Some Raw Data on Japanese Shipbuilding

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GaryChildress
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Some Raw Data on Japanese Shipbuilding

Post by GaryChildress »

For all the moders out there interested in the Japanese ship building business, I've created a chart (long and arduous task that it was) of Laid, Launched and Commissioning dates for Japanese warships BB - DD of WW2 (omitting BBs built before 1918 and CV conversions). I've also included summation of the number of months it took to build and fit out each ship (rounded to the nearest number of months, no decimals) and then averaged the build times of each class. For DDs I did each class separately for larger ships I just averaged all the same types together CA, CV, etc. I'll probably extend it to submarines eventually but I'm worn out right now from all the compiling I've already done.

Please let me know if you see any errors. If there are any errors on dates chances are it's from the website I gleaned the data from. I noticed a few errors on their site so I fixed them either with Wiki or a guestimate. I probably didn't catch all the errors, just the most obvious ones. But I think the website is otherwise pretty reliable for the most part.

Took me 7 hours non-stop to get all this stuff. Please don't post stuff like "your chart makes no sense" or is "messed up". Just let me know what the error is. I got all my data from the site below (was pretty careful to avoid typos). So if anything is wrong get mad at the website not me.

Source: http://www.warshipsww2.eu/typy.php?lang ... =&stat=JAP

EDIT: I also skipped the older CLs as I didn't think there was much use in them. Not my favorite ships but I'll maybe add them at a later time.



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oldman45
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RE: Some Raw Data on Japanese Shipbuilding

Post by oldman45 »

What an amazing amount of work. My hat is off to you.
GaryChildress
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RE: Some Raw Data on Japanese Shipbuilding

Post by GaryChildress »

ORIGINAL: oldman45

What an amazing amount of work. My hat is off to you.

Thanks. Hopefully this will be useful to someone else besides myself.

What I would do for an alternative shipbuilding program is take the average build time for a class and use it to estimate how long a similar ship might take to build and use a chart like the one I posted for Japanese naval shipyards to come up with an alternate production time line. One thing I want to find out is how long a typical refit took and whether they used existing slips for the refits or drydocks or what? For instance I figure a ship built in 1920 would probably get one or two refits before the start of the war. Would that use up some of my production slips or would separate facilities be used for refits?
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Dan Nichols
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RE: Some Raw Data on Japanese Shipbuilding

Post by Dan Nichols »

A few comments.

1. Ship building time is vastly different between peacetime building and wartime building. Be careful
with your averages.

2. Whether a ship would use a building slip would be very dependent on what was being upgrades. Anti torpedo bulges
should require one. An upgrade to AA armament should not. As far as if they would use production slips or maybe
repair dry docks I really do not know.


I think that the two obligations you have are to be good at what you do and then to pass on your knowledge to a younger person
GaryChildress
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RE: Some Raw Data on Japanese Shipbuilding

Post by GaryChildress »

ORIGINAL: Dan Nichols

A few comments.

1. Ship building time is vastly different between peacetime building and wartime building. Be careful
with your averages.

2. Whether a ship would use a building slip would be very dependent on what was being upgrades. Anti torpedo bulges
should require one. An upgrade to AA armament should not. As far as if they would use production slips or maybe
repair dry docks I really do not know.

Hi Dan,

Yes I've forseen those factors myself. I've been trying to take into account in my own construction program various factors such as the need for slipways to be available for refits and also probably more available slip time is needed during the war for reparing seriously damaged ships. Also I am trying to take into account that wartime production is going to be accelerated compared to peacetime production.

One thing I need to know is what sorts of upgrades require slip time and what sorts don't. Anti-torpedo bulges is an obvious one for slip time as is hull lengthening. Upgrading AA can be done without slip time. What about reboilering? If new propulsion components are being put in the ship to increase speed would that require slip time or not?

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JuanG
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RE: Some Raw Data on Japanese Shipbuilding

Post by JuanG »

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress
One thing I need to know is what sorts of upgrades require slip time and what sorts don't. Anti-torpedo bulges is an obvious one for slip time as is hull lengthening. Upgrading AA can be done without slip time. What about reboilering? If new propulsion components are being put in the ship to increase speed would that require slip time or not?

Basically anything that needs underwater work will require slip time. This include bulges, armour changes (Hiei being stripped and rearmoured), propulsion changes IF they include changes to screws and/or rudders, and of course hull changes.

In this regard, reboilering on its own should not require a slip, unless it was a case of severe internal arrangement changes. On the other hand, I would hazard a guess that since it is a rather involved operation (generally requiring the disassembly of the funnels and parts of the upper deck), doing it on a slip is likely to be much faster. As space for fitting out of ships isnt infinite either, it might be more efficient to do it on a slip to have it done as fast as possible. Obviously, this depends on ship size too - a cruiser or battleship is much harder to 'crack open' to get at the engines (due to armour), than a destroyer is.
US87891
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RE: Some Raw Data on Japanese Shipbuilding

Post by US87891 »

ORIGINAL: JuanG
ORIGINAL: Gary Childress
One thing I need to know is what sorts of upgrades require slip time and what sorts don't. Anti-torpedo bulges is an obvious one for slip time as is hull lengthening. Upgrading AA can be done without slip time. What about reboilering? If new propulsion components are being put in the ship to increase speed would that require slip time or not?

Basically anything that needs underwater work will require slip time. This include bulges, armour changes (Hiei being stripped and rearmoured), propulsion changes IF they include changes to screws and/or rudders, and of course hull changes.

In this regard, reboilering on its own should not require a slip, unless it was a case of severe internal arrangement changes. On the other hand, I would hazard a guess that since it is a rather involved operation (generally requiring the disassembly of the funnels and parts of the upper deck), doing it on a slip is likely to be much faster. As space for fitting out of ships isnt infinite either, it might be more efficient to do it on a slip to have it done as fast as possible. Obviously, this depends on ship size too - a cruiser or battleship is much harder to 'crack open' to get at the engines (due to armour), than a destroyer is.
JuanG is right on. Reboilering and reengineing often involves new propellers; new torque, new rpm. And it's a good time to renew the shaft bearings, and give the hull a good scrubbing. And the cranes and railways and infrastructure next to slipways is much more better than the usual dockside stuff. You have building slips and outfitting piers. Usually 1 to 1 and which are limiting factors.

Actually, why would you care? I mean this is a what-if thing, so what-if Japan had what it needed to do what you want? If you want to play reality, then you are stuck with what was there and all your new warships go begging and there's nothing you can do about it. If you want new warships, then just add them. Historically Japan couldn't, but you can do what you want. Why try to fake it to make it somehow plausable? It's not plausable, so why even try. Just say this is how it is and stick them in.[;)]
GaryChildress
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RE: Some Raw Data on Japanese Shipbuilding

Post by GaryChildress »

ORIGINAL: US87891

Actually, why would you care? I mean this is a what-if thing, so what-if Japan had what it needed to do what you want? If you want to play reality, then you are stuck with what was there and all your new warships go begging and there's nothing you can do about it. If you want new warships, then just add them. Historically Japan couldn't, but you can do what you want. Why try to fake it to make it somehow plausable? It's not plausable, so why even try. Just say this is how it is and stick them in.[;)]

Hi US87891,

I think there are different styles of "what-if" and there's a certain art to it. There's what if Japan had 50 Battleships to start WW2 and there's what if Japan's shipbuilding industry were more efficient, how many ships could they have produced? Presumably I could put 50 BBs in the game and then tweak the rules of the game so that PT boats converted into BBs with a delay of only 2 days. I think most of us would agree that is ridiculously absurd and wouldn't play it. I may as well include zombies and space lizards in the game for all it's worth.

Why do you care if WITP is "realistic" or not? If the game may not necessarily pan out historically then what do you care if anything in WITP is "realistic"? It's basically the same question you're asking me. The minute the attack on PH comes out differently than was historical you've transgressed the boundary between "realism" and "what-if". So why even try to be "realistic" at all? Just switch to "God" mode and make BBs invulnerable to damage and have fun with it.

It's like a painting. You can just scribble some random paint on a canvas and no one is really going to give it a second look. But if you put some meaning and effort into what you put on the canvas then it becomes art. I think something similar applies to "what-if" scenarios.
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JuanG
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RE: Some Raw Data on Japanese Shipbuilding

Post by JuanG »

There's also a certain amount of fun (at least for me) in planning construction schedules within reasonable constraints. Treaties are one constraint, but details on yards and realistic build times add another. Sadly this isnt as much fun with the US as it is with Japan as with the former you can just assume if the political will is there it will get built.

This is probably evidenced by the fact I've gone through planning the AltWNT Japanese build schedule like 3 or 4 times, even though the results are inevitably rather similar...
GaryChildress
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RE: Some Raw Data on Japanese Shipbuilding

Post by GaryChildress »

ORIGINAL: JuanG

There's also a certain amount of fun (at least for me) in planning construction schedules within reasonable constraints. Treaties are one constraint, but details on yards and realistic build times add another. Sadly this isnt as much fun with the US as it is with Japan as with the former you can just assume if the political will is there it will get built.

This is probably evidenced by the fact I've gone through planning the AltWNT Japanese build schedule like 3 or 4 times, even though the results are inevitably rather similar...

Very true my friend. I think I've had as much fun exploring all the data and information out there as I have trying to put together the mod and as much fun trying to put together the mod as playing the game. Fun comes in many forms. Strangely enough, if I didn't limit myself in certain ways, if I just did whatever I could possibly want to do in a scenario, I don't think that would be any fun at all. [:)]
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Shark7
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RE: Some Raw Data on Japanese Shipbuilding

Post by Shark7 »

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress
ORIGINAL: US87891

Actually, why would you care? I mean this is a what-if thing, so what-if Japan had what it needed to do what you want? If you want to play reality, then you are stuck with what was there and all your new warships go begging and there's nothing you can do about it. If you want new warships, then just add them. Historically Japan couldn't, but you can do what you want. Why try to fake it to make it somehow plausable? It's not plausable, so why even try. Just say this is how it is and stick them in.[;)]

Hi US87891,

I think there are different styles of "what-if" and there's a certain art to it. There's what if Japan had 50 Battleships to start WW2 and there's what if Japan's shipbuilding industry were more efficient, how many ships could they have produced? Presumably I could put 50 BBs in the game and then tweak the rules of the game so that PT boats converted into BBs with a delay of only 2 days. I think most of us would agree that is ridiculously absurd and wouldn't play it. I may as well include zombies and space lizards in the game for all it's worth.

Why do you care if WITP is "realistic" or not? If the game may not necessarily pan out historically then what do you care if anything in WITP is "realistic"? It's basically the same question you're asking me. The minute the attack on PH comes out differently than was historical you've transgressed the boundary between "realism" and "what-if". So why even try to be "realistic" at all? Just switch to "God" mode and make BBs invulnerable to damage and have fun with it.

It's like a painting. You can just scribble some random paint on a canvas and no one is really going to give it a second look. But if you put some meaning and effort into what you put on the canvas then it becomes art. I think something similar applies to "what-if" scenarios.

You are right here, there are two different types of 'what if' scenarios. You seem to be going with the 'what if Japan had made different design and building decisions' type, where mine is the complete fantasy...'couldn't have happened in a million years what if' type. Yours is more of a historically possible, though not probable scenario, where mine is just for fun so you get to play with all new kinds of toys.

Both types are fine, this is a game after all, and its always fun to have new ways to play it. That's the whole point in modding.
Distant Worlds Fan

'When in doubt...attack!'
US87891
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RE: Some Raw Data on Japanese Shipbuilding

Post by US87891 »

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress
ORIGINAL: US87891

Actually, why would you care? I mean this is a what-if thing, so what-if Japan had what it needed to do what you want? If you want to play reality, then you are stuck with what was there and all your new warships go begging and there's nothing you can do about it. If you want new warships, then just add them. Historically Japan couldn't, but you can do what you want. Why try to fake it to make it somehow plausable? It's not plausable, so why even try. Just say this is how it is and stick them in.[;)]

Hi US87891,

I think there are different styles of "what-if" and there's a certain art to it. There's what if Japan had 50 Battleships to start WW2 and there's what if Japan's shipbuilding industry were more efficient, how many ships could they have produced? Presumably I could put 50 BBs in the game and then tweak the rules of the game so that PT boats converted into BBs with a delay of only 2 days. I think most of us would agree that is ridiculously absurd and wouldn't play it. I may as well include zombies and space lizards in the game for all it's worth.

Why do you care if WITP is "realistic" or not? If the game may not necessarily pan out historically then what do you care if anything in WITP is "realistic"? It's basically the same question you're asking me. The minute the attack on PH comes out differently than was historical you've transgressed the boundary between "realism" and "what-if". So why even try to be "realistic" at all? Just switch to "God" mode and make BBs invulnerable to damage and have fun with it.

It's like a painting. You can just scribble some random paint on a canvas and no one is really going to give it a second look. But if you put some meaning and effort into what you put on the canvas then it becomes art. I think something similar applies to "what-if" scenarios.
You are right of course. I have just seen some scenarios that attempt to be plausibly 'historical' pile up on the rocks and shoals of 'reality'. Going to extremes has its own problems but I have done a few scenarios with Akagi/Kaga, 4 'Kakus, 4 Soryus, facing Lex/Sara, 4 Yourtowns and 2 Wasps and with equal BBs and CAs and DDs. They are only 1 to 2 years long and surely not historical, but they are well balanced and a whole lot of fun.

In fact, I would love to see a kind of TACTICS-2 scenario. Both sides equal, as best they can be equal, with the ships being 'real or possible', no whacko stuff. No PTs converting to BBs (that was gratutious and not worthy). I think the best way to add all those Japanese ships is to just add them. Have all you want and give the US the best equivalents you can.

Yes, I am bored with the eventual Allied steamroller so why follow that paradigm? This is a game, so the universe can tilt left if you want. So tilt it left. Make Japan an eceonomic power. Make things equal. And lets see what a bunch of SoDaks can do against some Tosas.I like your additions, but they only make sense in the context of a TACTICS-2 level playing field.

So go rent a grader.[:D]
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inqistor
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RE: Some Raw Data on Japanese Shipbuilding

Post by inqistor »

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress

What I would do for an alternative shipbuilding program is take the average build time for a class and use it to estimate how long a similar ship might take to build and use a chart like the one I posted for Japanese naval shipyards to come up with an alternate production time line. One thing I want to find out is how long a typical refit took and whether they used existing slips for the refits or drydocks or what? For instance I figure a ship built in 1920 would probably get one or two refits before the start of the war. Would that use up some of my production slips or would separate facilities be used for refits?
Just remember, than with bigger ships its getting complicated, once they leave slips.
Musashi, for example, technically speaking got both upgrade (installing radar, and fixing targeting), and conversion (extensive radio equipment), before even being commissioned.

If you check TROMs, you can find quite a lots of interesting information about time of refit. It tends to be really short in most cases, the most time taken are sea-trials.
GaryChildress
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RE: Some Raw Data on Japanese Shipbuilding

Post by GaryChildress »

ORIGINAL: US87891

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress
ORIGINAL: US87891

Actually, why would you care? I mean this is a what-if thing, so what-if Japan had what it needed to do what you want? If you want to play reality, then you are stuck with what was there and all your new warships go begging and there's nothing you can do about it. If you want new warships, then just add them. Historically Japan couldn't, but you can do what you want. Why try to fake it to make it somehow plausable? It's not plausable, so why even try. Just say this is how it is and stick them in.[;)]

Hi US87891,

I think there are different styles of "what-if" and there's a certain art to it. There's what if Japan had 50 Battleships to start WW2 and there's what if Japan's shipbuilding industry were more efficient, how many ships could they have produced? Presumably I could put 50 BBs in the game and then tweak the rules of the game so that PT boats converted into BBs with a delay of only 2 days. I think most of us would agree that is ridiculously absurd and wouldn't play it. I may as well include zombies and space lizards in the game for all it's worth.

Why do you care if WITP is "realistic" or not? If the game may not necessarily pan out historically then what do you care if anything in WITP is "realistic"? It's basically the same question you're asking me. The minute the attack on PH comes out differently than was historical you've transgressed the boundary between "realism" and "what-if". So why even try to be "realistic" at all? Just switch to "God" mode and make BBs invulnerable to damage and have fun with it.

It's like a painting. You can just scribble some random paint on a canvas and no one is really going to give it a second look. But if you put some meaning and effort into what you put on the canvas then it becomes art. I think something similar applies to "what-if" scenarios.
You are right of course. I have just seen some scenarios that attempt to be plausibly 'historical' pile up on the rocks and shoals of 'reality'. Going to extremes has its own problems but I have done a few scenarios with Akagi/Kaga, 4 'Kakus, 4 Soryus, facing Lex/Sara, 4 Yourtowns and 2 Wasps and with equal BBs and CAs and DDs. They are only 1 to 2 years long and surely not historical, but they are well balanced and a whole lot of fun.

In fact, I would love to see a kind of TACTICS-2 scenario. Both sides equal, as best they can be equal, with the ships being 'real or possible', no whacko stuff. No PTs converting to BBs (that was gratutious and not worthy). I think the best way to add all those Japanese ships is to just add them. Have all you want and give the US the best equivalents you can.

Yes, I am bored with the eventual Allied steamroller so why follow that paradigm? This is a game, so the universe can tilt left if you want. So tilt it left. Make Japan an eceonomic power. Make things equal. And lets see what a bunch of SoDaks can do against some Tosas.I like your additions, but they only make sense in the context of a TACTICS-2 level playing field.

So go rent a grader.[:D]

Hi US87891,

I was reacting to the "why fake it" comment. There seems to be a general prejudice in the WITP community that anything that doesn't stick strictly to hisorical fact is somehow "rubbish" and that there is no such thing as "plausible", that any and all deviation from historical fact is equally nonsense. I disagree. I think there is such thing as plausible. Not all mods need to be plausible but if a modder wants to try to make something plausible he is not defacto doomed from the start because there is no such thing as plausible.

Plausibility also comes in various forms and degees. Creating "what-if" warships that were never even considered nor economically feasible but which have plausible weapon stats is a degree of plausibility. Trying to figure out a different building program based upon historic resources such as slipways can have a degree of plausibility. I admit I would myself be turned off by a mod which gave PT boats 16"/45s or included spaceship Yamato for no good reason, but some people seem to think that there is little or no difference between that and trying to work out an alternative ship building program based upon historical resources. With that I disagree. I apologize if I mistook you for one of those people. The "why fake it" comment seemed to be indicative of that notion. Perhaps I was wrong. [:o]
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