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This article is about the Kongo-class Space Battleship from Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato 2199 and its sequels. For its counterpart in the original Space Battleship Yamato , see Type M-21741 Space Battleship.


The Kongo-class Space Battleship, originally the AU Ship Series, is an early space battleship deployed by the the United Nations Cosmo Navy before, during, and after the Garmillas War, with the latter era of ships seeing use of far superior technology in form of turreted shock cannons and a Wave-motion Engine. Until the end of 22nd century, the Kongo's primary role was to act as flagships for UNCN fleets. The Kongo-class was among the largest and most powerful ships available to humanity before the introduction of Wave-motion technology, thanks to the many innovations made, such as the implementation of the experimental 360mm Spinal Mounted shock cannon and, at least in the Kirishima's case, scavenged Migobueza coating during the war. During the Garmillas War, the Kongo-class was one of the few ships that were at least somewhat capable to hold its own against the superior Garmillan vessels.

Introduced in 2171, the Kongo would see a long service life of more than 30 years, before becoming obsolete and outclassed by the later more advanced Dreadnought and Andromeda classes, however, despite the existance of these superior models, the Kongo-class saw limited use during the Gatlantis Campaign, after being reclassified as an Escort ship.

Armaments and Technical Specifications

Propulsion and Powerplant

Before the arrival of the Wave-motion Engine schematics from Iscandar, the Kongo-class, like all UNCN vessels of the time, used a standard space propulsion drive and reactor. There was one circular engine that would propel the ship both in atmosphere and space while several other smaller thrusters located around the ship would help it maneuver.[5]

Armament

Kirishima-0

Kirishima fires its High-pressure beam cannons

The primary armaments of Kongo-class Battleships during the Garmillas War and before the introduction of Wave-motion Technology was a single 36 cm (360 mm) Spinal Mounted shock cannon, four 36cm (360mm) Triple Barrel High Pressure Beam Cannon Turrets (two located at the dorsal area and two more in the ventral area), eight Forwad Facing Torpedo Tubes and two 8-cell Vertical Launch Systems (located ventral and dorsal bow).[2]

After the War, with the introduction of Wave-motion Technology, the class's Spinal Mounted shock cannon received an upgrade, going from a 36cm (360mm) to a 46cm (460mm) one. The four 36cm (360mm) High Pressure Beam Cannons also received an upgrade, now turned into powerful shock cannons powered by the Wave-motion Engine, making them a match for even Garmillan and Gatlantean cruisers within the same size range.[3]

Between 2202 and 2203, the Kongo-class was yet again refitted to be equipped with a small Wave-motion Gun and a Wave-motion Shield.[4][7]

Hull and Superstructure

The hull and superstructure of the Kongo were of standard UNCN construction. While sturdy, it was useless against the more advanced Positron Beams from Garmillion warships and most would be destroyed after a few hits. However, Kirishima was given a thin layer of scavenged Migobueza coating, allowing it to stop low powered Positron shots and granted it a higher chance of survival in battle. In the 2202 refit, most were either built with the said armor while existing ships had its armor plating replaced and reinforced with it.[6][5][10]

Shields and Defensive Systems

Each Kongo-class Battleship had numerous ballistic point defense guns mounted along its main hull. They were upgraded by 2202, now energy based, similar to those on Yamato, the Andromeda and Dreadnought classes.[5][10] The Kongo Kai II can deploy a Wave-motion Shield, thanks to its increased engine output.[7]

Sensors and Communication Systems

Each Kongo-class Battleship had the standard UNCN communications array and systems, allowing them to communicate with other vessels in the vicinity and could even contact as far as Earth. In the 2202 refit, their communications arrays and systems allowed them to communicate of far longer distances beyond the Solar System.[5][10]

History

Early Service Life

First commissioned and built by Nanbu Shipbuilding Co. Ltd in 2171, during the Inner Planetary Wars, 8 ships of the class were originally were built and served in the UN Cosmo Navy.[1][11]

AU Ship series Kirishima

The Kirishima as a ship of the AU ship series

The Kirishima was among the first ships of the class to enter service, it originally had a grey paintjob and less armaments. At that time, the class was known as the AU Ship Series and was classified as a battlecruiser.[9] It was later refitted adding a new turret, a bridge unit and weaponry identical to that of the Murasame-class and a red, white, and yellow paintjob. In this form, it saw action during the Inner Planetary Wars.[12]

The class later underwent some modifications, the bridge was integrated with one of the beam turrets in order to increase firing efficiency by centralizing the process of acquiring targets, aiming and firing.[1][11][13]

Great Garmillas war

2nd Battle of Mars

The Kongo-class battleship Kirishima fires its shock cannon during Operation K2

During the war, the Kongo-class served as the flagships and mainline battleships against the technological superior Greater Garmillan Empire. Although the captains of these ships fought valiantly against the far superior enemy, their effort could only slow down the foreseeable defeat due to their technology inferiority. Five ships of the class were lost in the early stages of the war, during the UN's attempts to defend the outer Solar System, leaving only three ships active by 2192: Kongo, Haruna and Kirishima. With the sinking of Kongo and Haruna at the First Battle of Mars, Kirishima remained the only surviving vessel of the class, serving as the flagship of the First Fleet under the command of Admiral Juzo Okita.[14][15] Kirishima later took part in the Second battle of Mars, and was upgraded with an axial shock cannon, a new type of beam weapon capable of easily destroying the superior Garmillan vessels.[1]

Kirishima First Fleet Operation M

Kirishima leads the First Fleet during the First Battle of Pluto

After the events at Mars, Kirishima was retrofitted with Migobueza coating, a protective coating capable of deflecting beam weaponry that was scavanged from garmillan ships.[1][6] In January 2199, she took part in a final desperate offensive, meant to draw the Garmillas's attention away from a vessel that was sent to aid Earth, Operation M. The operation saw heavy damage sustained by the Kirishima, however it managed to survive and was the only ship to make it back to Earth. After the commissioning of Yamato, Kirishima stayed behind to defend Earth and saw off the Yamato as she began her year long journey to the planet Iscandar.[5][16]

8th floating continent operation

Two Kongo-class battleships during the 8th Floating Continent Recapture Operation on December 2, 2202

2202 and the Gatlantis Campaign

In 2201, after the end of the Great Garmillas War,[17] several ships of the class, excluding the now decommissioned Kirishima, were newly built or refitted with more advanced Wave-motion technology, these new line of Kongo battleship was dubbed Kongo Kai-class Space Battleship.[3] They were deployed alongside their new Garmillian allies, including the ships Yunagi and Ticonderoga, against the Gatlantis Empire on December 2, 2202.[10][1]

Eventually, the class was once again modified to be equipped with a small Wave-motion Gun as part of the Wave-motion Gun fleet plan. The new line of ships was named Kongo Kai II-class Space Battleship. While officially it continued to be designated as a Battleship, the introduction of more advanced warship models such as the Andromeda-class and the Dreadnought-class meant that the older Kongo was mostly operated as a cruiser.[4][7] In May 2203, as Gatlantis invaded the Solar system, several Kongo-classes served as part of the Enceladus Defense Unit during the Battle of Saturn.[18]

On June 2, 2203, a Kongo-class, Watatsumi, was under the command of Captain Tetsutaro Ozaki, offered support to the crew of the heavily demaged Yamato and the evacuated personnel of a lunar medical facility together with the cruiser Mercy, Interpid, Kermadec, and two other Murasame-class cruisers at the end of the Golem Assault Battle.[19]

Named Ships of the Class


Notes

  • The name "AU Ship Series" comes from Eiyu the name of Okita's battleship in the original series' novelization written by Arashi Ishizu.[9]
  • Following 2201, Kongo-class Battleships are painted in two different paintjobs: light blue and white for normal ships, and navy blue and light blue for squadron flagship.[22]
  • The class is most likely named after the WWII Kongo-class, as both classes have a ship named Kongo, Kirishima, Haruna, and Hiei in its class.
  • The class could also be named after the Kongo-class Aegis Destroyer, and like the UNCF Kongo-class has the ship named Kongo, Myoko and Kirishima in the class.

Gallery

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 The Era of Space Battleship Yamato: Choice of 2202
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Yamato 2199 mecha data
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Yamato 2202 mecha data
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Yamato 2202 Chapter 5 Blu-ray booklet
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 "Messanger of Iscandar"
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Hyper Hobby June 2013
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Space Battleship Yamato 2202 Newspaper 3 p. 9
  8. Tokugawa's manual from "Escape from the Jupiter Sphere" (also seen in the Space Battleship Yamato 2199 Complete Works Vol.3 p. 074) states that the Type 74 Propulsion Engine is based on the fusion engines used by other contemporary Earthling spaceships
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 The Era of Space Battleship Yamato: Choice of 2202 Theater Pamphlet pp 20, 26.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 "AD 2202 - Revive, Space Battleship Yamato"
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Space Battleship Yamato 2199 Model Sheet Design Collection EARTH p 152
  12. Era of Yamato Mecha notes
  13. Hyper Hobby June 2013 issue "You’ll understand if you read this!!"
  14. Space Battleship Yamato 2199 Model Sheet Design Collection EARTH p.153
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 Great Mechanics DX Magazine #23
  16. "Toward a Sea of Stars"
  17. Bandai 1/1000 Yamato 2202 combined cosmo fleet set
  18. "Battle off the Coast of Saturn - Gather the Wave Motion Gun Fleet!"
  19. 19.0 19.1 "Farewell, Space Battleship Yamato"
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 20.7 Bandai Space Battleship Yamato 2199 Series Mecha Collection No.10 Kirishima Model Kit
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 21.6 21.7 21.8 Name visible on ship hull in "AD 2202 - Revive, Space Battleship Yamato"
  22. Hyper Weapon 2016 Paradise Logic

Japanese language information

  • AU艦シリーズ AU-kan shirīzu (AU ship series)
  • 金剛型宇宙戦艦 Kongō-gata uchū senkan (Kongo-class space battleship)
  • 金剛改型宇宙戦艦 Kongō aratame-gata uchū senkan (Kongo Kai-class space battleship)
  • 金剛改II型宇宙戦艦 Kongō aratame Ⅱ-gata uchū senkan (Kongo Kai II-class space battleship)
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