Enoki class destroyer
Encyclopedia
The was a class
of six destroyer
s of the Imperial Japanese Navy
. As with the previous Momo-class, all were named after trees. As Enoki and Nara were both commissioned on the same day, the class is also referred to as the Nara-class.
as part of Japan’s contribution to the war effort against Imperial Germany under the Anglo-Japanese Alliance
, the Imperial Japanese Navy approached the Diet of Japan
for an emergency procurement budget, similar to that awarded during the Russo-Japanese War
for the production of the Kamikaze class destroyers
. The funding was awarded from the fiscal 1917 budget, but mindful of the fact that the Kamikaze-class destroyers had not actually been completed until after the end of the previous war, the government stipulated that the emergency budget be used up within a six month period.
The order for six vessels was split between the four major naval shipyards: one to Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
, two to Kure Naval Arsenal
, two to Sasebo Naval Arsenal
and one to Maizuru Naval Arsenal
s for the previous Momo-class destroyers were distributed to each shipyard, with the instructions that identical ships be produced, except with sturdier armor and bow
construction. Experience with extended overseas deployment in World War I had taught the Japanese Navy that the construction of its destroyers needed to be reinforced to handle heavy seas. The result was a ship which looked physically almost exactly like the Momo-class, but was roughly 15 tons heavier in displacement.
Internally, all six vessels used Brown-Curtis geared steam turbine
engines, which could use either heavy oil
or coal
for propulsion. Armament was identical to the Momo-class, with three QF 4.7 inch Gun Mk I – IV guns, pedestal mounted along the centerline of the vessel, front, mid-ship and to the stern
and two triple torpedo
launchers.
, where they were deployed mostly in local waters near the Japanese home islands. Enoki and Nara were converted to minesweepers
on June 1, 1930. The remaining four vessels were retired on April 1, 1934.
Ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....
of six destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
. As with the previous Momo-class, all were named after trees. As Enoki and Nara were both commissioned on the same day, the class is also referred to as the Nara-class.
Background
With most of Japan’s destroyers deployed to the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
as part of Japan’s contribution to the war effort against Imperial Germany under the Anglo-Japanese Alliance
Anglo-Japanese Alliance
The first was signed in London at what is now the Lansdowne Club, on January 30, 1902, by Lord Lansdowne and Hayashi Tadasu . A diplomatic milestone for its ending of Britain's splendid isolation, the alliance was renewed and extended in scope twice, in 1905 and 1911, before its demise in 1921...
, the Imperial Japanese Navy approached the Diet of Japan
Diet of Japan
The is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...
for an emergency procurement budget, similar to that awarded during the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
for the production of the Kamikaze class destroyers
Kamikaze class destroyer (1905)
The was a class of 32 torpedo boat destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Kamikaze-class of destroyers were the first destroyers to be mass-produced in Japan. The class is also sometimes referred to as the Asakaze-class...
. The funding was awarded from the fiscal 1917 budget, but mindful of the fact that the Kamikaze-class destroyers had not actually been completed until after the end of the previous war, the government stipulated that the emergency budget be used up within a six month period.
The order for six vessels was split between the four major naval shipyards: one to Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was located at Yokosuka city, Kanagawa prefecture on Tokyo Bay, south of Yokohama...
, two to Kure Naval Arsenal
Kure Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Kure Naval District was established at Kure, Hiroshima in 1889, as the second of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands along with the establishment of the...
, two to Sasebo Naval Arsenal
Sasebo Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Sasebo Naval District was established at Sasebo, Nagasaki in 1886, as the third of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands. After the establishment of the...
and one to Maizuru Naval Arsenal
Maizuru Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Maizuru Naval District was established at Maizuru, Kyoto in 1889, as the fourth of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands. After the establishment of the...
Design
With such a limited time frame to use its budget, the Japanese Navy could not afford the time to design a new ship. Therefore, the blueprintBlueprint
A blueprint is a type of paper-based reproduction usually of a technical drawing, documenting an architecture or an engineering design. More generally, the term "blueprint" has come to be used to refer to any detailed plan....
s for the previous Momo-class destroyers were distributed to each shipyard, with the instructions that identical ships be produced, except with sturdier armor and bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
construction. Experience with extended overseas deployment in World War I had taught the Japanese Navy that the construction of its destroyers needed to be reinforced to handle heavy seas. The result was a ship which looked physically almost exactly like the Momo-class, but was roughly 15 tons heavier in displacement.
Internally, all six vessels used Brown-Curtis geared steam turbine
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
engines, which could use either heavy oil
Heavy oil
Heavy oil may refer to:*Fuel oil that contains residual oil left over from distillation.*Heavy crude oil, viscous crude oil.*Coal tar creosote, a wood preservative and waterproofing agent....
or coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
for propulsion. Armament was identical to the Momo-class, with three QF 4.7 inch Gun Mk I – IV guns, pedestal mounted along the centerline of the vessel, front, mid-ship and to the stern
Stern
The stern is the rear or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite of the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Originally, the term only referred to the aft port section...
and two triple torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
launchers.
Operational history
The Enoki-class destroyers served in the very final stages of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, where they were deployed mostly in local waters near the Japanese home islands. Enoki and Nara were converted to minesweepers
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
on June 1, 1930. The remaining four vessels were retired on April 1, 1934.
List of Ships
| Kanji | Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 榎 | Enoki | Maizuru Naval Arsenal Maizuru Naval Arsenal was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Maizuru Naval District was established at Maizuru, Kyoto in 1889, as the fourth of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands. After the establishment of the... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
1917-10-01 | 1918-03-05 | 1918-04-30 | Minesweeper W-10 1930-06-01 demilitarized 1936-07-01 |
| 槇 | Maki | Sasebo Naval Arsenal Sasebo Naval Arsenal was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Sasebo Naval District was established at Sasebo, Nagasaki in 1886, as the third of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands. After the establishment of the... , Japan |
1917-10-16 | 1917-12-28 | 1918-04-07 | retired 1934-04-01 |
| 欅 | Keyaki | Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Japan | 1917-10-16 | 1918-01-15 | 1918-04-20 | retired 1934-04-01 |
| 桑 | Kuwa | Kure Naval Arsenal Kure Naval Arsenal was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Kure Naval District was established at Kure, Hiroshima in 1889, as the second of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands along with the establishment of the... , Japan |
1917-11-05 | 1918-02-23 | 1918-03-31 | retired 1934-04-01 |
| 椿 | Tsubaki | Kure Naval Arsenal, Japan | 1917-11-05 | 1918-02-23 | 1918-04-30 | retired 1935-04-01 |
| 楢 | Nara | Yokosuka Naval Arsenal Yokosuka Naval Arsenal was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was located at Yokosuka city, Kanagawa prefecture on Tokyo Bay, south of Yokohama... , Japan |
1917-11-08 | 1918-03-28 | 1918-04-30 | Minesweeper W-9 1930-06-01 demilitarized 1936-04-01 |