Hatsuharu-class destroyer

The provisions of 1930 London Naval Treaty stipulated that the overall destroyer tonnage for the Imperial Japanese Navy would be capped at 105,500 tons with a maximum permissible tonnage per ship of 1,850 tons. Furthermore, only 16 percent of the overall tonnage could be of this size, with the remainder not exceeding 1,500 tons per vessel. This effectively meant that additional units of the previous Fubuki and Akatsuki-class destroyers could no longer be built. The Imperial Japanese Navy responded by ordering naval architects to design ships that were lighter by at least 260 tons, and yet mount the same armament.[1] In the end, the new class ended up with one less gun (three turrets with five 127 mm guns instead of six), with a smaller hull and displacement.[2] This armament design was not unprecedented, however, as the two Romanian Navy destroyers Mărăști and Mărășești were fitted with two twin and one single 120 mm guns a few years prior, in 1926.[3]

This stretched contemporary destroyer designs beyond the limits, and resulted in a top-heavy design, with severe stability problems. The weight-control measures used by designers were carried to an extreme, which further contributed to structural weakness. This was a problem shared with other Japanese ship designs of the time, which attempted to place too much armament on too small a displacement hull. This was graphically demonstrated when the torpedo boat Tomozuru capsized in 1934 during heavy seas (the "Tomozuru Incident") and when a typhoon ripped the bows off two Fubuki-class destroyers (the Fourth Fleet Incident) in 1935. As a result of these two incidents the Hatsuharu-class vessels had to be rebuilt (the first two completed had to be rebuilt twice) or modified while building to remedy their stability problems.

Hatsuharu class side and overhead views

The Hatsuharu-class destroyers were designed to accompany the Japanese main striking force and to conduct both day and night torpedo attacks against the United States Navy as it advanced across the Pacific Ocean, according to Japan's naval strategic projections.[4] They were to be armed much as the Fubuki class despite displacing only 1400 tons compared to the 1700 tons of the earlier destroyers. Furthermore, their fire control systems were to be more modern than the older systems and suitable for anti-aircraft use. This required the gun turrets to be modified for high-angle fire, which also meant more powerful motors to traverse and elevate the guns more quickly to engage high-speed aircraft. The torpedo launchers were to be given a protective shield to allow for use in heavy weather and to protect against splinter damage. And the Hatsuharu vessels were to be fitted with modern, enclosed command spaces protected against strafing aircraft. These requirements could only be met by adding weight high up on the ship and increased the ship's center of gravity. The only way to adhere to the allotted displacement was to try to reduce the weight of the hull and other equipment below the waterline as much as possible. But this put the ship's designers in a no-win situation as any reduction of weight below the waterline further raised the ship's center of gravity and reduced her stability.[5]

The weight of the hull could generally be reduced by using higher grades of steel that were lighter and thinner for the same strength, reducing dimensions, particularly length, or using advanced construction techniques like welding that saved weight over the conventional riveting. The Japanese used the same high-tensile steel for the Hatsuharu class as they did for the older destroyers and chose not to increase the power of the turbines and boilers to achieve the desired high speed, but lengthened the hull to offset the reduced power of the light-weight machinery. The beam was increased to counter some of the extra top-weight, but the draft was reduced to reduce hull resistance, which also reduced stability by lessening the area of the hull beneath the waterline in comparison to the area above it, which was subject to pressure from the wind.

Extensive weight-saving measures were used during the design and construction of the hull. More frames of lighter construction were spaced more closely together to reduce the thickness of the hull plating and the extensive use of welding (only the longitudinal stringers and a few other parts were riveted) were some of the techniques utilized to reduce hull weight by 66.5 tonnes (65.4 long tons; 73.3 short tons) in comparison to the Fubuki class. Electric welding was extensively used to reduce weight although it was at an early stage of development in Japan and was still problematic.[6] The Hatsuharu vessels were some 10 metres (32 ft 10 in) shorter than the Fubuki-class vessels, but weighed 4.9 tonnes (4.8 long tons; 5.4 short tons) per 1 metre (3.3 ft) of hull length compared to the latter's 5.09 tonnes (5.01 long tons; 5.61 short tons) per 1 metre (3.3 ft).[7]

The Hatsuharu-class ships were shorter than their predecessors, at 109.5 m (359 ft 3 in) overall. The ships had a beam of 10 metres and at full load a draft of 3.35 m (11 ft 0 in). Despite the emphasis on weight-saving during construction, the ships were significantly overweight as completed and displaced 1,530 metric tons (1,510 long tons) at standard load, and 1,981 metric tons (1,950 long tons) at full load, nearly 130 metric tons (100 long tons) more than planned.[8]

The hull of the Hatsuharu-class vessels retained the general configuration of the Fubuki-class destroyers with a long forecastle and a pronounced flare of the forecastle to improve sea-keeping at high speeds by adding buoyancy and reducing the spray and water coming over the deck. A large bridge structure was located at the aft end of the forecastle deck topped by four fire control stations of various types. Lowest, just above the compass bridge, was the torpedo director (Hassha shikisho), with the gunnery fire direction station (Shageki shikisho) next above. The fire director tower (Hōiban shagekito) was third from the bottom and behind it was the 3 m (9 ft 10 in) rangefinder. Each of these was protected by 10 mm (0.39 in) plates of Dücol steel against strafing and shell splinters.[9]

For the first time in a Japanese destroyer, a superfiring turret was fitted forward of the bridge. It was only a single gun Model A turret, to save weight high in the ship, and was mounted on a deckhouse to elevate it above the twin gun Model B Mod 2 (B-gata kai-2) turret mounted on the forecastle deck. The second twin gun turret was mounted at the rear of the ship on the main deck. These turrets were slightly heavier than the earlier Model A and Model B turrets fitted on the Fubuki-class. All turrets were fitted with the 12.7 cm (5.0 in) Type 3 gun.[9]

The uptakes of the two forward boiler rooms were trunked together aft of the break in the forecastle into the fore funnel while the rear boiler room exhausted into the smaller rear funnel. Both funnels were inclined to the rear to reduce the amount of smoke that might reach the bridge. A tripod mast was fitted between the bridge and the fore funnel. Between the two funnels was the forward 61 centimetres (24 in) triple torpedo tube mount fitted on a low platform. Behind it "was a torpedo locker with its mechanical quick reload system (Kiryoku sōtenshiki jihatsu sōten sochi) for the three reserve torpedoes inside."[9] To preserve lateral stability the aft funnel was offset to starboard while the torpedo mount was offset to port. The reload locker was also offset slightly to port and angled inboard to facilitate reloading. The middle torpedo mount was positioned behind the aft funnel on the centerline, but its reload locker was positioned identically to that of the forward mount. Superimposed to starboard and overlapping the middle mount was the rear triple torpedo mount positioned on the rear deckhouse. Immediately behind the mount was its locker positioned on the centerline, but angled slightly to the right so that its mount only had to traverse slightly to align with the locker and begin reloading. This was the first ship in history to be fitted with superimposed torpedo tubes, made necessary by the designer's insistence on fitting nine torpedo tubes despite the Navy's requirement for only six.[9]

A small platform that carried a 2 m (6 ft 7 in) rangefinder was mounted above the rear torpedo locker and a 90 cm (2 ft 11 in) searchlight was mounted on a tower behind the rear funnel. The two license-built Vickers 40 mm (1.6 in) (pom pom) anti-aircraft guns were mounted on an elevated platform at the front of the rear funnel. Curiously they were another case where the designer exceeded the requirements laid down by the Navy.[10]

A dozen Hatsuharu-class destroyers were authorized in 1931 as part of the so-called Circle One Program (Maru Ichi Keikaku). Three were laid down in Fiscal Year 1931 and the next three in Fiscal Year 1933. The remaining six ships were built as the Shiratsuyu class.[18]

Hatsuharu in 1934 as reconstructed

On trials the Hatsuharu was found to roll heavily, with a very short period of roll and she heeled at an angle of 38° at high speed when her helm was set to 10°. This demonstrated to the Navy that her metacentric height was too low. The Navy ordered in September 1933 that 30 centimetres (12 in) bulges be fitted on each side to increase her beam and thus raise the metacentric height. Hatsuharu and Nenohi were modified after completion; Wakaba and Hatsushimo were modified during construction. Ariake and Yugure were at a much earlier stage of construction and had their beam increased by 1 metre (3.3 ft). The bulges were estimated to add 30 tonnes (30 long tons; 33 short tons) to the trial displacement.[20]

The capsizing of the torpedo boat Tomozuru in 1934 forced the Navy to re-evaluate the heavy armament of the Hatsuharu and other classes. As a result of the investigations in ship stability after the capsizing of the torpedo boat Tomozuru, all vessels in the Hatsuharu class were modified to improve their stability:[21]

• The after deckhouse and rangefinder were removed and the forward single 12.7 cm gun mounting was relocated to this position, directly ahead of the after twin gun mount; its magazine was converted for use as a fuel tank.
• The No.3 triple torpedo mount and its reload locker were removed.
• The compass bridge was lowered by one level and the anti-strafing armor was removed from the entire bridge structure.
• Both funnels were shortened by 1–1.5 metres (3 ft 3 in–4 ft 11 in) as were both masts.
• The forward torpedo tube mount was lowered 30 centimetres (12 in), the machine-gun platform by 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) and the searchlight platform by 2 metres (6 ft 7 in).
• The bulges were removed and the anchor chain stowage was lowered by one deck.
• The outer bottom plating was reinforced and about 70 tonnes (69 long tons; 77 short tons) of ballast was added in the ship's bottom.
• An automatic system was fitted which filled part of the fuel tanks with seawater to compensate for the consumption of fuel and resulting rise in the center of gravity and hence loss of stability. When the sea water was added to the fuel tank due to their different specific gravities the seawater sank to the bottom of the tank, while the oil floated on top.[17]

The first two ships of the class — Hatsuharu and Nenohi — had already entered by the time of the Tomozuru Incident. They were removed from service and modified in the Kure Naval Arsenal. The remaining four members of the class were still under construction and were modified before completion.[21]

Based on the stability issues shown by Hatsuharu during her trials, Ariake and Yūgure had been modified for two balanced rudders placed directly behind the propellers and angled outward 18.5° to reduce the angle of heel when turning. These proved to reduce their speed by one knot and were removed after their trials as superfluous since both ships had been rebuilt to reflect the lessons of the Tomozuru Incident.[22]

All Hatsuharu-class ships were lost during the Pacific War. Four were sunk by aircraft attack, and Nenohi was sunk by the American submarine USS Triton. Hatsushimo, the last Japanese destroyer lost in the war, struck a mine on 30 July 1945.[23]

• Evans, David & Peattie, Mark R. (1997). Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887–1941. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-192-7.
• Brown, David (1990). Warship Losses of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-914-X.
• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter & Mickel, Peter (1977). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 0-87021-893-X.
• Lengerer, Hans (2007). The Japanese Destroyers of the Hatsuharu Class. Warship 2007. London: Conway. pp. 91–110. ISBN 1-84486-041-8.
• Stille, Mark (2013). Imperial Japanese Navy Destroyers 1919–45. 1. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-984-5.
• Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hatsuharu class destroyers.

• CombinedFleet.com: Hatsuharu-class destroyers
• CombinedFleet.com: Hatsuharu history
• Nishida, Hiroshi. "Materials of IJN: Hatsuharu class destroyer". Imperial Japanese Navy. Archived from the original on 2012-07-08. Retrieved 2009-07-29.