Matsu

Class: The Matsu-class destroyers were a class of destroyer built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), who referred to them as the Type-D Destroyer.

The Matsu class were built late in World War II, and they were intended to be more cost-effective in response to the changing character of naval warfare at that time. These ships were lighter and smaller than previous Japanese destroyers, with different armament such as enhanced anti-aircraft guns and anti-submarine weapons, and radar. Since surface warfare was believed to be less likely at this stage of the war, armament such as torpedo tubes that would be useful against surface ships was reduced.

As in other navies during the war, the IJN substantially simplified the design to speed up construction, and used Ōtori class machinery, because high speed was unnecessary for convoy escort operations. However, mass production was not achieved.

The Matsu class design was subsequently further simplified, resulting in theTachibana-class destroyer or Modified Type-D Destroyer. The Tachibana-class destroyers adopted the first modular design in a Japanese destroyer. Matsu-class destroyers whose construction was started late in the program were completed as Tachibana class.

Nationality: Japan is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean with dense cities, imperial palaces, mountainous national parks and thousands of shrines and temples. Shinkansen bullet trains connect the main islands of Kyushu (with Okinawa's subtropical beaches), Honshu (home to Tokyo and Hiroshima’s atomic-bomb memorial) and Hokkaido (famous for skiing). Tokyo, the capital, is known for skyscrapers, shopping and pop culture.

Although legend has it that Japan was founded in 660BC, archaeologists agree that settlement in the Japanese archpelago dates back as far as 100,000 years. The Jomon Period (8000-c.300BC) is the earliest that has been studied. It is named after the 'jomon' or cord-marked pattern style of pottery of the period.