Kagero class destroyer
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The Kagero class destroyers (陽炎型) were a class of ships in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. There were 19 ships total in the class. Their successful combination of speed, firepower, range, and stability earned them the distinction of being the best destroyer class in the IJN. They were armed with six 5 in (127 mm)/50 cal. guns and eight 24 inch (610 mm) torpedo tubes for the "Long Lance" torpedo. At the time of completion, these destroyers were the equal of any of their contemporaries in the world. Only the lack of radar and sonar would hinder their otherwise superb design. As with most pre-World War II ships, Kageros were also deficient in anti-submarine and anti-aircraft weaponry. Over the course of the war these would be remedied, with depth charge capacity increased to 36 and the addition of four depth charge launchers; anti-aircraft weaponry also increased steadily from only four 25 mm machine guns at the start of the war to 28 by the end.
Wartime attrition was hard on the Kageros, with 18 out of 19 ships lost. In all, six were sunk by air attack, five by submarine attack, five in battle with other surface forces, one by mine, and the remaining two sunk by a combination of mines and air attack. The Yukikaze was the only Kagero-class ship afloat at the end of the war.
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| Kagero-class destroyer |
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Kagero | Kuroshio | Oyashio | Hatsukaze | Natsushio | Yukikaze | Hayashio | Maikaze | Isokaze | Shiranuhi | Amatsukaze | Tokitsukaze | Urakaze | Hamakaze | Nowaki | Arashi | Hagikaze | Tanikaze | Akigumo |
| List of ships of the Japanese Navy |
