Zankantou Project

[Xing]

Kusari Naval Forces file 039458439457 - PROJECT ZANKANTOU
Security level: 4, secret
Project status: Cancelled
Project length: 6 years

KNF. Hagane Zankantou [roughly translated into: Steeled Ship-slicing blade]
Kusari Imperial Navy Gunboat
Hagane Zankantou KNG-SA00
Actual status: stored at Yokohama shipyard, inactive

A test unit built by Kishiro. Modifications attempted seemed to concern the hull of the ship (approximatively 1.76 time the normal thickness of the standard gunboat). Many hull frames have been replaced by titanium support. A third engine has been added while the two existing one has been replaced by custom cruiser adapted engines. No weaponnery installed, no shielding installed. Has not participated into any known missions.

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The Hagane is actually docked at Yokoma, and has been assigned no crew, despite being officially part of the KNF ship list. It is unknown what will happen to this prototype.



KNF. Kurogane Zankantou [roughly translated into: Black steeled Ship-slicing blade]
Kusari Imperial Navy Gunboat
Kurogane Zankantou KNG-SA01
Actual status: Missing in action/Unknown
http://discoverygc.com/forums/index.php?sh...mp;#entry175905
(related story)

In appearance, this ship doesnt look much different from a standard Kusari gunboat. Despite this, this ship is actually a unique test unit developed by Kishiro in the hope to use the whole hull of the ship as one powerful weapon. The goal was to strengthen the main frame of a gunboat which has some similarities to a swords blade, into a powerful ship slicing blade. The work was quite difficult. First, a layer of pure titanium replaced the fragile steel armour. After what, diamond powder imported at great cost from Rheinland was strategically sprayed all over the armour, providing an extremely strong cutting edge to the hull. While this in itself consisted of a weapon, the problem was keeping the crew alive, otherwise it was a rather costly kamikaze ship. The internal intertial compensators were modified, so the crew wouldnt feel the impact too heavily, and graviton shock absorbers were put in place to reduce all damage the ship would receive.
Both technologies were less or more conclusive, the compensators were never able to activate in due time due to the extreme complexity of the ramming operation, while the shock absorbers werent able to resist to the shocks themselves, causing internal explosions if shook to violently. Neverthless, after multiple controlled test, it has been revealed the intended use did work the Kurogane Zankantou was able to break a hull plating as thick as that of a Kusari Battleship if thrown against it with precision and at the correct angle.

But, at the end, the Zankantou tactic was too complex to use, the heavy equipment that needed to be installed aboard made the ship lose of its famous manoeuvrability while mass production of the ship was immediately put aside importing the prime quality diamond from Rheinland was a cost way too high to even consider making a second ship of the kind. Despite this, Kishiro continued to improve the ship in a last attempt to save an interesting creation, and through their best efforts, reduced all the equipment weights by introducing experimental materials.
The use of the Zankantou tactic would still be considered extremely dangerous into combat situation, but at the very least the ship was now able to fight just like any normal Kusari gunboats, with some slight amelioration over armouring and weaponry.

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The Kurogane has been lost in Tau-31 after the mysterious defection of his captain, Kyosuke Nanbu. The KNF is officially still investigating on the events, and all details are classed Top Secret.



KNF. Shirogane Zankantou [roughly translated into: White steeled Ship-slicing blade]
Kusari Imperial Navy Gunboat
Kurogane Zankantou KNG-SB0
Actual status: Missing in action

This ship could be considered the nearly identical sister ship of the Kurogane Zankantou. The Shirogane Zankantou was actually a replica built by Samura in an attempt to compete with Kishiros idea, which was widely popular at the time. At the end, the Shirogane Zankantou revealed itself in a complete failure, and Samura quickly adapted the ship like Kishiro did, before selling it to the Imperial Navy.

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Destroyed in Tau-31 by the Kurogane Zankantou in unknown circumstances. All hands perished, and the wreckage is now drifting toward the mine field area.

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Of course, only the second ship exists. It's my pirate ship.

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