The Yūgumo-class destroyers (夕雲型駆逐艦, Yūgumo-gata kuchikukan) were a group of 19 destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. The IJN called them Destroyer Type-A (甲型駆逐艦,, Kō-gata Kuchikukan) from their plan name. No ships of the class survived the war.
The Yūgumo class was a repeat of the preceding Kagerō class with minor improvements that increased their anti-aircraft capabilities. The first 11 ships of the class were ordered as part of the 1939 4th Naval Armaments Supplement Programme. Another 16 ships (the Hayanami sub-class) were ordered as ships #340 to #355 as part of the 1941 Rapid Naval Armaments Supplement Programme, but of these eight were canceled before being laid down. Another eight ships (the Kai-Yūgumo sub-class) were planned as ships #5041 to #5048 under the 1942 Modified 5th Naval Armaments Supplement Programme, but these were also canceled.[1]
The Yūgumo class was 45 tons heavier and a few feet longer than the Kagerō class, distinguishable in silhouette primarily by the shape of the bridge. The Yūgumo class had a forward slope on the bridge, which was intended to reduce wind resistance and improve stability. Another difference was that the Yūgumo-class vessels were built by three different shipyards, and there were minor differences between individual ships, depending on the builder and when the ship was built.[1]
The general specifications for the Yūgumo class was a 119.17-meter (391 ft 0 in) overall length, with a beam of 10.8 meters (35 ft 5 in) and a draft of 3.76 meters (12 ft 4 in).[2] They displaced 2,110 metric tons (2,080 long tons) at standard load and 2,560 metric tons (2,520 long tons) at deep load.[3] Their crew numbered 228 officers and enlisted men.
The ships had two Kampon geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by three Kampon water-tube boilers. The turbines were rated at a total of 52,000 shaft horsepower (39,000 kW) for a designed speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph).[4]
The main battery of the Yūgumo class consisted of six Type 3 127-millimeter (5.0 in) guns in three twin-gun turrets, one superfiring pair aft and one turret forward of the superstructure.[3] The guns were in a new type of mount (known as the "D" mount) which was able to elevate up to 75° to increase their performance against aircraft; however, their slow rate of fire, slow traversing speed, and the lack of any sort of high-angle fire-control system meant that they were virtually useless as anti-aircraft guns.[5] Despite this, the process of replacing the No. 2 gun turret with anti-aircraft guns was never carried out on any ship of this class. The ships were also armed with eight 610-millimeter (24.0 in) torpedo tubes in two quadruple traversing mounts; one reload was carried for each tube. Their anti-submarine weapons comprised two depth charge throwers for which 36 depth charges were carried.[3]
As built, the Yūgumo class had four Type 96 25-millimeter (1.0 in) anti-aircraft guns in two twin-mounts forward of the aft smokestack. as with other destroyer classes, as the Pacific War progressed, anti-aircraft armaments were increased. From 1943, two triple-mounts replaced the dual mounts aft and one twin-mount Type 96 was added forward of the bridge and a Type 22 radar. Units surviving into 1944 had a second pair of 25mm triple-mounts added on a platform behind the forward smokestack since they retained their No. 2 gun turrets. The six units surviving into late 1944 received up to twelve additional single-mount Type 96s and a Type 13 radar. Kiyoshimo also received a number of Type 93 13mm machine guns.[1]
The Yūgumo class were considered elite units and always assigned to escort primary fleet units. They were all lost during the Pacific War. Most of their service consisted of convoy and carrier escorting duties with the occasional shore bombardment. Surprisingly, despite being one of the most advanced destroyers of WW2, the class seldom served in surface actions against enemy warships.
A number of ships of the class were involved in the Battle of Tassafaronga in November 30th, 1942, but most did not accomplish anything. However, the Takanami was sunk by the combined gunfire of the heavy cruisers USS New Orleans and USS Minneapolis, but not before firing her torpedoes. Two torpedoes hit Minneapolis, blowing her bow clean off, while one hit New Orleans, igniting her turret one magazines and severing everything forward of turret 2, heavily crippling (but not sinking) both ships.[6]
On the 12th of July, 1943, the Kiyonami was involved in the battle of Kolombangara against a US cruiser force. Alongside the destroyers Yukikaze, Hamakaze, and Yūgure, she took part in a mass torpedo spread that sank the destroyer USS Gwim and crippled the light cruisers USS Honolulu, USS Saint Louis, and HMS Leander.[7]
The Yũgumo herself was involved in the Battle of Vella Lavella on the 6th of October 1943, the last Japanese naval victory of the war. In a similar fate to Takanami, she was sunk by the combined gunfire and torpedoes of the destroyers USS Chevalier, USS Selfridge, and USS O'Bannon, yet still fired a torpedo that hit and sank Chevalier.[8]
