A comprehensive look at World War II-era Fubuki class destroyers, giving readers an understanding of why and how the Imperial Japanese Navy took the lead in destroyer design. The World War II-era destroyers of the Japanese Fubuki class were the first of a type sometimes referred to as "super destroyers." These destroyers were extremely large and heavily armed with guns and torpedoes. Ironically, the IJN was pushed to create heavier destroyers by the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty, which discouraged the construction of new capital ships. Particular emphasis was placed on ships that were important for the night battle preceding the "decisive battle." Thereby the stage was prepared for the Fubuki class. This book presents: The history of their design, construction, and combat history Original Japanese war-era source material, including numerous diagrams and photos. The coauthors are recognized authorities in the study of the IJN in WWII The Fubuki class introduced a new standard for Japanese destroyers, a standard followed by almost all Japanese destroyers designed afterward.