Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya

[proditor]

As World War 2 began drawing to it's inevitable close, the Allies were faced with a tough decision: if the Soviets didn't come in on their side against Japan in a real and material fashion, they would be forced to deploy the world's first Atomic weapon. Several leading physicists involved with the Manhattan project cautioned the American government to not use the bomb, because once it was known it existed, the rest of the world would never stop trying to figure out how to make one.

But casualty estimates in the millions for an invasion of Japan were sobering. Surely dropping a bomb that might kill a few hundred thousand, and none of them allies, was preferable? Well it looked as if this was going to be the decision of the new President Truman, but at the last minute he held his hand. What happened next changed the complexion of the war, and the post-war world.

On August 2nd, with little warning or premonition, the massive Soviet juggernaut swept through Manchukuo, Mengjiang (Inner Mongolia), northern Korea, Karafuto, and the Chishima Islands. Utterly crushing the resisting Japanese forces, and catching their own allies flat-footed, they rolled through all resistance and were part of a combined landing by the end of the month.  Advancing from the north, they were staging a repeat of their tear though Germany, and the other allied forces were hard pressed to surge through the mainland, barely making it to Tokyo in advance of the Red Army.

But in those confused times, some elements of both forces crossed each other in the search for documentation and plans for the great Japanese war machine. The Russians scored a big coup at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal when they recovered the plans for the Shinano, a Yamato class Battleship that finished outfitting there during the war. Moreover, they now had the plans for the aircraft carrier that the Shinano ended being upon completion. Taking the plans with them back to Mother Russia, the Soviets planned.

In the post war world, tensions remained high, and the Soviets looked to overwhelming conventional weaponry now that the nuclear option wasn't "in existence". While the information leaked by the 50's, the Soviet Navy had begun a massive building campaign that saw them emerge as a legitimate threat to even the huge US Navy. One of those primary threats was the Rodina class Battleships. Massively armed with staggering 20" cannons, they were forced to adopt entirely enclosed machinery and anti-aircraft guns as the over-pressure from the main batteries would simple kill exposed sailors.

But bigger was always better. This was in large part what prompted their return and rearmament in the 1980's as the cold war began to swell before it's tumultuous end.

Refit with a modern superstructure and advanced weaponry, the flagship, Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya, was seen back into service to counter the threat of the Yankee running dogs refit USS Montana and the extensively rebuilt Iowa class Battlecarriers.

[zenrat]

Hubba hubba.

[Nick]

Sounds great!

BTW, have you read Iron Man by John Watson? Also about a Soviet battleship and good to read.

[Thorvic]

Sounds interesting Fujimi Phantom Yamato having a close encounter with a Kirov class should look awesome

[proditor]

Heh, indeed Thorvic! Though currently I'm leaning towards Slava for the superstructure. I have one of both in the stash, and a few days to dope it all out. 

@Nick: I haven't read it, but I'll put it on the list.  Thanks!

[Thorvic]

you doing a carrier based on the shinano too 

[Thorvic]

http://combrig-models.com/index.php/1700/3-soviet-navy-1918-1945/529-sovetskysoyuz
http://combrig-models.com/index.php/1700/4-sovietrussian-navy-1946-present/400-stalingrad1951


Yeap I can see where you coming from with the Slava Superstructure after looking at the Sovietsky Soyuz Battleship and the post war Stalingrad Battlecruiser, that long lean structure allowing a strong secondary and AA armament abreast with their associated sensors and directors   

[proditor]

you doing a carrier based on the shinano too 

I thought about it, but I'm already "Midway"ing one of them for my JMSDG Ghost Fleet, and really, as many of them as I'll be churning out over the next year, I hate doing flight decks. So many itty-bitty planes.   

[proditor]

http://combrig-models.com/index.php/1700/3-soviet-navy-1918-1945/529-sovetskysoyuz
http://combrig-models.com/index.php/1700/4-sovietrussian-navy-1946-present/400-stalingrad1951


Yeap I can see where you coming from with the Slava Superstructure after looking at the Sovietsky Soyuz Battleship and the post war Stalingrad Battlecruiser, that long lean structure allowing a strong secondary and AA armament abreast with their associated sensors and directors   

Man that's dead sexy. 

[Thorvic]

That's what we mistook the Svedlovs cruisers to be rather than standard cruisers.

Thought you might find it useful as a potential reference to the format of a Soviet super battleship.

As for carriers the INN Taiho design would be an interesting design for the Russians to develop.

[Old Wombat]

Stalingrad looks like they absorbed not-a-few ideas from the Germans - I thought she was German at first glance.

[proditor]

That's what we mistook the Svedlovs cruisers to be rather than standard cruisers.

Thought you might find it useful as a potential reference to the format of a Soviet super battleship.

As for carriers the INN Taiho design would be an interesting design for the Russians to develop.

*peers at Soyuz*

Oh thank the maker they kept the aircraft handling in the rear. That's going to go as planned then. 

[TheChronicOne]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your story!

This will be good. I can't wait to see this monster!

The carrier bit is interesting. . .

[Thorvic]

*peers at Soyuz*

Oh thank the maker they kept the aircraft handling in the rear. That's going to go as planned then. 

Yeah the pre-WW2 battleship looks to have a lot of Italian influence from the Littorio class, so scaling up and adopting the Yamato class features for a larger calibre ship makes sense - although the fact that ships of both classes were sunk by airpower would influence a strong AA defence along with probably carrier airpower just to retain CAP when out of reach of the land based Naval airforce  .

I can see bits of Bismark, Hippers, coming into play with the Phantom Yamato and Slava kits 

(BTW for those not ship modellers a Phantom Yamato is a kit Fujimi did of their late model Yamato with the three triple barrel 18 inch gun turrets (already the biggest naval battleship guns !!) being replaced by three twin barrel 20 inch gun turrets for that bigger punch !! - This gives Proditor his edge and reason to build to counter the postwar US Iowa & Montana classes, the French Jean Bart and the British Vanguard. )

[proditor]

Man, this is going to be a rough sanding weekend. 

Explanation on that: When you look at more modern Soviet ships, what don't you see a lot of? Wooden decks. What does the Yamato have a lot of? Wooden decks. I could explain my way out of it, but honestly, if it doesn't have that rust red/brown deck, I'm doing it wrong.

So, my prediction for Sunday? WET SANDING BEACH PARTY!