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Who says that the Midway battle losses are a catastrophe for the Japanese? Here is my 1944 battle fleet, with some parts spray painted out to avoid violating NDA...

That was a bug with the alpha version I was playing around with, I think it would be extremely difficult to get that many Japanese carriers together late in the game.

CVs Ikoma, Aso, Kasagi, Amagi, etc. Are these historical ships or did you produce them in-game? (yes im fishing:))

Scenario editor?:(

And whats with the return to Truk button? Why would they wanna go there when they are in Osaka with much better shipyards much closer.

Hi, The return to Truk button remains from the UV origin of the current Alpha WITP.

Quotes from
THE END OF THE ‘BOKUBOKAN’ IN WW II
The Unryu (“Cloudy Dragon”) class CV's
This ship was constructed under the 1941 estimates. Seven sister ships were ordered in the 1942 program. Two were never named and never laid down.

Unryu was a modification of the Soryu’s, the plans simplified for quicker construction. She displaced 17,150 tons standard. Sister ships Katsuragi and Aso were slightly heavier, displacing 17,400 tons, while Ikoma, Kasagi and Amagi were heavier yet, 18,300 tons. They had a speed of 34 knots, except for Katsuragi and Aso which, because of shortages, were equipped with destroyer type engines and could only reach a relatively slow 32 knots.

Not one of these ships took an important part in any engagement. Both Unryu and Amagi were completed in August 1944 and were used for transport duty. Exactly 105 days after her commissioning, Unryu was sunk by a torpedo from the submarine Redfish. Amagi suffered two attacks from U.S. carrier-based aircraft while the ship was at Kure. The second attack, on July 24, 1945, capsized her.

Katsuragi also came under attack by U.S. carrier planes four days later, also at Kure. She suffered minor damage because she was protected by camouflage. After the war, she was used for repatriation and was scrapped in 1947.

Neither Aso, Kasagi nor Ikoma was completed by the end of the war. Aso was launched November 1, 1944, Ikoma on October 17, and Kasagi two days later. They were 60% to 80% complete when work on them was halted because of material shortages. Aso was used as a target ship for Kamikaze training attacks and did not survive this abuse. (guess some of the students did not learn "pull up" )

Ikoma was moored at Shodo Jima where she sustained bomb damage toward the end of the war. She and Kasagi were scrapped. Seven more Unryu class ships were added to the 1942 program, but they never got beyond the paper work.

Thanks Mogami, as usual you gave a much more thorough answer than I could have.

I believe the Taiho was also an Unryu class, wasn't it?

Hi, from same source


Japan’s first wartime constructed carrier was the Taiho (“Big Lucky Bird”), a 29,300-ton ship authorized under the 1939 estimates. Built at Kawasaki Dockyard, she was laid down in July 1941, launched in April 1943, and delivered in March 1944. She had a cruising range of 10,000 miles at 18 knots, but could reach 33 knots with ease. Kawasaki claims her to have been the most heavily protected flattop in the world at the time of her delivery. And well she might have been; her armor was impressive.

Taiho had 3¾ inches of plating on the flight deck between her two elevators, covering a distance of some 164 yards. The platforms on these elevators were two inches thick and weighed 100 tons. Such weight required a low center of gravity for the ship, resulting in a very short distance between the water line and the flight deck, the same height as that of the Hiryu, a carrier some 12,000 tons lighter.

In designing and constructing this carrier, the slanting, low smokestacks of her predecessors were abandoned and she returned to the “stack in island” type, the stack emerging high on the island and inclining outwards at 26°.

Taiho was an excellent carrier, but she had a short life: three months. On June 19, 1944, during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, she was hit by a torpedo from the U.S. submarine Albacore, damaging gasoline pipes and crippling her bow elevator while it was in the down position. Though her speed and maneuverability were not seriously affected, she did lose the ability to launch aircraft because of the elevator difficulty. Gas fumes spread through the ship. In a few hours she exploded and sank.

Five modifications of the Taiho class were ordered in the 1942 program, but none was laid down, owing to shortages and crowded shipyards.

I stand corrected, henceforth.

The Japanese really knew how to name their ships, didnt they? You would never hear of a U.S.S. Big Lucky Bird

Hi, I think what first attracted me to playing the Japanese in minatures (and hence to wargames) was the way they named their ships. The USN uses battles, states, cities and heros.
The Briitish classical heros and Admirals. (among other things)
The Japanese, Rivers and mountains and mythic creatures and of course weather conditions
"I served on the Drizzling Autumn Rain"

Aso was used as a target ship for Kamikaze training attacks and did not survive this abuse. (guess some of the students did not learn "pull up" )

So I guess technically the kamikazes did manage to sink a fleet carrier, it was just on the wrong side.

Hi, I inserted the "pull up part" I have a turn 1 PBEM WITP scenario 1 ready, you want it?

Originally posted by Mogami
Hi, from same source
Gas fumes spread through the ship. In a few hours she exploded and sank.

If i remember correctly this was due to inexperienced crew/officers who didnt turn off the ventilating system cos of the gas fumes. While not doing this, the fumes spread all over teh ship infrastructure and all you needed was a spark and the whole flattop was lit up skyhigh.

I have a turn 1 PBEM WITP scenario 1 ready, you want it?

Sure!


While not doing this, the fumes spread all over teh ship infrastructure and all you needed was a spark and the whole flattop was lit up skyhigh.

I can picture it:

*sniff sniff*

Akira-san, did you fart?

BOOM!

I just have to comment on this even though it's not right on the topic. In the pic i notice that CV Shinano has a AC capacity of 48. I'm not quite sure this is historical.

CV Shinano's air wing was about 50 AC, but:

"Her single hangar was 500 feet long and her own air group of 40-50 aircraft were stowed forward with replacement aircraft taking up the rear of the hangar. In all she could carry upto 100 aircraft."

If CV Shinano is set at 50 AC, then atleast according to UV rules when you fill her up with capacity+10% she won't be able to fly any AC.

I am wondering if we can accelerate the production of some of these carriers that are mentioned above?

Will we be able to have more CVs in the game earlier than historically possible?

I know production is a touchy thing right now, but is it possible to answer this question?

Originally posted by Snigbert
I have a turn 1 PBEM WITP scenario 1 ready, you want it?

Sure!


While not doing this, the fumes spread all over teh ship infrastructure and all you needed was a spark and the whole flattop was lit up skyhigh.

I can picture it:

*sniff sniff*

Akira-san, did you fart?

BOOM!

Methane can be dangerous too!:D

"Aso was used as a target ship for Kamikaze training attacks and did not survive this abuse. "

My coffee came out both nostrels on that one. Am I the only one who finds this counterproductive?

(* chuckle *)
-F-

Shinano was a very secret conversion project. Only three pictures of her are known to exist, I believe. The story was that she was going to be a sort of moving aircraft factory and repair shop. That was just a cover story. She was actually supposed to be a full fleet carrier.
In the war game “Eagle and the Sun” they give a detailed history of her. She is listed as being able to operate 127 aircraft. The only reason they had less on board was due to pilot shortages. Shonano was the largest carrier built until the Forestall class built in the mid 50’s. With belt armor equal to that of the Yamato she was an impressive ship.

Yamamoto

Originally posted by Feinder
"Aso was used as a target ship for Kamikaze training attacks and did not survive this abuse. "

My coffee came out both nostrels on that one. Am I the only one who finds this counterproductive?

(* chuckle *)
-F-

ROTFLMAO


Nice one guys!!

Originally posted by Snigbert
I stand corrected, henceforth.

The Japanese really knew how to name their ships, didnt they? You would never hear of a U.S.S. Big Lucky Bird

How about U.S.S. Cookie Monster?