Ōtori class torpedo boat

Kiji 1937
Class overview
Name:	Ōtori
Preceded by:	Chidori-class
Succeeded by:	Matsu-class (small destroyers)
Built:	1934-1937
In commission:	1936-1946
Planned:	16
Completed:	8
Cancelled:	8
Lost:	7
Retired:	1
General characteristics
Type:	Torpedo boat
Displacement:	840 tons standard 960 tons for battle condition[1]
Length:	88.5 m (290 ft 4 in) full, 85.0 m (278 ft 10 in) waterline
Beam:	8.18 m (26 ft 10 in)
Draft:	2.76 m (9 ft 1 in)
Depth:	4.85 m (15 ft 11 in)
Propulsion:	2 × Kampon water tube boilers, 2 × Kanpon impulse turbines, 2 × shafts, 19,000 shp
Speed:	30.5 knots (35.1 mph; 56.5 km/h)
Range:	4,000 nmi (7,400 km) at 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h)
Complement:	129
Armament:	(Ōtori, 1936) • 3 × 12 cm/45 (4.7 inch) 11th Year Type guns (3×1) • 1 × Vickers 40 mm AA gun[2] • 1 × 11 mm machine gun • 3 × Type 94 Torpedo tubes (1×3) 3 × 6th Year Type torpedoes • 2 × paravanes (Hiyodori, August 1944) 2 × 12 cm/45 (4.7 inch) 11th Year Type guns (2×1) • 11 × Type 96 25 mm AA guns • 3 × Type 94 Torpedo tubes (1×3) 3 × 6th Year Type torpedoes • 48 × depth charges

The Ōtori class torpedo boat (鴻型水雷艇, Ōtori-gata suiraitei^?) were a class of eight 840 ton fast torpedo boats of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Development

The eight ships were ordered in 1934 and were commissioned between 1936 and 1937. Their range of service varied as needs of the war changed, but they were usually in the areas around Hong Kong, Palau, Rabaul, Truk, and Japanese home waters.

Although made for convoy escort duties and home water protection, most of this class participated in the Manila blockade operations early in the war, as well as transport duties in the Rabaul area during the Solomon Islands campaign due to ship losses.

Ships in class

Ship	Builder	Launched	Completed	Fate
Maizuru Naval Arsenal	25 April 1935	10 October 1936	Sunk 12 June 1944 by aircraft of Task Force 58 NW of Saipan.
USS Gunnel in South China Sea.
Sibuyan Sea.
USS Bluefish NW of New Britain.
Soviet Union on 3 October 1947 at Nakhodka. Renamed Vnimatel'nyy. Decommissioned on October 31, 1957.
USS Baya at Java Sea.
USS Gunnel W of Luzon.
Hong Kong.
Hatsutaka (初鷹?) Aotaka (蒼鷹?) Wakataka (若鷹?) Kumataka (熊鷹?) Yamadori (山鳥?) Mizutori (水鳥?) Umidori (海鳥?) Komadori (駒鳥?)				Cancelled in 1937.

Notes

1. ^ Ōtori was 1,012 tons for battle condition.
2. ^ Kari was equipped 2 × 25 mm AA guns.

References

• 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
• The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.39 Japanese Torpedo Boats, Ushio Shobō (Japan), May 1980, Book code 68343-40

External links

• Japanese "Otori" Class Torpedo Boats
• Japanese Torpedo Boats: Tabular Movement Records (TROMs)
• Japanese Torpedo Boats