Layout of Japanese Destroyers

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Wargames
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Layout of Japanese Destroyers

#1

Post by Wargames » 28 Feb 2023, 02:56

I have noticed Japanese destroyers held up well to combat damage. The long hulls and twin stacks suggest the use of alternating engines and boilers but I can find no mention of this. If not for this reason, is there some other explanation? A transverse or longitudinal bulkhead system?

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Re: Layout of Japanese Destroyers

#2

Post by OpanaPointer » 28 Feb 2023, 03:24

Being a career "pit snipe", engineering rating, I would be surprised to find a longitudinal bulkhead system. That would require side-by-side boilers and engines. It MIGHT be possible but I'd hate to have to work in such.
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EwenS
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Re: Layout of Japanese Destroyers

#3

Post by EwenS » 28 Feb 2023, 20:18

Wargames wrote:
28 Feb 2023, 02:56
I have noticed Japanese destroyers held up well to combat damage. The long hulls and twin stacks suggest the use of alternating engines and boilers but I can find no mention of this. If not for this reason, is there some other explanation? A transverse or longitudinal bulkhead system?
AFAIK the first Japanese destroyers to be fitted with a unit machinery arrangement were the small escort destroyers of the Matsu class in WW2.

The initial group of Fubukis had 4 boilers in boiler rooms with the boilers mounted back to back giving equal sized funnels immediately above. The second and third groups of Fubukis and the later classes had 3 boilers. Each was in its own separate boiler room but with the forward pair back to back with a single large funnel above them. There was then a third boiler room with a single boiler and narrower funnel. The engine room containing both turbines side by side was abaft the boiler rooms, roughly under the aft set of torpedoes.

What exactly do you mean by "A transverse or longitudinal bulkhead system?"

The reason I ask is that ships could be constructed using a transverse (traditional) or longitudinal framing (not bulkhead) system.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitudinal_framing

The RN for example moved from transverse to longitudinal framing when the J class destroyers were built from 1937 and that was supposed to produce a stronger hull which was evidenced in the damage some British destroyers of theis and later classes were able to withstand. But I have no idea which method was employed in the construction of the Japanese destroyers.

With only one boiler per boiler room and both turbines in the same space there were no longitudinal bulkheads in these spaces. But there were transverse bulkheads dividing one space from the next and elsewhere in the ship.

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Re: Layout of Japanese Destroyers

#4

Post by Wargames » 08 Mar 2023, 21:39

EwenS wrote:
28 Feb 2023, 20:18


AFAIK the first Japanese destroyers to be fitted with a unit machinery arrangement were the small escort destroyers of the Matsu class in WW2.

The initial group of Fubukis had 4 boilers in boiler rooms with the boilers mounted back to back giving equal sized funnels immediately above. The second and third groups of Fubukis and the later classes had 3 boilers. Each was in its own separate boiler room but with the forward pair back to back with a single large funnel above them. There was then a third boiler room with a single boiler and narrower funnel. The engine room containing both turbines side by side was abaft the boiler rooms, roughly under the aft set of torpedoes.

What exactly do you mean by "A transverse or longitudinal bulkhead system?"

The reason I ask is that ships could be constructed using a transverse (traditional) or longitudinal framing (not bulkhead) system.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitudinal_framing

The RN for example moved from transverse to longitudinal framing when the J class destroyers were built from 1937 and that was supposed to produce a stronger hull which was evidenced in the damage some British destroyers of theis and later classes were able to withstand. But I have no idea which method was employed in the construction of the Japanese destroyers.

With only one boiler per boiler room and both turbines in the same space there were no longitudinal bulkheads in these spaces. But there were transverse bulkheads dividing one space from the next and elsewhere in the ship.
Thanks! The separate boilers would account for some of their defense to sinking but with engine rooms not divided, it invites being stopped by a single hit.

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Re: Layout of Japanese Destroyers

#5

Post by OpanaPointer » 08 Mar 2023, 22:27

They're called "tin cans" for a reason. Hit the right spot in one engineroom could possibly cause the other engine to fail. Example would be where the forward engineroom's main shaft goes through the after bulkhead of the after engineroom. A hit there might warp the bulkhead and jam both shafts.
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Urmel
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Re: Layout of Japanese Destroyers

#6

Post by Urmel » 16 Mar 2023, 16:34

Colleoni was stopped dead by a single hit at Cape Spada.
The enemy had superiority in numbers, his tanks were more heavily armoured, they had larger calibre guns with nearly twice the effective range of ours, and their telescopes were superior. 5 RTR 19/11/41

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