Kagero moves closer to the long-range requirement

Kagero developed the Asashio design into a closer fit with the naval staff's requirements. The stated target was 5,000 nautical miles at 18 knots, while the claimed achieved range exceeded 6,000 nautical miles at that speed. Amatsukaze's experimental boilers gave her exceptional endurance, although the size of her advantage remains disputed. The class retained the general weapons arrangement with improvements and offered useful long-range fleet capability. Eighteen ships were lost in the Second World War and one survived. Three nominally cancelled destroyers served as budget placeholders for Yamato, prompting the suggestion that building more destroyers might have been a better use of the resources.