tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45446522749194327802024-03-14T14:18:31.234+08:00Full FrameFight, Ukraine, Fight!Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-19690727522545925692023-09-28T16:10:00.003+08:002023-09-28T16:25:34.351+08:00Against All Odds : Taiwan Launches Indigenous Defense Submarine SS-711 Haikun<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05JHmA7w1PnHjuObawnP7fNMZNdKrnvsXWOOD9Y73Y83_13G7-XYUkDWhCRtpSuEa-swV-hqMz1hWahUkg6IQvpcUqObS2Gs5ETMA47e5Aewy84Ozg9M2yaOJmvpujGa3e0khkaLBVbr8Pw2pOmY6OQpadUR-3y3Cq96aN-VGpI_TXjTP88b2DGokPE6l/s1024/20230928002518%20China%20Times.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05JHmA7w1PnHjuObawnP7fNMZNdKrnvsXWOOD9Y73Y83_13G7-XYUkDWhCRtpSuEa-swV-hqMz1hWahUkg6IQvpcUqObS2Gs5ETMA47e5Aewy84Ozg9M2yaOJmvpujGa3e0khkaLBVbr8Pw2pOmY6OQpadUR-3y3Cq96aN-VGpI_TXjTP88b2DGokPE6l/w640-h480/20230928002518%20China%20Times.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SS-711 <i>Haikun. </i>Photo : China Times</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China ( ROC ), is an island state located in the East China Sea. It is separated from mainland China by the narrow Taiwan Strait. Its political status has been in a flux even since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, fought between the Kuomintang-led government forces ( KMT ) of the ROC and the forces of Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ). The defeated KMT forces retreated to Taiwan leaving the Chinese mainland to the CCP. Even though Taiwan considers itself an independant state, China regards it as a renegade province and has continued to lay claim on the territory, threatening to, if necessary, use military force to reclaim the island. It has consistantly made it very difficult for Taiwan to acquire weapons to defend itself against any potential Chinese invasion. It does so by threatening trade embargoes and sanctions on the weapons supplying country and that meant when it was time for the Taiwanese Navy ( aka Republic of China Navy, ROCN ) to replace its ageing diesel-electric submarines, there was not a single supplier it could turn to. </p><p>It eventually embarked on the Indigenous Defense Submarine ( IDS ) project in 2016 with technical assistance from various allies like the United States of America, Japan and the United kingdom. A total of 8 IDS was planned of which the first-in-class, the <i><b>Haikun</b></i> was launched in Kaoshiung by President Cai Yingwen today.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUXSOu1IrxqA5ojOe_UKpkBgwGybtAwV61ljBgGvLjT2xvosxdo7W7hyphenhyphennvyTuB-YFml1MwrxbjXjViQhuUwQY1I4eRbz7gNBe6XZW2pkDlVMoPdRbDVbMiSS5ZzzNz_mbO_g2O40c0WP9jGRsAOpXVv8tphHmkMW1ATxn__hoZGQtFli7FIyBm-fSRpcb/s1024/20230928002667%20China%20Times.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1024" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUXSOu1IrxqA5ojOe_UKpkBgwGybtAwV61ljBgGvLjT2xvosxdo7W7hyphenhyphennvyTuB-YFml1MwrxbjXjViQhuUwQY1I4eRbz7gNBe6XZW2pkDlVMoPdRbDVbMiSS5ZzzNz_mbO_g2O40c0WP9jGRsAOpXVv8tphHmkMW1ATxn__hoZGQtFli7FIyBm-fSRpcb/w640-h418/20230928002667%20China%20Times.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">President Cai Yingwen with a model of the Haikun.<br />Photo : China Times</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span><b><u>Haikun</u></b></span></h3><p><br /></p><p>The submarine is named after a giant fish known as the kun ( 鲲 ) in Chinese mythology. It is said that the kun could transform into a giant bird known as the peng ( 鹏 ). The origins of this Kun-Peng legend is often attributed to the ancient Chinese scholar Zhuangzi's Xiaoyaoyu ( 庄子. 逍遥游 ) where he describes : In the Northern Darkness, there is a fish, its name is Kun, its so huge I do not know how many miles it measures. Transformed into a bird, its name is Peng, whose back is so huge I do not know how many miles it measures. When angered it takes to the skies, its wings are as enormous as the hanging clouds. When the seas begin to move, this bird sets off for the Southern Darkness, which is the Lake of Heaven.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQbJNlxthVVPTyWbJ-o6T3ouaBKTVsgonyLuTsIAUQiInOtmcLft-SfkiJXqyC2w9oa5v3YZmo7Tl7VkXGOMPeWrBMIl-eOW22mcyenpauzGttgnBBfQ-g9MN2GV_LW5Uzo5e7eZHgQFgbqsIQeOR4rfKM10MGfILZ0J_v4OCeG1gTTD2Ossp0aDAYJByL" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="980" data-original-width="1960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQbJNlxthVVPTyWbJ-o6T3ouaBKTVsgonyLuTsIAUQiInOtmcLft-SfkiJXqyC2w9oa5v3YZmo7Tl7VkXGOMPeWrBMIl-eOW22mcyenpauzGttgnBBfQ-g9MN2GV_LW5Uzo5e7eZHgQFgbqsIQeOR4rfKM10MGfILZ0J_v4OCeG1gTTD2Ossp0aDAYJByL=w640-h320" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artist's rendition of the Kun. Image : Baidu</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The prefix Hai ( 海 ) means sea in Chinese. All of the ROCN's existing fleet of four submarines have this prefix as part of their names. SS-791 Hai Shih ( 海狮 Sea Lion ), SS-792 Hai Bao ( 海豹 Sea Leopard ), SS-793 Hai Lung ( 海龙 Sea Dragon ), SS-794 Hai Hu ( 海虎 Sea Tiger ).<p></p><p>Therefore it is not surprising that its newest submarine is also carry the same Hai prefix. So Haikun or Hai Kun it is. Its pennant number is SS-711.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>The Indigenous Defense Submarine Program</u></b></p><p><br /></p><p>It was never easy for Taiwan to have even dreamt of building its own submarine twenty years ago. It did not have any pre-existing cacapility or experience of submarine design and construction. But with no foreign supplier willing to risk invoking the anger of China by selling Taiwan the submarines it so badly needed, the Taiwanese had no option other than embarking on the IDS program.</p><p>Unfortunately, its main ally the USA had long given up on building conventional diesel-electric submarines and could not provide much help in designing the submarine. Still, the Americans provided the torpedoes and the combat management system for the IDS. Help in designing the submarine likely came from Japan and the IDS does strongly resemble a Japanese Soryu-class submarine externally especially with its X-rudder. It is said that retired Japanese marine engineers have also been assisting the Taiwanese with the IDS project. </p><p>The Hai Kun is said to cost $1.54 billion and will be commissioned in 2024. The ROCN hopes to have a fleet of 10 operational submarines eventually, comprising 8 IDS and the 2 Hai Lung-class boats. At long last it can start the retirement process for the two ex-WWII Guppy-class submarines which are still being used as training submarines.</p><p>Watch the launch of the Hai Kun here :</p><p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab4S2vgmDNE</p>Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-80120996951752552382022-11-01T21:08:00.019+08:002022-11-03T16:19:23.253+08:00Just One More Loop : Can You Run 342km In 51 Hours?<p> </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1thBaS5wCn_0wY1EdjgP3D-7P7yr4JMhLOhA0SNZ-fdh09NxsSAhoyMiSbh61-IIloPdaxaBt0kbQVtfATfcSxz1go52CoIKd77I0zFEEEkFbkZ0DSOzBRwt1qc2Z2gMMrJVlTMfprY4xG-IMjMv_3Fld3iwY2XOU3bqnCSopekIWx2M0bsyWNxn5Pw/s2048/312978917_487233596762468_6101923317594826073_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1thBaS5wCn_0wY1EdjgP3D-7P7yr4JMhLOhA0SNZ-fdh09NxsSAhoyMiSbh61-IIloPdaxaBt0kbQVtfATfcSxz1go52CoIKd77I0zFEEEkFbkZ0DSOzBRwt1qc2Z2gMMrJVlTMfprY4xG-IMjMv_3Fld3iwY2XOU3bqnCSopekIWx2M0bsyWNxn5Pw/w640-h426/312978917_487233596762468_6101923317594826073_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joshua Toh after completing 342km.<br />Photo : Singapore Army via FB</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>Just One More Loop. That's the slogan of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backyard_ultra" target="_blank">Backyard Ultra</a>, where competitors run loops of 6.706km on the hour with the winner being the last person who can still finish that extra lap after everyone else has given up or failed. </p><p>In the Backyard Ultra World Team Championship event held concurrently in 37 countries on 15th Oct 2022, special forces officer Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Toh emerged the winner in the Singapore chapter of the race, after completing 51 laps in as many hours, for a mind boggling total distance of 342km. In the process he had also rewritten the national record which stood at 34 laps and his own previous personal record which was 23 laps.</p><p>Read on to find out why his feat was so remarkable.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlp39el3s0xHBJy-VB2Fq3NE879hNm6yNRuCVV9NyGrqImXQpZDdWUlIl4dSwRt4O-Au4L80aXfeVEmuMtOJIVo3AOr9HFvs3sVSKO_DK5yhkm5DAaCTVpU2XfLWJZ8p4AlEX_JfXct-XnSuNBrFrat-FetECrQk34-3hRgei6po1hMdh3KW5EaH9oQ/s504/Untitled.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="504" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlp39el3s0xHBJy-VB2Fq3NE879hNm6yNRuCVV9NyGrqImXQpZDdWUlIl4dSwRt4O-Au4L80aXfeVEmuMtOJIVo3AOr9HFvs3sVSKO_DK5yhkm5DAaCTVpU2XfLWJZ8p4AlEX_JfXct-XnSuNBrFrat-FetECrQk34-3hRgei6po1hMdh3KW5EaH9oQ/w640-h464/Untitled.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backyard Ultra World Team Championships Logo. Image : Backyard Ultra</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Backyard Ultra</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Ultra as in ultramarathon, defined as any running distance more than the standard marathon distance of 42.195km. The rules of <a href="https://backyardultra.com/home/" target="_blank">Backyard Ultra</a> are simple. Runners have to complete a 6.706km ( 4.167 mile ) loop within one hour and begin on the next lap at the start of the next hour. The runner who can outlast all other competitors with an extra lap will be declared the winner and all the other runners would be considered DNF ( Did Not Finish ). So essentially, this is a race without a definite finish line. How far the winner has to run depends on how far the next best runner can run. </p><p>And why does each loop or yard measure exactly 6.706 km? It is because the original idea of the Backyard Ultra was to have runners complete 100 miles in 24 hours. That will be 4.167 miles or 6705.6 m every hour. Rounding up, we get the distance of 6.706 km per yard. It takes 7 yards to reach ultramarathon territory.</p><p>The Backyard Ultra World Team Championships did not take place in 2021 due to the Covid Pandemic but it is back in full swing this year. In all, 37 countries participated including Ukraine, Belgium, Finland, Japan, Singapore and even Malaysia. Notably absent were Russia and China, terrorists, cheats, liers and bullies which nobody would miss anyway.</p><p>The races were held in each individual country and had began concurrently on 15th Oct 2022. Each country would field a team comprising 15 of their best endurance runners and the team which accumulated the most yards would be the winner.</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Joshua's Remarkable Feat</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>To achieve Joshua Toh's 342km in 51 hours is a Herculean task with many obstacles standing in the way. The runners would obviously have to be physically very fit in the first place.They have to constantly maintain proper nutrition and hydration while on the move. They would have to manage sleep deprivation as the race would likely last for at least 2 if not 3 days or longer. Then there would be climate and weather issues to contend with, especially in tropical Singapore where daytime temperatures can reach 90F or higher and relative humidity can be as high as 90% or above. Besides these, having the mental strength to self-motivate and run repeated loops of monotonous track is also a necessity.</p><p>Firstly, running speed. If you are required to complete a 6.706 km loop in an hour, you must achieve at least 7kmh or faster so that you can have some time for a short break before the start of the next loop. That may not sound like a big deal but I can tell you it is not easy because I have timed myself running 6.7km. It took me about 49 minutes, meaning I would have about 11 minutes to eat, drink, have a toilet break or just rest, until the next round begins. Repeat that 50 more times and you get the idea. In case you are wondering, I had just completed a 100km ultramarathon in Dorset ( D+2200m ) and a 75km ultra-trail in Salzburg ( D+4000m ) this summer.</p><p>Next, runners have to be constantly eating to fuel the run, about 300 calories worth of food every hour, in divided doses. Without the regular supply of food, the body would deplete its glycogen reserves within 2 or 3 hours and running speed will be greatly reduced ( <a href="https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/marathon/a774858/how-to-avoid-the-wall-and-cope-if-you-hit-it/" target="_blank">hitting the wall</a> ). Joshua would be eating during the short interval between the loops and perhaps also during the run itself. Some runners view an ultramarathon event as a grand eating contest and that has a lot of truth in it. He who eats the most ( and could digest it all ) wins! Fortunately, since the race tract is in the form of a loop, the logistics to supply the runners with food should be quite straight forward.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0Ih86roVjl12EzOhHwWfd-_vztQvoQ0duTUiWOQ-s8pqF0-gwW3AkCymUvWomROZvLtvoXG-ZBjB0I13ornxHl-Oog5w43RVe8qGvSpyVX1JrJAGXAG5dJi3KOME5pzSWIISesPnANu1GDwY3omZ5lPwLmuQohzIMoHTI7CIZVsh5JCSf7VM1iuj8w/s526/312141803_10160654694743708_1573223732013302550_n%20Lap%2040%20Naresh%20Kumar%20FB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0Ih86roVjl12EzOhHwWfd-_vztQvoQ0duTUiWOQ-s8pqF0-gwW3AkCymUvWomROZvLtvoXG-ZBjB0I13ornxHl-Oog5w43RVe8qGvSpyVX1JrJAGXAG5dJi3KOME5pzSWIISesPnANu1GDwY3omZ5lPwLmuQohzIMoHTI7CIZVsh5JCSf7VM1iuj8w/w640-h640/312141803_10160654694743708_1573223732013302550_n%20Lap%2040%20Naresh%20Kumar%20FB.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joshua Toh and Deric Lau drenched in perspiration<br />at start of the 41st yard. Photo : Naresh kumar via FB</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Maintaining adequate hydration is another crucial aspect of ultra-running. Dehydration of just 2% ( losing water equivalent to 2% of body weight ) can already cause a significant degradation of physical performance. In the hot and humid climate of Singapore, many runners are just drenched in sweat and all that water and mineral loss has to be replaced precisely. Again, a relatively short looped tract meant supplying iso-tonic drinks and water was less of a logistic problem and runners would not have to carry a hydration pack on their backs. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsV6XEmaBqZArLJEQmGeqCUdNzjYi7MjCuA78E-gne2qRIYhYSPV9e4741uBPkrVd-QHu976Ul3Dgs4ybgnVQicVl_AaIda1MYEAL8se-zfhzlJ7zvU7cxbG3FQSAG_OZ4ZYSPD_gOI1Ez1yUPp0r6agZeqwsGo3GjCo2x_x5mhcilmwyf4NGknovCA/s965/Sg%20met.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="965" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsV6XEmaBqZArLJEQmGeqCUdNzjYi7MjCuA78E-gne2qRIYhYSPV9e4741uBPkrVd-QHu976Ul3Dgs4ybgnVQicVl_AaIda1MYEAL8se-zfhzlJ7zvU7cxbG3FQSAG_OZ4ZYSPD_gOI1Ez1yUPp0r6agZeqwsGo3GjCo2x_x5mhcilmwyf4NGknovCA/w640-h312/Sg%20met.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">30 year Climate Mean. Data : Meteorological Service Singapore</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The climate was perhaps the most difficult to manage problem for the Singapore chapter of the Backyard Ultra Team Championships. Where as teams from temperate countries like the USA and Japan are currently enjoying the cool autumn temperatures with low humidity, tropical countries like Singapore and Malaysia are hot and humid year round. The daytime outdoor temperatures can be 90F or higher and coupled with the high relative humidity of 65% to 90% can cause heat cramps, heat stress or even heat stroke which can be potentially fatal. Apart from these, runners will also have to shield their eyes from the ultraviolet rays and protect themselves from sunburn. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheR6xFwEVBEheQGSaLU0hwVaNTd9-_RTwxStmDueCJHPGFyA2IEeXTmyBAzw94jlKVKMrCf8SgpB02fD3_ogKDJmk0_Vc2Q1fKpuB8m5Y4DNQttSJa3-5cSEmGUjWfaUDFVMCrFDVqqoEW84nU99S7MaziKxEiP1Aq-VH3Hbgd-DgoMzSQFALm2kRVNQ/s1440/312979510_487233710095790_554918436696149716_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheR6xFwEVBEheQGSaLU0hwVaNTd9-_RTwxStmDueCJHPGFyA2IEeXTmyBAzw94jlKVKMrCf8SgpB02fD3_ogKDJmk0_Vc2Q1fKpuB8m5Y4DNQttSJa3-5cSEmGUjWfaUDFVMCrFDVqqoEW84nU99S7MaziKxEiP1Aq-VH3Hbgd-DgoMzSQFALm2kRVNQ/w640-h640/312979510_487233710095790_554918436696149716_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooling down with sponging. Photo : Singapore Army via FB</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Then there is sleep deprivation to deal with. To run for 51 hours meant going without sleep for more than 2 days. That is really difficult even with the help of the strongest coffee or caffeine infused sports gel. I was struggling to keep myself awake after running for 20 hours at a 100 mile race which I DNF 2 years ago. This year the same thing happened in Dorset and I found myself periodically drifting towards the bush after running for about 18 hours and 90km. I was running / walking like a zombie! With fatigue setting in and the darkness surrounding everything except the tunnel of light from the headlamp, the pre-dawn hours were the hardest to stay awake!</p><p>In addition, Backyard Ultra is one where neither the duration nor distance is pre-determined and it is this type of race that requires the participant to have the strongest mental resilience to achieve success. How would you motivate youself to keep running, kilometre after kilometre, under the hot sun, in the driving rain, in the darkness of the night, with seemingly no end in sight. How would you force yourself to continue moving in the same boring endless loop repeatedly, for the nth time? This backyard ultra format is possibly the most punishing form of ultra-marathon, and possibly one with the highest percentage of DNFs. *</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7oCK5S-ffZPY1lnF-zl0EPZDWvJHiHRxKzzluIVm88GLRGQArqNXQvgz_rBWXIrPIkh2x6KzrXgVmnlnEHYRTQy2SHLvIpbxPpB7eht_dukZwPFHaPk8Q15I8t2ok-s1z4w1y2cGJoCyfiOlPJ8MSDsFicnyvWr42_vOyp0GYUmNd3B7H1XNDG918Jg/s883/313023303_487233420095819_1756765791786413600_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="883" data-original-width="673" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7oCK5S-ffZPY1lnF-zl0EPZDWvJHiHRxKzzluIVm88GLRGQArqNXQvgz_rBWXIrPIkh2x6KzrXgVmnlnEHYRTQy2SHLvIpbxPpB7eht_dukZwPFHaPk8Q15I8t2ok-s1z4w1y2cGJoCyfiOlPJ8MSDsFicnyvWr42_vOyp0GYUmNd3B7H1XNDG918Jg/w488-h640/313023303_487233420095819_1756765791786413600_n.jpg" width="488" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">support crew at work : fan, wet towels, massage, fluids. <br />Photo : Singapre Army FB</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>And finally, there is the stupendous amount of ground to cover in 2 or maybe 3 days, depending on how long your strongest opponent cum team mate could last. Imagine pounding the trail or road for more than 300km within less than 3 days, your muscles, bones, joints, tendons and ligaments would have to withstand the repeated impact of your feet striking the ground and that is not for the faint hearted. At a cadence of 180 steps per minute, assuming the average runner completes each yard in 45mins, Joshua Toh would have 180x45x51 or 413100 ground strikes running for 51 yards. Fortunately he seemed to have a large support crew who could tend to his sore calves in between running the loops. 342km is equivalent to the distance between Tokyo and Nagoya or exactly twice the distance of Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc ( <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-Trail_du_Mont-Blanc" target="_blank">UTMB</a> ) without the altitude gains.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgPy-rzdG6Q7QjDqcnwJARrwrKVXtbvyZUj5-1TEpBoQLQ8NkFxDWm1iPcDdpYZ1NzCQ0VIiI59UqTbEmX73H5QvrxrAbUvsO2wFz3whZGGdYpigtwMEtFSxmfgvQVZN4fnyrbC52Q66_7A5a_aQRqI07IMm_5VqPRkeloG2adYC9_2s_-E6DaDiVOWA/s1336/Results.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="1336" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgPy-rzdG6Q7QjDqcnwJARrwrKVXtbvyZUj5-1TEpBoQLQ8NkFxDWm1iPcDdpYZ1NzCQ0VIiI59UqTbEmX73H5QvrxrAbUvsO2wFz3whZGGdYpigtwMEtFSxmfgvQVZN4fnyrbC52Q66_7A5a_aQRqI07IMm_5VqPRkeloG2adYC9_2s_-E6DaDiVOWA/w640-h294/Results.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">World Team Championships 2022 rankings</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcSMshlvJ-fgrrBakctUjpq3yDuddNeAMOHdvgUnmqOGwcJNCQGRhWLjZUVLol4K7VejHjDJmYAy8M3pV60qh7ZTfE8uPPLYA9ws7tUw-kB1rf0LnGhIqay4qCYIjSkPfN_mo9cqfsXE6zyGA2RvHvl7x5JL79jkEJI9QPhG3UkEww0EDGWDQYd-npA/s421/Team%20SG.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="257" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcSMshlvJ-fgrrBakctUjpq3yDuddNeAMOHdvgUnmqOGwcJNCQGRhWLjZUVLol4K7VejHjDJmYAy8M3pV60qh7ZTfE8uPPLYA9ws7tUw-kB1rf0LnGhIqay4qCYIjSkPfN_mo9cqfsXE6zyGA2RvHvl7x5JL79jkEJI9QPhG3UkEww0EDGWDQYd-npA/w195-h320/Team%20SG.jpg" width="195" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team SG</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Achieving The Seemingly Impossible</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>At 45 years old LTC Joshua Toh is not exactly young, but endurance athletes tend to peak in their performance in the thirties or even forties, with experience being just as important as physical strength. He is a Singapore Armed Forces ( SAF ) officer with HQ Special Operations Task Force and he attributed a large part of his success to his military training and had this to say. " I strongly believe that training such as the SAF Ranger Course and Special Forces training have strengthened my resolve, mental resilience, and contributed towards my success in the race. This race is a combination of both physical fitness and mental resilience, the latter being much more crucial in this race as compared to a regular race". While one does not have to be a SEAL or equivalent to win the Backyard Ultra, it goes without saying that after surviving Hell Week, anything else can be possible! </p><p>Helping him achieve the impossible was his training partner, team mate and competitor, fellow SAF reserve officer Major Deric Lau. Deric is 46 years old and completed 50 yards, pushing Joshua to keep on running that one extra loop. It can be said that without the assistance of Deric, Joshua probably would not have done 51 yards. Both deserve our greatest respect.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-P7AsSCINB29Sm81jvmk52xOckvDYQWIhjF2vZkoJ7j0AXtWEBG0-b-JuLAZoyfWalQku0fEM_XTtQnfeKXv62CVF1xMF3wQVuhbsuCHlNTbifKcg-epqEraeEN0hHXB4gBvkIX30jgLTodrUDOeaYL1WDItJZ8_wUL9Jpb2DSdZc6vhuCWqwoK4Tw/s2000/312988270_487233770095784_1498942426092371647_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-P7AsSCINB29Sm81jvmk52xOckvDYQWIhjF2vZkoJ7j0AXtWEBG0-b-JuLAZoyfWalQku0fEM_XTtQnfeKXv62CVF1xMF3wQVuhbsuCHlNTbifKcg-epqEraeEN0hHXB4gBvkIX30jgLTodrUDOeaYL1WDItJZ8_wUL9Jpb2DSdZc6vhuCWqwoK4Tw/w640-h480/312988270_487233770095784_1498942426092371647_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A jubilant Joshua Toh with fellow team mates and support crew<br />Photo : Singapore Army via FB</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>His team of support crew would have been crucial too, to give him the best chances of success in this race with no definite finish line. </p><p>As the winner of the Singapore Backyard Ultra 2022, Joshua gets the chance to compete with elite runners from all over the world next year in the World Championships held in the USA. We wish him success.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxal4PVcfkwPj_pPSImm_9cbzskDGFZnwNIOf1JZ7VOo_bBR9aWNC2yjEDiOlZiUbepQMrWaV25TF7Cc34rUg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p>Backyard Ultra's Official Teaser for World Team Championship 2022. You can also watch it <a href="https://youtu.be/uSD5V-Umowk" target="_blank">here</a></p><p><br /></p><p>* Footnote : This year 2 Belgians, Merijn Geerts and Ivo Steyaert, broke the magical ceiling of 100 yards and created a new world record of 101 yards ( yes, that's 4 days and 5 hours ) and ran an astounding 677km each. After that, they hugged and both refused to continue on the next yard though they could have. Since neither ran an extra lap more than the other, no winner was declared and both runners technically DNF! This created a very unfamiliar situation, where there were not one but two champions in a record breaking tie and both, together with every other runner in Team Belgium, DNF. And both will be invited to the 2023 World Championship. Go figure!</p>Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-68844588533673700452022-10-20T13:00:00.003+08:002022-11-17T13:40:57.681+08:00FFM-4 JS Mikuma's Ship Crest : Legend Of The Sun And The Hawk<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi--EkIYCPGT5yrpw19K7KnJYAkdvuoAMVnuwG3NdKDMIZCXGs6Sl6ewLBXGw3dhVRzE6428xqoSLR80KhhTyt9n9oWZV5klldXgFeIHgicdSu2ySvYCcbEbGuB0Gfpx3JBpChyoIeVkOVEdHoR2BJyHJuKQOWYVKa4b8bhvqta4oTZgPDQiu8Jid29_w/s660/mikuma_logo_pc.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="660" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi--EkIYCPGT5yrpw19K7KnJYAkdvuoAMVnuwG3NdKDMIZCXGs6Sl6ewLBXGw3dhVRzE6428xqoSLR80KhhTyt9n9oWZV5klldXgFeIHgicdSu2ySvYCcbEbGuB0Gfpx3JBpChyoIeVkOVEdHoR2BJyHJuKQOWYVKa4b8bhvqta4oTZgPDQiu8Jid29_w/w640-h514/mikuma_logo_pc.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FFM-4 JS Mikuma's Logo Mark. Image : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ( JMSDF ) had just unveiled the ship emblem of its fourth <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/03/jack-of-all-trades-japans-mogami-class.html" target="_blank"><b><i>Mogami</i></b>-class</a> multi-mission stealth frigate the JS <b><i>Mikuma</i></b> ( FFM-4 ). It was the result of a design competition which was open to the public from 6th Jun to 5th Jul 2022. Out of a total of 157 submissions, the winning piece was selected by the pre-commissioning ship crew themselves and it featured a mythical hawk known as the Hitaka, the sun, the moon, a star ( Polaris ) and the Big Dipper. </p><p>Apart from Polaris and the Big Dipper, all the above entities are key characters in the Legend of the Sun and Hawk ( 日と鷹神話 ) recorded in the ancient text known as Toyonishi Manuscript ( 豊西記 ). It is the story of the creation of the Mikuma river and the three hills around it.</p><p>In Japanese, the ship's crest or emblem is known as the logo mark ( ロゴマーク <i>rogo maku</i> ). My previous articles on the JS <b><i>Mogami</i></b> and the JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b>'s logo mark can be found <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/10/ship-logo-mark-for-japanese-stealth.html" target="_blank">here</a>, JS Noshiro's <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2022/07/shachihoko-ffm-3-js-noshiro-selects.html" target="_blank">here</a> and that of the JS <b><i>Ise</i></b>'s possibly plagiarised logo mark <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2020/01/sumimasen-is-that-singapore-lion-on.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWPd8Lq4Hvo0UPpNf65stvRRPj2_iI5uPCtggg7Df6WtGNX4MhgGP8agVV6_3lh4LuQm9mfqIMuVTeVVcN8l3NXjWt1206c0PaN5_FN6NkUHA_eFJC6JO8NZX86j1zfSSQWJhDJlve0Mwopu5VtwzkagZqSSbecAXpXPoPOmJYj6sNRpvxx6-dFWhpQ/s560/Hitotakanoshinwa.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="560" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWPd8Lq4Hvo0UPpNf65stvRRPj2_iI5uPCtggg7Df6WtGNX4MhgGP8agVV6_3lh4LuQm9mfqIMuVTeVVcN8l3NXjWt1206c0PaN5_FN6NkUHA_eFJC6JO8NZX86j1zfSSQWJhDJlve0Mwopu5VtwzkagZqSSbecAXpXPoPOmJYj6sNRpvxx6-dFWhpQ/w640-h610/Hitotakanoshinwa.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manga rendition of the Legend of the Sun and the Hawk<br /> by Kuze Mizuki. Image : yamataikoku9.web.fc2.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Sun and Hawk Legend</u></h4><div><u><br /></u></div><div>The Mikuma River ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%89%E9%9A%88%E5%B7%9D" target="_blank">三隈川</a> <i>mikumagawa</i> ), namesake of the multi-mission frigate JS <i style="font-weight: bold;">Mikuma </i>, refers to the section of the Chikugo River that flows westward through the city of Hita right in the heart of Kyushu. The Hita Basin ( 日田盆地 <i>Hita Bonchi</i> ) is located just north of one of Kyushu's most active volcano Mt Aso and it is surrounded by mountains. It lies within the boundaries of Oita Prefecture, an area known in the past as Bungonokuni ( 豊後国 ).</div><div><u><br /></u></div><div>Legend had it that a long long time ago there was a gigantic lake in the Hita Basin. One day, a humongous bird known as the Sun Hawk ( 日鷹 <i>Hitaka</i> ) flew across the lake from the east, dipped the feathers of its wings into the water and then flew north as the sun rises and disappeared. That immediately triggered off terrifying earth tremors and suddenly turned day into night.</div><div><br /></div><div>The huge whirlpools formed and monstrous waves battered the cliffs on the western banks of the lake for three days and three nights. The cliffs eventually collapsed and the water gushed out and formed the westward flowing Mikuma River. As a result of the outflow, the lake was completely drained. The torrent also created three knolls which are known as the Hill of the Sun ( 日隈 <i>Hinokuma</i> ) to the south, Hill of the Moon ( 月隈 <i>Tsukikuma</i> ) to the north and the Hill of the Star (星隈 <i>Hoshikuma</i> ) to the west. </div><div><br /></div><div>Collectively these hills are known as the Three Hills of Mikuma ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%89%E9%9A%88_(%E4%B8%98)" target="_blank">三隈三山</a> <i>Mikuma Sanzan</i> ) or the Three Knolls of Hita ( 日田三丘 <i>Hita Mitsuo</i> ). These geological features still define the terrain where the Mikuma river flows through today.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqzL-wDYO6xxsE75kJBaSnVoZ6t2TIqXQCnLp6oPSl3WRDxtKv03JrW1og5whOLvElayiybrA4MXS9R_y-ssEvRNNgTh9YoMBPNlmjt8XQ8dhaSGgj45xCUC4fLPVTyPcLNYYI5amM3hmLXM9HmiMog_GC_JkzsIwroas_gkp6burYAfgmQaZo1iPAw/s8192/Mikumasanzan.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4977" data-original-width="8192" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqzL-wDYO6xxsE75kJBaSnVoZ6t2TIqXQCnLp6oPSl3WRDxtKv03JrW1og5whOLvElayiybrA4MXS9R_y-ssEvRNNgTh9YoMBPNlmjt8XQ8dhaSGgj45xCUC4fLPVTyPcLNYYI5amM3hmLXM9HmiMog_GC_JkzsIwroas_gkp6burYAfgmQaZo1iPAw/w640-h388/Mikumasanzan.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hita City, Mikuma River and the three hills</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Could this ancient foklore have a possible scientific explanation? Absolutely! Japan has numerous active and dormant volcanos and many of these have caldera lakes. The rims of these crater lakes are subjected to weathering and erosion and can obviously be destroyed by subsequent seismic activities or even an eruption. Mt Aso, located just south of Hita City, has a <a href="https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Earth_from_Space_Mount_Aso_Japan#:~:text=The%20Aso%20Caldera%20is%20one,km%20from%20east%20to%20west." target="_blank">caldera</a> with a circumference of 120km, one of the biggest in the world, and that could have once been filled with water. Satellite imagery even showed a breach over its western rim from which a river flowed.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDBC45usbwaGC0D6paskYn4zMO-WjEenB15ZRB_cPXgIoO7TbnPLwuobizivjIxP7C5b8ng6inz95Rn3uiVusnNXqecY3fi-WjaebZZkNwqdXGS_BQ0t1AoxBsJln8p1951tBI6muRbclYieNaRrofcjQzWMa6QV17EruaUDlrImFMwRz8WfwTY5JjQ/s4000/Aso_Caldera_3D_2012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDBC45usbwaGC0D6paskYn4zMO-WjEenB15ZRB_cPXgIoO7TbnPLwuobizivjIxP7C5b8ng6inz95Rn3uiVusnNXqecY3fi-WjaebZZkNwqdXGS_BQ0t1AoxBsJln8p1951tBI6muRbclYieNaRrofcjQzWMa6QV17EruaUDlrImFMwRz8WfwTY5JjQ/w640-h480/Aso_Caldera_3D_2012.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aso Caldera NS 25km, EW 17km. Circumference 120km. Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>JS Mikuma's Logo Mark</u></h4><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The ship's crest of the JS Mikama takes a pentagonal shape with the silhouette of the mythical Sun Hawk in black prominantly featured at its centre. Its wings are spread and stretched right across the entire crest with the wingtips extending a little beyond the geometry of the crest. Superimposed on the hawk are the silhouettes of water in light blue and that of the warship in grey. They signify that the JS <i><b>Mikuma</b></i> will have the power of the water to move forcefully forwards.</div><div><br /></div><div>Above the hawk is the sun, which represents Hinokuma, the hill of the sun. It is positioned above all perhaps because in Shintoism the Sun Goddess Amaterasu Okami is regarded as the supreme deity.</div><div><br /></div><div>The moon at the lower left represents the Tsukikuma, the hill of the moon. According to JMSDF, the star at the lower right of the crest is Polaris ( 北極星 <i>Hokkyokusei</i> ), the north star. It represents the Hoshikuma, the hill of the star. Next to it is the asterism known as the Big Dipper ( 北斗七星 <i>Hokutoshichisei</i> ) with its seven stars in its familiar inverted ladle configuration. Interestingly, these stars are orientated in the correct position as they would in the night sky, with the two stars of the Big Dipper's bowl pointing towards Polaris. Kudos to the designer for getting this right! Together, Polaris and the Big Dipper would herald safe navigation on the high seas.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>The crest is framed by a perimeter of dark grey within which the words Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is written at the top and FFM-4 JS Mikuma is written at the bottom. Lastly, the words みくま, the ship's name in hiragana, is placed in front of the silhouettes of the hawk, water and warship. </div><div><u><br /></u></div><div>JS Mikuma's ship crest was designed by Sasaki Ruri ( 佐々木留理 ) from Nara Prefecture.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3a1bhUU3mg_RTdhF03edbXz6_Y86f__40Lq_AzZO2qGKzSkRTbchrwIgYJIJgXgeXHVVAjpUwTmCIJ0PxQNcpBa3IYcREC2uFV4BeRqFBPc7RfZrbTiztHwIU7vOJfBGcRfLWtIp97-w3-z7so_wujNTfhNelr38mhU04oje8L8iMC6P4QtxvhILpg/s2000/JS8MhCPvM5drfbzKc4dRue.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3a1bhUU3mg_RTdhF03edbXz6_Y86f__40Lq_AzZO2qGKzSkRTbchrwIgYJIJgXgeXHVVAjpUwTmCIJ0PxQNcpBa3IYcREC2uFV4BeRqFBPc7RfZrbTiztHwIU7vOJfBGcRfLWtIp97-w3-z7so_wujNTfhNelr38mhU04oje8L8iMC6P4QtxvhILpg/w640-h426/JS8MhCPvM5drfbzKc4dRue.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stars of the Big Dipper's bowl points towards Polaris ( top right )<br />Image : Miguel Claro via Space.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Note : The Japanese kanji character 三 ( <i>mi</i> ) means three while 隈 ( <i>kuma</i> ) means corner or nook. In combination 三隈 ( <i>Mikuma</i> ) literally means three corners or three nooks. However, in this case we know that it means the three hills of Hita. </div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><p></p>Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-17568634345909935262022-10-17T19:09:00.009+08:002022-10-31T13:01:13.133+08:00Third Taigei-Class Submarine JS Jingei Launched<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQ5SeMUEpj4BJV2BIocWADJk4NRFrC8_KZ_cPZWIWjoodJe02Ck9M3k1NKMf7vRd-yMpTr58akyJheHDMBDICA65PguOxajGGGlcB4uSYtdfI3xx_VEaTv4rTfnoahit6mJH5-NGreLh-xREXmhytH0dj_ho9D0tc5mfVYnN1X45KYKYpqumz0qfu7w/s1200/Fe3hY4waUAA_EIr.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQ5SeMUEpj4BJV2BIocWADJk4NRFrC8_KZ_cPZWIWjoodJe02Ck9M3k1NKMf7vRd-yMpTr58akyJheHDMBDICA65PguOxajGGGlcB4uSYtdfI3xx_VEaTv4rTfnoahit6mJH5-NGreLh-xREXmhytH0dj_ho9D0tc5mfVYnN1X45KYKYpqumz0qfu7w/w640-h426/Fe3hY4waUAA_EIr.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SS515 <b><i>Jingei</i></b> Launched in MHI's Kobe shipyard</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>The Japan Maritime Self Defense Force ( JMSDF ) had launched its third <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2020/10/taigei-japans-super-duper-next.html" target="_blank"><b><i>Taigei</i></b>-class</a> submarine on 12 Oct 2022 at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' Kobe shipyard. It was named the <b><i>Jingei</i></b>, meaning swift whale. This came almost one year since the launch of the second-in-class the <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/10/second-in-pod-hakugei-ss-514.html" target="_blank">Hakugei</a> </i>which means white whale.</p><p>The <b><i>Taigei</i></b>-class submarines are advanced designs with lithium-ion batteries instead of the tried and proven lead-acid batteries. In Japanese, taigei means " big whale ". It is now almost certain that the entire class will be named after whales.</p><p>This will be the second Japanese naval vessel to bear the name Jingei, the first being the Imperial Japanese Navy ( IJN ) <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_submarine_tender_Jingei" target="_blank">submarine tender</a> which was launched in 1922 and saw service in World War Two. In kanji ( Chinese characters ), Jingei would be written as 迅鯨. In hiragana it would be じんげい.</p><p>Since the IJN warships always had their names in kanji, in order to distinguish their modern warships from those of the IJN's WWII vessels, JMSDF deliberately avoids expressing the ship's name in kanji and officially uses the hiragana form instead.</p><p>According to the JMSDF ship naming convention, submarines would be named after maritime phenomenon, marine animals and auspicious creatures. The name jingei conjures a majestic whale, King of the Ocean, streaking through the waves at breakneck speeds ...</p><p>The <i style="font-weight: bold;">Jingei </i>will be commissioned around March 2024.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HmMOaxnTb-9zfRfS0Zh6VoFHov30SL3nUwx0zd9nJHbFw71R1RdeD828x2_QiQc_KzPh6xxmUWFUutGpK8k2qvk5z3EvYQuvUZ58lfYIOn2PUEIoJTueI1R1b37MBk2mwTlcIVX-lUBomvNGuL--f_mPEWUxbmWWI-AlCIwCtnn3qKT0a3g7J4nzxQ/s3000/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HmMOaxnTb-9zfRfS0Zh6VoFHov30SL3nUwx0zd9nJHbFw71R1RdeD828x2_QiQc_KzPh6xxmUWFUutGpK8k2qvk5z3EvYQuvUZ58lfYIOn2PUEIoJTueI1R1b37MBk2mwTlcIVX-lUBomvNGuL--f_mPEWUxbmWWI-AlCIwCtnn3qKT0a3g7J4nzxQ/w640-h426/01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Jingei is the 1330th ship built by the MHI Kobe shipyard. JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7RYIKSYP8fBf83Pmu5UkTGxILIagDTe1tobfBcB-nh21KcxA89bRXdfzHi0YGFd5-EMlg1CyeqVTIzGQ1_WnOKkaB_193MWZhEiZH-cXZR5Nv4oZ6gK-dxvvbYl58FpWUyrG3SmQslrBJ4y3tM0LXa0pnHfbzHHZsMjYzWnJNFmu4RIyB-VtR0MUIA/s4096/FfAf1X1UUAArUR2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2731" data-original-width="4096" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7RYIKSYP8fBf83Pmu5UkTGxILIagDTe1tobfBcB-nh21KcxA89bRXdfzHi0YGFd5-EMlg1CyeqVTIzGQ1_WnOKkaB_193MWZhEiZH-cXZR5Nv4oZ6gK-dxvvbYl58FpWUyrG3SmQslrBJ4y3tM0LXa0pnHfbzHHZsMjYzWnJNFmu4RIyB-VtR0MUIA/w640-h426/FfAf1X1UUAArUR2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Jingei all dressed up for the launch and naming ceremony. JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSQP3tFbEkZ6aOny_iwBD5vjfpUYWndPBJZquIXxsT3gD1hkvZ79KilV1GPNfI-sBm0xmvlgvYi9fY7VCoHEkOwU51o5qDYp005WrbpMtj3HnI-JRU-iKyv1L0l_vIZPd3QfWovycLaUOszgphevBXrypRw-XRyVQuhf2dC0j3iBJtFl2RXFvrvboMQ/s1200/Fe3hY4saMAEtXAP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSQP3tFbEkZ6aOny_iwBD5vjfpUYWndPBJZquIXxsT3gD1hkvZ79KilV1GPNfI-sBm0xmvlgvYi9fY7VCoHEkOwU51o5qDYp005WrbpMtj3HnI-JRU-iKyv1L0l_vIZPd3QfWovycLaUOszgphevBXrypRw-XRyVQuhf2dC0j3iBJtFl2RXFvrvboMQ/w640-h426/Fe3hY4saMAEtXAP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I name thee ... Jingei. JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH703apxuo2x34UTPFXsxyCqNogz1L-sDhs9O2HUI-toF1pVBsOzWHKQsrmBYuXDbRHRznEFc0TxSWo89cnOM7Jhm4eJFzU9_yXwXqfWNkLZeK0EpuaPYJ32NqqnckZ0kWVppuG9of2bXBOtdsCbk_lIO58jbmGofM6D-y0HbnGkHl6TuWDqflM5wf_A/s1200/FfA8GEpaUAgkms8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH703apxuo2x34UTPFXsxyCqNogz1L-sDhs9O2HUI-toF1pVBsOzWHKQsrmBYuXDbRHRznEFc0TxSWo89cnOM7Jhm4eJFzU9_yXwXqfWNkLZeK0EpuaPYJ32NqqnckZ0kWVppuG9of2bXBOtdsCbk_lIO58jbmGofM6D-y0HbnGkHl6TuWDqflM5wf_A/w640-h426/FfA8GEpaUAgkms8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SS515 Jingei ( じんげい ) name revealed. JMSDF<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkALVXU1BTTHwYJY-cBtAGj-iNqzO1gDeaaYo6ZDeb081GYEeyJWJl00RnK5C6MZR3f2Er9diBC1o0PWU1PafVo_XFQZP4Txr5hrILBx1U_Dsq8XS493EkaqH03OyT98sytTueQhatm71K74UkfeZgp0kqGw7qPM2-aGDu5PK6Du0R9GtktDAQcalbw/s4096/FfAf1X0UYAAh5WG.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2731" data-original-width="4096" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkALVXU1BTTHwYJY-cBtAGj-iNqzO1gDeaaYo6ZDeb081GYEeyJWJl00RnK5C6MZR3f2Er9diBC1o0PWU1PafVo_XFQZP4Txr5hrILBx1U_Dsq8XS493EkaqH03OyT98sytTueQhatm71K74UkfeZgp0kqGw7qPM2-aGDu5PK6Du0R9GtktDAQcalbw/w640-h426/FfAf1X0UYAAh5WG.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from VIP stand with naming documents. JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_qMthvRp6sggkoK2Ib8aWrKVjkpG4P6Tw-OMC0M9RvQ_GinLNrg8jFGmiKYsR0Q9kuePhpnevDs2dZSnwnbKXBS4IMYbj9X-01gE7t7v2QvMpz3h1Cyht7aWirHtAsO308EFu2uqhW8F-BORLduv5uGyqMkSz-1hxRNlFeguhitfGHeD-sTUVkK3DQ/s1200/Fe3hY4macAMDm3V.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_qMthvRp6sggkoK2Ib8aWrKVjkpG4P6Tw-OMC0M9RvQ_GinLNrg8jFGmiKYsR0Q9kuePhpnevDs2dZSnwnbKXBS4IMYbj9X-01gE7t7v2QvMpz3h1Cyht7aWirHtAsO308EFu2uqhW8F-BORLduv5uGyqMkSz-1hxRNlFeguhitfGHeD-sTUVkK3DQ/w640-h426/Fe3hY4macAMDm3V.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cord cutting with <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2020/11/warding-sea-monsters-and-demons-japans.html" target="_blank">sacred ship launching silver axe</a> followed. JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQ7YTfnSGMLa4WcQYn3cw9ShEOdwpDZIzyb4GbK6_doeVzJCp1bXDtHXuMQZpZX7LmNc4dDQB-muZIKSlPyLjdaZLprCuiB4HEUEc-Wmn1Dspzk6JtA_0Dbw8Q5FBXNzX1oODjsyjiOrvG7MRa5sGK-sn3fGLgP5FCsUKfYK8JQDHkxaZtQb4p6Toww/s3000/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQ7YTfnSGMLa4WcQYn3cw9ShEOdwpDZIzyb4GbK6_doeVzJCp1bXDtHXuMQZpZX7LmNc4dDQB-muZIKSlPyLjdaZLprCuiB4HEUEc-Wmn1Dspzk6JtA_0Dbw8Q5FBXNzX1oODjsyjiOrvG7MRa5sGK-sn3fGLgP5FCsUKfYK8JQDHkxaZtQb4p6Toww/w640-h426/02.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sacred silver axe for launching the JS Jingei. JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjcfwCy5vrJFH3LxGOb12vcwwyV1-k7z5Mcjll5PV6jV8nYm7KTVPmgZIR4l8sun6_cVbj3F7PL9b8iGdvq6bJ0EZJ5WjTFIu9LdL_-EbA5n-SFlqVLdB4fGm5AH-a-YYnQlXuiO2jB9yJuVGyMPv7tTBmfUdPcaFty5ovq6tX07J_UtX6ZONKy0ysA/s3276/FfAf1X8VIAASjJy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="3276" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjcfwCy5vrJFH3LxGOb12vcwwyV1-k7z5Mcjll5PV6jV8nYm7KTVPmgZIR4l8sun6_cVbj3F7PL9b8iGdvq6bJ0EZJ5WjTFIu9LdL_-EbA5n-SFlqVLdB4fGm5AH-a-YYnQlXuiO2jB9yJuVGyMPv7tTBmfUdPcaFty5ovq6tX07J_UtX6ZONKy0ysA/w640-h426/FfAf1X8VIAASjJy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Jingei is launched. JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fX0TkLBHwRu8k7h5uo2Ocd28pELz9z4WOOeOCiAUHaK5Ivkm6us1vbPT4ILgde-BtZea8yAH-a6QcyXVyqEVVeNXX3LYu-AeKCdtXN1w7A6Sof70RZxmQIvyVUbHEAc5kfOhQ6zt5wfbh8sXdRRKJf5iDRmvxZLsy1cucboHAr-KlbW-mYJnjMWq_g/s1200/FfA8GEvaYAICCx4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fX0TkLBHwRu8k7h5uo2Ocd28pELz9z4WOOeOCiAUHaK5Ivkm6us1vbPT4ILgde-BtZea8yAH-a6QcyXVyqEVVeNXX3LYu-AeKCdtXN1w7A6Sof70RZxmQIvyVUbHEAc5kfOhQ6zt5wfbh8sXdRRKJf5iDRmvxZLsy1cucboHAr-KlbW-mYJnjMWq_g/w640-h426/FfA8GEvaYAICCx4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ribbons flutter amidst the lively tune of the <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/02/gunkan-machi-sprightly-japanese-naval.html" target="_blank">Gunkan March</a>. JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Watch the Video below :</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx8zb7GCf5STvxC8f6TQeI91vi-vQBLF9PR6n5Fl-GktVkICrClFKaZCHsg0oj_uYTyHg9X2ZJuf8iL6AWqeg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-23331675854688611602022-07-19T03:22:00.013+08:002022-07-20T16:49:34.805+08:00Shachihoko : FFM-3 JS Noshiro Selects Mythical Tiger Fish For Ship's Emblem<p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKQ_RiU1v0avxpwlzOgMak7xy45wkhO50x8tEy1yUIcmpSmfE_L3JdmmlAZmcIleeLFkdtH4ldU0lh0ALz3_4IJk-5u63fsJYAr0R9qomqfN46UDFC4uhFSr9vuQOVsDmk2Wg-wSYaOr3dGlFTTNBh04onFN50kJ7CvXIkyiGi4GNN80CzR_LLOfnmg/s1200/Noshiro%20Logo%20Mark.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1023" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKQ_RiU1v0avxpwlzOgMak7xy45wkhO50x8tEy1yUIcmpSmfE_L3JdmmlAZmcIleeLFkdtH4ldU0lh0ALz3_4IJk-5u63fsJYAr0R9qomqfN46UDFC4uhFSr9vuQOVsDmk2Wg-wSYaOr3dGlFTTNBh04onFN50kJ7CvXIkyiGi4GNN80CzR_LLOfnmg/w546-h640/Noshiro%20Logo%20Mark.jpg" width="546" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS Noshiro's ship crest or logo mark. Image : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p></p><p>The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ( JMSDF ) had just unveiled the ship emblem of its third <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/03/jack-of-all-trades-japans-mogami-class.html" target="_blank"><b><i>Mogami</i></b>-class</a> multi-mission stealth frigate the <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/06/third-mogami-class-frigate-js-noshiro.html" target="_blank">JS <b><i>Noshiro</i></b></a> ( FFM-3 ). It was the result of a design competition which was open to the public from 24th Feb to 25th Mar 2022. The winning piece was selected by the pre-commissioning ship crew themselves and it featured a mythical creature known as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shachihoko" target="_blank">shachihoko</a> which has the head of a tiger and the body of a fish. </p><p>The shachihoko is a well known cultural entity in Noshiro City, Akita Prefecture. It is found adorning the top of gigantic castle floats which are lighted up at night and paraded in the streets to celebrate the Tanabata Festival which is usually held in early August every year.</p><p>In Japanese, the ship's crest or emblem is known as the logo mark ( ロゴマーク <i>rogo maku</i> ). My previous articles on the JS <b><i>Mogami</i></b> and the JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b>'s logo mark can be found <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/10/ship-logo-mark-for-japanese-stealth.html" target="_blank">here</a> and that of the JS <b><i>Ise</i></b>'s possibly plagiarised logo mark <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2020/01/sumimasen-is-that-singapore-lion-on.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Noshiro</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The JS <b><i>Noshiro</i></b> was named after the Noshiro River ( 能代川 <i>noshirogawa</i> ) in Akita Prefecture. For most of its 136km course, this Class A river is actually known as the Yoneshiro River ( 米代川 <i>yoneshirogawa</i> ). It has its source in the Ou Mountains of the Hachimantai Plateau and flows westwards to the Sea of Japan. </p><p>At the end of its journey to the sea, the Yoneshiro River reaches the city of Noshiro and that last section near the river mouth is commonly known as the Noshiro River.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noshiro,_Akita" target="_blank">Noshiro City</a> has a population of just under 50000 and is most famously known for the way its people celebrated the Tanabata Festival with giant lantern castle floats that seemed to reach up to the summer night sky. These humongous structures are assembled with the help of construction cranes and the biggest ever built measured 24.1m in height. Their sides would be painted with pictures depicting anything from fauna to flora, folks going through their daily chores such as fishing, farming and wood cutting, battlefield scenes and the top of the structures would invariably be adorned with several prominent pairs of shachihokos - the fearsome looking Japanese tiger fish that is commonly found on the roof top of a castle's main keep. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_IxYCu0NjBCPGs8L2z6UCW7-TeW1KY0Ovc4BU_EdK9Aq8rkVfc8uhmbqP1yab9Plo_iaSnJz6EGmtPulAhq-lpbiDxAtCLlk2uJpDnsqfEL2_itTWAzyhT8dgwC4naGywj9TcrMfm9QwcK1db810u-8sO3SrkCrE7oYinvndX_cIBZmCsYsfANCFdw/s996/0000040870008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="664" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_IxYCu0NjBCPGs8L2z6UCW7-TeW1KY0Ovc4BU_EdK9Aq8rkVfc8uhmbqP1yab9Plo_iaSnJz6EGmtPulAhq-lpbiDxAtCLlk2uJpDnsqfEL2_itTWAzyhT8dgwC4naGywj9TcrMfm9QwcK1db810u-8sO3SrkCrE7oYinvndX_cIBZmCsYsfANCFdw/w426-h640/0000040870008.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noshiro City's Lantern Castle with Shachihoko.<br />Photo : Noshiro City Official WP<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata" target="_blank">Tanabata</a> has its origins from the ancient Chinese Cowherd and Weaver Girl folk tale. It is said that a long time ago, on the eastern bank of the Celestial River lived Orihime ( 織姫 ) a talented weaver girl who was the daughter of the Heavenly Emperor. She would create colourful fabric for the clouds in the skies day in and day out. However, she eventually got tired of this monotonous life and the Emperor, having taken pity on her, married her to Hikoboshi ( 彦星 ) the cowherd from the western bank.</p><p>The cowhead and the weaver girl loved each other and lived a blissful marriage life. With their new found happiness Orihime subsequently neglected her weaving duties and Hikoboshi stopped tending his herd. That angered the Heavenly Emperor. He separated the couple and confined them to the opposite sides of the Celestial River and only allowed them to meet once a year on the seven day of the seventh month. It is said that the magpies are so touched by the loving bond between the cowherd and the weaver girl that they would form a bridge across the Celestial River on that evening for the annual reunion of the couple over the river.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCIjh3NkZII8I12UTT7kCR3ShF9OJrTuwVdaASx1XIm3kA6gNaUXuRBo05L6BMDtHDXk6SHjyUERzwFfEDmlxTWUDJqZerwwuTmORmUTGLmm7FDwkHhCZvWGP6paRUS0jatVoVywpb_1XuPHkEJ4JZArsX2T1Z4iK2ufVx6WkcFuLorR7l8z63mVTP9A/s1200/tanabata_by_anhellica.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="765" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCIjh3NkZII8I12UTT7kCR3ShF9OJrTuwVdaASx1XIm3kA6gNaUXuRBo05L6BMDtHDXk6SHjyUERzwFfEDmlxTWUDJqZerwwuTmORmUTGLmm7FDwkHhCZvWGP6paRUS0jatVoVywpb_1XuPHkEJ4JZArsX2T1Z4iK2ufVx6WkcFuLorR7l8z63mVTP9A/w408-h640/tanabata_by_anhellica.jpg" width="408" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanabata : Orihime and Hikoboshi on magpie bridge.<br />Image : Anhellica</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>Today, we can still see the characters of this ancient legend immortalised in the summer night sky. The Celestial River is the Milkyway Galaxy which stretches across the sky like a silvery flow of water. The cowherd is represented by the bright star <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altair" target="_blank">Altair</a> in the constellation of Aquila on one side of the Milkyway while on the other side lies the even brighter weaver star <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vega" target="_blank">Vega</a> in the constellation of Lyra. The Chinese believed that if a woman prayed to the Weaver Star on that night, she would receive wisdom and also agility and dexterity, characteristics that could go a long way in maintaining a blissful marriage.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3JV6Bf0I1T1MEbs9u2mp_o4x9M3ZH_VPYkK0oVD7iwgf05wYCFpPr4kw5XWw236HniBSqlA6JCyQH5VS9UkR8eExtzAe6S7UGQWv7yiOD06yIjnPwSWz_0X-9mn_EqIWI6NYDHVwR9bFFN1eALdkcTyocQXrasC6ejaF6wCCU6XfEn55sdnvaV2u0g/s950/Starmap%203.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="950" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3JV6Bf0I1T1MEbs9u2mp_o4x9M3ZH_VPYkK0oVD7iwgf05wYCFpPr4kw5XWw236HniBSqlA6JCyQH5VS9UkR8eExtzAe6S7UGQWv7yiOD06yIjnPwSWz_0X-9mn_EqIWI6NYDHVwR9bFFN1eALdkcTyocQXrasC6ejaF6wCCU6XfEn55sdnvaV2u0g/w640-h336/Starmap%203.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vega and Altair and the Milkyway ( light blue zone ) in the<br /> summer night sky. Image : In-the-sky.org</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>In Japan, Tanabata ( 七夕 ) which literally means the evening of the seventh, is at times celebrated on the 7th of July ( Gregorian calendar ) but traditionally it would be the seventh day of the seventh month on the Japanese lunisolar calender which meant that day would be some time in August. It is also known as the Star Festival ( 星祭り <i>hoshi matsuri</i> ) and is observed not just in Noshiro City alone but everywhere across the country. However each region has its own way of celebrating this festival, like Sendai City with its Tanabata decorations made from paper and bamboo hanging in the streets and fireworks show. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDMGLMf6MiawrlFZRsgk0zTCgrS_6Q-RyG8F2_Ol-Du4NZLBzul9CoEE2H-W9wEOZjc5LqlWSX3pBu9nCWRejcs1chPMzQpXecunu6Svw6j7oJaJn-Az6pdWWu4LnxnAjoGQX9qa13oxsLXVvbvjNsgvvjBgIfDTsjEWN3Pt_6rr_S-ZD6bKiTid1Ug/s760/tanabata-2018-01_sendai%20rakuten.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="760" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDMGLMf6MiawrlFZRsgk0zTCgrS_6Q-RyG8F2_Ol-Du4NZLBzul9CoEE2H-W9wEOZjc5LqlWSX3pBu9nCWRejcs1chPMzQpXecunu6Svw6j7oJaJn-Az6pdWWu4LnxnAjoGQX9qa13oxsLXVvbvjNsgvvjBgIfDTsjEWN3Pt_6rr_S-ZD6bKiTid1Ug/w640-h426/tanabata-2018-01_sendai%20rakuten.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanabata decorations of Sendai City. Photo : Rakuten Travel</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Noshiro's unique towering lantern castles was an age old tradition that dated back to the Edo period. During the Tenpo era ( 1830 -1844 ), a lantern float was made in the image of the Nagoya Castle and it proved to be popular. It had been created almost every year since then. There is photographic proof that during the Meiji era, there existed a lantern that measured 17.6m in height and 5.4m in width. However with the rapid industrialisation and electrification of Japan, street level electric cables limited the height of the lantern castles to about 7 to 8m. In recent years, the electric cables along Noshiro City's Route 101 were buried underground and the city started on a project to restore the gigantic castle floats to their original size in 2012 with the aim to promote tourism.</p><p>The following year, a castle float measuring exactly 17.6m was crafted based on the Meiji era photo and was named Karoku, in the memory of an Edo period carpenter Miyakoshi Karoku ( 宮腰嘉六 ) who had worked on the lanterns, thus reviving a century-old tradition. In 2014, an even taller record breaking castle float was created measuring 24.1m in height. It was named Chikasue, after the Sengoku era warlord <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And%C5%8D_Chikasue" target="_blank">Ando Chikasue</a> ( 安東愛季 ) who ruled northern Dewa Province from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiyama_And%C5%8D_Clan_Fortified_Residence_ruins" target="_blank">Hiyama Castle</a> located at Noshiro.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJOlvZvmkJCf0mLwPQcGTdl73I9p5sabSHvGNcNnik52z2m-xEmqrGwfND2sR_5qY6ImXBC29nY5UVABtS5EWbkk6OF_1IS7iHGkS96PxjlLqZXP9ShfcMd_NTvoHevIueukVYNOe-Ai_D0UGafdkGv5Hmt8aFaGnaWc0YHkwaomC0DOillbCUEcDSQ/s768/tenku_imgKaroku.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="510" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJOlvZvmkJCf0mLwPQcGTdl73I9p5sabSHvGNcNnik52z2m-xEmqrGwfND2sR_5qY6ImXBC29nY5UVABtS5EWbkk6OF_1IS7iHGkS96PxjlLqZXP9ShfcMd_NTvoHevIueukVYNOe-Ai_D0UGafdkGv5Hmt8aFaGnaWc0YHkwaomC0DOillbCUEcDSQ/w426-h640/tenku_imgKaroku.png" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Revived after more than a century :<br />Lantern Castle "Karoku" 17.6m<br />Photo : noshirotanabata.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFx_lZ9pBLc8eB24agaBvbwPDqqUlVMkvyYKtD7ra_guhE78wc2CoIXzogbKCsg_zhMDHEXzLraWfxkVjRXfPKZhzEEjQeC9v8YC312G5GJhF7DL0ZV0MqDMpShX03jaNAauiv0O6dbsrziEUTlnVDduaSo1GZlatJ_ypl__bAAXVZBppOuJ0QWyOhA/s768/tenku_imgChikasue-1.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="510" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFx_lZ9pBLc8eB24agaBvbwPDqqUlVMkvyYKtD7ra_guhE78wc2CoIXzogbKCsg_zhMDHEXzLraWfxkVjRXfPKZhzEEjQeC9v8YC312G5GJhF7DL0ZV0MqDMpShX03jaNAauiv0O6dbsrziEUTlnVDduaSo1GZlatJ_ypl__bAAXVZBppOuJ0QWyOhA/w426-h640/tenku_imgChikasue-1.png" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tallest in Japan : Lantern Castle " Chikasue " 24.1m<br />Photo : noshirotanabata.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>When night fell, the lantern castles were lit and paraded in the streets and the people chanted, danced and sang amidst the sound of taiko drums, cymbals and flutes as they pulled the floats around the city. These visually stunning illuminated floats are known as the Sky Castle That Never Sleeps ( 天空の不夜城 <i>tenku no fuyajo</i> ).</p><p>You can watch Noshiro's 2015 Tanabata Festival from demonstration footage used on Sharp's Aquos 4K TVs <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhgkqwjFq0E&t=2s" target="_blank">here</a> or below.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz-QVTmjFtXYBKf9B_cvPfQhVv3zitU_ii9svs0LApHfWJB4EicSxvOEuAZ9uqvX_BhtECHubHPsJbRJWGaig' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p>This video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHlE-q14XpQ" target="_blank">here</a> or below by Akita Shirakami Tourism shows the entire assembly process of castle floats " Chikasue " and " Karoku " in time lapse.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxZaaNA6KZETbAkguCT00-kIuO0VoOxBleYwE9FKkqQJWGQVvg_2hcVnImLquuXYSxCWt_kMTc7qzbi2HNbNQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Shachihoko</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The shachihoko is a mythical animal that has the head of a tiger and the body of a carp. It is almost always depicted facing the sky with its tail curled above its head. It is believed to have the power to cause the rain to fall and is therefore frequently found as a roof ornament on top of temples and castles which are mainly constructed of wood to protect them from fire. </p><p>The kanji or Chinese-styled character for the shachihoko is 鯱. It is made up of two distinct components 魚 ( fish ) and 虎 ( tiger ). So even in kanji it means tiger fish. We also frequently encounter it written in katagana form as シャチホコ. </p><p>Shachihokos are found all over Japan and not just in Noshiro City alone. Some shachihoko installed on a castle's tenshukaku or main keep can be huge, like those of the Nagoya Castle in Aichi Prefecture which inspired Noshiro's lantern floats. The shachihoko on top of the Chikasue lantern castle has a length of 5m while that of the Karoku measured 3m which means they are absolutely massive, making them instantly recognisable motifs of Noshiro City.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSoHrFAC6Cn4w9NxKjem0HcrVgaXrnv2LfMJug0ikbSSGuAmVUbzivqOKJ3_4W5Wmmbi29TrafZFexISTulEx6QQQTwZHHFIBqsIGDLeD2krfqhM02S3yXbvm4Z_qgRMLwcHz79C9VWRSZFl2p3LxyUcibY8rGyZIG6tyxy_SpMkliub99o_xkL-teQ/s2000/%E8%83%BD%E4%BB%A3%E4%B8%83%E5%A4%95%E5%A4%A9%E7%A9%BA%E3%81%AE%E4%B8%8D%E5%A4%9C%E5%9F%8E02-2000x1200.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="2000" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSoHrFAC6Cn4w9NxKjem0HcrVgaXrnv2LfMJug0ikbSSGuAmVUbzivqOKJ3_4W5Wmmbi29TrafZFexISTulEx6QQQTwZHHFIBqsIGDLeD2krfqhM02S3yXbvm4Z_qgRMLwcHz79C9VWRSZFl2p3LxyUcibY8rGyZIG6tyxy_SpMkliub99o_xkL-teQ/w640-h384/%E8%83%BD%E4%BB%A3%E4%B8%83%E5%A4%95%E5%A4%A9%E7%A9%BA%E3%81%AE%E4%B8%8D%E5%A4%9C%E5%9F%8E02-2000x1200.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multiple shachihokos on top of lantern float Chikasue's tenshukaku.<br />Photo : noshirotanabata.com</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><p>Four days ago a life-sized replica of Nagoya Castle's golden shachihoko or kin shachihoko was displayed at the central plaza of Hokkaido's New Chitose Airport Terminal 2 ( domestic terminal ) in a publicity blitz for tourism. It stands at more than 3m in height and is covered with more than 1800 pieces of gold foil! You can have an idea of its size when you compare it with the cabin attendents standing next to it. The kin shachihoko will be on display until 19th Aug 2022. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWT1txkLy6C9AG8qjGHV7PSBxyA3L2mnRSscxL6gK8_Xf48gUL1Wql5B_PEuD__AhpeTxCKhiVeVCht_iVrlU4U4QivrqImqC1dCT37LbUkYEpvaUmwvEGe2F6DJvS5UQOrSY3mAhnt-S_nS3L7Zj89sc8zy-H6zEXupjZ0IgIAm6rZr1SH0QB_1XdqA/s1280/Nogoyajou%20Shachihiko%20Shin%20Chitose%20Kuukou%202022%20Kyodoshi.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1280" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWT1txkLy6C9AG8qjGHV7PSBxyA3L2mnRSscxL6gK8_Xf48gUL1Wql5B_PEuD__AhpeTxCKhiVeVCht_iVrlU4U4QivrqImqC1dCT37LbUkYEpvaUmwvEGe2F6DJvS5UQOrSY3mAhnt-S_nS3L7Zj89sc8zy-H6zEXupjZ0IgIAm6rZr1SH0QB_1XdqA/w640-h428/Nogoyajou%20Shachihiko%20Shin%20Chitose%20Kuukou%202022%20Kyodoshi.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life-size replica : Nagoya Castle's Golden Shachikiko at <br />Hokkaido's New Chitose Airport T2. Photo : Kyodoshi</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>JS Noshiro's Logo Mark</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>According to JMSDF, the sachihoko is undoubtedly the guardian deity of Noshiro City's lantern castles. By incorporating it in the emblem of JS <b><i>Noshiro</i></b>, it is hoped that the shachihoko will similarly watch over the safety of the frigate and by extension be the protector of the entire Japanese nation and its people as well.</p><p>The rim of the emblem is supposed to represent " team effort " as the multi-mission frigates go on a crew-based manning system. JMSDF plans to rotate four teams of crew for every three frigates.</p><p>It was designed by Tadokoro Toshitake ( 田所俊威 ) of Saitama Prefecture.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-20569186275757313092022-06-23T21:36:00.000+08:002022-06-23T21:36:51.122+08:00JMSDF launches Multi-Mission Frigate JS Yahagi FFM-5 <p> </p><p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia7_Lc_BWlOAHBOwFEgRyEpf4OkhpY8z38Q0ZmuEqXRYQQdguTWth0zg7QjeLefylSBc1aeyulMcit7ky9QS5XK_lBkfm0mTACkItXLcHIq08mpjb7kY5GjTKBXJzvHBMBI5e8Jn0irhjMno0lyxwLHV6GLKLe_qArVi_aaGNi6XdAyeJyFVqSMhgR5Q/s1121/VC1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1121" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia7_Lc_BWlOAHBOwFEgRyEpf4OkhpY8z38Q0ZmuEqXRYQQdguTWth0zg7QjeLefylSBc1aeyulMcit7ky9QS5XK_lBkfm0mTACkItXLcHIq08mpjb7kY5GjTKBXJzvHBMBI5e8Jn0irhjMno0lyxwLHV6GLKLe_qArVi_aaGNi6XdAyeJyFVqSMhgR5Q/w640-h360/VC1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Launch of JS <b><i>Yahagi</i></b> ( FFM-5 ) at MHI's Nagasaki Shipyard</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ( JMSDF ) has launched its fifth <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/03/jack-of-all-trades-japans-mogami-class.html" target="_blank"><b><i>Mogami</i></b>-class</a> multi-mission frigate at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Nagasaki Shipyard this morning 23rd Jun 2022. The ship launching and naming ceremony was officiated by Deputy Defense Minister Iwamoto Tsuyohito ( 岩本剛人 ).</p><p>The frigate was named the <b style="font-style: italic;">Yahagi </b>( やはぎ ). Its namesake the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yahagi_River" target="_blank">Yahagigawa</a> is a Class A river that flows from the Southern Alps of Nagano through Gifu and Aichi. This is in accordance with the usual JMSDF tradition of naming its destroyers and frigates after mountains, rivers, localities and natural or meteorological phenomenon. </p><p>It would be the third Japanese naval vessel bearing that name with the first being the <b><i>Chikuma</i></b>-class protected cruiser <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cruiser_Yahagi_(1911)" target="_blank">IJNS <b><i>Yahagi</i></b> ( 1911 )</a> and the other the <b><i>Agano</i></b>-class light cruiser <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cruiser_Yahagi_(1942)" target="_blank">IJNS <b><i>Yahagi</i></b> ( 1942 )</a>.</p><p>In kanji characters Yahagi would be written as 矢矧 where 矢 means arrow and 矧 refers to the feather of the arrow.</p><p>You may watch the video of the launching ceremony courtesy of the JMSDF below :</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzSoRRPi0ffMVzLdJX4aFDq1PYgUrkblZvYjTIhAmAkkZvmMwnge4CLgrzHKuISN5aETXEABP1O_5q7j6wWkw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YABDw9NQxZY5Ig-wp2rwBswStcgU3gMtaoP7i17b2Ctm_GVpvgQZtJtZEsJGz1dIxXW1hPaYoDm1rKW0E31Ag7-FVACPR18E4ZgBPkzKYEEllQgY-WL0VP5TVSmqoN9NTFRxGBFcL0lEFT-hkLpMq_TFVfmNkNBiVbabzHRV7dpdaRFKCdpJhuJxOQ/s1122/VC8%20Deputy%20Defense%20minister%20Iwamoto%20Tsuyohito.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="1122" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YABDw9NQxZY5Ig-wp2rwBswStcgU3gMtaoP7i17b2Ctm_GVpvgQZtJtZEsJGz1dIxXW1hPaYoDm1rKW0E31Ag7-FVACPR18E4ZgBPkzKYEEllQgY-WL0VP5TVSmqoN9NTFRxGBFcL0lEFT-hkLpMq_TFVfmNkNBiVbabzHRV7dpdaRFKCdpJhuJxOQ/w640-h362/VC8%20Deputy%20Defense%20minister%20Iwamoto%20Tsuyohito.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deputy Defense Minister Iwamoto naming the vessel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YABDw9NQxZY5Ig-wp2rwBswStcgU3gMtaoP7i17b2Ctm_GVpvgQZtJtZEsJGz1dIxXW1hPaYoDm1rKW0E31Ag7-FVACPR18E4ZgBPkzKYEEllQgY-WL0VP5TVSmqoN9NTFRxGBFcL0lEFT-hkLpMq_TFVfmNkNBiVbabzHRV7dpdaRFKCdpJhuJxOQ/s1122/VC8%20Deputy%20Defense%20minister%20Iwamoto%20Tsuyohito.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEv_JG0ry-FvaT3Z03R_dUIwt5HcK3PtiSXtV1XsKCNL19Uw02P9yK6KlQvAR_MJro-Vp5ZrLsmpO6Um8OHmeAxLgnjTg9GezbO3DxJTM1tN0WX5Mnp3Hb4EheiTYlkSVjkccnADJqvcz1M10nMmKUSVJnBBuPpo9U2-ncTNATqFwH-fg6bN6bMdKNA/s1122/VC6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1122" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEv_JG0ry-FvaT3Z03R_dUIwt5HcK3PtiSXtV1XsKCNL19Uw02P9yK6KlQvAR_MJro-Vp5ZrLsmpO6Um8OHmeAxLgnjTg9GezbO3DxJTM1tN0WX5Mnp3Hb4EheiTYlkSVjkccnADJqvcz1M10nMmKUSVJnBBuPpo9U2-ncTNATqFwH-fg6bN6bMdKNA/w640-h360/VC6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ship naming manifesto signed by Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEv_JG0ry-FvaT3Z03R_dUIwt5HcK3PtiSXtV1XsKCNL19Uw02P9yK6KlQvAR_MJro-Vp5ZrLsmpO6Um8OHmeAxLgnjTg9GezbO3DxJTM1tN0WX5Mnp3Hb4EheiTYlkSVjkccnADJqvcz1M10nMmKUSVJnBBuPpo9U2-ncTNATqFwH-fg6bN6bMdKNA/s1122/VC6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZc4R7mtgVdu-9TzteHmTro7hgz5bRX0C9Vm284H98vgE3QDEDbTOUhsLgmrJQBtrKKSWlONyRWGhUiSzV1t7-6Svt2lZn8Tb7DfUQQT3-J-LdthDovE5EaGD8yvaQsyydu7nt7Tp-nwLR8PpS9vWcJKuyv06ZVPYhFppJEmjA9lCaGeTBfZhO_u32w/s1120/VC4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="1120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZc4R7mtgVdu-9TzteHmTro7hgz5bRX0C9Vm284H98vgE3QDEDbTOUhsLgmrJQBtrKKSWlONyRWGhUiSzV1t7-6Svt2lZn8Tb7DfUQQT3-J-LdthDovE5EaGD8yvaQsyydu7nt7Tp-nwLR8PpS9vWcJKuyv06ZVPYhFppJEmjA9lCaGeTBfZhO_u32w/w640-h360/VC4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yahagi written in hiragana form</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZc4R7mtgVdu-9TzteHmTro7hgz5bRX0C9Vm284H98vgE3QDEDbTOUhsLgmrJQBtrKKSWlONyRWGhUiSzV1t7-6Svt2lZn8Tb7DfUQQT3-J-LdthDovE5EaGD8yvaQsyydu7nt7Tp-nwLR8PpS9vWcJKuyv06ZVPYhFppJEmjA9lCaGeTBfZhO_u32w/s1120/VC4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKShNXJtSI4oXA9nPzYFJ-D8EoTyO0Id8KA2l-Vw3N7fDusKBKHmfsgLpZQGkkxHwCb-SzJEoWsO559wfeGb6rXIUuRbXnkNg7c3LWsyEEmJa3POfNaZ96eJRz1u-Y9zuhqua5-152inY8o4n0GYTkRqf88HdQA0LcERtawAsxGF72wsThhQg7JteQIA/s1122/VC5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1122" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKShNXJtSI4oXA9nPzYFJ-D8EoTyO0Id8KA2l-Vw3N7fDusKBKHmfsgLpZQGkkxHwCb-SzJEoWsO559wfeGb6rXIUuRbXnkNg7c3LWsyEEmJa3POfNaZ96eJRz1u-Y9zuhqua5-152inY8o4n0GYTkRqf88HdQA0LcERtawAsxGF72wsThhQg7JteQIA/w640-h358/VC5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sacred silver ship launching axe </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uzPYzJpM8YNKXh1KpNZQz5u3a8OJFKQMYQDoeLp4Sa2vOgJfINjC3iALBm0M0uzk8tG_8xcD4xB_dROp96hh4U4j20hR4VqoD-meFo6Ow688fwpFX-svHpal_zIWxmEOb2CGwBBOESgqySzL_7gP4tfcYEmYtqDUwmQovx2f6wIGWThBJC9P-RclFA/s1123/VC7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="1123" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uzPYzJpM8YNKXh1KpNZQz5u3a8OJFKQMYQDoeLp4Sa2vOgJfINjC3iALBm0M0uzk8tG_8xcD4xB_dROp96hh4U4j20hR4VqoD-meFo6Ow688fwpFX-svHpal_zIWxmEOb2CGwBBOESgqySzL_7gP4tfcYEmYtqDUwmQovx2f6wIGWThBJC9P-RclFA/w640-h360/VC7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cord cutting with silver axe by Minister Iwamoto</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-lrHrclbYhXknSVGgzpnIyQD4YE8T0DjiyVCX009iTbJ0jJt6PwWDjI7QfwqA8zSxrAcqFJy5lNRznL2NOVsc5SR07iA5YFvWtGcux85hpReGeQ8C-X_n3Jx21pFRqAomsxbMu4efG1yTK3YYtFcYXrxUJ3cznFn_iIH5mPX1eX4kYMJpXac7fFAKQ/s1121/VC2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1121" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-lrHrclbYhXknSVGgzpnIyQD4YE8T0DjiyVCX009iTbJ0jJt6PwWDjI7QfwqA8zSxrAcqFJy5lNRznL2NOVsc5SR07iA5YFvWtGcux85hpReGeQ8C-X_n3Jx21pFRqAomsxbMu4efG1yTK3YYtFcYXrxUJ3cznFn_iIH5mPX1eX4kYMJpXac7fFAKQ/w640-h360/VC2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Launch of JS Yahagi ( FFM-5 )</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQr0g-HJjilyqyndSAf6j9Ee4FbPYeLNBudoTNTj32ODmYs7QE8guyj7Iy4QLY127Mt9V-nnMWQYFxyIl-WbPm9mcHBbuFnfhTxv--xOZbIYDj9EqTI_oCHpz9ytyEmpNt4Pr8DKiHdUYWCeuuQ3RCb-vISQzcLIhpJlHVe8phE7G7_1c8qETrdXv1Q/s1121/VC3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="631" data-original-width="1121" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQr0g-HJjilyqyndSAf6j9Ee4FbPYeLNBudoTNTj32ODmYs7QE8guyj7Iy4QLY127Mt9V-nnMWQYFxyIl-WbPm9mcHBbuFnfhTxv--xOZbIYDj9EqTI_oCHpz9ytyEmpNt4Pr8DKiHdUYWCeuuQ3RCb-vISQzcLIhpJlHVe8phE7G7_1c8qETrdXv1Q/w640-h360/VC3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Launch of JS Yahagi ( FFM-5 )</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>The Yahagi was launched when the deputy defense minister cut the cord with the <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2020/11/warding-sea-monsters-and-demons-japans.html" target="_blank">sacred silver axe</a> that is supposed to help ward off evil for the ship and its crew. A flurry of confetti and balloons were released and the band started playing the <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/02/gunkan-machi-sprightly-japanese-naval.html" target="_blank">Warship March</a>.</p><p>The cost of the 3900 ton frigate was estimated to be JPY43billion. After being launched, the Yahagi will undergo system integration and sea trials and will be commissioned sometime in December 2023. It is the fifth out of a total of 22 frigates in the plans which Japan is managing to adhere to, so far. Ganbatte JMSDF!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-33550241426384647972022-04-26T18:10:00.009+08:002022-06-23T21:41:04.634+08:00Ukrainians Go Nuts Over Special Postage Stamp : Puchin ... Go Fcuk Your Mutter <p></p><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZyNZ1Fq2OyQDbESczBkEHsY92PyQgGoyrseBp_SVmAcN886u__TDBgzTXi59jmjQ4-l_AlaiK7DiEs7fKXnNNB9olnOJVhpES-MKfD098I2fXqq17-Ijbbuy7DTfRTlAn8RDsBDEnEB8ic-UmR2xlQeTBotMh0Yi8JLoj5fBld_zN1mqvVWLphGPLQ/s640/FQZjFcWWYAUWOIs.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="640" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZyNZ1Fq2OyQDbESczBkEHsY92PyQgGoyrseBp_SVmAcN886u__TDBgzTXi59jmjQ4-l_AlaiK7DiEs7fKXnNNB9olnOJVhpES-MKfD098I2fXqq17-Ijbbuy7DTfRTlAn8RDsBDEnEB8ic-UmR2xlQeTBotMh0Yi8JLoj5fBld_zN1mqvVWLphGPLQ/w640-h452/FQZjFcWWYAUWOIs.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Russian Warship, Go Fuck Yourself Stamp. Image : Ukrposhta</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>On 24th Feb 2022, the day when the illegal fullscale invasion of Ukraine by Russia had began, a small detachment of Ukrainian border guards stationed on the tiny <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_Island_(Black_Sea)" target="_blank">Zmiinyi Island</a> ( Snake Island ) in the Black Sea openly defied a call to surrender when confronted by the Russian missile cruiser <b><i>Moskva</i></b> and instead told the warship to go fuck itself. In doing so, they bravely risked death and destruction and the entire garrison was subsequently captured by the Russian forces.</p><p>The audio clip of that radio transmission was later released by a Ukranian government advisor and the courageous resistance of the soldiers in the face of an overwhelming enemy force quickly became known worldwide as the Snake Island Incident.</p><p>Now the <a href="https://www.ukrposhta.ua/en" target="_blank">Ukrainian Postal Service</a> ( Ukrposhta ) has issued a special stamp showing a Ukrainian soldier giving the finger to the <b><i>Moskva</i></b>. It became an instant hit with the Ukrainians with tens of thousands forming long queues at post offices just to buy this stamp. </p><p>Just a day after the stamp release, the <b><i>Moskva</i></b> would be severely damaged after being hit by Ukrainian shore-based anti-ship missiles ( ASM ). It eventually sank one day later with an untold number of casualties ... </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtUg8xwYpUk751vJfXYAU17Z60qkCOAaF4LF4wwkQrXqH3OnwdrdvQstyOeQBHBjO5ecti0iFJP8k0_NcdYNEfWqVnQHuWQGfAHoHER5i1fUiul8Z6YFbERusg5zGSmfqSZTYm9_zlCLDsSmvJoUlUgFdbKX1ojONGmxCONw4S8Id5REzGUT2ZQ5J_w/s1080/278446959_5066018220111458_2360528136611746987_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtUg8xwYpUk751vJfXYAU17Z60qkCOAaF4LF4wwkQrXqH3OnwdrdvQstyOeQBHBjO5ecti0iFJP8k0_NcdYNEfWqVnQHuWQGfAHoHER5i1fUiul8Z6YFbERusg5zGSmfqSZTYm9_zlCLDsSmvJoUlUgFdbKX1ojONGmxCONw4S8Id5REzGUT2ZQ5J_w/w640-h640/278446959_5066018220111458_2360528136611746987_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">President Volodymyr Zelensky with his stamp sheets<br />and autographed first day covers. Photo : Ukrposhta</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Most Extraordinary Stamp Issue</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>This " Russian Warship, Fuck You ...! " stamp issue is highly unusual. In my close to five decades of pursueing stamp collecting as a hobby, I must confess I had never seen anything like this. It is by philatelic standards exceedingly obscene.</p><p>As most of us know, the postal authorities are usually some kind of government controlled or affiliated organisation and they are mostly conservative when it comes to postage stamp designs. Common themes include plants and animals, important landmarks and scenery, famous people, historical events, artistic and cultural stuff ... all very prim and proper, sometimes to the point of being boring! They hardly ever contain offensive words or pictures. All that changed with the release of the Ukranian special. This is a watershed moment in the history of philately, make no mistake.</p><p>The profane hand gesture by the soldier is boldly illustrated in the stamp design and it was officially sanctioned by the postal service! Allowing a obscene image to be in public circulation on a stamp is simply unheard of in the past! Despite the indecent nature of the stamp design, the Ukranians embraced it and many rushed to the post offices to purchase this stamp on the first day of issue. </p><p>Just a million copies have been printed, a very small quantity for a country of 40 million people. Having said that, the normal print run for Ukrainian Post's special stamp issues typically range from only 20000 to 130000 copies. Despite a six fold increase in production, stocks of the " Russian warship, fuck you ... ! " were exhausted at the post offices within a few days and the Ukranian Postage Service's home page declared the stamp only available from online sales thereafter. However, till this day since the stamp release, the Ukrposhta online shop would never load when you clicked on the link, having fallen victim to Russian DDoS cyber attack. </p><p>The stamp issue comes in two denominations, F and W. Interestingly, the letter F did not stand for what I initially thought it could be. The F denomination has a face value of 23UAH ( Ukrainian Hryvni ) which is about USD0.77. It is used for domestic postage. The W denomination has a face value of USD1.50 and is used for international postage.</p><p>For those lucky enough to have laid their hands on this stamp, they will likely reap a tidy profit should they choose to resell. Prices are already quite wild on Ebay. Enterprising Ukrainians are listing the single W denomination stamp at US$75 and the entire block of six at US$445, shipping not included!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DJ-u3nMgfbEphygUz9Da39k8y9GZfc2m82fj3Cs_7esP4h4Q2X4MV5RDZxj5kSQGc3BcqU00HhDAp-NVz9Zow_k8x0lDyXLmhaDKeSmK8NhLE2lGDOmjd-zPTnrxqlfgof4M3Ns83Dxf5o5FGi1AAuytgnjYKyOkxQmHUlvBEcqSq41HKUpJAYPqrQ/s1080/275436384_4978935788819702_6338223834448985377_n%2012032022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DJ-u3nMgfbEphygUz9Da39k8y9GZfc2m82fj3Cs_7esP4h4Q2X4MV5RDZxj5kSQGc3BcqU00HhDAp-NVz9Zow_k8x0lDyXLmhaDKeSmK8NhLE2lGDOmjd-zPTnrxqlfgof4M3Ns83Dxf5o5FGi1AAuytgnjYKyOkxQmHUlvBEcqSq41HKUpJAYPqrQ/w640-h640/275436384_4978935788819702_6338223834448985377_n%2012032022.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The winning design, number 3 in a list of 20. <br />A gesture is worth a thousand words. Ukrposhta.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Winning Design</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Slightly more than a week after the Snake Island Incident on 1st Mar 2022, Ukrposhta announced a public contest for the sketch of a special stamp issue " Russian Warship Fuck You!". There were a total of more than 500 submissions and twenty designs made it to the final round. These were then put to the vote online on 12th Mar. The Ukrainians overwhelmingly voted for design number 3 by artist Boris Groh. It garnered 1756 out of 8000 votes from Facebook and Instagram users. You can see all of the 20 illustrations that made it to the final at the end of this article.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9nDKH79GIn_BAfJQ_PklK1fGkxeiCVHb_-sh3NLuGz9enHb5mE-1vLib3-pXE0-eIdrHsGCi5DlSjHxBPfwZEx_6Gx2utyYmHmveYh7eKORHMO-MdLq0DO4GFNKmKIh9cC7gsy3KAXjE5F2QAPH6jvZGICzaBMDdOAJW5jjdaVg7rAySmjiFpw9GwQ/s658/Boris%20Groh.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="658" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9nDKH79GIn_BAfJQ_PklK1fGkxeiCVHb_-sh3NLuGz9enHb5mE-1vLib3-pXE0-eIdrHsGCi5DlSjHxBPfwZEx_6Gx2utyYmHmveYh7eKORHMO-MdLq0DO4GFNKmKIh9cC7gsy3KAXjE5F2QAPH6jvZGICzaBMDdOAJW5jjdaVg7rAySmjiFpw9GwQ/w640-h638/Boris%20Groh.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boris Groh profile photo from Youtube.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Boris Groh is a professional artist who used to live in Yevpatoria, Crimea. When Russia invaded and annexed Crimea in 2014, he was forced to leave home and initially moved to Kyiv. He is currently based in Lviv. He mostly specialises in dark science-fiction and fantasy art and quite a number of his illustrations feature giant skeletons and monsters. Some of his previous works can be seen <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BorisGrohArt" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.artstation.com/borisgroh" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>According to Ukrposhta, when Boris Groh heard of the heroic defense of Snake Island by the Ukrainian military on the first day of the Russian invasion, he was so impressed that he decided to paint a picture to raise the morale and spirits of fellow Ukrainians as well as to draw the attention of foreigners who follow his art work on social media. It was completed in about 3 days and would have only taken 5 hours had he not been distracted by the news. He promptly submitted his artwork when the competition for the stamp design was announced and the rest, as they say, is history.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgucXvSHCSJw4kqcpmwcz-rZoye8S1tKWUA00nOPYmX3MdIFVD1TRFNdlIs1jlQhfNTeoI3oVEvsG0EkqySP9craKB8v0i6QaSeQg1RVw8SC9QfrWEAkotwget9X8d7E0Jz8AXHWmDnIWpAVcYOY77Hq6geuGCT1ag02iIINKbeJdyYEMkuUYFIsmyQ/s1280/Roman%20Hrybov%20U%20Defense%20Twitter%2029032022%20FPBiX6gXMBUlD46.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="863" data-original-width="1280" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgucXvSHCSJw4kqcpmwcz-rZoye8S1tKWUA00nOPYmX3MdIFVD1TRFNdlIs1jlQhfNTeoI3oVEvsG0EkqySP9craKB8v0i6QaSeQg1RVw8SC9QfrWEAkotwget9X8d7E0Jz8AXHWmDnIWpAVcYOY77Hq6geuGCT1ag02iIINKbeJdyYEMkuUYFIsmyQ/w640-h432/Roman%20Hrybov%20U%20Defense%20Twitter%2029032022%20FPBiX6gXMBUlD46.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roman Hrybov receiving an award for his bravery 29 Mar 2022.<br />Photo : Ukraine Defense<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u><br /></u></h4><div><u><br /></u></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Now Hear This ...</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The transcription of the exchange between Moskva and the defenders of Zmiinyi Island goes something like this :</p><p>Moskva : I am a Russian military ship. I propose you lay down your weapons immediately, to avoid bloodshed and unnecessary deaths. Otherwise you will be bombed.</p><p>Moskva : I repeat. I am a Russian military ship. I propose you lay down your arms or you will be hit. Do you copy.</p><p>Ukrainian : This is it. </p><p>Ukrainian : Or do we need to fuck them back off? </p><p>Ukrainian female : Might as well.</p><p>Ukrainian : Russian warship, go fuck yourself.</p><p>End of transmission</p><p>The original exchange was in Russian and can be heard in the video created by The Independent below.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxOXPMC9-4-Bi4YM7YPekqT3MDNMKMgPXu070YJeKli_ns_b51tMkJEkHvD_F1j-2f1rqkpI0ZhSqfI24iCVA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p>Contrary to what was erroneously reported initially, the thirteen soldiers on Snake Island were not killed by the bombardment which occurred after the ultimatum was issued. They were captured alive by the Russian Navy and were brought to Sevastopol in Russian controlled Crimea. Roman Hrybov, the soldier who uttered the now famous phrase, had to endure a month of imprisonment at an unknown jail where he was constantly starved and beaten by the prison guards. He was eventually repatriated to Ukraine via a prisoner swap but had lost 10kg of his body weight. On 29 Mar 2022 Hrybov even received a medal for his bravery, though he insisted that he is not a hero.</p><p><br /></p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXOeF2GsHbB8z4IHjhK5oYNw9wLMz4iXF0FwGLFgakzKhM45fBSIYIpiWuGsLz6PTlHwO16uK17Ggz2YWRWsEHpwqvIVZO75XsgcCA7rSeCrkgJvuyVVp0vXszMjfDqxOOKwhi0TM2lbrYimaCYniX9AHKpYBkt6XC4gpYEbCD89iZJOXaoThChPKWg/s960/276154675_5089804177732862_6635323611001149949_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="935" data-original-width="960" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXOeF2GsHbB8z4IHjhK5oYNw9wLMz4iXF0FwGLFgakzKhM45fBSIYIpiWuGsLz6PTlHwO16uK17Ggz2YWRWsEHpwqvIVZO75XsgcCA7rSeCrkgJvuyVVp0vXszMjfDqxOOKwhi0TM2lbrYimaCYniX9AHKpYBkt6XC4gpYEbCD89iZJOXaoThChPKWg/w640-h624/276154675_5089804177732862_6635323611001149949_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stamp sheets and first day covers autographed by Roman Htybov and <br />the director general of Ukrposhta Igor Smelyansky. Photo : Ukrposhta<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><h4><u><br /></u></h4><div><u><br /></u></div><h4><u>Russian Warship Go ... ! Glory To Heroes</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The official title of the special stamp issue when translated to English is " Russian warship go ... ! Glory to heroes! ". The title is printed in both the Ukrainian and English language on the margins of the stamp sheet together with stylised illustration of a voice transmission. Of course all the " traffic light " sheet markings used by the colour printing process are also there, except that they take the form of the Ukrainian Crest and are not in the usual round shape. </p><p>The colour scheme of the stamp design closely resembled the state colours of Ukraine with the soldier standing on a yellowish looking ground and the warship off-shore with the blue sea and sky as the background. From the point of finalising the design, Ukrposhta had exactly one month to get it ready for release. The stamps are printed in sheets of six and a first day cover bearing the same design as the stamp is also on sale for 6UAH. A special postmark depicting the outline of Snake Island was commissioned for use on the first day of stamp issue on 12 Apr 2022.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApytOf19oRGtePxZo1nss2tfHVQaat1CIt7-M_VchZpoNIn1FVKuk2IZ1QIwNhBj80Akdthcu6VYOjQfYeHTM_2Nwld1wCvHjQmMzjOKw3YWxGFSyGEmB0ZSoSMeXcX2-e0FCDUHGfVWjsrQ_b9JsBHpLcUDqWC-o5r3_KP0s7cxPve6cLzTlym-ZIQ/s394/Postmark.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="394" height="572" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApytOf19oRGtePxZo1nss2tfHVQaat1CIt7-M_VchZpoNIn1FVKuk2IZ1QIwNhBj80Akdthcu6VYOjQfYeHTM_2Nwld1wCvHjQmMzjOKw3YWxGFSyGEmB0ZSoSMeXcX2-e0FCDUHGfVWjsrQ_b9JsBHpLcUDqWC-o5r3_KP0s7cxPve6cLzTlym-ZIQ/w640-h572/Postmark.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Special first day of issue postmark depicting outline of Snake Island</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhfTJxLsXWdaAYVwoD43XM5HxtgNG6BzFtykHNONhH7IE76r0D-AD34TZQPZMGtG_bz8Fy2QdyOnS8MRyeh9l9bsqy8Y6_2g0dfqXPUBx_lpu2VwRBgSXAEahRmrugmuQjfAWzH4v7e9lupURcc-kTxCUorjOUMVMnCQcYAhOpiI0h99eIqwqzTRX9g/s2048/7667.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhfTJxLsXWdaAYVwoD43XM5HxtgNG6BzFtykHNONhH7IE76r0D-AD34TZQPZMGtG_bz8Fy2QdyOnS8MRyeh9l9bsqy8Y6_2g0dfqXPUBx_lpu2VwRBgSXAEahRmrugmuQjfAWzH4v7e9lupURcc-kTxCUorjOUMVMnCQcYAhOpiI0h99eIqwqzTRX9g/w480-h640/7667.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smelyansky (L) and Hrybov autographing first day covers.<br /> Photo : Ukrposhta<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>On the first day of issue at Kiev's Central Post Office, Ukrposhta's director general Igor Smelyansky could be seen autographing first day covers with Roman Hrybov. There were long queues at post offices all over Ukraine as the ordinary folks just wanted to have the stamp that mocked Russia. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFi6mPfdZvd-R3PCnPEsHuMwPsCqZNRUQoAOcjIjsE9gAK1q42vFnbM5KozDSbG3Lx8_v6uBxDj78m3KQY6M6UguwU3l3Lq8JjxUvJzE1ClFamX6cO0QNTtk_-cJ3sVAHuge1Z-msWsPG2bU7miaLSSXxtTo2ERETi6-NSXFf2Zjy8N8ScZTOEen68g/s2048/276139809_5071466559566624_505618817372442772_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1519" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFi6mPfdZvd-R3PCnPEsHuMwPsCqZNRUQoAOcjIjsE9gAK1q42vFnbM5KozDSbG3Lx8_v6uBxDj78m3KQY6M6UguwU3l3Lq8JjxUvJzE1ClFamX6cO0QNTtk_-cJ3sVAHuge1Z-msWsPG2bU7miaLSSXxtTo2ERETi6-NSXFf2Zjy8N8ScZTOEen68g/w474-h640/276139809_5071466559566624_505618817372442772_n.jpg" width="474" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long queues at Kyiv's Central Post Office to buy<br />the Russian Ship Special. Photo : Ukrposhta FB</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Here's what Smelyansky had to say about the " Russian Warship, Fuck You " stamp issue. "Ukrainian philately during war is a reflection of the events experienced by our state and our people. The phrase that inspired us to create the postage stamp has already become a symbol of indomitability of the AFU, the volunteers, the territorial defense, all Ukrainians in the fight for their land and the independence of Ukraine. I am sure that Ukrainians and our friends from abroad will be pleased to receive letters with such a postage stamp. And today in this postal way we once again remind the invaders that they should immediately get off our land and follow their ship." </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjClzPGGPkrcLHMwW7BELZJ6_ziILU5Z1EUNUcCsuct36DBVjSZ1GgVPVvft5plJCqAXAXA7tTfXNSyGi5Ok7F7jbWjC3r81CM03TWbJEJ_GZMXZict_NzWKZzaM0JGhqq2GoMeNlt4xQfr6FWYu_wNTmHvMdZG8tQ-GF03l9Mj2ENyF3q0_Ujr9u_QrQ/s5472/We_Stand_with_Ukraine_2022_Helsinki_-_Finland_(51905452481)%20wiki.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjClzPGGPkrcLHMwW7BELZJ6_ziILU5Z1EUNUcCsuct36DBVjSZ1GgVPVvft5plJCqAXAXA7tTfXNSyGi5Ok7F7jbWjC3r81CM03TWbJEJ_GZMXZict_NzWKZzaM0JGhqq2GoMeNlt4xQfr6FWYu_wNTmHvMdZG8tQ-GF03l9Mj2ENyF3q0_Ujr9u_QrQ/w640-h426/We_Stand_with_Ukraine_2022_Helsinki_-_Finland_(51905452481)%20wiki.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Demonstrators at Helsinki 26th Mar 2022. Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Already, people all over the world are picking up that phrase and giving Russians the verbal abuse that only they deserve as invaders, murderers, barbarians and mother fuckers. <div><br /></div><div>You might have heard of the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/captain-refuses-refuel-russian-ship-b2025145.html" target="_blank">Georgian maintenance ship</a> whose first mate not only refused to provide fuel but told the requesting Russian ship to go fuck itself. Fucking invaders, added the captain. When the Russian asked what happens if he ran out of fuel, he was told to use his oars! This incident likely inspired stamp designs Number 15, 17 and 20. ( See end of article for illustrations ) </div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7SbMb3vhrneSCbT2D-iMjU_ACN02vB8WDXCq10vS77ULwVQFqjQmVKBc5pQmvQ7JFQ2IaDzhUpi4KPXWvS4oGdhISWsPh7lh6AxHq7Rcw0mB5UkKJ6zyW11AXDS4iiEGXUuAkZCOBa8Q92gDFLQ3bnvP1JNOItkFHISm37KDJtsE4OSwwaXQAOdkOw/s2048/276165249_5068620683184545_8013026592732542698_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1073" data-original-width="2048" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7SbMb3vhrneSCbT2D-iMjU_ACN02vB8WDXCq10vS77ULwVQFqjQmVKBc5pQmvQ7JFQ2IaDzhUpi4KPXWvS4oGdhISWsPh7lh6AxHq7Rcw0mB5UkKJ6zyW11AXDS4iiEGXUuAkZCOBa8Q92gDFLQ3bnvP1JNOItkFHISm37KDJtsE4OSwwaXQAOdkOw/w640-h336/276165249_5068620683184545_8013026592732542698_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stamp and first day cover auction on Prozorro. Image : Ukrposhta</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Real Benefits For The AFU </u></h4><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Even before the dust had settled from the stampede for the Russian Warship stamps, Ukrposhta had already conducted an auction for the first day covers autographed by Roman Hrybov and Ukrposhta Director General Igor Smelyansky. It was conducted through the Ukrainian government's online public procurement / tender platform <a href="https://prozorro.gov.ua/en" target="_blank">Prozorro</a> on 22 Apr 2022. After several rounds of contested bidding, the winning bid, submitted by a certain Luis Perez, was 5 million UAH ( US$165300 ) and all proceeds would go to the Armed Forces of Ukraine ( AFU ) to fund the war effort.<br /><br />More autions have been planned for the future with first day covers autographed by the Commander-In-Chief of the AFU General Valerii Zaluzhnyi.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdiYH2bFes-AMjA3YH4a3bAycEYKqGKUzB3NB3z7oYmZAq7LMFDzeVJGcho2nVSjh2uegg8NwI939nYPTVAemk2Yls3nbiTFIcy0U6ZF74F6LEgWP2biGqoh0ErXv24HDuGKWkst0LN-iE7JBggjeGVhNBpJSho54Qe6rzdrLYYdzzZhhba6MO-7vFA/s1920/Russian_cruiser_Moskva%202012%20wiki.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="950" data-original-width="1920" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdiYH2bFes-AMjA3YH4a3bAycEYKqGKUzB3NB3z7oYmZAq7LMFDzeVJGcho2nVSjh2uegg8NwI939nYPTVAemk2Yls3nbiTFIcy0U6ZF74F6LEgWP2biGqoh0ErXv24HDuGKWkst0LN-iE7JBggjeGVhNBpJSho54Qe6rzdrLYYdzzZhhba6MO-7vFA/w640-h316/Russian_cruiser_Moskva%202012%20wiki.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <b><i>Moskva</i></b> in a 2012 file photo. Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Moskva Fucked</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_cruiser_Moskva" target="_blank">Moskva</a></i></b> is a guided missile cruiser of the Russian Navy commissioned in 1983. It was previously known as the <b><i>Slava</i></b> but was renamed <b><i>Moskva</i></b> ( meaning Moscow ) in 1995. It was the flag ship of the Russian <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sea_Fleet" target="_blank">Black Sea Fleet</a>. Only three such cruisers had been built and they are monstrous with a full load displacement of 11490 tons and a complement of 510 officers and enlisted personnel.</p><p>Late on 13th Apr 2002 just a day after the special stamp was issued, the <b><i>Moskva</i></b> was at a location 180km south of Odessa when it was hit by two, possibly more, land-based Ukrainian RK-360MC Neptune ASM. The missile strike started a fire which could not be controlled and could have caused secondary explosions involving the ship's ammunition stores. The <b><i>Moskva</i></b> subsequently sank the next day while being towed to port.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdB77yqFwAdwFZjt_MiiRpEeRKpxrn6OuPs7IvuX9DvYIpBZVhsvx9jXwJakFPh4TBgZUapfkcPH1HHFVlf7Q34F_JC0HHxJTF1ekFZ5czr1p8zmlF71smNU_xhiRy6FZvRN8mVktLDm-s7lemzqfMcKdkCsLgm7IVjjTWHGoPhdhROTZezPjCSje0Tg/s849/FQlEjIoXwAYLYpS%202.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="849" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdB77yqFwAdwFZjt_MiiRpEeRKpxrn6OuPs7IvuX9DvYIpBZVhsvx9jXwJakFPh4TBgZUapfkcPH1HHFVlf7Q34F_JC0HHxJTF1ekFZ5czr1p8zmlF71smNU_xhiRy6FZvRN8mVktLDm-s7lemzqfMcKdkCsLgm7IVjjTWHGoPhdhROTZezPjCSje0Tg/w640-h320/FQlEjIoXwAYLYpS%202.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <b><i>Moskva</i></b> burning and listing to port. Photo : Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Russia never wanted to admit that its cruiser was hit by missiles. It claimed that an ammunition fire onboard had damaged the ship and it could not be contained. The cruiser sank in stormy weather when being towed. Casualty figures were not released by the Russian Navy until 23rd Apr 2022, almost 10 days after the incident, with 1 dead and 27 missing. 396 sailors were rescued. </p><p>The leaked photograph of the burning and heavily listing <b><i>Moska</i></b> was consistent with the damage that one would expect from missile strike(s), according to expert analysts such as H I Sutton of the CovertShores fame. This was later corroborated by a senior Pentagon official who said that the cruiser was hit by two Ukranian Neptune missiles. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZnUDai1n0APCwMJkr3nNYE2UeLw1NoWSD6ok2g5Sn6Vy5tUmn_ALtE7k8vew8bNXhxiMnCxc-LpbXCyYcdofEauWuYm2TzI_yY4o4ngMIM4Th9FNaJvnKF_T3Z-FRbgB9mddVNrVLtllImVMgwbl8RxBoOXqgkWnF_HXm3udQfYWp7UoMrXLEniG1A/s1023/FQdNQ7gXMAETi2q%20@Capt_Navy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="1023" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZnUDai1n0APCwMJkr3nNYE2UeLw1NoWSD6ok2g5Sn6Vy5tUmn_ALtE7k8vew8bNXhxiMnCxc-LpbXCyYcdofEauWuYm2TzI_yY4o4ngMIM4Th9FNaJvnKF_T3Z-FRbgB9mddVNrVLtllImVMgwbl8RxBoOXqgkWnF_HXm3udQfYWp7UoMrXLEniG1A/w640-h360/FQdNQ7gXMAETi2q%20@Capt_Navy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ukrainian RK-360MC Neptun ASM at a glance. <br />Image : @Capt_Navy via Twitter</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R-360_Neptune" target="_blank">Neptune ASM</a> is a Ukraine designed and manufactured subsonic, sea-skimmimg anti-ship missile based on the Soviet-era <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kh-35" target="_blank">KH-35 missile</a> ( NATO reporting name AS-20 Kayak ). The KH-35 is also known as the Harpoonski as it resembled the US Harpoon ASM both in external appearance and functionality. <div><br /></div><div>It was developed by the Kyiv based Luch Design Bureau from 2013 and was problematic as it suffered from chronic lack of funding. Despite these hurdles, the first successful flight tests were conducted in 2018 and the Neptune coastal defense system was officially accepted for service in late 2020. The missile has a maximum range of 280km and has radar-homing for terminal guidance. It carried a 150kg warhead and was designed to defeat frigates and destroyers up to 5000 tons in displacement.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEV29yEF93hd2C7UpgrmdzUaoI8bK90cipbqL4UvpwATWgGHy79n394SUCB7cOBtImmYoA0alcAiePaRi6KHAvcmb2iZ0nWT5i0hEFUYNPPti3rddwsM9C2zWAw-ZuZLT6GX9lhHXuoG96OH5wcyJNa9McAHBkSZ2Knbj6v5gU33Ia4Bxic9hfrXT8rA/s1666/Neptun%20prototype%20USPU-360%20wiki.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1103" data-original-width="1666" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEV29yEF93hd2C7UpgrmdzUaoI8bK90cipbqL4UvpwATWgGHy79n394SUCB7cOBtImmYoA0alcAiePaRi6KHAvcmb2iZ0nWT5i0hEFUYNPPti3rddwsM9C2zWAw-ZuZLT6GX9lhHXuoG96OH5wcyJNa9McAHBkSZ2Knbj6v5gU33Ia4Bxic9hfrXT8rA/w640-h424/Neptun%20prototype%20USPU-360%20wiki.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neptune ASM USPU-360 mobile launcher with quad canisters. Wikipedia<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>That the Ukrainian Armed Forces could have conducted a successful missile strike on the <b><i>Moskva</i></b> already defied comprehension as the Russian cruiser was supposed to have a multi-tiered air defense system to protect not only itself but other friendly naval assets in the immediate area of operations from aerial threats. It had the long range <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-300_missile_system" target="_blank">S-300F Triumf</a> surface to air missile in 8x8 cell VLS, the short range <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9K33_Osa" target="_blank">OSA-M</a> ( SA-N-4 Gecko ) missile and 6 x <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AK-630" target="_blank">AK-630</a> CIWS as the last line of defense. </div><div><br /></div><div>With sometimes less than a minute of warning from the discovery of an inbound ASM to the warhead striking home, defeating such hostile threats required the immediate execution of preset missile drills that had been rehearsed countless times in the past. There is simply no time to think. Speculation is rife that the Russian sailors were either caught napping or were just not prepared or trained well enough for this type of attack.</div><div><br /></div><div>Having said that, a warship as large as the <b><i>Moskva</i></b> could probably survive one or two hits from anti-ship missiles provided the missiles did not strike any critical infrastructure and that the damage mitigation effort is excellent. The rapid sinking of the <b><i>Moskva</i></b> was really unexpected and could be due to a combination of bad luck such as the missile striking ammunition stores and poor fire fighting and damage control. </div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, before this incident the Russians had believed the Moskva was unsinkable so much so that the Russian Orthodox Church placed a relic of utmost importance, a fragment of the True Cross, within the ship's chapel. Whether this ancient artefact made it out with the survivors of the doomed cruiser remained to be seen.</div><div><br /></div><div>The loss of the the <b><i>Moskva</i></b> which bears the name of the Russian capital city to puny Ukraine was a tremendous humiliation for Putin. It is a BIG deal as the last time the Russian Navy lost a flagship in battle was in 1905 during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tsushima" target="_blank">Battle of Tsushima</a> ( 対馬沖海戦 <i>tsushima oki kaisen </i>) where the battleship <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_battleship_Knyaz_Suvorov" target="_blank">Knyaz Suvorov</a></i></b>, flagship of the Imperial Russian Navy's Second Pacific Squadron was destroyed by Japanese torpedo boats. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was estimated that the Black Sea Fleet had lost a third of its combat capabilities with the <b><i>Moskva</i></b> gone. Currently its biggest surface combatants are 3 frigates and with the <a href="https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2022/02/26/7326166/" target="_blank">Bosphorus Straits closed</a> to the Russian Navy there would be no immediate replacement possible for the sunken crusier. Forbes Ukraine had estimated the value of the <b><i>Moskva</i></b> at USD$750 million. That price obviously did not include the cost of the yet untold number of Russian lives lost with the ship. With such a calamity befalling on the Black Sea Fleet, Putin as the commander-in-chief did not bother to visit Sevastopol where the Fleet HQ is located to check on the survivors. He does not even pretend to show concern for the well being and the lives of his own soldiers. It's probably only a matter of time before he is, uhm, fucked out of office. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaL-FVhxQfxsmtsDaA2G0ssYzlq2maAYRT2R5T51QXyWO_vxh-wYK4NVfxexwow-qoVAzoGk5hCdAGhZP049OGCMiu_Qd8_xeemiNIhq5yzV-BWDrpwm_m13-FlTj3n3x5bNQcHHFf4OhDGmwvof6Eup7hr3guMLMxe0xbH5pAwsqix-0V479VBCBUg/s1600/FQtR_pHWQAoUR5-%20U%20Defense%20twitter.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaL-FVhxQfxsmtsDaA2G0ssYzlq2maAYRT2R5T51QXyWO_vxh-wYK4NVfxexwow-qoVAzoGk5hCdAGhZP049OGCMiu_Qd8_xeemiNIhq5yzV-BWDrpwm_m13-FlTj3n3x5bNQcHHFf4OhDGmwvof6Eup7hr3guMLMxe0xbH5pAwsqix-0V479VBCBUg/w640-h360/FQtR_pHWQAoUR5-%20U%20Defense%20twitter.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nobody fucks with the Ukrainian farmer. Image : Ukrainian Farmy.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>What Ukrainians Really Wanted To Say</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>When the 2022 invasion of Ukraine began 8 weeks ago, no military analyst worth his salt or any of the major Western powers had given Ukraine any chance of resisting the Russian troops for more than a few days at best. The Americans even offered to evacuate Volodymyr Zelensky from his capital but the resolute President of Ukraine refused and instead said that what he needed was ammunition, not a ride. The will of the Ukrainian people to defend their homeland and the strong leadership by the Ukranian government ensured that the Russian invaders got bogged down and were inflicted with heavy losses. They had overcome all odds to have not only fought and survived for 2 months but to counterattack and drove the Russians out especially in the vicinity of Kyiv and northern Ukraine.</p><p>Ukrainians take great pride in defying the Russians in everyway possible and have embraced heroes like the fabled MiG-29 fighter pilot only known as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_of_Kyiv" target="_blank">Ghost of Kyiv</a> who had supposedly shot down quite a number of Russian aircraft and ordinary soldiers like Roman Hrybov who valiantly stood up against tyranny in the face of adversity, in the process becoming a national sensation. <b><i>It is always a pleasure to show the Russians the Middle finger.</i></b></p><p>This " Russian Warship .. Go Fuck Yourself " phrase had caught the attention of the entire world and had immediately become the rallying war cry for Ukrainians in their fight for survival and freedom. The issuance of the special stamp further consolidated the global awareness of this unusually defiant statement which came from a small group of Ukranian defenders of an island in the Black Sea that nobody had heard of before. </p><p>The fact that the <b><i>Moskva</i></b> had been sunk barely two days after the stamp issueing was most probably coincidental, but it was payback time for the destruction of the facilities on Zmiinyi Island and the ill treatment of the captured border guards. Ukrainians are now clamouring for Ukrposhta to issue Putin stamps, with the hope that a similar prophecy can be fulfilled. I believe Ukrainians are just too restrained to put it down in ink or print but what they really wanted to say is <b><i>Puchin ..... Go Fcuk Your Mutter</i></b>. </p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0OGBaZ1K73d_fZ5JEp6rdoHDCWdjVhiRGktxoOorZ-3mNi6u80XOn75uvJkQRqqcj4nK0vsk1Q3AugQvaSPtW4u5ZT-7Kvoobez0ZbM9IWkWwKeaubLJwJA3ZeIbpiwSLp_7Dmu556vhoYK3b0mkMF_j6tNRXIwFNqRf3iymIY-jCnqj26Lf4uJIVDA/s1080/275289409_4970593152987299_4311985968050878760_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0OGBaZ1K73d_fZ5JEp6rdoHDCWdjVhiRGktxoOorZ-3mNi6u80XOn75uvJkQRqqcj4nK0vsk1Q3AugQvaSPtW4u5ZT-7Kvoobez0ZbM9IWkWwKeaubLJwJA3ZeIbpiwSLp_7Dmu556vhoYK3b0mkMF_j6tNRXIwFNqRf3iymIY-jCnqj26Lf4uJIVDA/w640-h640/275289409_4970593152987299_4311985968050878760_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy34IXnk4bEUs6xxtj82tlUMxCCq-qYA-PJrQ6OCVQ3_xPvLAvOMa__dgdxuIElUhE6bk6IYpjo92M3DIU0dwMokrSEBez9UDbOlhVxXfU4N-TnaU2vsZYaQI-BPRm90n9NSpFGHSLR1YpSUlh_v3d0RmD4ot53QMFdb-8NKARvpAMsbpJxLIo2xeuKQ/s1080/274999947_4970597676320180_536080651320678194_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6gGu5EGcdOr8gHNDdtwAzA9867SUs8venJU7lFcRji9fqZXgMkkk62CMhxLnqm2X6p6AcrP8b2mf6wxixbHsxgHB9XdpCpCyewBF_SgQIsRcH7ujYvAHrF53hqgXGaw0MEA5f44H-THDN0NPDJjqdkAZiGK8lLEjkNLXXJBvfUiwqSTO912PfbFetfw/w640-h640/275379319_4970701012976513_295762715194081861_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwP8Px6GCX11MgjObMPxJFz2bTFucOi-b3ffQgLzFDZyC0XzAHkiNDeYfhieAvv1dAkJhghDNBHEm_JS3Ir2qbp4DVQKhw1RDTmpgPIm_La5hX3vZAIMui93X929FlNVQaId6fzA-dqYhG-8PrJ8zt-VcYXmswD6KRqTzNNXwAGI_0VuUokplZCaV7FQ/s1080/275128163_4970704562976158_8688038195315857222_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwP8Px6GCX11MgjObMPxJFz2bTFucOi-b3ffQgLzFDZyC0XzAHkiNDeYfhieAvv1dAkJhghDNBHEm_JS3Ir2qbp4DVQKhw1RDTmpgPIm_La5hX3vZAIMui93X929FlNVQaId6fzA-dqYhG-8PrJ8zt-VcYXmswD6KRqTzNNXwAGI_0VuUokplZCaV7FQ/w640-h640/275128163_4970704562976158_8688038195315857222_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOGyYsN0StRuyeMqknRrOHUeSbd-ZJuQiWoYpMugyur4UXyRmzLd07knxvzAlOGxfsaMLQpaE693HtSQmq4-DVV0KeOsg-Ki2Bnrq4zCCVKnOMOyMk7Z1DB2qxeB14qoJPahEcx3ZMnjs4TX1X7jZ0OroM9c0XnUshLJxOrA32oLAHnpA3DLY2d3fXQ/s1000/274941788_4970706136309334_4172820845193443406_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOGyYsN0StRuyeMqknRrOHUeSbd-ZJuQiWoYpMugyur4UXyRmzLd07knxvzAlOGxfsaMLQpaE693HtSQmq4-DVV0KeOsg-Ki2Bnrq4zCCVKnOMOyMk7Z1DB2qxeB14qoJPahEcx3ZMnjs4TX1X7jZ0OroM9c0XnUshLJxOrA32oLAHnpA3DLY2d3fXQ/w640-h640/274941788_4970706136309334_4172820845193443406_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><br /> <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div></div>Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-13475817777918660552022-03-09T22:24:00.003+08:002022-04-30T23:56:53.054+08:00Japan's Cutting Edge Lithium Powered Submarine JS Taigei Commissioned<p> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCJGhAUZKCMxhm5xy6p8m2J5WHIwiL7iTMtMdi7VaXqmTmFbFwXfUjHE6HwZUCPcrD8UFowrB6igNzFdN7XDV-kEe-cx1FafY7M_meC7rzlqKONWTXMq0LSqH3VRr3yCGQWZgRfRdYm6TaYKbKk5lehsAw-3a2_Q4YYqUsGBm0i7VY3BY1zNcMQzB9Bg=s3000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCJGhAUZKCMxhm5xy6p8m2J5WHIwiL7iTMtMdi7VaXqmTmFbFwXfUjHE6HwZUCPcrD8UFowrB6igNzFdN7XDV-kEe-cx1FafY7M_meC7rzlqKONWTXMq0LSqH3VRr3yCGQWZgRfRdYm6TaYKbKk5lehsAw-3a2_Q4YYqUsGBm0i7VY3BY1zNcMQzB9Bg=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><p>The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ( JMSDF ) had commissioned its most advanced submarine the JS Taigei earlier today. The <b><i>Taigei</i></b> ( たいげい ) which means big whale is the succesor to the Soryu-class of hunter-killer submarine that is currently the backbone of JMSDF's underwater fleet.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-zyB3IZBFUqJHFnYeNmJDqdqx8rvI85rNAqkWYVz3HfgRShNYE-qUc-2lfn4ofetvNsxEFFQwFylFUnAo-IqqPjtRjM01yPVvG-402K0Q4M5rxgVmXkR8a3IxFa16dW2gPx7us9Gc7ihnC6EJ2wVZIX5ZZbwYdcWR5GzNqpZuQPp6aKCGJYjvYD_qLQ=s3000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-zyB3IZBFUqJHFnYeNmJDqdqx8rvI85rNAqkWYVz3HfgRShNYE-qUc-2lfn4ofetvNsxEFFQwFylFUnAo-IqqPjtRjM01yPVvG-402K0Q4M5rxgVmXkR8a3IxFa16dW2gPx7us9Gc7ihnC6EJ2wVZIX5ZZbwYdcWR5GzNqpZuQPp6aKCGJYjvYD_qLQ=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaKvcnBkN_XBFKJ3Kzfpck0-uAuts8L1RQKjjsE8SBfgRYALYsa3HPGnerXrioeqNmkQpTq7ieAIBtxGEbChIkVtmYMu1K34NBLPzWU3ZZTvPJbCEmFpcLMItAW4w53R8bsOC7wltI3gYPF14K5LxU4BJq55N5BNwhw7qCdHQNzMizcTpQ9OpqBoNiHw=s3000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaKvcnBkN_XBFKJ3Kzfpck0-uAuts8L1RQKjjsE8SBfgRYALYsa3HPGnerXrioeqNmkQpTq7ieAIBtxGEbChIkVtmYMu1K34NBLPzWU3ZZTvPJbCEmFpcLMItAW4w53R8bsOC7wltI3gYPF14K5LxU4BJq55N5BNwhw7qCdHQNzMizcTpQ9OpqBoNiHw=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDafVwgM7X5Xd-nMfvai2emxuQOWBcsFjBtsVIyb8RpbHRXTPZaa2-5ZN15-U98gEpsIKoPQ5kxLgmA2EcKkk2iXpc2Hh3pZO2iaB5GFuuzOjz9yjhxc-Vk00-5Q4Up_ZV8H90Zm1PRha8l6VuPOPEEZoLMVOfhgm66zmW6j_U0Qnlf6PY2TN4dQ7uOg=s4096" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2731" data-original-width="4096" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDafVwgM7X5Xd-nMfvai2emxuQOWBcsFjBtsVIyb8RpbHRXTPZaa2-5ZN15-U98gEpsIKoPQ5kxLgmA2EcKkk2iXpc2Hh3pZO2iaB5GFuuzOjz9yjhxc-Vk00-5Q4Up_ZV8H90Zm1PRha8l6VuPOPEEZoLMVOfhgm66zmW6j_U0Qnlf6PY2TN4dQ7uOg=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx2I9rKcn9tygZgT0oQppL66cnRbfm1ihE5m4UW2MNuJGTmxyL-XHn9quNLVCAjbsBQ-8GPUF5wERB93J3VCQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-84339785921824707502021-12-30T17:39:00.006+08:002022-01-04T18:18:41.822+08:004th Japanese Multi-Mission Frigate JS Mikuma Launched + Glimpse Of JS Mogami Close-up<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSA9ak9JVv9ipzpcF4CgAjBlJD-ByRqZhSGC7rYop9Mn3gk8PagoKxfYrXxb5fpZAdiFvWspeiFEkMT178EVKEdBSUpbjfTV4Oflt_8VbCq1mDDhofpqXNBWM89sUOd9HaHOAQwIBr6GAvQF5sAPy0_HO97uN2ncCq0X1n51fUmtEqVn3bB7lHQZ6blg=s1200" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSA9ak9JVv9ipzpcF4CgAjBlJD-ByRqZhSGC7rYop9Mn3gk8PagoKxfYrXxb5fpZAdiFvWspeiFEkMT178EVKEdBSUpbjfTV4Oflt_8VbCq1mDDhofpqXNBWM89sUOd9HaHOAQwIBr6GAvQF5sAPy0_HO97uN2ncCq0X1n51fUmtEqVn3bB7lHQZ6blg=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FFM-4 JS <b><i>Mikuma</i></b> prior to being launched. Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p><p>The fourth <b><i>Mogami</i></b>-class multi-mission frigate built for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has been launched at Mitsubishi Heavy Industry's Nagasaki Shipyard on 10th Dec 2021. It is named the JS <b><i>Mikuma</i></b> ( みくま ) and has the pennant number FFM-4. In kanji characters mikuma would be written as 三隈.</p><p>The name is derived from the Mikuma River of Kyushu's Oita Prefecture, which is consistent with Japanese MOD's policy of naming destroyers and frigates after natural phenomena, mountains, rivers and localities. The source of the Mikuma River could be traced to the northern slopes of the active volcano Mt Aso and it would continue as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chikugo_River" target="_blank">Chikugo River</a> as it flows westwards all the way to the Ariake Sea.</p><p>It would be the third Japanese ship to bear that name, the first being the WWII era heavy cruiser <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cruiser_Mikuma" target="_blank">IJNS <b><i>Mikuma</i></b></a> and the second being the Cold War era destroyer escort JS <b><i>Mikuma</i></b> ( <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JDS_Mikuma" target="_blank">DE-217</a> ).</p><p>A total of 22 multi-mission frigates had been planned for the JMSDF in order to increase the number of escort vessels in its surface fleet from the current 47 to 54. They will be constructed at a rate of two per year and so far the shipyards have been keeping to their schedule. JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b>, the first frigate to be launched, is now undergoing sea trials and would be commissioned in Mar 2022.</p><p>The naming and launching ceremony of the JS Mikuma was officiated by Vice Admiral Deguchi Katsuto, Commander Sasebo Naval District. The guest of honor was Oniki Makoto, the deputy Minister for Defense.</p><p>More on the multi-mission frigate <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/03/jack-of-all-trades-japans-mogami-class.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9ISYtCNXjzLUpyGKPgpeKDZo2jqmiWlgYNVGLDbCpseS8VQyjUMn314oIoYgJHxnzcJktjiZgN6ANr6K-eI2TILUiXZZ2yeez7W8tr5UPZNDpsMR2HH7PBCyDgeVz2vnQe3clrDAmTaG2ZbzVZNn2ZShKO0r3DTzxauRcfZ-7jOn7V9km3rwFYWLoAg=s1200" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="775" data-original-width="1200" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9ISYtCNXjzLUpyGKPgpeKDZo2jqmiWlgYNVGLDbCpseS8VQyjUMn314oIoYgJHxnzcJktjiZgN6ANr6K-eI2TILUiXZZ2yeez7W8tr5UPZNDpsMR2HH7PBCyDgeVz2vnQe3clrDAmTaG2ZbzVZNn2ZShKO0r3DTzxauRcfZ-7jOn7V9km3rwFYWLoAg=w640-h414" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS Mikuma at launch. Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1VV0FyrG1FhrcDZw8wUVUQGngHcEG73wsY4hpsK5yA8UHuAAYpc2SYkljE_8ZRzOK_AJmmRj_br-sukn0EJ9ThmFbFHPN2lujpJsMp8ZqLCBr4SELaaZqG20p0qgwSBWMxG7dJ-w9YNVbonlfuNh_q0nb36NUnkR2ueaiQjNJeiUtZG__f0Aqj67N0Q=s960" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1VV0FyrG1FhrcDZw8wUVUQGngHcEG73wsY4hpsK5yA8UHuAAYpc2SYkljE_8ZRzOK_AJmmRj_br-sukn0EJ9ThmFbFHPN2lujpJsMp8ZqLCBr4SELaaZqG20p0qgwSBWMxG7dJ-w9YNVbonlfuNh_q0nb36NUnkR2ueaiQjNJeiUtZG__f0Aqj67N0Q=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS Mikuma at launch. Photo : Oniki Makoto</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwHOLrZCOHCjkgae5yC1Q8eYWLRgRS1h0JRSJenmPEOMXZC1dPU1rtiHh5cWAgxOTXuWwy3CqSqxUZafzfIlrwQtPG3tQpgvixPcodBK1CY9E7r1nJfrCc4SNCVzBn5mAJQOn_368qgbTRf_hhhyz_T7k092LETT6W7AqZnQgvVeXvyP-BzeAsxoDuOw=s1500" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwHOLrZCOHCjkgae5yC1Q8eYWLRgRS1h0JRSJenmPEOMXZC1dPU1rtiHh5cWAgxOTXuWwy3CqSqxUZafzfIlrwQtPG3tQpgvixPcodBK1CY9E7r1nJfrCc4SNCVzBn5mAJQOn_368qgbTRf_hhhyz_T7k092LETT6W7AqZnQgvVeXvyP-BzeAsxoDuOw=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS Mikuma name revealed. Photo : Sasebo Regional HQ</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_VTrhqmZ7g6IpabZlB-1ypbsMz8kpbQ-BGrBC0oCghTKH5O2v2C1k7hr_EwTgaOTEIFiW_p3AAzsI4nxZF69Z6oWhtWD7YIh-vdHRkjEEu4OeVGBX-i0AZGm_x64fHHK292ykEY9LP-BiUN0EtHmS1Vg26GwY0DTO6MgcjRZFgoLc20awygUoCG2MTw=s1199" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1199" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_VTrhqmZ7g6IpabZlB-1ypbsMz8kpbQ-BGrBC0oCghTKH5O2v2C1k7hr_EwTgaOTEIFiW_p3AAzsI4nxZF69Z6oWhtWD7YIh-vdHRkjEEu4OeVGBX-i0AZGm_x64fHHK292ykEY9LP-BiUN0EtHmS1Vg26GwY0DTO6MgcjRZFgoLc20awygUoCG2MTw=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minister Oniki Makoto. Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7ADXCYxxoOoHa4vAV899qr6W9J8gGrimOIiXg3HwxfY1GE2-iEAqNUqUuw7Y15OFnUezGCMngBWNbIbGycE9k0R3AWlopMb0gkRfB3bjDML_GIhEOajE0LWrg_nAMijjDJpSoaGO1YHF5pjZ27LIyfObjD_UyL-gKYSCs2w6oxj3pRuZioxiyMtHZsw=s960" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="650" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7ADXCYxxoOoHa4vAV899qr6W9J8gGrimOIiXg3HwxfY1GE2-iEAqNUqUuw7Y15OFnUezGCMngBWNbIbGycE9k0R3AWlopMb0gkRfB3bjDML_GIhEOajE0LWrg_nAMijjDJpSoaGO1YHF5pjZ27LIyfObjD_UyL-gKYSCs2w6oxj3pRuZioxiyMtHZsw=w434-h640" width="434" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS <b><i>Mikuma</i></b> naming document. Photo : Oniki Makoto</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYA6EyLVnGSa6wDWhDcOx_gHoyp9KfNguU-KRraNR69prWq9fhw65xqdQJrNdwO0x-Lk5nKgNi5g-U0PO23cOHN1MVJZKgkMbLC6BlqSeANzSNsJR0f9qt5pbukyMtbp4ZL3zqCC0GJPMRArOUPjS-8GeIInW_qbq4j19aCnPVwR5EMi8D8rwd2ps5EA=s1199" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1199" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYA6EyLVnGSa6wDWhDcOx_gHoyp9KfNguU-KRraNR69prWq9fhw65xqdQJrNdwO0x-Lk5nKgNi5g-U0PO23cOHN1MVJZKgkMbLC6BlqSeANzSNsJR0f9qt5pbukyMtbp4ZL3zqCC0GJPMRArOUPjS-8GeIInW_qbq4j19aCnPVwR5EMi8D8rwd2ps5EA=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS Mikuma prior to launch. Photo : JMSDF<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9iWlUb5Ycie2nSa8AbI3CINMLHfhcE9dOh8TVO0J4f-gmzZfEsqIzh2p-mT_7ZuJt5vV49N6zwmt9tFJrr7vzPv8SmmoZDBkUoYU6A8sKkNhT4h67kRMW8UMxZ5HHvGePeAF-nTASOYHNZ5aZYpXECsg1O1uu2EJiRbKF7drdefRO9SQz0PK-jBrRag=s1366" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9iWlUb5Ycie2nSa8AbI3CINMLHfhcE9dOh8TVO0J4f-gmzZfEsqIzh2p-mT_7ZuJt5vV49N6zwmt9tFJrr7vzPv8SmmoZDBkUoYU6A8sKkNhT4h67kRMW8UMxZ5HHvGePeAF-nTASOYHNZ5aZYpXECsg1O1uu2EJiRbKF7drdefRO9SQz0PK-jBrRag=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2020/11/warding-sea-monsters-and-demons-japans.html" target="_blank">Silver axe</a> for launching ship. Image : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZTE05TW6PXAqFcmw90YlKksfL8iHrti3KKKamKtCU6WHFbAF43Cd4MMfQJZSjsAsyUa3O2HBso7sCLUG_RT81X9X9TWECxHu1BkS5_1lPXAAsMUbJ8vWEJ9PHjlzA0jvgYUL4ri0NNCpF-nOTH210EoQKKDiTMGQq9jv3RsD0hSAWnLXtsJTVBOASuA=s1500" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZTE05TW6PXAqFcmw90YlKksfL8iHrti3KKKamKtCU6WHFbAF43Cd4MMfQJZSjsAsyUa3O2HBso7sCLUG_RT81X9X9TWECxHu1BkS5_1lPXAAsMUbJ8vWEJ9PHjlzA0jvgYUL4ri0NNCpF-nOTH210EoQKKDiTMGQq9jv3RsD0hSAWnLXtsJTVBOASuA=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS Mikuma prior to launch. Photo : Sasebo Regional HQ<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdVhN_cO6Z81J1r_jKOjPvsfdD4yWyyhbR1w2wAUBj6PxLZy1G6IVCCI3PZDF6j0koEmm-SxR7PbVMW_TGrhPb8jhu1ZNuW9Vi1aYLSiS7Q-n7Y_X6RHQrBIPNtNM-w9wop8uzOva5CyyLV1moHMCj4DeWzu5idnjhgv7SmN7x1iGFBNqSvzoAUSoeXg=s1830" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1830" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdVhN_cO6Z81J1r_jKOjPvsfdD4yWyyhbR1w2wAUBj6PxLZy1G6IVCCI3PZDF6j0koEmm-SxR7PbVMW_TGrhPb8jhu1ZNuW9Vi1aYLSiS7Q-n7Y_X6RHQrBIPNtNM-w9wop8uzOva5CyyLV1moHMCj4DeWzu5idnjhgv7SmN7x1iGFBNqSvzoAUSoeXg=w640-h454" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating the launch of JS Mikuma by @ginntokii.<br />Map of Mikuma and Chikugo River at top right.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwemRu24YRKeWS8sQT2E9xhnwgQl_SH1-tfIX3a31m_Ey2PlDbeKG16sfFvPjQ3ZtcZAG7LS7OrnK7UZVhTXA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div> Launch of JS <i><b>Mikuma</b></i> FFM-4. Video : JMSDF<br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Inspection Of JS Mogami</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>As deputy Defense Minister Oniki launched the JS <b><i>Mikuma</i></b>, he also took the opportunity to inspect the first-in-class JS <b><i>Mogami</i></b> which was being fitted at the same shipyard. These are probably the first official close-up photos of the frigates. Of course we can expect more in another two months when the JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b> and JS <b><i>Mogami</i></b> are commissioned.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1bFGHs329UXINZk9vJNZXZ7FMVkgBmOkKj8TViFXUk6_aTVN3mwqHGc2qE3LgIya__b54-fEtDcwYZM9IGo-HEW4Sn9uLuet6CTZepx1WuRML2KrpU_mLYCRp_HEdf0GvVBaWozB2k83QRj9SNX1yizvpQmzkRZ8QNE3FY2bvdc7NE4Ztb5U3BllnYg=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1bFGHs329UXINZk9vJNZXZ7FMVkgBmOkKj8TViFXUk6_aTVN3mwqHGc2qE3LgIya__b54-fEtDcwYZM9IGo-HEW4Sn9uLuet6CTZepx1WuRML2KrpU_mLYCRp_HEdf0GvVBaWozB2k83QRj9SNX1yizvpQmzkRZ8QNE3FY2bvdc7NE4Ztb5U3BllnYg=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oniki and entourage in front of the JS <i><b>Mogami</b></i>'s main gun. Photo : ATLA</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Notice the extreme inclination of the side window panels of the bridge, almost like an extension of the sloping ship superstructure. Yet the front panels are inclined from the vertical plane top out like most conventional bridge windows, as evident from the reflection of the man standing in the background in the extreme right of the image.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgonmvm44Vpg9WJVv5GcHA0b7U-h30Dis9G-Psjbx3LKOcMRaioqYlEkP1g6RrhZvQJnWg-rrLI_pN_liHeHrC_Y21EC3pJMuNUZ03vNrLzrXwJYM4MRd-r24CY3jFdljMpvXXEJKeQoXNKxDMueFuov4WdguPFqEdKlQOE8elhRefXIR21sHcPyU1hsg=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgonmvm44Vpg9WJVv5GcHA0b7U-h30Dis9G-Psjbx3LKOcMRaioqYlEkP1g6RrhZvQJnWg-rrLI_pN_liHeHrC_Y21EC3pJMuNUZ03vNrLzrXwJYM4MRd-r24CY3jFdljMpvXXEJKeQoXNKxDMueFuov4WdguPFqEdKlQOE8elhRefXIR21sHcPyU1hsg=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the upper deck behind the main gun. Photo : ATLA</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSp0jqX1jfwlxkwdBa9YuVIoOOGmcKHn5BdC_oZ7xsvjBtAbEo1udW47mKWl6dNBataJ4Ja2JyjJbOYPHvMBtyURuE3ckSElaV7IVYCZzk-Cw8-OpiFBTQgAWYC5BFwB_3Spvf1TuScHg4c2Ju4jJJbstLLZqwdKXRS-46V21QKTLoOnHkweUIreEV-g=s1023" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1023" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSp0jqX1jfwlxkwdBa9YuVIoOOGmcKHn5BdC_oZ7xsvjBtAbEo1udW47mKWl6dNBataJ4Ja2JyjJbOYPHvMBtyURuE3ckSElaV7IVYCZzk-Cw8-OpiFBTQgAWYC5BFwB_3Spvf1TuScHg4c2Ju4jJJbstLLZqwdKXRS-46V21QKTLoOnHkweUIreEV-g=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inspecting the bridge. Photo ATLA</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The sloping starboard side window panels can be clearly seen in the above photo. Just like the half completed mast, the bridge is also still under construction. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEin3SmagROUoj_GoSd8nbM_3ixRCyT1B7TqhSTJ7Yf2WIBx_Xnm0bQivkepIJumpqeZMqWydpWvd9HBt9gHESwdAZhIgqzwAsOzIJW7Ofj2XlH0k31ylG6y7CxKz-rK7_nKrGOz9XG5ZUx2yMkU9OQtYlvoi5uUy3djTl4y4mXVaH8QtSpY9FYtdHxAOw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEin3SmagROUoj_GoSd8nbM_3ixRCyT1B7TqhSTJ7Yf2WIBx_Xnm0bQivkepIJumpqeZMqWydpWvd9HBt9gHESwdAZhIgqzwAsOzIJW7Ofj2XlH0k31ylG6y7CxKz-rK7_nKrGOz9XG5ZUx2yMkU9OQtYlvoi5uUy3djTl4y4mXVaH8QtSpY9FYtdHxAOw=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minister Oniki being briefed. Photo : ATLA</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-69153679827238560942021-12-22T21:05:00.026+08:002021-12-23T04:37:09.770+08:00To Kill An Orion オライオン哨戒機の解体作業<p> </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-jOQ7IizPX36HIYvSOabrJnBadlGkWwwDpNiqAAO9pZLAk8Zybow67cs2SQcocR3BmStGhzv6vGh24O-JKBKH-PbZhtWyoZiDjedTBGmlZ9UV4sJNiGAD4jlPx_j_OiJ9r3vWTbfKJj1e-dLtnm--3TtygdAiRy5nLtg3GK-9Db1JFtit6W3AsRzB7Q=s4095" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="4095" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-jOQ7IizPX36HIYvSOabrJnBadlGkWwwDpNiqAAO9pZLAk8Zybow67cs2SQcocR3BmStGhzv6vGh24O-JKBKH-PbZhtWyoZiDjedTBGmlZ9UV4sJNiGAD4jlPx_j_OiJ9r3vWTbfKJj1e-dLtnm--3TtygdAiRy5nLtg3GK-9Db1JFtit6W3AsRzB7Q=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JMSDF P-3C at Hachinohe Air Base<br />Photo @p_studio75 via Twitter</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_P-3_Orion" target="_blank">P-3C Orion</a> maritime patrol aircraft needs no introduction. It is named after the great hunter Orion in Greek mythology. Designed by the Lockheed Corporation and first introduced into service with the United States Navy at the height of the Cold War in Aug 1962, it had since been adopted by numerous countries worldwide. Many are still in active service after almost six decades.</p><p>Operators of the P-3 included Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, Germany, Norway, Portugal, Canada, Brazil, Pakistan, and many others, even Iran. Among them Japan has the biggest fleet of the P-3C after the USA, numbering 110 aircrafts in total. </p><p>These P-3Cs were acquired to replace the earlier generation P-2J Neptune. Except the first three which were built by Lockheed and procured under the <a href="https://www.dsca.mil/foreign-military-sales-fms" target="_blank">foreign military sales</a> program, the rest totalling <a href="https://www.p3orion.nl/alrkawa.pdf" target="_blank">107 airframes</a> were produced by Kawasaki Heavy Industries under licence. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ( JMSDF ) received its first P-3C on 29 Apr 1981. Most of the aircrafts were configured for maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare but a small number were converted to OP-3C optical reconnaissance aircraft. A handful were purpose-built as UP-3C equipment testing aircraft, UP-3D electronic warfare trainer and EP-3 ELINT/SIGINT aircraft.</p><p>After decades of continuous service with the JMSDF, the P-3C is facing obsolescence and is being gradually replaced by the <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2016/01/kawasaki-p-1-maritime-patrol-aircraft.html" target="_blank">Kawasaki P-1</a>. Many have already been scrapped or mothballed over the years and the P-3C numbers are dwindling. The total number of P-3C still in active service is said to be only 44 airframes by Mar 2021. </p><p>One of the latest airframe to be dismembered is P-3C serial number 5067 assigned to <a href="https://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/kuudan/2aw.html" target="_blank">Fleet Air Wing 2</a> ( 第二航空群 ) at <a href="https://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/hatinohe/" target="_blank">Hachinohe Air Base</a> ( 八戸基地 ). It was a less advanced version with the Update II.5 configuration. Most of the JMSDF's active P-3 fleet has the Update III or III+ configuration. This aircraft was delivered to the JMSDF on 6th Nov 1990.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyZMVWrwNKlodNdcy-DewUid0gAd3JTJ_mSKZSMKArGJ_eKRCmYlG3WwEVYSoRjqPQIOdCLI19aZSiABDU12-DKJUqEvBavmaWSfB_jFeUoBwUGKMiwAq4bie2uo7xpeSfs5-HwLxc1CvHA4fT3-QxCC67FN8xuKJ-3FCPcyw0y9Et--MQ9aPR3cFq3w=s1126" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="1126" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyZMVWrwNKlodNdcy-DewUid0gAd3JTJ_mSKZSMKArGJ_eKRCmYlG3WwEVYSoRjqPQIOdCLI19aZSiABDU12-DKJUqEvBavmaWSfB_jFeUoBwUGKMiwAq4bie2uo7xpeSfs5-HwLxc1CvHA4fT3-QxCC67FN8xuKJ-3FCPcyw0y9Et--MQ9aPR3cFq3w=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dismantling P-3C s/n 5067. Video Capture : Fleet Air Wing 2 JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguMqXdFRdipwcfI8Twr5ryK1BDiVa0SwXJpY6jUvKiBaH9ORr2ZCyMaO-zsFVfd2WpO4opS7q4GrLz22rhdgQfPItnO_2B2FF8hjCY-iCO3YdrLfkDsgsYj6Yxsx2Wc9KRbIYoKHr3_s7psLMLZJjL8kG2ui41-rRjbxamFMbbumPzOpGNm8X_945mwg=s778" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="778" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguMqXdFRdipwcfI8Twr5ryK1BDiVa0SwXJpY6jUvKiBaH9ORr2ZCyMaO-zsFVfd2WpO4opS7q4GrLz22rhdgQfPItnO_2B2FF8hjCY-iCO3YdrLfkDsgsYj6Yxsx2Wc9KRbIYoKHr3_s7psLMLZJjL8kG2ui41-rRjbxamFMbbumPzOpGNm8X_945mwg=w640-h438" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cut up fuselage of P-3C. Video Capture : Fleet Air Wing 2 JMSDF.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><p>The time-lapse video below was originally posted by Fleet Air Wing 2 on 21 Dec 2021 but the event must have taken place much earlier in the year in late summer or early autumn from the appearance of the foliage and the worksite in general.</p><p>It showed how a P-3C was completely cut up and scrapped, all within a matter of hours, well maybe half a day, gauging from the length of the shadows. Of course all the useful or sensitive parts like the radar and the turboprop engines would have already been removed, and likely the aircraft had also been drained of hydraulic fluid and other toxic chemicals that could potentially contaminate the environment. I am not certain if <a href="https://www.asbestos.com/asbestos/" target="_blank">asbestos</a> had been used as an insulating material in the construction of the P-3C as Japan only completely banned asbestos used in 2004 and this aircraft was constructed in 1990. Those yellow stuff from the fuselage looked suspicious. Fortunately, the workers were all seen wearing what looked like N95 respirator masks. Asbestos can cause <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/mesothelioma/" target="_blank">mesothelioma</a>, an aggressive malignancy that affects the lungs, and <a href="https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/asbestosis" target="_blank">asbestosis</a>, a progressive chronic lung disease, frequently only years or decades after initial exposure.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzaMljLAHqZRa25SwNKf4rhLpRYLsRbgjVTGiWRulgAdpjXRElf3wsq6Mm92DHZyYe9bRgqX-wGmoYd5pzzYw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div><br /></div>At the end of the video are the words 長い間お疲れさまでした ( <i>nagaiaida otsukare samade shita</i> ) meaning " Thank you for all the hard work over the years ". At least the aviators are appreciative of the Orion's contributions to Japan's maritime security, but seeing any aircraft being destroyed is heart wrenching.<p></p><p>The P-3C Orion's days might be numbered in the JMSDF but rather than simply destroying them Japan might want to consider donating them to South East Asian nations that are in need of maritime patrol aircrafts like Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia. That fact that it had not been done so far could be the fear of retribution from China who has many territorial disputes with these countries. Hopefully some may be preserved, perhaps at the <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2019/12/jmsdf-kanoya-naval-aviation-museum.html" target="_blank">Kanoya Air Base Museum</a> which have <i><b>yet to receive a P-3 of any variant</b></i>. One of each, P-3C, OP-3C, UP-3C, UP-3D and EP-3 would be great!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-35680929869962638732021-12-10T16:48:00.037+08:002022-01-02T23:33:38.246+08:00Raging Eagles Over South China Sea : The Sinking of The HMS Prince Of Wales And HMS Repulse <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mv5OqpImbNQ/YZNFqHjMOYI/AAAAAAAAJF4/JZleKJtHwAoqPzIe7tWIQt55UFCZbcQvACLcBGAsYHQ/s700/21081_p1%2BTamiya%2BG4M1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="700" height="432" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mv5OqpImbNQ/YZNFqHjMOYI/AAAAAAAAJF4/JZleKJtHwAoqPzIe7tWIQt55UFCZbcQvACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h432/21081_p1%2BTamiya%2BG4M1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HMS <b><i>Prince of Wales</i></b> and Mitsubishi G4M1 of<br />the Kanoya Air Group in the Sea Battle off Malaya.<br />Image : Tamiya </td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p><p><br /></p><p>80 years ago on 10th Dec 1941, a ferocious naval battle took place in the South China Sea off the coast of Kuantan, Malaysia. It was an encounter between the warships of the Royal Navy's Eastern Fleet and the Imperial Japanese Navy's land based attack bombers. The British fleet, comprising of the battleship <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Prince_of_Wales_(53)" target="_blank">HMS <b><i>Prince of Wales</i></b></a>, the battlecruiser <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Repulse_(1916)" target="_blank">HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b></a> and four destroyers had sortied from their main base in Singapore two days earlier without the benefit of air cover or submarine screen. Against them were veteran aviators of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service, battle-hardened by bombing campaigns in China. The outcome was an astounding victory for the Japanese with the sinking of the two British capital ships and the loss of hundreds of their crew. </p><p>Known to the Japanese as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_Prince_of_Wales_and_Repulse" target="_blank">Naval Battle off Malaya</a> ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AC%E3%83%BC%E6%B2%96%E6%B5%B7%E6%88%A6" target="_blank">マレー沖海戦</a> <i>Mare-oki kaisen</i> ), it was the first time in history that air power alone had defeated competent naval units maneuvering in the open ocean. It heralded the rise of aviation as the arbiter of naval engagements and the eventual demise of the battleship. </p><p>It is a seldom known fact that so jubilant were the Japanese with their achievements, a wartime song was immediately commissioned and composed on the fly at their national broadcaster NHK's headquarters in Tokyo that very same day, to be released with the evening news. The song would be titled " Annihilation of the British Eastern Fleet ".</p><p>For the British, the loss of The HMS <b><i>Prince of Wales</i></b> and the HMS <i><b>Repulse</b></i> was an omnious sign of many more bad things to come. It laid the door open for the Imperial Japanese Army's invasion of the Malay Peninsula that would eventaully lead to the fall of Singapore, once thought to be an impregnable fortress.</p><p>This article is the second in a series commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore. The first in the series <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-song-of-fall-of-singapore.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Eastern Fleet</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The British Eastern Fleet was a naval formation that grew out of a flawed empire defence policy dating back to 1919. Financially drained by the First World War and unable to maintain a military force large enough to protect all their empire assets and interests in the Far East against a potential adversary such as Japan, the British formulated a series of war plans which called for the construction of a main fleet base in Singapore which would be used to supply and support a relief force that would be assembled and sent from Europe to the Far East during periods of heightened tensions or hostilities. </p><p>This arrangement allowed most of the ever-shrinking Royal Navy's fleet assets to be kept in home waters to protect the British Isles while only a token few vessels would be deployed east of the Suez Canal. It would be known as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_strategy" target="_blank">Singapore Strategy</a>.</p><p>Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Singapore was transformed into a major military bastion with the construction of the Sembawang Naval Base and its supporting infrastructure. When completed in 1938, it had what was then the largest dry dock and the third largest floating dock in the world. It was protected by two newly completed airfields, RAF Tengah and RAF Sembawang and by 15 inch naval guns in two coastal artillery batteries and numerous fixed gun installations of smaller calibre. </p><p>When war with Japan seemed imminent in October 1941, the Admiralty dispatched one of its newest battleship the HMS <b><i>Prince of Wales</i></b> with its escorting destroyers to Singapore. The task group was joined by the WWI era fast battlecruiser HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b> in Celon and arrived at the Sembawang wharves on 2nd December. Shortly after, the Eastern Fleet were to be formally constituted on 8th December with the merger of the East Indies Squadron and the China Squadron when the Japanese invaded Malaya and the Pacific War broke out. Admiral Sir <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Phillips_(Royal_Navy_officer)" target="_blank">Tom Philips</a>, until then Commander-in-Chief China Station, was appointed C-in-C Eastern Fleet.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XwvByDQiEoM/YZzMaJTw9NI/AAAAAAAAJG0/ryGWASe22DElIZzEQk8NymCHH69wQQf2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s852/Maps1939-08RNStations.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="852" height="354" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XwvByDQiEoM/YZzMaJTw9NI/AAAAAAAAJG0/ryGWASe22DElIZzEQk8NymCHH69wQQf2gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h354/Maps1939-08RNStations.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Major command areas of the Royal Navy 1939 - 1945.<br />The Eastern Fleet was formed from the amalgamation <br />of the East Indies and China Stations.<br />Image : navalhistoryarchieve.org</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>War Comes To Malaya And Singapore</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The Japanese invasion of British Malaya had began just after mid-night on 8th Dec 1941 without a formal declaration of war. General Tomoyuki Yamashita's 25th Army made amphibious landings at Kota Bharu in the north-east of the Malay Peninsula and at Singora and Pattani in southern Thailand. The invasion convoy had already been sighted by Lockheed Hudson bombers of No. 1 Squadron RAAF off Cape Ca Mau, French Indochina, on 6th December. However given the uncertainty of their destination and intentions, Commander-in-Chief Far East Command Air Chief Marshal <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Brooke-Popham" target="_blank">Robert Brooke-Popham</a> did not authorise any offensive operations against the convoy until attacks were made against friendly territories. Unfortunately, the convoy could not be located on the following day due to bad weather, but the turn of events prompted C-in-C Eastern Fleet Adm Philips to recall the HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b> which was then enroute to Port Darwin, Australia, back to Singapore. </p><p>Shortly after at 0400 hours on 8th December, IJN bombers based in French Indochina also conducted the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Singapore_(1941)" target="_blank">first of many bombing raids</a> on Singapore City causing destruction and casualties.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vjvq8gml_w4/YbL7AxSkCNI/AAAAAAAAJKs/zdLvOMVL4x0QWfVu00xz9JaFqgvPTmu3QCNcBGAsYHQ/s800/HMS_Prince_of_Wales_departing%2BSingapore_%2528041562%2529%2B8%2Bdec%2B41color.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="800" height="422" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vjvq8gml_w4/YbL7AxSkCNI/AAAAAAAAJKs/zdLvOMVL4x0QWfVu00xz9JaFqgvPTmu3QCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h422/HMS_Prince_of_Wales_departing%2BSingapore_%2528041562%2529%2B8%2Bdec%2B41color.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HMS prince of Wales departing Singapore 8th Dec 1941. Wikipedia.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eQSwy3v7MGM/YbL7m_nN7hI/AAAAAAAAJK0/BL9Sz4rWoP8l-cl0XY68xMhrUZtnBzAYACNcBGAsYHQ/s800/HMS_Repulse_leaving_Singapore%2Bcolour.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="800" height="464" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eQSwy3v7MGM/YbL7m_nN7hI/AAAAAAAAJK0/BL9Sz4rWoP8l-cl0XY68xMhrUZtnBzAYACNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h464/HMS_Repulse_leaving_Singapore%2Bcolour.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HMS Repulse departing Singapore 8th Dec 1941. Wikipedia<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u><br /></u></h4><div><u><br /></u></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Departure of Force Z</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Hoping to intercept and destroy the Japanese invasion fleet at Kota Bharu and Singora, Admiral Philips ordered the HMS <b><i>Prince of Wales</i></b>, the HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b> and the destroyers HMS <i style="font-weight: bold;">Electra </i>(H-27), HMS <i style="font-weight: bold;">Express </i>(H-61), HMS <b><i>Tenedos</i></b> (H-04) and HMAS <b><i>Vampire</i></b> (D-68) to sortie north. He believed that as long as adequate fighter support could be provided and if he could achieve surprise, there would be a reasonable chance of destroying Japanese reinforcements and severing their line of supply, bringing reprieve to the hard pressed Commonwealth ground forces. As such, air reconnaissance forward of his intended course and fighter cover over the area of his intended strike was requested. The task force was designated Force Z and departed Singapore at 1735 hours on 8th December, keeping to a north-east course into the South China Sea, thus avoiding the heavily mined coastal waters of the Malay Peninsula. </p><p>By 0900 hours on 9th December, the fleet passed to the east of the Anambas Islands and thereafter followed a northerly course. Onboard his flagship the HMS <b><i>Prince of Wales</i></b>, Adm Philips would learn from his Chief of Staff Adm <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Palliser" target="_blank">Palliser</a> whom he had left in Singapore as his representative and to co-ordinate naval requirements with the other services, that the fighter cover he had requested off Singora on 10th December could not be provided. The RAF had already withdrawn from its Kota Bharu Airfield and most of its Northern Malaya airfileds had sustained damage from Japanese bombing raids. The Brewster Buffalo F2A fighters of No 453 Squadron RAAF on standby at RAF Sembawang were still available though as the dedicated fleet defense squadron. He was also warned of strong Japanese bomber forces that were believed to be stationed in southern Indochina. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ABZ4UzwT9Ec/YbNhw58I__I/AAAAAAAAJL0/BxrlQLnYfnM3FFV-EBA3JgfyMkvAr-KvwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Singapore%2BSCS.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1244" data-original-width="2048" height="388" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ABZ4UzwT9Ec/YbNhw58I__I/AAAAAAAAJL0/BxrlQLnYfnM3FFV-EBA3JgfyMkvAr-KvwCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h388/Singapore%2BSCS.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naval Battle off Malaya important land marks and sites.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Detection </u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Unkown to Adm Philips, the IJN already had several submarines forming a picket line stretching from the eastern end of the Singapore Straits all the way north to the South China Sea off the coast of Trengganu to detect and provide early warning on British fleet movements. At 1345 hours the Japanese submarine I-65 reported the discovery of 2 Repulse-type warships following a course of 340 at 14 knots at a location bearing 196 degrees and 225 nautical miles from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%B4n_S%C6%A1n_Island" target="_blank">Pulo Condore</a> ( modern day Con Son Island, Vietnam ). </p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_submarine_I-165" target="_blank">I-65</a> was a Kaidai5-class cruiser submarine assigned to the 5th Submarine Squadron, 30th Submarine Division and was helmed by Commander Harada Hakue ( 原田毫衛 ). For a few hours it shadowed the British fleet on the surface making 18 to 20 knots, taking advantage of the poor weather to avoid being detected itself. It had a temporary lost of contact with the British fleet at 1550 hours but managed to reacquire its quarry at 1652 hours. Subsequently, the submarine was forced to dive because of an unexpected buzzing by a Kawanishi E7K Alf seaplane from the cruiser <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cruiser_Kinu" target="_blank">Kinu</a>.</i></b> The pilot had mistaken the I-65 for an enemy submarine. When submarine resurfaced, the enemy fleet had disappeared. </p><p>By then, the poor weather and squalls that had help conceal the British fleet from the Japanese search planes had cleared. At around 1700 hours three seaplanes had detected the task force and continued to track it until nightfall. For the first time since departing Singapore, Adm Philips realised his fleet had been discovered by the enemy.</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Mission Aborted</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>At 1835 hours, the destroyer HMS <b><i>Tenedos</i></b> was low on fuel and was sent back to Singapore. Force Z then maintained a westerly course until an hour after sunset in an attempt to mislead the seaplanes into believing they were bound for Singora. They would later change course under the cover of darkness and head for Singapore.</p><p>Submarine I-65's report was received by the cruisers <i><b>Kinu</b></i>, <b><i>Yura</i></b> and the 81st Naval Communications Unit in Saigon. The reception was poor and it had taken another 90 minutes for the message to be decoded and relayed. The discovery of the British fleet lead Vice Admiral <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jisabur%C5%8D_Ozawa" target="_blank">Ozawa Jisaburo</a> ( 小沢冶三郎 ), commander of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Expeditionary_Fleet_(Imperial_Japanese_Navy)#Southern_Expeditionary_Fleet/1st_Southern_Expeditionary_Fleet" target="_blank">Southern Expeditionary Fleet</a>, to order the immediate withdrawal of his now empty transports from the east coast of the Malay Peninsula back to their base at Cam Ranh Bay in French Indochina. He also ordered all his surface combatants including the heavy cruisers <b><i>Chokai</i></b>, <b><i>Mogami</i></b>, <b><i>Kumano</i></b>, <b><i>Mikuma</i></b>, <b><i>Suzuya</i></b> and elements of the 3rd Destroyer Squadron to sortie 200 nautical miles south to intercept the enemy fleet and prepare for a night encounter. </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Failed Strike</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Over at Saigon Airbase, HQ 22nd Air Flotilla only received news of the discovery of the British fleet more than 2 hours after the message was sent, at 1600 hours 9th December. An earlier report from its own reconnaissance plane sent at 0930 hours had erroneously indicated that the capital ships were still in Singapore and bombers of the Kanoya, Genzan and Mihoro Air Groups were being loaded with bombs in preparetion for a raid on Singapore Harbour that very night. </p><p>As a result, the Singapore bombing mission was immediately cancelled and the bombers were instead directed to intercept and attack the British fleet. Some were loaded with bombs while the others had their bomb loads swapped out with torpedoes. It was about half an hour before sunset when the bombers took off. Based on the last known location, course and speed, the pilots had hoped to locate the British ships just after dark but the inclement weather off Cape Ca Mau prevented them from finding the fleet. The bombers eventually jettisoned their bombs in the sea and returned to their bases around midnight after hours of fruitless search. </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Close Encounter</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>By 1920 hours, unknown to their respective commanders, the British and the Japanese surface fleets were converging from east to west and were separated by probably 20 nautical miles or less. A reconnaissance flight of 3 medium bombers of the Mihoro Air Group spotted a wake and activated a flare at 2000 hours but it turned out to be Adm Ozawa's flagship the IJNS <i style="font-weight: bold;">Chokai</i>. This flare was spotted by the British fleet from an estimated distance of 5 nautical miles but the radar on the HMS <b><i>Prince of Wales</i></b> mysteriously failed to detect the Japanese cruiser. The two fleets had sailed past each other in the darkness and the poor weather without being aware of the presence of the other. Moonrise would only be due at 2228 hours that night. </p><p>At around 2330 hours, an urgent message from Adm Palliser reported of Japanese landings at Kuantan, located on the east coast of Malaya midway between Kota Bharu and Singapore, not too far away from the fleet's location. Adm Philip decided to investigate and altered course accordingly without signalling Singapore about his intentions. The probable reasons of maintaining radio silence was likely to preserve the element of surprise and also not to give away the fleet's position to the enemy.</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Submarine Attack</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>At 2352 hours IJN submarine <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_submarine_I-158" target="_blank">I-58</a> reported having to dive during a close encounter with two destroyers. It later detected the two enemy capital ships and at 0015 hours 10th December fired a spread of five torpedoes at the HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b> without scoring a single hit. The submarine reported its position at 140 nautical miles from Kuantan bearing 57 degrees. The British fleet was blissfully unaware of this contact and torpedo attack and continued to speed towards its objective. I-58 was a Kaidai3A-class cruiser submarine captained by Lt Commander Kitano Soshichi ( 北野惣七 ) and was assigned to the 19th Submarine Division, 4th Submarine Squadron. It had operated out of Samah on Hainan Island. After the unsuccessful torpedo attack, I-58 continued to trail the British fleet until contact was lost before dawn at 0445 hours. </p><p>By then, based on the course and speed information from the I-58 sighting, the Japanese had determined that the enemy fleet was keeping to a true bearing of 180 degrees and was in retreat. Due to concerns of fuel shortage, Vice Admiral <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobutake_Kond%C5%8D" target="_blank">Kondo Nobutake</a> ( 近藤信竹 ), commander of IJN's 2nd Fleet, decided to turn around his surface fleet and terminate the interdiction mission. Vice Admiral Ozawa similarly withdrew his submarine force from the pursue leaving the fate of the British fleet to the hands of Rear Admiral Matsunaga Sadaichi ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%BE%E6%B0%B8%E8%B2%9E%E5%B8%82" target="_blank">松永貞市</a> ) with his medium bombers of the 22nd Air Flotilla.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9iaHnzF4BCE/YbL8h0unxaI/AAAAAAAAJK8/0e14lPPDBDsTdLGf5mz1wTv9zx0Xn-0ewCNcBGAsYHQ/s999/02326-1%2BA.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="999" height="402" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9iaHnzF4BCE/YbL8h0unxaI/AAAAAAAAJK8/0e14lPPDBDsTdLGf5mz1wTv9zx0Xn-0ewCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h402/02326-1%2BA.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mitsubishi G4M Model 11 Type 1 Attack Bomber (Betty) of the Kanoya<br /> Air Group during the Sea Battle off Malaya. Image : Hasegawa Model Co.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Nell And Betty</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Submarine I-58's report was received by HQ 22nd Air Flotilla at 0315 hours and by 0625 hours <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genzan_Air_Group" target="_blank">Genzan Air Group</a>'s ( 元山海軍航空隊 ) 4th Squadron comprising of 9 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_G3M" target="_blank">Mitsubishi G3M "Nell"</a> twin-engine medium bombers lead by Lieutenant Makino left Saigon Airfield on a search mission for the enemy fleet. Another 26 G3M bombers of the Genzan Air Group would leave at 0755 hours, 17 were carrying torpedoes while the remaining 9 were loaded with bombs. </p><p>Next to depart at 0814 hours would be 26 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_G4M" target="_blank">Mitsubishi G4M "Betty"</a> medium bombers of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanoya_Air_Group" target="_blank">Kanoya Air Group</a> ( 鹿屋海軍航空隊 ), all armed with torpedoes. They launched from Thu Dau Mot Airfield located 20km north of Saigon. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Squadrons had taken off in sequence and flew in formation at an altitude of 3000m on a course of 187 Degrees. </p><p>Finally at 0820 hours, the Mihoro Air Group ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%BE%8E%E5%B9%8C%E6%B5%B7%E8%BB%8D%E8%88%AA%E7%A9%BA%E9%9A%8A" target="_blank">美幌海軍航空隊</a> ) would launch 33 Mitsubishi G3M bombers in four squadrons from Saigon Airfield, 8 with torpedoes and 25 with bombs. The last aircraft took off at 0930 hours. Only 1 G3M of the Genzan Group aborted due to engine trouble.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zGBl2FlpD0c/YbMEVAFYJ8I/AAAAAAAAJLE/-HJKAYbeLBkGuPOMhscRHR1bcImoKh8jwCNcBGAsYHQ/s990/10127453a%2BA.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="990" height="308" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zGBl2FlpD0c/YbMEVAFYJ8I/AAAAAAAAJLE/-HJKAYbeLBkGuPOMhscRHR1bcImoKh8jwCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h308/10127453a%2BA.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mitsubishi G3M2 Model 22 Type 96 Attack Bomber ( Nell ) of the Genzan <br />Air Group during the Sea Battle off Malaya. Image : Hasegawa Model Co.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Detour To Kuantan</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Meanwhile on the other side of the South China Sea at sunrise which was 0627 hours, the British fleet discovered 4 radar contacts but they turned out to be cargo vessels. A <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarine_Walrus" target="_blank">Supermarine Walrus</a> amphibious plane took-off from the HMS <b><i>Prince of Wales</i></b> at 0645 hours to investigate the purported Kuantan landings but reported nothing amiss. With the fleet soon to be approaching the coast at 0730 hours, the destroyer HMS <b style="font-style: italic;">Express </b>was sent to investigate the landing site and it too detected no enemy activities. The report about the landing was clearly false and Force Z resumed its home bound journey at 0900 hours, totally ignorant that a large fleet of enemy long range bombers was already actively searching for it. The task force had then intended to go around the eastern side of the Anambas Islands to avoid minefields. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xf1PJ32Z538/YbL3e7vTxgI/AAAAAAAAJKg/csn7GWDzwZsmqn8ZmQH21MfLp_FNSwLKwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1000/001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="1000" height="446" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xf1PJ32Z538/YbL3e7vTxgI/AAAAAAAAJKg/csn7GWDzwZsmqn8ZmQH21MfLp_FNSwLKwCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h446/001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naval Battle Off Malaya Set at 1/700 scale. Image : Tamiya Model Co.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Naval Battle Off Malaya</u></h3><p><br /></p><p>Not anticipating the fleet's westward detour to Kuantan, the Japanese bombers were searching too far south of Force Z's actual location and had began to turn back having found nothing initially when the Number 4 search aircraft discovered the detached destroyer HMS <b><i>Tenedos</i></b> some 130 nautical miles east-southeast of the main force. At approximately 1000 hours, it reported the co-ordinates of the destroyer and dropped two 60kg bombs but achieved no hits. Shortly after at 1014 hours, lead by Lieutenant Nikaido Rokuo ( 二階堂麓夫 ), 9 Mitsubishi G3M belonging to the Genzan Air Group's 3rd Squadron arrived on scene, each armed with a single 500kg bomb. They had mistaken the HMS <b><i>Tenedos</i></b> for the HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b> and wasted all their ordnance on the destroyer without getting a single hit. Tenedos reported about being attacked and had emerged relatively unscathed, suffering only one casualty. It continued towards Singapore after the air raid. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E2q_hjW7RoM/YbMT_ApmQzI/AAAAAAAAJLs/T8iBDk3uFdcILUISzpgyGiivPW9VC-wigCNcBGAsYHQ/s1009/History%2Bdot%2Bnavy%2Bdot%2Bmil.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1009" data-original-width="695" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E2q_hjW7RoM/YbMT_ApmQzI/AAAAAAAAJLs/T8iBDk3uFdcILUISzpgyGiivPW9VC-wigCNcBGAsYHQ/w440-h640/History%2Bdot%2Bnavy%2Bdot%2Bmil.jpg" width="440" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of the Sea Battle off Malaya.<br />Image : history.navy.mil</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>At 1015 hours, flying in a sector north of most other Japanese aircraft, Ensign Hoashi Masato ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B8%86%E8%B6%B3%E6%AD%A3%E9%9F%B3" target="_blank">帆足正音</a> ) in the Number 3 search aircraft finally spotted Force Z from an altitude of 3000m and reported the exact location as 4 Deg North, 103 Deg 55 Min East. It was welcoming news for the bomber pilots as by that time many were already critically low on fuel. Lieutenant Iki Haruki ( 壹岐春記 ), commander of Kanoya Air Group's 3rd Squadron recalled that moment when he was approaching the limit of the 700 mile combat radius of the Mitsubishi G4M. He was so far south that he could see the island of Singapore below to his far right and thought to himself that the situation was not good. Just then, the co-ordinates of the enemy fleet was received but there was some initial confusion as he tried to plot the location on his aeronautical charts - it turned out to be somewhere on land over the Malay Peninsula! He would later learn that Kanoya Air Group commander Captain Fujiyoshi Naoshiro ( 藤吉直四郎 ) was desparate enough to radio their headquarters to request that they be informed of the enemy's position in plain text. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7TyqhNECcDw/YbMOpRyTSYI/AAAAAAAAJLk/kZT6kgStdFsCfLX6TvYxVFbsFlA3paZOACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Japanese_high-level_bombing_attack_on_HMS_Prince_of_Wales_and_HMS_Repulse_on_10_December_1941_%2528NH_60566%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1470" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7TyqhNECcDw/YbMOpRyTSYI/AAAAAAAAJLk/kZT6kgStdFsCfLX6TvYxVFbsFlA3paZOACNcBGAsYHQ/w460-h640/Japanese_high-level_bombing_attack_on_HMS_Prince_of_Wales_and_HMS_Repulse_on_10_December_1941_%2528NH_60566%2529.jpg" width="460" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Level bombing of the HMS <b><i>Prince of Wales</i></b> ( top ) and HMS <br /><b><i>Repulse</i></b>. Ministry of Navy permit number 783. Wikipedia<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>Once the deciphered information on the British fleet's location was disseminated by HQ, all bomber squadrons began converging and executed their attacks piece meal without waiting for the rest as they were already low on fuel. First to arrive at 1115 hours were 8 Mitsubishi G3M of the Mihoro Air Group's Shirai Squadron ( 白井中隊 ). They were each armed with two 250kg bombs and carried out level bombing on the HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b>. A total of 14 bombs were dropped, as one aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire shortly after making the first bombing run and was unable to drop the second bomb, while another bomber could not release its second bomb due to a mechanical issue. While there were many near misses, the HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b> was struck by one bomb during the first bombing run close to its starboard rear catapult. It penetrated the hangar and the upper deck and exploded in the marine mess area, causing a few casualties among the damage control team but otherwise relatively minor damage.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jHF8QkRE4l0/YbMFbEmE7zI/AAAAAAAAJLM/lhsyftg7R34h29_KewD3h9liKX7Dt_4yQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1000/hsgs5111main-lg_1024x1024.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="1000" height="338" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jHF8QkRE4l0/YbMFbEmE7zI/AAAAAAAAJLM/lhsyftg7R34h29_KewD3h9liKX7Dt_4yQCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h338/hsgs5111main-lg_1024x1024.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Genzan Air Group's torpedo-armed Mitsubishi G3M bomber.<br />Image : Hasegawa Model Co.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Just as the Mihoro bombers were retreating, two squadrons of Mitsubishi G3M bombers belonging to the Genzan Air Group joined the battle. Lead by Lieutenant Ishihara Isao ( 石原薫 ) and Lieutenant Takai Sadao ( 高井貞夫 ), a total of 16 aircrafts, all armed with torpedoes, attacked the two capital ships. 8 torpedoes were launched against the HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b> but it managed to elude all of them with skillful maneuvering. Interestingly, it was said that Takai was initially unsure if the HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b> was a <b><i>Kongo</i></b>-class battleship because of the similarity in profile, but his doubts disappeared the moment he saw the British flag and he launched the torpedo attack.</p><p>The HMS <b><i>Prince of Wales</i></b> on the other hand was not so lucky. Of the 5 torpedoes launched against it, 1 hit the port stern area where the outer propeller shaft emerged from the hull, instantly twisting the shaft and rupturing the seal that prevented seawater from entering the shaft tunnel. It caused flooding of the B engine room and several other compartments aft. The effect of the loss of propulsion and flooding caused the HMS Prince of Wales to list 11.5 degrees to port and its speed to decreased to 16 knots. The listing had meant the starboard 5.25 inch anti-aircraft guns could not be depressed low enough to counter low-flying attackers. The torpedo hit had also taken out most of the ship's auxillary electrical power which was crucial in running the steering gear, the pumps, the internal communications system, the ventilation system and for powering the gun turrets. The battleship was essentially doomed without the ability to steer, to carry out damage control and to defend itself against further waves of air attacks. During that encounter, British anti-aircraft fire accounted for the destruction of 1 bomber.</p><p>At 1150 hours, 8 torpedo carrying Mitsubishi G3M bombers of the 4th Squadron, Mihoro Air Group arrived, lead by Lieutenant Takahashi Katsusaku ( 高橋勝作 ). The squadron also had difficulty identifying the HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b> because of the striking resemblance to the IJNS <b><i>Kongo</i></b>. They were only convinced the warship was British after receiving anti-aircraft fire. Except for the squadron leader's aircraft which suffered from a malfunction, 7 bombers launched 7 torpedoes against the HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b> but all missed the battlecruiser. 3 bombers suffered minor damage from anti-acraft fire but Takahashi's plane took on significant damage as he had to repeat the torpedo run for a second time. At 1158 hours <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tennant_(Royal_Navy_officer)" target="_blank">Captain Tennant</a>, commanding officer of the HMS <b style="font-style: italic;">Repulse</b>, took his own initiative to break radio silence to call for help. " From REPULSE, to any British Man of War, enemy aircraft bombing. My position 134NYTW22X09.". It would be the first and only radio message transmitted by Force Z since its departure from Singapore. At 1216 hours, 11 Brewster Buffalo F2A fighters left Singapore but would not be expected to arrive at the battle site some 240km away until 1300 hours or later.</p><p>Trouble for the British fleet was far from over as 26 Mitsubishi G4M of the Kanoya Air Group lead by Lieutenant-Commander Miyauchi Shichizo ( 宮内七三 ) arrived next at 1207 hours. They were all armed with torpedoes. Of the 9 bombers of the 1st Squadron, 4 attacked the HMS Prince of Wales while the other 5 bombers attacked the HMS Repulse. It was followed by 8 bombers of the 2nd Squadron, where 2 attacked the HMS Prince of Wales and 6 attacked the HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b>. Collectively, these two squadrons achieved 3 torpedo hits on the starboard side of the HMS <b><i>Prince of Wales</i></b>. One at the bow, one opposite B main gun turret and another at the stern aft of Y turret which punctured the hull and bent the outer starboard propeller shaft inwards and over the inner shaft, jamming it instantly. </p><p>The HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b> had so far dodged an amazing 19 torpedoes but her luck was about to run out. Last to have a go were the 9 bombers of Lieutenant Iki Haruki's 3rd Squadron that carried out an anvil attack, bracketing the battlecruiser with torpedoes from both port and starboard from which there was no escape. Iki would recount after the war that descending between the clouds at 300 to 400m altitude during his torpedo approach, he witnessed the 1st Squadron's torpedo attack on the HMS <b><i>Prince of Wales</i></b> creating a huge column of water sprout just aft of the bridge. It was like nothing he had seen before, but exactly like the oil paintings depicting the scenes in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tsushima" target="_blank">Battle of Tsushima Strait</a> during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905. Almost immediately, he saw another torpedo strike the stern of the battleship, and he thought to himself - well that's another hit, no more <b><i>Prince of Wales</i></b>, I'll go after ship number two ( <b><i>Repulse</i></b> ). </p><p>As he lead his squadron to attack the HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b> from the starboard side, the battlecruiser made a hard turn to starboard and he soon found himself on the vessel's port side while his fellow squadron mates from flights 2 and 3 responded to the Repulse's maneuvres by turning further to starboard to get a better angle of attack and ended up on the opposite side. Caught in a pincer attack which had formed by coincidence, the Repulse received one torpedo hit on the port side followed by another 3 hits in quick succession. </p><p>Lt Iki recalled his torpedo run that day, approaching the warship and listening to the manual range and altitude read out from his chief observer Warrant Officer Yahagi Yuji ( 矢萩友二 ). He released his torpedo when he was 800m away from the Repulse and at an altitude of 30m. Under fire, he immediately steered his aircraft hard to port with the closest approach to the ship at 300m. Then his observer Petty Officer Maekawa Tamotsu ( 前川保 ) screamed " Hit !". Any jubilation from the successful torpedo attack would be short lived as the number 2 bomber in Iki's flight exploded in a ball of fire at a distance of 150m from Repulse just as he was turning away. Shortly, Maekawa would scream a second time " Hit again! " and then " Flight leader has been hit! " as the number 3 bomber also exploded 50m from the ship. The two ill fated bombers were flown by pilots Sakurai Toshimitsu ( 桃井敏光 ) and Taue Yoshikazu ( 田植良和 ). It could be inferred that the second torpedo that struck the Repulse after Iki's own must have been released by either one of the dead pilots. The Repulse listed heavily to port within a matter of minutes and then rolled over and sank at 1233 hours with many casulties. </p><p>There were shouts of "Banzai" from the bomber's crew as Iki headed back to Thu Dau Mot Airbase. They celebrated their sucesssful mission with wine taken from the emergency rations. His aircraft was the first to land at Thu Dau Mot after the mission. Later, in his after action report, he would indicate that the two torpedoes that hit the HMS <i style="font-weight: bold;">Repulse </i>were released by his two dead squadron mates. He thought it was the least he could do for them.</p><p>The final wave of 17 Mitsubishi G3M bombers of the Mihoro Air Group all carrying 500kg bombs arrived at the battle scene at 1230 hours just as the HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b> was sinking. They were the Takeda Squadron ( 武田中隊 ) and the Ohira Squadron ( 大平中隊 ). They carried out level bombing on the already mortally damaged HMS <b><i>Prince of Wales</i></b>, without steerage and crawling with the propulsion power from a single propeller shaft. Although most of the bombs missed their target, the Takeda Squadron achieved one hit amidships and that bomb penetrated the upper deck to explode at the Cinema Flat below where the wounded had aggregated, causing an untold number of casualties. The order to abandon ship was given and the destroyer HMS <b><i>Express</i></b> came alongside to take off survivors. At 1318 hours, the HMS Prince of Wales rolled over to port and sank, taking with her Admiral Philips and commanding officer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Leach_(Royal_Navy_officer)" target="_blank">Captain John Leach</a> who chose to go down with their ship.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2G4beUgrECc/YbMN7YqXKtI/AAAAAAAAJLc/9dlREhFxlbAk1z9ojuKEf-O9ozlRO_xnQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The_Sinking_of_HMS_Prince_of_Wales_by_Japanese_Aircraft_Off_Malaya%252C_December_1941_HU2675.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1515" data-original-width="2048" height="474" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2G4beUgrECc/YbMN7YqXKtI/AAAAAAAAJLc/9dlREhFxlbAk1z9ojuKEf-O9ozlRO_xnQCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h474/The_Sinking_of_HMS_Prince_of_Wales_by_Japanese_Aircraft_Off_Malaya%252C_December_1941_HU2675.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last moments of the HMS Prince of Wales with HMS Express taking survivors<br />Photo : IWM / Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>A total of 813 sailors were lost, 513 from the HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b> and 327 from the HMS <b><i>Prince of Wales</i></b>. Survivors from the <b><i>Repulse</i></b> were picked up by the destroyers HMS <b><i>Electra</i></b> and HMAS <b><i>Vampire</i></b>. The RAAF Brewster Buffalos arrived on scene at 1318 hours just as the Prince of Wales sank. All of the attackers had already left for their bases save one. Ensign Hoashi, the pilot whom had earlier discovered the British fleet was still loitering in the area in his reconnaissance plane. He managed to evade the Buffalos and returned to confirm the sinking of the two capital ships.</p><p>It was a lopsided victory for the Japanese who lost one Mitsubishi G3M of the Genzan Air Group and two Mitsubishi G4M of the Kanoya Air Group to British anti-aircraft fire. 21 airmen in those three aircrafts lost thier lives. In addition, 25 bombers suffered light damage repairable at the unit level, 2 bombers with moderate damage required depot level repairs and another 2 bombers were damage beyond salvage. In total, 85 medium bombers had participated in the battle.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IgEJe1irkJc/Ya_lbJhh3wI/AAAAAAAAJKE/D_c-PEGCTPcYgrZ4qUtGuHBUw9OX2yozQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/Haruki_Iki_1943.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IgEJe1irkJc/Ya_lbJhh3wI/AAAAAAAAJKE/D_c-PEGCTPcYgrZ4qUtGuHBUw9OX2yozQCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h428/Haruki_Iki_1943.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lt. Iki Haruki as a bomber pilot in WWII </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Irei Bouquets</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Lt Iki Haruki's squadron did not suffer from too much battle damage apart from the two destroyed bombers. After the mission he counted "only" seventeen bullet holes in his bomber but the other squadrons of the Kanoya Air Group fared worse and had crash landings and they were short of aircrafts. On 11th December, the day after the epic naval battle, Iki was ordered to proceed to the HQ garrison of the Takao Air Group ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%AB%98%E9%9B%84%E6%B5%B7%E8%BB%8D%E8%88%AA%E7%A9%BA%E9%9A%8A" target="_blank">高雄海軍航空隊</a> ) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan to replenish the planes. For three days he was flight testing the new bombers as they were being readied by the mechanics. He returned to Thu Dau Mot Airfield on 14th December in a nine plane formation. By 16th December all maintenance works on the freshly arrived bombers were completed and the air group received orders to attack a British wireless telegraph station on Siantan Island of the Anambas Archipelago on 18th December. There was a good harbour on the island that the Malaya invasion force would like to use as an advanced base for the coming attack on Singapore Island. </p><p>Realising that the mission flight path would bring them near to the site of the sunken warships off Kuantan and that there would be no enemy fighters or anti-aircaft fire to contend with, Iki asked his observer Maekawa to buy two bouquets of flowers from a shop near their base. The bombing mission was successfully completed and on the way back, Iki lead his squadron of nine bombers in a formation flight at an altitude of 30m and dropped a bouquet over the location where the HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b> had rested and then similarly another bouquet over at where the the HMS <b><i>Prince of Wales</i></b> had sunken. It was to provide solace and closure to not only their fellow aviators who perished in the three bombers that were shot down but also as a tribute to the courageous British sailors who had fought so gallantly before going down with their ships. The ritual of conducting a memorial service to the deceased is known as irei ( 慰霊 ) in Japanese.</p><p>According to Iki, the dark sihouettes of the two sunken ships could be easily seen from an altitude of 300m as they had come to rest in shallow waters of 60 to 70 metres. The weather was good, the waves were calm and the water was very clear that afternoon. </p><p>Subsequently, his bouquet dropping act was widely publicised by the various Japanese newspapers. A journalist from Mainichi Shimbun however erroneously reported the event to have taken place a day after the battle and that misinformation had unfortunately perpetuated from then onwards. In 1943, an elementary school textbook had also included a description of Iki's deeds as the heroic story " Chivalry in the Battlefield ", although his name was not mentioned specifically. It had also gotten the date wrong, indicating it as occuring the day after the battle. </p><p>Iki would feel embarassed everytime when people asked him about the episode of bouquet dropping. He would simply say that he did not do it in order to be praised. To him, it was just a natural behavior as a warrior to express his sorrow to his comrade-in-arms when they had lost their lives in the line of duty. Even to the enemy wardead, there has to be respect and empathy beyond hostilty. After the War ended, Iki's spontaneous gesture of honouring the fallen airmen and sailors, friend and foe alike, so intrigued the British that he would be interviwed many times by them. He would be blessed with longevity, passing away in 2011, age 99 years old.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FngC3Uf9Hg8/Ya0RPNDpywI/AAAAAAAAJJI/OnwhLfOsXecIwqfEEi5M4zllbzSeMEKbwCNcBGAsYHQ/s600/20210511085440668903_3921270581865e602b627c6d960426f3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="425" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FngC3Uf9Hg8/Ya0RPNDpywI/AAAAAAAAJJI/OnwhLfOsXecIwqfEEi5M4zllbzSeMEKbwCNcBGAsYHQ/w454-h640/20210511085440668903_3921270581865e602b627c6d960426f3.jpg" width="454" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover page of music score for the songs <br />"Annihitaion of the British Eastern Fleet" and "Decisive Victory"<br />published in April 1942. Image : Kosho.or.jp</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Instant Wartime Song</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>News of the stunning victory of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service ( IJNAS ) over the British Eastern Fleet in the South China Sea was released by the Ministry of Navy, Imperial General Headquarters at 4pm Tokyo time 10th December 1941, barely an hour after the HMS <b><i>Prince of Wales</i></b> had sunken. Japanese national broadcaster <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHK" target="_blank">NHK</a> ( 日本放送協会 <i>Nippon Hoso Kyokai</i> ) announced the victory at 4:20pm over the radio, and the Japanese people were jubilant and thrilled when they heard the news. None however were more excited about the victory than NHK's producer and later director Maruyama Tetsuo ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%B8%E5%B1%B1%E9%89%84%E9%9B%84" target="_blank">丸山鉄雄</a> ). He immediately decided that the vanquishing of the British fleet was the perfect subject for the creation of a broadcasting news song ( 放送<a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A5%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B9%E6%AD%8C%E8%AC%A1" target="_blank">ニュース歌謡</a> <i>hoso</i> <i>nyusu kayo</i> ) which is also sometimes referred to as the current affairs song ( 時局歌 <i>jikyokuka</i> ). These are songs commissioned by radio stations to complement their regular news bulletins and they had already existed before World War II but their popularity soared with the progression of the global conflict. The only problem was, he had wanted it to be broadcasted with the 7pm news on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHK_Radio_1" target="_blank">NHK Radio 1</a> ( callsign JOAK ), which was due in about 3 hours!</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e5lnksS_QKI/Ya5sdjT_HBI/AAAAAAAAJJw/Oimbn77w4HUFofm6dLhoLGZVTkMG1wpCgCNcBGAsYHQ/s507/20170926_7be094.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="359" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e5lnksS_QKI/Ya5sdjT_HBI/AAAAAAAAJJw/Oimbn77w4HUFofm6dLhoLGZVTkMG1wpCgCNcBGAsYHQ/w454-h640/20170926_7be094.jpg" width="454" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover of Takahashi Kikutaro's Song Collection<br />published in 1938. Image : Fusensha.ocnk.net</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>With little time to spare, he asked the prolific composer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y%C5%ABji_Koseki" target="_blank">Koseki Yuji</a> ( 古関裕而 ) and lyricist Takahashi Kikutaro ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%AB%98%E6%A9%8B%E6%8E%AC%E5%A4%AA%E9%83%8E" target="_blank">高橋掬太郎</a> ) for help. Normally, the composer would start work on the song only after the lyrics were written, but the extremely short notice had meant that Koseki and Takahashi had to work on the song simultaneously in order to be able to finish it on time. They had consulted each other over the phone as the song had gradually taken shape.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HqIs23-Kyxg/Ya5lgPh7FwI/AAAAAAAAJJo/ybRzi4IZi68Z4CwPrbu2Dx7b8gkjJMq7QCNcBGAsYHQ/s800/playback-fm_colorize-photo_891f63bdb36b1956adfc2610c1c9eb49.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="800" height="444" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HqIs23-Kyxg/Ya5lgPh7FwI/AAAAAAAAJJo/ybRzi4IZi68Z4CwPrbu2Dx7b8gkjJMq7QCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h444/playback-fm_colorize-photo_891f63bdb36b1956adfc2610c1c9eb49.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Koseki Yuji ( centre ) with Fujiyama Ichiro ( right ) <br />and <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%9C%9E%E7%90%86%E3%83%A8%E3%82%B7%E3%82%B3" target="_blank">Mari Yoshiko</a> ( left ). Original Photo : Columbia Japan</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><p>The selected performer was the popular Japanese singer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichir%C5%8D_Fujiyama" target="_blank">Fujiyama Ichiro</a> ( 藤山一郎 ) who was also a well known musician, composer and conductor. He was truely surprised when he arrived at the studio, assuming that the lyrics and the song were already completed and ready for his practising, only to discover that Takahashi was still in the middle of writing the words!</p><p>Eventually, the excitement and thrill of receiving the good news on the Japanese victory in the southern oceans pushed Takahashi and Koseki to overcome all technical difficulties and time constrains to complete the song on time. It would be titled " Annihilation of the British Eastern Fleet " ( 英国東洋艦隊潰滅 <i>Eikoku Toyo Kantai Kaimetsu</i> ). Due to the urgent circumstances which it was composed, a short portion of Setouchi Tokichi's famous <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/02/gunkan-machi-sprightly-japanese-naval.html" target="_blank">Warship March</a> </i>( 軍艦行進曲 <i>Gunkan Koshinkyoku</i> )<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>was even interjected between the first and second verses of the original song. This rather plagiaristic interlude would be removed in later versions.</p><p>The lyrics writing and composing was done right to the last minute and there was only one rehearsal before the newly completed song was broadcasted. Although its creation was rushed, the song was rhythmic and powerful and conveyed the excitement of war and victory. It was said that Fujiyama sang it beautifully and after the event Maruyama was full of praise for the successful effort by the trio. He would later reflect that from the announcement of the news to the completion of the song was only three hours, a normally impossible technical feat in both lyrics writing and composing, and that it can only be a joyous milestone in the world of news songs. </p><p>After that, NHK continued to commission news songs following many significant Imperial Japanese military conquests such as " <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-song-of-fall-of-singapore.html" target="_blank">The Song of the Fall of Singapore</a> " and " The Fall of Manila " but they did not quite create the same impact on the populace at the same magnitude as the " Annihilation of the British Eastern Fleet " did. </p><p>Incidentally, the " Annihilation of the British Eastern Fleet ", popular as it might have been, was not made into a record during the War. It could be that it was then not NHK's priority to have the song released on vinyl. Perhaps feeling that it would be a business opportunity lost, Columbia Records Japan had poet, writer and lyricist for children's song Sato Hachiro ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B5%E3%83%88%E3%82%A6%E3%83%8F%E3%83%81%E3%83%AD%E3%83%BC" target="_blank">サトウハチロー</a> ) write lyrics to Koseki Yuji's original melody and created a new song called " Decisive Victory " ( 断じて勝つぞ <i>Danjite Katsuzo</i> ). Sung again by Fujiyama Ichiro and also the Columbia Choir, it was already recorded on 20th Dec 1941 but was not released in vinyl until Febuarary 1942. </p><p>Interestingly, while on a troop entertainment tour of South East Asia in Oct 1942 under the auspices of NHK, the ship that was ferrying Koseki and his delegation of fellow artistes was approaching the Kuantan coast on the Malay Peninsula when out of the blue the " Annihilation of the British Eastern Fleet " was performed by the spontaneous efforts of those on board. Such was the popularity of the song at that time. </p><p>Not long after, the end of World War II and the defeat of Japan in Aug 1945 would bring an end to the golden era of military songs ( 軍歌 <i>gunka</i> ) and news songs. It was not until August 1966, twenty five years after it was composed that the " Annihilation of the British Eastern Fleet " was finally released on record. It was included in the " Japanese Military Song Collection In Stereo " by Columbia Records Japan. The performer was still Fujiyama Ichiro.</p><p>When I first heard the " Annihilation of the British Eastern Fleet " being played, I thought it was slightly inferior to the " Song of the Fall of Singapore " and I still hold to that opinion today. But the more I listened to it, the more appealing it became. In fact, for a song created in less than three hours, it should be considered a masterpiece. Besides, Fujiyama's vocals are just awesome. </p><p>Note that the IJN did not actually annihilate the entire Eastern Fleet as the title of the song might have suggested. The Eastern Fleet's assets included many other warships stationed from Durban to Hong Kong, but it effectively did so by removing at one fell swoop the two most powerful warships of the fleet. It would be many months into 1942 before the appearance of another British battleship in the Far East theatre.</p><p>You may listen to the song below or from this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWPvNIz8KLo" target="_blank">link</a>. The footage I believe has been taken from the 1942 war film " <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_at_Sea_from_Hawaii_to_Malaya" target="_blank">The war at sea from Hawaii to Malaya</a> " ( ハワイ.マレー沖海戦 ) by Toho Eiga.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dydzxlHXVLeDdrCAV_bTZkXpBmh9Ec9rOnmjYsLCS8Wb4xoXg5bGzcAlIaAu8Q5M-ZBizfBCby233CFEbrhGQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Annihilation of the British Eastern Fleet</span><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>英国東洋艦隊潰滅 ( Eikoku Toyokantai Kaimetsu )</u></h4><p><b><u>Annihilation of the British Eastern Fleet</u></b></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>滅びたり滅びたり <i>Horo bitari horo bitari</i></p><p>Perish! Perish!</p><p>敵東洋艦隊は <i>Teki Toyo kantai wa</i></p><p>The enemy's Eastern Fleet,</p><p>マレー半島クワンタン沖に <i>Mare Hanto Kuwantan oki ni</i></p><p>Off the coast of Kuantan, Malay Peninsula,</p><p>今ぞ沈みゆきぬ <i>Ima zo shizumi yukinu</i></p><p>Is sinking now</p><p>勲し赫たり海の荒鷲よ <i>Isaoshi kaku tari umi no ara washi yo</i></p><p>The meritorious storm eagles of the sea</p><p>沈むレパルス <i>Shizumu Reparusu</i></p><p>Sink the Repulse</p><p>沈むプリンス.オブ.ウェールズ <i>Shizumu Prinsu obu Weruzu</i></p><p>Sink the Prince of Wales</p><p><br /></p><p>戦えり戦えり <i>Tataka eri tataka eri </i></p><p>To war! To war!</p><p>わが強者らは <i>Waga tsuwamono ra wa</i></p><p>Men of great strength.</p><p>皇国の興廃を <i>Kokoku no Kohai wo</i> </p><p>The fate of the Empire,</p><p>今ぞ身に負いぬ <i>Ima zo mi ni oi nu</i></p><p>Now lies in our hands.</p><p>傲れるイギリス東洋艦隊を <i>Ogo reru Igirisu toyo kantai wo</i></p><p>The proud English Eastern Fleet,</p><p>荒ぶ波に沈め去りぬ <i>Susabu nami ni shizume sarinu</i></p><p>Shall sink beneath the rough seas</p><p><br /></p><p>記憶せよ記憶せよ <i>Kioku seyo kioku seyo</i></p><p>Remember! Remember!</p><p>いざ永遠にこの日を <i>Iza towa ni konohi wo</i> </p><p>This day forever!</p><p>打ち向う敵艦を一拳屠り去りぬ <i>Uchi muko u tekikan o ikkyo hofuri sarinu</i></p><p>The enemy warship has been slaughtered with a single punch,</p><p>開戦三日目に早この戦果ぞ <i>Kaisen mikkame ni haya kono senka zo</i></p><p>Glorious results just three days since the start of the war. </p><p>沈むレパルス<i> Shizumu Reparusu</i></p><p>Sink the Repulse!</p><p>沈むプリンス.オブ.ウェールズ <i>Shizumu Purinsu obu Weruzu</i></p><p>Sink the Prince of Wales!</p><p><br /></p><p>万歳ぞ万歳ぞ <i>Banzai zo banzai zo</i></p><p>Banzai! Banzai!</p><p>聞けあがる勝鬨 <i>Kike agaru kachidoki</i></p><p>Hear the shout of victory!</p><p>マレー半島シンガポール <i>Mare Hanto Shingaporu</i></p><p>The Malay Penisula, Singapore,</p><p>はやくも破れ去る <i>Hayaku mo yabu re sa ru</i></p><p>Shall fall rapidly.</p><p>無敵の海軍見よこの荒鷲 <i>Muteki no kaigun mi yo kono ara washi</i></p><p>Behold the Storm Eagles of the invincible navy.</p><p>勲仰げ仰げ勲 <i>Isao aoge aoge isao</i></p><p>Meritorious services worthy of respect. Revere their exploits. </p><p><br /></p><p>作詞 高橋掬太郎 Lyrics : Takahashi Kikutaro</p><p>作曲 古関裕而 Compser : Koseki Yuji</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxm2yms77bu61wu1ewyu_7rTTXoD5sPYeG_OWZru4JTVaekzEVhi7ZSMe0oNx2QrjhLjeQQVKmZqAai94GUyg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Version with first 3 verses and Gunkan March interlude from 0:42 to 0:57</span><br /><p>This incomplete version with only the first three verses uses archival news footage from NHK and contains the Gunkan March interlude between verses 1 and 2.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JZ4UAv-6Zso/Ya54QOtr3fI/AAAAAAAAJJ4/Cpp0NqV43rMkEqeYSujc8f3pQuN5iB2vQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ST%2B11121941.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1590" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JZ4UAv-6Zso/Ya54QOtr3fI/AAAAAAAAJJ4/Cpp0NqV43rMkEqeYSujc8f3pQuN5iB2vQCNcBGAsYHQ/w496-h640/ST%2B11121941.jpg" width="496" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Straits Times of Singapore Headlines 11th Dec 1941<br />Image : Singapore Press Holdings</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span><u>How The Japanese Won</u></span></h4><p><br /></p><p>The decisive victory of the Japanese in the Naval Battle of Malaya was certainly not a fluke. For years leading to the start of the Pacific War, Japan had progressively build up its military capabilities and had posessed the most powerful navy in the world by 1941, with eleven aircraft carriers and several naval air fleets, all equipped with very modern and advanced aircraft types. In particular, its long range land-based naval bombers ( 海軍陸上攻撃機 <i>kaigun rikujo kogeki ki</i> ), frequently abbreviated to just Rikko ( 陸攻 ), were a formidable force. Not only were these medium bombers designed to have very long range and high speed, though sometimes achieved at the expense of crew protection, the aviators were highly trained and many have gained combat experience through the trans-oceanic bombing campaigns of the Sino-Japanese War. </p><p>The affable squadron commander Lieutenant Iki Haruki for example was said to have already completed 200 bombing missions at the beginning of the Pacific War, making him one of the most experienced among the Rikko fraternity. He went through very rigorous and realistic training for torpedo strikes against surface fleets and claimed to have practised executing torpedo attack final approaches at an altitude of 10m in anticipation of the very shallow waters at Pearl Harbor. The altitude for a typical IJNAS torpedo run is 30m, as we have seen during the attack on the British warships off Kuantan. The pilots and bombers of the IJNAS are affectionately given the nickname of Sea Eagles or Storm Eagles ( 荒鷲 <i>arawashi</i> ).</p><p>Japan's occupation of airfields in French Indochina from July 1941 onwards was also a crucial factor in its ultimate victory in the Naval Battle of Malaya. Had the medium bomber squadrons been based in Taiwan or even Hainan Island which Japan had also occupied, they would not have the necessary range to strike at British Malaya or the South China Sea.</p><p>In addition, the high level of coordination and information sharing between the surface fleet, submarine fleet and the aviation corps also ensured that the British fleet would not escape the entrapment in the South China Sea. </p><p>The Japanese Navy also took the threat of the British capital ships against their own cruisers and battleships in the Southern Expeditionary Fleet very seriously and therefore spared no effort in planning and preparing for their elimination, beginning from the moment of the British announcement of the HMS Prince of Wales' deployment to the Far East. In anticipation of the arrival of the British capital ships in Singapore, the IJN began equipping their most elite Rikko bombing group the Kanoya Air Group with a total of 72 of the latest Mitsubishi G4M Betty medium bomber. Originally based in Taichung in central Taiwan and part of the 21st Air Flotilla, half the air group consisting of three squadrons were transferred to French Indochina to reinforce the 22nd Air Flotilla's Genzan and Mihoro Air Groups which operated older Mitsubishi G3M Nell bombers. The Kanoya detachment had arrived at Thu Dau Mot Airfiled only on 6th December 1941. As the turn of events had shown us, they would later have a huge impact on the outcome of the battle.<span> </span></p><p><span>Six warships against two submarine squadrons, a destroyer squadron, a cruiser division and a reinforced rikko air group, it is easy to predict which side would emerge victorious. </span><span> </span> </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Aftermarth</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The loss of the two most powerful warships of the Eastern Fleet had given the IJN full conrol of the seas aound the Malay Peninsula and had reduced Singapore to a land base. Without its battleships, Singapore was no longer capable projecting naval power to the region as the British had hoped when they formulated the Singapore Strategy two decades prior. It would fall to General Yamashita's 25th Army on 15th Feb 1942.</p><p>After the disastrous Naval Battle of Malaya, the Eastern Fleet spent the next few months withdrawing to Sumatra and then to Ceylon, after the Dutch East Indies also fell to the Japanese. The shock of defeat from Hawaii to Singapore and Java finally galvanised the Allied Forces to form a joint naval command to fight back against the ever-expanding Japanese Empire in early 1942. It was known as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American-British-Dutch-Australian_Command" target="_blank">Ameican-British-Dutch-Australian Command</a> or ABDA. Though short-lived, it was the beginning of an awakening and a long struggle to regain allied supremacy in the Far East / Western Pacific. </p><p>The first article of the series commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore can be found <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-song-of-fall-of-singapore.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>*Time format used in the article is local Singapore time unless otherwise stated. Tokyo time ( then ) is 1 hour 30min ahead.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-90336401955931390802021-10-25T08:20:00.012+08:002022-11-08T20:46:20.158+08:00Only Frozen Raw Potatoes To Eat? Serves You Right! 一天一个冻土豆? 活该!<p></p><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MzvQR2ybVuc/YXEzDOJ1cBI/AAAAAAAAJBg/4xKd0SDd18Ylv3-xzuXb7zFQ079SW_cDQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1366/Potato%2B3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="1366" height="336" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MzvQR2ybVuc/YXEzDOJ1cBI/AAAAAAAAJBg/4xKd0SDd18Ylv3-xzuXb7zFQ079SW_cDQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h336/Potato%2B3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PLA Fieldcraft : Eating Frozen Potato</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <br /><p></p><p>An army marches on its stomach is an old saying that is most frequently attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte. It is absolute common sense that soldiers would have to be properly fed in the field in order for them to attain peak performance and accomplish their missions successfully. Because soldiering is by nature physically demanding, think trench digging, force marches across difficult terrain in harsh climates and combat, military personnel would have a higher than average daily calorie need. Failure to ensure a continual supply of rations to the frontline troops is therefore a definite recipe for disaster.</p><p>This was exactly what happened to Chinese soldiers at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War. The winter of 1950 was one of the harshest ever encountered on the Korean Peninsula and some of the ill-equipped and poorly supplied Chinese infantry units were said to have nothing more than <b><i>a</i></b> <b><i>single</i></b> frozen raw potato to eat each day. Well at least that was the claim made by numerous Chinese " documentaries " through the years and also by the Chinese Communist Party's latest propaganda war movie <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_at_Lake_Changjin" target="_blank">The Battle At Lake Changjin</a></i></b>. The movie attempted to glorify the extreme hardship that the soldiers had to endure during the winter campaign, while distorting the truth and historical facts. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uB70cdGmJPs/YXEv0IWtjCI/AAAAAAAAJBY/ine0iAitzYQorP020WqzNIp664JQxWwSACLcBGAsYHQ/s1345/Potato%2B2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="1345" height="312" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uB70cdGmJPs/YXEv0IWtjCI/AAAAAAAAJBY/ine0iAitzYQorP020WqzNIp664JQxWwSACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h312/Potato%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Combat Rations : Frozen Potatoes<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Although the Chinese ultimately helped recapture North Korea and forced the tactical withdrawal of the United Nations mandated allied forces, the self-proclaimed victory came at a very high cost in human casualties, many of which were exposure related. Combat rations of frozen raw potatoes? Really? In cahoots with the North Koreans who started the Korean War, one can only say to the Chinese aggressors : Serves You Right. </p><p>Propaganda aside, what really happened at Chosin?</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2qr775uGcNo/YXLs_mmapQI/AAAAAAAAJCs/zRSlMrOhTF0-OcbG_7Lwk2uw4QZSB6AIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/vSY1yiKL.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1672" data-original-width="2048" height="522" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2qr775uGcNo/YXLs_mmapQI/AAAAAAAAJCs/zRSlMrOhTF0-OcbG_7Lwk2uw4QZSB6AIgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h522/vSY1yiKL.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanks on the road south of Koto-ri, 1950. Original image : USMC</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Battle of Chosin Reservoir</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chosin_Reservoir" target="_blank">Chosin Reservoir</a> ( 長津湖 ) is an artificial lake in the mountainous north-east region of the Korean Peninsula. The name Chosin is derived from the Japanese pronunciation <i>Choshinko. </i>It is invariably known to the Chinese as Changjinhu and to the Koreans as Jangjinho. The immediate area around the lake has an average altitude of 1300m above sea level and was very sparsely populated. It was here in November through December 1950 that one of the fiercest and most pivotal battle of the Korean War was fought between the Chinese and American lead allied forces. </p><p>On 25th June a few months prior, the North Korean Army had crossed the 38th Parallel and invaded South Korea with the implicit backing of the Soviets and the Chinese. It would be the start of a three year conflict known to the world at large as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War" target="_blank">Korean War</a>. </p><p>By July, the South Korean Army and the United Nations mandated allied forces sent to its aid was besieged at the port city of Pusan and were on the brink of total annihilation. It was only after a massive reinforcement effort and an audacious amphibious landing behind enemy lines at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Inchon" target="_blank">Incheon</a> in September that the allied forces turned the table and routed the North Koreans. The United Nations Command then decided to advance across the 38th Parallel in pursue of the retreating North Korean forces despite warnings from China that it would intervene. Elements of the Chinese People's Liberation Army ( PLA ), renamed the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Volunteer_Army" target="_blank">People's Volunteer Army</a> ( PVA ) for the Korean campaign would secretly cross the Yalu River which marked the Chinese-Korean border on 19th October and the first engagements with UN troops ensued. In the following month, the PVA staged a second offensive in an attempt to destroy the UN forces advancing along the west coast of the Korean Peninsula and those in the north-east in the area of the Chosin Reservoir.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YnsabVUiiMo/YXLuNI9g_4I/AAAAAAAAJC8/tLtFG9iQoWoNjZHCNpC_qO-_UG3-nql7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1252/7LvECkeW.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="1252" height="536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YnsabVUiiMo/YXLuNI9g_4I/AAAAAAAAJC8/tLtFG9iQoWoNjZHCNpC_qO-_UG3-nql7QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h536/7LvECkeW.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marines halted on the road south of Hagaru-ri waiting for roadblock to be cleared,<br /> Dec 1950. Original Image USMC</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chosin_Reservoir" target="_blank">Battle of Chosin Reservoir</a> had began on 27th November when the elite PVA 9th Army launched a surprise all out attack on the US X Corps. It coincided with one of the harshest winters on the Korean Peninsula with temperatures plunging to -38C. The allied troops were badly outnumbered and were forced into a hasty retreat along a narrow road over mountainous terrain to the port of Hungnam 126km away where <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungnam_evacuation" target="_blank">evacuation by naval vessels</a> awaited. The soldiers had to fight their way to safety through numerous PVA blockades and they were also constantly harassed by PVA elements occupying the high grounds both sides along the only retreating route. Unfortunately for the Chinese, due to the urgent nature of their deployment to North Korea, the PVA 9th Army had little time to be fully prepared and equipped for winter warfare. The soldiers wore thin cotton tunics more suited for the warmer climate of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_China" target="_blank">East China</a> ( 华东 <i>Huadong</i> ) as they were originally destined for invading Taiwan. UN air raids and bad weather hampered logistics and food was in short supply. Foraging was out of the question since the region was sparely populated and with everything covered under a thick blanket of snow. Poorly equipped and hungry, the PVA could not fight as efficiently as expected and the retreating Americans inflicted heavy casualties to their enemy. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rC15twUTqT8/YXLtq-uF-aI/AAAAAAAAJC0/nmOWrwff0hsXI8XI0f8x5dfDLYtFzJlJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1381/2O41tTXl.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="1381" height="518" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rC15twUTqT8/YXLtq-uF-aI/AAAAAAAAJC0/nmOWrwff0hsXI8XI0f8x5dfDLYtFzJlJwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h518/2O41tTXl.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US Marines retreating from the Frozen Chosin, Dec 1950. Original Image : USMC</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>After more than two weeks of intense fighting, allied forces successfully withdrew to Hungnam and were eventually evacuated to Pusan. </p><p>Battle casualties for the US and South Korean troops numbered 10459 with an additional 7338 non-battle casualties. The PVA suffered 19202 battle casualties and another 28954 non-battle casualties. The US claimed tactical victory as it managed to breakout of the Chinese entrapment at Chosin while inflicting heavy losses to the PVA. At the same time the Chinese claimed strategic victory as it had successfully driven the UN forces south of the 38th Parallel and prevented the annihilation of the North Korean communist regime. The ramifications of the Battle of Chosin Reservoir are felt to this day as it prevented the rapid conclusion of the Korean War and the unification of the two Koreas. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Px9cCCYUXGo/YXWIXNdOnGI/AAAAAAAAJD4/UzMO4HZZ8i4004onr0LZMIiPT80em6_EgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1513/38dbb6fd5266d0160924983e067bc30735fae6cd9fdf%2Bbaidu.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1513" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Px9cCCYUXGo/YXWIXNdOnGI/AAAAAAAAJD4/UzMO4HZZ8i4004onr0LZMIiPT80em6_EgCLcBGAsYHQ/w456-h640/38dbb6fd5266d0160924983e067bc30735fae6cd9fdf%2Bbaidu.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-style: italic; text-align: left;">The Battle At Lake Changjin </b><span style="text-align: left;">publicity poster</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw6z_5b8Y-X6_rge_hFVgofgi4Yzo8ByRgc-FD_OFA47SUCC1_PZKwOYnWZybEiD3LEtkd0dbGM_9vPRO_PPQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> <span> </span></span></span><b style="font-style: italic;">The Battle At Lake Changjin </b>Official Trailer<br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Movie</u></h4><p><br /></p><p><b style="font-style: italic;">The Battle At Lake Changjin </b>was commissioned by the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) and the National Radio And Television Administration with support from the Central Military Commission. It was produced by the Bona Film Group. With a production budget of over US$200 million, it is also one of the most expensive film made in China. The release date was 30th Sep 2021, a day before the national day of China. It is also the centennial year of the Chinese Communist Party. Since its release, the film has broken several of China's box office records, with takings of US$821 million as of 23rd Oct, and could be on track to be the top grossing film worldwide this year.</p><p>Impressive as it might be, this movie is nothing but propaganda from the CCP and was intended to induce a sense of patriotism among the Chinese film viewers and make them feel good seeing China triumph over America. In China, the Korean War is officially known as " The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_of_the_War_to_Resist_US_Aggression_and_Aid_Korea" target="_blank">War To Resist US Aggression And Aid Korea</a>" ( <a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%8A%97%E7%BE%8E%E6%8F%B4%E6%9C%9D/383" target="_blank">抗美援朝战争</a> <i>kang mei yuan chao zhan zheng</i> ) which is an absolute misnomer. The US was not the aggressor, the North Koreans were. They were the aggressors that started the war by invading the south. The US and its allies from 20 different countries were in the Korean Peninsula as a military force mandated by the United Nations in aid of South Korea. The Chinese were therefore fighting the multi-national United Nations Command, not just the US alone, although admittedly the bulk of the troops were Americans. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorcATifjAQZxHXuWyRULpL7mzqdyELWdoA7SHipOr9ruFXxTXFosWupD27W23rqPIq-UMDH33H8S5AxBJF2PvNmeXQM1GCGs-E7bBAPS6fYdeMCwTqOu-HlNNUBO7mJPmd6c-9LomBCcLvY-Gd4Q-_1diWQfJfIe-esMRAoV8vepbjmFZmcOejglrEQ/s1366/Pingdiaolian%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="1366" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorcATifjAQZxHXuWyRULpL7mzqdyELWdoA7SHipOr9ruFXxTXFosWupD27W23rqPIq-UMDH33H8S5AxBJF2PvNmeXQM1GCGs-E7bBAPS6fYdeMCwTqOu-HlNNUBO7mJPmd6c-9LomBCcLvY-Gd4Q-_1diWQfJfIe-esMRAoV8vepbjmFZmcOejglrEQ/w640-h270/Pingdiaolian%202.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen to death : China's Ice Sculpture Company ( <a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%86%B0%E9%9B%95%E8%BF%9E" target="_blank">冰雕连</a> ) </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The movie also tried to portray the resilience of the Chinese soldiers under very harsh and trying winter environments with lack of proper clothing and food. A young soldier was shown having only a single frozen potato to eat a day and muttering something about having to endure a little more until the town of Sinhung-ni is reached. Entire companies were discovered frozen to death in the snow while guarding their assigned positions. Such hardship and sacrifices have touched the hearts of Chinese audiences and some were even prompted to try eating frozen potatoes themselves after watching the movie. You can watch a Chinese girl's attempt to emulate soldiers eating frozen potato in this <a href="https://weibo.com/2810373291/KBcDonYES" target="_blank">video gone viral</a>. That of course is not an easy feat and Chinese military historians say that the frozen potatoes were first put under the armpit for partial thawing before being eaten raw, layer by layer. Several cycles of thawing and gnawing would be repeated until the entire tuber is eventually consumed. Sounds like something any sensible person would want to avoid! </p><p>But seriously, can a human being survive on just a single potato a day in near-arctic environments? Common sense tells us it is impossible, but here's the science.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-29SSKAQJmbY/YXL4zLRJtoI/AAAAAAAAJDE/F4A0zeAvGEQB7n3BOTHzCcuRbVagsPICQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1156/MDRI%2B2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="1156" height="484" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-29SSKAQJmbY/YXL4zLRJtoI/AAAAAAAAJDE/F4A0zeAvGEQB7n3BOTHzCcuRbVagsPICQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h484/MDRI%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Estimated energy expenditures and allowances from US DoD <br />Military Dietary Reference Intakes ( 2001 )</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Daily Calorie Requirements</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The first thing that is needed is to determine the daily energy expenditure for a soldier engaging in very strenuous activities in extreme cold. From the US DoD's Military Dietary Reference Intakes ( MRDI ) tables, men engaging in exceptional level of activity would have an energy requirement of 58 kilocalories per kilogram of body weight per day ( kcal/kg/day ) which would be about 4600 kcal/day based on the military reference man of 79kg.</p><p>The average Chinese soldier however, has a smaller stature and would likely weigh much less than his American counterpart. My estimate would be about 60kg and even this figure could be over-optimistic for the 1950s which was preceded by years of war, famine and then civil unrest in China. Based on this lower weight, the Chinese soldier would still require about 3500 kcal/day.</p><p>Although there is no RDI for carbohydrates, it is generally accepted that approximately half our energy intake should be in the form of carbohydrates ( sugars and starch ). Since the calorific value of carbohydrates is 4.1kcal/g, the Chinese soldier would need to consume roughly 427g in carbohydrates daily to sustain his activities.</p><p>In addition, the RDI for protein is between 0.8 to 1.5g per kg body weight. This will mean 48 to 90g of daily protein intake for a 60kg Chinese man. </p><p>Now that we understand the exact nutritional ( caloric ) requirements for a soldier fighting a winter war, it is time to have a closer look at the potato.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vl7Wt6T9ZRU/YXMRwYDpyLI/AAAAAAAAJDM/9S1LazH7QGA4kZkxg-nzzS_nBPT89hGKACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/St%25C3%25A4rkekartoffel_Amflora_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vl7Wt6T9ZRU/YXMRwYDpyLI/AAAAAAAAJDM/9S1LazH7QGA4kZkxg-nzzS_nBPT89hGKACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/St%25C3%25A4rkekartoffel_Amflora_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freshly harvested potato tubers. Wikimedia Commons.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Humble Potato</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato" target="_blank">potato</a> has its origins in the Andes region of South America, an area that is modern day Peru and Bolivia where it has been cultivated for thousands of years. It was introduced to Europe by the Spaniards in the 16th century and quickly became an important food source throughout the world. There are now more than 5000 varieties of potatoes following millennia of selective breeding. China and India are currently the leading producers of the potato.</p><p>In Chinese, the potato is known as the <i>malingshu</i> ( 马铃薯 ) or colloquially as the <i>tudou</i> ( 土豆 ), literally meaning bean of the earth. The potato is popularly grown in the cold and acrid northern regions of China where rice cultivation is difficult or even impossible.</p><p>What is the weight of a potato and how much energy does it contain? Sizes may differ according to cultivars and growing conditions but the weight of a potato can be anywhere between 100g to 285g. According to <a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170438/nutrients" target="_blank">data</a> from the US Department of Agriculture ( USDA ), a single potato that weighs 136g will contain 105g of water *, 27.3g of carbohydrate and 2.54g of protein. It will provide 118 kcal of energy. These figures are far short of what we have calculated earlier. To summerise, the 60kg soldier engaged in exceptional level of physical activity would need to consume at least 427g of carbohydrates and 48g of proteins everyday. In other words, he would need to eat not 1 but 16 small to medium sized potatoes, as well as other food stuff to make up for the shortfall in proteins and especially fats which is not found in any significant quantity in the tubers.</p><p>* In sub-zero temperatures, the potato's high water content meant it would rapidly freeze and become rock hard.</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Starvation</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Failure to have sufficient food supply would rapidly lead to depleted muscle and liver glycogen stores, the human body's preferred source of energy, and eventually depleted fat stores as well. Fatigue would set in and the body would be much less likely to survive physiologically stressful events like hypothermia. Prolonged starvation could also result in the loss of skeletal muscle mass to a process known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluconeogenesis" target="_blank">gluconeogenesis</a>, in the body's bid to maintain a minimum blood glucose level essential for brain functioning.</p><p>It is therefore not surprising that the half-starved PVA 9th Army could not have performed better at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir and prevented the breakout of the US X Corps from its encirclement. A single frozen potato a day? Not unless you aim to fail your mission or die of hypothermia! The PVA high command should be held accountable for its utter failure in equipping its troops and providing for their most basic nutritional needs, resulting in many unnecessary non-battle injuries and even death. Those poor Chinese soldiers may have been hailed as heroes for their ultimate sacrifice for their motherland but they were really nothing more than pawns in the eyes of the CCP, cheap, abundant and expendable. <b><i>None deserved the slightest of our sympathies</i></b>.</p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-28885536149706874192021-10-22T16:25:00.003+08:002022-04-30T23:19:59.205+08:00JMSDF Launches First Ever Oil Tanker YOT-01 Updated<p> </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BMEo9TlJ_JY/YXJWULYxGxI/AAAAAAAAJBo/5gaxzF3rP-0ESwVdwnSq1iIQvpIFfiueACLcBGAsYHQ/s1548/246702939_4601560236572325_2548883098500888583_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="1548" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BMEo9TlJ_JY/YXJWULYxGxI/AAAAAAAAJBo/5gaxzF3rP-0ESwVdwnSq1iIQvpIFfiueACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/246702939_4601560236572325_2548883098500888583_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JMSDF oil tanker YOT-01 prior to launch. Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>The Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force ( JMSDF ) has launched its first oil tanker simply known as the YOT-01 on 20th Oct 2021. There had been no prior official press release to inform the public about this launching ceremony. It followed the launch of the <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/10/second-in-pod-hakugei-ss-514.html" target="_blank">second <b><i>Taigei</i></b>-class</a> attack submarine just 6 days before.</p><p>The relatively low tonnage of just 4900 tons is typical of a product tanker which carries refined oils of various grades from the refinery to the destination market. This is in contrast to crude carriers which can have displacements of 250000 tons or more. Indeed JMSDF's Kure District Command tweeted that main function of the tanker is to transport fuel from the refinery to JMSDF naval bases.</p><p>From the initial photographs released by the JMSDF and also from videos on social media, the oil tanker did not appear to have a name and is simply designated YOT-01. While it is common not to name smaller vessels like barges and landing crafts, it is rather odd for a naval vessel of this size not to have been named. Also, the familiar <i><b><a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/02/gunkan-machi-sprightly-japanese-naval.html" target="_blank">Warship March</a></b></i> that is always played during JMSDF ship launching was not heard this time. I hope I am proven wrong. *</p><p>The tanker has its origins as the 4900 ton oiler of the FY2019 Defense Plans ( 平成31年度計画の4900トン型油槽船 ). It was built by the <a href="https://www.skdy.co.jp/english/" target="_blank">Shin Kurushima Dockyard Co.Ltd</a> in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture. It would be the shipyard's first ship construction for the Ministry of Defense and it has already received the order for a second tanker. Imabari City is the shipbuilding capital of Japan and it is located on the north-western part of Shikoku Island on the shores of the Seto Inland Sea.</p><p>YOT-01 is expected to enter service in the spring of 2022 while YOT-02 is scheduled for delivery in the summer of the same year.</p><p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vBrm5N_2CrA/YXJYcnw6uRI/AAAAAAAAJBw/EezSfs7bsKwIkdUBAkjvKqruIgGGeJYkQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/FCNmzYhVkAMt7MP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vBrm5N_2CrA/YXJYcnw6uRI/AAAAAAAAJBw/EezSfs7bsKwIkdUBAkjvKqruIgGGeJYkQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/FCNmzYhVkAMt7MP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cord cutting with silver axe. Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oa1p5SHmZTA/YXJYvG5bnDI/AAAAAAAAJB4/5EE5eplp2TMF6O4qnWrB9snL0HSAbHzMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/FCNmzYbUUAI1lcI.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oa1p5SHmZTA/YXJYvG5bnDI/AAAAAAAAJB4/5EE5eplp2TMF6O4qnWrB9snL0HSAbHzMwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/FCNmzYbUUAI1lcI.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prior to launch, starboard view. Photo : JMSDF<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oe8rpsIFIyw/YXJfvLWEVZI/AAAAAAAAJCY/Ds4uJg5B2ZMxbhX0BvucctsR15VbFAT_wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/FCNmzYYVIAQqtVw.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oe8rpsIFIyw/YXJfvLWEVZI/AAAAAAAAJCY/Ds4uJg5B2ZMxbhX0BvucctsR15VbFAT_wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/FCNmzYYVIAQqtVw.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prior to launch. Only silver axe for ceremonial cord cutting on the table.<br />The usual ship naming papers are nowhere to be seen. Photo : JMSDF </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o5YAtp_6eZE/YXJfTW9mxNI/AAAAAAAAJCE/159pHMGjwHormav8kzPkCjdW419l4IbMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/FCNmzYYUYAkdAiX.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o5YAtp_6eZE/YXJfTW9mxNI/AAAAAAAAJCE/159pHMGjwHormav8kzPkCjdW419l4IbMgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/FCNmzYYUYAkdAiX.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YOT-01 going down the slipway. Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H6LtmLIzwjw/YXJfL6GNOGI/AAAAAAAAJCA/fu_gw15BHbY6c49B77Vk6qJz4zZY4a1VACLcBGAsYHQ/s1548/246380905_4601560226572326_617926919291306648_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="1548" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H6LtmLIzwjw/YXJfL6GNOGI/AAAAAAAAJCA/fu_gw15BHbY6c49B77Vk6qJz4zZY4a1VACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/246380905_4601560226572326_617926919291306648_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YOT-01 in the water. Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxsk9KhVCS6xd9Mq86n_Mlbs9kQPTs7sAc-oMvtSR1Wm0jFav1_UQCWN_YxApeJi2i1iha5b1fUefFiDsGr0A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p>* The official JMSDF video on the launching ceremony of YOT-01 has been released on 15th Nov 2021. Instead of the "Warship March", the tanker was launched amidst the tunes of "Anchors Aweigh" of the US Naval Academy.</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>YOT-01 Arrives At Kure ( Update April 2022 )</u></h4><div><br /></div><div>It seems that the oil tanker YOT-01 has arrived at JMSDF Kure Naval Base on 22nd April and has been put in active service. The video below was released by the Kure Regional HQ.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzmjwE3Zv5aNY1p5a68V5epxSpSwBYDjYBWSBFrL7g_MFqTyGUd9C9ub1zzbuuII8FEDCu9AnaE2Yas1PT7DA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-7272841292848306062021-10-14T17:09:00.013+08:002021-11-29T13:13:31.737+08:00Second In The Pod : Hakugei SS-514 たいげい型潜水艦二番艦はくげい進水<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QW9x5Bt2OkA/YaRgMPHklMI/AAAAAAAAJH8/IaI4rOAwEQ4vD3jRjlmIvsVT9rg9onmHACLcBGAsYHQ/s870/25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="870" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QW9x5Bt2OkA/YaRgMPHklMI/AAAAAAAAJH8/IaI4rOAwEQ4vD3jRjlmIvsVT9rg9onmHACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/25.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS <b><i>Hakugei</i></b> ( SS-514 ) shortly after launch. Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><div>Japan's second <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2020/10/taigei-japans-super-duper-next.html" target="_blank"><b><i>Taigei</i></b>-class</a> lithium-powered attack submarine has been launched at the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Kobe Shipyard this afternoon. This came exactly a year after the launch of the <i><b>Taigei</b></i>. It has been named the Hakugei ( はくげい ) which literally translated means white whale. In kanji characters Hakugei would be written as 白鯨. </div><p>JMSDF twitted that the name Hakugei refers to the white sperm whale ( マッコウクジラ <i>makkokujira 抹香鯨 </i>). The ship naming and launching event was officiated by Rear Admiral Sonoda Naoki ( 園田直紀 ), Commander Kure District.</p><p>Official JMSDF video on the naming and launching ceremony of the Hakugei here :</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyr12xjdwFmW_uHvXDbQ2CQkiMUL4E2cM71AlS8zIXyxb8b3jQkGXHbHT-EuBardzqMjHE42vCx5hGDNwXUMw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UO3MCnKPqyI/YWfSFWodOPI/AAAAAAAAI_w/UG4Oa2x6GiU4l2AAWGmhL5ZHIsHCkIP_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/FBourbHVkAU67gG.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UO3MCnKPqyI/YWfSFWodOPI/AAAAAAAAI_w/UG4Oa2x6GiU4l2AAWGmhL5ZHIsHCkIP_QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/FBourbHVkAU67gG.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hakugei at Kawasaki Kobe Shipyard. Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G3Xl-VR383s/YWfSK3sShkI/AAAAAAAAI_0/B_9cCmYdeNIq8rvECAMLbG5LDGAJt0tCwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/FBousTkVQAUgCXi.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G3Xl-VR383s/YWfSK3sShkI/AAAAAAAAI_0/B_9cCmYdeNIq8rvECAMLbG5LDGAJt0tCwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/FBousTkVQAUgCXi.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RAdm Sonoda Naoki with silver ship launching axe.<br />Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-39HK8Rn71dQ/YWfSP6hlQpI/AAAAAAAAI_4/1Fu5AS2MqiEjMF_JyazQledwuE32gKBeQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/FBour8TVIAILbj0.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-39HK8Rn71dQ/YWfSP6hlQpI/AAAAAAAAI_4/1Fu5AS2MqiEjMF_JyazQledwuE32gKBeQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/FBour8TVIAILbj0.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The submarine is officially named by Minister for Defense<br />Kishi Nobuo ( 防衛大臣 岸信夫 ). Photo JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jZFQm-qX2-c/YaRg-ndKmII/AAAAAAAAJIE/JE1c81q4J2ouKgEAcxW9-D8S1H-7lUq_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s870/24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="870" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jZFQm-qX2-c/YaRg-ndKmII/AAAAAAAAJIE/JE1c81q4J2ouKgEAcxW9-D8S1H-7lUq_gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/24.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hakugei going down the slipway. Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JIWKlDgAyMo/YWmvF0SS99I/AAAAAAAAJA0/QWjwNrYC2yYsopdnl9a8B_rzj7X_E_pJACLcBGAsYHQ/s4935/JS_Hakugei%2BSS-514%2BShinsui_KawasakiKobe_Shipyard_October_14%252C_2021%2Bwiki.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="4935" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JIWKlDgAyMo/YWmvF0SS99I/AAAAAAAAJA0/QWjwNrYC2yYsopdnl9a8B_rzj7X_E_pJACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/JS_Hakugei%2BSS-514%2BShinsui_KawasakiKobe_Shipyard_October_14%252C_2021%2Bwiki.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hakugei SS-514 shortly after launch at KHI Kobe Shipyard. Photo : Wikipedia<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwUrTEmKu4KRoYDceBCTjLQuiBXmux4HTKsxCNy0zDlRw9WiDaSDgsVMakDx1G_ZXNbKMUoMg-vumgX0KZENg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span> </span><span> </span><span> Video : Kobe Keizai News</span><br /><p>The naval band played the theme song of Space Battleship Yamato at the beginning of the video ....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RVgF-Wgmhrc/YWfRqskHrcI/AAAAAAAAI_g/pX-MkYo-rnU8v88Z7cdIP2HkxrtYZDh_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/FBouswyVkAASvq8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-67349909629940828222021-10-14T14:17:00.012+08:002021-11-24T21:15:51.770+08:00Ship Logo Mark For Japanese Stealth Frigates <p> </p><p>The Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force ( JMSDF ) had recently launched the first three ships of the <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/03/jack-of-all-trades-japans-mogami-class.html" target="_blank"><b><i>Mogami</i></b>-class</a> multi-mission stealth frigate, out of a planned total of twenty-two. Apart from the lead ship JS <b><i>Mogami</i></b> ( FFM-1 ), the others are JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b> ( FFM-2 ) and <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/06/third-mogami-class-frigate-js-noshiro.html" target="_blank">JS <b><i>Noshiro</i></b></a> ( FFM-3 ).</p><p>A ship logo mark design competition was opened to the public from 7th May to 6th June 2021 and the results have just been announced three days ago. The winning designs were selected by the respective pre-commissioning ship crew. The Japanese call the ship's crest or emblem the logo mark ( ロゴマーク <i>rogo maku</i> ).</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lKZVM3lay10/YWauZxd8IgI/AAAAAAAAI-s/fUXdsm3wJ6UDxCNByfCEgA-V9LXW0GkUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s592/FBZUblQVEAIP8Y9.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="592" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lKZVM3lay10/YWauZxd8IgI/AAAAAAAAI-s/fUXdsm3wJ6UDxCNByfCEgA-V9LXW0GkUwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/FBZUblQVEAIP8Y9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ship logo mark of JS <b><i>Mogami</i></b> FFM-1 with <br />the black lion of Nagai. Image : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Mogami ( FFM-1 )</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>JS <b><i>Mogami</i></b>'s ship crest is designed by Kurata Yusuke ( 倉田裕典 ) from Tokyo. It features prominently the face of a stylised Black Lion below which the hiragana characters for Mogami ( もがみ ) is displayed. The outer rim has motifs of waves, anchor and the cherry blossoms associated with the JMSDF. </p><p>The black lion has its origins in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5MKLMM5swQ" target="_blank">Black Lion Festival</a> ( <a href="https://www.pref.yamagata.jp/020026/kensei/joho/koho/mailmag/shundayori/kurojisi.html" target="_blank">黒獅子祭り</a> <i>kuroshishi matsuri</i>) of Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture, where the Mogami River flows through. The ritual is held in May annually where all the black lions from each of the forty shrines of the city gather and men would perform the dynamic lion dance and parade through the streets to purify the community. </p><p>The lions are all characterized by having black faces, large eyeballs, bared glittering fangs and most uniquely, many legs. Most lion dances are performed by one or two men but this is certainly not the case for the kuroshishi. Learn how the lion heads are crafted out of hard wood and painstakingly transformed into elegant works of art in the hands of the takumi <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr81cWN1BXQ" target="_blank">here</a> or watch it below.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzzacXyRidqEsN_RTUfEDDmZd8HZwR7cNVkT0bnEkn28K83E17IzvfKICHYBIG2BaarbEP-UTnkVaCfoo5cqg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span></span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Video : </span>Okitama's Folk Handicraft - Black Lion Head<div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Credit : Okitama </span>Industrial and Economic Planning Division<br /><p><br /></p><p>Legend has it that in the Tohoku region a thousand years ago, a beautiful princess fell in love with the general of a rival clan and revealed to him the warfighting tactics of her people. It ultimately resulted in the defeat and death of her father in battle. Pursued by her enemies and in remorse she committed suicide by drowning herself in the river which flows through modern day Nagai City. A large dragon was subsequently sighted swimming upstream. It is said that this dragon god would dance down the river as the black lion of Nagai as it was invited to the annual festival of the local shrine.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Og2jDy2edS8/YWfCRqxWd4I/AAAAAAAAI_E/05Nj2mECpJILloNwgfOfc3HnNvG2TeD_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s700/Nagai%2BBlack%2BLion%2BTukiyama.jp.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="700" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Og2jDy2edS8/YWfCRqxWd4I/AAAAAAAAI_E/05Nj2mECpJILloNwgfOfc3HnNvG2TeD_ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/Nagai%2BBlack%2BLion%2BTukiyama.jp.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Lion of Nagai. Image : Tukiyama.jp</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Believable or not, the JMSDF certainly hopes that this black lion mascot hailing from the upper Mogami basin would endear the ship to its crew. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fvc2N1WpBV4/YWaulXUeWuI/AAAAAAAAI-w/skpytmG3ZeUk72MyzECk_C4k5chUn07wACLcBGAsYHQ/s360/kumano.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="359" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fvc2N1WpBV4/YWaulXUeWuI/AAAAAAAAI-w/skpytmG3ZeUk72MyzECk_C4k5chUn07wACLcBGAsYHQ/w638-h640/kumano.png" width="638" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ship Logo Mark of JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b> FFM-2 featuring the<br />mythical three-legged raven Yatagarasu. Image : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b></b></div><b><br /></b><p><br /></p><p><b><u>Kumano ( FFM-2 )</u></b></p><p><br /></p><p>JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b>'s ship crest is designed by Takabe Tsubasa ( 高部 翼 ) from Tokyo. The emblem features the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-legged_crow" target="_blank">Yatagarasu</a> ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%85%AB%E5%92%AB%E7%83%8F" target="_blank">八咫烏</a> ), a mythical three-legged raven which on orders from the Goddess Amaterasu, had guided legendary Emperor Jimmu to the plains of Yamato as his expedition army was lost and trapped in the mountains Kumano-guni ( 熊野国 ). </p><p>It carries a sacred relic on its neck, the Yata no Kagami ( 八咫鏡 ), a mirror that is effectively the portal between the land of the living and the land of the dead. It has powers to revive the dead and its mission is to guide lost souls back to the netherworld.</p><p>The design shows the Yatagarasu soaring above the raging currents of a stormy sea, portraying the ship's attributes of strength and stealth. The typographic characters show the words Kumano in katakana form ( クマノ ).</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jzORS_oADDk/YWfDhRv7bJI/AAAAAAAAI_M/uXyDQI-vGJY8HvxyFLEy4k-tEZEwWJ9QwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Kumano-hong%25C3%25BB-taisha_Shrine_-_Stone_monument_of_a_crow__Yatagarasu_%2B%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jzORS_oADDk/YWfDhRv7bJI/AAAAAAAAI_M/uXyDQI-vGJY8HvxyFLEy4k-tEZEwWJ9QwCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/Kumano-hong%25C3%25BB-taisha_Shrine_-_Stone_monument_of_a_crow__Yatagarasu_%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yatagarasu monument at the Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine.<br />Photo : Wikipaedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>More on logo marks in my previous post <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2020/01/sumimasen-is-that-singapore-lion-on.html" target="_blank">Sumimasen, Is That The Singaopre Lion On Your Logo Mark?</a> The logo mark designs of these two frigates exemplified the highest attributes of the ships and are thoroughly infused with cultural history of each region of the ship's namesake, making them unique and relevant. With such talented artists and designers among the Japanese community, it is perhaps high time the JMSDF calls for a re-design of JS <b><i>Ise</i></b>'s not so aesthetic logo mark which might even be bordering on plagiarism.</p><p><br /></p></div>Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-15517595247316156812021-08-24T05:22:00.015+08:002022-01-03T13:32:57.763+08:00The Song Of The Fall Of Singapore シンガポール陥落の歌<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mXkLEJRZI8g/YSNyexIdS8I/AAAAAAAAI6U/U5VgrwyuXN4UlbQ5pCTmHfOQeWVr7HNGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/song_of_the_fall_of_singapore__1597591535_f19934e9_progressive.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="1080" height="490" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mXkLEJRZI8g/YSNyexIdS8I/AAAAAAAAI6U/U5VgrwyuXN4UlbQ5pCTmHfOQeWVr7HNGwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h490/song_of_the_fall_of_singapore__1597591535_f19934e9_progressive.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The Song of the Fall of Singapore</i></b>, Victor Records Japan.<br />Photo : Codyrex via Carousell</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>There was a song for the Fall of Singapore? Apparently there was! The fall of Singapore to the soldiers of the invading Imperial Japanese Army ( IJA ) on 15th Feb 1942 was the worse defeat ever suffered by the British not just during World War Two but in history. In slightly more than two months, the IJA swept through the jungles of the Malaya Peninsula, once thought impassable, to besiege and eventually capture Singapore, then a major British military bastion in the Far East. The song was written and composed by the Japanese to celebrate and glorify their victory over the numerically superior defenders who had initially believed that their island fortress was impregnable. <div><br /></div><div>This article is the first in a series commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Gibraltar of the East</u></h4><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div>Singapore has been an important trading post and colony of the British Empire ever since its founding by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. By the beginning of the 20th century, this tiny island at the southern tip of the Malaya Peninsula has been transformed from a fishing village with an estimated population of about a thousand to become a modern city with deep water ports and an estimated population of 228 thousand. With hardly any natural resources or land at its disposal, Singapore had thrived on being the premier entrepot or transshipment hub for regional and international trade. Its total trade volume comprising of imports and exports was $457.3 million in 1900 and reached a pre-WWII high of $1886.7 million in 1926 before declining due to prevailing global economic conditions which would later include the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression" target="_blank">Great Depression</a>. Its strategic location straddling between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean along the east-west trade route made it the preferred spot* to base a military garrison to protect British interests in the Far East, which then included territories such as Hong Kong, Burma, Brunei, North Borneo, Sarawak, Malaya and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straits_Settlements" target="_blank">Straits Settlement</a> which Singapore was itself part of. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the years immediately following the end of World War I, Japan was the only Asian power that could be a threat to the possessions of the British Empire east of the Suez Canal. It had defeated China in the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 and emerged as a Great Power after convincingly trashing Russia in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Japanese_War" target="_blank">Russo-Japanese War</a> of 1904-1905. As a result Japan had gained prestige and territorial concessions such as the Island of Formosa ( Taiwan ) from the Chinese and southern Sakhalin from the Russians, events that probably fueled its military and empire ambitions further. By 1910, Japan had annexed and occupied Korea and as a member of the Allied Powers had wasted no time in seizing German-leased territories in the Far East and German colonies in the Pacific when WWI broke out in 1914.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the inter-war years between 1919 and 1939, exhausted and saddled with vast war debts, the British embarked on cost cutting measures that drastically reduced its military strength to levels way below what was required to protect its Empire interests. The Royal Navy in particular had been further hamstrung by disarmament treaties and was thus severely decimated in both ships and men. It was however still expected to maintain its global foot print and operational tempo, frequently under perilous and dated illusions of grandeur. </div><div><br /></div><div>To counter the Japanese threat in the Far East, the British came up with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_strategy" target="_blank">Singapore Strategy</a> in 1921 which was to use the building of a modern main fleet base and dock yards with advanced repair capabilities in Singapore as a pivot while the main fleet could remained in Home waters. In times of crisis, a powerful naval task force would be assembled and dispatched to Asia to deter or repel an invasion. This military bastion would be adequately stocked with fuel and supplies to service the expeditionary fleet and would be well defended with 15 inch coastal guns and a huge garrison of soldiers, with air support provided by the Royal Air Force. It would be an unsinkable aircraft carrier, an impregnable fortress, touted the Gibraltar of the East by none other than Winston Churchill himself.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, the glaring deficiency in this ill conceived war plan was the lack of an indigenous Eastern Fleet. What if the Home Fleet was tied down and none could be spared? Should war with Japan be unavoidable, the Singapore garrison was supposed to protect the naval base and airfields and hold out against the invasion force long enough for reinforcements to arrive. It was assumed that the relief forces would somehow not only expel the aggressors in Singapore and Malaya but perhaps also go on northwards to liberate Hong Kong if necessary and to blockade the Japanese Isles in order to sue for a negotiated settlement of peace!</div><div><br /></div><div>And so the British diverted significant resources to begin in 1923 the construction of the Sembawang Naval Base in the northern part of Singapore. It was not completed until 1938, after spending a staggering £60 million and numerous changes including down-sizing that ultimately resulted in a base too small to host a fleet large enough to defeat the Imperial Japanese Navy in a full engagement. Nonetheless in those turbulent pre-war years a false sense of security was created and life went on more or less as usual on the island. It was an audacious military bluff that would soon be called.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Transition To War</u></h4><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>By the early 1930s global economic recession would give new impetus to the long standing Japanese imperialist policy of expanding its influence militarily and politically to secure access to raw materials, labour and food for its industries and population. Japan had invaded Manchuria in 1931 and would later also wage war in greater China with the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War ( 1937 to 1945 ). The war effort was a huge undertaking that had to be supported with the uninterrupted supply of commodities like oil, steel and iron, most of which Japan had to import from America. As its troops became bogged down in China, Japan started eyeing the resource-rich countries in South East Asia, top of the list being the oil fields of the Dutch East Indies ( modern day Indonesia ). </div><div><br /></div><div>To invade South East Asia and create its envisioned <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_East_Asia_Co-Prosperity_Sphere" target="_blank">Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere</a>, Japan would have to first secure its northern flank which it did by entering a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union in April 1941. A staging area would be needed to launch and support the invasion and that was achieved with the occupation of Hainan Island in Feb 1941 and of French Indochina ( modern day Vietnam ) in July 1941. It also had to deal with the British and the Americans, the only two powers that could thwart its empire ambitions. The US Pacific Fleet based in Hawaii and the US colony of the Philippines which had the potential to interfere due to its proximity had to be taken out. The British forces had to be driven out of Malaya though Japan would not have dreamt of defeating the British unless it was already engaged with fighting another foe elsewhere. This opportunity had already presented itself when war broke out in Europe in Sep 1939 and Britain had to fight Nazi Germany and later Italy as well as it joined the Axis Alliance. With both the Atlantic Fleet and Mediterranean Fleet tied down with fighting in Europe, the door was wide open for the invasion of Malaya and Singapore. </div><div><br /></div><div>The final push on the path to war was probably the complete oil embargo by the United States on Japan from July 1941 in response to Japanese aggression in China and French Indochina. At that time America accounted for 80% of Japan's oil imports. The British and Dutch would later join the oil embargo. The freezing of Japanese assets, closure of the Panama Canal to Japanese shipping and the additional embargo on scrap iron, tools, steel, copper, bronze and many other critical metals from America meant the trade sanctions had pushed the Japanese to the brink and had exactly the opposite effect of what they were supposed to achieve. War was coming and the Singapore Strategy would soon be put to the test.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G58UvgxLDFM/YSQLGp-WGII/AAAAAAAAI6k/fwmweylfWP47TxETOPiY69xLuO_rTCWDQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1990/Singapore%2Bthe%2Bpregnable%2Bfortress%2Bpg%2B216.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1990" data-original-width="1449" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G58UvgxLDFM/YSQLGp-WGII/AAAAAAAAI6k/fwmweylfWP47TxETOPiY69xLuO_rTCWDQCLcBGAsYHQ/w466-h640/Singapore%2Bthe%2Bpregnable%2Bfortress%2Bpg%2B216.jpg" width="466" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malayan Campaign : Japanese Advances Dec '41 to Feb '42<br />Source : Singapore : The Pregnable Fortress</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Malayan Campaign</u></h4><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Nineteen Japanese transports carrying General <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomoyuki_Yamashita" target="_blank">Tomoyuki Yamashita</a>'s 25th Army left the port of Samah on Hainan Island with their escorts on 4th Dec 1941. Three days later they rendezvoused with seven transports from Saigon in the middle of the Gulf of Siam. Shortly after midnight on 8th Dec, Japanese forces attacked and made amphibious landings around the Thai-Malayan border at Singora, Patani and Kota Bahru simultaneously, triggering the start of the Pacific War. The attack on Pearl Harbor came 70 minutes <b><i>later</i></b> but would have deemed to occur on 7th Dec because of the intercurrence of the International Date Line and time zone differences. Within the next 12 hours Japanese forces also invaded Hong Kong and made air assaults on Clark Air Base in the Philippines, on Guam and on Wake Island.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the Malayan Campaign, the main landings were at Singora and Patani in southern Thailand which was achieved without much resistance. The landing at Kota Bahru was more a diversionary attack made to capture the north-eastern airfields of Malaya. From the Thai ports the main invasion force followed the roads southwards to the Malayan border near its west coast, crossing it on 10th Dec. They overran the British northern defences around Jitra within 3 days and surged on, taking town after town. </div><div><br /></div><div>The naval fleet sent to reinforce the garrison at Singapore comprising of the battleship HMS <b><i>Prince of Wales</i></b> and the battlecruiser HMS <b><i>Repulse</i></b> and their four destroyers were hastily dispatched to seek out the invasion fleet off Kuantan on the east coast of Malaya. Without an adequate air cover**, they were sunk by land based bombers in what was known to the Japanese as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_Prince_of_Wales_and_Repulse" target="_blank">Naval Battle of Malaya</a> on 10th Dec.</div><div><br /></div><div>Penang subsequently fell on 19th Dec and failure to stop the IJA at Slim River meant Kuala Lumpur too would fall on 11th Jan 1942. Malacca suffered the same fate just four days later. Equipped with tanks and enjoying complete air superiority the Japanese thus put the Allied forces on a continuous retreat along the north-south axis of the Malayan Peninsula towards Johore, beyond which lies Singapore. Predictably, the Muar-Segamat-Mersing line in northern Johore failed to hold and all Allied forces were ordered to withdraw to Singapore on 25th Jan.</div><div><br /></div><div>On 31st Jan, the causeway linking Singapore to Johore was demolished in a last ditch attempt to slow the Japanese advancement. In all, the retreat from the Malaya Peninsula had taken place in just 55 days. The IJA now occupied all the high grounds overlooking Singapore from across the Straits of Johore and used that to their advantage, subjecting the defenders to intense artillery barrages. They eventually landed at Sarimbun Beach in north-western Singapore on 8th Feb and fought their way towards the city centre.</div><div><br /></div><div>By 15th Feb which happened to be the first day of the Chinese New Year, with casualties mounting and faced with dwindling supplies of water, ammunition and fuel, the British forces capitulated. The General Officer Commanding ( Malaya ) Lieutenant General Arthur Percival formally surrendered to General Yamashita at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Former_Ford_Factory" target="_blank">Ford Motor Works Factory</a> in Bukit Timah shortly after 17:15. An estimated 85000 men were made POWs. What was incredible was that the invading Japanese forces numbered only 30000.</div><div><br /></div><div>Following their victory, the Japanese renamed Singapore <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_occupation_of_Singapore" target="_blank">Syonan-to</a> ( 昭南島 ), meaning Light of the South, and began a 3 year and 8 month rule of terror that lasted for the rest of the War until their surrender on 15th Aug 1945. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xv1sUT_NvfE/YSQIAUlKvKI/AAAAAAAAI6c/VF-avpWHF5owZ9fFIA6o5UhITyN4O4MJACLcBGAsYHQ/s800/large_HU_002781_B.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="800" height="435" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xv1sUT_NvfE/YSQIAUlKvKI/AAAAAAAAI6c/VF-avpWHF5owZ9fFIA6o5UhITyN4O4MJACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h435/large_HU_002781_B.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lt Gen AE Percival ( far right ) surrendering on 15th Feb 1942<br />Photo : Imperial War Museum</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Song of the Fall of Singapore</u></h4><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The Japanese arguably had all the right to be jubilant on their victory in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Singapore" target="_blank">Battle of Singapore</a>. They had destroyed the British relief fleet, overcome the supposedly impassable tropical jungles of Malaya, and captured the impregnable fortress of Singapore. They achieved their objectives with an attacking force numbering less than a third of the defenders, and did it all in a matter of 69 days. </div><div><br /></div><div>In those days the Japanese had the habit of releasing songs to celebrate their military accomplishments. Radio was a popular media to reach out to the masses and such war songs, known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunka" target="_blank">gunka</a> ( 軍歌 ) in Japanese, apart from its news and propaganda values, could bring a sense of pride and patriotism to the citizens and troops alike. </div><div><br /></div><div>So there was a " <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/12/raging-eagles-over-south-china-sea.html" target="_blank"><b><i>Song of the Annihilation of the British Eastern Fleet</i></b> </a>" to commemorate the victory in the Naval Battle of Malaya and of course the " <b><i>Song of the Fall of Singapore</i></b> " which is the main subject of this article. These were by no means the only Japanese war songs on Singapore. Many others are in existence such as 陥したぞシンガポール ( <b><i>Singapore Has Fallen</i></b> ), 星港撃滅 ( <b><i>Destruction of the Port of Singapore</i></b> ), 戦友の遺骨を抱いて ( <b><i>Holding the Remains of A War Buddy</i></b> ). </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>The Song of the Fall of Singapore</i></b> is known as シンガポール陥落の歌 ( Shingaporu Kanraku no Uta ) in Japanese. It was composed by Fukami Zenji ( 深海善次 ) with lyrics by poet <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozaki_Kihachi" target="_blank">Ozaki Kihachi</a> ( 尾崎喜八 ) and was released by the Victor Record Company of Japan in March 1942, one month after the fall of Singapore. It was performed by Namioka Soichiro ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B3%A2%E5%B2%A1%E6%83%A3%E4%B8%80%E9%83%8E" target="_blank">波岡惣一郎</a> ) who is a renowned singer from Aomori, Obata Minoru ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B0%8F%E7%95%91%E5%AE%9F_(%E6%AD%8C%E6%89%8B)" target="_blank">小畑実</a> ) who originally hailed from Pyongyang, the Kachidoki Men's Choir ( かちどき男声合唱団 ) and the Japan Victor Orchestra ( 日本ビクター管弦楽団 ).</div><div><br /></div><div>What was the public reaction to the release of the song? In the March 1942 issue of Record Culture ( レコード文化 Rekodo Bunka ) NHK producer and music critic Maruyama Tetsuo ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%B8%E5%B1%B1%E9%89%84%E9%9B%84" target="_blank">丸山鉄雄</a> ) had frowned upon the various record companies that rushed to release jikyokuka ( 時局歌 current affairs song ) after the fall of Singapore the previous month. He believed that the companies were eagerly awaiting for the announcement of victory in Singapore so that they could sell their songs, presumably all composed and written in advance. However particularly on <i><b>The Song of the Fall of Singapore</b></i> he gave rare high praise, extolling it as an exceedingly powerful song, boldly underlining the fall of Singapore.</div><div><br /></div><div>Though it definitely fits the description of a gunka or military song, <b style="font-style: italic;">The Song of the Fall of Singapore </b>was instead labelled as a national song ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9B%BD%E6%B0%91%E6%AD%8C" target="_blank">国民歌</a> <i>kokuminka</i> ) by the record company. That was frequently the case especially if the song was produced for an official purpose or was meant to be sung by a wide range of people or played to a wide audience.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oby45SYNCGU/YSNtG8dvvWI/AAAAAAAAI6M/FmV8EEd2B0U6m9X6OtDdKER8yYbekzV0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/song_of_the_fall_of_singapore__1597591535_4eab59a7_progressive.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oby45SYNCGU/YSNtG8dvvWI/AAAAAAAAI6M/FmV8EEd2B0U6m9X6OtDdKER8yYbekzV0wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/song_of_the_fall_of_singapore__1597591535_4eab59a7_progressive.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Song of the Fall of Singapore</i></b> lyrics pamphlet featuring singers <br />Namioka Soichiro ( R ) and Obata Minoru ( L ). <br />Note the His Master's Voice doggy logo of RCA Victor Records <br />on the top left corner. Photo : Codyrex via Carousell</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz0voZU7TduQWvPT0DaP6tWuYSY_ojplCJT7BsJTj--WIBC5LeFci61y3hNX-1VwpuGvwACNiWLSszCFM1yiQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> <span> </span><span> <span> </span> </span></span><span> </span> The Song of the Fall of Singapore</span><br /><div><br /></div><div>You can also listen to it on Youtube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-F13i2cocY" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>シンガポール陥落の歌</u> Shingaporu Kan Raku no Uta</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>歓べ一億今日この日 Yoroko be ichi oku kyo ko no hi</div><div>新嘉坡は遂に陥つ Shingaporu wa tsui ni o tsu</div><div>あ~満々の 海越えて Aa man man no umi ko e te</div><div>我等が父は 同胞は Ware ra ga chichi wa harakara wa</div><div>今ぞ陥せり この城を Ima zo oto se ri ko no shiro wo</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>不落を如何に誇るとも Fu raku wo ikan ni hoto ru to mo</div><div>百練の業 此処に在り Hyaku ren no waza ko ko ni a ri</div><div>電撃一閃 轟けば Dengeki issen todoro ke ba </div><div>敵は慄き 山揺らぎ Teki wa onono ki yama yu ra gi</div><div>牙城忽ち 幕を閉ず Ga jou tachima chi baku wo to zu</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>祖国を出でて 幾千里 Sokoku wo i de te iku sen ri</div><div>血となり 火となり Chi to na ri Hi to na ri</div><div>弾丸となり Ta ma to na ri</div><div>進みし兵の この武勲 Su su mi shi hei no ko no _ isao </div><div>進路拡げて ただ涙 Shin ro hiro ge te ta da namida</div><div>銃後は哭けり Juu go wa na ke ri</div><div>みな哭けり Mi na na ke ri</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>歓べ十億今日のこの日 Yoroko be ju oku kyo no ko no hi</div><div>侵略遽点 遂に陥ち Shin ryaku kyo ten tsui ni ochi</div><div>旭日燦と 咲き栄ゆ Kyoku jitsu san to saki saka yu</div><div>いざ護るべき I za mamo ru be ki</div><div>亜細亜こそ Ajia ko so</div><div>我等の為の亜細亜なれ Ware ra no tame no Ajia na re</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Translation of Lyrics</u></h4><div><br /></div><div>A hundred million would rejoice this day</div><div>For Singapore had fallen</div><div>From across the oceans, full to the brim</div><div>Our fathers and fellow compatriot </div><div>This city will fall today</div><div><br /></div><div>Such claims of impregnability</div><div>Incessant training just for this moment</div><div>A lightning attack, an explosive roar</div><div>The enemy shiver and the mountains shake</div><div>The curtains are falling on this bastion</div><div><br /></div><div>A thousand miles from the Motherland</div><div>Of blood, of fire</div><div>Of bullets</div><div>The valor of the advancing warrior</div><div>The way forward is forged with tears</div><div>Wailing after the guns are silent</div><div>All are sobbing</div><div><br /></div><div>A thousand million would rejoice, this is the day </div><div>The point of invasion is finally falling</div><div>The rising sun is brilliant and magnificent</div><div>It will now be protected</div><div>Asia it is</div><div>We are for Asia</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Of course we have always known that the Japanese never invaded British Malaya or Singapore or anywhere else out of altruism. It had only done so to fulfill its own imperialist and expansionist aspirations under the guise of the so called Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Not only that, the Japanese military would subject the conquered to extremely harsh treatment under occupation, much of it tantamount to war crimes. </div><div><br /></div><div>Therefore most of these war song lyrics are nothing more than self-praise and empty wartime propaganda. They are however still an interesting and important source of historical information on life before and during occupation and as a window to the mindset of the lyricist and by extension those of the military and political leadership.</div><div><br /></div><div>Many important documents and records pertaining to the invasion and occupation were deliberately destroyed by the Japanese military towards the end of the war as they could contain incriminating evidences of war crime. Songs and other cultural relics on the other hand are much more likely to endure and survive the war as they would have been too widely distributed in the first place to be retracted or destroyed.</div><div><br /></div><div>With the advent of the television and later the internet, the radio had taken a back seat as a media for entertainment and for spreading news and propaganda. Vinyl records have all but disappeared. We are now in the era of virtual reality and deep fakes, of Facebook and Twitter, Tik Tok and Instagram. War songs are just memories from a distant past.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>* In 1921 the Committee of Imperial Defence recommended Singapore as the preferred locality for building a far eastern fleet base. The other candidates considered were Sydney, Hong Kong and Trincomalee. </div><div> </div><div>** RAF was supposed to provide the fleet with air cover up to 50 miles from the coast in the war plans. However by 10th Dec all the northern airfields had either been captured by the Japanese ( Kota Bharu ) or severely damaged by aerial bombing ( Alor Star, Sungai Petani and Butterworth ). </div>Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-7361964253157377602021-06-22T15:47:00.013+08:002022-12-10T20:12:53.756+08:00Third Mogami-Class Frigate FFM-3 Noshiro Launched<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eczMbi9awCA/YNGX0vT3yRI/AAAAAAAAIxE/sVMHp-PgaRAKH_izGYabwx2HbEARMfmcwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/E4dmWB1UYAAf7GM%2BMHI.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="1200" height="402" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eczMbi9awCA/YNGX0vT3yRI/AAAAAAAAIxE/sVMHp-PgaRAKH_izGYabwx2HbEARMfmcwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h402/E4dmWB1UYAAf7GM%2BMHI.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FFM-3 <b><i>Noshiro</i></b> launched. Photo : MHI </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> <p></p><p>Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has launched JMSDF's third <b><i>Mogami</i></b>-class multi-mission frigate at its Nagasaki shipyard today. The frigate with the pennant number FFM-3 is named <b><i>Noshiro</i></b> ( のしろ ), after the Noshiro River ( 能代川 ) in Akita Prefecture . This is in line with the first two frigates which are also named after rivers of Japan. </p><p>This will be the second vessel to bear the name Noshiro. The first being the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cruiser_Noshiro" target="_blank">IJN <b><i>Noshiro</i></b></a>, an <b><i>Agano</i></b>-class light cruiser which was sunk in 1944.</p><p>More on the Mogami-class multi-mission frigate <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/03/jack-of-all-trades-japans-mogami-class.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>This looks like a floating-out launch rather than the gravitational slideway launch for the first two frigates. Noshiro is expected to be commissioned in 2022. Kyodo News Agency already reported that approximately 10 of the ship's complement of 90 will be female.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dw5eaIns_BI/YNGNFziHYOI/AAAAAAAAIww/t4C7WKyeIccBgTDTRaMFhjyBgQGqmVRWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/E4dhT2xVkAEHU6T.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1278" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dw5eaIns_BI/YNGNFziHYOI/AAAAAAAAIww/t4C7WKyeIccBgTDTRaMFhjyBgQGqmVRWgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h400/E4dhT2xVkAEHU6T.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FFM-3 <b><i>Noshiro</i></b> launched. Photo JMSDF<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dUh2qMf2C4o/YNlhy2BJnAI/AAAAAAAAI0U/cep_MiWXXFsp1EW7jWUuCoyR9oKFz4WUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/E4egOxfUcAIGtPS%2BMatsukawa%2BRui%2Btwitter.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="1024" height="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dUh2qMf2C4o/YNlhy2BJnAI/AAAAAAAAI0U/cep_MiWXXFsp1EW7jWUuCoyR9oKFz4WUwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h420/E4egOxfUcAIGtPS%2BMatsukawa%2BRui%2Btwitter.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FFM-3 <b><i>Noshiro</i></b> launched. Photo : Japanese MOD</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4WsrOClDF0w/YNGSsBMOOsI/AAAAAAAAIw4/J6vWDoUtuYI2F8weY6JK8LQe-dr9i3UKQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/E4dhRdiVoA0oNF7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1558" data-original-width="2048" height="486" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4WsrOClDF0w/YNGSsBMOOsI/AAAAAAAAIw4/J6vWDoUtuYI2F8weY6JK8LQe-dr9i3UKQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h486/E4dhRdiVoA0oNF7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FFM-3 Noshiro from VIP stand. Photo JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j2OYH3G0keg/YNL4z-Y3ueI/AAAAAAAAIyQ/Q7n6o6URIqoldaiJJqwrm3tTcAUDzfF2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/E4eRi6lVkBAyK0z%2BJMSDF.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j2OYH3G0keg/YNL4z-Y3ueI/AAAAAAAAIyQ/Q7n6o6URIqoldaiJJqwrm3tTcAUDzfF2ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/E4eRi6lVkBAyK0z%2BJMSDF.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The frigate was named by Minister of Defense Nobuo Kishi<br />Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jecNacGv7NI/YNlifqwxdCI/AAAAAAAAI0c/FyXgehtBHS8E2kdMgvVi99ZmnXoN1s-awCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/Matsukawa%2BRui%2Bnaming%2BShip%2Btwitter.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jecNacGv7NI/YNlifqwxdCI/AAAAAAAAI0c/FyXgehtBHS8E2kdMgvVi99ZmnXoN1s-awCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Matsukawa%2BRui%2Bnaming%2BShip%2Btwitter.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LDP lawmaker and deputy Minister of Defense<br />Matsukawa Rui naming the frigate. Photo : MOD</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UOL9r1SM-8A/YNxvXooWa4I/AAAAAAAAI2s/9ho-nyd03DEz2u_OPZdMp7HeWmFBSZSqQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/01.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UOL9r1SM-8A/YNxvXooWa4I/AAAAAAAAI2s/9ho-nyd03DEz2u_OPZdMp7HeWmFBSZSqQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Name of the frigate unveiled. Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5WBLu6QATCc/YNljAtxZ3AI/AAAAAAAAI0s/0-KDpUu0FEomiHKgLz6CVaHUUDKzAjE-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/Matsukawa%2BRui%2BDDM%2BSilver%2BAxe%2BMOD.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5WBLu6QATCc/YNljAtxZ3AI/AAAAAAAAI0s/0-KDpUu0FEomiHKgLz6CVaHUUDKzAjE-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Matsukawa%2BRui%2BDDM%2BSilver%2BAxe%2BMOD.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cable cutting with <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2020/11/warding-sea-monsters-and-demons-japans.html" target="_blank">ship launching silver axe</a>.<br />Photo : MOD</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pHa_9KtoMHI/YNxujWczbQI/AAAAAAAAI2k/NHFB6CyP5QYHlF4ldPFGDGc8FDdOjRZLACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/05.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pHa_9KtoMHI/YNxujWczbQI/AAAAAAAAI2k/NHFB6CyP5QYHlF4ldPFGDGc8FDdOjRZLACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/05.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver Axe with Matsukawa Rui's name engraved.<br />Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QN7o5HOBEhk/YNL4Ybor9TI/AAAAAAAAIyE/W-Boru-rW90IhAecULn-4DkrZ2v2PBO-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/E4eRnAvVkAYRJBx%2BSasebo%2BNaval%2BBand%2BJMSDF.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QN7o5HOBEhk/YNL4Ybor9TI/AAAAAAAAIyE/W-Boru-rW90IhAecULn-4DkrZ2v2PBO-gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/E4eRnAvVkAYRJBx%2BSasebo%2BNaval%2BBand%2BJMSDF.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The National Anthem and <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/preview/4544652274919432780/2550417914826166129" target="_blank">Gunkan Koshinkyoku</a> was<br />performed by the Sasebo Band. Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RJihkS_f3QY/YNGYoV6VTeI/AAAAAAAAIxU/UuXcmC8qTPo562qswkNjH3XFFpJ7u_YBgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/E4c0pamUYAA4SvD%2Byukinami_jp%2BB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RJihkS_f3QY/YNGYoV6VTeI/AAAAAAAAIxU/UuXcmC8qTPo562qswkNjH3XFFpJ7u_YBgCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/E4c0pamUYAA4SvD%2Byukinami_jp%2BB.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FFM-3 at MHI Nagasaki Shipyard just before launching <br />ceremony. View from Mt Nabekanmuri Park.<br /> Photo : @yukinami_jp via twitter</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OTOpZOLjWHY/YNGYoMFY0yI/AAAAAAAAIxM/NBD0XRBnHsIu2JW8vg8GqWD2JwrWnUsNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/E4c0paUVIAAOUmT%2Byukinami_jp%2BA.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OTOpZOLjWHY/YNGYoMFY0yI/AAAAAAAAIxM/NBD0XRBnHsIu2JW8vg8GqWD2JwrWnUsNQCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/E4c0paUVIAAOUmT%2Byukinami_jp%2BA.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FFM-3 Noshiro before launching ceremony.<br />Name over stern concealed. <br />Photo : @yukinami_jp via twitter<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5yZLKMrccA/YNGYoXD4MaI/AAAAAAAAIxQ/BwVpcyIbVpo1_SNCND9eE9Ok88VOpbS8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/E4eBthNVkA0WkHg%2Byukinami_jp%2BE.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1546" data-original-width="2048" height="484" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5yZLKMrccA/YNGYoXD4MaI/AAAAAAAAIxQ/BwVpcyIbVpo1_SNCND9eE9Ok88VOpbS8gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h484/E4eBthNVkA0WkHg%2Byukinami_jp%2BE.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FFM-3 Noshiro being shifted after launch.<br />Photo : @yukinami_jp via twitter.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ORuCX0Mg7KY/YNGYonggRxI/AAAAAAAAIxY/DbO7gn4W9_EmjnNU_V8tcGoMEuGA5en7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/FFM-3%2Bafter%2Bceremony%2BE4eBthTVkAMpGRO%2Byukinami_jp%2BD.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ORuCX0Mg7KY/YNGYonggRxI/AAAAAAAAIxY/DbO7gn4W9_EmjnNU_V8tcGoMEuGA5en7gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/FFM-3%2Bafter%2Bceremony%2BE4eBthTVkAMpGRO%2Byukinami_jp%2BD.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FFM-3 Noshiro being shifted after launch.<br />Photo : @yukinami_jp via twitter</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>More on JS Noshiro's ship emblem <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2022/07/shachihoko-ffm-3-js-noshiro-selects.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_U3TfQr0ohmsXYhaL3wFeooH58CGQRBFbhEAdmbTIjxvloVgUJYEL3zG6ON0uvpE2nIIWrzV3Ixje4eYuYeYb_SDJbUY1NKCoBPZcnfcM2zLqNQ6ch_8We46XdAbhcCd2qxDkTj_glQuhhbShI-c0Lro8yNpvj4UCJ6r704pn5M7dSVTwgzhmImNVMw" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="546" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_U3TfQr0ohmsXYhaL3wFeooH58CGQRBFbhEAdmbTIjxvloVgUJYEL3zG6ON0uvpE2nIIWrzV3Ixje4eYuYeYb_SDJbUY1NKCoBPZcnfcM2zLqNQ6ch_8We46XdAbhcCd2qxDkTj_glQuhhbShI-c0Lro8yNpvj4UCJ6r704pn5M7dSVTwgzhmImNVMw=w547-h640" width="547" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS Noshiro's Logo Mark or ship crest.<br />Image JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-22653452402752535042021-05-27T23:30:00.007+08:002022-06-02T18:04:45.876+08:00Singapore Army's HIMARS Featured In Lockheed Martin's Precision Strike Missile Animation<p> <br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xHYEH4hoydI/YK1ZdDSLO3I/AAAAAAAAIsk/L9df6jD368gdjZTPlOO3G4So3Mwh8B0CQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/MID%2BB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xHYEH4hoydI/YK1ZdDSLO3I/AAAAAAAAIsk/L9df6jD368gdjZTPlOO3G4So3Mwh8B0CQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/MID%2BB.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Singapore Army HIMARS 21641MID in LMC PrSM animation.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jYioGF28B8A/YKz0S_yAqII/AAAAAAAAIrg/3zweWPW1vK46vwlPbPN3RasU5PaIFbYGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/HR586%2BEmergency%2BCollection%25EF%25BB%25BF%2Bvia%2BFB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1279" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jYioGF28B8A/YKz0S_yAqII/AAAAAAAAIrg/3zweWPW1vK46vwlPbPN3RasU5PaIFbYGgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h400/HR586%2BEmergency%2BCollection%25EF%25BB%25BF%2Bvia%2BFB.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The actual Singapore HIMARS with registration number 21641MID.<br />Photo : HR586 Emergency Collection via FB</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I am not sure how many people noticed this, but Lockheed Martin's concept video for its Precision Strike Missile ( PrSM ) actually featured a Singapore Army HIMARS launching two missiles at what seemed like a S-400 surface-to-air missile battery and a forward arming and refueling point. The dead giveaway is the M1140 truck's vehicle registration number 21641MID which is unique to military vehicles of the Singapore Armed Forces ( SAF ). It is truly befuddling why a US Army deep strike weapon system which is still under development should feature a launch vehicle belonging to a foreign nation. Did Singapore co-sponsor the PrSM program or did it request to buy the PrSM? It seems very unlikely but who knows? You can watch the video below or on Youtube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv8OVCcLlp4" target="_blank"><strike>here</strike></a>. Update 2 Jun 2022 : It seems that this video is no longer available on Youtube.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzWXueHCKXSYVWl5gMVKkUhtqH2GT80UN8SXa-qL83s4Ywh1FylUHi8YAQHkaB4IVgKvFBPHL_G9-BxexAyGw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><h4><u>Precision Strike Missile</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The PrSM has its origins in the US Army's Long Range Precision Fires Program. It is a next-generation, extended range, all-weather, surface-to-surface missile that will give the ground commander an enhanced capability to attack, neutralise, suppress and destroy critical and time-sensitive point and area targets. </p><p>It is compatible with the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System ( MRLS ) and the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System ( HIMARS ) family of launchers, complementing existing GPS guided rocket munitions and will ultimately replace the increasing obsolete <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM-140_ATACMS" target="_blank">MGM-140 ATACMS</a>. </p><p>It uses inertial navigation system with GPS for guidance and features <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insensitive_munition#:~:text=Insensitive%20munitions%20are%20munitions%20that,events)%20and%20adjacent%20detonating%20munitions." target="_blank">insensitive munition</a> propulsion system and payload. It adopts an open systems architecture and modular design for future growth. </p><p>With an official range of 60 to 500+km, the PrSM almost doubles the 300km maximum range of the ATACMS. It is physically narrower and can be packed two to a pod, doubling the ATACMS loadout. Lockheed Martin has since 10th Dec 2019 successfully flight tested the PrSM a total of four times consecutively, with the most recent test on 12th May 2021 at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, demonstrating a 400km range. It is expected to enter service in 2023 and achieve IOC in Q4FY2025.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RHDxFGyHU0o/YKz0S--s6eI/AAAAAAAAIrk/NPDkr8TP7jsy3d6RZk87V0qTpnzuOyvxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/191210_A_EJ685_1005_v001_noLM.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RHDxFGyHU0o/YKz0S--s6eI/AAAAAAAAIrk/NPDkr8TP7jsy3d6RZk87V0qTpnzuOyvxgCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/191210_A_EJ685_1005_v001_noLM.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PrSM Inaugural flight test 10th Dec 2019. <br />Photo : LMC</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wRiPH3HY7wk/YKz0TWb7OvI/AAAAAAAAIrs/ztoaQQQWu9YnOy3RY0DOin_jTo4toFvnQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1248/LRPF-design-concept-1%2BUS%2BArmy%2BAcquisition%2BSupport%2Bcenter.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1248" height="260" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wRiPH3HY7wk/YKz0TWb7OvI/AAAAAAAAIrs/ztoaQQQWu9YnOy3RY0DOin_jTo4toFvnQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h260/LRPF-design-concept-1%2BUS%2BArmy%2BAcquisition%2BSupport%2Bcenter.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image : US Army Acquisition Support Center</td></tr></tbody></table></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j_c9XFzsl84/YK51sb1ORWI/AAAAAAAAItA/ZJJwk1OZh-0OQgsUBM0s9mT3we_YYLRkACLcBGAsYHQ/s1900/Possibly%2BPrSM%2BLMC.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1900" height="216" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j_c9XFzsl84/YK51sb1ORWI/AAAAAAAAItA/ZJJwk1OZh-0OQgsUBM0s9mT3we_YYLRkACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h216/Possibly%2BPrSM%2BLMC.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PrSM Artist's Impression. Image : LMC</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><u><br /></u></h4><div><u><br /></u></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Implausible Scenarios</u></h4><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This promotional video is best taken with a huge pinch of salt since it is really just advertisement for Lockheed Martin Corporation ( LMC ) which is the prime contractor for PrSM. It also features another of its product the F-35 Lightning II. </div><div><br /></div><div>A pair of F-35 on a deep strike mission discovers a hostile surface-to-air missile ( SAM ) site and a forward arming and refueling point ( FARP ) and designates them as targets. Their coordinates are communicated to the Combat Air Operations Center ( CAOC ). In the true spirit of joint operations, instead of calling for more Air Force assets to attack these targets or diverting the F-35s to deal with them, CAOC sends the fire mission data to a field artillery brigade that is within range using AFATDS ( Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System ), the fire support command and control system used by both the US Army and Marine Corps.</div><div><br /></div><div>As a result a single HIMARS bearing a Singapore vehicle registration number is dispatched and proceeds to launch two PrSM at the designated enemy targets, destroying both in no time with their accurate flight trajectory and their high performance pre-formed fragmentation warheads. </div><div><br /></div><div>The main target of the PrSM is a SAM site more than 500km away with what looks like the <a href="https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/96l6.htm" target="_blank">LEMZ 96L6E Cheese Board</a> multimode acquisition radar for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-400_missile_system" target="_blank">S-400 Triumf</a> ( NATO reporting name SA-21 Growler ) system, one of the most advanced long range air-defense system developed by Russia. It will be impossible for such valuable assets not to be guarded by a layered air-defense system which will include a tonne of short-range point defense like the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantsir_missile_system" target="_blank">Pantsir-S1</a>. Indeed the video shows three domes representing the airspace protected by the hostile short, medium and long-range missiles of the SAM site. It will be totally unrealistic for a single precision strike missile to be able to penetrate a well defended SAM site without being first discovered and subsequently shot down. More likely salvos from multiple HIMARS will have to be launched against such protected sites to have even a remote chance of achieving a kill.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T4d0vtY1fXE/YKz0UNa1IpI/AAAAAAAAIr4/gilL9oYMFW0QRz7QMZCTbJhHkaX5hMLAACLcBGAsYHQ/s1366/S-400%2Bgravestone.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T4d0vtY1fXE/YKz0UNa1IpI/AAAAAAAAIr4/gilL9oYMFW0QRz7QMZCTbJhHkaX5hMLAACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/S-400%2Bgravestone.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SAM Site 96L6E acquisition radar look-alike.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gug1LTR_Nqk/YKz0UB2lYRI/AAAAAAAAIr8/sNzn8b6a1SMu1eC4XsUVLuuKhF6BttoygCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/img02-044-01%2Bradartutorial.eu.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gug1LTR_Nqk/YKz0UB2lYRI/AAAAAAAAIr8/sNzn8b6a1SMu1eC4XsUVLuuKhF6BttoygCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h400/img02-044-01%2Bradartutorial.eu.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LEMZ 96L6E Cheese Board acquisition radar.<br />Photo : Globalsecurity.org</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9nLvB1XZK4M/YK6Dzx0RtaI/AAAAAAAAItU/gxBfAnCrxiIloc2uQenDL3AmHm9rQAHbwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/Possibly%2BGravestone%2Bradar.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9nLvB1XZK4M/YK6Dzx0RtaI/AAAAAAAAItU/gxBfAnCrxiIloc2uQenDL3AmHm9rQAHbwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/Possibly%2BGravestone%2Bradar.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PrSM moments before detonation over what looks like<br />the <a href="https://www.radartutorial.eu/19.kartei/06.missile/karte006.en.html" target="_blank">92N6E Grave Stone</a> engagement radar.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pZf48nWrpdE/YK6Do3FxDhI/AAAAAAAAItI/dWpHg-CS8GwPqbP4-e9LUAU-cEAmYfw2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/Possibly%2BGravestone%2Bradar%2B2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pZf48nWrpdE/YK6Do3FxDhI/AAAAAAAAItI/dWpHg-CS8GwPqbP4-e9LUAU-cEAmYfw2QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/Possibly%2BGravestone%2Bradar%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PrSM warhead detonation with pre-formed fragments.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>The same argument goes for the second target, a FARP which is usually located at or near the forward edge of the battle area to re-arm and refuel helicopters. Would the enemy be so silly to leave it unguarded?</div><div><br /></div><div>And why would LMC feature a Singapore Army HIMARS in the animation? The SAF does have the HIMARS in its inventory and has recently <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2020/01/gimme-stovl-singapore-decides-on-f-35b.html" target="_blank">placed an order for four F-35B</a> stealth fighters but these are for deterrence and defensive purposes only. Singapore is a tiny nation in South-east Asia and cannot afford any armed conflict with its neighbors or any country. It will be very far fetched to imagine the Singapore Army aiding the US in attacking a foreign nation be it China, Russia or Turkey, all of which possess the S-400 SAM system. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>MID Vehicle Registration Number</u></h4><div> </div><div> </div><div>All vehicles operated by the SAF are assigned a unique registration number comprising of usually a five digit number followed by a MID suffix, for example 33828MID. MID stands for Ministry of Interior and Defense and is truely a legacy of the past.</div><div><br /></div><div>Immediately after Singapore gained independence in 1965, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Interior_and_Defence#:~:text=The%20Ministry%20of%20Interior%20and,Force%20and%20the%20Armed%20Forces." target="_blank">Ministry of Interior and Defense</a> was established and it was responsible for both the internal and external security of the young nation, controlling the Police Force as well as the SAF. It was only in 1970 that the Ministry of Interior and Defense was split into the Ministry of Defense ( MINDEF ) and the Ministry of Home Affairs ( MHA ). </div><div><br /></div><div>The MID vehicle number system dates from that era and is still in use for military vehicles today even though the Ministry of Interior and Defense is long gone. So armoured vehicles like tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, utility vehicles like trucks and jeeps, even motorcycles all bear this five digit MID vehicle registration number. The exception will be the limousines for receiving visiting dignitaries and staff cars assigned to high ranking commanders ( battalion commanders and above / commanding officers of ships ). These will have single, double or triple digit numbers followed by the MID suffix, for example 1 MID.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eF5wMtGLNtA/YK-vrZ7VoqI/AAAAAAAAItk/rmgqYNu4Y6MWf7J5YHJeAikRa5A-wK0EQCLcBGAsYHQ/s960/35%2BSCE%2BOpen%2BSea%2BNavigation%2BEx%2B2021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eF5wMtGLNtA/YK-vrZ7VoqI/AAAAAAAAItk/rmgqYNu4Y6MWf7J5YHJeAikRa5A-wK0EQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/35%2BSCE%2BOpen%2BSea%2BNavigation%2BEx%2B2021.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A truck and safety vehicle with typical SAF registration numbers.<br />Photo : Singapore Army via FB</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DGi5jsIJU0k/YKz0S0ENwoI/AAAAAAAAIrc/0SgNKNukZXgKJF5SssDXgvQuzhB-K59EgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1359/Himar%2BSingapore%2BSAFFB%2B2017A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="1359" height="344" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DGi5jsIJU0k/YKz0S0ENwoI/AAAAAAAAIrc/0SgNKNukZXgKJF5SssDXgvQuzhB-K59EgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h344/Himar%2BSingapore%2BSAFFB%2B2017A.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another SAF HIMARS on maneuver.<br />Photo : Singapore Army via FB<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Just An Animation</u></h4><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The PrSM concept video is just an animation to showcase the potential of LMC's latest surface-to-surface missile. It may not necessarily stick to real world scenarios though it should have, in order to make it as realistic and convincing as it possible to woo prospective buyers. I must however add that the US government is probably the only prospective customer for now.</div><div><br /></div><div>The inclusion of a foreign HIMARS in the video could be a simple mistake of the animators who might have just taken a photo of the launch vehicle from the internet without knowing that it does not belong to the US Army and copied it wholesale. The SAF's HIMARS are regularly deployed in the biennial Forging Sabre series of exercise with the US military in various locations including Arizona and Utah. So it may not be inconceivable that some could have been mistaken for those belonging to the US Army. You can see some of SAF's HIMARS in action ( 3:42 - 4:56 ) in the video below or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVZQfaoanr0" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dze-Pfk7-twsBZE5wcSqnUomB7dj5tkfQACwQKKlvASo68HW6BE7nwSN6OIxe_JXfTQGeC_Ykdp1hepg2p7yQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>On a separate note, the PrSM is a missile system with a huge potential for growth. Unhindered by the 500km range limitation imposed by the now defunct <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermediate-Range_Nuclear_Forces_Treaty" target="_blank">Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty</a>, the US is free to develop, test and field a new generation of surface-to-surface missile as it desires. Already, there is talk about giving the PrSM what the US Army terms mid-range capability, defined as 1600km ( 1000 miles ) or more. So we can reasonably expect extended-range PrSM in the near future, just like the ER GMLRS.</div><div><br /></div><div>The PrSM is currently able to strike only stationary or fixed targets but eventually new multi-mode seekers that can home in on the enemy's communications and radar emissions and perhaps infra-red signatures will be integrated to allow for striking moving targets such as ships at sea or maneuvering land units. The US Army had already <a href="https://breakingdefense.com/2020/06/army-tests-prsm-seeker-to-hunt-ships-sams/" target="_blank">began testing</a> this advanced seeker since June 2020. When available this will make the PrSM a very powerful anti-access / area denial weapon for littoral and maritime environments especially in its extended-range iteration. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>Maybe in the foreseeable future, the PrSM might <b><i>really</i></b> find its way into the rocket pods of Singapore's HIMARS. Until then, the M30 / M31 GMLRS rockets will have to suffice.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wtj2srmulUg/YK_DUCAqPDI/AAAAAAAAIt0/kO77-P6yLh4DMXA6jFRJaTQZq6aPRZKwwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/70km.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1075" data-original-width="1920" height="358" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wtj2srmulUg/YK_DUCAqPDI/AAAAAAAAIt0/kO77-P6yLh4DMXA6jFRJaTQZq6aPRZKwwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h358/70km.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Singapore 70km GMLRS range covers most of southern Johor.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zT08AbTg2vQ/YK_D03xWgII/AAAAAAAAIuM/CXlJiiwwh2MROm8UQDzTZOzz09G5hyz5wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/500km.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zT08AbTg2vQ/YK_D03xWgII/AAAAAAAAIuM/CXlJiiwwh2MROm8UQDzTZOzz09G5hyz5wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/500km.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">500km PrSM range covers most of West Malaysia and Sumatra</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NPKUEIIe8zs/YK_D01SPcPI/AAAAAAAAIuI/Jpl0wjwNz8Mwn_feaEeg5T8dLJlITHZswCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/1600km.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NPKUEIIe8zs/YK_D01SPcPI/AAAAAAAAIuI/Jpl0wjwNz8Mwn_feaEeg5T8dLJlITHZswCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/1600km.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1600km ER PrSM covers half of South China Sea including the Spratly Islands</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-48997680199043520062021-03-11T16:54:00.036+08:002021-10-15T13:40:45.751+08:00Jack-Of-All-Trades : Japan's Mogami-Class Multi-Mission Frigate<p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w_MAv3nThxo/X7pGxSDCZFI/AAAAAAAAIT0/MB0Oe1xv0OMkNi1H0glPLMIVA9D6JeWsQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1235/09A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="1235" height="430" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w_MAv3nThxo/X7pGxSDCZFI/AAAAAAAAIT0/MB0Oe1xv0OMkNi1H0glPLMIVA9D6JeWsQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h430/09A.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b> ( FFM-2 ) launched 19th Nov 2020.<br /> Photo : JMSDF<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;">The Japan Maritime Self Defense Force ( JMSDF ) had launched a new class of warship known as the Multi-Mission Frigate ( FFM ) on 19th Nov 2020. Due to some technical mishap during the construction of the lead ship, it was the second-in-class JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b> ( くまの ) that was launched first. After a three month delay, the lead ship had finally been launched on 3rd Mar 2021 and was named the JS <i style="font-weight: bold;">Mogami </i>( もがみ )<b>.</b></div><p>These frigates are meant to be compact, stealthy, highly automated to reduce crew requirements and are meant to be scalable for the possibility of export. Their design is a departure from the large destroyers that the JMSDF used to favour and reflects the changing regional security threats and demographic challenges that Japan is facing. A total of 22 frigates have been planned. </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Destroyer Exclusivity No More</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The Japanese archipelago is made up of 6852 islands and stretches for more than 3000km from the Sea of Okhotsk to the Philippine Sea. It has a coastline that is 29751km long and an exclusive economic zone of 4470000km2. Due to the vastness of the maritime territory it has to cover, the JMSDF has always required ships with very long range and high endurance. Destroyers have therefore formed the backbone of the JMSDF surface fleet for many decades. Its major combatants are always classified as a destroyer of sorts, helicopter-carrying destroyer ( DDH ), guided missile destroyer ( DDG ), general purpose destroyer ( DD ) and destroyer escort ( DE ). In fact, the JMSDF never had a frigate in its fleet apart from the 18 <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%81%8F%E3%81%99%E5%9E%8B%E8%AD%B7%E8%A1%9B%E8%89%A6" target="_blank"><i><b>Kusu</b></i>-class</a> patrol frigates ( ex-US WWII <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma-class_frigate" target="_blank"><b><i>Tacoma</i></b>-class</a> ) which it briefly commissioned between 1953 and 1972.</p><p>So it might seem like a surprise when after a lapse of almost five decades the JMSDF announced that its next generation warship would be a frigate. However, given the current maritime security situation with the militarization of the South China Sea, a nuclear-armed North Korea and multiple territorial disputes with neighbours including China, Taiwan, South Korea and Russia, it is clear that the JMSDF needs to build up its fleet to meet these challenges, and to do so rapidly and in an affordable manner. By virtue of its smaller size and less sophisticated weapon and sensor systems, a frigate is a lot cheaper to procure and maintain than a destroyer. Frigates also have a smaller complement, an important factor to consider given Japan's declining population and a younger generation unwilling to join the ranks of the JMSDF. </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>30FFM</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The concept of a high speed multi-mission frigate that is capable of anti-submarine and mine warfare for the JMSDF was first raised in 2005 when the Maritime Staff Office engaged the Japan Association of Defense Industry on a feasibility study based on a vessel similar to the Littoral Combat Ship ( LCS ) of the US Navy. Then the emphasis was on speed and cost. However, the Japanese would soon discover that the cost of building such a ship was prohibitive, even when the specifications were brought down, and the idea was shelved.</p><p>It wasn't until late 2013 that saw the frigate being mentioned again, this time in the Defense Guidelines and the H26 Mid Term Defence Plans where the Ministry of Defense wanted to increase the number of escort ships from 47 to 54. The following year, the Japanese government under then Prime minister Abe Shinzo would also end the total ban on arms export and the frigate seemed viable again, perhaps with the help from a potential export market and lowered costs due to maturing technologies. By 2015, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ( MHI ) had unveiled its proposal, the 30FF, which it had developed using its own funds.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X847WOwAg0g/YEt3oHM6ppI/AAAAAAAAInU/6RlZIGRRbM8fkRW6keXuTl9X9_NvV6C_wCLcBGAsYHQ/s985/Conceptual_image_of_30FFM_by_MHI%2Bannodated.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="985" height="308" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X847WOwAg0g/YEt3oHM6ppI/AAAAAAAAInU/6RlZIGRRbM8fkRW6keXuTl9X9_NvV6C_wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h308/Conceptual_image_of_30FFM_by_MHI%2Bannodated.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MHI's 30FFM Conceptual Image, annotated</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>The frigate was originally referred to as the 30FFM as it was promulgated in the defense budget of 2018, the 30th year of the Heisei era. FF is the hull classification for frigate and the M indicates its multi-mission capability but could also refer to the mine laying and mine hunting capabilities of this unique warship. Mine warfare is a highly specialised part of naval warfare and it is usually undertaken by specialised vessels like mine layers, mine sweepers and mine hunters. The conventional duty of a general purpose frigate is to escort other high value vessels like fleet replenishment ships and amphibious landing platforms and to conduct anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare but rarely ever to mine hunt or lay mines. In the FFM the JMSDF intends to create a work horse that is capable of a little of everything, including dealing with mines.</p><p>The 30FFM frigates are also frequently referred to as the 3900ton-class escort vessel ( 3900トン型護衛艦 ) as the design called for a ship with a standard displacement of 3900 tons. They are meant to expand the fleet and at the same time replace some of the older destroyers of the <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asagiri-class_destroyer" target="_blank">Asagiri</a></i></b>-class ( 8 in active service ) and the <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abukuma-class_destroyer_escort" target="_blank">Abukuma</a></i></b>-class destroyer escort ( 6 in active service ). </p><p>Each of these frigates will cost 50 billion yen or about US$460 million.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UEhHS7qHcYY/YEiKw1dL7wI/AAAAAAAAIkE/dFhys-K1YKg6G7COICmk0ZbrHrMZD_SUACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/EwB7hdyVgAQ6z-E%2B20210309%2B%2540DE224_cookie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UEhHS7qHcYY/YEiKw1dL7wI/AAAAAAAAIkE/dFhys-K1YKg6G7COICmk0ZbrHrMZD_SUACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/EwB7hdyVgAQ6z-E%2B20210309%2B%2540DE224_cookie.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FFM-2 JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b> being fitted out at Mitsui's <br />Tamano yard 9th mar 2021. Photo : @DE224_cookie<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>30FFM Specifications</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Standard Displacement <span>: </span>3900 tons</p><p>Full Load Displacement :<span><span> </span></span>5500 tons</p><p>Length : 133m</p><p>Beam : 16.3m</p><p>Propulsion : CODAG</p><p>1 x Rolls Royce MT-30 Gas Turbine</p><p>2 x MAN 12V28/33D STC Diesel Engine</p><p>2 x variable-pitch propellers</p><p>Maximum Speed : Over 30 knots</p><p>Power : 70000hp</p><p>Complement : 90</p><p>Armament :</p><p>1 x BAE Systems 62 calibre 5 inch ( 127mm ) Mk 45 Mod 4 gun system</p><p>2 x Japan Steel Works RWS with 12.7mm machine gun</p><p>1 x Raytheon SeaRAM ship defense system</p><p>2 x quadruple canisters for a total of 8 MHI Type 17 anti-ship missiles ( SSM-2 )</p><p>2 x HOS-303 triple launchers for 324mm torpedoes</p><p>1 x MHI 16-cell Mk 41 VLS ( fitted for but not with )</p><p>Mine Warfare :</p><p>Simplified Mine Laying Equipment</p><p>1 x Unmanned Surface Vehicle ( USV ) with Expendable Mine Disposal System ( EMD )</p><p>1 x Unmanned Underwater Vehicle ( UUV ) MHI OZZ-5</p><p>C4I : OYQ-1 Combat Management System ( Link 22 compatible )</p><p>Sensors : Mitsubishi Electric OPY-2 X-Band multi-function AESA radar</p><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Mitsubishi Electric OAX-3 Electro-optical / Infra-red sensor system </span><br /></p><p> <span> </span><span> </span><span> NEC </span>OQQ-25 ship mounted sonar system comprising VDS + TASS</p><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> Hitachi OQQ-11 mine-detecting sonar </span><br /></p><p><span>Electronic Warfare : NOLQ-3E electronic warfare system</span></p><p><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> 4 x Mk 137 Decoy launchers</span></span></p><p><span><span>Hangar for 1 x SH-60K </span></span>Helicopter </p><p>Updated : FFM-1 and FFM-2 ship crests <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/10/ship-logo-mark-for-japanese-stealth.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Launch of FFM-3 <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/06/third-mogami-class-frigate-js-noshiro.html" target="_blank">here</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ufwxeqQz_3E/YEX4eakQ_hI/AAAAAAAAIj0/EICJ_DJi7bcHvT5qAQ-Iop8NODE0p8ZcgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ufwxeqQz_3E/YEX4eakQ_hI/AAAAAAAAIj0/EICJ_DJi7bcHvT5qAQ-Iop8NODE0p8ZcgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/10.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS <b><i>Mogami</i></b> being launched on 3rd Mar 2021</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz0ChGiy5hZqKAbkKHMPZ3HmSn6gXr1kWJjdACgm4RfatQjqRfdFOWGW0fMnqxFzebNsBnP3U-8gnb0LiJi7Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>The official JMSDF video above on the launching and naming ceremony of the JS <b><i>Mogami</i></b> at MHI's Nagasaki yard on 3rd March 2021. 0:22 Kimigayo national anthem 0:48 Naming 0:55 <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2020/11/warding-sea-monsters-and-demons-japans.html" target="_blank">Silver ship launching axe</a> 1:06 cord cutting 1:07 <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2021/02/gunkan-machi-sprightly-japanese-naval.html" target="_blank">Warship March</a> 1:15 blessing horn<br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vzSK6QXUX3o/YEtRRMl6wUI/AAAAAAAAImU/XCsSVgvIv7ct6AtZgE5Krv9uPA603ekFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s5138/JS_Kumano%2528FFM-2%2529_left_front_view_at_Mitsui_Engineering_%2526_Shipbuilding_Tamano_Shipyard_November_19%252C_2020_02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2890" data-original-width="5138" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vzSK6QXUX3o/YEtRRMl6wUI/AAAAAAAAImU/XCsSVgvIv7ct6AtZgE5Krv9uPA603ekFQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/JS_Kumano%2528FFM-2%2529_left_front_view_at_Mitsui_Engineering_%2526_Shipbuilding_Tamano_Shipyard_November_19%252C_2020_02.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sporting clean lines and flush surfaces. <br />The stealthy JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b> shortly after launch.<br />Photo : Hunini via Wikicommons.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zJc_XShP9yE/YEtSEk-TCHI/AAAAAAAAImc/FvdBZbMKr6I81gXaXaMeE6dgZE8tib_GACLcBGAsYHQ/s5141/JS_Kumano%2528FFM-2%2529_right_side_view_at_Mitsui_Engineering_%2526_Shipbuilding_Tamano_Shipyard_November_19%252C_2020.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2891" data-original-width="5141" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zJc_XShP9yE/YEtSEk-TCHI/AAAAAAAAImc/FvdBZbMKr6I81gXaXaMeE6dgZE8tib_GACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/JS_Kumano%2528FFM-2%2529_right_side_view_at_Mitsui_Engineering_%2526_Shipbuilding_Tamano_Shipyard_November_19%252C_2020.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Profile view of the sleek and long JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b><br />shortly after being launched on 19th Nov 2020.<br />Photo : Hunini via Wikicommons<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j3cw_o9iilU/YEtTaOHJ5vI/AAAAAAAAImk/uYJJBena0SEKaZoBDR0PoHDxGvyT3eXtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s5568/Bridge_%2526_mast_of_JS_Kumano%2528FFM-2%2529_right_side_view_at_Mitsui_Engineering_%2526_Shipbuilding_Tamano_Shipyard_November_19%252C_2020.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3712" data-original-width="5568" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j3cw_o9iilU/YEtTaOHJ5vI/AAAAAAAAImk/uYJJBena0SEKaZoBDR0PoHDxGvyT3eXtgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Bridge_%2526_mast_of_JS_Kumano%2528FFM-2%2529_right_side_view_at_Mitsui_Engineering_%2526_Shipbuilding_Tamano_Shipyard_November_19%252C_2020.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b> mid-ship starboard view with<br />hatches possibly for torpedo launcher.<br />Photo : Hunini via Wikicommons</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GO5FPMHyIPo/YEtj_l4fH4I/AAAAAAAAIms/i4q9nGmjnqA2E1ovmt6sUrygr9I3QfiWACLcBGAsYHQ/s5568/Superstructure_of_JS_Kumano%2528FFM-2%2529_left_front_view_at_Mitsui_Engineering_%2526_Shipbuilding_Tamano_Shipyard_November_19%252C_2020.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3712" data-original-width="5568" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GO5FPMHyIPo/YEtj_l4fH4I/AAAAAAAAIms/i4q9nGmjnqA2E1ovmt6sUrygr9I3QfiWACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Superstructure_of_JS_Kumano%2528FFM-2%2529_left_front_view_at_Mitsui_Engineering_%2526_Shipbuilding_Tamano_Shipyard_November_19%252C_2020.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b> superstructure.<br />Photo : Hunini via Wikicommons</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4pdO9pfFoYQ/YEtmwgFQN0I/AAAAAAAAIm0/dwn9Gn9p1_AJJK9WmpyVvA53pZ_wiTqSACLcBGAsYHQ/s5252/JS_Kumano%2528FFM-2%2529_right_rear_view_at_Mitsui_Engineering_%2526_Shipbuilding_Tamano_Shipyard_November_19%252C_2020_04.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2954" data-original-width="5252" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4pdO9pfFoYQ/YEtmwgFQN0I/AAAAAAAAIm0/dwn9Gn9p1_AJJK9WmpyVvA53pZ_wiTqSACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/JS_Kumano%2528FFM-2%2529_right_rear_view_at_Mitsui_Engineering_%2526_Shipbuilding_Tamano_Shipyard_November_19%252C_2020_04.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b> stern and hangar.<br />Photo : Hunini via Wikicommons</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Unique Features</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The <b><i>Mogami</i></b>-class frigate is radically different from what we would normally expect of a typical JMSDF surface combatant, big powerful ships with towering superstructures and masts full of radar and electronic warfare antenna, with an equally huge complement. </p><p>It is instead relatively smaller, stealthier, highly automated, not as well armed but still very capable, has an advanced combat management system and sensor suite and is intended to be multi-mission capable, including mine warfare.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-36niOWvKocE/YEtQbiIEgEI/AAAAAAAAImM/miiYlZFw2KsWylhO0qWFLE_9Yt9fMPDLgCLcBGAsYHQ/s3263/Of_Mast_of_JS_Kumano%2528FFM-2%2529_right_front_view_at_Mitsui_Engineering_%2526_Shipbuilding_Tamano_Shipyard_November_19%252C_2020_02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2175" data-original-width="3263" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-36niOWvKocE/YEtQbiIEgEI/AAAAAAAAImM/miiYlZFw2KsWylhO0qWFLE_9Yt9fMPDLgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Of_Mast_of_JS_Kumano%2528FFM-2%2529_right_front_view_at_Mitsui_Engineering_%2526_Shipbuilding_Tamano_Shipyard_November_19%252C_2020_02.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The flat panels of the OPY-2 AESA multi-function radar<br />on the tetrahedral mast proper of JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b> shortly after<br />being launched. Photo : Hunini via Wikicommons</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Its design has incorporated the latest in stealth technology to drastically reduce the radar cross-section ( RCS ) of the ship. The sides of the frigate are smooth and flush and ship structures are angled to deflect radar waves. The most prominent feature is the single integrated mast combining the ship's radar with its electronic warfare system. The four flat panels of the multi-function OPY-2 radar are mounted on the sides of tetrahedral mast proper, with a tube-like NORA-50 composite communications antennae atop, completely clutter-free. MHI had also indicated that it applied some of the stealth technology from its <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-quest-for-stealth-japans-mitsubishi.html" target="_blank">X-2 experimental fighter</a> on the frigates, presumably radar-absorbent coatings or paint. Simply put, the <b><i>Mogami</i></b>-class frigate is probably the stealthiest ship in the JMSDF inventory to date.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MAGAZe7wO8E/YEiMflEdFiI/AAAAAAAAIkQ/71gqN6agNMYOrmuQdI5ZO-jcxfxUzKJLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/EuVTUKvUYAA8icg%2Bmineo%2540youmaydream5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MAGAZe7wO8E/YEiMflEdFiI/AAAAAAAAIkQ/71gqN6agNMYOrmuQdI5ZO-jcxfxUzKJLQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/EuVTUKvUYAA8icg%2Bmineo%2540youmaydream5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FFM-2 JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b>'s integrated mast being fitted at Mitsui's <br />Tamano yard 16th Feb 2021. Photo : mineo@youmaydream5</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--gG81skMFj0/YEm6WNDXxlI/AAAAAAAAIlg/9B5Fg_nGBt8QhKxLen2CRvaqf-X6SfLxACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/EuVTUJuVEAAwZgO%2B20210216%2Btamano%2Bmitsui%2Bmineo%2540youmaydream5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--gG81skMFj0/YEm6WNDXxlI/AAAAAAAAIlg/9B5Fg_nGBt8QhKxLen2CRvaqf-X6SfLxACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/EuVTUJuVEAAwZgO%2B20210216%2Btamano%2Bmitsui%2Bmineo%2540youmaydream5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b> at Mitsui E&S Tamano yard 16th Feb 2021.<br />Photo : mineo@youmaydream5<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>A high degree of automation allows the <b><i>Mogami</i></b>-class frigate to be operated by a crew of just 90 personnel, a drastic reduction from its predecessor the <b><i>Asagiri</i></b>-class destroyer which has a complement of 220. This is an extremely important adaptation as the JSDF as a whole had repeated failed to achieve its recruitment targets since 2014, with the JMSDF fairing the worse among the three services. Declining birth rates and a new generation of youths who cannot live without their always connected smart phones would pose insurmountable challenges. Possibly to reduce the impact of ship deployments on the personal lives of the crew, JMSDF plans to rotate four teams of crew for every three frigates. </p><p>The frigate also has an advanced integrated combat information centre ( CIC ) with a unique circular arrangement and open-bridge concept. It features 18 multi-function displays and 2 tactical tables and overhead screens that can project 360 degree augmented reality views of the ship with the assistance of sensor fusion technology. This will help to increase the situation awareness level of the CIC team.</p><p>Although well equipped for anti-surface warfare ( ASuW ) with the new Type-17 AShM and for anti-submarine warfare ( ASW ) with its combination of variable depth sonar, towed array sonar, torpedoes and ASW helicopter, the most unique capability of this frigate is its ability to conduct mine warfare. </p><p>The frigate has the ability to lay sea mines. It can also deploy and retrieve sonar equipped unmanned surface and underwater drones such as the OZZ-5 UUV to hunt and neutralise sea mines from a docking station at its stern. Its USV can also launch the expendable mine disposal system ( EMD ) which are controlled via optical fiber cable for mine hunting and destruction. This video shows <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2lmnSLC8Po&t=141s" target="_blank">how the EMD works</a>. You can also watch it below.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wy-fmomtW9I/YEiaK505JrI/AAAAAAAAIko/uj_arjrxoYADJluT885tVxTUnuc-ZKT4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s6000/JMSDF_Expendable_Mine_Disposal_System_left_front_view_in_JS_Awaji%2528MSO-304%2529_at_Hanshin_Base_April_1%252C_2017.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3376" data-original-width="6000" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wy-fmomtW9I/YEiaK505JrI/AAAAAAAAIko/uj_arjrxoYADJluT885tVxTUnuc-ZKT4QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/JMSDF_Expendable_Mine_Disposal_System_left_front_view_in_JS_Awaji%2528MSO-304%2529_at_Hanshin_Base_April_1%252C_2017.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trainer EMD with dummy warhead in classic <br />golden-yellow ( 山吹色 yamabuki-iro ) colour<br />displayed onboard MSO-304 JS <b><i>Awaji</i></b>. <br />Live ordnance would be painted black. <br />Image : Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxGNqr3I89dElF-fKa5pdmejTwv9amKla3DcgkifGXtxrGE35qadikkum0kcozrgIsBjHFWQ0Twty9B-WHrwQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote></blockquote><p>This mine warfare capability is mostly unheard of in frigates of any navy but it comes at a crucial time when the JMSDF is scaling down its mine countermeasures fleet. So the frigates can pick up the slack left by a dwindling MCM fleet to ensure that the waterways are mine free especially during amphibious operations in the defense of Japan's outer island chains.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DlSeGjXHwPA/YEty5QpVacI/AAAAAAAAIm8/qWyQm224d2sHY6WQn6_MnvSfGU8YOwKSACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/EvhK7XvU4AAqZxB%2B%25E3%2583%258A%25E3%2582%25AB%25E3%2583%25A0%25E3%2583%25A9%2540T_AH19.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DlSeGjXHwPA/YEty5QpVacI/AAAAAAAAIm8/qWyQm224d2sHY6WQn6_MnvSfGU8YOwKSACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/EvhK7XvU4AAqZxB%2B%25E3%2583%258A%25E3%2582%25AB%25E3%2583%25A0%25E3%2583%25A9%2540T_AH19.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stern of JS <b><i>Mogami</i></b> seen just before launch. <br />The larger opening leads to the USV / UUV docking station. <br />The smaller opening is for VDS / TASS deployment.<br />Photo @T_AH19 via twitter</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>Currently, the frigate's weakness is in its air defense capabilities has it can only rely on the extremely short range SeaRAM close-in weapon system for self-protection against aerial threats. This may change once the 16-cell Mk 41 vertical launch system ( VLS ) is installed. The versatile VLS can pack the longer range RIM-162 ESSM four to a cell or it could accommodate the navalised version of the Type 3 medium-range surface-to-air missile. This will enable it to provide area air defense in an escort mission.</p><p>In addition, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_07_Vertical_Launch_Anti-submarine_rocket" target="_blank">Type 7 vertical launch anti-submarine rocket</a> can also be launched from the VLS, boosting the frigate's kill capabilities against submarines. The VL ASROC is basically torpedo with a rocket delivery system that has a reach of 30km.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HJjsxfHsf9s/YEnWqYQAeoI/AAAAAAAAIl4/EPSf9YkJ60caozlN8x0WG2MgVyAjehCvACLcBGAsYHQ/s1800/EnLD9SSVkAQGce0.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1800" height="462" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HJjsxfHsf9s/YEnWqYQAeoI/AAAAAAAAIl4/EPSf9YkJ60caozlN8x0WG2MgVyAjehCvACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h462/EnLD9SSVkAQGce0.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating the launch of FFM-2<br />Image : @gintokii via twitter</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Work Horse</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>With such a multitude of capabilities, the <b><i>Mogami</i></b>-class frigates are expected to be involved in the defense of Japan's home waters against surface and underwater threats. They augment the mine laying and mine hunting capabilities of JMSDF's organic mine-countermeasures fleet. They will also be deployed in anti-piracy operations overseas so that larger vessels like destroyers can be left to deal with bigger threats nearer to home, such as the Chinese, Russian and North Korean navies.</p><p>They mirror similar developments in other navies worldwide to have multi-mission capabilities built into a single hull and are frequently compared with the Littoral Combat Ship of the USN. The Republic of Singapore Navy's yet to be revealed <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2019/05/multi-role-combat-vessel-singapores.html" target="_blank">Multi-Role Combat Vessel</a> will probably share many similarities with the <b><i>Mogami</i></b>-class frigate, especially in mine warfare capabilities and emphasis on utilising remotely controlled vehicles.</p><p>There are also plans to export these vessels to lower the overall procurement costs. Indonesia is said to be interested in buying up to 8 frigates, with the first four being built in Japan and the remainder constructed in Indonesia. If this comes to fruition it will be Japan's first major arms export since WWII.</p><p> </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gJKEpeyM-JU/YEm5VFsTrfI/AAAAAAAAIlQ/Z875Jz2DhNAJif3Tx_bfwYx3nobgiBzCgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gJKEpeyM-JU/YEm5VFsTrfI/AAAAAAAAIlQ/Z875Jz2DhNAJif3Tx_bfwYx3nobgiBzCgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS <b><i>Mogami</i></b> just after launch.<br />Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T7uop_qZiNI/YEt0r4exFRI/AAAAAAAAInE/ySgV2qpY6OcvaUsGcKyw937L9oDPQplugCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Evl1GeGVoAMYObd%2B20210304%2BMogami%2B%2540xkVjYrGfhYAOspG.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T7uop_qZiNI/YEt0r4exFRI/AAAAAAAAInE/ySgV2qpY6OcvaUsGcKyw937L9oDPQplugCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Evl1GeGVoAMYObd%2B20210304%2BMogami%2B%2540xkVjYrGfhYAOspG.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS <b><i>Mogami</i></b> at MHI Nagasaki yard 4th Mar 2021.<br />Photo : @xkVjYrGfhYAOspG via twitter<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XsqngSzEtqc/YEt1TRamnaI/AAAAAAAAInM/POYk2zFWVwAHfpzxVXmnonXVBwJhLsrXACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Evl1GeJVIAAm4uX20210304%2BMogami%2B%2540xkVjYrGfhYAOspG.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1364" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XsqngSzEtqc/YEt1TRamnaI/AAAAAAAAInM/POYk2zFWVwAHfpzxVXmnonXVBwJhLsrXACLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/Evl1GeJVIAAm4uX20210304%2BMogami%2B%2540xkVjYrGfhYAOspG.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS <b><i>Mogami</i></b> at MHI Nagasaki yard 4th Mar 2021.<br />Photo : @xkVjYrGfhYAOspG via twitter</td></tr></tbody></table><span><span><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span></p><p></p><p>The first-in-class FFM-1 JS <b><i>Mogami</i></b> is named after the Mogami River* ( 最上川 ) in Yamagata Prefecture. It is the third vessel to bear that name, the first being the Imperial Japanese Navy's heavy cruiser <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cruiser_Mogami_(1934)" target="_blank">IJN </a><b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cruiser_Mogami_(1934)" target="_blank">Mogami</a> </b>and the second was the destroyer escort <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JDS_Mogami" target="_blank">JDS <b><i>Mogami</i></b></a> ( DE-212 ) of the JMSDF. </p><p>A mishap during the installation of the Rolls Royce MT-30 gas turbine delayed the launch of the lead ship, resulting in the second ship of the series, FFM-2 JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b>, being launched first. JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b> is named after the Kumano River ( 熊野川 ) in the mountainous Kii Peninsula of Kansai. Both are expected to be commissioned in March 2022.</p><p>The naming of the first two ships based on major Japanese rivers suggests that the other twenty might likely have river-based names such as Natori ( 名取 ), Tenryu ( 天竜 ), Kinu ( 鬼怒 ), Mikuma ( 三隈 ), Kiso ( 木曽 ), Tone ( 利根 ), Ishikari ( 石狩 ) and the likes. It follows the JMSDF tradition of naming its destroyers and major surface combatants after natural phenomena, meteorological phenomena, mountains, rivers and landmarks. </p><p> </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OhoSLZ8d9cY/YEnL0DiU3AI/AAAAAAAAIlw/uDejU6p6kOIkLxdgXk2zCtpDTGLMQmvsQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Mogamigawa-gassan-enbou-Hirosige.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1091" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OhoSLZ8d9cY/YEnL0DiU3AI/AAAAAAAAIlw/uDejU6p6kOIkLxdgXk2zCtpDTGLMQmvsQCLcBGAsYHQ/w436-h640/Mogamigawa-gassan-enbou-Hirosige.jpg" width="436" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Mount Gassan from Mogami River.<br />Ukiyo-e by Utagawa Hiroshige. Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>* With a total length of 229km the scenic Mogami River is one of the longest and fastest flowing rivers in Japan. It was historically important as a conduit to transport goods from the inland areas of Dewanokuni (出羽国), modern day Yamagata and Akita, to the coastal areas for export. </p><p>The Mogami River was also featured in the hugely successful 1983 NHK serial television drama <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oshin" target="_blank"><b><i>Oshin</i></b></a> ( おしん ), in a snowy winter scene where the protagonist, a 7 year old girl from a poor peasant family, was tearfully separated from her parents and sent by raft down river to Sakata City to work as a babysitter for a timber merchant's family. Mogami River 0:14 - 0:20 in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8524OqlQboE" target="_blank">trailer for the 2012 movie</a> adaptation.</p><p><br /></p><p> </p><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-56707606650145550632021-02-25T02:15:00.006+08:002021-03-04T17:05:40.863+08:00SSK Soryu's Collision Off Cape Ashizuri : Curse of the Kuroshio? <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vKlL0VXRfyc/YDUf8Bb1yWI/AAAAAAAAIiA/t20tEqyhdtELSMjKBChY-kd1dSOBZCrkgCLcBGAsYHQ/s878/Soryu%2BKochi%2B20210209%2BAsahi%2B2A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="597" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vKlL0VXRfyc/YDUf8Bb1yWI/AAAAAAAAIiA/t20tEqyhdtELSMjKBChY-kd1dSOBZCrkgCLcBGAsYHQ/w436-h640/Soryu%2BKochi%2B20210209%2BAsahi%2B2A.jpg" width="436" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The damaged SSK <b><i>Soryu</i></b> at Kochi Port <br />9th Feb 2021. Photo : Asahi Shimbun </td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Collision At Sea</u></h4><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div>Collisions at sea involving submarines thankfully do not happen everyday. Even when such unfortunate incidents occur, they tend to take place at remote waters where there are not much media coverage. In any case the need to maintain operational security would ensure very little information whatsoever will be made available to the public on these mishaps.</div><div><br /></div><div>On 8th Feb 2021, the Japanese attack submarine JS <b><i>Soryu</i></b> collided with the Hong Kong registered bulk carrier the <b><i>Ocean Artemis</i></b> while it was surfacing during a training deployment in international waters southeast of Cape Ashizuri, Kochi Prefecture. The collision occurred at periscope depth and left the Soryu with extensive damage but fortunately no fatalities.</div><div><br /></div><div>What was unusual about this incident was the large amount of high resolution images and video footage taken of the damaged submarine after the accident. Once the word was out the Japanese news media even had reporters and cameramen flown out to sea in helicopters to film the stricken submarine, made possible also because of the accident location's proximity to land.</div><div><br /></div><div>Many theories had been proposed by new agencies and defense web portals as to how and why the accident happened, from poorly trained sonar technicians to equipment failure to thermal layers and even professional negligence. Frequently the opinions of serving or ex-submariners were sought and while they provide a good overview of the matter, none mentioned anything about a local maritime phenomenon that could have played a significant role in causing this incident : the fast moving warm Kuroshio Current that flows northward and eastward off the Pacific coast of Japan.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8MUj3gUyuLo/YC1o7u0unrI/AAAAAAAAId0/f9jfZizP6FUMBAWPM650j4YqkfEIVTZYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1919/Kuroshio%2B20210218A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="945" data-original-width="1919" height="316" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8MUj3gUyuLo/YC1o7u0unrI/AAAAAAAAId0/f9jfZizP6FUMBAWPM650j4YqkfEIVTZYgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h316/Kuroshio%2B20210218A.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kuroshio Current off the coast of Japan<br /><a href="https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/ocean/surface/currents/orthographic=144.00,33.00/loc=144.00,33.00" target="_blank">Here</a> for real time map by earth.nullschool.net</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ycgiqzJx_P4/YDKP414agZI/AAAAAAAAIgk/lTg6zl9savkMaiyKb_PS7dkpU2hpL2htgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/Soryu%2Bn%2BKuroshio%2BA.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ycgiqzJx_P4/YDKP414agZI/AAAAAAAAIgk/lTg6zl9savkMaiyKb_PS7dkpU2hpL2htgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/Soryu%2Bn%2BKuroshio%2BA.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cape Ashizuri, approximate collision site<br />and current path of the Kuroshio in red.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Submarine Soryu</u></h4><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The <b><i>Soryu</i></b> is one of the largest and most advanced diesel attack submarine in the world. It is equipped with an air-independent propulsion system. It is also relatively new, being launched as the first-in-class in Dec 2007 and commissioned in March 2009. It has a length of 84m with a displacement of 2900 tonnes surfaced. Its sonar suite comprises of a bow array, flank arrays and a towed array. </div><div><br /></div><div>It could make 13 knots on the surface and 20 knots submerged. Its maximum diving depth, though classified, is believed to be between 600m to 800m.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Soryu is assigned to the 5th Submarine Squadron, 1st Submarine Flotilla operating out of Kure. Her commanding officer is Commander Koji Keisuke ( 恒次啓介 ). The submarine had recently spent considerable time in the ship yard on routine maintenance. She left her home port on 6th Feb 2021 with 90 crew members on a training deployment, most likely for re-certification of her operational readiness.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nUbItQoz6Ic/YDTRSQ0ABwI/AAAAAAAAIh4/y0P6hGUex5ss7S_9MlgAu5i2LKPvNroPQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/01.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nUbItQoz6Ic/YDTRSQ0ABwI/AAAAAAAAIh4/y0P6hGUex5ss7S_9MlgAu5i2LKPvNroPQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soryu-class submarine on surfaced transit.<br />Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Bulk carrier Ocean Artemis </u></h4></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div>The <b><i>Ocean Artemis</i></b> is a bulk carrier with a gross tonnage of 51208 tonnes and a dead weight of 93103 tonnes. It was built in 2011. It has an overall length of 229m with a beam of 38m. Its maximum speed is said to be 13.8 knots. It was transporting iron ore from the Chinese port of Qingdao and was heading for the Japanese port of Mizushima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture when it collided with the Soryu. AIS data suggested that the Ocean Artemis had a draught of 14.9m on the day of the collision. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2WAduOkhInU/YDaDa56eDRI/AAAAAAAAIic/9jwvCais91U0uShKQK9R9E4Dtck3tcQFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Collision%2BGE%2BA.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1244" data-original-width="2048" height="388" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2WAduOkhInU/YDaDa56eDRI/AAAAAAAAIic/9jwvCais91U0uShKQK9R9E4Dtck3tcQFgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h388/Collision%2BGE%2BA.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of Shikoku Island and Kuroshio</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCdzFmrC7Jg/YDYRPF2XMxI/AAAAAAAAIiU/_mVvPBnmv2EzH2a1sJ4yiCY9k4y4WEKkwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/GSJ_MAP_MARN_008_1977_200.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1475" data-original-width="2048" height="460" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCdzFmrC7Jg/YDYRPF2XMxI/AAAAAAAAIiU/_mVvPBnmv2EzH2a1sJ4yiCY9k4y4WEKkwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h460/GSJ_MAP_MARN_008_1977_200.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The seabed 50km off Shikoku is <br />between 1000m to 1500m deep.<br />Map : Geological Survey of Japan </td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><h4 style="clear: both;"><u>Reconstructing The Collision</u></h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Based on satellite, oceanographic, meteorological and maritime traffic data, we know that it was a clear but windy day out at sea 50km southeast of Cape Ashizuri on 8th Feb 2021. The wind was gusting at 25 knots from the northwest and whipping up swells with significant wave heights of 1.59m, probably the equivalent of Sea State 4.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The collision site is located over the continental shelf of Shikoku Island and lies over waters about 1000m deep. It straddles not only the main shipping lanes south of Shikoku but also the main path of the warm Kuroshio Current. Despite being winter, the sea surface temperature was about 21C, only dropping to 15C at the 200m depth. The current is strong with a flow speed of about 2 knots and an axis of 070 degrees. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The <b><i>Ocean Artemis</i></b>, laden with ore and riding low in the water, was east bound for the port of Mizushima in the Seto Inland Sea. It would likely be maintaining a course of approximately 060 degrees as she navigates around Shikoku to enter the Inland Sea from the east via the Naruto Straits. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">At 10:58am local time, the <b><i>Soryu</i></b> was conducting a surfacing drill when, rising from the deep, she failed to detect the presence of the bulk carrier until she was at periscope depth. It was already too late to take evasive action by the time the surface vessel was seen through the periscope and a collision was inevitable. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The bow of the bulk carrier struck the starboard side of the submarine's conning tower, denting it and damaging the anechoic tiles covering that area. It also caused severe damage to the starboard hydroplane and the sensor masts, taking out the communications antennae. Three submariners suffered from light injuries like bruises and none required evacuation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Since the damage occurred mainly on the starboard side of the submarine, it can be deduced that it would have been a glancing blow had the submarine been on a course similar to the bulk carrier or if it were on a reciprocal course. Conversely it would have been a head-on impact had the submarine been maintaining a southerly bearing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We would later learn that the <b><i>Ocean Artemis</i></b> did not report detecting any noise or vibration from the collision and most likely continued with her voyage without even realizing that a collision had taken place.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The loss of communications rendered the <b><i>Soryu</i></b> incapable of reporting the incident to the 1st Submarine Flotilla headquarters. Fortunately the <b><i>Soryu</i></b> could still move under her own power on the surface and she eventually navigated to an area with cellphone reception. The Ministry of Defense would eventually learn of the accident by 2:20pm. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Transiting on the surface, the <b><i>Soryu</i></b> made it to the port city of Kochi by nightfall. Meanwhile the JCG diverted the <b><i>Ocean Artemis</i></b> to Kobe the next day for investigations. There, divers discovered that the impact left multiple scratch marks with black paint residue that presumably matched those from the <b><i>Soryu</i></b> on the bulbous bow of the <b><i>Ocean Artemis</i></b>. A dent and a 20cm crack corresponding to the point of impact was also found on the bow. This crack had caused some sea water seepage into the vessel.</div><div><br /></div><div>The black paint residue were collected and had been dispatched to the JCG Research Centre in Tachikawa City, Tokyo, for further analysis and confirmation that they originated from the <b><i>Soryu</i></b>. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-irQNLBy93BI/YC5NWn8oazI/AAAAAAAAIeI/QvPINdwKdisOdTbzFBApET-KwCJVGnoNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s976/_116881133_mediaitem116881132.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="976" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-irQNLBy93BI/YC5NWn8oazI/AAAAAAAAIeI/QvPINdwKdisOdTbzFBApET-KwCJVGnoNwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/_116881133_mediaitem116881132.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Underway enroute to Kochi. <br />Photo : 5th Regional HQ JCG</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BCr64fkLYLg/YC48-_0lnOI/AAAAAAAAIeA/U0jUeZiljvUAMZ2gzsRw6c2cxaPCUvr_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s657/EtyEoLDWYAASwlO.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="558" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BCr64fkLYLg/YC48-_0lnOI/AAAAAAAAIeA/U0jUeZiljvUAMZ2gzsRw6c2cxaPCUvr_QCLcBGAsYHQ/w544-h640/EtyEoLDWYAASwlO.png" width="544" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Damage to the hydroplane, sensor masts and conning tower <br />of the JMSDF submarine <b><i>Soryu</i></b>. Photo : Mainichi Shimbun<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6mq6iwHlAw0/YC5ctr0cDPI/AAAAAAAAIec/Ib0m_y8zZrIYViFDHnFzZztVTYtqLqKjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s830/Mainichi%2BSoryu%2BKochi%2B9th%2BFeb%2B0947A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="830" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6mq6iwHlAw0/YC5ctr0cDPI/AAAAAAAAIec/Ib0m_y8zZrIYViFDHnFzZztVTYtqLqKjwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h424/Mainichi%2BSoryu%2BKochi%2B9th%2BFeb%2B0947A.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moored off Kochi, 9th Feb 2021<br />Photo : Mainichi Shimbun</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3AycZjQItw/YC5c7AjpfoI/AAAAAAAAIeg/nnvB_7VGohsQ6WU9Ql7vsKAwbMS9Kld0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s650/Mainichi%2BSoryu%2BKochi%2B9th%2BFeb%2B0809A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="434" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3AycZjQItw/YC5c7AjpfoI/AAAAAAAAIeg/nnvB_7VGohsQ6WU9Ql7vsKAwbMS9Kld0wCLcBGAsYHQ/w428-h640/Mainichi%2BSoryu%2BKochi%2B9th%2BFeb%2B0809A.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moored off Kochi, 9th Feb 2021<br />Photo : Mainichi Shimbun</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LiP5JtzobrE/YC5dCf81BMI/AAAAAAAAIeo/alatmvI0BR4ZekJmaE3x_2uY-aGhp6MEgCLcBGAsYHQ/s831/Mainichi%2BSoryu%2BKochi%2B9th%2BFeb%2B0810A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="831" height="446" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LiP5JtzobrE/YC5dCf81BMI/AAAAAAAAIeo/alatmvI0BR4ZekJmaE3x_2uY-aGhp6MEgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h446/Mainichi%2BSoryu%2BKochi%2B9th%2BFeb%2B0810A.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moored off Kochi, 9th Feb 2021<br />Photo : Mainichi Shimbun</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r84gAtpMYgI/YC5dMtKBRQI/AAAAAAAAIew/1ngkb-Mdu98XoCFB0aXITaOxo0g4dqCZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s650/Mainichi%2BSoryu%2BKochi%2B9th%2BFeb%2B0947%2B2A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="433" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r84gAtpMYgI/YC5dMtKBRQI/AAAAAAAAIew/1ngkb-Mdu98XoCFB0aXITaOxo0g4dqCZwCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/Mainichi%2BSoryu%2BKochi%2B9th%2BFeb%2B0947%2B2A.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moored off Kochi, 9th Feb 2021<br />Photo : Mainichi Shimbun</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyi57MeRzq7raGbv2REaTymBRgHemYTSqhfeh0U0z2wXvZyuRUs0dXRnRUesAHlI09ehTRkE0mCMYgSqOdPfQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">The damaged Soryu at Kochi on 9th Feb 2021</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vvDzNkHbrdk/YC5iivgZmZI/AAAAAAAAIe8/MKyjv2d0Lf44MSHc0cLGrIBihObYR3sRwCLcBGAsYHQ/s828/Mainichi%2BOcean%2BArtemis%2BKobe%2B9%2BFebA.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="828" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vvDzNkHbrdk/YC5iivgZmZI/AAAAAAAAIe8/MKyjv2d0Lf44MSHc0cLGrIBihObYR3sRwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h428/Mainichi%2BOcean%2BArtemis%2BKobe%2B9%2BFebA.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ocean Artemis off Kobe 9th Feb 2021<br />Photo : Mainichi Shimbun</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TrdC2Tur3JY/YC5knfgmupI/AAAAAAAAIfE/DRcCRxl6FHIKG6Y1UeBA0uG-tZtTPe2BQCLcBGAsYHQ/s659/Ocean%2Bartemis%2Bdiver%2BAsahi%2BA.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="659" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TrdC2Tur3JY/YC5knfgmupI/AAAAAAAAIfE/DRcCRxl6FHIKG6Y1UeBA0uG-tZtTPe2BQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Ocean%2Bartemis%2Bdiver%2BAsahi%2BA.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Divers inspect the bow of the Ocean Artemis<br />Photo : Asahi Shimbun</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NbqVi35MtdE/YC5kz9U8BHI/AAAAAAAAIfI/phVaEbG4SPI5oS9cZCbzOkP64DCpKnhIwCLcBGAsYHQ/s450/Ocean%2BArtemis%2BScratch%2BMarks%2BJiji%2Bpress.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="450" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NbqVi35MtdE/YC5kz9U8BHI/AAAAAAAAIfI/phVaEbG4SPI5oS9cZCbzOkP64DCpKnhIwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/Ocean%2BArtemis%2BScratch%2BMarks%2BJiji%2Bpress.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scratch marks on the bow of the Ocean Artemis<br />Photo : Jiji Press</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>What Caused The Collision?</u></h4><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Surfacing drills are among the most hazardous submarine operations undertaken during peace time. Even with modern sonar equipment, collisions with surface vessels are always a possibility especially around busy shipping lanes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Every submarine's forward mounted sonar has blind spots known as the baffles, an area directly behind the submarine where sound detection is not possible. In order to surface safely, a submarine has first to perform a manoeuvre known as clearing the baffles to ensure there are no vessels hiding in the blind spot. It requires the boat to change its course slightly so that the previously hidden areas could now be scanned. Once the baffle is cleared, the submarine will have to execute the ascend to the surface within a specified time of not more than 10 to 15 minutes, any longer and the traffic pattern could have changed.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is a possibility that the Soryu did not perform a proper baffle clearing or it could have taken too long to ascend after that. Her skipper Cmdr Koji Keisuke had commanded the JS <i style="font-weight: bold;">Takashio </i>( SS-597 ) before assuming command of the <b><i>Soryu</i></b> on 15th Oct 2019, so he is not new to his post. However, the Soryu has recently spent considerable yard time on regular maintenance and had just resumed operational training after a long lapse. Perhaps crew proficiency may not be at the peak level and mistakes might be more common.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o6yvdcfKr1o/YDUrzQgyekI/AAAAAAAAIiI/xeqCpRH8zrs5oFAGYYCfGfm5AzvXUn_7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s879/Baffles%2BAsahi%2BShimbun.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="510" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o6yvdcfKr1o/YDUrzQgyekI/AAAAAAAAIiI/xeqCpRH8zrs5oFAGYYCfGfm5AzvXUn_7gCLcBGAsYHQ/w372-h640/Baffles%2BAsahi%2BShimbun.jpg" width="372" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearing the baffle ( sonar blind spot )<br />Image : Asahi Shimbun</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The same trend of thought tells us that the likelihood of the sonar specialists not reporting a surface contact as they should is also possible and could have been made more likely by their long absence from regular training. Having said that, due to the hazardous nature of operating submarines, only the best of the best gets selected to train as submariners, and MSDF personnel have to undergo <a href="https://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/stc/education.html" target="_blank">rigorous training</a> of high standards for their qualification process. So again, professional negligence, though unlikely, cannot be completely ruled out. </div><div><br /></div><div>Equipment failure is a remote possibility but Japan's fleet of submarine is young by other navy's standards. Until recently, JMSDF used to retire its submarines after an average of just 20 years! We also know that the Japanese tend to maintain their equipment in tip top condition, and that the Soryu had just completed its regular yard maintenance, so the scenario where there is a catastrophic failure of the sonar system leading to a collision has a low probability. In fact, Chief of the Maritime Staff, Adm Yamamura Hiroshi had already categorically denied any reports of a periscope or sonar malfunction. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The size and draft of the bulk carrier brings up another possibility to the cause of the accident - the bow-null effect. Simply put, the enormous length of the surface vessel approaching head-on effectively acts as a shield to greatly diminish the acoustic signature from the engine and propellers which are a couple of hundred meters behind the bow. This reduced sound level could have been misinterpreted to be emitted from a source much further away along the same bearing, leading to a potentially disastrous situation. Even veteran submariners have had close shaves due to the bow-null effect. It has also been postulated to be the cause of many collisions between whales and large surface vessels.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Apart from human errors and equipment failures, environmental and geographical factors frequently have a contributory if not causative role to play in such accidents. For submarines, water temperature, depth and to a lesser extend, salinity, will have a huge impact on sound transmission. The existence of shallow thermal layers for example, might create environments with positive sound velocity profile gradients, causing some surface generated sound waves to be deflected upwards. It would result in shadow zones below the layer and make vessel detection from beneath all but impossible. The Kuroshio could have contributed to the creation of such thermal layers.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Black Tide</u></h4><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The collision took place on a winter's morning in an area known to have high maritime traffic, over the continental shelf extension of Shikoku with depths of approximately 1000m. February is typically the coldest month of the year in the northern hemisphere and being located in the temperate zone one could logically expect the sea surface temperature around Japanese waters to be cold as well, causing thermal layers commonly encountered in warmer months to be greatly diminished or even dissipate altogether. </div><div><br /></div><div>That would well be the case if not for the powerful <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuroshio_Current" target="_blank">Kuroshio Current</a> which brings warm water from the tropics to the Japanese archipelago <b><i>all year round</i></b>. Kuroshio ( 黒潮 ) means black tide in Japanese. It is named because of its nutrient poor, deep blue, clear waters. It is one of the world's major oceanic currents comparable to the Gulf Stream of the Atlantic. The impact of this warm current on Japanese climate and maritime related industries is so great that the Japan Coast Guard monitors its activities constantly and issues daily reports.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CWgvQIgbX-k/YDKidSJIbdI/AAAAAAAAIg8/BnO07bV9wo8CT2K0TC3xyrCNb823F3apACLcBGAsYHQ/s1239/Current%2B20210208%2BJCG.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="875" data-original-width="1239" height="452" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CWgvQIgbX-k/YDKidSJIbdI/AAAAAAAAIg8/BnO07bV9wo8CT2K0TC3xyrCNb823F3apACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h452/Current%2B20210208%2BJCG.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JCG Quick Bulletin of Ocean Conditions<br />Path of Kuroshio & Tsushima Currents<br />Flow speed is 2 knots south of Cape<br />Ashizuri on 8th Feb 2021</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ibhpzvy0BSs/YDKUv5JP3II/AAAAAAAAIg0/CX9LkDs_waIOoI-jNkwBpBRaSNQ48kZ-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1241/SST%2B20210208%2BJCG.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1241" height="452" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ibhpzvy0BSs/YDKUv5JP3II/AAAAAAAAIg0/CX9LkDs_waIOoI-jNkwBpBRaSNQ48kZ-ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h452/SST%2B20210208%2BJCG.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea Surface Temperature off Cape <br />Ashizuri is about 21C on 8<span style="text-align: left;">th Feb 2021</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Because of the Kuroshio Current, the sea surface temperature south of Cape Ashizuri where the collision occurred remains at 20C to 22C in winter and between 26C to 28C in summer. So even in winter a significant layer of warmer water will exist above the colder water deeper below. How deep is warm layer gets depends on factors such as the current's flow rate, mixing from colder layers below and even eddies that form when the current is deflected by geological features or when it meets another ocean current, like the southward flowing cold Oyashio current from the Kuril Islands. </div><div><br /></div><div>It is a well known fact that the salinity and water temperatures can vary considerably especially at the boundaries of the tide, making navigation with sonar extremely tricky. To complicate matters, the path of the black tide is not always fixed and can sometimes shift quite drastically in what is known as the " Great Meandering " ( 黒潮大蛇行 Kuroshio Daidako ) especially off the Kii Peninsula east of Shikoku Island.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MsxLdKAS6qQ/YDCYwZ2TOYI/AAAAAAAAIf8/2wzmNkaE_ikDwx-21-YeXPr5VFD9KpJdQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1362/Cape%2BAshizuri%2Bcurrent%2BSST%2B20210208.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="1362" height="310" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MsxLdKAS6qQ/YDCYwZ2TOYI/AAAAAAAAIf8/2wzmNkaE_ikDwx-21-YeXPr5VFD9KpJdQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h310/Cape%2BAshizuri%2Bcurrent%2BSST%2B20210208.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea Surface Temperature 20.6C<br />Flow Direction 070<br />Flow Speed 0.94m/s ( 1.88 knots )</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p-Q-rXTcLYQ/YDCVN75pRFI/AAAAAAAAIfU/xHxz4D_RbpI7ul2FIgCkAdqdVUt6CfuAACLcBGAsYHQ/s1363/Cape%2BAshizuri%2Bwave%2B20210208.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="661" data-original-width="1363" height="310" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p-Q-rXTcLYQ/YDCVN75pRFI/AAAAAAAAIfU/xHxz4D_RbpI7ul2FIgCkAdqdVUt6CfuAACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h310/Cape%2BAshizuri%2Bwave%2B20210208.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Significant Wave Height 1.59m<br />Peak Wave Period 5.2s<br />Direction 305 deg</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AetJCSDsvBI/YDCVOPLt4EI/AAAAAAAAIfc/Pi__-1Ij9aY5KnUlNpWveWguVgymT_RHwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1365/Cape%2BAshizuri%2BWind%2B20210208.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="1365" height="308" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AetJCSDsvBI/YDCVOPLt4EI/AAAAAAAAIfc/Pi__-1Ij9aY5KnUlNpWveWguVgymT_RHwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h308/Cape%2BAshizuri%2BWind%2B20210208.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surface Wind 25.5 knots<br />Direction 310 deg</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kt11uFWB77Y/YDKSH2yo2mI/AAAAAAAAIgs/QsuVf2pKA94w4uJC9eQcUXcRNp4tVGfJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s871/Bathy%2BA.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="871" data-original-width="829" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kt11uFWB77Y/YDKSH2yo2mI/AAAAAAAAIgs/QsuVf2pKA94w4uJC9eQcUXcRNp4tVGfJwCLcBGAsYHQ/w610-h640/Bathy%2BA.jpg" width="610" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The waters around the collision site is <br />approximately 1000m deep.<br />Bathymetry from Japan's Submission to<br />the Commission on the Limits of the<br />Continental Shelf.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QZztFNGaO40/YDKpempcF4I/AAAAAAAAIhE/n8uhbxg_HbcdJegRblWt3COL0-lu59VsACLcBGAsYHQ/s1555/Shipmaporg.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="865" data-original-width="1555" height="356" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QZztFNGaO40/YDKpempcF4I/AAAAAAAAIhE/n8uhbxg_HbcdJegRblWt3COL0-lu59VsACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h356/Shipmaporg.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maritime traffic density 2012<br />Image : shipmap.org</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>The Aftermath</u></h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The JMSDF has not been all forth coming with information on the collision. There were no mention of the incident on its website and social media accounts. The Minster for Defense and the Chief Cabinet Secretary did have press conferences and the MOD had a press release, but that was it. Some of the images and videos came from the JCG but mostly they were from the news media. Investigations are ongoing and hopefully the findings will be released soon. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since the Kuroshio Current dominates over almost the entire Pacific coast of Japan, I am convinced that the collision has something to do with it, barring other factors such as human error. Its high flow volume of very warm water creates a perpetual summer-like condition to Kyushu, Shikoku and Western Japan extending eastwards to the Kanto region at times. Its ever changing flow axis with major deviations and meandering and its multitude of eddies and countercurrents where there are deflections by land masses and confluences with other currents means that it is as unpredictable as can be, creating treacherous acoustic environments for submarine navigation. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As usual, most accidents are caused by cumulative errors committed by all parties involved, but sometimes it can boil down to just pure bad luck, like being at the wrong place at the wrong time. The Soryu unfortunately has quite a long history of mishaps .... from electrocution and burns at the shipyard to attempted suicide and the accidental drowning of three petty officers within the flooded areas of the sail during routine operations in 2012. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the time of writing, the Soryu is back in Kobe where the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Shipyard is located, presumably for damage assessment and repairs. Even though her pressure hull wasn't damaged, it could still possibly be out of active duty for several months and the repairs could cost several tens of millions of dollars.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cmdr Koji will likely be relieved of his command regardless of the cause of the collision and the outcome of the investigations. His career as a sub-driver or even his future in the JMSDF could already be jeopardised. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Meanwhile, the MOD decided that a 3.5 hour delay in incident reporting due to communications failure is utterly unacceptable and the JMSDF has pledged to ensure the availability of satellite phones on their vessels and boats.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CPun73VxKSA/YDCVPSCKYGI/AAAAAAAAIfk/TLer0QeQinoTagDJ3ha-9cs5eDUOftHGQCLcBGAsYHQ/s363/Soryu%2BCO%25E6%2581%2592%25E6%25AC%25A1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CPun73VxKSA/YDCVPSCKYGI/AAAAAAAAIfk/TLer0QeQinoTagDJ3ha-9cs5eDUOftHGQCLcBGAsYHQ/w183-h200/Soryu%2BCO%25E6%2581%2592%25E6%25AC%25A1.jpg" width="183" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cmdr Koji Keisuke<br />Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Foot Note : Cape Ashizuri</u></h4></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>It would not be right to end this article without elaborating on Cape Ashizuri. Known in Japanese as Ashizuri Misaki ( 足摺岬 ), this is the southernmost point of Shikoku Island. It is located in the remote western part of Kochi Prefecture where the pristine Shimanto River lies, with rugged coasts and beautiful night skies. <div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H-DSJ7I-glM/YDNDoFbboZI/AAAAAAAAIhg/HoxkLaWu8Rs8YsoVJLJGWwuZFgfvwQ2twCLcBGAsYHQ/s824/Cape%2BAshizhuri%2Blighthouse%2BJNTO.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="824" height="404" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H-DSJ7I-glM/YDNDoFbboZI/AAAAAAAAIhg/HoxkLaWu8Rs8YsoVJLJGWwuZFgfvwQ2twCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h404/Cape%2BAshizhuri%2Blighthouse%2BJNTO.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cape Ashizuri Lighthouse<br />Photo : JNTO</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I had visited Cape Ashizuri in Feb 2017, after completing the <a href="https://ryoma-marathon.jp/" target="_blank">Kochi Ryoma Marathon</a>. Accessibility was an issue as the rail network did not extend to that region and even driving along the winding coastal roads was tedious and time consuming. But the effort was well worth it.</div><div><br /><div>The Cape lies within the <a href="https://www.env.go.jp/en/nature/nps/park/ashizuri/index.html" target="_blank">Ashuzuri-Uwakai National Park</a> and it has majestic sea cliffs that towers above the vast expense of the Pacific Ocean. I remembered that it was extremely windy when I visited the Cape Ashizuri Lighthouse and walked through the tunnel of camellia which was in full bloom.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oapoh6ANOcY/YDP17pxFWhI/AAAAAAAAIho/cwykBZSqcB02--NH6WRqjwJ9KGlZ0QtiACLcBGAsYHQ/s1238/20170220_095917A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="1238" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oapoh6ANOcY/YDP17pxFWhI/AAAAAAAAIho/cwykBZSqcB02--NH6WRqjwJ9KGlZ0QtiACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/20170220_095917A.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cape Ashizuri is the southernmost<br />point of Shikoku Island. Statue <br />of John Manjiro in the Background.<br />Photo : Author</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Another attraction at Cape Ashizuri is the statue of John Manjiro <span style="text-align: center;">( 中浜万次郎 )</span>, a Japanese whose remarkable story I first learnt only during that visit. Manjiro had hailed from Nakanohama, an area known today as Tosashimizu, not far from Cape Ashizuri. </div><div><br /></div><div>Manjiro came from a poor family and lost his father at a young age. In 1841 when Manjiro was fourteen years old, he left home to work on a fishing vessel to help make ends meet. Unfortunately, due to inclement weather, he was shipwrecked on an uninhabited island off the coast of Japan for six months. Manjiro was eventually saved by the captain of a passing American whaler who named him John and brought him back to his hometown of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, so that he could be educated. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p8iO7DJr1Vs/YDP3-gmwvuI/AAAAAAAAIhw/cs1bceg6RxAO-Ztvr-CoGVkEkogJOJCkgCLcBGAsYHQ/s5472/%25E8%25B6%25B3%25E6%2591%25BA%25E5%25B2%25AC%25E3%2581%25AE%25E3%2582%25B8%25E3%2583%25A7%25E3%2583%25B3%25E4%25B8%2587%25E6%25AC%25A1%25E9%2583%258E%25E5%2583%258F.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p8iO7DJr1Vs/YDP3-gmwvuI/AAAAAAAAIhw/cs1bceg6RxAO-Ztvr-CoGVkEkogJOJCkgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/%25E8%25B6%25B3%25E6%2591%25BA%25E5%25B2%25AC%25E3%2581%25AE%25E3%2582%25B8%25E3%2583%25A7%25E3%2583%25B3%25E4%25B8%2587%25E6%25AC%25A1%25E9%2583%258E%25E5%2583%258F.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue of Nakahama John Manjiro<br />at Cape Ashizuri. Photo : Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Manjiro stayed in America for ten years, learning English and the science of navigation among other things, becoming the first Japanese to achieve long term residency in America. All that during an era when the ordinary Japanese were forbidden to travel or interact with foreigners! He would later join a whaling ship and work his way up to become the first mate and even participated in the California Gold Rush, earning enough money to fund his journey back to Japan. </div><div><br /></div><div>Upon his return, instead of meting punishment for violating the travel ban, the Shogunate government found his knowledge in English and foreign ways valuable and made him an advisor. He was also the translator for Japan's first trans-Pacific delegation to San Francisco and was appointed a lecturer at the Kaisei Institute dedicated to the teaching of foreign languages, science and advanced western technologies, paving the way for the Meiji Restoration and the industrialization of Japan which followed shortly. </div><div><br /></div><div>John Manjiro's story is worthy of an article all by itself but fortunately all the details can be found <a href="https://whitfield-manjiro.org/the-manjiro-story/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-25504179148261661292021-02-14T00:24:00.007+08:002021-08-24T11:33:21.390+08:00Gunkan Machi : The Sprightly Japanese Naval March That Even The Chinese Found Irresistible<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GmoXksbDnww/YCGSi-mtWOI/AAAAAAAAIbo/ffAqg23FPaknsWzaUwLMVpIaX4aqlY59QCLcBGAsYHQ/s878/Untitled.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="749" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GmoXksbDnww/YCGSi-mtWOI/AAAAAAAAIbo/ffAqg23FPaknsWzaUwLMVpIaX4aqlY59QCLcBGAsYHQ/w546-h640/Untitled.jpg" width="546" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gunkan March written in calligraphy. Image : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>You might be familiar with military marches such as " <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchors_Aweigh" target="_blank">Anchors Aweigh</a> " of the US Naval Academy or the British " Colonel Bogey " march adopted in the 1957 film " The Bridge on the River Kwai ", but have you heard of Japan's number one military march, the Gunkan Koshinkyoku?</p><p>The Gunkan Machi ( 軍艦マーチ ), officially known as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunkan_k%C5%8Dshinkyoku" target="_blank">Gunkan Koshinkyoku</a> ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%BB%8D%E8%89%A6%E8%A1%8C%E9%80%B2%E6%9B%B2" target="_blank">軍艦行進曲</a> ), is a military march composed in 1897 by Setoguchi Tokichi. Translated, it is invariably known as the <b><i>Warship March</i></b> or the <b><i>March " Man-Of-War "</i></b>. It was the official naval march of the Imperial Japanese Navy ( IJN ) and currently that of its modern day successor the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ( JMSDF ).</p><p>It has a storied past in its more than a century of existence and was banned for a few years by the US occupation forces after World War II, in part due to its controversial imperialistic and militaristic lyrics. The march was resurrected with the formation of the JMSDF and is frequently played during ship naming and launching ceremonies for both warships and sometimes merchantmen as well. In post-war Japan, this much beloved tune continues to endear Japanese hearts and can found in CD compilations and can be heard as background music streaming from pachinko machines and arcade video game consoles.</p><p>It even has a commemorative monument erected in its honour at the Mikasa Park in the port city of Yokosuka, and that is an uncommon feat. How many of the world's great marches have had their own monument? And did I mention that this march has such a catchy rhythm and tune that even the Chinese could not resist using it during one of their graduation ceremony? But more of that later.</p><p>We can begin by listening to the Gunkan March being played by the <a href="https://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/tokyoband/index.html" target="_blank">JMSDF Band, Tokyo</a> at the Tokyo Opera City at the 50th Regular Concert in 2011. The video can also be accessed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6ZrQ73zxdw" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxpJa8AcHM7lfkQEvnQah4ch2iWhf-FZLVxDgaWn9N6o2Idkdx8O8I5hGZgxoCFVGOA1lduMowy1SdjP32tXA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Gunkan March</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>I honestly could not recall when I first heard the Gunkan March being played but it was likely a few years ago when watching one of the launching ceremony of a Japanese warship. After listening to it a few times being played on different events, it must have dawned on me that this had to be some official tune sanctioned by the JMSDF. The more I listened to it, the more appealing it became. I was so intrigued by it that I started to research on its origins and history, and what a treasure cove of information I discovered.</p><p>The Gunkan March could have its origins traced to lyrics written by the multi-talented educator, naturalist and lyricist Toriyama Hiraku ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%B3%A5%E5%B1%B1%E5%95%93" target="_blank">鳥山啓</a> ) in 1893 entitled " Man-of-War " ( Gunkan ). It was made into a military song with music composed by Yamada Genichiro and was selected for the Compilation of Elementary School Songs edited by educator <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isawa_Sh%C5%ABji" target="_blank">Isawa Shuji</a> ( 伊澤修二 ). You can listen to this original Gunkan military song set to a very different tune and tempo <a href="https://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/tokyoband/gallery/download/gunkan-2.html" target="_blank">here</a>. If the song does not play automatically, right click on the black bar below the photo of the songbook and select reload frame.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YxHVLtpcyR4/YCF0Uy8D3SI/AAAAAAAAIbU/t2BPwF0OTGMJ0ygj0f_TdMnFwLQTBfMBACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/gunkan03.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YxHVLtpcyR4/YCF0Uy8D3SI/AAAAAAAAIbU/t2BPwF0OTGMJ0ygj0f_TdMnFwLQTBfMBACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h428/gunkan03.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original Gunkan military song composed by Yamada Genichiro<br />in the Collection of Elementary School Songs, published on<br />18th Aug1893. Photo : JMSDF Band, Tokyo<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>In 1897, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokichi_Setoguchi" target="_blank">Setoguchi Tokichi</a> ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%80%AC%E6%88%B8%E5%8F%A3%E8%97%A4%E5%90%89" target="_blank">瀬戸口藤吉</a> ), then a warrant officer in the music corps of the navy, created a new composition to the lyrics and the Gunkan March came into being. In modern English, naval vessels are known as warships, but in those <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-dreadnought_battleship" target="_blank">pre-dreadnought</a> days towards the end of the nineteenth century when the march was composed, they were commonly known as man-of-war. Hence the Gunkan March is also frequently referred to in English as the March " Man-of-War".</p><p>The exact date which the Gunkan March premiered has been lost in history but music critic, composer and lyricist Horiuchi Keizo ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A0%80%E5%86%85%E6%95%AC%E4%B8%89" target="_blank">堀内敬三</a> ) reckons it to be 30th April 1900 during the fleet review off Kobe, played by the naval band onboard the flagship, the battleship <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Fuji" target="_blank">Fuji</a></i></b>. He came to the conclusion based on the recollections of the naval band personnel. However, according to the JMSDF Band, Tokyo website, historical records indicated that the <b><i>Fuji</i></b> remained at anchor during the fleet review due to an unexpected epidemic and Emporor Meiji conducted the review onboard the cruiser <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cruiser_Asama" target="_blank">Asama</a>. </i>So Horiuchi could have had either the date or the venue wrong.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Lyrics</u></h4><p></p><p><br /></p><p>It is interesting to note that the march was originally composed in B-flat major but was found to be too difficult for men to manage. It was transposed first to G major and then finally to F major towards the end of the Taisho era.</p><p>In its initial form, the Gunkan March lyrics consisted of the two verses from Toriyama's " Gunkan ". Later, a third verse known as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umi_Yukaba" target="_blank">Umi Yukaba</a> ( 海行かば ) which has its origins from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man%27y%C5%8Dsh%C5%AB" target="_blank">Manyoshu</a> ( 万葉集 ) manuscripts, an ancient collection of poetry in Classical Japanese, would be inserted to the march as a middle portion to form a trio. In the latest iteration however, the Umi Yukaba portion would be rearranged as the third verse.</p><p>I personally find the lyrics rather disturbing, even macabre, especially the Umi Yukaba portion. They are shown here with the corresponding translation, not as any form of endorsement for the expansionist and militaristic ideology of Imperial Japan, but for facilitating the understanding of the history and evolution of the march itself.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>軍艦行進曲 Warship March</b></p><p><br /></p><p>守るも攻むるも黒鐵の Black steel that excels in defense and attack</p><p>浮かべる城ぞ頼みなる Reliable castles over the water</p><p>浮かべるその城日の本の Floating fortresses of the Japanese Imperium</p><p>皇国の四方を守るべし Protecting the four corners of the Empire</p><p>真鐵のその艦日の本に Japan's fleet of steel</p><p>仇なす國を攻めよかし Will attack and triumph over the enemy</p><p><br /></p><p>石炭の煙は大洋の Columns over coal fire smoke over the great ocean</p><p>龍かとばかり靡くなり Adrift with the winds as if soaring with dragons</p><p>弾撃つ響きは雷の Thunderous clap from exploding shells</p><p>聲かとばかり響むなり Reverberate over the sea</p><p>萬里の波濤を乗り越えて Riding the waves for ten thousand miles</p><p>皇国の光輝かせ For the glory of the Empire</p><p><br /></p><p>海行かば Should I perish at sea</p><p>水漬く屍 I'll be a corpse awash</p><p>山行かば If I expire in the mountains</p><p>草生す屍 The grass be my pall</p><p>大君の辺にこそ死なめ To sacrifice my life for my sovereign</p><p>かえりみはせじ I have no regrets</p><p><br /></p><p>JMSDF Bands from the various naval districts frequently play the Gunkan March in its instrumental form without singing the lyrics, which is the way I most prefer.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-59-XcBUy6zs/YCe2L6YY_PI/AAAAAAAAIco/ngj8_RQEkwMTII88v001JjCDttMDjPwtwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/gunkan001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1145" data-original-width="2048" height="358" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-59-XcBUy6zs/YCe2L6YY_PI/AAAAAAAAIco/ngj8_RQEkwMTII88v001JjCDttMDjPwtwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h358/gunkan001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A well used Gunkan March score.<br />Photo : JMSDF Band, Tokyo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Ceremonial Use</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The Gunkan Koshikyoku is one of ten musical compositions selected by the JMSDF for ceremonial use in 1961. Of these seven were also found on the IJN's list of ceremonial music established in Aug 1912. Adopted as the JMSDF's official ceremonial march, the use of the Gunkan March is only sanctioned under the following circumstances :</p><p>During fleet reviews ( 観艦式 kankanshiki ) and military parades ( 観閲式 kanetsushiki )</p><p>During ship commissioning ( 引渡式 hikiwatashishiki ) and flag awarding ceremonies ( 旗授与式 hatajyuyoshiki )</p><p>During ship naming ( 命名式 meimeishiki ) and launching ceremonies ( 進水式 shinsuishiki )</p><p>Any other approved occasions such as military academy graduation ceremonies, port entry and departure ceremonies for visiting ships, publicity events, and lastly, concerts and tattoos.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d2YuQpnMvQk/YCfyHlmUznI/AAAAAAAAIc4/63pE_b-4L9k6OVUmXAoaZwM-uvbxg-_9QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/09.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d2YuQpnMvQk/YCfyHlmUznI/AAAAAAAAIc4/63pE_b-4L9k6OVUmXAoaZwM-uvbxg-_9QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/09.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multi-purpose frigate JS <b><i>Kumano</i></b> goes down the slipway<br />amidst the tune of the Gunkan March, 19th Nov 2020. <br />Photo JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Ship Naming & Launching </u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Japanese ship naming and launching ceremonies always follow a strict sequence. For a typical dry dock ceremony, the opening speech comes first, followed by the singing or instrumental rendition of the national anthem the Kimigayo. Then the guest of honor, usually the Minister for Defense, would name the ship. Preparations to launch the ship follows, with shipyard workers scurrying to remove dog shores and choke pins. Then comes the rope cutting that will start the ship moving down the slipway into the water.</p><p>The military band is usually stationed near the bow of the ship, sometimes said to be near enough to smell the champagne when the bottle is smashed against the bow. They will start playing the Gunkan Koshinkyoku the moment the rope is cut, many a times just milliseconds before the bottle hits the bow and the giant confetti ball bursts open.</p><p>The speed of the ship going down the slipway frequently means that the ship is already in the water way before the naval band could finish playing even the first verse of the march. The blessing whistle would have been sounded by other ships in the surrounding waters at this stage and the ceremony gradually draws to a close.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwljKvvxiKrpfLzzC0cA3HxKZmO-yWpMLreMAGIxc0-2kHlDsGiNPj0Ef03NaZOaFpAErlfEhxlrhhtupDWkw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p>The above JMSDF video shows the launch of the destroyer Asahi ( DD-119 ) at Mitsubishi's Nagasaki shipyard in 2016.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DaoilzNQcE8/YCfxDRR0peI/AAAAAAAAIcw/nRFmV5gX0gotD2NPnWn6FwFf_m7lG95PgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/Maya%2Bcommisionning%2B13.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1280" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DaoilzNQcE8/YCfxDRR0peI/AAAAAAAAIcw/nRFmV5gX0gotD2NPnWn6FwFf_m7lG95PgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h424/Maya%2Bcommisionning%2B13.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ship's company march to the tune of the Gunkan Koshinkyoku<br />during the commissioning of the Aegis destroyer JS <i><b>Maya</b></i>.<br />Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Commissioning and Flag Awarding Ceremony</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Ship commissioning ceremonies in the JMSDF similarly follow a set routine, with the vessel by the wharf and the ship's complement standing at attention near to it. The VIP arrives and inspects the contingent. The opening speeches are delivered and the initiation of the commissioning by the Minister for Defense or an appointed representative is carried out. The shipyard representative formally hands over the ship to the Minister for Defense. At this stage, the shipyard's flag is lowered for the last time onboard the vessel signifying the final process of ownership transfer. The commanding officer of the ship then receives the state flag from the Chief of the Maritime Staff and marches to hand the flag to his deputy. The deputy will lead the ship's company to board the vessel, marching to the beat of the Gunkan Koshinkyoku played by the naval band.</p><p>Once onboard, the national anthem is played and the state flag is raised for the first time on the vessel. The Chief of the Maritime Staff then comes onboard and gives a speech to the ship's company, followed by another speech by the CO of the vessel. The ship prepares to sail while the bouquet presentation ceremony takes place at the wharf side. The CO then reports to the Chief of the Maritime Staff for permission to sail. As the vessel casts off, the naval band plays the Gunkan Koshinkyoku again for the second time during the ceremony. The invited guests and all the naval brass then gather at the wharf side to wave goodbye to the departing ship amidst the Auld Lang Syne tune.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyJ4xNnLz80OhGOM4r4p-ghxsCjLa-tc8iHgJ_xjg0ftfU8Z_-uG17_m5rTjgx7Dq0cyIJXxldpenrc2k1HRw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>The above video shows the commissioning of the improved Soryu-class submarine the Oryu ( SS-511 ), the world's first lithium-ion battery powered diesel-electric submarine, at Mitsubishi's Kobe shipyard on 5th March 2020.<br /><p> </p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Unofficial Use</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>As mentioned earlier, various iterations of the Gunkan March as been used as background music ( BGM ) in all sorts of places in Japan. The most common would be BGM from those pinball machines in the ubiquitous pachinko palours found in every Japanese town or city. It can also be heard streaming from video game machines in arcades and sometimes as BGM in elevators.</p><p>It is also frequently used in commercial advertisements, not just within Japan but also in Taiwan and South East Asia where Japanese influence is strong.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yOWzgL4VpIM/YCOtHsu9coI/AAAAAAAAIcQ/96HbtR1vlS8rJWg0ry9km2aEzhICVoC1ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/gunkan05.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1737" data-original-width="2048" height="542" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yOWzgL4VpIM/YCOtHsu9coI/AAAAAAAAIcQ/96HbtR1vlS8rJWg0ry9km2aEzhICVoC1ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h542/gunkan05.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bama ( Myanmar ) Doe Ye Tatmadaw<br />official military song. Image : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Burmese Military Song</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>An adulterated version of the Gunkan March even became adopted by the Burmese military ( Tatmadaw ) as their official military song. Known as the Myanmar Doe Ye Tatmadaw March, it is played on the Army Broadcast every morning and any self-respecting Burmese would be familiar with the song. It can be heard on the JMSDF Band, Tokyo website <a href="https://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/tokyoband/gallery/download/gunkan-3.html" target="_blank">here</a>. If the audio does not play automatically, right click on the black bar below the photo of the score and select reload frame.</p><p>How this came to be has an interesting history and has everything to do with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aung_San" target="_blank">General Aung San</a>, the Burmese politician and revolutionary, founder of the Burmese Armed Forces and father of Myanmar's recently ousted State Counsellor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aung_San_Suu_Kyi" target="_blank">Aung San Suu Kyi</a>. </p><p>The older Aung San had been fighting for independence from Burma's colonial rulers, the British, and fled Burma shortly before the outbreak of World War II to seek support from Chinese communists. By a twist of fate, he was recruited by the Japanese who promised support. Together with a core of 30 revolutionaries ( <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_Comrades" target="_blank">30 comrades</a> ), they were educated in the Japanese language and trained with the Imperial Japanese Army where they were exposed to many different Japanese military songs or gunka ( 軍歌 ). Among all the songs, they were so smitten with the Gunkan March that they adopted it as their official military song when the Burmese Armed Forces was subsequently founded in 1945. </p><p>In the Doe Ye Tatmadaw, the original lyrics of the Gunkan March has simply been replaced by Burmese words. The tune had been slightly changed here and there but it is still recognizable as a foreign or adulterated version of the Gunkan March. It is constantly being played as BGM at the Defense Services Museum of Naypyidaw, the world's biggest military museum and the white elephant monument that the military junta built for itself. </p><p>What's surprising to me is that the official JMSDF Band, Tokyo website has a fairly detail write-up on this illegitimate version of its Gunkan March and even plays the Doe Ye Tatdamaw when the web page is first opened. It does not seem to be bothered by the infringement of copyrights by the Tatmadaw. </p><p>I am no expert in copyright laws, but the copyright lengths typically lasts for the lifetime of the author or composer plus another 50 to 70 years ( In Japan Life + 70 years ) and Setoguchi passed away in 1941. So the Doe Ye Tatmadaw was created when Setoguchi's composition was still protected under intellectual laws which should be enforceable. Even though 80 years had passed since Setoguchi's death and the copyrights to his masterpiece would have lapsed based on commercial principles, would it apply to the official march of a national institute like the JMSDF? Wouldn't sovereign nations have perpetual rights to their national anthems for example? </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Chinese Infatuation </u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Many Chinese people have a long standing hatred for Japan because of the many atrocities committed by the Japanese imperial military and the decades of abuse and humiliation brought by them. China's humiliating defeat by Japan during the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 resulted in the loss of Korea as a tributary state and the ceding of Liaodong Peninsula, Taiwan and Penghu Islands in perpetuity. </p><p>The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1931-1945 began with the invasion of Manchuria followed by the full-scale invasion of China in 1937 and saw even more atrocities committed by the Japanese including the Nanjing Massacre where an estimated 300000 civilians were killed and the illegal use of chemical and biological weapons. These are excruciatingly painful memories that the Chinese will likely never forget or forgive.</p><p>Even though Sino-Japanese relations were supposed to have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan%E2%80%93China_Joint_Communiqu%C3%A9" target="_blank">normalized in 1972</a>, anti-Japanese sentiments still prevail among a significant portion of the Chinese population. Therefore the inadvertent use of the Gunkan March for any purpose in China would trigger off a huge public outcry. This had happened several times in the past decade, as the sprightly, fast paced and jubilant march is characteristically irresistible to almost anybody, unsuspecting Chinese included! </p><p>In 2005 a war veteran complaint at an online forum that the Zhonghai Kangcheng Kindergarten ( 中海康城幼儿园 ) in Guangzhou City played the Gunkan March every morning as the children arrived at the school. He claimed to have informed the school about the history and origins of the music and requested for the broadcast to be stopped but to no avail. Reporters from the local news portal subsequently staked out the kindergarten and verified that the school was indeed playing the Gunkan March. When contacted, the person in-charged, a young women, said that the broadcast was from a CD bought at a local music shop and had no indication that the particular tune had a Japanese connection. She further said that the Sino-Japanese War happened a long time ago, before she was born, which was absolutely true! The local education ministry however, had a dim view of the incident and conducted a thorough investigation. It failed to uncover the offending piece though and the school indicated that that it did not deliberately broadcast the Japanese march and subsequently used only piano pieces for its daily broadcast. News on the incident in Chinese only <a href="http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2005-06-17/11526198738s.shtml" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>Also in 2005, a retiree noticed the Gunkan March ringtone emerging from a young person's cell phone in Danyang City, Jiangsu Province. Investigations by a news reporter traced the ringtone to a local telecommunications service provider who failed to respond to inquiries but would later quietly remove the offending ringtone from its download list.</p><p>In 2009, at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Yat-sen_Mausoleum" target="_blank">Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum</a> in Nanjing City, a tourist reported to the management authority that a video games booth was streaming the Gunkan March as BGM from its shooting game machine. The stall was swiftly reprimanded.</p><p>Most recently on 27th Jun 2014, the <a href="https://www.aurora-flk.cn/" target="_blank">Aurora Foreign Language Kindergarten</a> of Shanghai City was known to have used the Gunkan March as BGM during a drum performance by students at its graduation ceremony. It created a huge backlash against the school when parents unwittingly uploaded the visuals on social media. According to the teacher in-charged, the music was sourced through a search on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baidu_Music" target="_blank">Baidu Music</a>. The teacher selected it for its tune and rhythm, out of ignorance since it was a musical piece that came without any lyrics or written explanation on its background. The education ministry intervened and the school's executive committee had to issue a public apology and it seemed that the services of the principal and the teacher involved were also terminated. The irony was the kindergarteners actually liked the tune very much. Write up on Baidu about the incident in Chinese <a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%B8%8A%E6%B5%B7%E9%9C%87%E6%97%A6%E5%A4%96%E5%9B%BD%E8%AF%AD%E5%B9%BC%E5%84%BF%E5%9B%AD6%C2%B727%E6%92%AD%E6%94%BE%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E5%86%9B%E6%AD%8C%E4%BA%8B%E4%BB%B6" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qKXt7yd3RYk/YCewPVP4ATI/AAAAAAAAIcY/Sym2Ar7p31YjwE_kAcmbGc3uMMS3ymkKQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/_Warship_March_Stone_monument%2Bwiki.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qKXt7yd3RYk/YCewPVP4ATI/AAAAAAAAIcY/Sym2Ar7p31YjwE_kAcmbGc3uMMS3ymkKQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/_Warship_March_Stone_monument%2Bwiki.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gunkan March Monument, Mikasa Park, Yokosuka <br />Photo : Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Gunkan March Monument</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The Gunkan Koshinkyoku is probably the only march in the world that has a monument to its name. It is located in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikasa_Park" target="_blank">Mikasa Park</a> at Yokosuka, just south of Tokyo. The main attraction of the Mikasa Park is of course the preserved pre-dreadnought battleship IJN <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Mikasa" target="_blank">Mikasa</a> </i><span>( 三笠 ) </span>which served as Vice-admiral Togo Heihachiro's flagship in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tsushima" target="_blank">Battle of Tsushima Strait</a> against the Russian Fleet in 1905.</p><p>The monument was completed in 1996 as a public effort by the people of Yokosuka City. It has the lyrics on one face and the score, notated in G Major on the opposite side. A short description about the history and origins of the march appears below the score.</p><p>It is erected near the stern of the battleship.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-92GEsTieHvI/YCe0VHLggsI/AAAAAAAAIcg/EBhPQO7k5BMqDeYuv7ZUUzgvURQ6K9JWQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Battleship_Mikasa_park%2BA%2Bwiki.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-92GEsTieHvI/YCe0VHLggsI/AAAAAAAAIcg/EBhPQO7k5BMqDeYuv7ZUUzgvURQ6K9JWQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Battleship_Mikasa_park%2BA%2Bwiki.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mikasa Park. Arrow points at Gunkan March <br />monument. Photo : Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Setoguchi Tokichi</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Setoguchi was born on 28th Jun 1868 in Tarumizu City, Kagoshima Prefecture. He joined the Tokyo Naval Band as a clarinetist in 1882 and would later study at the Tokyo Academy of Music. He was appointed the Naval Musician in 1895 and married in 1896.</p><p>He composed his masterpiece the Gunkan March in 1897. In addition, he had numerous other marches and songs to his name, such as the Patriotic March, Song of the Shikishima Warship, the Battle of Tsushima Sea March etc. He is known as the Father of Marches in Japan.</p><p>After his retirement in 1917, Setoguchi became a professor of music at the Tokyo Imperial University. He died of cerebral haemorrhage on 8th Nov 1941 at the age of 74. His tomb, set amidst weeping cherry trees, is located at the Jokoji temple ( 常光寺 ) in Yokosuka, about 3km from the Mikasa Park.</p><p>Since 1999, the City of Tarumizu has held an annual Setoguchi Memorial March Competition in his memory.</p><p>In 2018, on his 150th birth anniversary, the City of Tarumizu relocated the Setoguchi monument from its original site at the Shitamiya Shrine ( 下宮神社 ) to its current location at the grounds of the Tarumizu City Culture Center.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X7W8Hj8-9hA/YCf63ML0NQI/AAAAAAAAIdI/PJUGDfNHUeY2Yva2fVA8DEsJILpzIfYqQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/23778_0003357848_2%2Bjalan.net.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="1024" height="336" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X7W8Hj8-9hA/YCf63ML0NQI/AAAAAAAAIdI/PJUGDfNHUeY2Yva2fVA8DEsJILpzIfYqQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h336/23778_0003357848_2%2Bjalan.net.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setoguchi monument probably at its previous <br />location at the Shitamiya Shrine a.k.a.<br />Kagoshima Shrine ( Tarumizu City ).<br />Photo : Jalan.net</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uz4AzOcQVCg/YCf2JDR3_8I/AAAAAAAAIdA/1b4SiJ0Qx-Yhmi5hZum_RnK3XaegWXheACLcBGAsYHQ/s900/image2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uz4AzOcQVCg/YCf2JDR3_8I/AAAAAAAAIdA/1b4SiJ0Qx-Yhmi5hZum_RnK3XaegWXheACLcBGAsYHQ/w456-h640/image2.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Publicity poster for the 20th Setoguchi March Competition<br />in 2019 depicting a 15 year old Setoguchi.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>So there you go, a much beloved military march, a Japanese music icon, and a whole lot of history.</p><p>If you enjoyed this article, you might also what to check this other article of mine out <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2020/11/warding-sea-monsters-and-demons-japans.html" target="_blank">Warding Sea Monsters & Demons : Japan's Sacred Silver Ship Launching Axe</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-78827050021665943892021-02-05T02:30:00.021+08:002021-11-12T12:50:17.593+08:00COVID-19 : Should You Be Vaccinated?<p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M7k7EjEPWcg/YBG6UYvjxNI/AAAAAAAAIYM/I295qpfH2fkfjXxrBtkMrhG6SdEPNPkMACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Master-at-Arms%2B1st%2BClass%2BPatrick%2BMoore%2Breceives%2Bthe%2BCOVID-19%2Bvaccine%2Bas%2BU.S.%2BPacific%2BFleet%2BFleet%2BMaster%2BChief%2BJames%2BHonea%2Bobserves%2Bat%2BJoint%2BBase%2BPearl%2BHarbor-Hickam%2B201229-N-YU572-0086.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1374" data-original-width="2048" height="430" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M7k7EjEPWcg/YBG6UYvjxNI/AAAAAAAAIYM/I295qpfH2fkfjXxrBtkMrhG6SdEPNPkMACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h430/Master-at-Arms%2B1st%2BClass%2BPatrick%2BMoore%2Breceives%2Bthe%2BCOVID-19%2Bvaccine%2Bas%2BU.S.%2BPacific%2BFleet%2BFleet%2BMaster%2BChief%2BJames%2BHonea%2Bobserves%2Bat%2BJoint%2BBase%2BPearl%2BHarbor-Hickam%2B201229-N-YU572-0086.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">COVID-19 vaccination at Joint Base Pearl Harbor - Hickam 29th Dec 2020. <br />USN Photo.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>Less than a year ago, during the early days of the pandemic, we witnessed COVID-19 outbreaks onboard naval vessels such as the aircraft carrier <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2020/04/covid-19-radical-changes-for-naval.html" target="_blank">USS <b><i>Theodore Roosevelt</i></b></a> and the Taiwanese supply ship <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2020/04/different-ship-same-virus-taiwan-navy.html" target="_blank">ROCN <b><i>Panshih</i></b></a>. Thankfully, military leaders around the world have learnt from these incidences and have since implemented the necessary measures such as pre-deployment quarantine, mask-wearing and safe-distancing to drastically reduce the likelihood of such large scale outbreaks among service personnel. Though effective, these disease preventing measures are highly disruptive and restrictive and have a negative impact on moral, work efficiency and productivity.</p><p>Now, slightly more than a year since the first cases were reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan, a new tool is made available to fight the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. I am referring to the COVID-19 vaccines that are now starting to be administered to the masses in many countries. It will be through the widespread inoculation of vaccines that will give the world a fighting chance of ending the pandemic so that life can eventually return to normal, well at least a post-pandemic normal.</p><p>In many democratic societies, COVID-19 vaccinations are given on a voluntary basis and the current challenge is that many people are unsure if they should receive the vaccines. There are even some who would refuse to believe in the science of disease prevention and would reject the vaccines outright. <a href="https://apic.org/monthly_alerts/herd-immunity/" target="_blank">Herd immunity</a> and therefore the protection of the larger population cannot be achieved if not enough people take up the vaccine.</p><p>During this initial vaccine roll-out phase where availability is low, governments are trying their best to prioritize vaccinations for frontline medical personnel and essential services personnel, apart from those who are most vulnerable, like the frail and elderly nursing home residents. For military personnel, if your commander " volunteered " you for the vaccine, or if vaccination is listed as an operational requirement, it might be difficult or even impossible to refuse.</p><p>So, are the COVID-19 vaccines safe? The short answer is <b>YES</b>. And I will attempt to explain the science of vaccination in simple terms from the perspective of one who has already received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. </p><p>Disclaimer : I do not work for any governmental organizations or NGO. I do not own shares or have any direct interest in any pharmaceutical companies, including those that research or produce vaccines. </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>How Vaccines Work</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Vaccines protect us from infectious diseases by training our immune system to recognize and eliminate those external threats to our bodies with much greater efficiency than it would if left to its own devices. When our immune system first encounters a pathogen such as a bacteria or a virus, it takes time to establish it as foreign to the body. It also takes time to organize an appropriate response to neutralize the threat, usually through some kind of antibody or cellular action.</p><p>The process of vaccination presents the immune system with the necessary information to prime it to react almost instantly should it encounter the real threat at a subsequent time. It is like a full-dress rehearsal, or a military exercise to prepare the soldiers for no-duff encounters. Once the immune system had familiarized itself with the infectious agent, it forms memory cells, B-lymphocytes that basically archives whatever the immune system has learnt. Any future encounter with the actual pathogen will result in an immediate activation of immune responses including rapid ramping up of antibody production and cellular defenses, usually with lethal consequences to the invading microbe. And hopefully this instant immune response will spare the host ( that's us ) from contracting the disease or at least avoid severe symptoms.</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Preventive Medicine</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Ever since the English physician and scientist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Jenner" target="_blank">Edward Jenner</a> created the first modern vaccine against smallpox in 1796, our knowledge in immunology and expertise in vaccine development has increased exponentially. There exist today many safe and effective vaccines against a variety of infectious diseases including influenza, measles, yellow fever, hepatitis B, dengue and human papilloma virus, just to name a few. </p><p>Collectively, vaccines have helped save literally hundreds of millions of human lives in the past centuries. <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/health-and-human-body/human-diseases/smallpox/" target="_blank">Smallpox</a> killed an estimated 300 million people in the 20th century alone before it was finally declared eradicated in 1980.</p><p>In addition to the of loss of lives, many of these infectious diseases cause severe morbidity and long term sequelae which can include blindness ( smallpox ), flaccid paralysis ( poliomyelitis ), permanent mental retardation and recurrent seizures ( Japanese encephalitis ) that can threaten the livelihood of any survivors and their care givers.</p><p>Where as most treatment methods in modern western medicine are curative and does nothing to help people avoid getting sick, the process of vaccination is one of a handful that is truely preventive in nature and is considered the most cost effective way to ward off infectious diseases. </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Historical Vaccine Development</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Developing a new vaccine against any infectious agent is no mean feat. It takes years, sometimes even a decade or two, to research, design, produce, trial, obtain regulatory approval and finally market a vaccine. Even then the job is never finished as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmarketing_surveillance" target="_blank">post-market surveillance</a> for adverse reactions continues for many, many more years. It requires the combined effort of a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from immunologists, pharmacists, micro-biologists, geneticists, bio-engineers, epidemiologists, statisticians to clinicians. Success is never guaranteed. </p><p>The costs involved can be staggering too. The International Monetary fund ( IMF ) <a href="https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2020/09/vaccine-finance-epidemics-and-prevention-bloom.htm" target="_blank">estimated</a> R&D costs of between USD200 to USD500 millon for each vaccine and an investment of another USD500 to USD1500 million for facilities to produce the vaccine in scale. </p><p>So how could COVID-19 vaccines be possibly developed, approved and mass produced within less than a year? Can they still be safe?</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwRoqSxnQZTXiIIQjDtDAZIE4rK_6-a-QGkU44FiNj0D6ZYYpQ6knyrB-volPb_338z5kbAif68hi0JiNQBig' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span></span>How vaccines are developed with Dr Anthony Fauci et al</span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><br /><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Developing A Safe Pandemic Vaccine </u></h4><p> </p><p>The COVID-19 pandemic represented an unprecedented global threat to humankind through its medical, socio-economic and environmental impacts. As of today, 104 million have contracted the disease of which 2.27 million had died. Entire cities, even whole countries are in protracted and sometimes recurrent lock-downs in mostly futile attempts to control the epidemic. Jobs and livelihoods are lost as trade and movement of people and goods are severely disrupted. Desperate times calls for desperate measures and fortunately advances in science and technology have made it possible for the accelerated but safe development of the pandemic vaccines. These are some of the enabling factors :</p><p><a href="https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/A-Brief-Guide-to-Genomics" target="_blank">Genomics</a> - advances in the field of genomics have allowed scientists to map out entire genomes of organisms through rapid DNA-sequencing. The structure and function of the genome can then be analysed and determined. Back in 2003 when the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Genome_Project#:~:text=The%20Human%20Genome%20Project%20(HGP,physical%20and%20a%20functional%20standpoint." target="_blank">human genome</a> was first sequenced, it had cost a billion dollars and had taken 13 long years to complete. Today, the vast increase in computing power, among other things, has allowed the human genome to be sequenced in just 2 days, for about $1000. The COVID-19 epidemic started in Wuhan in early December 2019. By 10th Jan 2020 the entire genome of the SARS-CoV-2 was sequenced, uploaded and freely available to the global scientific community of researchers.</p><p>Co-operation - Countries, governments, institutions, corporations and the academia are joining hands in ways never imagined before to combat the global scourge of COVID-19. Through efforts such as GISAID ( Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data ) scientific information on the influenza and the corona viruses are shared on a global scale. Universities are partnering big pharma to research on vaccines like the Oxford-Astra Zeneca duo and the <a href="https://ir.arcturusrx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/arcturus-therapeutics-and-duke-nus-medical-school-partner" target="_blank">Duke-NUS-Arcturus</a> pairing. Vaccine candidates may also have their clinical trails done concurrently in several countries where the disease burden are the highest and that necessitates the highest level of co-ordination among governments and researchers.</p><p>Funding - In the past, vaccine research is mainly funded by individual pharmaceutical companies. Now, governments are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars to drastically accelerate vaccine research and development, usually in exchange for the priority to procure the vaccines when eventually available at an agreed special low price. While money may not be the solution to every problem encountered, the timely accessibility of funds can certainly pave the way for smooth processes.</p><p>Accelerated Clinical Trials - Regulatory authorities such as the FDA ( Food and Drug Administration ) have drastically shortened the time required to complete each phase of the clinical trial, without compromising on safety, partly by monitoring the vaccine trials on the fly. Where as in the past data for each phase was submitted for approval only at the end of the phase, now data is continuously uploaded for the authorities to review in real time, so that approval can be granted immediately for progression to the next phase, provided there are no safety issues involved. Another trick is to combine clinical trial phases. Some trials combine phase I and II while other might combine phase II and III. Also during a pandemic where there are high incidences of infection, the time required to reach a clinical end point ( for example, after X number of people involved in the trial got infected ) can be achieved much faster than during normal times when the disease burden is low, and the phase can be concluded earlier.</p><p>New Vaccine Technology - messenger RNA ( <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/mrna.html#:~:text=Future%20mRNA%20vaccine%20technology%20may,to%20target%20specific%20cancer%20cells." target="_blank">mRNA</a> ) vaccines represent a new way of manufacturing vaccines and have never been utilized on other vaccines approved before the pandemic. Compared to the traditional way of vaccine manufacturing, these new vaccines have the advantage of using non-infective elements, have much shorter manufacturing time, have the potential to be engineered to target several diseases at the same time and can be developed in a laboratory using DNA templates and readily available materials. All these means that mRNA vaccine production can be more easily standardized and scaled up without affecting the yield, allowing for cheaper and faster roll-out. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are examples of mRNA vaccines and are both among the first to complete large scale clinical trials with flying colours. Here's the link to learn the <a href="https://www.breakthroughs.com/advancing-medical-research/what-makes-rna-vaccine-different-conventional-vaccine" target="_blank">difference between RNA vaccines and conventional vaccines</a>.</p><p>Capacity Building - Pharmaceutical companies are preparing and expanding their manufacturing facilities for large scale vaccine production as the vaccines are concurrently being developed so that production can be ramp up rapidly once approval is given. The logistic and transportation industries are similarly preparing for vaccine distribution with expansion to cold storage facilities and delivery fleets. Production of ancillaries required for vaccine production, delivery and administration such as special <a href="https://www.corning.com/worldwide/en/products/pharmaceutical-technologies/valor-glass.html" target="_blank">low temperature glass</a> vials, dry ice and special low dead-space syringes are also increased in anticipation of a huge surge in demand.</p><p>All these measures, coordinated on a global scale, have made it possible to produce safe and effective vaccines within a record breaking period of less than a year. With this in mind, let's take a closer look at the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the world's first successful mRNA vaccine, now being administered in the US, UK, Israel, Singapore and several countries that acted early enough to procure it in sufficient quantities.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EjIBdsOT70o/YBwgW_YgHPI/AAAAAAAAIZk/xzQcFSq9STUGzgh6V--peFg-xsDcXug5ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1192/Covid19_vaccine_biontech_pfizer_3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1192" data-original-width="773" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EjIBdsOT70o/YBwgW_YgHPI/AAAAAAAAIZk/xzQcFSq9STUGzgh6V--peFg-xsDcXug5ACLcBGAsYHQ/w416-h640/Covid19_vaccine_biontech_pfizer_3.jpg" width="416" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Pfizer We Trust<br />Photo : Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The American pharmaceutical giant <a href="https://www.pfizer.com/" target="_blank">Pfizer</a>'s collaboration with <a href="https://biontech.de/" target="_blank">BioNTech AG</a>, a German biotechnology company specializing in precise immunotherapies for the treatment of cancers and infectious diseases, started in Aug 2018 with the original aim of producing mRNA-based influenza vaccines. When the COVID-19 outbreak started in Dec 2019, the focus turned towards the development of a coronavirus vaccine.</p><p>Pfizer's development of a novel vaccine against COVID-19 was initiated on 10th Jan 2020, the very day the genetic sequences of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was released by the Chinese Center For Disease Control and Prevention via <a href="https://www.gisaid.org/" target="_blank">GISAID</a>. It would ultilize BioNTech's already mature mRNA technology. Several variants were created, four of which entered early clinical trials ( combined Phase I/II ) which began in April and May. It would eventually emerge that the most promising vaccine candidate with the best safety profile was the one with the code name BNT162b2. Phase III trials for BNT162b2 started in July involving 43538 participants from the US, Germany, Brazil and Argentina with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. By early November, preliminary data suggested the vaccine to be over 90% effective with no serious side-effects. The final results indicated an efficacy of 95% in preventing serious COVID-19 disease, paving way for the declaration of Emergency Use Authorization ( EUA ) by the UK on 2nd Dec and by the FDA on 11th Dec 2020.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LMY5Cb4gOfk/YBrU2vhhTUI/AAAAAAAAIZA/bTqvc8-xbtMVZVl4Ea7ny5hITlp5Vi5HgCLcBGAsYHQ/s801/NEJM%2BmRNA%2Bvacc.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="801" height="434" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LMY5Cb4gOfk/YBrU2vhhTUI/AAAAAAAAIZA/bTqvc8-xbtMVZVl4Ea7ny5hITlp5Vi5HgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h434/NEJM%2BmRNA%2Bvacc.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mRNA vaccine at the cellular level. <br />Illustration : New England Journal of Medicine</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>BNT162b2 is a lipid nanoparticle-formulated, nucleoside-modified mRNA encoding the full-length spike of the SARS-Cov-2 virus. Modifying a key nucleoside of the mRNA strand was crucial in reducing the unpleasant side effects of the vaccine while the lipid encapsulation protects the extremely fragile mRNA and facilitates its entry into the cells of the vaccine recipient. The mRNA would then instruct the cell to produce many copies of the spike-protein which would then trigger an immune response, leading to the eventual production of protective antibodies against the virus. The spike-protein is just an antigenic part of the coronavirus and is safe and non-infectious. The mRNA do not enter the nucleus of the cell where all the genes are located and therefore could never ever come into contact with or modify your DNA. They would be completely degraded and destroyed by all sorts of enzymes in the cells within probably less than 48 hours of vaccination.</p><p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfizer%E2%80%93BioNTech_COVID-19_vaccine" target="_blank">BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine</a> is marketed under the brand name <a href="https://www.fiercepharma.com/marketing/pfizer-biontech-select-comirnaty-as-brand-name-for-covid-19-vaccine" target="_blank">Comirnaty</a>, with an international non-proprietary name ( INN ) of Tozinameran. It is supplied in vials of 5 doses and must be stored in ultra-cold temperatures between -60C to -80C, making its distribution and storage a logistical nightmare. It is transported with dry ice in special cold boxes with thermal sensors and GPS trackers to ensure compliance with the manufacturer's recommendations. It must be thawed before use. Its shelf-life is only 5 days when stored at the normal fridge temperatures between 2C to 8C and must be used within 6 hours of reconstitution with saline.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GRjjhEW-cvs/YBwoUCcWwKI/AAAAAAAAIZw/7MIjY6qFxPg0dC_fVHISO8hJ42_HE2tMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/preventative%2Bmedicine%2Btechnician%2Bat%2BNaval%2BHospital%2BCamp%2BPendleton%252C%2Bassigned%2Bto%2BNavy%2BMedicine%2BReadiness%2Band%2BTraining%2BCommand%2BCamp%2BPendleton%252C%2Bpulls%2Bthe%2Bfirst%2Bdoses%2Bof%2Bthe%2BCOVID-19%2Bvaccine%2Bthat%2Barrived201215-M-XF840-1030.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GRjjhEW-cvs/YBwoUCcWwKI/AAAAAAAAIZw/7MIjY6qFxPg0dC_fVHISO8hJ42_HE2tMQCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/preventative%2Bmedicine%2Btechnician%2Bat%2BNaval%2BHospital%2BCamp%2BPendleton%252C%2Bassigned%2Bto%2BNavy%2BMedicine%2BReadiness%2Band%2BTraining%2BCommand%2BCamp%2BPendleton%252C%2Bpulls%2Bthe%2Bfirst%2Bdoses%2Bof%2Bthe%2BCOVID-19%2Bvaccine%2Bthat%2Barrived201215-M-XF840-1030.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Receiving the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine at <br />Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton 15th Dec 2020. <br />Note ski gloves and thermal sensor. Photo : USN</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>The vaccination schedule requires 2 injections of 0.3ml 3 weeks apart. Effective protection against COVID-19 disease is observed just 10 days after the first shot, with the second shot acting as a booster dose to further enhance the level of protection. Possible side effects, mostly mild and transient, include the usual array of pain or swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headache, nausea, giddiness, post-vaccination fever, allergic reactions with rashes and rarely anaphylaxis, a potentially life threatening form of drug allergy, with an incidence of 11.1 per million. </p><p>Anyone can receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine apart from those with a past history of anaphylaxis, those who are severely immuno-deficient, pregnant women and young people below the age of sixteen years old. The latter two groups because they were not included in the vaccine's clinical trials so no data on the safety of the vaccine exist at the moment for them. Clinicians do not yet know the protective duration of the vaccine as it is so new but it is hoped that the protection can at least last for 2 to 3 years, if not longer. Otherwise, the vaccination will have to repeated at regular intervals. Another unknown at this stage are the long term side-effects of the vaccine, if any. But from the basic science of immunology governing the design and production of vaccines and our collective experience dealing with many other vaccines, I believe the risks of long term side effects are not high. Vaccine side effects are usually observed within days or at most, within weeks after inoculation, not after months or years!</p><p>Pfizer manufactures the BNT162b2 vaccine in Michigan and Belgium. It has plans to deliver 50 million doses of the vaccine by end of 2020 and 1.3 billion doses in 2021. How much does it cost? BioNTech's chief strategy officer Ryan Richardson had said that the vaccine would be priced " well below typical market rates ". The vaccine would also have differential pricing depending on where and to which region it is being sold. It is common knowledge that the US government paid Pfizer $1.95 billion for an initial 100 million doses of the vaccine. So that works out to $19.50 per shot or $39 to vaccinate each person.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-njN6tuBJ8og/YBwpuY72bgI/AAAAAAAAIZ8/tgE27NuVQh8Mnuxu7ChDWpFnl1gDeE-KwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Seaman%2BDillon%2BBotwell%252C%2Ba%2Bhospital%2Bcorpsman%2Bwith%2BU.S.%2BNaval%2BHospital%2BOkinawa%252C%2Bprepares%2Bthe%2BModerna%2BCOVID-19%2Bvaccine%2B201229-M-AF005-1161.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-njN6tuBJ8og/YBwpuY72bgI/AAAAAAAAIZ8/tgE27NuVQh8Mnuxu7ChDWpFnl1gDeE-KwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Seaman%2BDillon%2BBotwell%252C%2Ba%2Bhospital%2Bcorpsman%2Bwith%2BU.S.%2BNaval%2BHospital%2BOkinawa%252C%2Bprepares%2Bthe%2BModerna%2BCOVID-19%2Bvaccine%2B201229-M-AF005-1161.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hospital corpsman prepares Moderna vaccine at <br />US Naval Hospital Okinawa, 29th Dec 2020.<br />Photo : USN</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Adverse Reactions? What Adverse Reactions?</u> </h4><p><br /></p><p>I was given my first shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on 19th Jan 2021. Before the vaccine was given, a series of questions were asked to ensure the vaccine recipient was not feeling unwell, was not on anti-coagulants, did not have a past history of severe drug allergy, did not receive any other vaccines within the past 14 days, were not to be pregnant or breast feeding and other nitty gritty stuff. </p><p>The vaccination process was mostly painless as a fine gauge needle ( 25G ) was used and the injection volume was small ( 0.3ml ). It was an intramuscular injection into the deltoid muscle ( upper arm ) and was completed within a couple of minutes. I had then to wait for 30 minutes at a holding area to be monitored for any possible adverse reactions before being allowed to leave for home. I was issued with a certificate of vaccination with the date for the second shot exactly 3 weeks later.</p><p>The only minor side effect that I encountered was a slight soreness at the site of injection which had began 12 hours post-vaccination. Even at its peak intensity at 24 hours, it was at best a mild tenderness which did not affect any of my routine activities. The ache was largely resolved by 36 hours post-vaccination. The injection site was never swollen or red at anytime and I did not develop any fever.</p><p>My stamina was not affected by the vaccine as I had attained the same timing for all four of my 10 km runs, the first of which was done 2 hours prior to vaccination and the rest on each of the 3 consecutive days immediately following the vaccination. I even managed to obtain the fastest ever timing for my usual 29 km weekend long run on day 10 post-vaccination. </p><p>In case anyone wonders why I seem to be training a little more than the average person, exactly a year ago, I had failed in my first 100 mile ultra-marathon attempt, just before COVID-19 closed many borders to travelers. Another 100 km ultratrail event which I had enrolled in for the month of May was cancelled. I intend to return to complete these unfinished events sometime in the near future. So COVID-19 or not, I continue to motivate myself to train hard, and hope for borders to reopen soon.</p><p>Admittedly, not all vaccinations are smooth going. Perhaps I am just lucky. A friend of mine who is a major in an elite commando unit who had also received the Pfizer vaccine a few days after me had complaint of pain in his arm which lasted for several days. There are a few others whom I have known that had to take a couple of days off from work because they felt feverish or fatigued, but none are really serious events. I have since learnt that the second dose of the vaccine might possibly illicit a slightly stronger reaction from the body and I will update this article accordingly.</p><p>* 9th Feb Just completed second and final dose of the Pfizer vaccine. The soreness at the site of injection seemed to begin slightly earlier at 5 hours after vaccination but its nothing more than a niggling ache.</p><p>* 14th Feb The soreness, though slight, persisted for a total of more than 4 days. There was a slight swelling at the injection site which lasted for about 3 days. Completed a 78km overnight long run on day 4 post-vaccination with no problems except for some blisters.</p><p>So it seems true that once primed by the first dose, the body's reaction to the subsequent dose is slightly more intense, but still well manageable.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lpjeTple9h8/YBwqfgMl0XI/AAAAAAAAIaE/EPpriCo5ByATd7VGEqA7QoEuZz7ZDufsACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Covid%2BVaccine%2B210121-N-LW757-1005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lpjeTple9h8/YBwqfgMl0XI/AAAAAAAAIaE/EPpriCo5ByATd7VGEqA7QoEuZz7ZDufsACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/Covid%2BVaccine%2B210121-N-LW757-1005.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#SINKCOVID : One of the vaccine awareness campaign poster, US Navy.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ztun8xMEqzU/YBwq5fXbTcI/AAAAAAAAIaQ/qFAAf1FmvTYH3QBsQ0t-6mJQVE4lkaVZgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Medical%2Bworkers%2Bwho%2Breceived%2BPfizer%25E2%2580%2599s%2BCOVID-19%2Bvaccine%2Bat%2BWashington%2BD.C.%2BVeterans%2BAffairs%2BMedical%2BCenter%2Bwere%2Balso%2Bgiven%2Ba%2Bsticker%2Bcommemorating%2Bthe%2Bevent201215-N-GA520-0191.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ztun8xMEqzU/YBwq5fXbTcI/AAAAAAAAIaQ/qFAAf1FmvTYH3QBsQ0t-6mJQVE4lkaVZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Medical%2Bworkers%2Bwho%2Breceived%2BPfizer%25E2%2580%2599s%2BCOVID-19%2Bvaccine%2Bat%2BWashington%2BD.C.%2BVeterans%2BAffairs%2BMedical%2BCenter%2Bwere%2Balso%2Bgiven%2Ba%2Bsticker%2Bcommemorating%2Bthe%2Bevent201215-N-GA520-0191.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Commemorative sticker, Washington DC Veteran Affairs Medical Center.<br />15th Dec 2020 Photo : USN</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u><b>Why Should Anyone Be Vaccinated</b></u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The most obvious answer to this question is that COVID-19 infection is a potentially serious disease that can kill, regardless of age. The younger population with a more robust immune system generally fair better but are certainly not completely spared the debilitating symptoms, long term sequelae and even the possibility of death with COVID-19 infections. The SARS-Cov-2 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Case_fatality_rate" target="_blank">case fatality rate</a> can range from a relative low of 0.2% in the 20 to 29 years old group, to more than 20% for those above 80 years old.</p><p>Even if a person survives the acute infection, there are still the protracted post-infection sequelae or what is commonly known as " <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_COVID" target="_blank">long COVID</a> " to worry about. Chronic fatigue syndrome, asthenia, coronary syndromes, pulmonary embolism and stroke have all been reported with increased incidences among convalescent COVID patients.</p><p>One of the major reasons for <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/vaccines/blog/science-in-the-face-of-fear-commentary-on-vaccine-hesitancy" target="_blank">vaccine hesitancy</a> is the <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/covid-19-health/have-no-fear-vaccine-here" target="_blank">concern</a> over the safety of these new and untried vaccines which are pushed out in record time. This worry is then exacerbated by inaccurate and frequently false information circulating on the internet and social media. In some communities, COVID vaccines are said to cause infertility. In others, they are the conspiracy theories that governments are trying to implant microchips into our bodies through the process of vaccination to ultimately control us. Some reports would highlight deaths occurring within days of vaccination, but none would eventually be proven to be caused by the vaccines directly. The Russians even claimed that mRNA vaccines will alter our genes and turn us into chimpanzees, absolutely impossible and laughable to a trained scientist, but would seem very real and plausible to the lay person not so well versed in science. Then there are people who had never taken the vaccine but would talk about the side effects and adverse reactions as if they were the experts, except they weren't! </p><p>Another important but often overlooked and understated reason to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is the fact that there is still <b>NO CURE</b> for the disease. All those antiviral agents like Remdesivir, Lopinavir, anti-parasitic agents like Ivermectin and anti-inflammatory agents like Dexamethasone and Hydroxy-Chloroquine do not eradicate or even completely inhibit the coronavirus. They are merely useful at different stages of the infection to slightly reduce the morbidity and mortality rates among a carefully selected cohort of COVID-19 patients. All the hospital and intensive care treatments, ventilators, extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation ( <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extracorporeal_membrane_oxygenation" target="_blank">ECMO</a> ) machines, are by nature supportive only to help the severely ill patients through a very serious and stressful period and provide them with whatever their bodies would require to recover from the infection. Sadly, there are many who do not make it despite having the best care money can possibly buy. </p><p>And then we will have to ask ourselves how we can protect those in our communities who in one way or other missed out on the vaccine. The most obvious groups would be the children and teenagers under the age of 16 years old, those who are pregnant and those with a past history of severe life threatening drug allergies. They are excluded in this initial round of vaccination. But what about those who had received the vaccine but subsequently failed to develop a lasting immunity against the coronavirus? The fact that the Pfizer vaccine is 95% effective and that the Moderna vaccine is 94.1% effective against the development of symptomatic COVID-19 disease means that of every 100 persons vaccinated, roughly 5 would fail to acquire the intended protection. The figure is worst for the above 65 years old population as the Pfizer vaccine was found to be only 85% effective among the elderly. How then to protect the 15 out of every 100 elderly people whom though vaccinated still effectively missed out on the protection? If only every single vaccine eligible persons within the community could step out and receive the vaccine, they would create the herd immunity that would ring-fence and protect the vulnerable, those who had missed out on the vaccination through one reason or other. That way the entire community is protected and further transmission of the virus would cease and the pandemic might be put under control. Building up of the herd immunity through the act of vaccination is possibly the most cost-effective, scientific, morally and politically correct way to fight the coronavirus. The alternative would be to have the community acquire herd immunity through natural infection. Up to 70% or more of the population would have to be infected before herd immunity could be achieved by which time millions could have succumbed to the disease.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxHJWAHbeflhDdnn2HRqw-ATwT-zZDNeaxOFFLbjVaxWox4fOC54rgGFIWq_SvFErvFc_t9n6mBE9O9FC7w-g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> <span> </span> </span>Vaccine Roll Out with US Defense Health Agency Director LTG Ronald J Place</span><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O5IAJ-fnTtQ/YBwsJkozZTI/AAAAAAAAIac/79wlS2udDBQLwbTakoU2eEBWk_nQq8q0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Electronics%2BTechnician%2B%2528Nuclear%2529%2B2nd%2BClass%2BMatthew%2BDines%252C%2Bfrom%2BJanesville%252C%2BWisconsin%252C%2Bassigned%2Bto%2BUSS%2BJefferson%2BCity%2BSSN%2B759%2Breceives%2Bthe%2BCOVID-19%2Bvaccine%2Bat%2BJB%2BPearl%2BH-Hickam%2B201223-N-MQ703-1058.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O5IAJ-fnTtQ/YBwsJkozZTI/AAAAAAAAIac/79wlS2udDBQLwbTakoU2eEBWk_nQq8q0gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Electronics%2BTechnician%2B%2528Nuclear%2529%2B2nd%2BClass%2BMatthew%2BDines%252C%2Bfrom%2BJanesville%252C%2BWisconsin%252C%2Bassigned%2Bto%2BUSS%2BJefferson%2BCity%2BSSN%2B759%2Breceives%2Bthe%2BCOVID-19%2Bvaccine%2Bat%2BJB%2BPearl%2BH-Hickam%2B201223-N-MQ703-1058.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An electronics technician ( nuclear ) assigned to attack submarine<br />USS <i><b>Jefferson City</b></i> ( SSN-759 ) receives the COVID -19 vaccine<br />at Joint Base Pearl Harbor - Hickam 23rd Dec 2020. USN Photo.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>As mentioned earlier, for the civil population in most democratic countries, COVID-19 vaccination is voluntary. This is good as with such high levels of vaccine skepticism and hesitancy, people are given a choice and are not coerced or forced to receiving the vaccine if they do not wish to for whatever reason. However, those serving in the military or other federal or municipal essential services sector like the police or the coast guard or the fire service may not have such luxury of choice when it comes to COVID-19 vaccination. As they frequently have to be in close contact with other people during the course of their work, they are at high risk of being infected. The critical nature of their jobs also means that they cannot afford to be falling sick and be taken off for sick leave for any protracted duration. Many will have to be deployed on overseas missions on land or at sea in regions that may have high rates of coronavirus transmission. Yet others might have the burden of national security on their shoulders, like for example the Gold and Blue crew of the <i>Ohio</i>-Class ballistic missile submarine, who absolutely cannot afford to have a coronavirus outbreak onboard their boat during a several month long nuclear deterrent mission. That is exactly why the members of the Strategic Services get top priority for vaccination in the US military. </p><p>Several people in active military service that I have spoken to have either already received the first dose of the vaccine or were told that they would be having it soon, without any options to decline, much as I had expected. For many, it would come as an explicit order from the unit commander : get vaccinated, period.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dR6wJEAZy4g/YBrgRNyW92I/AAAAAAAAIZM/EaLFsA9gxcM-hDR-yBjlz-ubc12NJwolgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/cumulative-covid-vaccinations.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1446" data-original-width="2048" height="452" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dR6wJEAZy4g/YBrgRNyW92I/AAAAAAAAIZM/EaLFsA9gxcM-hDR-yBjlz-ubc12NJwolgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h452/cumulative-covid-vaccinations.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Global COVID-19 Vaccination Drive</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The UK became the first country to approve a stringently evaluated coronavirus vaccine on 2nd Dec and the first in the western world to start mass vaccination on 8th Dec 2020. At the time of writing, the biggest vaccination campaign in the history of humankind is taking place in 66 countries and so far a total of 107 million shots had been administered*. At present the rate of vaccination globally is approximately 4.22 million shots per day. Israel leads the pack with at least 20% of its population vaccinated while the UK and US have each achieved 10% and 7% respectively. With more than a hundred million doses administered cumulatively worldwide and no major adverse events reported, surely logic would tell us that the myriad of COVID-19 vaccines in general are safe. </p><p>In the coming days and weeks, more countries will begin their vaccination campaigns, just as more COVID-19 vaccines are being approved for emergency use by the regulatory health authorities. Never in history had so many vaccines been administered in so short a time.</p><p>* Around 2nd Feb 2021, the number of vaccinated persons ( 107 million ) as surpassed the number of infected persons ( 104 million ) globally for the very first time since the start of the pandemic. A watershed moment.</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Legacy Of The COVID-19 Pandemic</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The impact of the pandemic on every aspect of our life has mainly been negative but one of the rare positive outcome from this global epidemic would definitely be its role in accelerating the advancement in vaccine research and development. If not for COVID-19, who knows how long it would take for the first successful mRNA vaccine to be developed and when we would get our first ever approved vaccine against a human coronavirus disease. Before COVID-19, nobody with the right mind would predict that dozens of vaccines against the same disease could be concurrently developed and successfully achieve regulatory approval in a year or less. Already, a number of winners have appeared among the 150 or more COVID-19 vaccine candidates that started out a year ago. Now the World Economic Forum has an even more ambitious goal of producing a vaccine within <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/world/wefs-singapore-meeting-will-come-as-world-readies-for-reset-0" target="_blank">100 days of a pandemic</a>. </p><p>While the dust had more or less settled in the race to develop the first effective COVID-19 vaccine, another race had just began. And that is the race between countries to vaccinate as many of their own population as possible. The current challenge is for the manufacturers to churn out vaccines quickly to alleviate the acute shortage that every country faces. It will certainly go a long way to stem vaccine nationalism behaviors that some countries are increasingly exhibiting, like imposing vaccine export controls and vaccine hoarding. But these are mostly things above our pay scale. For the majority of us, we just have to do our part by accepting the vaccine when it comes our way .... </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y-UbB8poNV8/YBup2ab9K5I/AAAAAAAAIZY/BOLbeRKSeOoHzVNd5EJQriF87Srm2FO4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/2020-02-09t061544z_478531873_rc2uwe9n0s1o_rtrmadp_3_china-health%2BChina%2BDaily.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y-UbB8poNV8/YBup2ab9K5I/AAAAAAAAIZY/BOLbeRKSeOoHzVNd5EJQriF87Srm2FO4QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/2020-02-09t061544z_478531873_rc2uwe9n0s1o_rtrmadp_3_china-health%2BChina%2BDaily.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">COVID-19 ward, early 2020, China. Photo : China Daily</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nRYeS8u_xYQ/YBwwA-wxtGI/AAAAAAAAIao/o-QqVgvnyO0rj121DAjvPRVz6XwXln-rwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1895/JH%2BCovid%2B20210205.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="943" data-original-width="1895" height="318" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nRYeS8u_xYQ/YBwwA-wxtGI/AAAAAAAAIao/o-QqVgvnyO0rj121DAjvPRVz6XwXln-rwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h318/JH%2BCovid%2B20210205.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johns Hopkins Global COVID-19 Map</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p> </p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Take Home Messages</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>COVID-19 disease is real and serious. It is not a hoax and it will not go away on its own. </p><p>There is still no cure for COVID-19. Existing treatments are merely supportive in nature.</p><p>The COVID-19 vaccines approved by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stringent_regulatory_authorities" target="_blank">stringent regulatory authorities</a> such as the US <a href="https://www.fda.gov/home" target="_blank">FDA</a> and the UK <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicines_and_Healthcare_products_Regulatory_Agency#:~:text=The%20Medicines%20and%20Healthcare%20products,work%20and%20are%20acceptably%20safe." target="_blank">MHRA</a> for emergency use are generally safe and efficacious.</p><p>The risk of adverse reactions from COVID-19 vaccines are very low and are mostly transient and manageable.</p><p>There has been no COVID-19 vaccine related deaths so far. **</p><p>Achieving herd immunity through mass vaccination is our best bet to control the pandemic.</p><p>Unless vaccination is contraindicated, every eligible person should be vaccinated, if possible.</p><p>Get vaccinated as soon as available. Do not wait for others.</p><p>Get vaccinated even if there are low levels of COVID-19 transmission within your community. The situation is always fluid and can potentially deteriorate rapidly.</p><p>Many of the COVID-19 vaccines continue to demonstrate high levels of efficacy against the new mutant COVID-19 strains and can be readily adapted to deal with future mutations.</p><p>Vaccines alone will not put an end to the pandemic. Safe distancing, mask wearing and good personal hygiene must continue to be strictly observed even after vaccination has been completed.</p><p>Nobody is safe unless everybody is safe. No country is safe until every country is safe.</p><p>Do not believe in everything that you see or hear on the internet or social media. Fact check where necessary and make good use of your critical thinking skills. Believe in science, not rumours. Above all, <b>NEVER</b> drink bleach!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>** Update 21 Apr 2021. Unfortunately this is no longer true. The Oxford AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been implicated in causing a rare but severe form of blood clotting event characterised by LOW platelet counts. Several have died. Known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-vaccination_embolic_and_thrombotic_events" target="_blank">vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia</a> ( VIIT ), it has an incidence of 1 in 250000 vaccinations. This is still way lower than the risk of dying from severe COVID-19 disease, which stands at 2 in 1000 even for a young adult. </p><p>This adverse reaction is peculiar to the two vector-based vaccines and are not observed in other vaccine brands such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. The AZ and J&J vaccines are still generally safe to use especially for high risk individuals in communities with high transmission rates and where alternative vaccine brands are not available. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-84842196317395049702020-11-05T14:10:00.011+08:002020-11-05T23:45:22.759+08:00Warding Sea Monsters And Demons : Japan's Sacred Silver Ship Launching Axe 破邪.魔除け.日本国神を祀る銀の進水斧<p> </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oo4qwj1yHIM/X5jeP8jk8II/AAAAAAAAIFQ/ghFSqtwinvcydbVi-mS3FmoBFy6BXf8YwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/Maya%2B2018%2B27ddg-09.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1331" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oo4qwj1yHIM/X5jeP8jk8II/AAAAAAAAIFQ/ghFSqtwinvcydbVi-mS3FmoBFy6BXf8YwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Maya%2B2018%2B27ddg-09.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ceremonial Axe used for launching Aegis destroyer <br />DDG-179 JS <b><i>Maya</i></b>. Photo JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>While researching on Japan's new <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2020/10/taigei-japans-super-duper-next.html" target="_blank"><b><i>Taigei</i></b>-class submarine</a> recently, I came across photographs and videos of the ship naming and launching ceremony featuring the guest of honour, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, wielding an exquisitely decorated axe for cord cutting. That certainly piqued my interest as the use of this ceremonial axe seems to be common in many Japanese ship launching events involving both warships and merchant vessels. It also appears to be a uniquely Japanese custom as most shipbuilders elsewhere in the world would use mallets, gavels or scissors for cord or ribbon cutting. And by the way, did I mention that they are all made of silver and have special engravings for protection against evil spirits?</p><p>In this article we explore the traditions of Japanese ship naming and launching ceremony and the origins of this silver ship launching axe.</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Ceremonial Ship Launching</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Ceremonial ship launching is a maritime tradition that that dates back thousands of years. It is an important milestone in shipbuilding and marks the first time that the vessel is transferred into water. It is frequently observed as a public celebration and will also be a time to call for solemn blessings through religious rites or other appropriate processes for the safety and good fortune of the new vessel, its crew and its passengers. </p><p>As one would expect, different cultures would have evolved different methodology for their naming and launching traditions which can change with the passage of time. The Babylonians had been known to sacrifice oxen while the Vikings sacrificed slaves for blood offerings to their sea gods during the launch of their new ships. Fortunately, these barbaric customs were no longer practiced by medieval times as wine had largely substituted blood as an offering during such ceremonies. </p><p>Since the Europeans were a global maritime power and were at the forefront of the shipbuilding industry at least until the turn of the twentieth century, it is probably safe to say that most contemporary ship launching ceremonies would be based either in part or wholly on the Western customs and traditions. It would typically involve a mass celebration where the ship sponsor, usually a female civilian, would have the honour of releasing the ship into water. She would be standing on a platform built around the bow of the ship as it rest on the slipway and at the time of choosing, she would break a bottle of wine or <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-28158790" target="_blank">champagne</a> over the bow, wish the vessel and all those who would sail in it good luck, and operate the mechanism that would slide the vessel into the water. </p><p>During the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_Restoration" target="_blank">Meiji Restoration</a> beginning from 1868, Japan embarked on rapid industrialization and militarization by assimilating the wisdom and technology of the western powers and adapting them as necessary. Technical advisors from Europe were hired to teach the Japanese the most advanced western thinking and practices while Japanese students were sent abroad to study in the most prestigious continental universities. British naval officers were seconded to help train and indoctrinate Japanese sailors. Many of the Imperial Japanese Navy's early pre-dreadnaught battleships including the famed <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Mikasa" target="_blank">Mikasa</a></i></b> were constructed by European yards, until the Japanese managed to acquire the knowledge and expertise to construct these capital ships themselves from the subsequent Taisho era onwards. So there had been plenty of opportunity for western influence in maritime customs and traditions within the fledgling Japanese navy and shipbuilding industry at the turn of the 20th century. </p><p>Currently, Japanese ship naming and launching procedures largely mirror those of the western cultures with minor variations, like the use of the silver cord cutting axe. The ship launching ceremony is known as 進水式 ( <i>shinsuishiki</i> ) while the christening ceremony is known as 命名式 ( <i>meimeishiki</i> ). The special axe is referred to as the 進水斧 ( <i>shinsuifu</i> ). </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxfmvSdLbqVUrulrvKInXEXpdcB_V4tdxfQgO7eumyZ6kYgyNWXrV6qEamVUIyQra9jIqGRkR-cDwcr4S6dEw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /> Ship naming and launching ceremony of destroyer JS <b><i>Shiranui</i></b> <p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u><br /></u></h4><div><u><br /></u></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Japanese Shipbuilding Industry</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Japan did not have any modern form of ship building capacity until the second half of the 19th century for one important reason. For more than 200 years, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakoku#:~:text=Sakoku%20(%E9%8E%96%E5%9B%BD%2C%20%22closed%20country,Japan%20and%20common%20Japanese%20people" target="_blank">isolationist foreign policy</a> ( 鎖国 <i>sakoku</i> - locked state ) of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled over feudal Japan prohibited the construction and possession of large ocean-going ships. Enacted in 1635, the large ship construction ban ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A4%A7%E8%88%B9%E5%BB%BA%E9%80%A0%E3%81%AE%E7%A6%81" target="_blank">大船建造の禁</a> ) would outlaw the building of ships larger than 500 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koku" target="_blank">koku</a> ( 75 tonnes ) with the exception of commercial vessels. As a result, the most common Japanese vessels of that era are the small single mast coastal boats known as bezaisen ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%BC%81%E6%89%8D%E8%88%B9" target="_blank">弁才船</a> ) or sengokubune ( 千石船 ).</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H_wuHzVfJKs/X519izfcgXI/AAAAAAAAIGE/8wzY94DjNgA1SMAvS5EgPzO5L7PZi7z1ACLcBGAsYHQ/s963/i-img963x384-1589283674vimfqv23810.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="963" height="256" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H_wuHzVfJKs/X519izfcgXI/AAAAAAAAIGE/8wzY94DjNgA1SMAvS5EgPzO5L7PZi7z1ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h256/i-img963x384-1589283674vimfqv23810.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japan Post 1975 Ship Series : Sengokubune ( left ) and<br />frigate <b><i>Shoheimaru</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>These restrictive legislation were only revoked after the gunboat diplomacy of Commodore Perry's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Ships" target="_blank">Black Ship</a> Expedition in 1853 shocked the shogunate to open up the country to trade and to aspire to build a modern navy to avoid being colonized by western powers. Within a few years, iron foundries, dockyards, a ship engine repair facility and a naval training institute were set up and the various samurai domains were encouraged by the shogunate to built western-style warships. Initially through trial and error, experimentation, and later by the direct importation of western technology, Japan progressed to full-blown industrialization through its gradual build-up of domestic expertise and continued adoption and adaptation of western technology.</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Slipway Launching And Associated Tools</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>One of the first few western style ships built by Japan after the ship construction ban was abolished was the schooner <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_schooner_Heda" target="_blank">Heda</a></i></b> ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%90%9B%E6%B2%A2%E5%BD%A2" target="_blank">戸田号</a> ) in 1855. It was built for the Russian admiral and diplomat <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yevfimiy_Putyatin" target="_blank">Yevfimiy Putyatin</a> as an urgent replacement for his frigate <b><i>Diana</i></b> which was sunk by a tsunami triggered by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1854_T%C5%8Dkai_earthquake" target="_blank">Ansei-Tokai earthquake</a>. With a length of 24m and displacing 100 tons, it was launched via a western type wooden slipway, a first for Japan. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H0nYAtTW8p0/X5qd2zxFSCI/AAAAAAAAIF4/p4_x70FtW8gmG-ZutheC2bOBDv3-2jelgCLcBGAsYHQ/s3561/Launch_of_Heda%2B1855%2Bslipway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="883" data-original-width="3561" height="158" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H0nYAtTW8p0/X5qd2zxFSCI/AAAAAAAAIF4/p4_x70FtW8gmG-ZutheC2bOBDv3-2jelgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h158/Launch_of_Heda%2B1855%2Bslipway.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Launch ceremony of the schooner <b><i>Heda</i></b> 7th Mar 1855<br />on western style wooden slipway. Image : Wikipedia.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Thereafter, the slipway gradually became the method of choice for launching large ships in Japan. By 1872, the Yokosuka Shipyards had even constructed rails for launching large vessels. The slipway stern-first ship launching method would invariably require some holding and releasing device known as launching triggers, to prevent the unintended release of the ship until the desired moment. The release of these triggers frequent involved severing of cords or rope with cutting tools such as a mallet and chisel combination which was commonly used in 19th century Europe. <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lnM5QaTdjco/X52U38EmT6I/AAAAAAAAIGU/c287QVw-aK0LWVzfqiNrrCuFQ7ZPMB1zwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/Victoria%2Bn%2BAlbert%2Bl4527_002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1280" height="452" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lnM5QaTdjco/X52U38EmT6I/AAAAAAAAIGU/c287QVw-aK0LWVzfqiNrrCuFQ7ZPMB1zwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h452/Victoria%2Bn%2BAlbert%2Bl4527_002.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gavel and chisel used for launching the royal yacht <br />HMY <b><i>Victoria and Albert</i></b> in 1855. <br />Image : National Maritime Museum<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /><p></p><p>According to Kakizaki Sadao, a member of the <a href="https://www.jasnaoe.or.jp/" target="_blank">Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers</a>, in Japan, it was at Yokosuka where cord or rope cutting during ship launching ceremony was first recorded. This occurred in 1885 at the launch ceremony of the Imperial Navy sloop <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_corvette_Katsuragi" target="_blank">Katsuragi</a></i></b> ( 葛城 ) but the type of cutting tool involved was not specified. Many more ships including the corvette <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_corvette_Musashi" target="_blank">Musashi</a></i></b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>( 武蔵 ) launched the following year and the gunboat <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_gunboat_Ch%C5%8Dkai" target="_blank">Chokai</a></i> ( 鳥海 ), launched in 1887 at the Ishikawajima-Hirano Shipyard, would be put to sea in this way, involving rope cutting and sliding down slipways. </p><p>Subsequently, there were records of axe usage during the launch of the protected cruisers <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cruiser_Hashidate" target="_blank">Hashidate</a></i></b> in 1891 and <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cruiser_Akitsushima" target="_blank">Akitsushima</a></i></b> in 1892 but they prove difficult to verify and it is believed that the usual mallet and chisel were used. </p><p>By the beginning of the 20th century, the tonnage of Japanese constructed vessels had began to increase exponentially and consequently the size of the cables and ropes used during construction and launch had also increased. Cutting them became difficult with the usual small blades and shears and that eventually lead to the introduction of guillotine mechanisms and axes for more efficient cutting. </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Cultural Significance Of The Axe</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>In ancient China, the broadaxe had always been held as a symbol of imperial authority and were presented to high ranking officials and military commanders to bestow upon them power and status. It is sometimes depicted on coat-of-arms and other forms of heraldry. </p><p>In Japan, the axe has been used in Shinto rituals such as during the periodic reconstruction of its most sacred <a href="https://www.isejingu.or.jp/en/" target="_blank">Ise Grand Shrine</a>. The Naiku or inner shine is constructed from Japanese cypress and two giant cypress trees had to be fell with axes using an ancient method which involved cutting the trunk from 3 sides. The blades are grooved with 3 streaks on the left face and 4 on the other side representing several Japanese deities believed to protect the bearer from evil spirits especially when working in remote mountainous areas. The axes used for cutting these sacred trees ( 御神木 <i>oshinboku</i> ) as well as many ordinary forestry worker's axes are frequently seen shrouded with a braided hemp cover to protect the cutting edge when not in use. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fZW9ogaFQNA/X6AD6KtSkUI/AAAAAAAAIG0/1uAjq1KWM-croGiTbm2ENnRogzBDKgFnACLcBGAsYHQ/s454/%25E6%2596%25A7%25E3%2581%25AE%25E5%2588%2583%25E6%25B2%2593%25E3%2581%25AE%25E4%25BD%259C%25E3%2582%258A%25E6%2596%25B9%2BFFPRI.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="454" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fZW9ogaFQNA/X6AD6KtSkUI/AAAAAAAAIG0/1uAjq1KWM-croGiTbm2ENnRogzBDKgFnACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/%25E6%2596%25A7%25E3%2581%25AE%25E5%2588%2583%25E6%25B2%2593%25E3%2581%25AE%25E4%25BD%259C%25E3%2582%258A%25E6%2596%25B9%2BFFPRI.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lumberjack's broadaxe with 4 grooves on the right side.<br />Image : Forest Research and Management Organisation Japan</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VRsOYwIeLNA/X6MEV5iSSFI/AAAAAAAAIKE/AUS5CJTXzxco6cvt-k8ya9DwmfCcJ6u1ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1915/Izumo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="1915" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VRsOYwIeLNA/X6MEV5iSSFI/AAAAAAAAIKE/AUS5CJTXzxco6cvt-k8ya9DwmfCcJ6u1ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/Izumo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS <b><i>Izumo</i></b>'s axe with 3 grooves on the left side. Photo : JMSDF<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><h4><u>Origins of the Silver Ship Launching Axe</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The modern Japanese ship launching axe could have its origins traced back to 1907, the 40th year of the Meiji Era, where Koyama Kichiro ( 小山吉郎 ) the chief of the ship building department of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasebo_Naval_Arsenal" target="_blank">Sasebo Naval Arsenal</a> ( 佐世保海軍工廠 ) proposed the use of an axe for the launching of the cruiser <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cruiser_Tone_(1907)" target="_blank">Tone</a></i></b>. The ceremony was attended by the crown prince. Like many existing Japanese axes, his proposed ship launching axe would also have grooves carved into the blade face itself in the usual pattern, 3 on the left and 4 on the right. As mention earlier the grooves represent the various Japanese gods and when used during the ceremonial launching were supposed to confer divine protection to the ship and all those onboard. Silver or gold is used in making the axe as these precious metals are believed to have special warding effects against demons and evil things. </p><p>The use of these ship launching axes were not officially sanctioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy and their usage was dependent on the decision of the director of each individual shipyard. In 1909 when a young engineer officer known as Nagamura Kiyoshi ( 永村清 ) was transferred from Sasebo to the Kure Naval Arsenal, he brought with him the launching axe culture. </p><p>At Kure, the first recorded use of the axe was at the launching ceremony of the dreadnought <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Settsu" target="_blank">Settsu</a></i></b> ( 攝津 ) in 1911. For the next several years the shipyard would support the use of both the axe as well as the traditional mallet and chisel. The launch of <b><i>Submarine Number 23</i></b> ( later renamed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_submarine_Ro-13" target="_blank"><b><i>Ro-13</i></b></a> ) in 1919 for example still involved using the mallet and chisel which is known as tsuchi to nomi ( 槌とのみ ) in Japanese. In had been estimated that it took 15 years before the use of the ship launching axe became regular and exclusive at the Kure Naval Arsenal, permanently replacing the mallet and chisel. </p><p>Further west at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, it is not clear when the usage of the launching axe had began but textbooks describing the launch of the battleship <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Mutsu" target="_blank">Mutsu</a></i></b> in 1920 still mentioned about mallet and chisel. However, the launch of the cruiser <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cruiser_My%C5%8Dk%C5%8D" target="_blank">Myoko</a></i></b> in 1927 was said to involve the use of a broadaxe ( 鉞 <i>masakari</i> ). Coincidentally, that was also the year that Nagamura Kiyoshi, by then a rear admiral, was transferred from Kure to Yokosuka. It might have been easy to postulate that he had popularised ritual axe usage as a result of his transfers among the various naval yards. In any case, it probably took more then 20 years for the culture of the ship launching axe to be entrenched within the naval ship building community. From then onwards, the launching of government vessels and subsequently most civilian ships would have featured the ship launching axe.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FaRvfx6LR6I/X6MKtz6xlyI/AAAAAAAAIKQ/kNLpUT3yeS87hghcflUtnNtNbL6l0Em7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1915/Etajima%2B1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="1915" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FaRvfx6LR6I/X6MKtz6xlyI/AAAAAAAAIKQ/kNLpUT3yeS87hghcflUtnNtNbL6l0Em7wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/Etajima%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Launching axe of mine sweeper MSO-306 JS <b><i>Etajima</i></b>. Photo : JMSDF<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Evolution And Variations</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The early pre-WWII ship launching axe is usually of simple design without much fanfare comprising of a metal blade attached to a wooden handle. The name of the ship and details such as the date and location of the launching ceremony, sponsor or the guest-of-honour, are usually printed or engraved on the handle. They are rarely adorned with any precious stones or expensive jewelry. Several examples have survived and are found in the private museum collections of shipyards as well as naval and maritime museums like the Kure Maritime Museum a.k.a. <a href="https://daisetsuzan.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-yamato-museum-of-kure.html" target="_blank">Yamato Museum</a>.</p><p>Contemporary ship lunching axes can have more elaborate designs and may have the ends of the wooden handles wrapped with metal or may even feature an all-metal handle. They can also have ribbons or tassels attached. Some may also come in a set which includes a matching mallet for striking the axe. They may also sometimes come in a pair of two axes for two guests to concurrently perform the act of cord cutting. This occurred during the launch of the helicopter carrier JS <b><i>Izumo</i></b>. </p><p>In a survey of 60 post-war ship launching axes, Kakizaki Sadao discovered that the lengths varied between 191mm to 386mm while the weights were between 305g to 1233g. The cost of material alone can be considerable if the blades were to be entirely forged with silver!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-apbp7K2SzYA/X6BXttJuSzI/AAAAAAAAIHI/4-_ApZjrImwt6nj3kq3FYgQ60pOhAuQ8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/Shiranui%2B02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="1000" height="422" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-apbp7K2SzYA/X6BXttJuSzI/AAAAAAAAIHI/4-_ApZjrImwt6nj3kq3FYgQ60pOhAuQ8gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h422/Shiranui%2B02.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Launching axe of DD-120 JS <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JS_Shiranui" target="_blank">Shiranui</a></i></b> ( 不知火 ). Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lUkBEVtLE7U/X6BZd_lQRQI/AAAAAAAAIHU/bwEMqKn83okGRs-AykB8EU5KggiQVxM7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1486/Toryu%2B2019.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="1486" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lUkBEVtLE7U/X6BZd_lQRQI/AAAAAAAAIHU/bwEMqKn83okGRs-AykB8EU5KggiQVxM7wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Toryu%2B2019.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Launching axe of SS-512 JS <b><i>Toryu</i></b> next to the cutting block and cord<br />Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RvxkPFusz4A/X6BaMSDgwYI/AAAAAAAAIHc/XYFiRjYuNYYqJ180LfpYJDIxb8-Tu4EBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1800/Aki%2B2019.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1800" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RvxkPFusz4A/X6BaMSDgwYI/AAAAAAAAIHc/XYFiRjYuNYYqJ180LfpYJDIxb8-Tu4EBQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Aki%2B2019.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mallet and axe set for AOS-5203 JS <b><i>Aki. </i></b>Photo JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hY-M2hx1v-4/X6MDWnGAnXI/AAAAAAAAIJw/VeRs9q7OJL4Ch6TUqtKmnyalsdzPsCFmACLcBGAsYHQ/s1919/Izumo%2BDDH-183.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1919" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hY-M2hx1v-4/X6MDWnGAnXI/AAAAAAAAIJw/VeRs9q7OJL4Ch6TUqtKmnyalsdzPsCFmACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/Izumo%2BDDH-183.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double axe during the launch of DDH-183 JS <b><i>Izumo</i></b>. Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7RR2p7j5XK0/X6MDWoSWq5I/AAAAAAAAIJs/ktGPZudZRpUGNARe9GcGusXtux-32ZadgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1915/Izumo%2BTwin%2BAxe.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1915" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7RR2p7j5XK0/X6MDWoSWq5I/AAAAAAAAIJs/ktGPZudZRpUGNARe9GcGusXtux-32ZadgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/Izumo%2BTwin%2BAxe.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simultaneous cord cutting during the launch of JS <b><i>Izumo</i></b>. Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xXc9u4mtGSA/X6Bbx6TQRPI/AAAAAAAAIHo/dZvrZ7CLQBAD6o4osp70jx-yQVrPGO0OwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/Haguro%2BAxe%2B2019.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1331" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xXc9u4mtGSA/X6Bbx6TQRPI/AAAAAAAAIHo/dZvrZ7CLQBAD6o4osp70jx-yQVrPGO0OwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Haguro%2BAxe%2B2019.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Launching ceremony of Aegis destroyer DDG-180 JS <b><i>Haguro<br /></i></b>Photo : JMSDF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iGBdG3VO9uA/X6BbxynxEOI/AAAAAAAAIHs/auW20fZm__UeeAR4I6B7LQGBzth3fDzrgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/Haguro%2BChopping%2BBlock%2B2019.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1331" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iGBdG3VO9uA/X6BbxynxEOI/AAAAAAAAIHs/auW20fZm__UeeAR4I6B7LQGBzth3fDzrgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Haguro%2BChopping%2BBlock%2B2019.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cutting block with remnants of the cord during <br />the launch of JS <b><i>Haguro</i></b>. Photo : JMSDF<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Sacred Blade</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The main distinguishing feature between a normal utilitarian axe and a sacred Japanese axe are the presence of grooves on both sides of the blade representing the highest ranking Japanese deities. The three grooves on the left symbolise the Shinto creator gods Izanagi, his wife Izanami and their daughter the sun goddess Amaterasu. The four grooves on the right represent the Four Heavenly Kings, Tamon-ten, Zocho-ten, Jikoku-ten and Komoku-ten, Buddhist gods that are believed to be watching the four cardinal directions of the world. Shintoism and Buddhism are the two most common religion in Japan and by including deities from both faiths on the axe blade, the Japanese seem to have all their bases covered. </p><p>In Japanese mythology, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izanagi" target="_blank">Izanagi</a> ( 伊邪那岐 ) and his twin sister-wife <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izanami" target="_blank">Izanami</a> ( 伊邪那美 ) were the last of the seven generations of primordial deities that manifested after the creation of heaven and earth. Upon receiving orders to from the other gods to shape the earth which was then a formless swirl of aquatic chaos, the couple churned the waters with the jeweled spear Amenonuhoko and the brine that dripped from the tip of the spear formed island Onogoro-shima. They settled on the new land mass and their union lead to not only the birth of the eight islands of the Japanese archipelago but also to more deities to inhabit these islands. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eyAFJWKrRuo/X6Ev7HQimvI/AAAAAAAAIII/za11CsBtqoApoQgTxiATFp1IZ-OYlC5oACLcBGAsYHQ/s1307/Kobayashi_Izanami_and_Izanagi.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1307" data-original-width="592" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eyAFJWKrRuo/X6Ev7HQimvI/AAAAAAAAIII/za11CsBtqoApoQgTxiATFp1IZ-OYlC5oACLcBGAsYHQ/w290-h640/Kobayashi_Izanami_and_Izanagi.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Izanagi and Izanami with jeweled spear<br />Image : Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Unfortunately, Izanami died after giving birth to the fire god Kagutsuchi. Wishing to see his wife again, Izanagi ventured to Yomi no kuni ( 黄泉の国 ), the land of the dead, but was informed by Izanami that she had already consumed food from Yomi and could no longer return to the land of the living. Breaking his promise not to look at her, Izanagi lighted a torch while Izanami was asleep and was shocked to find her in a horrible state of decay. Terrified, he fled, chased by his indignant wife and the minions that she had unleashed after him. Izanagi barely made it to the boundary between the living and the dead and sealed the entrance to Yomi with a large boulder. Feeling contaminated by his visit to Yomi he then purified himself by bathing in a river from which more deities came into being - the sun goddess <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaterasu" target="_blank">Amaterasu-Omikami</a> ( 天照大御神 ) when he washed his left eye, the moon goddess Tsukuyomi when he washed his right eye and the impetuous god Susanoo when he washed his nose. Collectively they are referred to as " The Three Precious Children " of the creator god Izanagi.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MRxYCwA0bmk/X6EvMecSlXI/AAAAAAAAIIA/84TwEtl5z60rWMOHZ_78Sss20bfRuINdwCLcBGAsYHQ/s789/Amaterasu%2BIse%2BJinju.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="789" height="404" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MRxYCwA0bmk/X6EvMecSlXI/AAAAAAAAIIA/84TwEtl5z60rWMOHZ_78Sss20bfRuINdwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h404/Amaterasu%2BIse%2BJinju.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun goddess Amaterasu. Image : Ise Grand Shrine<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Amaterasu the sun goddess is also the ruler of Takamagahara, the abode of the heavenly gods and the mythical ancestor of the Japanese imperial house via her grandson Ninigi, who is said to be the great-grandfather of Japan's fist emperor, Emperor Jimmu. Her main place of worship is the Grand Shine of Ise at Ise, Mie Prefecture, the holiest of all Shinto sites. </p><p>The Four Heavenly Kings ( 四天王 <i>shitenno</i> ) are benevolent Buddhist gods that watch over much of the world bringing peace, prosperity, and protection from evil. They are frequently depicted as fierce-looking red or green faced towering figures dressed in a full suite of armour and they each have their own preferred weapon.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uEWjU9rynCE/X6FZxtjuS5I/AAAAAAAAIIU/I1iBxPVgDycI6pt3Mg8TL6b7CZhReQ7DgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/%25E8%2593%25AE%25E8%258F%25AF%25E9%2599%25A2%25E5%25A4%259A%25E8%2581%259E%25E5%25A4%25A91.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1363" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uEWjU9rynCE/X6FZxtjuS5I/AAAAAAAAIIU/I1iBxPVgDycI6pt3Mg8TL6b7CZhReQ7DgCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/%25E8%2593%25AE%25E8%258F%25AF%25E9%2599%25A2%25E5%25A4%259A%25E8%2581%259E%25E5%25A4%25A91.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tamon-ten Statue at the Rengein Tanjoji Temple,<br />Kumamoto. Image : Wikipedia<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vai%C5%9Brava%E1%B9%87a" target="_blank">Tamon-ten</a> ( 多聞天 ) is the chief of the Heavenly Kings and the protector of the north. He is also the guardian of the place that Buddha preaches. He is frequently seen carrying an umbrella or sometimes a spear in one hand and a small pagoda in the other. The pagoda represents the divine treasure house whose content Tamon-ten both guards and gives away. In Japanese folklore he is one of the Seven Gods of Fortune ( 七福神 <i>shichifukujin</i> ).</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TR3xIY7pEVo/X6Faa_DhEkI/AAAAAAAAIIc/y-4czE23omwe1ozWeO3vcFd6orE2SziCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/%25E8%2593%25AE%25E8%258F%25AF%25E9%2599%25A2%25E5%25A2%2597%25E9%2595%25B7%25E5%25A4%25A91.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1363" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TR3xIY7pEVo/X6Faa_DhEkI/AAAAAAAAIIc/y-4czE23omwe1ozWeO3vcFd6orE2SziCQCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/%25E8%2593%25AE%25E8%258F%25AF%25E9%2599%25A2%25E5%25A2%2597%25E9%2595%25B7%25E5%25A4%25A91.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zocho-ten statue at the Rengein Tanjoji Temple,<br />Kumamoto. Image : Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>Zocho-ten ( 増長天 ) - he who causes growth, is the protector of the south and is frequently depicted as a blue-faced warrior general carrying a sword or a spear trampling over an evil spirit known as a jaki ( 邪鬼 ). He is the defender of the Buddhist Dharma and will guard Buddhist followers from dangers and enemies.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1rj1NNczxO8/X6FaovRARnI/AAAAAAAAIIg/eufVkpUn5sg9sLvWLmhIG4gvtNxf-NamwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/%25E8%2593%25AE%25E8%258F%25AF%25E9%2599%25A2%25E6%258C%2581%25E5%259B%25BD%25E5%25A4%25A91.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1543" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1rj1NNczxO8/X6FaovRARnI/AAAAAAAAIIg/eufVkpUn5sg9sLvWLmhIG4gvtNxf-NamwCLcBGAsYHQ/w482-h640/%25E8%2593%25AE%25E8%258F%25AF%25E9%2599%25A2%25E6%258C%2581%25E5%259B%25BD%25E5%25A4%25A91.jpg" width="482" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jikoku-ten statue at the Rengein Tanjoji Temple,<br />Kumamoto. Image : Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p>Jikoku-ten ( 持国天 ) - he who upholds the realm, is the protector of the east and is sometimes seen carrying a Japanese lute which is also known as the biwa ( 琵琶 ). Otherwise he might be holding a sword and also stepping over a cowering jaki. He is harmonious and compassionate and protects all beings. He is also the god of music and uses his tunes to convert others to Buddhism. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PMleQmxMYI8/X6FbgqmjBNI/AAAAAAAAIIo/Kxn-9EOS1xUa3f34zooqh9Y3sE7w1GsbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/%25E8%2593%25AE%25E8%258F%25AF%25E9%2599%25A2%25E5%25BA%2583%25E7%259B%25AE%25E5%25A4%25A91.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1363" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PMleQmxMYI8/X6FbgqmjBNI/AAAAAAAAIIo/Kxn-9EOS1xUa3f34zooqh9Y3sE7w1GsbgCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/%25E8%2593%25AE%25E8%258F%25AF%25E9%2599%25A2%25E5%25BA%2583%25E7%259B%25AE%25E5%25A4%25A91.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Komoku-ten statue at the Rengein Tanjoji Temple,<br />Kumamoto. Image : Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Komoku-ten ( 広目天 ) - he who sees all, is the protector of the west. He has a divine eye which allows him to identify non-believers and will convert them to Buddhism. He is frequently seen holding a serpent or a cord which symbolises the dragon. He is the lord of all dragons.</p><p>With such powerful deities onboard, what's there to be afraid of? Still plenty, as it turns out.</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Sea Monsters And Boat Spirits</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>Japan is a nation mostly covered with high mountain ranges, with dense forests inhabited by dangerous creatures. The archipelago is surrounded by treacherous waters and its people have to constantly deal with natural disasters like typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. It is therefore not surprising that in attempts to explain some of these incomprehensible natural phenomenon, Japanese folklore is full of stories about ghosts ( 鬼 <i>Oni</i> ), spirits ( 幽霊 <i>Yurei</i> ) and monsters ( 妖怪 <i>Yokai</i> ). Here are just a small selection of supernatural beings that Japanese mariners fear.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FnYxylN7l6U/X6JihgKYpoI/AAAAAAAAII0/Yqehyg3uyMw290-P8-SYho0EE1yRJgdTwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Kuwana_-_The_sailor_Tokuso_and_the_sea_monster.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1357" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FnYxylN7l6U/X6JihgKYpoI/AAAAAAAAII0/Yqehyg3uyMw290-P8-SYho0EE1yRJgdTwCLcBGAsYHQ/w424-h640/Kuwana_-_The_sailor_Tokuso_and_the_sea_monster.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Umibozu or sea priest. Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umib%C5%8Dzu" target="_blank">Umibozu</a> ( 海坊主 ) or sea priest is a sea spirit that can suddenly appear on calm seas which will then turn tumultuous. They have eyes and take the form a black mass which resembles the bald head of the Japanese monk. The Umibozu's length can vary between few meters to few tens of meters and so can be quite gigantic. It can either break a ship upon emergence or else would demand a bucket or barrel from sailors and then proceed to drown them. It is believed that the only safe way to evade the Umibozu is to give it a bottomless barrel and sail away while it is confused.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pu7ySxOv-es/X6JpHmCPPiI/AAAAAAAAIJA/N1VMDHY3OmQxiLkF7SOODNjx6K_Bjhg9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s502/ShunsenFunayurei.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="400" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pu7ySxOv-es/X6JpHmCPPiI/AAAAAAAAIJA/N1VMDHY3OmQxiLkF7SOODNjx6K_Bjhg9wCLcBGAsYHQ/w510-h640/ShunsenFunayurei.jpg" width="510" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Funayurei with hishaku or ladle. Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funay%C5%ABrei" target="_blank">Funayurei</a> ( 船幽霊 ) or ship spirit are vengeful ghosts believed to be the souls of people who have died in shipwrecks. They use hishaku ( bamboo spoon or ladle ) to fill boats with water and sink them or else will drag people underwater to drown them. They often appear on rainy days, during new moon or full moon and on stormy nights and foggy nights. Rising from the depths of the sea clad in white kimono-like attire and with their long hair trailing in the water, these spirits will always demand a hishaku from the sailors. If the demand is complied with, a single hishaku will in an instant turn into a countless number of hishakus which the Funayurei will use to swamp the boat with water and drown all the sailors. It is said that a wise captain always carries a ladle with holes drilled at the bottom when sailing in Funayurei infested waters. Giving the spirits this leaking spoon will render one's ship immune from sinking.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CKBdRQMzk9s/X6JxpRAiCGI/AAAAAAAAIJM/e4dGcmqZBVUO3UIxDS7cA8fEgsapThuCACLcBGAsYHQ/s840/Tosa_bakemonoehon_Funayurei.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="840" height="472" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CKBdRQMzk9s/X6JxpRAiCGI/AAAAAAAAIJM/e4dGcmqZBVUO3UIxDS7cA8fEgsapThuCACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h472/Tosa_bakemonoehon_Funayurei.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaika or ghostly lights. Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayakashi_(y%C5%8Dkai)" target="_blank">Ayakashi</a> ( アヤカシ ) is a general term for various yokai that appear on the surface of the water. One particular legend originating from Tsushima Island, Nagasaki Prefecture, relates to the Ayakashi no Kaika ( 怪火 ), literally meaning strange fire or ghostly lights. These luminous apparitions frequently appear on beaches in the evening and looks as if a child is running around within the flame. They can also appear as floating fires on the water surface and can suddenly transform into massive boulders or land masses in an attempt to panic the ship into changing course and then run aground on a reef or sink. No harm will come to the ship or crew if the captain stays calm enough to call the Kaika's bluff and hold the ship's course. </p><p>If you wish to learn more about Japanese yokai and yurei, a good place to start would be Mizuki Shigeru's manga series <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeGeGe_no_Kitar%C5%8D" target="_blank">GeGeGe no Kitaro</a> ( げげげの鬼太郎 ) or Kitaro of the Graveyard. The anime series <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon_Slayer:_Kimetsu_no_Yaiba" target="_blank">Demon Slayer : Kimetsu no Yaiba</a> ( 鬼滅の刃 ) is also highly recommended. Its movie offshoot - the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon_Slayer:_Kimetsu_no_Yaiba_the_Movie:_Infinity_Train" target="_blank">Mugen Train</a> was the <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/10/26/business/demon-slayer-fastest-movie-%C2%A510-billion-japan/" target="_blank">fastest movie to rake in 10 billion yen</a> in the Japanese box-office in Oct 2020. </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Intangible Cultural Heritage</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>With such imaginative and colourful folklore about supernatural beings, its no wonder the Japanese mariners needed to call upon their highest deities for protection. The use of the ship launching axe is a cultural phenomenon that had began within the defense community but had subsequently been widely adopted even by the civilian ship builders within just a few decades. It is not found anywhere else and is entirely unique to Japan. With such deep religious, cultural and historical background, Japan's sacred ship launching axe should be deemed an intangible cultural heritage. I would wholeheartedly support its nomination to the <a href="https://ich.unesco.org/en/lists" target="_blank">UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity</a>. </p><p>Lastly, it would not seem appropriate to end without mentioning a little more about Koyama Kichiro, the proponent of the ship launching axe. </p><p>Koyama was born on 1 Mar 1860 in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture. He graduated from the Engineering Institute, University of Tokyo in 1883 and started work at Ishikawajima Ship Building as a drafter. He was employed by the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1884 and was posted to Onohama Ship Building with the rank of Assistant Engineer 1. </p><p>By 1887 he was chief of the drafting section and was made a lieutenant ( technical ) in 1888. He was transferred to Kure Naval Arsenal in 1890 and remained there until his sabbatical to Germany in 1896. He was promoted in rank to Commander ( constructor ) before his recall back to Japan in 1900. He then joined the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal as the acting chief of shipbuilding. He would be promoted to Captain ( constructor ) in 1902. </p><p>From 1903 to 1908, Koyama was the Chief of the Shipbuilding Department at Sasebo Naval Arsenal where he came up with the idea of the ship launching axe. After that, he was transferred to Maizuru Naval Yard where he would stay until 1911. During this period he was conferred the title of Constructor General. He was back at Yokosuka from 1911 to 1913 after which he was put to the reserves. </p><p>He obtained a doctorate in engineering in 1915 and was promoted in rank to rear-admiral ( constructor ) in 1919. He retired in 1923 and died on 25th Feb 1929 age 68 years old. </p><p>That's all for now and we'll have more about Japan's ship launching ceremony and the " Warship March " in the next article.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> <br /></p></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-33247514949879036112020-10-22T20:42:00.022+08:002020-10-31T00:28:49.440+08:00Taigei : Japan's Super-Duper Next Generation Big Whale-Class Submarine<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8sMFiF1Kuh4/X42JyqZPiXI/AAAAAAAAIBA/KJIZOUL08ZQt0KuGZ4YzSsQO0A25iQYqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1165/14A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="1165" height="434" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8sMFiF1Kuh4/X42JyqZPiXI/AAAAAAAAIBA/KJIZOUL08ZQt0KuGZ4YzSsQO0A25iQYqgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h434/14A.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Launch of JS <b><i>Taigei</i></b> ( SS-513 ) at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' <br />Kobe Shipyard 14th Oct 2020. Photo : JMSDF<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force ( JMSDF ) had just revealed the name of its next generation attack submarine during its launch on 14th Oct 2020. It is known as the <b><i>Taigei</i></b> ( たいげい, 大鯨 ), meaning " big whale ". Post-World War II Japanese submarines had a tradition of being named after marine phenomenon or auspicious creatures, be it real or mythical. So while the previous generations of Japan's hunter-killer submarine ( SSK ) classes had been named after tides and dragons, this time though it might just be named after whales. </p><p>The naming of warships, especially the first in a series, can be very important as this will generally also be adopted as the name of the class. The Japanese knew this well enough to even refer to the lead ship of a class as the name ship ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%8D%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%82%B7%E3%83%83%E3%83%97" target="_blank">ネームシップ </a> <i>nemu shippu</i>). The name of the first-in-class also usually sets the tone and direction for the names of the subsequent vessels that would follow in the series. </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Kujira!</u></h4><p>In Japanese, the kanji character for whale is 鯨. On its own, this is usually pronounced as kujira ( Kun-reading ) but when combined as a word with another kanji character it is usually read as gei ( On-reading ). </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V4ZVnGKCbyM/X45stLQHVtI/AAAAAAAAIB4/DnjoEGriRcsgPrn1iAZpZqi3sH2kb2_5gCLcBGAsYHQ/s449/HokusaiGotoKujiratsuki.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="449" height="456" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V4ZVnGKCbyM/X45stLQHVtI/AAAAAAAAIB4/DnjoEGriRcsgPrn1iAZpZqi3sH2kb2_5gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h456/HokusaiGotoKujiratsuki.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ukiyo-e painting by Hokusai of the appearance of a gigantic whale<br />in the Goto Islands of Nagasaki Prefecture circa 1830. Wikipedia </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Whales and dolphins have an important place in the culture of Japan's indigenous <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ainu_people" target="_blank">Ainu people</a>. They have lived with and hunted these marine creatures for sustenance as far back as time immemorial and there are folklore and festivals to celebrate their special relationship with these animals. In other parts of Japan especially around the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kii_Peninsula" target="_blank">Kii Peninsular of Honshu</a>, coastal fishermen have been whaling with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiji,_Wakayama" target="_blank">traditional methods</a> for several centuries. Large scale commercial whaling with modern pelagic fleets only began about a hundred years ago during the Meiji era and intensified after World War II when Japan faced an acute shortage of food to feed its people. Whale meat then became a major source of protein for many Japanese in post-war Japan. However, as their country became more affluent, the Japanese could afford to import beef, pork and other meats such that whale meat consumption is now uncommon. That's not surprising at all because whale meat is tough and not as palatable as beef. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagyu" target="_blank">Wagyu</a> or Japanese beef taste a million times better than whale meat, or any meat for that matter. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--o2EUurX0Ls/X47jt4wiAbI/AAAAAAAAIDE/xySLt_3ojtom9etrXbXJSmNhZ0jkYhZ0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s756/Mie%2BTobashi%2BKujira%2BMatsuri%2BMainichishimbun.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="756" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--o2EUurX0Ls/X47jt4wiAbI/AAAAAAAAIDE/xySLt_3ojtom9etrXbXJSmNhZ0jkYhZ0gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Mie%2BTobashi%2BKujira%2BMatsuri%2BMainichishimbun.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annual Whale Festival at Toba City, Mie Prefecture.<br />Photo : Mainichi Shimbun</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>As centuries of over exploitation has drastically reduced the whale population globally, the <a href="https://iwc.int/home" target="_blank">International Whaling Commission</a> adopted a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1982. Japan is one of the handful of member nations that defied the moratorium and continued with large scale whale hunting, purportedly for scientific research. After decades of unsuccessful lobbying for the ban to be lifted, Japan eventually withdrew its IWC membership in 2018. Japan's insistence on commercial whaling which required millions of dollars of government subsidy annually might be the result of lobbying by powerful political groups with vested interests. It has alienated Japan with many anti-whaling nations including Australia, who vehemently opposed Japanese whaling activities in the southern oceans. Hopefully this senseless culling will stop in the near future.</p><p>On a lighter note, whales of various types are also featured in many Japanese manga and anime including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_the_Sea_(manga)" target="_blank">Children of the Sea</a> ( trailer below ), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tico_of_the_Seven_Seas" target="_blank">Tico of the Seven Seas</a> and my favourite, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_the_Whales" target="_blank">Children of the Whale</a> ( Kujira no Kora wa Sajo ni Utau <a href="https://kujisuna-anime.com/" target="_blank">クジラの子らは砂上に歌う</a> ).</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzYLbRI4_DAUs8-ifBf-95biAMm4YQcF7PNomg8m-tZ-RguFJoFkfo1SkBUROegyiFM6uSq3VmUiKRq234FCA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span></span><span>Children of the Sea Trailer </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><br /><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><br /></p><p><span> </span><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Submarine Names</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>While the navies of the world had been deploying surface vessels for centuries, the history of modern submarines only went back about a hundred years. Especially in the early years, submarines do not bear traditional names like their surface counterparts did but instead were assigned alphanumeric characters like U-47 or I-400. This was because the early submarines were generally of lower tonnage and were only considered as boats, and navies by tradition do not name small crafts and boats. </p><p>Even has the design and function of submarines grew increasingly complex and with their tonnage possibly exceeding those of their surface counterparts, they were still called boats, again by tradition. The only thing that has changed in recent years especially post-WWII is nowadays almost all the world's submarines are named.</p><p>JMSDF's long standing tradition of naming its submarines after oceanic currents is very apt since they are vessels of the deep and are supposed to ride the currents to strike with precision. Being an island nation surrounded by the oceans, the various currents flowing around the Japanese archipelago would be of significance as they will have a huge impact on the climate and the way of life for the people. However, after decades of naming them after currents, there are now many Japanese boats of different generations bearing the same name like Kuroshio ( 3 ), Harushio ( 2 ) and Oyashio ( 2 ). This creates confusion especially when the JMSDF historically retires its submarines after only about twenty years in service and boats of two different generations with very similar sounding names are concurrently in active service. </p><p>The arrival of the <b><i>Soryu</i></b>-class SSK changed this long standing habit with the entire class named after dragons. If anything, this allows for the instant distinction of submarine class and capability just from the name alone, well mostly, if you disregard the fact the the last two boats of the <b><i>Soryu</i></b>-class are actually powered by lithium batteries instead of the usual lead-acid accumulators combined with air-independent propulsion technology found in the rest of the class. Naming submarines after dragons are also apt as dragons, at least in East Asian culture, are powerful mythical creatures of the sea that even have the ability to unleash storms of unimaginable ferocity. </p><p>With the completion of the 12 boat <b><i>Soryu</i></b>-class submarines, it is now evident that the JMSDF is naming the lead boat of the new class after a whale. That itself does not guarantee that the subsequent vessels will also bear names of whales. For all we know it might be a marine mammal series - sea lion, seal, walrus, dolphin, or a even possibly fish series. However, based on the naming pattern observed since 1955 and the fact that the Japanese love conformity and order, I would hazard a guess that the rest of the series will also be named after whales. </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Naming Submarines After Whales</u></h4><p> </p><p>The naming of submarines after whales ( and dolphins ) is not entirely novel as proven by the numerous US Navy submarines that bear such names : Finback, Narwhale, Porpoise, Grampus ( Risso's dolphin ), Whale, Dolphin and Cachalot ( sperm whale ). In the JMSDF though, that would be a first. Even more than ocean currents and dragons, whales share many characteristics with modern submarines and to name them after whales are definitely appropriate.</p><p>For instance, both are deep diving, air breathing, fearless hunters of the oceans. Most importantly the use of sound waves in echo-location for navigation, locating prey and even performing an acoustic attack to disorientate the prey are tactics common to both toothed whales, dolphins and the modern sonar-equipped submarine. </p><p>In fact, the Japanese have nicknamed the JS <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JDS_Akishio" target="_blank">Akishio</a></i></b>, a decommissioned <b><i>Yushio</i></b>-class submarine which is currently on display at the <a href="https://www.jmsdf-kure-museum.go.jp/en/" target="_blank">JMSDF Kure Museum</a>, as the Iron Whale ( 鉄のくじら <i>tetsu no kujira</i> ) and the museum itself, Museum of the Iron Whale.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3cbYkUUcRGE/X42Npq-DWqI/AAAAAAAAIBM/zzv7zP90R3M3FJFe7D6HW6pxo7uAv6TTACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/JMSDF_AKISHIO.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3cbYkUUcRGE/X42Npq-DWqI/AAAAAAAAIBM/zzv7zP90R3M3FJFe7D6HW6pxo7uAv6TTACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/JMSDF_AKISHIO.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Iron Whale JS <b><i>Akishio</i></b> at the JMSDF Kure Museum<br />Photo : Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span><u>IJN Ships Named After Whales</u></span></h4><p><br /></p><p>While the JMSDF never had a vessel named after whales until now, its predecessor the Imperial Japanese Navy ( IJN ) had the history of naming 3 of its submarine tenders after whales. They were chronologically the Jingei ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%BF%85%E9%AF%A8_(%E6%BD%9C%E6%B0%B4%E6%AF%8D%E8%89%A6)" target="_blank">迅鯨</a> swift whale ), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_submarine_tender_Ch%C5%8Dgei" target="_blank">Chogei</a> ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%95%B7%E9%AF%A8_(%E6%BD%9C%E6%B0%B4%E6%AF%8D%E8%89%A6)" target="_blank">長鯨</a> long whale ) and the Taigei ( 大鯨 big whale ). </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1t5CKiOhc8g/X43lfKY3sHI/AAAAAAAAIBg/1yLpYg4QmGc4ob5bXzJkqyVFMivwhVdAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/61j5GK7so4L._AC_SL1000_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="1000" height="294" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1t5CKiOhc8g/X43lfKY3sHI/AAAAAAAAIBg/1yLpYg4QmGc4ob5bXzJkqyVFMivwhVdAQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h294/61j5GK7so4L._AC_SL1000_.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Submarine Tender IJN <b><i>Jingei</i></b>. Image : Pit Road</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>The IJN <b><i>Jingei</i></b> and IJN <b><i>Chogei</i></b> were sister ships that were the Imperial Navy's first purpose built submarine tenders. Launched in 1923 and 1924 respectively and with a standard displacement of 5160 long ton, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingei-class_submarine_tender" target="_blank"><b><i>Jingei</i></b>-class submarine tender</a> were designed to perform multiple roles such as being the submarine division commander's flagship with the ability to resupply and support the communications and command and control for a division of 9 medium type submarines. They could also provide for crew accommodation, perform simple repairs and carry out torpedo maintenance works. They were armed with 4 x 140mm naval guns and 2 x 76mm anti-aircraft guns and a myriad of 25mm autocannons and 13mm machine guns. After 1930 they were even equipped with a float plane. </p><p>Despite this seemingly impressive list of armament and capabilities, due to speed and size limitations, the <b><i>Jingei</i></b>-class tenders were unable to support the IJN's largest fleet submarines. They were largely obsolete by the time WWII commenced and were superseded by the IJN <b><i>Taigei</i></b>.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eb4FfEUTj0A/X43k7o0Z_tI/AAAAAAAAIBY/Dcx4PM9YPLosM5E-140QhrpKC_seKoNmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1181/aos05183_0.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="1181" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eb4FfEUTj0A/X43k7o0Z_tI/AAAAAAAAIBY/Dcx4PM9YPLosM5E-140QhrpKC_seKoNmQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h240/aos05183_0.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Submarine Tender IJN <b><i>Taigei</i></b>. Image : Aoshima<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>Launched in 1933 under the restrictions of the Washington Naval Treaty, the IJN <b><i>Taigei</i></b> was constructed as a large submarine tender with provisions for later conversion into an aircraft carrier. It was designed to support a division of the largest Japanese fleet submarines. Although it was the first major Japanese ship to be constructed using electric arc welding which was then considered innovative, lack of familiarity with the technique lead to weak welds, a warped hull and the appearance of many cracks later. The ship also suffered from poor stability because of some inherent flaws with the basic hull design resulting from an unfortunate combination of a high freeboard with a shallow draught. Its diesel engines also proved problematic, churning out only half the expected output. Damage from a typhoon shortly after completion in 1934 further delayed its integration into the fleet which eventually occurred in 1938. </p><p>Works to convert the IJN <b><i>Taigei</i></b> to a light aircraft carrier commenced in Dec 1941 in Yokosuka and was originally scheduled to be completed in 3 months. It involved the installation of a 185m flight deck and the replacement of the problematic diesel engines with steam turbines. However, numerous problems and issues including bomb damage from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doolittle_Raid" target="_blank">Doolittle air raid on Tokyo</a> delayed the completion until November 1942. The vessel was then renamed the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Ry%C5%ABh%C5%8D" target="_blank">IJN <b><i>Ryuho</i></b></a> ( <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%BE%8D%E9%B3%B3_(%E7%A9%BA%E6%AF%8D)" target="_blank">龍鳳</a> dragon phoenix ). </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PwaAxdHvnao/X43y8LOldDI/AAAAAAAAIBs/-tOe5MDAgsIKGbrGjhxT_gV_opZp1hGJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/71c8%252BjFxIKL._AC_SL1500_Ryuho%2Bfujimi%2Bshowa%2B20.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="1500" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PwaAxdHvnao/X43y8LOldDI/AAAAAAAAIBs/-tOe5MDAgsIKGbrGjhxT_gV_opZp1hGJwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h192/71c8%252BjFxIKL._AC_SL1500_Ryuho%2Bfujimi%2Bshowa%2B20.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IJN <b><i>Ryuho</i></b> 1/700 waterline series. Image : Fujimi</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The IJN <b><i>Ryuho</i></b> would carry out many aircraft ferry missions and training missions throughout the Pacific War and was also involved in combat including the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Philippine_Sea" target="_blank">Battle of the Philippine Sea</a> in 1944. It was critically damaged during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Kure_(March_1945)" target="_blank">Kure air raid</a> of March 1945, stricken on 30th Nov 1945 and scrapped in 1946. </p><p> </p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>JS Taigei ( SS-513 )</u></h4><p><br /></p><p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taigei-class_submarine" target="_blank">JS <b><i>Taigei</i></b> ( SS-513 )</a> is the first-in-class of a new generation of advance diesel-electric attack submarine built for the JMSDF. It was also known as the 29SS ( 平成29年計画潜水艦 ) as it was promulgated in the defense plans in the 29th year of the Heisei era ( 2017 ) or even the 3000 Ton Class Submarine ( 3000トン型潜水艦 ) as that was the intended displacement of the new submarine.</p><p>It is the successor to the already very capable <b><i>Soryu</i></b>-class SSK with improvements in hull design for extreme quietness and impact resistance. The propeller and hull shapes are optimised to reduce flow noise generation and the submarine will adopt a floating floor structure with floorboards being attached to the inner shell via a buffer mechanism to reduce the outward transmission of vibrations and to protect the submarine against exogenous shock waves. </p><p>Incorporating advance optical fiber technology, the integrated sonar suite comprising of a bow array, flank array and towed array, is designed to detect a future generation of very quiet submarines of Japan's near-peer rivals. The bow cylindrical array has a conformal horseshoe shape for improved directivity while the flank array has been changed from the conventional piezoelectric type hydrophones to an optical fiber hydrophone array making it smaller and lighter with reduced power requirements and reduced susceptibility to electromagnetic interference from within the submarine. The towed array has also been similarly infused with optical fiber technology for improved directivity and sensitivity.</p><p>The torpedo countermeasure system ( TCM ) installed on the Taigei is similar to those found on the last 5 <b><i>Soryu</i></b>-class submarines. The Type 1 Mod 1 <a href="https://www.darpa.mil/about-us/timeline/non-penetrating-periscope" target="_blank">non-hull penetrating</a> photonics mast / periscope is said to be a licenced version of the <a href="http://www.thales7seas.com/html_2014/products/202/Optronic_Masts_CM010_1.pdf" target="_blank">Thales CM010</a> produced by Mitsubishi. Unlike traditional periscopes, these modern prism-less digital sensor masts only require very small apertures through the pressure hull for cabling and that preserves the integrity of the hull. They need not be directly above the user and are much more compact and can be housed entirely in the sail. This provides flexibility to the location of the control room which can be moved from the cramped upper deck to the more spacious second deck. Other areas of innovation are found in the submarine's C4ISTAR control systems which features enhanced combat management system and tactical display consoles. It is believed that the <b><i>Taigei</i></b> will be armed with japan's most advance Type 18 (G-RX6 ) torpedoes and the trusty Harpoon anti-ship missiles. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M_p1ipm0OgM/X47f86z7BrI/AAAAAAAAIC4/36dxfTCCZjAHdN0hrHAJuI4X3UIahOy-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1218/b0e601442fd875aeed2cda21ba002817%2BTaigei%2BMaritime%2BStaff%2BOffice%2BEnglish.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="1218" height="224" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M_p1ipm0OgM/X47f86z7BrI/AAAAAAAAIC4/36dxfTCCZjAHdN0hrHAJuI4X3UIahOy-gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h224/b0e601442fd875aeed2cda21ba002817%2BTaigei%2BMaritime%2BStaff%2BOffice%2BEnglish.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JS <b><i>Taigei</i></b> Innovations. <br />Original image without annotations : Maritime Staff Office.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Just like the last two boats of the <b><i>Soryu</i></b>-class, the JS <b><i>Taigei</i></b> has a high efficiency power generation and storage system which utilises diesel engines and lithium-ion batteries, a combination which completely negates the need for an air-independent propulsion system. The lithium batteries, likely the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_nickel_cobalt_aluminium_oxides#:~:text=The%20lithium%20nickel%20cobalt%20aluminium,when%20the%20battery%20is%20discharged%29." target="_blank">Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminium Oxide</a> ( NCA ) variety that populated SS-511 and SS-512 as well, were developed by Japan's leading battery maker GS Yuasa. They have many advantages when compared with lead-acid batteries, including having a higher energy density, a greater depth of discharge, a greater efficiency, a shorter charging time, a lower rate of self-discharge, a longer lifespan and also being lighter and more compact. The only disadvantages are cost and the increase in the risk of combustion which can be somewhat mitigated through the incorporation of special protective circuitry.</p><p>All these advantages of lithium-ion battery technology will translate to better endurance, higher dash speed, and better survivability for the submarine. To rapidly charge its lithium batteries, the <b><i>Taigei</i></b> will feature a new snorkel power generation system which involves improvements to the snorkel, diesel engines and the generators.</p><p>Externally, the <b><i>Taigei</i></b> looks rather similar to the <b><i>Soryu</i></b> submarines with the same hull form, diving planes, propeller and x-shaped rudder. Its interior however is designed to accept female submariners with separate bunking facilities. This is also a first for the JMSDF as their silent service has only recently lifted restrictions on the placement of female personnel onboard submarines.</p><p>Built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries at its Kobe shipyard at a cost of 80 billion yen ( US$800 million ), the JS <b><i>Taigei</i></b> was launched and named on 14th Oct 2020 by Defense Minister <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobuo_Kishi" target="_blank">Kishi Nobuo</a> ( 岸信夫 ) who is actually ex-Prime Minister Abe Shinzo's brother. The commanding officer of the pre-commissioning unit is 45 year old Commander Tsuchiya Tooru ( 二等海佐 土屋亨 ) who will very likely continue as the first CO upon the <b><i>Taigei</i></b>'s commissioning.</p><p>The boat is scheduled to be commissioned in Mar 2022 and will be converted into an experimental submarine for the testing and evaluation of new technology for Japan's next generation submarines. This arrangement will allow existing JMSDF submarines to dedicate their entire service life to operational and training matters, rather than the existing routine of having every submarine in the fleet to take turns performing the testbed role. Currently, the Japanese Ministry of Defense has allocated funds for three more submarines of the <b><i>Taigei</i></b>-class, SS-514 ( 30SS ) $697million, SS-515 ( 31SS ) $698million and SS-516 $702million. Budgetary approval for a fifth boat had been submitted on 30th Sep 2020. Following tradition, Mitsubishi and Kawasaki will each take turns building the submarines until the entire class is completed. </p><p>The following photos and video of the launch and naming ceremony are courtesy of the JMSDF.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H2UC5YFIkd0/X46nHLZjSXI/AAAAAAAAICI/np-4RaKE_mkmpC8D5irRlaEvxzDXHVh_wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1486/01.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="1486" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H2UC5YFIkd0/X46nHLZjSXI/AAAAAAAAICI/np-4RaKE_mkmpC8D5irRlaEvxzDXHVh_wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The JS <b><i>Taigei</i></b> is the 1320th ship ( 第一三二〇番船 ) <br />constructed at the MHI Kobe shipyard.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5uERn2JoiUI/X5ZYOxj90vI/AAAAAAAAIFE/CIJY7nsx27IZckrxXh62L79fqDHgChsGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1486/07.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="1486" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5uERn2JoiUI/X5ZYOxj90vI/AAAAAAAAIFE/CIJY7nsx27IZckrxXh62L79fqDHgChsGwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/07.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi cutting rope with silver axe<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yO_U76yYa0M/X5ZWTQTE64I/AAAAAAAAIE4/FkS3RSq1Y9I_Afobm9O_i1iW9IReEJMpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s723/03A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="573" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yO_U76yYa0M/X5ZWTQTE64I/AAAAAAAAIE4/FkS3RSq1Y9I_Afobm9O_i1iW9IReEJMpgCLcBGAsYHQ/w508-h640/03A.jpg" width="508" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ceremonial Silver Launching Axe<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9N5wY49YjTU/X46nH1uTAgI/AAAAAAAAICU/A6YszeFm5Yg2qdotsYvtQqcGF1AUzpzuwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1486/10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="1486" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9N5wY49YjTU/X46nH1uTAgI/AAAAAAAAICU/A6YszeFm5Yg2qdotsYvtQqcGF1AUzpzuwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/10.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Streamers activated as boat is launched<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V8BSJw1CrxU/X46nH3tSThI/AAAAAAAAICQ/F4a26M9b1tkG5jW0Gy5Q0u4YmGVhbvsPQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1486/12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="1486" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V8BSJw1CrxU/X46nH3tSThI/AAAAAAAAICQ/F4a26M9b1tkG5jW0Gy5Q0u4YmGVhbvsPQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colourful balloons released as boat moves down the slipway<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OpbR0MYJfFc/X46nIBndjtI/AAAAAAAAICY/AsgTAM2MalIpbQNDqETXBLvC2qYlal3WQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1165/14A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="1165" height="434" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OpbR0MYJfFc/X46nIBndjtI/AAAAAAAAICY/AsgTAM2MalIpbQNDqETXBLvC2qYlal3WQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h434/14A.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More fitting and trails await the JS <b><i>Taigei</i></b><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxg_Z2yOvXAbwyHKEB-DEGWdEzIxbt7kf-SE1PzvcP7IZ7T7lM3lJ2BLm-UHlr5tR99x7Cr_h2J_QeVENsxqg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">JS Taigei Launch video </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Likely Names of the <i>Taigei</i>-Class Submarines</u></h4><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Assuming a naming convention comprising of whale names, other names likely to be selected for the submarines in the series will definitely include those already given to the IJN ships in the past and that will include Jingei and Chogei. However, to differentiate itself from its imperial past, JMSDF will omit the use of kanji characters in the written form of the ship's name and instead write it in the hiragana form. So the Japanese name of the submarine <b><i>Taigei</i></b> will be written as たいげい but not 大鯨. </div><div><br /></div><div>This practice of kanji omission is regrettable and rather frustrating. Many different kanji characters share the same pronunciation. To present a name comprising of a string of kanji characters in its syllabary hiragana form may not reveal the actual characters and therefore their meaning at one look. There will be none of this ambiguity when the names are presented in kanji, like in the bad old days. </div><div><br /></div><div>Below is a compilation of possible names for subsequent vessels.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 5.4pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
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<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">瑞鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">ずいげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Zuigei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Auspicious<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">巨鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">きょげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Kyogei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Huge<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">雪鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">ゆきげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Yukigei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Snow<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">祥鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">しょうげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Shogei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Blessed<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">雲鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">うんげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Ungei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Cloud<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">魔鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">まげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Magei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Magical<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">玉鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">たまげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Tamagei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Jade<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">宝鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">ほうげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Hogei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Treasure<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">仁鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">じんげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Jingei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Kind<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 4.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 10;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">迅鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">じんげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Jingei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Swift<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">騰鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">とうげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Togei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Leaping<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">闘鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">とうげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Togei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Fighting<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">涛鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">とうげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Togei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Wave<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 4.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 14;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">韻鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">いんげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Ingei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Rhythm<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">長鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">ちょうげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Chogei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Long<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">遠鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">えんげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Engei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Afar<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">淵鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">えんげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Engei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Abyssal<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">焔鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">えんげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Engei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Flaming<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">琥鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">こげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Kogei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Amber<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">古鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">こげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Kogei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Ancient<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">皇鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">こうげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Kogei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Emperor<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">煌鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">こうげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Kogei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Glittering<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">王鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">おうげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Ogei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">King<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">螢鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">けいげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Keigei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Fluorescent<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">楽鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">らくげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Rakugei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Merry<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">雷鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">らいげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Raigei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Thunder<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">舞鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">まいげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Maigei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Dancing<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
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<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">襲鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">しゅうげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Shugei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Attacking<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
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<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
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<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">寿鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">じゅげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Shugei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Longevity<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
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<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.35pt;" valign="top" width="47">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></p>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 42.45pt;" valign="top" width="57">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">若鯨</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">わかげい</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Wakagei<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; height: 4.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.25in;" valign="top" width="120">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Young<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0u6lQ8Xw-G8/X5ANNOFqGmI/AAAAAAAAIEA/MVY88UstA20O_IJSpfN4gf5fsYHGvL3OwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/EkaheyLUwAATWfO.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1446" data-original-width="2048" height="452" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0u6lQ8Xw-G8/X5ANNOFqGmI/AAAAAAAAIEA/MVY88UstA20O_IJSpfN4gf5fsYHGvL3OwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h452/EkaheyLUwAATWfO.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some Taigei Specifications and Manga Art by @ginntokii via twitter</td></tr></tbody></table><div><u><br /><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Taigei-Class Specifications</u></h4><div><br /></div><div>Displacement ( surface ) : 3000 Tonnes </div><div>Displacement ( submerged ) : 4200+ Tonnes?</div><div>Length 84.0m</div><div>Beam 9.1m</div><div>Draught : 10.4m</div><div>Complement : 70</div><div>Engine Type : Diesel-Electric</div><div>Storage : Lithium-Ion Battery - Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminium Oxide ( NCA ) ?</div><div>Propulsion : Screw Propeller x 1</div><div>Speed : 20 knots submerged</div><div>Range : ?</div><div>Operational Depth : ?</div><div><br /></div><div>C4ISTAR</div><div><br /></div><div>Submarine Combat Management System ( 潜水艦情報管理システム )</div><div>Core Network System ? ( 基幹ネットワークシステム )</div><div>Submarine Tactical Display System ZQX-12 ( 潜水艦戦術状況表示装置 )</div><div>Information Processing Subsystem OYX-1 ( 情報処理サブシステム )</div><div><div>Electronic Support Measures : NZLR-2 ( 電波探知装置 )</div><div>Surface Search Radar : ZPS-6H ( 対水上捜索用レーダ )</div></div><div>Sonar : ZQQ-8 Fiber-Optic Array ( ソナー ) ( 水中音波探知機 ) </div><div>Periscope : Non-penetrating Periscope Type 1 Mod 1 ( 非貫通式潜望鏡1型改1 ) </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Armament </div><div><br /></div><div>HU-606 21 inch ( 533mm ) Torpedo Tubes x 6 ( 魚雷発射管 )</div><div>Type 18 Heavyweight Torpedo ( 18式長魚雷 )</div><div>UGM-84 Harpoon Missile ( ハープーン対艦 ミサイル)</div><div><br /></div><div>Others</div><div><br /></div><div>Torpedo Countermeasure System ( 潜水艦魚雷防御システム )</div><div>Snorkel Power Generation System ( スノーケル発電システム ) </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><div>The JMSDF currently has 9 <b><i>Oyashio</i></b>-class submarines and 11 <b><i>Soryu</i></b>-class submarines in operational service. The two oldest <b><i>Oyashio</i></b> boats have already been converted into training submarines, JS <b><i>Oyashio</i></b> TSS-3608 ( ex-SS-590 ) in 2015 and JS <b><i>Michishio</i></b> TSS-3609 ( ex-SS-591 ) in 2017. The last <b><i>Soryu</i></b> boat JS <b><i>Toryu</i></b> ( SS-512 ) will be commissioned in Mar 2021 and together with the JS <b><i>Taigei</i></b>, these two submarines will enable the JMSDF to achieve its goal of fielding 22 submarines by the year 2022. This fleet size is important to counter China's increasing number of sophisticated AIP capable Type 039A submarines.</div><div><br /></div><div>With enhancement and innovation featured in virtually every sub-system, the <b><i>Taigei</i></b> looks set to revolutionize submarine design and operations. The fact that it will be a dedicated experimental submarine means that the JMSDF can push the boundaries of advance technology in a continuous manner and introduce them to its operational fleet at the earliest opportunity, without having to wait years and decades for a new class of submarine to be constructed. This timely introduction of advance capabilities has already been observed among the <b><i>Soryu</i></b>-class boats, like the torpedo countermeasure system that was installed from the 8th to the 12th boat, and the lithium-ion battery of the last 2 boats of the series. The <b><i>Taigei</i></b> will no doubt accelerate the testing and implementation of such future technology within the Japanese submarine fleet. And that is definitely a good thing. </div><div><br /></div><div>May the <b><i>Taigei</i></b> be the first in a pod. Ganbatte Kudasai!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Supernovahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00864419524992223122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544652274919432780.post-49712770485497095912020-10-15T20:08:00.006+08:002020-10-17T01:15:34.928+08:00Victory-Class Missile Corvettes : Crooked Masts And Other Quirky Stuff ...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Missile Corvette P88 RSS <b><i>Victory</i></b> in its original configuration<br />
Photo : Lurssen</td></tr>
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The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory-class_corvette" target="_blank"><i><b>Victory</b></i>-class missile corvette</a> ( MCV ) of the Republic of Singapore Navy ( RSN ) might be small but do not let its size fool you. At 530 tonnes, these tiny multi-role platforms are not much bigger than the fast attack crafts favoured by many small navies of the world but they do pack a huge punch and could pose a serious threat to much larger opponents. <br />
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Based on the MGB 62 design by German shipbuilder <a href="https://luerssen-defence.com/" target="_blank">Lurssen Werft</a>, in its original configuration, its impressive list of capabilities included anti-surface warfare ( ASuW ), anti-submarine warfare ( ASW ), anti-air warfare ( AAW ) and electronic warfare ( EW ), encompassing the domains of maritime surveillance / interdiction and confined / shallow waters operations.<br />
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First commissioned 30 years ago in 1990, the missile corvettes are fast approaching the end of their service life. The RSN plans to retire them by 2025 and replace them with a new class of warships known as <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4544652274919432780/5470297991868991158?hl=en" target="_blank">multi-role combat vessels</a> ( MRCV ). That timeline has since been revised and postponed for another 5 years to 2030.<br />
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We look at the history and evolution of the <b><i>Victory</i></b>-class missile corvette through some quirky facts that you may not have known.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WpplP9L0ZMg/X0UGqmL6jDI/AAAAAAAAHyM/oE6GoopvUhU-tcFEDNbSeiEixCvirylHwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20080730ran8100087_006-RSS%252BVengeance%252B-28P93-29.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1103" data-original-width="1600" height="440" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WpplP9L0ZMg/X0UGqmL6jDI/AAAAAAAAHyM/oE6GoopvUhU-tcFEDNbSeiEixCvirylHwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/20080730ran8100087_006-RSS%252BVengeance%252B-28P93-29.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Missile Corvette RSS <i><b>Vengeance</b></i> at Ex Kakadu 2008<br />
Source : Royal Australian Navy</td></tr>
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<h4>
<u>It All Started With The MGB</u></h4>
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The RSN ordered its first generation missile equipped vessels, the <a href="https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/singapore/rss-sea-wolf.htm" target="_blank"><strong><em>Sea Wolf</em></strong>-class missile gunboat</a> ( MGB ) in 1968 and had integrated and commissioned them between 1975 and 1976. They were armed with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_(missile)" target="_blank">Gabriel anti-ship missile</a> ( AShM ) of Israeli origin. The Gabriel was the world's first operational sea-skimming AShM and had already proven its worth during the Yom Kippur War of 1973 in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Latakia" target="_blank">Battle of Latakia</a>. The use of semi-active radar homing meant that the MGB would have to track the target with its fire control radar and issue guidance command to the missile in flight. The Gabriel consequently has a maximum range of only 20km, limited by the radar horizon.<br />
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Operating these warships with then rather complex weapon systems allowed the RSN to acquire the technological expertise and nurture a core group of combat officers and technical personnel who were able to effectively operate and maintain sophisticated weapons system and platforms. The experience and knowledge gained from the MGB acquisition and integration also gave the RSN confidence to define and design its next generation surface combatant, the missile corvette, based on its unique littoral operational requirements.<br />
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<h4>
<u>Maintaining The Technological Edge</u></h4>
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Although the RSN was the first among the South East Asian navies to operate missile boats and the first to have successfully test fired an AShM in 1974, it quickly found itself operationally disadvantaged barely a few years later when a regional near-peer entity acquired a longer range AShM with active radar homing and advanced fire control radar. It was felt that the shorter range of the Gabriel represented a significant handicap and the RSN conducted a study in 1979 to build three 57m boats armed with longer range active radar homing missiles. Another option was to upgrade the existing MGB by removing two to three of the Gabriel missiles and replacing them with more advanced active homing missiles. <br />
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The decision to upgrade the MGB came in early 1983, but the RSN ditched the proposed 57m craft and instead decided in December 1983 on acquiring six larger 62m missile corvettes. The anti-ship missile system selected for both the MGB upgrade and the MCV was the McDonnell Douglas ( now Boeing ) RGM-84 Harpoon. <br />
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<h4>
<u>RSN's New Found Mission</u></h4>
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Apart from being inadvertently caught up in a regional AShM arms race, justification for procuring the missile corvettes also came in the early eighties when the RSN, having lost its sense of purpose and direction after a long period of preoccupation with policing and patrolling the coastal waters of Singapore especially during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_boat_people" target="_blank">Vietnamese boat people refugee crisis</a>, suddenly discovered it had a critical role to play in keeping Singapore's sea lines of communication ( SLOC ) open as the island nation's trade dependent economy, its energy needs and food imports were entirely reliant on the premise of free and open navigation on the high seas. This realization of the RSN's strategic role was accredited to Mr Peter Ho, then Head of Naval Plans Department, who examined Singapore's trade statistics and discovered the importance of the shipping lanes to the survival and security of Singapore.<br />
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In line with this new found vision and responsibility, the RSN could no longer remain a coastal navy contented with near shore operations. Bigger warships with better seakeeping characteristics would be required in order to operate effectively up to a thousand kilometers or more away from the home base. With a length of 45m and displacing just 270 tonnes the MGBs were really more suitable for littoral operations.<br />
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At the same time the threat that submarines posed to the trade routes became ever more real as regional navies modernize and either acquired, expanded or upgraded their submarine fleets. This meant that the corvettes would have to have anti-submarine capabilities as well, a first for the RSN.<br />
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<h4>
<u>The V-class MCV</u></h4>
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The first corvette was built and launched in Germany in 1988 while the remaining five were constructed domestically by Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering ( now known as <a href="https://www.stengg.com/en/marine/" target="_blank">Singapore Technology Marine</a> ). The first three corvettes were commissioned in 1990 while the rest were commissioned a year later. <br />
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They all had names starting with the letter V - Victory, Valour, Vigilance, Valiant, Vigour and Vengeance. Apart from the first-in-class RSS <strong><em>Victory</em></strong>, the other 5 ships had their names chosen by the public through a name-the-ship competition in Jan 1988. The series of names that were pre-selected included RSS Vampire, RSS Vulcan and RSS Vendetta but the participants were free to submit other names as long as it began with the letter V. In those pre-internet days, the entry forms had to be distributed nationwide at major shopping malls, libraries and community centres. They also appeared in newspapers and even the Ministry of Defense's own publication the Pioneer magazine. By April, the RSN had received more than 24000 entries. The prizes were sponsored by the builder of the corvettes, SSE.<br />
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The six missile corvettes form the 188 Squadron / 8th Flotilla of the RSN based at Tuas Naval Base in the south-western part of Singapore. This year marks the 30th anniversary for the MCV as well as the 188th Squadron.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p9iZH7t9Xk0/X2H6VOtHe-I/AAAAAAAAH4U/MhW0h-lmTVQOm4-bU7TJdIPxQ_XwihwPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Jan%2B1988%2B88204935_2997220877008744_6861338464428752896_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1191" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p9iZH7t9Xk0/X2H6VOtHe-I/AAAAAAAAH4U/MhW0h-lmTVQOm4-bU7TJdIPxQ_XwihwPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Jan%2B1988%2B88204935_2997220877008744_6861338464428752896_o.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Name Our Ships competition entry slip circa 1988<br />
Photo : RSN</td></tr>
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<h4>
<u>The Tall Mast</u></h4>
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During the age of sail, the mast was an essential part of the ship whose purpose was to carry the sail and by virtue of its height the best position to display navigation lights, signal flags and the best position to place lookouts and snipers. The biggest sailing vessels frequently have multiple masts and they are usually constructed of solid timber. <br />
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Modern vessels in contrast have masts not to carry sails but to house electronic equipment necessary for navigation and warfighting in the case of naval vessels. Height still matters as many of these devices operate by line of sight principles and the higher up you position them the greater their effectiveness or the better the range. Navigation radar, fire control radar, surface and air search radar, electro-optic sensors, communications antennae, electronic counter-measure and electronic support measure devices are among the myriad of equipment found on or within the hollow structure of the mast proper. Naval vessels have the tallest masts. If you spot a ship from afar and it has a tall mast, chances are it would be a man-of-war.<br />
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The most striking thing a person would notice when looking at the profile view or the silhouette of the <strong><em>Victory</em></strong>-class corvette is the disproportionately tall mast in relation to the length of the hull. While the MCV has a length of 62m, the combined height of the main mast and auxiliary mast could reach about 36m above the waterline. It never failed to remind me of the World War II Japanese battleships with their <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagoda_mast" target="_blank">pagoda superstructures</a>.<br />
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It was as if the marine architects had taken the blue prints of a 1200-tonne corvette, kept all the weapons and sensors as it were, left the mast intact but had shrunken the hull. So you end up with a warship that packed the firepower of a corvette but housed in the body of a gunboat. After all, the MCV was based on Lurssen Werft's MGB 62 design with the MGB presumably meaning <em><strong>missile gunboat</strong></em> and 62 indicating the length of the design in meters.<br />
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The mast of the <b><i>Victory</i></b>-class MCV is so tall and is crammed with so many electronic devices that it has a tendency to make the corvette seem top heavy and perhaps contribute to a higher tendency to roll in adverse weather conditions. Having said that, the MCV has been known to roll more than 40 degrees both ways during a tropical storm, causing pots and pans to tumble in the galley and lookouts on the bridge to have to grip the railings tight. Yet, miraculously the corvette would right itself after each swell to see another day. After all the MCV hull is constructed of light gauge steel built around a special longitudinal framing system for ruggedness and good sea keeping characteristics, with the superstructure being constructed using marine grade aluminium alloy. Accordingly, the MCV is able to withstand conditions up to sea state 5. Kudos to the naval architects who designed the ship.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7jGIl3JwmsQ/X2IMd3RolWI/AAAAAAAAH4g/hhl_8s-xnxUTGzzonXG36EFK4C96IaRxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Valiant%2BJebat%2BBallarat%2BKakadu%2B20050801ran8098978_053.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7jGIl3JwmsQ/X2IMd3RolWI/AAAAAAAAH4g/hhl_8s-xnxUTGzzonXG36EFK4C96IaRxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Valiant%2BJebat%2BBallarat%2BKakadu%2B20050801ran8098978_053.jpg" width="512" /></a>.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RSS <b><i>Valiant</i></b>, KD <b><i>Jebat</i></b> and HMAS <b><i>Ballarat</i></b> at Ex Kakadu 2005.<br />
Note the VDS at the stern and the tall mast.<br />Photo : Royal Australian Navy </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h4><u>The Crooked Auxiliary Mast</u></h4>
<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In its original configuration before the Ship Life Extension Program ( SLEP ) upgrades, the MCV had a rather signature angled auxiliary mast which towered above the main mast. This slanting was necessary to minimize <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_interference#:~:text=Electromagnetic%20interference%20(EMI)%2C%20also,%2C%20electrostatic%20coupling%2C%20or%20conduction." target="_blank">electromagnetic interference</a> ( EMI ) among the various radars, ESM and ECM installations within or atop the main mast.</div><br />The MCV's mast can be broadly divided into two parts - the main mast and the auxiliary mast. The main mast is part of the ship structure and supports the heaviest electronic devices. Its top platform bears the rotating Ericsson Sea Giraffe 150HC air and surface search radar while the front and back facing tracking / fire-control radars are installed on lower pedestals in front of and behind the mast proper. To create even higher points for the placement of ESM and tactical communications intelligence ( TACOMINT ) antennae, the auxiliary mast is installed above the main mast from a position posterior to the search radar. <br /><div><br /></div><div>In order to minimise EMI between the various installations, the electronic experts at DSO National Laboratories determined that there was a necessity for the ESM and TACOMINT antennae to be placed concentric with the search radar's centre of rotation. Hence the naval architects engineered a customised slanted auxiliary mast with carefully calculated lengths and slant angles to place the antennae directly above the rotating radar. The auxiliary mast was constructed using materials with the desirable mechanical strength, rigidity and fatigue lifespan to hold not only these antennae and their connecting cables but also the navigation radar.</div><div><br />
With the SLEP, much of the original mast mounted equipment have been upgraded or replaced and the legacy EMI considerations no longer existed. The auxiliary mast was therefore straightened, leading to a more normal appearance. Thus looking at the numerous MCV photos, the alignment of the auxiliary mast gives immediate information whether it was a pre or post SLEP ship. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V_Sqq5GQebI/X22ScR2PI5I/AAAAAAAAH6o/E4tPQtpx_V8qPSzmpiopt-9sbAzHxm7pACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/1542076.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V_Sqq5GQebI/X22ScR2PI5I/AAAAAAAAH6o/E4tPQtpx_V8qPSzmpiopt-9sbAzHxm7pACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/1542076.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-SLEP RSS <b><i>Vigour</i></b> with slanted auxiliary mast</td></tr></tbody></table><h4>
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<br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>C Band Surveillance Radar</u></h4></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Larger warships such as destroyers and frigates tend to have their primary surveillance radars operating at the lower frequencies of S Band or L Band for superior detection range. However these lower frequency radars require large ( and therefore heavy ) antennae in order to achieve better angular resolution. As physical size and weight are major limiting factors for many naval applications on small vessels, the C Band surveillance radar system selected for the MCV is a calculated compromise between range and resolution within the loading constrains imposed on the main mast. </div><div><br /></div><div>The MCVs were originally equipped with the Ericsson ( now SAAB ) Sea Giraffe 150HC operating in C Band ( NATO G/H Band ) as their main air and surface search radar. It was a small, medium ranged 2D naval radar that is suitable for installation on small surface combatants. It is said to have a maximum instrumented detection range of 130km against fighter aircraft and 7km against very small, stealthy airborne targets.</div><div><br /></div><div>With the SLEP, the corvettes had their radar system upgraded to the <a href="https://www.saab.com/products/sea-giraffe-amb" target="_blank">SAAB Sea Giraffe AMB</a> ( Agile Multi-Beam ) which is an advanced 3D active phase array radar operating in the same G/H Band ( old IEEE nomenclature C Band ) between 5.4GHz to 5.9GHz. This multi-role, medium range surveillance radar has a high update rate and is optimised for detecting small air and surface targets, including sea-skimming missiles, in all kinds of environment including the littorals. The instrumented rage of the Sea Giraffe AMB is 180km. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5RlLpYNy5CA/X4bjZ4XGRTI/AAAAAAAAH9k/xM14WSCGSG8slPLwo0X6yl9RzNLop1TuQCLcBGAsYHQ/s682/17jul18_nr4%2Bpioneer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="682" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5RlLpYNy5CA/X4bjZ4XGRTI/AAAAAAAAH9k/xM14WSCGSG8slPLwo0X6yl9RzNLop1TuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/17jul18_nr4%2Bpioneer.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-SLEP RSS <b><i>Valiant</i></b> with Sea Giraffe AMB atop main mast.<br />Note straight auxiliary mast. Photo : Mindef</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><br /></div><div><h4><u>The Fish</u></h4><br /><br />Another unique feature of the <b><i>Victory</i></b>-class MCV was the presence of a white ovoid structure with fins at the stern. This was the Thomson Sintra TSM 2064 variable depth sonar ( VDS ) used to detect submarines a.k.a. the Fish. It can be deployed in either active or passive listening modes and was designed to be effective for shallow littoral waters. As the name implies, the VDS can be deployed at different depths beneath the ocean to penetrate different thermal and salinity layers, something which a hull-mounted sonar cannot do.<br /><br />The naval architects had already done simulations and determined that hull-mounted sonars were not compatible with the hull form and operational profile of the MCV. Fortunately the TSM 2064 is small and light enough to be installed onboard small vessels like the MCV. The <b><i>Victory</i></b>-class corvettes are probably among the smallest ships equipped with VDS.<br /><br />Together with its triple barrel torpedo launchers, the VDS was central to the anti-submarine capability of the MCV. <br /><br />Note that the Fish and the torpedo launchers were removed during the SLEP of the MCV between 2011 - 2013, taking away the ASW capabilities of the corvettes. Instead, the MCV gain a new capability in the form of the ScanEagle UAV.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PZZVaQfDWp8/X24SVuh85RI/AAAAAAAAH7M/WuOK6mWTJv4Ks_YgWzIJ0eBxxO5z4QdXwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Kakadu%2BCollins%2BFlare%2BVengeance%2B20080729ran8100087_075A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="2048" height="378" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PZZVaQfDWp8/X24SVuh85RI/AAAAAAAAH7M/WuOK6mWTJv4Ks_YgWzIJ0eBxxO5z4QdXwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h378/Kakadu%2BCollins%2BFlare%2BVengeance%2B20080729ran8100087_075A.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RSS <b><i>Vengeance</i></b> with VDS at the stern during Ex Kakadu 2008.<br />Image : Royal Australian Navy</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><h4><u>Unmanned Aerial Vehicles</u></h4>
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It might surprise you but the naval architects had made design provisions for the MCV to operate unmanned rotary aircrafts. However, those provisions were not activated as the UAV technology was not mature enough then to produce viable candidates for deployment on a small naval platform like the MCV. One hurdle was the very low reliability of the unmanned rotary system, with very short mean time between failure. Another issue was the prohibitive cost involved in implementing a then immature technology. So it wasn't until early 2009 that ship-based trials with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_Insitu_ScanEagle" target="_blank">ScanEagle UAV</a> were successfully conducted on the flight decks of RSN's LST and frigate. Only upon completion of the MCV's life extension program between 2011 and 2013 did we see the addition of the UAV capability to the corvettes. <br />
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The ScanEagle is a small, long endurance, low altitude UAV derived from the SeaScan UAV originally used by commercial fishermen to track schools of tuna. It has a wing-span of 3.1m, a length of 1.6m and weighs about 20kg. Its cruising speed is around 55 knots. It has a maximum range of more than 100km and an endurance of about 20 hours. Its service ceiling is about 16000ft. The UAV requires no flight deck or runway and is instead launched by a catapult and recovered by a proprietary SkyHook retrieval system.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RhzwZsHzm74/X2CUwyQ8mjI/AAAAAAAAH4I/_scNwKipiokaS0nRhdn402VOL9ErP3kjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/66705449_2514956525235184_7460150286670102528_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="960" height="474" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RhzwZsHzm74/X2CUwyQ8mjI/AAAAAAAAH4I/_scNwKipiokaS0nRhdn402VOL9ErP3kjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/66705449_2514956525235184_7460150286670102528_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ScanEagle on its launcher on the aft deck of the MCV<br />
flanked on both sides by 8 cell Barak VLS. Photo : RSN<br />
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Initially a land-based commercial off-the-shelf UAV system, even when adapted for naval use, the ScanEagle is usually deployed on the wide flight deck of large vessels such as frigates and never on smaller vessels the size of the MCV. The MCV never had a flight deck to start off with and its confined aft deck area had to support different activities including missile firing, sea boat launch and recovery, and mooring operations. Installing the ScanEagle launcher in its original configuration would have taken up too much space and would have prevented the undertaking of other deck activities. Instead, the naval engineers of the DSO National Laboratories came up with the idea of a modified launcher mounted on a customized turntable. Controlled rotation of the launcher would create an optimized UAV launch envelop while stowing it when not in use would create the necessary clearances for the firing of the Barak missiles and other deck operations. UAV operations can be conducted even under high sea state conditions as the turntable launcher is always firmly secured to the ship deck even when rotating. This innovative launch system also reduces the launch preparation time by 90% and can be operated by just a single ship crew instead of the usual three man team. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_U1PM3tvioQ/X2MpicdX8PI/AAAAAAAAH5A/Opc7FtttvUU4dVbE3bhhNFJfB2FEGrdtwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Skyhook%2BRSN%2B17854850_1451446008252913_8361947891588157390_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="358" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_U1PM3tvioQ/X2MpicdX8PI/AAAAAAAAH5A/Opc7FtttvUU4dVbE3bhhNFJfB2FEGrdtwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Skyhook%2BRSN%2B17854850_1451446008252913_8361947891588157390_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ScanEagle recovery with the SkyHook onboard RSS <b><i>Valour</i></b>.<br />
RSN Photo.</td></tr>
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Similarly, the SkyHook arrestor system for the recovery of the UAV had also been specially modified for the MCV. It would normally occupy an area of 25m<sup>2</sup> but was re-engineered to be extendable for recovery operations and retractable for stowage with a reduced footprint of just 10m<sup>2</sup>. Despite this, the lack of open space on the aft deck still required the modification of the ScanEagle's flight path to be at an angle to the ship during retrieval in order to minimise safety risks. The SkyHook is mounted on the starboard side of the corvette close to when the torpedo launchers once stood.<br />
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The significance of the ScanEagle UAV is that it gives the MCV a surveillance capability that is organic to the ship, thus drastically increasing the situation awareness level of the ship crew. Flying ahead of the ship, the UAV provides, among other things, live video feeds of its surroundings. The ship therefore no longer needs to solely rely on the maritime patrol aircraft or third party inputs for information on its immediate threat environment and target coordinates. The ScanEagle can instead be deployed as long as weather conditions permit. It will allow the MCV to maintain its over-the-horizon surveillance and targeting capabilities even when operating far away from its home base, out of range of any supporting MPA.<br />
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<br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>
Maritime Patrol Aircraft</u></h4>
<div><br /></div><div><br /></div>The Republic of Singapore Air Force acquired six <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_SC.7_Skyvan" target="_blank">Short SH-7 Skyvan</a> in 1973 ( three 3M-400-15 and three 3M-400-16 variants ) and conducted the first airborne maritime surveillance operation in 1975. Although the Harpoon AShM of the MCV is said to give it a beyond the horizon strike capability, the shipboard radar does not have that over-the-horizon detection range. In order to fully harness the long range strike capability of the Harpoon, the MCV needs help from maritime patrol aircraft to provide it with target coordinates. The MCV is therefore designed to work with the RSAF's Skyvan MPA and later its replacement, the Fokker F-50 Enforcer MPA, by means of secure digital communication and data link. <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UF6BV3shgMg/X27DWOP9qzI/AAAAAAAAH7k/jZRcPfDXiN49GDbaw3WgNR9JAwYKCkRFACLcBGAsYHQ/s946/Skyvan%2BSH-7%2B121%2BSqn%2BRSAF%2B14264844_956529307788927_6731815006913280329_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="946" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UF6BV3shgMg/X27DWOP9qzI/AAAAAAAAH7k/jZRcPfDXiN49GDbaw3WgNR9JAwYKCkRFACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h424/Skyvan%2BSH-7%2B121%2BSqn%2BRSAF%2B14264844_956529307788927_6731815006913280329_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Short SH-7 Skyvan Maritime Patrol Aircaft.<br />Photo : RSAF</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HMxeqH-HqGA/X28iKhA4mkI/AAAAAAAAH7w/PyFyOBrzzusAIUds7ZZsvDgNE5EHTW5XACLcBGAsYHQ/s1898/F-50%2B2020%2BJetphoto%2BJun%2BYou.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="883" data-original-width="1898" height="298" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HMxeqH-HqGA/X28iKhA4mkI/AAAAAAAAH7w/PyFyOBrzzusAIUds7ZZsvDgNE5EHTW5XACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h298/F-50%2B2020%2BJetphoto%2BJun%2BYou.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RSAF 121 Squadron Fokker F-50 Enforcer MPA<br />Photo : Jun You via Jetphoto</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Airborne Early Warning Aircraft</u></h4><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The MCVs were also upgraded to link up with the now retired <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_E-2_Hawkeye" target="_blank">E-2C Hawkeye AEW</a>. The APS-138 surveillance radar of the E-2C provides automatic detection and tracking of targets over water and over land up to 200 nautical miles ( 360km ) which is much further than the detection range of the mast-mounted Sea Giraffe 150HC or even the Sea Giraffe AMB air and surface search radar of the MCV. The E-2C has now been replaced by the Gulfstream G550 CAEW. <br /><br />
<br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Harpoon Missiles</u></h4><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The MCV's 2 deck-mounted MK-141 quad Harpoon canister launchers pack a total of 8 <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4544652274919432780/1851631649242578320" target="_blank">RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles</a> which are capable of hitting ships beyond the horizon, up to 70 nautical miles away. The Harpoon AShM was selected for the RSN's MGB upgrade as well as the MCV project. They are probably the RGM-84D ( Block 1C ) version which was state-of-the-art during the late eighties. It uses inertial guidance mid-course and active radar homing for terminal guidance. A direct hit by a single missile could cripple a medium sized surface combatant such as a frigate and 2 or 3 hits would probably sink it. After three decades in service, the Harpoon launchers still adorns the decks of the MCV with no plans to replace them. <br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aa4V3iPlMTM/X4nBP4ehKzI/AAAAAAAAH_s/BaizddkZOhwyAQDXrfB2gaYvy8VCceAOACLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/Victory%2BHarpoon%2B-%2BMindef%2BTweet.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1278" data-original-width="1920" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aa4V3iPlMTM/X4nBP4ehKzI/AAAAAAAAH_s/BaizddkZOhwyAQDXrfB2gaYvy8VCceAOACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Victory%2BHarpoon%2B-%2BMindef%2BTweet.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MCV Harpoon missile firing. Photo : Mindef<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Barak Missiles</u></h4></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barak_1" target="_blank">Barak missile</a> of Israeli origin can be used against low flying aircraft and also as point defense against incoming missiles and projectiles. They are launched from 2 banks of 8-cell vertical launch unit located at the aft deck. The missile has a minimum effective range of 500m and maximum effective range of 10 - 12km. The Barak is a low cost, low maintenance air defense system and comes with its own set of fire control radar and optronic directors which can be seen mounted on the roof above the bridge of the MCV. It provides the ship with an automated, all-weather, 360 degree azimuth anti-missile capability.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Barak system was still in development when the MCVs were commissioned in 1990 but provisions had been made by the naval architects for the installation of a hard-kill point defense system. Singapore was said to have actively participated in the joint development of the Barak system with IAI and Rafael. It was specially tailored for small ships and the RSN's unique operating environment. The Barak system was eventually acquired by the RSN in 1996 and retrofitted on all six corvettes. The first successful firing of the Barak missile by the RSN took place on 10th Sep 1997 in the South China Sea. Launched from RSS <b><i>Valour</i></b>, a Barak missile successfully intercepted an airborne target simulating a modern sea-skimming missile in both size and speed at a range of 6km.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uGHtwyNREZQ/X364cvR2gQI/AAAAAAAAH8w/s0ZMvwLmYLAeDCN6PwrDiBsK-GynUADJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s960/Barak%2BVigour%2BSIMBEX18%2BAndaman%2BRSN%2BFB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uGHtwyNREZQ/X364cvR2gQI/AAAAAAAAH8w/s0ZMvwLmYLAeDCN6PwrDiBsK-GynUADJwCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/Barak%2BVigour%2BSIMBEX18%2BAndaman%2BRSN%2BFB.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barak missile launch by RSS <b><i>Vigour</i></b> during Ex Simbex 2018<br />Photo : RSN</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Oto Melara Main Gun</u></h4></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OTO_Melara_76_mm" target="_blank">Oto Melara Super Rapid 76mm 62 caliber naval gun</a> is probably the biggest caliber a small ship can accommodate. It is compact enough not to require too much space below deck for installation. Not surprisingly, many navies have adopted the Oto Melara 76mm in its various forms on their small vessels. The Super Rapid has a firing rate of 120 rounds per minute and is effective against air and surface targets up to 16km away. Depending on the ammunition used, it may even be effective for short range point defense against missiles. Although it has a very high rate of fire, in practice the Super Rapid is frequently fired in short burst of three rounds. On the MCV the Oto Melara is mounted on the foredeck immediately in front of the bridge and any live firing is guaranteed to be a smoky and noisy affair.</div><div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FoKkPtTgqp0/X24TL5Hd0EI/AAAAAAAAH7U/JZ92Mj07xSQyZeEZ6jrA-NIHr_QDs04AACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/RSS_Valour_76mm_OTO_Melara%2Bwiki.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="2048" height="402" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FoKkPtTgqp0/X24TL5Hd0EI/AAAAAAAAH7U/JZ92Mj07xSQyZeEZ6jrA-NIHr_QDs04AACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h402/RSS_Valour_76mm_OTO_Melara%2Bwiki.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oto Melara 76mm Super Rapid on RSS <b><i>Valour</i></b><br />Photo : Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wiglSdY4IAE/X4gLbi0Oi0I/AAAAAAAAH_U/P8udiQowwOU1Uq4uIxso6Sl3gOULWDSUACLcBGAsYHQ/s1313/Vigour%2BGun%2BCap%2B2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="1313" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wiglSdY4IAE/X4gLbi0Oi0I/AAAAAAAAH_U/P8udiQowwOU1Uq4uIxso6Sl3gOULWDSUACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h266/Vigour%2BGun%2BCap%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The muzzle cover of the 76mm Oto Melara Main Gun<br />Photo : Mindef</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LRpufDocGLo/X4nT3bADCrI/AAAAAAAAIAc/5_IdPI739-ElOaBCV0a_xdhRetto62IFwCLcBGAsYHQ/s988/Oto%2Bmelara%2Bcompact%2Bgun%2Bmount%2BRSN%2B2017%2B24255033_1680300302034148_4235857506014173596_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="988" height="474" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LRpufDocGLo/X4nT3bADCrI/AAAAAAAAIAc/5_IdPI739-ElOaBCV0a_xdhRetto62IFwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h474/Oto%2Bmelara%2Bcompact%2Bgun%2Bmount%2BRSN%2B2017%2B24255033_1680300302034148_4235857506014173596_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rotating magazine of the Oto Melara 76mm seen below deck <br />of a <b><i>Formidable</i></b>-class frigate. Photo : RSN</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Torpedoes</u></h4></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Before the SLEP the corvettes had the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A244-S" target="_blank">Whitehead Alenia A244-S Mod 1 torpedo</a> for use against submarines. These 324mm light weight torpedoes are stored and launched from two EuroTorp B515 triple tube launchers mounted on the deck of the MCV aft of the Harpoon missile canisters. They have a maximum range of 6000m and can reach a max depth of 600m, which is a lot deeper than the regional waters around Singapore. It has a maximum speed of 30 knots and has both active and passive acoustic homing capabilities. Their removal during the SLEP signaled the end of ASW operations for the MCV. This role was transferred to the Formidable-class stealth frigates, RSN next generation surface combatant.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Y3ieE-mfJ0/X4gPkSLRnpI/AAAAAAAAH_g/N9MB8kX1gP4WEKx9VXunuLSUoYpg_w4jwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1201/A244S%2BLeonardo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="1201" height="230" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Y3ieE-mfJ0/X4gPkSLRnpI/AAAAAAAAH_g/N9MB8kX1gP4WEKx9VXunuLSUoYpg_w4jwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h230/A244S%2BLeonardo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whitehead Alenia A244S torpedo.<br />Photo : Leonardo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Heavy Machine Guns</u></h4><div><br /><br />Four<a href="https://www.stengg.com/en/products-solutions/cis-50-machine-gun" target="_blank"> CIS 12.7mm ( 0.5inch ) heavy machine guns</a> are mounted along the bridge wing to guard against small crafts, swimmers and anything that is close enough but not worth expanding a shell or missile on. <br />
<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6NRfVoL2hGU/X24PLcFkLDI/AAAAAAAAH7A/m_2FdOWZOYslvWDME7EcvQ-7F3Og6BgdACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Valiant%2B0.5in%2B20200603%2BRSN%2BFB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6NRfVoL2hGU/X24PLcFkLDI/AAAAAAAAH7A/m_2FdOWZOYslvWDME7EcvQ-7F3Og6BgdACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/Valiant%2B0.5in%2B20200603%2BRSN%2BFB.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CIS 12.7mm HMG on the bridge wing of RSS <b><i>Valiant</i></b>.<br />Photo : RSN</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Complement</u></h4></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The MCV's complement of 46 includes 7 to 8 officers - commanding officer, executive officer, operations officer, navigation officer, communications officer, weapon electronics officer, marine engineer officer and occasionally an auxiliary officer. The medical officer is not part of the ship's peacetime complement. </div><div><br /></div><div>Since 2015 the RSN has began the deployment of reservist naval officers and ratings to fill every post on some of the MCVs. At least two teams had been created and both had achieved operational readiness status. They are held to the same high standards expected of their regular counterparts.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hBlQ5orjmjA/X4gJ0WtOhWI/AAAAAAAAH_I/Z4VytN928sod45UONrUVzbSQ_XeA17nbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1265/Valour%2BBridge%2BSingaroo%2B2020%2Bencounter%2Bexercise%2BRSN%2B120228111_3573192919411534_6852803735079585597_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1265" height="390" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hBlQ5orjmjA/X4gJ0WtOhWI/AAAAAAAAH_I/Z4VytN928sod45UONrUVzbSQ_XeA17nbgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h390/Valour%2BBridge%2BSingaroo%2B2020%2Bencounter%2Bexercise%2BRSN%2B120228111_3573192919411534_6852803735079585597_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bridge of RSS <b><i>Valour</i></b> during an encounter exercise with<br /> the Australian Navy, Ex Singaroo 2020. Photo : RSN<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pqc9RXvIOMY/X4bts0HFr0I/AAAAAAAAH9w/mitLRMzKLhwfVKlmy19NdMsd8nI63ZwywCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Ward%2BRoom%2B100939954_3228198310577665_5934984640828801024_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pqc9RXvIOMY/X4bts0HFr0I/AAAAAAAAH9w/mitLRMzKLhwfVKlmy19NdMsd8nI63ZwywCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/Ward%2BRoom%2B100939954_3228198310577665_5934984640828801024_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The multi-function ward room where visitors can be received<br />and officers can have their meals and discussions. Photo : RSN </td></tr></tbody></table><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u><br /></u></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u><br /></u></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Longest Serving Ship Class In The RSN</u></h4><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Commissioned 30 years ago, the MCVs currently reign as the longest serving class of ships in the RSN. They are not the oldest vessels still in active service though. That honour probably goes to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Challenger-class_submarine" target="_blank"><i>Challenger</i>-class submarines</a> which were originally commissioned by the Swedish Navy in 1968 and 1969. </div><div><br /></div><br />
<h4><u>The Fastest Ship In The RSN</u></h4><div><br /></div><br />Powered by 4 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTU_Friedrichshafen" target="_blank">MTU</a> 16V 538 TB93 Diesels the MCV has a top speed " in excess of 30 knots " in the usually vague and non-committal MINDEF speak. It currently holds the crown for the fastest class of ship within the RSN. Only the Sea Wolf-class missile gunboat was faster but they have all been decommissioned in 2008. <br /><br />When the corvette is at speed these German diesels produce a high pitch whine that is almost soothing to the ears, like a lullaby, so long as you are not in the engine room. The capability of performing high speed dashes is central to the " sprint and drift " tactic used in ASW operations but is probably most appreciated by all onboard during the return leg of an extended sea deployment. Frequently the MCV will be the first vessel type to reach home waters after the conclusion of a large scale naval exercise that involves multiple ship classes, like Exercise Starfish under the Five Power Defense Arrangement.<br />
<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bpnZD_qvNyU/X4fjq5kT6aI/AAAAAAAAH-M/uk9BEdNDmGwhWmoluxggMLjP_FDy837IACLcBGAsYHQ/s1363/Vigour%2BMTU3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="1363" height="306" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bpnZD_qvNyU/X4fjq5kT6aI/AAAAAAAAH-M/uk9BEdNDmGwhWmoluxggMLjP_FDy837IACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h306/Vigour%2BMTU3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cramped engine room with MTU diesels. Photo : Mindef</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Best Ship Award</u></h4></div><div><br /></div><div>In the past 30 years since their commissioning, the MCVs clinched a total of 16 awards in the annual Singapore Armed Forces Best Unit Competition. RSS Vigour, the winner of this year's Best Fleet Unit Award, accounted for a quarter of these with a total of four awards so far.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tn73HG2qJtw/X4fsZoEhO5I/AAAAAAAAH-Y/qwZaen4f5N8ubJ_OKYn_fvn2q2839ub7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1366/Vigour%2BE%2B2020.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tn73HG2qJtw/X4fsZoEhO5I/AAAAAAAAH-Y/qwZaen4f5N8ubJ_OKYn_fvn2q2839ub7wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/Vigour%2BE%2B2020.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RSS Vigour proudly wears the Battle Effectiveness big E logo.<br />Photo : Mindef</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>Ship Life Extension Program</u></h4></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The SLEP extends the operational lifespan of the corvettes and through the introduction of advanced surveillance, communications, as well as command and control systems, also allows them to be incorporated into the Integrated Knowledge-based Command and Control ( IKC2 ) capabilities of the third generation Singapore Armed Forces. First made public in 2009, the MCV SLEP was completed by September 2013 with RSS Valour being the final ship that was upgraded. </div><div><br /></div><div>Though the corvettes lost their anti-submarine role with the removal of the torpedo launchers and the variable depth sonar, they gained a new capability in the form of the ScanEagle UAV. The search radar was upgraded from the Sea Giraffe 150HC to the Sea Giraffe AMB. These changes enhanced the corvette's surveillance capabilities and allowed them to " see further ".</div><div><br /></div><div>The combat management system ( CMS ) was also revamped with a customised solution that helps the Combat Information Centre ( CIC ) team to make faster and more effective decisions. Indigenously developed by the <a href="https://www.dsta.gov.sg/home" target="_blank">Defense Science Technology Agency</a> ( DSTA ) and <a href="https://www.dso.org.sg/" target="_blank">DSO National Laboratories</a>, the CMS has a decision support engine for data fusion, identification and threat evaluation to allow the ship crew to quickly and accurately grasp the tactical situation around the corvette. The upgraded CMS utilizes ethernet LAN instead of serial links of the legacy CMS and this broader bandwidth allows it to handle significantly more tracks and transfer data at higher speeds. It enhances the depth and the timeliness of the information presented to the ship's command team. The capabilities of this enhanced MCV CMS is said to be on par with those installed on RSN's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formidable-class_frigate" target="_blank">Formidable-class stealth frigates</a>, not at all surprising since the CMS of both ship classes are designed by the same people!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mw81dogqBMA/X4gHrl6yf0I/AAAAAAAAH-k/N_KFRTV9qyUnrayD37jt2-ublB0zRikvQCLcBGAsYHQ/s700/victory-93%2B4%2Bimdex%2B2019%2Bcnb%2Bmdc.idv.tw.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="700" height="472" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mw81dogqBMA/X4gHrl6yf0I/AAAAAAAAH-k/N_KFRTV9qyUnrayD37jt2-ublB0zRikvQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h472/victory-93%2B4%2Bimdex%2B2019%2Bcnb%2Bmdc.idv.tw.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RSS Vengeance high and dry at Changi Naval Base during IMDEX 2019. <br />Seldom does one get to see the keel. Photo : MDC</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WEZRMGrE9RU/X4nCueHw52I/AAAAAAAAH_4/lrPVYWaZtaQMrplmlpIW6jp4ERMopCWLACLcBGAsYHQ/s700/victory-93-88%2Bimdex%2B2019%2BCNB%2Bphoto%2BMDC.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="700" height="474" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WEZRMGrE9RU/X4nCueHw52I/AAAAAAAAH_4/lrPVYWaZtaQMrplmlpIW6jp4ERMopCWLACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h474/victory-93-88%2Bimdex%2B2019%2BCNB%2Bphoto%2BMDC.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RSS Vengeance, RSS Victory and the stern of RSS Stalwart<br />during IMDEX 2019. Photo : MDC</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xHgoTgiu_LE/X4nINgdFJBI/AAAAAAAAIAE/yqZ2JuYehgAjOy_h97bhEN6KI0FCcicGACLcBGAsYHQ/s1529/CNB%2B20190513%2B1d%2Bb4%2BIMDEX%2BA.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="956" data-original-width="1529" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xHgoTgiu_LE/X4nINgdFJBI/AAAAAAAAIAE/yqZ2JuYehgAjOy_h97bhEN6KI0FCcicGACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h400/CNB%2B20190513%2B1d%2Bb4%2BIMDEX%2BA.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Changi Naval Base day before IMDEX 2019<br />The crooked ships and wharf are artifacts</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--_PXWqqKKw8/X4nI7KNk1rI/AAAAAAAAIAQ/lIFWyONHEHwPdHv4k3VeCPjJP6EbPdVWACLcBGAsYHQ/s1529/Vengeance%2BVictory%2BStalwart%2BCNB%2BIMDEX%2B2019%2BA.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="1529" height="402" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--_PXWqqKKw8/X4nI7KNk1rI/AAAAAAAAIAQ/lIFWyONHEHwPdHv4k3VeCPjJP6EbPdVWACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h402/Vengeance%2BVictory%2BStalwart%2BCNB%2BIMDEX%2B2019%2BA.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An enlarged image of the above.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Last Leg</u></h4></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>If anything this article should have illustrated how much thought and detailed planning had gone into the missile corvette project from the initial conceptualization to acquisition, construction and henceforth just so that these tiny warships can achieve their greatest efficiency and always remain relevant to the Singapore Navy. </div><div><br /></div><div>However, after 30 years of service with the RSN, the MCVs are beginning to face obsolescence even with the SLEP. Parts and components become harder to procure as time progresses and the cost of maintenance increases exponentially as the ship ages. There is also only so much that a non-stealthy old hull can be upgraded given physical and electrical limitations. Originally planned to be phased out in 2025, the COVID-19 pandemic probably brought the MCVs some reprieve as their retirement has now been postponed to 2030. This new deadline will probably represent the final extension of service as the SLEP upgrades were projected to last for a maximum of 20 years, at most. The corvettes will eventually be replaced by the multi-role combat vessel ( MRCV ), a yet-to-be-revealed design featuring stealth technology and the capability to be a mothership of sorts to airborne, surface and sub-surface unmanned platforms. Until then, the MCVs will continue to protect the vital SLOC which connects Singapore to the rest of the globe. Bravo Zulu to all from the 188 Squadron, past and present, for a job well done!</div><div><br /></div><div> <br />
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