Mikazuki on 8 March 1933
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History | |
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Empire of Japan | |
Name: | Mikazuki |
Namesake: | Crescent moon |
Builder: | Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Sasebo |
Laid down: | 21 August 1925 as Destroyer No. 32 |
Launched: | 12 July 1926 |
Completed: | 5 May 1927 |
Renamed: | As Mikazuki, 1 August 1928 |
Struck: | 15 October 1943 |
Fate: | Sunk by American aircraft, 28 July 1943 |
General characteristics | |
Type: | Mutsuki-class destroyer |
Displacement: |
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Length: | |
Beam: | 9.16 m (30 ft 1 in) |
Draft: | 2.96 m (9 ft 9 in) |
Installed power: |
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Propulsion: | 2 shafts; 2 × Kampon geared steam turbines |
Speed: | 37.25 knots (68.99 km/h; 42.87 mph) |
Range: | 4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
Complement: | 150 |
Armament: |
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Service record | |
Part of: | Destroyer Division 30 |
Operations: |
The Japanese destroyer Mikazuki (三日月 ”Crescent Moon”?) was one of twelve Mutsuki-class destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the 1920s. At the beginning of the Pacific War, she served in home waters as the plane guard for those aircraft carriers that were training or working up. In mid-1942, the ship played a minor role in the Battle of Midway and was then assigned to convoy escort duties between Formosa and Japan for the next year. Mikazuki was then transferred to the Solomon Islands in mid-1943 and was destroyed by American bombers after running aground.
The Mutsuki class was an improved version of the Kamikaze-class destroyers and was the first with triple 61-centimeter (24 in) torpedo tubes. The ships had an overall length of 102.4 meters (335 ft 11 in) and were 94.54 meters (310 ft 2 in) between perpendiculars. They had a beam of 9.16 meters (30 ft 1 in), and a mean draft of 2.96 meters (9 ft 9 in). The Mutsuki-class ships displaced 1,336 metric tons (1,315 long tons) at standard load and 1,800 metric tons (1,772 long tons) at deep load. They were powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by four Kampon water-tube boilers. The turbines were designed to produce 38,500 shaft horsepower (28,700 kW), which would propel the ships at 37.25 knots (68.99 km/h; 42.87 mph). The ships carried 420 metric tons (413 long tons) of fuel oil which gave them a range of 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). Their crew consisted of 150 officers and crewmen.