Japanese destroyer Harutsuki


Harutsuki was an destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her name means "Spring Moon". She was different from her other sisters, as she was built as a flagship for the Escort Fleet.

Design and description

The Akizuki-class ships were originally designed as anti-aircraft escorts for carrier battle groups, but were modified with torpedo tubes and depth charges to meet the need for more general-purpose destroyer. Her crew numbered 300 officers and enlisted men. The ships measured overall, with a beam of and a draft of. They displaced at standard load and at deep load.
The ship had two Kampon geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by three Kampon water-tube boilers. The turbines were rated at a total of for a designed speed of. The ship carried up to of fuel oil which gave them a range of at a speed of.
The main armament of the Akizuki class consisted of eight Type 98 dual purpose guns in four twin-gun turrets, two superfiring pairs fore and aft of the superstructure. They carried four Type 96 anti-aircraft guns in two twin-gun mounts. The ships were also armed with four torpedo tubes in a single quadruple traversing mount; one reload was carried for each tube. Their anti-submarine weapons comprised six depth charge throwers for which 72 depth charges were carried.

Construction and career

On 5 October 1945, Harutsuki was removed from Navy List. On 28 August 1947, she was turned over to the Soviet Union, renamed Vnezapny and rearmed with eight guns, fifteen 25 mm guns and four torpedo tubes. She became the training ship Oskol in 1949, target ship TSL-64 in 1955 and finally floating barracks PKZ-37, scrapped in 1969.