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Post by desdinova on Jul 21, 2019 16:56:16 GMT -6
Links work for me.
EDIT: So, the game did bug out and delete all my aircraft, but the last few battles have been night actions, so aircraft wouldn't have mattered anyway, and it looks like it's letting me re-develop aircraft. I'll probably continue.
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Post by desdinova on Jul 22, 2019 19:28:23 GMT -6
1925-1932: The Gathering StormThe tense diplomatic situation continues to escalate throughout the 1920s. A diplomatic row with France very nearly leads to war in 1926, but after France secures a mutual defense agreement from the United States and Soviet Russia, Japan is forced to deescalate. The great powers of the world are now split into two powerful blocs of alliances: Great Britain and fascist Italy are in an alliance of convenience, to counter growing French military power in the Mediterranean. The Soviet Union has joined with socialist-sympathetic France and the United States, who joins the side merely out of opposition to their closest rival, Great Britain. Republican Germany is unaligned, and in a dead heat with the United States and Great Britain to have the world's largest navy. Unfortunately, an alliance with Japan is unlikely given the countries' recent history. Japanese Naval Building Program, 1925-1932Ryujo-class Aircraft CarrierThe Imperial Japanese Navy is an enthusiastic early adopter of naval aviation. Two carriers, Ryujo and Zuiho, are laid down in 1925, commissioned two years later as the first purpose-built aircraft carriers. Unebi-class Light CruiserWith war likely, Japan's cruiser forces are in need of modernization. The Unebi-class cruisers Unebi and Itsukushima will be among the most powerful ships of their type, displacing 8,000 tons and mounting 8 6" guns in 4 triple turrets and a broadside of 6 torpedoes, the heaviest armament yet for a Japanese light cruiser. Azuma-class Heavy CruiserBy 1926, the heavy cruiser has fully matured, and Japan is being left behind, with only the old Furutaka in service. Two Azuma-class ships, Azuma and Asama, are laid down in 1926 and commissioned 1929. Intended to serve as the scouting wing of the battleline, they can carry up to 4 floatplanes in an amidships hangar. Koan Maru-class corvetteThe Koan Maru-class is a dedicated antisubmarine warfare escort vessel, designed to free up fleet destroyers from patrol duty in the event of war. A dozen ships are ordered in 1930. Aircraft Carrier SoryuAnother leap forward in the field of naval aviation, Soryu, when commissioned, is the largest aircraft carrier in the world, the first modern fleet carrier. Design work starts in 1927, but she is not commissioned until 1930. The naval budget allows for only a single ship. Battleship ShikishimaWith no way to match the other great powers in numbers, Japanese design philosophy now favors individually-powerful ships. Shikishima is an excellent example; at nearly 50,000 tons, she is the largest battleship every built. She is even better protected than the preceding Mikasa-class, having an inclined armor belt, and is the first Japanese battleship with 16" guns, having acquired the United States' state-of-the-art design in a technology exchange. She becomes the pride of the Imperial Japanese Navy when commissioned in 1931. Ikoma-class Aircraft CarrierWith the Hizen, Mikasa, and now Shikishima-class battleships, the Japanese Navy must decide what to do with the Ikoma, Tsukuba, and Hatsuse-class battleships. Iwami is too old and slow, and is thus scrapped. The Tsukuba-class are older former battlecruisers, poorly protected and not especially fast compared to the new ships now in service, but mount more powerful 14" guns than the Ikoma and Hatsuse-class treaty battlecruisers. The Ikomas are the oldest of the four treaty battleships, and are selected for conversion to aircraft carriers, as funds are too low to build more of the Soryu-class. In order to maximize their air wing, all armament except for antiaircraft guns is removed. Plans are drawn up to convert Hatsuse and Kongo as well, but this is not carried out before the outbreak of war. Battleship SuwoBattleship Suwo began as the second Shikishima-class battleship, but the iterative design process led to significant improvements in machinery and internal arrangement. The weight saved was put into armor and a heavier anti-aircraft armament.
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Post by akosjaccik on Jul 23, 2019 15:55:00 GMT -6
For some reason I fairly like how the Soryu and the Suwo turned out on the side views.
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Post by desdinova on Jul 23, 2019 21:53:28 GMT -6
1932: War in the PacificIn early March, the Soviet Army crosses into Scandinavia in a surprise invasion. The nations of the world feebly condemn the Russian invasion of Norway, but no one is willing to go to war against the Soviet juggernaut. The Japanese Army is on high alert after several skirmishes with Russian troops across the border in the Japan-held Kamchatka peninsula. Days later, Japanese signals intelligence intercepts an order to the Soviet pacific HQ in Vladivostok. Russian heavy armor is mobilizing and heading east across Siberia. The Kamchatka attack is a distraction from an imminent attack on the Japanese home islands. The Russians plan to attack the Japanese fleet at anchor at the fleet base in Sasebo, coinciding with landing six divisions on Hokkaido. Japan is facing imminent invasion from the largest army in the world, with a fleet over three times their size in terms of battleship tonnage. Japanese Capital ShipsJapanese Light Forces (some postwar refits pictured)Soviet Capital ShipsSoviet Light Forces3/27/1932: The Battle of VladivostokKawanishi Seiran Torpedo Bomber in flightThe Japanese have only one chance to strike the Russian fleet before they attempt an invasion of Hokkaido. The Japanese have all nine of their battleships available and ready for action, but due to aircraft and fuel shortages, only the fleet carrier Soryu is available to strike with. The Russians have no fewer than 20 dreadnoughts stationed at Vladivostok, six of which are superdreadnoughts with 15" or 16" guns. Japanese bombers launch from Soryu, reaching the target area at 2300Z. Battleship Evstafi is hit by a torpedo and damaged; battlecruiser Chesma is hit by four torpedoes and sunk. The unfortunate Borodino-class dreadnought Tsesarevich is hit by no less than 14 torpedoes and predictably sunk. Borodino herself is hit by 3 torpedoes, the last of which detonates her magazine, utterly destroying the ship. While the aircraft are enroute, the Japanese battleships steam towards Vladivostok. They know that with only one carrier's worth of bombers, even with the element of surprise, a decisive strike is unlikely. The Japanese will attempt to bring the Russian fleet to battle and sink as many as possible. It takes another hour and a half for Soryu's aircraft to recover, rearm, and launch another attack. They find the enemy battle fleet just outside the Japanese battlefleet's sighting distance at 0130. Torpedoes sink the battlecruiser Sinop and damage the battlecruisers Komintern, Kerch and Kirov, and the battleship Knyaz Potemkin; Kerch is forced to return to port, where she takes a second torpedo from a Japanese submarine waiting in ambush and is badly damaged. Kirov loses electrical power. Just as the last torpedoes strike home, Japanese spotters sight the enemy battlefleet. Five minutes later, a 16" shell from Komintern plunges through Tsukuba's deck, causing major flooding, but return fire from Tsukuba knocks out the superdreadnought Knyaz Potemkin's fire control. The Japanese heavy cruisers are far enough forward that they draw the enemy battlecruisers' attention; a 12" shell from Georgi Pobedonosets destroys Asama's B turret, and she is hit by two 16" shells moments later that cause severe flooding. Azuma is then hit by 16" shells that hit her conning tower and destroy her forward turret. An hour into the engagement, land-based Russian torpedo bombers attack, but they attack the Japanese destroyer screen, which is launching a torpedo attack of its own. Amagiri is torpedoed and sinks rapidly, but a torpedo from Yugiri hits the disabled superdreadnought Kirov and forces her to withdraw from the battle. Half an hour later, a long-range gun battle ranges. Knyaz Potemkin's Y turret is destroyed by a shell from Shikishima, and a salvo of 15" shells from Hizen cause severe flooding, and the 33600-ton battleship is also forced to retire. Minutes later, a wave of Russian dive bombers targets the wounded Japanese heavy cruisers; Azuma is hit by a 500-lb bomb that destroys another turret, although she shoots down one of her attackers. At the same time, a Russian shell destroys Shikishima's B turret; minutes later the same happens to Sagami. Tsukuba is hit by a 16" shell from Molotov that causes further severe flooding, and Hotin sets Kurama's superstructure ablaze. At 0400, a second wave of Russian torpedo bombers successfully attack Mikasa and Kongo. Mikasa is not seriously damaged, but Kongo experiences severe flooding and is forced out of line. Minutes later, Kurama's forward turret is destroyed by a 16" shell from Komintern; another penetrates her belt armor and causes heavy flooding. Half an hour later, though, Mikasa strikes back, scoring a penetrating hit that causes a flash fire that burns out both of Komintern's aft turrets. The last Japanese aerial torpedoes are spent at 0527 as the two fleets disengage, sinking the battlecruiser Fokshani. ResultIn the final tally, the Japanese suffer the loss of destroyer Amagiri and all but 18 of her crew, heavy damage to Kurama from Russian guns, and heavy damage to Kongo from a torpedo. Kurama was hit 8 times by 16" shells she was never built to withstand; Sagami was hit 15 times and lightly damaged but for a hit that destroyed her B turret. Hizen was hit 8 times and relatively undamaged; Hatsuse was hit twice. Tsukuba, also not designed for long-range fighting or to stand up to such heavy shells, was badly flooded by a 16" shell that plunged through her deck. Shikishima and Fuso were hit 7 and 5 times respectfully and lightly damaged. Kongo, besides the nearly-fatal torpedo, was only hit by a single 5" shell. Mikasa was hit twice and torpedoed but relatively undamaged. Heavy cruiser Asama was very nearly sunk by three heavy shells, and Azuma was badly damaged by a 500-lb bomb. Furutaka survived relatively unscathed. The Russians took the worst of the gunnery duel and the air attacks, suffering six capital ships lost: Chesma, Tsesarevich, and Borodino during the initial attack; Sinop, in the second air attack, and Fokshani, mortally wounded in the final minutes by torpedoes and finished off by gunfire. The battlecruiser Kaliakriya had charged the Japanese battleline alone, and was the only ship sunk purely by gunfire, hit by 22 heavy shells. Superdreadnoughts Maxim Gorky and Molotov were each hit 7 times and lightly damaged. Komintern was put out of the fight by a flash fire that destroyed both aft turrets; 12"-armed battlecruiser Tendra had all three turrets destroyed. Battlecruiser Sevastopol was hit five times and suffered moderate damage. Hotin was lightly damaged, and superdreadnought Revel completely untouched. Revel-class Kirov, however, was knocked out of the fight by a pair of torpedoes, as was Kerch. Of the battleship force, Georgi Pobedonosets was hit by 3 100-lb bombs that did little damage; Imperatritsa Mariya was hit by a single shell that did no damage. Evstafi was damaged by a torpedo, but not hit. Imperatritsa Ekaterina Velikaya was hit six times and lightly damaged. The most powerful Russian battleship, Knyaz Potemkin, was knocked out of the fight by Hizen and the loss of both aft turrets. Overall, gunnery accuracy was generally equally bad between sides, although it must be considered that most of the engagement occured at extreme range, from 16,000 to over 20,000 yards. The Japanese have won a tactical victory, but perhaps a pyrrhic one - most of the Japanese battleships are damaged, some will be out of service for months. The Russian superdreadnoughts have all survived, and Japanese intelligence receives word that the Soviet atlantic fleet is enroute to Asia. The Japanese can only wait and hope that they've bought time.
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Post by desdinova on Jul 24, 2019 18:48:52 GMT -6
4/29/1932 - Battle of Rebun IslandSoviet light cruisers Voevoda (left) and Posadnik, on fire and sinking, illuminated by Japanese searchlights.The battle of Vladivostok had left most of Japan's battle fleet out of action and in need of repair. Russia, having many more battleships still ready for action, was able to seize the initiative despite their own heavy losses. The Soviet Invasion of Hokkaido was not stopped, merely delayed. At the end of April, the attack was launched under cover of darkness, to deny Japan the advantage of superior air power. The Soviet invasion force consisted of the superdreadnought battlecruisers Molotov, Maxim Gorky, and Komintern, the older, 12"-armed battlecruisers Rymnik and Hotin, as well as five battleships: 36,700-ton Tri Ierarha, the most powerful warship in the Soviet Navy, and four Borodino-class treaty battleships, Imperatritsa Mariya, Georgi Pobedonosets, Imperatritsa Ekaterina Velikaya, and Poltava. The Japanese home fleet could only muster the modern battleships Shikishima and Fuso, and the elderly Kongo and Hatsuse. Carriers Soryu, Ryujo, Zuiho, Hosho, and Kasuga were present, but unable to operate aircraft at night. The battle commences at 1136, when light cruiser Kuma, screening the battleship force, spots enemy vessels to port, at a distance of 4,000 yards, heading right for her. The enemy turn to starboard, into the Japanese formation. Destroyer Yukaze is hit by the heavy guns of Poltava, and launches her torpedoes at the light cruiser Voevoda before turning away. Her torpedoes miss, but Voevoda is savaged by 6" and 12" shells from the Japanese battleships, set on fire, and finally hit by three torpedoes, capsizing at 1218. Alongside Voevoda in the Russian screen, the light cruiser Posadnik is hit by four 15" shells from Fuso, is raked by 6" fire from Kuma, and sinks within 15 minutes. Turning to port and increasing speed to chase the fleeing Russians, Shikishima, at the head of the column, runs head-first into the Russian transports. The Japanese heavy shells tear through the enemy troop transports, destroying 5 of the 6 in the column, and killing thousands of tightly-packed Soviet naval infantry. At 1205, They turn back to starboard to avoid an onrushing group of Russian destroyers, but Kongo is hit by a torpedo. Just as this happens, the Russian battlecruisers, approaching from the southeast, make contact with the Japanese light cruisers, which have been left behind by the battleships they were supposed to screen. Matsukaze scores a torpedo hit on the lead battlecruiser, Maxim Gorky. This forces the Russians to turn away, but not before light cruiser Akashi is blasted apart by 12 16" shells and sunk. While the bulk of the Russian battlecruiser squadron wheels around to starboard, Hotin turns back to the northwest, taking her course straight in front of three Japanese destroyers. She takes four torpedoes and sinks rapidly. At 1226, light cruisers Chishima and Kuma, fighting screening units of the Russian battleship force to the northwest, are hit by torpedoes from Russian destroyers and sunk. The Japanese find they have been enveloped by the numerically superior Russians. At 1301, the Japanese battleships make contact again with the Russian battleships, and Shikishima is hit in quick succession by 5 heavy shells, once of which detonates in her engine room, destroying her X turret, disabling two of her boilers and limiting her speed to 15 knots. Shortly thereafter, she takes a torpedo from a Russian battleship that causes severe damage, but Fuso is in turn able to torpedo the Imperatritsa Mariya, which sinks within 40 minutes. Kongo, also slowed due to damage, finds her escape cut off by the Russian battlecruiser Molotov. Kongo would ordinarily be no match for the superdreadnought, but she's quicker on the draw. At point-blank range, Kongo's faster-firing 12" guns slam through Molotov's conning tower, fire control, and machinery spaces, immediately rendering her helpless. Molotov takes a volley of torpedoes from the light cruiser Naniwa and sinks. The Russian battlecruisers are trying to keep the Japanese from escaping. At 1346, Molotov comes charging out of the darkness, trading fire with Hatsuse and Kongo, but takes a torpedo from Naniwa. Three more torpedoes from Naniwa at 1400, as she tries to turn back around, will be fatal. Unfortunately, a 16" shell from Molotov hits the wounded Kongo and causes severe hull damage and uncontrollable progressive flooding. Fuso and Hatsuse are still relatively able to fight, but Shikishima has been cut off from them and is heading in the wrong direction, northwest, only able to make 6 knots, apparently trying to skirt the northern edge of the battle zone. The Russian battleships attack again at 1430, landing 5 16" hits on the light cruiser Kinu, but she survives and fires a spread of torpedoes that force the Russians to disengage again. Fuso and Hatsuse are trying to reach Shikishima, which has turned back south, but encounter Russian destroyers head-on, and Fuso is torpedoed twice as they try to turn away. Fortunately, one of the two torpedoes is a dud, otherwise Fuso surely would have been sunk. Unfortunately, the path of the Russian destroyers takes them past Shikishima, which at 6 knots is unable to maneuver. She is hit by 3 torpedoes and begins to sink. The Russians are now withdrawing; at 1600 their path takes them within visual range of the Japanese carrier group. Soryu scores several 8" hits on Russian destroyers, badly damaging Boevoi and helping sink Chestni. She also scores hits on the battlecruiser Komintern; fortunately, she is hit by only a single 5" shell in return, making her the first and probably only aircraft carrier to ever win a gun duel with a battlecruiser. Hosho is hit by 3 6" shells that cause a minor fire. Japanese destroyers race forward in defense of the carriers, launching salvoes of torpedoes that score two hits on Maxim Gorky, and six on Tri Ierarha. The giant Russian battleship begins to sink, finally slipping beneath the waves almost an hour later; Maxim Gorky will founder half an hour later, her flooding uncontrollable. Kongo, unfortunately, out of range of Fuso and Hatsuse, heads the wrong way and begins to sink in open water, far away from rescue - she perhaps could have made it if she had headed towards the closest port, Wakkanai. The loss of Kongo, while unfortunate, is only a minor blow to the Japanese war effort, being an effectively obsolete ship. The loss of Shikishima, however, the most powerful battleship in the Imperial Japanese Navy, is a heavy price to pay despite the heavy losses inflicted on the Russians. Despite the heavy losses, Russia still has three times as many battleships as Japan. In addition to the two battleships, and the light cruisers Chishima, Kuma, and Akashi, the Japanese have lost nine destroyers: Shiokaze, Hakaze, Shimakaze, Yukaze, Matsukaze, Yunagi, Harukaze, Sazanami, and Ushio. The Russians have lost no few than six battleships and battlecruisers, including three 16"-armed superdreadnoughts: Molotov, Maxim Gorky, Rymnik, Hotin, Tri Ierarha, and Imperatritsa Mariya. The light cruisers Voevoda and Posadnik were both sunk early in the engagement, and 11 destroyers are lost: Storozhevoi, Burni, Tverdi, Gromki, Veseli, Vinoslivi, Silni, Chestni, Blestyashchi, Zhutki, and Bravi. Most importantly, five out of the six troop transports are sunk, with any survivors captured by the Japanese. The Soviet Invasion of Hokkaido has been prevented - at least for now.
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Post by pastur on Jul 27, 2019 19:54:13 GMT -6
What a gripping war! Strange of the German Empire to keel over so quickly back in 19'
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Post by desdinova on Jul 28, 2019 21:43:12 GMT -6
5/12/1932 - Battle of Phusan
Battleship Hizen encounters the light cruisers Zhemchug, Krasnyy Krym, and Almaz at dawn off the coast of Korea. When the sun rises, the hapless Russian cruisers are well within the range of Hizen's big guns, and all three are sunk after a short chase. 6/27/1932 - Second Battle of Vladivostok
Battleships Fuso, Sagami, and Hizen are tasked with raiding the Soviet base at Vladivostok in order to suppress enemy movement. At 2117, the Japanese spot a line of three capital ships approaching: the Russian battlecruisers Tendra, Kerch, and Kirov. Heavy cruiser Asama is immediately straddled by enemy 12" shells, taking a hit that destroys her forward turret and causes severe flooding. The Japanese battleships come to her rescue, crossing the Russian's T, and both sides, for a few minutes at least, line up against each other and begin exchanging broadsides. The Russian battlecruisers realize they're outgunned at 2140 and begin turning towards home. The Russians are making too much speed to catch all of them, but the straggling battlecruiser Kerch is overtaken; hit by over 43 15" shells, eventually one finds her magazine and she blows up at 2316. The Japanese are now close enough to Vladivostok that they are exchanging fire with Russian shore batteries. Kirov is able to escape into the harbor, but Tendra loses propulsion just outside the Russian's defensive minefield and is sunk. Unfortunately, light cruiser Kiso strikes a mine while fighting a Soviet gun battery and sinks. The destroyers Zavidni, Namikaze, and Inazuma are also sunk. While withdrawing from the engagement, Hizen is torpedoed by a Russian submarine but suffers only minor damage. Also in June, Russian light cruiser Ametyst is also sunk by a mine. Action of 7/20/1932
Japanese destroyers engage their Soviet counterparts in the Yellow Sea; Iskusni, Molodetski, Trevozhni, and Hatsuyuki are sunk. 8/27/1932 - Battle of Tsugaru Strait
Light cruisers Itsukushima and Unebi engage and destroy the Russian cruisers Topaz and Svetlana. 9/2/1932 - Second Battle of Tsugaru Strait
Once again, the Japanese encounter Soviet cruisers in the Tsugaru Strait; this time, it's light cruiser Flora and Admiral Flota Lobov against heavy cruisers Asama and Azuma. The result is unsurprising, with both Russian cruisers sunk. Despite being handed defeat after defeat by the Imperial Japanese Navy, the Soviet General Secretary doubles down on his rhetoric against Japan, declaring total mobilization of Russian forces. This will be a long, total war; although the Japanese have sapped the Russians' strength, having sunk two battlecruisers and eight light cruisers in the last four months, they still possess a powerful surface fleet and a considerable lead in capital ships. The Russian leadership promises a renewed campaign, with the goal being Japan's utter destruction.
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Post by desdinova on Jul 29, 2019 19:20:14 GMT -6
Battotai Intensifies1932Several smaller surface actions close out 1932, with the light cruiser Zheleznyakov and destroyer Moshhni sunk. A major destroyer action on 18 December sees the destroyers Bezuprechni, Zharki, Grozni, Gremyashhi, Murakumo, Kisaragi, Ayanami, and Tachikaze all sunk. Russia had not committed to a major surface action in more than six months; despite repeated Japanese victories, the Soviet Navy still maintained a considerable lead in capital ships, although their cruiser and destroyer forces were slowly being decimated. The General Secretary had placed considerable pressure on the Soviet Navy to turn the trend around; and there had been rapid turnover in the Soviet admiralty as of late as more aggressive officers were promoted, and failed leaders shipped off to permanent Siberian holidays or worse. The basic Soviet plan remained the same: draw out the Japanese fleet, disable or destroy as many ships as possible, and pave the way for the massed Soviet divisions to cross the Sea of Japan. The Soviets expected the Japanese would not be able to sit back and maintain a "fleet in being" in the face of imminent invasion, and that, with their Pacific battleship squadrons now back to full strength, they could sortie with overwhelming force even with superior Japanese reconaissance and air cover. On the first day of February, the Soviet Navy put to sea, hoping to draw out the Japanese fleet. The Japanese, receiving spotting reports from patrol aircraft, muster everything they can. When the two fleets meet, the Russians are returning north to Vladivostok through the Straights of Tsushima, with the Japanese, having thus far eluded them, between them and home. 2/1/1933 - The Battle of TsushimaJapanese Battleship Mikasa firing on Soviet ships during the battleJapanese Order of Battle:Battleships: Mikasa, Fuso, Hizen, Kurama, Sagami, Tsukuba, Hatsuse Heavy cruisers: Furutaka, Asama, Azuma Light cruisers: Takachiho, Unebi, Itsukushima, Naniwa, Kinu, Yaeyama, Tatsuta, Takasago, Kitakami 23 Destroyers Russian Order of Battle:Battleships: Imperator Pavel I, Evstafi, Knyaz Potemkin, Georgi Pobedonosets, Imperatritsa Ekaterina Velikaya Battlecruisers: Kirov, Frunze, Voroshilov, Ochakov, Kinburn, Korfu, Arhipelag, Afon Light carrier: Polyarnaya Zvezda Light cruisers: Rostislav, Chervona Ukraina 19 Destroyers The Japanese fleet is passing southwest through the straits of Tsushima. At sunset, 0900Z, the Russian battlecruiser squadron is sighted directly in front of them. The Russians turn away. Night falls, and the Japanese fleet advances, line abreast. At 0920, light cruiser Yaeyama spots a Russian vessel approaching. They turn hard to port, launching torpedoes, and scoring a pair of hits, mortally wounding the first battlecruiser in line, Kinburn. The Japanese heavy cruisers turn to port, firing as the next battlecruiser in line, Afon, passes; the light cruisers beside them in formation spot 6 enemy capital ships steaming out of the darkness and turn to port as well, but not before releasing another salvo of torpedoes. 3 Torpedoes slam into the 37400-ton Frunze, jamming her rudder. The Japanese light cruisers lay into the battlecruiser with their 6" and 4" guns, and a few minutes later, Japanese destroyers score two more hits and Frunze's captain gives the order to abandon ship. The next battlecruiser in line, Kirov, is also fatally wounded by four torpedoes. Behind her, Voroshilov is hit as well - but she will survive. The Russian battlecruisers that have just run into a wall of torpedoes are northeast of the main formation; The Japanese battleships, steaming north by northwest to assist cross the T of the enemy at point-blank range. The Japanese attempt to turn away to avoid Soviet torpedoes, but Kurama is hit. Sagami barely misses ramming the sinking Kirov, passing within almost 200 yards. As the Japanese battleships complete their turn, the sky momentarily turns to day with a huge explosion; this is the magazine of destroyer Asanagi detonating as she is hit by a Russian shell. Kurama has been hit by a torpedo that destroys her aft turret, and then five times in quick succession by 16" shells from Kirov and Voroshilov; she is now in danger of sinking. Meanwhile to the south, heavy cruiser Furutaka is engaged with the Russian battleship Knyaz Potemkin, somehow surviving 19 15" shells that wreck her superstructure and set it on fire, and destroy two of her four turrets. But then Knyaz Potemkin is hit by a torpedo, the last defiant act of Asanagi, and begins flooding badly. She turns away as the two other Jaapnese heavy cruisers and a destroyer maneuver to cover Furutaka. At 0950, light cruiser Kinu, flooding uncontrollaby from a pair of 16" shells, begins to sink. The Russians are pressing the attack, and Kurama, making less than 10 knots, is in serious danger, so the Japanese battleline turns back to the northwest to cover her. Light cruiser Kitakami buys time for Kurama to escape with her life; unfortunately, her torpedoes miss the battlecruiser Voroshilov and she is sunk by a 16" shell that causes a flash fire which destroys the ship. At 1020, the Japanese battleships re-establish contact with the enemy, and turn to port, heading south; trading fire with the battleship Evstafi before she's fatally hit by a trio of Japanese torpedoes. Fuso is then herself hit by a pair of torpedoes, that cause serious flooding. Before they can turn to cover Fuso, battleships Sagami, Hatsuse, and Tsukuba spot Korfu, and 14" shells from Tsukuba slam into the Russian battlecruiser, depriving her of electrical power and setting her on fire. As she passes Korfu, Mikasa is hit by a pair of torpedoes from the destroyer Zadorny. With Kurama, Fuso and now Mikasa severely damaged, the Japanese battleships begin to withdraw. Fuso signals that she's being pursued, so she turns back north towards the protection of the heavy cruisers Asama and Azuma, light cruisers Tatsuta and Takasago, and four destroyers. The ship attacking them is the Korfu; having restored power, the unlucky battlecruiser finds herself under the guns of three battleships and a heavy cruiser, and is reduced to a flaming wreck. As they pass the sinking Korfu, Hizen is struck by friendly fire, a torpedo from Takachiho, but not badly damaged. When a bulkhead on Fuso gives way, the Japanese withdrawal to Sasebo becomes a race against time. Miraculously, all of the wounded Japanese battleships make it back to port. Hizen has been only lightly damaged by a torpedo, but Mikasa and Fuso are badly flooded by a pair of torpedo hits; none of the three had been hit by enemy gunfire during the battle. Tsukuba and Hatsuse suffer only minor damage, having been hit five and two times respectively; Kurama was hit five times in addition to a torpedo and was very nearly sunk. The heavy cruiser Furutaka somehow survived 19 heavy hits, although her superstructure was completely wrecked and burned. The destroyers Harusame, Murasame, Usugumo, Shirayuki, Hatsuharu, Yakaze, Asakaze, Yugiri, and Asanagi were all sunk, as were the light cruisers Kinu and Kitakami. On the Russian side, the battlecruisers Kirov, Frunze, Arhipelag, Kinburn, Korfu, and battleship Evstafi were all sunk. Knyaz Potemkin and Voroshilov were badly damaged. The destroyers Ispolnitelni, Bodri, Zavetni, Stroini, and Legki were all sunk as well, with four more badly damaged. Due to the nature of the chaotic night action, the Russians overinflate their own estimate of damage inflicted, believing at least three Japanese battleships are sunk, and claim victory. As a result, the General Secretary demands the immediate invasion of the Japanese home islands.
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Post by desdinova on Aug 6, 2019 0:05:11 GMT -6
With the Japanese destroyer force suffering heavy wartime losses, additional destroyers are badly needed. The Hayate-class is designed with heavy anti-surface armament in mind, with 8 4" dual-purpose guns, and 12 torpedo tubes. A dozen ships will be ordered over the course of the war. Also laid down in 1932 are battleships Mishima and her sister, Iwami. These battleships are serious departure from previous Japanese battleship design, mounting all of their main armament forward of the superstructure in two quad turrets. They are the largest battleships ever designed, and by far the best armoured. 2/16/1933 - Battle of Rebun IslandFuso and Sagami's last stand against a Soviet invasion forceHeavy damage to the Japanese fleet has left just Fuso and Sagami ready for action; all other Japanese battleships are in the yard, some needing extensive repair. Unfortunately, the Russians, while having suffered heavy losses, have many more ships left. Fuso and Sagami, escorted by cruisers Itsukushima and Takachiho, are patrolling off the western coast of Hokkaido late at night. They receive frantic reports from coastal patrol vessels that they are under attack from enemy battleships. They race to assist, and at 1717 spot an unidentified vessel to port, quickly identifying her as a Soviet battleship. Anticipating a torpedo attack, the Japanese turn to starboard. Destroyers Akatsuki and Hatsushimo are blasted out of the water by Russian heavy guns, but not before a torpedo strikes home on NAME. Destroyer Hibiki spots one of the Russian battleships, that has turned to pursue and is now steaming directly at her, and launches a salvo of torpedoes, one of which hits NAME, but she is then herself sunk. At 1817, the Japanese reengage the Russian force, scoring a torpedo hit on at least one Russian battleship, but Itsukushima is also torpedoed and swiftly begins to sink. With their escorts evaporating, the Japanese battleships disengage to wait for daybreak. When the sun rises at 2100, the Japanese find a large Russian force waiting for them. The Soviet invasion of Hokkaido is already under way, and no fewer than five Russian battleships and battlecruisers are escorting the landing force. Fuso's superstructure is badly damaged by enemy gunfire. The Japanese try fruitlessly to lure the enemy away from the convoy. Outnumbered 5 to 2, Fuso and Sagami put up a valiant fight, expending most of their ammunition, but the incoming enemy fire is too overwhelming, and the Japanese are forced to withdraw. At 0102, Japanese destroyers achieve a successful torpedo attack on the pursuing Russian battlecruisers; The Japanese attempt to attack but Fuso, already heavily damaged, is knocked out of line by a hit that jams her rudder. Fuso's superstructure is a complete wreck, and the ship is no longer combat capable, so the Japanese commander makes the difficult decision to withdraw to Wakkanai. The destroyer Akebono founders along the way. Fuso is badly damaged, having been hit by 22 heavy shells. Sagami is moderately damaged, having been hit 26 times. Takachiho and four destroyers are sunk. The Japanese have scored four torpedo hits during the battle, but only the eldery battlecruiser Ochakov is sunk,having been torpedoed at 0100 by Nenohi. The battleships Knyaz Potemkin and Georgi Pobedonosets are badly damaged, and Voroshilov, Imperatritsa Ekaterina Velikaya and Afon moderately damaged. A destroyer, Boevoi, was also sunk. Although the Japanese have inflicted moderate to severe damage on every Russian capital ship, and having sunk a battlecruiser in exchange for a light cruiser, can claim a tactical victory, the Soviet Navy has achieved a crucial strategic win and landed their troops on Japanese soil. The city of Sapporo is soon under siege by several Soviet divisions. The invasion of Japan is underway.
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Post by dorn on Aug 8, 2019 11:47:20 GMT -6
From where you have catapult and AA guns in ship pictures?
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Post by mycophobia on Aug 8, 2019 13:06:11 GMT -6
From where you have catapult and AA guns in ship pictures? These Both appear to be the rtw2 stock ones. You find them under miscellaneous Edit: actually not too sure about some of the AA, but the catapult is def rtw2 stock
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Post by desdinova on Aug 12, 2019 19:18:42 GMT -6
Japanese soldiers pose with captured Soviet vehicles after the battle of SapporoAlthough the Russians have successfully landed troops, the attempted invasion soon turns into a quagmire as Japanese submarines and aircraft reap Soviet transports. The Japanese are keeping the Soviet expeditionary force from being fed and resupplied, and slowly strangling the Soviet foothold on Hokkaido. The Russians soon realize that they have wildly overestimated the damage done to the Japanese fleet; they will soon have to risk another decisive fleet action to have any hope of withdrawing their men, much less continuing the invasion. 4/7/1933 - Second Battle of Rebun IslandThe Soviets attempt to use faster, less vulnerable light cruisers as resupply ships, but their cruiser forces have been steadily depleted. On April 7, Naniwa and Yaeyama catch the light cruisers Slava and Chervona Ukraina, and sink both of them after a short chase, suffering only minor damage in return. 6/27/1933 - Second Battle of TsushimaThe Japanese fleet has needed months of repairs after the first battle of Tsushima and the first battle of Rebun Island. Finally, towards the end of June, they are able to sortie again with a force of seven battleships: Hizen, Sagami, Fuso Kurama, Mikasa, Tsukuba, and Hatsuse. Their entire carrier force is present, but unfortunately, due to aircraft and fuel shortages, only a handful of carrier aircraft are operable, with most of Japan's pilots and aviation assets needed to fight the ground war. At 2003, at the break of dawn, an unknown ship is spotted by the fleet's screens, west by southwest of the Japanese formation. Heavy cruiser Azuma identifies the incoming column as Soviet battleships. As day breaks, the Japanese find themselves facing off against five Soviet battlecruisers and a heavy cruiser. The Japanese and the Russians turn away from each other after the initial exchange of fire, the Japanese hoping to hold them in place for an aerial torpedo attack. The Japanese then find themselves under attack, not just from the Russian battlecruisers, but a force of four battleships. The Japanese aircraft attack, met by Soviet fighter cover, is marginally effective, scoring a single hit on the lead battleship, Knyaz Potemkin, at 2100. The Russians are disorganized, with their battleships engaging the Japanese at medium range, but their battlecruisers are straggling several thousand yards behind, and not contributing meaningfully to the raging gun duel. Under heavy combined aerial and gun attack, the Russian battleships turn away, and their battlecruisers surge forward to cover their retreat at 2130. Destroyer Fumizuki makes a brave but futile solo torpedo attack at point-blank range, not scoring any hits, but further disrupting the enemy formation and withdrawing successfully. Ariake is not so lucky; she's been cut off from the main Japanese force, and is mortally wounded after launching her torpedoes to no effect. The Japanese continue to spar with the Soviet battlecruisers, while heavy cruisers Asama and Azuma, having lost contact with the main force, are under fire from the Soviet battleships. At 2341, Mikasa is hit by a torpedo, fired by a Soviet destroyer from extreme range before being blasted apart, although it causes only minor damage. At the same time, Unebi chases down and sinks the fleeing seaplane tender Smolensk. The Japanese battle line has reformed and is pursuing the Russians in a southeasterly direction; at 0015 the elderly battleship Poltava blows up after an incoming shell causes a turret flash fire, and 3 minutes later another Russian battlecruiser is hit by an air-launched torpedo. By 0140 the Russian force has completely scattered; the Japanese have expended almost all of their ammunition, and the weather is turning hazy. They chase and engage a pair of straggling Russian battlecruisers at close range; Afon is sunk but Revel miraculously escapes, her superstructure burned and completely wrecked, two turrets destroyed, and almost no buoyancy remaining. For the first time, the Japanese have won a decisive daylight surface action against an enemy battle force on equal terms. For the loss of only Ariake, and Asama moderately damaged, the Japanese have inflicted a devastating defeat on the Soviet Navy, having sunk the battleships Poltava and Imperatritsa Ekaterina Velikaya, battlecruisers Afon and Grengam, seaplane carrier Smolensk, and destroyers Likhoi, Bedovi, and Vidni. Three Soviet capital ships are heavily damaged, and two moderately damaged. Although Japanese carrier aviation made a positive impact, all of the Russian ships sunk were sunk by gunfire. Shortages of carrier aircraft prevented and even more decisive victory; it's possible, if the Japanese squadrons had been at full strength, the entire enemy force could have been sunk. For the first time in the war, the Japanese have complete control of the Sea of Japan; with the vital supply chain now completely cut, the starving and surrounded Soviet invasion force surrenders.
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Post by desdinova on Feb 12, 2020 20:19:40 GMT -6
So, as you can probably tell, I haven't played this game in months. I got the itch to look at RTW2 again, but I wanted to start fresh, and I already upgraded to the new version, so I don't plan on continuing with this save. But I thought I'd provide some sort of epilogue for the AAR. The EndSoviet Tank Crew Surrenders to Japanese Troops, 1935The defeat of the Russian invasion of the Japanese home islands marked the end of the Soviet military as an existential threat to Japan. Further attrition essentially eliminated the Soviet Navy as an combat-effective surface force; the only remaining threat would be the large Soviet submarine fleet. The bulk of the Japanese battle fleet would transit to European waters by March of 1934, instituting a total blockade of Soviet trade. The war would shift focus to predominately a land war, as Japanese sea control allowed a counterattack into Manchuria and Kamchatka. Russian manpower outnumbered the Japanese by a huge margin, but this equalized by the fact that the Russians were at the end of a continent-wide supply line, and the Japanese now had a free hand to resupply men and materiel, provide naval gunfire support, and to rotate units home for R&R and replenishment of supplies and personnel. Still, with the lack of infrastructure, harsh climate, and endless Soviet reinforcements, both sides soon found themselves locked into a stalemate. The war would drag on until October 1935, when an exhausted Russia would finally surrender. No further surface naval action would occur, although several vessels on both sides would be sunk during the protracted submarine campaign. ResultThe Soviet Navy was essentially annihilated as a surface fighting force, losing 8 battleships, 23 battlecruisers, 15 light cruisers, a light aircraft carrier, four seaplane tenders, 36 destroyers, two dozen corvettes and minesweepers, and six armed merchantmen. They began the war with 34 capital ships, and ended it with only three. Cruiser and destroyer forces were similarly depleted; by 1935 Soviet naval production had transitioned entirely to submarines. The Japanese had lost the battleships Kongo and Shikishima, 8 light cruisers, 34 destroyers, and 8 minesweepers and corvettes. Russian submarines and raiders sank at least 224 Japanese merchants over the course of the war, while 57 were lost. Japanese submarines and raiders claimed no fewer than 678 kills, absolutely devastating the Russian merchant marine. While Russia's overland trade kept the nation from total collapse, the economic devastation wrought by Japan's attack on Soviet shipping and the later blockade did contribute to breaking the stalemate and ending the war. But Soviet Anti-Submarine Warfare was generally more effective at every stage of the war, with the Japanese losing 87 boats, almost their entire pre-war fleet. ConclusionOver the course of fourty years, the Imperial Japanese Navy has risen from humble origins to one of the world's premier fighting forces. With only of a fraction of the resources of the other great powers, they have created a highly-trained navy of the utmost quality. Even when outnumbered, the skill and aggression of Japanese sailors carried the day again and again. At the time of this writing in 1941, the aggressive ideologies of fascism and communism have failed to gain traction, and across the globe, the old guard of imperialism is dying off. Perhaps soon the nations of the world will find another way to decide their differences than war. It is the author's fervent hope that another destructive war will never happen again, but if it does, the Japanese Navy can surely be called upon to do their duty.
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