Koko Kyouwakoku (Republic of Koko)

Hi BB1987!!

Rats, I just overlooked that thread, or I'd have joined the awesome brigade earlier. Great work!

Greetings
GD

Sho-1 Class submarine:

By the late 30's Koko no Kaigun was facing the obsolescence of their first submarine class, the two Ki-1 units. The older boats were thoroughly outclassed and no more suited even for their intended training role despite being less than 15 years old. A testament to both the incredibly late start of the Kokoan submarine program (the first domestic-built sub was commissioned only in 1924), and the quick pace -at least technologically-wise- on which the Navy was closing the gap with other nations. While some of the Ki-3 units filled the training role gap, the board designed a medium to small type boat to properly replace the two Ki-1. For the job, the naval staff also introduced the "Sho" denomination (from Sen-Sho-gata Sensuikan, Submarine-Small Type) to separate the boats pennant sequence from that of the fleet and cruiser submarines.
The resulting submarine, named Sho-1 after the new naming convention, was 74,4m long, 6,7m abeam and had a surfaced draft of 3,7m. Displacement was 783T surfaced and 1.102T submerged. Powered by two small diesel-electric motors it was good for 13knots surfaced and 7 knots submerged. Range was 4.000 nautical miles (7.400km) at 10knots surfaced and 45nm (83km) at 5 knots submerged. Test depth was 75 meters. The boat was armed with a single 76mm gun, a single 25mm AA and four 450mm torpedo tubes (all forward) with a complement of 8 warheads. Total crew was possible as high as 55 (5 officers and 50 traineees).
Contract was signed for four units at the Kuwashi yard, as to allow the larger yards to focus on the ongoing production of fleet submarines. All were laid down between December 1938 and January 1941, and commissioned between July 1940 and February 1942.
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The four units spent all their life training new submariners, two at Toumachi and two at Kumoi. By late war, despite not being frontline units in any way, they still recieved thorough modernizations in order to keep the equipment the trainees were familiarizing with on par with that of the most advanced boats in the fleet. Among others, they recieved radar, IFF, RDF, new radio equipment and a single 40mm AA gun in place of the old 25mm piece.
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Sho-1, one of the two Toumachi-based ships, was scuttled in November 1945 during Koko uprisings. The other three survived the conflict unscathered but were decommissioned in 1947 and scrapped shortly thereafter.

Ships in class: (laid down-launched-commissioned - fate)

Sho-1 1938-1939-1940 - Scuttled 1945
Sho-2 1939-1940-1940 - Decommissioned 1947
Sho-3 1940-1941-1942 - Decommissioned 1947
Sho-4 1941-1942-1942 - Decommissioned 1947

Hey BB1987, how long did it take for you to build the 747-500X and 747-600X? I'm asking because I might want to try to draw something and post it here on Shipbucket.com. I think would also even like to try drawing that 747-700X I told you about many times as well as the 763-246C and other large aircraft.

It's been awhile isn't it? Time to go back in time and keep filling some gaps:

Takakura class protected cruiser:

The two ships of the Takakura class were the first proper protected cruisers to enter service with Koko no Kaigun (the preceding Heizei class had no armor protection at all). Ordered and built in Germany at AG Vulcan shipyards in Stettin, the ships, named Takakura and Jito, were based on the design of the Irene class although with many minor modifications.
They measured 103,7m in length overall, had a beam of 14,2 and a draft of 6,7m for a displacement of 5.027T at full load. Four double-boilers burned coal to power two 2-cyilinder double-expansion steam engines that drove two four-bladed propellers. all for a top speed of 18knots. Range was 2.490 nautical miles at 9knots. Armament was made up by four 150mm guns, ten 105mm ones and six 37mm revolving cannons. Three 250mm torpedo tubes, all below the waterline, completed the armament. The armoured deck was 20mm thick, including the sloped section, while the conning tower had a thickness of 50mm. Complement was 365 officers and men.
The lead ship, Takakura, was laid down in 1887, launched in 1888, delivered and commissioned into Koko no Kaigun in 1889, serving as the fleet flagship until 1891.
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Jito was built between 1888 and 1891, replacing Takakura as the flagship upon commissioning, a role she kept until 1892 when she was repaced by the newly commissioned Yozei, lead ship of another class of cruisers. Jito looked identical to Takakura, with both sisters being basically indistinguishable from their entire career. Both ships were refitted in the early 20th century, Jito in 1905-1906 and Takakura in 1906-1907. During the works both were repainted in the new standard Koko no Kaigun colours ditching the darker German-inspired paintscheme. They also recieved a new flying bridge aft and new equipment, had the spotting top lightenend and the rigging redone deleting half of the spars on the masts. The forward ventilation cowls were lowered to allow for the bridge to be expanded forward and improve visibility from the charhouse, a slight design flaw of the original design. More importantly all landed their original armament (except the torpedo tubes), and recieved four 152mm and fourteen 76mm guns in its place.
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After an uneventul partolling service during WWI the two ships were placed in reserve, to be replaced by newly commissioned and more advanced cruisers, with Takakura decommissioned in 1918 and Jito in 1921. Both were scrapped shortly after.

Ships in class: (laid down-launched-commissioned - fate)

Takakura 1887-1888-1889 - Decommissioned 1918
Jito 1888-1889-1891 - Decommissioned 1921

Short, stubby and incredibly cluttered, just like ships of this era should be, I love them!

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MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

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Yozei class protected cruiser:

As soon as the first hull plates of the Takakura began to be assembled, Koko no Kaigun ordered another class of protected cruisers from Germany. Requirements called for four units to be built, smaller but faster than the two Takakuras. This resulted in ships 110,4m long, 13,2m abeam and with a draft of 6,5m. For a displacement of 4.275T. Six coal-fired, transverse, cylindrical, double water-tube boilers powered two vertical 3-cylinder triple-expansion engines that drove two four bladed propellers. For a top speed of 19,5 to 20 knots. Range was extensive for the time, at 3.500 nautical miles at 12knots cruising speed. As the main armament the ships were to carry twelve 105mm guns, aumented by six 50mm ones and two 450mm torpedo tubes. There was no conning tower, but deck armor was 20mm thick, which increased to 25mm on its sloped section. Complement was 302 oficers and men. The first two ships, Yozei and Shomu, were built at AG vulcan shipyards in Stettin, between 1889 and 1894. The third, Mommu, at Schichau-Werke in elbing, and completed in 1895. All three served one stin at Koko no Kaigun flagship (Yozei in 1892-1894, Shomu in 1894-1895 and Mommu in 1895-1896).
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Overall, the ships proved to be fast, long ranged and manouverable as promised, but they were very unstable, badly rolling in heavy seas. to correct such problem the fourth ship, Temmu, to be built at AG vulcan, was redesign and delayed. All 105mm guns were moved in gunports and sponsons in the hull, previously, four of them were at deck level, and four of the 50mm ones were relocated from casemate position to the former spot of the relocated 105mm ones. Such design modification vastly improved the rolling problem, although it did not elimated it altogether. Temmu was also the fastest of the four, capable of 20,5 knots. Delivered and commissioned into Koko no Kaigun in 1898, the last protected cruiser built in Germany to enter service before the Navy switched to a British/Japanese influence.
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The same year Temmu was commissioned, all other ships began entering local yards to underwent correcting refits and being rearmed. The twelve 105mm guns were replaced by ten 120mm ones, all moved into the hull, and the six 50mm replaced by four 76mm guns. An extended open bridge was added forward and the ships repainted. Works were completed between 1898 and 1901.
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Despite being in service for only four years, Temmu was also recalled to be rearmed in 1902-1903, following similar lines of that of her sisters. One distinguishing element was the casemate layout being more widely spaced as a result of her modified design. After being recommissioned, Temmu acted as Koko no Kaigun flagship for about a year.
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Together with the newly refitted cruiser Daigo, the four sisters were the most useful assets Koko no Kaigun had at the start of the Russo-Japanese war. For most of the conflict they patrolled the Soya Strait between Hokkaido and Sakhalin (Karafuto) to keep the Russian Pacific fleet movements in check, but they eventually rushed south to attempt intercepting the fleeing Russian ships after the battle of Tsushima. Late in the evening, on May 28th 1905, they spotted the fleeing cruiser Izmrud and attempted to give chase, but Izmrud superior speed (24 knots) allowed the Russian ship to flee (it will eventually run aground the same night, forcing it to be scuttled). Temmu and Yozei (together with Daigo), briefly opened fire. although no hits were scored (reports from the Russians calls for all the shots being way off target), they were the first Kokoan ships to fire their guns in anger at an enemy target.
Before the start of WWI all four ships recieved some small minor modifications, such the deletion of the aft spottin top and the expansion of the bridge deckhouses. Being 20-years old and fairly outdated, they were left patrolling close to the home islands. Just after the end of the war Temmu was fitted with an extra spotting platform on the foremast.
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Eventually, all ships were decommissioned between 1920 and 1925 and sent to the breakers.

Ships in class: (laid down-launched-commissioned - fate)

Yozei 1889-1891-1892 - Decommissioned 1920
Shomu 1891-1893-1894 - Decommissioned 1921
Mommu 1892-1894-1895 - Decommissioned 1922
Temmu 1895-1897-1898 - Decommissioned 1925

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