ww2 IJN destoyers

Japan, 56 Escort (kaibōkan)/300 planned, 28 lost, 79 cancelled. The Imperial Japanese Navy Type C and D constituted the last and massive effort to stem the US Navy submarine and air-sea campaign to strangle japan, cut it from all its supply lines and forced it to surrender. These were Kaibōkan, light versatile escorts for AA … Read more

Japan, 32 Improved Type B Escort (kaibōkan), built 1944-45 (some incomplete). The Ukuru or “improved type B” were an attempt to simplify the design of the Mikura class escorts, developed after the start of the Pacific War and far better for anti-submarine warfare than the Shimushu and Etorofu class kaibōkan. They took still too long … Read more

Japan, 8 Escort (kaibōkan), 5 lost. The Mikura-class escort ships were eight escort vessels built for the Imperial Japanese Navy, in parallel to the Etorofu and alternative design and the result on Destroyer tonnage limitations placed by the 1930 London Treaty. Officially they were called the “B-class” coastal defense vessel (乙型海防艦, Otsu-gata kaibōkan). If only … Read more

IJN Type D Modified class Escort Destroyer (松型駆逐艦): 32+ 80 Kai-Tachibana planned, 14 completed 1945. The Tachibana class was approved under the Modified 5th Naval Armaments Supplement Program, laid down 1944-45, completed between January and June 1945. Like the Matsu, they were pure escort vessels designed for simplicity and rapid construction, but simplification was pushed … Read more

IJN Type D class Destroyer (松型駆逐艦): 42 planned, 18 completed 1943-45. The Matsu class, approved in the 1942 Supplementary Programme, was laid down 1943-44 and completed between April 1944 and January 1945. Designed for simplicity and rapid construction, they were analogous to the American destroyer escorts, but much more heavily armed. The six 21-in TT … Read more

IJN Type B class Destroyer: 39 planned, 12 built 1942-45: Akizuki, Teruzuki, Suzutsuki, Hatsuzuki, Niizuki, Wakatsuki, Shimotsuki, Fuyutsuki, Harutsuki, Yoizuki, Natsuzuki, Michitsuki, Hanazuki The Akizuki class started with a 1939 directive, calling for specialized anti-aircraft escorts for carrier groups, the “B” types. In this new reorganization of Japanese destroyer forces, the “A” class were a … Read more

IJN 1st class Destroyer built 1942-44 IJN Shimakaze (島風, “Island Wind”) was an experimental destroyer intended as the “Type C” of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was the lead ship in a projected class of “super destroyer”, complementary to the “Type B” that were the AA destroyers of the Akizuki class. She was superlative, the … Read more

Destroyers built 1926-29. Type I: Fubuki, Shirayuki, Hatsuyuki, Miyuki, Murakumo, Shinonome, Usugumo, Shirakumo, Isonami, Uranami. Type II: Ayanami, Shikinami, Asagiri, Yūgiri, Amagiri, Sagiri, Oboro, Akebono, Sazanami, Ushio. Type III: Akatsuki, Hibiki, Ikazuchi, Inazuma (not seen here) The Fubuki-class destroyers (Fubukigata kuchikukan) were twenty-four destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) built between 1926 and 1933. … Read more

9 Destroyers built 1921-25: Kamikaze, Asakaze, Harukaze, Matsukaze, Hatakaze, Oite, Hayate, Asanagi, Yūnagi, +2 more cancelled The Kamikaze-class destroyers (Kamikazegata kuchikukan) were nine destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy albeit some authors considered the modified Nokaze, Kamikaze and Mutsuki classes to be extensions of the Minekaze-class or that this class was called the “Kiyokaze class” … Read more