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Off-Topic Discussion => Gaming Discussion => Topic started by: Enioch on November 29, 2016, 11:14:55 am

Title: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on November 29, 2016, 11:14:55 am
(https://s13.postimg.cc/6q021l5iv/soukai_no_seiki_drawn_by_nogami_takeshi_sampl.jpg)
Image by Nogami Takeshi

Table of Contents: (WORK IN PROGRESS - Might not include the most recent chapters)



Hello folks.

I'll be starting a slowly updating log of my RTW campaign as the Grand Admiral of Japan, partly for the fun of it and partly for raising awareness. For those of you who don't know what Rule The Waves is, it's, essentially, a naval armaments simulator, which plays through the Dreadnought Age, from 1899 to ca. 1925 (you can extend your playtime to 1950, but aircraft carriers and other innovations of WWII never make their appearance, with all that this implies for the fate of the battleship as an effective weapon).

Picking Japan because Japan is FUN. You are poor as s**t, with the smallest starting docks in the game and a bonus to light forces warfare (i.e. IJN DDs OP, pls nerf!) and no colonial holdings worth mentioning. However, you're dealing with colonial forces of the other Great Powers (i.e. if you play your cards right, you'll not be facing any massive enemy fleets early game).

See also  NGTM-1R's ramblings (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=92028.0)

Initial settings are rather minimal:

(https://s13.postimg.cc/cx5yf5kav/Screenshot_(2).png)

'Historical resources' nerfs your initial budget; I'm picking it for extra challenge. Manual legacy design allows you to decide what sort of ships your predecessor in the High Admiralty would have built. This is a must, I'm afraid.

So, first, we need to design our legacy fleet:

(https://s13.postimg.cc/v03mk45jb/Screenshot_(14).png)

The Fuso-class battleships are pre-dreadnoughts, with two big double 12-inch turrets and a secondary broadside of 5 6-inchers. This is a rather small secondary battery (especially when compared with the RL Mikasas, for instance), but these ships are meant to operate with a cruiser or destroyer screen. If they're not, something BAD has happened and a lack of secondaries will not be the problem. Note that the ships are of 15.4 kiloton displacement. This is significant; the Japanese yards can only build up to 10k-ton ships at game start. Both Fusos were built in British yards. Also, note their magnificent 20 knot speed and her near-impenetrable 10'' armor in both belt and turrets.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/edm2b1clj/Screenshot_(15).png)

The Asama is a 2-ship class of armoured cruisers, with a better secondary battery than her bigger sisters but a smaller, 4 9'' broadside. Note that I could equip them with 10'' guns instead, but these ships were homebuilt, to save on costs, and the IJN 9'' guns are of good quality, while their 10'' rifles are subpar. Essentially, I get slightly better performance out of my 9'' guns, and save on weight. The downside is that I will be unable to upgun these ships, if I ever research better 10'' tech.

Their speed, at 22 knots, is quite satisfactory for a 1899 heavy cruiser.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/gjgd5jg1z/Screenshot_(16).png)

The Izumis are light screening cruisers. They strike a role between raiders and destroyer-killers, with a 5 6'' broadside. These are big ships for their type, at 6k tons, and slightly better armoured than their analogues, with a 2.5'' instead of the usual 2'' belt. They're also nippy, at 24 knots.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/eg5xxvg93/Screenshot_(17).png)

Finally, the Akikazes. Small, 500-ton DDs, with a two-torpedo broadside, a mediocre 27-knot top speed and two 3-inch popguns. They're nothing special, especially this early in the game, but they're built as torpedo delivery platforms, which is significant for Japan (IJN DDs OP, nerf pls!)

I also build a class of Minesweeper / coastal patrol gunboats, which are essentially nippy barges with popguns.

So, this is our existing fleet at game start:

(https://s13.postimg.cc/ypynz9s07/Screenshot_(8).png)

I also assign most of my remaining starting funds to have some ships under construction (i.e. halfway finished) at game start. In the Pacific, cruisers and light forces are significant, so I lay down another Asama and another Isumi, followed by a few DDs and MineSweepers:

(https://s13.postimg.cc/49xcevvuv/Screenshot_(9).png)

Now, let's review our battlefield.
Title: The Setup
Post by: Enioch on November 29, 2016, 11:46:37 am
(https://s13.postimg.cc/i4vmxcq9z/Screenshot_(11).png)

We hold an embarrasing three territories: Japan, South Korea and Formosa. Two of those are located in the map sector (i.e. big grey square) of 'North-East Asia' (where Japan is) and the other lies at the northernmost point of 'South-East Asia' (near Vietnam).

The good: we only need to defend these areas, and they lie far away from the 'main' conflict area of the Atlantic / Baltic. We're likely to see heavy and light cruisers and very few battleships.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/w7m5q2l1j/Screenshot_(27).png)

Which is a good thing, because LOOK AT THAT BUDGET. Only the bloody Spaghettis spend less on their navy.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/5ssqjv2fb/Screenshot_(13).png)

Now, research in this game is interesting. You don't specify specific advances that you want researched. You give your scientists a general idea of what fields you're interested in and they go for it as they see fit. So, being Japanese, I assign high priority to gun and fire-control; ship design; and, most significantly, torpedoes.

(https://s22.postimg.cc/fy2fcczwx/yuudachi_kantai_collection_drawn_by_momoniku_t.jpg)

Yes, the future lies with metal fish.

I assign some of my ships to Formosa, so that we have some presence in South-East Asia; and finally I press the 'End Turn' button.

Very little happens, during the first few months. Then, the first ships start coming out of the yards:

(https://s13.postimg.cc/850qhgf0n/Screenshot_(18).png)

They're MineSweepers. Who cares.

Then, the first colonial crisis hits:

(https://s13.postimg.cc/pjpk3h1jb/Screenshot_(19).png)

Clearly, we need to send a battleship. The safety of His Imperial Majesty's subjects needs to be safeguarded at all costs!

(https://s13.postimg.cc/7g32w4efr/original_drawn_by_kawanakajima_sample_6196848.jpg)

Mikasa Fuso, deploy!

(https://s13.postimg.cc/9mqs6r953/Screenshot_(20).png)

Hoooooooooly crap.

So, have you noted the 'tension' metres to the top right of the screen? That's a representation of how tense the international situation is and how nervous other nations are of our activities. Clearly deploying Fuso made most of the colonialist forces in the area piss their pants. Britain, France, Germany AND Russia are scrambling diplomats over to figure out what our intentions are. Tensions are good for the navy - in that the more tense the situation is, the more money the bureaucrat politicians deem fit to send our way. On the other hand, with war looming, we need to be ready.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/7ais95wjr/Screenshot_(24).png)

For one thing, we start training our fleet. This training will increase our maintenance costs, as we are paying for traning ammunition, fuel, extra salaries, supplies etc. However, while we're paying NOW, the effects of the training will only kick in a year's time. That's why we're starting NOW, and not when war is declared. For now, we're focusing on gunnery training - we want to hit our targets!

(https://s13.postimg.cc/mgou03mkn/Screenshot_(22).png)

For another, our spies report in. They've secured the plans for... an Italian cruiser?

Really? WTF Spaghettis?

Well, she's smaller than my Asamas, and has worse guns and is less armoured. Not a concern, right now.

Now we only have to wait for the Parliament to raise our budget

(https://s13.postimg.cc/z9cy00y6f/Screenshot_(23).png)

What. the. FUUUUUUUUUU--



Title: Germany's ambition
Post by: Enioch on November 29, 2016, 12:15:46 pm
(https://s13.postimg.cc/quxbbxx53/Screenshot_(26).png)

Oh, REALLY? When I was asking for money, you were saying that tensions were low. And now you're asking me to fix your diplomatic mess?

Lol, Nooooo. *Ahem* Is the world listening?

THE NAVY STANDS BEHIND OUR GOVERNMENT. COME GET US, GAIJIN PIGS.

As expected, Tensions skyrocket; but we also gain Prestige, which represents how 'respected' our navy is internationally. It amounts to victory points and the more, the better.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/l9aw7vwg7/Screenshot_(28).png)

Clearly, whatever stupidity the PM said, it had something to do with ze Germans. They seem angry. We deploy a few destroyers to Formosa, to strenghten our presence in the area.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/4faag1hxj/Screenshot_33.png)

The scientists deliver! Better shock absorbers in our turrets allow for higher rates of fire. Note that these improvements are implemented 'gradually' (it says so); the costs are covered by my 'Maintenance' costs and I don't have to drydock the ships to retrofit them. Excellent.

A closer look at the international scene is in order. Germany is clearly our future enemy; let's see what they have to offer.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/g5o7xfapz/Screenshot_(34).png)

Well, crap. They lead in everything. However, keep in mind that we're on the other side of the world and they can't reasonably relocate their entire battle-line over here. They would allow the British and French to dominate their home waters and politicians hate that.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/na616ghzb/Screenshot_(35).png)

Now, here's a bummer. If we issue an ultimatum, war will start without doubt - and our training isn't complete yet. Paaaatience. I'll risk bumping tensions a bit higher, if only to get a budget increase, and hope it's not enough to piss them off too much, too quickly.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/szm9qro5j/Screenshot_(36).png)

WHAT. Germany, are you OK in the head? How is me leading an international force against you a cause for decrease in tensions? Maybe the fact that they went and took over North Korea ANYWAY has something to do with it?

Also, they ignored us. Duly noted, Germany.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/y286zamtj/Screenshot_39.png)

Good. Perfect even. I've been pouring money into bigger shipyards for a while now. I get a decent increase of +2k tons capacity and private industries has added another +1k tons. I'm only 3k tons away from being able to locally build Fuso-sized ships.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/h9nddv0vx/inazuma_kuroshio_and_murakumo_kantai_collectio.jpg)

(https://s13.postimg.cc/reblcp3bb/Screenshot_(41).png)

Interesting. Sure. We can afford it. If he proves unworthy of our trust, we will expect him to do the honourable thing.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/9pjul2rk7/Screenshot_(42).png)

Training is still not ready but, Germany, you've been much too grabby, mate. Your imperialistic tendencies can no longer be tolerated.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/8e2pmkmp7/index.jpg)

You -what?

Ok. Ok, filthy Gaijin. I can see your house from here.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/79i1789hj/Screenshot_(43).png)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on November 29, 2016, 01:08:39 pm
Nippon Banzai
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on November 29, 2016, 01:18:32 pm
Great, although being a german, that made me laugh, keep it up :D
Title: Yasen! Yasen! Yasenyasenyasen!
Post by: Enioch on November 29, 2016, 03:24:59 pm
So, the Japanese have this national trait called 'surprise attack' #pearl

What it means, essentially is that, upon declaration of war, there's an 80% probability that, if you have fleets near an occupied enemy naval base, you can attack them. The battle will be a night battle...

(https://s22.postimg.cc/6taex3f41/ffd.jpg)

...(go away Sendai), and the enemy ships will be stationary and will only begin building steam 15 minutes after the your first ship is detected. Your forces are usually arrayed in two waves, with destroyers leading the charge into the enemy base, followed by a capital ship group.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/lnl3pw6gn/Screenshot_(45).png)

This is pretty much going as expected. Six destroyers, near the entrance to Tsingtau, followed by the Hatsuse and Fuso, back from her China deployment and eager for a scrap. No cruiser participation, which is a shame, but not a deal breaker.

Now, I'm running this on Captain's mode for surprise attacks, because otherwise the DD AI goes bananas, fails to utilise torpedoes (which are the entire point of such missions) and becomes a liability more than an asset. I get more direct control but suffer a 20% penalty on victory points (i.e. I dedicate obscene amounts of time in planning how this attack will be carried out and my micromanagement hurts my relationship with my subordinate captains), but for this mission that's more than worth it.

Note the blue area near the harbour. That's a suspected enemy minefield. My ships will flat-out refuse to enter it and that's fine by me.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/8kph6mg8n/Screenshot_(46).png)

My DDs approach the entrance to the port at flank, their running lights off. They make out the superstructures of two enemy ships, at anchor. This is better than I'd hoped - I've got a clear run into the harbour between them and I could get both sides' launchers off.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/dhgkjppxh/CLny8chUMAAa0mL.jpg)

Ok then. Close the range....

(https://s13.postimg.cc/oli2jle47/Screenshot_48.png)

Fish in the water! Keep the searchlights OFF.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/hjk4xeaif/Screenshot_49.png)

Holy crap.

That thing had been identified as a light cruiser, but, right now, it's a hulk. The torpedo broke her keel. There's screams and secondary explosions and the water churns and the DD line sails on, following Nokaze in a hard turn to starboard. The lookouts on Namikaze think that the ship to the right might be a bigger target - maybe an Armoured Cruiser. Minekaze (being the overpowered ninjaboat that she is) launches a torpedo toward the second light cruiser in her turn...

(https://s13.postimg.cc/w417s85h3/Screenshot_(50).png)

...and hits! The cruiser shudders but does not share the fate of her sister. There's lights coming on and pumps activating. She may still survive this.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/yzeaz39h3/Screenshot_51.png)

The destroyer line turns and exits the harbour. Lookouts from Akikaze cry out that the big ship is a battleship, but the admiral from onboard the Hatsuse scoffs. Destroyermen are notably excitable, Germany has only three battleships and chances that one of them is present here, in a foreign station are minimal. It's probably a misidentified armoured cruiser, which is a beautiful target in itself.

Minekaze still empties her tubes. Her starboard launcher fires at the foundering Nymphe-class; her centerline launcher zeroes in on the capital ship, whatever it is. The second torpedo hits while the first is still on the way! A geyser of water rises as high as the enemy ships rangefinder.

Akikaze's searchlights snap on and illuminate the cruiser; her lookouts report their observations on its armaments and make an estimate of its characteristics.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/46gzus5o7/Screenshot_(52).png)

Unfortunately, she gives her position away and gets punished for it, thankfully not too severely. Her coal bunkers absorb most of the shrapnel; she is, however, holed underwater and her speed drops to 25 knots. Her crew's efforts eliminates flooding, but she rides low in the water.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/t10houqif/Screenshot_53.png)

She still bites back like a cornered weasel. Her port launcher fires a high-speed torpedo, which nails the capital ship amidships; she makes best steam to follow the flotilla leader.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/tf1togalz/Screenshot_54.png)

Meanwhile, Hatsuse and Fuso have encountered a patrol boat. It's not even funny. As the battlewagons lumber closer at flank speed, Captain Ahisa of the Hakaze swings his flotilla around for another torpedo run. There's more light now, from the burning oil that's slowly seeping from the cruiser hulk. He's risking a lot - the Germans have woken up by now and they're at full alert, not to mention the coastal batteries, but if he can get that capital ship, that'd be worth his entire squadron and he knows it. With silent determination, Hakazeand Hokaze close the range at 27 knots.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/ekia7e7cn/Screenshot_56.png)

At a range of a few hundred yards, they open fire with their popguns, firing WP shells. They also drop fish. Hakaze fires first, a carefully aimed shot at the ship's bow. Hokaze fires from the hip, launching two torpedoes from each side, one at the capital ship and one at the still-afloat Nymphe.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/h33z82t2v/Screenshot_57.png)

No hits. The destroyers turn to escape to open water - and Hakaze gets savaged by a 5-inch shell from the coastal batteries, which blows her starboard coal bunkers open. Her machinery is, thankfully, unaffected, but she's listing heavily.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/4czquzl4n/Screenshot_58.png)

At this point, the battlewagons are in range, but the battlefield is sucha a mess that they can't safely identify targets. Admiral Mifune angrily asks for a meteo sitrep and is informed that dawn is more than an hour away. He decides to close the range further.

So does Hakaze. Ahisa makes a hard turn to port, swings his centreline launcher around and lets his fish go at near point-blank range.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/qq7hhsm2f/Screenshot_59.png)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/dg21cjypx/55315b1762aab61938240ca535fbab41.png)

YASEN, MOTHERF***ER.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/c8aa9surb/Screenshot_60.png)

Hatsuse and Fuso swing along his wake, crossing the enemy's T at what, for a battleship, is knife-fighting distance. A 5-inch shell from a coastal battery hits Fuso's belt armour; the ship resonates like a bell and the 10-inch steel slaps the round aside with contemptuous ease.

Hatsuse swings to complete her maneuver; Fuso, on the other hand, delays her turn. Captain Yama****a wants to know who his enemy is. He closes to spitting distance before his lookouts can finaly identify the enemy capital ship.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/mwe18n4qf/Screenshot_61.png)

Holy crap.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/m7o1jbuc9/Kongo_Shock_zpswag5bpf6.png) (https://postimages.cc/)

She's a Brandenburg.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/57mah0szb/Screenshot_62.png)

These things are the German equivalent of the Fusos - they have equivalent armour, a better secondary and tertiary broadside, but are two knots slower.

And for some reason, the Germans have deployed a third of their battleline in their furthest colony, anchored at the entrance of a second-rate harbour, to die, alone in the dark.


Holy crap dudes, this is how you get Abyssals.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/jglwz37hz/Screenshot_64.png)

No. Fuso is the Lady of China. She will not maul a dying opponent. This is already a stab in the dark - she will not dishonour herself by firing on a sinking ship and the sailors scrambling to abandon her. She fires star-shells, to illuminate the wreck and make the efforts of the rescue teams easier; then she turns and follows Hatsuse out of the harbour, where the destroyers are harrying a lone German merchantman. The fleet drops to a cruising speed of 14 knots and sets a course for South Korea.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/ttcsywqev/Screenshot_66.png)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/sgte81685/sendai_kantai_collection_drawn_by_kake_kuromit.png)

Next time, when I tell you to keep your grubby paws off Mozambique, you ****ing listen, Gaijin pig.

(https://s14.postimg.cc/tr4rihvmp/Screenshot_67.png)

(https://s14.postimg.cc/ejtdbvt5t/Screenshot_68.png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/o63pfht7t/200_s.gif)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on November 29, 2016, 03:57:07 pm
Yaaaaaaaaaa
What a victory
sen

(http://i.imgur.com/3rAgQ9G.jpg)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on November 29, 2016, 04:06:59 pm
Yeah, I'm pretty happy about it.  :lol:

I still can't stomach the fact of the Brandenburg's presence. It was, literally, in the worst possible place in the worst possible time. I honestly thought it was a CA until the Fuso got close enough to get a positive ID...

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on November 29, 2016, 05:37:06 pm
Are there ever third party ships in a combat zone?  It would be a bit of a roflwoops if you happened to accidentally sink a neutral liner during a night raid...  :P
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on November 29, 2016, 05:54:39 pm
Not in my experience (which is, admittedly, short). However, you need to partly identify a ship to see its flag, so it is a possibility. Keep in mind that the rules of war of the period required neutral liners to follow specific routes, sail with full lighting and avoid blockaded ports and marine bases.

I admit that would help little in what is the equivalent of early-20th century Pearl Harbor, but that's why surprise raids always happen against military harbours / bases  :p

What CAN happen, later in the game, if you invest in submarine warfare, is that your subs might sink neutral liners. Which is something that increases international tension (encouraging other nations to join your enemy) and severely impacts your prestige.

Title: There's OIL in them thar fields!
Post by: Enioch on November 29, 2016, 07:14:39 pm
So, a quick overview of the situation. We've dealt ze Germans a devastating blow. #Sadbisko #Sadpringles

(https://s13.postimg.cc/soqei4zlz/Screenshot_(70).png)

Suddenly their battle-line is inferior to ours in tonnage and (I have to assume) in quality. Now, I can't see the stats of their battleships, unless my spies steal their designs. However, remember that the Brandenburg was only slightly smaller than the Fuso. Given that our Battleship tonnage is almost 3k tons bigger than theirs for the same number of ships, I can only assume that they're fielding one or two smaller battlewagons. This means they'll either be slower (and the Brandy was already 2 knots slower than my darlings), less armoured, or undergunned. Good news.

On the other hand, They enjoy a good advantage in heavy cruisers, with almost triple my active and under-construction tonnage. That's bad. Also, regarding their light cruisers....

...WTF.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/w70quv5sl/tatsuta_and_tenryuu_kantai_collection_drawn_by.jpg)

Oh my Kami, I hadn't realized it. I have more tonnage in my two-and-a-half light cruisers than they have in their FIVE. Their ships must be tiny. Awwww, whosalittlecwoosathen?

Anyway, back to work.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/tsf47u9mv/Screenshot_(71).png)

First, we need to assign coastal patrol vessels - ships that will not be part of our active forces per se, but who will patrol our waters and warn the battle fleet if enemy forces should approach. Note the 'Patrol Fulfilment' quota, under the tension graph. This rises according to the enemy force composition, the presence of subs and the amount of territory you need to cover. If you don't fill the quota, the politicians complain, your prestige suffers and your budget gets axed.

Also note that some of my DDs are marked as 'AF' (Active Force) and some have numbers in the same columns (namely '1's). That means that they will be spending that amount of time in the drydocks. These are the ships that god damaged in Tsingtau. Ships that are marked with 'WU' are 'Working Up' (i.e. they're in their shakedown cruise and unavailable for battle). Their crew quality is also abysmal, as the sailors and officers are only now getting acquainted with their ship. Workup cruises can last several months and problems or good surprises with the ships may be discovered; for instance, a ship class may be found to be overweight, handle poorly, or easly surpass her design speed (always good, but particularly appreciated in destroyers).

(https://s13.postimg.cc/qzlwnt9af/Screenshot_72.png)

Naniwa, for instance, performs exactly as expected. That's not a surprise, as she's a legacy design.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/63zmckd3b/Screenshot_(73).png)

R & D has pored over flotsam the DDs picked up from Tsingtao. They have found confirmation of previously-discussed theories in German metalworking that we can adapt to our ships. Note that this is not a 'gradual' development. This will only apply to ships which have been laid down AFTER this discovery - or we can bring ships in for refits. This can take from 4 up to 12 months, depending on the complexity of the refit. It is certainly not worth it for our current fleet (not for 1% armour weight savings), but it will help in future construction. Good job, everyone!

(https://s22.postimg.cc/gvs85860x/kancolle_anime_ep_09_review_14.jpg)

Goddammit, somebody restrain Fubuki, she's gone senpai-ga-ga again. When I said everyone, I meant the scientists, FFS

(https://s13.postimg.cc/enj0ablfr/Screenshot_(74).png)

There, you see? There's a very important mission, and we all have to do our best concentrate. The enemy might be trying to sneak a supply convoy to his bases in South-East Asia. That convoy must be stopped. So, let's see what forces we have available to....

(https://s13.postimg.cc/rg74a8x1j/Screenshot_(75).png)

....WTF?

(https://s12.postimg.cc/j92cqx2fh/20140519.jpg)

They don't have enough ships for a convoy escort. Heh.

Aaaaaanyway, next turn and this happens.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/cliiw2ngn/Screenshot_(76).png)

Which means that our crews now enjoy a 10% accuracy bonus with main and secondary guns, until I choose to stop their training. Note that keeping their training up costs me 250k a month (in the budget column, under 'Enhanced Training'). Very nice.

I'm so happy about this, that I FORGET TO TAKE A VERY  IMPORTANT SCREENSHOT. No, I'm serious. This is an event that will affect the entirety of my lategame.

Do you see this?

(https://s17.postimg.cc/qu8qcqza7/Screenshot_(76b).png)

So, it turns out that the local authorities in Sumatra were overthrown by a rebellion, or something along those lines. And I was invited to attempt to restore order. It so happened that I had a ship who had experience in these matters...

(https://s13.postimg.cc/7g32w4efr/original_drawn_by_kawanakajima_sample_6196848.jpg)

And when Fuso arrived, the rebellion was squashed in a week and after a referendum of sorts we established a protectorate, with a naval base.

So, it so happens, that Sumatra has this:

(https://s17.postimg.cc/giwdk37kv/Oil.jpg)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/f3aoocidl/kinu_kantai_collection_drawn_by_annin_musou_s.jpg)

*Insert Maniacal Laughter Here*

No seriously. Oil is one of the most significant resources that you can secure. Oil-fired boilers give you considerably better performance, generate less smoke (which makes your ships stealthier and more accurate, as their smoke doesn't interfere with their rangefinders) and are lighter. Now, of course, I need to research them; and there's little to guarantee that my scientists will do so in any reasonable amount of time. I need to switch priority of 'Machinery' to 'High' ASAP.

Also:

(https://s13.postimg.cc/pe6mvzz2f/Screenshot_(77).png)

GLFHHHSYYYYYYESSS.

You can safely assume there's raucus partying in the Navy High Command at this point.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/3t1k8e2br/Screenshot_(78).png)

Our scientists make progress, but have not yet achieved a breakthrough. Messages such as these are there to warn you that you're close to a discovery - if another nation comes along and tells you 'Do you want to buy Heavy Secondary Battery for X million credits?' and you've just received this message, then it might be a good idea to save your money.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/e4dx11u13/Screenshot_(79).png)

(https://s13.postimg.cc/tr56ef7t3/Screenshot_(80).png)

Now, that's something that I was afraid of. The good thing about having lots of small cruisers, is that you can send them off to 'raid' enemy commerce and earn trickles of VP in this fashion. You're also causing 'deprivation' to the enemy, which might cause civil unrest, as freighters don't make it to the port. I can't afford to send my CLs off, because I've only got two and I need them on my battleline.

Of course, small cruisers have small fuel bunkers. They can't have that much range, and short-range raiders encounter all sorts of problems...

I'll be patient, for now. See what happens.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/uutw44htz/Screenshot_(81).png)

This happens. And this time, they accept the fight. They have no choice. This convoy is headed to the Marianas; they're trying to resupply their troops.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/xk1exx4yd/akatsuki_ashigara_hibiki_ikazuchi_inazuma_and.jpg)

They cannot be allowed to pass.

Let's go.
Title: The Berlin Express
Post by: Enioch on November 30, 2016, 06:33:07 am
Our order of battle:

(https://s12.postimg.cc/8yebnvx8d/Screenshot_(83).png)

The Asama is a welcome sight. Her armour and 9'' guns will help a lot in any cruiser engagement. Izumi will be a good scout and harrier; the DDs can screen, or circumvent the convoy's defensess and strike quickly if an opening should be found. This is, in many respects, the perfect convoy attack force and Captain Yonehara of the Asama is very pleased with his flotilla.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/wdw8t8gzh/Screenshot_(84).png)

Interestingly, the Marianas are so far away from our current bases that Izumi arrives with half of her coal bunkers empty. Of course, this is because she was pulled out of patrol without having the time to refuel; she has more than enough fuel to return to Formosa, but we'll need to be stingy with her fuel consumption.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/ep4i1m58d/Screenshot_(85).png)

We spot the enemy!

(https://s12.postimg.cc/w3oq9w2d9/Screenshot_(86).png)

Captain Yamamoto of the Izumi provides us with a meteorological report. We have 10 hours of daylight ahead of us; the weather is clear and likely to remain so, with a stiff breeze blowing from the East. This is important; an Easterly wind blows the smoke of our funnels toward the west. If the enemy lies to the west of our ships, then the smoke of our funnels might blow in front of our rangefinders. If possible, we want to be to the west of our enemies.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/ymafako3h/Screenshot_(87).png)

We identify the lead enemy ship; it's a Gazelle-class Light Cruiser. It's truly small, two thirds of Izumi's size, two knots slower (so she can't escape), only slightly more armoured (she's got an extra half inch of belt armour), has two less torpedo mounts and considerably weaker armament (a five 5''-gun broadside). This is clearly a (poor) raider design: she's too slow to be a DD-killer, doesn't have enough armour to stand up to an Armoured Cruiser and deosn't have guns big enough to fight a bigger Light Cruiser at range. All she can do reliably is go hunt transports.

She's escorted by another (as of yet unidentified) cruiser and a couple of those:

(https://s12.postimg.cc/r7l3i727x/Screenshot_88.png)

These are gunships, in contrast to my torpedo boats. Note that they have secondary batteries. More importantly, they've got an extra knot on my DDs. Now this is a good design, Germany.  :yes:

(https://s12.postimg.cc/yc2wr89h9/Screenshot_(89).png)

The enemy line turns to the north in a sweeping arc and we get to identify the second cruiser as well.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/yc2wr89h9/Screenshot_(89).png)

The Hela-class. She's a smaller Izumi, worse in every respect. but I imagine she's also considerably cheaper to produce, which explains how the Germans have so many of them.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/hutp5kd8d/Screenshot_94.png)

The enemy line sails northward, and we get to see their convoy. The cowards are allowing us free reign over the unarmed transports!

(https://s12.postimg.cc/n8rgne7fh/maxresdefault.jpg)

(https://s12.postimg.cc/frj9xwdfh/Screenshot_95.png)

Except for those two brave DD captains, who charge into my cruisers in a desperate attempt to defend their charges. Captain Yonehara of the Asama asks his lookouts to note their hull numbers; if they should be sunk here today, he is determined to forward a report of their bravery to the enemy Command.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/iznraxzp9/Screenshot_96.png)

But, meanwhile, he will not be stopped. At flank speed, he brings his task force into the enemy convoy, keeping the Asama's port secondary battery on the frantically evading DDs. The IJN ships cut through the enemy transports like a divine wind.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/5k0qlhr7h/Screenshot_97.png)

These are unarmoured ships; it only takes a couple of 6'' HE shots to put one in the bottom.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/70c93mu4d/Screenshot_98.png)

The HQ had charged Yonehara to sink at least two enemy transports; he annihilates the convoy...

(https://s12.postimg.cc/4kafpsc1p/Screenshot_99.png)

...and then turns his attention to the enemy cruisers, who are actually slower than him and trying to escape. Izumi is assigned screening duties off his port side; there's no reason to risk her poor armour against even the German 5'' popguns. Asama closes the range and scores first blood on the Gazelle.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/wbljxvs3h/Screenshot_102.png)

Meanwhile, our DDs are picking up survivors from the gutted convoy. A true samurai does not make war on merchants or civilians. These men will be treated with respect and repatriated, adding to the prestige and honour of our mighty fleet!

(https://s12.postimg.cc/sgi5vb8xp/Screenshot_103.png)

The Asami and Izumi keep closing the range. 6'' guns slam into one of the German DDs; her starboard side is riddled with shrapnel; she lists and capsizes.

(Note the noted top speed of 3 knots. This is the game's way of telling you that this ship is sinking and cannot be saved).

(https://s12.postimg.cc/we5fkpvr1/Screenshot_104.png)

A dramatic chase ensues, with Asama inching closer, her 9'' guns on rapid-fire. Unfortunately, her gunnery against the frantically evading Germans scores no hits; her ammo stockpiles are dangerously low.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/rtj95sc1p/Screenshot_105.png)

Yonehara, despairing, charges the enemy like Nelson, aiming to cut inside their line and rake their lightly armoured bows and sterns at close range. Izumi stays close to him and readies her own broadsides.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/mjeaehrst/Screenshot_106.png)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/vw6rm4eo5/tenryuu_kantai_collection_drawn_by_hetza_hells.jpg)

Disaster strikes. While Asama is smashing the Gazelle into a pulp, the Hela scores a close-range hit on Izumi's engine room. Unfortunately, her coal bunkers are empty and cannot mitigate the blow. The shells punch through and reach the vitals of the ship. Twenty men die instantly, scalded by the escaping steam. The feeding tanks are compromised. Salt water clogs the boilers; Izumi staggers and comes to a halt, dead in the water. Yamamoto directs damcon crews to their stations and orders rapid fire on the Hela, to keep her away, but Izumi is a sitting duck.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/f4oym45x9/Screenshot_107.png)

DDs to the rescue!

Flotilla leader Togo of the Numakaze brings his ships danger-close to the DD-killing 5'' guns of the Hela, at flank speed, and dumps two torps on her. One hits and the Hela slows to five knots and lists.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/con589nul/Screenshot_108.png)

The DDs circle her like sharks, putting another torpedo into her. Tragically, it is in this moment of triumph that Shiokaze takes a massive hit from two of her 5'' guns, but stays in the fight. It would be much later, far too late that her crew would realise the extent of the damage.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/3w66kl2pp/Screenshot_110.png)

The aftermath. Two enemy cruisers and an enemy DD sunk; four transports sunk and more are sinking. Both Japanese capital ships still afloat; as the threat from the Hela was dealt with, Yamamoto got his engines back on-line relatively quickly, managing a top speed of 16 knots.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/4n3i43ugt/Screenshot_111.png)

Night has fallen and our flotilla sets a course for home.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/514u3pekd/Screenshot_(112).png)

Unfortunately, tragedy strikes in the journey back. Shiokaze signals the flagship; she is taking on water and cannot stop the flooding. Her officers are dead or wounded; her crew desperate. Yonehara does not want to accept it, initially, but the reports coming in soon make it clear that there is no saving her.

At 22:20, Shiokaze slips beneath the waves, all her surviving crew having abandoned her in good order. May the Kami of the sea ease her on her journey - she was a brave little ship.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/5pz0tm2nj/kisaragi_and_mutsuki_kantai_collection_drawn_b.jpg)

Captain Sagara, her CO and most of her surviving crew would later be assigned to the Asanagi-Kai-class Kamikaze, but that's a story for another time.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/g4juvkagt/Screenshot_(115).png)

The remaining ships were greeted as heroes upon their return. The Army in particular were very grateful of the Navy blockading the Marianas. Spirits were high; after these two victories, it was expected for the war to be over soon.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/n91o4lhq5/Screenshot_(116).png)

After all, Japan now had a reasonable tonnage advantage in light forces, which the Admiralty considered crucial for securing control of the Pacific (although, notably, the German heavy cruisers were still a formidable force).

(https://s12.postimg.cc/grirl37ct/Screenshot_(113).png)

However, lessons were learned as well. It became part of official doctrine that ANY ship taking on water uncontrollably would immediately report its condition to its division leader, so that appropriate action could be taken. Japan could ill afford to lose her ships like Shiokaze had been lost.

This brought August 1901 to a close.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/y6egfd7kf/Screenshot_117.png)

In September, the predictions of the Admiralty were confirmed, when Germany made her first overtures for peace. Original suggestions were for a white peace, with no change in borders and only minimal concessions. The Navy was, obviously, incensed and found an ally in the hawkish nationalist party of the opposition. Withering criticisms directed toward the governenment and the express displeasure of the Emperor derailed any peace negotiations, until such a time as Germany would acknowledge that she was in no position to dictate terms.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/yx76l59xr/Screenshot_(118).png)

Our scientists continud to focus their efforts on improving the secondary batteries of our ships, but achieved no practical results as of yet.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/obnb953m7/Screenshot_(119).png)

And those freaking Gainjin raiders continued sinking our merchantmen. Well, after our recent haul, we can't really complain, especially since we have very few ships to spare for raiding duties ourselves.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/gjdlqu2j9/Screenshot_119b.png)

Wait...what?

They're trying  AGAIN?





Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on November 30, 2016, 07:44:08 am
Is it not possible to capture convoy ships?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on November 30, 2016, 10:03:00 am
No; nor, to my knowleddge, was it possible during the time. You'd need a prize crew. The raiders of WWI (see SMS Emden) would approach a ship, warn them against using their wireless, put the crew in their lifeboats and then blow the ship out of the water.

And that was when it was a 1v1 situation. In a convoy, with other ships shooting at you, stopping to transfer a prize crew would be suicide.
Title: Wolfpack dat ****
Post by: Enioch on November 30, 2016, 03:33:30 pm
OK, let's see what our battle lineup looks like.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/d3cw1fjwd/Screenshot_(120).png)

Well, crap.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/9zc2e9j3r/akebono_kantai_collection_drawn_by_sen_astrono.jpg)

DDs are good at attacking slow merchantmen, but the problem is that these merchantmen are rarely alone. And while the Germans ran from my cruisers, they are less likely to do so against my piddly torpedoboats.

Oh well. The captains of the destroyers know their duty. The enemy supplies must not get through! Tennōheika Banzai!

(https://s12.postimg.cc/b0727i9h9/Screenshot_(121).png)

Outnumbered by dedicated gunships. Crap. Well, at least there are no light cruisers around (That the destroyermen can see).

(https://s12.postimg.cc/rp8i3f62l/Screenshot_(122).png)

(https://s12.postimg.cc/7kexxyc8t/Screenshot_(124).png)

The trio blasts into the convoy at flank, and rapid-launches everything. The sailors pray for success!

(https://s12.postimg.cc/ad85hzcl9/Screenshot_(123).png)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/j3jw9hybv/yuudachi_kantai_collection_drawn_by_kotatsu_ko.jpg)

Gotcha.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/vdy72wg3h/Screenshot_126.png)

A high-speed turn to port; turn around for a risky second pass. The German DDs pounce like guard dogs, but too late, too late.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/9st4fajct/Screenshot_(127).png)

Numakaze is hit and loses her aft turret, but the trio is through...

(https://s12.postimg.cc/k45h7yb25/Screenshot_128.png)

Leaving behind them a flaming oil-spill and the screams of their victims. No stopping to pick up survivors, this time around. Let their escorts handle that - the more the pursuit is delayed, the better.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/8ucrd060t/Screenshot_(130).png)

Night falls, and the trio slips into the darkness like ghosts. Spirits are soaring. What a ride!

(https://s12.postimg.cc/vkghjqem5/Screenshot_(131).png)

Mission accomplished - although armchair generals would often return to the question of whether they should have stayed to finish off their half-sunk victims.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/el7j4h3el/Screenshot_(132).png)

A minor victory, in the grand scheme of things, but what a boost of morale for our destroyermen!

(https://s12.postimg.cc/ileogptvh/Screenshot_135.png)

Now, time to re-inforce our fleet. The Admiralty orders the laying down of another Asama and another Izumi-class. The keels are laid down in Kure and Yokosuka, respectively. Also, funds are allocated for the enlargement of our drydocks. In a year, we should be able to build ships of at least 16k tons; for the first time, it will be possible to work on our Fusos locally, instead of depending on the British for repairs.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/5wkdx1nr1/Screenshot_(137).png)

Then, the generals come up with a daring plan for a winter offensive. The Admiralty has the budget to spare and it is important to reinforce our troops fighting in the Marianas. A portion of the Navy budget is reserved for the use of the Army, despite some misgivings among the Rear Admirals and the fleet officers; interservice rivalry is rather strong.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/ip8hwyzct/Screenshot_(138).png)

And so November starts with another German convoy making a desperate attempt to reach the Marianas.

This is getting annoying.



Title: The Third Battle of the Marianas
Post by: Enioch on December 01, 2016, 01:12:15 pm
Ok, what's our battleline?

(https://s17.postimg.cc/ezmkb1ysf/tenryuu_kantai_collection_drawn_by_sakura_chiy.jpg)

...what?

Well, apparently, we only have Izumi on station. It's a beautiful dawn, with an overcast sky (i.e. no glare to mess up our rangefinding) and a brisk WSW breeze. So, what do ze Germans have to offer us today?

(https://s16.postimg.cc/yyw71on6t/Screenshot_(140).png)

(https://s11.postimg.cc/tesppxsb7/y_D2233u1.png)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/987mc1rsl/tumblr_o5r70x9_Nw_W1rd6sdio1_540.gif)

NOBODY BLOODY TOLD ME ANYTHING ABOUT ARMOURED CRUISERS.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/fjlf8ktwl/Screenshot_(142).png)

Seriously, this is bad, BAD news. A light cruiser like Izumi can't reliably penetrate CA armour; meanwhile, CAs outrange her and any hit will mess her up, as her first encounter in the Marianas against that Hela demonstrated. Her only asset is her speed; she needs to open the distance. Unfortunately, the sun is about to rise and spotting distances will go up, for both the enemy and us.

Captain Yamamoto breaks radio silence and reports the position of the convoy; perhaps Asama is nearby and can help. He doesn't expect it but he needs to try. He also reports on his expected course, so that rescue ops might know where to pick up survivors, if the worse comes to pass. The crew wait at their posts, with bated breaths; the stokers throw coal on the fires with wild abandon.

Will we be able to get aw....

(https://s16.postimg.cc/yd785ks4l/Screenshot_(143).png)

...ay?

(https://s14.postimg.cc/3pnx3m1z5/Screenshot_143b.png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/a3w2j6px5/kantai_images_101513840_291.jpg)

Fufufu.

Well, that changes things, doesn't it?

(https://s16.postimg.cc/ejzpqm44l/Screenshot_(144).png)

The Izumi turns around, and closes the range. The Hela first seems stunned and then, panicking, turns and runs, crossing through the convoys path.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/5ercwr0px/Screenshot_(146).png)

The result is a mess, into which Izumi steers, all guns blazing.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/oxvy63zhh/Screenshot_(147).png)

She punches out the other end, and bears down on the Hela like the wrath of God, her path marked by burning transport ships. She takes a single hit, which punches through her forward belt, but the damcon teams patch it up immediately.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/ruiz6e5b9/Screenshot_149.png)

Rated M for violence against teenage boats.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/ufojtwup1/Screenshot_(152).png)

Izumi slots on the Hela's tail and serpentines, to repeatedly cross her T. Several raking shots punch through the Hela's aft.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/ufojtwup1/Screenshot_(152).png)

Then, Izumi puts a long, hard, throbbing torpedo in her, and the Hela goes down.

(https://s11.postimg.cc/4akemw18j/b97.png)

On the way back, Izumi finds a few stragglers.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/xp7ke486d/Screenshot_154.png)

Things go about as one would expect.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/emo6r6x5x/Screenshot_(156).png)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/two1ydso5/Screenshot_(157).png)

(https://s17.postimg.cc/9t9e1wy3j/tenryuu_kantai_collection_drawn_by_dai_pixiv53.jpg)

Good girl.

On to November!

(https://s16.postimg.cc/8e2uxlzl1/Screenshot_(160).png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/jjicfp309/60c1c8a4922369330bfdb90262c7f7b8.jpg)

Did- did Izumi just win us the Marianas?

Izumi just won us the Marianas!

(https://s18.postimg.cc/fa905hr3t/akatsuki_hibiki_ikazuchi_inazuma_tatsuta_and_o.jpg)

You magnificent little cruiser, you!

(https://s16.postimg.cc/l6qyxjb6t/Screenshot_(161).png)

Also, this is of some significance.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/7fmhvbm91/Screenshot_(163).png)

The Germans continue to sink our transport ships in a haphazard fashion. Their cruisers remain a nuisance, but....

(https://s16.postimg.cc/rqychmelh/Screenshot_(166).png)

...Izumo is now on station, to defend the home waters!

(https://s16.postimg.cc/54t14w0v9/Screenshot_(168).png)

Also, we can build bigger DDs now! (not that the budget can support it, but it's worth noting)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/e3novnv51/Screenshot_(171).png)

Nothing noteworthy happens until January (if you discount the sporadic reports of sunken merchant vessels), when we are called to defend an Army convoy to the Marianas. Army HQ want to establish a permanent base on the islands and are shipping the necessary building materials and personnel. If this convoy goes through, the Germans won't have a snowball's chance in Hell of pushing us out.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/d2ng6je5h/Screenshot_(172).png)

Unfortunately for them, they don't seem to have the ships to challenge our escort force.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/qm8vpzhid/Screenshot_(174).png)

To add insult to injury, our scientists deploy the new Type 3 hydraulic power rammers to all our active force ships, to be incorporated into our ammo loading systems.

And then, the coup de grace:

(https://s16.postimg.cc/wbp4aanol/Screenshot_(175).png)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/6u6pqp5yd/Screenshot_(176).png)

(https://s12.postimg.cc/j92cqx2fh/20140519.jpg)

The one thing that worked in favour of the German Navy were their heavy cruisers. Unfortunately, when you send heavy cruisers to do raiders' work, you risk things like this happening. With the commisioning of Izumo, we have established near-parity with their active CA forces...

(https://s16.postimg.cc/lsp4l4l0l/Screenshot_(178).png)

...by which I mean they still have double our tonnage. Crap.

Also:

(https://s16.postimg.cc/c9ffrnxid/Screenshot_(179).png)

Double crap.

These are very tense times among the High Commands. The hawkish Navy officers who had recommended the Navy not allocate its budget to the support of this land assault in Korea seem to have been vindicated. The Army counters with the success in the Marianas. The Navy responds that without the heroic actions of the convoy raiders, the Army may have been kicked out of there as well...

And then, one of our spies in Germany hits the motherlode and acquires a detailed copy of the blueprints of their new Hertha-class armoured cruiser.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/69roo0cpx/Screenshot_(180).png)

Triple crap. That's three and a half thousand tons heavier than my Asamas, faster than them (almost as fast as my Izumis) and outguns every cruiser I have.

Well, at least it's still being built and halfway across the world. Until it gets here, the war might be over.

Galvanised, our scientists return to their drawing-boards. We need to find ways to keep up with our enemies!

(https://s16.postimg.cc/70ketsf39/Screenshot_(181).png)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/hdbrczexx/Screenshot_(184).png)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/8wc922a91/Screenshot_(185).png)

And oooooh, boy, do the scientists deliver. I need to clarify that we can't build submarines yet: our R & D personnel is just experimenting with various technologies which will be applied once (if) we discover 'Coastal Submarines'

And then, Izumo and Naniwa report in that they've encountered a German raider in home waters and have set course to intercept. Perfect! It's high time we cleared out those bloody gnats and made the sea safe again!

Now, what sort of diminutive ship have the Germans sent our way?

(https://s14.postimg.cc/jcg22cnj5/Screenshot_(187).png)

Wait. Is that...?

(https://s14.postimg.cc/siycpmsrl/Screenshot_(186).png)

(https://s17.postimg.cc/an4xecibz/1yuudachi.jpg)

...help me
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: 0rph3u5 on December 01, 2016, 03:00:39 pm
Wilhelm II. and the Flottenbau-Verein would be proud.


For those not in the know:

- Wilhelm II. was the German Kaiser from 1888 until 1918 and a dedicated Navy- and Sailing-entusiast, going so far as to upstage his British royal relatives with his bigger boat and driving the naval arms race between Britian and Germany in the early 1900s. (also as The Simpsons tell us, the most dangerous Germans ever  :D)

- The Flottenbau-Verein (= "Fleet Constructions Society") was a civic lobby groups for the german armament at sea in the late 19th/early 20th century, along with other groups which lobbied for an aggressive foreign policy and more colonial acquisitions.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 01, 2016, 03:32:50 pm
Fraulein Hertha is here to show those upstart Japs what's up.
Title: Fraulein Hertha's nighttime activities
Post by: Enioch on December 01, 2016, 08:38:29 pm
So...

(https://s16.postimg.cc/uc5cf187p/__admiral_tatsuta_and_tenryuu_kantai_collection_.jpg)

Nice weather we're having, don't you think?

(https://s16.postimg.cc/7byp2padx/Screenshot_(187).png)

Too nice, to be honest. She can see me juuuust fine, I can't run (well, I can, with Naniwa, but I'd leave Izumo to die) and I can't hide.

Well, letting Naniwa take any hits is out of the question, so she can open the distance, while Izumo tanks for her.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/oqixaz7it/Screenshot_(188).png)

Holy crap, they're good shots too! Thankfully, the shot ricochets off Izumo's deck.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/xa2b8qfv9/Screenshot_(189).png)

And shortly after, we return the favour. Note that Naniwa is shooting against the wind (which is good, because her smoke doesn't get blown across her rangefinders), but Izumo is shooting into the wind, which is bad for exactly that reason.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/6sy7768d1/Screenshot_(192).png)

However, for some reason, the Hertha allows Izumo to circle behind her and almost cross her T. And then she hammers a shot into Izumo's superstructure, which punches through the smokestacks and messes with the uptakes. Izumo's engine room fills with smoke and she loses two knots. Now the German has an advantage of three knots, not just one.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/dn8hwv105/Screenshot_(195).png)

That said, she keeps showing her ass, while Izumo tries to unshadow her rear turret. At this close range, both ships score hits, but none can pen the other in their vitals. Izumo takes some superstructure damage, but nothing serious.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/aagr025kf/slapfight.gif)

Time passes. Eventually, night falls; the Hertha doesn't push and the Izumo and Naniwa lose contact and make cruise speed for home. There's a distinct feeling of relief.

Suddenly, out of the dark.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/oo3n1vt91/Screenshot_(196).png)

(https://s13.postimg.cc/7nv4k6isn/tumblr_n8kpwgcm701rzpyc0o2_400.gif)

HOLY CRAP SHE'S LESS THAN TWO HUNDRED YARDS AWAY COMING RIGHT AT US AT FLANK.


(https://s16.postimg.cc/987mc1rsl/tumblr_o5r70x9_Nw_W1rd6sdio1_540.gif)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/7ouommi1h/Screenshot_(197).png)

Goddammit, Naniwa, identify her! You couldn't have asked for a better torpedo target.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/xlocz8lp1/Screenshot_198.png)

Izumo scores a hit; both cruisers maneuver frantically to avoid potential fish.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/sqzpy2tp1/Screenshot_(202).png)

Break of, break off, breakoffbreakofff....

(https://s13.postimg.cc/m9jma6287/fubuki_i_class_destroyer_mutsuki_and_yuudachi.jpg)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/ijh6lo7h1/Screenshot_(204).png)

SAFE!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, SAFE!

(https://s16.postimg.cc/kpbhg6axh/Screenshot_(205).png)

Yeah, you can have the VP, Germany. And I'll keep my ships, thankyouverymuch.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/ecwc6c7v9/Screenshot_(206).png)

I'll also commission a new class of DDs. They're bigger and a knot faster than their predecessors, but their armament remains the same.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/pqivhjidx/Screenshot_(207).png)

Oh joy. A cruiser action. What do you think are the odds that....

(https://s18.postimg.cc/yxzw8ijl5/97cde975f448a0018c7df14a1cdf9603.gif)

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: JSRNerdo on December 01, 2016, 09:54:09 pm
I highly recommend a CL with 8 in guns and DDs with 6 in guns. Literally just stuffing the maximum gun size the game will allow on your boats makes for a lot of !!FUN!!
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lepanto on December 01, 2016, 10:10:46 pm
Ohhh. The soporific AI is finally throwing an actual challenge your way?

Looking forward to more complexities of naval construction, battles, and appropriate Kancolle reaction images!
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 02, 2016, 03:59:11 am
I highly recommend a CL with 8 in guns and DDs with 6 in guns. Literally just stuffing the maximum gun size the game will allow on your boats makes for a lot of !!FUN!!

The ROF penalties for uvergfunning ships are huge this early in the game; a DD with 6 inch guns gets a 20% ROF penalty even in lategame. I'll see if I can make something remotely viable, but no promises

Ohhh. The soporific AI is finally throwing an actual challenge your way?

Looking forward to more complexities of naval construction, battles, and appropriate Kancolle reaction images!

The AI isn't soporific; it just has limited options, given that it's operating halfway around the world from its bases and has been savaged by my initial night assault. Plus, I'm playing strategic hard-mode (historical resources) but (usually) tactical easy mode (Captain's Mode), so my ships make fewer retarded mistakes (like charging into a BBs secondaries with a DD and then NOT firing torps).

Anyway, I'll do my best!

Title: The sapphire blue Sea / on my eldest daughter's grave / Pain, cold and silence
Post by: Enioch on December 02, 2016, 06:34:20 am
So, battle line:

(https://s13.postimg.cc/mo6b44nqf/Screenshot_(208).png)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/bonb5xv7p/tatsuta_kantai_collection_drawn_by_kuronuko_ne.jpg)

It's Naniwa and three DDs, travelling along their merry way.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/4mrrk2j3b/Screenshot_(209).png)

(https://s13.postimg.cc/3obehs5rb/Screenshot_(211).png)

Enemy spotted! It's one of their gunships. Could be a screening force for their cruiser. A quick check of the chronometer - we have 7 hours of combat ahead of us (i.e. 7 hours of running from the Hertha, if it ends up being her).

(https://s13.postimg.cc/frgq5cgtj/Screenshot_(212).png)

...or not. She looks to be alone. What the hell?

(https://s13.postimg.cc/frgq5cgtj/Screenshot_(212).png)

We chase it south....

(https://s13.postimg.cc/myif17rqf/Screenshot_(215).png)

...and we chase it north...

(https://s13.postimg.cc/4y97wtzjb/Screenshot_(217).png)

...until we lose it in the haze.

But there's the swampy coast of South Korea in front of her, so she can't run forever. Press on!

(https://s13.postimg.cc/gorqryhpj/Screenshot_(218).png)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/s89s9ftjp/tatsuta_kantai_collection_drawn_by_hetza_hells.jpg)

Found you.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/4bewl1s13/Screenshot_(219).png)

We pin her against the coastline...

(https://s13.postimg.cc/671ow7gvb/Screenshot_(222).png)

...and chase her to the west...

(https://s13.postimg.cc/jp8l8ht0n/Screenshot_(223).png)

...and to the east...

(https://s13.postimg.cc/bmaex68fb/Screenshot_(225).png)

...and back to the west.

Seriously, just DIE already.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/ol1srgidr/Screenshot_226_copy.png)

(https://s17.postimg.cc/fdeub3ghb/binbougami_ga_01_ichiko_shocked_surprised_comedy.jpg)

(https://s14.postimg.cc/ub91y1vc1/akatsuki_and_fubuki_kantai_collection_drawn_by.jpg)

NONONONONONO, c'mon, Akikaze, you're the eldest sister, you're the name ship, don't die on me, DON'T DIE, you can't leave your sisters alone, c'mon, limit flooding, LIMIT FLOODING!

(https://s13.postimg.cc/4ctfs7j8n/Screenshot_230.png)

(http://i.giphy.com/H90fKQo79caqY.gif)

YOU MOTHERF-

(https://s13.postimg.cc/x507boqw7/Screenshot_(232).png)

(https://s13.postimg.cc/p0s36y4h3/Screenshot_(233).png)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/qj2g23c6j/ikazuchi_inazuma_naka_sazanami_tatsuta_and_oth.jpg)

The mood is somber as we sail back to port. Naniwa stays on patrol - there may still be a cruiser out there and, if so, she wants it gone.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/4j74vasdj/Screenshot_(235).png)

Yeah, no. Look, Mr. Foreign Secretary, if you dare sign any peace treaty right now, I will personally blow your head off with a 4'' rifle.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/52gtib95z/Screenshot_(239).png)

Why, hello there. Could that be the Hertha? Naniwa doesn't give a flying ****. She just lost a destroyer and she's out for blood.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/m49nkeo13/Screenshot_(240).png)

(https://s13.postimg.cc/e01jfo1lz/Screenshot_(241).png)

Up close and personal, in the middle of heavy rain. Weather to fit the mood.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/rw9rrjxuv/Screenshot_(243).png)

(https://s13.postimg.cc/zdiz6rndz/Screenshot_(244).png)

How DARE you send crap like this against us.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/crdnu19nr/Screenshot_(246).png)

(https://s13.postimg.cc/jhz70l353/Screenshot_(247).png)

(https://s13.postimg.cc/ror6s5t7r/Screenshot_(248).png)

Ancient legends say the rank a fallen warrior held
depended on the honour guard of foes that one had felled
and so, in tardy tribute to the one we couldn't save,
we'll lay your fiery deaths like crimson flowers on her grave.


(https://s3.postimg.cc/bdw2642kz/nu_class_light_aircraft_carrier_ri_class_heavy.jpg)

For Akizake, you Gaijin bastards.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 02, 2016, 08:11:13 am
On a side note why do the the kancolle Tenryū CLs look like they have Fleet of Fog parts where the rest of the characters seem to be historical?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 02, 2016, 08:29:25 am
Beats me. I don't think there has been an official eplanation.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 02, 2016, 08:57:50 am
Ohhh. The soporific AI is finally throwing an actual challenge your way?

Looking forward to more complexities of naval construction, battles, and appropriate Kancolle reaction images!
I wondered what the images were from, I was intrigued by them.

So someone took the whole calling ships "she" thing very literally it seems. Anime is frequently so strange to me. But I'm enjoying the style of this thread.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 02, 2016, 09:25:01 am
You weren't familiar with Kancolle?  :lol:

Welcome to the wonderful world of kanmusu or 'shipgirls'. Beware of Akagi, she's known to bite when hungry. And if Fubuki starts calling you 'senpai' run.

Title: Alle Ihre Basen sind gehoehren uns
Post by: Enioch on December 02, 2016, 12:41:09 pm
After this slightly bloody interlude, we turn to the strategic map. We need to plan our overall strategy.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/hm9p4nclr/Screenshot_(249).png)

Note that the Marianas now proudly fly the Rising Sun. Also note that the Germans still have holdings in Tsingtaou, North Korea, the Caroline Islands (i.e. Truk) and the Bismarck Archipelago. This is where we should be focusing our efforts, to completely kick them out of our sphere of influence. Also also note that our intelligence officers have tracked the movement of another battleship to Tsingtaou, where it met the Hertha. The Germans have two heavy hitters on our doorstep. Thankfully, both Fuso and Hatsuse are standing by to engage their battle-line if it should poke out and the Admiralty is confident in their superiority over the German analogues.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/urp7ar6hb/Screenshot_(250).png)

Our intelligence officers have also been keeping a close eye on the French and Russians, just in case the war spills over. With a honeypot scheme, one of our best female operatives manages to acquire the complete blueprints of their new battleships.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/5my6xc70v/Screenshot_(251).png)

Which is completely inferior to the Fusos in every aspect but its guns. So, no worries there.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/bpaf1kkun/Screenshot_(252).png)

Vague happy noises come from our R & D department. Apparently, they have an experimental submersible vehicle and they've been sailing it around (and under) Kuro harbour. It is interesting in its implications, but whether it will turn out to be a toy or a revolution in naval warfare remains to be seen.

(https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-42b4131dc7e17d7c8d3d50a612e804c6?convert_to_webp=true)

(https://s17.postimg.cc/bdsyot4en/Screenshot_(253).png)

Meanwhile, the German raiders continue to make a nuisance of themselves. Izumi and Naniwa's crews are eager to hunt them down, but the Admiralty comes down on them like a ton of bricks. These are armoured cruisers (possibly Herthas) and we cannot risk our scouts against them. Wait.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/dxoliwryn/Screenshot_(255).png)

Then, agents in Tsingtaou report that the German fleet has set sail, with the intention of bombarding coastal defenses. The Admiralty deploys scouting elements to find them and guide the Fusos on an interception.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/atdxm4b67/Screenshot_(257).png)

The operation is a partial succes. Naniwa tracks them down near Sasebo and the Fusos arrive mid-bombardment. The Germans disengage under cover of nightfall. The damage to the coastal installations is minimal and there are no casualties among the merchant shipping.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/zb61a0dqn/Screenshot_(258).png)

Then, the Germans plead for peace. A council is held, in which the Admiralty pushes for the continuation of the war; but the Army is exhausted and the Emperor is concerned that, if Germany continues her raiding campaigns, there might be a turnaround. Right now, they're offering satisfactory reparations; it would be in Nippon's best interest to accept and grant them their peace.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/fhtxhb0cv/Screenshot_(259).png)

Peace is signed, on the 14th of June, 1902, on board the battleship Fuso, in Tsingtaou harbour. The terms are hugely favourable to Japan; Geermany acknowledges its occupation of the Marianas and also offers Truk and Tsingtaou itself, the jewel of northern China, as reparations. Week-long celebrations are held throughout Japan.

This is a peace that shakes the world. For the first time, an Oriental power has claimed victory over and dictated terms to a European colonialist nation. The foundations of the world tremble. The British observe with a raised eyebrow and cackle that their ships, even on the hands of the Japanese, can outperform the Kaiser's floating junk, ignoring that not a single battleship engagement was fought. The French and Russians, the old kids in the block who have just seen an uppity newcomer beat down their neighbour are very worried but limit themselves to vaguely condemnative statements and subtle economic warfare.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1f89ib.jpg) (https://imgflip.com/i/1f89ib)


The Emperor and his cabinet institute a rather loose colonial system in the occupied areas. There are long-standing grievances between the Japanes and the Chinese and it is thought that attempting to enforce the Emperor's rule by force will only be met with open rebellion. Instead, local governors are appointed and the European Gaijin are kicked out of any position of authority over the following years. Similar systems are put in place in the other Pacific holdings, with indigenous persons of note being placed in positions of authority and recognised as high officials of the Empire. Interestingly, the systems seems to be working. The local populations were not particularly fond of the Europeans and the gentle hand (and it is a gentle hand) of the Empire seems to be infinitely preferrable.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/5lsuhnukv/Screenshot_(260).png)

Of course, these social and political developments require the Empire to dig deep into its pockets and the naval budget is the first to suffer in peacetime.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/z78wr0yen/akagi_kantai_collection_drawn_by_yanagida_fumi.jpg)

(https://s4.postimg.cc/dbqyqnip9/Screenshot_(261).png)

Nevertheless, the upcoming months are productive. First, an overview of the construction techniques in the Tsingtaou yards shows that the Chinese workers have developed interesting variations on riveting techniques. They are encouraged (with high wages and high-ranking positions) to oversee their application in the naval yards.

(https://s4.postimg.cc/69t14gf3h/Screenshot_(262).png)

With the immediate threat of war over, the fleet dials down its training regimen. It becomes possible to economise almost half a million monthly, a very respectable amount.

(https://s4.postimg.cc/hopi92rfx/Screenshot_(264).png)

(https://s4.postimg.cc/ogkz91mr1/Screenshot_(266).png)

(https://s4.postimg.cc/spkne3jot/Screenshot_(265).png)

That money flows into R & D and infrastructure. New docks are completed; it is finally possible to drydock our Fusos withour making them travel halfway around the world, to Britain. Our scientists present us with improved AP shells and, perhaps more significantly, wheel out their submarine prototype. It's slow and has limited range, but it packs a good punch with the weapon that most appeals to the soul of the Japanes sailor: Torpedoes!

(https://s4.postimg.cc/9aexi3wq5/Screenshot_(268).png)

Of course, we can only afford four, for now.

(https://s4.postimg.cc/8yxh5cga5/Screenshot_(269).png)

Our 11'' guns are now up to international standards. Not particularly helpful, as we're not fielding any 11'' ships, nor are we planning to, but lessons learned might help with other calibers.

(https://s4.postimg.cc/6k5lkx019/Screenshot_(271).png)

And then, November 1902 hits us with the worst recession in recent years; apparently, Japan has bitten off more than it can chew and, as the winter approaches, there are people sleeping in the streets. This is the winter that will make or break the delicate alliance that Japan is trying to build in East Asia; and Nippon responds beautifully, with an extended campaing of charity and social reforms. What is notable to the naval historian  is the massive donations by the Imperial Family to private charity organisations throughout the Empire's holdings; and the usage of ships in foreign stations as accommodation for the homeless and unemployed. Hatsuse becomes known as the 'Mother of Sasebo', for packing more than a thousand mothers and children into her holds throughout the winter.

(https://s4.postimg.cc/6y6xkik4t/Screenshot_(272).png)

Of course, the navy budget suffers another blow, although things could be worse.

(https://s4.postimg.cc/es7j5wrxp/Screenshot_(273).png)

As winter passes, the youngest of the Izumi sisters rolls off the yards and starts her training cruise. Say hello to Takachiho, everyone!

(https://s4.postimg.cc/8sjs29759/Screenshot_(274).png)

And our designers implement new safety measures to keep our engines un-exploded, a valued characteristic, from what our officers are given to understand.

(https://s4.postimg.cc/gmkdnney5/Screenshot_(275).png)

With funds from Takachiho freed up, the first Asanagis are laid down; a small flotilla of four ships for a start, just to test the design. They should hit the water in less than a year.

(https://s4.postimg.cc/bpbega2ct/Screenshot_(276).png)

And, after their rough treatment during the crisis, it is thought the two Fusos have earned a period in drydock, for essential maintenance. Thankfully, the R & D department vetoes the project. They're tantilizingly close to unlocking critical improvements in firing control technologies and they insist that any repairs should wait until the new system can be implemented. The Admiralty agrees, and Fuso and Hatsuse keep their keels wet for a few more months.

(https://s4.postimg.cc/i4afcy92l/Screenshot_(277).png)

The Brits are quite interested in our progress and offer to sell us improved rangefinders; the R & D people jump at the opportunity and funds are allocated.

(https://s4.postimg.cc/hvcun0wa5/Screenshot_(280).png)

However, this leads to a cock-up with the handling of finances. The Navy has to default on a month's salary payments for some of its personnel; the budget is back in the black in the next month, but the scandal remains a tarnish on the Admiralty's record and an embarrassment for a good while. A quiet decision is made, behind the scenes: Never again.

(https://s4.postimg.cc/n81p15k6l/Screenshot_(281).png)

The Navy finds the opportunity to redeem itself in May, when a minor colonial crisis erupts in Sumatra, over territorial waters with the Vietamese. It is not hard to see France pulling the strings from behind the scene. Izumi and Izumo are on the spot and their captains are instructed to provide all the necessary support to the Sumatran administration - unconditionally. Their uncompromising stance greatly enhances the image of the Navy among the locals; so does the fact that a large part of the Izumo's crew are natives, including First Lieutenant Bambang, one of the first wartime graduates of the Kaigun Heigakkō academy.

(https://s4.postimg.cc/dq1y13yi5/Screenshot_(283).png)

Then, later in the year, during the celebrations for the anniversary of King Edward VII's coronation, a Russian destroyer rams Fuso (who was hosting the Japanese diplomatic delegation) in Spithead. The event incenses the Admiralty who see in it an act of attempted sabotage and an 'accidental' sinking of the pride of their navy; the British stand behind the Japanese, harshly critisizing Russian seamanship. Fuso suffers minimal damage; the Russian destroyer spends four months in drydock. Tensions with Russia rise; Albion, on the other hand, seems firmly on the side of the Japanese.

(https://s4.postimg.cc/v5w42sxgt/Screenshot_(285).png)

In November, a committee of Chinese and Japanese naval engineers present the Admiralty with the design of a fully functional 'wing' turret, capable of bearing up to 10'' guns. They also present theoretical designs of 'enhanced' battleships, with a 12'' main battery (similar to that borne by the Fusos) complemented by massive secondary turrets of 10'' guns. The ship would have a theoretical broadside of 4 12 inchers and 4 10 inchers, a formidable armament. The design is benched, however, as neither the navy's budget nor its drydocks can support such a behemoth of a ship.

(https://s4.postimg.cc/azx7hnr71/Screenshot_(286).png)

New developments in AP projectiles, on the other hand, are always welcome.

(https://s4.postimg.cc/8wms9zre5/Screenshot_(287).png)

And then our first submarines are commissioned. The Navy is eager to experiment with these 'boats'. They quickly become quite prestigious postings and enjoy a 'ninja' mystique; their crews are some of the most egalitarian in the fleet. Command posts are given to a Japanese , two Manchu and a Polynesian officer and their crews are a multi-ethnic melting pot.

(https://s4.postimg.cc/51je7f88d/Screenshot_(288).png)

And then, FINALLY, with a ten-month delay, our scientists and engineers present us with a working design to centrally coordinate not just the rangefinder information, but all firing calculations. Time to truly bring our ships into the 20th century.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 02, 2016, 02:01:26 pm
You weren't familiar with Kancolle?  :lol:

Welcome to the wonderful world of kanmusu or 'shipgirls'. Beware of Akagi, she's known to bite when hungry. And if Fubuki starts calling you 'senpai' run.
Now that I have had a look at what this is, it reminds me very much of something I stumbled across a few months ago, Hyperdimension Neptunia. That too started humbly as a game, filled it's universe with a 100% female cast of largely tweenage-looking girls anthropomorphised off of inanimate objects, and has since picked up a seemingly sizeable following, and spawned an anime, manga and more games.

I said stumbled across, but it's more like repeatedly thrown in my path to stumble over until I stopped to have a closer look, because it's hard not to see it when you browse the playstation store when they pump out so much DLC and so many games. Just pages and pages of outfits and accessories and such. It's probably for number of single items in there the game that has the most. It's actually a pretty good way to get noticed since in the end I was just like alright, just what the hell is this? after having ignored them for a long time.

I don't know if it's a Japanese thing to do this or if these two things are unusual.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 02, 2016, 05:40:24 pm
I wish I had a Fubuki calling me Senpai.

(I'm still following the thread with great interest)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 02, 2016, 06:03:31 pm
Well, everybody knows of your deviant tendencies, Spoon. (j/k, just to make sure I don't offend anyone)

For the uninitiated, this is Fubuki's 'Senpai face':

http://i.imgur.com/TIE2Szb.jpg

Good to hear that people care. I'll try to keep it interesting!  :nod:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 02, 2016, 08:53:34 pm
Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks and praise her for trying so hard? Sometimes I even think about holding hands with her.
Title: Peace, Prosperity and Rising Tension
Post by: Enioch on December 02, 2016, 09:06:08 pm
(https://s18.postimg.cc/bxejnu1mh/Screenshot_(289).png)

So, the scientists also provide the Navy with a prototype of the Type 6 torpedo. Which is a notable improvement over earlier models in both range and speed. Destroyer commanders were ecstatic.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/q548chebd/Screenshot_(290).png)

But the priority for the navy was to modernise their battleships. Fuso and Hatsuse were placed in the (newly constructed, spick and span) drydocks in Kure and Sasebo respectively and the local engineers got hard at work, replacing the worn-out machinery, improving minor systems and, most importantly, fitting the new Central Firing systems.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/477riozax/Screenshot_(291).png)

The construction of the third Asama-class cruiser was also extended over an extra month, to give the yardhands time to fit in the new improvement.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/i26215tq1/Screenshot_(292).png)

High explosive shells were also improved during this period; new chemical processes allowed the manufacture of higher-yield explosives and, most importantly, safer fuzes.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/6eglkctyx/Screenshot_(293).png)

That said, the economic crisis had seriously impacted the effectiveness of the Navy. Yearly spending and tonnage ranked Nippon far behind her contemporaries. This caused considerable concern, as the government felt that the Armed Forces were incapable of protecting the safety of the Empire's citizens or that of her allies.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/p9ccaru0p/Screenshot_(295).png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/u99sipznd/Screenshot_(296).png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/428lmrhdl/Screenshot_(297).png)

It was in this climate of uncertainty that the first Asanagi-class destroyers were launched; that new advances in opticts and pneumatics allowed the implementation of high-quality periscopes in the small Japanese submarine fleet; and that Fuso and Hatsuse were re-launched, changed and improved in some ways, yet the same in all the ways that mattered to the nervous populace.

(https://s14.postimg.cc/3ssk2peap/6_Zym4_U7.jpg)

And then, Spring came, and the Ministry of Finance published its findings on the state of the economy.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/tatfgfmbd/Screenshot_(299).png)

The numbers were staggering - to the point that it was suspected by foreign powers that Japan was falsifying its budget. And yet the data were there, for everyone to see. Unemployment - that massive spectre looming over Japan - was down eight percent, partly thanks to the Navy hiring; average income had gone up by fourteen percent, as the soldiers and sailors returned to their work or found new employment. New technologies introduced from the West or developed in Japan and the availability of labour had led to industry skyrocketing in a few short months. Maritime trade bloomed in Southeast Asia. The oil fields' production was up twelve percent compared to their pre-war levels.

And, as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported, approval of Japan's policies among her closeby allies and protectorates, even among the native populations, was at an all-time high.

It was working

(https://s17.postimg.cc/588f3wsin/akagi_kantai_collection_drawn_by_rebecca_keine.jpg)

Seemingly overnight, the Navy's budget jumped up by sixteen percent.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/bbii31isr/Screenshot_303.png)

That said, not all news were good. Internal inquiries noted signs of a break-in in the R&D facilities. The culprits were never found and nothing appeared to be stolen. Yet it was clear that security had to be improved - and the officer responsible was harshly reprimended.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/lbtnz3wl5/Screenshot_(304).png)

Leaving the gunboats, destroyers and battleships to handle coastal patrols, and taking advantage of the peaceful times, the Navy re-fitted the entirety of its cruiser force with Central Firing systems. It was a relative quick process; and it allowed the extensive workforce in the new docks to bond together into a well-oiled machine.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/cbyuocfm5/yamato_kantai_collection_drawn_by_marui_kun_s.jpg)

Kure and Yokosuka, in particular, quickly became known as the 'cities that never slept'. The yards worked 'round the clock, under the glare of the new electric lights. By July, the Izumis were ready; by August, so were the Asamas.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/uh20syzzt/Screenshot_(312).png)

In July, a delegation from the USA arrived in Japan, to observe the staggering developments in the Land of the Rising Sun. They were very much impressed with the electrification works that were ongoing in urban Industrial Zones; and stunned by the rapid development of Japan's shipbuilding industry. Technologies were exchanged; the Japanese navy, most importantly, got the licence to the American 8-inch-45 caliber guns. While the Americans considered these guns relatively worthless at the time, the Japanese further improved on the design and ended up with the 203mm / 53 caliber rifle, which remained a superb naval gun well into the 1940s.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/k8e50w1bt/Screenshot_(313).png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/5qgxswa0p/Screenshot_(314).png)

Also, the summer proved to be a perfect season for naval trials. The Asanagi destroyers proved themselves exceptional minelaying platforms and new doctrines were developed at the time; however, destroyers would not get dedicated mine racks for many years to come.

New submarine designs were also introduced: these featured 'diving planes', similar to the find of a fish or horizotal rudders, allowing the submarines to better adjust its diving angle.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/6xqa7dard/Screenshot_(308).png)

Finally, lessons learned from the war were implemented into the construction of two Unebi-class cruisers. Japan was short on raiders, and these ships would fill this role. They were based on expanded Izumi hulls, with the same armament, but with bigger fuel stores and heavier, sturdier engines. Their construction was marked as high-priority and, with the incentive of pay bonuses, the yardhands jumped to it with satisfaction.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/gfuml5ltl/Screenshot_(316).png)

In October, tensions would rise again, as the French administration of Cochin China started extending feelers toward Thailand, an ally of Japan. The local government requested Japan to take an official stance on the matter. Within the week, Asama, Izumi and Hatsuse were on-station near the eastern Thai borders, based off Sumatra. The French withdrew, but the incident soured relations for good. Japan now knew who her enemy would be and knew to prepare for the inevitable conflict.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/e2cou57eh/Screenshot_(319).png)

As a totally unrelated matter, that hd nothing to do with a display of power and military discipline; or a field test of their new targeting systems, the IJN organised its first fleet-wide shooting competition, to be held in three subsequent phases in Sasebo, Tsingtaou and Sumatra. It was a grand event, attended by many civilians in a three-day festival on each site; it is impossible to know with certainty how many people witnessed it, but estimates range well over three million onlookers in total. Details on the proceedings were also telegraphed and announced hourly to all allied nations and protectorates; and it was not a rare sight for huge crowds to gather near the telegraph offices and for bookies to run bets throughout the competition days. There were regional favourites and darlings; and it was oh so exciting and it came down to the wire between Izumi, Hatsuse and Fuso, before the latter scored an amazing victory with a 19,000-yard bullseye, which had the Kure workers dancing in the streets in celebration.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/l6ui36ent/Screenshot_(320).png)

Because she's Fuso.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/ngn7roczd/Screenshot_(324).png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/6u5nilk1l/Screenshot_(325).png)

In early Winter, the foundries reported that, by implementing new techniques, armour weight could be slightly reduced with no sacrifice in protection. And the engineer bureau submitted the designs for the Asanagi Kai destroyers, which could squeeze an extra knot out of the otherwise identical hull and armament.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/gvahrwx4p/Screenshot_(328).png)

And in February, a gaggle of ship designers, including a recent returnee from England barged into the Admiralty, with theoretical designs of a three-turret battleship, which left the High Command reeling.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/u1zxrfsu1/Screenshot_(330).png)

There were rumours that Great Britain was experimenting with what they called 'battlecruisers'; but their designs were top secret. Perhaps this had something to do with it? Funding was immediately allocated to the 'Central Turrets' project. Japan could no longer lead, but she could follow; and if other would or could not, they would be left behind.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/is77whnsp/Screenshot_(332).png)

Like the Italians, for instance, who approached the Admiralty with the intent of purchasing a licence for the Japanese Central Firing systems. This was a cold shower for the Japanese - for the Italian delegation made manifest every rude colonialist Gaijin stereotype. They were quickly but politely sent packing and nothing of value was lost; but it reminded the Japanese and their allies of how the West (or some parts of it) still viewed them as: savages, ready to be bought with glinting beads, force-fed opium, or be brought to heel with gunboat diplomacy.

This was unacceptable.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/7h95lv6bd/Screenshot_333.png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/y3lmauaih/Screenshot_334.png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/t681pq8jd/Screenshot_335.png)

And then May came, with a bounty of reports from the yards; the engineers; the mechanics. Gun mount pneumatics were improved, to allow faster training onto the target. Machinery was made more efficient. Japanese steel became lighter and stronger. And more importantly, the 'Central Turrets' project delivered, with a hoard of ship designs that would revolutionise naval warfare for ever.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/d999t0g55/Screenshot_336.png)

And, literally overnight, Fuso and Hatsuse, the Prides of the Fleet, the magnificent Lady of China and the beloved Mother of Sasebo were made obsolete; shades of themselves; relics of a bygone era, growing increasingly irrelevant with every passing day.

The time of the Battleships is past. The time of the Dreadnoughts and Battlecruisers is at hand.

-END PART 1-




Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 02, 2016, 09:18:50 pm
I reckon this is what the future looks like.


With added tweenage anime girls.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 02, 2016, 09:34:19 pm
Surprisingly accurate.

Also:

Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks and praise her for trying so hard? Sometimes I even think about holding hands with her.

E-Ecchi! Baka! Hentai! Keep your perverted thoughts out of my thread.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 02, 2016, 10:31:16 pm
Get those girls tanked up with some of this stuff.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/8517607.stm
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 02, 2016, 10:45:08 pm
Unfortunately, ethanol boilers are  not yet researched and, also, I like my ships to sail straight.

although, holy crap, 40-odd proof? Wow.
Title: The Tsukuba
Post by: Enioch on December 03, 2016, 07:24:24 am
- PART 2 -
The Rise of the Battlecruiser

(https://s3.postimg.cc/eusz1vr77/Screenshot_(338).png)

In May 1905, the Admiralty ordered design studies for a Battlecruiser; a testbed design, meant to introduce the new technologies to Japan and evaluate their actual viablity. The new ship was to sail at 26 knots (fast enough to overtake any heavy cruiser and outrun any battleship) and was to be armed with at least six of the 'Type 3' 11'' guns of local manufacture.

The 'Tsukuba' design, pictured above, was the design eventually chosen. Note its still-heavy armour of 10''; this would make it easily capable of dealing with predreads at mid- to low ranges. Also note the massive 'wing' 10'' turrets, meant to complement its main armament. At 20k tons, this was the biggest warship ever laid down in Japan.

However, construction did not start immediately. The Admiralty was not eager to embark on such a project without first making sure that they had the budget to bring it to completion. The Admirals brought their concerns to the Emperor himself; the importance of the project was highlighted and acknowledged and discussions started on how best to secure the necessary funds.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/i4bzm34oj/Screenshot_(340).png)

Note that Tsukuba would be consideerably smaller (around 3k tons) than the British battlecruisers. This was an unfortunate effect of the still-developing Japanese shipbuilding industry; but, if all went well, the new generation of battlecruisers would be larger and more competitive.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/ygm1btj03/Screenshot_(341).png)

In July 1905, the Emperor addressed the people of the Japanese Empire, its Allies and its Protectorates, with a letter that was published in the press and distributed as leaflets. He spoke of the future and how the Southeast Asia Alliance could assume a leading role in it; of the accomplishments of its people; of the pride he held in his heart for what they had achieved. He also spoke of Tsukuba, the ship that would bring the Fleet into the future.

The reaction of the people went beyond the Admiralty's wildest dreams:

(https://s3.postimg.cc/ygm1btj03/Screenshot_(341).png)

Fifty million were collected in what proved to be the largest public subscription campaign in the Empire's history. The money flowed in from all members of the Alliance; moreso when it became known that any participant would earn the right to have their name permanently engraved in the 'Tsukuba' dock in Yokosuka, where the ship was to be built.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/nm4l9vzw3/Screenshot_(345).png)
 
Construction began immediately.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/pzmj0web7/Screenshot_(342).png)

(https://s3.postimg.cc/66af870xf/Screenshot_(343).png)

At the same time, the engineers of the Alliance introduced a fully mechanised system for gun loading, which was integrated into the Tsukuba design and retrofitted onto the earlier ships; they also presented the Admiralty with a working prototype of the 'Type 9' torpedo, which carried much-improved gyroscopes for better, faster and straighter running.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/6a48og6er/Screenshot_(346).png)

Yet more funding was allocated to expanding the docks; the Navy wanted to catch up with the Brits as soon as possible. The galvanised private shipbuilders learned about this and immediately contributed the funds for an expansion of the Kure yards of 1000 tons beyond the Admiralty's plans.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/e6tbaf78z/Screenshot_(349).png)

(https://s13.postimg.cc/w4uilajlz/i_401_i_58_i_8_maru_yu_and_u_511_kantai_collec.jpg)

In September, the new batch of coastal subs were commissioned. The Silent Service, as it came to be known, remained one of the more prestigious postings in the Navy. A two-year stint in a submarine was enough to make an officer's career and the esprit de corps shown by the submariners was notably above and beyond the other navy branches.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/3y0u4lj77/Screenshot_(350).png)

(https://s3.postimg.cc/plpsf1jlf/Screenshot_(351).png)

During that time, Military Intelligence deployed agents in all major foreign powers, to keep tabs on their battlecruiser progress. Unfortunately, there were some fiascos, but the Alliance was such a varied multi-ethnic community by now that it was difficult to prove its involvement when two of its agents were captured in Russia and Germany.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/5sdomc67n/Screenshot_(352).png)

In their constant efforts to improve the accuracy of their guns, the fleet also introduced the Yamaha range calculator which determined the aggregate effect on gun range attributable to a number of factors. This was a world first; the British Dreyer calculator would still take a year to be implemented.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/68yw8rtyr/Screenshot_(355).png)

In December, the Emperor visited Yokosuka and inspected the progress made in the construction of Tsukuba. It is said that he was ecstatic and lavished praise onto his Admirals and the engineers. The entire nation followed suit. Notably, throughout the Alliance, 'Tsukuba Calendars' were sold, where the launching date of Tsukuba would be counted down to. This was the "peoples' ship" and the people followed its conception, building and birth with bated breath.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/byf4t304z/Screenshot_(356).png)

Thus we come to one of the most criticised decisions of the Navy in the early 20th century. When the Italian ship manufacturer La Spezia approached the Sasebo yards with an offer of a technology sharing agreement, the Navy considered their proposal. It was clear that the Italians stood to gain more than they would offer; but the Alliance was, notably, short on friends. And so, just after the Christian New Year, the agreement that would see Japan's tehnology siphoned off to the West was signed, in exchange for vague promises.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/4ri1ayelv/Screenshot_(363).png)

Japan would learn her lesson well.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/6e78w6qnn/Screenshot_(359).png)

By March, reports were coming in that the first British BCs would leave their slipways in eight months. Tsukuba was two years away from completion, but that was hardly reason to worry, as no other nation was building a BC yet and Japan had no intention of antagonising the Grand Fleet.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/ez0knd0tv/Screenshot_(361).png)

The Unebis, on the other hand, were finally ready and set off on their shakedown cruises.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/4q83hjcs3/Screenshot_(362).png)

And thus we come to the disastrous events that took place in 1906, during the coronation of King Haakon VII of Norway. Izumo was representing Japan in Trondheim, when the old Russian cruiser Archangel rammed her in the starboard bow, in an all-too-familiar repeat of the Fuso incident. Both ships suffered minimal damage, but the Government and Navy were incensed. Secretary of Naval Affairs Hideyara was said to have snidely remarked "I wonder whether their vodka has so addled their brains that they find our ships attractive in some way?"

(https://s12.postimg.cc/xkbfh1pzx/hibiki_kantai_collection_drawn_by_kanijiru_sa.jpg)

Tensions between the two countries, obviously, skyrocketed.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/wsw2onjw3/Screenshot_(364).png)

In April, a lobby of steel manufacturers approached Vice Admirals Fujiwara and asked him to intercede with the Emperor for an increase in Naval spending. They presented a solid case, but were tactless enough to accompany it with a substantial bribe. They could not have picked a worse person to approach. They were nearly thrown out of his office; witnesses state that he was nearly apoplectic with rage. The news spread and the Admiral became briefly known as the 'Incorruptible'.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/qui9ef0xf/Screenshot_(366).png)

The shakedown cruises of the Unebis proved them to be good, reliable designs; so, in May, the Admiralty ordered a third ship of the class, meant to patrol the Polynesian archipelago. Yaeyama would be crewed and captained almost purely by natives.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/w773sjotv/Screenshot_(367).png)

May 1906 will also stay in history because of Vice Admiral Fujiwara's speech in the annual gathering of the Navy League. In his short but memorable speech, the 'Incorruptible' thundered against the imperialist actions of the French, who had twice now threatened the security of Japan's Allies in the Asian mainland and in Sumatra. The Navy and Government stood behind his words, even after France lodged a semi-official protest; Tensions, again, spiked.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/vvpnfs8dv/Screenshot_(368).png)

In June, ships were refitted with new fire control 'tops'. The Admiralty being satisfied with their ships' accuracy at this point, they declared that priority should be given to the development of destroyers in the future.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/sg24jz0j7/Screenshot_(371).png)

Finally, June 1906 saw the opening of several industrial complexes in Sasebo, Kure and Palembang. Funds flowed in; unemployment in these areas dropped to under three percent. Power plants were built, with large turbines providing electricity to thousands. These were, truly, boom times for the Alliance.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/fqhho9cnh/akagi_kantai_collection_drawn_by_shiori_lee_je.jpg)


Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 03, 2016, 09:29:18 am
War with the baguettes seems inevitable!
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 03, 2016, 09:54:38 am
>Implying a desire to avoid it.

>ERROR 404: desire not found.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Darius on December 03, 2016, 10:08:03 am
This is riveting stuff.

Cannot wait for the next update.
Title: A bit of a spoiler - 1908 Virginia Gazette
Post by: Enioch on December 03, 2016, 12:00:09 pm
(https://s15.postimg.cc/3nw72xkm3/Tsukuba.jpg)

Because I don't have time for a full update.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: 0rph3u5 on December 03, 2016, 01:09:14 pm
Nice progress so far...

However no "japanse phantom ships" in the North Sea in 1905? The shame, Enoich, the shame
(Fun historical fact: One of many embarissing moments of the Czar's navy in the war with Japan 1904/05 was that the russian Baltic Fleet, setting sail for the Pacific, declared full combat condition and fired live rounds at "japanese ships" off the coast of Denmark. It goes without saying that there were no japanese ships to be found anywhere in the North Sea. The incident was blamed on poor training and alcohol consumption, contributing to a brief ban on alcohol in the Russian Empire.)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 03, 2016, 01:11:44 pm
I guess it's a good thing you didn't hand out those beers after all with that collision... :)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Darius on December 03, 2016, 02:09:03 pm
German sailors probably don't drink enough to hallucinate Japanese ships.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 03, 2016, 03:55:35 pm
In case you dont know what 0rph3u5 is talking about, listen to this heavy chain smoker tell you the story: https://youtu.be/jMi0dgLMydo?t=16m25s
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Darius on December 03, 2016, 04:06:18 pm
I thought Jingles just sounded like that because he was nearing 50. tmyk

I am assuming the Russo-Japanese war never happened in Enioch's alternate time line and that the German sailors' blood alcohol level wasn't high enough for something similarly hilarious to happen. Not to rule out alternative hilarious events of course.

EDIT: Christ on a pogo stick, it reads even worse in text form (http://www.hullwebs.co.uk/content/l-20c/disaster/dogger-bank/voyage-of-dammed.htm)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 03, 2016, 04:53:36 pm
However no "japanse phantom ships" in the North Sea in 1905? The shame, Enoich, the shame!

I am assuming the Russo-Japanese war never happened in Enioch's alternate time line and that the German sailors' blood alcohol level wasn't high enough for something similarly hilarious to happen. Not to rule out alternative hilarious events of course.

I have already spoilered quite a bit of information, so I'll just say this: The Voyage of the Damned did, in fact, happen in this timeline. Not in 1905, however; nor, necessarily, by the same fleet and it was accompanied by its own long list of disastrous and hilarious happenings.

With regards to the Germans firing on fishing trawlers: the Germans have a trait in this game called 'cautious', which makes them avoid certain high risk situations (I am almost certain that this is why the Hertha didn't press her advantage against my torpedo-armed cruisers). This would also translate, I think, to their crews being slightly more skilled than the average OTL Russian sailor - and less triggerhappy
Title: The Shadow of the Ikoma
Post by: Enioch on December 03, 2016, 06:48:45 pm
(https://s13.postimg.cc/6f3pm3vnr/Screenshot_(378).png)

July started with new developments in armour manufacture and the imposition of strict quality control on the foundries.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/qc9mv2eiv/Screenshot_(380).png)

The yards in Sasebo and Kure were also considerably expanded. Estimates based on the fragmentary intelligence the Japanese agents could secure from the British yards led the Admiralty to believe that the British battlecruisers displaced around 23k tons; it was now possible to match them ton-for-ton, although it was clear that the British would quickly open the gap again, given the disparity in the two nations' naval budgets.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/wr8nrql8n/Screenshot_(381).png)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/kvh3a5cmz/suzuya_kantai_collection_drawn_by_paraiso_sam.jpg)

Interestingly, advances in quality control and standardization allowed for some of the shipbuilding workload to be, for the first time, offloaded to allied shipyards. In fact, the first occasion of such outsourcing was the assignment for the construction of an Asanagi-Kai modern destroyer to the yards at Tsingtaou. The experiment worked wonders - in fact, galvanised by the chance to prove themselves and the opportunity for work, the yardhands in Tsingtaou would finish little Oite a month in advance of schedule.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/qetihwi6f/Screenshot_(382).png)

For the time being, however, the elephant in the room needed to be addressed. In August, Prime Minister Tarō  summoned the highest ranking Admirals and Generals, to consult on the matter of the increasing tensions with France. The question was posed: was the Army and the Navy ready to deal with French aggression?

Vice Admiral's Fujiwara's response is noteworthy:

"Honoured Prime Minister you ask us if we are ready to beat back the enemy. We are not. The fleet is well-equipped, and the spirits of the men are high, but a well-honed weapon and an eager soldier will not win the war for us. It is folly to seek victory in our weapons, or our bloodthirst, for these alone will lead us to ruin. It has always been our way to reach victory through folding and re-folding our souls and skills through the harshest training and discipline, like the finest of swords; but the sailors of our fleet have grown weak in peace and their discipline is lax. If we are to bring glory to our country, our people and our Emperor, we need to train our men and officers quickly and effectively in the ways of war and forge all the nations of our Alliance together into a true Army and Navy."

The other Generals and Admirals very much echoed Fujiwara's sentiments, asking for extra funds to be channeled into the training of the troops, ratings and officers. Tarō , having served as a General and a Minister of War, acknowledged the need for it and, among other concessions, increased the Navy budget by a substantial half-million.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/4tofualfr/Screenshot_(383).png)

This budget increase allowed for the commencement of a planned year-long training program, which would further bind the multiethnic crews of the Alliance together into a coherent whole and enhance their skills in gunnery, making the most out of the recent advancements in targeting and rangefinding.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/u0zbujojr/Screenshot_(384).png)

And not a minute too soon, since a series of terrorist attacks in China forced the deployment of Fuso, Naniwa and Chiyoda to safeguard the lives of Alliance citizens. The situation was defused relatively quickly, with the guilty parties quickly being brought to justice thanks to joint operations between the Fleet, the Army and local authorities; but it also led to a slight rising of tensions with Britain and Russia, who had both appeared overeager to involve themselves with what, essentially, was an Imperial Alliance matter.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/85rc1c2kn/Screenshot_(387).png)

Tempers flared once again in September, when a leak in the R & D department was found and permanently 'plugged' by Imperial counter-intelligence. It had involved secrets of Fire Control technology (the one field in which Japan felt confident she was a world leader) and could easily be traced back to Russia. If the Russian intelligence had expected the usual back-and-forth of diplomatic hackle raising, they must have been surprised when Japan followed up with what amounted to a near-ultimatum. Shocked by the aggressiveness of the Japanese diplomats, they appeared to back off; or perhaps they were satisfied with what they'd gotten. In any case, counter-intelligence reported a marked decrease in Russian activity over the next months...

(https://s15.postimg.cc/ednp0f3ij/japan.jpg)

...and international press was quick to criticise the Russian's apparent underhandedness and cowardice.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/uyach5pfr/Screenshot_(390).png)

In October, the R & D department presented the Admiralty with a theoretical concept which raised several eyebrows. It was impossible to mount more than three turrets along the centreline of a vessel without seriously impacting its stability and the integrity of its keel; but perhaps it might be possible to use larger 'wing' turrets (like those used in Tsukuba, but bigger), firing from staggered positions across the vessel's deck, to massively augment its broadside. The one problem they had yet to crack was how to arrange armour and magazine protection around main-caliber gun barbettes and turrets, without compromising the vessel's structural integrity.

The Admiralty were fascinated by the possibilities; the new project (Codenamed: the "Crane's Wings") was given top priority.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/z9yy65wcn/Screenshot_(392).png)

October also marked the return of the Prime Minister from France, where he had traveled to seek out some sort of accommodation between the two countries. In a meeting with the Cabinet, the heads of the Armed Forces and Emperor Meiji himself, it was agreed that the few token concessions the French had proposed had been made in bad faith; and that war between the two countries was all but inevitable. More funds were channeled to the Armed Forces; training intensified; scenarios were drawn for nighttime attacks on French bases. As part of these scenarios, designs for bigger, 700-ton destroyers were submitted, much too late for them to be of any immediate use, but ready to be implemented in the future.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/wv72lqg3r/Screenshot_(394).png)

Perhaps more significantly, the weapons factories rolled out the prototypes of the 6'' / 60 caliber, superhigh-velocity Type 06 guns. These were weapons of superb quality, unsurpassed in the international stage for decades to come. They would stay in service with the Imperial Navy (with only small modifications) until the 1950s (!), being the light cruiser gun of choice; and they remained competitive throughout that time. It is telling that they outperformed international-standard 7'' guns in every field (including range, muzzle velocity and penetrative capability) until ca. 1930.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/ybil3vj0n/Screenshot_(395).png)

Despite the threat of impending war, all light cruisers were immediately pulled out of active service and outfitted with the new rifles. That only took the yards three months and it proved to be a wise move soon enough.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/mp32ghl3b/Screenshot_(397).png)

The attempt to implement the lessons learned by the Type 06s in larger-caliber guns proved only partly successful. Japanese 7'' guns, which, in the past, had always been subpar, were successfully brought to international standards. However, the Admiralty found these guns unwieldy and incapable of quickly tracking enemy destroyers, which was the main purpose of light cruisers in a battleship screen. The designs were never implemented in the fleet.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/lbbfl6ltz/Screenshot_(398).png)

Experience in dense explosive packing for the 6'' shells, on the other hand, proved to be a godsent for the torpedo manufacturers, who managed to pack more bang into their fishes than ever before.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/tuutixu6f/Screenshot_(399).png)

(https://s13.postimg.cc/mswvwqqkn/Screenshot_(400).png)

In March, the Russians finally pushed back, with a demand for Japan to reduce its military budget in the interests of peace. As it was important to avoid a two-front war with France and Russia, Japan agreed to host an international disarmament conference in Kyoto. The efforts of the Japanese diplomats were legendary, in that they managed to convey to all participants a true desire for the continuation of peace, while not commiting to any actual demilitarisation. Several Orders of the Chrysanthemum were awarded discreetly after the end of the conference...

(https://s13.postimg.cc/mswvwqqkn/Screenshot_(400).png)

...and new funds were poured into the dockyard facilities, not even a month after the end of the Conference.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/4fwam6g3r/Screenshot_(402).png)

April came with a surprise: the Germans, until recently bitter enemies but ever practical, approached Japan with an offer to sell the blueprints and chemical processes required for the manufacture of even more destructive shells. Their ploy was clear: the weakening of France through the strengthening of her enemy. Japan did not hesitate.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/rwo5ky1on/Screenshot_(404).png)

Behind the scenes, the Silent Service had also benefited from several developments in miniaturisation. The range of the new prototype subs was nearly double that of the early models; and the submariners would soon earn their spurs in the upcoming fight.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/ycx4b1a87/Screenshot_(406).png)

And then, finally, nine months in the making, the "Crane's Wings" project delivered a design for reliable main battery 'wing' turrets, tied to the ships main fire control. Combined with a cross-deck fire design, and lessons learned from the construction of Tsukuba (who, like her predecessors had become obsolete, tragically even before leaving the shipyard) led to the design and construction of one of Japan's most criticised, lauded, misshapen and decorated warships of the 20th century.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/wjysudcm5/Ikoma0.jpg)

Enter: the Ikoma. Still a sparkle in her designer's eye, eventually she would come to be known to the Japanese, affectionately, as the 'Seaborne Mountain'. And to the enemies of the Imperial Alliance, she would come to be known by a less auspicious name:

(https://s17.postimg.cc/zdzbxqc9b/battleship_water_oni_kantai_collection_drawn_b.jpg)

Teufelsschiff; the Devil's Ship.

But that's still years in the future.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: LaineyBugsDaddy on December 03, 2016, 07:41:46 pm
Um, just a note, alcohol "proof" is twice the percentage of alcohol per volume. So that Sink the Bismarck beer that's 41% alcohol per volume is in fact 82 proof.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 03, 2016, 10:29:11 pm
Wow its like someone took a Rodney and gave it the same treatment Blood and Chrome did to the Galactica...
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: JSRNerdo on December 04, 2016, 03:11:45 am
Please don't bother with heavy secondary guns for a "semi-dreadnought" configuration, they have literally no fire control at all until you get secondary director and will just be wasting tonnage
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 04, 2016, 05:26:15 am
This is, to all intents and purposes, an RP playthrough. Japan doesn't know that, yet, as her BC designs have not been tested in battle.

Also, you'd be surprised... :rolleyes:
Title: War has come
Post by: Enioch on December 04, 2016, 07:41:01 am
(https://s12.postimg.cc/pg2jeloil/Screenshot_(407).png)

In June 1907, the design for the Ikoma battlecruiser was submitted to the Admiralty for review. Senseis Nomura Akira of Kure and Lì Wěi of Tsingtaou collaborated in the drawing of the blueprints; the former bringing his wing- and cross-deck-firing revolutionary designs to the table and the latter contributing his team's experience with new hull construction techniques and electrical systems.

The Ikoma would only be 300 tons smaller than her British cousins; would be able to match their speed; and would arguably carry the most devastating broadside the world had ever seen.

Her five main double 11'' turrets were arranged in what future engineers would codify as an ACGJY design: two centreline forward turrets, followed by two staggered wing turrets and an aft turret. This battery was complemented by a pair of heavy secondary 10'' wing turrets, meant to give the Ikoma a devastating close-range broadside against closing enemy heavy cruisers. She was also given a tertiary broadside of 6-6inchers of the highly successful Type 06.

Finally, she was the first Japanese capital ship to mount a broadside of two submerged 18'' torpedo tubes. The utility of this inclusion was hotly debated but it was felt that it would provide the Ikoma with a devastating final punch against crippled opponents, allowing her to engage new targets quickly, instead of wasting time and ammunition in sinking a defeated ship.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/zeni12xy5/Screenshot_(408).png)

Unfortunately, as soon as the order was placed and the keel of the ship was laid in Kure, Saionji Kinmochi came to power as the new Prime Minister. His policies were focused around social reforms, meant to appease the Europeans and facilitate trade and economic growth. While admirable, it went starkly against the established policy of preparing for war; the reforms would see the power of the Navy considerably reduced and the Ikoma stillborn.

The Navy League, a lobby of high-ranking engineers, industrialists and other persons of influence responded instantly, with a public campaign that played on the people's love and pride for their navy. Most of the appeasement measures were quietly shelved in the face of the reality of inevitable war; work in the shipyards continued unabated and international tension continued to climb.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/6dj5rodi5/Screenshot_(409).png)

In July, the Italians made an offer for the licence of the Mitsubishi Type 8 steam turbines. The Navy recommended the deal go forward; the Italians would quickly get the information through the technology sharing deal that was causing the Admiralty so many headaches anyway - they might as well pay for it!

(https://s12.postimg.cc/ctwpvibfh/Screenshot_(411).png)

And in August,  Lì Wěi submitted for consideration the design of an automated system that would electrically transmit the rangefinding information from the tops to the fire-control plotter. This design could easily be retrofitted to all existing ships and was immediately integrated into the plans of the Tsukuba and Ikoma.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/ijcyfthlp/Screenshot_(412).png)

August also marked the point where the Admiralty felt satisfied with the quality of their training. Crews were now fully proficient with all modern equipment and officers now knew all aspects of the Imperial Alliance's naval doctrine. Multiple scenarios of surprise attacks on French bases had been planned, with highly satisfactory outcome estimates; from this point onwards, Japan stood ready to go to war at an hour's notice.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/pzcap7py7/mt_inc_ktc_02_57533e83_mkv_snapshot_05_47_2015_0.jpg)

Of course there had been some minor mishaps, but ironing them out had been the whole point of Fujiwara's training regimen.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/i95fwh2zh/Screenshot_(414).png)

(https://s12.postimg.cc/cm92z00gt/Screenshot_(415).png)

Italy continued to siphon off the knowledge, dreams and hopes of the Japanese people, this time without paying...

(https://s12.postimg.cc/avq1xiixp/Screenshot_(416).png)

And Lì Wěi's team delivered again, with a design for a fully-retrofittable, faster and more reliable system for hoisting the shells from the magazines to the turrets. Lì Wěi became the darling of loading crews overnight.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/noe5xfujh/Screenshot_(417).png)

(https://s12.postimg.cc/ll3qpruql/Screenshot_(418).png)

Other R & D departments's efforts were met with varying degrees of success. The Admiralty were looking for bigger destroyers, but the designers could not guarantee their stability or seaworthiness in rough seas; on the other hand, promising new shell designs were brought forward for consideration.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/fll1j8g9p/Screenshot_(420).png)

Finally, things came to a head on December 2, 1907, when, in the face of new proposed appeasement measures, the Navy League, backed by the near-entirety of the steel and shipbuilding industry of the Alliance, humbly requested to meet with the Emperor. His Imperial Majesty granted them audience and seemed receptive to their requests. Saionji Kinmochi resigned two days later; Katsura Tarō was re-instated as Prime Minister; and all negotiations with France were instantly terminated.

The French Embassy in Kyoto started destroying their documents at noon, on the 10th of December 1907; at 6 pm on the 11th, the French Ambassador, Gaston Raindre, presented the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Count Hayashi Tadasu with an ultimatum: either Japan would severely curb her naval budget and grant France heavy concessions in the South China Sea, or a state of war would exist between the two nations. Count Hayashi, allegedly, remained silent for a short while, before softly responding "There will be no concessions, Sir. You shall have your war."

(https://s12.postimg.cc/wamhf5cv1/Screenshot_(421).png)

Japanese squadrons mobilised instantly and stealthily, almost frighteningly so. By 3 am of the same night, the entirety of the main Japanese battle line had reached, undetected and unchallenged, a position less than ten miles off Fort Bayard.

(https://s3.postimg.cc/yakkalueb/sendai_kantai_collection_drawn_by_tsuuhan_sam.jpg)

(https://s12.postimg.cc/4ojpugti5/Screenshot_(422).png)

(https://s3.postimg.cc/9xrk12e2r/3bd.gif)

Note: I'd like to point out that both Tsukuba and Ikoma have entered accelerated production, with the former being 5 months from completion.
Title: Battle of Fort Bayard
Post by: Enioch on December 04, 2016, 12:29:34 pm
(https://s17.postimg.cc/s4sgnda3z/Screenshot_(423).png)

The Japanese Task Force was preceded by three destroyer flotillas, under the commands of Captain Oito of the Murakumo, Captain Xiaolong of the Okikaze and Captain Sagara of the Kamikaze. The latter is particularly noteworthy, as he had been the captain of the ill-fated Shiokaze in the last war. By a quirk of chance, his flotilla also included the new Shiokaze, a modern Asanagi-Kai destroyer.

The rest of the fleet, including the heavy cruisers Yakumo and Izumo, the battleships Fuso and the light cruisers Chiyoda and Izumi, followed in two-ship divisions.

Most interestingly, unbeknownst to the French, the submarines I-2 and I-11 had already snuck into the Ford Bayard harbour and were ready to support the attack, with their hydrophones trained on the port mouth. They were waiting to pick up the high-speed propellers of the IJN destroyers.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/b5ji83ywf/Screenshot_(424).png)

As the destroyers entered the external harbour, they accellerated from a sedate 20 knots to their flank speed of 28 knots; as planned, Asanagi split off from her flotilla and skirted the eastern coastline, to spot any ships moored there. Kamikaze and Okikaze charged down the middle of the outer harbour, while Murakumo kept her squadron in reserve, for a followup torpedo run.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/mj61jb9f3/Screenshot_(425).png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/esicz06h5/__i_168_i_19_i_26_i_401_i_58_and_others_kantai_c.jpg)

The submarines, having picked up the incoming ships, surfaced and fired starshells over the positions of the French ships, which they had marked well before sunset. As the destroyers charged, they began to identify targets, starting with two massive capital ships in anchor.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/hyjv4dppr/Screenshot_(426).png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/7y829bdu1/__pt_imp_group_and_sendai_kantai_collection_draw.jpg)

Kamikaze launched her first torpedo at 3:57, against the lead enemy ship, at a distance of less than a thousand yards. Shiokaze and Okikaze followed suit, with Numakaze and Suwakaze closing in for their own runs. Asanagi resolutely ignored the battleships, as she continued her scouting run, rushing under the elevation of the capital ships' secondaries, to track down the enemy cruiser fleet.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/ddxopg60f/Screenshot_(427).png)

She did so as the first torpedo hit its target. The explosion and starshells outlined the silhouettes of two cruisers to the battleships' west and Asanagi closed in even further, to get a positive identification. The submarines continued firing off star-shells and would make her work easier.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/rfe9oqyy7/Screenshot_(433).png)

Meanwhile, her lookouts reported on the two battleships. The southernmost ship was a Solferino-class battleship, comparable in most respects to the Fusos. The northernmost one was a Marengo-class; Asakaze screamed by so close to its stern that she could read her nameplate and identify her as the Magenta: a 17.7k ton behemoth, with massive 13-inch guns.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/u5nllxvn3/Screenshot_(430).png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/tyoepxwi1/__samidare_sendai_shigure_and_shiratsuyu_kantai_.jpg)

After three confirmed torpedo strikes on the battleships, Kamikaze and Okikaze pulled away; Murakumo moved in. Meanwhile, Asanagi closed to suicidal range against an enemy light cruiser and, just as the latter's crew were manning her deck guns, the destroyer planted a torpedo into her at point-blank range and sped away.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/xb87c5e9b/Screenshot_(439).png)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/mz8si2bdx/murakumo_kantai_collection_drawn_by_swd3e2_sa.jpg)

Murakumo's charge led to four more hits on the enemy battleships. The Solferino capsized in the gloom, her crew's cries drowned by secondary explosions and the groan of her breaking keel; the Marengo went down upright, both her bow and stern blown off, up to the crumpled main battery magazines

Then, the destroyers pulled out, their job one, the threat to the heavier ships neutralised. It was time for the heavy cruisers to earn their pay. Izumo and Yakumo moved in, covered by destroyer smokescreens, until they appeared out of the dark less than half a mile from the floundering French forces.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/qng73ak4v/Screenshot_(441).png)

(https://s17.postimg.cc/o4ui2lyen/Screenshot_(440).png)

There was no shortage of targets. To the cruisers' immediate north, lay the stricken French light cruiser, which Izumo blew out of the water with a single broadside. To their south, a French heavy cruiser was making steam and running toward the safety of the minefield which separated the outer and inner harbours. Yakumo focused her guns on this ship: an Admiral Charner-class vessel, with an impressive broadside and heavy armour.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/97m11ll67/Screenshot_(449).png)

(https://s17.postimg.cc/heim6x0mn/Screenshot_(450).png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/cdqhekq89/__ri_class_heavy_cruiser_and_takao_kantai_collec.jpg)

In this instance (and this instance alone), the French gave as well as they took. The Admiral Charner-class disabled one of Izumo's turrets with a 7-inch shell, and scored several penetrations of her extended belt. She even succeeded in reaching the inner harbour, where Izumo declined to follow her. However, the two Japanese cruisers then proceeded to annihilate the remaining unfortunate Sfax-class light cruiser whom they pinned against the western end of the harbour and, finally, finished off with torpedoes.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/jkcx1f433/Screenshot_(451).png)

They then proceeded to withdraw in good order from the harbour and re-joined the fleet, as the sun rose. The entire action had lasted four-and-a-half hours and had been a catastrophe for the French.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/m6sficvan/Screenshot_(455).png)

Estimates placed the loss of tonnage at around 50k tons of capital ships for the French, including two of her biggest and most modern battlewagons and two light cruisers, specifically designed to counter IJN destroyer superiority. Loss of life rose to almost fifteen hundred sailors, with an additional four to five hundered wounded. The Japanese Alliance, on the other hand, had had  a destroyer, a light cruiser and a heavy cruiser lightly damaged; another destroyer and a heavy cruiser moderately damaged and, among her surface fleet, had only suffered six fatal casualties and thirty wounded, on board the Izumo.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/598o5jiyx/__i_401_kantai_collection_drawn_by_roll_okashi__.png)

I specify 'surface fleet', because the heroic contribution of the Silent Service in the fight led to the loss of a submarine. I-11, one of the newest subs in service, suffered a malfunction in her flotation tanks and couldn't safely submerge. She sought to escape the harbour on the surface, only to be detected by the coastal batteries during early twilight. She was sunk, with all 62 of her crew and no survivors, a meager consolation for the mauled Marine Nationale. The names of her crew are still proudly displayed on the Memorial Wall of the SubCom HQ in Kure.

More importantly, this staggering victory had been achieved without Fuso having to fire a single shot against her enemy. This was a victory for the light forces - pure and simple.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/gwngr2b1r/Screenshot_(456).png)

Once again, Japan had rocked the foundations of the world.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/nvezk30e5/War.jpg)

(https://s12.postimg.cc/r5s5tnuxp/e78b76f506e0ab7e492974f287d1a2f0.jpg)

And the world held its breath and watched.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Droid803 on December 04, 2016, 01:16:34 pm
rip sub-chan ;w;7
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 04, 2016, 02:36:45 pm
Fuso is doing her best Yamato impression. Being big bad intimidating but never actually doing anything.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 04, 2016, 03:10:47 pm
(https://s15.postimg.cc/6hjoi37t7/yamato_kantai_collection_drawn_by_carnelian_s.jpg)

No bully Yamato. No bully Fuso.

Spoiler:
She earns her spurs. Eventually
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Boomer20 on December 04, 2016, 07:30:03 pm
This is really cool!
Only a couple of weeks ago I was watching a couple of documentaries on the history of modern naval warfare and on the battleships. It was really interesting, particularly the whole "Battleship diplomacy" stuff.

I kinda want this game now.

Also love the anime pics that sum up the moments well  :)
Title: The End of an Era
Post by: Enioch on December 04, 2016, 09:14:25 pm
(https://s3.postimg.cc/56qli9qtf/citizens_victory_celebration_print_shows_the_jap.jpg)

The people of the Alliance rejoiced. Many nations, united, drunk in the glory of the moment. There was a great cry that rose from Japan when Fuso sailed into the harbour; it was clear to all that the 'Lady of China' was a lucky ship. Not once had she sailed from Japan and not returned with victory. And what a victory that had been.

The Admiralty were also ecstatic, but less entranced by the old battleship as it dropped anchor in Sasebo and was immediately swarmed by small boats carrying flowers, flags, treats and drink for the crew. It was clear that the lighter, faster ships and the mighty torpedoes had carried the day, not the venerable battleship's guns - and it had been the fast, heavy-hitting cruisers that had accounted for the cleanup. It was clear that the Battlecruiser gamble was a move in the right direction - and Tsukuba was five months from completion. What the Navy could do with her in action, the Admirals could only dream of.

But for now, there were more pressing matters to attend to.

(https://s11.postimg.cc/6by8icm0j/Screenshot_(460).png)

Firstly - Japan would not allow herself to be surprised like her enemy had been. The Minesweepers of the navy swarmed out of their harbours in their assigned patrols. This was not glorious work, but it was interesting to see how well the Polynesian sailors of the Empire took to the task. With their almost supernatural skill in reading currents, changes in weather and dangerous waters, they enjoyed the long patrols. The Minesweepers, had, after all, been fitted for colonial service; they were meant to stay on patrol for weeks on end and they proved to be the lifeblood of the Alliance this time around, tracking down French submarines and raiders; ferrying supplies to smaller islands; carrying messages and, on occasion, serving as small troop transports. Their crews became known for their rogueish behaviour and the 'Maru boys' received a warm welcome in any Japanese port.

(https://s11.postimg.cc/iruyc3fcj/Screenshot_(461).png)

Then - a review of the strategic situation. France's battleline had been savagely mauled and their two battlecruisers were both years away from completion. In matters of tonnage, Japan led in battleships. But the French were following the tenants of the Jeune ecole: they had taken the tenants of light forces warfare and brought them to their extremes. Their cruiser fleet was massive, and the Admiralty felt sure that the following days would be a nightmare of raiding reports and sunken merchant ships, as the French cruisers would go to town and the Alliance did not have enough hulls to throw at them. Hopefully, Tsukuba, capable of running down any French cruiser, would change that.

(https://s11.postimg.cc/6empixf1v/Screenshot_(462).png)

(https://s11.postimg.cc/me5d2hb3n/Screenshot_(463).png)

The month ended with reports from the R & D department regarding improvents in boiler design; also, having experienced first-hand the destructive power of torpedoes on the enemy, Japan focused on crafting a shield that could block the enemy's lances. Experimental designs of 'torpedo belts' and compartmentalisation were put forward. Unfortunately, it was impossible to refit them on the near-complete Tsukuba or the Ikoma, with its eccentric barbette placement; Japan's first two battlecruisers would go into battle defenseless against this most terrible of weapons.

And then, reports started coming in, from the Silent Service and the Coastal patrols:

(https://s11.postimg.cc/m3xuj4whf/Screenshot_(465).png)

(https://s11.postimg.cc/wfa7bso6r/Screenshot_(466).png)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/5qzok45qz/i_19_kantai_collection_drawn_by_imai_tetsuya.jpg)

I-5 scored first blood near Annam, when she sunk the 3k ton freighter Belle Alsace. The Japanese submarine made good its escape. The French, in retaliation, sunk the Kobayashi Maru and the Maui. However, the French skippers had not accounted for the 'Maru boys'. Both submarines were tracked down by bloody-minded minesweepers, who stuck to their wake like limpets, until the subs were forced to surface for air; then they were blasted out of the sea in short order.

(https://s11.postimg.cc/xvlptxr3n/Screenshot_(467).png)

More importantly, the Unebi and the Chiyoda, having trained for raider warfare but not having been dispatched on raiding duty yet, knew what to look for. Twice the French raider Tage tried to sneak into the Alliance maritime traffic lanes and twice it was forced to turn away under pursuit by her Japanese rivals - bigger and more modern ships, that she could only run from.

Things would get worse for the French in January, as Yaeyama was finally commisioned and departed on her shakedown cruise. It is worth reminding the reader that Yaeyama was the first capital ship in the Japanese navy to be crewed and captained almost exclusively by Alliance / colonial sailors and officers. A third Unebi-class was thus added to the counter-raiding force.

(https://s11.postimg.cc/uftlkdtv7/Screenshot_(470).png)

(https://s11.postimg.cc/kjsikqo37/Screenshot_(471).png)

The subarine war continued; I-7 and I-2 scored two more kills, for a total of 7k tons of shipping. Galvanised by their efforts, the 'Maru boys' redoubled their own; the french submarine Aigle was cornered by two ships as she was attempting to slip by the Tsushima strait and smashed with concentrated fire.

(https://s11.postimg.cc/6rip2umpf/Screenshot_(472).png)

Unfortunately, this time around, Tage managed to slip through. The 4k ton freighter Izanami was sunk off the coast of Sumatra.

(https://s11.postimg.cc/eyaoufcs3/Screenshot_(473).png)

February presented the Japanese with a dilemma. The intelligence service had identified the French anarchist Luc Portail hiding in Sumatra, where he had escaped after his anarchist terrorist cell had been compromised in Marseilles. They were considering approaching him and facilitating his return home, even partially funding his revolutionary activities. The temptation to destabilise the French (who were hiding in their harbours and fortified positions) by striking at their homeland was great.

However, it was, once again, Vice Admiral Fujiwara's thunderous protests, which eventually prevailed.

"How shall history judge us? How shall we tell our children that we aided a man with no honour, no respect for his country, with only contempt for authority? How shall we ask of them to display these virtues? How shall we be remembered? And how shall our allies trust us if we resort to such measures when honourable victory is within our grasp?"

Luc Portail was summarily arrested for subversive activities and for undermining the authority of the Emperor; he would die in prison fifteen years later, forgotten by all.

(https://s11.postimg.cc/ix7wd91f7/Screenshot_(475).png)

March brought advances in Anti-Submarine Warfare, as the experience of the 'Maru boys' was put to good use.

(https://s11.postimg.cc/yjz5qmf77/Screenshot_(476).png)

(https://s11.postimg.cc/skbemyuer/Screenshot_(477).png)

(https://s11.postimg.cc/peqswrbsj/Screenshot_(478).png)

(https://s11.postimg.cc/wj8m5sj1v/Screenshot_(479).png)

The Silent Service continued to perform brilliantly - the lack of dedicated ASW platforms for the French really hurt them. In contrast, Asama Maru sank the French submarine Faucon, before it managed to cause any damage. And Izumo and Naniwa, taking the lessons of the Unebis at heart, intercepted Tage twice. Izumo almost managed to close to weapons range, but the Tage declined battle and managed to slip away.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/q4em7evjd/tenryuu_kantai_collection_drawn_by_imai_tetsuy.jpg)

(https://s11.postimg.cc/qkusvk037/Screenshot_(481).png)

As the completion of Tsukuba was merely two months away, the Admiralty assigned extra funds, to accelerate the work on Ikoma. The war would clearly be over, one way or another, before she was completed, but the Admiralty felt it a good idea to take full advantage of their increased wartime budget.

(https://s11.postimg.cc/gq8932lir/Screenshot_(483).png)

(https://s11.postimg.cc/c6w0hk3n7/Screenshot_(485).png)

In addition, ten new Matsukaze-class 700-ton destroyers were laid down. While they carried the same armament as their smaller predecessors, these ships bore the improved Mitsubishi Type 3-20 turbines, allowing them a blistering top speed of 31 knots.

(https://s11.postimg.cc/rgvvoqz5f/Screenshot_(486).png)

Even better, the works in Tsingtaou and Yokosuka were expanded. It was now possible to build ships of up to 25k tons of displacement and the Admiralty was already discussing laying down bigger and better battlecruisers along the Ikoma design.

(https://s11.postimg.cc/pdlgh2zcj/Screenshot_(487).png)

Then, the French sent out feelers, seeking out a white peace. A meeting was arranged in neutral Port Arthur, where it was agreed Hatsuse would carry the Japanese delegation. The French delegation arrived via the newly-finished Trans-Siberian railway shortly after.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/gz1gopu71/Roques_and_Maresuke.jpg)

Initial talks bogged down, as the French suggested terms that were considered outrageous by the Japanese, given the latter's military successes. The Admiralty advised that the negotiations be terminated and that they be given the opportunity to smack some more sense into the French - perhaps by supporting a naval-based invasion of Annam? The frustrated diplomats were inclined to agree, and the Japanese fleet, newly-commisioned Tsukuba included, had already sailed for some 'gunboat diplomacy', when disaster struck.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/6axppvk7x/General_Seppuku.jpg)

On the 10th of April, 1908, His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Meiji of Japan passed away, of uremia. He had concealed his weakness and sickness from most of the population, even during the commisioning of Tsukuba, to avoid negatively impacting their morale, hoping to power through the worsening of his health by sheer will, until the end of the war; but it was not to be. His death marked the end of an era for Japan and could not have happened at a more inopportune moment.

A peace was signed immediately; but the Japanese diplomats had, at least, enough presence of mind to insist on considerable financial reparations in the form of trade facilitations and toll reductions for Imperial Alliance maritime traffic in French ports. They got that much - but France kept her colonies and a foothold in the Far East for many more years.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/6q8ziw659/Taisho.jpg)

The new Emperor, His Imperial Majesty Yoshihito (posthumously known as Taisho) would be a relatively weak ruler, plagued by neurological problems during his entire life. However, his contributions to the Empire, before his illness made it impossible for him to carry out his duties, were notable in two matters:

Firstly, his fascination with the various cultures and nations of the Alliance was one of his defining traits, to the point of eccentricity. Since his childhood, he had an aptitude for foreign languages; by the time of his ascension to the throne he was fluent in four major languages and six dialects spoken in the Alliance. He would often dress in clothing characteristic of other cultures on official occasions, as the situation demanded; he became known as an Emperor for the people - all the people.

His second (and perhaps more significant) contribution would be the institution of democratic elections among the populace. More than that, in an unprecedented move, he introduced the concept of universal suffrage among men, irrespective of race or income. His declining health would prevent him from implementing this radical social reform; his vision would finally be implemented by his son and successor, Hirohito, acting as the Prince Regent, a few years before Yoshihito's death.

But for now, Japan was a decapitated nation; rushed into a fruitless victory that had gained her nothing; staggering at the death of an Emperor who had defined an Age with his presence and vision. The future seemd dark.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 04, 2016, 10:44:31 pm
Well that was disappointing.  I was hoping the Tsukuba was going to get to draw blood before this conflict ended.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 05, 2016, 06:08:35 am
What is disappointing is that I lead with like ten times the enemy VP, yet my politicians sign a compromise peace. I really wanted to punch through my screen at that point.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 05, 2016, 07:11:58 am
Well to be fair the Hawks in the IJN were generally displeased with the Japanese diplomats, could be an additional national trait.    :P

Which was dumb since without the Naval Treaties, Japan would have been completely bankrupted attempting to compete with the US in an unrestricted naval arms race.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 05, 2016, 07:17:10 am
I fully agree - however, do note that, in this case, Japan was not dealing with the US. She was dealing with the French, in 1908, and winning handily.

Relations with the USA discussed in the upcoming update.
Title: Oil, oil, oil, OIL!
Post by: Enioch on December 05, 2016, 09:11:34 am
(https://s17.postimg.cc/eo38574xr/Screenshot_(489).png)

In the aftermath of the war, the naval budget was slashed, as expected. The Admiralty still reeled at how far in the red their finances now were; drastic action was required to maintain a certain degree of competitiveness.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/r59vsd03j/Screenshot_(491).png)

The commissioning of the Tsukuba, a few days before the Emperor's death, had somewhat added to the prestige of the Navy. More so, since it happened in a very opportune time with regards to the steadily improving relations between the US and the Japanese Alliance.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/udmhvdouz/1907_12_great_white_fleet_bb21.jpg)

On December 16 1907, by order of the President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, a task force of US warships, affectionately known as the 'Great White Fleet' began its year-long mission of circumnavigating the globe and 'showing the flag'. Under the overall command of Admiral Robley D. Evans, the American forces would reach the Japanese waters scant days before the launching of the Tsukuba. Admiral Evans and his staff were invited to attend the ceremony; and after their attendance of Emperor Meiji's funeral, Tsukuba and her flotilla would escort the American ships to the next leg of their journey.

Relations between Japan and the US had always been relatively smooth in the past; the Americans had military bases in the Philippines and Guam, but maintained only a minimal presence there. The signing of the Franco-Japanese peace was seen as an opportunity to further improve the relations between Japan and the US.

Negotiations did not lead to any concrete results; but an unofficial and tentative 'Gentlemen's Agreement' was drawn between the two administrations, that would allow free mobility of peoples in both parties' Pacific holdings, while preventing uncontrolled immigration from and to their 'core' territories.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/gjq0gctrz/Screenshot_(492).png)

Meanwhile, in Japan, during Tsukuba's shakedown cruise, she fired more than three hundred rounds of stockpiled ammunition, in a series of ballistics tests. The results would lead to improved AP shells, with increased penetrative capabilities.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/70gbmw69r/Screenshot_(493).png)

(https://s17.postimg.cc/g7kzi2x4f/akagi_tatsuta_and_yukikaze_kantai_collection_d.jpg)

The R & D department also presented the Admiralty with the first designs for a ship-borne oil-fired boiler. The Navy was ecstatic, but returned the designs with a long list of suggested improvements. It would be impossible to afford an oil-fired ship with the current budget; it would be best if the scientists took the time to iron out as many faults as they could on the drawing-board.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/bqaup8mnz/Screenshot_(496).png)

In an attempt to further curb expenses, and with international tensions running low, the Admiralty put a halt to advanced gunnery and live-fire testing.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/4ocx31j27/Screenshot_(497).png)

The budget savings were put to good use, refitting the obsolescent fleet of Minesweepers. It was the general opinion that the 'Maru boys' had given a damn good showing during the war and that they deserved better than their old run-down boats.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/42ny6xnzz/Screenshot_(500).png)

As a small consolation, military intelligence reported minimal activity in the French shipyards. Closer investigation revealed that the war aftermath had hit the French even worse - they had to freeze the construction of one of their battlecruisers, because of lack of funds. This put Japan firmly ahead in the battlecruiser race among the minor Powers.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/wtkrwzttr/Screenshot_(501).png)

In fact, it was heartening to see that, with the exception of the powerhouses of Great Britain and the United States, Japan was still a competitive world leader among the minor Powers, with a budget to rival Germany. This certainly put things into perspective for the Japanese Alliance, whose pride was somewhat soothed.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/57i0cbagv/Screenshot_(502).png)

In July, the order was given to scrap the remaining Akikaze-class destroyers, as they were considered too obsolete to be competitive. Their machinery had reached the end of its operational life and it was thought that refitting them, or continuing to maintain them would prove to be too much of a financial burden. The new Matsukazes would take over their duties.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/wkn772h1b/Screenshot_(504).png)

(https://s13.postimg.cc/5hnk3jnnr/drty.jpg)

July also marked the end of Tsukuba's shakedown cruise. She was now the only battlecruiser in operation world-wide not flying the Royal Navy's White Ensign and Japan's prestige skyrocketed in the international scene.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/tghl7e6kf/Screenshot_(507).png)

August 1908 led to the establishment of the first overseas factories in the Japanese Alliance. Taking advantage of the improving relationships with the US and the 'Gentlemen's Agreement', the Mitsubishi conglomerate established two electrical equipment plants in the Philippines and followed up with the opening of an insurance office specifically targeted towards American merchant shipping in the Pacific. The initiative rendered more than satisfactory profits for the company and spurred further industrialisation in the Alliance.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/3wfb0yl6n/Screenshot_(506).png)

(https://s14.postimg.cc/urprbrr6p/tumblr_nc6ieqlt_Ef1tb7stoo1_500.gif)

More importantly, on the 28th of August, the R & D division submitted the final designs for an oil-fired boiler system to the Admiralty. The Sumatran oil fields would soon show their true worth for the Alliance.






Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Col. Fishguts on December 05, 2016, 02:43:56 pm
Awesome thread, looking forward to see how things turn out. I guess the Spaghettis are the next ones getting slapped?

One question, is this kind of picture also ingame (autogenerated from her stats)?
(https://s12.postimg.org/wjysudcm5/Ikoma0.jpg)

Can you see your ship designs like this, or do you only get the autogenerated top-down view?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 05, 2016, 02:48:23 pm
Re: Spaghettis; won't spoiler it.

Re: side views: the game can auto-generate the placement of the turrets and the torpedo tubes and offers you several options for the shape of the hull, the height of the funnels etc. Then, you 'build' the superstructure and the masts with sprites that are included in the game (and you can mod in your own).
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Col. Fishguts on December 05, 2016, 02:54:16 pm
Ah cool, and once you have built it with those sprites you can save you work and the game will use it as an illustration?
Like that Virginia Gazette newspaper?

This thread makes me itch to buy RTW, it looks like X-COM with ships :)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 05, 2016, 02:59:07 pm
Exactly. You can see the illustration in the game as an alternative to the top-down view (not in the tactical map, though, obviously), you can re-use it for evolutions of the same class and it's a bitmap that you can see outside of the game too.

One major problem with the side view designer is that it doesn't save 'layers' and it only has one undo. It's not particularly user friendly and you need to build a sideview in a signle session (takes like 5')

I heartily recommend supporting the developer - he's currently started work on RTW2, which will include WWII designs and, apparently, aircraft carriers as well!
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 05, 2016, 03:16:11 pm
Is there any multi or is it SP only? 
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 05, 2016, 03:18:07 pm
Strictly SP, I'm afraid - a result of the way the combat system works.
Title: Never Had a Friend Like Me
Post by: Enioch on December 05, 2016, 04:35:04 pm
(https://s12.postimg.cc/nh28knmrx/Screenshot_(510).png)

In early September, the R & D department delivered another groundbreaking development: a viable system for superfiring turrets. The stresses applied to the hull of the ship made it impossible (still) to have a front-mounted 'B' superfiring turret, but an 'X' superfiring turret, pointed toward the rear of the ship was well within the capabilities of Japanese engineering.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/vnu8c8cul/Screenshot_(511).png)

(https://s12.postimg.cc/qqgnr4avh/Screenshot_(512).png)

The Admiralty responded with a change in research doctrine. It was clear that Japan would never rival the production capabilities of giants such as Great Britain or the US. In the (hopefully avoidable) situation where she would have to meet their dreadnoughts in battle, it was, therefore, imperative that she hold a qualitative advantage. She needed a small core of tough ships, with a decent punch, which could be relied upon to survive any but the most disastrous beating and come back swinging.

The R & D department was, therefore, asked to focus their efforts on damage control and torpedo protection, which they did, with gusto.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/qrqlkjcp9/Screenshot_(513).png)

The Admiralty also considered several hypothetical designs for an improved Ikoma-style battlecruiser at the time. The one the Admiralty felt held the most promise was the one codenamed Kurama; but it was concluded that the weight requirements of a modern torpedo defense system would overwhelm both the current budget and the shipbuilding capabilities of the Japanese shipyards. More time to build up infrastructure was needed - the Admiralty refused to compromise and lay down a ship that would be obsolete two months after work on it had started.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/mjvtbsb9p/Screenshot_(514).png)

Instead, further expansion of the docks was ordered; and experts were summoned to form think tanks on how to better miniaturise and implement the R & D department's findings.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/ml5r57d3h/Screenshot_(515).png)

(https://s12.postimg.cc/yob2sro5p/Screenshot_(516).png)

The work of military intelligence confirmed that the Admiralty's new doctrine could be viable. On October, the blueprints of the Russian battlecruiser Navarin found their way to the Admiralty, via a rather...complicated route. In short, the Russian ship had been laid down almost a year after Tsukuba, but was still its inferior in everything but gun caliber - and Tsukuba was designed to take hits from 12'' guns and keep on going. Drawing a comparison to Ikoma was laughable - the Japanese warship would tear through the Russian's belt armour in only a few salvos. Clearly, Russia was not a force to be feared - yet.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/qk2yo11ql/Screenshot_(517).png)

November was marked by further torpedo technology developments that had the destroyer captains champing at the bit for their new Matsukazes.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/vy6c9bgul/Screenshot_(519).png)

It also marked the beginning of the Java crisis, one of the more contentious issues, that would mark the diplomativ arena in South-East Asia for the next decade.

Germany, with her original bid to weaken the French presence in the region having failed because of the quick Franco-Japanese peace, adopted a more aggressive stance. A task force was dispatched to occupy neutral Java who, while not an official partner or ally of Japan, played an important part in the diplomatic balance of the South China Sea and had even expressed interest in formally joining the Japanese Alliance.

The Japanese response could best be described as 'stunned'. There was much discussion on what stance to assume. It was important to keep Germany out of South-East Asia, from where she had been expulsed during the 1905 war; but it was also important not to appear imperialistic in the region and potentially sour the chance for a closer relationship with the USA. Finally, after long deliberation and discussion it was agreed that an international force should be assembled and dispatched, under a joint Japanese and USA command, to convince the German forces to back down.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/9osf2rle5/Screenshot_(521).png)

The Germans did not; and the task force, under partially conflicting orders and the timorous leadership of cautious US diplomats did not offer further challenge. However, two things were made clear:

Firstly, the Germans and their long-reaching imperialistic ambitions in the Far East were still very much a threat to the stability of the region and Japan's interests.

Secondly, the Japanese had demonstrated that they had no aggressive imperialistic designs of their own and that they were willing to operate in collaboration with other world powers; America in particular. As the US had also felt their bases in the Pacific to be threatened, this considerably improved the spirit of collaboration between the two countries; the term 'Pacific Neighbours' was coined after the Javan Crisis to describe the very cordial relationship between the two countries.

In short, Japan lost a potential protectorate and another base in the South-China Sea; but she earned herself a very close friend in the US and emerged the clear moral victor of the Crisis in the international stage, while Germany was almost universally villified.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/d9oalzpxp/Screenshot_(522).png)

(https://s11.postimg.cc/tignb7tlv/__iowa_and_kongou_kantai_collection_drawn_by_mea.jpg)

As a sidenote: the 'Japanese Craze' which took off in the USA during that period (most notable being President Roosevelt traveling to Japan to learn Jujitsu and Kendo from native tutors and the 'Sushi Mania' of 1909) is genuinely one of the most hilarious periods of the two countries' history.

(https://s13.postimg.cc/pl0x6juo7/1902_3_20_nyworld_roosevelt.jpg)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/hgv7dtio5/Has_Fish_Diet_Japanese.jpg)
(OOC Note: the above are actual things and the images have only had the dates changed, holy crap, the silliness is overwhelming)

Also:

(https://s12.postimg.cc/pctm9k0zx/Screenshot_(523).png)

****ING FINALLY. SPAGHETTIS GO HOME, I HAVE BETTER FRIENDS NOW.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/3rojly499/Screenshot_(524).png)

On Christmas day of 1908, the first of the Matsukazes, Minazuki was commissioned into the Navy. She immediately started her shakedown cruise and was much praised by her crew for her high top speed and her increased stability and high freeboard.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/xxmy0qb65/Screenshot_(525).png)

The Russian Navy also made a half-hearted attempt to acquire the licence to the Japanese oil-fired boilers design. They were calmly and politely shown the door: if Japan was to maintain her qualitative advantage over her enemies, she would have to keep such critical technology classified.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/84n34dczx/Screenshot_(527).png)

(OOC: Why, yes, Italy, I have no objection to selling you a crappy firing control sub-tech. *CASH REGISTER SOUND*)

(https://s12.postimg.cc/9xul6fnkd/Screenshot_(528).png)

No, the Japanese Navy had no objection to selling off what it considered to be less-important advances, especially when their engineers had just further opened the gap with the installation of high-quality 9ft-rangefinders on every Japanese ship.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/n3a3cjhfx/Screenshot_(529).png)

And then, Intelligence delivered again, by securing the prototype blueprints for the British Invincible battlecruisers - Tsukuba's older sisters.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/apx95mrrh/Screenshot_(530).png)

In their defense, they mounted 13'' guns, which could give Tsukuba's 10'' armor trouble at close range. But they were also horrendously underarmoured compared to her, with a 6'' belt. Tsukuba's 11'' guns would go through that belt like a hot knife through butter, at any range; and any hit to the Brits' vulnerable engine room would rob them of their speed - a crucial element for the survivability and effectiveness of a battlecruiser.

As for Ikoma - she would be slower, true. But in any broadside engagement she was sure to turn the British ships into swiss cheese.

In short:
(https://i.imgflip.com/1ferzq.jpg)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Boomer20 on December 05, 2016, 05:15:44 pm
Superior quality trumps quantity unless your russia
This is really entertaining!
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on December 05, 2016, 05:34:57 pm
Loving this :D

Lacking RTW since I'm not sure that one shady site is the right one to get it.
But this motivated me to play HoI IV and invade the USA :D
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 05, 2016, 05:36:09 pm
That 'shady site' is, indeed, the way to get it. Don't worry, it only looks shady.  :lol:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 05, 2016, 07:48:03 pm
I can't help but think Intelligence Operative image needs to be replaced with the Geisha from Shogun Total War.

(http://internetwars.ru/TWShogun2/images/geisha.jpg)

Though I suppose if those murder machines were you Intel Operators they would have assassinated the Russian Admiralty and burned down their yards as well.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 05, 2016, 07:57:19 pm
Image yoinked. Thanks for that brainwave.  :lol:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 05, 2016, 07:57:44 pm
I check thread everyday
Everyday I check

I dont have anything else to add

have an action poi
(https://ibin.co/34OIWFpMV0Qu.jpg)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 05, 2016, 09:19:09 pm
That top spy is amusing because normally she'd stand out. But in this universe? No, she doesn't. :D

So did you change the dates on those pictures to 1909? What were their true dates?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 05, 2016, 09:37:42 pm
The top spy picture is Mata Hari, she was an exotic dancer/courtesan and probably the most famous spy during the First World War.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 06, 2016, 05:55:43 am
That is, indeed, Mata Hari. History is still undecided on how GOOD a spy she was, but she was certainly the most famous one. Which, on hindsight, may have been the problem... :rolleyes:

As for the image dates, they were 1905 and 1904 respectively. So pre-OTL- Russo-Japanese War.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on December 06, 2016, 08:04:35 am
So, you design the ships you want or can you use predesigned ships?

I'm failing to design sound concepts in HoI and RTW looks way more complicated...
Title: Class Dismissed
Post by: Enioch on December 06, 2016, 08:14:39 am
(https://s18.postimg.cc/h07mwasi1/Screenshot_(531).png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/wac3h8de1/Screenshot_(532).png)

Two events marked March of 1909: firstly, the further development of the oil-fired boiler design via the introduction of economisers and, seondly, the development of the first functional 14'' inch guns by the USA. The Japanese Admiralty were concerned by this, as their own gun foundries could only manufacture guns of up to 11 inches; however, intelligence reports indicated that the American 14'' rifles had atrocious gun handling and accuracy. There were proposals to approach the Americans in the interest of acquiring the licence for further experimentation, but they came to nothing, given the Navy's limited budget.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/ldarsgqmh/Screenshot_(534).png)

By April, the lessons gleaned from the Matsukazes' shakedown cruises were implemented in the design of a new, experimental 900-ton destroyer class: the Nokaze. These were ships that could reach an even higher top speed, of 33 knots. Only two ships were put into production for now: the Nokaze and the Hakaze.

In addition, the Admiralty ordered a revolutionary oil-fired light cruiser class, the Itsukushima.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/r6ktt12a1/Screenshot_(538).png)

These were ships meant not for raiding but for service in the waters of South-East Asia. They were heavily armed, with a 6-gun broadside of the superb Japanese 6-inchers and four underwater torpedo tubes; more significantly, they were designed to reach a staggering flank speed of 29 knots. Japan wanted to make sure she would not lose any of these ships to enemy battlecruisers and so she gave them speed to rival a destroyer. Their belt armour was also surprisingly tough for a light cruiser, at 2.5 inches, capable of defeating small-caliber guns.

All-in-all, the Itsukushimas would have made every other light cruiser in the world obsolete, overnight; especially the 'destroyer-killing' French designs. However, due to lack of funds, the laying down of the first ships of the class was delayed for several months.

(https://s11.postimg.cc/kurn23icz/commandant_teste_kantai_collection_drawn_by_na.jpg)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/lwfv1qi15/Screenshot_(539).png)

Finally, it was the US who approached the Japanese, expressing their interest for IJN torpedo technology. The Admiralty graciously allowed the licencing of preheater designs to the US Navy, in exchange for a much-needed influx of cash for their budget.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/of1k2f3rd/Screenshot_(540).png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/nqspjh51l/Screenshot_(541).png)

New developments in armour and hull constructions came at the right time, before the laying down of the first Itsukushimas: the new technologies were implemented into their design, offering a moderate amount of weight savings.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/i5avt5tqh/Screenshot_(543).png)

And in August the docks in Kure and Yokosuka were expanded even further, for the inevitable time when Japan could afford a bigger and badder capital ship.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/5t7zfo5vt/Screenshot_(545).png)

Thankfully, the steel industry lobbies proved themselves a valuable asset to the Navy in this period. Interestingly, for the first time, American industrialists expressed interest in establishing overseas foundries in Japan and Formosa. Under political pressure to improve the market, the Government released an extra yearly six million for the Navy budget.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/doiiuhfih/Screenshot_(547).png)

However, the naval secretary stipulated that these funds were not for the Navy to play around with. The government was 'all too aware' of the role the submarines had played in the Franco-Japanese war, and they were expecting no less than 11 new submarines to be laid down immediately.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/uqbcwkudl/Screenshot_(548).png)

Especially since new diesel engines, fuelled by the Sumatran oil fields, would make submarines more effective than ever.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/5lkcj5ux5/Screenshot_(549).png)

In December, the Italians arrived with a rather expensive gift: the design for a high-quality 4'' rifle, perfectly suited for use in the IJN destroyer fleet. The Navy jumped at the opportunity -

(https://s18.postimg.cc/e53qgx39l/Screenshot_(550).png)

- and immediately laid down the 11 submarines the naval secretary was so eager for.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/vwkeshozt/Screenshot_(552).png)

As a gesture of good will, Japan agreed to assist the Italians with a rebellion in their colony of Eritrea. Fuso and Izumi were dispatched with an Army complement; the rebellion, which had bogged down Italian troops for three months was dealt with in two weeks.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/906r4ixzd/pola_kantai_collection_drawn_by_shimazaki_muji.jpg)

OK, NOW YOU'RE PUSHING YOUR LUCK, SPAGHETTIS.

So, as Japan entered this new decade, her Navy list included the following:

(https://s18.postimg.cc/jvyyrrhl5/Screenshot_553.png)

A Battle-line comprised of the two obsolescent Fusos and the modern battlecruiser Tsukuba, with Ikoma less than a year away from completion.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/lp1vg32rt/Screenshot_554.png)

Three old Asama-class heavy cruisers, still very much competitive if slow ships.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/c5s6mmf9l/Screenshot_555.png)

The three Izumis, heavily refitted and modernised, although still coal-fired.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/ummldfv7t/Screenshot_556.png)

Three Unebis, rigged for long-range raider duty.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/9e8ww0gqx/Screenshot_557.png)

14 second-rate Asanagi and Asanagi-Kai destroyers, best suited for convoy and escort duties.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/4gvcawert/Screenshot_558.png)

10 first-rate Matsukazes

(https://s18.postimg.cc/45dvy4ybt/Screenshot_559.png)

And a healthy 17 Minesweepers for the 'Maru boys'.

She also had 11 subs in active service, with another 11 improved models being constructed.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/q5u8ergzt/Screenshot_(560).png)

The new decade started well for the Japanese, with an industrial boom like none seen before. It's not by chance that the American-Japanese foundries began their work in February; but new native plants were also set up in Sumatra, Nagasaki and Sasebo.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/hersy8n2h/Screenshot_(563).png)

In April, the R & D team kicked down the door to the Admiralty with a spectacular new development: they felt they had cracked the problems of stability and weight distribution that prevented four centreline turrets to be mounted on a ship. They were still unwilling to risk a 'B' superfiring turret, but the Admiralty agreed that this could revolutionise Japanese ship design. More importantly, the scientists were confident that they were world leaders in this regard - Japan was opening her technology lead once more.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/i9eck9ux5/Screenshot_(567).png)

In May, with Ikoma less than 6 months from completion, the Navy finally felt confident in setting aside funds for the construction of the Itsukushimas The two ships were laid down in Sasebo and Tsingtaou.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/ftcj6fcuh/Screenshot_(568).png)

This caused a major 'Navy Craze' in Japan. There were new things happening in the scene and national pride throughout the Alliance rose again. The Government was quick to capitalise on this by promoting the 'very succesful' Submarine program they had begun, eager to earn political capital with the population in the light of the first instituted elections, to be held in August.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/h9o1okfrd/Screenshot_(569).png)

The Prime Minister also suggested a repeat of the 1904 shooting competition, to drum up further support. The Navy enthusiastically agreed, eager to increase its prestige with the population.

This time, the competition was a truly grand affair, lasting throughout the entire month. The fleet toured the Alliance, with specific shooting tasks assigned for each region, and with the local population gathering around on the docks and in small ships to watch. There were festivals and open-air massive kitchens for the atendees; bands playing; flags and flowers decorating entire towns. A minute-by-minute recounting of the events was telegraphed throughout the Alliance, with crowds clustering around the telegraph offices and betting on the local favourites. There are no official data, obviously, but bookies would claim that more than six million (the equivalent of three month's worth of the Ikoma's construction costs, to put the figure into perspective) changed hands during the competition.

The competition, once more, came down to the wire. Little Yaeyama gave a very good showing, coming in third, only just overtaking veteran Izumi and starting a night-long celebration in the Marianas and the Bismarck Archipelago in honour of her crew. Tsukuba, the Pride of the Fleet came in second.

And Fuso, the old 'Lady of China', the 'Lucky Ship', a ship well into her twilight years, smashed her previous record with a jaw-dropping bullseye at 21,340 metres off the coast of Formosa, which crowned her the undisputed winner of the competition and drove the crowds into hysterics.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/5yle078w9/Screenshot_(570).png)

(https://i.imgflip.com/1fg0ks.jpg)




Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 06, 2016, 08:22:24 am
So, you design the ships you want or can you use predesigned ships?

I'm failing to design sound concepts in HoI and RTW looks way more complicated...

Yes.

You can ask the computer to generate a valid 'type' design and use it (i.e. 'Give me a Heavy Cruiser') but AI designs can be retarded or not give you that one thing you want from your ship (i.e. that extra knot).

So, you can design your own ships.

You select a displacement (i.e. 'How big is the ship'?), which gives you a weight budget. Then you add turrets, select gun caliber and add the secondary batteries. Then you assign armor to the various ship sections (i.e. deck, belt, turrets). Then you set a design speed, a desired range and a focus on engine speed or reliability - the computer calculates the weight of the machinery and lets you know how much the ship will cost you and whether this design is viable for your displacement budget.

If not, you might want to reduce weight by e.g. removing armour, or aim for a lower design speed, or even increase your displacement (thus allowing more machinery and weight to be included). It's fiddly and you never will be satisfied with a midgame design, especially since technology moves so fast that the ship will be obsolete before it even leaves the yards, and you know it. So it's a delicate balance between 'Yeah, I'm gonna need a dreadnought pretty soon, so BUILD SOMETHING, ANYTHING  NOW' and 'Yeah, I'll wait for Superimposed B before laying down my new battlecruiser and hope the **** doesn't hit the fan before that'.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 06, 2016, 09:46:54 am
Tensions ratcheting up with ze Germans? 

May we be seeing the ejection of a European Power from the Pacific in the near future?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 06, 2016, 09:53:43 am
Indeed, that's the idea. The occupation of Java was a big mistake.

A few PSAs:

1. I've added a table of contents in the first post (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=92847.msg1835628#msg1835628), for your kind gentlemen's ease of navigation.

2. I'm becoming rather invested in this thing and I'd love to invite Omakes and plot discussion. Feel free to participate with speculation, kantai-flavoured ficlets, 'bloopers', Slice-of-Life pieces for the ships / crews, political discussion or anything that you'd like to contribute. It would make the writer happy.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on December 06, 2016, 11:17:26 am
Have you named fleets?
Just named my japanese fleets for HoI 4, starting with the Rengo Kantai, Dai-Ni Kantai and so on.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 06, 2016, 12:08:44 pm
The game does not allow you to form fleets - just assign ships to operational areas. That said, I have organised my ships to some degree and, fluff-wise, yes, here are the fleets:

Japan's Navy is currently (1910) divided into four 'fleets' (two major and two minor), which do not correspond to a group of ships but to operational areas. A fleet is comprised of task groups. Ships may move between fleets as operational requirements demand, although effort is made to limit such mobility in the interests of facilitating administration. These fleets are:

- Major Fleets -


- Independent Minor Fleets -


The Marus and Submarines comprise the Keibi Kantai 警備艦隊 (Guard Fleet) and the Dai-Ni Tokumu Kantai 第二特務艦隊 (2nd Special Task Fleet) respectively. These 'Fleets' only exist for logistics purposes on paper; the ships are attached to the other fleets as the situation demands or operate independently in coast guard / submarine raiding duties.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 06, 2016, 12:19:25 pm
How does gun quality work?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 06, 2016, 12:38:11 pm
Quality affects all gun characteristics, including base gun range, penetration and rate of fire.

Quality can range from -2 (truly abysmal - why did you think this was a good idea?) to +1 (truly exceptional) and can be upgraded through gun research (i.e. gun research can develop bigger calibers, or upgrade what you already have).

As a rule of thumb, a -1 quality gun performs as bad as a 0 quality gun of a lower caliber; and a +1 gun performs as well as a 0 quality gun of a higher caliber. This means, for instance, that the -1 12'' guns on the Fuso have comparable performance to the 0 11'' guns of the Tsukuba.

As a real-world example: the 16'' guns of the Nagatos would have been quite respectable 0-quality rifles; however, the 16-inchers of the Iowas were, unquestionably +1 quality guns.
Title: Sie kommt - sie kommt; mit Nebel und Feuer!
Post by: Enioch on December 06, 2016, 02:46:02 pm
(https://s16.postimg.cc/gsxd991th/Screenshot_(573).png)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/hjq3f146t/Screenshot_(574).png)

In July, the British approached the Admiralty, proposing to sell them designs for three-gun turrets. It was clear that this was because of the rising tensions: Great Britain did not wish for a European war against the Germans, but was not averse to strengthening the Japanese, in the hopes of a crippling blow being struck against the Germans in the Far East. The British designs were primitive - but they would serve as the basis for more refined Japanese designs in the future and the Admiralty accepted the proposal.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/68nfqnxbp/Screenshot_(575).png)

As Summer progressed, training cruises involving Tsukuba and the Unebis led to the conclusion that battlecruisers could, surprisingly, serve as excellent scouting elements as well. Their speed, range and their exceptional optics would make them great additions to light cruiser squadrons and would offer that extra 'punch' that could critically tip the balance in a cruiser vs cruiser engagement.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/4uvsvcy2d/Screenshot_(576).png)

More significantly, the gun foundries of Japan, spurred on by the recent developments in American gun manufacture, came up with a working design of a 12'' rifle that had considerably better performance than the old British 12'' models of the Fusos.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/aiticwyd9/Election.jpg)

(https://s12.postimg.cc/gl153emt9/Gonbee_Yamamoto_later_years_cropped.jpg)

At the end of August, the first Democratic Elections were held among the people of the Alliance. The new Government head, Yamamoto Gonbee, a retired Vice Admiral, was well known for his democratic views and would, later in his political career, be a firm supporter of universal male suffrage; he was also a proponent of firm military action and a militant defender of the interests of the Alliance and its people in Eastern Asia.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/6b7bdi0z9/Screenshot_(577).png)

One of his Government's first actions was to reject a military alliance with Russia. He was familiar with the earlier attempt of the Italians to plumb the secrets of Japanese military technology under the guise of a treaty and he would not allow the Tsarists to close the military technology gap. Tensions, as expected, rose, but not to any noticeable degree.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/os1q4bgxh/Screenshot_(578).png)

In September, the work of the engineers on damage control systems paid off. Better pumps, powered by isolated diesel generators were installed in all ships, thereby limiting the chance that a ship would be lost to flooding, like the unlucky Akikaze.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/3wk16ta45/Screenshot_(579).png)

War nearly snuck up to Japan unexpectedly in October, when Asama, operating as a screen for Tsukuba during maneuvers, spotted a small boat closing the distance with the fleet at relatively high speed. Hails were ignored; a warning shot was fired; the ship gave no response. Fearing a suicide attack against Tsukuba, Asama fired for effect and sunk the ship on her second salvo.

It turns out that the ship was a German trawler, operating off Kiautschou bay. Its actions were never explained and no survivors were recovered, despite the best efforts of the Japanese destroyers. Germany, of course, raised merry hell in the diplomatic scene, but faced nothing but iron contempt from the Japanese (and Great Britain, and France, who were happy to join in their rival's embarrassment). The ship had been operating in restricted waters; had not responded to hails; and the Japanese had taken all necessary steps before opening fire. Germany backed down, but resentment raged under the surface.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/didln419x/Screenshot_(580).png)

(https://i.imgflip.com/1fgub1.jpg)

*Ahem*. Nothing important happened in November.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/o6hclyb91/Screenshot_(581).png)

And in December, new mines were introduced. The 'Maru boys' would have their hands full in the near future, sweeping and re-laying several minefields in home waters.

Also...

(https://s16.postimg.cc/3nmggvxbp/Screenshot_(582).png)

Ikoma was launched, on the 23rd of December 1910. The Mountain left the slipway with a grace that belied its gargantuan weight, under the watchful eyes of the Emperor, the Government and a multitude of onlookers. And there was much celebration; and the streets of Kure were filled with people. But, throughout the feasting and the dancing and the merrymaking, there was a note of apprehension. Unlike Tsukuba, the 'People's ship', Ikoma looked almost - vicious. Malicious. Even her crew would speak of their ship in hushed, frightened tones, claiming that she smelled of blood and that she was haunted or cursed. And of how she refused to reach her top speed, despite their engineers' best attempts, because everybody knew that the dock foreman had died in an accident when the engines were installed and unless somebody exorcised the ship, she'd always be...well, evil

Of course, that did not prevent them from respecting or even liking the ship. A capricious, vicious ***** the Ikoma may have been; but she was their ***** and that would quickly prove to be a very good thing indeed.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1fgwzq.jpg)

-END PART 2-
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Grizzly on December 06, 2016, 03:02:04 pm
Thematically appropriate HOI3 music!
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 06, 2016, 04:10:17 pm
Universal male suffrage. A much needed step forward for men towards real equality in a female dominated World. ;)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 06, 2016, 04:15:24 pm
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9c/0a/78/9c0a78b986ec304299d1b2a0cd2443aa.jpg)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 06, 2016, 04:21:18 pm
 :lol:


Quality affects all gun characteristics, including base gun range, penetration and rate of fire.

Quality can range from -2 (truly abysmal - why did you think this was a good idea?) to +1 (truly exceptional) and can be upgraded through gun research (i.e. gun research can develop bigger calibers, or upgrade what you already have).

As a rule of thumb, a -1 quality gun performs as bad as a 0 quality gun of a lower caliber; and a +1 gun performs as well as a 0 quality gun of a higher caliber. This means, for instance, that the -1 12'' guns on the Fuso have comparable performance to the 0 11'' guns of the Tsukuba.

As a real-world example: the 16'' guns of the Nagatos would have been quite respectable 0-quality rifles; however, the 16-inchers of the Iowas were, unquestionably +1 quality guns.
  :yes: Seems like a mechanic that makes sense
Title: Sie kommt - sie kommt; mit Sturm und Gewitter!
Post by: Enioch on December 06, 2016, 06:58:02 pm
- PART 3 -
Ikoma's War

(https://s15.postimg.cc/57ttdqmln/ijn_fuso_dreadnought_battleship2.jpg)
Pictured: HIJMS Ikoma cruising off Kure - Early 1911

The commissioning of Ikoma freed up a substantial part of the Admiralty's monthly budget. This money was immediately put to good use, given the rising tensions and the threat of imminent war.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/olv3wa7q1/Screenshot_(585).png)

(https://s12.postimg.cc/erpi6z3st/agano_noshiro_and_yahagi_kantai_collection_dra.jpg)

A third Itsukushima-class cruiser, Matsushima was laid down in Kure, with a planned completion time of just under two years.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/81xfa1ift/Screenshot_(588).png)

The majority of the funds, however, were dedicated to a strict training regimen for the entirety of the fleet but, primarily, Ikoma. Japan was placing a lot of her eggs in one, very expensive basket and it was imperative that Ikoma perform well.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/8sq5ftkt5/Screenshot_(589).png)

By February, the 11 submarines were also complete and joined the Silent Service. The funds that were freed up were immediately assigned to the construction of two more Nokaze-class destroyers: Minekaze and Hakaze.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/qzhn11bix/Screenshot_(592).png)

(https://s11.postimg.cc/wpin4rsfn/belf.jpg)

And in March, the US surprised Japan by offering the licence to their mechanical analog fire-control computer. Easily integrated into the central-firing control system of the Japanese ships, this computing table would be further refined in the upcoming years.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/m3e09cbdl/Screenshot_(594).png)

In May, the R & D engineers approached the Admiralty with a 'how is it possible that nobody has never thought of this before?" concept. Early DDs could not support the necessary weight on their centreline, but the new Nokazes were more than capable of mounting a centreline double torpedo launcher.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/bhu4xc521/Screenshot_(595).png)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/iq6yg6w5h/kitakami_naka_rensouhou_chan_shimakaze_and_yuu.jpg)

And with the new, contra-rotating propeller system the engineers presented, said torpedoes would run straight and true for more than three thousand yards. Suffice it to say that the Admirals found themselves very interested.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/xiahdynq1/Screenshot_(596).png)

And when the French light cruiser Sfax docked in Yokosuka in the context of diplomatic discussions regarding the quickly developing tensions between France and Germany near Cochin China, the Admirals may have been slightly dismissive of the cruiser's capabilities, which was understandable, given how massively the French vessel was outclassed by the Itsukushimas under construction. The French did not particularly appreciate it.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/jr60bqys9/Screenshot_(598).png)

In July, tensions skyrocketed when German guerillas incited a revolution near Kwang-Chou-Wan, a French colony near Hong Kong. Amassing a significant army of Chinese rebels, they marched against the city. Unfortunately for them, a Japanese and Sumatran delegation was present in the city. Operating under the principle that forgiveness is easier to obtain than permission, the Prime Minister ordered a naval strike against their positions.

Fuso was nearby. Enough said.

Of course, the French were not particularly enthused by the fact that the Japanese had, effectively, bombarded their holdings. Tensions rose between the two countries; but it was acknowledged that the crisis had been, primarily, instigated by Germany. The Prussian meddling in the Far East was beginning to grate on a lot of people's nerves, including those of the British: Hong Kong, after all, had been quite near the troubled area and might have easily been the target of the rebels...

(https://s18.postimg.cc/nm9eebhy1/Screenshot_(597).png)

Their time with the American computer also allowed the Japanese engineers to establish the simple principle of 'garbage in - garbage out'. An effort was made to improve the quality of the input, and so, stereoscopic rangefinders were introduced.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/q6518f5i1/Screenshot_(599).png)

In August, the Prime Minister made a token effort to ease the tensions in the South China Sea. It truly was token and fooled nobody. War was not only inevitable, but also desired by both sides.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/bo7u0fe6x/Screenshot_(600).png)

In September, much too late to be of any use to the Japanese for the near future, the scientists came up with a revolutionary concept: that of applying the principles of heavy cruiser sloped deck armor to light cruisers. Earlier shipbuilding techniques would have resulted in a structurally unsound vessel, but their experience with light forces and the developments in lighter and stronger materials had made this a possibility. Japan would never build a protected cruiser again.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/p6jbqgfq1/Screenshot_(601).png)

On the same month, Vice Admiral Fujiwara (about to be promoted to Fleet Admiral) visited the Prime Minister who, we must remind the reader, was himself a retired Admiral. The two men discussed the situation and Fujiwara appeared very optimistic - if Japan could somehow buy just a little more time.

"Buy me five more months," he is said to have asked the Prime Minister, "and I shall win Nippon such glory as she has never seen before."

(https://s18.postimg.cc/e88289r4p/Screenshot_(602).png)

It seemed that Fujiwara would not get his wish. Two days after his meeting with the Prime Minister, they received news from Military Intelligence that the Germans were mobilising the majority of their capital ships (six predread battleships, their newly completed battlecruiser Von der Tann and that they had also started construction of a dreadnought.

When officially queried, they declared that this mobilisation was for training purposes only and that ships would return to reserve status after the maneuvers were complete. Neither Fujiwara nor Yamamoto were fooled.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/41zgpa6qh/Screenshot_(605).png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/dnt15kxw9/Screenshot_(606).png)

A last ditch effort to prevent war was made by Great Britain, who was concerned about her own interests in Southeast Asia. Japan agreed to host an international conference in Tokyo, in which absolutely no effort was made to improve relations with Germany. Instead, Japanese diplomats focused their efforts on the British and American delegates and, in no uncertain terms, made it clear that, as long as no assistance was provided to Germany (something that neither the British or the Americans were keen to do, anyway) the British and American holdings in the South China Sea would be held as sacrosanct for the Alliance fleet. The conference ended with Germany notably short on friends.

This situation could not last any longer. It, amazingly, dragged on for three more months, thanks to the magnificent efforts of the Yamamoto administration.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/ojp0eo87t/Screenshot_(613).png)

In February 1912, however, Germany presented Japan with the unavoidable ultimatum, which was summarily rejected. Eleven years after their last conflict, the two nations were, again, at war.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1fhep0.jpg)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 07, 2016, 08:32:54 am
That ship is going to look bananas if she ever goes full pagoda. :pimp:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on December 07, 2016, 08:39:03 am
Can you aim for developing a Nagato?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 07, 2016, 08:52:40 am
That ship is going to look bananas if she ever goes full pagoda. :pimp:

Yes, she would look awesome, wouldn't she?  :drevil:

Can you aim for developing a Nagato?

Depends on what you mean. Theoretically, yes, it is more than possible. For this play through, however, I've reached the 40s and, while I have laid down a Nagato-class, it's considerably different than what you probably have in mind.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on December 07, 2016, 08:55:03 am
Looking forward to it :D

So there is no time limit to the singleplayer, but CVs are not implented?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 07, 2016, 09:02:20 am
The suggested cutoff date (I.e. the point where the game tells you "this is the historical time where the Battleship started declining") is 1925. And the game asks you: Do you want to stop?

You can say "no", and continue up to 1950, which is the hard cutoff point because of hardcoding limitations.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 07, 2016, 11:51:24 am
Actually I was wondering are the AI factions having there own conflicts in the background or are all conflicts player based?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 07, 2016, 02:33:48 pm
To my knowledge, the latter. At least I've never seen an AI war. The only times whn AI fleets fight is when you are in an alliance and war is declared- at which point your ally will attack your enemy.

Likewise, if you allow tensions to rise too high with two opponents simultaneously, they will ally against you.

But I've yet to see a war where the player isn't the instigator somehow.

Note that there are possible hidden tension stats behind the scenes- AI countries hate and like each other. It's safe to say that by antagonizing Germany you can usually make a friend in the British.

So, there's  potentially a system to base AI wars on. Possibly in RTW 2?
Title: Sie kommt - sie kommt, der hoellishe Ritter
Post by: Enioch on December 07, 2016, 04:43:44 pm
(https://s15.postimg.cc/uz8sups97/Screenshot_614.png)

The Germans had learned from the last war and had already moved their capital ships out of their East Asian bases before they delivered their ultimatum. The Japanese Admiralty were aware that it would be impossible to perform a surprise attack and had not based their hopes on it.

Hostilities were opened with Germany attempting to take a page off Japan's book and conduct a coastal raid against the Sasebo installations and the local sea traffic.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/mi9ajsnkb/Screenshot_615.png)

Unfortunately for the Germans, Yaeyama was on-station, with a destroyer flotilla of Asanagis and Asanagi-Kais providing screening elements; the Japanese captial ships had already left their moorings and taken to the high seas in anticipation of exactly such a maneuver; and, finally, the Germans committed only limited forces to this raid.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/5j0c4jccr/Screenshot_616.png)

At 09:22, the destroyer Mikazuki reported sighting an enemy cruiser, due North of Sasebo and bearing WNW, away from the Japanese installations. Yaeyama, anticipating either a long chase (if the enemy should prove to be a light cruiser task force) or a frantic retreat (if the enemy should prove to be an armoured cruiser) proceeded to intercept, at a leasurly 16 knots, so as not to foul her grates or exhaust her stokers.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/dpsbw42ff/Screenshot_617.png)

A drawn-out game of cat-and-mouse ensued, with the enemy ship slipping in and out of fogbanks, not daring to commit. Finally, at around 16:30 in the afternoon, Yaeyama got her first good sight of her quarry, as the enemy cruiser sought to chase down an isolated merchantman leaving Sasebo.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/9hxjnd0zv/Screenshot_618.png)

The lookouts identified the German as a Niobe-class: a small, lightly-armored light cruiser, more than 2k tons lighter than Yaeyama, with a smaller-caliber broadside, but with equal speed. This should prove... interesting.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/o2emi6vyj/Screenshot_619.png)

Yaeyama proceeded to pin the enemy against the islands north of Sasebo, but did not risk closing the range and exposing herself to a torpedo attack. Long-range fire was exchanged, with Yaeyama's 6'' rifles giving her a distinct advantage, but only a few hits were scored on the enemy given the poor weather and the limited visibility.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/497kmlowb/Screenshot_621.png)

Hope for a decisive resolution was kindled when the Asama reported her presence in the area. Unfortunately, the Japanese heavy cruiser could not properly position herself to intercept the fleeing German before nightfall; the Niobe managed to sneak away under the cover of darkness, suffering only minimal damage.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/hfx0m4kln/Screenshot_623.png)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/x2o9zhydn/Screenshot_624.png)

While not a victory measured in ships sunk, this was still a clear Japanese victory. Intercepted German wireless signals allowed the Japanese Admiralty to determine that the Niobe was operating as a scouting element for a squadron of two German heavy cruisers. The three ships, working in tandem, would have caused severe problems to the Japanese defenders; but the prompt response of Yaeyama and the ominous presence of Asama had sent the German heavies packing. No losses whatsoever were inflicted on the Japanese merchant shipping and the harbour installations had not even been scratched; the German 'surprise attack' had utterly failed to achieve its goals.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/ixigxopcb/Screenshot_625.png)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/6wx0wyhxn/Screenshot_626.png)

The Japanese Navy jumped into action along well-rehearsed contingency plans. The modernised 'Maru' fleet cast off from dozens of small harbours and coaling stations; their ammo and coal stores filled to the brim for long-range patrols.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/rmj7nov1b/__aoba_kaga_and_shiranui_kantai_collection_drawn.png)

The Unebis also cast off, following their pre-planned raiding courses and seeking targets of opportunity. All German maritime traffic in the South China Sea and near their Korean bases would be hit very hard during the upcoming months.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/uql6zz3dl/kiso_kitakami_kuma_ooi_and_tama_kantai_collect.jpg)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/mni3ql16z/Screenshot_630.png)

Finally, the Silent Service also set off for their assigned patrol zones. Unfortunately, the submarine fleet, limited by its short range, would give a relatively meager showing during the early months of the war.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/z63akwnkb/Screenshot_633.png)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/45dr6cjez/Screenshot_628.png)

By the end of April, the Admiralty had a good idea of the German forces stationed in the region. The two heavy cruisers were hitting Japanese shipping; the light cruiser had yet to make an appearance; there were reports of at least two German capital ships being transferred from the Baltic to the Eastern theatre of operations. Intelligence were confident that one of them was the Von der Tann, the newly-commissioned German battlecruiser. The German reinforcements were estimated to arrive in two or three months; the Admiralty sought to engage the existing forces before then and defeat the Germans in detail. Ikoma lay in wait, while a task force comprised of Izumi and Naniwa dangled themselves as bait near the German hunting grounds.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/u8ypsb5sl/admiral_akagi_chitose_choukai_haguro_and_other.jpg)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/nbqy9izwr/Screenshot_629.png)

Unfortunately, either forewarned or savvy, the Germans declined battle.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/gchhnwpcb/Screenshot_632.png)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/5bmcivx3f/Screenshot_631.png)

Taking advantage of their absence, Unebi and Yaeyama went on the prowl themselves. By the end of the month, 26k tons of German shipping, including a massive coaler and an ammunition ship were resting at the bottom of the ocean.
 
(https://s15.postimg.cc/u8ppzsll7/Screenshot_634.png)

And then, that accursed Niobe made its presence known again - this time by attacking a massive Japanese tanker convoy, carrying precious, precious fuel, traveling from Sumatra to Tsingtaou.

A convoy only escorted by a small destroyer flotilla, of second-rate Asanagis.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/kussku61r/__akatsuki_hibiki_ikazuchi_and_inazuma_kantai_co.jpg)

Welp.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 07, 2016, 05:00:32 pm
(https://ibin.co/34bSu6hYuzr2.jpg)
Round 2, lets go.


(I love that subtle ikoma abyssal face in the first picture of the part 3 post)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 07, 2016, 05:38:00 pm
*snip*
Round 2, lets go.

(I love that subtle ikoma abyssal face in the first picture of the part 3 post)

She's a hunter and they have her on a short leash. She's understandably frustrated.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 08, 2016, 06:45:04 am
As promised, spice added.
Title: Das Teufelsschiff kommt - das Stahlungeheuer!
Post by: Enioch on December 08, 2016, 09:23:07 am
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BtpEIH2g5JE/VOOtBFO0VcI/AAAAAAAAo6w/iuddljjBH0Q/s640/vlcsnap-00063.png)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/e2c4zpgvv/Screenshot_(636).png)

Immediate checking of the chronometers. Sunset is two hours away; at that point, it would be suicide for the Niobe to push the convoy. Given the visibility ranges in the dark, if you're spotted, you're well within torpedo range and pushing against destroyers under those circumstances is brain-dead.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/mymx3n7i3/Screenshot_(637).png)

Yep, confirmed. It's the Niobe. That thing has as many guns as my entire destroyer escort force combined.

The wise choice, to preserve the DDs for the upcoming war, would have them abandon the convoy and use their superior speed to escape to Tsingtaou. That's what the Germans had done ten years ago, when Izumi had savaged their convoys.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/9lirnfl3x/agano_nachi_and_naka_kantai_collection_drawn_b.jpg)

**** that.

The DDs have one job, and that's to defend the convoy. Signals are raised, to the lead convoy transport: "Head to closest port" and "Escorts will engage the enemy", followed by Asanagi raising the flags for "Tennōheika Banzai", a signal repeated by all escorting DDs and, shortly after, by the entirety of the convoy.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/vjg8uthob/Screenshot_(639).png)

The DDs take up screening positions, between the raider and the convoy and accelerate to flank. The Niobe can either try to snipe at them from a distance or risk closing to a more effective range and eating torpedoes; neither of which is a good option.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/rr1bstrjv/Screenshot_(642).png)

Fourty-five minutes after first contact, the German finally decides on the latter, accelerates to attack speed and charges the destroyer line. Asanagi is hit, and the shell buries itself in the engine room, knocking out one boiler, killing twenty-three of her crew and dropping her speed to 19 knots. The German cruiser has now entered torpedo range, but the destroyers hold their fire.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/dymwx70sb/Screenshot_(643).png)

Shimakaze takes over lead for division A and holds her course; as the Niobe continues to close, Hatakaze and Hayate peel off in a mad torpedo run on the enemy. The Niobe immediately switches her fire, scoring a hit on Hatakaze's funnels, that sends red-hot shrapnel scything across her deck.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/l4enzn9vf/Screenshot_(645).png)

Hayate is the second ship to be hit; the Niobe takes out her centreline torpedo mount. Her torpedoes go off in a massive explosion, that vaporises all nearby crew and rips of more than half of the ship's superstructure. However, her engines are only minimally affected and somehow, impossibly, she's still in the fight.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/715uz8kwr/fubuki_and_miyuki_kantai_collection_drawn_by_k.jpg)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/m7ysbluij/Screenshot_(646).png)

40 minutes to nightfall. Shells and tracers scream in both directions.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/f7asitsqj/Screenshot_(648).png)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/6qba7wo1n/Screenshot_(649).png)

20 minutes to nightfall. Shimakaze's starboard torpedo mount is hit and the torpedo explodes. The funnels and superstructure guide the explosion away from the ship, but a massive hole is ripped out of her hull above the waterline and her uptakes are clogged with debris. Seventeen crewmembers, including Captain Sukarnoputra die in an instant.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/kny1qybi3/Screenshot_(652).png)

Hayate shakes her ass in front of the enemy and cuts her speed to 25 knots. Captain Xuang orders his crew to make smoke intermittantly, to give the Germans the impression that she's hurt more than she really is. The Niobe takes the bait and follows the destroyer away from the convoy, just as the sun slips under the horizon.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/r2x2nmi7v/Screenshot_(653).png)

At which point Hayate speeds back up and curves around to meet up with her division leader. The destroyers move to rejoin the convoy at cruise.

Then, an hour later-

(https://s15.postimg.cc/vdbqj7naz/Screenshot_(654).png)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/qspk4a3ln/Screenshot_(655).png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/8p678289h/__akatsuki_kantai_collection_drawn_by_cuon_kuon_.jpg)

YOU MOTHERF-

(https://s15.postimg.cc/vv6vz2cvv/Screenshot_(658).png)

The Niobe steams out of the dark at flank speed, trains her guns on the Shimakaze and blows her out of the water in a perfectly executed broadside. Asanagi eats two shells that punch through holes in her bow, letting in water.

The Niobe turns and fades into the dark yet again. There is little the destroyers can do beyond regroup, pick up survivors and rejoin with the convoy.

Asanagi is lost, less than four miles from Tsingtaou, the flooding finally overcoming the crew's efforts to keep her afloat. Hayate picks up her survivors.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/5ywvavbkl/__taihou_kantai_collection_drawn_by_tanuma_tyny_.jpg)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/bgav7darf/Screenshot_(663).png)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/o8yz7amd7/Screenshot_(664).png)

The battle was immediately claimed by the Germans as a victory; but the Japanese knew it was a hollow one. The valiant sacrifice of Shimakaze and Asanagi enabled the entirety of the convoy to reach Tsingtaou safe; Tsukuba would take over escort duties for the rest of the trip and no German ship risked facing her.

(https://s16.postimg.cc/qunfl1tol/rensouhou_chan_and_shimakaze_kantai_collection.jpg)

Take notes, Gaijin swine. That is how you defend a ****ing convoy.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/l47wpn7lz/akebono_oboro_sazanami_and_ushio_kantai_collec.jpg)

Now we really have to win the war.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/lg5rn9m0r/Screenshot_(665).png)

In May, the R & D department brought yet another improved torpedo design on the table. The response of the Admiralty was grim satisfaction. 3,8k yards at 30 knots? Yes PLEASE.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/dbt5g8wqz/Screenshot_(666a).png)

The Silent Service and the Japanese raiders continued to reap a surprisingly non-bloody toll. Prize rules were in effect - German crews were allowed to abandon their ships and were often given supplies and directions to the nearest harbour. That said, more than 50k tons of German shipping were lost in a single month.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/qeorzimyz/Screenshot_(667b).png)

The enemy response was...anemic in comparison.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/taaymej7f/Screenshot_(906).png)

In May, the Japanese laid down a revolutionary new battlecruiser; the design was codenamed Kongo. She was an A-XY 'runner', with three triple 12'' turrets, two of them pointing aft. She was more lightly armoured than Tsukuba and Ikoma and her secondary batteries were lighter (only 8'', with a 6'' tertiary battery), but she could (in paper) reach a staggering 29 knots, as fast as the Itsukushima light cruisers. She was primarily meant to hunt down and destroy enemy raiders, but her main guns were big enough to allow her to contribute in the line of battle, if necessary.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/70x1funqz/Screenshot_(908).png)

The initial costs were a bitter pill to swallow, but the Admiralty felt certain that Kongo would be a valuable investment.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1fky2n.jpg)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/6pfl337az/Screenshot_(909).png)

The 'Maru boys' bloody delivered again, nailing two German submarines that tried to sneak into the Tsingtaou - Sasebo convoy route.

Also...

(https://s15.postimg.cc/4z15fcf5n/Screenshot_(910).png)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/w70quv5sl/tatsuta_and_tenryuu_kantai_collection_drawn_by.jpg)

I should laugh that much, but holy crap was that cathartic.

And then, finally...

(https://s15.postimg.cc/i4gnlg917/Screenshot_(911).png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/dk7no3ovf/Screenshot_911b.jpg)

(https://i.imgflip.com/1fkyw8.jpg)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: The E on December 08, 2016, 09:32:05 am
This thread is good thread

Also, godDAMMIT Enioch, teasing out Ikoma's first deployment like that is cruel beyond measure.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 08, 2016, 09:41:13 am
This thread is good thread

Also, godDAMMIT Enioch, teasing out Ikoma's first deployment like that is cruel beyond measure.

 :lol:  :drevil:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 08, 2016, 11:26:04 am
(http://66.media.tumblr.com/8418e0240badb549675ef6b642917e9c/tumblr_o6dhinFeaw1qa70eyo1_500.gif)

Though to be fair I fangirl Tsukuba since she's the People's Champion.
Title: Von der Tann, meet Ikoma. Ikoma, meet Von der Tann.
Post by: Enioch on December 08, 2016, 12:23:50 pm
OOC: I'm not that evil. But I'm not giving you the entire war in a single post. I'll just post the introductions, for now.

--------------------------

(https://s24.postimg.cc/bltyogd9x/Screenshot_(912).png)

On the 17th of June, at 16:18, the destroyer escort of Convoy Z16 detected an inbound enemy force, a few hours after their departure from Tsingtaou to Sasebo. Fortunately for the convoy, Ikoma and her own destroyer screen were patrolling in Tsingtaou waters and responded immediately.

(https://s15.postimg.cc/6wjxe4j7v/battleship_water_oni_kantai_collection_drawn_b.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/x9iwywdo5/Screenshot_(913).png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/hck526l9x/Screenshot_(914).png)

The Asama did a scouting run and immediately identified the enemy as a battlecruiser, closing fast. The Japanese fleet was under attack by the Von der Tann.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/xdhbsw8j9/Screenshot_(916).png)

Admiral Noguma, on board the Ikoma immediately signalled "Flagship will engage the enemy independently", followed by "Provide fire support when opportune" and maneuvered to close the range.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/bfkuz3tit/Screenshot_(917).png)

Ikoma opened fire at 16:51 and with her opening salvo scored a hit on the Von der Tann.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1flctm.jpg)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/asly9kwmt/Screenshot_(919).png)

Her followup salvo struck the Von der Tann's midships turret and jammed it on its bearings. The German battlecruiser, now heavily outgunned,  immediately reversed course and attempted to open the range.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/4roeb7bkh/4a8.gif)

(https://i.imgflip.com/1fld5l.jpg)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/44pcmzd4l/Screenshot_(921).png)

Night would fall soon and, under the cover of dusk and a smokescreen laid by her destroyer escort, the Von der Tann quickly faded from view. Not wanting to risk his ship against a nighttime destroyer ambush, Noguma ordered the Ikoma to rejoin the convoy and dispatched his DDs to screen their rear, just in case the enemy tried a followup attack against the convoy.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/www46gks5/Screenshot_(923).png)

Tachikaze led her three-ship squadron on this scouting run, but could not track down the enemy. By 21:00, the destroyers had rejoined the convoy and the entire force was moving in good order towards the North, in a big 'hook' away from the main shipping lanes, to foil any German subs.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/r16rwsuut/Screenshot_(927).png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/um2ng0zed/Screenshot_(928).png)

This was by no means a major victory. The Von der Tann had only been lightly damaged - her jammed turret would need less than a week to repair. However, what raised the Japanese spirits considerably was the insane accuracy of the Ikoma, whose rangefinders had, strangely, been unaffected by her own coal-fired smoke, despite the wind heavily disfavouring her in this engagement; also, it was worth noting that, despite the wind heavily favouring them, the Germans had not scored a single hit on the Japanese ships.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/ovcf92q2t/battleship_water_oni_kantai_collection_drawn_b.jpg)

The Germans would try again, however.  And again. With slightly more...significant consequences.







Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 08, 2016, 12:48:09 pm
Rip underaged boats
(https://ibin.co/34hG9VrUHdZ4.jpg)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 08, 2016, 01:28:53 pm

I wonder how I will feel though if he gets into it with Great Britain... hopefully it won't happen.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 08, 2016, 01:46:23 pm
*snip*

I wonder how I will feel though if he gets into it with Great Britain... hopefully it won't happen.

Spoiler:
It won't. I'm not stupid. At this point in time, the British have 4 dreadnoughts (and another two building) and 4 battlecruisers (and another two building), not to mention their 21 predreads  :shaking:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Droid803 on December 08, 2016, 01:53:32 pm
;w;7 little DDs
Though that armored cruiser starving itself to death was quite amusing.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 08, 2016, 01:57:28 pm
Does this game have a victory condition/s?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 08, 2016, 02:06:13 pm
Does this game have a victory condition/s?

Not exactly. Does a real life dreadnought race have a 'winner'?

It's a high-score attack, with your prestige being your score.

Among the playerbase, a Prestige of ~50 around 1925 is a good result for a minor power.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: AdmiralRalwood on December 08, 2016, 04:25:41 pm
Among the playerbase, a Prestige of ~50 around 1925 is a good result for a minor power.
So what's the Prestige value at right now?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 08, 2016, 05:24:59 pm
As in, 1912? 41.

Note that you START at 20 and LOSE at 15.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: JSRNerdo on December 08, 2016, 07:27:23 pm
why in god's name would you use a X turret over a V turret if you're not doing cross-decking
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 01:55:19 am
Why wouldn't I?  :nervous:

I checked the design and a V turret doesn't seem to be offering anything more than the X turret (in weight or firing arcs). Apparently, it's been this way since last october (http://nws-online.proboards.com/post/7422/thread). And I like the way the X turret looks.

If there's any difference, by all means, let me know, but don't expect to see it implemented in this playthrough.

Title: Ikoma <3 Fuso-senpai
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 04:42:00 am
(https://s30.postimg.cc/hhuskvh69/Screenshot_(929).png)

Encouraged by Ikoma's success, the Admiralty channeled more funds into Kongou's construction.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/ywf0t5eb5/Screenshot_(930).png)

The old battleships were well and truly getting obsolete now; Hatsuse was showing her age with frequent engine problems. It was imperative that new capital ships be launched to take up their duties.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/jnramqqy3/Screenshot_933b_copy.png)

The Japanese subs and raiders gave a decent showing of themselves. I-12 was lost with all hands off Java, but took her targets along with her; the Maru boys reaped bloody vengeance on the German sub U-7.

And then, on the 19th of July....

(https://s30.postimg.cc/a0q6jeh0x/Screenshot_(938).png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/n8ey54trv/Screenshot_938b.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/KeIDnmV.gif)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/aerij014h/Screenshot_(939).png)

Ikoma's second encounter with the enemy would take place in the aftermath of a failed coastal raid, originally meant to soften up the German defenses in Kiautschou Bay. The bombarding force, conisting of Fuso and Asama, with an escorting force had been forced to cancel the attack, as the weather had steadily worsened, from a stiff breeze to one of the strongest Summer gales in the last decade. Visibility was reduced and the escorting destroyers had significant trouble with the rough seas.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/lfmno0tdd/Screenshot_(940).png)

Ikoma and her own flotilla were on the way to join up with the retreating force and provide support, if necessary, when first contact was made, at 10:22 in the morning.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/wt96z83w1/Screenshot_(941).png)

Ikoma immediately turned hard a' starboard, to unshadow her portside batteries; she opened fire with her 10'' secondary turret. Amazingly, despite the wind and the rain, despite the heavy seas, despite having been surprised and despite only having the most basic of fire control systems (the secondary turrets were not linked to Ikoma's central firing control), the shells from both 10'' rifles hit the target.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1fmxzr.jpg)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/k34ym4vxt/Screenshot_(942).png)

As the enemy ship maneuvered frantically to open the range, Ikoma's fire control identified her as a Niobe-class - possibly the same ship that had killed Asanagi and Shimakaze.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/72t7pp9dd/Screenshot_(945).png)

Seeing an opportunity to get some payback, Nagumo ordered pursuit, joining up with the Fuso task force.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/nghsmlewh/Screenshot_(946).png)

Success! Just before noon, Asama and Hokaze both report contacts closing in. Asama signals that she's taking fire from heavy batteries - there's something with big guns out there - a heavy cruiser or worse.

The Hokaze hazards a closer pass and gets a faceful of Niobe buckshot for her troubles. Asama returns fire as Ikoma rushes to engage and scores a hit on an enemy heavy cruiser. Then, from out of the mists....

(https://s16.postimg.cc/8abup2ymd/Screenshot_947.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/meftV0q.gif)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/t77z0bmwh/Screenshot_(948).png)

Izumo and Fuso close the range and get a positive ID on the cruiser: she's a Fuerst Bismarck-class, nearly a small pre-dread in her own right.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/frkyaveep/Screenshot_(949).png)

Ikoma immediately gives her the good news, with predictable results - two main battery hits with her first salvo.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/qxjupkdyp/Screenshot_(954).png)

Then she leaves the slower Fuso to deal with her and turns north, to deal with a cheeky flanking heavy cruiser.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/ex302kvxt/Screenshot_(955).png)

(https://i.imgflip.com/1fmyr8.jpg)

The Hertha scores a hit on Ikoma's main belt - the shell ricochets off, harmlessly. Ikoma returns the favour.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/xuimftzn5/Screenshot_(959).png)

Two shells hit the Hertha's front turret almost simultaneously. The turret is blasted clear off its bearings and catapulted over the Hertha's port side, cartwheeling in the air.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/kevlqdr5d/Screenshot_(960).png)

Then, Ikoma brings her port fish launchers to bear.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/q4buaoxbl/Screenshot_(961).png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/lxqzvcxpt/Screenshot_(963).png)

The torpedo hits the Hertha on her stern, blowing her rudder and propellers clean off and collapsing the aft turret structure. The German cruiser is dead in the water and sinking; the entirety of the exchange has lasted less than 15 minutes.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/se4jz6vn5/Screenshot_(965).png)

Ikoma, once again, turns south, to hunt down what Nagumo assumes is the Von der Tann. On the way, she runs into a cruiser division...

(https://s30.postimg.cc/9qwg5a6k1/Screenshot_(969).png)

...and once again turns north to engage.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/ahp6b28xd/Screenshot_(970).png)

The Bismarck takes revenge for her earlier humiliation by scoring a hit on Ikoma's aft turret and jamming it; two crewmembers are temporarily deafened by the gong-like sound, as the turret armor absorbs the hit but no casualties are taken.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/gl6quyz75/Screenshot_(972).png)

Fearing a concentrated torpedo attack from the cruisers, Ikoma peels off and joins Fuso in hunting down a destroyer (!) Then, Nagumo orders Fuso and Asama to seek out that battleruiser; he will try to track down the cruisers. Unfortunately, his own search would prove useless.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/uityxe3ld/Screenshot_(976).png)

Fuso's and Asama's, however....not so much.

Now, under any other circumstances, it would be folly for an obsolete pre-dread to try and hunt down a modern battlecruiser. For one thing, it would be unable to: Fuso's best speed was 20 knots, versus the German's 25.

However, the circumstances of this case painted a different picture.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/8xhq40kl1/Screenshot_975.png)

There was no way the Von der Tann could make full speed because of the weather - that she was sailing against. Fuso, on the other hand, could only do 20 knots anyway - and her rested stokers were more than up to the task.

Also, the German's armor was crap compared to Fuso's. And, unless she turned to present a broadside, she could only bring her aft turret to bear - so both ships could only fire 2 12'' guns at each other.

The Von der Tann fled the engagement with every horsepower her engines could give her, like Hell itself were biting on her heels.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1fmzpw.jpg)

Fuso proceeds to fire her guns in a naval action for the first time - and what would prove to be her last. During the upcoming hour and a half (and until nightfall finally obscured the frantically retreating German) she scored thirteen hits on her, one of which knocked out the battlecruiser's aft turret. Then, with a huff, the Lady of China deigned to return to formation.

(https://s14.postimg.cc/3ssk2peap/6_Zym4_U7.jpg)

Yeah, darling, you still got it.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/f2gen3yy9/Screenshot_(981).png)

Note that the only ship to fire at the Von der Tann during the entire engagement was Fuso. She still knocked the German down to 'heavy damage'. Thank you, based ship.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/ft94sw1bl/Screenshot_(982).png)

(https://s16.postimg.cc/u81a5he6t/Battleship_Water_Oni_Kantai_Collection_Anime_198.jpg)

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 09, 2016, 08:52:32 am
Who needs fire control when you've got the devil's luck on your side.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 08:57:26 am
Interesting wording you used there...  :p
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: The E on December 09, 2016, 09:10:53 am
Is this the point where the german Admiralty goes to the Chancellor, asks if he could maybe possibly try to hint to his Majesty that tangling with the IJN may end up a little bit more costly than hoped, and if, in light of this his Majesty might entertain the thought of maybe not trying to fight a battle on the other side of the globe while also trying to not appear weak to the french, italians and british? And are they then told that securing victory in Asia will cement Germany's place in the sun, and that they are thus directed to divert all forces that can be spared down there? And that trying to circumvent Japanese recon forces by going around South America and striking them from the East would be a good idea?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 09:19:34 am
Is this the point where the german Admiralty goes to the Chancellor, asks if he could maybe possibly try to hint to his Majesty that tangling with the IJN may end up a little bit more costly than hoped, and if, in light of this his Majesty might entertain the thought of maybe not trying to fight a battle on the other side of the globe while also trying to not appear weak to the french, italians and british? And are they then told that securing victory in Asia will cement Germany's place in the sun, and that they are thus directed to divert all forces that can be spared down there? And that trying to circumvent Japanese recon forces by going around South America and striking them from the East would be a good idea?

 :eek2:  :wtf:

How the hell...

Have you somehow hacked my save files? :p

OK,  guys, fun's over. The E's spoiled the ending.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on December 09, 2016, 09:26:05 am
Even more evil would be if they could traverse the Panama channel :D
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 09:30:21 am
In 1912?

Yes, that would be very strange indeed.  :cool:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: The E on December 09, 2016, 09:54:36 am
:eek2:  :wtf:

How the hell...

Have you somehow hacked my save files? :p

OK,  guys, fun's over. The E's spoiled the ending.


Well, you did hint that the Voyage of the Damned did happen, and these are the perfect preconditions for it: Germany has lost one war in Asia and was humiliated early in round two, their naval capability is perhaps a bit more advanced than it was in the normal timeline (Plus, no world war to distract people), german colonial policy was very much a matter of personal pride for the Kaiser and far more successful here than it was in reality. So, making a stupid move like that is entirely within character, unfortunately.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 09, 2016, 10:43:56 am
Kantai Kessen v High Seas Fleet?

How big can a single naval engagement get?  Is there an upper limit?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Admiral MS on December 09, 2016, 10:57:36 am
I love all the fluff you added in your posts (yay to Kancolle and historical pics). Reading this actually got me so interested that I bought the game  ;)
Sadly my first try failed spectacularly within 3 years. Played as Germany, got into war with France and lost the first and decisive engagement between our full fleets somewhere in the Channel right after the war started. I guess even your german AI enemy was more capable than me  :lol:
Title: For hate's sake, I spit my last shell at thee
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 10:59:51 am
The response of the Japanese Admiralty was that of contained enthusiasm. The battle of Kiaoutschou Bay had been a resounding success for the Navy, but the Von der Tann had escaped and, according to reports, would be combat ready in a month or two.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/t7de5i85b/Screenshot_(983).png)

Four Nokaze Kai destroyers were laid down: they were the first Japanese destroyers to mount double torpedo tubes in a centreline mount.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/skehfzb9b/Screenshot_(985).png)

Construction on Kongou continued unabated - the yards reported that everything was going perfectly and that lessons learned in the construction of Ikoma had been applied to great effect.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/3sev8qu2n/Screenshot_(986).png)

Chishima finished her shakedown cruise.

And then, on the 21st of August....

(https://s24.postimg.cc/exiphyb5x/Screenshot_989.png)

There's no way they're accepting that. No way. Not after the losses they suff-

(https://s17.postimg.cc/bdmhhyegv/Screenshot_(990).png)

(http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp305/K9Thefirst1/Kongo%20Aint%20Happy_zpsxonfwocu.jpg)

Alrighty then. What's our battle-line?

(https://s17.postimg.cc/d6pe69znj/Screenshot_(991).png)

Ikoma and Asama in the main battle division; the newly commissioned Chishima as a scout; a gaggle of destroyers serves as a screen. That's brilliant.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/x2ldltgov/Screenshot_(992).png)

Also - 13 hours to nighfall. *Ikoma giggles*

(https://s17.postimg.cc/yy85wz5j3/Screenshot_(995).png)

CONTACT: What the hell. There's a capital ship moving towards us from the west; another one coming from the south-east; and some sort of cruiser poking the north-east.

Wait.


(https://i.imgflip.com/1fnkg0.jpg)

Ok, let's dance.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/5ydrgzmwv/Screenshot_(997).png)

(https://s17.postimg.cc/4i28yujzz/Screenshot_(996).png)

Nagumo turns his battle-line around and goes after the capital ship approaching from the west. It is quickly identified as a Braunschweig-class predread.

Whether the Germans thought that trying to repeat Fuso's exploit was a good idea is questionable; the point is that the German ship did not try to decline battle. It opened fire at 07:04 and closed the range.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/cdcsdntmn/Screenshot_(998).png)

(https://s17.postimg.cc/ral9eo6v3/Screenshot_(999).png)

At 07:17, a shell from the Braunschweig strikes Ikoma's port wing turret and jams it in its bearings. Ikoma returns the favour and jams the predread's fore turret. And, having finally found the range, she opens up with the entirety of her broadside:

(https://s17.postimg.cc/j6dngudvj/Screenshot_(1001).png)

This happens. Note that among all the hits on Ikoma only the ones with a star * next to them are actual damaging penetrations everything else just bounces of Nippon steel.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/aqo2zcb0f/Screenshot_(1003).png)

Within half an hour of the first shot being fired, the Braunschweig is listing heavily and losing speed. Then, a salvo from the Ikoma strikes something vital in her disabled front turret. The turret's top peels open like a sardine can and a gout of flame reaches towards the heavens. Thankfully for the Germans, the flash fire does not travel down to the magazine - but the battleship is unsalvageable and the crew begins to abandon ship.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/l20fs02pr/Screenshot_(1004).png)

Meanwhile, Chishima and the DDs are dealing with the enemy DD screen, that has moved way beyond what is a safe distance from the capital ship they were escorting. It's a massacre. The rapid-fire 6'' guns of the Chishima are reaping a bloody toll.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/e2mdsn2rj/Screenshot_(1007).png)

And then Asama confirms the enemy's identity. It's the Von der Tann alright, back for round three.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1fnm6d.jpg)

Ikoma slots into a parallel course and opens fire. Once again, the wind is favouring the Germans. Once again, Ikoma's gunnery doesn't give a flying ****.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/i6rxyvo3j/Screenshot_(1013).png)

Ten minutes into the fight, Ikoma's secondary 10'' turret scores a hit on the Von der Tann's midship guns. The German steel buckles. One of the 12'' rifles gets bodily lifted off the gun mount and points up towards the sky, in a 90 degree angle to the hull, like a broken hand asking for help. The Von der Tann shudders and her speed - the one thing in which she was superior to the Ikoma - drops to twenty knots.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/40gshe2m7/Screenshot_(1023).png)

Meanwhile, Chishima and Asama, having dealt with the destroyers, are double-teaming the Niobe-class cruiser that was escorting the Von der Tann. It's not a pretty sight.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/lgayj31kv/Screenshot_(1025).png)

Hokaze finishes her off with a torpedo, finally avenging her sisters.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/sxk5yar3z/Screenshot_(1026).png)

Meanwhile, Ikoma is on hot pursuit, having pinned the Von der Tann against the eastern entrance of the Tsugaru strait. She is closing the distance, but her main batteries are silent.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/4xn7q9e4f/Screenshot_(1029).png)

She has put more than ten effective shots into her enemy, not to mention her previous battle with the Braunschweig. She is out of ammo. She has only 30 rounds left on her 'B' turret magazine and her heading makes it impossible for that turret to bear. It seems that the Von der Tann will escape simply by benefit of Ikoma not being able to kill her.

****. THAT. NOISE.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1fnnpt.jpg)

(https://s17.postimg.cc/vy5lskrsv/Screenshot_(1031).png)

Chishima comes in at 28 knots and simulates a torpedo run. Unfortunately, her tubes cannot fire - submerged tubes cannot fire at a speed of over 25 knots. The Von der Tann turns, to avoid the fish that are not coming. That gives the Ikoma the time she needs to bring her own torpedo launchers to bear - and her speed is 22 knots.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/xsigabetb/Screenshot_(1033).png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/yzwfjvsid/battleship_water_oni_kantai_collection_drawn_b.jpg)

(https://s17.postimg.cc/mipqfd9rz/Screenshot_(1035).png)

For good measure, Chishima slows down and puts two torpedoes in her aft, blowing up her propulsion and steering.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/56pdtxgan/Screenshot_(1036).png)

(https://s17.postimg.cc/559mhmjrj/Seydlitz_badly_damaged.jpg)

And, finally, Ikoma unshadows her 'B' turret and puts two 11'' shells into her midships, finally cracking the Von der Tann's spine.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/ycxhd081r/Screenshot_(1039).png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/3xkorhj9x/Screenshot_1040.png)

(https://i.imgflip.com/1fnoud.jpg)

Germany is done.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 11:10:36 am
Well, you did hint that the Voyage of the Damned did happen, and these are the perfect preconditions for it: Germany has lost one war in Asia and was humiliated early in round two, their naval capability is perhaps a bit more advanced than it was in the normal timeline (Plus, no world war to distract people), german colonial policy was very much a matter of personal pride for the Kaiser and far more successful here than it was in reality. So, making a stupid move like that is entirely within character, unfortunately.

Sorry, mate.

Good call, but not this time. It's not Germany, although it could have been, if the Von der Tann had held out another couple of months.

Kantai Kessen v High Seas Fleet?

How big can a single naval engagement get?  Is there an upper limit?

Not really, provided you check the 'very large' fleets option in the starting menu. I'm playing with 'large'. So far, I've seen fights with up to five capital ships (Dreadnoughts, BCs, Bs) per side, with the appropriate screening and cruiser elements.

I love all the fluff you added in your posts (yay to Kancolle and historical pics). Reading this actually got me so interested that I bought the game  ;)
Sadly my first try failed spectacularly within 3 years. Played as Germany, got into war with France and lost the first and decisive engagement between our full fleets somewhere in the Channel right after the war started. I guess even your german AI enemy was more capable than me  :lol:

Mission accomplished. Now I'll go and collect my ad fees.  ;)

Germany is, actually, the hardest nation in the game to play, because you've got to deal with every other European nation on your doorstep, you have a significant colonial empire that requires attention and you have a minimal budget compared to the UK, which really wants to eat you alive. It is suggested that your first game be with the Austrians or the Japanese, who have a) only the Mediterranean to worry about and b) only enemy colonial forces to worry about, respectively.

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 09, 2016, 11:10:58 am
Enioch should get money to promote this game. I actually thought it must be a free game when he opened the thread and then when it became known it's not, that it would be really cheap. And I look and it costs $34.99 for a game that looks like it would fit on a floppy disc?!

I can of course obviously see it's got a lot of depth to it and Enioch is loving it, and I've sunk plenty of hours into games with a similar level of visuals in my time, but I still find this very surprising.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 11:15:03 am
[...]for a game that looks like it would fit on a floppy disc?

The entirety of the game is 9MB.  ;)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 09, 2016, 12:22:56 pm
Interesting wording you used there...  :p
Completely intentional I assure you :p

Once this run is over, would it be possible to load an older save and to make war on the romulan navy or the united states of the murricas? Just to demonstrate how badly that would go.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 12:34:15 pm
Sadly, no. The game plays on ironman mode, with a single save, updated after every fight. And after you complete a run, the save is auto-wiped and only your victory / defeat stats are preserved.

It is, theoretically, possible to backup your save, continue and then overwrite your save with your backup, but I have kept no backups  :(

(I also considered spoilering the end of the game, but I resisted)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 09, 2016, 01:26:05 pm
Ah pity. But it can't be helped.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 09, 2016, 01:31:17 pm
That's a load of bull****. Players should have the choice of whether they want to play "iron man mode" or not. And that kind of system leaves you vulnerable to bugs and bull****. I don't need a computer to force me to play a game straight, I'm quite happy to do it by choice in many games.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 01:39:48 pm
I agree. That aspect of the game, I also hate - mostly because it doesn't allow you to explore alternatives after you've played through. But the game is as the game is. *shrug*

Again, a potential upgrade for RTW2.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 09, 2016, 01:42:14 pm
And also, sometimes you just know it's a good fight that you're going to have and it's worth fighting again. My strategy games are littered with saves that I can load up and be hurled immediately into a massive battle.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 01:55:33 pm
Like I said - I fully agree.

Like I also said, it is possible to save at any time and backup your save folder. So, that allows you to do what you're after.

It is still a hassle that you shouldn't have to deal with.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Admiral MS on December 09, 2016, 02:04:20 pm
Yay, Japan wins big. Hope the germans have to cede some colonies   :nod:

I think the forced ironman fits the theme very well and it seems unlikely that a single mistake or two make you loose. Also keeping your own save copies isn't that hard and you can disable auto-save completely (when things go wrong just close it and start again at the last manually saved point). They should still implement free saves in RTW 2 but also change the way random events are generated. I noticed that they are really random and reloading each month until you get a good result is possible. Tried it once and well, got everything from new tech, inevitable war and a succesful peace conference or nothing at all during the same month.

So I gave up that german game and played US instead. First war was against the Brits and saw some inconclusive large scale engagements with a few B sunk on both sides in a crazy short range night engagement (fish everywhere). After 3 years there were big protests on both sides and the war ended.
Second war was against Japan and saw no capital vs capital battle but tons of cruiser action. Japan lost literally all of its CLs and CAs but no DDs and B/BC.
Now it is 1922 and there is a huge arms race way beyond historical levels. Everyone is building 40000 t 27 knot BCs with 14/15 inch guns. I have something like a 26 knot BB, 15000 t heavier but otherwise similar to the real North Carolina (3*3 16 inch guns), design coming out of the docks soon to troll their BCs and BBs if they ever attack.

I never used manual control of each ship (mostly rear-admiral mode) and anything but my DDs is too stupid to utilize the torpedoes properly so I removed them and instead build a huge fleet of DDs to do the job.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 02:12:35 pm
The gunship DD is a very viable concept, especially in the early game. I used torpboats early on because i) I was playing Captain's mode and ii) the IJN bonus to torp research would make them viable relatively quickly. Note that, if you have gunshps, you need to manually make them screen your capital ships when the enemy starts a torp run with their cans.

Also note that, in the late game, when your torpedo range is often greater than your 4'' and 5'' gun range, it might be good to add a centreline triple or quadruple mount, for some last-ditch anti-capital firepower on the DDs.

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 09, 2016, 02:19:36 pm
Actually how does the game handle arms escalation?  Does it key off of what the player's build programs or are AI nations going to go full Tillman by themselves?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 02:25:26 pm
The AI gets information on your designs (and the other nations' designs) the same way you do: through intel reports and by meeting your designs in combat. They also have some idea of the size of your fleet thanks to the Almanac. They then try to escalate by building to counter what you and your allies have. If you have a lot of DDs, for instance, it might build gunships, or French-style CLs with lots of popguns. If you're building heavily armoured big ships, it might try to swarm you with numbers of inferior but competitive capitals, or build bigger and stronger (if it has the tech).

So yes, the AI will escalate on its own and you never know how far it will go. You'll see some interesting tactical and design doctrines further down in this game.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 09, 2016, 02:44:34 pm
So if your build programs are relatively "sane" then the AI isn't going to start rolling out 80,000 short ton Maximum BBs just for the lols?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 02:58:11 pm
No. The AI also has a budget and a 50,000 ton BC can cost upwards of 6 million per month (spoilers, heh). If the AI can achieve its goals with something  cheaper, it will.

Also, no matter the size of your docks, you are hardcapped at 52k displacement tons (for reference, Nagato and Colorado were a good 32k tons, while the NCals reached up to 46k tons). So no Yamato expies (71k tons full load) with 17'' guns at 1930, sorry.

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Admiral MS on December 09, 2016, 03:32:08 pm
I still don't understand why the AI decided in my game to build huge oversized BCs that eat up half of the budget of smaller nations during building. And they don't even counter any of my ships (or rather a 30000 ton design would also do). Well they do counter anything else by sheer firepower and size besides my mass produced DDs...
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 03:37:17 pm
It only takes one AI to start building something big (perhaps in response to a particularly heavy CA?) for the design to leak to another AI. And then dominoes.

Remember, the AI doesn't know whom you might ally yourself with in the future. So it needs to have an answer to everything on the field (or as much as it can)
Title: Peace in Our Time
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 04:36:01 pm
(https://s24.postimg.cc/4f5ophret/Screenshot_(1041).png)

After the battle, it was clear to the Admiralty that Germany was now a non-entity. Its capital ship presence was now limited to five predread battleships, and a dreadnought under construction, that wouldn't see the sea for at least a year and a half. Her colonial fleet was decimated; her High Seas Fleet had just lost its flagship. Her light cruiser did not have the range or the firepower to challenge their Japanese analogues; her heavy cruisers were completely and utterly obsolete in the face of the Japanese battlecruisers and her submarine fleet was bleeding out boats to the Japanes 'Maru boys' faster than Germany could build them.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/fss80p1xh/Screenshot_(1042).png)

It came as no surprise to anyone that, in the start of September, the German government approached the Japanese with an offer of negotiated peace. The Japanese would receive considerable reparations and German colonial holdings - within reason.

(https://upload.wikimedia.cc/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Takaaki_Kato_suit.jpg/453px-Takaaki_Kato_suit.jpg)

Enter Count Katō Takaaki, Foreign Minister of Japan. In the words of Professor Sir Howe Francis Abraham Strachen ('Kaiser's Folly: the Second German-Japanese War'):

"Of all the world's statesmen in 1912, Katō proved the most adroit at using war for the purposes of policy. Domestically he exploited it to assert the dominance of the Foreign Ministry and of the cabinet in the making of Japan's foreign policy. Internationally he took the opportunity to redefine Japan's relationship with her Allies in South-East Asia and expand her sphere of influence beyond his country's wildest dreams. In doing so he was not simply outflanking the extremists opposed to him; he was also honouring his own belief that the Alliance should be a great power above and beyond those of Europe."

(https://s28.postimg.cc/5utgcvgul/Ministry_of_foreign_affairs.jpg)
Japan's Foreign Ministry, 1912

Katō assumed a hard-as-nails approach that surprised both the Germans and his own critics in the Alliance. Instead of pushing for a decisive expulsion of the Germans from the Far East (an action that may have set a very worrying precedent for other European powers and even Japan's American allies), he asked for - and insisted on Germany ceding to Japan all its holdings in the small, thought-to-be-insignificant colony of Tanganyika, in the eastern coast of Africa. The port there was barely big enough to hold a resupply station and a cruiser on permanent station. Germany eventually accepted, happy to retain her bases in Korea and Java.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/v5byuq139/Screenshot_(1045).png)

When asked in Parliament to explain the Government's reasoning for this stance, which left friendly Java and Korea under German occupation and away from the Alliance, Katō had this to say:

"It has been proven beyond all question that the power exerted by a country beyond its narrow borders lies in its economy, its Navy and its allies. We now have allies - allies that can trust us not to steal their holdings. We have our Navy - which has just conclusively proved its superiority against the enemy. And we have our economy, which will now, for the first time, grow beyond the narrow confines of the China Sea. For the first time, our Alliance extends far to the west, in lands we have previously only dreamt of and whose wealth, culture and spirit can shape and form us as Chinese learning has formed the Yamato-damashii since days of old.

"Consider what Germany no longer has. She has no friends - for she has shown herself to be weak. Should I have asked for Java or Korea? She would have had friends then, friends too concerned of our ambitions to lie low and make fun of her misfortune. She has no economy - millions worth of Marks now lie on the bottom of the Tsugumo strait and her merchant fleet is savaged by our brave raiders and submariners. She has no Navy that can threaten us. And, more importantly, now that she has yielded Tanganyika to us, she has no holdings whatsoever in the Indian Ocean. The chain connecting her Far East bases to her is forever broken.

"Make no mistake, Gentlemen. We may not have broken the German spirit - but we have forever broken their body. Germany shall never again be a colonial power and her strength shall but wane from now on."

"Tennōheika Banzai!"

(https://s24.postimg.cc/amh2pnn5x/Screenshot_(1046).png)

The upcoming months were a period of frantic reorganisation for the Navy, following the expected slashing of the budget. Live-fire training was cut, immediately, with the end result of economising almost a million monthly. The construction of Kongou was frozen for two months, until the new budgetary situation had ironed itself out. And most significantly...

(https://s24.postimg.cc/dj8p3oidh/Screenshot_(1048).png)

The costs of maintaining the obsolete Fusos and Asamas were getting to be exorbitant. Refitting the ships would be a waste of resources, as their armament was inferior to any and all battlecruisers (let alone dreadnoughts). In this (expected-to-be-peaceful) world, the Japanese Navy with its reduced budget could not be expected to both maintain them and construct more modern vessels.

And so, the order was given to scrap the entirety of the Old Fleet.

However, while the heavy cruisers and Hatsuse went to the breakers, fate had a different design in store for the Fuso. By popular subscription, the 'Lady of China' - the only predread in world history to ever go against a battlecruiser and win - was bought from the scrapper and turned into a Naval museum in Yokosuka. She is stricken from the Navy lists, but still flies the War Ensign to this day.

(http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2240/2205861835_ffd98a7b6a_o.jpg)
Fuso in Yokosuka, 1912. The turret near the ship is the front turret of Hatsuse, the main mast of which is also preserved as a monument in Sasebo.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1fohgy.jpg)

-END PART 3-
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 05:03:56 pm
And as an OOC note: yes, I did just send Paul_von_Lettow-Vorbeck (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_von_Lettow-Vorbeck) home without firing a single shot against him.  :lol:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 09, 2016, 05:15:29 pm
o7 Fuso
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 05:19:33 pm
She was my darling and I loved her dearly. It was so hard pushing that 'scrap' button. :(

(and yes, now I know that you can keep darling ships forever in mothballs, but then I didn't).
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on December 09, 2016, 05:37:30 pm
Use that name again... Fuso reborn?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 09, 2016, 05:39:15 pm
May their steel find its way into hulls of the next generation and thus imbue the future protectors of the Empire with the tradition of victory of the old.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 09, 2016, 05:45:27 pm
Use that name again... Fuso reborn?

 ;) ;7
Title: Expanding and Consolidating
Post by: Enioch on December 10, 2016, 05:55:00 am
- PART 4 -
The Grinding Years

(https://s18.postimg.cc/jtgf3qdqx/Screenshot_(1049).png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/nts5tptll/Screenshot_(1052).png)

Shortly after the end of the war, the new docks in Yokosuka and Sasebo were completed. In an interesting development, Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, taking advantage of the increasingly friendly relations between the US, Great Britain and Japan decided to outsource the construction of the massive cruise liner Empress of Japan (built for Canadian Pacific Steamships) to the Sasebo shipyards. Further small modifications were required and, by the end of the month, Japan could plan her first 31k ton warships with the certainty that she had the infrastructure to support them.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/rc45q3uhl/Screenshot_(1051).png)

During the same month, the First Balkan Wars erupted, between fledgling Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria and the declining Ottoman Empire. The European Powers, as expected, rushed to take advantage of the situation, via lobbying, back-room dealings and by supporting different camps. Japan stayed out of the conflict (she had no interest in the region and had her hands full coming out of the post-war depression) but her Foreign Ministry kept a close eye on the developments. Minister Katō was particularly worried by the underhanded tactics used by the French side to gather support in the Balkans, as he felt that similar tactics might be used against Japan's allies in the South China Sea.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/52q8jjz15/Screenshot_(1053).png)

In January, recycled steel from the scrapped Hatsuse found its way to the Kongou construction project, where it was recognised that something in the process of re-casting, and refining the steel had considerably increased its strength in relation to its weight. A couple of extra steps were introduced in the manufacturing process, to take advantage of the new developments.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/ffcj5msk9/Screenshot_(1055).png)

Desperate for any sort of budgetary increase, the Navy also sold the licence to improved boiler designs to the Americans. Washington rejoiced in an appropriately grovelling fashion and financed Kongou's construction for three months.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/tc5nyz8m7/Screenshot_1056.png)

And, interestingly, the Russians once again proved they couldn't keep it in their pants, as a Japanese agent returned with a disdainful look on her face and the designs for their new light cruiser.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/3ssf4i595/Screenshot_(1057).png)

(https://cdn.meme.am/cache/instances/folder631/500x/22920631.jpg)

Seriously, Russia? A popgun cruiser? With 3 inches of belt armour? And a 21 knot top speed?

Ugh, I don't know why you're even a Great Power. Go home, Russia, you're drunk.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/sakise7tl/Screenshot_(1058).png)

There were a few funds left over from America's contribution, so the Admiralty ordered further expansions of the dockyards.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/74vbbjme1/Screenshot_(1061).png)

Followed by Canadian and Brazilian shipbuilders immediately showing interest in investing further in the Japanese dockyards. The contracts negotiated woula allow a further immediate increase in the maximum dock size, to 33k tons.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/9xoivkmqh/Screenshot_(1060).png)

And in May, the Japanese technological lead opened further with the introduction of the first functional superheaters.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/t95h8fajd/Screenshot_(1065).png)

Take notes, Russians. This is a good light cruiser design.

For 1901.

Heyo.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/anha37b9f/Kaga_blank.png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/ti31ycnbt/Screenshot_(1062).png)

Also, Poi.

(https://scontent-ams3-1.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s320x320/e35/12912842_816732021766696_518064094_n.jpg?ig_cache_key=MTIxNDAwNzMwOTY0NzA4MzQ1OA%3D%3D.2)

OK, back to serious storytelling.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/zbd3ywyzd/Screenshot_(1066).png)

The one thing that really hindered Japanese capital ship development was weapons technology. Kongou would be a capable battlecruiser, but weapons research was stagnating, with the highest caliber guns produced in Japan being her 12 inchers.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/x82or8z6h/Screenshot_(1067).png)

In August, the post-war economic slump finally came at an end. The Navy's budget climbed into the black; private and national industry boomed in Japan. For the first time, the Government turned their eyes westwards, to East Africa, for more than just administration of their new holdings.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/jicqw71g9/Screenshot_(1070).png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/h2axicjdl/Screenshot_(1071).png)

The ambitious October attempt to expand Japanese influence to West Africa failed. The Navy was still sluggish and lethargic in responding to this, one of the best opportunities that had fallen into Japan's lap. There was considerable embarrassment all around, but the end result was, on hindsight, not disastrous for Japan. This was not the time to expand further. This was the time to consolidate; and truly secure what Japan had gained.
Title: Si vis pacem....
Post by: Enioch on December 10, 2016, 01:19:08 pm
(https://s27.postimg.cc/bpdwkmeqr/912_6_s44.jpg)

It was clear to the Japanese Government that her new colonial possessions had to be carefully managed, with the clear goal of becoming a true asset to the Alliance, instead of a millstone around their neck. Administrators, engineers, medical specialists, military consultants and prospectors had been dispatched to get an impression of what the Japanese had inherited from the Germans and to propose a plan of integrating what was now known as 'Japanese East Africa' into the Alliance.

In October 1913, the first detailed reports came in; the situation was both better and worse than expected.

The good news were that Japan had, without truly knowing it, acquired one of the richest and and most valuable areas in eastern Africa. The new territories stretched from the coasts of Tanzania to the great lakes of the African interior: Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Nyasa. To the north, the entirety of the Serengeti with all its natural wealth, flora and fauna were now Japanese. The massive sisal- and rubber-tree plantations started by the Germans were ready to now supply the Alliance factories. And another surprise awaited the stunned Japanese topographers, something that really spoke to their Yamato-damashii.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/6hrt2a63p/Mount_Kilimanjaro.jpg)

In this far-off land, they had found Mt. Fuji's long-lost onii-san.

When the first photographs were brought back to Japan and the representatives demonstrated their findings in a week-long conference in Kyoto, attended by the Alliance's elite, this was what forever banished any doubts that Japan had done well.

The bad news were that Germany, in its two decades of administration, had failed to make East Africa profitable. Every year, the colony had to be heavily subsidised by the German Government and it promised to be a similar weight to the Alliance's budget in the years to come.

More importantly, with the exception of economic returns, the Germans had perhaps done too good a job. The local tribes had experienced the benefits of German medicine; German schooling; German technology and infrastructure. An extensive railway (partly still under construction and originally slotted to complete in 1914) connected the port of Tanga to the interior, as far as Lake Tanganyika and the commercial harbour of Tanga knew heavy traffic, despite its limited capacity to support a military fleet.

This made the locals rather hostile towards a regime change. The Alliance would have to, somehow, one-up the Germans in their own game, if they expected to truly establish themselves in the area.

It would be a long and difficult process, but the Alliance had two notable things to offer, which the Germans never could:

Firstly, (and surprisingly) a higher budget. The economy of Japan was still smaller in absolute numbers than that of the Germans - but it was a) concentrated, with a larger percentage being available for colonial support, b) growing rapidly, thanks to trade and economic partnerships with the USA and other countries and c) supported by a large Alliance, eager to accept a new member into its midst. As an end result, the net amount that the Alliance was willing to pour into East Africa, in the first year of their administraion alone, rivalled Germany's budget for the colony in the last three years combined.

Secondly, (and that was the real deciding element in the long run), the Japanese had no interest in establishing a colony or protectorate along the European model. The goal of the East African Administration (東アフリカ政権 - Higashiafurika seiken) was to guide the development of the region in such a way as to make it semi-autonomous, with an administration comprised almost entirely by natives within a projected timeframe of two decades; not unlike what was currently underway for Sumatra and Japan's Polynesian holdings.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/3lb4mi7tp/Screenshot_1072.png)

The Navy took up its own part of the burden, by spending a considerable sum of its monthly budget in dredging up and improving the military harbour installations of Tanga. They also deployed the veteran cruisers Izumi and Naniwa with a destroyer escort permanently on-station. Promising candidates and volunteers for crewmembers were selected among the native Askari (colonial) troops. The natives had, so far, been banned from naval service by the German authorities; this gesture of trust by the Japanese generated no little amount of goodwill. The already-multinational character of the crews also helped mitigate native hostility and created a true melting-pot environment.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/ux6dnuckd/Screenshot_1073.png)

The Navy also took up the entirety of the expenses for the 1913 International Naval Gathering, held in Sasebo. The three-week gathering saw ships from every Power gather in Japan and included a regatta. It gave the diplomats time and opportunity to diplome and the Navy men the chance to sneak looks onto enemy ships. The Japanese Navy was happy to note that they were not falling behind.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/ar2voygwt/Screenshot_1074.png)

Yet there remained the problem of Japan's lack of Battleships. The Yashima, a twelve-12'' monster was proposed but never built - lack of funds was a persistant problem for the Japanese.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/sv5w9lel9/Screenshot_1075.png)

The new year started with China approaching Japan for support. France had been making angry noises and casting meaningful looks towards the Hong Kong area. Japan covertly arranged for a three-way meeting with the English authorities and agreed to provide 4'' field artillery, based on naval gun designs, to her allies. France, eventually, backed off - but the event massively raised Japan's prestige among her Allies, was a boon for the Navy's budget and also left the English grimly satisfied and the French and Germans (oh so eager to see their rivals humiliated) seething.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/6x9ffszkt/Screenshot_1076.png)

In March, the R & D department presented further improvements on targeting systems to the Admiralty and there was much rejoicing.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/5jhski0bh/Screenshot_1077.png)

And they also presented an improved 9'' gun prototype. Unfortunately, the gun was too small for use in a battlecruiser and to big for use in a light cruiser. The Admiralty had nothing to use it on. So there was less rejoicing.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/pgnptgj6l/Screenshot_1079.png)

March also marked the completion of the new docks. Japan could now build warships of up to 37,000 tons.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/jgzypsye5/Screenshot_1080.png)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/la7grv8yl/Screenshot_1081.png)

And in April, Great Britain approached the Admiralty with a 'thank you' note for their help in the China crisis and with a proposal for the Japanese who, maybe, would like to purchase the latest British designs on turret miniaturisation for a bargain price?

(https://s28.postimg.cc/65bcuckrh/Screenshot_1084.png)

And then, in June, the international Hague Convention was held - a "step towards true peace", it was called. The Japanese were quite suspicious. This had Germany written all over it - any limitations on ship or weapon designs would allow the Kaiser's Navy time and opportunities to catch up. So, it was a very angry and very, very determined Foreign Minister Katō who assembled his delegation and departed Kyoto, on the 2nd of June 1914.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 10, 2016, 03:28:09 pm
(https://ibin.co/34w4DfktYWD8.jpg)

So I noticed that buying or selling technology is always initiated by the ai (or through some random event), I take it you can't give america a call to try to buy some of their gun designs yourself?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 10, 2016, 03:31:49 pm
You have no idea how much I'd love to call Washington and say 'Those 14 inchers? Name your price."

What the game simulates is willingness to sell. It essentially presupposes that you're asking all the time. Every time you get a technology exchange message, that means that the AI is 'willing' to exchange that tech - that time.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 10, 2016, 03:37:48 pm
Wait there was a Naval Regatta that didn't include a drunk Russian cruiser colliding with an IJN warship?

What is the world coming to?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 10, 2016, 03:40:56 pm
 :lol:

That's why the Regatta was held in Sasebo. To make sure that no Russian drunkies collided with MuseumShip!Fuso. :p

EDIT: I am really curious to know what you guys think of the more 'fluff' / worldbuilding segments. Too much? Tone down a bit, move through the peace years faster and focus on ships going boom? Good enough? Fun? Offensive?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 10, 2016, 03:46:34 pm
Im down with the fluff :yes:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: JSRNerdo on December 10, 2016, 05:40:53 pm
A X turret usually weighs a lot more than a V turret, which is why I generally stick to AVY or ABVY configurations unless that was recently patched. Fluff is good and cool, keep it up.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 10, 2016, 08:21:00 pm
Good enough and fun, but I must add a sidenote to that. I'm going to apologize for the small rant that's incoming.
Ever heard of Konpeki no kantai? I'm going to assume not, because its probably not very well known. I dont think any of the novels, games or the anime have been translated. I'm roughly half way into the anime.
The basic plot is that Yamamoto Isoroku gets transported back in time to 1905 after his death. With his knowledge of what happens in the future, he's going to make sure that Japan doesn't make the same mistakes that it made during WWII. Now you might wonder to yourself "like, not going to war with the USA?" nah man. Because this utter tripe is an imperial japan power trip, written by an author who has the mental age of a 10 year old. Or so I would assume from the way Konpeki no kantai plays out.

Yamamoto prepares Japan for war by developing technology far beyond anything WWII had, with super advanced submarines (the azure fleet, aka konpeki no kantai) that can launch planes and ****. They also develope countermeassures for everything the USA throws at them at record breaking speed. They redo pearl harbor but without the mistakes, then destroy the american pacific fleet, carriers and everything. And proceed to flawlessly beat every american fleet and airforce that follows. American generals and presidents are all portrayed as b-movie villians that laugh like evil overlords, are rude and scream and shout at everything and everyone. Meanwhile the Japanese are constantly portrayed as the heroic stoic goody twoshoes who can do no wrong and easily outsmart, outthink, outplan and outfight any enemy. The invasion in china and all its misery is conveniently glossed over and every place they conquer seem to have nothing but goodwill towards the Japanese.

It's laughably bad writing, and frankly kind of offensive in how they rewrite history to have the great imperial nation of Japan portrayed as the white knights of WWII.

It's a really interesting concept though. Just executed in the ****tiest way possible.

Your portrayal of Japan in this playthrough is in some ways eerily similar.
The nearly flawless Japanese alliance that is the most amazing tolerance open minded country that treats all of its colonies with amazing fairness compared to the foolish western nations and without any of the icky racism. Every race is welcomed into the navy and treated equally etc etc. It's uh, well, very unjapanese. And very unlike the timeframe it all takes place in.

But unlike Konpeki, your writing is always great. It's just that I'm getting a bit of an allergic reaction I guess :p It's really a personal gripe.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 10, 2016, 09:51:19 pm
One of the first things I read when I began to look into Kancolle was something vaguely similar to what Spoon posted directed at that.

Speaking of which, I fired up Crunchyroll to have a look. And while maybe it gets better, I don't know, I watched the first two episodes, my conclusion is the (I presume) fanart Enioch is filling the thread with is far superior to the anime itself. Though maybe it's just that I don't have to listen to their screechy voices... :P
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Droid803 on December 10, 2016, 11:54:13 pm
But KanColle's premise is baiscally X-COM: Terror From the Deep with girls channeling the spirits of WW2 warships instead of normal soldiers. That Abyssal Enoich uses for the Ikoma is basically an 80HP Sectopod (WHY WON'T YOU DIE?). I understand how there could have been confusion when the game launched and there was less known about the setting, but now it's pretty obvious.
There's nothing wrong with the player faction acting non-Imperial Japan if it's a modern-day multinational force assembling to combat an alien menace emerging from beneath the ocean.

That's the game I'm talking about though.
The KanColle anime's plot (when it tries to be serious) is trash and actually does kind of skirt that area because of how badly written it is. It's only good for watching the girls be cute.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 11, 2016, 04:01:17 am
Good enough and fun, but I must add a sidenote to that. I'm going to apologize for the small rant that's incoming.
Ever heard of Konpeki no kantai? I'm going to assume not, because its probably not very well known. I dont think any of the novels, games or the anime have been translated. I'm roughly half way into the anime.
The basic plot is that Yamamoto Isoroku gets transported back in time to 1905 after his death. With his knowledge of what happens in the future, he's going to make sure that Japan doesn't make the same mistakes that it made during WWII. Now you might wonder to yourself "like, not going to war with the USA?" nah man. Because this utter tripe is an imperial japan power trip, written by an author who has the mental age of a 10 year old. Or so I would assume from the way Konpeki no kantai plays out.

Yamamoto prepares Japan for war by developing technology far beyond anything WWII had, with super advanced submarines (the azure fleet, aka konpeki no kantai) that can launch planes and ****. They also develope countermeassures for everything the USA throws at them at record breaking speed. They redo pearl harbor but without the mistakes, then destroy the american pacific fleet, carriers and everything. And proceed to flawlessly beat every american fleet and airforce that follows. American generals and presidents are all portrayed as b-movie villians that laugh like evil overlords, are rude and scream and shout at everything and everyone. Meanwhile the Japanese are constantly portrayed as the heroic stoic goody twoshoes who can do no wrong and easily outsmart, outthink, outplan and outfight any enemy. The invasion in china and all its misery is conveniently glossed over and every place they conquer seem to have nothing but goodwill towards the Japanese.

It's laughably bad writing, and frankly kind of offensive in how they rewrite history to have the great imperial nation of Japan portrayed as the white knights of WWII.

It's a really interesting concept though. Just executed in the ****tiest way possible.

Your portrayal of Japan in this playthrough is in some ways eerily similar.
The nearly flawless Japanese alliance that is the most amazing tolerance open minded country that treats all of its colonies with amazing fairness compared to the foolish western nations and without any of the icky racism. Every race is welcomed into the navy and treated equally etc etc. It's uh, well, very unjapanese. And very unlike the timeframe it all takes place in.

But unlike Konpeki, your writing is always great. It's just that I'm getting a bit of an allergic reaction I guess :p It's really a personal gripe.

THANK YOU. :yes:

This is exactly the sort of feedback that I wanted (and feared) and this is exactly what I was trying to avoid writing - a weeaboo history fixfic. It's gratifying to hear that apparently my writing is decent enough to overlook the massive historical and social changes I've had to incorporate into the timeline of the Japanese Empire (changes I truly feared some people might find offensive) and I'm truly sorry for causing 'allergic reactions'.

While I cannot (and will not) deny that playing through the game gave me a sort of imperialistic power trip (it's hard to keep a good historical perspective on things when you're actually cheering your IJN forces to occupy Korea), I only started to write this after I had finished the game and I made it a point to write not just a game AAR but an actual narrative that makes some (admittedly skewed) sense. In that, I was actually thwarted by my success in the game. The bloody Japanese were actually doing too good for what one would expect of Imperial Japan.

Consider the OTL: in the beginning of the 20th century, Japan gets involved in her usual feuds with China; wins her first war against a 'European' (hahaha) power, enjoys some limited holdings in the mainland and in Taiwan, which only serve to highlight the Sino-Japanese tensions. And sits and broods.

Now consider the AU: Japan acquires a bloody colonial empire and naval bases in the Pacific thirty years before she would actually hold them in the OTL; smashes Germany and France in two major wars; is self-sufficient in oil thanks to Sumatra. Her fleet is superior technologically to those of many European forces. She is buddy-buddy with the bloody Americans.

Even better / worse, in subsequent years:

Spoiler:
She utterly dominates Africa. Not a single revolt in her holdings ever takes place. Foreign invasions are beat back in a hilariously short time.

Let's be honest. There's no way Imperial Japan as we knew her in the OTL (militarily, socially, ideologically or economically) would ever be able to pull that off; both because of her own failings and because of the inevitable international reaction to such blatant imperialism. Even trying to would probably spark a world war. I had to somehow change the Japanese saw the world - and how the world saw the Japanese. I found a divergence point in the Meiji and Taisho reformation periods, during the gradual democratisation of Japan, combined this with the sudden colonial expansion in Sumatra / Polynesia etc and tried to figure out how a Japan who suddenly had all of this new territory, resources and people to play with (instead of constantly butting heads with the Chinese) would react - and make sure that reaction would somehow facilitate the rise to a WTF-OP-PLS-NERF world power I knew was coming.

My answer? 'Let them administer themselves - keep them happy - treat them better than the Gaijin they're familiar with - take the wheel - make them prosper'.

If you really think about it, that is incredibly condescending. The Japanese nationalism is not extinct; but it expresses itself in being the provider instead of the taker.

'We are the best Power there is. Because we allow our allies to work in our Navy, our pride and joy. Because we provide for them when they, inevitably, have need of us. Because we teach them how to govern themselves in the proper manner.'

I'd also like to note that, with the exception of everybody's favourite, hawkish Fujiwara, every historical figure I have presented in this thread so far is recorded to have had the skills and the ideological beliefs to be major reformers and bringers of change - but they were denied, for varying reasons and under difficult circumstances. I just...discreetly removed those reasons and brought these people into power at the opportune time.

And this is my position on the matter. It is not a perfect answer, I admit, and it requires more than a fair suspension of disbelief from our internal historian. That said, it's the best I feel I could do with the medium. *apologetic shrug*.

I truly hope you still find this entertaining. And, like I said before, I truly wish to invite feedback of this sort in the future (it makes me happy). Or your own takes on the sociopolitical background. Or, if your inclination takes you that way, your omakes on the darker side of the Alliance (go on, Spoon, scratch that itch, I know you want to). :p
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 11, 2016, 07:28:13 am
With the early start, you can pretty much shape Japan into anything you want it to be within reason by the time WW2 rolls around. The way the Japanese people are today, I don't see why they couldn't be put on a path to something like that sooner.

Besides, it certainly makes it a lot easier to root for you than if you were having your Japanese butchering, raping, plundering and burning their way across their new empire, doing things like cutting people's heads off for not bowing deeply enough before their new overlords, and rounding up millions to power the new empire on the backs of their slave labour as Japan drowns the World in a sea of blood.
Title: ...para bellum
Post by: Enioch on December 11, 2016, 09:03:20 am
(https://s24.postimg.cc/w0hmajxit/Screenshot_1085.png)

In the Hague Convention, the support of the USA was crucial. Both the Japanese and the Americans were eager to further expand their navies and their spheres of influence, in contrast to the European powers, who were all too keen to maintain their relative lead and (in the case of Germany) limit their opponents' development while waiting for the opportunity to catch up.

However, with Japan and USA presenting a united front, the Convention came to naught in the disarmament front - although it did result in one of the first (and most well-known) codifications of the international laws of war.

In the upcoming years, Japan would bitterly regret not taking a different stance.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/a2l5griid/Screenshot_1086.png)

For now, however, the Japanese, satisfied by their success poured more money into their infrastructure. They could not yet afford the mighty Dreadnought they were envisioning; so be it. They would make sure that, when the time came, their ship would be the best and biggest of its kind in the world.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/jponqhbhx/Screenshot_1088.png)

In August, with Kongou less than nine months from completion, the R & D people reported new advances in torpedo propulsion. The Japanese torpedoes now could reliably reach 9,000 yards - a spectacular range.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/f52hbjrsl/Screenshot_1089.png)

Meanwhile, the new trade routes opened thanks to the inclusion of Tanganyika in the Alliance contributed significantly to the development of Japanese industry. The first rubber shipments arrived in August; the Sumitomo keiretsu proceeded to buy out the Japanese branch of Dunlop enterprises and quickly developed into Japan's prime rubber manufacturers.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/jl8kpaxfj/Screenshot_1090.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/hoy45nfcl/Screenshot_1091.png)

In a move that brought great joy and jubilation to the Admiralty, Military Intelligence surreptitiously acquired the blueprints to the new French battlecruiser, Lille. The ship was notable for its heavy armour but, in all other matters, it was inferior to Kongou - its speed in particular. The fact that Kongou was oil-fired meant that she could maintain her speed consistently and dictate the terms of the engagement.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/xpvawd2lx/Screenshot_1093.png)

In October, Sumitomo Enterprises funded further expansion of the Yokosuka dockyards, in order to manufacture their new cargo haulers. The Admiralty was quietly jubilant, despite the money being 'poured away' towards colonial developments.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/71o6umcbh/navy_scandal.jpg)
The crew of Tsukuba voting in Formosa

(https://s24.postimg.cc/4bzkgrzw5/Screenshot_1094.png)

This changed after the late October elections. Ōkuma Shigenobu came to power as the new Prime Minister: he was a reformer, a firm believer in the necessity to establish a constitution, a patron of the sciences and a supporter of the Japanese industrialists. Considerable funds were diverted from the Navy to the development of the Allied infrastructure; and societal reforms were implemented. The Navy grumbled and protested, but to little avail.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/oyoa23jat/Screenshot_1096.png)

By December, concerning news had reached the Japanese Admiralty. Their one advantage over their European adversaries - the well-vaunted Japanese accuracy - was now in danger of being surpassed. The British were outfitting their ships with 'Fire Directors'; a new, revolutionary targeting system that would render Japanese technology obsolete. This was disheartening, to say the least. Japan had always depended on qualitative superiority over her enemies and now that advantage was being denied to her.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/4sks37nn9/Screenshot_1097.png)

Small wonder. Ōkuma's reforms, while greatly benefiting Japanese society had gutted the Naval budget. Japan was spending less on her Fleet than Germany; who, by the way, had launched her new Dreadnought and had laid down a new battlecruiser.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/j1kela25x/Screenshot_1099.png)

Once again, naval designers brought forward the designs for a Japanese dreadnought that would literally and figuratively blow the competition out of the water. Once again, the response came from the Admiralty: "We can't afford it."

(https://s24.postimg.cc/70yykjur9/Screenshot_1100.png)

But in March, finally! Good news. R & D had caught up with the Brits. Japanese directors had made their appearance later than their British counterparts, but were every bit as good as them, if not better, given the Japanese technological lead in optics.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/z3rj5er91/Screenshot_1102.png)

Even better, they could be seamlessly integrated in the construction of Kongou, for only an extra month of work. Other, older ships would require drydock time.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/b1apajalx/Screenshot_1103.png)

...which the Navy was more than willing to pay for. Ikoma received a fire-control upgrade, as did Tsukuba. Unfortunately, Ikoma's design allowed little room for outfitting her with improved engines or other modernisations. Changing her boilers to oil-fired designs would give her an extra knot of speed, but she was so compactly designed that the process of stripping out the old machinery and fitting in the new engines would cost as much as a brand new capital ship. In contrast, Tsukuba's much less cluttered design allowed for a massive rebuild, that raised her speed to 29 knots and completely overhauled her firing control. The 'elder sister' could now keep up with Kongou even if her guns were growing to be on the anemic side.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/vu3p3vmwn/Screenshot_1104.png)

And in May, more funds were poured into Tanganyika. The German-begun railroad was completed by Japanese engineers and a local workforce; new rice farms were started in the Serengeti area; the rubber industry was expanded; the harbour was further expanded, schools were re-established and the training of local administrators was continued.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/h0tmwv4jb/Screenshot_1106.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/jjfbxjq9j/Screenshot_1107.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/lds6fad9z/Screenshot_1109.png)

However, despite the general social improvements, it was a cold awakening for the Admiralty when Intelligence reported in with their new acquisitions: the blueprints for the new French dreadnought and Russian battlecruiser.

It was a very sobering thing to acknowledge that, even with their inferior firing control, these ships would outgun anything in the Japanese navy. The Russians were catching up, for the sake of all the Kami! There was a rather bitter undercurrent in the relations between the Admiralty and the Government at the time...

(https://s29.postimg.cc/qqh0tf16f/Screenshot_1110.png)

...which was only partially addressed by the commissioning of HIJMS Kongou.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/6guqnf6d5/73_Ghqlm.png)

Wait.

What?

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 11, 2016, 09:24:06 am
It's worth noting that we are starting during the Meji era, before all the rabid hyper nationalism movement really took hold of Japan and sent it down crazy street.  If I recall correctly the IJA even received praise for their humane conduct during the Russo Japanese war, a far cry from were it ended up.  While I don't think Imperial Japan would ever be quite as warm and fuzzy as the LP, the successes of this timeline may have stalled out the radicalization of Japan and with a moderates in power the Greater East Asia Co Prosperity Sphere being more than just "replace European colonial powers with Japan."


Of course you can always take the stance that we are getting a view filtered by Imperial Propaganda and the official government line.   :drevil:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 11, 2016, 10:16:25 am
a view filtered by Imperial Propaganda and the official government line.   :drevil:
That would certainly explain the anime girls! :)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on December 11, 2016, 12:52:53 pm
I know that anime Spoon is talking about.
To be fair, by the end of WWII, the japanese had subs capable of launching planes.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 11, 2016, 06:05:37 pm
I truly hope you still find this entertaining. And, like I said before, I truly wish to invite feedback of this sort in the future (it makes me happy). Or your own takes on the sociopolitical background. Or, if your inclination takes you that way, your omakes on the darker side of the Alliance (go on, Spoon, scratch that itch, I know you want to). :p
Let me clear this up first, I absolutely still find it very entertaining. And I still eagerly read the new posts. I mean, my rant was mostly aimed at Konpeki's bad writing and the comparison is honestly just a trivial gripe, that I wouldn't even had expressed had you not asked for any kind of feedback.

I know that anime Spoon is talking about.
To be fair, by the end of WWII, the japanese had subs capable of launching planes.
I'm fairly sure Nagato wasn't equipped with CIWS and VLS somewhere mid 1942 though! :p (or whatever year it is in the calender they use in that show)

THANK YOU. :yes:

This is exactly the sort of feedback that I wanted (and feared) and this is exactly what I was trying to avoid writing - a weeaboo history fixfic. It's gratifying to hear that apparently my writing is decent enough to overlook the massive historical and social changes I've had to incorporate into the timeline of the Japanese Empire (changes I truly feared some people might find offensive) and I'm truly sorry for causing 'allergic reactions'.

While I cannot (and will not) deny that playing through the game gave me a sort of imperialistic power trip (it's hard to keep a good historical perspective on things when you're actually cheering your IJN forces to occupy Korea), I only started to write this after I had finished the game and I made it a point to write not just a game AAR but an actual narrative that makes some (admittedly skewed) sense. In that, I was actually thwarted by my success in the game. The bloody Japanese were actually doing too good for what one would expect of Imperial Japan.

Consider the OTL: in the beginning of the 20th century, Japan gets involved in her usual feuds with China; wins her first war against a 'European' (hahaha) power, enjoys some limited holdings in the mainland and in Taiwan, which only serve to highlight the Sino-Japanese tensions. And sits and broods.

Now consider the AU: Japan acquires a bloody colonial empire and naval bases in the Pacific thirty years before she would actually hold them in the OTL; smashes Germany and France in two major wars; is self-sufficient in oil thanks to Sumatra. Her fleet is superior technologically to those of many European forces. She is buddy-buddy with the bloody Americans.

Even better / worse, in subsequent years:

Spoiler:
She utterly dominates Africa. Not a single revolt in her holdings ever takes place. Foreign invasions are beat back in a hilariously short time.
This reminds me of this D&D story I once read. This one player had made a Zorro-like swashbuckler type of character. Full with romantic ideals about adventure, with the intend that he'd roleplay the character to be increasingly more realistic, grounded and cynical over the duration of the campaign when his ideals got shattered with failure and the like.
Except, that never happened. Because at every critical point and event, he'd roll insanely high numbers and was succesful at every silly daredevil action that he made. Only reinforcing his believes instead of breaking them.


Let's be honest. There's no way Imperial Japan as we knew her in the OTL (militarily, socially, ideologically or economically) would ever be able to pull that off; both because of her own failings and because of the inevitable international reaction to such blatant imperialism. Even trying to would probably spark a world war. I had to somehow change the Japanese saw the world - and how the world saw the Japanese. I found a divergence point in the Meiji and Taisho reformation periods, during the gradual democratisation of Japan, combined this with the sudden colonial expansion in Sumatra / Polynesia etc and tried to figure out how a Japan who suddenly had all of this new territory, resources and people to play with (instead of constantly butting heads with the Chinese) would react - and make sure that reaction would somehow facilitate the rise to a WTF-OP-PLS-NERF world power I knew was coming.

My answer? 'Let them administer themselves - keep them happy - treat them better than the Gaijin they're familiar with - take the wheel - make them prosper'.

If you really think about it, that is incredibly condescending. The Japanese nationalism is not extinct; but it expresses itself in being the provider instead of the taker.

'We are the best Power there is. Because we allow our allies to work in our Navy, our pride and joy. Because we provide for them when they, inevitably, have need of us. Because we teach them how to govern themselves in the proper manner.'

I'd also like to note that, with the exception of everybody's favourite, hawkish Fujiwara, every historical figure I have presented in this thread so far is recorded to have had the skills and the ideological beliefs to be major reformers and bringers of change - but they were denied, for varying reasons and under difficult circumstances. I just...discreetly removed those reasons and brought these people into power at the opportune time.

And this is my position on the matter. It is not a perfect answer, I admit, and it requires more than a fair suspension of disbelief from our internal historian. That said, it's the best I feel I could do with the medium. *apologetic shrug*.
That is an answer I can live with, no need to apologize. Please carry on!

Also, are we building Tosa-class battleships now?
Title: The Grind Begins
Post by: Enioch on December 12, 2016, 12:50:34 pm
OOC: A small but significant update today, mostly for therapeutic reasons, as I wrestle with deadlines.

-------------------------------------

(https://s24.postimg.cc/dd6kmlo2t/qb_To_Clml.jpg)

The Kongou promptly set off on her shakedown cruise and crewmen loved her. In contrast to cramped Ikoma, Kongou had more spacious crew compartments, was quieter, nimbler and required less mainentance. Young Lieutenant Commander Yamamoto Isoroku, in his first posting on board the ship, would write in his memoirs:

"She was a silent and clean ship and kind to her crew. Reliable and true, above all. Despite her undeniable power, to us she felt comforting instead of dangerous. It is a feeling that is difficult to express in words, like the feeling of a mother's embrace"

(https://s24.postimg.cc/58yghv1np/Screenshot_1111.png)

In July, the R & D department turned in improved designs for torpedo mounts. It was a natural step-up from the twin launchers of the Nokaze Kai-class, but still a welcome addition to Japan's quickly shrinking list of options.

What also became clear at the time was that Germany might have been declining as a colonial power but would not go quietly into the night. Tensions between the two countries rose again, with boisterous declarations by the Kaiser making headlines in Europe.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/v5s4uh5b9/Screenshot_1112.png)

It may not have been the best time to initiate the rebuilding of Tsukuba, especially since it was expected to take a full year, but the Navy was reasonably confident that Kongou would be able to fill the gap in the Japanese battle-line in the meantime. Funds were allocated - as Ikoma left the drydocks with her new directors installed, Tsukuba moved in, her new machinery ready to be installed.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/juu2juntx/Screenshot_1113.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/505h5oe91/Screenshot_1114.png)

In August, a plan was hatched to, perhaps, sabotage the German dreadnought in anchor and, thus, permanently cripple the German Fleet. A daring team of young daredevil intelligence officers were assembled and dispatched; unfortunately, the plan failed. The wire-guided, slow torpedo that they assembled on-site and used malfunctioned and struck a minesweeper docked next to the German behemoth. If anything, this worsened the situation - despite no actual evidence, the culprit was obvious. No other nation came close to the IJN's torpedo technology.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/i5kzbs84l/Screenshot_1115.png)

(https://i.imgflip.com/1ftl6p.jpg)

And then the Second Balkan War erupted, with Greece and Serbia beating up Bulgaria and the Japanese Government jumped on the opportunity. If war with Germany was, again, unavoidable, if the two countries truly could not reach a compromise solution, then war had to happen now, while the Japanese still had a competitive battle-line.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/ko6ocgtut/Screenshot_1116.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/669h4h2jp/Screenshot_1117.png)

A formal denounciation of "Germany's imperialistic actions" was made public. The usual empty diplomatic niceties were observed. And, in the 20th of October 1915, Japan and Germany were, again at war - this time, with the Japanese playing a desperate gamble to capitalise on their current lead before the world caught up.

This is the point where historians of the future draw a line and say "This marks the beginning of the Grinding Years".
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on December 12, 2016, 01:42:25 pm
Send those germans packing :D
No place for them in the Daitoa Kyoeiken. :drevil:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 12, 2016, 03:06:31 pm
Will the grind be the trying to keep up with major powers? I don't see how it can be war with Germany since you crippled Germany already.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 12, 2016, 03:37:35 pm
Crippled, yes. Killed, no. The Kaiser is still in power and he's the same bitter, resentful bastard he used to be.

Spoiler:
It's gonna be me throwing good men away over the course of many, small, exhausting wars,  trying to convince Germany to stay ****ing dead, France that no, I am not weakened prey for you Baguettes to munch on and Britain that I am more use to you alive than dead.

And it will inevitably lead to two World Wars, which will leave many great nations of the world a shadow of their former selves.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 12, 2016, 03:50:18 pm
Can you entirely wipe out powers in this game, or only clear the seas of their ships temporarily?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 12, 2016, 03:58:07 pm
The latter. You can also take over their colonial empires, which has a major impact on their budget and, if your victory was complete enough, even ask for some of their ships as war prizes. But you can never claim their 'core' territories / capitals as war reparations and that means that they'll still have a nominal budget.

Truly nominal, if you've hurt them badly enough. It's not by accident that Japan and Italy have the smallest starting budget, with their piddly colonial empires.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 12, 2016, 04:04:27 pm
I think I've got the perfect video for you then to symbolise coming events. Even the right gender. People avoid if you want to avoid spoilers.

https://youtu.be/DBfTk6Unddk?t=76

Stop at 2:46. Accurate?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 13, 2016, 12:40:09 am
I think I've got the perfect video for you then to symbolise coming events. Even the right gender. People avoid if you want to avoid spoilers.

https://youtu.be/DBfTk6Unddk?t=76

Stop at 2:46. Accurate?

Spoiler:
Surprisingly so. There's even a decisive battle at the end!
Title: Shots Fired
Post by: Enioch on December 13, 2016, 04:47:14 am
Well, the Germans wasted no time in sending raiders against Japanese tanker convoys. It was a tactic that had given them one of their best 'victories' in the last war; mayhap it could serve them again.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/od3hnqok5/Screenshot_1118.png)

Furthermore, Convoy X-02 was escorted solely by destroyers, in an eery callback to the attack that had cost the Japanese the Asanagi and the Shimakaze; Captain Luedecke of the Hamburg thought it an opportunity to cripple the Japanese supply lines and also whittle down the enemy destroyer fleet. However, unlike the last war, the convoy was defended by three Asanagi Kai class desotryers - and two of the modern Nokazes. Even more importantly, the Admiralty had developed a doctrine for dealing with isolated cruiser attacks.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/iepodi5lh/Screenshot_1120.png)

The Hamburg was a relatively modern, if small, light cruiser, with a 5-gun broadside, capable of 26 knots. The destroyer flotillas went out to meet her as far away from the convoy as they could, splitting up into two flotillas.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/wzbcm2pxx/Screenshot_1121.png)

The Hamburg's options were limited. It was known to the German Admiralty that the range of Japanese torpedoes was, effectively, the same as their guns. Attempting a run on the convoy with her flanks exposed to destroyer flotillas would be tantamount to suicide.

Captain Luedecke decided to deal with the escorts first. The Hamburg turned to engage the two Nokazes, which were presenting a more inviting target. First shots were fired at 11:16, at which point the Nokazes simply turned and ran - away from the convoy.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/4ozqig7v9/Screenshot_1123.png)

What followed, was a gruelling 5-hour pursuit, until nightfall made it impossible to continue the engagement. Luedecke could not allowed himself to be sandwitched between two destroyer flotillas and the Nokazes made it a point to cut their speed when the range opened and circle around if he tried to return to the convoy. He was committed to the pursuit - but the Nokazes could also do 33 knots and so it was impossible for him to actually catch up.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/3nzhtbqvp/Screenshot_1124.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/c7ivr2z85/Screenshot_1125.png)

This was by no means the honorable and exciting war that many destroyer crews had signed up for; but nobody could argue with the results. The convoy managed to reach Formosa without a single transport loss and the Japanese destroyers were also unscathed. Admittedly, no damage had been caused to the enemy - but that had never actually been the purpose of the escorts.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/za9eq90ph/Screenshot_1126.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/6lwgn0yj9/Screenshot_1127.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/yyrlhfo8z/yukikaze_kantai_collection_drawn_by_natsuyuki.jpg)

Throughout October, the R & D department presented the Admiralty with new improvements on machinery efficiency and fire control. The latter, being relevant to a core element of the Japanese battle doctrine were particularly welcome.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/ddmvpvnit/Screenshot_1128.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/j334a6tp1/Screenshot_1129.png)

The Silent Service gave a good showing, but the German ASW patrols had learned their lessons well. Heavy losses were suffered by both sides, in both maritime traffic and lives of submariners.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/l8xf4ox5h/Screenshot_1130.png)

Japan also dispatched her Unebis, to raid German traffic. Unfortunately, these ships were getting quite long in the tooth at the time and had not been refitted beyond basic servicing for more than ten years. Unebi herself gave a good showing, sinking a german coalship that tried to sneak its way to Java.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/3ka9qtas5/Screenshot_1131.png)

Chiyoda, on the other hand, was not so lucky. Her old machinery suffered a catastrophic failure near the Philippines. An internal explosion, attributed to metal fatigue in one of her boilers, ripped through the ship's internals, caused the deaths of twenty-two crewmen and flooded the Fuel Bunkers A and C. With her engines crippled and her fuel stores nearly depleted, it was all Captain Ahorangi could do to bring his limping ship into neutral Manila, for repairs. The ship was saved but interned by the Americans until the end of the war, according to international laws.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/iua4y06ad/Screenshot_1132.png)

The beginning of November brought the first true fleet engagement between the two Navies. Ikoma while patrolling the Tsushima Strait, had encountered a German raiding task force consisting of a heavy cruiser, a light cruiser and a gaggle of destroyers. Upon sighting of the Teufelsschiff, the Germans had immediately changed course and slipped away toward the East, under cover of nightfall.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/dxhz7kwc1/bismarck_graf_zeppelin_prinz_eugen_and_u_511_k.jpg)

The Admiralty felt it likely that the Germans would try to sail east of Honshu and possibly reach the Tsugaru Straits to raid the local shipping - so Kongou was redirected to the area.

The Admiralty's guess proved correct. On the 3rd of November, three hours before sunset, HIJMS Kongou would get her first taste of combat.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1fvl1k.jpg)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on December 13, 2016, 09:24:47 am
Quote
On the Japanese imperialism
[…] We are at war, again, with the Japanese Empire.
While those in the military welcome the chance to rectify the earlier defeats, many wonder why the lives of German sailors are again thrown into the meat grinder for nothing more than distant lands.
Japan is ruling over a… what exactly?
We are not talking about a colonial empire, not in the strictest sense.
The emperor is the head of state of an absurdly successful conglomerate of states.
I have recently travelled through former German East Africa. I was curious, I never travelled much, but was intrigued about how the situation for the natives has changed.
To my surprise, Japan treats natives like equals.
Under German rule, we simply took their resources, started to build a railway and exploited them.
The Japanese on the other hand treated them as equals, allowing them to actually participate in matters of politics, appoint some sort of governor and so on.
It seems that the Japanese had learned the key of being successful in oversea, lies in a harmonious relationship with those calling the land home.
The Japanese have already started to develop the land, they continued the railway construction, they offered jobs which resulted in prosperity and most importantly, they allowed the natives to serve in the Japanese military. Thus they in cooperated the native population, giving them the feeling to matter in the greater picture of the Japanese Empire.
So, are the Japanese a colonial or imperialism power? Neither in my humble opinion, the Japanese with their emperor resemble a confederation of states, in such an ethnic diversity only seen in the United States.

With war being fought, my hopes of visiting the Japanese mainland are dashed. […]
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 13, 2016, 10:00:13 am
<3 :D

An excerpt from the journal of a politically-minded student? Or of an academic? Or a disgruntled noble scion? Or, perhaps, a common man or woman?

It is an interesting thing to note that continuous war would make travel to Japan dangerous and something that you'd wish to avoid, unless you were going for profit, or reporting or some other very special and urgent reason. I wonder how that lack of contact between the everyday folk of the 'western' world and those damn Japanese that keep bloodying Germany's nose might influence the general opinion of the culture?

Would there be a weaboo movement in the early years of the century? Would the Asian culture be romanticised or vilified? Would there be long discussions in schools and universities about how katanas are clearly better than European swords?  :p

EDIT: Started a new 'Omakes' category in the table of contents.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on December 13, 2016, 11:15:56 am
As a student of histroy and political science, I'm quite intriduied, so there you have it.
My guess would be a student movement, discredited as cowards for not being overjoyed to fight yet another war and for being curious abot the Japanese.
Germany invested tons of money, without bettering the situation of the natives.
There is this famous sentence attributed to the german Kaiser: Am deutschen Wesen mag die Welt genesen, loosely translated "the world should be bettered by the german way of life.
And yet, nothing like that happened.
So I guess, the Japanese would be romanticised by some, like the Rastafari and such stuff and there would be young people actually trying to get in touch with the Japanese, like my 1915-self :D
Title: For Whom the Bell Tolls
Post by: Enioch on December 13, 2016, 06:28:31 pm
(https://s27.postimg.cc/jbkxwrrgz/Screenshot_1133.png)

Kongou exits the eastern end of the Tsugaru Strait with her three Asanagi-Kai escorts and immediately spots the enemy forces closing from the south-east. It is not a pleasant surprise for the Germans.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/4gwcilhw3/Screenshot_1134.png)

They have a chance, if they can last until nightfall. Kongou is operating nder strict orders not to engage in a night fight; the Admiralty will not risk losing her to a random torpedo strike. She has three hours to do her work.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/45ew5u1g3/Screenshot_1135.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/hauebxvbn/Screenshot_1136.png)

The enemy task force is led by a heavy cruiser. The lookouts identify her as a Freya class,  a slow, armoured beast with a small main battery but heavy secondaries. She's a commerce raider. She's escrted by the Hamburg and three destroyers of her own. Kongou just closes the range and opens fire. Killing cruisers is what she's made for.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/eusky3d8z/Screenshot_1137.png)

The Hamburg peels off, in a mad dash to the north. Kongou ignores her - she has her directors set on the Freya. She scores her first hit at 16:23 and keeps closing.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/lmnleormb/Screenshot_1138.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/a03hdk4b7/Screenshot_1140.png)

She plows through the destroyer formation, her secondaries and tertiaries hitting them hard. Her main batteries stay trained on the Freya. At this point, the German cruiser is resembling grey swiss cheese.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1fx9t2.jpg)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/ld5atce47/Screenshot_1141b.png)

And then, unceremoniously, she slowly rolls to the side and goes down, stern first.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1fx9zl.jpg)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/53zulv45v/Screenshot_1142.png)

Kongou leaves the task of picking up survivors to her destroyers. She returns to where the German escort is limping along, their engines and funnels shot to hell and back by her 8'' secondaries and her destroyers' popguns - and finishes the job with a couple of close-range main battery strikes.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/nm4763lxv/Screenshot_1144.png)

Night falls and Kongou returns to the Strait and sets course for home. The Hamburg has escaped, but she's no match for any of Japan's cruisers and is sure to be picked off another day. Captain Hotarou will not risk his ship in a nighttime pursuit.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/h9p1w9ivn/Screenshot_1145.png)

OOC: I forgot to screenshot my victory stats, but you can see that the fight netted me ca. 350+ VP. Not bad. EDIT: That's actually quite bad, strangely enough. The death of a heavy cruiser should have netted me at least 800-100 VP. There are negative modifiers but this should have been a really ****ty ship and crew to give me so few VPs. Looks like the Germans were scraping the barrel with this one.

Title: Raiding and Counter-Raiding
Post by: Enioch on December 14, 2016, 04:42:14 am
(https://s23.postimg.cc/59zwccgjf/Screenshot_1146.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/vwcd1bkqj/Screenshot_1147.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/m0fvff4cb/Screenshot_1148.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/bsxc30i4b/Screenshot_1150.png)

The German submarines -and the ever-elusive heavy cruiser Victoria Louise keep up the pressure against the Japanese merchantmen, but the Japanese strike back just as hard. The new Itsukushimas prove to be relatively good raiders.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/b4ohk2jej/Screenshot_1151.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/3r93l3zcr/Screenshot_1153.png)

One of them, the Matsushima intercepts a German Gefion-class popgun cruiser off Sumatra.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/c55cii8zr/yahagi_kantai_collection_drawn_by_yammy_y_207.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/zc92om7cr/Screenshot_1154.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/lxvzsl0or/Screenshot_1156.png)

The superior Japanese 6'' guns rip the German to shreds, with Matsushima suffering minimal damage in return.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/5j83fdd9f/Screenshot_1158.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/ror83ff0b/Screenshot_1159.png)

Then, January brings bad news for the Admiralty. The Russians are laying down a new light cruiser and it's revolutionary. It sports a fully-centerline broadside, sloped armor, mine rails, and above-surface swivel torpedo mounts. It's also as fast as the Itsukushimas, which are a thousand tons heavier, just for the benefit of another turret on their broadside.

This is bad and spirits in the Admiralty fall considerably.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/kt6zkbkjf/Screenshot_1165.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/5j74d4p17/Screenshot_1164.png)

On the 9th of January, Itsukushima is intercepted off the coast of Java by a german cruiser. Her lookouts identify it as the Hamburg. Itsukushima turns to engage and scores the first hit at extreme range, but thinks twice of it when she spots a second inbound cruiser.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/ih3l0gxbv/Screenshot_1169.png)

(https://i.imgflip.com/1fy19h.jpg)

She's a Niobe. Not much of a threat at long range, but if the Hamburg were to score a lucky hit on Itsukushima's engines, her 4'' popguns could prove to be veritable buzzsaws at close range against the lightly armored Japanese ship.

The Japanese decide that discretion is the better part of valour and set a course for a fighting retreat.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/xlv3k8w57/Screenshot_1166.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/xbs6en6wr/Screenshot_1168.png)

By nightfall, the Hamburg has had two of her turrets jammed and is flooding in her fore compartments. Luedecke calls off pursuit and the Itsukushima fades into the dark, without having been hit a single time.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/wc1vixrqz/Screenshot_1170.png)

It's more of a draw than a minor victory, but it does help to raise Japanese spirits.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 14, 2016, 08:22:30 am
Out of curiosity how advanced can the cruiser designs get?  Can you eventually build something analogous to a New Orleans or Myōkō or do they cap out at armored cruisers?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 14, 2016, 08:43:34 am
Yes, you can, although you will definitely have to continue playing after the 1920s and you might have to settle for a bulkier than RL design.

Spoiler:

See here (https://s23.postimg.org/qg3fyuiyj/Takao_R_1943_0.jpg) for my 1930 Takao-class, which weighs 16.5ktons fully loaded, can reach 33 knots and was originally launched with 15 6'' guns, only to be upgunned to a 10 8'' configuration (remind you of anything?  ;)). They have all-or-nothing armor, with a 4'' belt and a 2.5'' deck (better deck but worse belt than the RL Takaos), 16 torp launchers in four quadruple mounts and OTL American WWII levels of damcon, paired with the best torpedo protection you can imagine. Pretty decent ships, actually. The one thing they don't have enough of are secondaries (only a pair of 4'' anti-DD rifles per side), minelaying capabilities and particularly reliable engines.

I've also built Myoko expies, that are 500 tons lighter, with the same armament but fewer torps. And, in the late thirties / early fourties, I also laid down some Zao expies, with their fearsome 12 8'' guns.


Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 14, 2016, 09:36:49 am
Reminds me of Mogami

So uh, why is kongou represented by kaga?  :confused:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 14, 2016, 09:47:35 am
Because she's not Kongou.   :p

And that's all I'm saying on the matter.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 14, 2016, 11:58:33 am
(https://ibin.co/35N7jkPq6zPF.jpg)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 14, 2016, 01:04:36 pm
(https://ibin.co/35N7jkPq6zPF.jpg)

OK, Spoon?

I can only see the image in my mobile phone. In fact, any image you've posted so far, I can only see in my phone. My computer screams at me that there's a secure connection certificate error. Am I the only one tis is happening to?

EDIT: Possibly. My antivirus has ibin.co marked as a harmful site.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Thisisaverylongusername on December 14, 2016, 01:08:53 pm
Try using a different browser. The last time I had an error like that, I was using IE, but you're not using IE.

At least, I think you aren't using IE. I hope you're not using IE.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 14, 2016, 01:41:07 pm
It's an antvirus thing. All of my browsers behave the same way on this matter. And that includes bloody IE.

Which, no, is not my main browser. That'd be the Fox.

Added an exception. Seems to be working.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 14, 2016, 07:44:39 pm
(http://i.imgur.com/cnZYDOE.gif)
Title: Missing the Rains
Post by: Enioch on December 15, 2016, 09:38:16 am
(https://s28.postimg.cc/sfrwp2ril/Screenshot_(1171).png)

At the start of the new year, the Japanese Alliance scored a major diplomatic victory. After a short period of negotiations with the USA, the Japanese secured a small two-part war loan at a nominal interest rate, backed by limited military basing rights granted to American Navy forces for no less than ten years. It was not so much the funds that helped the Japanese (the loan total rose to the modest equivalent of fourty million pounds, backed in American gold) as the clear message that the Americans considered them the ones to back in this war. The Americans had pulled out most of their forces from the South China Sea, with the tacit understanding that the Japanese Alliance would handle security in the region; the European powers, less trusting but unwilling to thrust their hands into the quickly developing mess there, assumed a more measured, neutral stance. One notable example was France, very worried about her own holdings in the Far East but not willing to side with the Germans. The political mess that ensued by contradicting statements and flip-flopping from the French Foreign Ministry was a joy for Minister Katō  to watch.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/3nsahuabx/Screenshot_(1172).png)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/g3p0bl3nx/Screenshot_(1173).png)

In February, the R & D folks presented the Admiralty with a few minor, but significant designs. First were small diesel generators, that could serve as backups for a ship's main electrical systems. One of the most terrible ways for a ship to die was for a lucky hit to disable its electrics, leaving its pumps dead and damage control only able to stand and watch as they lost their ship from under them. This would, hopefully, no longer be an issue. Another development was the submission of designs for mine rails in light ships (Destroyers and light cruisers), partly inspired by the Russian Pallada-class designs the Russians were working on. Until then, laying minefields was the responsibility of the 'Maru boys'; now the destroyer jockeys and scouting forces could share the burden and further reinforce the Japanese defenses.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/44di49y31/Screenshot_(1175).png)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/cb5hvuo5p/Screenshot_(1176).png)

In an effort to bring the German fleet to battle, Kongo and Ikoma sailed to the coast of Northern Korea with a destroyer escort. The Germans (Japanese intelligence had accoutned for at least three capital ships in the area) wanted nothing to do with that, and preserved their forces as a fleet-in-being.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/axdv0jowd/Screenshot_(1177).png)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/sby38tm19/Screenshot_(1178).png)

They also made some overtures for peace through the Russians; Kaiser Wilhelm II counting on his cousin, Tzar Nikolai's goodwill. Queen Victoria would have been proud to see them working together; the Japanese Government, however, were not impressed and said so in no uncertain terms, especially when it became clear that the Kaiser's Cabinet was unwilling to contemplate any territorial concessions.

What followed was a month of the Japanese Silent Service patiently explaining to the Germans that hiding in their harbours was unacceptable.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/kpuruskwd/i_8_kantai_collection_drawn_by_imai_tetsuya_s.jpg)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/6qxlyyeod/Screenshot_1179.png)

I-26, under the command of Captain Yokota Makoru casually sailed into a Korean anchorage and torpedoed the German destroyer S20 - quite the embarrasment for the Germans.

(https://postimg.cc/image/8rnjq1h7x/)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/7hqc4qh1p/Screenshot_1180.png)

She then proceeded to sink two ammunition ships with her deck gun. I-18 and I-14 provided two more kills.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/u7pgxq099/Screenshot_1181.png)

The Germans tried to counter the Japanese successes with their own submarine fleet, but lost more subs than they sunk ships.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/r24v7ihn1/Screenshot_1182.png)

Encouraged by the Navy's success, the Army submitted a proposal for a concentrated push into Northern Korea. The Navy, seeing an opportunity to force the Germans into a decisive fleet battle, if the army push should succeed in depriving them of their infrastructure, agreed to support the Army advance. The advance started in late March, with the Japanese ships laying supportive fire on contested coastal sites.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/hvmkk8cel/Screenshot_1346.png)

It was a good thing that the second and final part of the American war loan was released to the military budget in April.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/atomy18st/Screenshot_1347.png)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/4h9ho75ql/Screenshot_1348.png)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/sz1lc38b1/Screenshot_1349.png)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/dg45ez00d/Screenshot_1351.png)

The Silent Service once again dealt a crushing blow to German shipping, putting more than triple their German counterparts' sunken tonnage to the bottom. Some losses were suffered, but the submariners were highly praised for their undeniably spectacular performance.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/td2xbosel/Screenshot_1350.png)

Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the Chishima. Returning home after an unsuccessful raid with her fuel bunkers near-empty, the Japanese cruiser was pursued by a German Armoured Cruiser over several hours, which forced her to run at sustained flank. By the time she successfully managed to disengage, she no longer had the necessary fuel to reach a Japanese port and had to find refuge in Manila, where she spent the rest of the war nest to Chiyoda. Captain Miyamoto Daichi was heavily criticised for allowing his fuel stores to run so low before returning to refuel.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/z3xp35psd/Screenshot_1352.png)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/e8berwtl9/Screenshot_1353.png)

In May, the Navy reached one of the most controversial decisions in its history. In what was considered to be a morale-raising move, the Kongou was brought to Yokohama where, in the presence of the old Fuso she was renamed to match her lauded predecessor.

The ceremony was a grand affair, with the (increasingly weakening) Emperor and his family present and officiating; and multitudes of crowds massing in the quays and docks. The renaming itself caused mixed reactions among the crews. On the one hand, many sailors and officers thought it disrespectful to both Kongou (who had, so far, honoured her name) and the old Lady of China. On the other, Fuso was thought to truly be a lucky name for the Navy.

Of some apocryphal interest was the response of the most spiritual of sailors, who thought that the renaming would do more harm than good. They feared that the ship's spirit would be confused and angry, having to shed her own battlecruiser mantle to vest that of an old and honoured battleship. How could such a profound change in the nature of the ship not affect her and those aboard her?

(https://s24.postimg.cc/6zchfoytx/kaga_kantai_collection_drawn_by_wangphing_sam.jpg)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/8b7jb3cgd/Screenshot_1356.png)

They were proven wrong. Whether it was in the name or not is debateable, but Fuso proved to be as lucky a ship as her predecessor. Less than a month after the renaming, Fuso and Takachiho were patrolling off Formosa, when the battlecruiser's hull clanged on something. The watch officers were sure that they had struck a mine; fortunately for the ship, it had proved to be a dud. The Takachiho did not have the time to avoid the minefield before the destroyers could begin a sweep; she struck another mine less than a hundred yards off Fuso's port stern. Spectacularly even though she was more than fifteen years old at the time with no torpedo and mine protection whatsoever, in a stroke of amazing luck, the blast only cracked her forward three compartments. Thhe crew managed to get the flooding under control in minutes. Fuso towed her to Formosa, where she would spend the next five months being repaired.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/r4tc83aod/Screenshot_1357.png)

The news from the front were not as good. The Army had run into prepared German defenses and the advance had bogged down. Massive losses were taken on both sides; the Battle of Korea was quickly becoming the bloodiest conflict of the new century. New tactics were tested and employed by both sides, but nothing could break the stalemate.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/a5kdstzgt/Screenshot_1358.png)

In July, Fuso spent a short time in the drydocks. Thanks to new improvements in gun mountings and elevation gear, space could be economised in her crowded triple turrets. This gave her gun crews considerably more elbow room and alowed for a substantial increase in her rate of fire.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/y0dkr7559/Screenshot_1360.png)

Meanwhile, Ikoma was holding the northern front and keeping the Germans pinned into their Korean harbours. Twice she offered battle; twice the German capital ships exited the harbours, saw the Teufelsschiff waiting for them and immediately returned to the cover of their coastal batteries and minefields.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/ank4mfefh/Screenshot_1361.png)

There was grumbling among the crews that Ikoma felt...frustrated.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/s5y6ayh1p/Screenshot_1365.png)

By August, the reconstruction of the Tsukuba was complete and funds could now be allocated to new construction. It was debated whether a batch of new light cruisers might be a good option; however, upon review of the performance of the various services, it was finally decided that the Silent Service could use some more toys.

Six massive new submarines, almost as big as a contemporary destroyer were laid down. Nothing like them had ever existed in the world. They could roam faster than their smaller siblings; pack more torpedoes and bigger deck guns; and run more silently than any other submersible. The Admiralty intended to give command to their best-performing crews and the submariners threw themselves into the frey with wild abandon.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/6m31grm4t/Screenshot_1367.png)

This brought the Germans to the breaking point. In September, new overtures were made for a compromise, 'white' peace. The Admiralty scoffed at the idea and pointed at the massive losses the Germans had suffered - and were continuing to suffer daily. Minister Katō , on the other hand, had ideas of his own - and the skills to implement them.

In a month-long, grueling negotiation meeting that took place in London, with the Japanese battlecruisers shelling German harbours in Korea and the front finally buckling in places, he laid down the Japanese demands and refused to budge an inch. He furthermore informed the Germans that, should a peace not be signed, the Japanese Alliance would not engage in any other negotiations or accept cease-fires until every last German soldier had been ousted from East Asia - including the nearly fallen Korea and Java. If the Germans wanted to keep their bases there? They would have to back off now.

What did Katō  want?

He'd settle for Africa. All of it.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/nnvviv0zx/Screenshot_1368.png)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 15, 2016, 12:01:51 pm
Do intelligence coups push R&D?  Since you are making off with the blueplans for all these warships I would imagine it would benefit your development or does it simply allow you to see what the competition is building?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 15, 2016, 12:47:36 pm
I believe it does, especially for 'working parts' technologies (like firing control systems, or mine rails) and ship design, but I can't confirm.

It is also possible for your spies to steal actual technologies, instead of ship designs. In one of my games, this is how I once got Oil-Firing.  :lol:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 15, 2016, 12:48:22 pm
So uh, why is nu-fuso represented by kaga?  :p
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 15, 2016, 01:17:32 pm
For a multitude of reasons:

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 15, 2016, 01:25:22 pm
Good enough reasons  :p
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 15, 2016, 01:33:03 pm
Of course they are.  :p

Also (massive spoiler):

Spoiler:
'Later' involves the number '17'. :drevil: :p
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lepanto on December 15, 2016, 01:35:33 pm
Been following this series avidly since the beginning! The Kancolle reaction images just make an already-gripping story better.

Kinda hope the enemy nations put up more of a fight, TBH. This is the third time you've pasted the Germans. If you've had any knock-down-drag-out battles with major powers since then, I'd be looking forward to seeing them. (Not been following spoilers.)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 15, 2016, 02:12:11 pm
I see what you mean.

I can't guarantee a gripping, nailbiter war (especially since the snowball effect is a very real thing in this game and beating on people when they're down is a winning strategy) but there will be 'oh crap' moments.

And what I can guarantee is an...interesting ending.
Title: The Woes of Peace
Post by: Enioch on December 16, 2016, 08:27:33 am
(https://s24.postimg.cc/4u4f11ub9/1902_South_West_Africa.jpg)

The new territories yielded to Japan consisted of the entirety of the German holdings in West Africa: Kamerun and Southwest Africa. When the Japanese surveyors and administrators arrived, in early October of 1916, they were immediately struck by the obvious differences compared to Southeast Africa.

Here, the German rule was harsh. Several rebellions in Southwest Africa, coupled with the discovery of a rich diamond mine, had led the Germans into establishing a forced labour system, in most aspects indistinguishable from slavery. Kamerun was better off, with an agricultural and trading-based economy, backed by German railroads and infrastructure; yet here the Germans had not commited to educating and befriending the natives as they had done in Tanganyika.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/8trwji6mj/o_KOLMANSKOP_570.jpg)
Mining town in Southwest Africa

(https://s24.postimg.cc/8odhl81cl/Bundesarchiv_Bild_137_034473,_Kamerun,_bei_Tiko,.jpg)
Banana harvest from Kamerun being loaded to a German freighter

The problem of how to best deal with these holdings caused no lack of headaches to the Japanese Alliance. There was heavy criticism of Katō's policies: that had placed two more heavy millstones around Japan's neck. Yet Katō - and his allies in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Finances had an ace up their sleeve: for the first time since its change of administration four years ago (and for the first time as a colonial holding) Southeast Africa's budget was in the black, with a net gain for the Alliance economy. Natives now comprised more than 30% of the local administration and public services, with infrastructure handled entirety by locally elected mayors and regional 'chiefs' (the latter being legally acknowledged as samurai nobility in the Alliance); the Japanese consultants' and governors' plans were for a more-or-less fully locally handled administration by the end of the decade.

It was, therefore, possible to focus the Alliance's efforts onto the new holdings, with an immediate priority being the reexamination of Southwest Africa's diamond mining and forced labour systems. Advisors and experts were summoned from the Sumatran and Tsingtaou industries; American contractors were hired for a massive, five-year plan for infrastructure improvements. Naval forces were dispatched to maintain the peace; geographers and prospectors braved the African hinterland to scout out routes for a massive trans-African railway that would connect Tanganyika to Namimbia.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/oif3w8x93/Screenshot_(1373).png)

In November, Japanese shipbuilders started experimenting with new techniques for a more robust framing system. It would be impossible to retrofit into older hulls, but it would considerably improve future constructions - if the Navy could only get the money to afford any.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/5idyd6335/akagi_kantai_collection_drawn_by_rebecca_keine.jpg)

This was a major problem for the Admiralty. Their efforts seemed to be rewarded by major budget cuts - even the treasured war loan funds were being channeled to the African projects. The Japanese sailors and officers could not shake the feeling that they had fought and died to be rewarded with an increasingly obsolete fleet. There was considerable resentment, especially in the higher echelons.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/9v9k0u993/Screenshot_(1370).png)

To deal with the reduced budget, the Admiralty ordered the scrapping of all remaining Asanagis and Asanagi-Kais. These destroyers were thought to be too obsolete to contribute to the war and their machinery (built for speed and not reliability) was wearing down, with no funds available for a rebuild program.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/4p303jjvb/Screenshot_(1374).png)

Somehow, somehow funds were scraped together to continue the rebuild of the venerable Izumi-class cruisers. Yet the Unebis would have to wait, for a long, long time.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/le4fzgggn/Screenshot_(1375).png)

The Maru boys would not. Thankfully, the minesweepers' wooden hulls and simple machinery could be cheaply handled by civilian yards and their maintenance was subcontracted immediately.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/e38xnc02f/Screenshot_(1379).png)

January and the New Year brought another piece of bad news. Intelligence managed to confirm the characteristics of the new Russian Kilburn-class battlecruiser. She was at least the equal of Fuso, with bigger guns and tougher armour, but worse accuracy and speed. The Admiralty could see the Russians further closing the gap and could do nothing about it.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/71b014wgn/Screenshot_(1380).png)

The ship designers dedicated their efforts into implementing what the Japanese did have in new, innovative ways - for instance implementing the principles of the aft superimposed turrets into a forward superfiring battery. It was not a simple task, as the bow of the ship is subjected to completely different stresses than its aft. Months of research resulted in the discovery of many ways of how not to implement a superfiring 'B' turret.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/ui7gdn7fb/Screenshot_(1382).png)

Thankfully, the British were more than willing to assist Japanese R & D efforts. Her Majesty's Government was impressed with how Japan was handling security in South-eastern Asia and was happy to pull out forces from the region; they were also willing to licence their new shell designs to the Japanese. The Japanese Admiralty had to halt the reconstruction of the Izumis for a month to pay for the licence but did not hesitate.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/gdvna4v8t/iowa_kongou_and_warspite_kantai_collection_dra.png)
Seriously, guys.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/3mxeyqqfr/Screenshot_(1384).png)

At least the new Italian cruiser design produced some laughs. It was funny how Italy thought she would ever be a relevant sea power.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/s2d6knnjl/akatsuki_fairy_kongou_roma_and_warspite_kantai.jpg)
We still love you Spaghettis. Let's have a tea party.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/w2csc1ftj/Screenshot_(1386).png)

In June, the reconstruction of Izumi and Naniwa was complete. This released almost two million for the budget, which was immediately assigned to the modernisation of Japan's submarine fleet. Ten more large subs were ordered; the Japanese Silent Service would be the biggest and most modern submarine service in the world when these would be complete.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/l41itur87/Screenshot_(1387).png)

And then, in July of 1917, success! A success that had the Admiralty in fits. The R & D department submitted the first functional design for the structural supports needed for B-type superfiring turrets. These would need the massive hulls of a battlecruiser or dreadnought to be properly implemented; cruisers and destroyers would still need to mount more conservative turret layouts.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/705nlgk0n/Screenshot_(1389).png)

And then, a year after the end of the war, the post-war recession came to an end. Markets boomed. Industries expanded. The diamond mines of Southwest Africa, now under a new administration, showed their worth. The Navy dockyards, with new hands, tools and drydocks and the booming national steel industry stood ready to support the Admiralty; and the Admirals allowed a faint note of optimism for the future to creep in.

(https://s18.postimg.cc/yxzw8ijl5/97cde975f448a0018c7df14a1cdf9603.gif)

Oh, come ON, Germany!
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 16, 2016, 09:15:09 am
How secure are alliances?  Can you build a long standing relationship or is like Civilization were even if you never offer provocation eventually Ghandi decides he hates your guts and wants to crush you under foot?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 16, 2016, 09:26:58 am
Alliances are secure and limit the 'passage of time' raising of tension (e.g. tension rises and falls by itself, even without player actions, as time passes. An Alliance pretty much prevents it from rising).

However, an Alliance has an expiry date and can be brought to an end at any time if you allow tensions with your allied nation to rise above 50%

I.e. respect your friend and they'll stay your friend. Take specific actions against them and they might forgive it, up to a point. But push your luck and they repudiate the alliance and come after your ass.

Also:

If you're in an Alliance, you can't refuse to sell tech to your ally without raising tensions.

Also also:

If tensions are really low at the end of the alliance (ca 10%), the ally might suggest a renewal of the alliance. If you accept, that saves you the budget hit that you get when starting a new alliance from sratch. So it's a good thing to pick an ally and stay with them in the long run.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 16, 2016, 10:27:18 am
Cool beans, I much prefer that alliances stay solid unless you do something provocative.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 16, 2016, 11:50:30 am
Round 3... 4? I'm starting to lose count

(http://i.imgur.com/wVrVJH3.jpg)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 16, 2016, 12:11:56 pm
That was Round 3. This is Round 4. They don't quit.

Seriously, Germany, STAY DEAD.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 16, 2016, 12:50:23 pm
I'm sure Napoleon had similar thoughts. :lol:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 16, 2016, 01:30:10 pm
Hannibal won rounds 1, 2 and 3 against Rome. Round 4 though...
Title: The Hundred Days' War
Post by: Enioch on December 16, 2016, 04:40:52 pm
(https://s24.postimg.cc/qfhxzibmd/Screenshot_1390.png)

In September 1917, elections brought a new Government to power, under Hara Takashi. The new Prime Minister was noteworthy in that he was a commoner and a Christian; he was also one of the strongest believers in further developing Japan's holdings overseas. In that, he did follow Katō's vision.

He was also an enemy to the Navy. having once failed to pass the entrance exams to the Officer's Academy. One of the first motions that he sought to pass was to assign part of the Naval budget to commission a new yacht for the Imperial family. The Admiralty could do little but to grin and bear it.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/cbm2r44et/Screenshot_1392.png)

And, behind closed doors they did grin. For the Tsingtaou foundries had finally produced a working prototype of a 13'' rifle. Too late to be refitted to the Fuso, but what the Admiralty thought might be the backbone of their future capital ship fleet.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/bnd8865p1/Screenshot_1393.png)

However, tensions between the Admiralty and Hara quickly brought the situation to its boiling point when the Prime Minister suggested adopting a conciliatory stance toward Germany. The proposal, as put forward by Germany, would require the Japanese Navy to put a large part of its forces in reserve 'in the interest of world peace' and other platitudes of the sort. A committee of seven Vice- and Rear Admirals was formed, under the revered Admiral Fujiwara; with the backing of most of the Alliance's industrialists, they succeeded in having the proposals shelved and the Naval budget raised to a reasonable yearly amount.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/b1supt00l/Screenshot_1396.png)

Germany did not appreciate that. In November, an uprising near Hong Kong, later proved to be instigated by German agents, resulted in Fuso being dispatched to the area, with a small destroyer escort and an Army convoy. Like her predecessor, her presence (and the Army contingent she brought to the scene) succeeded in putting an end to the uprising; like her predecessor, she thoroughly rattled the status quo in the area and tensions skyrocketed, with only Woodrow Wilson's America applauding the rapid Japanese response, in the interests of 'democracy, security and international peace'.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/6ty2h1yl1/Screenshot_1397.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/jv7137akh/kitakami_and_ooi_kantai_collection_drawn_by_ve.png)

Shortly after, the R & D department submitted working designs for Cruiser-mounted above-water torpedo mounts...

(https://s24.postimg.cc/g308r67h1/Screenshot_1398.png)

...five more long-range subs were laid down...

(https://s24.postimg.cc/9dtpb5m51/Screenshot_1399.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/4t7iw82fp/Screenshot_1400.png)

...and the Italians approached the Admiralty with knowing grins and the chemical formulae for improved AP projectile explosive fillers, for some reason printed in German. The Admiralty winked back and paid them a good price.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/g6dfp0ph3/zara_kantai_collection_drawn_by_sogabe_toshino.jpg)

Then, in January, things got explosive again.
 
(https://s24.postimg.cc/w52rxk76d/Screenshot_1401.png)

Fuso was in Tanganyika, in a show-the-flag mission; she was moored next to a Dredger-ship, which was further expanding the Tanga harbor. At 20:03, on the 7th of January 1918, the Dredger came under surprise torpedo attack and sank in a matter of minutes. The culprit was never identified; but it was clear that their target was Fuso in her moorings and that only pure luck had saved her.

It wasn't hard to figure out under whose orders the attack had been carried out. After a bried period of posturing, war was declared on the 18th of February - one of the stupidest wars in modern history.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/lxk8l5kyd/Screenshot_1403.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/zfr4xfx3p/Screenshot_1404.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/jvockncd1/Screenshot_1405.png)

What the Germans didn't know was that the Japanese coastal subs were fitted to test the new lengthened torpedoes that would be the basic armament of the new fleet submarines; and that the 'Maru boys' had spent the last three months training in conjunction with them. It was a disaster for the Germans. In a single month, they lost six supply vessels that they tried to sneak around the Cape; in return, three German subs operating from Java managed to sink their targets, but the Maru boys were always on the scene in time to nail them back.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/64jvifnf9/Screenshot_1407.png)

And then, on the 29th of March, Naniwa and her destroyer escort intercepted a German Niobe-class cruiser off Sumatra. Unfortunately for the Germans, this was the newly modernised Naniwa, capable of reaching 29 knots, with new oil-fired boilers, firing directors, and the beautiful Japanese 6-inchers.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/5ww8lxcgl/Screenshot_1411.png)

The destroyer Numakaze made the mistake of getting too close to the Niobe and got mauled by her fast-firing 4-inch batteries.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/jkbhlmlat/Screenshot_1416.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/lq5sg4or9/Screenshot_1417.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/61l7iockl/ha_class_destroyer_i_class_destroyer_and_tatsu.jpg)

But the outcome of the battle was never in question. Unable to run and unable to outfight Naniwa, the Niobe was riddled with holes, torpedoed and sunk in short order.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/tmq9od07p/Screenshot_1420.png)

Taking advantage of the increased budget, the Admiralty considered laying down a new battlecruiser, armed with 13'' guns...

(https://s30.postimg.cc/m9816b2sx/__kongou_kantai_collection_drawn_by_kouji_campus.jpg)

...but the initial cost of starting a new ship class would be excessive.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/wkkdyyui9/11378975_956557347740649_1283017533_n.jpg)

Funds were economised and shunted to refitting the old Unebis...
 
(https://s24.postimg.cc/maktithzp/Screenshot_1423.png)

...and further improving the performance of the Japanese 13-inchers, with the introduction of heavier AP shell designs.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/9lvkw9i6t/Screenshot_1426.png)

In April, the Germans made overtures for peace. They had sunk a destroyer, three freighters and a dredger; and had lost twice the tonnage and a light cruiser to boot. Their army in the Orient was undersupplied. Fuso, Ikoma and Tsukuba were still operational and threatening to support a Japanese invasion of Korea.

The Japanese agreed, mostly at the behest of the Americans and in the interest of maintaining stability in the South China Sea. If they were to further improve their holdings in Africa, they needed peace to do so. And so, peace was signed after three months of what would come to be known as the 'Hundred-Day War'.

Once again, the Navy's budget got slashed in the aftermath. Multiple Admiral heads met palms or desks.

(https://cdn-enterprise.discourse.cc/boingboing/uploads/default/original/3X/0/0/00a954a0649712be363e8100e54489af6befb156.gif)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 16, 2016, 06:04:50 pm
(http://i.imgur.com/EEuYeCB.gif)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 16, 2016, 08:52:49 pm
How nice of the Germans to continue to volunteer themselves to help you try out your new weapons and technologies under real combat conditions.

What will they do to your budget if you get your butt kicked in a war?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 17, 2016, 03:54:17 am
Slash it, obviously. :doubt:

Look at that Kongou folks. Look at how distressed she is. That's what happens when you allow politicians to handle military finances.

Pathetic. The only helpful people around here are the Germans.

Title: The Anvil
Post by: Enioch on December 17, 2016, 04:24:18 pm
(https://s30.postimg.cc/4fkhera0x/Screenshot_1427.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/xj8pazy4h/Screenshot_1428.png)

At least the support of the steel industry was a godsent. Eager to encourage ship construction, the Kamaishi and Awate foundries financed the expansion of the military docks. Kamaishi also made their patents for improved homogenous steel plating available to the Navy.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/nidtrn9y9/Screenshot_(1429).png)

And Military Intelligence secured the French designs for compact hull steel girders. Thanks, Baguettes!

(https://s30.postimg.cc/ax3dy9ke9/Screenshot_1430.png)

In August, Awate matched the Kamaishi donations with another four million, meant to further expand the Kure docks. Relations between the Admiralty and the Alliance Navy League had never been so cordial before.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/5myf6z05d/Screenshot_1431.png)

And in September, the first of the new submarines slid off the slipways. The Silent Service were ecstatic by how well the vessel performed.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/u65220txd/Screenshot_1433.png)

They were a bit too ecstatic. During their shakedown cruise, the crew of I-43 confused the target ship they had been assigned with a British fishing trawler based in Hong Kong. The Admiralty, mortified, immediately assumed full responsibility for the incident. The prestige of the Silent Service suffered considerably, but the British acknowledged that, while regrettable, the incident had also been partly the fault of the trawler, which had wandered into a testing area. The relations between the two countries remained reasonably cordial, although the British started paying closer attention to the goings-on in Japan, acknowledging the buildup of what could prove to be an invisible threat to their battle-line.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/sfm10jce9/Screenshot_1434.png)

R & D once more came through with a significant development in ship design. Based on the reinforcing principles 'acquired' from the French and their own observations regarding 'B' superfiring turrets, the Navy engineeers submitted designs for ships with five or more centreline gun mounts. It was now possible to match the Russian light cruisers; and even surpass them with the notably better Japanese firing control.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/on2iksww1/Screenshot_1437.png)

In October, American contractors from the Pacific Steamship Company laid down a massive trans-pacific liner (the Empire's Jewel) in Kure. The Navy negotiated for part of the payment to be made toward further expanding the docks and the Americans were all to happy to oblige.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/h8d6sfb0h/Screenshot_1438.png)

Stereoscopic rangefinder technology was sold to the French for a relatively small sum (the Admiralty was rather surprised that the French did not have their own stereoscopic systems yet, when the Japanese had had them for years)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/lwt6nm075/Screenshot_1440.png)

And Intelligence confirmed that the Russians were laying down another Pallada. Interestingly, they still, apparently, did not have director systems. That was a good thing for the Japanese.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/7rndlsr5t/Screenshot_1441.png)

More good news arrived with the New Year. The Empire's Jewel was to be extended, to increase its capacity by three hundred passengers. The Americans were willing to pour more money into expanding the docks.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/tfgx9zgxt/Screenshot_1442.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/74t2a0jnl/Screenshot_1443.png)

And the American BuWeaps was all too happy to sell to the Japanese the licence for their new fire control plotting tables. The Admiralty jumped at the opportunity - the American designs could interface beautifully with the Japanese analog computers.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/6tblx937l/Screenshot_1444.png)

In February, R & D finally managed to incorporate the lessons learned from superfired capital ship designs to smaller hulls. Any light cruiser built with this technology would render the Russian CLs obsolete. A grim satisfaction was prevalent in the Admiralty.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/xkbfh1pzx/hibiki_kantai_collection_drawn_by_kanijiru_sa.jpg)

If only there were enough funds to actually build these fascinating new designs...

Unfortunately, the Japanese light forces would have to depend on their modernised cruisers for a while. The completion of the Unebi refitting program released more than two million monthly to the Naval budget; and the Admiralty had economised religiously, waiting for this day. It was time to reinforce the Japanese battle-line with her first ever Dreadnought.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/t10fdber5/Nagato_Chibi.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/l2c0dsrvl/Screenshot_(1446).png)

The Nagato was a true behemoth. With a displacement of 42k tons, she outmassed any other Dreadnought in existence. Her 15-inch belt and 3.5-inch deck were invulnerable to her own guns at any range higher than ten thousand yards. She was an ABY design, with three-13-inch-gun turrets, an anti-cruiser secondary battery of 4 8-inchers and an anti-DD tertiary battery of 8 6-inchers. She mounted the best torpedo protection in the world at the time; could comfortably reach 26 knots with her ultra-modern Mitsubishi oil-fired boilers and steam turbines; and mounted the very best in targeting technology that the Japanese had to offer.

(https://media.giphy.com/media/3o7TKy75Zau3JX6axW/giphy.gif)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/91pselabl/Screenshot_1447.png)

She was conceived as the 'anvil' against which the battlecruisers of the Japanese navy would smash the enemy's battle-line. She was built to take it and dish it back out to a scale never before seen in the world. And when her keel was laid down in Kure, in February of 1919, the mood in the Japanese Admiralty was jubilant, for the first time in years.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/izppex4cj/BB_Nagato_080_Full2.png)

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 17, 2016, 05:07:04 pm
What is ABY?

How long will it take to construct? I imagine it will take a long time. Long enough perhaps for the Germans to be ready once again to help you play with your shiny new toy. :)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: The E on December 17, 2016, 05:17:45 pm
To quote from NGTM-1R's RTW thread:

I noticed that the class names of the British BCs from the previous campaign aligned with the real ones, do NPC nations design ships based on their historical development or are they also organically developing ships?

Yes and no. National ship designs do contain some obvious influences. German battlecruisers that skimped on guns for better armor are more likely than that combination in any other nation; Japanese ships copying Settsu and Kawachi with an eight-gun broadside through a fore and aft centerline and four wing turrets are a stage ususally, French tumblehome-hulled predreads and armored cruisers. You can also spot historical resemblences in general. However the game generates a research tree and everyone proceeds along it at their own pace, designing their own ships from scratch. You'll also find hideously under-armored German BCs and Japanese ships with triple turrets before the '30s. It's just more likely that certain historical traits will appear, not certain.

At least with one exception. The UK has "hidden flaws" as an acknowledged ingame trait, making their turrets much more likely to flash-fire and blow up the ship when hit and penetrated.

Some wars are slow and grinding as submarines and cruiser actions wear down the enemy. Some wars are sharp as both sides trade battlecruiser or predread kills back and forth. Some wars are cluster****s where you lose a dozen small battles only to redeem them in a big one or you keep trading two of your ships for two slightly large ships of theirs. And some are over on the second action when two of your battlecruiser divisions go visit Wilhemshaven and sink everything.

USS Congress and USS Intrepid are 35k-ton triple turret 9-gun 28-knot battlecruisers, built in 1919/1918. For this trip I have them and three destroyers. Another three destroyers and the 30k-ton 27-knot 1913 little brothers (they have 14" guns and somewhat less armor) USS United States and USS Independence are to the north of Helgoland, but I can't control them playing on Rear Admiral's mode. They're there, they're semi-marked on the map (it's more of a suggestion of where they are), and I can link up with them by going over to them and do cooperative engagement by dragging targets that way, but I can't make them do anything on their own. They're close enough on their sweep they'll probably contribute, though.

I start to the south of Helgoland and immediately run into a couple of German BCs and their escorts. SMS Hansa and SMS Mackensen aren't as cool as their namesakes. Mackensen is a 29k-ton 10-gun ABQY 3223 14" ship from 1916. It has only 9" of belt armor and a top speed of 26 knots. Hansa is a 32k-ton 8-gun ABVY 14" ship with 13" belt armor and a 27-knot top speed; a classical heavily armored German battlecruiser trading gunpower for protection.

I should explain what those random letters I used to describe turret layouts mean.

A ship's primary weapons are laid out according to scheme devised by the Royal Navy but used by most people. Positions are lettered or numbered, usually lettered. There are quite a few of them describing pretty much every possible position, but the most commonly used ones are A, B, X, Y, V, and Q. Behold the magic of MSPaint!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/ngtm1r/ngtm1r078/turret%20diagram_zpsn371pcgk.png)
Via total lack of skill I have illustrated these turret positions for you, with A being at the front. There are some nuances to all this. A proper B or X turret is able to fire over top of its associated A or Y turret. A V turret might be able to do that, assuming there's not an X turret or some deck structure in the way; this design can be seen on designs like HMS Tiger or the Japanese Kongo. Nobody ever designed a battleship (though there were some cruisers, see USS Atlanta or HMS Dido) with three turrets stacked front or back and each one able to fire over the one in front of it. It turns out putting a thousand tons of turret that high up on your ship is dumb. If I say "3223" it means that the turrets don't have all the same number of guns; "ABQY 3223" means A turret is a triple, B is a double, Q is a double, and Y is a triple.

There are other positions on the centerline and "wing" positions in pairs to either side of the ship together or staggered, but we'll demo that bridge when we come to it.

In reality, there was a strong trend towards ABXY and ultimately ABY configurations. There are good reasons for this. Wing turrets are heavy, and either you can't use both of them on the same target if they're paired, or if they're staggered you could if you left a clear space to fire cross-deck but at the cost of a tiny arc for a full broadside and probably screwing up your own ship from blast overpressure as you fire across it. Turrets in the Q and V positions tend to interfere with important stuff like the powerplant and engines, forcing design compromises, and also put big piles of explosive powder and shells very close to the location at the center of the ship that will generally be the enemy's aiming point (as the Royal Navy discovered from the numerous hits on Q turrets at Jutland). Further, turrets are just heavy. The primary weight isn't the guns either, but the armor and turret structure around them and supporting them. This means that a triple turret doesn't weigh one and a half times as much as a dual turret with the same armoring (or that a quad doesn't weigh twice a dual), nor does it take up one and a half times the space. A nine-gun three-triple-turret arrangement will be a bit lighter than an eight-gun four-dual-turret arrangement. (An eight-gun dual-quad arrangement will also be lighter than the eight-gun four-dual, but the real improvement is when you have twelve guns in quads vs. twelve in duals or triples.)

Me, I like ABY gun setups. It's the iconic modern American battleship, from North Carolina to Iowa. It's weight-cheap and lets you armor better compared to a 4-turret setup. It also gives you six guns to play with when you're chasing something down. And you will be chasing things a lot in RTW one way or another.

The AI does not care for these niceties, working to simulate historical development rather than what those of us born after the dreadnought ended know. It builds six-turret Settsu-style ships with A, Y, and two pair of wing mounts. It emulates HMS Dreadnought with AQY and a pair of wings, or HMS Neptune with AXY and staggered wings, or the Imperial Russian Gangut-class ships with four "axial" turrets in AQQY. It also emulates ships that never existed, such as ABXY 3223 design of the Mackensen-class battlecruisers that Germany never built, and even special madnesses all its own. The only thing it doesn't do, to my knowledge, is leap off the high board screaming "SPEED IS ARMOR" and try to emulate the real-life HMS Agincourt, which had seven centerline dual turrets for a 14-gun broadside. If that sounds terrifying, it only indicates you are still sane.

Anyways, back to the Germans.

I've already fought SMS Von Der Tann, when she tried to raid Colon, the Caribbean side of the Panama canal. I wasn't particularly impressed. Von Der Tann was 1911, AY with a pair of midships wing turrets, 8 12" guns. She faced off with a pair of my new Fredrick-class CAs, ABY, 9 10" guns. Von Der Tann ran like the hounds of hell were chasing her after ten minutes of exchanging salvos. But these ships are made of sterner stuff. They spend about thirty minutes exchanging salvos with Congress and Intrepid. Congress takes a hit that floods her bow peak, dropping her speed to 25 knots, and Intrepid has her B turret out of action briefly twice after shell hits; not knocked out, just jammed. Hansa and Mackensen take no obvious damage, but your ability to estimate the effects of shellfire on enemy ships is relatively limited. You can tell if their main battery turrets are jammed or destroyed, more on this later, and you can can estimate their speed to within five knots, give or take. The game will also tell you, if you mouse over them, a rough estimate of damage (light, medium, heavy) that's somewhat unreliable and tends to bounce around, and whether they're on fire or not.

What I do know is after 30 minutes, Hansa and Mackensen, known to me at the moment as "Graf Spee-class" and "Mackensen-class" turn and head straight for Helgoland Island, into the suspected minefield around it where I can't follow. This kind of breakaway maneuver usually indicates that an enemy ship is damaged and losing the fight. The usual answer is to pursue. However we've been having this whole fight in a relatively small area between Wilhemshaven and Helgoland, and they've been hugging the border of the minefield the whole time. I can't catch them, particularly if they decide to go to ground by hiding in port at Helgoland. In frustration I turn south and go bombard some coastal batteries on the islands near the Jade and the entrance to Wilhemshaven harbor.

Then another battlecruiser turns up. SMS Seydlitz, of the class of the same name. However, unlike her namesake she isn't fit to keep company with a ship called the Iron Dog. Compared to her namesake's 13" belt she has only 9". Five turrets, all centerline, 14" twins ABQVY. 26 knots. I turn Congress and Intrepid to engage, moving between the Kiel peninsula and Helgoland's minefield.

The first salvo thunders out and makes a right mess of things. Intrepid puts four hits on target, Congress one. Seydlitz's B turret just blows up, and her Q goes out of action, jammed. Her speed drops from "25 knots" to "20 knots". I swing Congress and Intrepid on a closing course that doesn't mask their after turrets. A few salvos later Congress takes a waterline hit against her belt extension that admits several hundred tons of seawater. She detaches and turns off, still under control, and I drop her speed to 10 knots for damage-control. But she's still in range and still shooting.

Seydlitz is down to 15 knots and limping into the minefield around Helgoland. She swings out to bring more guns to bear for a salvo at Congress, and Intrepid blows up Seydlitz's rear turret before she can fire. Seydlitz turns back, and directly into several shell from Congress that drop speed to ten knots. My escorting destroyers to close for a torpedo attack but are foiled by the minefield, and McCall takes a hit from Seydlitz's 6" secondaries that forces her to turn away. Seydlitz limps a little further under fire towards Helgoland before Intrepid lands six more hits; jammed the V turret, killed the A turret, and dropped Seydlitz's speed to five knots. Take a look.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/ngtm1r/ngtm1r078/extremeshipbullying_zpsblutcnts.png)
You'll notice its maximum listed speed is still intact, though. The holy grail is when a ship's speed is listed as three knots. That means its powerplant is gone; flooded or destroyed. A ship in that condition will sink without further effort on your part. That took a few more salvos.

It's at this point I notice a bunch of notifications indicating the Constellation-class ships are engaged as well. Congress' damage-control has isolated the flooded compartments and she rejoins Intrepid, pushing up to 25 knots for a run north past some floating patches of debris that indicate where the Constellations and their escorts attacked some merchies and minesweepers.

I never did figure out what happened to SMS Mackensen, honestly. My best guess is she took serious damage dueling the Connies and limped into the minefield, then sank from progressive flooding or fire. The Graf Spee-class SMS Hansa is a few kilometers outside the north end of the minefield, bow pointed west-south-west, limping at 5 knots. USS United States, herself only capable of 19 knots and with her A turret knocked out, is limping in the direction of the entrance to the Baltic, her after turret still lofting shells at Hansa. USS Independence, still doing 24 knots, is circling the crippled German battlecruiser like a shark, but appears to have expended all her main battery ammunition. Also present is a German minesweeper, not moving but still floating. As Independence makes her loops around the Hansa, she periodically fights both broadsides of her secondaries, but mostly she just showers Hansa in 5" shells trying to make it stop.

I'm not entirely surprised. I'm down to only a few salvos myself after the first tangle with Hansa and Mackensen, screwing Seydlitz over, and bombarding shore batteries. I have Intrepid and Congress hold fire and approach, then slow to 10 knots and present broadsides at five thousand yards for the execution. The first salvo knocks Hansa cold, and then Sterett and Perkins deliver a half-dozen torpedoes as well. A few moments later I get the "Intrepid has expended all main battery ammo!" followed by the same message for Congress. Hansa's already dead though, it's just taking time to settle. Take a look.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/ngtm1r/ngtm1r078/extremeshipbullying2_zpsxxninqg5.png)

I have to admit that's a first. It's also annoying, because poor McCall is trapped, limping along the coast towards home, and there's a 4" shore battery blocking her way. I finish the battle by steaming over and having Intrepid and Congress destroy the shore battery with their secondary guns.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/ngtm1r/ngtm1r078/extremeshipbullying3_zpsflr8qu9u.png)

I honestly don't know if Germany will recover from this one. It's not quite like they lost the war in a day, but they just gave away 21k VP to only 3k for them. That's a big deficit to try and catch up, and I'd need to have an outright disaster for Germany to recover the initiative. I'm already getting messages about them having food shortages and unrest tanks to my sixty-odd submarines raiding along their coasts too.

They didn't, either. It took me five months to drive the German government into collapse. I even got a nifty war prize out of it. Meet USS Oklahoma, formerly SMS Wurttemburg. She's a little slow and her turret layout isn't optimized, but she's got thick armor and I'm overall happy with her as a war prize; she's not as powerful and two knots slower than my Arizona-class with 12 16" guns, but the Arizonas are eight thousand tons heavier, and she has similar armor to them.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/ngtm1r/ngtm1r078/driveitlikeyoustoleit_zps0z0myh4s.png)

Now it's 1925, and war just broke out with France while I was trying to get new battleships and battlecruiser into service. I see how it is, game.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 17, 2016, 05:37:19 pm
What is ABY?

How long will it take to construct? I imagine it will take a long time. Long enough perhaps for the Germans to be ready once again to help you play with your shiny new toy. :)

33 months, the standard time for a massive BB. More than enough time for a couple of wars...


NGTM-1R gives a perfectly elaborate response to your letter question, but, in case of TL;DR, letters represent the positions of the turrets on a ship, with A at the front and Y at the rear. ABY means 'Iowa-style ', with two frontal turrets (the second one superfiring) and a rear turret.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 17, 2016, 05:42:51 pm
Whoa, nearly 3 years, I didn't think it would be that long.

I read the big post, so thank you for that E.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 17, 2016, 05:46:53 pm
In this game there's no such thing as emergency BB building. You need to plan your capitals out way in advance of when you'll be needing them...

Also note that building time goes down with experience. The fourth ship of a class might be done four or five months sooner, as your workers learn shortcuts. And you can always pay more to accelerate construction (for up to something like 4 months).
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: JSRNerdo on December 17, 2016, 06:04:34 pm
Thicker turrets than belts THICKER TURRETS THAN BELTS

no mr fisher, no! think of the widows and orphans, mr fisher!
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 17, 2016, 06:15:40 pm
On a battlecruiser? Sure. On a BB? Eh.

Keep in mind that these are 15 INCH TURRETS. In 1919. The real life Nagato only had 14 inches of turret front armor, and she was built when 16 inch guns were a thing (they aren't yet in this timeline). 15 inches is PLENTY good.

Also keep in mind that the turret armor is the one thing that you can upgrade in a ship's armor scheme in a rebuild. So I can always up this to, say, 17 inches later.

Also, it's Admiral Fisher to you, sir.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on December 18, 2016, 07:25:42 am
Why not four turrets as the original Nagato?
But then again you have one more gun...
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 18, 2016, 08:13:47 am
Because:

Title: The Pact
Post by: Enioch on December 18, 2016, 12:39:08 pm
(https://s27.postimg.cc/l6cmxo6ab/Screenshot_1449.png)

In February, the Navy docks in  Yokosuka were further expanded. It would now be possible to build ships up to 50k tons in displacement.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/vkdgqwr0z/Screenshot_1452.png)

And in April, R & D rolled out their new gyroscope-stabilised systems for fire control.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/8mqp1ewur/Screenshot_1455.png)

In May, the Russians came around asking for circulation augmenter designs; the Admiralty, being confident in their superiority against the Tzarists now (and also slightly in need of cash) had no objections.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/7zrsbvzyr/Screenshot_1457.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/5mz26aivv/akatsuki_sagiri_and_sazanami_kantai_collection.jpg)

The money in question was immediately employed in refitting the obsolescent Matsukazes. The old 700-tonners had their engines ripped out and replaced with oil-fired boilers. Their top speed of 31 knots remained unchanged, but they received a double centreline torpedo mount and an extra centreline 4-incher. They would now be more than competitive in convoy defense and coastal support duties.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/ha3wffaoj/Screenshot_1459.png)

And then, in June, the British made some hesitant noises about buying some Japanese designs. The Admiralty was quite happy to oblige, but flabbergasted when they realised what designs the British were after. Cross-deck fire, Albion? Really? In mid-1919?

(https://s27.postimg.cc/7qu7lyn6b/Screenshot_1460.png)

What was truly satisfying was the impressed look on the Royal Navy's envoys when they saw the newly expanded Yokosuka docks. There was nothing to be said, really, but the Admiralty now knew that their yards could favourably compare to any docks in the world. The shameful times of twenty years ago, when Japan had to rely on others for her warships, were forever in the past.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/r3pp5z26r/Screenshot_1466.png)

And the Admiralty received more good news in November. The R & D department arrived with a pile of designs, drawings and nearly-apocryphal blueprints and their spirits as low as it was possible to get. They presented the Admiralty with what they'd been working on: an improvement for the torpedo defense systems employed by the Japanese. Unfortunately, they claimed, while the core concept was sound, they could not iron out the many, many difficulties implementing the designs would involve.

The Admiralty Board took one look at the designs and nearly got a collective heart attack. There, laid out in almost (almost) perfect white-on-blue were the plans for a torpedo defense system decades ahead of its time. If the estimates were anywhere near accurate, a ship the size of Nagato, with this system could take more than five of the newest, most destructive torpedoes the Japanese had to offer and still comfortably make it back to harbour.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/g9564cd5z/akashi_failure_penguin_and_ooyodo_kantai_colle.jpg)

The order was given: ignore everything else. Get this thing working, now and don't spare the costs.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/f5o4s2yfn/Screenshot_1468.png)

Well, maybe not everything else. Allowing for ships to be retrofitted with gun mounts that allowed increased elevation (for an average range increase of upwards of 10%) was more than welcome. Even if it would cost an arm and a leg.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/tnpxdtf4j/Screenshot_1470.png)

And yes, alright, the Admiralty was also happy about the new AP shells the engineers rolled out.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/6arvvaz0z/Screenshot_1471.png)

What they were less pleased by were the rising tensions with Russia. Surprisingly, intelligence reports stated that the official yearly Russian naval budget was almost twenty-five million (16%) less than the Japanese one. The Russians had invested in Dreadnoughts far earlier than the Japanese; in pure numbers, their battleline was comparatively impressive. It was interesting to note, however, that both their existing Dreadnoughts put together would barely outmass Nagato; and, while Nagato herself would arrive far too late to have any effect on an upcoming war, the combat effectiveness of the Russian 'pocket-dreads' was more than suspect.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/ymn13eyiv/Screenshot_1475.png)

Their light cruiser fleet, on the other hand, was worrying and it was time for the Japanese to engineer a response to the Palladas. This response would be the Akitsushimas. At 6k tons, they were following on the footsteps of the 'heavy' light cruisers the Japanese liked to build. They mounted a 2.5 inch belt and sloped deck armour (to counter developing light guns) and had a centreline 5-gun 6'' battery, with the X turret being superfiring: this would allow them to fire two guns while running directly away from attackers. And they could run, at the now-standard for light cruisers: 29 knots.

They also carried thirty mines; and twelve above-water torpedo tubes, in four three-tube mounts. All in all, good enough to blow their Russian analogues out of the water. However, they were also quite expensive.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/shqisrg7n/Screenshot_1476.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/i8y1mxs5v/Screenshot_1477.png)

In March of 1920, Southeast China erupted in another colonial crisis. Great Britain, France and China nearly came to blows over a matter of tolls, trading rights and sovereignty over specific territorial waters; Japan was leaning toward supporting their ally, China, but Hara's Cabinet (and the Admiralty) were fully against antagonising the British and French. Instead, the Japanese hosted a peace conference in Kyoto, where representatives of all involved powers were invited to attend.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/7c6rsm1xj/paris_peace_conference1318968369768.jpg)

The Japanese diplomats did a good job. While no disarmament measures were even laid on the table, the matters which had brought discord were resolved and tensions fell.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/6mdxlt4ur/Screenshot_1479.png)

Goddammit, Spaghettis.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/pfzqit32r/Screenshot_1480.png)

Yes, please, 'Muricans.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/6c6f2gq8j/Screenshot_1481.png)

In June, the first Akitsushimas were laid down. The original plan called for three ships, but lack of funds limited the number to two, with both of them experiencing several suspensions of work throughout their construction.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/7ardihsyb/Screenshot_1488.png)

R & D provided the Admiralty with yet another improved torpedo design. The response of the Admiralty was along the lines of 'THIS IS VERY NICE. PLEASE FIGURE OUT HOW TO STOP THESE. ANYTIME SOON WOULD BE NICE'.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/5wzqn6toz/Screenshot_1489.png)

And then, shortly after New Year, the British approached the Japanese yet again, this time asking for a more ... substantial piece of technology.

The Japanese were shocked. Military Intelligence had yet to penetrate the British R & D departments and the British lack of knowledge on torpedo defense systems came as an earth-shatterng
revelation of just how far behind the British were technologically in matters of damage control (and why they considered the Japanese light forces to be so dangerous in the first place). The
Admiralty's response to the diplomats handling the negotiations was clear:

(https://s30.postimg.cc/gri6qte3l/fairy_and_warspite_kantai_collection_drawn_by.png)

No. No way. Somehow, we are ahead. Let us get more ahead.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/6b12msdsj/Screenshot_1490.png)

In February, the newly-completed heavy cruiser USS Omaha arrived in the Philippines, for a show-the-flag visit that also brought her to Kyoto. In a clear snipe against Hara's anti-Navy measures, Admiralty representatives waxed lyrical about the American cruiser's capability, praised her officers, and drew rather unfortunate comparisons to Japan's own cruiser fleet. After considerable pressure from the Japanese press and a letter of protest by the Navy League, the Naval budget received a modest raise, which came as a breath of fresh air for the hiccuping Akitsushima program.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/vv3ct7z6b/Screenshot_1491.png)

Germany. Stop. Please.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/g9p76slxf/battleship_water_oni_kantai_collection_drawn_b.jpg)

Don't make me come over there.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/v6uiaa0gj/Screenshot_1492.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/6qhecx61f/Screenshot_1493.png)

Finally, in March 1921, what is considered to be the most important diplomatic agreement of the early 20th century was signed between the USA and the Japanese Alliance: The Uchida - Roosevelt Pact.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/lhbccp9ml/iowa_and_kongou_kantai_collection_drawn_by_kvl.jpg)

After the gruelling Presidential Election of 1921 and the eventual victory of the Democratic candidate, James M. Cox, the USA were coming out of one of the most notable slumps in their economy since the turn of the century. They were looking for friends and opportunities for economic growth and the booming Japanese Alliance could serve as a valuable ally and export market. Similarly, the Japanese could very well see the rising tensions in the Pacific and were eager to find military allies.

The Pact was signed in Washington by Japanese Foreign Minister Uchida Kosai and the Vice President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt. It officially recognised the Japanese Alliance as 'Custodian of the Peace in the South China Sea and the Western Pacific' and the United States as 'Custodian of the Peace in the Eastern Pacific' and was an offical defensive pact between the Japanese Alliance and the USA. It was rapidly followed by an open-borders treaty for citizens of the two entities, with minimal regulation of work-related immigration; economic agreements to encourage the development of industry and trade; and, markedly, it also opened extensive talks for democratic reforms in both countries.

Japan was planning to institute universal male suffrage among the people of the Alliance by the end of the year, irrespective of ethnic origin, place of residence or income and was already laying the necessary telegraphic infrastructure (including underwater cables in the Indian Ocean) to allow for long-distance voting in the African territories; but the concept of granting the vote to women was still controversial. The USA had already federally granted women the vote since 1920, but were still plagued by poll taxes, literacy tests and other restrictions against non-whites in some states, which the Japanese found abhorrent. The political dialogue between the two nations would greatly accellerate their respective democratisation processes.

And so, with the Pacific turned into, effectively, an American-Japanese lake; with other Powers watching this alliance and the balance of power shifts with horror; with tensions rising once more in the South China Sea; and with Japan at the reins of a slowly waking juggernaut of a colonial empire, we come to the end of the Grinding Years.

-END PART 4-
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Grizzly on December 18, 2016, 12:46:25 pm
AKA the Monroe-San doctrine.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 18, 2016, 12:50:36 pm
AKA the Monroe-San doctrine.

Your words, not mine!  :p ;)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Droid803 on December 18, 2016, 01:52:41 pm
In June, the first Akitsushimas were laid down.

(http://i.imgur.com/rgiglRE.jpg)
Kamos?
No flying boats for her tho...but i don't think those would be in the game anyway
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 18, 2016, 02:07:22 pm
She's not built yet, kamo.

And no, no Taitei-chans. Akitsushima is sad, kamo. But she'll do her best, kamo.
Title: The World at War
Post by: Enioch on December 19, 2016, 06:28:31 am
- PART 5 -
Making Enemies

(https://s23.postimg.cc/5hjeeodyz/Screenshot_1494.png)

In April, the R & D department proposed a simple yet amazingly innovative design: a secondary director, meant to provide central fire control to a capital ship's small-caliber batteries. It would need to be retrofitted to ships and would require time in drydock, but it would also make designs based on heavy secondary batteries viable - and would greatly boost the effectiveness of the already-mounted secondary guns.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/4vufikiwr/Screenshot_1496.png)

During the same month, a USA expedition occupied Venezuela. The Japanese Government had no objections to their ally extending their sphere of influence.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/qktbmfl4r/Screenshot_1498.png)

(http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/900/194/7c0.gif)

But in May - bad news. The Russians were building a Battlecruiser that was only 3k tons lighter than Nagato, with a massive, 10-gun broadside. And more significantly - a fire control director. Ochakov would take them years to complete, but she would, apparently, outperform Fuso in all but her armor when she left the slipways. It was up to the Japanese to have an answer until then.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/j68l7somz/Screenshot_1499.png)

The work of the R & D department in torpedo defense carried over, to some extent, to armour schemes. Experiments with sloped layers of armor yielded promising results.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/r2t2g103f/Screenshot_1502.png)

In August, the Italians approached the Japanese with a proposal to acquire the licence for the large rangefinders used in Fuso. The Admiralty had no objection - Italy was no threat, tensions with them were low and it was better for them to pay for the information than for them to acquire it clandestinely anyway. The Japanese had long since accepted that if the Italians wanted to acquire some confidential piece of technology, there was little one could do to keep them out.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/ty65mw43f/Screenshot_1503.png)

In September, the R & D engineers managed to overcome yet another hurdle in the implementation of their designs. Japanese hulls would now be more hydrodynamic and subjected to less stresses than before.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/ljqiyt323/Screenshot_1506.png)

During the final years of the Hara administration, another program for further improving Japan's African holdings was implemented. With tensions with France rising, the Navy was not averse to improving their military port and supply depots in Tanganyika, as a counterweight to Madagascar.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/e6b4zuj0b/Screenshot_1508.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/i2sxh1tqv/original_drawn_by_tainanstation_sample_5b3291.jpg)

Meanwhile, the final stretch of the Trans-African Railway (アフリカ鉄道を通じて - "Afurika Tetsudō o Tsūjite") was laid down, with a planned completion date of May 1922. When that was done, it would be possible to transport goods, troops and supplies overland from Tang to Kamerun and Namimbia in less than 48 hours.

And, in October, the Navy rejoiced:

(https://s23.postimg.cc/lxruyen5n/Screenshot_1507.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/5zn1z8fe9/nagato_kantai_collection_drawn_by_cold_hoshino.jpg)

Finally after so many years, Japan joined the Dreadnought club.

The commissioning was a grand affair. The Emperor attended, but his declining health made it impossible for him to officiate; his son, Hirohito, led the ceremony as Prince Regent. Naval attaches from several countries were present as the world's largest capital ship was formally accepted into the ranks of the Japanese Navy. The hopes of an entire nation rested on her.

...And then she immediately re-entered drydocks, to have her guns adjusted for increased elevation and the newest fire control systems integrated. Thankfully, the costs of that were minimal.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/duya0try3/Screenshot_1509.png)

The Navy assigned the freed-up funds to the re-building of the Nokaze and Nokaze-Kai destroyers. The ships were given new boilers; and the Nokaze-Kais were stripped of some of their torpedo mounts in exchange for a centrally-mounted triple launcher, four 4'' guns and a small secondary battery of 3'' popguns. They were turned into true gunships.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/4s9stss6z/Screenshot_1513.png)

In March, Counter-Intelligence traced down a theft of older Torpedo Protection System designs by Grand Britain operatives. Old Albion had been foiled in her attempts to procure the designs by legal means and had resorted to theft. The Japanese bristled like hedgehogs. The 'Bond-Taiga crisis', named so after the two most active agents involved in the Intelligence operations from both sides only served to raise tensions - Albion had gotten what she'd wanted.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/p5znq5zqf/bismarck_i_class_destroyer_kongou_warspite_and.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/a68l1chx7/Screenshot_1515.png)

Japan was not so lucky. A Japanese mole, Francois Dumas, was identified and captured by French Intelligence; he would spend the next three years in a high-security French jail. Japanese newspapers made a hero of him, which only served to further aggravate the French.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/5mwcfu01n/Screenshot_1517.png)

In May 1922, elections were held in Japan; for the first time, every male citizen of the Alliance over 21 was given the vote, including all natives in African and Pacific holdings. Representatives were elected from all provinces.

The new Prime Minister was, once again, Yamamoto Goynbee; the new Government would be a Coalition Cabinet. Hara had given a good accounting of himself in integrating the new territories into the Alliance, but was considered to be too conciliatory in his Foreign Policies and his weakening of the Navy was a sore point, even among the citizens of the new holdings. Under Goynbee's administration Hara would receive the prestigious post of Minister of African Matters (アフリカ問題担当大臣 - "Afurika mondai tantō daijin"), a position for which he was eminently suitable for and for which he would, actually, be more remembered than for his stint as Prime Minister. "Hara's Years" would be a golden boom time for Japan's African holdings and Hara would grow to be a close friend of Foreign Minister Kato, who was assigned to return to his earlier post. Interestingly, Kato had chosen to run as a Tanganyika representative and had received a stunning 76.5% of the votes.

Fresh out of the Dumas scandal, the new Government was called to take a position on the matter. After a brief interview with the Chiefs of the Army and the Navy, Goynbee and Kato drafted what would come to be known as the 'Formosa declaration' - a whithering j'accuse of French policies in the Far East. Tensions, as expected, skyrocketed.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/gnrhkusaj/Screenshot_1518.png)

The French Navy was superior to the Japanese in every respect but three - but these three points, the Japanese felt were decisive:

Firstly, the French battle-line consisted of small dreadnoughts and battlecruisers. The Japanese Admiralty felt that, provided favourable engagements were pursued, the bigger and more powerful JApanese capital ships could carry the day.

Secondly, the Japanese would have the support of the Americans, which would, hopefully, pin a large part of the French fleet in the North Atlantic, thus allowing the Japanese to defeat them in detail.

Thridly, for the first time in a while, the Admiralty had faith in the politicians running the show. Yamamoto was a strong supporter of the Navy and the Naval budget was sure to increase as tensions rose.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/gdk0v027v/Screenshot_1521.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/bdmkn1wl7/Screenshot_1520.png)

They were correct. Although it was impossible to immediately up the Naval budget, Yamamoto channeled sufficient funds to the navy that it was thought possible to start work on a second Nagato-class. The ill-fated Mutsu was laid down in June, with an expected build time of two and a half years.

Alas for poor Nagato, she would never have a sister.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/pzdlbatdn/Screenshot_1522.png)

In July, the British Government, in a delayed but welcome attempt to defuse the 'Bond-Taiga' situation and in an attempt to get on the good side of what they predicted would be the winning party in a Franco-Japanese-American war, proposed to sell the Japanese the licence to the British BL 16 inch Mk I rifles. The Japanese were ecstatic at the chance to finally implement truly 'capital'-caliber guns in their ships and the deal went through without a hitch.

This, of course, made poor Mutsu hopelessly obsolete, even before her keel was completed. The Admiralty did not hesitate: the order was given to scrap what little work had been done so far and await further instructions. Funds were stockpiled, in anticipation of the coming war.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/5ta3cexq3/Screenshot_1523.png)

One of the proposed designs to take advantage of the new guns would be the Fuji: an ABXY, 8-16'' dreadnought, implementing all new fire control systems and technical advancements. However, the Admiralty postponed the start of the construction, waiting, waiting...

(https://s23.postimg.cc/of89cwkzf/Screenshot_1528.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/dwec4ll0x/img_3567204_1_muhahaha.jpg)

...for this.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/rtqft1ge3/Screenshot_1524.png)

And, the R & D department being on a bloody roll they also submitted a viable design for dual gun turrets on DDs, which made a lot of Japanese Admirals (especially the proponents of light torpedo warfare) very, very happy indeed.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/6mmp513qz/Screenshot_1526.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/j2jeyrx2z/Screenshot_1527.png)

Things came to a head when France attempted to expand her holdings in the South China Sea, by attempting to occupy Borneo: an independent state in very friendly terms with the Japanese Alliance. The Japanese considered this a direct affront to the interests of their allies and their own; and a blatant disregard to their own custodianship of the Western Pacific. Once again, Kato jumped to action and showed his mettle.

The French forces arrived in Borneo only to be greeted by two Japanese task forces led by Nagato and Tsukuba; an American destroyer squadron based in Manila and operating under orders to assist their Japanese allies; and the British light cruisers Fiji and Sydney, with strict instructions to "Guarantee and safeguard the interests of His Royal Majesty's allies in the South Pacific against any and all imperialistic action." The French squadron and troopships had no options but to withdraw.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/aa71ou1bv/Screenshot_1529.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/vxvzza1q3/Screenshot_1530.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/63m79i1q3/Screenshot_1531.png)

With war being all but inevitable, the Japanese economy geared up into war footing. The African territories were reinforced with troops and the Army forces there were instructed to fortify and prepare for opportunistic and surprise attacks; guerilla forces were dispersed in inland outposts. The Navy started intensive live-fire training exercises. And R & D provided the Admiralty with improved torpedo mount designs and high-quality 5'' rifles, in anticipation of the modernisation of the Japanese destroyer forces.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/t6cq8o37f/Screenshot_1532.png)

In October, this is what the Japanese saw as their future battlefield. A ring of Japanese bases surrounded a 'core' of heavily fortified French territory in Southern China. The plan called for joint operations with China and combined sea-borne and land attacks, supported by the Japanese fleet, to shake the French grip on their northernmost holdings. Since France possessed no holdings near the Japanese 'home islands', it was thought that they would be moderately safe from raiding and seaborne attacks - old Tsukuba was deemed sufficient to handle interception duties, with all other capital ships detailed to supporting land operations.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/8aqfxf70b/Screenshot_1533.png)

In the end of the month, Foreign Minister Kato and Prime Minister Yamamoto received a communique from French President Millerand, in a last-minute attempt to stop the war. Unfortunately, the mutual disarmament terms the French proposed were by no means acceptable to the Japanese; and, even if they had been, the Japanese had no intention to avoid war with a nation that they felt had grossly violated their sovereign sphere.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/3so55bqyj/Screenshot_1536.png)

And so, things came apart shortly after the end of the year. On the 12th of January 1923, the French Ambassador delivered an ultimatum to Minister Kato; an ultimatum that was summarily rejected. France was now at war with America and Japan.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/p06eruaw1/iowa_and_kongou_kantai_collection_drawn_by_adm.jpg)   
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Grizzly on December 19, 2016, 06:39:17 am
Wouldn't the rest of the colony-happy world and Russia need to get involved for it to be truly a world war? Just Japan, France and the US seems a bit meagre
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 19, 2016, 07:24:04 am
OK, OK, spoilsport.  :p

Grant a man his dramatics. It's really hard to get more than three nations in a scrap. Also, think area covered. There's no continent this war hasn't reached.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Grizzly on December 19, 2016, 07:51:23 am
I'll chalk it up to the Japanese's vision of the world and their place in it :P
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 19, 2016, 07:52:43 am
Actually, yeah, let's go with that. That sounds very in-character.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 19, 2016, 08:24:55 am
Is there a particular reason why their seems to be so much Kongō/Iowa fan art?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Col. Fishguts on December 19, 2016, 08:32:42 am
Will your AI ally (US) do something active in the war, or just hang around and watch while you do the heavy lifting?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 19, 2016, 08:52:39 am
Is there a particular reason why their seems to be so much Kongō/Iowa fan art?

Clarify.

If you mean in fandom in general, it's because they are very similar in character and symbols to their nations. Also Iowa boobs.

If you mean this thread specifically, it's because they fit the storyline, because while Kongo is still just a sparkle in her designer's eye, it would be cruel to deny her her public appearances and because, like Spoon, I am a pervert but my tastes run in different directions  :p

Will your AI ally (US) do something active in the war, or just hang around and watch while you do the heavy lifting?

Allies mobilise their own fleets, engage in combat with the enemy and blockade their ports. They also periodically give you VP injections that correspond to joint or support operations.

Yes, they help. A LOT.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 19, 2016, 09:02:25 am
Yep I meant the former.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 19, 2016, 10:29:36 am
Iowa and Kongo seemed paired together so often in fanart solely because of the engrish.

like Spoon, I am a pervert but my tastes run in different directions  :p
They do?  :p


Finally got them proper 16 inch guns though! woooh
Thanks brits
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Grizzly on December 19, 2016, 11:31:22 am
I feel like I am missing a massive in-joke whenever I look at those images of girls who are somehow also battleships.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 19, 2016, 12:15:26 pm

like Spoon, I am a pervert but my tastes run in different directions  :p
They do?  :p

Well, apparently, you enjoy encouraging destroyers, which I suppose is fair enough, although these hand-holding tendencies of yours are concerning.

I, myself, am more of a heavy cruiser guy. And I have always appreciated the wonders of the Desstroyer form.

Dem legs, mmmm. 29 knots, if I'm not mistaken.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Mika on December 19, 2016, 02:11:42 pm
I feel like I am missing a massive in-joke whenever I look at those images of girls who are somehow also battleships.

You are not the only one, though I think I have a faint clue. It's probably an anime series we never heard about here in Europe.

But given that it is from Japan, the most perverted nation on Earth, the question you gotta ask yourself is, do you want to know more?

Japan, sea and squids, nuff said. I'm still sort of expecting to see submarines represented in a very specific way...
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 19, 2016, 02:48:10 pm
Dudes. "Kantai Collection". (Don't) look it up.

And the fandom has coined the term "lewdmarines" for a reason.  :p
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 19, 2016, 08:45:26 pm
Well, apparently, you enjoy encouraging destroyers, which I suppose is fair enough, although these hand-holding tendencies of yours are concerning.

I, myself, am more of a heavy cruiser guy. And I have always appreciated the wonders of the Desstroyer form.

Dem legs, mmmm. 29 knots, if I'm not mistaken.
:lol:

But given that it is from Japan, the most perverted nation on Earth, the question you gotta ask yourself is, do you want to know more?
(http://i.imgur.com/zHixm2E.jpg)
(Also, it's 2016, the digital age. Don't you think that saying "It's probably an anime series we never heard about here in Europe" is just utter nonsense? I live in Europe, Enoich lives in Europe, we've both clearly heard about kancolle. Don't apply your own ignorance on a subject to a whole continent. It's super silly.)
Title: Prizes Earned and Lessons Learned
Post by: Enioch on December 20, 2016, 08:49:17 am
(https://s29.postimg.cc/gxbekgylz/Screenshot_1537.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/drqsu9fzr/Screenshot_1538.png)

To the chagrin of the Japanese, the French did not allow themselves to be caught in port this time around. Instead, the opening stages of the war were a series of probing attacks by the submarine fleets of the two nations. Japan's Silent Service outperformed their opponents in tonnage sunk, but also suffered the most casualties among the coastal submarine fleet: the French ASW doctrines were far above their German analogues.
 
(https://s29.postimg.cc/3vppuma7r/Screenshot_1539.png)

Even worse, scant days after war was declared, Itsukushima struck an enemy mine off the coast of Kamerun. The ship had no torpedo protection and her damage control parties were quickly overwhelmed by the flooding: she went down in less than an hour. Eight of her crew went down with her.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/txavk5lzb/yahagi_kantai_collection_drawn_by_mk_679d3d8f.jpg)

This disaster seriously impacted the (already anemic) Japanese presence in the Southern Atlantic and was a serious blow to the Japanese light cruiser fleet. The Itsukushimas were older, protected cruiser designs, and could not hold a candle to the new Akitsushimas, but they were still capable ships with a heavy broadside and excellent training cruisers for native crews.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/qltg1cit3/Screenshot_1540.png)

There were also some good news. The US Navy had dispatched a task force to St Nazaire, to shell the French installations there. The French had scouted out their approach and deployed their own Dreadnoughts to intercept. In a drawn-out engagement between the two forces, USS New York and the French Dreadnought Massena blew the everloving crap out of each other. The American ship barely came out on top and managed to limp home at 10 knots; the French battlewagon was lost, with three hundred of her crew.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/j4b35jxjr/iowa_and_kongou_kantai_collection_drawn_by_tak.jpg)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/h2jr7vvav/Screenshot_1541.png)

In a bid to avenge her sister, Hashidate engaged three French destroyers off the eastern mouth of the Tsugaru Strait. This was the first true encounter of the Japanese with the French light forces doctrine.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/t5p2vg6d3/Screenshot_1542.png)

The French detroyers, of the Catapulte class, were years ahead of their Japanese counterparts. 600 tons heavier than the Nokazes and more than twice as big as the second-rate Matuskazes, they mounted four 4-inchers and two triple torpedo launchers, on a hull that could hit 34 knots. There was nothing to feel but envy.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/u9977er07/Screenshot_1543.png)

Yet, in this case, they were outmatched and they knew it. The French flotilla commander pulled his ships back, aiming to use his speed to disengage. Unfortunately, Hasidate's gunners scored two hits on the flotilla flagship, which dropped her speed to just under thirty knots.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/ve39csdh3/Screenshot_1545.png)

In an admirable effort to protect their flagship, the two other destroyers peeled off and assumed a screening formation. Hashidate obliged them and closed the range, scoring multiple hits on the second Catapulte.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/ljc46k9iv/Screenshot_1547.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/4wujxhgl3/Screenshot_1548.png)

As night fell, it became clear that hunting down the other two destroyers would be a waste of fuel and time. Hashidate closed with the crippled Catapulte and sent it to the bottom. The survivors were interned, only to be exchanged after the end of the war with Francois Dumas, the Japanese mole.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/sgavwtv7b/Screenshot_1552.png)

After the loss of Itsukushima this victory, minor as it may have been, was a relief to the Admiralty.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/gkt75rv3r/Screenshot_1689.png)

A relief that was short-lived when Intelligence turned in their latest scoop.

The French Guedon-class heavy cruisers, while still under construction, could match any Japanese cruiser in speed; had Director-controlled firing systems and mounted a fearsome eight-8'' main battery. A cold determination, bordering on despair took hold of the Japanese; they now had to decisively finish the war before these cruisers left their slipways.

Plans for a massive, seaborne, simultaneous invasion of multiple French possessions were drawn up; the Navy repositioned their heavy forces in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean in preparation.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/jsxoithdj/Screenshot_1690.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/c1gyk9d87/Screenshot_1691.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/z4c2x643b/Screenshot_1692.png)

Thankfully, the Silent Service wer still leagues ahead of their French counterparts. And the American destroyer squadrons in the Philippines were kind enough to assist in the bottling up of the French forces in Southern China.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/gre6uloy3/Screenshot_1693.png)

In late April, the Japanese blitz attacks struck at Kwang-Chou-Wan and Madagascar. The former assault was spearheaded by the 'Carps' of the 5th Army division; the latter was largely organised, planned and executed by the 1st and 2nd Tanga regiments, comprised of mostly local, 'Askari' troops and officers. Core facilities and strategic points in Madagascar fell under Japanese control after a week of hard fighting; the French holdings in China put up a more spirited defense but ultimately fell to Japanese hands by the end of the month.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/64hoh6lh3/Screenshot_1694.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/6vaemynuf/Screenshot_1695.png)

The jubilant mood in the Japanese High Command was buoyed even higher when the Americans proposed to share their quality control testing methods with the Japanese shipbuilders. The Admiralty was more than happy to pay a consultants' fee.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/frl6qwegn/Screenshot_1696.png)

And the R & D department added to the joyous atmosphere by announcing that they were now working on methods to noticeably improve the efficiency of director systems.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/tntf2sapj/Screenshot_1698.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/gw0uavp.png)

They also submitted a design for small, coastal-defense ships, with a heavy torpedo armament...

(https://s29.postimg.cc/k4jq9bn7b/Screenshot_1699.png)

...and improved drastically on the quality of fuzes employed in HE shells. Theoretical designs were submitted for timed and even magnetically-triggered shells, for use against lightly-armored and fast-moving targets; the Admiralty very much approved of the concept but found their implementation at the time prohibitative.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/6c5bdowfr/Screenshot_1700.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/eixb59mif/Screenshot_1701.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/3xi1705kn/Screenshot_1702.png)

In May, the French sought to emulate the Japanese assaults. A joint strike (overland from Middle Congo and seaborne assault) struck the Japanese holdings in Southwest Africa, with the ultimate aim of balancing out the loss of Madagascar with the appropriation of the Namimbia diamond mines. The invasion encountered problems early on: the French had expected to take advantage of the absence of Japanese capital ships in the Southern Atlantic (especially after the loss of the Itsukushima) to perform their landings unopposed. They had not factored in the Silent Service. In a night-time assault that cost Japan six of her subs (including two of her newest and most modern long-range boats) the Service absolutely gutted the landing fleet as they lay in anchor off Luederitz, prioritising troopships and supply vessels. Almost fifteen hundred soldiers and officers died at the harbour; eight more thousand were left essentially stranded in hostile territory.

Meanwhile, the land invasion was stopped near the Congo border, with native Askaris engaging the invading forces in a bloody guerilla war. The Japanese forces were in a good position to hold: the Trans-African Railway was still under the defenders' control and supplies and ammunition could easily be shipped to Tanga and from there transported west, through the Africa hinterland and to the front.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/bg16fmwxj/Screenshot_1704.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/jmt677n07/Screenshot_1705.png)

By the end of the month, the French forces were desperate and the Japanese had crushed all resistance in Madagascar, freeing up considerable forces for the mainland front. The Americans were gathering up their fleet for a massive blockade of the French ports, Germany was looking at the eastern French provinces hungrily and this war on two fronts was becoming increasingly untenable. President Millerand had no option but to sue for peace - Japan could keep all conquered territories and the USA would receive modest war reparations.

A victory then, for the allies. And yet, the Japanese Intelligence Service continued to ring the warning bell, and the Navy could very well read the writing on the wall:

Evolve or die.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/qp6e73zpj/akashi_fairy_helmet_musume_maintenance_musume.jpg)

EDIT: I made the mistake of linking directly to danbooru images. Apologies; links are now fixed.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 20, 2016, 12:59:59 pm
All those lost subs  :(
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 20, 2016, 01:07:34 pm
That's nothing. Wait till you see them try their luck against truly competent ASW.  :doubt:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 20, 2016, 01:53:31 pm
The loss pictures are really good. That one really makes me want to grab her hand and pull her out. She looks like she is still very much alive and is going to drown. The circumstances of her death match up well with the look on her face.

The one at the bottom is something new. It gives me more of a feel that they're building some giant android.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 20, 2016, 04:13:56 pm
The loss pictures are really good. That one really makes me want to grab her hand and pull her out. She looks like she is still very much alive and is going to drown. The circumstances of her death match up well with the look on her face.

The one at the bottom is something new. It gives me more of a feel that they're building some giant android.

Good to hear I chose good pics !   :D

Let me help you just a bit with the second one, given that you're  not a Kantai aficionado.

That's the Yamato shipgirl, gearing up for a sortie.

 :drevil:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Grizzly on December 20, 2016, 04:20:53 pm
I'm still somewhat befuddled by those pictures. Like someone took anthropomorphism to it's logical conclusion. Not that I don't like them though!
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Droid803 on December 20, 2016, 07:11:47 pm
RiP subs. French seem considerably more competent than ze germans.
Murrica stronk.

Like someone took anthropomorphism to it's logical conclusion.

That's exactly what it is, pretty much.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: niffiwan on December 20, 2016, 08:38:53 pm
I'm really enjoying the story you're weaving here Enioch, keep it up! (don't have much to say, but I really want to make the thread easier to keep tabs on via "show new replies to your posts" and I can't seem to get anything similar without posting in the thread! :p)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 21, 2016, 12:41:50 am
I'm really enjoying the story you're weaving here Enioch, keep it up! (don't have much to say, but I really want to make the thread easier to keep tabs on via "show new replies to your posts" and I can't seem to get anything similar without posting in the thread! :p)

Any response makes the author happy, especially if it contains feedback or omakes (now you know what to write) :p :D

We need a 'follow thread' option. And I realize we're not a fiction-based forum, but a threadmark system a la spacebattles wouldn't be bad either.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Admiral MS on December 21, 2016, 04:09:18 am
Haven't said anything for some time but I still look into this thread every day in anticipation of a new post, so keep it up :)

While you already discussed the issue and it makes sense within this alternatie reality I tend to skip the few texts about how Japan is the shiny benevolent colonial empire gone happily integrating everyone democracy cause it feels so not japanese :lol:
On the other hand the kancolle pictures really fit and your description of the political events and battles is so much more lively than the cold dry one-sentence events of the game.

I'm still amazed by how short and decisive your wars are. In my game no war ended below 2-3 years of mostly indecisive skirmishing.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 21, 2016, 05:20:26 am
Did you actively seek decisive engagements? I.e., did you relocate  your fleets to the same regions that your enemies seemed more active in, in relatively equal numbers?

Unless you repeatedly offer battle in terms that your opponent would be willing to take, you won't be getting any massive VP additions.
Title: New York Times - 23 October 1921
Post by: Enioch on December 21, 2016, 09:34:42 am
(https://s27.postimg.cc/aayxk976b/Nagato_Newspaper.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/pjouy10un/)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 21, 2016, 10:27:32 am
Very cool. I thought it was a shot of a real paper until I started reading. :yes:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 21, 2016, 11:39:16 am
Inspired by the NYT Titanic Issue (https://meganboler.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/timesmachine_-_new_york_times-20080225-113530.jpg).
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Mika on December 21, 2016, 02:31:13 pm
Quote
(Also, it's 2016, the digital age. Don't you think that saying "It's probably an anime series we never heard about here in Europe" is just utter nonsense? I live in Europe, Enoich lives in Europe, we've both clearly heard about kancolle. Don't apply your own ignorance on a subject to a whole continent. It's super silly.)

Well, I thought referring to Dirty Harry set the seriousness tone of my post.

I also do enjoy reading through the battles and the story. I don't particularly mind seeing the ship girls (mmm-mm, plenty of scrubbing of those decks), I just find it a weird antropomorphization subject.

I'm probably also laughing for partially different reasons. I'm not sure if you did it intentionally, but the way you described the situation in the Japanese colonies is pretty much straight out from the Soviet Union propaganda play book, and having learned to read through those "news" sort of does make some of the descriptions hilarious too  :lol:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 21, 2016, 03:10:57 pm
I also do enjoy reading through the battles and the story.

Good. That's the point. :p

Quote
I'm probably also laughing for partially different reasons. I'm not sure if you did it intentionally, but the way you described the situation in the Japanese colonies is pretty much straight out from the Soviet Union propaganda play book, and having learned to read through those "news" sort of does make some of the descriptions hilarious too  :lol:

I will neither confirm nor deny that Soviet propaganda was the inspiration for some of what you've read here. :nervous:

And I will neither confirm nor deny that, as a historian and archaeologist, I am more than familiar with what that sort of propaganda usually disguises.

What I will say is that in this alternative universe (emphasis on alternative) the JA actually works. Maybe because it's  as far from a communist state as you can get. Maybe not.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 21, 2016, 05:29:23 pm
Cool newspaper page  :yes:

Well, I thought referring to Dirty Harry set the seriousness tone of my post.
I'm afraid that reference just went over my head, so I didn't really got the tone you meant the post in.
Title: The Earth Moves; the Mountain Comes to Rest
Post by: Enioch on December 22, 2016, 04:45:46 am
(https://s29.postimg.cc/w5arp3g07/Screenshot_1706.png)

In June 1923, the Akitsushima finished her working up cruise. The ship's performance was deemed most satisfactory; her sister ships were more than a year away from completion at the time, but the Admiralty were sure that they'd prove to be a credit to the navy and, perhaps, a replacement for the venerable Izumis.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/etaf3nmiv/Screenshot_1707.png)

In July, the R & D department unveiled a project they had been working on for several years.

Back in 1906, the German inventor Christian Hülsmeyer had submitted a patent for a system he called a telemobiloscope: a means by which to estimate the direction and distance of a large object based on the principle of electromagnetic wave reflection. The system was originally primitive and vulnerable to interference from other sources, including ships' wireless sets, which had led to the Germans rejecting it.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/72ghfk7uv/Hi7HQ.png)

The Japanese doctrine, on the other hand, being considerably more focused on firing control supremacy, was ripe ground for the young scientist. Japan had acquired the plans to the telemobiloscope for a pittance after the project was shelved in Europe and, after the end of the German-Japanese wars had also invited Hülsmeyer as a consultant.

What emerged after nearly ten years of often interrupted research, was the Improved TeleMobiloscope System (ITMS) (より良い遠隔船識別子 - Yoriyoi enkaku-sen shikibetsushi in Japanese), a prototype of which was presented by the Japanese R & D board to the Admiralty in July 1923. The system included one emitting and two receiving systems, placed some distance apart; with a modified analog plotting table, it was possible to accurately estimate the direction and distance of a specific ship-sized target from a distance of several kilometres.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/ao9rgqhk1/akatsuki_kantai_collection_drawn_by_kakiha_mak.jpg)

The Admiralty were impressed. The system clearly had promise; if improved, it could help considerably in acquiring and tracking targets in less-than-optimal conditions.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/npl77ld53/Screenshot_1708.png)

It was interesting that, during the tests, the new gadget managed to detect the Russian cruiser Pallada, which had arrived in Sasebo on a goodwill visit. With the Akitsushima ready, and with morale high after the new R & D advances, the Admiralty was quite dismissive of the Russian ship's capabilities. Almost insultingly so.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/5bao3m0uf/Screenshot_1709.png)

In August, the R & D department delivered again. It had always been difficult to coordinate the fire of two or more ships on a target, as it was near-impossible to distinguish between splashes of high-caliber guns and adjust the firing solution accordingly. With the introduction of shell dyes, this problem was eliminated (at least in daytime, clear-weather operations).

(https://s29.postimg.cc/scwb6h6tj/Screenshot_1710.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/r0em4l9dz/Screenshot_1712.png)

In August, the Navy began a major reconstruction program of her light cruiser forces. The Itsukushimas were majorly rebuilt, with double turrets fore-and-aft, and a much-reinforced torpedo armament, of eight above-water torpedo tubes. The Akitsushimas were refitted with modern director systems.

This proved to be a mistake.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/4e9aruvnr/Screenshot_1714.png)

For in late August, the ITMS prototype was delivered to the Admiralty, several months before the expected date. Now the entirety of the Japanese fleet had to be refitted with this device to maintain their fire control lead, and the Admiralty had just wasted several million yen refitting ships that would have to immediately re-enter drydocks when complete.

(https://cdn-enterprise.discourse.org/boingboing/uploads/default/original/3X/0/0/00a954a0649712be363e8100e54489af6befb156.gif)

Several faces met desks.

And rose again, in fright, as the world moved.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/465wm5gqt/Tokyo_fire.jpg)

On September 1st, 1923, what would come to be known as the 'Great Kanto Earthquake' shook the Japanese islands for what many believe was as long as ten minutes. It was followed by a tsunami that ravaged coastal regions. The death count rose to six-digit numbers, in what would be the greatest natural catastrophe of modern Japanese history. Fires burned for two days; in the aftermath, thousands were left homeless and died of typhoid and other infectious diseases. Tokyo was, effectively, flattened.

The Imperial family were, thankfully, out of danger, at Nikko; but, to their credit, the Princes quickly returned to the stricken areas to oversee disaster relief.

Japan suffered a mighty blow at the time; however, at the same time, the Kanto Earthquake allowed the rebirth of the stricken areas as truly urban centres. In the years to come, Tokyo was rebuilt, from the ground up, as a modern city, with modern sewage, a transportation system and a planned road network; new construction was also heavily regulated to conform with strict criteria for withstanding earthquakes.

The Navy, once again, made their ships available as disaster relief centres. Thankfully, the light cruisers in drydock had not been seriously damaged by the quake; many Admirals had nightmares of what would have happened had a heavy, capital ship been under construction at the time.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/3q0g8wwxz/Screenshot_1715.png)

Still, there was little to do but try to contain the damage and nothing of note took place until November, when the Silent Service was reinforced with more modern vessels...

(https://s29.postimg.cc/jpj3sgszr/Screenshot_1716.png)

...and US disaster relief arrived, in massive transport convoys. Several submariners of the Japanese Navy couldn't help but take notes...

(https://s29.postimg.cc/ehy0o0cef/Screenshot_1719.png)

In December, the US Dreadnoughts USS New York and USS Texas arrived in Yokosuka in what was to be known as the 'Christmas visit'. The Japanese Admiralty welcomed the allied ships (one of them a decorated war veteran) and their crews; the visit was a great success in fostering better relations all around, although it was difficult to ignore the way the Nagato loomed over her US counterparts. In an open-air officer party that she hosted, an American Commander, whose name is lost to history, commented that "She looks like a d--n bear, growling down at wolves." The press jumped at the moniker and Nagato quickly became known affectionately to officers and laymen alike as the 'Bear'(Ussuri) of Japan.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/u1d6yh3uv/__kumamon_mutsu_and_nagato_kantai_collection_dra.jpg)
Picture not relevant in any way shape or form

(https://s29.postimg.cc/pvp5cycav/Screenshot_1720.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/z4rbn2l6v/Screenshot_1721.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/i5id7t9zb/Screenshot_1722.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/uy6h7qll3/Screenshot_1723.png)

Taking its cues from the rebuilding frenzy taking place in Japan, the Navy invested in infrastructure. Naval bases in Kamerun, Polynesia, Sumatra and Tanganyika were further expanded; and, in return, Africa's wealth poured into the stricken Japanese islands.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/ump0uz553/Screenshot_1724.png)

And again, the US merchant marine came to the aid of the Japanese. New loading methods were introduced and implemented - methods of how to pack that much more cargo in a limited space.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/ghj7t5w3r/Screenshot_1725.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/pgr0jjk5j/__i_26_kantai_collection_drawn_by_kusaka_souji__.jpg)

(Methods that, of course, the Silent Service, being the nasty, piratical, moral-less, brilliant little people that they were, immediately took to heart for packing more boom into their metal fishes)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/9fla6yshz/Screenshot_1726.png)

A glimpse of the world-wide naval forces in early 1924. Note that Japan leads the minor Powers in budget, but spends almost half of what the US and Great Britain do on her Navy.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/to8nsort3/Screenshot_1727.png)

In closing, we must mention that February also marked a date of great sadness for the Japanese Navy; and of great import to Japan as a whole.

The Ikoma the old hero of the German wars, was becoming well and truly obsolete. She was now too slow to catch up to the cruisers that had, once, been her prey. She was too undergunned and underarmored to pose a threat to enemy Dreadnoughts. And she was built so cramped that she could only be rebuilt by paying as much as a new capital ship would cost the Navy. Her time was forever past.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/euu07xk1z/Screenshot_1729.png)

It was time to lay the old warhorse to rest. But neither the Navy nor the people of Japan would allow the old ship, the 'Floating Mountain', to be scrapped. On her own, she held more battle stars than the next two ships in the fleet combined; she had kept Japan safe in her moment of need and she would not be discarded. The question was, what to do with her?

A proposal was put forth by the governors of the Osaka prefecture and the Prince Regent gave it his blessing. On the 26th of February 1924, the Ikoma was formally decommissioned and struck from the Navy's record. She was sold to the Osaka prefecture administration for the nominal fee of twenty-six thousand yen, which would barely cover the fuel costs of sailing her from Sasebo to Osaka.

There, in the shadow of her namesake mountain, the old battlecruiser was placed in permanent drydock, at the center of a newly-planted grove and consecrated as the Honden of a new Shinto shrine, housing what was formally acknowledged by Imperial writ as the protective and apotropaic Kami of the ship; a Kami that was formally adopted into the Imperial family. The shrine of Ikoma-Jingū is, today, one of the most well-known landmarks of Osaka, a National Treasure of Japan and receives thousands of visitors every year.

Such was the passing of the Floating Mountain.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/5tksoq8ap/battleship_water_oni_kantai_collection_drawn_b.jpg)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Grizzly on December 22, 2016, 05:51:44 am
OH MY GOD BEARS

EVERYTHING IS BETTER WITH BEARS IN IT.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on December 22, 2016, 08:46:03 am
Was Ikoma the "Teufelsschiff"?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 22, 2016, 08:55:58 am
Yup.

Very much so.

Spoiler:
The title will be taken up by her grandchildren
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Admiral MS on December 22, 2016, 10:24:47 am
Ikoma really has earned her place as a shrine - the floating mountain becoming a small mountain itself  :yes:

Also welcome Nagato - I hope the japanese bear will feared as much outside of Japan as Ikoma.

Did you actively seek decisive engagements? I.e., did you relocate  your fleets to the same regions that your enemies seemed more active in, in relatively equal numbers?

Unless you repeatedly offer battle in terms that your opponent would be willing to take, you won't be getting any massive VP additions.
My wars were mostly against the British who willingly brought half of their fleet (still more than what I got) to my doorsteps and even a convoy escort sometimes ended up being a huge fleet fight. Nothing much came out of these battles cause of the very similar characteristics of our battlewagons. Trying to approach the enemy line to get more damage done usually ended up with the ships leading the attack getting shot to pieces - same if a British ship tried to be a hero. So we traded long range fire until it was dark and half of the ships were out of ammo.
One exception was after 3 years of war, when both fleets somehow ended up crossing each other at close range during the night. A wild torpedo carnage followed. Lots of B/BC died but the British lost more and 2 months later the war was over.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 22, 2016, 10:33:47 am
Ikoma really has earned her place as a shrine - the floating mountain becoming a small mountain itself  :yes:


A fitting end for the 'demon ship', eh? :p

Quote
Did you actively seek decisive engagements? I.e., did you relocate  your fleets to the same regions that your enemies seemed more active in, in relatively equal numbers?

Unless you repeatedly offer battle in terms that your opponent would be willing to take, you won't be getting any massive VP additions.
My wars were mostly against the British who willingly brought half of their fleet (still more than what I got) to my doorsteps and even a convoy escort sometimes ended up being a huge fleet fight. Nothing much came out of these battles cause of the very similar characteristics of our battlewagons. Trying to approach the enemy line to get more damage done usually ended up with the ships leading the attack getting shot to pieces - same if a British ship tried to be a hero. So we traded long range fire until it was dark and half of the ships were out of ammo.
One exception was after 3 years of war, when both fleets somehow ended up crossing each other at close range during the night. A wild torpedo carnage followed. Lots of B/BC died but the British lost more and 2 months later the war was over.

I assume these are early wars? When predreads are still relevant?

If so, then that's par for the course, I'm afraid. At the time, capital ships can only be sunk via torps or turret explosions - otherwise they can take absurd amounts of damage at long range. Which is why the Japanese 'surprise attack' trait is so powerful early game, because it can get torpedoes into those Bs when they can't avoid them.

If you're talking about mid-to-lategame wars, with BBs in the battleline, then that's...strange, I suppose.

Also, if you're fighting the British, you'd better have planned for it for years before pushing that button.  :P




Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 22, 2016, 11:02:30 am
Damn Royal navy, you scary. 15 BB 7 BC

And rest well, you scary abyssal of a ship. o7
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 22, 2016, 11:13:54 am
Individually, their BBs are not that good. They average 35k tons or so (or less) and are relatively slow, underarmored barges. Nagato can wipe the floor with any two/three of them. But they have tonnage and number of guns, which would overwhelm anything through sheer volume of fire and force a blockade, which is a 150+ VP bleedout per month.

And how the Royal Navy win most of their wars. If challenging the Brits, you need to have a plan for unconventional warfare (either massive unrestricted submarine warfare, or raiders all over the world sinking their ships). An ally helps.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 22, 2016, 12:14:12 pm
I've been meaning to ask, how does research work exactly?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 22, 2016, 12:26:03 pm
You assign a part of your yearly budget to it (up to 10%).

Then there are big categories, like 'torpedo warfare', 'ship design', 'turrets and gun mounts', 'naval guns' etc, that you assign priorities to, from 'Low', to 'Med' to 'High'.

And, based on your spendings and priorities and random events that may accellerate or delay or completely reset your progress in a field, you gain advances.

So, you can get your eggheads to focus on a specific category (i.e. 'get me more durable ships', 'get me bigger guns' etc), but you can't really know what they're actually working on before you get the 'Our scientists report progress in X' or 'Our scientists report they're having trouble with Y' messages. Which I find very realistic, as, like reality, you can't plan ahead based on your knowledge of the tech tree (although, admittedly, some things tend to appear before others) and you (playing the role of a military man) can't really comprehend the problems the theoretical department might be encountering.

And guns take a lot of research. In this playthrough, they've been at 'high' priority since game start.


Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 22, 2016, 01:35:41 pm
Do advances in say, fire control, stack with each other? Or would buying the most advanced type of firing control from another nation just instantly make the previous discoveries obsolete?
Or does that vary with the type of tech? Cause there seem to be the type that requires radical refitting of ships and the type that just brings a gradual improvement over time.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 22, 2016, 03:03:35 pm
Do advances in say, fire control, stack with each other? Or would buying the most advanced type of firing control from another nation just instantly make the previous discoveries obsolete?
Or does that vary with the type of tech? Cause there seem to be the type that requires radical refitting of ships and the type that just brings a gradual improvement over time.

Well spotted!

There are advances that require a refit- and in these cases, buying the latest tech renders all previous ones obsolete. Director is ALWAYS  better than central firing. Torpedo protection IV is ALWAYS better than Torpedo protection I.

And, in these cases, getting the latest tech renders everything else obsolete.

On the other hand, gradual improvements stack,  and there is no 'best' tech here. You can have director systems without a 12 foot rangefinder,  but they'll still work. And they'll  work even better once you get those enhanced optics. And whoop, once you get the analog firing computers, they'll  work even better.

TL;DR: there is a 'best tech' among techs that are directly reflected in shop design, and getting that renders all previous ones obsolete. But there are always stacking techs that you can gather up to improve a certain aspect of your ships.

Title: The Mikasa
Post by: Enioch on December 23, 2016, 09:49:36 am
(https://s30.postimg.cc/cf6zdbnwx/Screenshot_1733.png)

In early May of 1924, the R & D department followed up on their previous successes with the introduction of the revolutionary Type 12 APC shell. With improved ballistics, these new shells could better preserve their kinetic energy and armor-piercing capabilities over longer distances and would integrate beautifully with the new ITMS long-range targeting systems.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/qs0fbn7wx/Screenshot_1738.png)

And, in September of the first year, they submitted a design for high-displacement destroyers, inspired by the lessons learned during the Franco-American-Japanese war. These new designs were still inferior to the French fifteen-hundred-ton destroyers, but they were a step in the right direction.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/m6bkectb5/Screenshot_1735.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/6lwxcrc9d/Screenshot_1739.png)

The Admiralty immediately ordered twelve of these new Harukaze-class destroyers, as a testbed for future light ship construction.

These ships were better than anything Japan had put to water before. Unlike their successors, they weren't gunships per se and they still mounted single-gun platforms; but they were noteworthy because, for the first time, they bore the excellent Japanese 5-inch / 55 caliber Type 3 guns, with electric training and aiming mechanisms, increased elevation and (for the first time world-wide) a destroyer-scale Director fire control system. Unfortunately, the ITMS systems were still too bulky to integrate in this design, but the Japanese optical rangefinders were still more than sufficient to make these ships competitive in a gun duel, despite their relatively few gun mounts.

They also bore a massive torpedo broadside, with two triple centerline torpedo mounts (because Japanese), a mine rail and were designed to reach a modest but satisfactory 34 knots.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/w8j3611ap/Screenshot_1742.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/anilw5txt/Screenshot_1743.png)

During this time, tensons with the British were at an all-time low. The weakening of the French presence in Southern China, the discretion the Japanese had shown vis-a-vis the British holdings during the war and some trade concessions granted to British industrialists in Japanese holdings contributed to a climate of relative friendship between the two nations (for a given value of 'friendship', that's still old Albion we're talking about). The British were happy to sell their designs for light superimposed 'B' mounts to the Japanese, for a pittance.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/fpxjr1jj7/__warspite_kantai_collection_drawn_by_ahenn__958.jpg)

During the same period, the relations between the US and Japan took a turn for the worse. The Republican victory of 1924, with the election of Calvin Coolidge as President, caused a gradual shift away from the Democrat policies of the previous years; this included a hardening of the US stance in the Pacific. The Uchida - Roosevelt Pact would still be respected, but would not be renewed; and while the new US government did not directly antagonise the Japanese, it also did not seek to improve relations in any way.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/ysjbdve8h/Screenshot_1744.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/dwx12mi1d/Screenshot_1745.png)

The end of the year was marked by a glorious Japanese victory in the London winter Olympics; and by the introduction of improved double-bottom designs in the Japanese Navy: a further testament to how important survivability was deemed by the Admiralty.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/5sowxvvm9/Screenshot_1746.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/c7nxuk2c1/Screenshot_1747.png)

Better harbour facilities and supply depots were also constructed in the Japanese African holdings, including the newly-acquired Madagascar.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/r4wevkfkh/Screenshot_1748.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/u09i2fjkh/Screenshot_1749.png)

The new year was  a relatively quiet one for the Japanese. Small improvements in machinery design and armor arrangement were the most important news until March...

(https://s30.postimg.cc/4laz5o5ht/Screenshot_1752.png)

...at which point Military Intelligence slapped the blueprints to the new French Cosmao-class cruisers onto the metaphorical Admirals' desks. And there was much cold sweat running down the backs of Japanese Admirals.

The Cosmaos were not exceptional in armor (in fact they were rather under-armored, for their size) or broadside; and the French clearly had not developed miniaturised Directors for use in their light forces. But they had a blistering top speed of 31 knots, fast enough to outrun any Japanese cruiser or battlecruiser. If these ships were employed as raiders, there would be absolutely nothing the Japanese could do to counter them, barring sending DDs in suicidal pursuit.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/6ttr0r1zl/Screenshot_1755.png)

And, on that matter, the Admiralty received another nasty shock when the first Harukazes left the slipways and it was discovered that the ships had problems surpassing 33 knots.

Well, at least the British came to the rescue...
 
(https://s30.postimg.cc/jjxzdu9xt/Screenshot_1754.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/7vwy5nbqb/__iowa_kongou_and_warspite_kantai_collection_dra.png)

...with the sale of their designs for the BL 17-inch Mark 1 guns.

Only one prototype of these guns had ever been produced and it was deemed unpractical for use by the British Navy, because of the impossibility of mounting it onto a competitive 35k-ton dreadnought design. The Japanese, whose doctrine leaned toward fewer, bigger capital ships had no such problems and snapped up the deal. Their modifications of the British design would result in the vaunted Type 94 and Type 94/B Japanese guns of later years.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/e0vfwmcwh/Screenshot_1757.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/6yxiaf9ap/Screenshot_1758.png)

October marked further developments in ship design; and the Silent Service were thrilled at the news that new submarines would be able to reach greater depths with a shorter diving time.
 
(https://s24.postimg.cc/j0vtyjaj9/Screenshot_1759.png)
Note: Image photoshopped, from a later point in time because I forgot to screencap the 1925 design. This is the design in question; the weight budget is very generous because it incorporates weight saving techniques discovered later down the line. Originally, I was about 200 tons below budget.

In October, the Admiralty laid down the order for the Mikasa - the next-generation Super-Battleship of the Japanese Line. Based on the Nagato, this 52k ton monster was built to rule the West Pacific and the Indian Ocean uncontested.

It bore eight 17-inch guns, in an ABY, 323 layout. The guns were able to fire over the horizon, with a maximum theoretical range of ca. 35,000 yards and were controlled by a combination of the finest optical and ITMS systems of the time. It was sheathed in 15 inches of Japanese steel, with a 3.5 inch deck and equally tough turrets; interestingly, the ship's armor scheme was not designed to protect it against its own guns. That was deemed impossible, given the 17-inchers exceptional penetration capabilities - at any range under 20,000 yards (the limit of non-ITMS-assisted targeting for the ship), the superheavy shells' flat trajectory and penetration rendered any belt armor utterly irrelevant. Instead, the ship was designed to be invulnerable to American, French and British 14'' and 15'' inch guns at the 12-20,000 yard range.

Its secondary battery was comprised of 10 6'' guns, tied to a secondary director system, perfectly suited for fending off destroyers that got too close for comfort. It was capable of 25 knots - a knot slower than the Nagato, but able (and designed) to receive engineering upgrades when they would be made available.

The more impressive part of the new battleship, however, was its state-of-the-art uderwater protection. The torpedo belt and 'blisters' added to the sides of the ship were backed by several layers of watertight compartments and bracing, beyond anything attempted in naval engineering in the past. In fact, counting 'pure' TDS elements alone (and not supports and frames that also contributed structurally to the ship), more than two thousand tons of the ship's final displacement were dedicated purely to protecting her from torpedo attack.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/w7ic43e8h/Screenshot_1760.png)

But the works on Mikasa were, at the time, top secret. Partly to ease international tensions and partly to draw attention away from its construction projects, the Admiralty agreed to co-sponsor the 1924 November Regatta and International Navy Meeting. Mighty ships from all world Powers were gathered in Sasebo, where officers and diplomats were given the chance to socialise; the Regatta started from Sasebo and finished near Ikoma-Jingū in Osaka. It was a grand event that enhanced Japan's standing in the international scene and was perceived as a gesture of goodwill by most Powers.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/ju5hx6ok1/Screenshot_1761.png)

Also this. Because R & D deemed it necessary to give the Mikasa more penetrative power.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/ix3o222fl/Screenshot_1765.png)

Nope. No, I'm having too much fun. Just...one...more...turn...
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 23, 2016, 12:09:12 pm
Seems like such a waste to stop at 1925, the battleship designs are just starting to get fun!
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 23, 2016, 01:16:29 pm
Aren't they just? :p

Seriously, I haven't unlocked All-or-nothing armor yet!
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 23, 2016, 01:50:32 pm
Are there game settings that throttle the tech advancement or is it more luck of the draw each playthrough?  It seems like the general world progress in this play through is lagging a little behind the real world.   Even by 1920 it didn't appear that any in game nations' battleline could stand up to the quality of ships that the Grand or High Seas Fleets fielded at Jutland.  Nagato slipped the ways with 410 millimeters, fore and aft superfiring turrets and all or nothing in 1919.   
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 23, 2016, 01:55:07 pm
You can stifle research, but I'm not doing so in this playthough.

This is pure luck of the draw. I demonstrate this in a screenshot later on - I have unlocked literally every other ship design tech, but get AON really late.
Title: Oyo? Mutsuki desu. Harikitte mairimashou!
Post by: Enioch on December 24, 2016, 04:38:17 am
(https://s23.postimg.cc/w4hewntjf/Screenshot_1766.png)

Sure, Brits, I guess you can have better pumps. It's not like your torpedo defense systems belong to the lst decade or anything.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/9mdvgs8ip/__kitakami_kantai_collection_drawn_by_mitsuki_mi.jpg)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/pgkta2a17/Screenshot_1768.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/5n8phcwnf/Screenshot_1769.png)

In February 1926, a disarmament conference was held in the Hague. The Japanese, with Mikasa finally under construction, were adamant about not being constrained in any way, but agreed to attend. There were a lot of words, as expected, but no concrete action was decided on.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/kklrw3z9n/Screenshot_1770.png)

And in April, the R & D department finally produced a hull design for a 15-hundred ton destroyer. Japan could now finally match the French underage boats.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/pykk3nozv/Screenshot_1772.png)

At this point in time, tensions with Russia were rising. Tzar Nikolai II had died of pneumonia in April 1923, with his then-18-year-old son, Alexei ascending the throne. The Russian Empire was racked with internal strife; communism had made considerable headway as an ideology among the populace and anarchist terror attacks were frequent. Russia was looking to affirm her control over her eastern provinces, which led to considerable friction with the Japanese sphere.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/7f51f4dup/__akatsuki_hibiki_ikazuchi_inazuma_and_verniy_ka.jpg)
Because Russia.

In an attempt to secure their interests, and with the Uchida-Roosevelt Pact about to expire, the Japanese sounded out the British for an Alliance. Sadly, the British adopted a non-commital stance and negotiations bogged down.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1gis9x.jpg)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/vpaqhdwzv/Screenshot_1774.png)

Situations were not helped when Hatakaze and Harukaze fired on and sank a French fishing boat during maneuvers. The Admiralty offered its apologies, but nothing else - the training area had been clearly laid out and the French ship was in clear violation of its limits.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/4sqr92e6j/Screenshot_1775.png)

An Alliance with the British was beyond what Albion was willing to give, but they decided to extend a friendly hand again in September, when they offered the sale of their superheater designs. The Japanese Admiralty had more than enough funds to acquire the designs.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/nz3yc8uob/Screenshot_1776.png)

In December, a crisis erupted in China yet again, with the French, British and Chinese flinging accusations and threats around, with regards to territorial rights in the Vietnamese area. Japan, no longer having the backing of the USA, adopted a conciliatory stance. The ensuing peace conference, held in Formosa, helped ease tensions. It is interesting to note that USA delegates were not invited; the cooling of the American - Japanese relationships was mutual.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/d0sou262z/Screenshot_1777.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/t0bcdm24r/Screenshot_1778.png)

1927 started with major breakthroughs in matters of armor development and machinery. Improved reduction gears could now be retrofitted to older ships, improving their endurance considerably; and the R & D department, always seeking ways to improve Japanese ship survivability, introduced the concept of a 'decapping' armor belt, that would help blunt the impact of any heavy APC shells.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/t1la713yj/Screenshot_1779.png)

And, in February, the Admiralty ordered five revolutionary destroyers: the Special-Type, Mutsuki-class.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/vx1qgr5sx/__fubuki_mutsuki_and_yuudachi_kantai_collection_.jpg)

These ships immediately rendered all contemporary designs obsolete, including the older French Catapultes. In a 1,500-ton hull, they mounted six of the exceptional Japanese 127mm guns in ABY dual mounts (capable of being elevated to 45 degrees) and the best fire control systems available. Unlike the (now second-rate) Harukazes, they carried no mines, but compensated with a heavier torpedo armament of two quadruple mounts; and could reach a flank speed of 34 knots.

These ships (and their derivatives) would form the backbone of the Japanese destroyer fleet until the end of the 1940s; they were the most successful destroyer design ever produced world-wide, with more than thirty ships of various subclasses produced until 1945. Constant refits and upgrades kept them beyond their competition's reach throughout that time.

{No update tomorrow, because obvious reasons}

(https://i.imgflip.com/1gisy7.jpg)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 24, 2016, 10:12:11 am
You've been hanging with the Yankees too much, IJN Cans are supposed to be AXY.  :P
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 24, 2016, 10:58:04 am
Akizuki disagrees. :p

Anyway, these babies are meant to pursue, not run away.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 24, 2016, 01:26:42 pm
(http://67.media.tumblr.com/3044cb1222e27b8eb7da3aef6ab94cfb/tumblr_od6ieyI9PA1u833p7o1_1280.jpg)

Oh she can see what you're trying to do. That's why you look like a little girl who's been caught with her hand inside the cookie jar as she casts her regal gaze upon your soul. :D
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 24, 2016, 03:23:19 pm
Akizuki disagrees. :p

Anyway, these babies are meant to pursue, not run away.

Akizuki is a diminutive anti aircraft CL not a DD  :P

The IJN tried ABY with the Hatsuharus but realized they borked the center of gravity and refitted them into AXY.
(http://i.imgur.com/GFsyMye.jpg)

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Droid803 on December 24, 2016, 03:26:16 pm
Akizuki is ABXY anyway. She has four turrets.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 24, 2016, 03:37:54 pm
It should, theoretically, be possible to set up an Akizuki analogue with endgame tech. 8 4-inchers? Yeah, should be possible. Hmmm... (takes notes for next playthrough)

That image with the two hatsus is so kawai... :P
Title: Death and Rage
Post by: Enioch on December 27, 2016, 09:46:18 am
(http://i.imgur.com/qTG8pNB.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/Eb7gZVy.jpg)

In November 1927, the death of the Emperor shook Japan, bringing the end of the Shouwa period to its end. The transfer of power went relatively smoothly, given that Prince Regent Hirohito had already shouldered most of the responsibilities of his increasingly invalid father. The new Emperor promised a new period of Japanese supremacy in the Far East and was a vocal supporter of tightening the Alliance's control over the Indian Ocean. The Navy did not experience any particular upheaval at the time.

(http://i.imgur.com/NVmmp4i.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/duV3Fpf.png)

By the beginning of the next year, Military Intelligence scored major successes, in securing the blueprints of the new German and Russian battlecruisers. While the Germans had gone for a 'classic' 15-inch design, the Russians were clearly taking notes from Japan's design book. Their Rymnik-class was a 48k-ton beast, with an 8-16'' gun battery and a speed to match the (now severely undergunned and increasingly obsolescent) Fuso. With Mikasa less than five months from completion, the Admiralty was not particularly concerned - but it became clear that the Japanese Battlecruiser fleet was in urgent need of modernisation.

(http://i.imgur.com/gIGsSVf.png)

This time the Japanese Navy was in no mood for half-measures, or for a white elephant ship. With the full support of the Emperor, the Navy League and the Ministry of Finance, a plan was drawn for a testbed battlecruiser design that would launch a class of at least four ships in total.

(http://i.imgur.com/vHlssMC.jpg)

The Hiei was flimsy in comparison to her Russian big brother (with a 9'' belt and only 10'' turret armor) but she was a monster in her own right. She bore a 9-16'' battery, the same fire control suites and torpedo protection systems in use on the Mikasa and, most importantly, she rendered every single cruiser in the world obsolete overnight, with her insane top speed of 32 knots.

The concept of the ship was simple. She was a cruiser and battle-cruiser killer. For those purposes, armor beyond that needed to protect her from cruiser-caliber weapons was irrelevant; any capital ship she was likely to encounter, she could outspot and outrun.

Her keel was laid in the same slipway the Mikasa left, on May 1928. And similar slipways were readied in other major Japanese shipyards, in preparation for her sisters.

(http://i.imgur.com/mWEPFea.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/aApu1Eu.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/j3uB9rq.png)

Of course, Japan wouldn't be Japan if its R & D department didn't submit revolutionary designs the moment a new expensive ship was laid down. As soon as the Hiei's keel was completed, the Tsingtaou yards submitted a proposal for a groundbreaking new armour scheme: what they called 'all or nothing' armor.

The concept was simple. Armor the parts of the ship that were vital to its functioning as much as possible. Build a 'citadel' box, capable of keeping the ship afloat. And leave everything non-essential outside of this 'box', with no armor whatsoever. Provided the citadel wasn't penetrated (and the concentrated armor would ensure it wasn't), the ship would remain combat-worthy.

No viable designs were produced at the time and it was decided that the Hiei would be completed as she had been designed. But her sisters would not be built before this new system was ironed out.

(http://i.imgur.com/lBiazaL.png)

In September, something extraordinary took place.

Wilhelm II, the German Kaiser had been assassinated in January, in Bonn, by Augustus Martzloff, a 24-year-old Alsatian student. Germany had been stunned by the event and, although no link could be drawn
between the assassin and France's government, his own descent from one of the most contested areas in the Old World had ratcheted up tensions considerably. The Germans were looking for allies and the new Kaiser (Wilhelm III) broke with the mold of his father and sought out a military pact with the Japanese.

The Japanese were not particularly averse to that. The British had shown that they were not willing to commit to any long-term alliance; the Americans had retreated back to their continent and the old days of 'Roosevelt-ojii-san' were gone; and the wars of the past were...well, in the past. Japan was still not ecstatic about Germany still holding on to her Far East possessions (especially Java) but that could be tolerated, in the interest of having a friend in Europe.

(http://i.imgur.com/6NUQT9N.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/5tVWtrC.png)

Especially since the French were also building big battlecruisers (although slower than Hiei), and had also, apparently, developed their own version of ITMS-based fire control.

(http://i.imgur.com/oVL8FTy.png)

In April, the R & D department delivered a viable design for AoN armor. They were very much praised for the fact that they had taken into account the plans for the Hiei and produced a structural blueprints that could, conceivably, be used to adapt the ship's design, instead of starting from scratch. While the Hiei itself could not be rebuilt with this armor scheme, her sisters would be fully AoN, with no compromise on her speed or other aspects.

But first, the IJN designers tried their hands at something...bigger.

(http://i.imgur.com/mlHnRve.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/NcZOpes.png)

The Musashi was considered by many to be the pinnacle of IJN capital ship engineering. Bigger ships would be built in the future, but the Musashi took all the lessons learned from building the Mikasa, added AoN armor and produced a ship that was smaller, faster and in every respect better than her older sister. There was nothing in the world that could conceivably match her in her intended role. Future US President F. D. Roosevelt would call her the 'Big Stick' of the Pacific in his withering criticism of the Republican policies in the West and it was easy to see why.

(http://i.imgur.com/Tmeoiq6.png)

In September 1929, with Hiei less than a year from completion, colonial tensions nearly boiled over once again in the Vietnam area. Fuso and Nagato were deployed to deal with the situation. While the operation was a success, it highlighted several problems with Fuso's ageing machinery. The old girl was getting to be rather long in the tooth - not to mention the poor Tsukuba - the longest-serving warship in the world. In a bid to reduce maintenance costs and economise resources for the building of the new battle-line, the Admiralty authorised the decommissioning and scrapping of the two ships.

(http://i.imgur.com/2atwfzL.png)

The ceremony was completed in December, with both ships finally stricken from the naval register. The ships were sailed to Kure under their own power and scrapped, with some of the steel re-used for the construction of Hiei.

(http://i.imgur.com/NvzTUIX.png)

Unfortunately, the situation in Vietnam quickly deteriorated once again. Japan was very much a spectator in a colonial posturing war between Great Britain and France; at the time it was considered a very real possibility that the British would take a more active approach in securing their interests in the region. The good relations between Japan and the British had been very much dependent on Britain acknowledging Japan's authority in the South China Sea; with that, now, in flux, the Japanese Parliament authorised a considerable increase in the Naval budget, which was very welcome indeed.

(http://i.imgur.com/mxrd4Je.png)

And tensions were slightly reduced when, after the prompting of Britain, the Japanese hosted yet another international peace conference. The tensions between the two European rivals were not eased, but at least Japan got Britain to acknowledge that the preservation of the status quo in the Anglo-Japanese relations would be to the benefit of both Powers.

(http://i.imgur.com/qv2t0QN.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/MV6K9vw.jpg)

With the new increased budget, the Admiralty laid down two cruisers of a new, experimental class: the Takaos. They were Japan's first attempt to employ AoN armor in a cruiser hull, could reach 33 knots, bore a downscaled torpedo protection system comparable to that found in Japanese dreadnoughts and mounted a fearsome 15-gun broadside of the Japanese 6-inchers. Originally, they were conceived as light-cruiser killers; but, they had been designed in such a way as to allow the replacement of their turrets with dual 8-inchers. Their performance in war games would later show that the latter armament was preferrable and their upgunning would take place further down the line.

(http://i.imgur.com/93LBkwo.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/AC1kt0b.png)

And then, on the 12th of September 1930, with Hiei less than a month from completion, the Japanese Emperor, his wife, Princess Nagako, and his brother, Prince Yasuhito, were killed in an anarchist bombing attack, on a visit to Hong Kong. The English authorities agreed to collaborate with the irate Japanese; their findings revealed that the perpetrators were a local anarchist cell, the 'Black Chain'. An evidence trail was followed; it was determined that they had received support, information and supplies from France.

And that, as they say, was that. An Emperor had been assassinated, for the first time in over a thousand years.

Japan raged.

(http://i.imgur.com/dq7xfRb.jpg)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 27, 2016, 09:02:41 pm
Avenge the emperor! To war with the heretically snail eaters! Death to the fromage!
(https://ibin.co/36t0Dd2u7BjA.jpg)

Interesting and unexpected that there will be German help this time around.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Grizzly on December 28, 2016, 09:46:22 am
If you can't beat them...
Title: The War of Shadows
Post by: Enioch on December 28, 2016, 10:45:51 am
(https://s23.postimg.cc/k8kvyw06j/CL3269.png)
Emperor Nobuhito and King Vittorio Emmanuele III of Italy.

The new Emperor was Prince Nobuhito; inexperienced with regards to the administration of the nation but with a thorough background in the runnings of the navy. He had served as an officer in the Navy and had risen to the rank of Captain; he had even spent two years as the commanding officer of the cruiser Yoshino. He was a personal friend to F.D. Roosevelt, having been introduced to him since before the Uchida-Roosevelt Pact, and a firm supporter of the re-establishment of the USA-Japanese relations. For now, however, he had a war to deal with, something for which he was uniquely qualified among the sons of the late Emperor Taishou.

A war that would be like no other. For circumstances were truly exceptional:

For one thing, the war could not have come at a worse time for the Japanese 'Maru boys'. The old minesweeper fleet was falling apart, not having been maintained to the proscribed levels during the final years of Hirohito's reign - funds had been shifted to capital ship production, leaving most of the minesweepers rotting in their moorings. Upon inspecting the navy, the new Emperor was horrified to discover this situation; he ordered all of the remaining derelicts to be scrapped for a pittance and initiated construction of a larger class of modern minesweepers for the 'Maru boys'. The earliest estimates would have the new ships leaving the slipways in ten months; until that time, the second-rate Harukazes would take over ASW and Coastal patrol duties. Their mine rails (easily adaptable to depth charge munitions) would serve them well in this regard.

Furthermore, Japan had a greatly diminished battle-line, in number of hulls at least, compared to France. But Japan also had a massive and modern submarine fleet, that, with German support, could operate off German bases in Europe. The Silent Service received their orders, and its fourty subs left their moorings and headed for shipping lanes and enemy harbors like hungry sharks. For the first time in history, submarine wolfpacks went on the prowl.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/ko9mchdg7/__i_19_and_i_401_kantai_collection_drawn_by_yue_.jpg)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/uljol5wzx/Screenshot_1823.png)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/s81qu5ikt/Screenshot_1826.png)

And did they ever earn their spurs. In the opening two months of the war, the Japanese submariners sent to the bottom two enemy minesweepers; a staggering quarter-million tons of merchant shipping were sunk. Even more spectacularly, Captain Biobaku of I-69 nailed a pursuing destroyer with a torpedo off the coast of Normandy. In exchange, the Japanese lost four submarines; a much lesser blow than what one would expect for such gains.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/5yntnln4d/Screenshot_1828.png)

The savagery of the submarine attacks stunned the French Navy and sent the Marine Nationale ships scuttling back to their harbors. The Kriegsmarine pounced and used their capital ships to establish a blockade of the French ports; maritime traffic to and from France ground to a halt.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/5zxrh0oy5/Screenshot_1829.png)

The Harukaze minelayers claimed their own indirect victim in January, when a French destroyer was lost in the Indian Ocean...

(https://s28.postimg.cc/fynbh8nrh/Screenshot_1830.png)

... and the Army started planning a massive assault against France's African holdings. The prize was thought to be Djibouti: the major French port in the southern end of the Red Sea. If that French colony could be conquered, France would lose her last resupply base in the Indian Ocean and Japan would gain a considerable degree of control over the traffic in the Red Sea.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/3lahaby31/Screenshot_1831.png)

The Silent Service continued to make Japan proud. The German blockade meant that no merchant ships left the French Atlantic ports; but their minesweepers and destroyers were still out on patrols and it is on these ships that the submarines now turned their attention. Another minesweeper and the destroyer Durandal were sunk off St Nazaire.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/77gamz4gd/Screenshot_1833.png)

Unfortunately, by March, the initial shock of the submarine attacks had worn off and the French were gearing for a counterattack. A forey of French submarines gutted the convoy S-23, ferrying supplies from Sumatra to Madagascar; and Japanese submarine attacks on French ships in the Mediterranean were successful, but suffered heavy losses. Yet the Silent Service would still have the final word: on the 23rd of March, the Japanese submarine I-71 entered the port of Toulon almost casually during the dusk hours; sailed up to the moored French Battlecruiser St Louis and scored two torpedo hits on her, from a distance of under 300 yards. The French ship went down in less than ten minutes but was successfully raised and repaired in five months; I-71 made good her escape, with her crew and Captain being hailed as heroes.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/wmb6qdh7b/__i_19_kantai_collection_drawn_by_imai_tetsuya__.jpg)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/fgs61dy6l/Screenshot_1836.png)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/m8il48n65/Screenshot_1837.png)

All was not good for the Japanese, however. The lack of dedicated minesweepers was tying down a large number of destroyers and that, in turn, was severely impacting the viability of the convoy routes in the Pacific. French subs and raiders operating from China could strike at Japanese shipping as far as Polynesia; not having enough ships for escort duty, the Japanese Admiralty had to cancel several supply convoys to the Marianas. The local populations had to endure considerable hardship during the time as necessary supplies never reached their destinations.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/qk76t8u31/Screenshot_1839.png)

However, the Silent Service would not be deterred. In an almost comical repeat of I-71's achievement, Captain Iwaki of the I-64 led his boat on a raid to Brest, where he found the two French Dreadnoughts Richelieu and Temeraire at anchor. He fired the entirey of his torpedo complement at the latter of the two targets and scored three hits; the Temeraire was only saved because the deck officer at the time ordered controlled counterflooding and called for tugboats to beach her on a nearby sandbank. The ship would stay out of commission for half a year.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/50gncsojx/Screenshot_1841.png)

Unfortunately, the Army could not report similar success. Having put the Djibouti invasion on the backburner, the Japanese had to deal with several guerilla incursions of the French forces in their China holdings. A blood stalemate ensued, different yet no less horrifying than the trench warfare of earlier wars.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/4oz70183x/Screenshot_1842.png)

And in May, seven months into the war, the French submariners scored their first major success of the war. The Chishima, the oldest surviving ship of the Itsukushima class was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of Kamerun, in a heart-rending repeat of her sister's death.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/nif2exacx/kisaragi_kantai_collection_drawn_by_mazeran_5.png)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/huep651zh/Screenshot_1843.png)

This spurred the Japanese to focus even harder on their light forces. The new minesweepers were complete and working up, the 'Maru boys' ecstatic at their new toys; the Admiralty immediately ordered four more Mutsuki-class destroyers.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/bxatpbkul/Screenshot_1846.png)

In June, the Japanese subs pulled back to friendly bases to resupply and repair, allowing the French a three-week lull. The French submariners poked, hesitantly, and scored almost thirty thousand tons in merchant tonnage sunk; then they got slapped down hard by the patrolling Harukazes.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/xas9gf6ml/Screenshot_1849.png)

And then the Silent Service pushed back, hard; I-59 and I-74, operating jointly from Heligoland nailed two French destroyers that were patrolling the coast of Brittany.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/e80nme4wn/__i_58_and_u_511_kantai_collection_drawn_by_anni.jpg)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/4ntukcvnx/Screenshot_1851.png)

And the 'Maru boys' finally reported their readiness to resume their duties and swarmed out of the Japanese anchorages, to relieve the Harukaze crews.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/oxr5zhwst/Screenshot_1853.png)

A year in and, despite attrition heavily favouring the Japanese, no noticeable progress was taking place. The French probed for a compromise peace, but only received a vehement response. This was not a posturing war, like the ones before - the Japanese were out for blood.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/vphl2clsd/Screenshot_1854.png)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/i0wzmz0i5/Screenshot_1857.png)

The Silent Service provided an eloquent punctuation for the Japanese official stance, by smashing two more French minesweepers and an armed merchant cruiser to kindling, inside the harbor of French Congo.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/ukapc4j87/__kantai_collection_drawn_by_kitsuneno_denpachi_.jpg)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/72lq4sbwt/Screenshot_1858.png)

And finally, there were enough light forces available to dispatch a convoy to the Alliance's much-suffering Pacific holdings. In a clear statement of how important the Japanese considered these territories, the Admiralty dispatched a task force of three destroyers and Hiei itself as escorts to the convoy S-30.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/knh3hnh3h/Screenshot_1861.png)

At 09:30, on the 7th of October, and while scouting ahead of the convoy, the Hiei's ITMS spotted two ships closing in from the east; the signatures corresponded to light cruisers or destroyers.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/m9qqa2ecj/__hiei_kantai_collection_drawn_by_tsukamoto_mino.jpg)

 Captain Yamamoto orders the main battery guns to open fire under ITMS guidance; Hiei fires her first shot in anger from a range of around 18,000 yards. After a few corrections, her second salvo follows up, two minutes later. Her lookouts report an explosion on the second enemy ship and the bridge of the Hiei erupts in cheers.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1gpqg6.jpg)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/40zj8ko5p/Screenshot_1862.png)

Encouraged by this success, Yamamoto orders full pursuit. Hiei accellerates to her flank of 32 knots and turns toward the enemy, still keeping six of her nine 16-inchers pointed at the contacts. At close range, her lookouts identify the targets: a Forbin-class raider and a Balliste-class escorting destroyer: a development on the older Catapulte-class. Nothing that could threaten the Japanese behemoth.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/3pi2vt7pp/Screenshot_1863.png)

Hiei turns to bear North and unshadows her entire broadside. She proceeds to absolutely savage the enemy ships. To add insult to injury, Yamamoto asks his targeting crews to test the ITMS systems further under combat conditions: he assigns the rapidly retreating Balliste as a target and leaves the foundering Forbin to Hiei's secondaries.

Hiei's main batteries traverse; the ITMS reports that a targeting solution has been achieved; and, at 10,000 yards, the Balliste is literally blown out of the water, under the impact of three superheavy High-Explosive shells. There were no survivors.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/h7oz83jv1/Screenshot_1864.png)

The Hiei turns lazily to the South, to inspect the wreck; her main batteries train to take the Forbin under fire. Two shells strike the French ship under the waterline and instantly snap her spine. Hiei's destroyer escort pick up a few dozen survivors.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/7bnw8ge31/Screenshot_1865.png)


HON HON HON, BAGUETTES.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 28, 2016, 12:07:21 pm
Holy poo poo, a war of submarines and torpedoes
And Hiei absolutely wrecking face.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 28, 2016, 12:10:23 pm
Out of curiosity how long can you prolong a war?  I notice the diplomats occasionally ask your opinion about peace initiatives but how much do your suggestions effect their decision making?  Will they overrule you and make a settlement even if you are looking to continue operations?


Let's face it if the Emperor and his family were actually assassinated in a French mandated operation nothing short of the complete annihilation of the French Fleet and their colonial holdings would be acceptable to the Empire.  They would probably pursue a conflict beyond what is feasible for their capacity to support.  It would be a little funny if the Baguettes were let off with the hook because the game's diplomatic system figured it was okay for a White Peace.

 
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 28, 2016, 12:29:54 pm
Of course Enioch's Japan is radically different to the real one, but it made me think of what WW2 era Japan would have done under the same circumstances, who were already very brutal. I could see them going Minbari on the country that did it. Extermination or enslavement of the whole population.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 28, 2016, 12:54:21 pm
Out of curiosity how long can you prolong a war?  I notice the diplomats occasionally ask your opinion about peace initiatives but how much do your suggestions effect their decision making?  Will they overrule you and make a settlement even if you are looking to continue operations?

Let's face it if the Emperor and his family were actually assassinated in a French mandated operation nothing short of the complete annihilation of the French Fleet and their colonial holdings would be acceptable to the Empire.  They would probably pursue a conflict beyond what is feasible for their capacity to support.  It would be a little funny if the Baguettes were let off with the hook because the game's diplomatic system figured it was okay for a White Peace.
 

If given the option, and especially since I had the Germans pinning the French Fleet in their harbours, I would have continued this war until the absolute collapse of the French government.

Which is a real possibility, if (through blockades and ship sinkings) you up the enemy's unrest to 10. This immediately qualifies you for massive colonial takeovers and you can also claim one or more ships of their navy as war prizes. I. e. the enemy unconditionally surrenders.

Unfortunately, the politicians don't listen (which is realistic, given that you're an Admiral and you have no actual political say-so). Remember how the first Franco-Japanese war ended? Back in the start of the game? With me having like 10 times the enemy's VP and getting a white peace?

Yeeeeeah.... :nervous:

Also: Japan is allied with the Germans. It's not just my politicians calling the shots here.
Title: Sink the Herault!
Post by: Enioch on December 29, 2016, 04:50:55 am
(https://s29.postimg.cc/m628tzc6f/Screenshot_1866.png)

With the Polynesian holdings resupplied and the Pacific somewhat safe, Japan moved to close yet another front: that of Southern China. Occupying the entirety of the French holdings there would be near-impossible to achieve, given the defense-in-depth and the guerilla tactics the French were employing; but the Army HQ suggested a concentrated push to clear French fortified positions and, more importantly, supply centres, thus limiting the enemy's mobility. Funds were allocated and the Japanese Battle-line took positions to support the Japanese advance with coastal bombardments. Meanwhile, the Djibouti campaign was being planned backstage, to a degree never before seen in modern warfare.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/5jkokwj8n/Screenshot_1867.png)

The R & D department wasn't idle, either. Having studied reports of how the French saved their stricken capital ships, they proposed further improvements (quite counter-intuitive ones) to the Japanese damage control doctrine. While letting more water into a stricken ship might be considered crazy, given the heavy compartmentalisation of the Japanese ships, such a tactic might reduce listing and be the deciding factor in saving a ship that would otherwise have been lost to capsizing.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/imj2cdsr9/Screenshot_(1868).png)

In November, another French minesweeper was sent to the bottom; fully embarrassed by the Japanese successes, at this point, the French submariners tried to step up their game. In a patrol off Formosa, the French sub Barberousse engaged the Japanese minesweeper Kongo Maru; both crews gave as good as they got, but the French emerged victorious.

And then they got a bit too ambitious.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/6i3svefv9/p1020913.jpg)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/5m4k7qmw7/Screenshot_1869.png)

On the 14th of November, a day of infamy for the French Navy, the submarine Corsaire torpedoed and sank the Canadian liner Empress of Japan on her regular trans-pacific route. The French maintained that the liner was carrying American munitions in support of the Japanese and that she had been sailing with her lights off, in contravention of the established rules for neutrals; the Japanese and American governments and the Canadian Pacific Steamships Company vehemently denied the ammunition accusations and presented survivor testimonies in support of the Empress' adherence to the rules of war.

The debate raged although evidence seemed not to favour the French; the attack was presented world-wide as an atrocity and severely impacted the image of the French in the international scene. Sympathy for the Japanese cause skyrocketed.   

(https://s24.postimg.cc/m4v28rtn9/Screenshot_(1871).png)

The French, seeing a continuation of submarine warfare as untenable under the circumstances, reverted to the tried-and-tested methods of surface raiding and dispatched armed merchant cruisers and light raiders to strike at Japanese shipping. Unfortunately, most of these ships had either been held in mothballs or deployed far from resupply stations. Two of her raiders, Tage and Forbin were interned in Manila a few weeks into their first patrols, the former because a frantic sprint to evade Hiei left her without the fuel to reach a French port and the second because two of her boilers exploded mid-cruise due to lack of maintenance.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/bfj7m1nxj/Screenshot_1873.png)

Encouraged by their allies' successes and their enemies' misfortune, the Germans reinforced their blockade. This, once again, slowed French merchant traffic to a standstill.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/65e8ur3on/Screenshot_(1874).png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/sz47sb2f5/i0872441896.gif)

Literally the best guns in the game (don't talk to me about 18-inchers, they only come in -1 varieties). And they're mine. Ahehehehehe. Kongou-imouto will be so powerful[/Hiei]

(https://s29.postimg.cc/82ayzbucn/Screenshot_1878.png)

Desperate to somehow counter the Japanese submarines, the French proceeded to employ Q-ships for the first time in world history. The French armed merchantman Herault, under the command of Commandant de Vaisseau Michel Peri, successfully lured the submarine I-74 to the surface and sank her with her concealed armament. At this point, the Japanese would have been justified in declaring unrestricted submarine warfare, but the sinking of the Empress of Japan was still fresh in peoples' minds. The Admiralty feared that doing so might waste all the goodwill Japan had garnered in the international community. Japanese subs were instructed to continue to operate under Prize rules.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/snpqr8bxj/Screenshot_1879.png)

Spirits soared in January, when little Matsukaze managed to reach a Japanese harbour despite being torpedoed by a French submarine. Four months in dockyard hands would have her in fighting shape again; her crew were praised as heroes for saving their ship under the circumstances.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/3kd9kz3on/Screenshot_1880.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/4ellzvo91/bismarck_kantai_collection_drawn_by_guardian_p.jpg)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/759547887/Screenshot_1881.png)

Well, at least we're still leading in subm-

Wait.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/it0usvco3/Screenshot_1881b.png)

(http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp305/K9Thefirst1/Kongo%20Shock_zpswag5bpf6.png)

(https://i.imgflip.com/1gr453.jpg)

HOLY ****, SPAGHETTIS, I'M SO GLAD WE'RE FRIENDS.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/lsa3lv6uf/Screenshot_1884.png)

"Ahahaha," said everybody in Japan, "no".

(https://s29.postimg.cc/rhqc66d0n/Screenshot_1885.png)

"Ahahaha," said the crew of the I-62, "those French! What jokers! Let's torpedo their other dreadnought in its harbor."

(https://s29.postimg.cc/58cezmhk7/Screenshot_1887.png)

Finally, in February, success! The French guerillas were soundly beaten back and their supplky chains disrupted; the Army felt confident about initiating the Djibouti landings as soon as the Navy secured the Indian Ocean to their satisfaction.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/mmwn7wep3/Screenshot_1888.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/fkyplpb3b/Screenshot_1889.png)

The Navy did not feel confident to do so, still trying to adapt to the changes in the submarine front. On the 10th of March, I-63 was lost with all hands in the Northern Atlantic, with Herault claiming another victim. Commandant Peri was quickly becoming a hero among the French populace. Spurred on by his success, the French submariners sallied forth and sunk two Japanese merchantmen in the South China Sea, only to lose one of their number in return.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/z4chmjomf/Screenshot_1900.png)

And in May, Peri did it bloody again, sending the I-49 to the bottom with all hands.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/3lwe5vk9z/Screenshot_1901.png)

Yes, please

(https://s29.postimg.cc/4qqgb96qv/Screenshot_1902.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/80s5z23gx/kongou_kantai_collection_drawn_by_fudeyama_fud.jpg)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/6avs9nf53/Screenshot_1903.png)

No, France. Please stop asking. Everytime you do, my submariners get riled up and it's hard for me to-

(https://s29.postimg.cc/itgz3z1if/Screenshot_1904.png)

There you see? Look what you've done.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/ngn15qovb/Screenshot_1905.png)

You know, this could go on and on. It's really hard to rein them-

(https://s29.postimg.cc/g1xpdd2zr/Screenshot_1906.png)

Wait. What?

(https://s23.postimg.cc/4nm4q1i2z/Kongou_dess.gif)

Hold on, hold on, I know that submarine name.

Holy crap, it's the I-64! The same submarine that torped the Temeraire in harbor. Captain Iwaki, you magnificent bastard!
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: niffiwan on December 29, 2016, 07:20:23 am
:lol:

I'm somewhat surprised, I thought Q-ships historically kinda sucked with lots of resources poured into them & not many results in return. Is the Herault's spree typical in RTW?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 29, 2016, 07:30:27 am
Yes, if you keep your subs to 'Prize Rules' after Q-ships come into play.

Historically, Q-ships were **** because the Germans switched to unrestricted warfare pretty much immediately. If the sub doesn't surface to engage with guns, the Q-ship just sinks.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 29, 2016, 07:31:32 am
RTW?
Even now, my brain still automatically reads that as Rome Total War.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 29, 2016, 07:46:19 am
(http://www.subart.net/i53.jpg)

I-64 always keeps one in the tube for tricky Gaijin.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 29, 2016, 09:11:22 am
Quote
Literally the best guns in the game (don't talk to me about 18-inchers, they only come in -1 varieties)
I don't get the logic behind this. Yamato's 460mm guns were just fine? Where is the RTW dev getting the impression from that 18" should only come in -1? Like, why even put them into the game if 18" -1 is basically just 17" 0, while 17" +1 is actually 18 0 ?  :confused:

Pretty amazing submarine war so far. I dont suppose its possible to just straight up gather a mass of ships and do your best Kantai Kessen doctrine impression and attack a french port? The subs keep taking their large ships out of commission, so this seems like a good moment to strike?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 29, 2016, 09:37:37 am
Quote
Literally the best guns in the game (don't talk to me about 18-inchers, they only come in -1 varieties)
I don't get the logic behind this. Yamato's 460mm guns were just fine? Where is the RTW dev getting the impression from that 18" should only come in -1? Like, why even put them into the game if 18" -1 is basically just 17" 0, while 17" +1 is actually 18 0 ?  :confused:

Because the damage done by a shell is relative to the caliber but not the gun performance. An 18'' shell will do more damage than a 17'' shell, even if fired from a 18'' -1 gun and the 17'' shell is fired from a +1 gun. But first it has to hit and pen

So, you can trade accuracy and penetration performance for damage performance if you get the 18'' guns, but given that the 17'' rifles do monstrous amounts of damage anyway, I'll stick with good gun handling over derpguns.

As for why the 18'' guns are gimped, it's because the game is only meant to be played up to 1925, remember? At the time OTL, the only 18'' in the world were the British BL-18 Mk1s (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BL_18_inch_Mk_I_naval_gun), which were...badly designed and badly implemented.

Quote
Pretty amazing submarine war so far. I dont suppose its possible to just straight up gather a mass of ships and do your best Kantai Kessen doctrine impression and attack a french port? The subs keep taking their large ships out of commission, so this seems like a good moment to strike?

That's what the blockades are for. You essentially park your battle line in front of their ports and go 'come and have a go if you think you're hard enough'. They can either feed you 150+ VPs per month or come and fight.

As for port strikes (taking your ships against actual port facilities) that's non-viable (and thus not a game option), given the shore batteries that will be there to assist them and the defensive minefields. A surprise attack is OK, because you catch them napping; and a targeted bombardment mission is also viable, because they usually target colonial sites, with minimal defenses, but if I were to attack, say, Brest, they'd have enough shore batteries to blow me out of the water.

Right now, given that the Germans can sorta maintain a blockade, my priority is to gobble up colonial holdings. The plan is, after I've grabbed a big yummy bit of the French empire, I'll take the superdreadnoughts up north and add like 130k active tonnage to the blockading forces.

It is also mportant that I whittle down the enemy submarine fleet before I deploy the big guns. All of my capitals have excellent torpedo protection, but if they are deployed close to the enemy sub pens, they'll be easy targets and there's no reason to feed the Frenchies expensive kills.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on December 29, 2016, 09:56:37 am
When your ships are added to the blockade by ze Germans if the Marine Nationale decides to sortie out do would you actually have a combined action with units from the High Seas Fleet?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 29, 2016, 10:01:34 am
Can't answer that without spoilers.

Spoiler:
I haven't the foggiest. My ships never reach France.

It is possible for ships of your own nation to show up in a battle and not be under your control, so I assume that this is also possible for ships of allied nations (i.e. a could of German BBs would have shown up) but there are no guarantees that they'll join the fleet battle in any sort of organised manner.

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on December 29, 2016, 11:40:43 am
Always on point with answering the questions  :yes:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on December 29, 2016, 12:40:16 pm
It's either that or do actual work.  :p
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on December 29, 2016, 06:55:03 pm
This just showed up in my recommended videos:


I hope it isn't prophetic. :D
Title: Unsinkable
Post by: Enioch on December 30, 2016, 07:56:00 am
(https://s23.postimg.cc/cvqg5gmvv/Screenshot_1908.png)

The submarine warfare continued in June, with luck favouring the French this time around. The Japanese submariners sank more merchant tonnage, but the French managed to torpedo the destroyer Satsuki off Madagascar.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/m7ci2ezff/Screenshot_1911.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/j1rwc7gt7/Screenshot_1912.png)

That was quite enough for the Admiralty, who decided to initiate Operation C: the detailed reconnaissance of the French forces in Djibouti. Akitsushima was employed as a scouting vessel, a raider and a spy ferry from Madagascar to Djibouti; she repeatedly snuck into the Red Sea and returned with valuable intel. On one of her forays, she was intercepted by a French light cruiser, but managed to escape with only light damage.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/ry2og57ff/Screenshot_1913.png)

The R & D department delivered again with an improvement to the ITMS system. The feed from the ITMS receivers was considerably improved, allowing for more accurate shots at range; and the resolution of the scanners was near-doubled, allowing for more accurate tracking. The role of the ITMS in firing control was set to a higher priority; Japan was moving away from the optical viewfinder systems that had been her mainstay for decades. The engineers reported that integrating the new designs to built ships would require drydock time; but the Musashi was still at a stage of her construction where the new systems could be added with only an extra month's work.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/gzrexyiu3/Screenshot_1914.png)

By the end of the month, the Admiralty had all the scouting information they required. After a series of meetings with the Army Chiefs, it was decided to allocate part of the Navy's resources for Operation U-Go - the invasion of Djibouti. Finally, the Japanese felt confident enough to begin their major offensive.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/oh57qwxqz/Screenshot_1915.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/seshgbkkb/Screenshot_1916.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/aq0qop8t7/Screenshot_1917.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/su3r9c6hn/Screenshot_1918.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/3pcqvx717/Screenshot_1919.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/l3wz47463/Screenshot_1920.png)

This confidence was further bolstered by the continuing success of the Silent Service; and by the demonstrated inability of the French to mount any relevant defense to the Japanese activity in the South China Sea. The home waters were locked down and secure.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/4mr48k1yp/__musashi_kantai_collection_drawn_by_huke__sampl.jpg)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/t1re5uhgb/Screenshot_1924.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/u1hp1jwm3/Screenshot_1922.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/ma0z2zsgr/Screenshot_1923.png)

In September, mere days after the launching of the Musashi, the landing convoys started their trip from Madagascar, South-east Africa and the homewaters. Hiei herself was deployed on-site, to support the landing operations. On the 11th, the Japanese landing craft reached the Obock coastline; after a four-hour bombardment of the French defenses by Hiei and Akitsushima, the Japanese Army alighted on the beaches.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/d3hwba8sx/Near_Algiers_Torch_troops_hit_the_beaches_beh.jpg)

The advance proceeded as expected during the first two days, with the Japanese establishing and fortifying a thirty-mile beachhead into French territory; but, once beyond the effective firing range of Hiei the French quickly rallied and established a new defensive line. The Japanese advance ground to a halt and trenches were dug. The stalemate would drag on for months, with both sides straining to resupply and support their troops.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/uw8u1btuj/Screenshot_1926.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/s4pkapvbv/Screenshot_1928.png)

And bad news came from the submarine fleet. The French had deployed a new Q-ship ace: the Atlantique, under the command of Henri Valerian, had sunk two of the most modern Japanese subs.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/6m4d9y28r/Screenshot_1931.png)

In January (more than two years into the war), the Takao was commissioned into the Navy. Her trial runs would show that she was somewhat slower than expected, but in all other matters she performed to the Admiralty's satisfaction. And, as she was still quick enough to escape any battlecruiser in existence, the Admiralty welcomed her with open arms. Her sister-ship, Atago, would follow up a few months later.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/rlzjtrji5/keep_calm_and_pan_paka_pa_n.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/8uijra9cr/Screenshot_1934.png)

Disaster struck in March, when the Akashi, one of the Akitsushimas was torpedoed and sunk in the Red Sea. The increased submarine activity in the area led the Japanese Admiralty to believe that the French were planning some sort of counterattack.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/aaynn61nf/Screenshot_1935.png)

The Army held on, bitterly, as the body count grew higher.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/nge5t9viz/Screenshot_1936.png)

Good news on the home front! The last French raider operating from the South China Sea struck a mine as it made its way past Formosa; the Tage went down with all hands, her magazines cooking off in an explosion that was seen from the mainland.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/ld3qllvq3/Screenshot_1937.png)

NO. Stop asking.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/7xgpw5n8b/Screenshot_1938.png)

And then, on the 22nd of July, the submarines I-64 and I-60 report sighting a massive French convoy heading down the Red Sea. Torpedo strikes account for two freighters, but the size of the convoy is staggering. It is clear that the French are trying to reinforce their troops in Djibouti; the Navy springs into action.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/gtri03duj/Screenshot_1939.png)

Hiei is on station, if low on fuel; she moves to the north with a destroyer escort and Akitsushima as a forward scout.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/do6w9vv8b/Screenshot_1940.png)

The weather is perfect, but the Japanese almost manage to miss the convoy; they show up on Akitsushima's ITMS systems an hour or so after daybreak. Hiei's fire control acquires the convoy's destroyer escort shortly after; a long-range shot lands a high-explosive shell on the trailing ship, cooking off one of her torpedo launchers.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/ihper0wdt/__hiei_kantai_collection_drawn_by_tsukamoto_mino.jpg)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/mkhodtluj/Screenshot_1941.png)

The Hiei's ITMS control reports solid contacts among the convoy transports, but can't seem to track any dedicated warships beyond the destroyer escort. One transport (moving toward the Japanese instead of away) is tentatively identified as an auxiliary cruiser but that's it. Where are the French capital ships? Have they seriously left this convoy undefended to such a degree, knowing what the Japanese had on-station?

(https://s23.postimg.cc/g82j3zisb/Screenshot_1942.png)

Apparently? Yes, yes they have. For God's sake, they're still operating Catapultes! Compare this...

(https://s23.postimg.cc/r8xo90b17/Screenshot_1943.png)

...to this. Honestly, Yamamoto muses, driving his ship into the French convoy and opening up with main and secondary batteries, there was no reason to bring Hiei along.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/72u6a4fdn/Screenshot_1944.png)

At which point, Hiei's A turret jams in its bearings; and the French destroyers rush in, in a suicidal charge.

Hiei responds to the helm beautifully, in a high-speed turn to port, that brings her bow to bear on the closing destroyers; her own escort and secondary batteries open up on the French ships. Suddenly, a panicked cry by her lookouts; a hint of a torpedo trail in the water, too close, much too close. Two fish scream past, mere metres from her port side; another finds its mark and buries its warhead straight into her starboard bulge.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/n2hf7f0t7/Screenshot_1945.png)

A massive water fountain washes over the starboard batteries and the ship shudders; Yamamoto demands a sitrep. Damcon teams report in: Hiei's first layer of underwater armor has been brached, but no further. She has lost maybe forty tons of fuel from her broadside tanks; but the actual damage is minimal. Flooding is surprisingly low and limited to non-essential compartments; the ship isn't even listing. The engineers report that she can easily do thirty knots even now; in fact, they doubt she'd have trouble reaching her top speed, but don't want to risk a (frankly improbable) bulkhead collapse until they have the time to shore up the neighboring compartments.
 
The bridge erupts in cheers again. Hiei is unsinkable.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/gtvbf65wz/hiei_kantai_collection_drawn_by_chize_6f5f3c2.jpg)

And, as her main batteries open up yet again on her enemies, the French get to know that too.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/ujqmmmqcb/Screenshot_1946.png)

In less than two hours since the beginning of th engagement, the last French ship is a smoking, sinking wreck. Hiei would reach Madagascar by the night of the next day, for refuelling and resupplying her ammo stores; the dockyard hands pronounced the damage 'but a scratch'.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/5rr0fe95n/Screenshot_1947.png)

And the Admiralty were more than happy to counter France's anemic claims that they had severely damaged the Japanese giant, when the Hiei left the docks in ten days, her damage fully repaired.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/h6nhk0li3/Screenshot_1949.png)

If that was the first rude surprise for the French, then July had a second one in store. For on the 30th of that month, the French garrison forces in Djibouti stared in wonder and mounting horror, as twenty-five thousand elite Askari troops of the Japanese Alliance, accompanied by four units of artillery, emerged from the Ethiopian hinterland and engaged the French lines from behind, near Lake Abhe.

It's time we talk about one of the most dramatic and legendary accomplishments of the Great Franco-Japanese War: The Long March.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Thisisaverylongusername on December 30, 2016, 12:09:16 pm
'Tis merely a flesh wound!
Title: With Friends Like These
Post by: Enioch on December 31, 2016, 08:07:12 am
(https://s28.postimg.cc/4diao74nh/africaphysicalmap.jpg)

In February 1933, with the Japanese and French forces locked in a deadly stalemate in Djibouti, the Army Command sought out ways to upset the situation to the advantage of the Japanese. Feeding more troops to the entrenched French was deemed unacceptable, as any gains would not justify the cost in lives; instead, a daring scheme was proposed, in combination with the Foreign Office.

The Japanese had nearly fourty thousand native Askari troops in South-Eastern Africa, supported by the 1st African Artillery Brigade. If these forces could, somehow, be moved overland to Djibouti, they could open up a new front and, hopefully, overwhelm the French defenders. Unfortunately, there was a small problem: this would mean moving the equivalent of an entire army through British-held Kenya and, after that, the independent state of Ethiopia.

Ethiopia would not be a problem. Her Emperor, Haile Selassie, had often declared his hostility toward the French and Italian colonies to the north of his country; he was willing to allow the Japanese passage and even contemplated a formal alliance, provided the Japanese provide military aid and modern artillery to Ethiopia in return. Convincing the Brits to let the Askaris through Kenya would be a more tricky proposal - as it would be tantamount to Britain declaring war on France.

Secret negotiations began on the 20th of February, with Japan probing for a potential alliance. The British were more than hesitant at first, but a military analysis of the situation convinced His Majesty's Government that the French defense of Djibouti would be untenable in the long term and that providing assistance to the Japanese could serve as a major bargaining chip in the future. Yet, in classic British fashion, Albion decided to play both sides.

France had also been pushing the British for permission to open the Suez canal to her warships. So far, it had been the position of the British that the Canal would be closed to all combatants. Yet now, with the Japanese also pushing for permission to cross British territory, this situation changed.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/p4qeq1aiv/pg_24_mahiwa_1_gettyc12.jpg)

On the 14th of March, the British declared that they would allow (under very specific and strict terms and conditions) the passage of military vessels, supplies, armament and personnel through 'canals and waterways' of His Majesty's African holdings. This permitted the French convoys to cross the Suez; but (less obviously) it also allowed the Japanese to cross Kenyan territory, provided they kept to waterways and canals (and the British authorities were more than willing to turn a blind eye in the few cases where that was impossible).

The march was gruelling and not helped by the fact that the rainy season (with soaring temperatures and pouring rain) was in full effect, but the Alliance Askaris handled the 2500+ kilometre trip with inhuman endurance. The Long March took them two full months, under the worse conditions imaginable; but their arrival in Djibouti, on the 30th of July, achieved their goal of complete surprise and smashed the Djibouti stalemate.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/tgl7o81p9/Screenshot_1950.png)

But not all news were good. France had delayed deploying her capital ships so far, but, with the Suez opened to her, that was no longer the case. On the 14th of August, the Akitsushima, on patrol off the coast of Djibouti, received a message from I-75 that another major French convoy was en route.

Hiei was still en route back from Madagascar and at least two days away; Captain Uchida of the Akitsushima decided to engage the French convoy with only his destroyer escort. The decision would prove disastrous.

At 12:30, the Akitsushima spotted the enemy convoy and moved to intercept. Long-range fire, scored multiple hits on a transport ship; the Japanese force closed in.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/4bu7at28t/Screenshot_1951.png)

It is at this point that, out of the haze to the north and the ground clutter to the south, two more contacts appeared on the Akitsushima's plot - both closing in at high speed. A few minutes before 14:00 hours, they had been both identified.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/5ibntxph9/Screenshot_1951b.jpg)

(https://s11.postimg.cc/tesppxsb7/y_D2233u1.png)

To the north, a Marseille-class battlecruiser opened fire against the Japanese raider. And from the south, closing the jaws of the trap, a Nantes-class battlecruiser approached, steaming at flank.

What happened from that point on is uncertain, but a few facts are known. Upon identifying the enemy capital ships, it became clear to Captain Uchida that victory or escape was impossible - at her best, the Akitsushima could only do 29 knots and she had not been properly serviced in a while. He signalled his escorting destroyers to disengange and turned to close the range on the Nantes, hoping for a torpedo attack.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/i6sht9wnx/Screenshot_1952.png)

Unfortunately, only the Akebono managed her escape, as the French ships' gunnery focused on the destroyers. The Mikazuki was hit on her torpedo launchers and the resulting explosion sheared the entirety of her superstructure away; the Nagatsuki came under concentrated fire from the battlecruisers' secondaries and slowly succumbed to flooding. It still savaged a French destroyer that closed in to finish the job.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/tx6fanpgd/Screenshot_1953.png)

As Akebono slipped under the horizon, she could see the enemy battlecruisers charging back to finish off the foundering Akitsushima. The light cruiser's wireless set had long since fallen quiet and she was burning from stem to stern, but her main batteries were still firing.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/5hy79lqjh/Screenshot_1954.png)

At 18:35, the horizon behind the Akebono erupted in a massive fireball; the thunder of the explosion reached the fleeing destroyer moments after. A 15-inch shell from the Nantes had penetrated the forward magazines of the Akitsushima. The French reported no survivors.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/n7rwfk1l9/fubuki_and_furutaka_kantai_collection_drawn_by.png)

The deal with the British had allowed the Army to reach Djibouti; but had cost the Navy a precious light cruiser and two destroyers, for minimal returns. It was a disaster.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/jcwhs2kyl/Screenshot_1955.png)

Unfortunately for the French, they could not afford to leave their battlecruisers in the Red Sea. With the sinking of the Wittelsbach, the French fleet was just big enough to reliably evade the German blockading ships, but not with two of their best battlecruisers absent from the Atlantic. As the Germans pulled the noose tight in September, the privations of war began to choke the French population; the Nantes and Marseille were recalled, having suceeded in resupplying the beleaguered defenders of Djibouti.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/6a0v8suql/Screenshot_1956.png)

On the 6th of September, Akebono returned to the coast of Djibouti, to patrol and confirm the departure of the French BCs. Upon her return, she was spotted and engaged by a French Catapulte-class destroyer, the Belier.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/i0esq6nj1/Screenshot_1957.png)

Commander Beauclerc of the Belier immediately knew that his ship would not be able to escape the much more modern and well-armed Japanese destroyer. He ordered a frantic attack, to close the range and engage with torpedoes.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/e5benm4d9/Screenshot_1958.png)

Unfortunately for him, Akebono did not flinch. Captain Usawa brought his own ship around on a closing course and launched at point-plank range. In a mad turn to avoid the Akebono's torpedoes, the Belier rammed the Japanese ship.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/t2oh2d6zh/Screenshot_1959.png)

The French ship's bow knifed into the Akebono's own forecastle. Fortunately for the Japanese, the Mutsuki-class destroyers had heavily reinforced bows, to support the weight of the two front-mounted turrets; the Catapultes, with their deck-mounted guns did not have such an advantage. The bow of the Belier crumpled like a concertina, locking the ships together; but the Akebono suffered no heavy damage and her bulkheads stopped the flooding.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/wouaf0dct/Screenshot_1961.png)

With her front guns smashed to bits and her boiler cracked, the Belier hung on the Akebono's side like a dead whale. Beauclerc ordered his men to strike the colours, but there was no time to execute the command. The loss of the Akitsushima was still much too recent and the gunners of the Akebono were itching for payback. Her rear turret had jammed under the shock of the collision, but her two front turrets were still functional and they opened fire at the Belier's hulk at point-blank range. In the space of a minute, six shells smashed into the Belier, punching deep into her broken vitals, sending shrapnel scything through superstructure and bodies, smashing her boilers and spilling flaming fuel all over her decks and internal compartments. By the time Usawa ordered a cease fire, only three men of the Belier's crew of 160 were still alive.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/ug4cjym2v/akebono_kantai_collection_drawn_by_jirou_su_s.jpg)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/jyq21x5el/Screenshot_1962.png)

As the Japanese sailors attempted to disentangle their ship from the wreck of the Belier, it became obvious that the structural integrity of the Akebono would be compromised during the long trip back to Madagascar. Usawa ordered his men to take up axes and power-saws.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/aft4tv54x/1280px_Greek_destroyer_Adrias2.jpg)

Four days later, the Akebono reached Madagascar, her crew having removed the entirety of the ship's bow and relying solely on internal bulkheads. They were hailed as heroes for their amazing seamansship.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/66bn6aen1/Screenshot_1963.png)

And only two days after that, the last defenders of Djibouti capitulated. The Admiralty rejoiced. Now it would be possible to sail the battle fleet north, through the Suez and into the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, to completely and utterly lockdown the French blockade. Total victory was in sight.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/6a5gmjk4d/Screenshot_1965a.png)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/6me5ov3nh/haruna_and_kirishima_kantai_collection_drawn_b.jpg)

And in a bit of further good news, the Hiei's exemplary performance had provided the necessary impetus for the laying down of her first two sisters: Kirishima and Haruna. The two new ships were, externally, almost perfect copies of their older sister, could reach the same staggering 32-knot top speed and mounted the same insane underwater protection. However, they were All-or-Nothing designs, which saved the engineers a ridiculous amount of weight. That meant that, instead of the Hiei's respectable world-leading 16-inchers, these ships would bear the Type 94B 17-inchers: the biggest and best naval rifles in the world, guided by the best fire control systems in the world. Lessons learned from the construction of the Hiei brought their projected completion time to just over two years.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/cmklwdn6l/Screenshot_1965.png)

NO, Fromage. You are going down.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/oe8h76hst/Screenshot_1966.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/dnnh1w61t/imageedit_2_7799710784.gif)


-END PART 5-


{No Update Tomorrow because RL and family}
Title: The Emperor Avenged
Post by: Enioch on January 04, 2017, 04:47:14 am
- PART 6 -
The Silent Service Reborn

In all honestly, Germany had little choice. While Japan had scored major victories in the Eastern and African fronts, those successes were due in no small part to the efforts of the Kaiserliche Marine, without which the Marine Nationale would have been able to deploy the entirety of their battle-line to the East; and, more importantly, the war was not only waged at sea. Three long years of indecisive trench warfare had ravaged the European countryside. The French could not bring their colonial empire's weight to bear, because of the German blockade; the Germans had no empire to speak of, partly because Japan had consumed most of it. Both countries were exhausted.

And so, when the French made overtures for peace, Wilhelm III's government made it clear to their Japanese allies that Germany had nothing more to give.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/m9wit9j2f/124360.jpg)

Spirits were mixed in Japan. On the one hand, the images of destruction from Europe - of the hundreds of miles of trenches and the apocalyptic landscapes of no-man's-land were horrifying. On the other hand, the Emperor had been assassinated, an act that bordered on sacrilege, and there were those who claimed that the Germans had betrayed the alliance by pulling out.

In the end, in a way, cooler minds prevailed. In the Treaty of Rome, France was given her peace, but at a humiliating cost. Germany was granted severe war reparations, that would bring the French state to near-bankruptcy; The French were also made to acknowledge the Japanese occupation of Djibouti. More importantly, in a move that shook the world, the Japanese insisted on those responsible for the assassination of Emperor Hirohito being tried for their crime by an international court; and presented a 140-strong list of those accused, including the Prime Minister of France, Camille Chautemps, and three members of his Cabinet; the French ex-Chief of Military intelligence; and other officials and intelligence operatives.

The Rheims trials lasted for over a year, with fourty-six of the accused found guilty of mandating or participating in the assassination in one way or another by a court comprised of Japanese, German and French judges; the court also included several prominent justiciars of Italy and Great Britain versed in international law. Eighteen of the accused received the death sentence, including Chautemps, who was convicted post mortem, after taking his own life in his cell.

In short, in the aftermath of the Great War, we have: Japan, disappointed, but victorious, with a prize worthy of mention and her rage over the death of her Emperor barely sated; Germany, exhausted but recovering, a young and active monarch at the helm; France, humiliated as no country in the world had been before, at the brink of bankruptcy and simmering with the shock of it all.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/3t242g347/1933_depression_ezr.jpg)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/5xrmc3ag7/Screenshot_1968.png)

For the Japanese Navy, this was a time for restructuring and trimming down. The inevitable post-war slashing of the Naval budget had made it necessary to delay (but, thankfully, not completely halt) the construction of Kirishima and Haruna; the Navy decided to save more on maintenance by scrapping the remaining Itsukushimas and Akitsushimas. This left Japan with no light cruisers; but it was thought that, with the new Takaos on station and with Japan's rapidly growing fleet of destroyers, that loss would not be critical until a new light cruiser design could be drawn up and constructed.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/np38qjpuv/Screenshot_1969.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/e78348tk7/Screenshot_1971.png)

Shortly after New Year of 1934, Mozambique erupted in a small-scale civil war. After the decisive Japanese - German victory, after the formalisation of good relationships with Ethiopia, and with the Japanese star on the rise, many African countries had expressed interest in joining the growing Japanese sphere of influece in their continent. The pro-Japanese faction in Mozambique (which was a neighbour to both South-East Africa and Madagascar) was the most vocal, but was facing fierce resistance in its policy by a small group of conservative / patriotic warlords and chieftains. Japan was invited to settle the matter. By the end of the month, Japanese troops and South-East African Askari were cracking down on violence in Mozambique; fighting would continue over the next few months, but the country would officially join the Japanese Alliance by the end of the year.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/6frd5opev/Screenshot_1972.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/51zqadq5j/Screenshot_1973.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/j4bx320g7/c07c28b2f57bc12ec07d947c8877bfe7.gif)

Sure, Brits, make my 17-inchers even better.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/n62qv0ntz/Screenshot_1974.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/nrmkikd6v/Anime_girl_rage_gif.gif)

Less than half a year after your defeat. Seriously, Baguettes?

Please don't make me come over there.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/jazcsg4o7/Screenshot_1975.png)

In April, the Admiralty ordered three experimental Hatsuharu-class destroyers. The old Harukazes had proven that minelaying capabilities on a destroyer hull had their worth; the Hatsuharus were slightly overweight compared to the Mutsukis but could carry twelve mines and depth-charge launchers for ASW duty, while not compromising on torpedo or gun armament.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/c91f6912f/Screenshot_1976.png)

In April, news arrived from the USA. The March 1933 elections had brought the Democrats back in power; and Roosevelt-ojii-san had been elected President of the United States, a position that he would continue to hold until his death in 1945. This heralded the beginning of a new period of improved Japanese-USA relations; while the Uchida-Roosevelt Pact of old would not be renewed, the Democratic administration once more sought to reconnect with their 'Pacific Neighbour'.

Roosevelt was also a proponent of improving the American Navy as a counterweight to the Grand Fleet of the British and as a counterpart to the Japanese forces. Unlike the Japanese, with their few supercapitals, the Americans settled on dreadnoughts of ca 35k tons, with a 'Standard' speed of 26 knots, a middling gun caliber of 14 or 15 inches and a strong deck armor. These ships were no match for the Japanese behemoths (in fact they would find it hard to deal with Japanese Battlecruisers) but the dogma of the American Navy at the time could be condensed to six main principles:


The Delaware-class dreadnoughts were the first of their type; the verdict of the Japanese Admiralty when they saw the designs was 'Not bad at all, given what they are trying to achieve. We can still blow them out of the water before they can enter effective weapons range, of course'.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/a8avlf4x3/Screenshot_1978.png)

Sure, Spaghettis. By all means, pay me good money for ten-year-old tech.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/oooedozbb/Screenshot_(1979).png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/6em0q0cyv/Screenshot_1980.png)

(https://i.imgflip.com/1h244r.jpg)

Hon hon hon, Baguettes.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Grizzly on January 04, 2017, 06:13:05 am
The france blur reminds me a whole lot of the Kaisserreich mod (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=809903394) for HOI4 which reates a history in which Germany had won WW2. Might be a nice continuation :P
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on January 04, 2017, 06:47:49 am
Rip France.
Also, nice technology 'exchange' with the fromage there
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 04, 2017, 10:12:19 am
Yeah, that was an excellent piece of work by my agents that delightful lady in the kimono.

Also, note that France is by no means dead yet. Her capital ship fleet is still bigger than mine.

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on January 04, 2017, 11:47:52 am
Type 93? :3

(http://i.imgur.com/rFEQKcz.jpg)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 04, 2017, 12:23:08 pm
THAT IS ADORABLE AND WHERE CAN I GET IT

Spoiler:
EDIT: FOUND IT IN 20 SECONDS OMG.

AND THEN MY WANDERINGS LED ME TO AN IMGUR FOLDER WITH I-19 COSPLAYERS. I AM NOW SLIGHTLY BUT VERY PLEASANTLY CONFUSED.

Also, yes, Type 93s are a thing now. Enemy ships have minimal time to react to torps, because no trails.

(https://s29.postimg.org/nvfncrf5j/Qj_F0f9_X.gif)

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on January 07, 2017, 09:08:29 am
I dont mean to be pushy but where is the next update?  :hopping:
Title: Mad as a Box of Frogs
Post by: Enioch on January 07, 2017, 09:11:05 am
(https://s24.postimg.cc/s5chps0xh/Screenshot_1982.png)

September came; the Asama, the third of the Takaos finished her working up cruise and joined her sisters. Japan's cruiser fleet was growing!

(https://s24.postimg.cc/atc54c7g5/Screenshot_1983.png)

In October, a new round of infighting broke out in the Balkans. Unlike previous ethnic clashes, this one was purely ideological: Communism was gaining ground in "Europe's Powderkeg" and not in a peaceful way. Russia was very much invested in the Balkan developments, but Japan could not bring herself to get involved. Japanese diplomats just...spouted platitudes.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/ee80nkbzp/Screenshot_1984.png)

With Tokiwa commissioned and the entirety of the Takao class off the slipways, the Admiralty proceeded to scrap the final Akitsushima. Suma was sent to the breakers in November.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/mxrelbkc5/Screenshot_1985.png)

This rather skewed the balance of Japan's fleet. The Japanese had the best heavy cruiser fleet in the world; but no light cruisers whatsoever. In a pinch, the Takaos could perform light cruiser duties, but that was not their intended purpose and this was an imbalance that needed to be addressed.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/lunyf7k8r/Screenshot_(1985b).png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/kecfx2hbv/__haruna_hiei_iowa_kirishima_and_kongou_kantai_c.jpg)

Also, holy crap Spaghettis. This is insane.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/hnmfu1039/Screenshot_1986.png)

In February, because insane IJN damcon wasn't insane enough, and inspired by the Akebono's predicament, the R & D department delivered on some better hatch designs and reinforced bulkheads. 

(https://s24.postimg.cc/zey28hfhx/Screenshot_1987.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/xxta2rvaz/__akashi_and_fairy_kantai_collection_drawn_by_bo.jpg)

Here's the science situation, in February 1935. Note the magnificent synthetic fire control computers and the excellent oil burners employed by the Japanese.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/c24m3pos5/Screenshot_1988.png)

During the same month, the French made a hesitant effort to expand their sphere of influence again, by deploying an expeditionary force to Angola. The Japanese were quick to assemble an international force of their allies; 'humiliate the French' was the mode du jour for international politics. The French, of course, highly resented the Japanese intervention; the Japanese Admiralty chuckled darkly at the ranting noises coming from the French Embassy-

(https://s24.postimg.cc/7isdi76wl/Screenshot_1990.png)

-and, as tensions climbed higher, started training with live ammo again in Spetember. The death of the Emperor had been avenged but not forgotten and the French, apparently, hadn't learned their lesson.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/r65dyfrgr/7_Ayov_WO.png)

During October and November, several good things happened.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/gtgkducsb/__haruna_hiei_and_kirishima_kantai_collection_dr.jpg)

Firstly, Kirishima was commissioned, with Haruna a few months behind.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/ijzlfbubf/fc83166314d4a29e2effbae547131830.png)

Kirishima's slipway was immediately filled with another ship of her class, named Kongou, to honour the old renamed battlecruiser.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/uyaanjqnp/Screenshot_1991.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/gt4hlqhmd/Screenshot_1992.png)

Also, Military Intelligence hit the jackpot, and produced the complete blueprints of the new British Inflexible-class Battlecruisers; and the Russian Pervenets-class Dreadnoughts. The British ships were quite respectable (if slightly inferior) copies of the Kirishimas, with an extra, lower-caliber gun and a knot slower; the Russian dreadnought was just...embarrasing, with a 12-inch belt and only basic ITMS fire control.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/v2443sw51/Screenshot_1994.png)

No, Germany. Why would I want 12'' guns? This isn't 1910.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/ml4lsvrg5/Screenshot_1995.png)

In June, Haruna joined her sisters. And the funds released were immediately channeled into designing Japan's new light cruisers.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/m2blbpv7f/__kuma_kantai_collection_drawn_by_gamyuu_gamyu__.jpg)

The Kumas were based on the concept of the old Unebis: dedicated raiders that could, in a pinch, serve as escorts in the line of battle. At 7.5k tons, they were the biggest light cruisers ever built by Japan, with a top speed of 31 knots (enough to keep the distance open against any enemy BC in existence) and engines built for reliable running; their large fuel stores allowed them an impressive range. They were AoN designs, with a downscaled torpedo defense system, to protect against mines. They bore a 6-gun broadside of 6-inchers and ten torpedo tubes in above-water mounts, with the best ITMS systems the Japanese could fit on their hulls. They also carried 30 mines, for use in foreign waters; the first three ships (Kuma, Izumi and Takachiho) were scheduled to leave their slipways in less than two years.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/zdspst31x/Screenshot_1996.png)

When the Spaghettis want tech, you sell the tech. Or they steal it and take it for free.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/d34usu5rp/Screenshot_1997.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/4nrd3fy2j/800px_Keisuke_Okada_2.jpg)

In July, the Government of Okada Keisuke, after long negotiations with the governors and local authorities of the Alliance members, proposed radical social reforms for the Alliance - perhaps too radical for the times. The changes would institutionalise universal suffrage from the age of 21 among all citizens of the Alliance (some of the most recent African acquisitions were still excluding women from voting), majorly reform the tax code and essentially eliminate trade tolls between Alliance members.

Okada being an ex-Admiral, the Navy stood behind his reforms; and part of the Navy's budget was channeled to best implement his designs with their blessing.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/j5h2x2jlh/Screenshot_1998.png)

Unfortunately, the reforms were deemed unacceptable by the more conservative elements of Japanese society and by many Alliance administrations. The reforms were shelved and would be implemented piecemeal over the following decade by Okada himself and his successors.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/kab52g62d/Screenshot_2000.png)

In August, Haruna reported back from her workout cruise; her crew reported her to be perfectly daijobou.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/5sdxuger9/Screenshot_2001.png)

In October, many interesting things happened. Firstly, Hiei was briefly placed in drydock for extended maintenance, leaving the guarding of the Japanese seas to Kirishima and Haruna; Secondly, reports came in that France was laying down a new Dreadnought (worrying); and, thirdly, the Russians commissioned the Pervert Pervenets.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/k03mj3rg5/Screenshot_2002.png)

Most importantly, the alliance with Germany expired, with the Germans making no overtures for a renewal. The Japanese didn't blame them and were quite willing to instruct German shipbuilders on better welding techniques: the resentment between the two nations appeared to have simmered out. Wilhelm III's stance on Java and his willingness to arrange for a semi-Alliance status for the island certainly helped in that matter - the Japanese saw the new German Kaiser as an enlightened ruler: the opposite of his warmongering father.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/guj0sw8tx/Screenshot_2003.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/fm2mlmmnv/__prinz_eugen_kantai_collection_drawn_by_roll_ok.png)

And the Admiralty warmly welcomed the cruiser Lutzow when she arrived in Sasebo on a goodwill visit.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/kgou5jf79/Screenshot_2005.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/4h66lzj5h/Screenshot_2004.png)

The state of the world's navies at the end of 1936. Note that Japan outspends all minor powers and suffers no social unrest (usually a high budget causes protesting among the populace). Also note the insane number of capital ships in the GB and USA navies - but also the fact that Japan has the biggest destroyer fleet on the planet, tied with the British. Also note that the average Dreadnought size for the British and Americans remains ca. 35k tons; the smallest Japanese dreadnought is Nagato, at 42k.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 07, 2017, 09:18:16 am
I dont mean to be pushy but where is the next update?  :hopping:

THE TIME IS NOW.

On a more serious note, there's probably the most important RL deadline of the last three-and-a-half years coming up for me: the point where I hopefully become Doctor Enioch to you uncultured plebes. I am using this thread as a means of self-therapy and to keep myself sane under the insane workload that is finalising a doctoral thesis. So, don't worry, I'm not giving up on it.

That said, updates might be delayed a bit (say once every two or three days). More feedback might mean more frequent updates, but I can't promise that.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on January 07, 2017, 12:48:32 pm
Kongou dessss
That submarine count  :lol:

I dont mean to be pushy but where is the next update?  :hopping:

THE TIME IS NOW.
It works! Whine about updates and 3 minutes later there is one!  :D

On a more serious note, there's probably the most important RL deadline of the last three-and-a-half years coming up for me: the point where I hopefully become Doctor Enioch to you uncultured plebes. I am using this thread as a means of self-therapy and to keep myself sane under the insane workload that is finalising a doctoral thesis. So, don't worry, I'm not giving up on it.

That said, updates might be delayed a bit (say once every two or three days). More feedback might mean more frequent updates, but I can't promise that.
Oooh, good luck with that!  :yes:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on January 07, 2017, 01:28:41 pm
Can't drop anchor in the Med and not hit a Spaghetti Sewer Pipe.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 07, 2017, 01:45:40 pm
Can't drop anchor in the Med and not hit a Spaghetti Sewer Pipe.

Kongou dessss
That submarine count  :lol:

'Sewer Pipe', lel  :P

It's almost like the Japanese need to do...something,  don't you think? :drevil:
Title: Spaghetti Crash Dive
Post by: Enioch on January 10, 2017, 08:13:36 am
(https://s24.postimg.cc/p8x9uecx1/Screenshot_2007.png)

During the Christmas celebrations of 1936, the Austro-Hungarian Mayor of Serajevo was assassinated by a joint communist / anarchist strike. The Balkans, once again, boiled over and tensions between Russia and Austria-Hungary spiked. War was averted, for the time being, but resentment simmered under the surface. Japan watched, from halfway around the world, and shrugged her collective shoulders. The Russians were good neighbours and Austria-Hungary was a purely Mediterranean force - Japan was not particularly concerned with the developments there. France was the problem du jour.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/y581yc3j9/Screenshot_2008.png)

For a New Year's gift, the Tsingatou shipyards made an excellent offer to the Admiralty: another Kuma-class was laid down, and named Naniwa in honour of the glorious old light cruiser of the German Wars, long since scrapped.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/xtqllkn39/Screenshot_2009.png)

Around the same time, the Emperor, having served as a Navy officer, wished for a closer oversight of the Admiralty workings. He requested for a new summer palace to be built in the Hiroshima prefecture near the Kure base.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/3rm0n1lnp/Screenshot_2011.png)

And, a month later, Military Intelligence got their hands on the blueprints of the Spaghettis' new heavy cruiser. 33 knots? 8-8inchers? Not bad. What is bad is the 'Improved' Director (instead of the more modern, Japanese, 'Advanced' Director), the 3.5 inch belt and the absolute lack of torpedoes. Sorry Spaghettis.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/mxz7q825h/Screenshot_2012.png)

In April, the Prime Minister called on the Chiefs of Staff of both Army and Navy, and requested their imput on the situation with France. Could they guarantee a victory?

The response was...lukewarm. Both the Army and Navy felt confident in the superior quality of their men, equipment and ships; but the French still enjoyed a numerical advantage (their fleet not having suffered significant losses in the last war) and the Navy was bleeding out money. It was thought imperative that war be delayed until Kongou was ready to join her sisters in the line of battle; the Prime Minister agreed and arranged for the Naval Budget to receive extra funding. It wasn't enough to bring the funds into the black and some delays in the construction of the cruisers would be necessary, but if the Navy could have one more year of peace...

(https://s24.postimg.cc/v4r7hss85/Screenshot_2013.png)

In May, the R & D folks provided the Admiralty with the designs for new automatic fire extinguishers. Japan has best damcon.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/fxb7xg0dh/Screenshot_2014.png)

In August, the Admiralty was called to comment on the international situation. The press clearly expected a polemic against France; they were disappointed. The Admirals declared Japan's readiness to fight any foe, but did not specifically mention France. Kongou was still 15 months away from completion, after all.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/4z4jt015x/Screenshot_2015.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/b3g5ylnxj/s9cxKkj.png)

Holy crap. 12 16-inch guns? This thing is a mons-

-Wait, wait, wait.

An 11-inch belt? 11-inch turrets? No superfiring turrets? On a 26-knot Dreadnought? In 1938?

(https://s24.postimg.cc/ilxfef4hx/get.png)

Yeah, this is not a monster.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/nfyyjth45/Screenshot_2016.png)

Why you cheeky motherf-

(https://s24.postimg.cc/b2m4cwrfp/Screenshot_2017.png)

Well, it's better than the Spaghetti version.

The Admiralty also noticed the preference for 8-inch guns in foreign armored cruisers. The 6-inch broadside of the Takaos, while impressive in its volley of fire, seemed rather...anemic in matters of range, now.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/dxz7jrvfp/Screenshot_2018.png)

Well, Germany, you tried.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/ggkwkgh5x/Screenshot_2019.png)

In May 1938, new ambitious programs were put forth, for public works in the Alliance's African holdings. The Trans-African Railway had proved its worth in the past; now, it was important for the rest of the African holdings to be linked to an ever-expanding rail network, the greatest branch of which extended from Tanga towards the north. A deal was arranged with the British for joint work in Kenya; the East African Route crossed Kenya and friendly Ethiopia to reach Djibouti.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/5i9n29skl/Screenshot_2020.png)

7 months. Just 7 more months. Buy time

(https://s24.postimg.cc/5jjkvoued/Screenshot_2021.png)

Ahahaha.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/xup8l08yv/5859d130c106131333be4ee1474a9fb43f2afa69def71b54.jpg)

YES. ALL THE MONEY.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/eslr5t3ad/Screenshot_2022.png)

And ALL THE DAMCON.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/6cw6ob0f9/Screenshot_2024.png)

In a bid to ease tensions and with Kongou only four months away, the Admiralty organised a naval gathering in September. There were parties and diploming and a regatta, as usually happens during these things; surprisingly, the Tzarists behaved like true gentlemen. Truly good neighbours.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/god4uphid/Screenshot_2025.png)

Wait, what?

(https://s24.postimg.cc/5dah6can9/Screenshot_2026.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/skk9tpopz/7rYWTZd.gif)

What is this? Could it be?

(https://s24.postimg.cc/rqi7t5bl1/Screenshot_2027.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/p289xbntz/__bismarck_hiei_littorio_prinz_eugen_and_roma_ka.jpg)

Ahahahaha. OH THE SPAGHETTI TEARS. OH THE SALT.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Grizzly on January 10, 2017, 08:33:22 am
Is it possible to pull a Grosstraktor and keep on submarining anyway in violation of such treaties?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on January 10, 2017, 09:15:19 am
Um, while its funny that 75% the Italian naval tonnage just got scrapped wasn't the IJN Submarine Service one of the better in the world? 

Allowing your submarine force to be removed for the dubious utility of screwing over the Spaghettis seems a little odd...
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 10, 2017, 09:18:51 am
Not for subs (it's pretty much impossible to say 'this isn't a submarine, it's a sewer pipe')

There are other treaties that limit the caliber of guns you can use (can't get around those, but you can pull a Mogami and plan ships with the explicit intention of upgunning them post-war-declaration); and treaties that limit the maximum displacement of ships that can be constructed. If you're an autocracy (or otherwise non-democratic regime) you can cheat the treaties by up to 10% of the proscribed displacement (i.e. you can build 11k ton ships instead of 10k ton ships).

Also, by declaring war, you immediately repudiate all treaties in effect; and other nations are free to do so too. Which means that the Spaghettis have lost the entirety of their subfleet but the minute I declare war on the Baguettes, they'll be able to start building again.

EDIT:

Um, while its funny that 75% the Italian naval tonnage just got scrapped wasn't the IJN Submarine Service one of the better in the world? 

Allowing your submarine force to be removed for the dubious utility of screwing over the Spaghettis seems a little odd...

Eh. Most of my subs were getting pretty old for my purposes anyway. There are upgrades to be had. Also, the French had ~ 35 modern subs to my 21; so, given that the war was imminent, I thought it a good idea to clear the seas, as it were, and give the battlewagons room to maneuver without having to worry about torps crawling up their afts.

Even if the Frenchies start building subs the day the war is declared, it's gonna take them 16 months to get their first batch in the sea. And I have the biggest ASW fleet in the world.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on January 10, 2017, 08:10:02 pm
(https://s24.postimg.org/4z4jt015x/Screenshot_2015.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/vrBXOZp.jpg)

also let me just quote myself:
That submarine count  :lol:
Rip pastalovers
Title: The Fearsome Four
Post by: Enioch on January 11, 2017, 04:27:55 pm
The Admiralty had to radically reform their ranks under the new circumstances. The twenty submarines of the Silent Service had been scrapped, in accordance with the newly signed Lisbon Treaty; the balance of power had radically changed.

The Japanese knew that this status quo would never last long; the submariners were assigned to Minesweepers, where their experience would greatly help develop new ASW tactics; and select few officers were assigned to the R & D department, there to help design the new generation of Japanese submarines.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/d5ki4bpoz/__fubuki_hyuuga_kitakami_takao_tenryuu_and_other.jpg)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/f3wovc40j/Screenshot_2028b.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/l3kfyzosz/Screenshot_2028.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/aa7exgloz/__ashigara_haguro_myoukou_and_nachi_kantai_colle.jpg)

The scrapping of the submarine fleet released a considerable amount of funds from maintenance; these funds were assigned to the construction of a scaled-down version of the Takaos. While still only armed with 6'' guns, the Myokos were as capable as the Takaos, in a smaller, lighter and cheaper frame.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/yzsoavl1v/Screenshot_2029.png)

The Admiralty also arranged for the export of military equipment to several countries of South America, in collaboration with the USA; this was the first time the two countries worked together to such an extent since the Uchida-Roosevelt Pact and heralded a considerable improvement in their relations. It also provided a massive raise of the Admiralty's budget.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/d1w7h361f/Screenshot_2030.png)

At the perfect time, too. In December, Kongou was commissioned and departed on her shakedown cruise, joining up with her sisters in the South China Sea. The 'Fearsome Four', as the Americans would nickname the battlecruiser pack, were together for the first time.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/py8m491ar/b1d442c57fdf7b7e02c3fcedf0a32fe9d778b386191e5052.jpg)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/5afhij1w3/Screenshot_2031.png)

The funds from Kongou were immediately shifted toward getting Myoko a sister-ship; and also laying down a batch of Hatsuharus

(https://s27.postimg.cc/qlhn0j9eb/Screenshot_2032.png)

On the 23rd of March, 1939, Paul de Crecy, an unassuming French worker in the Ministry of Defense, was arrested for spying on behalf of the Japanese. The Japanese governement originally denied all involvement, but the French presented irrefutable evidence of past dealings and leaks in which de Crecy had played a major part.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/lpe08u98z/Screenshot_2034.png)

Still reeling under the humiliation of their past defeat; their anger as a nation still simmering under the surface, the French did not delay in presenting the Japanese with an ultimatum, revoking their acknowledgment of Japanese control over Djibouti and giving the Japanese forces there a week to pull out in their entirety. The Japanese scoffed.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/h4rttwpjn/Screenshot_2035.png)

And there was war.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/rrbiskmhf/POIKAINI1.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/5tp65jioj/Screenshot_2036.png)

<insert surrender monkey meme here>

(https://s27.postimg.cc/pfdn1ql3n/Screenshot_2038.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/6q5huh897/Screenshot_2039.png)

The Imperial Army had been doing nothing but preparing for the inevitable war; they were ready. The 2nd Askari Army and the 10th Japanese Army invaded Senegal and Annam respectively and entrenched themselves in forward positions. To the Frenchmen's credit, they put up a respectable fight; the colonial forces in Senegal, in particular, under the command of Colonel Charles de Gaulle were particularly effective in dulling the initial thrust of the Japanese forces. It is worth noting that de Gaulle had a company of the Foreign Legion under his command and these men fought like lions.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/abw2bdo43/Screenshot_2042.png)

The French Navy, on the other hand, persisted in not accommodating the Japanese with a good fight.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/kn8f41ftf/Screenshot_2043.png)

Instead, they sent out raiders to strike at Japanese shipping.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/f2vxtegyb/Screenshot_2046.png)

One of the raiders, a Syrcouf-class light cruiser intercepted a supply convoy rushing to reinforce the Askaris in Senegal.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/r619gys0j/Screenshot_2047.png)

Unfortunately for her, the convoy was guarded by Kuma and Izumi; and a squadron of destroyers.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/tomyhndqr/Screenshot_2048.png)

One-on-one, the Syrcouf was no match for a single Kuma but could, at least, outrun her. Two Kumas could not only outrange her, but could put twelve ITMS-guided shells in her as soon as she crept into range.
 
(https://s27.postimg.cc/3ud5rvdqr/Screenshot_2049.png)

And, inevitably, one of these shells punched through the Syrcouf's 1-inch belt armor and cut her speed to twenty knots. As the Kuma and Izumi closed the range, their fire became more effective.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/ejvfxvexf/Screenshot_2051.png)

Until Kuma cracked the Frenchman's spine with a broadside at under five thousand yards.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/4nucy895f/Screenshot_2052.png)

Scratch one fromage. Tennoheika Banzai.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/arbxi4zf7/Screenshot_2054.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/3toe08i1d/__female_admiral_and_yamato_kantai_collection_dr.jpg)

The Admiralty also laid down a sister to the Musashi. The Yamato was based on the same design, but it was also slightly larger, with better 17-inch rifles, a knot faster and with a slightly increased secondary battery.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/8ba44ahcj/Screenshot_2055.png)

And the 'Maru boys', their crews reinforced by Silent Servicemen, once more left their moorings and scattered all over the shipping lanes in the Pacific and the Indian Ocean.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/lth0gkthv/Screenshot_2056.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/h8uu1n9sj/Screenshot_2057.png)

Among the Navy, they would be the first to bleed. In July, with the land war raging, the French made a desperate attempt to strike at Japanese land targets in support of their forces.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/e3a8bfr6b/Screenshot_2058.png)

Under cover of darkness, a French heavy cruiser slipped past the Japanese patrols and reached the coast of Annam. There, it ran across the Minesweeper Dairen Maru. The Japanese ship managed a brief wireless squawk of alarm, but had no chance against the French cruiser; and the French ship proceeded to bombard its land target with impunity, before the Takachiho and her destroyer flotilla drove her off.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/df1dshsgj/Screenshot_2059.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/cdd8rdw43/h2.jpg)

By the end of the month, the Japanese were getting frustrated by the stalemate in the African front. There was no denying the valor of the Askaris, their commitment to the fight or the skills of the officers in command of the operation; but de Gaulle was proving to be a capable and determined opponent. In an effort to break the deadlock, the 3rd Askari Army was redeployed from Tanganyika to the front. The French had deployed a unit of experimental 'VBs' ('Vehicule Blinde' or 'Armored Vehicles') to Africa and de Gaulle was utilising them effectively in counterattacks against the Japanese; the 3rd Askari brought with them sufficient artillery support to best counter these contraptions.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/y0g5kea1f/Screenshot_2060.png)

On the 15th of August, two Fauconneau-class destroyers snuck to the coast of Sumatra, in a secret mission to deploy a team of saboteurs against the Japanese oil fields. Unfortunately for them, they were unaware of the presence of an ITMS observation station in the area and were spotted on their approach; even worse, Kongou and Kirishima, with a squadron of Mutsuki and Hatsuharu escorts were just over the horizon.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/ddbthh6pj/kongou_kantai_collection_drawn_by_rikkido_sam.jpg)

The two battlecruisers crested the Koeta Radja cape at flank and found themselves at a range of under 10,000 yards from the enemy destroyers. Capitaine de Vesseau Jean-Philippe Poulain, the CO of Arbalette expressed the French sentiments succintly: he is said to have just muttered 'Oh, putain'.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/ocja5avyp/f6ca8e4baa6ac5420276e92d8532e13a5b525b2a_hq.jpg)
 
(https://s27.postimg.cc/ohb24obwz/Screenshot_2061.png)

This was a range that Hiei had already demonstrated was well within the capabilities of Japanese ITMS-guided fire; Kongou opened up with her forward batteries with no preamble. The Arbalette was clipped by a 17-inch explosive shell which knocked out her engine and left her dead in the water; Poulain struck his colours immediately. His escort, the Fauconneau made the mistake of running. Kongou pursued, only two knots slower than the French ship; and her rifles barked three more times, in carefully aimed salvoes. In her third attempt, she scored three hits with her main battery; in an instant, the Fauconneau was a drifting ball of flame.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/c2x1zua4d/__kongou_kantai_collection_drawn_by_arceonn__sam.jpg)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/pxmkmtetv/Screenshot_2062.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/5rj2nxj6b/Screenshot_2063.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/c0fnhjq35/hiei_and_kongou_kantai_collection_drawn_by_yar.jpg)

Good girl.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on January 11, 2017, 04:42:33 pm
Update poll to include Kongou  :p
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 11, 2017, 04:48:08 pm
Done
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on January 11, 2017, 07:41:31 pm
Hello Cans, I learned this trick from cousin Warspite.

(http://i.imgur.com/Y2Q8ilX.gif)
Title: Lords of Africa
Post by: Enioch on January 13, 2017, 09:10:53 am
(https://s27.postimg.cc/7mse7s1v7/Screenshot_2064.png)

The French made their first tentative overtures for peace in August. This time around, they were not harried by the Germans, or engaged in a European front; but their economy had not recovered from the Great War as much as they'd have liked and their forces in colonial regions were on the back foot. They were willing to make concessions, but Japan asked for more than they were prepared to give, and so the war continued.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/80tq7dlyr/Screenshot_2065.png)

A glimpse at the world stage. Note that, while the capital ship fleets of Japan and France are comparable in tonnage, Japan leads (or is about to lead) in pretty much everything else.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/nu1tgmay5/__fujiwara_no_mokou_touhou_drawn_by_shangguan_fe.jpg)

Not a surprise, given that the Japanese economy (and its massive colonial holdings) can support a yearly Naval Budget that is the equivalent of 120 million pounds higher than the French. In fact, Japan is outspending every Minor Power and lags only 150 million behind the Brits.
 
(https://s27.postimg.cc/s9h3t3l9v/Screenshot_2066.png)

The French Navy continued to be an embarrassment, as Japanese cruisers bombarded targets in Senegal unopposed in October.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/nddh1el4j/Screenshot_2068.png)

During the same month, the Japanese Intelligence services located a known French Anarchist in Kwang-Chou-Wan: Gabriel Destours. He was living incognito and publishing his treatises under a pseudonym in self-imposed exile: he was a known player in the Anarchist scene, with many connections back in France. If provided with the necessary support, he could serve to be a major destabilising factor for the French government.

The Military Intelligence and Navy considered sneaking him back to mainland France for all of two days, before somebody brought up how people inspired by the ideals of this fellow might get it in their minds to do...foolish things. Like kill another Emperor.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/9xv1pp20j/Screenshot_2069.png)

Good news in November, as one of the few remaining French destroyers in the South China Sea hit a mine and sank off Annam. The submarine designers looked upon the reports and hummed, thoughtfully...

(https://s28.postimg.cc/3y5u12twt/13_hn_ma_revell_type_viid_german_minelayer_1_350.jpg)

Hmmmmmmm....

(https://s29.postimg.cc/fq2a99707/Screenshot_2072.png)

One thing the French could be proud of, however, were their surface raiders. Operating, in many cases, inside Japanese territorial waters, the French cruisers accounted for 160,000 tons of shipping in November alone. The Japanese gritted their teeth and bore it, all the time preparing for their counterattack.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/g6gdj9zlf/Screenshot_2075.png)

And they were right; for the reinforcements in Senegal managed to finally crack de Gaulle's defenses. The French were forced to retreat deeper into the continent, only retaining control over a few minor ports. The VB corps of de Gaulle was rendered nearly battle-ineffective because of the lack of spare parts; the Foreign Legion fought on, however, and the Japanese victory was far from assured.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/r7bioarub/Screenshot_2076.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/8t0zkbfjn/Screenshot_2077.png)

Encouraged by their naval success, the French prepared to reinforce Senegal; but also renewed their peace overtures. Their request for a white peace incensed the Japanese Army and Navy, who felt that their sacrifices would amount to nothing. The Government did not require much prompting to shelve the negotiations.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/3ybvzs6lv/Screenshot_2080.png)

In January, a major resupply convoy departed Tonkin for Annam, the overland routes being contested by Japanese troops. The French believed that their cruisers had secured sufficient control over the coastal areas for them to risk deploying the convoy; unfortunately, the Japanese had several destroyers on station. Sawakaze, Tachikaze and Asakaze were dispatched to intercept the French ships.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/5ylapc9rr/fubuki_mutsuki_and_yuudachi_kantai_collection.jpg)

The Japanese force sighted the French convoy two hours after noon, on the 4th of January; the Japanese raiders signalled that they had acquired their targets back to HQ and prepared for close engagement.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/6toz6nalv/Screenshot_2081.png)

(https://s28.postimg.cc/v62o8f3sd/__fubuki_kantai_collection_drawn_by_senaya_eru__.jpg)

It seemed, originally, that luck would favour the French. A few minutes after the targets were identified and the Japanese ships crept into range of the escorting French destroyers, a lucky shot from a French 4'' gun struck Sawakaze's fore torpedo launcher. One of the four Type-93 torpedoes exploded on its mount, destroying the launcher and bathing the ship's bridge in flame. Twenty-three men died instantly. But the Sawakaze's power plant and its armament were otherwise unharmed. Ensign Arashi, now the highest-ranking officer alive, took command of Sawakaze and turned her to engage the enemy, commanding from the secondary, exposed bridge at the rear of the ship.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/ik2wo13eb/Screenshot_2082.png)

Sawakaze fell back to the rear of the destroyer flotilla and her guns found the range on the French Pertusiane-class destroyer that had scarred her. Her fore two turrets barked and scored a hit on the Frenchman's bow; Tachikaze followed up with a concentrated broadside that scored four hits and raked the French ship from bow to stern.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/425pg1c37/Screenshot_2083.png)

Asakaze contributed with a torpedo spread, which blew the crippled French destroyer out of the water.

Having eliminated the single patrolling destroyer, the Japanese ships turned their attention to her two sisters guarding the convoy; and the transport ships themselves.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/4jq7jfzl9/__yuudachi_kantai_collection_drawn_by_rakku_1021.jpg)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/cyghjz2pf/Screenshot_2084.png)

What ensued, was a close-range, no-holds-barred brawl; the Japanese ships took considerable damage (especially Asakaze, whose A turret was penetrated, with the loss of the entire gunner crew) but the entirety of the French convoy was sent to the bottom of the sea.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/8qlpb819v/Screenshot_2085.png)

No croissants for the defenders of Annam!

(https://s27.postimg.cc/u1j9fhjeb/Screenshot_2086.png)

The Admiralty also took steps to further modernise Japan's heavy cruiser fleet. The Takaos and Myokos were very capable ships, but the Japanese looked for something with a little more...bite, compared to the older cruisers' 6-inch broadside.

And so, the Zao] was laid down. Her armor was nothing to write home about, but it was capable of comfortably defeating light cruiser guns at a distance; her torpedo protection was the usual Japanese exceptional layered system and her speed was a staggering 33 knots. Her torpedo armament was also spectacular; but what was truly excellent about her were her guns. With a twelve 8-inch gun broadside of newly produced Type-98 55-caliber Mk.II guns in triple turrets, the Zao could outshoot any heavy cruiser in the world and, under very specific circumstances, could go toe-to-toe with battlecruisers.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/e78yjck1f/Screenshot_2089.png)

By February, the French had changed their tune. The beleaguered forces in Senegal and Annam were on their last legs; and the Fearsome Four were gathering near Formosa, to escort a massive invasion convoy to Tonkin. The French Admiralty's unwillingness to commit their capital ships in battle against the Japanese battleline had yielded all initiative to the Rising Sun; and, now, the French could do nothing but accept terms.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/a0o440kfn/Screenshot_2091.png)

The Japanese were unsure of what French holdings to lay claim to. New Caledonia, a veritable jewel would be an excellent prize, but was beyond what anyone would consider reasonable. It was thought that asking for Polynesia and Algeria would be an interesting alternative, as it would further reinforce Japan's control over the Pacific, while also granting her an operating base in the Mediterranean.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/j9qae4tbn/Screenshot_2092.png)

However, eventually, the Japanese settled for cementing their control over Africa. Senegal and Middle Congo were formally ceded to Japan on the 26th of February.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/a37zquo37/Screenshot_2093.png)

And Japan found herself in undisputed control of Sub-Saharan Africa. At this point in time, only the British Empire could be argued to be superior to the Japanese Alliance in prestige, population, or natural wealth; and the two Powers had rarely been in such friendly terms.

(https://s28.postimg.cc/4txq2se7h/__kongou_and_warspite_kantai_collection_drawn_by.jpg)
Title: A World Turned Upside Down
Post by: Enioch on January 17, 2017, 03:06:05 pm
(https://s24.postimg.cc/676a3vc91/Screenshot_2094.png)

As expected, the end of hostilities brought along a severe curtailing of the Naval Budget; partly to fund the better integration of the new African holdings and partly so as to demonstrate Japan's commitment to peace for the upcoming years. With France now thoroughly humiliated, with the British, Americans and Russians firmly behind Japan's attempts to create a stable trading zone in Africa and the Indian Ocean, there was little that the Japanese thought would challenge them in the near future. The Yamato and Zao were placed on hold, their construction planned to be resumed after the completion of the Myokos.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/cuvg5xmdd/__musashi_and_yamato_kantai_collection_drawn_by_.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/dcy16blc5/Screenshot_2096.png)

In a further attempt to curtail expenses, the Admiralty put an end to live-fire training. This economised the equivalent of a further three million pounds a month. These funds were channeled toward partly continuing the construction of the capital ships and partly toward improving the Japanese bases in Africa. With their efforts fully geared toward infrastructure improvement, the Japanese Admiralty settled back for what they thought would be a peaceful decade.

They couldn't have been more wrong.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/et9jogo91/Screenshot_2097.png)

On the 20th of May 1940, the world exploded. In a diplomatic visit to the Ukraine, the Tzar and his wife were killed in an explosion set off by a group of militantly anti-Russian anarchists. In the chaos that ensued, communist revolts erupted like wildfires throughout Russia. Military sympathisers sabotaged the efforts of the Army and the Navy to bring the insurgents to heel. Within eight days, Russia had descended into one of the most brutal civil wars in modern history.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/9paufq3r5/Russian_Civil_War_poster.jpg)

Europe was stunned into appalled silence; and then into an anti-communist frenzy. The French Republic, exhausted by the wars with Japan, simmered sullenly in its corner, but democracy served as a safety valve; Italy proceeded to purge its military and social administration in one of the most ruthless and rapid actions of the 20th century; Great Britain's monarchy presented a cliff of uncompromising tradition and stability to the raging; but Germany...

Kaiser Wilhelm III was a capable leader and politician (considerably moreso than his father had been); but the long war with France had considerably undermined his authority and the severe losses suffered by the German military had served to strengthen the anarchist / communist element in the ranks. Many grognards among the higher ranks considered this a chance for a power grab. When instructed by His Majesty's Government to bring the troops to readiness, for a potential war with Russia, the 'June Junta' began their plans.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/9hn7j7ssh/maxresdefault2.jpg)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/mzu3vi4xt/44f08d7d92a65bfbecc808ca624e1365.jpg)

On the night of the 2nd of June, communist elements of the German Army stormed Berlin. By pure luck, their plans to arrest the Kaiser were thwarted because of a last minute change in his plans; the Kaiser, his son Wilhelm and his daughter, Alexandrine, managed to escape to Wilhelmshaven and, from there, as the situation quickly worsened, on board the SMS Emden, to Denmark. The Empress and the rest of the Imperial Family were captured during their own escape attempt; they would spend the following years as prisoners under house arrest in Cecilienhof. Thankfully, the new regime were aware of their value as negotiating pieces; unlike the family of the Tzar, they would all survive the upcoming years.

Meanwhile, the only German possession that remained Kaisertreu was Java - and Wilhelm travelled there, to establish a Government-in-exile. The Japanese and British gave him their complete support; King George VI's well-known speech at the eve of the Kaiser's journey to the Far East and the Emperor Nobuhito's welcome of the exiled monarch on board the Hiei are moments known to all scholars of modern history and marked their full commitment against the 'enemy'.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/io5i6hy0x/Battleship_Scharnhorst_bow_view.jpg)
The battlecruiser SMS Emden arriving in Java.

Yet war was not declared for now; neither 'Communist' Germany nor Russia could afford to pursue any offensive wars before first securing control over their land and population. And, without the support of weakened France, there was little Great Britain could do on the continent.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/7ek7w32dh/Screenshot_2111.png)

Japan, on the other hand, grimly prepared for the inevitable. This was personal. An Emperor had been assassinated; another had been driven from his home and his family held hostage. The Alliance rolled up its collective sleeves and started honing the metaphorical blades.

First things first: the Silent Service. The R & D department had completed their designs; and the naval secretary OK'd the construction of the new submarine fleet.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/gp0xdd2h1/Screenshot_2113.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/cea8jhym9/__i_401_i_58_and_ro_500_kantai_collection_drawn_.jpg)

Eighteen new boats were laid down. Thirteen of those were improved long-range designs, of the 'I-107' type, with a massive torpedo armament, experimantal ITMS systems and the best anti-surface and anti-ASW systems in the world. Five more, were I-120 designs: a first in world naval history. Their range was comparable to the I-107s, but their torpedo armament was reduced, in favour of two massive mine rails that spanned the length of the ship. An I-120 could sneak into enemy waters, mine strategic locations, and still be fast enough (or carry enough weaponry) to escape or sink any ASW ships in might run across.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/qnlvzubwl/Screenshot_2114.png)

More funds were poured into infrastructure. The railway networks in Africa were expanded; supply stations and forts were set up. With the assistance of the British, Africa became a veritable fortress; and the Indian Ocean an Anglo-Japanese lake.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/dyrlg65s5/Screenshot_2116.png)

Things almost exploded in February, when a Communist rebellion erupted in the southern China provinces. The world held its breath - and let it out explosively, as the combined fleets and armies of Great Britain, the USA and Japan descended to assist the Chinese Government. Two months later, after more than 150,000 deaths, China was secured, to a degree where the Government could contain any furhter violence; the German - Russian block had been denied a third wheel.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/jcecpfwqp/mortalenemy.jpg)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/wsded6405/Screenshot_2117.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/4tj8mb2dh/Screenshot_2118.png)

Now more than ever, Japan needed friends. F. D. Roosevelt's USA were the obvious choice. On the 13th of April 1941, the two countries signed a defensive pact against the 'Red Threat' and the Pacific neighbours became, once again, officially allies.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/cnbw9u5g7/iowa_and_kongou_kantai_collection_drawn_by_shi.jpg)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/rakspd8sl/Screenshot_2122.png)

And that would soon prove to be a good move. In June, another uprising shook the French holdings in New Caledonia. The Japanese and Americans responded immediately and offered their assistance; the French were hesitant, but accepted in the end. This served to greatly smooth over the Franco-Japanese relations; and France would prove not a firm ally, but a consistent neutral in the upcoming fight.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/uvlq5pjnp/Screenshot_2124.png)

With the submarine fleet being rebuilt, the Admiralty also focused on the 'Maru boys' - giving the old minesweepers heavier weaponry, improved machinery and better ASW suites.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/yghloxo79/Screenshot_2125.png)

And the Americans squashed another rebellion in the Caribbean, with the blessings of the Allies.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/fcoa8lbd1/Screenshot_2126.png)

For half a year, nothing happened, beyond posing; and preparing; and tensions steadily rising. The Yamato left its slipway (and the Admirals breathed a sigh of relief); Japan laid down three more Zaos, in preparation for the inevitable war. They also begun construction of an additional twenty subs of the I-107 and the I-120 classes.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/3ou8e1m85/Screenshot_2127.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/ywlqfz6v5/CA_Myoukou_062_Full_Damaged.png)
Ignore her. She likes to pose like that

And then it happened. Myoko ran aground near Kamtchatka and had to wait for high tide to disentangle herself from her predicament; the Russians were not pleased at all by this blatant violation of their territorial waters. A squadron of Russian destroyers descended upon the scene, followed by the Russian battlecruiser Rydnik and things might have exploded right then and there, had Yamato, Hiei and Naniwa, escorted by a destroyer flotilla not arrived just in time.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1hu74i.jpg)

The response of the Russians was split between aghast horror at the Japanese dictating terms within Russian territorial waters and timid nervousness under the looming presence of the Japanese superbattleship; in the end, none of their commanders on scene were willing to take responsibility for risking their ships. Myoko made a clean escape, and only spent a month in the yards thanks to her underwater protection. But the Japanese new that the time was finally here.
 
(https://s24.postimg.cc/9eagycsed/Screenshot_2128.png)

A short glimpse at the new Silent Service. Note the obscenely high 'Reliability' estimates for the Japanese subs (this is a percentile and translates to odds of scoring kills and escaping / defeating ASW)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/rwetila6d/Screenshot_2130.png)

(https://i.imgflip.com/1hu52s.jpg)

OK, Reds. Let's do this.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Scourge of Ages on January 17, 2017, 04:24:55 pm
This gon' be gud.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on January 17, 2017, 05:53:21 pm
Like how you retasked the balkan event towards Russia and Germany :D
Title: The Voyage of the Damned
Post by: Enioch on January 18, 2017, 11:50:51 am
(https://s29.postimg.cc/hunfehkgn/Screenshot_2131.png)

OK, Order of Battle.

The Fearsome Four are patrolling the South China Sea, with Yamato, and are unavailable; the fleet is led by Admiral Okuro Daichi from the Nagato. The Bear is out for blood, followed closely by the Mikasa. They are screened by a small light cruiser division.

To their north, Commodore Fetu Lotomau leads the Zao and two Myokos in a heavy cruiser division.

And, prowling the mouth of Port Arthur, we have four attack subs and eleven destroyers, bearing down on the Russians like hellhounds.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/u2ckk33ir/__yuudachi_kantai_collection_drawn_by_kakutasu__.jpg)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/uak588dsn/Screenshot_2132.png)

At 21:00 exactly, Isonami enters Port Arthur at flank speed and turns on her ITMS. She is closely followed by Mutsuki and Hakaze. The Japanese systems immediately get return signatures, corresponding to at least three capital ships. No enemy ship is moving; the Russians are caught completely flat-footed.

They are alerted to the presence of the Japanese ships when Yakaze opens fire on the anti-capital coastal batteries with incendiary shells. Too late, too late. Isonami's and Hakaze's torpedoes are already in the water.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/ddb4o66xf/__yuudachi_kantai_collection_drawn_by_mtu_orewam.jpg)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/kej28l80n/Screenshot_2133.png)

The torpedoes smash into the Russian ships at anchor. There are screams and the raid sirens finally go off, but the destroyers are already on their way out. As they are retreating, Satsuki, Nagatsuki and Minazuki empty their launchers into the Russian battleline from a range of less than three thousand yards. The result is absolute carnage. In the light of the burning ships, Minazuki identifies one of the enemy ships: it's a battlecruiser, possibly the Rymnik.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/xuw2ztj0z/__asashimo_ashigara_kasumi_kiyoshimo_and_ooyodo_.jpg)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/3s1hzif2v/Screenshot_2134.png)

Meanwhile, Lotomau leads his division against the northern coastal defenses. Zao and Izumo absolutely savage a heavy coastal battery before the gunnery crews can ever bring their guns to bear.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/kye5jn1xv/180288867.jpg)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/9hhqjtl93/Screenshot_2135.png)

The entirety of Port Arthur is burning. Thirty torpedoes have been launched against the Russian battleship row at point-blank range; more than twenty have hit. Only one ship manages to make steam and exit that hell: it's a Rymnik-class alright, and making good speed toward the north. She's the Fokshani, under the command of Captain Ivan Urumov, a distinguished officer of the Tzarist Navy who was too skilled for the new regime to just discard.

Time for the Dreadnoughts to earn their pay.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/71fx5z36f/Screenshot_2136.png)

The Nagato closes the range and prepares to engage. Unfortunately, Urumov knows is business and has the armament to back it up. At a range of under five thousand yards, the Fokshani lets loose with a devastating broadside of eight 16-inchers. The weak bow armor of the Nagato crumbles like paper and the massive shells punch through the main engineering spaces and the armor of Turret A. The Nagato's engines die; her electrical power is cut.

Fokshani follows up with a withering salvo of her secondaries: 6-inch shells punch through the Nagato's superstructure and light several fires in her upper decks. The Bear staggers, dead in the water.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/5ti1m4dqr/__nagato_kantai_collection_drawn_by_yue_tada_no_.jpg)

On the Nagato's bridge, Okuro demands a damage report, as Mikasa takes emergency evasive action to avoid ramming her colleague. Nagato has been crippled and the damcon crews are fighting the fires, but she is, thankfully, not flooding.

"Then power up the secondary pump generators," he orders, "and transfer all power to the Turret B mount. Strike back with everything we have left."

The Nagato's last remaining front turret traverses and her 13-inchers fire, with local control; at this range, the Fokshani's 11-inch belt is butter. One of the Nagato's shells punches deep into her vitals and halves her speed.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/stooygbkj/__nagato_kantai_collection_drawn_by_hettsuaa__sa.jpg)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/3vvbfrkk7/Screenshot_2137.png)

Then, Lotomau brings the heavy cruisers to the dance. Zao, Izumo and Myoko close in and blast the Russian giant at point-blank range with their medium batteries; her superstructure is turned into a mass of burning wreckage and glowing metal.

Finally, Satsuki and her division catch up and execute a textbook torpedo run. The Fokshani is hit five times by the massive Japanese torpedoes; she goes down in less than five minutes. Urumov never leaves the conning tower. Only thirty-two sailors make it out alive.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/f8xwzbvrn/Bismarck_87739794_162739c.jpg)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/gbwmn939z/Screenshot_2138.png)

With Nagato crippled, the Japanese refrain from pushing the attack. They have achieved their objectives. The Mikasa takes her older sibling under tow and makes toward South Korea; the fleet follows in close formation. Spirits are soaring.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/iolfv53mb/CoB45BTUsAE1gqC_jpg_large.jpg)

The true extent of the damage suffered by the Russian fleet would only become known in the following days. It was a massacre, due to no small degree to the fact that the Russians had no screening forces whatsoever deployed to the Far East: the new regime did not trust the relatively small crew of a destroyer (or even a cruiser) not to defect and had, therefore, left their capital ships completely unguarded, preferring to keep their screening forces under closer scrutiny in northern Europe.

The old Dreadnought Moskva (originally Imperator Nikolai) had been the first to sink, followed closely by the battlecruiser Navarin. The Fokshani was the only Russian ship that had fired a single shot in anger. The only survivor was the battlecruiser Ochakov, whose officers had (no thanks to her completely drunk captain), managed to beach in Port Arthur.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/t4kqn6evr/Screenshot_2139.png)

The Japanese hadn't lost a single ship. Japan rejoiced.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/7jfnzki53/Screenshot_2140.png)

With the data from the actual battle available, the Japanese Admiralty immediately ordered the upgunning of the Takaos. These cruisers were getting relatively old; but their refurbishment, though expensive, would once again make them competitive against all comers.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/n7gv6cxqv/Screenshot_2142.png)

Meanwhile, the Silent Service engaged the Russian coastal forces. In a daring long-range minelaying mission (and refueled by an American tanker in the Northern Atlantic), the I-129 took an opportunistic shot at the Russian cruiser Gromoboi. The Russian ship barely made it back to base, with less than a foot of freeboard on her bow.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/ia3al8vrr/Screenshot_2143.png)

Also, I-114 just surfaced and engaged a Russian coastal patrol vessel in a gunnery duel, smashing her to matchwood. And not a single **** was given.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/j0w0r0y53/Screenshot_2144.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/5y0e7r7x3/Screenshot_2145.png)

In November, the Musashi and the Mikasa offered battle to the remnants of the Russian fleet in Liaotung. The Ochakov just cowered in its harbor (wisely so).

(https://s29.postimg.cc/ehjs5ig9j/Screenshot_2146.png)

What.

(https://s12.postimg.cc/xkbfh1pzx/hibiki_kantai_collection_drawn_by_kanijiru_sa.jpg)

At the end of the month, strange news arrived from Senegal. Confused reports, at first; then detailed situation reports; then stunned accounts of the goings on. Because Communist Russia, in a move so staggeringly incompetent as to leave the entire world reeling in horror at its sheer stupidity, had decided to seek out a decisive battle with the Japanese Fleet. And had started what came to be known as the Voyage of the Damned.

In the 15th of November, the entirety of the Russian Battleline departed Archangel, to travel from northern Europe, around Africa, through the Indian Ocean and to Liaotung, there to engage the Japanese fleet. The Suez canal was closed to them, with Great Britain's Grand Fleet ready to defend it; no ships but those of the Germans were willing to resupply them; and their planned route took them through Japanese-controlled territorial waters for at least 70% of the trip. The Japanese Admiralty were just...unable to comprehend how anyone would think this was a good idea.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/n9oivy7yp/wakarimasen_cover.jpg)

The Voyage started out in a most auspicious manner, when Russian ships identified French fishing fleets as Japanese torpedo boats off Armorique. The ensuing panicked firing caused three instances of blue-on-blue (or red-on-red, as the case may be) fire, with the newly repaired Gromoboi being struck by secondary fire from the flagship Pervenets. Hilariously, none of the French boats were hit, despite the Russians expending more than three hundred rounds of ammunition in total, before Admiral Kutuzov could rein in his trigger-happy force.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/y8xezf34j/2f148922ecd84805d5810c58be50ed38.jpg)

Follwowing that, the refueling planned to take place off Gibraltar through German tankers resulted in a destroyer ramming the tanker Milchkuh, and causing an oil spill that was, then, ignited. Two destroyers suffered major damage; as did the resupply ship that was meant to deliver foodstuffs.

Following that debacle, the Russian fleet embarked on the long trip around Africa. And upon reaching Senegal, Admiral Kutuzov was instructed by the Political Officers assigned to the fleet to disembark a marine detachment, to take control of the Japanese coastal sites. Kutuzov protested that his troops were underequipped and that any ground action would greatly delay the fleet - he was promptly relieved of duty and arrested, with the Political Officers taking direct control of the fleet, disembarking six hundred marines, and then abandoning them in Senegal, to continue their trip around Africa.

The local Askari troops closed in, with a vengeance.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/5b1hi8b13/Screenshot_2147.png)

The Japanese Silent Service kept a close eye on the movements of the Russian Fleet. With a series of nighttime strikes, they considerably whittled down the ASW forces escorting the Russian capital ships.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/76sv74p93/Screenshot_2150.png)

And, the 'Maru boys' made certain that, whatever success the Russians enjoyed in submarine warfare, they paid for in blood.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/lr9y1yk7r/Screenshot_2151.png)

On the third of December, less than ten days after the Russians' departure from Senegal, the Askaris had retaken the ports. Only fifteen Russians and a single Askari had been killed; the rest of the Russian marines surrendered in short order.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/54sdsvr9z/Screenshot_2152.png)

The Russian fleet postured around Madagascar for a while, but had no marines left to threaten the Japanese garrisons; furthermore, their ships were now suffering from major mechanical problems and lack of fuel. Japanese subs had kept the German tankers meant to resupply them away; and several ships (being very poorly maintained) had suffered catastrophic boiler and gearing damage. Pervenets could barely chug along at 15 knots; poor Bayan could do only eight, on one functioning boiler. Their supplies were going stale; several desalination plants on ships were failing and lack of drinking water, in the stifling summer of the Indian Ocean was a major problem. Even more importantly, most wireless sets in the fleet were malfunctioning; or tightly controlled by the Political Officers, to prevent the crews from getting any...ideas.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/6p9xnty1f/x8y4l.jpg)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/70f641g47/Screenshot_2154.png)

What reached the South China Sea, on the 28th December 1943 was a collection of barely-floating wrecks; with near-mutinous, starving crews, being constantly harried by Japanese light forces and subs. What they encountered, off the coast of Sumatra, was the entirety of the Japanese battle-line, including the Fearsome Four and the Musashi sisters.

Thankfully for the Russians, Moscow had capitulated a few days ago, yielding considerable concessions in the East, in exchange for the preservation and return of their fleet. The Russian fleet leadership only found this out after arriving in Sumatra, thanks to the contribution of British and French envoys: their last wireless set had given up the spirit three days before arrival.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/ycaf5dkuv/Screenshot_2155.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/7shu38kbb/Screenshot_2156.png)

The Russian ships were allowed to dock in Port Arthur, for the necessary repairs; but they did so under the watchful guns of Kongou and Haruna - and under the flag of the Rising Sun.

And then...they were instructed to sail back.  :lol:

(https://s27.postimg.cc/v4i5ovwyb/__female_admiral_hibiki_and_verniy_kantai_collec.jpg)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: The E on January 18, 2017, 01:10:29 pm
The fact that this particular Voyage of the Damned ended without even the dignity of a naval battle at the end makes the whole thing even more sad than it was in reality (and that particular bit of insanity was already pretty damn sad to begin with!)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on January 18, 2017, 01:55:39 pm
So is the Deutsche Demokratische Republik going to have a go?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Scourge of Ages on January 18, 2017, 02:07:09 pm
Ya know, the problem with having the absolute finest battleship fleet in the hemisphere is that nobody wants to fight it, so the Kongou sisters still haven't seen any action :(
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Grizzly on January 18, 2017, 02:22:10 pm
Actually, the Americans had no qualms in fighting the Japanese super-heavy battleships --- from the air. I find myself constantly wondering how this whole thing would go with aircraft carriers.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on January 18, 2017, 02:55:31 pm
If I'm not mistaken the ONI didn't have a clear understanding of what the Yamato class actually entailed until after the war.  The Montanas for example where designed to have an immunity zone against US 16" Mark 8 "Super-heavy" shells not the IJN 40 cm/45 Type 94 naval gun. 

Given that lack of clear intel if Halsey had not pulled Task Force 34 of covering San Bernardino, Willis Lee probably would have had no qualms about having a go with Kurita.  Which, I would imagine, would have ended up the definitive surface engagement of the war.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 18, 2017, 03:09:39 pm
The fact that this particular Voyage of the Damned ended without even the dignity of a naval battle at the end makes the whole thing even more sad than it was in reality (and that particular bit of insanity was already pretty damn sad to begin with!)

I share the sadness. It was truly pathetic.

So is the Deutsche Demokratische Republik going to have a go?

Spoiler:
Eventually

Ya know, the problem with having the absolute finest battleship fleet in the hemisphere is that nobody wants to fight it, so the Kongou sisters still haven't seen any action :(

Spoiler:
Relax. They'll have their day. Against both the Russians and the Germans

Actually, the Americans had no qualms in fighting the Japanese super-heavy battleships --- from the air. I find myself constantly wondering how this whole thing would go with aircraft carriers.

The considerably earlier development of the RADAR equivalent in this timeline has made the anti-air abilities of the ships in question considerably better than their OTL contemporaries. The Battle of Taranto never took place here, and no Admiral will risk an airstrike against an enemy fleet: common wisdom says the planes will be chewed up by radar-controlled secondaries and tertiaries.

Aircraft carriers exist, but they're scout carriers with a small wing, primarily meant to find the enemy fleet for the BBs to engage.

If I'm not mistaken the ONI didn't have a clear understanding of what the Yamato class actually entailed until after the war.  The Montanas for example where designed to have an immunity zone against US 16" Mark 8 "Super-heavy" shells not the IJN 40 cm/45 Type 94 naval gun. 

You are not mistaken. The Americans thought that the Yamato had 16 inch guns until after the war - and they had no idea that the Yamato shells were designed for under-the-waterline penetrations / shockwave damage.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: niffiwan on January 18, 2017, 04:45:05 pm
If I'm not mistaken the ONI didn't have a clear understanding of what the Yamato class actually entailed until after the war.  The Montanas for example where designed to have an immunity zone against US 16" Mark 8 "Super-heavy" shells not the IJN 40 cm/45 Type 94 naval gun. 

You are not mistaken. The Americans thought that the Yamato had 16 inch guns until after the war - and they had no idea that the Yamato shells were designed for under-the-waterline penetrations / shockwave damage.

IIRC I read an analysis once (I can't remember where) that stated that at long range (plunging fire) the US BB's would have had the advantage against the Yamato/Musashi, however in a hypothetical surface engagement due to the aforementioned lack of intel it's likely that the US captains would have closed the range ASAP & handed the advantage to the Yamato.

Also re ships anti-air capabilities, I though the proximity fuse was a bigger deal than radar control (which is still damn important, don't get me wrong) due to it essentially turning a 3D interception problem into a 2D one. Does RTW deal with development of the prox fuse, and when would it have been developed in your timeline?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 18, 2017, 04:57:02 pm
If I'm not mistaken the ONI didn't have a clear understanding of what the Yamato class actually entailed until after the war.  The Montanas for example where designed to have an immunity zone against US 16" Mark 8 "Super-heavy" shells not the IJN 40 cm/45 Type 94 naval gun. 

You are not mistaken. The Americans thought that the Yamato had 16 inch guns until after the war - and they had no idea that the Yamato shells were designed for under-the-waterline penetrations / shockwave damage.

IIRC I read an analysis once (I can't remember where) that stated that at long range (plunging fire) the US BB's would have had the advantage against the Yamato/Musashi, however in a hypothetical surface engagement due to the aforementioned lack of intel it's likely that the US captains would have closed the range ASAP & handed the advantage to the Yamato.

Also re ships anti-air capabilities, I though the proximity fuse was a bigger deal than radar control (which is still damn important, don't get me wrong) due to it essentially turning a 3D interception problem into a 2D one. Does RTW deal with development of the prox fuse, and when would it have been developed in your timeline?

Re: prox fuse: yes, in OTL they're hugely important for anti-air. The game doesn't support them, given the general lack of aircraft; but given that the prox fuse is, essentially, a miniaturised doppler radar, it is not beyond the capabilities of the JA.

The main thing is that there is no reason to actually build them. Nobody has invested in offensive naval aviation to a degree that it is necessary to develop them.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: LaineyBugsDaddy on January 18, 2017, 05:17:18 pm
Maybe in RTW2 offensive naval aviation will be a thing. Given that the soft end of RTW is 1925, I would think that RTW2 would start in 1925, but I'm not sure how far after that to cut it off. Maybe some time into the Cold War era?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 18, 2017, 05:45:28 pm
It has been pretty much confirmed that naval aviation will be a major aspect of RTW2. What hasn't been revealed yet is how the mechanics will work.

And I believe that the game is scheduled to cover the years 1925-1950 or so (hopefully allowing for an earlier start, a la RTW 1 - I'd love to play through the Battleship - Carrier transition).
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on January 19, 2017, 01:35:14 pm
Imagine if you could flesh out CVs in RTW2 in an earlier startdate :D
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 19, 2017, 02:07:00 pm
I imagine you could. With focus on the appropriate research (and if you're playing with a Major Power, like GB, USA or Germany) you can have dreadnoughts ca. 1902~1903 in RTW1. With a proper head start (and deliberate focus on naval aviation) you should be able to acquire Carriertech much earlier than OTL in RTW2.

Of course, the AI will immediately shift priorities to counter you, so they'll acquire carriers early as well.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Grizzly on January 19, 2017, 02:20:16 pm
The Brits had the HMS Furious, and they previously also had some seaplane carriers, but I can't imagine carrier tech going out much earlier then that. Consider this: The HMS Furious went out and did her thing in 1916. The HMS Ark Royal, a seaplane carrier that should not be confused with the aircraft carrier of the same name, went out and did her thing in 1914. The Wright Flyer went out in 1903. OTL went from the invention of aviation to the usage of naval aviation in combat in a timespan of 10 years. I can't really imagine it going much faster then that without somehow inventing airplanes earlier.

Also, they also used Airships in naval combat. I consider this to be rad.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on January 20, 2017, 09:26:38 am
The Japanese had the first prupose build CV or am I wrong?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 20, 2017, 09:43:36 am
You are not. Hosho, the best momboat.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on January 20, 2017, 10:19:05 am
It will be interesting to see how they implement it.  There is so much more to successful naval aviation than just building the bird farm, the weapons, communication and most of all doctrine is essential to carrier warfare.
Title: The First Shot
Post by: Enioch on January 22, 2017, 03:44:47 pm
(https://s27.postimg.cc/jwjmzx8jn/Screenshot_2158.png)

Post-war, the Naval budget was slashed, but to a considerably lesser degree than what was expected. The Palace, the Government and the Allies were grimly satisfied by the performance of the Navy: more significantly, the British and the Americans were seeing in Japan a godsent. In all the ways that really counted, Japan had proven herself to be the single stabilising force in the eastern hemisphere and the bastion of the old regimes against the Communist threat.

And her successes were not limited to the battlefronts. Her spying rings delivered the designs of the new German Battlecruisers. The June Junta (or "Deutsche Demokratische Republik" as they called themselves) classified them as Deutschland-class; the Japanese insistently called them Graf Spee-class, as they had originally been named at the start of her construction under Wilhelm's rule.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/tl7ihj86f/__graf_spee_zhan_jian_shao_nyu_drawn_by_lino_lin.jpg)

They were not bad ships, all told; but their design showed a crippling inexperience in modern warfare. For one thing, they sported a 12-inch belt, that was heavy enough to cost them a knot in speed, but not heavy enough to stop the Japanese 17-inchers at any range. For another, they carried less guns (and smaller guns) than the Fearsome Four. Finally, they were more than 3k tons heavier than their Japanese counterparts (and considerably more expensive to produce) with, essentially, nothing to show for it except 2.5 inches of useless belt armor.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/tv4lmehz7/Screenshot_2159.png)

Despite the declaration of peace, nobody in Japan believed that this would be more than a temporary cease-fire. It was time to prepare for the next round. The upgunning of the Japanese heavy cruisers continued, with the Myokos entering the drydocks; and all of the Fearsome Four were also drydocked, for extensive maintenance of their machinery and gunnery systems.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/pn9tdngjn/Screenshot_2160.png)

The Admiralty was not particularly happy when the Prime Minister suggested a repeat of the old shooting competitions: most of the favourites were unavailable. However, it was a good opportunity to show the flag in the South China Sea and antagonise the Russians.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/sveaqp2tf/Screenshot_2161.png)

Mikasa and Yamato made the best showing; but, in the end, the old girl spanked the youngster.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/4sxgvtm6b/Screenshot_2162.png)

A look at the international situation. Note that Japan dominates the Dreadnought tonnage over her opponents, but loses in Battlecruiser tonnage to the Germans. The Admiralty was not particularly concerned about that. Quality over quantity; and, given what the Japanese had seen so far, German quality had gone downhill quite fast in the last years. Also, the newest Japanese BBS were just three knots slower than the fastest German battlecruisers.

As a sidenote: holy crap, America, 990k tons of BCs?

(https://s29.postimg.cc/l1o4jrztz/__haruna_hiei_iowa_kirishima_and_kongou_kantai_c.jpg)

And all of them 35-36k ton designs (sigh).

(https://s27.postimg.cc/44omcvngj/Screenshot_2163.png)

I mean, seriously?

(https://s27.postimg.cc/ajnn9ju6b/Screenshot_2164.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/3n3wbi2p3/__shimakaze_kantai_collection_drawn_by_darkside_.jpg)

Well, crap. That was unfortunate.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/4wrac2rnn/Screenshot_2165.png)

Wait, what? They still operate these things? Holy crap, DDR, get your **** together.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/dumfnwox3/1kvWiI9.png)

Or, better yet, don't.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/ugtkiid1f/Screenshot_2166.png)

Ooooh, now here's an interesting design. An almost destroyer-like light cruiser. It can't stand up to a fight with the Kumas, but it's two knots faster, so it can disengage. Reminds me of the French Syrcoufs, only a knot faster.

Well, it should be a good raider - unless the Russians got that extra knot by tuning the engines for speed rather than reliability, in which case this thing will fall apart three months in a war.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/mo8qr9mhz/t3_58akr1.jpg)
Because Socialist maintenance practices are known around the world.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/it441pdab/Screenshot_2167.png)

By May, the Japanese Battle-line was coming together again. Note that Japan leads the world (including the Brits and Americans) in cruiser tonnage; and that most of her cruiser fleet is comprised of heavy cruisers, capable of punching considerably above their class. The Japanese 8-inchers were capable of easily punching through a 12-inch belt at 5000 yards and rendered all armour under 6.5 inches irrelevant at any range.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/nt1k9niwz/Screenshot_2168.png)

In June 1946, a Communist riot in Panjin escalated into a rebellion, with Russia feeding the rebels with weapons and ammunition. Several Japanese nationals were trapped by the rebels and used as hostages; unfortunately for the rebels, the Japanese had a no-negotiating policy. Three captives (an Army Major and two Captains) took their own lives to prevent being used as negotiating chips; five more were rescued when a detachment of the Imperial Guard was deployed, in collaboration with the Chinese authorities. Following the release of the hostages, Yamato and Mikasa dropped more than three hundred shells on rebel strongholds, from 25 kilometres away.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/9g9cyboyv/NjC8ZtH.jpg)

The Japanese response was felt throughout the international scene. The Russians and Germans exploded with official denouncements of the 'capitalist and imperialistic opporession of the fighting proletariat'; the western world were grimly supportive of the Japanese efforts. Sadly, the congratulatory message sent by the USA did not come from the pen of F.D Roosevelt. Three days before the release of the hostages, 'Franklin-ojii-san' died in his bed. Harry Truman took up the Presidency; and, while he was not the fanatic supporter of Japanese policies that his predecessor was and allowed the USA-Japan Military Alliance to lapse, he stayed true to the spirit of the 'Pacific Neighbours' ideal.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/ezansjvyb/Screenshot_2169.png)

And then, military intelligence presented the Japanese Admiralty with the designs of the new Izmail battlecruiser. Oh, those Russians (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErDGpdmBZkY).

In short, the Reds had taken the Graf Spee design from the Germans, and had gone full ham with it. The Izmail bore the heaviest broadside ever to be put on a battlecruiser, with twelve 16-inchers, in an ABQXY 32223 configuration. It paid for this broadside with an inch less armor than its German counterpart (still more armor than it could effectively use), and with a top speed that was equivalent to the modern Japanese Dreads.

In short, the Russians were putting a lot of gun-eggs in a single, fragile, slow basket. This ship would be able to seriously hurt any of the Fearsome Four in a one-on-one duel, but the Japanese battlecruisers never operated alone. And they could disengage at will, given their considerably higher speeds, and dictate the engagement (i.e. cross the Russian's T).

Bad, bad, bad doctrine, Iosef.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/4vlxwef7n/Screenshot_2285.png)

In contrast, the Latvik-class heavy cruisers were quite capable design. They had less guns than their Japanese counterparts, but they were 9-inchers, which gave them an extra punch against capital ships. And they were as fast as the older Takaos.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/90wuibczn/Screenshot_2171.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/cyk47pzsz/Screenshot_2172.png)

In response, the Japanese commenced a modernisation program for their light forces. Modernisation designs were suggested, first for a new destroyer class (the Shimakazes) and, then, for a modernisation of the Mutsukis. But, in the end, funds were channeled to the Sendai project:

(https://s29.postimg.cc/edrix6gbr/Screenshot_(2172b).png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/q1gzdzg2v/__jintsuu_naka_and_sendai_kantai_collection_draw.png)

Like the Kumas, the Sendais were relatively slow raiders. But they bore a heavier armament than their older cousins (nine 6-inchers), very reliable machinery, a massive mine- and torpedo complement and very good torpedo protection for their class.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/jsuexesg3/Screenshot_2294.png)

And then, on the afternoon of the 5th of May 1947, the Kuma-class Yaeyama ran aground on the treacherous waters off Kamtchatka, in blatant violation (again) of Russian territory. Being much lighter than the Myoko, she did not take long to float herself off again; but the Russians had had enough of the Japanese provocations. The Russian cruiser Pamyat Merkuryia was deployed to intercept her as she returned to Japan. Unfortunately for the Russians, the Yaeyama had been joined by her sister-ship Unebi, in turn escorted by a destroyer flotilla. Unaware, the Russian ship sailed into a massively superior force.

Shortly after 09:30, on the 6th, the Japanese ships picked up the Merkuryia in their ITMS scopes. Frantic messages were sent for orders to HQ: the Admiralty response was:

'If they should fire but a single shot at you, you must engage them with your all, until their ship is destroyed'

At 09:49, the Merkuryia fires a full broadside at Unebi. The Japanese ship is hit once, on her deck, and the Russian shell fails to penetrate.

And the rest, as they say, is history. With that single shot, the Great War began - a war that would serve as Japan's final and greatest test.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/xdmfjiyav/__nagato_kantai_collection_drawn_by_tansuke__sam.jpg)


-END PART 5-
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on January 22, 2017, 04:28:11 pm
Yasen?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Admiral MS on January 22, 2017, 05:03:25 pm
Yasen?
Yasen!!! At least I hope Enioch lets the Sendais do some glorious night battles  :D


Quite interesting how the game develops on the long run. I stopped playing at 1925 but maybe I should have continued. Anyway, good luck to Japan at trashing those communists once and for all this time :cool:
Title: The Long Silent Lance / Splits the Calm Sapphire Waters / My Foe's Bleak Despair
Post by: Enioch on January 23, 2017, 10:52:23 am
- PART 7 -
The Great War

(https://s23.postimg.cc/40ld84l8b/Screenshot_2295.png)

The time is 09:49, on the 6th of May 1947. The Russian light cruiser Pamyat Merkuryia has opened fire at HIJMS Unebi. The Great War has begun, without any of the usual niceties, like a formal declaration.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/w1zeltqij/Screenshot_2296.png)

The Russian ship is a lightly armored, slightly faster version of the Japanese Kumas. She can outrun them, but not outfight them. Yet her captain closes the range. The Japanese ships accept the challenge - ten minutes of rapid-fire follow, with spectacular seamanship shown by both sides.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/ghs0vage3/Screenshot_2297.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/qwo9dzc5t/__nachi_kantai_collection_drawn_by_bob_biyonbiyo.png)

Then, at exactly 10:10, a shot fired from the Merkuryia smashes into Unebi's bridge. Captain Musashi and seven officers are cut to pieces by the shrapnel. Fire engulfs the bridge systems and Unebi drifts on. Her fire control and conning tower, however, are still operational; Lieutenant Towaru assumes command, assigns a helmsman to the engineering bridge and slots his ship behind the Yaeyama.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/ook0mv6gr/Screenshot_2298.png)

The Japanese ships continue to close the range. They hammer the Merkuryia at under five thousand yards; three shots slam into her belt and superstructure. The Russian bites back, with a shot that penetrates Yaeyama's X Turret and kills the entirety of the gunnery crew.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/p2lcmgqkb/Screenshot_2299.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/8ftun5w7l/__ashigara_kantai_collection_drawn_by_miwano_rag.jpg)

Another shot penetrates Yaeyama's A Turret. This time, one of the guns gets bodily lifted off its mounting and catapulted over the ship's side. Yet it's too little, too late for the brave Russians. The Japanese ships have crossed their T and open up, with all of their remaining guns. The Russian cruiser has less than 2 inches of belt armor, which is not even sufficient for splinter protection; the Japanese shells rake through its entire length befor detonating near the bow. The Merkuryia strikes her colours immediately and goes down shortly after, taking a hundred and twelve sailors with her, out of a crew of three hundred and fifty.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/p5589au7v/Screenshot_2301.png)

The Japanese cruisers return home victorious - but also as grim harbingers of war.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/u8r5l0tap/Screenshot_(2302).png)

As in previous wars, the Silent Service immediately deployed into enemy waters. The Japanese subs were out for blood; and while the Russian shipping would not suffer particularly in the early stages of the war, this is because the Japanese commanders were looking for bigger targets. First, their targets were the Minesweepers operating in north-eastern Asia. With a series of daring operations, gunnery duels, and offensive mining, the Japanese sunk three of the Russian coastal defense ships, punching a hole through Russian ASW defenses.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/efhlqth01/__i_168_i_19_i_401_i_58_i_8_and_others_kantai_co.jpg)

The Russians bit back. A Russian sub torpedoed the Takao, while she was patrolling in the Indian Ocean; she suffered considerable damage, but her torpedo protection was more than sufficient to prevent her from sinking. She made it back to Madagascar under her own power and was out of the drydocks in two months.

The Russian attempts to strike at Japanese shipping were...well, you could respect their suicidal courage, but not their skill. The Russians sank nine heavy freighters, including an oil tanker off Sumatra; but in almost half of these attacks the submarines were tracked down and blown out of the water by the 'Maru boys'.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/v13rafywr/Screenshot_2307.png)

In July, the Japanese fleet blockaded Russian bases in Sakhalin and Kamtchatka. The Ochakov cowered in its moorings, behind the coastal batteries and did not dare emerge.
 
(https://s23.postimg.cc/dcc0itn5n/Screenshot_2308.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/5grjdsc41/1484962804995.png)

Unfortunately for her, that did not stop the determined Silent Servicemen. With the Russian coastal patrols weakened, Captain Sakuma, of the minelayer I-128, snuck into the Russian base in Sakhalin, torpedoed the Ochakov and, while escaping, to add insult to injury,  mined the harbor's entrance.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/a6resm4jf/Screenshot_2309.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/5jjri1b0z/i_58_kantai_collection_drawn_by_kirisaki_akihi.jpg)

The attack sub I-117 covered his escape, surfacing and engaging a pursuing Russian patrol vessel in a gun duel.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/9iik9o5tn/Screenshot_2310.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/f7ystzbzv/Screenshot_2311.png)

The remainder of the Japanese subs licked their chops and went wild on the Russian shipping. Statistics show the relative difference in crew skill and ASW capabilities between the two nations. Both submarine corps scored near-equivalent kills; but where the Russians lost more than half of their attacking subs, the skill of the Japanese submariners and the crippled Russian coastal patrol fleet meant that the Japanese only lost one boat.

With their Far East fleet nearly obliterated, the Russians took the opportunity of Takao's absence to shuttle some of their ships from the European front to the Far East. This time around, they deployed their ships in smaller squadrons and not an 'I-am-here-please-come-sink-me' massive fleet, with much attention given to supplying the transferring ships. On the 30th of July, the Takao-class Asama spotted and engaged two Russian cruisers off Madagascar. The Japanese ship played a cautious game, focusing on survival and dealing damage to the enemies, rather than risking everything to sink them. The lack of any RUssian bases on the vicinity meant that any damage suffered by the enemy would severely hamer them until they could reach north-east Asia; and they would have to cross the Japanese blockade to do so.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/6echqmeez/Screenshot_2312.png)

The duel started (and continued) at long range, with Asama employing her crew's superior training and her fire control superiority to score early hits.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/mdv5a6agr/Screenshot_2313.png)

One of the Russian cruisers lost a turret early on in the engagement, which severely reduced the Russians' weight of broadside and improved the Asama's chances.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/78z1cnm9n/Screenshot_2316.png)

But the Asama also received fire and had two of her turrets jammed in their mounts.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/x72niorqz/Screenshot_2318.png)

The engagement lasted an hour and a half, with Asama using nightfall to escape.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/4ippfgpkr/Screenshot_2319.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/62gi9w769/__takao_kantai_collection_drawn_by_tsukamoto_min.jpg)

She had suffered only minor damage, while punching clear above her weight - a clear Japanese victory. She would spend less than a week in drydock; the Russian cruisers, on the other hand, could not reach a friendly drydock for another two months.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/u41xfbcsb/Screenshot_2321.png)

And one of them would never get the chance to. Alerted by the Asama, the I-131 and I-132 lay in wait. The already-stricken Ryurik, the pride of Russia's heavy cruiser fleet, and the newest addition to her fleet, was hit by three torpedoes ten hours after her engagement with the Asama and was lost, with sixty-eight of her crew.

The Ochakov and Ryurik made it over 60k tons of Russian capital warships sunk, within two months of the beginning of the war.

Holy crap, submariners.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/8xtlgrb69/__i_19_kantai_collection_drawn_by_kunsei_hamu__s.jpg)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on January 23, 2017, 11:13:00 am
Russia, that's some nice shipping you have there...

(http://www.redfroghobbies.com/prods/afv73508.jpg)

It would be a shame if something happened to it.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 23, 2017, 11:20:11 am
WHAT ARE THESE ABOMINATIONS PLACED ON THE DECK OF THAT CUTE SUBMARINE.

GET OUT, YOU FILTHY GAIJIN COMMUNIST PROPAGANDIST.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on January 23, 2017, 11:35:55 am
Deck mounted, long range, guided fish? :P

Unfortunately most of the online artwork have these or are one of the spotter plane variants.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on January 23, 2017, 12:52:32 pm
Who needs a surface fleet when you can just have subs nuke everything. (Amirite, italy?)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Darius on January 23, 2017, 01:04:40 pm
Looked like a Soviet Dreadnought at first glance.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 23, 2017, 01:35:42 pm
Who needs a surface fleet when you can just have subs nuke everything. (Amirite, italy?)

 :lol:

See why I thought it was hilarious?

Looked like a Soviet Dreadnought at first glance.

What did?  :blah: The sub Slayer posted?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Droid803 on January 23, 2017, 01:52:52 pm
Yes the sub.
Looks like the Soviet Dreadnought from Red Alert 2 (and a lesser extent the one from 3)

(http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/cnc/images/8/8a/DreadnoughtinAction.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20090626053911)
Title: Kill Them, Starve Them, Break Them
Post by: Enioch on January 24, 2017, 01:25:25 pm
(https://s23.postimg.cc/sidku76rv/Screenshot_2322.png)

While the Japanese submarines continued to pick off the remaining Russian patrol boats in the East, the Japanese fleet moved to intercept the incoming Russian fleet. This time around, the Russians had, as mentioned before, made a concentrated effort to keep their ships supplied; and capital ships were escorted by large convoys meant to keep them refueled and operational during the long voyage. The Russians had also not skimped on destroyer escorts this time around.

The Japanese, in turn, made it a point to hunt these convoys down. On the 13th of August, I-107 hit the jackpot. She sighted a massive Russian convoy, a hundred miles to the south-west of Sumatra. More importantly, she spotted the ship the convoy was assigned to: a Russian capital ship; either a super-Dread, or a battlecruiser.

Unfortunately for the Russians, Kongo and Kirishima were less than thirty miles away, escorted by Yaeyama and her destroyer squadron.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/3rzw3i769/__isolated_island_hime_kirishima_and_kongou_kant.jpg)

Time for some pirating.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/bloi1rz7v/Screenshot_2325.png)

At 08:25 of the 14th of August, the Japanese ships crested the horizon; and opened fire at extreme long range. The ITMS signatures from the convoy were diffuse enough to confuse the targeting systems and so no hits were scored until 08:45, when Yaeyama charged the Russian transports like a shark. The Japanese task force closed the range even further; and for the first time the ITMS systems got a lock on the escorting Russian BC.
 
(https://s23.postimg.cc/or407vt3f/Screenshot_2326.png)

With Yaeyama left behind to finish off the convoy, the Japanese battlecruisers charge down the Russian ship. Their ITMS systems are still calculating target solutions and the Russian scores first blood, with an overpenetrating hit on Kongo's superstructure.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/8hdu4ziff/Screenshot_2327.png)

The Japanes are not fazed and fire back: eighteen 17-inch rifles gouge overpressure craters into the ocean surface. Seconds later, the lookouts report at least four hits on the enemy. And as she turns to evade upcoming fire, they get enough of a silhouette to identify her.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/qycu9jnrf/Screenshot_2328.png)

She's the Rymnik, the first and last remaining ship of her class. All of her younger sisters have been sunk. She's outmassing her opponents, but she's slower and can only bring six rifles to bear, as her Y Turret is, apparently, jammed.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/tgyja89hn/Screenshot_2329.png)

The Japanese ships proceed to demonstrate why speed is king. They slot onto the Russian's tail, where she can only bring a single turret to bear and commence pursuit. As they close the range, they occastionally unshadow their rear batteries and fire broadsides.

It's as unfair a fight as they get. For every two shells that the Rymnik can put in their direction, the Japanese ships can return twelve to eighteen, depending on their heading. And the Russian ship cannot outrun them or outmaneuver them.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/5ehpfcsuj/Screenshot_2330.png)

It's a massacre. The Russian DDs attempt to intercept the Japanese ships, lay smokescreens and allow the Rymnik to escape, but Kongo and Kirishima trust their secondaries and torpedo protection and charge them down. The destroyers scatter and are promptly blown out of the water.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/f32jrve1d/__hiei_and_kongou_aoki_hagane_no_arpeggio_and_ka.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/z7opnyhhn/Screenshot_2331.png)

And the Japanese ships get a good look at the Rymnik. Almost an hour into the engagement, she's a flaming wreck. Her A Turret is a mass of twisted metal and her Y Turret is still inoperable. She's listing hard to starboard, her decks are on fire and her speed is down to twenty knots.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/4risptvyj/Screenshot_2332.png)

The Japanese DDs close in for the kill. Fumizuki launches her fish and disengages; a torpedo strikes the Rymnik at 09:48, exactly an hour after the Yaeyama's attack on the convoy.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/f2v5ihnnv/Screenshot_2333.png)

There is a moment of peace; and then the entirety of the Rymnik's secondary batteries on that side of the ship go up. Secondary explosions travel the lenght of the ship. Her turret mountings buckle; the top of B turret cracks under the pressure and a gout of flame reaches towards the heavens. The ship goes not break up, but she just...dies, drifting to a stop.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/m7cyriux7/Screenshot_2334.png)

The surviving Russian sailors are evacuated. A quick inspection of the Rymnik deems it to be unsalvageable.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/s9kli0jd7/Screenshot_2335.png)

And I-107 is called upon to sink the wreck.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/kjdtcvh1n/Screenshot_2337.png)

Time to end this war.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1i9uvw.jpg)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/dubvall3f/Screenshot_2338.png)

The Japanese had had enough. The Russians were brave men, but they had to be brought to heel, quickly and decisively. The Japanese submariners were instructed to proceed with unrestricted warfare. Anything flying the Russian ensign was a valid target; and no warning would be given to the crews.

Practically overnight, Russian shipping received an unprecedented blow. The Japanese submarines just would not stop. The Russian populace, already in considerable distress thanks to the new regime's...questionable domestic policy decisions, came to know true hardship over the upcoming weeks.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/vyevv8irv/Screenshot_2339.png)

(https://i.imgflip.com/1i9tz6.jpg)

The Russian submariners tried to strike back - and three out of four times, whenever they sank a ship, the attacking submarine quickly was sent to join it.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/vzotonkln/Screenshot_2340.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/bgtxjl6ob/Screenshot_2341.png)

Their raiders were more successful - for a given value of successful.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/t3grnhpob/Screenshot_2345.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/a353jx8ep/laughinggirls.gif)

The Japanese were...more successful, it must be said.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/z1flylxqj/Screenshot_2346.png)

And oh, did the Russians feel it. In late October, with the dread Russian winter approaching quickly, the spectre of starvation loomed over the Russian populace.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/bgwqf87o1/angry_maron.jpg)

Break, for God's sake.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 24, 2017, 01:27:09 pm
...And this is what happens when you have a large submarine fleet, your opponent has a crippled ASW force, and you order unrestricted warfare. By the way, every 'tick' of the 'Causes starvation' event equates to a tick of unrest in Russia. At 10, the government collapses.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Admiral MS on January 25, 2017, 02:25:51 am
Uh wow, **** is really going down for Russia. Well, they had it coming...

...And this is what happens when you have a large submarine fleet, your opponent has a crippled ASW force, and you order unrestricted warfare. By the way, every 'tick' of the 'Causes starvation' event equates to a tick of unrest in Russia. At 10, the government collapses.
Does that ever happen? I would expect the ai to end the war with great concessions before it gets so far and only the player might end up at that point cause of his decisions.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 25, 2017, 04:29:13 am
Yes, it happens. You need to be lucky with the "end the war?" messages and keep selecting the "crush them!" option. And your politicians need to bloody listen.

You want their government to collapse, because that gives you 10 concession points (you can't get higher than that) and it allows you to steal one of their capital ships as reparations.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on January 25, 2017, 06:31:14 am
Yes, it happens. You need to be lucky with the "end the war?" messages and keep selecting the "crush them!" option. And your politicians need to bloody listen.

You want their government to collapse, because that gives you 10 concession points (you can't get higher than that) and it allows you to steal one of their capital ships as reparations.

Have you left any  afloat worth taking?   :p
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 25, 2017, 07:23:05 am
No Russian ships were worth taking anyway. Heavy, undergunned dinosaurs.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on January 25, 2017, 07:37:51 am
No Russian ships were worth taking anyway. Heavy, undergunned dinosaurs.

Is the next FLEETEX Shooting Competition going to have a more interesting target then?

(http://ci.memecdn.com/6715987.gif)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 25, 2017, 07:49:18 am
That's for me to know and for you magnificent bastards to find out.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Admiral MS on January 25, 2017, 08:35:02 am
No Russian ships were worth taking anyway. Heavy, undergunned dinosaurs.
I guess a Rymnik could have been a nice expendable merchant raider :D
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 25, 2017, 08:47:22 am
Are you crazy? The maintenance on that old tub alone would be sufficient to support the construction of two new light cruisers. Not to mention any modernisation expenses.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Admiral MS on January 25, 2017, 08:59:51 am
Who said its gonna live long enough to start hitting the budget? Though since the war is over it would really just sit around and eat a lot of money. So target practice then, or dump some shells and torps into it for "research" purposes and get another lvl up on armor and torpedo protection. So much stuff the game doesn't support...


Do the Russians have any decent ship worth taking?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 25, 2017, 09:10:24 am
Who said its gonna live long enough to start hitting the budget? Though since the war is over it would really just sit around and eat a lot of money. So target practice then, or dump some shells and torps into it for "research" purposes and get another lvl up on armor and torpedo protection. So much stuff the game doesn't support...

It does support this, actually. Every time you scrap a ship, you have a chance to trigger such an event. The event might give you boosts in AP projectiles, armor or tops.

 
Quote

Do the Russians have any decent ship worth taking?

That'd be an emphatic 'no'.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on January 25, 2017, 10:41:03 am
How does one starve russia with submarines? Don't they have like... massive wheatfields inland? Overland trade routes?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 25, 2017, 11:33:35 am
Wheatfields require hands to work them. The Russian civil war had seriously impacted food production and there are still pockets of loyalist forces holding out in several regions. Also, a lot of breadwinners have enlisted, not just in the Navy but also in the Army (It hasn't been shown so far, but the war is also a land war in the Korean / Liaotung area). Russia simply doesn't have the infrastructure or manpower to support her population right now.

Russia needs to import quite a lot of food. Some she can get from Germany, who is the closest thing she has to an ally, but the rest of the European powers are not particularly friendly toward the bolsheviks. The Russians need to engage in long-range trade with e.g. the South American countries and that's where the Japanese subs kick them in the balls.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Mika on January 25, 2017, 02:19:45 pm
Quote
And oh, did the Russians feel it. In late October, with the dread Russian winter approaching quickly, the spectre of starvation loomed over the Russian populace.

You're getting it wrong! It's not the starvation which has ever been a problem in Russia. Homo sovieticus managed to learn the diet of cabbage, tree bark and lichen and prevailed despite their despots' best intentions of reducing the population count in the country. Actually even before the revolution, Czars had similar sort of results.

What you need to engage is their vodka production. Coastal distilleries, rum shipments from Caribbean region and generally any shipment of vodka you can find.

Anytime a Czar has attempted to sober up the drinking habits of Russians the end result has been a revolt!

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 25, 2017, 09:36:43 pm
Give this man an Order of the Chrysanthemum. He's got the right idea.
Title: Running out of Vodka
Post by: Enioch on January 26, 2017, 09:48:34 am
They didn't break.

Instead, they sent out every cruiser they had left to raid Japanese shipping. A desperation measure, definitely, but one that could tie up Japanese ships for months, trying to track the annoying gnats down.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/b12y4q65v/Screenshot_2348.png)

Luck smiled on the homefleet in mid-October, when the Myoko and Izumo ran across the Vityaz, a Russian Bogatyr-class cruiser off Kamtchatka.

Her captain was Yuri Isakov, a skilled seaman and a fanatical communist. Unlike other Russian commanders, he enforced cast-iron discipline and he had drilled his crew to elite status. With little hesitation, Isakov changed course to engage the Japanese ships.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/iv3jq4dyr/Screenshot_2349.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/b3mtrk9tf/Screenshot_2350.png)

The engagement began at long range, with several hours of daylight left; and the Russian ship gave a good showing, by completely spanking the Myoko into next week. Ten minutes into the fight, Myoko was two turrets down; and Captain Hitachi was cut down by splinters.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/ywlqfz6v5/CA_Myoukou_062_Full_Damaged.png)
Goddammit, Myoko, you're embarrasing me.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/53z2nwp0z/Screenshot_2351.png)

And then, a shot from the Vityaz punched through the Myoko's belt and detonated in her machinery spaces. Two of her six boilers flooded with sea water; more than half of her fuel tanks were ruptured. 

(https://s29.postimg.cc/cfjulbqo7/Screenshot_(2352b).png)

Her underwater protection kept the flooding under control, and her First Officer, Arima Takeo, dispatched damcon teams to engineering, while Izumo took up point. Within a few minutes, the surviving engineering crews had shifted power to half her screws and kept her going, at a surprising 25 knots.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/w4cvchdbn/Screenshot_2353.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/wie7c2xf7/Screenshot_2354.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/6cmy9jgz7/Screenshot_2356.png)

And then she hit right back. Focused fire from both Japanese ships denied the Vityaz her rear batteries; and cut her speed enough for them to cross her T.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/8iluhs9tf/Screenshot_2357.png)

After that, the writing was on the wall.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/z4yb6re0j/Screenshot_2358.png)

What a propaganda coup! The Communist hero and his elites defeated by the Japanese forces! Please don't mention the 2-on-1 odds or the fact that they beat us black and blue.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/wowhswvxv/Screenshot_2359.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/ldtu4jp2r/Screenshot_2360.png)

Subs are absolutely rocking this. A few more casualties than I'd like, especially given the pounding I've given their coastal patrols, but I can't argue with those kill-counts.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/vcesr0yib/Screenshot_2361.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/d9468ssep/Akagi_eating.jpg)

The lack of vodka food is felt throughout Russia. It's November and the cold is setting in. Break you idiots.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/wsqb961f7/Screenshot_2362.png)

No, Russkies, 2/1 Kill/Death ratios are not sustainable for submarine warfare.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/xwafl4m2b/Screenshot_2363.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/919e01qz5/__hibiki_kantai_collection_drawn_by_aldehyde__3d.jpg)

Aaaaaaand, you're running out of fuel too. Delightful.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/597fbblpv/Screenshot_2365.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/mnrnjliur/Screenshot_2366.png)

At the end of the month, the Japanese deployed their fleet neer Yalu, to prepare for a land invasion. Yamato, Musashi and Mikasa dropped over thirty thousand tons of ordnance on the Russian fortified positions. The Russian fleet refused even a token showing.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/7t7nj5ynn/Screenshot_2367.png)

The Admiralty were quite content to let the Russians hide away and let the Japanese subs do their work.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/8labid2ur/Screenshot_2369.png)

No, Russkies. 3/1 isn't good enough either.

(https://s27.postimg.cc/tok8q4a0j/Screenshot_2374.png)

Well. Good job, Army, I suppose.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/q7to37s1z/Screenshot_(2374b).png)

Ha. Hahahaha. HAHAHAHA.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1ie5g0.jpg)

COME TO JAPAN. WE HAVE SAKE.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on January 26, 2017, 10:20:42 am
The Bogatyr is super OP in wows at tier 3, but in this game its even wacking tier 7 heavy cruisers around! lol at myoko the punchingbag though.
So whats the current ship count for russia? What are they even left with?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 26, 2017, 10:30:52 am
(https://s28.postimg.cc/8fjlbws1p/comp.jpg)

Also, before you ask:

(https://s27.postimg.cc/wntwldpyb/perv.jpg)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Admiral MS on January 26, 2017, 10:35:04 am
I wonder how long it takes for them to give up. I mean they have only a few ships left and this Pervenets thing seems to be even worse than the Rymnik  :lol:
Quote
At the end of the month, the Japanese deployed their fleet neer Yalu, to prepare for a land invasion. Yamato, Musashi and Mikasa dropped over thirty thousand tons of ordnance on the Russian fortified positions Vodka distilleries.
Loosing a communist hero is one thing, but this is gonna be hard for them. Sadly only 40 victory points for such a huge feat...
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 26, 2017, 12:33:48 pm
Losing a communist hero is one thing, but this is gonna be hard for them. Sadly only 40 victory points for such a huge feat...

Every little bit counts...  :lol:

Now someone needs to write an omake of this coastal raid from the Russian perspective. Go on. Entertain me.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Mika on January 26, 2017, 01:56:28 pm
"Communist Hero" is a grandeur title, but I think there were several of them who just happened to acquire the title without participating to anything important.

I'm not sure who it was, possibly Kuznetzov, Voroshilov or Zhadov, of which the people were saying that he is an army head (and a communist hero) at his best in receiving parades.  :lol:

If there's one thing with Russians, it is that they are very inventive and clever at throwing puns and insults towards their leaders. Think of the lines like the Ceausescu's (Romanian) "Donau of thoughts".

EDIT: Goofed, Donau of thoughts was Ceausescu, not a Czar. But I'm still pretty sure Russians had something similar going on
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on January 26, 2017, 01:58:35 pm
"Tovarisch, they're shooting at us!"
"Cyka blyat!"


There you go, Enioch!
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 26, 2017, 02:00:42 pm
"Communist Hero" is a grandeur title, but I think there were several of them who just happened to acquire the title without participating to anything important.

No!? Anything else than meritocracy in glorious socialist country?

Surely you jest, tovarish.

Quote
If there's one thing with Russians, it is that they are very inventive and clever at throwing puns and insults towards their leaders. "Ah the mighty Donau of thoughts...", which if I recall, referred to a particularly dumb Czar quite far away from normal peoples' lives :D

Oh, quite a bit like the Greeks, then. :-P

"Tovarisch, they're shooting at us!"
"Cyka blyat!"


There you go, Enioch!

 :lol:

OK, I admit to being entertained. Threadmarked, for the lulz.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on January 26, 2017, 05:56:15 pm
(https://s27.postimg.org/vcesr0yib/Screenshot_2361.png)
Whats on that shop sign?
Franz Hemedingen - Dampfmehl Niederlage? Realy?
Steam flour defeat? :D
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 26, 2017, 06:37:22 pm
 :D

Dampfmehl: 'Steamship flour' = imported flour.

Niederlage: alternative for 'Einlagerung' = storage.
Title: In the Shadow of the Mountain
Post by: Enioch on January 26, 2017, 08:36:12 pm
A/N: A short update. Just to set the mood, as it were.

-----------------------------------

The Japanese Navy was very happy with their gains north of Korea. Great care had been taken not to violate German territorial waters, as the Japanese strikes crippled Russian positions and multiple landigs were carried out to occupy distilleries strategic positions.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/wjx3n0d57/Screenshot_2375.png)

On the 23rd of January, as the 2nd Heavy Cruiser Task Force was returning to the home islands to resupply, they encountered a Russian Diana class raider - and they pushed in to engage.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/kw31sgo0b/Screenshot_2376.png)

The Russian ship was a mess. The lack of resupply bases had crippled her and she could barely make thirty knots. The Japanese just...fired a shot across her bows and she struck her colours.

The Russians were well and truly done.

Unfortunately, they had friends.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/sdnp0kkuv/Screenshot_(2379b).png)

On the 5th of February, the German Democratic Republic presented the Japanese Alliance with an ultimatum: they were to pull out all their forces from Russian territory and cease hostilities, or a state of war would exist between Japan and Germany.

Japan scoffed collectively - but the situation was critical. Calls for aid to other western powers only produced hesitant declarations of support and encouragement, but no concrete commitments. Only little insignificant Java, the exiled Kaiser's domain, declared for the Japanese. Would Japan have to face Russia and Germany alone?

(https://i.imgflip.com/1ifk5f.jpg)

Alone then. Very well.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/ivh3ldh8r/Screenshot_2378b.png)

First - plan for the future. The Kashimas were better Yamatos; and the first Dreadnoughts in Japanese service to mount above-water torpedoes, for that typical Japanese devastating punch. They would never be in time to serve in this war but, they would replace any losses the Navy suffered and not leave Japan defenseless after the war.

Then - gather the fleet. And prepare for the worst...

(https://s23.postimg.cc/s4j9vhq4r/Screenshot_2379.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/3lh8e6lqj/Screenshot_2378.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/c7imigygh/tumblr_nzqscvqvb_M1rd2ks4o1_500.gif)


And shortly after the above magnificent terrible news (we are so sorry about the French liner, truly we are) news reached the Admiralty, aerial scouts reported that the German East Asia fleet, based on Northern Korea, were sailing out of their harbors. At least two heavy battlecruisers and a Dreadnought were cruising towards the Japanese resupply bases in Port Arthur and Liaotung.

The Japanese immediately jumped at the opportunity. The entirety of the Home Fleet moved to intercept. Mikasa, Nagato, the Fearsome Four, the Second Heavy Cruiser Division and every light cruiser and destroyer that could make steam were deployed for the Decisive Battle. They were joined by the Emden, the Kaisertreu battlecruiser that had brought Wilhelm III to Java; in a move that truly earned him the respect of the Japanese, Wilhelm was, once again, on board.

And Ikoma, in her permanent moorings, cast her long shadow toward the north.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1iflw6.jpg)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on January 26, 2017, 10:14:38 pm
Decisiveness Intensifies!

Increase Imperial Memes to Maximum!

(https://weaponsandwarfare.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/combined-fleet.jpg)

(https://weaponsandwarfare.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/tone.jpg?w=584)

(https://thumbs.gfycat.com/DamagedGreedyAfricanparadiseflycatcher-size_restricted.gif)

(http://i.giphy.com/vR4vBDex4gU24.gif)


Gaishu Isshoku!

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on January 27, 2017, 05:24:41 am
:D

Dampfmehl: 'Steamship flour' = imported flour.

Niederlage: alternative for 'Einlagerung' = storage.
Realy? As a native speaker this is news for me :D
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: The E on January 27, 2017, 05:33:18 am
Realy? As a native speaker this is news for me :D

Well, Enioch is a bit wrong. "Dampfmehl" refers to a mill that's powered by a steam engine (as opposed to a windmill).

Also, "Niederlage" back then also meant something like a branch office; the shop pictured above would be a grocery store attached to a steam mill, I suppose.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 27, 2017, 05:58:39 am
Interesting. In my defence, the only parallels I've found were linked to customs offices...

This certainly makes more sense though.
Title: Kantai Kessen
Post by: Enioch on January 27, 2017, 10:09:01 am
The combat plan is drawn in haste, in Hiei's bridge, with all ship commanders attending. It is relatively simple:

Nagato, Mikasa and the Emden would split off from the main fleet with an escorting force of destroyers and intercept the German Super-Dread at the eastern coast of Korea, off Gensan. They were instructed to adopt a primarily delaying stance - Yamamoto was all too aware that his old Battle-wagons would have trouble engaging a modern German ship. Unfortunately, Musashi, Yamato and Iki, the core of the Japanese battle-line were still days away, in the South China Sea.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/k9w7kob0h/4eb722a7240adb214a68c797afe70f21.jpg)

The Japanese Battlecruiser force, on the other hand, escorted by the Heavy Cruisers, would engage the German Battlecruisers in the western Korean coastline, before they could reach Liaotung. Sigint reported only two German capitals in the area; so the Fearsome Four should be able to deal with them.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/wuuansmpz/haruna_hiei_kirishima_and_kongou_kantai_collec.jpg)

And so, the two forces met on the 22nd of February. At 08:14, Kongo reported capital ship contacts on her ITMS; and battle was joined.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/oyyo5a7ij/Screenshot_2380.png)

The Japannese ships were clustered together, having just emerged from a small squall; the Battlecruisers were leading, with the Heavy Cruiser force out of position, further to the east.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/s735ibtsb/Screenshot_2381.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/azmujhmzp/bismarck_kantai_collection_drawn_by_g_haruka.jpg)

The Germans, on the other hand, were waiting. The Japanese exited the squall only to be met by the distant muzzle-flashes of the German Battlecruisers.

The shells arrive a few seconds later. One strikes Kongo's deck and ricochets into B Turret's ring; the bearings jam and the massive gun mount locks in place. A second shot strikes Kirishima's belt and penetrates, sending red-hot shrapnel through her citadel space. Thankfully, her combat effectiveness is not impeded and the Four turn as one to close the range.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/hlja6bngr/Screenshot_2382.png)

The Japanese battlecruisers return fire. The first Graf Spee (the Deutschland) is struck by one shell from the Kongo's main batteries. Kirishima locks her firing control on the second enemy ship, the Victoria Louise and returns the favour by putting two shells into her belt.

Once again, the German return fire is accurate. The Deutschland scores a hit on Kongo; and that shell strikes Kongo's aft turret, taking its hydraulics out of commission.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1ighzd.jpg)

The Japanese ships keep closing the range.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/q52o42vt7/Screenshot_2383.png)

And they get punished for it again as a 16-inch shell punches through Kongo's superstructure. But this time, Kongo has the range. Her three remaining 17-inch rifles boom; and one of her shells connects with the Deutschland's X Turret.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1igo7s.jpg)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/lx7vvbudn/Screenshot_2384.png)

And then the rest of the Japanese battleline erupts in smoke and fury. Haruna fires her entire broadside at Victoria Louise; and four out of the nine shells smash into the German's side. Smoke billows out and the German battlecruiser staggers. Hiei follows up with her own 16-inchers and hits the Deutschland amidships. The Germans's guns bark in reply, but the one shell that connects strikes Kirishima's belt at an angle and, miraculously, ricochets off.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/8apc8n5hh/__kirishima_kantai_collection_drawn_by_hetza_hel.jpg)

The Japanese ships fire again. Hiei and Haruna score two hits each on their targets.

And then a spark of light blossoms on the Deutschland's silhouette...

(https://s23.postimg.cc/5ow8zlax7/Screenshot_2386.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/lj8sx708b/ce172fb5.jpg)

(https://i.imgflip.com/1igkcv.jpg)

The flash fire reaches to the heavens. Observation stations in Japan pick up the light and shockwave and the nation holds its breath. The mushroom cloud climbs and climbs and billows out; and, for a moment, the battle stops in the face of apocalyptic fury. There is no cheering. There is just slack-jawed awe.

And then the Four close in on the Victoria Louise like hungry sharks.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/fnh7m2kcr/Screenshot_2387.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/es2qbsicl/kancolle_kantai_collection_kongou_wallpaper_b.png)

The shells now fall like rain; and the German Battlecruiser turns to disengage. But little Yaeyama is there, arriving late to the party, but rushing the German behemoth from the east and cutting off her escape.

The German destroyers are caught between a rock and a hard place. On their back, the entirety of the Japanese force. On their front, a destroyer killer. They decide to risk the latter, and rush to engage the Yaeyama. They need to take her torpedoes out of the fight, if the Victoria Louise is to get through.

But, as they come under the fire of Yaeyama's rapid-firing 6-inchers, they leave the coast clear for the Japanese DDs to rush up the battlecruiser's aft. Mutsuki closes in and launches her fish.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/iiuasxocr/Screenshot_2388.png)

(https://s24.postimg.cc/swil4pxsl/failure_penguin_fairy_and_mutsuki_kantai_colle.png)

And just like that, any hope of escape for the Germans is lost. They still get their revenge though, as two 16-inch shells smash through Yaeyama's belt and start a flooding that will nearly kill the ship.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/j9n0ypqq3/Screenshot_2389.png)

Less than half an hour after her sister's death, the Victoria Louise goes down, slowly and gracefully, leaving more than enough time for her crews to evacuate her.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/x4lbh6l57/Screenshot_2390.png)

The battle still rages around her hulk, as Yaeyama is still finishing up the remaining German DDs.

Yamamoto reports his success. And requests an update from the battleship force. The news are more than surprising.

Apparently, upon sighting of the Japanese force and the Emden, the German Dreadnought Preussen struck her colours and declared for the Kaiser. Her First Officer, Fregattenkapitaen
Walter Hein had staged a mutiny, relieving and arresting her Captain and the political officers. The Preussen is now SMS Preussen and making good speed toward Java.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/z2i3oon6f/bismarck_and_kongou_kantai_collection_drawn_by.jpg)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/5iijwi1sb/Screenshot_2391.png)

The operation is an undreamed-of success. The entirety of the Far East German Fleet is either sunk or captured. And when poor, heroic, flooding Yaeyama reaches the port of Dalny with less than a foot of freeboard, the entirety of Japan erupts in cheers.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/gknmuxvuz/Screenshot_2393.png)

For they haven't lost a single ship.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on January 27, 2017, 03:08:14 pm
Finally, the big ships have an interesting conversation with each other! The big boats fight I've been waiting for. Go go kongou sisters.
I love that after taking several hits and having the majority of her turrets knocked out, kongou is listed at the end as just lightly damaged.

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Admiral MS on January 27, 2017, 03:15:43 pm
Just wondering: I can't remember the game allowing ships to run away from their home country. Is the Preussen just some fluff for the story or what happened to if it is an actual ship in the game?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 27, 2017, 03:45:54 pm
Finally, the big ships have an interesting conversation with each other! The big boats fight I've been waiting for. Go go kongou sisters.
I love that after taking several hits and having the majority of her turrets knocked out, kongou is listed at the end as just lightly damaged.

The turrets were disabled, not destroyed. 'Disabled' means 'damage that prevents something from working and that might or might not be repairable at sea, but is easy for a drydock to fix'.

But yeah, the Four can take a beating. What really surprised me was that Kirishima managed to bounce a 16'' shell on her piddly belt armor.

Just wondering: I can't remember the game allowing ships to run away from their home country. Is the Preussen just some fluff for the story or what happened to if it is an actual ship in the game?

No, it's just fluff.  :p

When the battle finished, I saw that I was supposed to have two battleships on-station. Sometimes, the AI is present with a squad of support vessels, so I said "Hey, that's what happened! There's a division of BBs somewhere around here!"

Now, when the mission is over, the entire map gets revealed and you can see where your own ships and the enemy ships were at the end. So, I look for my BBs and I find them near the eastern Korean coast, just opposite the German harbor (as ****ing far away from the actual fight as they could have been). And literally right next to them, at the mouth of the harbor, was a German BB, who had maybe sailed a total of a kilometer through the entire battle. And neither my ships nor that BB (who, I found out was the Preussen) had fired a single shot.

So, there were two ways I could fit this into the narrative. Either the Germans pissed themselves after taking a look at my semi-obsolete SuperDreads and hid in their harbor until the scary Japanese went away, or they decided to reject the fraudulent and insidious teachings of practical communism and return to the service of their Kaiser.

From that point on, Preussen declined all fights. She literally spent the rest of the war going 'nopenopenope' every time the Japanese fleet left the harbor. So I said '**** it' and had her change sides.
Title: The April Revolution
Post by: Enioch on January 28, 2017, 09:52:42 am
(https://s23.postimg.cc/tq3511pqj/Screenshot_2394.png)

News of the Battle of Liaotung raced around the world. Western Press painted it as a major victory against the forces of Communism - and public feeling in Europe and America turned decisively against the German - Russian alliance. French Press, in particular, adopted a sensationalist stance, painting the Japanese as avengers of the German-sunk liner Lorraine.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/tnulw4jvl/__bismarck_kantai_collection_drawn_by_cosine__33.png)

Oh, how tables turn. Don't they, fromages?

(https://s23.postimg.cc/ra1bn77nv/Screenshot_2395.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/tu1jv1kln/Screenshot_2397.png)

And as February gave way to March, the underwater war raged on - only twice as brutal. The Japanese struck at German coastal patrols, in their usual opening moves; the Germans, in return, struck an opportunistic blow and sank the destroyer Isonami with all hands.

This made the Japanese submariners mad.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/3kghc8yob/Screenshot_2396.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/4pajhml57/Screenshot_2398.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/gsfv56w7f/Screenshot_2399.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/de4ft897l/subfleets.png)

While numbering less than half of their opponents' submarines, the Japanese Silent Service was operating the best boats in the world; and their submariners were hardened veterans. In a single month, the twenty-eight Japanese submarines sank more ships than the submarine fleets of Germany and Russia combined (which were numbering more than sixty boats). And the 'Maru boys' didn't fail to draw their pound of flesh from the inexperienced Germans.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/9dqjctabv/Screenshot_2400.png)

On the 17th of March, when the two German destroyers S-20 and S-23 sailed to southern Korea on a shipping raid, the 'Maru boys' were waiting for them.

The Germans emerged out of the morning mists to find themselves in firing range of the Cheng Hai, a 5k ton grain freighter, which they quickly engaged and sank. Unfortunately for the raiders, the Cheng Hai got off a distress signal. A few miles away, little Yaeyama and her destroyer squadron made their best speed to intercept.

They almost didn't make it in time for the party. In response to the Cheng Hai's call, seventeen Minesweepers and patrol boats rushed to the scene. The German destroyers tried to disengage, but the 'Maru boys' swarmed them like locusts and hung on to their prey like starving piranhas.


(https://s23.postimg.cc/43lkliq2z/Screenshot_2401.png)

By the time Yaeyama and her destroyers arrived, they could only give the coup de grace to the German destroyers. The S-20 and S-23 had been hammered to near-Swiss-cheese levels by the 4- and 5-inch guns of the near-suicidal Japanese gunships.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/jqctyw3uz/Screenshot_2402.png)

Hilariously, some of the captured German officers protested quite vocally. Minesweepers weren't supposed to seek engagement with destroyers! The Japanese weren't playing fair, verdammnt noch mal!.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/ktwyauoi3/Screenshot_2403.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/b7075b3xd/__sendai_kantai_collection_drawn_by_kyuuma_shima.jpg)

Shortly after this engagement, the first Sendais were commissioned. Unfortunately, mechanical problems limited the class to 30 knots, a considerable disappointment for the Admiralty. Thankfully, the engineering department would quickly diagnose the main issues; and a 1953 refit would make the Sendais perform to the satisfaction of all.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/al4h510gb/Screenshot_2404.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/yq56mqkqz/Screenshot_2405.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/ewxo7rwqz/Screenshot_2406.png)

In April, the Silent Service struck again, carving a massive chunk out of the DDR's merchant shipping. Unfortunately, the fleet also lost Hakaze in a patrol off North Korea.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/hfjd8gih7/Screenshot_2407.png)

(https://s23.postimg.cc/qd435tax7/Screenshot_2409.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/v0cay0hb5/__ooyodo_and_prinz_eugen_kantai_collection_drawn.jpg)

Not that this altered the overall situation in any way, of course. What was left of the German and Russian Navy cowered in their ports. And the Japanese Army was now advancing quickly in Korea and had landed in Sakhalin.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/kdgc25q4r/Screenshot_2410.png)

And, to top it all off, the Unebi intercepted the German raider Bremen in the Indian Ocean and drove her off, while, admittedly, suffering considerable damage herself. But, where Unebi had friendly bases to retreat to, Bremen was operating thousands of miles from the nearest friendly port.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/ltrukat1n/Screenshot_2413b.png)

(https://s30.postimg.cc/lra4nw8f5/soviet_burnt_460x230.jpg)

Aha. AHAHAHA. AHAHAHAHAHA.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/6xi40fq1h/akigumo_amatsukaze_arashi_hagikaze_hamakaze_an.jpg)

Long live the Glorious Counter-Revolution!
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on January 28, 2017, 11:06:31 am
Broken at last

(Tell Sendai to lay off the midnight snacks, too fat to reach designed speeds  :nono: )
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 28, 2017, 12:04:50 pm
Poor Sendai  :(  :sigh:

Next update is an epilogue, to finish the series. This was fun.

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Scourge of Ages on January 28, 2017, 12:27:29 pm
Next update is an epilogue, to finish the series. This was fun.

It's been a wild ride! This has been highly enjoyable.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Admiral MS on January 28, 2017, 04:39:23 pm
So Russia finally succumbed to the pressure and Germany will probably follow soon  :drevil:
Your first Sendais don't seem to share the "best stats for a CL" characteristic with their kancolle namesakes  :p

Next update is an epilogue, to finish the series. This was fun.
I got used to reading you updates every few days! They were really enjoyable and I will miss them in the future :(
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: SpardaSon21 on January 28, 2017, 11:34:18 pm
I've been enjoying reading this, too.  Any chance you can do a game as the Spaghettis, Baguettes, or Vodkas next?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on January 29, 2017, 07:02:29 am
Youtube is persistently throwing videos at me of some game apparently called "War of the Human Tanks". I haven't looked at anything Kancolle since I think more or less when I last mentioned it here, so I think you and your thread which I keep checking in on are responsible for it, along with Google Skynet. :P
Title: Think of This and All is Mended
Post by: Enioch on January 29, 2017, 09:14:15 am
(https://s29.postimg.cc/l6zf1obvb/Screenshot_2412.png)

The collapse of the Communist State in Russia is a tragic tale for the historians, economists and social scientists to disentangle and beyond the scope of this military historical study; suffice it to say that what was left of Russia would not be a relevant Power in the world stage for at least twenty years and that what followed the end of the Russo-Japanese War was a time of privation, emigration and deep, deep ideological uncertainty, until the emergence of the Russian Republic in 1965.

What concerns us is that the June Junta, having hastily joined the war to assist their foundering ally, now found themselves alone. And, as a Junta lives and dies on its victories, domestic or foreign, the crippling loss of Liaotung shook the very foundations of the regime. If control were to be kept, peace had to be negotiated.

The Japanese, of course, were not about to grant them such peace without considerable concessions. It was suggested that the Japanese fleet should take the fight to the Germans - sail up to the Northern Atlantic and engage the Hight Seas Fleet in another decisive battle. But the Admiralty quickly slapped that idea down. Unlike the war with France, the Japanese had no allied bases in the Northern Atlantic; and their doctrine clearly forbade them from operating without a safe line of supply back to their home territory. The Russians had clearly demonstrated why that was a poor idea.

(https://s29.postimg.cc/5zjfhbk0n/Screenshot_2413.png)

So, there was peace. The DDR tried to negotiate, but the Japanese simply pointed at Russia (where anarchy raged and the corpses of the leaders of yesterday were being dragged through the streets) and, then, at the USA, making growling noises toward Europe. France was mobilising. If this war continued, the Junta would find itself at an untenable situation before the end of the month.

So they took the Japanese peace.

(https://s30.postimg.cc/dmrv7wlxt/Screenshot_2414.png)

The Japanese claimed Sakhalin (and the Russians couldn't really do anything about it) - and they were formally granted the right to establish naval bases in Java by the Kaiser. In turn, with Japanese backing, the Kaiser secured control of Northern Korea. The DDR was backed into Europe and Europe alone.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/vlg1lq3i3/Screenshot_(2418c).png)

The Japanese also claimed the last surviving Russian Dreadnought, Pervenets as a war prize.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/c9j8ugytx/Screenshot_2418d.png)

(https://s27.postimg.cc/d8sx8ibab/__shiranui_kantai_collection_drawn_by_hetza_hell.jpg)

Ew. Ew ew ew ew.

Well, the Japanese got the chance to confirm a few things. Firstly, they were still the undisputed rulers of torpedo protection. Second, the Russians had no idea where to put armor. Thirdly, they had no use for the Pervenets because its guns were 15-inchers and the Japanese had never developed a 15-inch shell.

Also, they found out that the Russians were barely maintaining the poor thing. Its main guns were nearly rusted onto their bearings. Even a Takao would have been able to close in and torp it in a combat scenario. Also, it was infested with every vermin, bug and flea known to man.

So the Japanese just scrapped her and saved themselves the maintenance costs.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/9njkrxohn/Screenshot_(2418Β).png)

So, with Japan having established her undisputed dominance over the Indian Ocean and Africa, we bring this narrative to an end. Within a space of fifty years, Japan had emerged from a peripheral minor power to a federated colossus, controlling the near-entirety of the Eastern Hemisphere. This was due in no small part to her innovative naval policies: the Imperial Japanese Navy served as the spine and lifeblood of the Japanese Alliance throughout this time.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/58mzd83dx/Screenshot_2416.png)

(https://s29.postimg.cc/fqlt4eot3/Screenshot_2417.png)

The Japanese Navy was never the largest Navy in the world; but it had always made a point of being the most modern and for never compromising on a design. Japan had built up a terrifying reputation with her superships; and it is worth noting that one of the core tenents of the American Naval doctrine and Domestic Policies up to the 1990s remained 'NEVER piss of the neighbor', despite the American massive numerical superiority.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/y6pmbd4az/Screenshot_2422.png)

For statistics spoke for themselves. In 50 years of near-uninterrupted war, the Japanese had never lost a capital ship.

As the world moved into the 1950s, Japan and America led the world in another revolution in naval tactics. With the development of the first jet-powered aircraft, the dominance of the gun-based capital ships was shaken to the core.

(https://s23.postimg.cc/mpmrans3f/__houshou_kantai_collection_drawn_by_kawashina_m.jpg)

The first Attack Aircraft Carrier (clearly distinguishable from the scout seaplane tenders of earlier periods), HIJMS Hosho was laid down in 1951...

(https://s23.postimg.cc/sf2zuyy9n/__shoukaku_and_zuikaku_kantai_collection_drawn_b.jpg)

...followed by Shokaku and Zuikaku in 1954; the Americans followed up in 1952 with Langley and Lexington.

But that is a story for another time. For now, the Dreadnought and Battlecruiser are living their moment of glory.

We bring this report to a close with a lineup of the Japanese Fleet, as it was in the end of 1948. And we thank our readers for their attention.

(https://s24.postimg.cc/e7x6a5i7l/Fleet3.png) (https://s24.postimg.cc/j6kooom0j/Fleet3.png)
Click image for hires

(https://s27.postimg.cc/ihny6dtpf/__abukuma_akagi_akashi_akatsuki_akebono_and_othe.jpg)

If we shadows have offended...

-END PART 7-
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: TwentyPercentCooler on January 29, 2017, 11:40:49 am
Thanks for writing this up, Enioch. It was a very enjoyable read from start to finish. Not losing a single capital while beating your enemies into a pulp is impressive, too. That is not an IJN I'd want to **** with.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Droid803 on January 29, 2017, 12:35:16 pm
gg wp
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: The E on January 29, 2017, 01:39:00 pm
Still best non-FS thread on HLP.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on January 29, 2017, 01:51:49 pm
It's sad that it will eventually drop from the top page into obscurity. :sigh:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 29, 2017, 02:29:02 pm
So, an announcement of things to come.

I'll be disappearing until mid-March to early April.

And then I might be returning to this game, if there's still interest in it.

I'm going to be starting a new poll, so that you fine folk might select the faction of the succession game. If I get more than 20 participants (40 votes), I'll commit to a sequel.

EDIT: POLL IS UP.

YOU HAVE 2 VOTES EACH. YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO CHANGE YOUR VOTE. YOU WILL ONLY SEE THE RESULTS AFTER YOU VOTE.

Them's the rules.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on January 29, 2017, 02:39:18 pm
Would it be able to possibly reach the same heights if you didn't use Japan?

I'd say Britain except you'd probably steamroll everything with ease, since you crushed your enemies with Japan. There needs to be some peril involved. Ideally the second attempt should present more of a challenge than the first. But damn I'm tempted to see how you'd portray my country...

EDIT: Oh, Japan is off the list anyway. Two votes, got to put one in for Britain...
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 29, 2017, 02:47:49 pm
Would it be able to possibly reach the same heights if you didn't use Japan?

Yes, but not in the same way. With Mediterranean Powers, expect a lot of raiding battles and fiddly ship design. With the Atlantic Powers, expect massive fleet battles, unlike everything you've seen with Japan.

Quote
I'd say Britain except you'd probably steamroll everything with ease, since you crushed your enemies with Japan. There needs to be some peril involved. Ideally the second attempt should present more of a challenge than the first. But damn I'm tempted to see how you'd portray my country...

EDIT: Oh, Japan is off the list anyway. Two votes, got to put one in for Britain...

Britain, actually, has 'hidden faults' as a national trait. Your capital ships have a considerably higher chance to explode if their turrets get penned. And you need to play the colonial conga since day one, because you have holdings all over the world. It's tricky.

If you want me to steamroll fools, vote for the USA. Lategame they're a monster.


Also: if you would be so kind, leave a post with how you would like me to approach the nations you voted for. With Japan, the 'flavour' of the thread was 'Kantai Collection'. What PopCult 'flavour' would you like with your nation of choice?

I can't guarantee that I'll take your advice, but it'll help bring obscure stuff to my attention.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on January 29, 2017, 02:55:16 pm
I don't know how I would want you to approach Britain, but something lighthearted and fun would be nice I think over super serious.

I thought I'd be able to use my second vote later, but no.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: The E on January 29, 2017, 02:59:23 pm
Also: if you would be so kind, leave a post with how you would like me to approach the nations you voted for. With Japan, the 'flavour' of the thread was 'Kantai Collection'. What PopCult 'flavour' would you like with your nation of choice?

I can't guarantee that I'll take your advice, but it'll help bring obscure stuff to my attention.

I voted for ze germans (because of cause I did). The flavour to go for would be "what if Bismarck managed to groom an actually competent successor".
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Scotty on January 29, 2017, 03:24:57 pm
Still best non-FS thread on HLP.

You have the power to make it stay on the front page of at least a forum forever.

I'd do it, but I can't move topics anymore.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on January 29, 2017, 03:37:48 pm
Nippon, Banzai!

Now in possession of most of Africa and a naval budget to rival GB. I do feel like you should have liberated finland from the ruskies at the end though :p
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 29, 2017, 03:45:47 pm
On hindsight, I could have nabbed Finland and used it as a staging base to blockade Germany. But the game had begun to give me memory wraparound errors (because I was getting near 1950) so I said **** it.

I voted for ze germans (because of cause I did). The flavour to go for would be "what if Bismarck managed to groom an actually competent successor".

Hmmmmmmmm.  :drevil:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Scourge of Ages on January 29, 2017, 03:49:20 pm
I voted for Russia! It seems like a silly thing to imagine them with a massive fleet to be afraid of, so I like it. Flavor: C&C Red Alert Soviets.

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Flaser on January 29, 2017, 03:56:58 pm
Thank you Enioch fro the masterful and entertaining write-up of your game. No capship or Kan-Cole fan would read this and come away with tears (of joy) unshed. Well done.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: niffiwan on January 29, 2017, 03:57:35 pm
thank you very much for an awesome thread/story.

I've voted British/German, for the German's The E's thesis is fascinating (especially having just read a book about the origins/causes of WW1), for the British how about a campaign to bring their long lost colony to heel?  :drevil:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Admiral MS on January 29, 2017, 04:03:11 pm
Thanks again for the great and enteraining story based on what is such a dry game - masterfully combined with the kancolle pics and all the funny bits.

I Voted for Germans and Russians cause I can imagine both of them being quite funny in this format (Vodka destilleries!!!). Unless Enioch chooses to do a more serious narrative which would be still quite interesting considering the major changes/revolutions which happened in both countries during the time-frame the game covers. I wonder what else might happen instead :)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Col. Fishguts on January 29, 2017, 04:41:10 pm
Great thread, thanks (Dr. yet?) Enioch.

Voted for Austria-Hungary because the thought of the KuK-Navy taking on the world from Triest an Pula would be hilarious.

Alternatively voted Baguettes.

In both cases the theme would mostly involve twirling moustaches and fine dining.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 29, 2017, 04:57:27 pm
Holy crap, 16 voters already. :eek2:

Looks like I'll need to review my modern German History for obscure yet influential historical figures.

Great thread, thanks (Dr. yet?) Enioch.

Not yet. Which is why I'm starting this in early April at the earliest.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: crizza on January 29, 2017, 05:01:25 pm

I voted for ze germans (because of cause I did). The flavour to go for would be "what if Bismarck managed to groom an actually competent successor".
Seconded :D
I also took Austria, because I guess that would be quite a challenge plus it would offer a similar approach to Japan with it's diverse culture base.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on January 29, 2017, 05:08:25 pm
Thanks for the first round Enioch, it was a great experience!
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Mika on January 29, 2017, 05:26:40 pm
This has definitely been one of the better LPs here!

I'd vote for Russkies, but my JavaScript is botched and does not register the votes. Alternate Spaghettis - just because.

Can't have enough of that Perverts Pervenets class  :lol:

Somehow I think that the British numbers will still rule despite their hidden faults trait (though that could be amusing), while Russian loss of productivity trait is likely a bigger problem, i.e. Fun. Hence also Italy.  :D
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on January 29, 2017, 05:30:20 pm
This has definitely been one of the better LPs here!

I'd vote for Russkies, but my JavaScript is botched and does not register the votes. Alternate Spaghettis - just because.

Noted.  ;)

Also, OMG, you guys are being so nice. It's not like I enjoyed it b-bakas.

Also also, I guess we've found the soundtrack for round 2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75F5RaU5wSM#t=00m49s)

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: JSRNerdo on January 29, 2017, 06:11:00 pm
A-H, because I want you to build tiny battleships with a low freeboard for DAYS.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on February 10, 2017, 03:14:02 pm
So, in order to keep myself from going completely ga-ga, I've started the German campaign during my precious few moments of free time.

Major spoilers below.

Seriously, I've warned you.

Spoiler:
https://s27.postimg.cc/3znsxk5qr/Gibraltar.png (https://s27.postimg.cc/3znsxk5qr/Gibraltar.png)

(https://media.giphy.com/media/jvlbHKwIXSDEQ/giphy.gif)

One thing I've noted is that Germany plays....differently. Holy crap, is that 'Technology Leader' perk good.  :drevil:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Lorric on February 10, 2017, 05:28:41 pm
Yeah, I expected Germany to win this poll straight out of the gate, since you said they're the hardest faction earlier on.

Let the games begin... :pimp:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on February 10, 2017, 05:32:58 pm
On hindsight, Russia might be harder because nerfed tech.

But with Germany you've got the Brits specifically gunning for you. With all that this entails.  :shaking:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: JSRNerdo on February 10, 2017, 05:43:15 pm
Don't the Brits usually build laughably armoured BCs with 6 inch belt armour? You'll be fiiiiiiiine.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on February 10, 2017, 05:50:10 pm
No comment.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on February 11, 2017, 07:07:16 pm
(https://s29.postimg.cc/e85fyoosn/Zaeringen.png)

You can never have enough guns.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: JSRNerdo on February 11, 2017, 07:32:29 pm
NO MISTER FISHER NO
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on February 11, 2017, 07:44:57 pm
YES

ALL THE GUNS. SPEED IS ARMOR.

(Seriously though, 13 inch armor in turrets ain't that bad for when this was built)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on February 11, 2017, 07:52:03 pm
What is the absolute limit to the amount of guns you can put on a ship? (and what is the practical limit?)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on February 11, 2017, 08:35:58 pm
No limits - provided you have the tonnage and turret slots.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: JSRNerdo on February 11, 2017, 08:50:21 pm
There is actually a technical hard limit to the amount of guns you can fit, you'll reach it if you try to stuff 24 5-in guns on a light cruiser like I did with some of my manual build 8000-ton behemoths.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on February 11, 2017, 08:51:55 pm
Huh.

Well, you live and learn.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on February 11, 2017, 10:14:44 pm
Are you going to start a new thread for ze Deutsch Memes?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on February 16, 2017, 12:49:27 pm
Yes, when the time comes.

Meanwhile, have some extra teasers.

(https://s1.postimg.cc/7xt0yu8ydr/subs.png)

(https://s1.postimg.cc/7gfqofe32n/VP1.png)
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: StarSlayer on February 16, 2017, 01:11:10 pm
(http://im12.it/g/16969)

Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on February 16, 2017, 01:31:58 pm
Is it unfair to hope that zee deutsche playthrough isn't as much as a roflstomp as the glorious nippon one was?
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on February 16, 2017, 01:49:38 pm
Is it unfair to hope that zee deutsche playthrough isn't as much as a roflstomp as the glorious nippon one was?

Unfair? No.

Naive?

Yes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_2GWS9fxwg&t=0m22s)

The Japanese took no risks. The Germans did.
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Spoon on February 17, 2017, 09:54:51 am
Here's hoping for lots of Stroheim in the upcoming german thread  :lol:
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on February 17, 2017, 09:52:00 pm
(https://s27.postimg.cc/6m2cnxzcz/VP2.png)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/b8phcepsp/Origins_Rap_Battle_WW1_Uncut_BBC_1.gif)

I didn't choose the Kriegsmarine life. You all chose it. Thank you.  :p
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on February 23, 2017, 11:17:21 pm
(https://s1.postimg.cc/dkmbwvdq7/Zaehringen2.png) (https://s1.postimg.cc/76x8tm8u5/Zaehringen2.png)

I have a new favourite ship - and I'd forgotten how relaxing 3d modelling can be.  :D
Title: Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Japan - [Image Heavy!]
Post by: Enioch on February 27, 2017, 02:12:20 pm
New thread is up (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=93265.new#new). Updates will be slow but relatively regular.