“The Decisive Battle Doctrine (艦隊決戦 Kantai Kessen; "naval fleet decisive battle") was a naval strategy adopted by the Imperial Japanese Navy prior to the Second World War. The theory was derived from the writings of American naval historian Alfred Thayer Mahan . . .”
“Until the 1920s, the Japanese expected this decisive battle to occur near the Ryukyu Islands just south of Japan and to be conducted by surface forces. However, as technology increased, the location projected was moved farther eastward. From the mid 1920s to 1940, the line was somewhere between the Bonin Islands (some 540 nautical miles south of Tokyo) and the Mariana Islands.”
“According to the first stage of the battle plan, fleet submarines would first be used to weaken the American fleet by 10%, then bombers from land bases and aircraft carriers would inflict another 10% casualties. Air strikes launched from carriers would neutralize the American carrier force. Fast heavy cruisers working with destroyer flotillas would attack the US battleships at night, making use of their long-range Type 93 torpedoes to inflict further losses. Now facing a depleted enemy at the limit of his supply chain, this would be the "decisive" stage of the battle, when the battleships of the Combined Fleet, centered on the modern Yamato class, would engage the US battle line. Finally, the older battleships would destroy the surviving remnants of the American fleet.”
“The IJN assigned one division of fast battleships or battlecruisers to give additional firepower to the nocturnal attacks. The Kongō-class battlecruiser were initially assigned to this role and were upgraded to fast battleships over a seven-year period from 1933-1940. The IJN planned to eventually replace the four Kongō battleships with four heavy, "super" cruisers. As envisioned by the IJN in 1936, these ships, the B-65 cruisers, would mount 12-inch guns, carry armor designed to withstand hits from 8-inch shells, and be capable of speeds up to 40 knots. They would be designated as "super-A-class cruisers" to signify their greater status than the A-class ships (heavy cruisers).”
“The plan for the cruiser class was finalized as part of the IJN's Circle Five and Circle Six warship construction plans of 7 January 1941. The plan called for six B-65s to be built in two increments, with the first two to be constructed in Circle 5 with the remainder in Circle 6.[8] By this time, Japanese intelligence had learned the specifications for the United States Navy's Alaska-class large cruisers, which had been authorized for creation by the passage of the Two-Ocean Navy Act and ordered on 5 September 1940. The Japanese believed that these ships would form part of the American battle fleet's screen in times of war. Thus, the B-65s were now intended to counter the threat posed by the Alaska-class cruisers.”
Type: Super Type A cruiser
Displacement:
Standard: 31,905 t (31,401 long tons)[1]
Full-load: 35,000 t (34,000 long tons)
Length:
240 m (790 ft) length at the waterline[1]
246.2 m (808 ft) length overall[1]
Beam: 27.2 m (89 ft)[1]
Draft: 8.8 m (29 ft) (trial)[1]
Propulsion: Four sets of geared turbines and eight Kampon boilers would yield 170,000 metric horsepower (167,674 shaft horsepower); this would have been able to drive the ship at 33 kn (38 mph; 61 km/h)[2]
Endurance: 8,000 mi (13,000 km) at 18 kn (21 mph; 33 km/h)[1]
Armament:
9 × 310 mm (12.2 in)/50 caliber guns (3 × 3)[1]
16 × 100 mm (3.9 in)/65 caliber Type 98 dual-purpose guns (8 × 2)[1]
12 × 25 mm (1 in) Type 96 anti-aircraft guns (6 × 2)[1]
4 × 13 mm (0.5 in) Hotchkiss machine guns (2 × 2)[1]
Armor:
Belt: 190 mm (7.5 in) inclined 20 degrees
Barbettes: 210 mm (8.3 in) to 190 mm (7.5 in)
Conning tower sides: 180 mm (7.1 in)
Conning tower roof: 125 mm (4.9 in)
Deck: 125 mm (5 in)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_B-65_cruiser
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kantai_Kessen
My version of the Super-Type A Cruiser is a synthesis derived from the following drawings:
https://warshipprojects.files.wordpress ... -jp301.png
https://frm-wows-us.wgcdn.co/wows_forum ... eb9fa0.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xwIp0Ym.png
Project-B65 Super-Type A Cruiser: