Mutsuki-class destroyer

The Mutsuki-class destroyers (睦月型駆逐艦, Mutsukigata kuchikukan) were a class of twelve destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy.[3] All were given traditional poetic names of the months of the year by the Lunar calendar or phases of the moon. Some authors consider the Kamikaze and Mutsuki-class destroyers to be extensions of the earlier Minekaze class.[4]

Mutsuki in 1930
Class overview
Name: Mutsuki class
Builders:
Operators:  Imperial Japanese Navy
Preceded by: Kamikaze class
Succeeded by: Fubuki class
Built: 1924-1927
Planned: 12
Completed: 12
Lost: 12
General characteristics
Type: Destroyer
Displacement:
  • 1,315 long tons (1,336 t) normal,
  • 1,445 long tons (1,468 t) full load
Length:
  • 97.54 m (320.0 ft) pp,
  • 102.72 m (337.0 ft) overall
Beam: 9.16 m (30.1 ft)
Draught: 2.96 m (9.7 ft)
Propulsion:
Speed: 37.25 knots (68.99 km/h)
Range: 3,600 nautical miles (6,700 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h)
Complement: 154
Armament:

Background

With the imposition of the Washington Naval Treaty limiting the number and size of capital warships, increased emphasis was placed by the Imperial Japanese Navy on the quantity and firepower of its destroyer fleet to counter what was perceived to be the growing threat from the United States Navy. The Mutsuki-class destroyers were an improved version of the Kamikaze class destroyers and were ordered under the 1923 fiscal budget.[5]

Along with the Minekaze and Kamikaze classes, the Mutsuki-class ships formed the backbone of Japanese destroyer formations throughout the twenties and thirties. The Minekaze and Kamikaze classes were withdrawn from front line service and reassigned to secondary duties towards the end of the 1930s, but the Mutsukis were retained as first line destroyers due to their range and their more powerful torpedo armament.[6] All saw combat during World War II, and none survived the war.

Initially, the Mutsuki-class ships had only hull numbers due to the projected large number of warships the Japanese navy expected to build through the Eight-eight fleet plan. This proved to be extremely unpopular with the crews and was a constant source of confusion in communications. In August 1928, names were assigned.[7]

Design
Office of Naval Intelligence recognition drawing of Mutsuki class

The Mutsuki-class destroyers were based on the same hull design as the previous Kamikaze class, except with a double curvature configuration of the bow, a feature to improve seaworthiness which became a standard in all later Japanese destroyers.

The engines utilized four Kampon boilers running two-shaft geared turbines at 38,500 shp, yielding a rated speed of 37 knots (69 km/h), although subsequently modifications increased displacement, and correspondingly reduced speed to 33 knots.

After the Fourth Fleet Incident of September 1935, during which many ships in the Imperial Japanese Navy were damaged by a typhoon while on training exercises, weaknesses in the Mutsuki-class were addressed by retrofitting with a strengthened, more compact, bridge, with raked smokestacks, and with redesigned watertight shields on the torpedo mounts. With these new shields torpedoes could be worked in all weather conditions, thus extending the useful life of the class.[8]

In 1942, Mikazuki had a boiler removed and her aft stack was reduced in size – she was the only ship of the class so modified. Yayoi had a similar reduction to her forward funnel; again, she was the only ship of the class so adapted. Between September 1942 and December 1943, Uzuki had her stern modified to facilitate the launching and recovery of landing barges. She was the only ship of the class to be modified as a destroyer transport.

Armament

The Mutsuki-class destroyers were built with the same main battery as the Kamikaze-class, consisting 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, and two Type 92 7.7 mm anti-aircraft machine guns, one on either side of the bridge. However, the main difference from the Kamikaze was the use of two triple 24-inch (610 mm) torpedo tubes instead of the previous three double launchers. The newly developed Type 8 torpedoes had greater range and larger warhead than previous torpedoes in the Japanese inventory, but were soon superseded by the famous Type 93 "Long Lance" oxygen-propelled torpedoes during World War II. Also, for the first time on a Japanese destroyer, a reload was carried for each tube. The Mutsuki-class was also equipped with two Type 81 depth charge launchers in the stern, with a total of 18 depth charges.[9]

After the start of the Pacific War, anti-aircraft capabilities were enhanced at the expense of surface warfare capabilities and speed. However, there was no standard modification for the class during the war. Some ships immediately received Type 93 13 mm AA Guns mounted in front of the bridge and abaft the aft stack. From 1941-42, many ships lost one or two of their aft guns in favor of up to ten Type 96 25mm AA Guns.[9]

Of the surviving members of the class in 1943, four had their aft bank of torpedo tubes removed to reduce weight and to permit storage of cargo. The three ships that survived into late 1944 (Uzuki, Satsuki, and Yūzuki), had their suite of anti-aircraft guns increased to 16 and 22 Type 96 guns in single and dual mounts. Satsuki was fitted with a Type 13 radar in February 1944.[9]

Operational history

The Mutsuki class formed the 5th and 6th Destroyer Squadrons. Mutsuki and Kisaragi participated in the Battle of Wake Island at the start of the war, during which time Kisaragi was lost due to aircraft bombardment. The remaining eleven vessels participated in the invasions of the Philippines and Netherlands East Indies. In the subsequent Solomon Islands campaign surviving ships were exposed to considerable danger as fast transports in “Tokyo Express” missions in trying to re-supply island garrisons. Mutsuki, Nagatsuki, Kikuzuki, Mikazuki and Mochizuki were lost due to air attack in various battles in the Solomons.[10]

Surviving vessels participated in the New Guinea campaign, mostly in the role of “Tokyo Express” transports. Yayoi was lost in an air attack off New Guinea and Fumizuki in Operation Hailstone at Truk. In the final stages of the war, Uzuki was lost to US PT-boats, Satsuki and Yūzuki to air attacks and Minazuki to submarine torpedoes in the Philippines.

None of the Mutsuki-class destroyers survived the war.[11]

List of ships
Kanji Name Builder Laid down Launched Completed Fate
睦月 Mutsuki
(Dai-19)		 Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Japan 21 May 1924 23 July 1925 25 March 1926 Dai-19-Gō Kuchikukan (第十九号駆逐艦); renamed Mutsuki ("January") on 1 August 1928; sunk in air attack in Solomon Islands [07.47S, 160.13E] on 25 August 1942; struck 1 October 1942
如月 Kisaragi
(Dai-21)		 Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan 3 June 1924 5 June 1925 21 December 1925 Dai-21-Gō Kuchikukan (第二十一号駆逐艦); renamed Kisaragi (“February”) on 1 August 1928; combat loss off Wake Island [18.55N, 166.17E] on 11 December 1941; struck 15 January 1942
弥生 Yayoi
(Dai-23)		 Uraga Dock Company, Japan 11 January 1924 11 July 1925 28 August 1926 Dai-23-Gō Kuchikukan (第二十三号駆逐艦); renamed Yayoi (“March”) on 1 August 1928; sunk in air attack in Solomon Islands [08.45S, 151.25E] on 11 September 1942; struck 20 October 1942
卯月 Uzuki
(Dai-25)		 Ishikawajima Shipyards, Japan 11 January 1924 15 October 1925 14 September 1926 Dai-25-Gō Kuchikukan (第二十五号駆逐艦); renamed Uzuki (“April”) on 1 August 1928; Sunk Ormoc Bay [11.03N, 124.23E] on 12 December 1944; struck 10 January 1945
皐月 Satsuki
(Dai-27)		 Fujinagata Shipyards, Japan 1 December 1923 25 March 1925 15 November 1925 renamed Satsuki (“May”) on 1 August 1928; sunk in air attack at Manila Bay [15.35N, 120.55E] on 21 September 1944; struck 10 November 1944
水無月 Minazuki
(Dai-28)		 Uraga Dock Company, Japan 24 March 1925 25 May 1926 22 March 1927 Dai-28-Gō Kuchikukan (第二十八号駆逐艦); renamed Minatsuki (“June”) on 1 August 1928; Torpedoed in Celebes Sea [04.05N, 119.30E] on 6 June 1944; struck 10 August 1944
文月 Fumizuki
(Dai-29)		 Fujinagata Shipyards, Japan 20 October 1924 16 February 1926 3 July 1926 Dai-29-Gō Kuchikukan (第二十九号駆逐艦); renamed Fumizuki (“July”) on 1 August 1928; sunk in air attack at Truk [07.24N, 151.44E] on 18 February 1944; struck 31 March 1944
長月 Nagatsuki
(Dai-30)		 Ishikawajima Shipyards, Japan 16 April 1925 6 October 1926 30 April 1927 Dai-30-Gō Kuchikukan (第三十号駆逐艦); renamed Nagatsuki (“September”) on 1 August 1928; combat loss in central Solomons [08.02S, 157.12E] on 6 July 1943; struck 1 November 1943
菊月 Kikuzuki
(Dai-31)		 Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan 15 June 1925 15 May 1926 20 November 1926 Dai-31-Gō Kuchikukan (第三十一号駆逐艦); renamed Kikuzuki (“Chrysanthemum Moon”) on 1 August 1928; sunk in air attack at Tulagi [09.07S, 160.12E] on 4 May 1942; struck 25 May 1942. Later salvaged by USS Menominee (AT-73), 6 October 1943.
三日月 Mikazuki
(Dai-32)		 Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Japan 21 August 1925 12 July 1926 5 May 1927 Dai-32-Gō Kuchikukan (第三十二号駆逐艦);renamed Mikazuki (“Crescent Moon”) on 1 August 1928; sunk in air attack at Cape Gloucester [05.27S, 148.25E] on 29 July 1943; struck 15 October 1943
望月 Mochizuki
(Dai-33)		 Uraga Dock Company, Japan 23 March 1926 28 April 1927 31 October 1927 Dai-33-Gō Kuchikukan (第三十三号駆逐艦); renamed Mochizuki (“Full Moon”) on 1 August 1928; sunk in air attack in central Solomons [05.42S, 151.40E] on 24 October 1943; struck 5 January 1944
夕月 Yūzuki
(Dai-34)		 Fujinagata Shipyards, Japan 27 November 1926 4 March 1927 25 July 1927 Dai-34-Gō Kuchikukan (第三十四号駆逐艦) renamed Yūzuki (“Evening Moon”) on 1 August 1928; sunk in air attack at Cebu [11.20N, 124.10E] on 12 December 1944; struck 10 January 1945

References

Notes
  1. Yayoi was equipped 2 x Metropolitan-Vickers geared turbines. Nagatsuki was equipped 2 x Escher Wyss & Cie Zoelly geared turbines.
  2. Kikuzuki, Mikazuki, Mochizuki and Yūzuki were equipped 2 x paravanes.
  3. Jentsura, Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945
  4. 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.
  5. Globalsecurity.org, IJN Mutsuki class destroyers
  6. Evans. Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy
  7. Nishida, Hiroshi. "Materials of IJN: Mutsuki class destroyer". Imperial Japanese Navy. Archived from the original on 2012-07-21. Retrieved 2009-02-03.
  8. Juntsura. Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945
  9. Stille, Mark (2013). Imperial Japanese Navy Destroyers1919–45 (1). Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. pp. 16–18. ISBN 978 1 84908 984 5.
  10. Morison. The Struggle for Guadalcanal, August 1942 – February 1943
  11. Brown. Warship Losses of World War Two

Books
  • Evans, David (1979). Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941. US Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-192-7.
  • Brown, David (1990). Warship Losses of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-914-X.
  • 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.
  • Morison, Samuel Eliot (1958). The Struggle for Guadalcanal, August 1942 – February 1943, vol. 5 of History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 0-316-58305-7.
  • Nelson, Andrew N. (1967). Japanese–English Character Dictionary. Tuttle. ISBN 0-8048-0408-7.
  • 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.