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[James Baker]

In the Solomons Campaign and Amendment 1 GQ3 ship charts, the IJN Fubuki class (Fubuki, Inazuma, Ikazuchi, and others) are listed as having 3 black circle triple torpedo mounts, which indicates that they are carrying the Type 90 24" torpedoes instead of the Type 93 Long Lance. I always thought that these classes of ships carried the Long Lance, and what I have seen always indicated that they did.One of my sources "The Imperial Japanese Navy" by A.J. Watts and B.G. Gordon pp.268-269, says about the "Special Type" (Fubuki class) destroyers: "Initially the first two groups operated a Type 90 24-inch torpedo, driven by compressed air, but in 1933 the type 90 was replaced by the new "Long Lance" which was just coming into service...". Do you have information that contradicts this?I would think that the Type 90 might be carried by the earlier Mutsuki class DDs, which were considerably smaller than the Fubukis and their successors, but with 8-years to do it during a time of constant naval build-up, it would seem logical that the Japanese would have upgraded all of their modern fleet destroyers to carry the same weapon, both because of the increased effectiveness and to simplify logistics.

[Cpt M]

According to more recent research, the Fubukis were not refitted with the Type 93 during the Solomons period. The indications are that some may have been refitted later, but, to be honest, sources do not agree as to which ships or the date. The Type 93 was actually adopted for surface use in 1935 and was slowly introduced to the fleet, with the cruisers being refitted from 1935 through 1938 (as the ships came up for extended overhauls). The destroyers received an improved version starting in 1940, with the most modern classes being the first refitted. The Fubukis, being the oldest of the 'new' destroyers, were the last planned to be refitted, but the start of the war prevented that.