Naval Historical Center #NH 3067
| Tonnage | 1315 tons standard displacement |
| Dimensions | 320' by 30'1" by 9'8" 100.2m by 97.54m by 9.16m |
| Maximum speed | 37.2knots |
| Complement | 150 |
| Armament | 4x1 4.7"/45
dual-purpose guns 2 light machine guns 2x3 24" torpedo tubes (4 reloads) 16 mines Depth charges |
| Machinery |
2-shaft Parsons geared turbines
(38, 500 shp) 4 Kampon boilers |
| Bunkerage | 420 tons fuel oil |
| Range | 4000 nautical miles (7400 km) at 15 knots |
| Modifications |
Many of these units were converted to fast transports in 1941-1942, with armament of 2 4.7" guns, 10 25mm/60 AA guns, and their torpedoes. 1944-6: Remaining units had light AA armament of 10 25mm and 5 13mm/76 AA guns. |
The Mutsukis were
completed in 1925-1927, primarily
in naval yards. They were the
first Japanese destroyers completed with tubes for 24" torpedoes. They
were also the first destroyers with triple tubes, which reduced the
number of mountings without loss of firepower. In most other respects
they resembled the Kamikazes.
They were
a
disappointment to the Japanese,
falling short of their design speed and proving flimsy in
combat. As a result,
most were converted to fast
transports early in the war. No ship of this class
ever
survived a solid hit by a bomb or torpedo, and none survived the war.
It is an indication of how badly the Japanese underestimated the Wake defenses that the Wake Invasion Force escort was built around ships of this type.
References
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007, 2009 by Kent G. Budge. Index
