Unryu Air Groups (in RHS)

[el cid again]

Unryu was the principle Japanese late war carrier class IRL. It is greatly variable in RHS - CVO (& RAO) gives you a possibility of building six. BBO (RPO and PPO) give you a possibility of building four. So does EOS - but on a different construction schedule.

An Unryu has a fighter squadron (of 16), a fighter-bomber squadron (of 16), an attack squadron (of 9) and a bomber squadron (of 9) in addition to a recon element (of 6) = 56 of the ships 57 capacity. We had been using a combined fighter/fighter-bomber squadron - but now we can separate them - and the possibility exists a player might not upgrade them to the same types. [Initially all would be A6M5s]

[herwin]

ORIGINAL: el cid again

Unryu was the principle Japanese late war carrier class IRL. It is greatly variable in RHS - CVO (& RAO) gives you a possibility of building six. BBO (RPO and PPO) give you a possibility of building four. So does EOS - but on a different construction schedule.

An Unryu has a fighter squadron (of 16), a fighter-bomber squadron (of 16), an attack squadron (of 9) and a bomber squadron (of 9) in addition to a recon element (of 6) = 56 of the ships 57 capacity. We had been using a combined fighter/fighter-bomber squadron - but now we can separate them - and the possibility exists a player might not upgrade them to the same types. [Initially all would be A6M5s]

Where have I seen that load-out (at least proportionately) elsewhere? Add a couple of ESM/ECM aircraft...

[el cid again]

As far as I am aware, there is no EW in the game - with a single experimental exception - one of the Japanese late war surface radars is (in RHS only) defined as "Radar/ESM" and given the range it has in intercept mode. This device enters the game at a time the Allies have radar on almost everything, it was used in passive mode 90 to 95% of the time -
(because if radiating it would not work very many hours and it would also betray the location of the ship using it), and the Allies assumed the Japanese didn't have ESM in any tactical sense - so they were "radiation happy" and radiated almost all the time. We would have to invent some kind of EW for planes - and no one has done that.

If that is not a big enough obsticle, these ships have 5 squadrons - and I don't think we can add any more.

[el cid again]

I found some problems - mainly in BBO (RPO & PPO) family scenarios with the names of Unryu class ships, dates of arrival, and names of squadrons associated with them. This is a very complex matter because very different planning is represented in different scenarios.

Unryu (Job 302) itself was actually planned and authorized earlier than the ship which got built IRL. In BBO - you don't get so many ships - but Unryu shows up sooner (two months earlier) because it isn't the same fiscal year ship as CVO/EOS. Nevertheless, it has the same name in all scenarios - and it is the least confusing of the class. It had a completely different role than other Japanese CVs - and was (with a single sister) intended to operate as a cover ship for CA raiders deep behind enemy lines against the sea lanes. In EOS the Unryu lays down to the CVO design - and appears at the later date - but instead of being leader of a large class - it is only one of a pair (standard IJN practice) - because in EOS the resources for other ships are used for revised Taiho class ships.

Amagi (Job 5001) is found only in CVO (RAO) family scenarios. She and Unryu were laid down to a slightly revised design with a slightly revised concept from the original design. In BBO family this ship is the Isama (Job 800) - and in BBO it is a repeat of the original Unryu described above. In EOS, the same name is used, but she is a repeat of the later Unryu design, and the repeat lays down one month later (a standard IJN practice due to subsystem supply issues) than Unryu.

Katsurigi and Kasagi (Jobs 5003 & 5004) are found only in CVO (RAO) family scenarios. In BBO they are replaced by Karama and Azuma (Jobs 5001 & 5002), which in effect are later repeats of the Unryu - after assumed lessons learned / losses early in the war - and they appear only very late in 1945. In EOS the same names are used, but they are part of a plan for replacement ships, and appear slightly sooner - late in 1944.

Aso and Ikoma (Jobs 5006 & 5007) are found only in CVO (RAO) family scenarios. There are no similiar ships in BBO family scenarios at all. But you might say Iwami and Owari (Jobs 801 & 802, revised Taiho class actually planned - the G15 design) are replacements for them. Naturally they arrive very late indeed - almost at the end of the war in the late summer of 1945. Since they represent the original planning, they are part of BBO - and probably too late to matter - as indeed are many of the heavy gunships of BBO. But in a long war... In EOS you might say that Shinano replaces both Shinano as BB and these two carriers - it is cancelled as a battleship on mobilization - and conversion design is undertaken early - so the ship can appear in carrier form sooner (to help win a "short war") - in preference to having two carriers to late to matter. Or you might say (in BBO family) that Izumi and Unebi (Jobs 863 and 864) are replacements for Aso and Ikoma - these in seaplane carrier form. In EOS the same two jobs show up as repeat Chitose class.

Historical Jobs 5005, 5008 to 5015 (all Unryu class) and 5021 to 5035 (all modified G15 Taiho class) are too late for the war - as IRL. Such building programs are not realistic - similar to the German Z plan - and represented either dreams or very long term programs - for service in the late 1940s.

The G15 air groups (BBO family only) are very similar to the Unryu air groups: you gain only 9 dive bombers and one C6N. But they are on much more survivable and well armed platforms. [The C6N are differently configured: there is a flight of 3 recon planes and a loose duce of 4 night fighters vice the 6 recon planes on the Unryus] In effect, a G15 gets 10 more planes than an Unryu does in its air group.

[herwin]

Unryu was an improved Hiryu design, but you're right about it being intended to operate with CAs in raiding forces.