The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia: Akizuki Class, Japanese
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The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia | |
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| Tonnage | 2701 tons standard displacement |
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| Dimensions | 440'2" by 38'1" by 13'7"134.16m by 11.61m by 4.14m |
| Maximum speed | 33 knots |
| Complement | 263 |
| Armament | 4x2 3.9"/65 AA guns2x2 25mm/60 machine guns1x4 Long Lance torpedotubes (4 reloads)6 depth charge throwers (72 depth charges) |
| Machinery | 2-shaft Kampon geared turbines (52,000 shp)3 Kampon boilers |
| Bunkerage | 1097 tons fuel oil |
| Range | 8300 miles at 18 knots |
| Sensors | Niizuki was the first Japanese destroyer equipped with radarwhen she was commissioned, likely Type 21and 22 |
| Modifications | Additional 25mm machine guns began to be shipped in 1943, and some units had a total of 6x3, 30x1 25mm machine guns by the time the war ended. |
The Akizukis (transliterated _Akitsukis_by some authors) were completed between 1942 and 1945. A total of 54 were ordered, starting with six in 1939, ten in 1941, and 38 in 1942, but the straining Japaneseeconomy was unable to complete more than twelve before the end of the war, and the 1942 and last four 1941 units were cancelled.
The Akizukiswere very modern ships, designed specifically as escort vessels, with a much betterantiaircraftbattery than most Japanese ships: eight 3.9”/65 AA guns, the most effective antiaircraft gun shipped by the Imperial Navy during the war, in dual mounts with separate fore and aft directors. The light antiaircraft battery (two twin 25mm guns) had an unusually good director, the Type 94. A single bank of torpedoes (with four torpedo reloads) and depth charges were added later in the design process to give them more general capability than a pure antiaircraft vessel.
They were nearly as large as the Yubari light cruiserclass, with remarkable range and toughness, but they were somewhat limited in speed compared with other destroyers. Nevertheless, they were probably the finest Japanese destroyer design.
Completed after war broke out, the ships were known to Allied intelligence as the Terutzuki class. Armament was estimated as 4x2 5" guns and three torpedo tubes, not wildly off the mark.
Units in the Pacific:
| Akizuki | completed 1942-6-11 (Maizuru) | Sunk by aircraft1944-10-25 during the Battle of Cape Engano |
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| Teruzuki | completed 1942-8-31 (Nagasaki) | Torpedoed1942-12-12 by PT-37and PT-40off Guadalcanal |
| Suzutsuki | completed 1942-12-20 (Nagasaki) | |
| Hatsuzuki | completed 1942-12-29 (Maizuru) | Sunk by gunfire 1944-10-25 during the Battle of Cape Engano |
| Niizuki | completed 1943-3-31 (Nagasaki) | Sunk by gunfire 1943-7-6 at Kula Gulf |
| Wakatsuki | completed 1943-5-31 (Nagasaki) | Sunk by aircraft 1944-11-11 off Ormoc |
| Shimotsuki | completed 1944-3-31 (Nagasaki) | Torpedoed1944-11-25 by Cavalla220 miles ENE of Singapore |
| Fuyuzuki | completed 1944-5-25 (Maizuru) | |
| Hanazuki | completed 1944-12-26 (Maizuru) | |
| Haruzuki | completed 1944-12-28 (Sasebo) | |
| Yoizuki | completed 1945-1-31 (Tokyo) | |
| Natsuzuki | completed 1945-4/8 (Sasebo) |
Photo Gallery
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References
CombinedFleet.com (accessed 2007-3-29)
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007, 2009, 2013, 2015 by Kent G. Budge. Index
