materials of IJN: Asakaze class destroyer
work = Imperial Japanese Navy
*cite web
last = Smith
first = Gordon
url = http://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyJapanese.htm
title = Imperial Japanese Navy
work = World War I at Sea

Notes