[REL] FOTRS Ultimate Project

[cdrsubron7]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

I've had too many Christmas cookies and eggnogg... with Scotch...

That's what this world needs is more single malt.

[Jeff-Groves]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

I've had too many Christmas cookies and eggnogg... with Scotch...

I do think thou hast gone sissified on me?

(let's see if he can google that!)

[propbeanie]

I use duckduckgo... and yes, I are sissified, to an extreme anymore... I used to work out in the weather, even in the great blizzards of 76/77 (say it like you're an old-timer) down in East St. Louis, Illinois, with 18 inches of snow on the ground, blowing all over the place, minus whatever MEAN temperature it was, windchill down below minus 60... The feller working with us, from the U.P., says to me on a break (inside a heated building, of course), "Man, this would make for some ~great~ snowmobiling!"...

[Jeffg]

Same here to many cookies and finished off the Edwin Williams eggnog tonight. No wonder I got depth charged.

JeffG

[cdrsubron7]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

I use duckduckgo... and yes, I are sissified, to an extreme anymore... I used to work out in the weather, even in the great blizzards of 76/77 (say it like you're an old-timer) down in East St. Louis, Illinois, with 18 inches of snow on the ground, blowing all over the place, minus whatever MEAN temperature it was, windchill down below minus 60... The feller working with us, from the U.P., says to me on a break (inside a heated building, of course), "Man, this would make for some ~great~ snowmobiling!"...

Be thankful you don't live in Erie, Pennsylvania. 65+" from what I've read since Xmas day.

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

Santa sure knows a fellow, doesn't he?...

Awesome! Can't go wrong there.

[CapnScurvy]

A while back, a member posted this find. The FOTRS Hatsuharu was using the wrong model. I've been able to change the Hatsuharu model to look like this:



Compared to the ONI image:



At the same time, I have the Shiratsuyu take on this "look":



Which follows this image of an Shiratsuyu DD:



In comparison of the two destroyers, the Hatsuharu has a third rear "main" gun battery where the Shiratsuyu does not. The Shiratsuyu has a "Flakgun" platform before the Command Bridge and several other AA gun installations, where the Hatsuharu does not.

These changes to the Hatsuharu and Shiratsuyu will be in the next release....along with their Torpedo firing capabilities.

[s7rikeback]

To continue the Capn's post.

I can announce a further 5 sea units that will also be available for the next release.

This ships will be release for general download, after the next version is released.

==========================================

#1 Landing craft Assualt

This a clone from the stock version, I have added a total of 4 x loadouts, with soldiers, jeep, oil drums & small crates.



Thanks must go to:

Jeff-Groves & CapnScurvy, for their help in fixing a stop - start issue I faced, and answering multiple questions regarding how load-outs work.

Jeff Groves again for info on dynamic Shadow removals in DATs, which reduces the DAT file sizes.

CapnScurvy again for the animated watchman and gun swap-over.

==========================================

#2 NPT_Schnellboat

This model / mod was taken from Sergbuto's - SH3 mod PTBoats_mod.
I converted this with his permissions to work within FotrsU as the original unit was a clone of the NPT_Br and looked awful carrying the KM emblem.



==========================================

# 3 Aden Maru
# 4 Ada Maru
# 5 Ansyu Maru

These units were created by "The Hitman" in 2010, and left as OBJ files.
Hitman gave the FotrsU team permission to use them in this mod.

I have spend months, learning how to use Wings & S3D and then imported them into a stock merchant and began to learn and kitbash them together...

I must thank VonDos also for his extensive work on the textures of all three ships and edits to the 3-D Models, and the creation of the three Sils.










To all the people above, that have given up their own free time to offer advice / answer questions, give permmsions, and also fix the above problems that were and still are beyond me.

I thank you all, this is what a community is all about.

[yyzBegonia]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

A while back, a member posted this find. The FOTRS Hatsuharu was using the wrong model. I've been able to change the Hatsuharu model to look like this:



Compared to the ONI image:



At the same time, I have the Shiratsuyu take on this "look":



Which follows this image of an Shiratsuyu DD:



In comparison of the two destroyers, the Hatsuharu has a third rear "main" gun battery where the Shiratsuyu does not. The Shiratsuyu has a "Flakgun" platform before the Command Bridge and several other AA gun installations, where the Hatsuharu does not.

These changes to the Hatsuharu and Shiratsuyu will be in the next release....along with their Torpedo firing capabilities.

That seems GREAT! However there is a small misunderstanding I have to point out: the Hatsuharu-class and Shiratsuyu-class is very similar, even at that rear single-mount turret. The Shiratsuyu-class initially also has that turret, just same as the Hatsuharu.


This is the IJN Yudachi, a Shiratsuyu-class destroyer. You can see she also have the third rear main gun.

The confusion is because some of the ships in this class which survive to the late war were modified to remove the single-mount turret to add another flak platform. This modification is common in late-war IJN detroyers, not only in Shiratsuyu-class but also includes Hatsuharu-class and Kagero-class. For instance, your given example is IJN Shigure (Shiratsuyu-class), she survived until Jan 1945 so she got the flak-platform modification:


As for Hatsuharu-class, they were same as Shiratsuyu-class: Initially they have the third rear gun, but they also been modified to remove that turret in late war period.

In summary, the difference between Shiratsuyu and Hatsuharu is not depends the third rear-gun. The existence of it or not is only a symbol of different period.

[yyzBegonia]

Let's just make Shigure as an example for a clearer explaination.


This is Shigure in 1939. The photo is quite fuzzy, but you can still find her rear single-mount turret.


This is what her looks like in 1944 in battle of Leyte Gulf. As you can see, the single-mount turret had been replaced by a flak platform.


Another Shiratsuyu-class destroyer, Harusame. That's what I'm saying: all the Shiratsuyu-class destroyers have that turret in early war period.


Harusame in 1944. As you can see the turret had been removed.

Let me give some other examples. As I mentioned before, the Kagero-class also underwent that modification.


The IJN Yukikaze, the most famous one of the class. This is her looks in early war.


That's Yukikaze after the modification. Just remove the second aft turret same as Shiratsuyus and Hatsuharus!

[yyzBegonia]

As for Hatsuharu-class, the removal of single-mount turret is more rare because most of the ships in this class were unable to survive to the modification.

Let's make Hatsushimo in this class for an example, since she survived until 1945.


Hatsushimo in 1939. Please note second aft turret still exist.


Another early war photo of this ship. From this angle that turret is clearer.


Hatsushimo in 1945. Look! She was just same as Shiratsuyus: the turret was replaced by flak platform.

[CapnScurvy]

Thank you yyzBegonia for your incite and recommendations!

As I have outlined earlier, the Hatsuharu and Shiratsuyu Japanese destroyers will stand as I have previously described for Fotrs Ultimate.

[yyzBegonia]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

As I have outlined earlier, the Hatsuharu and Shiratsuyu Japanese destroyers will stand as I have previously described for Fotrs Ultimate.

Yeah I see..... But I mean the current version's Shiratsuyu-class model is correct and not "must" be changed like the wrong Hatsuharu model Anyway it's OK that we have "late-war-modification" Shiratsuyu in the next release!

BTW, could you send me the skin textures of the new models so I may help on reworking those side-names, and they can show up in the next version!

[propbeanie]

Speaking of which yyzBegonia, do you happen to know what approximate dates the IJN "blanked" the sides of their DD (and other vessels), removing the kana for "anonimity"?

[yyzBegonia]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

Speaking of which yyzBegonia, do you happen to know what approximate dates the IJN "blanked" the sides of their DD (and other vessels), removing the kana for "anonimity"?

OH MY GOSH!!! You reminded me that I haven't actually did research at this point before!! To be honest, I was basically relying on those blue prints, which show that those Katakana names remained until the late-war peirod (44-45). However, after you remind me about this issue I managed to search for documents, unfortunately, no documents relate to this point was found. Then I tried to search for historical photos, which straightforwardly reveal the fact.
Then, I found something astonishing: The side names were retained mainly in the pre-Pearl Harbour period, and after the outbreak of Pacific War, most of the IJN DDs had been removed their side names!
The latest photo I could find which show the side-name was still existed is this one:


IJN Akizuki, circa May 1942. She still remained her side-name at that moment.


Another Akizuki-class destroyer, Hatsuzuki, circa 1942. As you can see her side-name had been removed.

For all the IJN DDs' photos I could find after 1943, they just removed the side-names.


Harusame (Shiratsuyu-class) in 1943.


Kiyoshimo (Yugumo-class), 1944


Fubuki-class destroyers Ayanami (left) and Shikinami (right), photo taken time unknown. But you can see the side-name of Ayanami had been removed. Just let you know, Ayanami was sunk on 15 Novemeber, 1942 in the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. The removal of Kanas on this ship would no later than that date .