Sōsato-class battleship

Sōsato cycling crew in 1939
Class overview
Builders:	Firentsu Naval Arsenal Yakunai Naval Arsenal
Operators:	Republic of the Tao Navy Imperial Taoist Navy
Preceded by:	Tōnobe-class
Succeeded by:	Yashina-class
Built:	1917–1920
In commission:	1920–1947
Planned:	2
Completed:	2
Lost:	1
Scrapped:	1
General characteristics (1945)
Type:	Battleship
Displacement:	39,130 tons
Length:	224.94 m (738.0 ft)
Beam:	34.6 m (114 ft)
Draft:	9.49 m (31.1 ft)
Propulsion:	4 × Ein Heavy Industries geared steam turbines 4 × Shafts
Speed:	25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range:	8,650 nmi (16,020 km; 9,950 mi)
Complement:	1,734 enlisted and officers
Armament:	8 × 410 mm (16.1 in) guns (4×2) 18 × 140 mm (5.5 in) guns (18×1) 8 × 127 mm (5 in) guns (4×2) 98 × 25 mm (0.98 in) AA guns
Armor:	305-100 mm on belt 152-51 mm on deck 376 mm on main gun turrets
Aircraft carried:	Up to 3 floatplanes
Aviation facilities:	1 catapult

The Sōsato-class battleships were a class of super-dreadnought battleships built for the Republic of the Tao Navy (RTN) during World War I. While two the ships did not enter service until the end of World War I, they both saw extensive service in World War II.

Development

Preliminary designs for several new classes of Super-dreadnoughts began in 1910. Detailed designs, however, would not be created until tensions had reached a boiling point in 1915. While the Tōnobe-class battleships were to solidify Taoist technological superiority over Aznazia on the seas, after Aznazia had commissioned the Aubry-class battleships and the Avia-class battleships; the Sōsato-class was built as a direct counter to the Griswold-class battleships.

The Sōsato-class was the first class of battleships in the Republic of the Tao Navy to implement 410 mm (16.1 in) naval artillery. The idea was for the ships to outclass the Griswold-class battleships, being able to use extended range and much larger caliber of guns to sink, or at least do serious damage, to any opposition it would face. Ultimately the war would end before the two classes of ships would have a chance to meet each other in battle.

In 1934 both ships underwent a massive rebuild and refit to modernize the very outdated ships. The largest inclusions to the refit were basic radar systems and much improved fire control systems. The biggest visual difference in the refit was the addition of the pagoda-style superstructures, which were added to allow for more space for command rooms, as well as the aforementioned radar and FCS systems. Another major benefit to the pagoda masts was the ability to mount many anti-aircraft weapons, which would soon prove useful in the upcoming World War II.

Ships in the class

Name	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Fate	Notes
Sōsato	Firentsu Naval Arsenal	12 April 1917	26 February 1919	29 July 1920	TBD
Rangata	Yakunai Naval Arsenal	6 December 1917	5 January 1920	21 June 1921	Sunk at TBD