Mutsuki (Family)

Description

The Mutsuki-class were 12 destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. All were given names after each month of the lunar calendar in their traditional poetic form. They were ordered under the 1923 fiscal budget to expand the light fleet after the Washington Naval Treaty limiting the number and size of capital warships.

Initially only designated by hull number considering the Japanese Navy wanted to rapidly expand largely, this decision was unpopular among crew and confusing in communications with higher command, in August of 1928, names were assigned.

Vehicles

Rank I

• Mutsuki ₍₁₉₄₁₎ (睦月, January)
• Satsuki ₍₁₉₃₅₎ (皐月, May)

*Vehicles are listed in order of refit year, not build year

History

Name	Number	Builder	Laid Down	Launched	Completed	Fate
Mutsuki (睦月)	Dai-19	Sasebo Naval Arsenal	21 May 1924	23 Jul 1925	25 Mar 1926	Sunk in air attack in Solomon Islands, 25 Aug 1942; Struck 1 Oct 1942
Kisaragi (如月)	Dai-21	Maizuru Naval Arsenal	3 Jun 1924	5 Jun 1925	21 Dec 1925	Combat loss off Wake Island, 11 Dec 1941; Struck 15 Jan 1942
Yayoi (弥生)	Dai-23	Uraga Dock Company	11 Jan 1924	11 Jul 1925	28 Aug 1926	Sunk in air attack in Solomon Islands, 11 Sep 1942; Struck 20 Oct 1942
Uzuki (卯月)	Dai-25	Ishikawajima Shipyards	11 Jan 1924	15 Oct 1925	14 Sep 1926	Sunk Ormoc Bay, 12 Dec 1944; Struck 10 Jan 1945
Satsuki (皐月)	Dai-27	Fujinagata Shipyards	1 Dec 1923	25 Mar 1925	15 Nov 1925	Sunk in air attack at Manila Bay, 21 Sep 1944; Struck 10 Nov 1944
Minazuki (水無月)	Dai-28	Uraga Dock Company	24 Mar 1925	25 May 1926	22 Mar 1927	Torpedoed in Celebes Sea, 6 Jun 1944; Struck 10 Aug 1944
Fumizuki (文月)	Dai-29	Fujinagata Shipyards	20 Oct 1924	16 Feb 1926	3 Jul 1926	Sunk in air attack at Truk, 18 Feb 1944; Struck 31 Mar 1944
Nagatsuki (長月)	Dai-30	Ishikawajima Shipyards	16 Apr 1925	6 Oct 1926	30 Apr 1927	Combat loss in central Solomons, 6 Jul 1943; Struck 1 Nov 1943
Kikuzuki (菊月)	Dai-31	Maizuru Naval Arsenal	15 Jun 1925	15 May 1926	20 Nov 1926	Sunk in air attack at Tulagi, 4 May 1942; Struck 25 May 1942; Later salvaged by USS Menominee (AT-73), 6 Oct 1943
Mikazuki (三日月)	Dai-32	Sasebo Naval Arsenal	21 Aug 1925	12 Jul 1926	5 May 1927	Sunk in air attack at Cape Gloucester, 29 Jul 1943; Struck 15 Oct 1943
Mochizuki (望月)	Dai-33	Uraga Dock Company	23 Mar 1926	28 Apr 1927	31 Oct 1927	Sunk in air attack in central Solomons, 24 Oct 1943; Struck 5 Jan 1944
Yūzuki (夕月)	Dai-34	Fujinagata Shipyards	27 Nov 1926	4 Mar 1927	25 Jul 1927	Sunk in air attack at Cebu, 12 Dec 1944; Struck 10 Jan 1945

Japan destroyers
	IJN
Momi-class	IJN Momi
Mutsuki-class	IJN Mutsuki · IJN Satsuki
Fubuki-class	IJN Ayanami
Hatsuharu-class	IJN Hatsuharu · IJN Nenohi
Shiratsuyu-class	IJN Yuudachi
Yugumo-class	IJN Yugumo · IJN Hayanami · IJN Kiyoshimo
Shimakaze-class	IJN Shimakaze
Akizuki-class	IJN Akizuki · IJN Hatsuzuki
	JMSDF
Ariake-class*	JDS Yūgure (DD-184)
Harukaze-class	JDS Harukaze (DD-101)
Murasame-class	JDS Murasame (DD-107)
	* Modified Fletcher-class destroyers