Hezhuo class destroyers
![[ img ]](https://i.imgur.com/7aWYNmA.png)
History:
In 1917, the Columbian Federation and the Kingdom of Fushan signed an agreement of mutual support in case of a conflict. This threatened the Five Empires Confederacy, who had maintained hostile relations and fought multiple wars with the Fushani over the last fifty years. In any future conflict, the Empires would not only have to defeat the militarist but relatively economically fragile Fushan, but also the looming specter of the rich, large Columbian Federation, who had already beaten back the leading naval power of the world once before.
While this agreement was ostensibly defensive in nature, the Five Empires didn't trust this stance one bit, and the Emperor decreed that a significant military buildup and standardisation effort should occur.
While some work had been done to keep the fleet current with foreign capabilities, it was by no means a world beater. The bulk of the destroyer forces for example dated back to a time when all five member states still maintained their individual navies, and thus was a wild hodge podge of more or less outdated designs going back beyond the turn of the century in some cases. The situation was similar with other ships of war and even land-based equipment. A concise doctrine was also lacking.
To achieve the required lightning buildup of force, workers were conscripted into foundries and machine shops to meet demands. This had deletrious effects on the country's economy and food situation and led to significant shortages, but was nonetheless enforced by the Emperor's orders.
First, a doctrine had to be devised, accounting for the Ming's inferior industrial fidelity at the time, as well as the general lack of experience among higher officers. What was arrived at was essentially a sea-based version of the land-based "Two Thrusts" doctrine:
The first attack was to be made at dusk by the destroyers. These would envelop the enemy force in a melee and then apparently disengage, prompting the enemy to follow them - into the guns of the approaching friendly cruisers coming the other way. Then, both elements would conduct a combined torpedo attack on the enemy battle force at night, thinning out the enemy battle line enough by dawn to allow the friendly battle force to defeat the survivors in a surface gunnery duel.
The focus of the plan was to deprive the enemy of their fleet screen. As such, friendly destroyers needed to be both well armed and fast, it was stipulated, to avoid getting bogged down in a melee without the ability to disengage towards their cruiser allies.
Design work on a destroyer to meet these criteria began in 1917 and lasted a full four years writhe with dispute and corruption. The penultimate design for the new series of destroyers was sound at a glance, if somewhat undergunned, but frightfully speedy, achieved by using boilers prepared for the light cruiser program underway at the same time.
Heavy critique came from many of the Admirals who decreed the ship to be too lightly armed for surface action against enemy destroyers, but there was not enough time and budget left to remedy these issues, and so an order for a whole 60 hulls was placed at practically all military shipyards in the country. Immediately, issues began cropping up: The demand for steam turbines outstripped the supply of such powerplants. Instead of waiting for supply to catch up, alternate powerplants were substituted: One prototype set was installed that had been ordered from Alantia for testing purposes, other ships carried direct drive turbine and cruising VTE setups like older destroyers had, and four even carried only VTE powerplants, greatly reducing their vaunted capability to run at high speed. Thankfully, someone had the sense to group all four into a division together and dispose of them at the earliest convenience.
![[ img ]](https://i.imgur.com/ZXP9cfo.png)
Eventually, much of the 60 ship order was cancelled in favour of gradually iterating and improving on the design in follow-up classes.
During the World War, the fleet of Hezhuo class ships were the oldest destroyers still in frontline service with the Five Empire Navy, and it showed. Poorly maintained and outmatched, they were spared most of the early war action by filling secondary roles, such as convoy escort, ASW patrol or supply or personnel shuttle runs to Fushan. Jintzeping would be lost in such duty while carrying special forces intended to seize an underwater cable hub, becoming the first surface warship sunk in the conflict.
As the war dragged on, the class began to suffer heavily. Many were converted to other roles, such as light troop transports, a role that was practically expected to be a one-way trip past 1940. Most were sent on convoy escort, but radar and hydrophones were prioritised for fleet units, leaving them pretty much incapable of defending their charges. None of the class made it past 1945.
Displacement:
1380 tons
Main armament:
3x1 7sho (123,8mm)/42 guns
Torpedo armament:
3x2 20sho (531mm) torpedo tubes
Speed:
37,3 knots (Huixhi)
Ships in class:
Hezhuo - Started January 1921, launched November 1921, commissioned March 1922. Sunk February 1941 by CFN submarine while escorting a convoy.
Hanpho - Started January 1921, launched January 1922, commissioned March 1922. Sunk August 1943 by CFN aircraft near Kuruk Lagoon.
Gaotze - Started January 1921, launched December 1921, commissioned March 1922. Ran aground during training exercise, 1924, subsequently scrapped.
Jintzeping - Started January 1921, launched March 1922, commissioned May 1922. Sunk by Fushan submarine while carrying commandos, 1938.
Ganjin - Started February 1921, launched February 1922, commissioned May 1922. Training ship by 1937. Sunk in port by CFN aircraft, September 1945.
Gunzhang - Started January 1921, launched March 1922, commissioned May 1922. Converted to fast transport (APD) [see Hezhuo class fast transport].
Longdan - Started January 1921, launched April 1922, commissioned June 1922. Sunk at anchor August 1943 by CFN aircraft in Kuruk Lagoon.
Dalang - Started March 1921, launched June 1922, commissioned September 1922. Sunk August 1943 by CFN aircraft near Kuruk Lagoon.
Kaicheng - Started March 1921, launched July 1922, commissioned September 1922. Converted to fast transport (APD) [see Hezhuo class fast transport].
Mophe - Started March 1921, launched July 1922, commissioned September 1922. Destroyed by arson, 1933.
Huixhi - Started April 1922, launched July 1922, commissioned September 1922. Converted to fast transport (APD) [see Hezhuo class fast transport].
Zhangdaoe - Started April 1922, launched August 1922, commissioned October 1922. Converted to fast transport (APD) [see Hezhuo class fast transport].
Ganphao - Started April 1922, launched August 1922, commissioned October 1922. Sunk January 1943 by Columbian submarine.
Yushe - Started April 1922, launched August 1922, commissioned October 1922. Sunk February 1944 by CFN Ward and CFN Flusser.
Wangdaiwang - Started April 1922, launched August 1922, commissioned October 1922. Sunk November 1944 by RAN submarine.
Kundang - Started May 1922, launched August 1922, commissioned October 1922. Sunk June 1943 by CFN aircraft while escorting a convoy.
Kamyo - Started July 1922, launched December 1922, commissioned March 1923. Sunk February 1943 by CFN aircraft.
Bayo - Started July 1922, launched December 1922, commissioned March 1923. Sunk in collision with sistership Kundang, 1930.
Tsutze - Started September 1922, launched January 1923, commissioned March 1923. Sunk October 1941 by CFN submarine.
Bakham - Started October 1922, launched October 1923, commissioned December 1923. Scrapped, 1932.
Weihai - Started October 1922, launched November 1923, commissioned February 1924. Sunk October 1941 by CFN submarine.
Kamphe - Started October 1922, launched January 1924, commissioned April 1924. Scrapped, 1932.
Donwangdang - Started October 1922, launched January 1924, commissioned April 1924. Scrapped, 1932.
Yoshiue - Started October 1922, launched January 1924, commissioned April 1924. Scrapped, 1932.
Gallery:
![[ img ]](https://i.imgur.com/CFgN5xH.png)
A decade after her commissioning, Hezhuo has not changed significantly.
![[ img ]](https://i.imgur.com/bWEPe2z.png)
Immediately before the war, a pair of boats were deleted from the class to free up displacement for future changes and reduce fire hazards.
![[ img ]](https://i.imgur.com/86lhELp.png)
Hezhuo as she appeared on the day of her sinking.
![[ img ]](https://i.imgur.com/KlaKyWu.png)
Hanpho received dual purpose main guns and radar along with much of the escort force in 1942, but it would not be enough to prevent her sinking by Columbian aircraft.
![[ img ]](https://i.imgur.com/le1sEkg.png)
Wangdaiwang wore an elaborate and colourful camouflage scheme when she was sunk near her home port in 1944.
|
![[ img ]](https://i.imgur.com/1Vt9886.png)
![[ img ]](https://i.imgur.com/LSh3qzI.png)
![[ img ]](https://i.imgur.com/MIumxIM.png)
![[ img ]](https://i.imgur.com/SdeJLFK.png)
![[ img ]](https://i.imgur.com/LyHFBrZ.png)
![[ img ]](https://i.imgur.com/1vn0ZhN.png)