Asahi-class destroyer escort

Asahi-class destroyer escort is a class of destroyer escorts of Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. Two ships were lend from the cannon-class by the US Navy and in commissioned from 1955 until 1975.

JDS Hatsuhi in 1967
Class overview
Name: Asahi-class destroyer escort
Builders: Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, New Jersey
Operators:
Preceded by: Wakaba-class
Succeeded by: Akebono-class
Subclasses: Cannon-class
Built: 1943
In commission: 1955-1975
Completed: 2
Laid up: 1
Lost: 0
Retired: 2
Preserved: 0
General characteristics
Type: Destroyer Escort
Displacement:
  • 1,240 tons standard
  • 1,620 tons full load
Length: 93.3 m (306 ft)
Beam: 11 m (36 ft)
Draft: 3.5 m (11 ft) full load
Propulsion:
Speed: 21 knots (39 km/h)
Range: 10,800 nautical miles (20,000 km; 12,400 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement:
  • 15 officers
  • 201 enlisted men
Armament:

Description

In 1951, General Matthew Ridgway, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, proposed to lend a patrol frigate (PF) and a landing support boat (LSSL) to Japan under Allied occupation. In response to this, on April 26, 1952, the Coastal Safety Force was established within the Japan Coast Guard to serve as a receiver for these warships and as the base of the future Navy. Then, with the establishment of the National Safety Agency on August 1, the same year, the Coast Guard absorbed the route enlightenment department of the Japan Coast Guard and was reorganized into a security force, and together with the National Police Reserve (later the National Safety Force), which is a land unit, of the National Safety Agency.[1]

Of the rented vessels, all 18 PF vessels were delivered in 1953 and commissioned as comb-type guard vessels, which later became the starting point for the development of the Maritime Self-Defense Force escort vessels. In the budget for 1952, which is the year when the guards were established, the construction of support vessels (water vessels, heavy oil vessels, etc.) to improve the operational base of these guard vessels was prioritized, and the construction of combat ships was not carried out. Although domestic construction of security vessels began in 1953, the construction in the same year was two 1,600-ton instep security vessels (Harukaze-class) and 1,000-ton B-type security vessels (JDS Akebono and Ikazuchi-class) It was fastened to 3 ships.[2]

After that, the US-Japan Ship Loan Agreement was signed on May 14, 1954, and two Livermore-class destroyers and two Cannon-class destroyers were to be rented. This type is the one that recommissioned this Cannon-class. The Livermore-class became an Asakaze-class escort ship.

Ships in the class
Asahi class
Hull no. Name Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Decommissioned
DE-262 Asahi Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, New Jersey 7 January 1943 27 May 1943 14 June 1955 13 June 1975
DE-263 Hatsuhi 14 January 1943 27 May 1943
  • JDS Asahi with her hull number painted 6 which indicates the affiliation of the 6th escort corps.

References
  1. Koda. 2015. pp. 12–23.
  2. Koda. 2015. pp. 24–35.
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