JDS Teruzuki (DD-162) - Design and Construction

Design and Construction

Terizuki was one of two Akizuki class destroyers ordered in 1957 by the United States for Japan as part of a military aid package. Although the two destroyers were paid for by the United States, and therefore had hull numbers under the US Navy designation sceme, with Terizuki having the hull number DD-960, they were built in Japanese shipyards to local designs.

The two destroyers were equipped as flotilla leaders, and had the same main gun armament of three American 5 inch (127 mm) 54 caliber guns as used in the previous Murasame class destroyers, with four 3 inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft guns in two twin mounts. Anti-submarine armament consisted of a Weapon Alpha anti-submarine rocket launcher, two Hedgehog anti submarine projectors and two depth charge launchers. A single quadruple mount for 21 inch (533 mm) torpedoes was fitted, with a single set of reload torpedoes.

Terizuki was laid down by Mitsubishi at Kobe in Japan on 15 August 1958, launched on 24 June 1959 and commissioned with the pennant number DD 162 on 29 February 1960.