Asahi-class destroyer escort

JDS Hatsuhi in 1967
Class overview
Name	Asahi-class destroyer escort
Builders	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, New Jersey
Operators	Coastal Safety Force Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Preceded by	Wakaba class
Succeeded by	Akebono class
Subclasses	Cannon class
Built	1943
In commission	1955–1975
Completed	2
Laid up	1
Retired	2
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	4 GM Mod. 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive 6,000 shp (4,500 kW), 2 screws
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	3 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 guns (3×1) 2 × 40 mm Bofors AA guns (1x2) 8 × 20 mm Oerlikon AA guns (8×1) 3 × Torpedo tubes for 21-inch Mark 15 torpedo (1×3) 8 × depth charge projectors 1 × Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar 2 x depth charge tracks

The Asahi-class destroyer escort was a class of destroyer escorts of Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. Two ships were lent from the Cannon class by the United States Navy and in commissioned from 1955 until 1975.

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.

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.

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

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

Gallery

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  JDS Asahi with her hull number painted 6 which indicates the affiliation of the 6th escort corps.