Japanese destroyer Shimakaze (1942)

For other ships with the same name, see Japanese destroyer Shimakaze.
Shimakaze underway.
History
Empire of Japan
Name: Shimakaze (島風) (Island Wind)
Builder: Maizuru Naval Arsenal
Laid down: 8 August 1941
Launched: 18 July 1942
Commissioned: 10 May 1943
Struck: 10 January 1945
Fate: Sunk in the Battle of Ormoc Bay near Cebu, Philippines, 11 November 1944
General characteristics
Class and type: none
Type: Destroyer
Displacement:
  • 2,570 long tons (2,610 t) (standard)[1]
  • 3,300 long tons (3,400 t) (full load)[2]
Length:
  • 129.5 m (424 ft 10 in) o/a
  • 126 m (413 ft 5 in) w/l
Beam: 11.2 m (36 ft 9 in)
Draft: 4.15 m (13 ft 7 in)[3]
Installed power: 75,000 shp (56,000 kW)
Propulsion:
Speed: 40.9 kn (75.7 km/h; 47.1 mph)
Range: 6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement: 267 (May 1943)
Armament:

Shimakaze (島風) (Island Wind) was a one-off super-destroyer built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She was armed with six 127 mm (5.0 in) dual-purpose guns and conventional anti-aircraft and anti-submarine weaponry. More importantly, she was the only Japanese destroyer to be armed with 15 torpedo tubes, each capable of firing the deadly 610 mm (24 in) Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedo. The ship was a testbed for an enormously powerful, high-temperature, high-pressure steam engine that was able to develop 79,240 shp (59,090 kW). This made her one of the fastest destroyers in the world: her designed speed was 39 kn (72 km/h; 45 mph), but on trials she made 40.9 kn (75.7 km/h; 47.1 mph).

Building

Ordered in 1939 under the 4th Naval Armaments Supplement Programme, Shimakaze was laid down in Maizuru Naval Arsenal in August 1941 and completed on 10 May 1943.

Japan had intended to lay down 16 similar destroyers, with long-term plans—the 5th Naval Armaments Supplement Programme—for a total of 32 to equip four destroyer squadrons, but a lack of industrial capacity prevented them from being realized.

Service history

In June 1943, Shimakaze participated in the evacuation of Japanese troops from Kiska Island towards the end of the Aleutian Islands campaign. She was present in June 1944 at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. In October 1944, the destroyer was present at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, although she played no role in the battle except for picking up survivors from the sunken battleship Musashi. While serving as the flagship of Destroyer Squadron 2 under the command of Rear Admiral Mikio Hayakawa, she was attacked and sunk by American aircraft from Task Force 38 on 11 November 1944 during the Battle of Ormoc Bay.

Speed test

Shimakaze was powered with an experimental steam turbine — which made construction of sister ships virtually impossible – during a speed test on 7 April 1943, she was clocked at 40.90 kn (75.75 km/h; 47.07 mph) with an engine output of 79,240 shp (59,090 kW).

Ships in class

Ship Ship No. Fate
Shimakaze (島風) 125 Stricken from record on 10 January 1945
16 destroyers
(Super Shimakaze)		 733-748 Cancelled and re-planned on 30 June 1942 to:
8 × Yūgumo class (Ship # 5041-5048)
7 × Super Akizuki class (Ship # 5077-5083)

Notes

  1. ↑ Ford, Roger (2001) The Encyclopedia of Ships, pg. 403-404. Amber Books, London. ISBN 978-1-905704-43-9
  2. ↑ Ford, Roger (2001) The Encyclopedia of Ships, pg. 403-404. Amber Books, London. ISBN 978-1-905704-43-9
  3. ↑ Ford, Roger (2001) The Encyclopedia of Ships, pg. 403-404. Amber Books, London. ISBN 978-1-905704-43-9
  4. ↑ Ford, Roger (2001) The Encyclopedia of Ships, pg. 403-404. Amber Books, London. ISBN 978-1-905704-43-9
  5. ↑ Ford, Roger (2001) The Encyclopedia of Ships, pg. 403-404. Amber Books, London. ISBN 978-1-905704-43-9
  6. ↑ Ford, Roger (2001) The Encyclopedia of Ships, pg. 403-404. Amber Books, London. ISBN 978-1-905704-43-9

References

Coordinates: 10°50′N 124°35′E / 10.833°N 124.583°E / 10.833; 124.583

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