KUCHIKUKAN!

Stories and Battle Histories of the IJN's Second-Class Destroyers

23 December 2019

By Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall

Discussion & Questions

(MOMI-class ASHI, pre-1940)


Near the end of the First World War, the IJN ordered the MOMI-class of destroyers. They were designed as "second-class" destroyers, slightly smaller and more lightly armed versions of the IJN's first class destroyers. The WAKATAKE-class units were similar to the MOMIs with only minor improvements. Twenty one MOMIs were built. Thirteen WAKATAKEs were ordered, but only eight were built.

The MOMIs and WAKATAKEs were fast and powerful, but within a few years their designs were considered obsolete. New destroyer designs contemplated larger and more powerful units so no further vessels were built under the second-class destroyer concept.

Just prior to the Pacific War, the older MOMIs were reclassified as and modified to serve as patrol boats. During the war, the three MOMI-class destroyers HASU, KURI and TSUGA were retained in the destroyer role.

This page will cover the activities of nine second-class destroyers that remained in service during the Pacific War.



Tabular Records of Movement (TROMs):

IJN Second Class Destroyers

(DD classes link to specification summaries)

Momi Class

TSUGA(revised 8/10/2018)
HASU(revised 8/3/2018)
KURI (revised 11/18/2018)

Wakatake Class

WAKATAKE(revised 11/18/2018)
KURETAKE(revised 11/18/2018)
SANAE(revised 11/18/2018)
ASAGAO(revised 11/18/2018)
FUYO(revised 11/18/2018)
KARUKAYA(revised 11/18/2018)

As with other small combatants, data for some vessels are incomplete for some time periods. Readers with access to missing data are requested to post the information on the Discussion & Questions board or the IJN Ship Message Board.

Bibliography of Sources

About the Authors

Bob Hackett is a military historian and researcher. Retired from the United States Air Force and later from the aerospace industry, he resides in Florida.

Sander Kingsepp, a native of Estonia, is also a military historian and researcher. A talented linguist, Sander's translations of Japanese source materials have greatly enhanced these TROMs.

Peter Cundall is a maritime historian and researcher who specializes in merchant ships. He resides in Australia.

Questions to the authors concerning these TROMs should be posted on the Discussion and Questions board.