Japan - Takao Class Heavy Cruiser

[BB1987]

as a good night gift (at least for european time) Chokai as of 1944:


Before the Philippine Campaign (during wich the ship will end up sinking after the Battle of Samar) Chokai recieved numerous minor refits like the addition of a type 13 air search and a type 22 surface searc radars on the foremast, modification to bridge and superstructure and the addition of 2 twin and 22 single 25mm machine guns, bringing the total to 42 barrels (10 twins, 22 singles), the more visible one tough was the removal of most of the portholes in order to increase watertight integrity.
Chokai was originally scheduled to be converted into an anti-aircraft cruiser like her sister Maya, but works where postponed, and her eventual sinking prevented any possible work to be done; Chokai was the only Takao class cruiser to retain the single 4.7-inch guns trough all her career and never beign fitted with anti-torpedo bulges.

[emperor_andreas]

Great work on the drawing, but...

Chokai was originally scheduled to be converted into an anti-aircraft cruiser like her sister Maya, but works where postponed, and her eventual sinking prevented any possible work to be done.

Source for this info?

[Erusia Force]

Very very very excellent work! But I have one question to point out. I though the Japanese did not use the black bordering for the waterline like western navies and instead had the red and grey margins meet alone, or is it that just my imagination?

[Gollevainen]

The armour belt above the waterline is now outlined in dark grey, what about the underwater one? it's ok to leave it black or to turn into the darker red shade used for shading the keel and outline the bulges?
also, the bulges will be also outlined in dark grey above the waterline (for the ships wich will have them, Chokai never recieved them for example), would this not made them look indistinguishable (or even create dark grey blobs if their outlines cross each other?

well the main idea should be that what ever way you drawn them, it should be consistent. Now, if you use grey for the belt above waterline, naturally it would be logical to use darker red underwater. what Ive done myself is to actually use ligther shade of grey, but its just question of style. Bulges are always bit tricky... the orginal way to drawn underwater hulls really didn't left that much imagination to work with them, so its either with blunt outlines or trying to come up with sort of shading that doesen't poke ones eye too violently. Again it comes down to the individual artists skill to sort of "bend" the rules to his own favor without outrigth breaking them...

[BB1987]

ok, i'll sort out a way to exit the empasse.

Source for this info?

http://www.steelnavy.com/AoshimaChokai1942.htm
http://www.aeronautic.dk/Warship%20Chokai.htm
http://www.world-war.co.uk/japan/takao.php3
sources vary a bit between "plan was canceled" and "plan was postponed" but it was indeed planned in first place to refit Chokai like Maya, but due to the fact that the ship was the only Takao cruiser to never return to japan trough the war nothing was done.

Very very very excellent work! But I have one question to point out. I though the Japanese did not use the black bordering for the waterline like western navies and instead had the red and grey margins meet alone, or is it that just my imagination?

sometimes i stumble upon this, nearly all other japanese ships i have drawn has no black bordering, for the Takao class, i found out some drawings and references showing the bordering for Chokai and Maya but not for Takao and Atago, i'll try to cross some other sources in order to be sure.

[Hood]

These are just classic. Anyone who can pull off those super-complex greenhouse bridges on that mega superstructure is a genius. I'm just so over-awed with all these Japanese cruisers, every time I think it can't get any better it does!

[bezobrazov]

Actually they didn't have either a grey or black boot topping, as that line is called. It is as Etruria claims, and in such a way did I built both the Chokai and Ashigara. Strange that I didn't think of it earlier...must be the sheer overwhelming detailing! Did you steal my Chokai- model to use as template?

[BB1987]

Ok, so thanks Bezo, the black boot topping will be gone, first from the ships i will post from now on then from the ones already done when the first post will be updated with all ships and text (so basically when all Takaos will be drawn as planned).
and as for your Chokai model as a template, well, if you had those pictures on warshipmodels it could be and if it's really there i could use it for the 1937 drawing you asked

And to get back on the cruisers, here is Maya as of 1933 (with revised waterline)

and don't panic for the orange line floating above the aft guns, as you can see there is no seaplane; i must draw the Nakajima E8N "Dave" before adding it.

[Trojan]

I bow down to your awesomeness. I'm honestly not much of a fan of WW2 japanese ships but these are simple masterpieces. THe level of detail is outstanding and it is amazing how many parts (planes, cannons, etc.) you are drawing.

[bezobrazov]

Ok, I'll be patient not to save your Maya of 1933 quite yet, but my key fingers are itching! - And, yes, I could've taken pics of both the Ashigara and Chokai and uploaded them there, but now that's not feasible, since my wife doesn't even know where her fancy camera is - the one required to take really good pics with!