User blog:Headlessnewt/Missing Ships Part 1: Destroyers

I (like many of us), have gotten really into the history of the real versions of the shipgirls, and you can't study the actual IJN as it existed circa World War 2 without noticing the holes in the roster that KanColle presents. So here's the first part of a list of the major 'forgotten' ships, as well as some theories on why they're missing. (Information gathered primarily from wikipedia and combinedfleet.com).

DESTROYERS

The major reason for there being so many missing destroyers and why is that even numbering as they do as the majority of ships in KanColle, there were even more present and functional in the war. Be thankful this game isn't based on the US Navy, or we'd have nearly quadruple the number!

Missing Classes:  Kamikaze/Minekaze

The Kamikaze (and its predecessor class, the Minekaze) destroyers are often considered to be part of the same class as the Mutsukis, much like the Fubuki/Ayanami/Akatsuki class is often considered to be a single class. The Kamikazes even had a fair number of noteworthy members, especially Yunagi who was the sole destroyer member of the Mikawa Fleet, victorious at the Battle of Savo Island. I suspect they are not included because they would put an even lower floor on 'low power' than the Mutsuki class, who are already noteworthy for their use in Expeditions, and that the existence of more ships like them would completely invalidate all destroyers from Expedition duty.

Missing Class:  Akizuki

The Akizuki-class were the Destroyer counterparts to the Agano class, first appearing late in the war using new high tech. They were extremely successful in the limited time they had to perform in the war, and were extremely well-respected by the IJN. They were lighter in Torpedo armament than previous ships, but more heavily geared toward anti-air operations, as well as equipped with Radars from the moments of their creation, the first such ships in the fleet. I suspect the Akizuki class will, at least in part, be implemented at some point. One thing that might be holding them back is that large number of them that were handed over to foreign powers after the war, something which other ships already characterize enough.

Missing Class:  Matsu

The Matsu-class were extremely late-war Destroyers, built primarily for escort purposes with strong ASW capability. They were not particularly strong fighters like other IJN destroyers, nor were they particularly gracefully crafted, nor did they appear soon enough to successfully defend Japan's already shredded merchant marine. While they were effective ships, they were too little, too late. I suspect they will not be implemented due to how little conflict they saw, combined with the fact that DDs are not the true 'dedicated' ASW ships of KanColle.

Missing Ships:  Yuzuki, Minazuki (Mutsuki-class)

In a class as clearly named as the Mutsuki-class (with 12 ships each named after a month), it's odd that only ten would exist, with two deliberately left out. Neither were particularly distinguished during the war, but that hardly separates them from the other Mutsuki-class ships, who spent the war primarily as escorts and transports (much like the duties they are best at in the game). Both Yuzuki and Minazuki survived until 1944, longer than most other members of their class; Yuzuki and Uzuki were sunk as part of the same operation, the last of their class. This notable endurance leads me to believe that they may be implemented later as 'late war' ships, many of which have thus far been missing.

Missing Ship:  Uranami (Fubuki-class)

While many of the Missing destroyers simply didn't do very much (several simply performed escorting missions until being torpedoed by a submarine), Uranami, 10th ship of the Fubuki class, had a distinguished record as a part of a Destroyer Division which we have the other three members of implemented (Isonami, Ayanami and Shikinami). She's credited with sinking a submarine, was present at Midway (where she was damaged colliding with Isonami), and was part of the Second Battle of Guadalcanal, where Ayanami earned her Kai Ni, with Uranami's direct assistance. Afterward, Uranami rescued Ayanami's crew and scuttled her hulk. She later rescued Kuma's survivors after she was torpedoed, as well. She, like so many others, was sunk as part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. She seems like a prime candidate for incarnation in KanColle, given her clearly integral relationships with many other implemented ships.

Missing Ship:  Isokaze (Kagerou-class)

Like Uranami, Isokaze was a part of an otherwise-implemented division, along with Urakaze, Tanikaze and Hamakaze, forming the renowned 17th DesDiv, all of whom survived numerous actions and distinguished themselves in combat. Isokaze was an escort for both Pearl Harbor and Midway, and helped Hamakaze rescue Hiryuu's survivors. She was part of the Battle of the Phillipine Sea (where she assisted the crippled Taihou), as well as surviving Leyte. She was present at Kongou's sinking and rescued some of her surviving crew, likewise Shinano. She eventually went down with Yamato during operation Ten-Go. The only reason she wouldn't be implemented is that her history reads almost identically to Hamakaze's, the two were somewhat inseparable.

Missing Ship:  Nowaki (Kagerou-class)

Mentioned both in Fubuki, Ganbarimasu! and in Maikaze's lines, Nowaki was another Kagerou-class destroyer who distinguished herself, earning an 'unsinkable' repuation much like Shigure and Yukikaze did. She was part of a few early combat victories before Midway, where Nowaki was another ship who helped scuttle Akagi. She spent much of the war with Maikaze. She was present at the Battle of the Phillipene Sea, and was ultimately sunk at Leyte, after taking the survivors from the crippled Chikuma. Given her existence in the game's canon (like Shinano), she is almost certain to be implemented at some point.

Next time I'll probably talk about Carriers, since there aren't many holes in the Cruiser and Battleship lineups.