I just don't understand, why bauxite? I know it is necessary to replenish damaged fighters but even so, metal is the resource my carriers consume more. And of course, dem buckets.

Deathmatcher said:

I just don't understand, why bauxite? I know it is necessary to replenish damaged fighters but even so, metal is the resource my carriers consume more. And of course, dem buckets.

It's more meme than reality I guess. Kinda like the whole "Shimakaze is fast" thing when she's the exact same speed as other destroyers in the game.

Deathmatcher said:

I just don't understand, why bauxite? I know it is necessary to replenish damaged fighters but even so, metal is the resource my carriers consume more. And of course, dem buckets.

Well, my guess is that we can get her really soon into the game and normal folks wouldn't think about bauxite being consumed by the carriers.

Ironbottom said:

It's more meme than reality I guess. Kinda like the whole "Shimakaze is fast" thing when she's the exact same speed as other destroyers in the game.

Ingame she's fast, in reality she was FAST...fastest DD in the world in fact, capable of hitting 40kts (46mph). Couple that with 15 'Long Lance' oxygen torpedo tubes with a range of nearly 25 miles (which was 3 to 4 times the range of western torpedoes) and a warhead of 1.1 tonnes of high explosive, she was probably the deadliest DD of the war too.

Deathmatcher said:

I just don't understand, why bauxite? I know it is necessary to replenish damaged fighters but even so, metal is the resource my carriers consume more. And of course, dem buckets.

It's because she is the first carrier most admirals get (she is given for free from an early quest), before they understand how aerial combat works. If you stuff her full of bombers and torpedo planes and then fight an enemy carrier, you will lose tons of planes and go through your bauxite like nothing. Combined with all carriers high repair cost and repair times, Akagi is usually an admiral's first encounter with the cost of maintaining a high end fleet, thus her reputation.

sporked said:

Ingame she's fast, in reality she was FAST...fastest DD in the world in fact, capable of hitting 40kts (46mph). Couple that with 15 'Long Lance' oxygen torpedo tubes with a range of nearly 25 miles (which was 3 to 4 times the range of western torpedoes) and a warhead of 1.1 tonnes of high explosive, she was probably the deadliest DD of the war too.

She never lived up to the expetations of such fast and heavily armed (for a WWII-era destroyer) ship: Shimakaze served as radar guide and screen flagship for the Kiska evacuation. In the Battle of Leyte Gulf she played no role other than rescuing survivors.

While some of her "inferior" comrades (notably Yuudachi and Ayanami) managed to chalk up some kills on their careers, Shimakaze ended her career without sinking or crippling a single enemy ship.

All completed French Le Fantasque-class destroyers bested Shimakaze in speed, making 42.71 knots (Le Fantasque herself) or better during trials in the 1930s, with Le Terrible making a whopping 45kn. (Several also had considerably longer and more distinguished careers.)

sporked said:

Ingame she's fast, in reality she was FAST...fastest DD in the world in fact, capable of hitting 40kts (46mph). Couple that with 15 'Long Lance' oxygen torpedo tubes with a range of nearly 25 miles (which was 3 to 4 times the range of western torpedoes) and a warhead of 1.1 tonnes of high explosive, she was probably the deadliest DD of the war too.

Shimakaze's speed: 40 knots.
The "obsolete" Fubuki's speed: 38 knots

Just simplifying it all into "fast" to signify that the whole fleet can move at that speed seems reasonable.

Those "Long Lance" torpedoes were, or at least could be, fitted on basically all the Japanese destroyers, as well, although perhaps not in those numbers, but being iron sights targeted, torpedoes weren't reliable except up really close, and Shimakaze was also larger than most other destroyers.