Japanese destroyer Shimakaze (1920)

The Minekaze class was designed with higher speed and better seakeeping than the preceding Kawakaze-class destroyers.[1] The ships had an overall length of 102.5 meters (336 ft 3 in) and were 94.5 meters (310 ft 0 in) between perpendiculars. They had a beam of 9.04 meters (29 ft 8 in), and a mean draft of 2.9 meters (9 ft 6 in). The Minekaze-class ships displaced 1,366 metric tons (1,344 long tons) at standard load and 1,676 metric tons (1,650 long tons) at deep load.[2] They were powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by four Kampon water-tube boilers. The turbines were designed to produce 38,500 shaft horsepower (28,700 kW), which would propel the ships at 39 knots (72 km/h; 45 mph). On her sea trials, Shimakaze reached a speed of 40.65 knots (75.28 km/h; 46.78 mph) from 40,652 shaft horsepower (30,314 kW).[3] The ships carried 401 metric tons (395 long tons) of fuel oil which gave them a range of 3,600 nautical miles (6,700 km; 4,100 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph). Their crew consisted of 148 officers and crewmen.[4]

The main armament of the Minekaze-class ships consisted of four 12-centimeter (4.7 in) Type 3 guns in single mounts; one gun forward of the superstructure, one between the two funnels, one aft of the rear funnel, and the last gun atop the aft superstructure. The guns were numbered '1' to '4' from front to rear. The ships carried three above-water twin sets of 53.3-centimeter (21.0 in) torpedo tubes; one mount was in the well deck between the forward superstructure and the forward gun and the other two were between the aft funnel and aft superstructure. They could also carry 20 mines[4] as well as minesweeping gear.[5]

In 1937–38, Shimakaze was one of the ships that had her hull strengthened, funnel caps added and her fuel capacity reduced to 234 metric tons (230 long tons). In 1940, she was converted into a patrol boat that displaced 1,727 metric tons (1,700 long tons). This entailed the removal of two of her boilers, which cut her horsepower in half and reduced her speed to 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph), the removal of two 12 cm guns and two torpedo tube mounts. These were replaced by ten license-built 25 mm (0.98 in) Type 96 light AA guns and 16 depth charges.[4] The following year, the ship was rebuilt as a destroyer transport able to carry two Daihatsu-class landing craft and accommodate 250 troops. To make room for these, her stern was cut down to the waterline for a ramp and her aftmost 12 cm gun, the remaining torpedo tubes and the depth charges were removed.[6]

Shimakaze, built at the Maizuru Naval Arsenal, was laid down on 5 September 1919, launched on 31 March 1920 and completed on 15 November 1920.[6] Upon commissioning, the ship was assigned to Yokosuka Naval District as part of Destroyer Division 3 under the IJN 2nd Fleet. On 11 October 1928, in Uraga Channel, while on night training maneuvers, Shimakaze collided with her sister ship Yūkaze, resulting in significant damage to her port side, and requiring extensive repairs.

During the Battle of Shanghai on 25 September 1937, while engaged in operations on the Huangpu River during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Shimakaze came under fire from troops of the Chinese National Revolutionary Army, wounding Destroyer Division 3 commanding officer Lieutenant Commander Prince Fushimi Hiroyoshi. From 1938 to 1939, Shimakaze was assigned to patrols of the northern and central China coastlines in support of Japanese combat operations in the Second Sino-Japanese War. In December 1938, Destroyer Division 3 was disbanded, and Shimakaze was reassigned to the reserves.

• Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
• Howarth, Stephen (1983). The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895–1945. Atheneum. ISBN 0-689-11402-8.
• Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter & Mickel, Peter (1977). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 0-87021-893-X.
• Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander; Cundall, Peter (2015). "IJN Patrol Boat No. 1: Tabular Record of Movement". SHOKAITEI!: Stories and Battle Histories of the IJN's Patrol Boats. Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
• Watts, Anthony J. & Gordon, Brian G. (1971). The Imperial Japanese Navy. Garden City, New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0385012683.
• Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.

• Minekaze-class destroyers on Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy