Konichi Wa
Here is the Fubuki hard at work
A class of twenty four destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
The Fubuki class has been called "the world's first modern
destroyer." The Fubuki class not only set a new standard for
Japanese vessels, but for destroyers around the world. At a time
when British and American destroyers had changed little from
their unturreted, single-gun mounts and light weaponry, the
Japanese destroyers were bigger, more powerfully armed, and
faster than anything that any other fleet possessed. They
remained formidable opponents to the end of World War II,
despite being much older than many of their adversaries.
Type: Destroyer
Displacement: 1,750 long tons (1,780 t) standard
2,050 long tons (2,080 t) re-built
Length: 111.96 m (367.3 ft) pp,
115.3 m (378 ft) waterline
118.41 m (388.5 ft) overall
Beam: 10.4 m (34 ft 1 in)
Draft: 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Propulsion: 2 shaft Kampon geared turbines
4 (Groups I & II) or 3 (Group III) boilers
50,000 hp (37,000 kW)
Speed: 38 knots (44 mph; 70 km/h)
Range: 5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h)
Complement: 219
Armament: • 6 × Type 3 127 mm 50 caliber naval guns (3×2)
• 2 ×Type 93 13mm machine guns (2×1)
• 9 × 610 mm (24 in) torpedo tubes (3×3)
• 18 × 8th Year Type torpedoes (later replaced to the Type 90 torpedo)
• 18 × depth charges
The initial design for the Fubuki class was based on a 2000 ton
displacement hull with a single 5-inch (127 mm) battery, two
twin 24-inch torpedo tubes (just introduced in Mutsuki), and
capable of 40 knots (74 km/h). Following the abandonment of the
Washington Naval Treaty from 1923, the design was modified to
1680 standard tons with more guns and more torpedo tubes.
However, their increased displacement more than offset their
more powerful engines, resulting in a slower top speed than
originally planned.
As completed, Fubukis had twin 5-inch in "A", "X", and "Y" positions, with triple torpedo tubes in "D", "P", and "Q",[10] making them the most powerful destroyers in the world at the time of their completion. During the Pacific War, "X" turret was replaced by more AA, and radar was installed.
The main battery consisted of six Type 3 127 mm 50 caliber naval
guns, mounted in pairs in three weather-proof, splinter-proof,
gas-tight gun turrets which were far ahead of their time. On the
last 14 vessels of the series, these guns were dual purpose guns
which could be elevated to 70 degrees, making them the world's
first destroyers with this ability. Ammunition was brought up on
hoists from magazines located directly underneath each gun
turret, which have a far greater rate of fire than other
contemporary destroyers, where ammunition was typically manually
loaded.
Unlike the earlier Minekaze series destroyers, the Fubuki did
not have a fo'c'sle break containing the forward torpedo
launchers. Instead, the forward launchers were located between
the siamesed smokestacks. Originally Type 8 torpedoes were
carried, arranged in three triple mountings.
To increase comfort and combat ability even in bad weather, the
fo'c'sle was raised, and the bridge enlarged and enclosed. The
bow was given a significant flare, to offer protection against
weather in the Pacific.
Between June 1928 and March 1933, twenty-four Fubuki class
destroyers were built, in three groups. As completed, Fubuki had
twin 5-inch guns in "A", "X", and "Y" positions, with triple
torpedo tubes in "D", "P", and "Q", making them the most
powerful destroyers in the world at the time of their completion.
There were actually two models of Fubuki, the original Type I (Fubuki) type, built in 1928 and 1929 and the following Type II (Ayanami) type built in 1930 and 1931. The Type I's primary 5-inch turret was known as the Model 'A', and could only elevate to 40°, whereas the Type II's Model 'B' turret could elevate to 75°. Furthermore, the Type II's bridge was enlarged and the boiler room's air inlet was changed from a pipe to a bowl shape. Sometimes listed as a third type, the Akatsuki-class was based heavily on the Fubuki.
The first group, or Fubuki-class, consisted of the first ten
vessels completed in 1928 and 1929, were simpler in construction
than the vessels that followed. They had a rangefinder on the
compass bridge, an exposed gun-fire control room, and were
equipped with a “Type A” gun turret that only elevate both of
its barrels at the same time and only to 40 degrees. The first
group can be distinguished from later ships by their lack of
ventilators atop the stacks.
The second group, or Ayanami-class, were built in 1930 and 1931,
and had larger bridges which encompassed the rangefinder, an
azimuth compass sighting device, the gun-fire control room, as
well as a range finding tower. Furthermore, the boiler room's
air inlet?was changed from a pipe to a bowl shape. They also
benefited from the deployment of “Type B” turrets, which could
elevate each gun separately to 75° for AA use, making them the
world's first destroyers with this ability.
The third group, also known as the Akatsuki-class, were built
from 1931-1933. These vessels had larger boilers and a narrower
fore funnel. Improvements included a unique splinter-proof
torpedo launcher-turret, which allowed the torpedo launcher
tubes to be reloaded in action (something which Western
destroyers still did not have in the 1990s).
However, the Fubuki-class also had a number of inherent design
problems. The large amount of armament combined with a smaller
hull displacement than in the original design created issues
with stability. After the Tomozuru Incident, in which the
top-heavy design of many Japanese warships called basic design
issues into question, additional ballast had to be added. In the
Fourth Fleet Incident, during which a typhoon damaged virtually
every ship in the Fourth Fleet, issues with the longitudinal
strength of the Fubuki class hull was discovered. As a result,
all vessels were reconstructed in 1935-1937. This increased the
displacement to 2050 tons standard tons and over 2400 tons full
load. The rebuild reduced the top speed slightly.
During World War II, as surviving vessels returned to the
Japanese home islands for repair and refit, the anti-aircraft
armament was steadily upgraded. In 1945, the "X" turret was
replaced on surviving vessels to create space and lighten the
top for the addition of 14 -Type 96 25 mm AT/AA Guns, two
additional 13 mm anti-aircraft machine guns, and 18 more depth
charges, and radar was installed.
The Fubuki destroyers sorted by type and order of registration are as follows:
Type I (Fubuki)
Fubuki (N°35) - built at Maizuru Navy Yard
Shirayuki (N°36) - built at Yokohama Navy Yard
Hatsuyuki (N°37) - built at Maizuru Navy Yard
Miyuki (N°38) - built at Uraga Dock Company
Murakumo (N°39) - built at Fujinagata
Shinonome (N°40) - built at Sasebo Navy Yard
Usugumo (N°41) - built at Ishikawajima
Shirakumo (N°42) - built at Fujinagata
Isonami (N°43) - built at Uraga Dock Company
Uranami (N°44) - built at Sasebo Navy Yard
Type II (Ayanami)
Ayanami (N°45) - built at Fujinagata
Shikinami (N°46) - built at Maizuru Navy Yard
Asagiri (N°47) - built at Sasebo Navy Yard
Yugiri (N°48) - built at Maizuru Navy Yard
Amagiri (N°49) - built at Ishikawajima
Sagiri (N°50) - built at Uraga Dock Company
Oboro (N°51) - built at Sasebo Navy Yard
Akebono (N°52) - built at Fujinagata
Sazanami (N°53) - built at Maizuru Navy Yard
Ushio (N°54) - built at Uraga Dock Company; scrapped 1948.
Type III ( Akatsuki-class)
Inazuma - built at Fujinagata
Akatsuki - built at Sasebo Navy Yard
Ikazuchi - built at Uraga Dock Company
Hibiki - built at Maizuru Navy Yard
Type I Fubuki Class
Type II Ayanami
Type III Akatsuki, Inazuma, Ikakuchi, Hibiki
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Topic: Fubuki Class IJN Destroyer Escort (Read 6197 times)
