The British Acorn-class, or H-class, destroyers were roughly comparable in size to Japan's second-class destroyers and remained suitable for the duties Japan required. A severe cockroach infestation was a real problem, but apparently did not prevent the ships from serving. The stronger explanation for their assignment appears to be Japan's need for additional hulls while the Royal Navy needed personnel for newer destroyers in the North Atlantic. Using Japanese crews for the two ships freed the Royal Navy from supplying their combined 144 personnel. Overseas deployments had left Japan short of destroyers, and its limited shipbuilding infrastructure was approaching capacity. Keeping British hulls operational with Japanese crews helped meet that shortage.
Notable Point · 18:43-21:00
British Acorn-class destroyers ease Japan's wartime shortage
Assigning two British Acorn-class, or H-class, destroyers to Japanese crews gave Japan useful hulls while freeing Royal Navy personnel for newer ships in the North Atlantic.