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Description

Ported to OBJ, given a basic texture job, and further enhanced with additional parts from the original STL waterline models created and released by John Buttery. Additional and replacement parts are from the Settsu and Shikishima class models created by stuart277 for Microsoft's Combat Flight Simulator 2 (CFS2). Preview picture posed in XNALara XPS. You can download Mr. Buttery's original models at the links provided below but be warned! His originals do not include either the multiple additional and replacement parts, nor do they include textures of any kind. If you want to modify his models to look like what you see above then you're going to have to do all of the modding yourself, just as I did. Here are those links:

Satsuma --> www.thingiverse.com/thing:3406…

Aki --> www.thingiverse.com/thing:3456…

These two ships, Satsuma (SAT-soo-mah') and Aki (AH-kee), were Imperial Japan's first all-big gun battleships, as well as being the first full class of battleships for its Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) built in Japan instead of being ordered and built abroad. They were loosely based on the British pre-dreadnought Lord Nelson class, the immediate precursors to the revolutionary HMS Dreadnought (see separate entry), but used pre-dreadnought battleship class guns for their secondary batteries instead of the normal smaller caliber models for the time. That was because the IJN originally intended these to be their equivalents to the all-big-gun Dreadnought but limited resources and capabilities at the time limited their ability to manufacture their own 12-inch main guns, so they went with the upgunned secondary battery instead as the best possible compromise. The end result was the standard pre-dreadnought main battery of four 12-inch guns in two turrets, one each fore and aft, but with six 10-inch guns in twin turrets (three to each side) for the secondary battery. As all of these were considered battleship weapons in the pre-dreadnought era this earned the Satsuma class the unique distinction of being considered a semi-dreadnought type, a transition stage between pre-dreadnought and true dreadnought battleships, and Satsuma set the standard for the type. Satsuma was built first in 1910, with Aki following a year later in 1911. The IJN took the opportunity with Aki to switch to more modern steam turbine engines instead of the reciprocating engines used with Satsuma, which required a change in propulsion machinery layout as well as a third funnel topside, and that was the quickest way to tell the two apart. Another major difference was in their secondary batteries. Satsuma was fitted with 12 single 4.7 inch (120mm) guns and 4 12-pounder (3-inch or 76mm) guns, while Aki's secondary battery consisted of only 8 single but heftier 6-inch (152mm) guns and doubled the number of single 12-pounders from 4 to 8 (and eventually to 12 in a later refit per some sources).

The Satsuma class earned the singular distinction among 20th century IJN warships of having never fired a shot in anger. They were considered obsolete even before completion once the IJN received word that the British Royal Navy's Dreadnought had entered their service, and so there was no attempt to improve upon either them or the design in any successor class. They weren't even included in the IJN's Eight-Eight fleet modernization plan at the time. Both participated in the Pacific theater of World War I but were not involved in any major actions. Satsuma was serving as flagship of the IJN's Second South Seas Squadron in October of 1914 when the Japanese, acting as one of the Allies back then, seized possession of the Caroline and Palau Islands from the belligerent Germans in October of 1914, and that was their most notable contribution during the entire war. After the war and all of the talk of naval disarmament began, Japan found it convenient to offer both as sacrificial victims in the process despite their newness but given their perceived obsolescence, as she was well over the proposed treaty tonnage limits in battleships. Both were subsequently expended as naval target ships in September of 1924 in order to comply with said limits.

These are very basic models in their original forms and were originally intended for use as tabletop war gaming miniatures. I've done a lot of modding and custom texturing in an effort to make them look better as you can see above, although I will not claim that either of my modded versions are entirely accurate. For example, I do not correctly show Aki's modified secondary battery. That said they will serve my purposes as placeholders for this class here at Mandel's until such time (if ever) that I am able to get and port better models. I also hope that they inspire my fellow naval fans with 3D modeling skills to come up with or make better ones on their own.

For non-profit, non-commercial uses only. If you obtain, use, and mod John Buttery's original models for your own projects and efforts, please credit him for his work, okay? Thanks.

Description

Ported to OBJ, given a basic texture job, and further enhanced with additional parts from the original STL waterline models created and released by John Buttery. Additional and replacement parts are from the Settsu and Shikishima class models created by stuart277 for Microsoft's Combat Flight Simulator 2 (CFS2). Preview picture posed in XNALara XPS. You can download Mr. Buttery's original models at the links provided below but be warned! His originals do not include either the multiple additional and replacement parts, nor do they include textures of any kind. If you want to modify his models to look like what you see above then you're going to have to do all of the modding yourself, just as I did. Here are those links:

Satsuma --> www.thingiverse.com/thing:3406…

Aki --> www.thingiverse.com/thing:3456…

These two ships, Satsuma (SAT-soo-mah') and Aki (AH-kee), were Imperial Japan's first all-big gun battleships, as well as being the first full class of battleships for its Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) built in Japan instead of being ordered and built abroad. They were loosely based on the British pre-dreadnought Lord Nelson class, the immediate precursors to the revolutionary HMS Dreadnought (see separate entry), but used pre-dreadnought battleship class guns for their secondary batteries instead of the normal smaller caliber models for the time. That was because the IJN originally intended these to be their equivalents to the all-big-gun Dreadnought but limited resources and capabilities at the time limited their ability to manufacture their own 12-inch main guns, so they went with the upgunned secondary battery instead as the best possible compromise. The end result was the standard pre-dreadnought main battery of four 12-inch guns in two turrets, one each fore and aft, but with six 10-inch guns in twin turrets (three to each side) for the secondary battery. As all of these were considered battleship weapons in the pre-dreadnought era this earned the Satsuma class the unique distinction of being considered a semi-dreadnought type, a transition stage between pre-dreadnought and true dreadnought battleships, and Satsuma set the standard for the type. Satsuma was built first in 1910, with Aki following a year later in 1911. The IJN took the opportunity with Aki to switch to more modern steam turbine engines instead of the reciprocating engines used with Satsuma, which required a change in propulsion machinery layout as well as a third funnel topside, and that was the quickest way to tell the two apart. Another major difference was in their secondary batteries. Satsuma was fitted with 12 single 4.7 inch (120mm) guns and 4 12-pounder (3-inch or 76mm) guns, while Aki's secondary battery consisted of only 8 single but heftier 6-inch (152mm) guns and doubled the number of single 12-pounders from 4 to 8 (and eventually to 12 in a later refit per some sources).

The Satsuma class earned the singular distinction among 20th century IJN warships of having never fired a shot in anger. They were considered obsolete even before completion once the IJN received word that the British Royal Navy's Dreadnought had entered their service, and so there was no attempt to improve upon either them or the design in any successor class. They weren't even included in the IJN's Eight-Eight fleet modernization plan at the time. Both participated in the Pacific theater of World War I but were not involved in any major actions. Satsuma was serving as flagship of the IJN's Second South Seas Squadron in October of 1914 when the Japanese, acting as one of the Allies back then, seized possession of the Caroline and Palau Islands from the belligerent Germans in October of 1914, and that was their most notable contribution during the entire war. After the war and all of the talk of naval disarmament began, Japan found it convenient to offer both as sacrificial victims in the process despite their newness but given their perceived obsolescence, as she was well over the proposed treaty tonnage limits in battleships. Both were subsequently expended as naval target ships in September of 1924 in order to comply with said limits.

These are very basic models in their original forms and were originally intended for use as tabletop war gaming miniatures. I've done a lot of modding and custom texturing in an effort to make them look better as you can see above, although I will not claim that either of my modded versions are entirely accurate. For example, I do not correctly show Aki's modified secondary battery. That said they will serve my purposes as placeholders for this class here at Mandel's until such time (if ever) that I am able to get and port better models. I also hope that they inspire my fellow naval fans with 3D modeling skills to come up with or make better ones on their own.

For non-profit, non-commercial uses only. If you obtain, use, and mod John Buttery's original models for your own projects and efforts, please credit him for his work, okay? Thanks.