Minekaze-class destroyer

The Minekaze class (峯風型駆逐艦, Minekazegata kuchikukan) was a class of fifteen 1st-class destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy.[1] Obsolete by the beginning of the Pacific War, the Minekaze-class ships were then relegated to mostly secondary roles, serving throughout the war as patrol vessels, high speed transports, target control vessels, and as kaiten (suicide torpedo) carriers. Most ultimately were lost to U.S. and British submarines. The basic design of the Minekaze was used for the next three classes of Japanese destroyers, a total of 36 ships.

Minekaze at Yokosuka on 30 August 1932
Class overview
Name: Minekaze class
Builders:
Operators:
Preceded by: Momi class
Succeeded by: Wakatake class
Subclasses: Nokaze class
In commission: 1919–1946
Completed: 15
Lost: 11
Retired: 4
General characteristics
Type: Destroyer
Displacement:
  • 1,345 long tons (1,367 t) normal,
  • 1,650 long tons (1,680 t) full load
Length:
  • 97.5 m (320 ft) pp,
  • 102.6 m (337 ft) overall
Beam: 9 m (30 ft)
Draught: 2.9 m (9.5 ft)
Propulsion: 2-shaft Mitsubishi-Parsons geared steam turbine, 4 heavy oil-fired boilers 38,500 ihp (28,700 kW)
Speed: 39 knots (72 km/h)
Range:
  • 3600 nm at 14 knots
  • (6,700 km at 26 km/h)
Complement: 148
Armament:

Background

Construction of the large-sized Minekaze-class destroyers was authorized as part of the Imperial Japanese Navy's 8-4 Fleet Program from fiscal 1917–1920, as an accompaniment to the medium-sized Momi class with which they shared many common design characteristics.[2]

Equipped with powerful engines, these vessels were capable of high speeds and were intended as escorts for the projected Amagi-class battlecruisers, which were ultimately never built.[3]

Two vessels were authorized in fiscal 1917, and an addition five in fiscal 1918. Although none had been completed by the end of World War I, the Imperial Japanese Navy decided to continue the project as many older destroyers were in need of replacement. An additional five vessels were ordered in fiscal 1919, and a final three in fiscal 1920. However, the final three vessels were built to a different design and have a different enough silhouette that they can be regarded as a separate sub-class.[4]

The new destroyers were fast and powerful ships that were equal to any of their foreign contemporaries.[5]

Design
Office of Naval Intelligence recognition drawing of Minekaze class

Coming between the foreign-designed vessels of the earlier part of the century and the innovative Kagerō and Fubuki 'Special Type' destroyers of the 1930s, the Minekaze class was a significant transitional design for the Imperial Japanese Navy, which had carefully studied (but not taken over or given Japanese names to) the five German destroyers received as war reparations after World War I. These five had been the T.181, S.51, S.60, V.80 and V.127, which were all then sold and broken up in Britain or Dordrecht.

Minekaze thus represented a complete break from the previous practice of closely following only British designs and methods. To address the issue of seaworthiness, design requirements called for a larger vessel capable of higher speeds than its predecessors. The Minekaze class incorporated a number of distinctive design innovations including a lengthened forecastle with a break forming a well deck immediately forward of the bridge. This arrangement offered the advantage of protection for the bridge as well as a low, semi protected area for the forward torpedo tubes, albeit at the cost of becoming awash in heavy seas,[6] and was a feature of the German designs. The main battery was mounted as high as possible and all guns were mounted on the centerline of the ship to increase their effectiveness in heavy seas.

The engines were powered by four Kampon boilers running two-shaft geared turbines at 38,500 shp, yielding a rated speed of 39 knots (72 km/h), instead of the direct-drive engines of previous designs. However, as with previous designs, high fuel consumption meant limited range.

Armament

The Minekaze class had a main battery of four Type 3 120 mm 45 caliber naval guns in single open mounts, exposed to the weather except for a small shield. These were located one forward, one aft, and two amidships. However, the main weaponry for the class were its three twin 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes. One was positioned in the well in front of the bridge and the other two were located abaft the second stack. Two 6.5mm machine guns were also fitted.

By the late 1930s, the Minekaze class were regarded as second-line units, and some were converted for other duties. In 1938, Okikaze was disarmed, but in 1941 with the war fast approaching she remounted her guns. Nadakaze and Shimakaze were redesigned as Patrol Boats 1 and 2 and became destroyer-transports in 1939-1940. In 1941, Sawakaze had her armament removed and was used as an aircraft rescue ship at Tateyama Naval Air Station. The remaining twelve Minekaze ships were modified to be used primarily as convoy escorts, with the removal of the amidship guns and the two aft torpedo mounts. Minesweeping gear on the fantail was replaced by four depth-charge launchers and 36 depth charges. Type 96 25-mm anti-aircraft guns were added in increasing numbers, and eventually totaled between 13 and 20 guns per vessel in a combination of single and twin mounts. These changes increased displacement, which reduced their top speed to 35 knots.[7]

After the start of the Pacific War, Yakaze was removed from active duty in September 1942 and converted to a target ship. In 1945, Namikaze and Shiokaze were modified into Kaiten carriers by the removal of their remaining torpedo tubes and aft gun. Namikaze carried two Kaiten and Shiokaze carried four, which could be launched astern. Both ships also received radar, with Namikaze receiving a Type 22 and Shiokaze receiving a Type 13.[7] Yukaze also received a Type 13.

Sawakaze was also returned to combat status, with a Type 22 radar and an experimental 5.9 inch anti-submarine rocket launcher in place of the forward gun.

Nokaze sub-class
Aft view of Namikaze showing revised weapons layout of the Nokaze sub-class, circa 1925

The final three vessels in the Minekaze series incorporated a number of improvements gained through operational experience, and form a separate sub-class. The primary difference was in the arrangement of the aft armament. With the Minekaze class, the aft guns were pedestal-mounted along the centerline, with two double torpedo launchers in between. This severely limited the arc of fire of the No. 3 gun. The improved design had a better gunnery fire control system and improved ammunition magazine arrangements. Gun and torpedo positions were changed: the No. 3 gun formerly mounted aft of the second funnel was moved further aft to the "X" position. Torpedo mounts No. 2 and No. 3 were moved closer together and the searchlight platform formerly between them was moved forward to just aft of the second funnel.[8]

Operational history

Commissioned during the 1920s, the Minekaze-class ships were the mainstay of the Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer squadrons throughout the 1930s until gradually replaced by more advanced types.

List of ships
Kanji Name and meaning Builder Laid down Launched Completed Fate
峯風 Minekaze
("Mountain wind")		 Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan 20 April 1918 8 February 1919 29 May 1920 Torpedoed E of Taiwan [23.12N, 121.30E] 10 February 1944; struck 31 March 1944
澤風 Sawakaze
("Wind from the swamp")		 Mitsubishi-Nagasaki shipyards, Japan 7 January 1918 7 January 1919 6 March 1920 Retired 15 September 1945; scuttled 1948
沖風 Okikaze
("Offshore wind")		 Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan 22 February 1919 3 October 1919 17 August 1920 Torpedoed S of Yokosuka [35.02N, 140.12E] 10 January 1943; struck 1 March 1943
島風 Shimakaze
("Wind on the island")		 Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan 5 September 1919 31 March 1920 15 November 1920 Renamed Patrol Boat PB-1 on 1 April 1940;
torpedoed WSW of Kavieng [02.51S, 149.43E] 13 January 1943; struck 10 February 1943
灘風 Nadakaze
("Wind on the open sea")		 Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan 9 January 1920 26 June 1920 30 September 1921 Renamed Patrol Boat PB-2 on 1 April 1940;
torpedoed Lombok Strait [07.06S, 115.42E] 25 July 1945; struck 30 September 1945
矢風 Yakaze
("Wind of an arrow's flight")		 Mitsubishi-Nagasaki shipyards, Japan 15 August 1918 10 April 1920 19 July 1920 Torpedo School vessel 20 July 1942; lost in explosion 20 July 1945; struck 15 September 1945
羽風 Hakaze
("Wind of a bird's flight")		 Mitsubishi-Nagasaki shipyards, Japan 11 November 1918 21 June 1920 16 September 1920 Torpedoed SW of Kavien [02.47S, 150.38E] 23 January 1943; struck 1 March 1943
汐風 Shiokaze
("Wind springing up at the turn of a tide")		 Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan 15 May 1920 22 October 1920 29 July 1921 Retired 5 October 1945, scuttled 1948
秋風 Akikaze
("Autumn wind")		 Mitsubishi-Nagasaki shipyards, Japan 7 June 1920 14 December 1920 16 September 1921 Torpedoed W of Luzon [16.48N, 117.17E] 3 November 1944; struck 10 January 1945
夕風 Yūkaze
("Evening breeze")		 Mitsubishi-Nagasaki shipyards, Japan 14 December 1920 28 April 1921 24 August 1921 Retired 5 October 1945; prize of war to UK 14 August 1947; BU
太刀風 Tachikaze
("Wind caused by the stroke of a sword")		 Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan 18 August 1920 31 March 1921 5 December 1921 Air attack at Truk [07.04N, 151.55E] 17 February 1944; struck 13 March 1944
帆風 Hokaze
("Wind on the sail")		 Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan 30 November 1920 12 July 1921 22 December 1921 Torpedoed N of Celebes [03.24N, 125.28E] 6 July 1944; struck 10 October 1944
野風 Nokaze
("Wind over the field")		 Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan 16 April 1921 1 October 1921 31 March 1922 Torpedoed off Cam Ranh Bay [12.48N, 109.38E] 20 February 1945; struck 10 April 1945
波風 Namikaze
("Wind on the waves")		 Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan 7 November 1921 24 June 1922 11 November 1922 Retired 5 October 1945;
Prize of war to China 3 October 1947, BU 1960
沼風 Numakaze
("Wind over the marsh")		 Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan 10 August 1921 22 May 1922 24 July 1922 Torpedoed SE of Okinawa [26.29N, 128.26E] 19 December 1943,
struck 5 February 1944

Notes
  1. Jentsura, Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945
  2. Howarth, The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun
  3. Globalsecurity.org, IJN Minekaze class destroyers
  4. Howarth, The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun
  5. Jones, Daniel H. (2003). "IJN Minekaze, Kamikaze and Mutsuki class Destroyers". Ship Modeler's Mailing List (SMML). Archived from the original on 2008-08-28.
  6. Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. pp.188/189
  7. Stille, Mark (2013). Imperial Japanese Navy Destroyers 1919–45. 1. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. pp. 8–10. ISBN 978-1-84908-984-5.
  8. Globalsecurity.org, IJN Minekaze class destroyers

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.
  • 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. ISBN 978-0-3850-9189-3.
  • Whitley, M J (2000). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 1-85409-521-8.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.