Cv catapults

[Zhoyzu]

So, I've noticed that the murikan CV's all have the catapults from t6 on up to the midway. Yet when you look at any of the IJN CV they all seem to be missing. Did the IJN not need them or was a different system in place (maybe just longer CVs) for plane launching?

[godzilla5549]

You would have to look at each individual ship to see why they did not have a catapult system. Hoshou was the first commissioned CV in the world so she would not have a catapult system. Zuihou was not meant to be a CV and was converted from a submarine tender. Ryuujou was built using a loophole in the Washington Naval Treaty, as a CVL (light aircraft carrier) and was still fairly early in terms of CV construction (completed in 1931). Both the Shoukaku-class CVs were made to have a catapult system, but they were both sunk before it was ever completed. The IJN had still not completed a workable catapult system when Taihou was constructed. Hakuryuu isn't even a real ship.

 

EDIT: The IJN used a RATO system with Taihou.

 

EDIT 2: Also know that many of the USN CVs we have in-game were built very late in the way (relatively speaking). Quick comparison:

 

Tier VI Independence: Completed 1942. Tier VI Ryuujou: Completed 1931.

Tier VII Ranger: Completed 1934. Tier VII Hiryuu: Completed 1939.

Tier VIII Lexington: Completed 1927 (exception, built on a battlecruiser hull. Catapult was removed in 1934). Tier VIII Shoukaku: Completed 1941.

Tier IX Essex: First Build in 1941. Tier IX Taihou: Completed 1943.

Tier X Midway: 1945.

[Zhoyzu]

You would have to look at each individual ship to see why they did not have a catapult system. Hoshou was the first commissioned CV in the world so she would not have a catapult system. Zuihou was not meant to be a CV and was converted from a submarine tender. Ryuujou was built using a loophole in the Washington Naval Treaty, as a CVL (light aircraft carrier) and was still fairly early in terms of CV construction (completed in 1931). Both the Shoukaku-class CVs were made to have a catapult system, but they were both sunk before it was ever completed. The IJN had still not completed a workable catapult system when Taihou was constructed. Hakuryuu isn't even a real ship.

 

EDIT: The IJN used a RATO system with Taihou to launch planes.

Oh, thats interesting. Thanks for shedding the light on my enigma!

[_Guderian]

The USN was one of the early adopters of catapults for use in carriers. Catapults were used as early as WW1 on cruisers and battleships, but early carrier planes had short enough take off runs catapults weren't usually needed. That being said, the Langley was equipped with a catapult and actually had the first catapult assisted take off from a carrier.  Most USN carriers were equipped with catapults, although they weren't used much in the first half of WW2. Later in the war carrier planes were taking off with heavier load outs and with less runway space (more aircraft on deck, Jeep carriers with smaller decks), which led to increasing use of catapults. The IJN used catapult launched float planes extensively on cruisers and battleships, but did not equip their carriers with catapults.

[dcr66]

From what I understand only US and British carriers from the WW2 era have catapults. IJN never had them.

[Matthewl419]

You would have to look at each individual ship to see why they did not have a catapult system. Hoshou was the first commissioned CV in the world so she would not have a catapult system. Zuihou was not meant to be a CV and was converted from a submarine tender. Ryuujou was built using a loophole in the Washington Naval Treaty, as a CVL (light aircraft carrier) and was still fairly early in terms of CV construction (completed in 1931). Both the Shoukaku-class CVs were made to have a catapult system, but they were both sunk before it was ever completed. The IJN had still not completed a workable catapult system when Taihou was constructed. Hakuryuu isn't even a real ship.

 

The CV names are actually (in order of tier) ... Hosho, Zuiho, Ryujo, Hiryu, Shokaku, Taiho, and Hakuryu.