Talk:Prototype 61cm Sextuple (Oxygen) Torpedo Mount/@comment-26874340-20160527175433/@comment-5046483-20160717225759

@Anon above

I think you are getting the fleet defence/picket destroyer role mixed up with the actual class of Destroyer Escorts (DE). Compared to a fleet DD which needed the legs to keep up with the heavier warships they were escorting, DEs were much slower only needing to be fast enough to escort merchant vessels on transatlantic/pacific convoys and being more focused on the ASW role so they only averaged 20-25kts, enough to run down a surfaced sub but nowhere near fast enough for fleet actions.

Taking the Ukuru-class kaiboukan as an example, the most numerous of the kaiboukan which is translated as ocean defence ship and was the class of ship analogous to the USN destroyer escorts and the RN corvettes used by the IJN, they had a max speed of 19.5kts, a whopping 3x12cm DP guns, 4 whole 25mm autocannons in two dual mounts (later upgraded to 20 or so, but still not enough) but two Type-94 depth charge projecters. sixteen Type-3 depth charge throwers, 2 depth charge chutes and 120 depth charges. Each. This was complemented by Type-93 and/or Type-3 SONAR as well as Type-22 and Type-13 RADAR for air and surface detection. Very useful for convoy protection but not enough for a fleet role.

Compare that to the Akizuki-class we know and love who weighed in with a max speed of 33kts, was armed with 8 10cm long barrelled high angle guns in four dual turrets, the same lacklustre four 25mm autocannon barrels,a single quad mount Type-92 61cm torpedo launcher loaded with Type-92 'long lance' oxygen torpdoes with a single reload and only 52 depth charges but no RADAR (until Nizuki which was the first IJN DD to recieve radar) nor SONAR. Sort-of-adequate when built but much better  later on,   though still lacking in fire control, for fleet defence but utterly useless as a convoy escort against anything other than commerce raiding surface ships.

Similar roles, utterly different classes of ship.