Mutsuki-class Destroyer

The Mutsuki-class destroyers were considered as an improved version of the Kamikaze-class destroyers.The budget for the Mutsuki-class destroyer came from the 1923 fiscal year budget, they were part of the Japanese's Eight-Eight Fleet Program which would increased their naval capabilities. The initial constructions for the Mutsuki-class destroyers began on May 21, 1924, at Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Mutsuki's construction took 428 days until she was launched on July 23, 1925 and another 245 days of trial until she was commissioned on March 25, 1926, though Kisaragi from Maizuru Naval Arsenal was the first to be launched on June 5, 1925 and was commissioned on December 21, 1925, with a total of 566 days from the day she was laid down until she was commissioned. There were a total of 12 destroyers were built for this class, the last destroyer to be completed was Mochizuki from Uraga Dock Company, she was commissioned on October 31 1927 with a total of 587 days from the day she laid down until she was commissioned.

They have a standard displacement of 1,315 tons, equipped with four Ro-Go Kampon water-tube boilers and two Kampon geared turbines with two shafts capable of producing 38,500 horsepower, they carry 420 tons of fuel, and they are capable of running up to 37.25 knots. Their initial armaments are four single 120mm (4.7 inch) 45 cal. 3rd Year Type naval guns, and two 7.7mm Type-92 machine guns. They werre the first destroyers to be armed with triple 24 inch Type-12 torpedo tubes capable of launching the deadly Type-93 'long lance' torpedoes, two were installed. They also carried a total of 18 depth charges for anti-submarine warfare plus 16 naval mines. Though their hull design were quite identical with the Kamikaze-class and the Minekaze-class destroyers, they were the first destroyer to used the double curvature bow configuration, this design was used by the succeeding destroyer classes.

Unlike the Minekaze and Kamikaze class destroyers that were withdrawn from front line service and reassigned to secondary duties by the end of 1930s, the Mutuski-class retained their positions as first-line destroyers and participated further battles in the Pacific afterwards. On September of 1935, several ships were damaged by a typhoon including several ships in Mutsuki-class, this was called as 'The Fourth Fleet Incident'. The destroyers undergone reconstruction, they were fitted with a stronger and more compact bridge, they installed watertight shields on their torpedo mounts which allows their torpedoes to operate on any kind of weather.

On 1941, the Mutsuki-class undergone another modification, her naval turrets were reduced to a single mount, they installed additional ten 25mm Type-96 AT/AA Guns, their mine-laying and mine-sweeping equipments were replaced with four depth charge launchers with 36 depth charges. And additional five 25mm Type-96 AT/AA guns were installed on 1944 for the surviving Mutsuki-class destroyers.

All the 12 Mutsuki-class destroyers were lost in action, 9 were sank from aerial attacks, 1 was heavily damaged beyond repair in combat, 1 was sank by a submarine and 1 was sank during a surface action. The first Mutsuki-class destroyer to sink was Kisaragi, she was sunk in action during the invasion of Wake Islands on December 11, 1941. Nagatsuki was heavily damaged during the Battle of Kula Gulf, she was grounded and was left abandoned on July 7, 1943. Minazuki was the only ship in the class to be sank by a submarine, she was sank by USS Harder SS-257 off Tawi-Tawi Island on June 6, 1944. Uzuki and Yuuzuki were the last ships to sunk, both sunk on December 12, 1944, Uzuki was sank by PT-boats during a surface action, northeast of Cebu while Yuuzuki was attacked by aircraft from USMC, north-northeast of Cebu.

Mutsuki-class destroyers were succeeded by Fubuki-class destroyers.

Thanks for the partial translation, but I doubt the large text:

Minekaze? Or Mutsuki-class?

T34/38 said:

Thanks for the partial translation, but I doubt the large text:

Minekaze? Or Mutsuki-class?

It's 100% "Mutsuki-class".

Like wikipedia says:

Some authors consider the Kamikaze and Mutsuki-class destroyers to be extensions of the earlier Minekaze-class destroyer.

Similar to how Inazuma is considered either:
1. Akatsuki-class
2. Fubuki-class
3. Special Type
4. Type III
depending on who you ask.

T34/38 said:

Thanks for the partial translation, but I doubt the large text:

Minekaze? Or Mutsuki-class?

Well, it's says Mutsuki up there.