Kagero class destroyer
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The Kagero class destroyers were a class of ships in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. There were 19 ships total in the class. Their successful combination of speed, firepower, range, and stability earned them the distinction of being the best destroyer class in the IJN. They were armed with 6 5" guns and 8 torpedo tubes for the Long Lance. At the time of completion these destroyers were the equal of any of their contemporaries in the world. Only the lack of radar and sonar would hinder their otherwise superb design. As with most pre-WW II ships, Kageros were also deficient in anti-submarine and anti-aircraft weaponry. Over the course of the war these would be remedied, with depth charge capacity increased to 36 and the addition of 4 launchers; anti-aircraft weaponry also increased steadily from only four 25mm machine guns at the start of the war to 28 by the end. Wartime attrition was hard on the Kageros, with 18 out of 19 ships lost. In all, six were sunk by air attack, five by submarine attack, five in battle with other surface forces, one by mine, and the remaining two sunk by a combination of mines and air attack. The Yukikaze was the only Kagero class ship afloat at the end of the war.
External links
- "Kagero class" at CombinedFleet.com (http://www.combinedfleet.com/kagero_c.htm)
- "KAGERO Class Notes by Allyn Nevitt" (http://www.combinedfleet.com/kagero_n.htm)