Consider this...

[Terminus]

I've been meddling with the Japanese carriers in my mod, removing several, am now considering what they should be replaced with, and would like to hear people's opinions.

As things stand, the IJN gets the following vessels:

CV's available on 12/7
Akagi
Kaga
Hiryu
Soryu
Shokaku
Zuikaku
Owari
Tosa
Ryujo
Zuiho
Hosho

CV's becoming available during wartime
Junyo
Hiyo
Taiho
Unryu
Amagi
Katsuragi
Shoho
Ryuho
Chitose
Chiyoda

All other carriers have been removed. Now then, consider yourselves in charge of the IJN carrier procurement office. Would you rather spend Japan's resources during the mid- to late-war period on:

fewer heavy carriers with larger air groups, suitable for sustained offensive operations?

or

more light carriers with smaller air groups, suitable for convoy escorting and defensive operations?

Forget the "We must have huge weapons at all costs" syndrome that so plagued the Axis, and use your brains.

[tsimmonds]

Akitsuki class DDs [;)]

[Terminus]

Ba-dum-pum![:'(]

[tsimmonds]

Actually, your question is not clear to me. Are you asking what types of CVs I would want to build in addition to all of those listed?

[Terminus]

My meaning was in general terms, i.e. not specific classes (I figure I'll create my own), but rather general types (CV or CVL/CVE). And yeah, it would be in addition to the ones listed, although I'm toying with the idea of removing the remaining three Unryus as well.

[Yava]

I would go for more smaller CVL's working in groups 2-3.

[tsimmonds]

No carrier that arrives after about 7/1/43 is worth very much in any case, as the aircraft embarked will be slaughtered by CAP and AAA, so I would have to say that any CV construction I might do after this time would be strictly limited to escort types, which will immediately be sunk by submarines instead.

[Terminus]

A fleet of targets for an unwinnable war...

I've been toying with the idea for an IJN escort carrier class I call the 20-20 type, capable of carrying 20 aircraft at 20 knots. It would be a common merchant hull, similar to the US escort carriers, but obviously impossible for the Japs to build in similar numbers.

[tsimmonds]

These CVEs would have the added virtue of using merchant rather than naval shipbuilding points, thereby not directly competing with an accelerated DD/DE program (only with an accelerated PG/PC/MSW program). Sure, I'd build those; especially so if they came with air groups!

[Terminus]

ORIGINAL: irrelevant

These CVEs would have the added virtue of using merchant rather than naval shipbuilding points, thereby not directly competing with an accelerated DD/DE program (only with an accelerated PG/PC/MSW program). Sure, I'd build those; especially so if they came with air groups!

Really? I've never heard that... That would be excellent.

[tsimmonds]

All IJN CVEs use merchant SBPs.

[Terminus]

Cool.

[Terminus]

Here's my first rough draft for the Type 20-20, or Kobe Maru class, as I've named her. As for air group composition, I'm thinking Zeros and Kates at a 1-2 ratio.

[niceguy2005]

Interesting idea Terminus. I don't know that I know enough about the IJN or the production systems to add much, but, I think I would go for a combination of CV and CVE. I would like the CVE for escort duty, but I would still want some full sized fleet carriers with as much punch as possible to replace the losses I was sure to have by mid-43.

[Terminus]

So would I, but the problem would be that the Japanese might be seeing degradation of the military shipbuilding infrastructure by this time of the war, and those big deck carriers might never be built. That's why I removed the last three Unryus as well as the Shinano. By that point in the war, Japan has other priorities in my view. The fleet carrier is an offensive weapon, and if the game rolls around to late 44/early 45, Japan will be on the defensive (in most cases).

It's similar, in my view, to Hitler delaying the introduction of the interceptor version of the Me-262 by insisting it should be a fighter-bomber. Not what Germany needed at that point.

[Mynok]

Could we stop all shipbuilding and build steel roofs over our cities instead? [:D]

[Terminus]

And then build Q-38 Space Modulators, maybe?

[Mynok]

Shush, you, that's a secret.....[:)]

Seriously, I would lean toward CVL's and CVE's if given the scenario above.

[Terminus]

I stuck 'em in my mod. 10 Kobe Maru-class CVE's, each with an air group of 6 Zeros and 12 Kates. Here's the name ship, costing a very reasonable 25 points to build at the normal rate:



BTW, the shipside is Big B's Shimane Maru. That one's not in my mod, so I was free to choose it for my Kobes.

[RevRick]

ORIGINAL: Mynok


Shush, you, that's a secret.....[:)]

Seriously, I would lean toward CVL's and CVE's if given the scenario above.

I'm waiting for the Earth-shattering KaaBoom..