FatR
Posts: 2522
Joined: 10/23/2009 From: St.Petersburg, Russia Status: offline
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While we're optimizing Japanese fleet, how about thinking a bit about various minor ans auxilary vessels? I long wanted to gather all my thoughts on them... 0)Well, first about torpedo boats bug... Japanese midgets and barges all arrive in Hailar. MTBs/MGBs/MLs arrive in various ports. Several people have reported that this causes them to be stuck 1 day from completion. They probably should be set to arrive in Hailar. 1)Japanese subchasers... Well, you should know, CHa-1 class is nearly useless in the game, and as far as I can tell it was such in real life. Puny range and low speed does not allow them to escort most convoys and they never get any decent depthcharge or AA upgrades. They are at best mildly useful for patrolling chokepoint straits. Japan builds 108 of them, and despite their high number of depthcharge racks they are so bad, that I would gladly take 60-70 more Kiso-E trawlers over them, as these at least has enough range to run with convoys as patrol boats, and can be converted into useful auxilaries. Besides, standartization is wartime economy's friend. So, I propose to postulate, that, taking into consideration increased demand for sailors in this mod, and need to free first-line ships for duties closer to the frontline, Naval Ministry decided to choose quality over quantity in this area, and to standartize subchaser production to Ch-13 type. As these, no doubt, will demand better engines and higher quality of craftsmanship, it will be impossible to build them in the same numbers, even though with proper foresight building one ship type instead of two will allow to save some resources. I propose to replace 108 CHa-1 SCs with 72 (2/3 of their number) of Ch-13 SCs, though this might be a tad too optimistic. 3)Taking one more step up... Otori-class TBs, are most numerous and longest-range TBs in the fleet, and they are relatively modern ships, meant to serve as convoy escorts. Yet their initial armament is inadequate for the task, and their wartime conversion could have been better, than just slapping more 25mms and depth charges onto them, particularly as they had a bit of unused weight. And as in RA Japanese will have extra unused 127/40 barrels... I propose a different upgrade to them: only 2x3 25mm, and two depth charge throwers in the rear, but three 127/40 guns and torpedo armament remains in place (so they still will be considered TBs). So they will look like mini-Matsus: 1x127/40 F 2x127/40 R 6x25mm C (two triple mounts) 3x53cm Type 92 torpedos C (without reloads) 2xType 95 Mod-2 DC R Add better DCs and type 22 radar late in the war. So, less small-calibre barrels and DC racks, but one more DP gun, and better DP guns overall, giving these ships a bit better punch in surface combat. The upgrade option might be open on 12/41 or 1/42, reflecting a pre-war project meant to free more first-line ships to serve, well, on the first line. Oh, and also: how about putting 140mm guns removed from modified (or scrapped CLs) into CD units and base forces on map? EDIT: P.S.: I realize that some of these changes involve a ton of drudgework, so if you want, John, I can do them myself closer to the end of this week.
< Message edited by FatR -- 3/1/2011 5:39:08 PM >
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