Japanese destroyer Yakaze
Encyclopedia
was a destroyer
, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy
immediately following World War I
. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War
.
from fiscal 1917-1920, as an accompaniment to the medium-sized with which they shared many common design characteristics. Equipped with powerful engines, these vessels were capable of high speeds and were intended as escorts for the projected battlecruiser
s, which were ultimately never built. Yakaze, built at the Mitsubishi shipyards
in Nagasaki, was the sixth ship of this class. It was laid down on August 15, 1918, launched on April 20, 1920 and commissioned on July 19, 1920. On completion, Yakaze was assigned to the Kure Naval District
under the IJN 2nd Fleet
.
In 1931, Yakaze was teamed with sister ship
s , , and at Sasebo Naval District
to form Destroyer Division 2 under the IJN 1st Air Fleet
as part of the escort of the aircraft carrier
s and to assist in search and rescue
operations for downed aircraft. At the time of the First Shanghai incident
of 1932, Yakaze was engaged in river patrol duties along the Yangzi River in China
.
Soon after the start of the Pacific War
, Yakaze was withdrawn from combat service and stripped of most of its weaponry at Kure Naval Arsenal
for conversion into a target ship
. The venerable battleship
previously used for this task was slow, and reaching the end of its operational life. It was replaced as a target for torpedoes and air attacks at Yokosuka from May 20, 1942. Yakaze was officially removed as a destroyer from the navy list
on July 20, 1942.
Although Yakaze had a distinct advantage over Settsu in speed, it was obviously no match in terms of armor, and could only withstand a direct hit by a one pound practice bomb. The Imperial Japanese Navy rethought its plans to use Yakaze as a target vessel, and re-commissioned it as a patrol boat
on March 6, 1943. It was used as a guard vessel at Yokosuka port until the end of World War II. At the time of the surrender of Japan
, the former Yakaze was bottomed at Yokosuka port due to damage and flooding incurred during the Attack on Yokosuka
on 18 July 1945. After the war, it was scuttled to form part of the breakwater
and Nagaura port, in Yokosuka.
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...
, built for 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...
immediately following World War I
World 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...
. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
.
History
Construction of the large-sized Minekaze-class destroyers was authorized as part of the Imperial Japanese Navy's 8-4 Fleet ProgramEight-eight fleet
The was a Japanese naval strategy formulated for the development of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the first quarter of the 20th century, which laid down that the Japanese navy should include eight first-class battleships and eight armoured cruisers or battlecruisers.-History and development:The...
from fiscal 1917-1920, as an accompaniment to the medium-sized with which they shared many common design characteristics. Equipped with powerful engines, these vessels were capable of high speeds and were intended as escorts for the projected battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
s, which were ultimately never built. Yakaze, built at the Mitsubishi shipyards
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
, or MHI, is a Japanese company. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi Group.-History:In 1870 Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of Mitsubishi took a lease of Government-owned Nagasaki Shipyard. He named it Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and started the shipbuilding business on a full scale...
in Nagasaki, was the sixth ship of this class. It was laid down on August 15, 1918, launched on April 20, 1920 and commissioned on July 19, 1920. On completion, Yakaze was assigned to the Kure Naval District
Kure Naval District
was the second of four main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included the Inland Sea of Japan and the Pacific coasts of southern Honshū from Wakayama to Yamaguchi prefectures, eastern and northern Kyūshū and Shikoku....
under the IJN 2nd Fleet
IJN 2nd Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy.-History:First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 2nd Fleet was created by the Imperial General Headquarters as a mobile strike force of cruisers and destroyers to pursue the Imperial Russian Navy's Vladivostok-based cruiser squadron while the...
.
In 1931, Yakaze was teamed with sister ship
Sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
s , , and at Sasebo Naval District
Sasebo Naval District
was the third of five main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included the western and southern coastline of Kyūshū, the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan and Korea, as well as patrols in the East China Sea and the Pacific...
to form Destroyer Division 2 under the IJN 1st Air Fleet
1st Air Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy at the beginning of World War II contained the world's largest carrier fleet. At the centre, was the 1st Air Fleet which was a grouping of naval aircraft and aircraft carriers...
as part of the escort of the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s and to assist in search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
operations for downed aircraft. At the time of the First Shanghai incident
January 28 Incident
The January 28 Incident was a short war between the armies of the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan, before official hostilities of the Second Sino-Japanese War commenced in 1937.- Naming :...
of 1932, Yakaze was engaged in river patrol duties along the Yangzi River in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Soon after the start of the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
, Yakaze was withdrawn from combat service and stripped of most of its weaponry at 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...
for conversion into a target ship
Target ship
A target ship is a vessel — typically an obsolete or captured warship — used for naval gunnery practice or for weapons testing.-Rationale:Sinking redundant warships is an effective way of testing new weapons and warships in as realistic a manner as possible. Whilst practice torpedoes are fired...
. The venerable battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
previously used for this task was slow, and reaching the end of its operational life. It was replaced as a target for torpedoes and air attacks at Yokosuka from May 20, 1942. Yakaze was officially removed as a destroyer from the navy list
Navy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
on July 20, 1942.
Although Yakaze had a distinct advantage over Settsu in speed, it was obviously no match in terms of armor, and could only withstand a direct hit by a one pound practice bomb. The Imperial Japanese Navy rethought its plans to use Yakaze as a target vessel, and re-commissioned it as a patrol boat
Patrol boat
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
on March 6, 1943. It was used as a guard vessel at Yokosuka port until the end of World War II. At the time of the surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
, the former Yakaze was bottomed at Yokosuka port due to damage and flooding incurred during the Attack on Yokosuka
Attack on Yokosuka
The attack on Yokosuka was an air raid conducted by the United States Navy on 18 July 1945 during the Pacific War. The Japanese battleship Nagato was the raid's main target, though anti-aircraft positions and other warships at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal were also attacked. Other U.S. Navy and...
on 18 July 1945. After the war, it was scuttled to form part of the breakwater
Breakwater (structure)
Breakwaters are structures constructed on coasts as part of coastal defence or to protect an anchorage from the effects of weather and longshore drift.-Purposes of breakwaters:...
and Nagaura port, in Yokosuka.