Apparently they had a huge demand for a licensed built bofors, but industry “lobbying” (not sure the term is completely adapted) and the inability to match the demand made it so the rather poor 25mm was kept in service.
A few more years of war in the Pacific and Japan would have had licensed built bofors and more of the quite damn good 100mm DP.
But yeah, their complete inability to provide good AA really hurt their chances, and nothing shows the weakness of their 25mm triple mount and not very good 127mm DP than the Yamato’s final journey.
3 hours of constant air assault, 300 planes attacking it, and its 162 25mm guns, 24 127mm guns, handful of 13mm terribad hotchkiss machineguns and even probably sailors with rifles shot down a grand total of 8 planes.
Don’t forget about last cruiser of IJN Yahagi – which was light anti-air cruiser with dual purpose main guns – accompanying Yamato. But she was sunk first : seven(!) torpedoes + 12 bombs and she was gone.
The Agano class weren’t exactly “Anti-air cruisers”, Yahagi only reached ~52 25mm barrels after her last refit in 1944 (some sources say up to 61) and her main guns aren’t exactly DP, with only 55 degree of elevation, they could barely fit the AA role
Woah. I’d like to add some more factors: Poor axis technology exchange. Italy/Japan implemented design upgrades very slowly. Or even making planes with self-sealing fuel tanks. The whole war with the US was a mistake. All horrible wars start with the attacker believing they can risk to win.
if you can’t hit it with the first shot.
fire more
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Thats why minigun was invented :D
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I wish some day they implemented all that flak fire in game :D
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Watchu gonna do? Spit on them to piss em off?
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Meanwhile, on the Japanese side.
“Hmm, I guess add more 25mm mounts? Wow I’m a genius, I guess I can just take the rest of the day off now.”
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Yeah, this mentality and lack of foresight made them lose the war.
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Apparently they had a huge demand for a licensed built bofors, but industry “lobbying” (not sure the term is completely adapted) and the inability to match the demand made it so the rather poor 25mm was kept in service.
A few more years of war in the Pacific and Japan would have had licensed built bofors and more of the quite damn good 100mm DP.
But yeah, their complete inability to provide good AA really hurt their chances, and nothing shows the weakness of their 25mm triple mount and not very good 127mm DP than the Yamato’s final journey.
3 hours of constant air assault, 300 planes attacking it, and its 162 25mm guns, 24 127mm guns, handful of 13mm terribad hotchkiss machineguns and even probably sailors with rifles shot down a grand total of 8 planes.
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Don’t forget about last cruiser of IJN Yahagi – which was light anti-air cruiser with dual purpose main guns – accompanying Yamato. But she was sunk first : seven(!) torpedoes + 12 bombs and she was gone.
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The Agano class weren’t exactly “Anti-air cruisers”, Yahagi only reached ~52 25mm barrels after her last refit in 1944 (some sources say up to 61) and her main guns aren’t exactly DP, with only 55 degree of elevation, they could barely fit the AA role
LikeLiked by 1 person
Woah. I’d like to add some more factors: Poor axis technology exchange. Italy/Japan implemented design upgrades very slowly. Or even making planes with self-sealing fuel tanks. The whole war with the US was a mistake. All horrible wars start with the attacker believing they can risk to win.
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Licensed built Bofors? I only know about the cloned type 5, anymore information on it?
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Oh my bad, a bit more searching indeed shows that it wasn’t licensed built, but straight up captured and copied.
I stand corrected, and disappointed in Japan.
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I would love to see enhanced flak bursts in the game. Hopefully it will get implemented someday.
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