The Kagero class destroyers were a class of ships in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. There were 19 ships total in the class. Their successful combination of speed, firepower, range, and stability earned them the distinction of being the best destroyer class in the IJN. They were armed with 6 x 5" guns and 8 x 24-inch torpedo tubes for the Long Lance torpedo. At the time of completion, these destroyers were the equal of any of their contemporaries in the world. Only the lack of radar and sonar would hinder their otherwise superb design. As with most pre-World War II ships, Kageros were also deficient in anti-submarine and anti-aircraft weaponry. Over the course of the war these would be remedied, with depth charge capacity increased to 36 and the addition of 4 depth charge launchers; anti-aircraft weaponry also increased steadily from only four 25mm machine guns at the start of the war to 28 by the end. Jump to: navigation, search USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and... Jump to: navigation, search Ensign of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Jump to: navigation, search World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th-century conflict that... Torpedo tubes of the French SNLE Redoutable A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes in a horizontal direction. ... The Type 93 was a 610 mm (24 inch) diameter torpedo of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... A modern torpedo, historically called a self-propelled torpedo, is a self-propelled guided projectile that (after being launched above or below the water surface) operates underwater and is designed to detonate on contact or in proximity to a target. ... This long range radar antenna (approximately 40m (130ft) in diameter) rotates on a track to observe activities near the horizon. ... Jump to: navigation, search The F70 type frigates (here, La Motte-Picquet) are fitted with VDS (Variable Depth Sonar) type DUBV43 or DUBV43C tugged sonars Sonar (sound navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation under water to navigate or to detect other watercraft. ... Jump to: navigation, search World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th-century conflict that... Anti-submarine warfare is a term referring to warfare directed against submarines. ... American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft, or air defense, is any method of combating military aircraft from the ground. ... Depth Charge used by U.S. Navy later in World War II The depth charge is the oldest anti-submarine weapon. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ...

Wartime attrition was hard on the Kageros, with 18 out of 19 ships lost. In all, six were sunk by air attack, five by submarine attack, five in battle with other surface forces, one by mine, and the remaining two sunk by a combination of mines and air attack. The Yukikaze was the only Kagero class ship afloat at the end of the war. The Yukikaze was a Kagero class destroyer in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She was the only member of her class to survive the war. ...

External links

• "Kagero class" at CombinedFleet.com
• "KAGERO Class Notes by Allyn Nevitt"