Japanese Ship Names

[ladner]

I have been working on a mod for the AI to be played by the Japanese. I have taken some liberities of cutting down the build time of DDs/DEs/PCs so the AI can manage to protect the resources from the SRA. I was thinking about adding in some cruiser that were designed but not built, was hoping that people on this forum would have some ideas on Japanese ship names. Does anyone have any suggestions on Japanese ship names?

Any how, I noticed that only one Oyodo built, and there was to be a sister ship that was never begun. I am also thinking of adding in the Ibuki Class CAs. Which have the following stats:

displacement: 12,200 tons
armament: ten 8" guns, eight 5" dual purpose guns, sixten 24" torpedo tubes
aircraft: 3
speed: 35 knots

Of course Ibuki was converted to a CVL and never completed.

[ladner]

May have answered my own question, interesting link,

http://www.combinedfleet.com/ijnnames.htm

for anyone interested.

Now if only our resident Japanese scholars could tell me of any mountain names or ranges in Japan I would be grateful. From looking at that website, the Japanese named battleships after provinces, CAs after mountains, volcanoes, or rivers, CLs after rivers. CVs and CVLs have interseting names, either birds or mythic creatures such as phoenixes and dragons.

[hithere]

here is a good one for a CV "I'sinkie"


heh heh heh
[:D]

[ladner]

ORIGINAL: hithere

here is a good one for a CV "I'sinkie"


heh heh heh
[:D]

At first I was [:@]. Because I was hoping for some constructive feedback.

However, that was funny [:D]

[hithere]

you pretty much have what you need i think. just pull up a map of japan i guess to get the rest.


www.combinedfleet.com is one of the best site on the web, in my opinion. some people i know say it is slanted toward the U.S. It has future Japanese ship names somewhere on the site i believe.

[Platoonist]

One thing you could do to help Japan out a little bit in the ASW department is to add the few destroyers that Japan built but lost prior to the war.

Sawarabi, Wakatake class --lost in 1932 after capsizing in a storm.

Miyuki, Fubuki class --broke in two and sank when she was rammed in the boiler room by the Ikazuchi in 1935.

Warabi, Momi class --lost 1927 when she collided with the cruiser Jintsu.

For ship names you try Japanese ships that were cancelled prior to being built. There a sizable number of Japanese destroyers that were named but their construction was halted or never started.

[String]

btw... what does "Maru" signify in the jap merchant names?

[Platoonist]

There are several theories associated with this word being attached to ship names. The most common is that ships were thought of as floating castles and the word maru referred to the defensive "circles" or maru that protected the castle.

Another explanation is that the suffix maru is often applied to words representing something that is beloved and that sailors applied this suffix to their ships.

A third explanation is that the term "maru" is used in divination and represents perfection or completeness, or the ship as a small world of its own.

The final explanation is a legend of the "Hakudo Maru"" which was the name of a celestial being that came to earth and taught humans how to build ships. It is said that the name "maru" is attached to a ship to secure celestial protection for it as it travels.

Still today commercial and private ships are named with this convention. I wouldn't be suprised if there are other definitions for Maru out there as well. [:D]

[ladner]

Platoonist - so far I have followed your advice, the book, Fleets of World War II, by Richard Worth is an excellant source of info.

I have added 3 CA's, the 'Ibuki Class', renamed the Ibuki CVL to Sea Dragon -> not sure if this comes out right, Taikairyu.

Also added 2 BCs, these were the "795" and "796" projects, which never got beyond the drawing board. As designed they would have the following:

Displacement 31,495 tons, nine 12.2" guns, sixteen 3.9 inch dual purpose guns, eight 24" torpedo tubes, 3 aircraft, speed of 33 knots. I am going to have them named Kii and Owari, which were planned battleships that were never built.

I created this image, if someone is more talented feel free to help out. Basically reduced the fore and aft of the Yamato and reduced the main gun barrells. Not much of artist, but I am more interested in play-testing the scenario right now.

[Tiornu]

"Platoonist - so far I have followed your advice, the book, Fleets of World War II, by Richard Worth is an excellant source of info."
That's the kind of talk I like to hear! Hey, I had so many customers for my 10-buck sale that I decided to continue it to Christmas. Anyone who wants signed copies, send a note to my screen name @att.net .

[ladner]

ORIGINAL: Tiornu

"Platoonist - so far I have followed your advice, the book, Fleets of World War II, by Richard Worth is an excellant source of info."
That's the kind of talk I like to hear! Hey, I had so many customers for my 10-buck sale that I decided to continue it to Christmas. Anyone who wants signed copies, send a note to my screen name @att.net .

If you had to hazard a guess what type of AAA armament do you think would have fit on the "795" and "796" projects?

[Tiornu]

I would follow Lacroix & Wells and their excellent book. They list four triple mounts of 25mm cannon and a pair of twin 13mm machine gun mounts. Obviously this would have increased according to whatever date they entered service, and they might also have carried those charming little AA rockets.

[Speedysteve]

Tiornu -

Do you know if those AA rockets were effective at all? I take it they were one shot wonders?

Regards,

Steven

[Feinder]

Holy Krap Ladner,

Nice job! Now you just have 368 other classes to make pretty!

Get to work!

-F-

[b5n]

renamed the Ibuki CVL to Sea Dragon -> not sure if this comes out right, Taikairyu.

This doesn't sound quite right. It's 3 kanji, all other CV names are 2 kanji. Perhaps you could go with "Kairyu" which also works out to "Sea Dragon", but that doesn't sound quite right either.
There are many beautiful words for dragons, just not for the sea variety. How about "Black Dragon" Kokuryu, for example?

I understand you need some mountain names for your cruisers. How many?

[Tiornu]

I have never heard of a plane being knocked down by these AA rockets. In fact, I don't recall ever hearing of pilots finding them intimidating. At least the Type 3 AA shells earned some comments. The British and Germans also used AA rockets on their ships. The British gave up on them early in the war. The German, like the Japanese, issued them as a desperation measure later in the war. If anyone knows of a plane shot down by one of these weapons, I'd like to hear of it.

[ladner]

There was going to be an Ibuki class, originally, just Ibuki and a sister ship, since this mod was going to enhance/favor an AI led Japan was going to go for a total of 3 Ibuki Class CAs.

Also plaining on adding a project "795" and "796" which were super-heavy cruisers, I was going to treat them as Battle Cruisers, originally was going to go with Kii and Owari, which were two BCs that were never built because of the Washington Naval Treaty.

The only other would be adding another Oyodo class CL, was thinking of Teshio, which I beleive is the name of river in northern Hokkaido. Many of the CLs are named after bodies of water.

If you have any suggestions for additional Taiho class names or another sister to Shokaku, I would appreciate it.

I will use the name you suggest for the 'Ibuki' converted to a CVL, Kairyu. I know very little Japanese, was trying to use an on-line free conversion utility, so I would not expect the best of results. Thanks by the way.

Unfortunately I screwed up my work, by changing a device in the range of 1-256, which is a big no-no. I am in the process of redoing everything. Altering the plane upgrade paths and trying to best guess AI production, since it does not make any changes was very painful.

[Tomo]

Historically, the 2nd ship of OYODO class was planned to be NIYODO(river name).
The 2nd ship of IBUKI class was not named. Just called No.301. She was stopped to built and scrapped soon after Midway. IBUKI was called NO.300 before she was named.

[Graycompany]

what about "Wassabe"

[mikemike]

I thought about something similar, so I collected a few names.

First, BB´s. These are all genuine names used on BB´s, either before 1914 or cancelled due to the Washungton Treaty:

Hizen
Tango
Suwo
Iwami
Asahi
Shikishima
Aki
Satsuma
Kawachi
Settsu
Tosa (sister of Kaga)
Owari
Kii

Heavy cruisers:
real names:
Yakumo
Iwate
Idzumo
Asama
Tokiwa
Aso
Azuma
Kasuga
Ikoma
Kurama
and some mountains:
Niitaka
Bandai
Hiuchiga
Tateyama
Yuriga
Fuji
Hakone
Sanage
Komuga
Sekido
Unzen

Some rivers for CL´s
Hirado
Yodo
Koreyu
Echi
Kushida
Tojo
Minami
Ibi
Nishiki
Shona
Nabori
Uji
Kakehashi
Takahashi

Not really knowing any Japanese, I mixed and matched names for the CV´s, producing
Ryukaku and Asakaku for additional Shokakus
Chiho for a Taiho sister
Karigane
Kurogane
Momogane
Kitagane for a fictitious class.
I don´t know if any of those names make any sense in Japanese (except for Karigane, which means "Wild Goose" AFAIK), but they certainly sound authentic.

Whitley (Destroyers of World War II) has a number of names for cancelled Yugumos and Akizukis, for instance

Umigiri
Yamagiri
Tanigiri
Kawagiri
Taekaze for Yugumos and

Arashikaru
Asahikari
Chugao
Hikugumo
Hikushio
Kaosame
Karuiyuki for Akizukis.

I throw in the towel for escorts. You might, however, look at today´s JMSDF and Japanese Coast Guard names; ship names get recycled in Japan, too.
Hope this helps.