Japan's rapid wartime destroyer construction

France placed the order in 1916 after concluding that it could not build enough destroyers at home. Yokosuka, Kure, Sasebo, and Maizuru naval arsenals shared the work with Kawasaki at Kobe and Mitsubishi at Nagasaki. The yards used triple-expansion engines because Japanese turbine production had not yet reached comparable scale, allowing more builders to take part. One of the first ships was laid down, launched, and completed during 1917 and entered French service by September that year. All 12 were produced in less than a year, and most served until 1936. Continued Japanese investment had created capacity even while the industry was still developing. France's larger industry struggled with earlier disruption and the demands of supporting the war effort.