Akizuki-class destroyer (1959)

The Akizuki-class destroyer was a destroyer class built for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) in the late 1950s. This class was planned to be a flotilla leader with the enhanced command and control capability, so sometimes this class was classified as the "DDC" (commanding destroyer) unofficially.

For the World War II class of the same name, see Akizuki-class destroyer (1942). For the 21st century class, see Akizuki-class destroyer (2010).
Akizuki (DD-161)
Class overview
Name: Akizuki class
Operators:  Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Preceded by: Murasame class
Succeeded by: Yamagumo class
In service: 1960–1993
Completed: 2
Retired: 2
General characteristics
Class and type: Destroyer
Displacement:
  • 2,350 long tons (2,388 t) standard
  • 2,890 long tons (2,936 t) normal
Length: 118 m (387 ft 2 in)
Beam: 12 m (39 ft 4 in)
Draft: 4 m (13 ft 1 in)
Propulsion: 2 steam turbines, 4 boilers 45,000 shp (34,000 kW) / 2 shafts, 2 propellers
Speed: 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph) max.
Complement: 330
Armament:

Design

Initially, the American Military Assistance Advisory Group-Japan (MAAG-J) recommended a modified version of the American Fletcher class, but Japan had already constructed surface combatants of their own at that time. As a result, the project of this class was financed by the Off Shore Procurement (OSP) of the United States, but design and construction were completely indigenous.[1]

Like its predecessors, the Murasame and Ayanami classes, this class adopted a "long forecastle" design with inclined afterdeck called "Holland Slope", named after the scenic sloping street in Nagasaki City.[2] With the enlargement of the hull, the steam turbine propulsion system was uprated with higher-pressure boilers (570 psi).[3]

This class was equipped with both gunnery weapons of the Murasame class[4] and the torpedo/mine weapons of the Ayanami class. And alongside these anti-submarine weapons similar to them of the Ayanami class, the Akizuki class were the first vessels equipped with a Mk.108 Weapon Alpha. The JMSDF desired this American ASW rocket launcher earnestly, but then, it became clear that it was not as good as it was supposed to be. It was later replaced by a Type 71 375 mm (15 in) quadruple ASW rocket launcher (Japanese version of the Swedish M/50) in 1976.[5]

Pennant no.NameLaid downLaunchedCommissionedDecommissioned
DD-161
ASU-7010		Akizuki31 July 195826 June 195913 February 19607 December 1993
DD-162
ASU-7012
TV-3504		Teruzuki15 August 195824 June 195929 February 196027 September 1993

References
  1. "History of Japanese destroyers since 1952". Ships of the World (in Japanese). Kaijin-sha (742): 91–97. June 2011.
  2. "1. Hull (Hardware of JMSDF destroyers)". Ships of the World (in Japanese). Kaijin-sha (742): 100–105. June 2011.
  3. Yasuo Abe (June 2011). "2. Propulsion system (Hardware of JMSDF destroyers)". Ships of the World (in Japanese). Kaijin-sha (742): 106–111.
  4. "2. Guns (Shipboard weapons of JMSDF 1952-2010)". Ships of the World (in Japanese). Kaijin-sha (721): 88–93. March 2010.
  5. "3. Underwater weapons (Shipboard weapons of JMSDF 1952-2010)". Ships of the World (in Japanese). Kaijin-sha (721): 94–99. March 2010.
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