IJN Akizuki
Contents
Description
The Akizuki-class, IJN Akizuki, 1944 is a rank III Japanese destroyer
with a battle rating of 4.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy".
General info
Survivability and armour
Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armament separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips for preserving survivability in the "Use in battle" section.
If necessary, use a graphics template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.
Mobility
Write about the ship’s mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward speed and reverse speed.
Armament
Primary armament
There are a total of eight 100 mm guns, placed in a 4x2 turret configuration, two towards the bow and two towards the aft. The guns have a relatively high rate of fire, reloading in about 3 seconds (for a skilled crew. Base reload is still within 3-4 seconds) for a salvo of eight8 relatively light 100 mm shells.
There are two choices to ammunition :
- 100 mm HE (HEF)
- 100 mm HE (HE-DF)
Both shells have a maximum penetration of 44 mm at 100 m, 36 mm at 1,000 m, and 13 mm at 5,000 m, which is usually the optimum engagement range for Destroyers. Shells have 950 g of explosive mass, which is considerably lesser as opposed to the previous ships' 127 mm shells carrying 2.2 kg. However, due to the high RoF and the number of shells per salvo, the HE shells still serve their purpose against DDs. These shells also have the fastest muzzle velocity as opposed to other ships of the same BR, sitting at 1,000 m/s making it relatively comfortable to aim at medium ranges.
Turrets traverse relatively quick as opposed to ships preceding Akizuki. Guns have a maximum elevation of 89° and can depress to -10°. Each main turret has an ammunition capacity of 400 shells at maximum load, for a grand total of 1600 shells. Ammo rack is below water, hence has a low chance of getting struck by shells.
| "A" Turret
(Bow end, no.1) |
"B" Turret
(Bow end, no.2, superfiring) |
"X" Turret
(Aft end, no.3, superfiring) |
"Y" Turret
(Aft end, no.4) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ±154° | ±165° | ±160° | ±150° |
Secondary armament
Torpedo armament
Special armament
Usage in battles
Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don’t try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).
Pros and cons
Pros:
- 8 х 100 mm main guns with a high rate of fire
- 35 x 25 mm Type 96 AA guns providing good AA coverage
- 8 x 610 mm Type 93 torpedoes which are fast and have a very long range
- Fastest shell velocity, compared to other destroyers of the same rating
- Quick turret traverse as opposed to other destroyers in the line
Cons:
- No armour peircing shells for the main calibre guns
- Relatively lower speed compared to other destroyers
- Easy to shoot out all ammo over the course of a battle
History
In the late 1920s, the first Japanese aircraft carrier task force was created, consisting of two carriers and two destroyers. The two destroyers proved unsuitable as carrier escorts due to lack of capabilities and range, resulting in the need for more specialized vessels becoming apparent.
Initially, cruiser-class ships were chosen to escort carriers, considered, among other benefits, to have decent anti-air capabilities. However, the proposal was dismissed soon afterwards as a number of projected issues arose. Instead, the decision was made to construct specially designed anti-aircraft destroyers, which would fill the role of carrier escorts.
By July of 1938, a design was awaiting approval by the IJN high command. However, the initial design promised unrealistic performance figures and lacked distinct destroyer features, such as torpedo launchers. As a result, the design was ordered for revision, with a new draft being proposed by September. The final draft was then subsequently approved in April 1939 and the first construction orders for the new Akizuki-class destroyers followed shortly afterwards.
Akizuki, the lead ship of the class, was laid down in the Maizuru Naval Arsenal in July 1940 and saw completion in June 1942. Immediately after her commissioning, Akizuki took part in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons in August, followed up by participating in the Guadalcanal campaign. After her first engagements, Akizuki returned to Japan for repairs in late 1942.
In January 1943, Akizuki was engaged by the American submarine USS Nautilus, receiving severe damage as a result. The subsequent repair efforts lasted until October, before the ship was deemed combat ready again. After participating in the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944, Akizuki departed for what would become her last operation in October 1944. During the Battle of Cape Engaño, Akizuki suffered a catastrophic explosion, which ultimately led to her sinking.
- From Devblog
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
See also
Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the ship;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
| 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 | |
