The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia

Akizuki Class, Japanese Destroyers

Tonnage	2701 tons standard displacement
Dimensions	440'2" by 38'1" by 13'7" 134.16m by 11.61m by 4.14m
Maximum speed	33 knots
Complement	263
Armament	4x2 3.9"/65 AA guns 2x2 25mm/60 machine guns 1x4 Long Lance torpedo tubes (4 reloads) 6 depth charge throwers (72 depth charges)
Machinery	2-shaft Kampon geared turbines (52,000 shp) 3 Kampon boilers
Bunkerage	1097 tons fuel oil
Range	8300 miles at 18 knots
Sensors	Niizuki was the first Japanese destroyer equipped with radar when she was commissioned, likely Type 21 and 22
Modifications	Additional 25mm machine guns began to be shipped in 1943, and some units had a total of 6x3, 30x1 25mm machine guns by the time the war ended.

The Akizukis (transliterated Akitsukis by some authors) were completed between 1942 and 1945. A total of 54 were ordered, starting with six in 1939, ten in 1941, and 38 in 1942, but the straining Japanese economy was unable to complete more than twelve before the end of the war, and the 1942 and last four 1941 units were cancelled.

The Akizukis were very modern ships, designed specifically as escort vessels, with a much better antiaircraft battery than most Japanese ships: eight 3.9”/65 AA guns, the most effective antiaircraft gun shipped by the Imperial Navy during the war, in dual mounts with separate fore and aft directors. The light antiaircraft battery (two twin 25mm guns) had an unusually good director, the Type 94. A single bank of torpedoes (with four torpedo reloads) and depth charges were added later in the design process to give them more general capability than a pure antiaircraft vessel.

They were nearly as large as the Yubari light cruiser class, with remarkable range and toughness, but they were somewhat limited in speed compared with other destroyers. Nevertheless, they were probably the finest Japanese destroyer design.

Completed after war broke out, the ships were known to Allied intelligence as the Terutzuki class. Armament was estimated as 4x2 5" guns and three torpedo tubes, not wildly off the mark.

Units in the Pacific:

Akizuki	completed 1942-6-11 (Maizuru)	Sunk by aircraft 1944-10-25 during the Battle of Cape Engano
Teruzuki	completed 1942-8-31 (Nagasaki)	Torpedoed 1942-12-12 by PT-37 and PT-40 off Guadalcanal
Suzutsuki	completed 1942-12-20 (Nagasaki)
Hatsuzuki	completed 1942-12-29 (Maizuru)	Sunk by gunfire 1944-10-25 during the Battle of Cape Engano
Niizuki	completed 1943-3-31 (Nagasaki)	Sunk by gunfire 1943-7-6 at Kula Gulf
Wakatsuki	completed 1943-5-31 (Nagasaki)	Sunk by aircraft 1944-11-11 off Ormoc
Shimotsuki	completed 1944-3-31 (Nagasaki)	Torpedoed 1944-11-25 by Cavalla 220 miles ENE of Singapore
Fuyuzuki	completed 1944-5-25 (Maizuru)
Hanazuki	completed 1944-12-26 (Maizuru)
Haruzuki	completed 1944-12-28 (Sasebo)
Yoizuki	completed 1945-1-31 (Tokyo)
Natsuzuki	completed 1945-4/8 (Sasebo)