Yukikaze in December 1939
Class overview
Name	Kagerō class
Builders	Uraga Dock Company (6) Fujinagata Shipyards (5) Maizuru Naval Arsenal (5) Sasebo Naval Arsenal (2) Kawasaki Dockyard Co. (1)
Operators	Imperial Japanese Navy  Republic of China Navy
Preceded by	Asashio class
Succeeded by	Yūgumo class Shimakaze
In commission	1939–1947 (Japan), 1947–1966 (Republic of China)
Planned	18 (1937) + 4 (1939)
Completed	19
Cancelled	3 (the dummies for the naval budget of theYamato-class battleships)
Lost	18
Scrapped	1
General characteristics
Type	Destroyer
Displacement	2,000 long tons (2,032 t) standard 2,500 long tons (2,540 t) battle condition
Length	118.5 m (388 ft 9 in) full, 116.2 m (381 ft 3 in) waterline
Beam	10.8 m (35 ft 5 in)
Draught	3.76 m (12 ft 4 in)
Propulsion	3 × Kampon water-tube boilers, 2 × Kanpon impulse turbines, 2 × shafts, 52,000 shp (39,000 kW)
Speed	35.5knots (65.7 km/h; 40.9 mph)
Range	6,053 nautical miles (11,210 km; 6,966 mi)
Complement	240 (Kagerō, 1939)
Armament	(Kagerō, 1939) 6 (3xII) xType 3 127 mm 50-caliber naval guns (3×2) 4 (2×II) x25 mm Type 96 AA guns 8 (2xIV) × Type 92torpedo tubes (2×4) 16 × 610 mm (24 in)Type 93 torpedoes 18 × Type 95depth charges 2 ×paravanes (Yukikaze, April 1945) 4 (2xII) × Type 3 127 mm 50-caliber naval guns (2×2) 28 (4xIII, 1xII, 14xI) × 25 mm Type 96 AA guns 4 × 13 mm Type 95 AA guns 8 (2xIV) × Type 92 torpedo tubes (2×4) 16 × 610 mm Type 93 torpedoes 36 × Type 2 or Type 3 depth charges

TheKagerō-class destroyers (陽炎型駆逐艦,Kagerō-gata Kuchikukan) were a class of nineteen 1st Classdestroyers built for theImperial Japanese Navy during the 1930s, and operated by them during thePacific War, where all but one were lost.They were also called theShiranui-class destroyers (不知火型駆逐艦,Shiranui-gata Kuchikukan), because the second ship,Shiranui, was launched before the first ship,Kagerō.

The class was also one of a series calledDestroyer Type-A (甲型駆逐艦,Kō-gata Kuchikukan) within the Imperial Japanese Navy from their plan name. At the time of introduction, these destroyers were among the deadliest destroyers afloat, primarily due to the excellent range and lethality of their "Long Lance" torpedoes.

Following on the success of theAsashio class, theKagerō class was very similar in design, but was slightly larger and incorporated a number of improvements which had been gained through operational experience. It had a heaviermain battery and much heaviertorpedo armament than other contemporary foreigndestroyer designs.^[1] The first 15 ships of this class were ordered in 1937 under the3rd Naval Armaments Supplement Programme and the final four vessels were ordered in 1939 under the4th Naval Armaments Supplement Programme. The final vessel in the class,Akigumo, was sometimes mistaken for part of the succeedingYūgumo class by immediate postwar historians due to confusion over the number of fictitious destroyers listed in the Japanese budgetary records in an effort to conceal the budget devoted to the secretYamato-classbattleships.

TheKagerō class used a similar but slightly enlargedhull andbridge as the precedingAsashio class and had an almost identical silhouette. The main visual difference was that the reloads for the forward torpedo launcher were located in front of the launcher instead of to the rear.^[1] The ships measured 118.5 meters (388 ft 9 in)overall, with abeam of 10.8 meters (35 ft 5 in) and adraft of 3.76 meters (12 ft 4 in).^[2] They displaced 2,065metric tons (2,032long tons) atstandard load and 2,529 metric tons (2,489 long tons) at deep load.^[3] The displacement and beam were thus slightly larger than for theAsashio class, giving greater stability.^[1]

Their crew numbered 240 officers and enlisted men. The ships had twoKampon gearedsteam turbines, each driving onepropeller shaft, using steam provided by three Kamponwater-tube boilers. The turbines were rated at a total of 52,000shaft horsepower (39,000 kW) for a designed speed of 35knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). However, the class proved capable of exceeding 35.5 knots on sea trials.^[4][5] The ships were designed with a range of 5,000nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at a speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph). However, the class more accurately proved to have a range of 6,053nautical miles (11,210 km; 6,966 mi) on trials.^[5] TheAmatsukaze differed from her sisterships in having an experimental boiler system that built up a higher steam pressure. While the ship's top speed of 35.5 knots remained unaffected, she possessed a remarkably superior fuel economy to hersister ships, and thus scored a longer range. This engine design was used as a basis for the Japanese "super destroyer"Shimakaze.^[6]

As built, the weapons suite of theKagerō class was identical to that of the precedingAsashio class. The main battery consisted of six 5-inch12.7 cm/50 Type 3 naval guns in three twin-gun turrets, onesuperfiring pair aft and one turret forward of thesuperstructure. The guns were capable of 55-degree elevation. The ships were also armed with eight 610-millimeter (24.0 in)torpedo tubes for the oxygen-fueledType 93 "Long Lance" torpedo in two quadruple traversing mounts; one reload was carried for each tube.^[3] Their anti-submarine weapons initially comprised 16depth charges,^[4] which was increased to 36 during the course of thePacific War.

In terms of anti-aircraft capability, initially two twin-mountType 96 AA guns were placed forward of the second smokestack. As the war progressed, the number of Type 96 guns was gradually increased. In 1942–1943, the twin mounts were replaced by triple mounts, and another twin mount was added forward of the bridge. From 1943 to 1944, on surviving vessels the superfiring "X" turret was removed and replaced by two more triple mounts. In late 1944, the seven surviving vessels were fitted with a varying number of additional guns.Isokaze andHamakaze received seven single mounts, whereasYukikaze received 14 single mounts and fourType 93 13 mm machine guns.^[1]

Hamakaze became the first Japanese destroyer to be equipped withradar when a Type 22 set was installed in late 1942. The other vessels were equipped with radar as they rotated back to Japan for repair or refit. All seven vessels surviving in mid-1944 also received a Type 13 radar.^[1]

Seven out of the eleven destroyers of thePearl Harbor strike force were of theKagerō class. During the start of World War II for Japan, theKagerō class took part in a large variety of convoy and carrier escorting duties, and the occasional shore bombardment, to support the invasion of thePhilippines andDutch East Indies. Notably, theAmatsukaze captured theport of Davao, bombarding the naval facilities to send back British machine gunners and destroying a Britishoil tanker in the process.^[7] In the latter campaign,Natsushio became the first loss of the class when she was torpedoed and sunk by the submarineUSS S-37, while the entirety of destroyer division 16 took part in theBattle of the Java Sea, whereTokitsukaze was damaged by a shell hit from the destroyerHMS Electra, but otherwise did not do anything of note, but in the battle's aftermath,Amatsukaze assisted in capturing thehospital shipOp Ten Noort.^[8][9]

The careers of theKagerō class began to pick up in March 1942 with the fall of the Dutch East Indies, withNowaki andArashi picking up an active role hunting downAllied ships attempting to escape to Australia, during which they together either sank or helped to sink the destroyer-minelayer hybridHMS Stronghold, thegunboatUSS Asheville, thesloopHMAS Yarra, threeminesweepers, an oil tanker, four cargo ships, and adepot ship, alongside helping to capture three cargo ships.^[10]Amatsukaze andHatsukaze helped to sink the submarineUSSPerch, beforeAmatsukaze destroyed the Dutch submarineK-10.Shiranui, Kagerō, andIsokaze helped to sink the Dutch freighterModjokerto, whileUrakaze helped to sink the cargo shipEnggano, andHayashio captured the Dutch steamshipSpeelman.^[6][11] From then on, a series of escorting duties ensued until theBattle of Midway, during whichKagerō-class destroyers escorted theaircraft carriers, invasionconvoy, andbattleship force. Particularly,Arashi attacked the submarineUSS Nautilus, enablingArashi to be spotted by an American aircraft and trailed to the location of the Japanese aircraft carriers, leading to a devastating victory in which all four Japanese carriers and the heavy cruiserMikuma were sunk by American carrier-based aircraft. After the battle,Arashi's crew committed awar crime by murdering downedUSS Yorktown pilot Ensign Wesley Osmus.^[12]

After that blunder, it was off to theSolomon Islands andGuadalcanal campaigns, which saw much of the same service, but mixed with troop and supply transport missions, during whichArashi helped to sink the freighterAnshun, plus escorting carriers at the battles of theEastern Solomons andSanta Cruz. In the latter battle,Akigumo assisted in finishing off the crippled and abandoned aircraft carrierUSS Hornet. On November 13,Amatsukaze andYukikaze fought in thefirst naval battle of Guadalcanal, and both became key players of the battle. With torpedo hits,Amatsukaze sank the destroyerUSS Barton and helped to sink thelight cruiserUSS Juneau, before shelling the crippledheavy cruiserUSS San Francisco, but in turn was blasted by the light cruiserUSS Helena. She survived and withdrew toTruk.^[13] In stark contrast,Yukikaze survived the battle completely undamaged, and for her part helped to sink the destroyerUSS Cushing with gunfire, then sank the destroyerUSS Laffey with a torpedo hit to her stern, before transporting survivors from the sunken battleshipHiei to Truk.^[14] Two days later,Kagerō andOyashio fired torpedoes at the battleshipUSS Washington during thesecond naval battle of Guadalcanal, but inflicted no damage. On 25 November,Hayashio was sunk by land-based aircraft, while on 30 November,Kagerō, Kuroshio, andOyashio took part in theBattle of Tassafaronga, whereKagerō helped to sink the heavy cruiserUSSNorthampton.^[9][15]

With the start of 1943,Hatsukaze andTokitsukaze sank the American torpedo boatsPT-43 andPT-112, whileIsokaze andMaikaze sank the submarineUSS Argonaut, before both being damaged by American aircraft duringOperation Ke. In March,Tokitsukaze was sunk by land-based aircraft during theBattle of the Bismarck Sea. On May 8,Kagerō,Kuroshio, andOyashio all ran into a minefield,Kuroshio blew up and sank instantly, whileKagerō andOyashio were crippled and finished off by land-based aircraft.^[9] In July,Tanikaze helped to sink the light cruiser USSHelena at theBattle of Kula Gulf, whileYukikaze andHamakaze both served in theBattle of Kolombangara, where they combined torpedoes with two other destroyer to sink the destroyerUSS Gwin and cripple the light cruisersUSS Honolulu andUSS St. Louis, whileYukikaze directly torpedoed the light cruiserHMNZS Leander, damaging her so badly she could not be repaired before the end of the war.^[14][16] On August 7,Arashi andHagikaze were sunk by gunfire and torpedoes from the destroyersUSS Dunlap,Craven, andMaury at theBattle of Vella Gulf, then a week laterHamakaze andIsokaze both helped to defend a troop convoy against US destroyers at theBattle off Horaniu, both being damaged by one 5-inch (127 mm) shell hit, beforeIsokaze andAkigumo did the same at thebattle of Vella Lavella on October 7. At theBattle of Empress Augusta Bay, after being damaged in a collision,Hatsukaze was sunk by the destroyersUSS Charles Ausburne,Claxton,Dyson,Stanly, andSpence. A small piece ofHatsukaze's bow returned to Rabaul lodged into the heavy cruiserMyōkō, later to be removed and scrapped.^[17][18][19]

In 1944, the height of theKagerō class was over. They only scored one victory at theBattle off Samar, October 25, 1944, whenYukikaze,Isokaze,Urakaze, andNowaki helped to finish off the already crippled destroyerUSS Johnston. In exchange, loss after loss piled up. On 10 January,Amatsukaze was damaged beyond repair, blown in half by a torpedo fired from the submarineUSS Redfin. The forward half rapidly sank, while the rear half stayed afloat and was towed to Singapore.^[6] In February,Maikaze was sunk off Truk by the heavy cruisersUSS New Orleans andMinneapolis and the battleshipNew Jersey. In April,Redfin also torpedoed and sankAkigumo, while later that June,Tanikaze was torpedoed and sunk by the submarineUSS Harder, before the rest of the class saw escorting duties during theBattle of the Philippine Sea. In October, the remaining six functional ships of the class took part in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.Hamakaze was damaged by air attacks on the 24th and forced to withdraw from the battle, whileShrianui escaped the Battle of the Surigao Strait without damage.Yukikaze,Isokaze,Urakaze, andNowaki foughtTaffy 3 at the Battle off Samar, firing torpedoes at the USescort carriers without obtaining a hit before as stated helping to sinkJohnston. However, as the Japanese ships attempted to escape,Nowaki was sunk with all hands, crippled by gunfire from US cruisers and finished off by the destroyerUSS Owen, whileShiranui was sunk with all hands by aircraft from the carrierUSS Enterprise. With the American invasion of the Philippines becoming increasingly successful, the remaining ships retreated to mainland Japan, during whichUrakaze was sunk with all hands by the submarineUSS Sealion in the same attack that sank the battleshipKongō. Upon returning to Japan,Yukikaze,Isokaze, andHamakaze escorted the newly completed aircraft carrierShinano, during which she was torpedoed and sunk by the submarineUSS Archerfish.^[14]

Only four ships of the class were still around by 1945, of which three were functional. Throughout March and April, the Japanese command repeatedly hatched plans to deliver the still un-repairedAmatsukaze to mainland Japan, but each plan failed, culminating on April 6 whenAmatsukaze was finally destroyed by land-based aircraft.^[6] The same day ofAmatsukaze's destruction,Yukikaze,Isokaze, andHamakaze departed Japan as escorts for the battleshipYamato duringOperation Ten-Go. En route the next day, the force was attack by nearly 400 carrier aircraft. Alongside the sinking ofYamato,Hamakaze was sunk bytorpedo bombers from the light carrierUSS San Jacinto, whileIsokaze was fatally damaged by bomb hits from the light carriersUSS Bataan andUSS Belleau Wood, resulting inYukikazescuttling the last of her sister ships, leaving her as the lastKagerō-class destroyer still afloat. For the rest of the war,Yukikaze saw a series of costal patrol duties, and by the end of the war, due to fuel shortages, was demoted to an anti-aircraft platform, surviving several air attacks by US carriers and survived forEmperor Hirohito to announce plans for an unconditional surrender on 15 August 1945, becoming one of only a handful of Japanese destroyers to survive the war.^[20][14]

Yukikaze was the only ship of theKagerō class to survive the war, and was used to transport Japaneseprisoners of war back to their homeland, and was heavily inspected post war by US Navy officials for documentation, before being transferred to theTaiwanese Navy in 1947. During her service asROCSDan Yang, the formerYukikaze took part in two shore bombardment missions, and captured two oil tankers and a cargo ship, alongside having over 50,000 overseas Chinese civilians tour the destroyer during a visit toManila. The formerYukikaze was eventually decommissioned in 1966 after being damaged in a storm, and finally sold for scrapping material in 1970.Yukikaze's rudder and one of her propellers are preserved in museums.^[21]

• 
  Kagerō
• 
  Shiranui
• 
  Kuroshio
• 
  Oyashio
• 
  Natsushio
• 
  Hatsukaze (right)
• 
  Yukikaze
• 
  Amatsukaze
• 
  Tokitsukaze
• 
  Urakaze
• 
  Isokaze
• 
  Tanikaze
• 
  Tanikaze
• 
  Hamakaze
• 
  Nowaki
• 
  Nowaki
• 
  Arashi
• 
  Maikaze
• 
  Hagikaze
• 
  Akigumo

Not pictured:Hayashio

• 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.
• Whitley, M. J. (1988).Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN 0-87021-326-1.

• "Rekishi Gunzō"., History of Pacific War Vol.64 Mutsuki class destroyer,Gakken (Japan), May 2008,ISBN 978-4-05-605091-2
• 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
• Daiji Katagiri,Ship Name Chronicles of the Imperial Japanese NavyCombined Fleet, Kōjinsha (Japan), June 1988,ISBN 4-7698-0386-9
• The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.41 Japanese Destroyers I, Ushio Shobō (Japan), July 1980, Book code 68343-42

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• "Kagerō class" at CombinedFleet.com
• "KAGERŌ Class Notes by Allyn Nevitt"

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