Shinano Air Group (in RHS)

[el cid again]

Shinano has problems - whatever we do.

IRL Shinano had two different carrier designs cast - and the second was the one built. Both concieved of her as something we cannot simulate: a ship that services aircraft DURING a battle. But the second also gave her a small air group in her own right. Just what that was is difficult as well: usually reported as 42 machines, it sometimes gets reported as slightly more - but never a possible one given carrier air organization of the period:

The fighter squadron must always be 16 (or a multiple of 16) - 100% of carrier fighter squadrons formed at 16 (in flights of 4) from early 1944.

The bomber and attack squadrons must always be multiples of 9 - 100% of carrier bomber and attack squadrons were multiples of 9 - from early 1944.

This would likely take the form of 16 fighters, 18 dive bombers and 9 torpedo bombers = 43 - very close to the value of 42 in most references and not far from the 45 in others - but disturbingly not either.

If that isn't complicated enough - there were many spare aircraft on board - and we cannot simulate them at all.

RHS had done away with Shinano in this form - so did CHS - in favor of full normal carriers with a capacity of 96.
But I have just recast Shinano in CVO in this form (also RAO its alter ego). For the purists it may be better to have the actual air group than to "waste" so much ship - because we cannot simulate it properly. Those who want a CVO variation with the full ship must use EOS.

For EOS we put in a second fighter squadron - this became normal from Taiho on. We double the bomber and attack squadrons. That gives us 32 fighters, 36 dive bombers and 18 torpedo planes = 86 machines. We add a recon squadron of 9 = 95. Shinano is too early to get a night fighter element.

[herwin]

Books say that Shinano operated 47 aircraft for self-defense and had a hanger capacity of 70. I suspect 47 was with reserves.

I measured the hanger plan and estimated that it could hold 45 operational A6Ms and another 9 spares. It could handle up to 56 folding-wing aircraft with 11 more spares.

[el cid again]

What you cannot see in most drawings is that the "hanger" is full of shops. Also, the spares are not there - but in a different space - below. It is a very inefficient ship due to not removing the turret mounts - which serve as magazines - just not for shells.