Unit Descriptions: Air, Naval, Land

[Froonp]

6 SS MTN

[Extraneous]

Just a quick rough outline.

5th Mountain Division (5th Gebirgs Division) was established in the Austrian Tirol in October 1940, out of regiments taken from the 1st Gebirgs Division and the 10th Infanterie Division.

Nicknames: Gamsbock-Division (Mountain Goat Division), Sumpfjäger Division (Swamp Hunter Division)

Its first actions were in the 1941 Balkans Campaigns:
04/06/41- 04/30/41 The Battle of Greece (Aka: Operation Mary, Operation Marita, German: Unternehmen Marita)
05/20/41- 06/01/41 The Battle of Crete (Aka: Operation Mercury, Operation Merkur, German: Unternehmen Merkur) where it was used in an air-landing role

In November, it returned to Germany for rehabilitation.

April 1942 it was deployed to the Eastern Front, where it joined Army Group North on the Volkhov Front.
April 1943 it was redeployed to Italy. It fought out the remainder of the war in Italy and the Western Alps, and surrendered to the Americans near Turin in May 1945.

Commanders
11/01/40 - 02/10/44 General der Gebirgstruppe Julius Ringel
02/10/44 - 01/18/45 Generalleutnant Max Schrank
01/18/45 - 05/08/45 Generalmajor Hans Steets

Units
85th Gebirgsjäger-Regiment
100th Gebirgsjäger-Regiment
95th Aufklärungs-Battalion
95th Panzerjäger-Battalion
73th leichte Flak Batterie (Luftwaffe)
95th Gebirgs-Artillerie-Regiment; I. - IV. Abteilung
95th Gebirgs-Pionier-Battalion
95th Nachrichten-Battalion
95th Nachschubtruppen

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Froonp

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: brian brian

speaking of MTN divisions, on the Yahoo list this week I learned that there are 2 5th Mountain Divisions in the German Force Pool; the 2nd one appeared on the Asia in Flames counter-sheet I think. The second one is the glider / air-landing division. I had never noticed they both used the number "5". So I'm curious, what did MWiF do about this odd little fact? I'm not sure what to do about it with my cardboard counters. Should the second one be used only? Or should the Germans get both?

Warspite1

One is 5th Mountain and the other is 5th SS Mountain so yes you get both as these are different units.

I can't see that one is air-landing - they both have the regular Mountain symbol. Maybe I have an old counter set?

There is a 5 MTN DIV, a 5 AIR LANDING DIV, and a 6 SS MTN DIV. There is no 5 SS MTN DIV.

Warspite1

Indeed, the 5th SS Mountain is a Corps not a Division - apologies.

[warspite1]

More Guadalcanal action - and a very sad story [:(]


[4180 Juneau - by Robert Jenkins]
.B Engine Output: 75,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 32.5 Knots
.B Main Armament: 16 x 5-inch (127mm), 16 x 1.1-inch (28mm) guns
.B Displacement (full load): 8,340 tons
.B Thickest Armour: 3.75-inch (belt)
.P The Atlantas were a class of eleven light cruisers built for the United
States Navy (USN) between 1940 and 1946. The last three ships of the class were
not completed until well after the Second World War had finished and as a result,
World In Flames allows the US player to build the first eight ships of the class
only.
.P These ships were the smallest cruisers to serve with the USN during the war,
being twenty-five foot shorter than the much earlier Omahas; the ships they were
designed to replace. The first four were completed to a slightly different design
to the second group of four (see below).
.P In accordance with the 1936 London Naval Treaty, they were designed to a 6,000
ton restriction, although they actually came in slightly over this.
.P The class was designed to work with destroyers and as a result the main
armament was required to overcome enemy ships of this type. The gun chosen came
in the form of an excellent development of the USN's existing 5-inch gun; the
type 38. This dual-purpose gun gave the class an excellent anti-aircraft (AA)
capability. The guns were fitted in no less than eight twin turrets, six forward,
six aft and two in the waist. Note - only the first four ships were fitted with
the waist guns as the later ships were provided with additional close-range AA
guns instead. For the first four ships AA weaponry was originally four quadruple
1.1-inch guns and eight 20mm.
.P The armoured protection was significantly lighter than that fitted to the
Brooklyns - the previous light cruiser class - although this is not surprising
given the 4,000 ton weight differential.
.P Their 75,000 hp gave a top speed in line with all contemporary US cruisers but
was slightly less than the designed speed of 34 knots.
.P In line with naming convention, the class were named after large cities in the
United States.
.P USS Juneau was completed in February 1942, two months after the Japanese
surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that brought the United States into World War II.
She was initially deployed on the Atlantic seaboard. After undergoing trials and
crew work-up, she was ordered to the West Indies, where she monitored the
movements of Vichy French ships that were holed up in the islands of Martinique
and Guadeloupe.
.P Juneau returned to the dockyard for minor work and was then used on patrol and
escort duty in both the North Atlantic and the Caribbean. However, her time on
the Eastern Seaboard came to a close towards the end of August 1942; her presence
was desperately needed in the southwest Pacific.
.P On the 9th August, US Marines from the 1st Marine Division had landed on two
of the Solomon Islands; Tulagi and Guadalcanal (see Transport Counter 4247). The
subsequent fighting - on land, sea and air - for the right to own the latter
island was to last six months, and would cost both the Americans and the Japanese
thousands of lives, hundreds of aircraft and a great many ships. USS Juneau was
one of the ships that would find their ultimate resting place in the waters that
surrounded the Solomon Islands. Her loss also provided World War II with one of
its more tragic episodes.
.P All that was in the future however. Having reached the Pacific, Juneau was
ordered to join Task Force (TF) 18, which she did on the 10th September. TF18,
which was centred around the carrier Wasp, was deployed south of Guadalcanal with
three objectives: to supplement the small number of aircraft based on Guadalcanal
itself; to provide protection for American troop and supply convoys to the
island; and to stop the Japanese fleet from intervening in the waters around the
Solomons.
.P But, just five days after joining up with Wasp, the carrier was sunk by
torpedoes fired from the Japanese submarine I-19. Juneau was ordered immediately
to join TF17, to provide protection for the carrier USS Hornet. Sadly, at the end
of October, in what was Juneau's first major battle, Hornet was sunk too; this
time to enemy air attack. The battle, known as the Battle of the Santa Cruz
Islands, was on paper, a Japanese victory, but the large cost to the Japanese
Navy in terms of experienced pilots was one they could ill-afford, and would cost
them dearly in operations in and around Guadalcanal in the coming weeks.
.P Juneau's last operation took place in the middle of November, in a battle that
became known as the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. The fight for Guadalcanal
was reaching its climax. By November, the Japanese were about to make their final
all out attempt to capture the island.
.P Before any fresh offensive could be launched, the Japanese troops on the
island needed reinforcing. A large convoy, containing eleven transports, put to
sea with its close escort on the 11th November and sailed for Guadalcanal. The
Japanese intended to use two fast battleships - Hiei and Kirishima - for the
first time in the confined waters north of Guadalcanal. The plan was to use the
battleships to shell the American airfield on the island in the early hours of
the 13th November, and so render the airstrip inoperable. With no interference
from American aircraft, the transports would be left in peace to unload their
valuable cargo. Rear-Admiral Hiroaki Abe flew his flag in Hiei, and the two
battleships were escorted by the light cruiser Nagara and six destroyers. Also
available to Abe were four destroyers that would be used to sweep ahead of his
bombardment force, and three more that would be used to patrol the area whilst
the battleships were busy rendering Henderson airfield (named after one of the
American Marine heroes from the Battle of Midway) hors de combat.
.P The Americans themselves planned to run two convoy operations to Guadalcanal
at around the same time. In support of these operations a Task Group (TG) 67.4
was gathered together from two smaller TG's. This task group, commanded by
Rear-Admiral Daniel Callaghan consisted of the heavy cruisers Portland and San
Francisco (Flagship); the light cruisers Atlanta, Helena and Juneau; and the
destroyers Aaron Ward, Barton, Cushing, Fletcher, Laffey, Monssen, O'Bannon and
Sterett.
.P The odds, based on the number of ships, the calibre of guns and number of
torpedoes available, were heavily stacked in the favour of the Imperial Japanese
Navy. However, a couple of factors combined to ensure that this advantage would
be wasted. Firstly, the Japanese ships sailed through an extremely heavy rain
shower that caused the Japanese commander to decide to postpone the bombardment.
He ordered a reversal of course, but then later changed his mind. In the poor
weather conditions, these course changes caused confusion in the positioning of
Abe's ships. Secondly, the battleships were not armed with armour-piercing shells
as Abe expected no opposition on his way to bombard Henderson airfield.
.P For Callaghan, there was no such drama, and his ships, sailed northwest in
relatively calm seas. The American admiral placed four destroyers in line astern
at the head of the formation; Cushing followed by Laffey, then Sterett and
O'Bannon. At the rear of the column were Aaron Ward, Barton, Monssen and
Fletcher. Sandwiched between the two groups of four destroyers were the cruisers:
Atlanta, San Francisco, Portland, Helena and Juneau. Unfortunately, none of the
five ships equipped with the most up-to-date radar were placed at the head of the
column, negating what should have been a key advantage in the coming battle.
.P When the two fleets came across each other just before 0130hrs on the morning
of the 13th, the range was just 1,000 yards between the closest ships. The
position of the Japanese ships was essentially as follows: the destroyers
Harusame and Yudachi were some distance ahead of the main force; behind them came
Nagara, Hiei and Kirishima. To starboard, between the cruiser and Hiei were the
destroyers Inazuma, Akatsuki and Ikazuchi. To the port side of the battleships
were the destroyers Yukikaze, Amatsukaze and Terezuki. Meanwhile, the final three
destroyers Samidare, Murasame and Asagumo were behind Kirishima and were
initially sailing northeast, away from the main fleet.
.P The American column turned to port and headed straight for the Japanese fleet.
So, when firing began at 0148hrs, the battle very quickly developed into a free
for all at very close-range. Trying to record what happened that morning to each
ship is almost impossible and the writer would refer any reader to the excellent
account contained within Richard B Frank's Guadalcanal. Suffice to say that in
the intensity and confusion of battle both sides suffered heavy losses. The
battle lasted less than three quarters of an hour, but in that time there were
numerous incidents of friendly fire accidents.
.P At the head of the American line, Cushing was an early casualty (although she
only sank later that day) as was Laffey, which blew up as she sank; both were
victim to shells from multiple enemy ships. Both Sterett and O'Bannon were able
eventually to withdraw despite taking varying degrees of punishment during the
engagement.
.P Atlanta had Rear-Admiral Norman Scott aboard. He was Callaghan's second in
command and had been the victor at the Battle of Cape Esperance just a month
before. At one point Atlanta was pummelled by shells from San Francisco. Atlanta
was turned into a fireball and Scott was killed. The cruiser sank long after the
battle had ended, despite heroic efforts to save her. San Francisco herself
received hit after hit from Hiei's 14-inch guns and was lucky to survive.
However, despite losing Callaghan and most of the senior officers, San Francisco
remained in the fight during the whole battle.
.P Portland too was badly damaged, but despite receiving a hit from a long-lance
torpedo on her starboard side, she remained afloat. Helena was the least mauled
of the US cruisers that morning, having been hit less than half a dozen times.
Last but not least of the cruisers came Juneau. she took little part in the
battle having also been badly damaged by a torpedo early on.
.P Of the four destroyers that brought up the rear, Aaron Ward survived a number
of hits from either Hiei or Kirishima. Barton was hit by two torpedoes that
caused her to break in two and sink in a ball of fire with heavy loss of life.
Monssen too became a mass of flames as a result of almost forty shell hits and
she sank later that morning. Fletcher was the only American ship to escape any
damage in the chaos.
.P For the Japanese, the damage was less severe, with the destroyers Akatsuki
and Yudachi sunk: the former blew up in the heat of the battle, while the
latter's drifting hulk was sunk by Portland sometime after the battle. Fellow
destroyers Amatsukaze, Ikazuchi and Murasame were damaged. But the biggest loss
to the Japanese was that of the seriously damaged Hiei later that morning. In
the thick of the action from the start, she had taken countless 5, 6 and 8-inch
shell hits, although it was damage from American torpedoes that was to seal her
fate.
.P Unable to steer properly and with her speed down to single digits, Hiei was
a magnet for American aircraft from Guadalcanal, from the carrier Enterprise,
and even long range B-17's, as she tried in vain to get to safety during the
daylight hours. She sank later that evening after numerous bomb and torpedo
strikes.
.P USS Juneau meanwhile, having survived the torpedo hit, was sailing at reduced
speed with many of the other damaged warships and heading for Espiritu Santu. But
just after 1100hrs that morning, she was struck by another torpedo - this time
from submarine I-26. The effect of the torpedo hit was cataclysmic; Juneau blew-
up and disappeared beneath the waves in seconds.
.P Aboard Juneau since she commissioned, were five brothers from Waterloo, Iowa:
George, Francis, Joseph, Madison and Albert Sullivan. Four of the brothers are
believed to have died instantly while the fifth, George, was one of the 100 or
so initial survivors that found themselves in the water after Juneau had gone
down. Sadly, the decision was taken not to stop to pick up survivors and before
these men could be rescued - - a combination of shark attack, exhaustion, thirst
etc - meant that most of these men would die. Just ten men who survived the
initial sinking were rescued; George Sullivan was not amongst them.
.P In tribute to the five Sullivan brothers, a destroyer, commissioned in 1943,
was named USS The Sullivans. She was the first US warship to be named after more
than one person. Juneau's loss of life - 683 officers and crew - was the largest
suffered by an Amercian ship of her size in World War II.

[Extraneous]

More Guadalcanal action - and a very sad story [:(]

[4180 Juneau - by Robert Jenkins]
.B Engine Output: 75,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 32.5 Knots
.B Main Armament: eight dual 5-inch (127mm) gun mounts (16x 5-inch guns), 16 x 1.1-inch (28mm) guns in quad mounts

The Atlanta class were the only class of U.S. Navy cruisers in World War II to be armed with torpedoes tubes (8x 21-inch (533mm) torpedo tubes in two quad launchers)

.B Displacement (full load): 8,340 tons
.B Thickest Armour: 3.75-inch (belt)
.P The Atlanta class consisted of eleven light cruisers built for the United
States Navy (USN) between 1940 and 1946. The last three ships of the class were
not completed until well after the Second World War had finished and as a result,
World In Flames allows the US player to build the first eight ships of the class
only.
.P These ships were the smallest cruisers to serve with the USN during the war,
being twenty-five foot shorter than the much earlier Omaha’s; the ships they were
designed to replace. The first four were completed to a slightly different design
to the second group of four (see below).
.P In accordance with the 1936 London Naval Treaty, they were designed to a 6,000
ton restriction, although they actually came in slightly over this.
.P

The Atlanta class was designed as fast scout cruisers, flotilla leaders, and later proved to be effective anti-aircraft cruisers. The main armament selected for the class came in the form of the U.S. Navy's existing Mark 12 dual-purpose 5"/38 calibre (127mm) gun. Which provided excellent anti-aircraft (AA) protection as well as the ability to overcome enemy destroyers.

The guns were fitted in no less than eight twin turrets, six forward,
six aft and two in the waist. Note - only the first four ships were fitted with
the waist guns as the later ships were provided with additional close-range AA
guns instead. For the first four ships AA weaponry was originally four quadruple
1.1-inch guns and eight 20mm.
.P The armour protection was significantly lighter than that fitted to the
Brooklyn’s - the previous light cruiser class - although this is not surprising
given the 4,000 ton weight differential.
.P Their 75,000 hp gave a top speed in line with all contemporary US cruisers but
was slightly less than the designed speed of 34 knots.
.P In line with naming convention, the class were named after large cities in the
United States.
.P USS Juneau was completed in February 1942, two months after the Japanese
surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that brought the United States into World War II.
She was initially deployed on the Atlantic seaboard. After undergoing trials and
crew work-up, she was ordered to the West Indies, where she monitored the
movements of Vichy French ships that were holed up in the islands of Martinique
and Guadeloupe.
.P Juneau returned to the dockyard for minor work and was then used on patrol and
escort duty in both the North Atlantic and the Caribbean. However, her time on
the Eastern Seaboard came to a close towards the end of August 1942; her presence
was desperately needed in the southwest Pacific.
.P On the 9th August, US Marines from the 1st Marine Division had landed on two
of the Solomon Islands; Tulagi and Guadalcanal (see Transport Counter 4247). The
subsequent fighting - on land, sea and air - for the right to own the latter
island was to last six months, and would cost both the Americans and the Japanese
thousands of lives, hundreds of aircraft and a great many ships. USS Juneau was
one of the ships that would find their ultimate resting place in the waters that
surrounded the Solomon Islands. Her loss also provided World War II with one of
its more tragic episodes.
.P All that was in the future however. Having reached the Pacific, Juneau was
ordered to join Task Force (TF) 18, which she did on the 10th September. TF18,
which was centred around the carrier Wasp, was deployed south of Guadalcanal with
three objectives: to supplement the small number of aircraft based on Guadalcanal
itself; to provide protection for American troop and supply convoys to the
island; and to stop the Japanese fleet from intervening in the waters around the
Solomon Islands.
.P But, just five days after joining up with Wasp, the carrier was sunk by
torpedoes fired from the Japanese submarine I-19. Juneau was ordered immediately
to join TF17, to provide protection for the carrier USS Hornet. Sadly, at the end
of October, in what was Juneau's first major battle, Hornet was sunk too; this
time to enemy air attack. The battle, known as the Battle of the Santa Cruz
Islands, was on paper, a Japanese victory, but the large cost to the Japanese
Navy in terms of experienced pilots was one they could ill-afford, and would cost
them dearly in operations in and around Guadalcanal in the coming weeks.
.P Juneau's last operation took place in the middle of November, in a battle that
became known as the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. The fight for Guadalcanal
was reaching its climax. By November, the Japanese were about to make their final
all out attempt to capture the island.
.P Before any fresh offensive could be launched, the Japanese troops on the
island needed reinforcing. A large convoy, containing eleven transports, put to
sea with its close escort on the 11th November and sailed for Guadalcanal. The
Japanese intended to use two fast battleships - Hiei and Kirishima - for the
first time in the confined waters north of Guadalcanal. The plan was to use the
battleships to shell the American airfield on the island in the early hours of
the 13th November, and so render the airstrip inoperable. With no interference
from American aircraft, the transports would be left in peace to unload their
valuable cargo. Rear-Admiral Hiroaki Abe flew his flag in Hiei, the light cruiser
Nagara and six destroyers escorted the two battleships. Also available to Abe
were four destroyers that would be used to sweep ahead of his
bombardment force, and three more that would be used to patrol the area whilst
the battleships were busy rendering Henderson airfield (named after one of the
American Marine heroes from the Battle of Midway) hors de combat.
.P The Americans themselves planned to run two convoy operations to Guadalcanal
at around the same time. In support of these operations a Task Group (TG) 67.4
was gathered together from two smaller TG's. This task group, commanded by
Rear-Admiral Daniel Callaghan consisted of the heavy cruisers Portland and San
Francisco (Flagship); the light cruisers Atlanta, Helena and Juneau; and the
destroyers Aaron Ward, Barton, Cushing, Fletcher, Laffey, Monssen, O'Bannon and
Sterett.
.P The odds, based on the number of ships, the calibre of guns and number of
torpedoes available, were heavily stacked in the favour of the Imperial Japanese
Navy. However, a couple of factors combined to ensure that this advantage would
be wasted. Firstly, the Japanese ships sailed through an extremely heavy rain
shower that caused the Japanese commander to decide to postpone the bombardment.
He ordered a reversal of course, but then later changed his mind. In the poor
weather conditions, these course changes caused confusion in the positioning of
Abe's ships. Secondly, the battleships were not armed with armour-piercing shells
as Abe expected no opposition on his way to bombard Henderson airfield.
.P For Callaghan, there was no such drama, and his ships, sailed northwest in
relatively calm seas. The American admiral placed four destroyers in line astern
at the head of the formation; Cushing followed by Laffey, then Sterett and
O'Bannon. At the rear of the column were Aaron Ward, Barton, Monssen and
Fletcher. Sandwiched between the two groups of four destroyers were the cruisers:
Atlanta, San Francisco, Portland, Helena and Juneau. Unfortunately, none of the
five ships equipped with the most up-to-date radar were placed at the head of the
column, negating what should have been a key advantage in the coming battle.
.P When the two fleets came across each other just before 0130hrs on the morning
of the 13th, the range was just 1,000 yards between the closest ships. The
position of the Japanese ships was essentially as follows: the destroyers
Harusame and Yudachi were some distance ahead of the main force; behind them came
Nagara, Hiei and Kirishima. To starboard, between the cruiser and Hiei were the
destroyers Inazuma, Akatsuki and Ikazuchi. To the port side of the battleships
were the destroyers Yukikaze, Amatsukaze and Terezuki. Meanwhile, the final three
destroyers Samidare, Murasame and Asagumo were behind Kirishima and were
initially sailing northeast, away from the main fleet.
.P The American column turned to port and headed straight for the Japanese fleet.
So, when firing began at 0148hrs, the battle very quickly developed into a free
for all at very close-range. Trying to record what happened that morning to each
ship is almost impossible and the writer would refer any reader to the excellent
account contained within Richard B Frank's Guadalcanal. Suffice to say that in
the intensity and confusion of battle both sides suffered heavy losses. The
battle lasted less than three quarters of an hour, but in that time there were
numerous incidents of friendly fire accidents.
.P At the head of the American line, Cushing was an early casualty (although she
only sank later that day) as was Laffey, which blew up as she sank; both were
victim to shells from multiple enemy ships. Both Sterett and O'Bannon were able
eventually to withdraw despite taking varying degrees of punishment during the
engagement.
.P Atlanta had Rear-Admiral Norman Scott aboard. He was Callaghan's second in
command and had been the victor at the Battle of Cape Esperance just a month
before. At one point Atlanta was pummeled by shells from San Francisco. Atlanta
was turned into a fireball and Scott was killed. The cruiser sank long after the
battle had ended, despite heroic efforts to save her. San Francisco herself
received hit after hit from Hiei's 14-inch guns and was lucky to survive.
However, despite losing Callaghan and most of the senior officers, San Francisco
remained in the fight during the whole battle.
.P Portland too was badly damaged, but despite receiving a hit from a long-lance
torpedo on her starboard side, she remained afloat. Helena was the least mauled
of the US cruisers that morning, having been hit less than half a dozen times.
Last but not least of the cruisers came Juneau. she took little part in the
battle having also been badly damaged by a torpedo early on.
.P Of the four destroyers that brought up the rear, Aaron Ward survived a number
of hits from either Hiei or Kirishima. Barton was hit by two torpedoes that
caused her to break in two and sink in a ball of fire with heavy loss of life.
Monssen too became a mass of flames as a result of almost forty shell hits and
she sank later that morning. Fletcher was the only American ship to escape any
damage in the chaos.
.P For the Japanese, the damage was less severe, with the destroyers Akatsuki
and Yudachi sunk: the former blew up in the heat of the battle, while the
latter's drifting hulk was sunk by Portland sometime after the battle. Fellow
destroyers Amatsukaze, Ikazuchi and Murasame were damaged. But the biggest loss
to the Japanese was that of the seriously damaged Hiei later that morning. In
the thick of the action from the start, she had taken countless 5, 6 and 8-inch
shell hits, although it was damage from American torpedoes that was to seal her
fate.
.P Unable to steer properly and with her speed down to single digits, Hiei was
a magnet for American aircraft from Guadalcanal, from the carrier Enterprise,
and even long range B-17's, as she tried in vain to get to safety during the
daylight hours. She sank later that evening after numerous bomb and torpedo
strikes.
.P USS Juneau meanwhile, having survived the torpedo hit, was sailing at reduced
speed with many of the other damaged warships and heading for Espiritu Santu. But
just after 1100hrs that morning, she was struck by another torpedo - this time
from submarine I-26. The effect of the torpedo hit was cataclysmic; Juneau blew-
up and disappeared beneath the waves in seconds.
.P Aboard Juneau since she commissioned, were five brothers from Waterloo, Iowa:
George, Francis, Joseph, Madison and Albert Sullivan. Four of the brothers are
believed to have died instantly while the fifth, George, was one of the 100 or
so initial survivors that found themselves in the water after Juneau had gone
down. Sadly, the decision was taken not to stop to pick up survivors and before
these men could be rescued - - a combination of shark attack, exhaustion, thirst
etc - meant that most of these men would die. Just ten men who survived the
initial sinking were rescued; George Sullivan was not amongst them.
.P In tribute to the five Sullivan brothers, the Fletcher class destroyer USS The Sullivan’s (DD-537), was commissioned in 1943.
She was the first US warship to be named after more
than one person. Juneau's loss of life - 683 officers and crew - was the largest
suffered by an American ship of her size in World War II.

Note: They were also known as the Atlanta-Oakland class. The Oakland and later ships of the class were designed as Flagships with additional space for a flag officer and his staff but the additional space was used for additional crew necessary to man anti-aircraft weapons and electronics. They also had their two "wing" mounts of dual 5-inch guns replaced with 8x 40mm/56 cal anti-aircraft guns.

USS Oakland (CL-95)
USS Reno (CL-96)
USS Flint (CL-97)
USS Tucson (CL-98)


Note: The Fighting Sullivans (movie 1944)

[warspite1]

Extraneous thanks. I have incorporated the spelling changes and also the reference to the Atlantas AA usefulness. The fact that The Sullivans was a Fletcher class ship was also a useful addition. However, for consistency the technical detail needs to remain as is - otherwise I will need to change all 1,000+ counters. I think you went a little mad with the apostrophes too [;)] - not required for multiple ships or brothers!

[warspite1]

Please see a final example of a US ASW Escort counter.

[4215 ASW Escort]
.P These ASW counters are only used if playing with the Convoy In Flames optional
rule. The counters do not represent any specific individual convoy or any
particular ships, but are designed to represent convoy escort groups. They have
mixed values reflecting the fact that the make-up of an escort group could differ
from one convoy to the next. Examples of the main ship types that were used in
the convoy escort role during the Second World War are: escort carriers,
destroyers, destroyer escorts, corvettes, sloops and trawlers. As can be seen, a
wide variety of ship type was used in the defence of convoys.
.P In the years following the end of the First World War, the United States Navy
(USN) neglected the subject of trade protection. As a continental power, the need
for defending merchant shipping was perhaps not seen as being as important as the
ability to field a strong surface fleet; after all, it was argued, such a fleet
would sweep the oceans clear of any enemy shipping.
.P As a result of this thinking, at the time that the United States was thrust
into World War II, courtesy of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and Hitler's
subsequent declaration of war in December 1941, the USN was unprepared for large
scale trade protection operations.
.P This shortcoming was still in evidence despite the fact that elements of the
USN had been employed on convoy defence duty since the start of the war in
Europe. On the 4th September 1939 President Roosevelt ordered the setting up of a
"Neutrality Patrol", under which USN ships were initially tasked with tracking
and reporting the movements of belligerent naval vessels in the Atlantic Ocean.
As time went on however, and with the USA still neutral, USN ships took part in
convoy escort operations as far eastward as Iceland.
.P The escorts were ostensibly to protect American shipping, but in actual fact,
stretched US neutrality to the limit, and indeed led to the loss of the destroyer
Reuben James to a German U-boat in October 1941.
.P Fortunately for the Americans, when war came in the Pacific, the Japanese were
not in any position to take advantage of the USN's unpreparedness. The IJN
submarine service proved a largely impotent force, and in any case, the Japanese
high command simply did not appreciate the value of attacking the Allied shipping
that took troops and supplies from the US to Australia and numerous Pacific
islands; strongpoints from which the Americans and their Allies would launch
their comeback against the Japanese.
.P Sadly, in the North Atlantic, the USN were punished more severely. German
U-boats inflicted many months of pain on Allied merchant shipping sailing along
the US East Coast before the USN got on top of the situation.
.P During this second "Happy Time" for the German U-boat crews, they were able to
take advantage of the US decision not to mount convoys in those waters. However,
a combination of US industrial strength and capable administrators and naval
personnel, meant that before long the Germans were on the back foot once more.
.P During 1942/43, wave after wave of escort carriers, destroyer escorts and
patrol frigates were built in US shipyards. Merchant shipping not only benefited
from an ever increasing number of escort vessels, but also from the increased
effectiveness of those escorts, as better anti-aircraft (AA) and anti-submarine
(ASW) capability was developed.
.P Convoy protection work was extremely tough, hazardous work but had none of the
glamour that was associated with the carriers and battleships of the fleet. But
the work was vital, and thanks to the bravery and sacrifice of those sailors and
airmen that undertook these operations, thousands of essential troop and supply
movements were completed, enabling the Allies to take the war to the enemy on
both sides of the world.
.P Note, the date on the back of these ASW and ASW Carrier counters do not relate
in any meaningful way to actual build dates for the ships that took undertook the
convoy escort role during World War II. The counter date should therefore be
ignored. These ASW counters are also used to tell some of the more important, non
-convoy related, episodes of the war that involved these smaller vessels.
.P This write-up looks at the Clemson and Wickes-class destroyers that were
converted for use as fast destroyer transports (APD) and specifically the USS
Little.
.B Name: USS Little
.B Engine(s) Output: 13,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 24 knots
.B Main Armament: 3 x 3-inch (76.2mm), 7 x 20mm guns
.B Displacement (full load): 1,793 tons
.B Cargo: 4 x Landing Craft and 147 troops
.B Thickest Armour: N/a
.P USS Little began life as one of one hundred and eleven "flush-deck" Wickes-
class destroyers. She was built for the USN at the end of the First World War and
was commissioned in April 1918.
.P She was converted to a destroyer transport (see below) in 1940 and the
technical details above reflect how she appeared during her short life in World
War II. As part of the conversion process, Little had two boilers removed (and
the front two of her four stacks with them). This reduced speed to around 24
knots, but the space saved was used to accommodate 147 troops.
.P Her main armament was reduced from the original four, 4-inch guns to three,
3-inch, dual-purpose weapons. Seven 20mm guns were fitted for close-range AA
defence, and on surviving ships, two 40mm guns were added later in the war.
.P Amidships, four large davits were erected that housed one Landing Craft
Personnel (LCP) each. These four landing craft were used to land troops on
hostile shores. In 1941 the basic landing craft was upgraded to a Landing Craft
Personnel (Ramped) (LCP(R)). As the name suggests, this boat had the added
feature of a ramp at the front for easier debarking of troops.
.P USS Little was named after George Little, a naval officer who served with the
Continental Navy during the American War of Independence.
.P When one reads about the United States Marine Corps, landing three divisions
on Iwo Jima in June 1944, it is difficult to believe that just a few years
before, the Corps, and its amphibious equipment were just a fraction of the size
they were to become. Incredibly, when war in Europe came in September 1939, there
were no specialised ships in service in the USN that could transport Marines to
a hostile shore and provide gunfire support in so-doing.
.P It was as late as 1938 that an old "flush-decker", USS Manley, was taken out
of mothballs and converted for use by the Marines. Landing exercises were carried
out and these were considered such a success that Manley was re-designated APD-1
- AP = transport and D = destroyer - and five of her sisters were quickly
earmarked for similar conversion. All six vessels - Colhoun, Gregory, Little,
Manley, McKean and Stringham - were ready by the time of Pearl Harbor in December
1941, and the USN quickly set about further conversions.
.P A total of thirty-two "flush-deckers" were converted to APD's between 1939 and
1944; nine were lost, including four of the first six. They were used almost
exclusively in the Pacific theatre.
.P USS Little was commissioned into the USN as APD-4 in November 1940. She took
part in numerous exercises from the time of her commissioning to August 1942
when, as Flagship of Transport Division 12, she took part in the invasion of
Tulagi in the Solomon Islands.
.P Following the stunning success at Midway, in which four fleet carriers of the
Imperial Japanese Navy were sunk, the United States brought forward plans to take
the war back to the Japanese. The area chosen to begin the fight-back was in the
Solomon Islands, located in the southwest Pacific, northwest of Australia. On the
island of Guadalcanal, which the Japanese had occupied in May 1942, the Japanese
were building an airfield. The intention was to use this island as a base from
which they could a) protect their flanks for the conquest of New Guinea, and b)
launch their drive against other island chains in that region in order to cut the
USA off from Australia.
.P As part of this operation - code-named Watchtower - American Marines assaulted
both Guadalcanal (see Transport Counter 4247) and the small island group to the
north, centred on the island of Tulagi. The invasions took place on the 7th
August 1942. On the larger island surprise was achieved and the few Japanese
troops and construction workers on the island fled inland. However on Tulagi the
Japanese put up some resistance.
.P For the Tulagi attack the Americans deployed the following forces:
Transport Group Yoke: Four large transports (Neville, Heywood, President Jackson
and Zeilin) and four APD's (Little (Flagship of Lt-Commander Gus B Lofberg Jr),
McKean, Gregory and Colhoun). For fire support the three battalions of Marines
employed for this part of the operation could count upon the ships of Task Group
62.4 which consisted of the light cruiser San Juan and the destroyers Monssen and
Buchanan. Finally, three aircraft carriers, commanded by Rear-Admiral Frank
Fletcher, were available to provide assistance to both the attack on the islands
and to ensure cover against the expected counter-attack from Japanese aircraft
based in Rabaul further north.
.P The attack on Tulagi involved five separate attacks on not only Tulagi itself,
but also the neighbouring islands of Tanambogo and Gavatu to the east, and the
large island of Florida to the north. Two unopposed landings were made against
the latter island in order to cover the flanks of the attacks on the three
smaller islands. There were around 1,500 Japanese troops based on the smaller
islands, and they put up a spirited fight. However, as was a sign of things to
come, very few of the Japanese troops surrendered. American losses were just one
hundred and twenty.
.P With Tulagi and the surrounding area secured, all eyes became focused on
Guadalcanal, for it was on that island that the Japanese - recognising the
importance of the almost completed airfield - would choose to fight back. The
fighting would last almost exactly six months before the island was finally
secured by American forces.
.P USS Little would not survive to see that happen, however she was fully
involved in the consolidation of the American position on Guadalcanal. With the
airfield controlled by the Marines and almost finished, the first aircraft would
shortly be arriving on Guadalcanal. On the 15th August, Little and three of her
fellow APD's, brought vital supplies that would be needed once the first aircraft
started landing on the airstrip. In addition to personnel, they brought fuel,
bombs and spare parts. Little returned five days later to offload more supplies.
.P On the 30th August Little was operating with Colhoun, escorting a supply ship
that was unloading her cargo on Guadalcanal when Japanese bombers appeared
overhead. Despite attacking from high altitude, Colhoun took a direct hit and she
quickly sank, although Little was undamaged.
.P However, Little's time was almost up. In the early hours of the 5th September
she and Gregory were returning from an operation to investigate a possible
Japanese landing on Savo Island, northeast of Guadalcanal. That morning three
Japanese destroyers were off Guadalcanal bombarding American positions. Little's
commander decided to investigate gun flashes in the distance. Unfortunately for
the two little American vessels, at the same time an American patrol aircraft -
which was also trying to identify the source of the firing - set off illumination
flares.
.P The flares lit the area up like a Christmas tree and the Japanese look-outs
spotted Little and Gregory. All three ships turned their main guns away from
their original target and switched to the APD's. Given the disparity in armament,
it was no contest. The two US ships were soon ablaze and the order to abandon
ship had to be given. Both commanders were to die in the engagement.
.P Fortunately, and no doubt aided by their proximity to the American owned
shoreline, just thirty-three sailors were killed from the two ships.

[JeffroK]

From Juneau
The class was designed to work with destroyers and as a result the main
armament was required to overcome enemy ships of this type. The gun chosen came
in the form of an excellent development of the USN's existing 5-inch gun; the
type 38. This dual-purpose gun gave the class an excellent anti-aircraft (AA)
capability. The guns were fitted in no less than eight twin turrets, six forward,
six aft and two in the waist.

Should the last sentence be (as the conversation is about turrets)
The guns were fitted in no less than eight twin turrets, three forward,
  three aft and two in the waist.

[Extraneous]

ORIGINAL: JeffK

From Juneau
The class was designed to work with destroyers and as a result the main
armament was required to overcome enemy ships of this type. The gun chosen came
in the form of an excellent development of the USN's existing 5-inch gun; the
type 38. This dual-purpose gun gave the class an excellent anti-aircraft (AA)
capability. The guns were fitted in no less than eight twin turrets, six forward,
six aft and two in the waist.

Should the last sentence be (as the conversation is about turrets)
The guns were fitted in no less than eight twin turrets, three forward,
three aft and two in the waist.

[:D] Good catch Jeff [:D]


[4215 ASW Escort]
.P These ASW counters are only used if playing with the Convoy In Flames optional
rule. The counters do not represent any specific individual convoy or any
particular ships, but are designed to represent convoy escort groups. They have
mixed values reflecting the fact that the make-up of an escort group could differ
from one convoy to the next. Examples of the main ship types that were used in
the convoy escort role during the Second World War are: escort carriers,
destroyers, destroyer escorts, corvettes, sloops and trawlers. As can be seen, a
wide variety of ship type was used in the defence of convoys.
.P In the years following the end of the First World War, the United States Navy
(USN) neglected the subject of trade protection. As a continental power, the need
for defending merchant shipping was perhaps not seen as being as important as the
ability to field a strong surface fleet; after all, it was argued, such a fleet
would sweep the oceans clear of any enemy shipping.
.P As a result of this thinking, at the time that the United States was thrust
into World War II, courtesy of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and Hitler's
subsequent declaration of war in December 1941, the USN was unprepared for large
scale trade protection operations.
.P This shortcoming was still in evidence despite the fact that elements of the
USN had been employed on convoy defence duty since the start of the war in
Europe. On the 4th September 1939 President Roosevelt ordered the setting up of a
"Neutrality Patrol", under which USN ships were initially tasked with tracking
and reporting the movements of belligerent naval vessels in the Atlantic Ocean.
As time went on however, and with the USA still neutral, USN ships took part in
convoy escort operations as far eastward as Iceland.
.P The escorts were ostensibly to protect American shipping, but in actual fact,
stretched US neutrality to the limit, and indeed led to the loss of the destroyer
Reuben James to a German U-boat in October 1941.
.P Fortunately for the Americans, when war came in the Pacific, the Japanese were
not in any position to take advantage of the USN's unpreparedness. The IJN
submarine service proved a largely impotent force, and in any case, the Japanese
high command simply did not appreciate the value of attacking the Allied shipping
that took troops and supplies from the US to Australia and numerous Pacific
islands; strongpoints from which the Americans and their Allies would launch
their comeback against the Japanese.
.P Sadly, in the North Atlantic, the USN were punished more severely. German
U-boats inflicted many months of pain on Allied merchant shipping sailing along
the US East Coast before the USN got on top of the situation.
.P During this second "Happy Time" for the German U-boat crews, they were able to
take advantage of the US decision not to mount convoys in those waters. However,
a combination of US industrial strength and capable administrators and naval
personnel, meant that before long the Germans were on the back foot once more.
.P During 1942/43, wave after wave of escort carriers, destroyer escorts and
patrol frigates were built in US shipyards. Merchant shipping not only benefited
from an ever increasing number of escort vessels, but also from the increased
effectiveness of those escorts, as better anti-aircraft (AA) and anti-submarine
(ASW) capability was developed.
.P Convoy protection work was extremely tough, hazardous work but had none of the
glamour that was associated with the carriers and battleships of the fleet. But
the work was vital, and thanks to the bravery and sacrifice of those sailors and
airmen that undertook these operations, thousands of essential troop and supply
movements were completed, enabling the Allies to take the war to the enemy on
both sides of the world.
.P Note, the date on the back of these ASW and ASW Carrier counters do not relate
in any meaningful way to actual build dates for the ships that took undertook the
convoy escort role during World War II. The counter date should therefore be
ignored. These ASW counters are also used to tell some of the more important, non
-convoy related, episodes of the war that involved these smaller vessels.
.P This write-up looks at the Clemson and Wickes class destroyers that were
converted for use as fast destroyer transports (APD) and specifically the USS
Little.
.B Name: USS Little
.B Engine(s) Output: 13,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 24 knots
.B Main Armament: 3 x 3-inch (76.2mm), 7 x 20mm guns
.B Displacement (full load): 1,793 tons
.B Cargo: 4 x Landing Craft and 147 troops
.B Thickest Armour: N/a
.P USS Little began life as one of one hundred and eleven "flush-deck" Wickes
class destroyers. She was built for the USN at the end of the First World War and
was commissioned in April 1918.
.P She was converted to a destroyer transport (see below) in 1940 and the
technical details above reflect how she appeared during her short life in World
War II. As part of the conversion process, Little had two boilers removed (and
the front two of her four stacks with them). This reduced speed to around 24
knots, but the space saved was used to accommodate 147 troops.
.P Her main armament was reduced from the original four, 4-inch guns to three,
3-inch, dual-purpose weapons. Seven 20mm guns were fitted for close-range AA
defence, and on surviving ships; two 40mm guns were added later in the war.
.P Amidships, four large davits were erected that housed one Landing Craft
Personnel (LCP) each. These four landing craft were used to land troops on
hostile shores. In 1941 the basic landing craft was upgraded to a Landing Craft
Personnel (Ramped) (LCP(R)). As the name suggests, this boat had the added
feature of a ramp at the front for easier debarking of troops.
.P USS Little was named after George Little, a naval officer who served with the
Continental Navy during the American War of Independence.
.P When one reads about the United States Marine Corps, landing three divisions
on Iwo Jima in June 1944, it is difficult to believe that just a few years
before, the Corps, and its amphibious equipment were just a fraction of the size
they were to become. Incredibly, when war in Europe came in September 1939, there
were no specialised ships in service in the USN that could transport Marines to
a hostile shore and provide gunfire support in so doing.
.P It was as late as 1938 that an old "flush-decker", USS Manley, was taken out
of mothballs and converted for use by the Marines. Landing exercises were carried
out and these were considered such a success that Manley was re-designated APD-1
- AP = transport and D = destroyer - and five of her sisters were quickly
earmarked for similar conversion. All six vessels - Colhoun, Gregory, Little,
Manley, McKean and Stringham - were ready by the time of Pearl Harbor in December
1941, and the USN quickly set about further conversions.
.P A total of thirty-two "flush-deckers" were converted to APD's between 1939 and
1944; nine were lost, including four of the first six. They were used almost
exclusively in the Pacific theatre.
.P USS Little was commissioned into the USN as APD-4 in November 1940. She took
part in numerous exercises from the time of her commissioning to August 1942
when, as Flagship of Transport Division 12, she took part in the invasion of
Tulagi in the Solomon Islands.
.P Following the stunning success at Midway, in which four fleet carriers of the
Imperial Japanese Navy were sunk, the United States brought forward plans to take
the war back to the Japanese. The area chosen to begin the fight-back was in the
Solomon Islands, located in the southwest Pacific, northwest of Australia. On the
island of Guadalcanal, which the Japanese had occupied in May 1942, the Japanese
were building an airfield. The intention was to use this island as a base from
which they could a) protect their flanks for the conquest of New Guinea, and b)
launch their drive against other island chains in that region in order to cut the
USA off from Australia.
.P As part of this operation - code-named Watchtower - American Marines assaulted
both Guadalcanal (see Transport Counter 4247) and the small island group to the
north, centred on the island of Tulagi. The invasions took place on the 7th
August 1942. On the larger island surprise was achieved and the few Japanese
troops and construction workers on the island fled inland. However on Tulagi the
Japanese put up some resistance.
.P For the Tulagi attack the Americans deployed the following forces:
Transport Group Yoke: Four large transports (Neville, Heywood, President Jackson
and Zeilin) and four APD's (Little (Flagship of Lt-Commander Gus B Lofberg Jr.),
McKean, Gregory and Colhoun). For fire support the three battalions of Marines
employed for this part of the operation could count upon the ships of Task Group
62.4, which consisted of the light cruiser San Juan, and the destroyers Monssen and
Buchanan. Finally, three aircraft carriers, commanded by Rear-Admiral Frank
Fletcher, were available to provide assistance to both the attack on the islands
and to ensure cover against the expected counter-attack from Japanese aircraft
based in Rabaul further north.
.P The attack on Tulagi involved five separate attacks on not only Tulagi itself,
but also the neighbouring islands of Tanambogo and Gavatu to the east, and the
large island of Florida to the north. Two unopposed landings were made against
the latter island in order to cover the flanks of the attacks on the three
smaller islands. There were around 1,500 Japanese troops based on the smaller
islands, and they put up a spirited fight. However, as was a sign of things to
come, very few of the Japanese troops surrendered. American losses were just one
hundred and twenty.
.P With Tulagi and the surrounding area secured, all eyes became focused on
Guadalcanal, for it was on that island that the Japanese - recognising the
importance of the almost completed airfield - would choose to fight back. The
fighting would last almost exactly six months before American forces finally
secured the island.
.P USS Little would not survive to see that happen, however she was fully
involved in the consolidation of the American position on Guadalcanal. With the
airfield controlled by the Marines and almost finished, the first aircraft would
shortly be arriving on Guadalcanal. On the 15th August, Little and three of her
fellow APD's, brought vital supplies that would be needed once the first aircraft
started landing on the airstrip. In addition to personnel, they brought fuel,
bombs and spare parts. Little returned five days later to offload more supplies.
.P On the 30th August Little was operating with Colhoun, escorting a supply ship
that was unloading her cargo on Guadalcanal when Japanese bombers appeared
overhead. Despite attacking from high altitude, Colhoun took a direct hit and she
quickly sank, although Little was undamaged.
.P However, Little's time was almost up. In the early hours of the 5th September
she and Gregory were returning from an operation to investigate a possible
Japanese landing on Savo Island, northeast of Guadalcanal. That morning three
Japanese destroyers were off Guadalcanal bombarding American positions. Little's
commander decided to investigate gun flashes in the distance. Unfortunately for
the two little American vessels, at the same time an American patrol aircraft -
which was also trying to identify the source of the firing - set off illumination
flares.
.P The flares lit the area up like a Christmas tree and the Japanese look-outs
spotted Little and Gregory. All three ships turned their main guns away from
their original target and switched to the APD's. Given the disparity in armament,
it was no contest. The two US ships were soon ablaze and the order to abandon
ship had to be given. Both commanders were to die in the engagement.
.P Fortunately, and no doubt aided by their proximity to the American owned
shoreline, just thirty-three sailors were killed from the two ships.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: JeffK

From Juneau
The class was designed to work with destroyers and as a result the main
armament was required to overcome enemy ships of this type. The gun chosen came
in the form of an excellent development of the USN's existing 5-inch gun; the
type 38. This dual-purpose gun gave the class an excellent anti-aircraft (AA)
capability. The guns were fitted in no less than eight twin turrets, six forward,
six aft and two in the waist.

Should the last sentence be (as the conversation is about turrets)
The guns were fitted in no less than eight twin turrets, three forward,
three aft and two in the waist.

Warspite1

Took a couple of reads before I got this, but I think you are right JeffK so thank-you - I will incoporate the change [:)].

[brian brian]

OK, I spent a chunk of my free time today tracking down one of my favorite wargaming articles, from the Avalon Hill General, Volume 18 #6, the "Flat Top" issue. The nice folks at 'The General Project' have that volume up for downloading as a pdf now. I was looking for the article on how to pronounce all of the Japanese ship names, which made our many games of Victory in the Pacific and later World in Flames quite a bit more authentic. I will post that next. First, here is an excerpt from an article about modding the Flat Top game to use British CVs and their planes....it has a nice summary of one of the more odd little force pools in the game: (sorry about the column format, I have had enough editing struggles for today)


All of the British cruisers had torpedo tubes and
the torpedoes were sound. Crews were specifically
trained in night combat, gunnery was of agenerally
high standard, and damage control in most British
ships was not neglected as it was by the Japanese.
Britain had a two year head start on the
Americans in the installation of radar on their war-
ships. By 1942 most British ships sported a variety
of radars; air search, surface search, range finging,
and fire control. The sets were generally superior to
US equipment at that time, the operators wereprac-
ticed, and techniques were sound. Fighter direction
was excellent and the US navy adopted the system in
1943 after operating with H.M.S. Victorious.
British destroyers and their crews had con-
siderable experience against enemy submarines.
The battle of the Atlantic and the war in the
Mediterranean gave the British considerable ex-
pertise in anti-submarine warfare.
The largest weakness of the British navy at this
time, at least in the context of carrier task forces,
was the poor quality of the aircraft of the Fleet Air
Arm. Most of the planes appear to have been more
suitable for the Ark than the Ark Royal.
A glance at the British Aircraft specifications
clearly points out their disadvantages in most areas.
This resulted from the Fleet Air Arm being con-
trolled by the RAF until 1937. Not only did the Air
Ministry fail to understand the requirements for ef-
fective naval aircraft but were fully committed to
high-level bombing and failed to keep up with dive
bomber design. The Fleet Air Arm itself was also
capable of making mistakes and insisted that naval
fighters have two man crews, one a navigator.
Generally there was little expectation for high per-
formance in naval aircraft of any type.
The Swordfish was known lovingly as the
Stringbag. These viceless but archaic biplanes serv-
ed throughout the war, first as torpedo bombers
and eventually as subkillers. They were too slow
and vulnerable for daylight torpedo attacks and
were therefore equipped with ASV (Air to Surface
Vessel) radar and the pilots were trained for night
carrier operations and attacks. A night attack on
the Bismarck in poor weather was made possible by
radar and their night attack on the Italian Fleet in
Taranto was sufficiently successful for the
Japanese to study it in detail while planning their at-
tack on Pearl Harbor.
The Albacore was supposedly a replacement for
the Swordfish but only a marginal advance. Also
biplanes, they were slightly faster, possessed a
better range, and had an enclosed cockpit and a
windscreen wiper. It seems incredible that first
service deliveries of this antique occured in March
1940. They were also equipped with ASV radar and
were at the peak of their career as a night torpedo
bomber in 1942. The British torpedo was not equal
to the Japanese Long Lance, but was generally
reliable and considerably better than the American
Mark XIII; at least it could normally beexpected to
explode.
The desperation of the pilots of the Fleet Air
Arm can be judged by the enthusiasm with which
they accepted the first deliveries of the Fulmar in
June 1940. These were two-seater naval fighters of
few vices, ample firepower, and moderate perfor-
mance. However, they lacked speed, being unable
to catch a JU88, and couldn't stay in the air with an
Me 109 even if they had been able to catch one. For-
tunately, much of their career was spent in the
Mediterranean where their eight machine guns were
more than adequate to dispatch the nimble Italian
fighters in one burst, which was all they usually got.
The desperate need for a high performance
fighter resulted in the fitting of Hurricanes with tail
hooks and calling them Sea Hurricanes. They had
few of the usual attributes of naval fighters. Their
wings wouldn't fold, they were short on range, dif-
ficult to land on a deck, and had the ditching
characteristics of a submarine. Fortunately, they
were tough in a fight, could take punishment, and
were available.
All of the comments made about the Sea
Hurricanes apply to the Seafire. A two hour useful
endurance did not endear them to carrier skippers,
who were constantly having to turn into the wind.
They also tended to break up under the stress of
carrier landings and more Seafires were lost due to
landing accidents (prangs) than enemy action. It
has been suggested that British carriers needed ar-
mored flight decks to protect them from crashing
Seafires. Despite this they were vicious in air com-
bat and could outgun, outrun, outclimb, and out-
dive a Zero. They could also turn inside a Zero at
high speed. This fighter was not available in the Far
East until September 1942.
Martlets are Wildcats that were sold to the
British.
The following special rules should allow British
ships and aircraft to be substituted for their
American counterparts and give a realistic result,
not necessarily a balanced one. You can judge for
yourself the relative merits of a different approach.
The Fulmars were used for search in daylight, CAP
and strike escort. The Swordfish and Albacores
were used for search, anti-submarine patrol, dive
bombing, and torpedo attacks, usually at night. Sea
Hurricanes and Seafires lacked the range for most
offensive actions and were usually used for CAP.
The British player will have to assess his strengths
and weaknesses and use different tactics than either
the American or Japanese player. It's a new game.

[brian brian]

and now following will be the article on pronouncing all those ship names. I hope these can be used in the game; I found this original article to be one of the more educational I have read in an already quite educational hobby.

and to figure out the copyright issues that might have been involved, here is a link to the pertinent info from the people who scan and post these:

the copyright question


this is the best I can get the piece, there might be a few lingering oddities from the .pdf conversion, and I just can't get the text window on this site to let me put some space between the end of each ship name and the beginning of the pronunciation.

BLITZ JAPANESE


How to Pronounce Oi, Ire, Hiei, et .I.

by Chris L. Roehl
Translations by Grace Beard Trinity University, San Antonio

The written Japanese language includes fifty-one phonetic signs-an alphabet of sounds. Though
ideographic, Japanese can be written in arabic letters using a syllabary. However, this only hints at how
a word is pronounced. Inflection and speed of pronunciation are unknowns and some letters are silent
or not pronounced as they appear. The result is fractured Japanese.
The translations given here are from the ideographic characters (calligraphy), as read by Grace.
Don't let her name fool you. She is a native Japanese, born of a Christian family, and while a young
woman, lived in Tokyo throughout the Pacific War. The phonetic interpretationsaremy own based on
her pronunciations in face-to-face sessions.
With a few exceptions, the type of Japanese warship may be determined by its name (if you can read
Japanese). Aircraft carriers are named after mythical flying objects, animals, or large birds. Somecon-
versions retained their original hull name: Kaga, Akagi, Chitose, Chiyoda, and Shinano. Some did not:
Shoho, Zuiho, Ryuho, (former submarine tenders Tsurugizaki, Takasaki, and Taigei respectively), and
Hiyo and Junyo, (former luxury liners Izumo Maru and Kashiwara Maru). Battleships are named
after ancient provinces similar to our practice of naming battleships after states. Heavy cruisers are
named after mountains, as are the four Kongo class fast battleships originally classed as battlecruisers.
Light cruisers are named after rivers. (The Mogatniand Tone class CA's were laid down as CL's, hence
the exception.) Destroyers are paradoxically given poetic interpretations of weather conditions:
Kawakaze, (River Wind); Shigure, (Drizzling Autumn Rain). When in 1944-45, construction concen-
trated on more destroyers of smaller design, their names included flowers, fruit, and trees. The three
types of submarine are 1, RO, and HA-the first three sounds of the Japanese "alphabet" thus cor-
responding to A, B, and C.
The names of Japanese aircraft carriers are quite picturesque and often convey an intangible idea
and are thus quite difficult to translate accurately as one can the names of mountains, rivers, and pro-
vinces. For example, the Hosho translates Auspicious Bird. However, the ideaconveyed is of a gigantic
imaginary bird with a 3,000 mile wing span, and able to fly 90,000 miles in one hop! It is a name full of
great expectations for The Imperial Japanese Navy's first aircraft carrier. Important ships were given
appropriately portentous names-see Kongo, and Yamato for other examples of this practice, keeping
in mind not their fate but their significance to Japan as the finest of their kind in all the world's navies.
The ship names translated below are grouped by type, class, and order of construction, or conver-
sion. The information given is the arabic spelling, the phonetic pronunciation showing emphasis of a syllable in larger type, and an indication of the speed in which the sounds are pronounced, (Fast, Nor-
mal, Slow), and a definition or origin of the name.
The phonetic interpretation shows the pronunciation of the ship names as they sound. In somecases
the vowel sounds are pronounced as one sound-a compound sound of two vowels pronounced so
closely toether that they cannot be distinguished as two distinct sounds. An example is the Zuikaku.
"Zui" is pronounced more like "Zwee" than "Zoo-ee". Some names are pronounced with equal em-
phasis on all sounds, (or no emphasis at all depending on your outlook). The vowels, (A, I, U, E, O), are
pronounced as follows: A as ah, like "Open wide and say ah."; I as a hard E, like "easy"; U as ooo, like
"ooze"; E as a hard A, like "ale"; and 0 as a hard 0,
like "Oh, no!". The consonants are pronounced
as in English with a few exceptions which will be explained individually.
AIRCRAFT CARRIERS -
HOSHO HOE SHO (S S) Auspicious Bird.

KAGA KAH GAH (N N) Old name for Ishikawa Prefecture. ("Increased Joy", S.E. Morrison.)

AKAGI AH KAH GEE (N N N) (Hard "G", like "geese".) Mountain in Gumma Prefecture. ("Red Castle". Morrison.)

RYUJO REEOO JOE (N N) Vigorous Dragon.

SORYU SORE REEYOU (F S) (Equal emphasis.) Green Dragon

HIRYU HEE REEYOU (F S) Flying Dragon.

SHOKAKU SHO KAH KOO (F F F) Soaring Crane.

ZUIKAKU ZWEE KAH KOO (F F F) Happy Crane. ("Zui" means everything good-a good omen.)

SHOHO SHO HO (S S) True (Righteous) Gigantic Bird.

ZUIHO ZWEE HO (F S) Happy Bird of Paradise. (The bird of paradise is a good omen.)

HIYO HEE YO (N N) Flying Hawk.

JUNYO JUNE YO (N N) Obedient Hawk.

RYUHO REEYOU HO (N S) Dragon and Gigantic Bird.

CHIYODA CHEE YO DAH (N N N) Chiyoda Castle. (Emperor's Castle.)

CHITOSE CHEE TOE SAY (F F N) Thousand Years. (Longevity.) (As a CVL she survived ten months.)

TAIHO THAI EE HO (N N S) Gigantic Bird.

SHINANO SHE NAH NO (N N N) Ancient name for Nagano Prefecture.

UNRYU OON REE YOU (F N S) Cloud and Dragon.

AMAGI AH MAH GEE (N N F) (Equal emphasis. Hard "G".) Mountain on Izu Peninsula.

KATSURAGI KAHT SOO RAH GEE (N N N N) (Equal emphasis. Hard "G".) Mountain bordering Osaka and Nara.

BATTLESHIPS

KONGO KONG GO (N N) Mountain bordering Osaka and Nara meaning diamond-hard and unbreakable-the hardest metal.

HIEI HEE AY (N N) ("El" is pronounced as a hard letter "A".) Mountain northeast of Kyoto City.

HARUNA HAH ROO NAH (F N N) (Equal emphasis.) A hot springs mountain in Gumma Prefecture.

KlRlSHlMA KEE REE SHE MAH (N N N N) Mountain in Kagoshima Prefecture.

FUSO WHO SSO (F F) (The "F" is pronounced as an "H". The Japanese do not bite their lips when speaking, I'm told.) Ancient Chinese name for Japan.

YAMASHIRO YAH MAH SHE RO (N N N N) (Equal emphasis on "YAMA".) The area surrounding Kyoto City.

HYUGA HEE YOU GAH (N N F) Miyozaki area in northeast Kyushu City.

ISE EE SAY (F F) An area in Mie Prefecture, central Honshu, noted as the location of the Emperor's ancestor's shrine.

NAGATO NAH GAH TOE (N N N) Yamaguchi Prefecture at the southern tip of Honshu.

MUTSU MOOT SEH (N F) ("SU" is pronounced as the last sound of "Tecumseh".) Aomori and lwate Prefectures.

YAMATO YAH MAH TOE (N N N) Ancient name for Japan.

MUSASHI MOO SAH SHEE (N N N) Tokyo and vicinity.

CRUISERS

KAKO KAH KO (F F) River in Hyogo Prefecture.

FURUTAKA WHO ROO TAH KAH (N N N N) (Equal emphasis.) Old Hawk.

KINUGASA KEE NOO GAH SAH (N N N F) (Equal emphasis.) Mountain north of Kyoto City.

AOBA AH OH BAH (N N N) (Equal emphasis.) A castle in Sendai City.

MYOKO MEEOH KO (N S) Mountain in Niigata Prefecture.

NACHl NAH CHEE (N N) Mountain in Wakayama Prefecture.

HAGURO HAH GOO RO (F N N) Mountain in Yamagata Prefecture.

ASHIGARA AH SHEE GAH RAH (N N F F) Mountain in Kagagawa Prefecture.

TAKAO TAH KAH OH (N N N) (Equal emphasis.) A hill in Kyoto City.

ATAGO AH TAH GO (N N N) Another hill in Kyoto City.

CHOKAI CHO KHAI (S N) Mountain in Yamagata Prefecture.

MAYA MY YAH (N N) (Equal emphasis.) Mountain near Kobe City. Also the name of Buddha's mother.

MOGAMI MO GAH MEE (N N N) River in Yamagata Prefecture.

MIKUMA MEE KOO MAH (N N N) (Origin unknown.)

SUZUYA SOO SSOO YAH (F N N) (Prounounce the "Z" as a hissed "S".) Bell Valley.

KUMANO KOO MAH NO (N N N) (Equal emphasis.) River in Wakayama Prefecture.

TONE TOE NAY (N F) River in Kanti area.

CHIKUMA CHEE KOO MAH (F N N) River in Kyushu.

KlTAKAMI KEE TAH GAH MEE (N N N F) (Pronounce the second "K" as a hard "G".) River in lwate and Miyagi Prefectures.

OI OH EE (S N) River in Shizuoka Prefecture.

SPECIAL NAVAL LANDING FORCES

YOKOSUKA YO KOSS KAH (N N F) (The "U" is silent.)
KURE KOO RAY (N N)
SASEBO SAH SAY BO (N N F)

SUBMARINES: There were three categories of submarines: I, RO, and HA corresponding to the first three letters of our alphabet. Pronounce EE, ROW, and HAH.

[Extraneous]

MIKUMA was named after the Mikuma river in Oita prefecture, Japan.

It is an easy search for this information. In this case I used The Free Dictionary by Farlex.

I've done enough Japanese Cruisers thank you.


They pronounce SASEBO as Sas-suh-bo. Which is how I remember it from when I was in Japan.

[michaelbaldur]

deleted

[warspite1]

Please see one of the counters from a neutral - HMS Gotland from Sweden. I was reminded by Orm that Gotland featured in the Bismarck episode and I have added some brief comment to reflect that. Thanks Orm.

[4967 Gotland]
.B Engine(s) output: 33,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 28 knots
.B Main armament: 6 x 6-inch (152mm), 4 x 3-inch (75mm) guns
.B Aircraft: Maximum 11 (typically 6)
.B Displacement (full load): 5,550 tons
.B Thickest armour: 1-inch (belt)
.P The Gotland was an aircraft carrying cruiser built for the Royal Swedish
Navy in the early thirties. She was the only ship of her class.
.P Originally conceived as a small aircraft carrier, the design work for Gotland
began in 1926. However, budgetary constraints meant a revision of the plans and
this resulted in her re-design as an "aircraft cruiser", a concept later copied
and developed by the Japanese.
.P With no flight deck or landing capability, Gotland was designed to operate
only floatplanes, and British Hawker Ospreys were purchased for this purpose. Her
aft section was given over to a single, German-made catapult, that was used to
get her aircraft aloft. She also had a large crane at the stern to allow recovery
of the aircraft after they had landed on the water. A maximum of eleven Ospreys
could be carried, but the optimal number for operational purposes was just six.
Note: World In Flames gives this vessel no aircraft carrying capacity, due to the
fact that by the time of the Second World War, six obsolete Ospreys would provide
the ship with little offensive or defensive air capability. The aircraft were
only designed to act as the “eyes of the fleet” in any case.
.P Reflecting that she was part cruiser, Gotland was given six 6-inch guns,
fitted in two twin turrets one fore and one aft, with the remaining two fitted in
casemates. Secondary armament was provided by four 3-inch guns in one twin and
two single mounts, with close-range anti-aircraft (AA) defence provided by four
25mm guns. Gotland was also capable of carrying up to 100 mines and her weapons
package was completed by two triple torpedo tubes.
.P Armour protection was very light with less than 1-inch of armour for both
horizontal and vertical protection.
.P Her top speed was only 28 knots and her range was limited, although given the
coastal defence ships that she was designed to operate with, these were adequate
performance figures for the needs of the Royal Swedish Navy.
.P Gotland, named after the Swedish-owned Baltic island, was completed in 1934.
Her life as an aircraft cruiser was to be limited thanks to advances in naval
aviation. The Ospreys were replaced in 1942 by Saab floatplanes, but these
aircraft provided insufficient improvement on the British aircraft and with no
other suitable alternative, Gotland was placed into the dockyard in 1943 for
conversion to an AA cruiser. For this role she was given additional 3-inch guns
and was fitted with both 40mm Bofors and additional 25mm guns.
.P Although Sweden was not a belligerent in World War II, Gotland played a small,
but important role in one of the most famous episodes of the war. On the 18th May
1941, the German battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen had set
sail from Gdynia and, two days later, were heading north along the west coast of
Sweden. In the early afternoon of the 20th, the German ships were spotted by both
Swedish reconnaissance aircraft and by look-outs aboard Gotland. Gotland was
undertaking gunnery exercises off Vinga, south of Göteborg when the German ships
came into view, and following the sighting, Gotland followed Bismarck and Prinz
Eugen at a discreet distance for more than three hours. More importantly, her
crew had sent a contact report, and this news found its way to the British
Admiralty via the Norwegian military attaché who had good access to the Swedish
intelligence service. The latter were only too happy to pass on the news that
Bismarck was heading northwest; a course that could mean she was possibly trying
to break-out into the North Atlantic.
.P As we know, that was indeed the intention, and in an epic encounter that
lasted nine days, Bismarck was eventually cornered and sunk by units of the
British Home Fleet. But for Gotland, there was to be no further adventures
during the Second World War.
.P HMS Gotland was scrapped in 1962.
.P Note, the Swedish Royal Navy use the prefix HMS for their warships; Hans /
Hennes Majestäts Skepp, in the same way that the British Royal Navy use the
prefix HMS; His / Her Majesty's Ship. To avoid confusion, in English, the prefix
HSwMS is used for Swedish warships; His / Her Swedish Majesty's Ship.

[Extraneous]

[4967 Gotland]
.B Engine(s) output: 33,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 28 knots
.B Main armament: 6 x 6-inch (152mm), 4 x 3-inch (75mm) guns
.B Aircraft: Maximum 11 (typically 6)
.B Displacement (full load): 5,550 tons
.B Thickest armour: 1-inch (belt)
.P The only ship of her class the aircraft cruiser Gotland was commissioned into the
Royal Swedish Navy December 14, 1934.
.P Originally conceived as a small aircraft carrier, the design work for Gotland
began in 1926. However, budgetary constraints meant a revision of the plans and
resulted in her re-design as an "aircraft cruiser". This concept was later copied and
developed by the Japanese.
.P With no flight deck or landing capability, Gotland was designed to only operate
floatplanes, and British Hawker Ospreys were purchased for this purpose. Her
aft section was given over to a single, German-made catapult that was used to
get her aircraft aloft. She also had a large crane at the stern to allow recovery
of the aircraft after they had landed on the water. A maximum of eleven Ospreys
could be carried, but the optimal number for operational purposes was just six.
Note: World In Flames gives this vessel no aircraft carrying capacity, due to the
fact that by the time of the Second World War, six obsolete Ospreys would provide
the ship with little offensive or defensive air capability. The aircraft were only
designed to act as the “eyes of the fleet” in any case.
.P Reflecting that she was part cruiser, Gotland was given six 6-inch guns,
fitted in two twin turrets one fore and one aft, with the remaining two fitted in
casemates. Four 3-inch guns (one twin mount and two single mounts) provided
secondary armament, with close-range anti-aircraft (AA) defence provided by four
25mm guns. Gotland was also capable of carrying up to 100 mines and her weapons
package was completed by two triple torpedo tubes.
.P Armour protection was very light with less than 1-inch of armour for both
horizontal and vertical protection.
.P Her top speed was only 28 knots and her range was limited, although given the
coastal defence ships that she was designed to operate with, these were adequate
performance figures for the needs of the Royal Swedish Navy.
.P Gotland, named after the Swedish-owned Baltic island, was completed in 1934.
Her life as an aircraft cruiser was to be limited thanks to advances in naval
aviation. The Ospreys were replaced in 1942 by Saab floatplanes, but these
aircraft provided insufficient improvement on the British aircraft and with no
other suitable alternative, Gotland was placed into the dockyard in 1943 for
conversion to an AA cruiser. For this role she was given additional 3-inch guns
and was fitted with both 40mm Bofors and additional 25mm guns.
.P Although Sweden was not a belligerent in World War II, Gotland played a small,
but important role in one of the most famous episodes of the war. On the 18th May
1941, the German battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen had set
sail from Gdynia and, two days later, were heading north along the west coast of
Sweden. In the early afternoon of the 20th, the German ships were spotted by both
Swedish reconnaissance aircraft and by lookouts aboard Gotland. Gotland was
undertaking gunnery exercises off Vinga, south of Göteborg when the German ships
came into view, and following the sighting; Gotland followed Bismarck and Prinz
Eugen at a discreet distance for more than three hours. More importantly, her
crew had sent a contact report, and this news found its way to the British
Admiralty via the Norwegian military attaché who had good access to the Swedish
intelligence service. The latter were only too happy to pass on the news that
Bismarck was heading northwest; a course that could mean she was possibly trying
to breakout into the North Atlantic.
.P As we know, that was indeed the intention, and in an epic encounter that
lasted nine days, Bismarck was eventually cornered and sunk by units of the
British Home Fleet. But for Gotland, there was to be no further adventures
during the Second World War.
.P HMS Gotland was scrapped in 1962.
.P Note, the Swedish Royal Navy use the prefix HMS for their warships; Hans /
Hennes Majestäts Skepp, in the same way that the British Royal Navy use the
prefix HMS; His / Her Majesty's Ship. To avoid confusion, in English, the prefix
HSwMS is used for Swedish warships, His / Her Swedish Majesty's Ship.


JFYI:
catapult that was used to get ~ has no comma
catapult, which was used to get ~ has a comma

Bismarck-class.dk site ~ Gotland
Launched: September 14, 1933
Commissioned: December 14, 1934

[warspite1]

I am unlikely to be able to do many (if any) more full write-ups from scratch between now and the launch date (which hopefully will be this year given Steve's recent pronouncements in the When thread). What I am therefore concentrating on is to ensure that the earlier introductions I did are of the same detail and content as the latter ones. To this end I have started with the Royal Navy D-class cruisers; available if using Cruisers in Flames.


.B Engine(s) output: 40,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 29 knots
.B Main armament: 6 x 6-inch (152mm), 2 x 3-inch (76mm) guns
.B Displacement (full load): 5,870 tons
.B Thickest armour: 3-inches (belt)
.P Twelve D or Danae-class cruisers were ordered for the Royal Navy (RN)
between 1916 and 1918. The first three - Danae, Dauntless and Dragon - were
ordered in September 1916; the next three - Delhi, Dunedin and Durban - followed
ten months later, and the last six were ordered in March 1918. Four of the third
group were cancelled at the end of the First World War however, and only Despatch
and Diomede proceeded to completion. The surviving eight ships of the class were
completed between 1918 and 1922.
.P The original D-class design was essentially an improved version of the C-class
cruisers and the technical details above reflect the original design features (as
indeed do the factors assigned to the WIF counters).
The D-class ships were fitted with increased firepower compared to the C-class;
an extra, single 6-inch gun was fitted, making six in all. For anti-aircraft (AA)
defence the D-class had two 3-inch guns and two 2-pdr pompoms. Their weaponry was
completed by four, triple, 21-inch torpedo tubes.
.P Armour protection consisted of a belt, 3-inches at its maximum, to protect the
vital machinery spaces, and an armoured deck just 1-inch thick.
.P The D-class cruisers had poor range and were capable of only 29 knots. This
relatively poor performance was even worse by the 1930's as by then the ships
were desperately in need of refitting and a machinery overhaul.
.P The RN could not afford to scrap the D-class because of their need for a large
cruiser fleet, and so instead, it was decided to convert the ships to AA cruisers
similar to the planned C-class conversion.
.P The plan for the D-class, adopted in 1936, was to fit four twin 4.5-inch guns
together with two High Angle Control Systems (HACS) and a quadruple pompom.
Although the new guns were ordered for the first three ships, and work was to
have begun in 1938, there was not the capacity or resources to begin the work. As
a result the un-modernised D-class entered the Second World War somewhat limited
in deployment options for their own safety.
.P The RN's need for cruisers in the early half of the war was acute and these
cruisers were deployed in mostly backwater theatres while awaiting an upgrade.
Only Delhi received a comprehensive AA modernisation. She was sent to the United
States in 1941 and given five, single, 5-inch/38 guns (with two fire control
systems), two quadruple pompoms and eight Oerlikons. Her ageing machinery was
also completely overhauled. By the time the work was completed in 1942, the US
was at war and no further D-class conversions would be carried out.
.P For Delhi's sisters, ultimately there was no uniform upgrade carried out and
each ship was essentially given what was readily available. Delhi aside, the two
ships thatwere given the most attention were Danae and Dragon which had their
No.3 turrets removed and replaced with two quadruple pompoms and a twin 4-inch
mount.
.P Only one ship - Dunedin - was lost to enemy action, two were scuttled for use
as breakwaters off the coast of Normandy in 1944, and the remaining five were
scrapped after the war.
.P There was no uniform pattern for the names other than all ships of the class
were named with words beginning with the letter D. Danae and Diomede are
characters from Greek mythology; Durban, Dunedin and Delhi are cities in parts of
the Brtish Commonwealth; while Despatch, Dauntless and Dragon are names that have
long been used by the RN.

[Extraneous]

.B Engine(s) output: 40,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 29 knots
.B Main armament: 6 x 6-inch (152mm), 2 x 3-inch (76mm) guns
.B Displacement (full load): 5,870 tons
.B Thickest armour: 3-inches (belt)
.P Twelve D or Danae-class cruisers were ordered for the Royal Navy (RN)
between 1916 and 1918. The first three - Danae, Dauntless and Dragon - were
ordered in September 1916; the next three - Delhi, Dunedin and Durban - followed
ten months later, and the last six were ordered in March 1918. Four of the third
group were cancelled at the end of the First World War however, and only Despatch
and Diomede proceeded to completion. The surviving eight ships of the class were
completed between 1918 and 1922.
.P The original D-class design was essentially an improved version of the C-class
cruisers and the technical details above reflect the original design features (as
indeed do the factors assigned to the WIF counters).
The D-class ships were fitted with increased firepower compared to the C-class;
an extra, single 6-inch gun was fitted, making six in all. For anti-aircraft (AA)
defence the D-class had two 3-inch guns and two 2-pdr pompoms. Their weaponry was
completed by four, triple, 21-inch torpedo tubes.
.P Armour protection consisted of a belt, 3-inches at its maximum, to protect the
vital machinery spaces, and an armoured deck just 1-inch thick.
.P The D-class cruisers had poor range and were capable of only 29 knots. This
relatively poor performance was even worse by the 1930's as by then the ships
were desperately in need of refitting and a machinery overhaul.
.P The RN could not afford to scrap the D-class because of their need for a large
cruiser fleet, and so instead, it was decided to convert the ships to AA cruisers
similar to the planned C-class conversion.
.P The plan for the D-class, adopted in 1936, was to fit four twin 4.5-inch guns
together with two High Angle Control Systems (HACS) and a quadruple pompom.
Although the new guns were ordered for the first three ships, and work was to
have begun in 1938, there was not the capacity or resources to begin the work. As
a result the un-modernised D-class entered the Second World War somewhat limited
in deployment options for their own safety.
.P The RN's need for cruisers in the early half of the war was acute and these
cruisers were deployed in mostly backwater theatres while awaiting an upgrade.
Only Delhi received a comprehensive AA modernisation. She was sent to the United
States in 1941 and given five, single, 5-inch/38 guns (with two fire control
systems), two quadruple pompoms and eight Oerlikons. Her ageing machinery was
also completely overhauled. By the time the work was completed in 1942, the US
was at war and no further D-class conversions would be carried out.
.P For Delhi's sisters, ultimately there was no uniform upgrade carried out and
each ship was essentially given what was readily available. Delhi aside, the two
ships that were given the most attention were Danae and Dragon which had their
No.3 turrets removed and replaced with two quadruple pompoms and a twin 4-inch
mount.
.P Only one ship - Dunedin - was lost to enemy action, two were scuttled for use
as breakwaters off the coast of Normandy in 1944, and the remaining five were
scrapped after the war.
.P There was no uniform pattern for the names other than all ships of the class
were named with words beginning with the letter D. Danae and Diomede are
characters from Greek mythology; Durban, Dunedin and Delhi are cities in parts of
the British Commonwealth; while Despatch, Dauntless and Dragon are names that have
long been used by the RN.


[:-] Shocking you spelled "British" incorrectly. [:-]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Extraneous

.B Engine(s) output: 40,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 29 knots
.B Main armament: 6 x 6-inch (152mm), 2 x 3-inch (76mm) guns
.B Displacement (full load): 5,870 tons
.B Thickest armour: 3-inches (belt)
.P Twelve D or Danae-class cruisers were ordered for the Royal Navy (RN)
between 1916 and 1918. The first three - Danae, Dauntless and Dragon - were
ordered in September 1916; the next three - Delhi, Dunedin and Durban - followed
ten months later, and the last six were ordered in March 1918. Four of the third
group were cancelled at the end of the First World War however, and only Despatch
and Diomede proceeded to completion. The surviving eight ships of the class were
completed between 1918 and 1922.
.P The original D-class design was essentially an improved version of the C-class
cruisers and the technical details above reflect the original design features (as
indeed do the factors assigned to the WIF counters).
The D-class ships were fitted with increased firepower compared to the C-class;
an extra, single 6-inch gun was fitted, making six in all. For anti-aircraft (AA)
defence the D-class had two 3-inch guns and two 2-pdr pompoms. Their weaponry was
completed by four, triple, 21-inch torpedo tubes.
.P Armour protection consisted of a belt, 3-inches at its maximum, to protect the
vital machinery spaces, and an armoured deck just 1-inch thick.
.P The D-class cruisers had poor range and were capable of only 29 knots. This
relatively poor performance was even worse by the 1930's as by then the ships
were desperately in need of refitting and a machinery overhaul.
.P The RN could not afford to scrap the D-class because of their need for a large
cruiser fleet, and so instead, it was decided to convert the ships to AA cruisers
similar to the planned C-class conversion.
.P The plan for the D-class, adopted in 1936, was to fit four twin 4.5-inch guns
together with two High Angle Control Systems (HACS) and a quadruple pompom.
Although the new guns were ordered for the first three ships, and work was to
have begun in 1938, there was not the capacity or resources to begin the work. As
a result the un-modernised D-class entered the Second World War somewhat limited
in deployment options for their own safety.
.P The RN's need for cruisers in the early half of the war was acute and these
cruisers were deployed in mostly backwater theatres while awaiting an upgrade.
Only Delhi received a comprehensive AA modernisation. She was sent to the United
States in 1941 and given five, single, 5-inch/38 guns (with two fire control
systems), two quadruple pompoms and eight Oerlikons. Her ageing machinery was
also completely overhauled. By the time the work was completed in 1942, the US
was at war and no further D-class conversions would be carried out.
.P For Delhi's sisters, ultimately there was no uniform upgrade carried out and
each ship was essentially given what was readily available. Delhi aside, the two
ships that were given the most attention were Danae and Dragon which had their
No.3 turrets removed and replaced with two quadruple pompoms and a twin 4-inch
mount.
.P Only one ship - Dunedin - was lost to enemy action, two were scuttled for use
as breakwaters off the coast of Normandy in 1944, and the remaining five were
scrapped after the war.
.P There was no uniform pattern for the names other than all ships of the class
were named with words beginning with the letter D. Danae and Diomede are
characters from Greek mythology; Durban, Dunedin and Delhi are cities in parts of
the British Commonwealth; while Despatch, Dauntless and Dragon are names that have
long been used by the RN.


[:-] Shocking you spelled "British" incorrectly. [:-]

Warspite1

Whoops [:D]

[warspite1]

Next on the upgrade list is the Hawkins-class.

[4620 Effingham - by Robert Jenkins]
.B Engine(s) output: 58,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 29.75 knots
.B Main armament: 9 x 6-inch (152mm), 4 x 4-inch (102mm) guns
.B Displacement (full load): 12,514 tons
.B Thickest armour: 3-inches (belt)
.P The cruisers of the Cavendish-class originally numbered six ships. They
were designed in 1915 specifically to meet the threat posed by German commerce
raiders.
.P Five ships were laid down between 1916 and 1918 - the sixth was never ordered
- but the ending of the First World War meant that completion was slower than
normal and indeed one of the ships - Cavendish - was to go through a number of
conversions during her life, was but never to be finished as a cruiser. The
remaining four ships - henceforth known as the Hawkins-class - were completed
between 1919 and 1925 and were finished to different specifications. The
technical details above are as Effingham appeared in September 1939.
.P World In Flames allows the Commonwealth player three of the ships - Effingham,
Frobisher and Hawkins - as the fourth, Raleigh, was wrecked in 1922 after running
aground.
.P When the first of the post-war naval treaties, designed to keep naval spending
in check, was held in 1922, the British were keen to retain these ships. It is
for this reason that the "treaty" or "heavy" cruiser upper limit was subsequently
set at 8-inch guns and 10,000 standard displacement.
.P The ships were originally fitted with seven, single 7.5-inch guns, two
forward, three aft and two amidships either side of the aft funnel. Secondary
armament consisted of four, single 3-inch guns. Both submerged and above-the-
waterline torpedo tubes were also mounted.
.P At the 1930 London Naval Conference, in a bid to stop the building of 8-inch
gunned cruisers, Britain agreed to demilitarise the Hawkins-class ships. Whilst
Hawkins and Frobisher had their armament removed by 1937, it was decided to
convert Effingham at the same time to a "light" cruiser i.e. she was given a
6-inch main armament. She was fitted with nine, single 6-inch guns. Her secondary
armament consisted of four twin 4-inch anti-aircraft (AA) guns. A catapult was
added at this time too.
.P Neither of her sisters received the same treatment. For Hawkins it was a case
of re-fitting her seven 7.5-inch guns and providing her with four, single 4-inch
AA guns. But Frobisher took longer to convert back due to other priorities, and
it was not until February 1942 that she was ready for service once more, armed
with five, single 7.5-inch guns and a similar number of 4-inch AA weapons. Note
that Frobisher starts the Global War scenario in the repair pool to reflect the
fact that she was not ready at the start of the war. Close-range AA weaponry
differed from ship to ship, but a variable number of 2-pdr pompoms and 20mm guns
were provided to the three vessels.
.P Both Effingham and Frobisher were oil-burning originally, but Hawkins had a
coal and oil mix for greater flexibility when operating overseas. She was
converted to oil only during her re-armament work.
.P The ships had two funnels, although during modernisation, Effingham had two
boilers removed and her stacks were trunked into one. The speed of each ship was
between 29 and 31 knots.
.P Defensive armour for the Hawkins-class was similar to their contemporaries,
with a belt of 3-inches at its maximum thickness, and a 1.5-inch armoured deck
covering the vital areas.
.P The class were named after famous Elizabethan-era sea captains.