Japanese destroyer Kawakaze (1917)

For other ships with the same name, see Japanese destroyer Kawakaze.

Kawakaze (江風, Inlet Wind) was the lead ship of her class of two destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War I.

History
Empire of Japan
Name	Kawakaze
Builder	Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
Launched	10 October 1917
Completed	11 November 1918
Decommissioned	1 April 1934
Fate	Scrapped, 1934
General characteristics
Class and type	Kawakaze-class destroyer
Displacement	1,300 long tons (1,300 t) (normal) 1,580 long tons (1,610 t) (full load)
Length	320 ft (97.5 m) (pp) 336 ft 6 in (102.6 m) (o/a)
Beam	29 ft (8.8 m)
Draught	9 ft 3 in (2.8 m)
Installed power	4 water-tube boilers 34,000 shp (25,000 kW)
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 geared steam turbines
Speed	37.5 knots (69.5 km/h; 43.2 mph)
Range	4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	128
Armament	3 × single 12 cm (4.7 in) guns 3 × twin 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes

Design and description

The Kawakaze-class destroyers were enlarged and faster versions of the preceding Isokaze class with a more powerful armament. They displaced 1,300 long tons (1,300 t) at normal load and 1,580 long tons (1,610 t) at deep load. The ships had a length between perpendiculars of 320 feet (97.5 m) and a overall length of 336 feet 6 inches (102.6 m), a beam of 29 feet (8.8 m) and a draught of 9 feet 3 inches (2.8 m). Kawakaze was powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one shaft using steam produced by four Type Ro Kampon water-tube boilers. The engines produced a total of 34,000 shaft horsepower (25,000 kW) that gave the ships a maximum speed of 37.5 knots (69.5 km/h; 43.2 mph). They carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at a speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). Their crew consisted of 128 officers and ratings.

The main armament of the Kawakaze-class ships consisted of three quick-firing (QF) 12-centimetre (4.7 in) guns; one gun each was located at the bow and stern with the third gun positioned abaft the bridge on the forecastle deck. Their torpedo armament consisted of three twin rotating mounts for 533-millimetre (21.0 in) torpedoes; two mounts were located between the stern gun and the funnels while the third mount was placed between the forward funnel and the forecastle. The ships were later rearmed with two triple-tube mounts in lieu of their twin mounts.

Construction and career

Kawakaze was launched on 10 October 1917 at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal and completed on 11 November 1918. She was decommissioned on 1 April 1934 and subsequently broken up.

Bibliography

• Friedman, Norman (1985). "Japan". In Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal (eds.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-907-3.
• 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.
• Todaka, Kazushige; Fukui, Shizuo; Eldridge, Robert D. & Leonard, Graham B. (2020). Destroyers: Selected Photos from the Archives of the Kure Maritime Museum; the Best from the Collection of Shizuo Fukui's Photos of Japanese Warships. Japanese Naval Warship Photo Album. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-630-8.
• Watts, Anthony J. & Gordon, Brian G. (1971). The Imperial Japanese Navy. London: Macdonald. ISBN 0-35603-045-8.