The were a class of twenty-four destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Fubuki class has been described as the world's first modern destroyer. They remained effective in their role to the end of World War II, despite being much older than contemporary ships of foreign nations.
Background
Following the ratification of the Washington Naval Treaty in 1922, the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff issued requirements for a destroyer with a maximum speed of , range of at , and armed with large numbers of torpedoes. As the treaty placed Japan in an inferior position relative to the United States and Great Britain in terms of capital ships, the obvious course of action would be to build large numbers of other types of ships not restricted by the treaty, with the most powerful weaponry possible. These destroyers were intended to operate with the new series of fast and powerful cruisers also under consideration as part of a program intended to give the Imperial Japanese Navy a qualitative edge with the world's most modern ships.
The resultant Fubuki class was ordered under the 1923 fiscal year budget, based on a smaller 1750 ton design, with ships completed between 1926 and 1931. Their performance was a great improvement over previous destroyer designs, so much so that they were designated . The large size, powerful engines, high speed, large radius of action, and unprecedented armament gave these destroyers the firepower similar to many light cruisers in other navies. The closest equivalents in the United States Navy were the and s, of which only thirteen vessels were constructed in the 1930s to function as destroyer squadron leaders.
Design
The initial design for the Fubuki-class was based on a 2000-ton displacement hull with a single battery, two twin 24-inch torpedo tubes (as introduced in ), and capable of 40 knots (74 km/h). Following the adoption of the Washington Naval Treaty from 1923, the design was modified to 1680 standard tons with more guns and more torpedo tubes. However, their increased displacement more than offset their more powerful engines, resulting in a slower top speed than originally planned.
The engines were powered by four Kampon boilers running two-shaft geared turbines at 50,000 shp, yielding a rated speed of , with a range of 5000 nautical miles.
The S-shaped curved bow introduced on the Mutsuki class was retained; however, the well deck in front of the bridge was removed, which made it possible to extend the forecastle further aft and to flare the hull back to the first stack, which increased seaworthiness. The forecastle was also raised one deck in height to reduce the effect of heavy seas on the forward gun mount. The bridge was enlarged and enclosed. The bow was given a significant flare, to offer protection against weather in the Pacific.
The Fubuki-class vessels were originally intended to have only hull numbers. This proved to be extremely unpopular with the crews and was a constant source of confusion in communications with the earlier and es, and naval policy was changed in August 1928. Hence, the Fubuki-class vessels were assigned names as they were launched.
Between June 1928 and March 1933, twenty-four Fubuki-class destroyers were built. Several modifications took place throughout production, and the twenty-four units can be broken down into three groups. The final four ships were so different they were given a new class name. As completed, Fubuki had twin 5-inch guns in "A", "X", and "Y" positions, with triple torpedo tubes in "D", "P", and "Q", making them the most powerful destroyers in the world at the time of their completion.
Armament
thumb|Destroyers Sagiri, Amagiri and Asagiri of the Type II of the "Fubuki"-class in exercises. The picture was taken from the Yugiri on October 16, 1941.
The Fubuki-class destroyers were far more capable than the previous Mutsuki-class in armament. The main battery consisted of six Type 3 127 mm 50 caliber naval guns, mounted in pairs in three weather-proof, splinter-proof, gas-tight gun turrets that were far ahead of their time. Ammunition was brought up on hoists from magazines located directly underneath each gun turret, which had a far greater rate of fire than those of other contemporary destroyers in which ammunition was typically manually loaded. The first group can be distinguished from later ships by their massive circular air ducts abreast the two stacks leading to the boiler room, with the exception of , which integrated the ventilation ducts into the platforms built around the stacks. The remaining vessels served during the Pacific War. In November 1942, the damaged the battleship with her gunfire during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal before being attacked by , which crippled the battleship as well. She was scuttled the following day by . In August 1943, John F. Kennedy's PT-109 was rammed, split asunder and sunk by of this class.
Eight ships of the class were sunk by submarines, two by mines, the rest by air attacks. Only and survived the war. Hibiki was taken by the Soviet Navy as a prize of war, and continued to be used until 1964.
List of ships
Type I (Fubuki)
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="font-size:97%;"
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! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Kanji
! scope="col" |
! scope="col" | Builder
! scope="col" | Laid down
! scope="col" | Launched
! scope="col" | Completed
! scope="col" | Fate
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| Dai-35
| Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan
| 19 Jun 1926
| 15 Nov 1927
| 10 Aug 1928
| Sunk in surface action off Guadalcanal on 11 Oct 1942; struck 15 Nov 1942
|-
! scope="row" |
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| Dai-36
| Yokohama Dockyard, Japan
| 19 Mar 1927
| 20 Mar 1928
| 18 Dec 1928
| air attack off Dampir Strait on 3 Mar 1943; struck 1 Apr 1943
|-
! scope="row" |
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| Dai-37
| Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan
| 12 Apr 1927
| 29 Sep 1928
| 30 Mar 1929
| Air attack off Buin on 17 Jul 1943; struck 15 Oct 1943
|-
! scope="row" |
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| Dai-38
| Uraga Dock Company, Japan
| 30 Apr 1927
| 26 Jun 1928
| 29 Jun 1929
| Collision with , S Cheju Island on 29 Jun 1934; struck 15 Aug 1934
|-
! scope="row" |
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| Dai-39
| Fujinagata Shipyards, Japan
| 25 Apr 1927
| 27 Sep 1928
| 10 May 1929
| air attack off Guadalcanal on 12 Oct 1942; struck 15 Nov 1942
|-
! scope="row" |
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| Dai-40
| Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Japan
| 12 Aug 1926
| 26 Nov 1927
| 25 Jul 1928
| Air attack near Miri on 17 Dec 1941; struck 15 Jan 1942
|-
! scope="row" |
|
| Dai-41
| Tōkyō Ishikawajima Shipyard, Japan
| 21 Oct 1926
| 26 Dec 1927
| 26 Jul 1928
| named Usugumo 1 Aug 1928; Torpedoed off Etorofu on 7 Jul 1944; struck 10 Sep 1944
|-
! scope="row" |
|
| Dai-42
| Fujinagata Shipyards, Japan
| 27 Oct 1926
| 27 Dec 1927
| 28 Jul 1928
| named Shiragumo 1 Aug 1928; Torpedoed off Cape Erimo on 16 Mar 1944; struck 31 Mar 1944
|-
! scope="row" |
|
| Dai-43
| Uraga Dock Company, Japan
| 18 Oct 1926
| 24 Nov 1927
| 30 Jun 1928
| named Isonami on 1 Aug 1928; Torpedoed off SW Celebes on 9 Apr 1943; struck 1 Aug 1943
|-
! scope="row" |
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| style="white-space: nowrap;" | Dai-44
| Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Japan
| 28 Apr 1927
| 29 Nov 1928
| 30 Jun 1929
| Air attack W of Panay on 26 Oct 1944; struck 10 Dec 1944
|}
Type II (Ayanami)
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="font-size:97%;"
|+ Construction data
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! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Kanji
! scope="col" |
! scope="col" | Builder
! scope="col" | Laid down
! scope="col" | Launched
! scope="col" | Completed
! scope="col" | Fate
|-
! scope="row" |
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| Dai-45
| Fujinagata Shipyards, Japan
| 20 Jan 1928
| 5 Oct 1929
| 30 Apr 1930
| Scuttled off Guadalcanal by Uranami , 15 Nov 1942; struck 15 Dec 1942
|-
! scope="row" |
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| Dai-46
| Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan
| 6 Jul 1928
| 22 Jun 1929
| 24 Dec 1929
| Torpedoed S of Hainan 12 Sep 1944; struck 10 Oct 1944
|-
! scope="row" |
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| Dai-47
| Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Japan
| 12 Dec 1928
| 18 Nov 1929
| 30 Jun 1930
| Air attack off Guadalcanal on 28 Aug 1942; struck 1 Oct 1942
|-
! scope="row" |
|
| Dai-48
| Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan
| 1 Apr 1929
| 12 May 1930
| 3 Dec 1930
| Sunk in action, central Solomons on 25 Nov 1943; struck 15 Dec 1943
|-
! scope="row" |
|
| Dai-49
| Ishikawajima Shipyards, Japan
| 28 Nov 1928
| 27 Feb 1930
| 10 Nov 1930
| Mined, S of Makassar Strait on 23 Apr 1944; struck 10 Jun 1944
|-
! scope="row" |
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| Dai-50
| Uraga Dock Company, Japan
| 28 Mar 1929
| 23 Dec 1929
| 30 Jan 1931
| Torpedoed off Kuching on 24 Dec 1941; struck 15 Jan 1942
|-
! scope="row" |
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| Dai-51
| Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Japan
| 29 Nov 1929
| 8 Nov 1930
| 31 Oct 1931
| Air attack off Kiska Island on 16 Oct 1942; struck 15 Nov 1942
|-
! scope="row" |
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| Dai-52
| Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Japan
| 25 Oct 1929
| 7 Nov 1930
| 31 Jul 1931
| Air attack Manila Bay on 13 Nov 1944; struck 10 Jan 1945
|-
! scope="row" |
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| Dai-53
| Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan
| 21 Feb 1930
| 6 Jun 1931
| 19 May 1932
| Torpedoed E of Palau on 14 Jan 1944; struck 10 Mar 1944
|-
! scope="row" |
|
| style="white-space: nowrap;" | Dai-54
| Uraga Dock Company, Japan
| 24 Dec 1929
| 17 Nov 1930
| 14 Nov 1931
| surrendered to Allies 15 Sep 1945; scrapped 1948
|}
Type III (Akatsuki)
alt=3 unknown Fubuki-class ship sailing.|thumb|Hibiki, Akatsuki, Ikazuchi, and Inazuma navigating in a single column formation. Behind them sails destroyer division 27's [[Japanese destroyer Shigure (1935)|Shigure, Shiratsuyu, Ariake, and Yūgure]]
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="font-size:97%;"
|+ Construction data
|-
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Kanji
! scope="col" | Builder
! scope="col" | Laid down
! scope="col" | Launched
! scope="col" | Completed
! scope="col" | Fate
|-
! scope="row" |
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| Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Japan
| 17 Feb 1930
| 7 May 1932
| 30 Nov 1932
| Sunk in action off Guadalcanal on 13 Nov 1942; struck 15 Dec 1942
|-
! scope="row" |
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| Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan
| 21 Feb 1930
| 16 Jun 1932
| 31 Mar 1933
| surrendered 5 Oct 1945; prize of war to USSR on 5 Jul 1947; sunk as target around 1970s
|-
! scope="row" |
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| Uraga Dock Company, Japan
| 7 Mar 1930
| 22 Oct 1931
| 15 Aug 1932
| torpedoed W of Guam on 13 Apr 1944; struck 10 Jun 1944
|-
! scope="row" |
|
| Fujinagata Shipyards, Japan
| 7 Mar 1930
| 25 Feb 1932
| 15 Nov 1932
| Torpedoed W of Celebes on 14 May 1944; struck 10 Jun 1944
|}