 Amatsukaze on patrol,Yangzi River, 1927 | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Isokaze class |
| Builders |
|
| Operators |  Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Preceded by | Kaba class |
| Succeeded by | Momo class |
| In commission | 1 April 1916 – 1 April 1935 |
| Completed | 4 |
| Retired | 4 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Destroyer |
| Displacement | |
| Length | |
| Beam | 27 ft 11 in (8.5 m) |
| Draft | 9 ft 3 in (2.8 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 3 shafts; 3 × gearedsteam turbines |
| Speed | 34knots (63 km/h; 39 mph) |
| Range | 4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement | 128 |
| Armament |
|
TheIsokaze-class destroyers (磯風型駆逐艦,Isokazegata kuchikukan) was aclass of fourdestroyers built for theImperial Japanese Navy duringWorld War I.
TheIsokaze-class destroyers were designed as part of the first phase of theHachi-hachi Kantai program of the Imperial Japanese Navy. With the commissioning of the new high speedbattleshipsYamashiro andIse, escort vessels with equally high speed and blue ocean capabilities were required.
Four vessels were built, with the order split betweenKure Naval Arsenal,Kawasaki Shipyards inKobe andMitsubishi Shipyards inNagasaki.[1]
TheIsokaze-class ships were a slightly larger and updated version of the previousUmikaze class. Externally, the design went to a threesmokestack profile, with a curved, rather than straight bow.
Internally, the engines were replaced withheavy fuel oil-firedsteam turbine engines. Two vessels (Amatsukaze andTokitsukaze) used Brown-Curtis turbine engines, and the other two (Isokaze,Hamakaze) used Parsons turbine engines. Advances in turbine design and construction permitted more reliable operation than previously with theUmikaze. The rated power of 27,000 shp (20,000 kW) gave the vessels a high speed of 34 knots (63 km/h), and a range of 3,360 nautical miles (6,220 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h); however, the engines could not be run continuously at over 7,000 shp (5,200 kW), which still considerably limited performance.
Armament was increased over the previous classes, with fourQF 4.7 inch Gun Mk I - IV, pedestal-mounted along the centerline of the vessel, two in front of the smokestacks and two to thestern. The number oftorpedoes was increased to three launchers, each with a pair of 533 mm torpedoes. Anti-aircraft protection was provided by fourmachine guns.
TheIsokaze-class destroyers were completed in time to serve in the very final stages ofWorld War I.[2]Tokitsukaze broke in two and sank off ofMiyazaki Prefecture,Kyūshū in 1918. The wreck was raised and repaired at theMaizuru Naval Arsenal, and although re-commissioned as a first class destroyer, was used thereafter as a training vessel at theImperial Japanese Navy Academy atEtajima.[3]
AllIsokaze-class ships were retired on 1 April 1935.[3]
| Kanji | Name | Translation | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 磯風 | Isokaze | Sea Breeze | Kure Naval Arsenal,Japan | 5 April 1916 | 5 October 1916 | 28 February 1917 | Retired, 1 April 1935 |
| 天津風 | Amatsukaze | Heavenly Breeze | Kure Naval Arsenal,Japan | 1 April 1916 | 5 October 1916 | 14 April 1917 | |
| 浜風 | Hamakaze | Beach Wind | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries,Nagasaki,Japan | 1 April 1916 | 30 October 1916 | 28 March 1917 | |
| 時津風 | Tokitsukaze | Favorable Wind | Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation,Kobe,Japan | 10 March 1916 | 27 December 1916 | 31 May 1917 | Wrecked off Miyazaki coast, 30 March 1918, repaired 17 February 1920; retired, 1 April 1935 |
