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Re: FT-IJN Designs?

From: "Robin Paul" <Robin.Paul@t...>
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2002 02:35:10 -0000
Subject: Re: FT-IJN Designs?


----- Original Message -----
From: Alan E Brain <aebrain@austarmetro.com.au>
To: <gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 10:57 PM
Subject: Re: FT-IJN Designs?

>
> > I don't like MT missiles and never use them.
>
> A 5-endurance MT missile (the "long lance" config) works for me, but
obviously leaves you cold. Either SMs or PTs make an acceptable
substitute.
I really prefer MTs, but it's a matter of taste - your opinion is at
least
as good as mine.
>
> > I presume that your ship with 12+ MT missiles is intended as a
Kitakami
analog (Kitakami was rebuilt in 1942 to carry no less than 40(!) 24-inch
torpedo tubes.)
>
> Good to meet a man who knows his IJN ships! Well spotted.
>
> > I'm working on a similar ship, but with lots of pulse torps.
>
> Which would make sense if you don't use MTs.
>
> >Japanese destroyers should likewise be larger and more powerfully
gunned.
>
> Concur. Super Destroyers (Fubuki) and not-so-small-light-cruisers
masquerading as destroyers. ( 8x5" guns + heavy AA...)
>
> > I'm thinking about making the heavy carrier analogous to the
historical
Akagi as she was orginally completed, with say 5 squadrons and a fairly
strong beam armament (as originally completed Akagi carried 65 aircraft
and
10 8-inch guns.)
>
> Makes sense to me.
>
> > but the "big, fast, lots of fighters" version (a Zuikaku analog)
certainly has a lot to recommend it (and would give Jon a chance to make
TWO
heavy carrier models for the Japanese).
>
> You spotted that one too, well done.
>
> The fleet at the end of all this should be able to hold its own
against
any of the FB1 fleets, yet not be over-optimised, and have a distinct
flavour. Which IMHO is the object of the exercise.
> Just try not to take the analogy too far: FT feels more to me like
Naval
Warfare in about 1900 than 1945. So Zuikaku with speed 6 might have no
more
than 6 fighter squads, lots of PDS.

Sticking with the WW2 model for a bit, it ought to be remembered that
Special Type DDs and most of the bigger cruisers were horribly
overloaded as
built- they ought to have weaker hulls for a given size than the Big 4
fleets. That would also provide anime-style catastrophic ship losses. 
As
the DDs mostly had effective torpedo reload systems, my thought is to
have
SMLs with 2 shots per launcher, and extended range at that.  Japanese AA
was
sometimes plentiful but mostly poor, except for those big late DDs-
(Akizuki? Akatsuki?- brain fades). That's an idea- big carriers with
more
interceptors than normal to cover inadequate PDS (I don't say it's a
good
idea, just an idea). A fleet tactic would be to out-FSE the FSE, hurling
in
a lot of fighters and long range SMs, the using the big ships to kick
surviving vessels (enemy survivors, that is).

My IJN mega fleet arrived today.  They are so good, it makes up for a
bit of
the roof blowing off and falling on the car!

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