Japanese destroyer Ikazuchi (1931)

For other ships with the same name, see Japanese destroyer Ikazuchi.
Ikazuchi underway on 11 April 1936
History
Empire of Japan
NameIkazuchi
Namesake雷 ("Thunder")[1]
Ordered1923 Fiscal Year
BuilderUraga Dock Company
Laid down7 March 1930
Launched22 October 1931
Commissioned15 August 1932
Stricken10 June 1944
FateTorpedoed and sunk on 13 April 1944
General characteristics
Class and typeFubuki-class destroyer
Displacement
Length
  • 111.96 m (367.3 ft) pp
  • 115.3 m (378 ft) waterline
  • 118.41 m (388.5 ft) overall
Beam10.4 m (34 ft 1 in)
Draft3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Propulsion
  • 4 × Kampon type boilers
  • 2 × Kampon Type Ro geared turbines
  • 2 × shafts at 50,000 ihp (37,000 kW)
Speed38 knots (44 mph; 70 km/h)
Range5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h)
Complement219
Armament
Service record
Operations:
Ikazuchi underway off China in 1938

Ikazuchi (雷, "Thunder")[1] was the twenty-third Fubuki-class destroyer, or the third Akatsuki class (if that sub-class is regarded as a separate class), built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the inter-war period. When introduced into service, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world.[2] They remained formidable weapons systems well into the Pacific War.

Ikazuchi, built at the Uraga Dock Company, was the third of the “Type III” improved series of Fubuki destroyers, incorporating a modified gun turret which could elevate her main battery of Type 3 127 mm 50 caliber naval guns to 75° as opposed to the original 40°, thus permitting the guns to be used as dual purpose guns against aircraft.[3] Ikazuchi was laid down on 7 March 1930, launched on 22 October 1931 and commissioned on 15 August 1932.[4]

  1. ^ a b Nelson. Japanese-English Character Dictionary. Page 943
  2. ^ Globalsecurity.org. "IJN Fubuki class destroyers".
  3. ^ F Fitzsimons, Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare (London: Phoebus, 1977), Volume 10, p.1040.
  4. ^ Nishidah, Hiroshi (2002). "Akatsuki class 1st class destroyers". Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Archived from the original on 2012-12-10. Retrieved 2015-07-13.