Yūgumo-class destroyer

Description

The Yūgumo-class destroyers (夕雲型駆逐艦, Yūgumo-gata kuchikukan) were a group of 19 destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.

Vehicles

Rank II

• Yūgumo ₍₁₉₄₂₎ (夕雲, Evening Clouds)
• Hayanami ₍₁₉₄₃₎ (早波, Early Waves)

Rank III

• Kiyoshimo ₍₁₉₄₄₎ (清霜, Clear Frost)

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

History

Yūgumo-class was built under the Maru 4 Programme (マル4計画) as an improved version of the Kagerō-class. Within the Maru 5 Programme, it was planned to be succeeded by the 16 Shimakaze-class destroyers. However, due to the rapid escalation of the war, a new plan was adopted, the Maru Kyū Programme (マル急計画), which lead to its cancellation and order of additional eight Yūgumo-class destroyers (built with the side numbers 340-347). In contrast, only a single, experimental, one-off successor was built, the Shimakaze herself.

Yūgumo was built due to deficiencies of the Kagerō-class, which failed to exceed the speed of 35 knots. As a result, several modifications were made to the ship's stern to increase the ship's efficiency at high speeds. Further modifications increased the size of the superstructure, made some modifications to the interior layout, changed onboard generators from DC to AC, main gun turrets changed from C-type to D-type with new rangefinders, among other changes.

Modifications

The class had many modifications added over the years as subsequent vessels were launched. However, due to lacking photographic documentation of the class to survive, there are only a few known examples. Notably:

• Makigumo and Kazagumo (No. 117 and 118) had a Kagerō-style rear mast, as opposed to the one typical for Yūgumo
• Naganami (No. 119) and subsequent ships had a modified main column on the rear mast
• Hayanami and Hamanami (No. 340 and 341) had a separate platform added for the 22-GO Radar
• Okinami (No. 342) had additional anti-fragmentation protection to the bridge, and the E27 Type-3 radar detector added
• Kiyoshimo (No. 347) had an increased anti-aircraft armament to the total of 4 triple-mount and a single dual-mount 25mm cannons supplemented by a number of Type 93 machine guns.
• From late 1943, destroyers of the class had 22-GO radar added, with photographs from 1944 suggesting the 13-GO air search radar supplemented it.

External links

• [Devblog] Yugumo Class Destroyer
• [Devblog] The Japanese Fleet in War Thunder: Pre-orders for the PG 02 and Kiyoshimo

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)
	* Modified Fletcher-class destroyers