Sakura-class destroyer

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title: "Sakura-class destroyer" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["destroyer-classes", "sakura-class-destroyers"] description: "Destroyer class of the Imperial Japanese Navy" topic_path: "general/destroyer-classes" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakura-class_destroyer" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Destroyer class of the Imperial Japanese Navy ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox ship"]

Field	Value
section1	{{Infobox ship/image
image	IJN Sakura at Sasebo Taisho 7.jpg
image_caption	Sakura at Sasebo, 1918
section2	{{Infobox ship/class overview
name	Sakura class
builders	Maizuru Naval Arsenal
operators
class_before
class_after
in_commission_range	21 May 1912 - 1 April 1932
total_ships_completed	2
total_ships_retired	2
section3	{{Infobox ship/characteristics
type	Destroyer
displacement	530 tons normal, 830 tons full load
length	*79.2 m pp
*{{convert	83.6
beam	7.3 m
draught	2.2 m
propulsion	coal-fired boilers, triple-expansion reciprocating engines, 9,500 ihp
speed	30 kn
range	2400 nmi at 12 kn
complement	94
::

|section1={{Infobox ship/image |image=IJN Sakura at Sasebo Taisho 7.jpg |image_caption= Sakura at Sasebo, 1918

|section2={{Infobox ship/class overview |name=Sakura class |builders=Maizuru Naval Arsenal |operators= |class_before= |class_after= |built_range= |in_commission_range= 21 May 1912 - 1 April 1932 |total_ships_completed=2 |total_ships_retired=2

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics |hide_header= |header_caption= |type= Destroyer |displacement=530 tons normal, 830 tons full load |length=*79.2 m pp

• 83.6 m overall |beam=7.3 m |draught=2.2 m |propulsion=coal-fired boilers, triple-expansion reciprocating engines, 9,500 ihp |speed= 30 kn |range=2400 nmi at 12 kn |complement=94 |armament=
• 1 × 120 mm/40 cal guns
• 4 × 80 mm/40 cal guns
• 4 × 450 mm torpedoes |notes=

The Sakura-class destroyers was a class of two destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Background

Although unable to obtain funding in fiscal year 1907 for additional s, which were expensive due to their large size and imported steam turbines, the Imperial Japanese Navy was also unwilling to purchase three additional destroyers as recommended by the government. In a compromise, the Navy agreed to purchase two medium size ships instead.

Both were designed and built at the Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Japan.

Design

The Sakura-class ships were half the displacement of the previous Umikaze class but with the same basic hull design. Externally, the design went from four to three smokestacks, which was a first for the Japanese Navy; however, internally the troublesome heavy fuel oil-fired Parsons steam turbine engines of the Umikaze class were replaced by standard coal-fired triple expansion steam engines, which gave better reliability and fuel consumption. The lower rated power of 9,500 shp gave the vessels a maximum speed of 30 kn, however, better fuel consumption equated to longer range, which was what the Imperial Japanese Navy needed.

Armament was similar to that of the Umikaze class, with one QF 4.7 inch Gun Mk I - IV, mounted on the forecastle deck forward of the bridge, and four 3 in QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval guns, mounted one on either side and two towards the stern of the ship, with two twin 450-mm torpedoes launchers.

Operational history

Japan had fifty destroyers operational at the start of World War I. Although intended for coastal operation, with the Umikaze-class destroyers too short in range to operate overseas and with all previous classes of destroyers too small and/or obsolete for front-line service, the two Sakura-class destroyers were Japan's most advanced front-line destroyers during the opening stages of the war. Both were deployed extensively overseas as part of Japan's contribution to the war effort under the terms of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance.

The Sakura-class ships were re-rated as second-class destroyers on 28 August 1912, and served until 1 April 1932 when both were retired.

Ships

::data[format=table title="Construction data"]

Kanji	Name	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Completed	Fate
櫻	"Cherry Tree"	Maizuru Naval Arsenal	31 March 1911	20 December 1911	21 May 1912	Retired, 1 April 1932
橘	"Mandarin Orange"	Maizuru Naval Arsenal	29 April 1911	27 January 1912	25 June 1912	Retired, 1 April 1932
::

References

Notes

Books

• {{cite book | last = Evans | first = David | year = 1979 | title = Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941 | publisher = US Naval Institute Press | location = | isbn = 0-87021-192-7
• {{cite book | last = Howarth | first = Stephen | year = 1983 | title = The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895-1945 | publisher = Atheneum | location = | isbn = 0-689-11402-8
• {{cite book | last = Jentsura | first = Hansgeorg | year = 1976 | title = Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945 | publisher = US Naval Institute Press | location = | isbn = 0-87021-893-X

References

1. Jentsura, Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945
2. Howarth, The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun
3. [http://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyJapanese.htm] WWI at Sea
4. [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/japan/sakura-dd.htm] Global Security.org
5. Nishida, Imperial Japanese Navy

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::