Archive of Our Own

Faction:

Sakura Empire

Class:

Fusō-class Battleship

Background:

In an alternate timeline…

Shaped by the ongoing naval arms race going on around the world, (but primarily between the British and Germans), and seeking to develop a fleet capable of defeating the United States Navy in any encounter in Japanese waters, the Japanese Imperial Defense Policy sought to see the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) field a fleet of at least 70% of the total capital ships as the Americans, as it was hoped that it would enough to decisively defeat their rivals in a single battle (as mandated under the “Decisive Battle Doctrine” that proved successful against the Russians in the Battle of Tsushima in 1905). 

This would culminate in the Eight-Eight Fleet Programme, which mandated the construction of a battlefleet consisting of eight of the most modern battleships, and eight modern armored cruisers. This calculus would be complicated with the Royal Navy commissioning HMS Dreadnought, which effectively rendered all battleships before her obsolete in an instant, and HMS Invincible, the world’s first battlecruiser and capable of defeating any armored cruisers, thus rendering them obsolete as well. _[1] As such, the renewal of the 8-8 Plan led to the development of Japan’s first dreadnoughts, the two-ship Kawachi-class (Kawachi & Settsu) ordered in 1907 and laid down the following year. In 1910, the IJN put forward a request to the Diet (parliament) to secure funding for the entirety of the program at once. However, economic constraints paired down the funding initially to seven battleships and three battlecruisers, and then by the Diet to one battleship and four armored cruisers (upgraded to four battlecruisers), which would become the lead ship of Battleship design A-64, becoming Fusō, and the four Kongō-class Battlecruisers. The three sister ships however, would be ordered in April 1913 once funding was authorized under the 1913 Naval Construction plan. _[2]

The third Fusō-class Battleship, initially named as Ise, was later renamed to Satsuma, and was laid down on 15 December 1913 at Kawasaki’s Shipyards in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture. She was launched on 1 December 1915 and commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy on 17 April 1917. Satsuma would enter service during the waning days of the First Chinese Civil War and the Manchu Restoration Revolt, with both the IJN and the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) supporting the Qing dynasty and its supporters against the American-backed Kuomintang of the Republic of China, the Hongxian Emperor backed by the Germans, and numerous military juntas backed by the Russian Empire. The battleship would not take part in the conflict, instead being based in a fleet-in-being capacity along with the battleships of the 3rd Fleet in Osaka. Peace was declared by the Armistice of Hong Kong in 1918, but relations between the competing powers were at an all time low, with the Japanese deepening their alliance with the British (who had their own problems that had relations with Europe).

Little information was made available into Satsuma’s activities during the 1920s. Outside of the usual exercises, she would aid survivors of the Great Kantō Earthquake in September 1923, as well as cruising the coast of China throughout much of the 1920s. Satsuma would undergo a period of reconstruction in 1933-1934, following along similar lines to her sister ships. This included replacements to her machinery, reinforcing her armor and the addition of torpedo bulges. Her torpedo tubes were removed and her Anti-Air Armaments were modernized and upgraded.

Satsuma’s service during the Second Russo-Japanese War would be brief. She would not participate overall in the initial attack on Vladivostok on 7 October 1936, unlike many of the newer carriers and battleships. She would however participate in the Battle of the Yamato Bank, being engaged by Russian battleships along the battle line. Although Satsuma did fire her guns in anger, she only scored two hits in the engagement, striking the heavy cruiser Izumrud (a ship that would also suffer a direct hit from battleship Tosa in the same battle, albeit later that day) and disabling the Russian destroyer Gaidamak (which would be sunk by sister ship Aki). However, the arrival of Russian aircraft from the carrier Imperator Troyan would change the tide of the battle, as the ship’s aircraft would swarm and damage numerous Japanese ships albeit as a distracting tactic while Russian subs took advantage of the confusion to pick off targets, as what befell Tosa. The same fate would befall Satsuma as well, to devastating effect as two torpedoes from a Russian submarine struck her amidships on the starboard side. While this nominally seemed like a devastating but non-fatal hit, especially so close to Japanese waters, the reality would come minutes later, when the ship suddenly detonated along the superstructure near turret No.2, as poor damage control meant that fires could not be contained and managed to spread to Satsuma’s magazine room. The explosion split the ship in two, and rapidly sank the battleship within minutes. Roughly 100 out of the ship’s 1200 complement survived the rapid sinking, though only ten were rescued by a Japanese destroyer, the rest would end up becoming Russian PoWs for the remainder of the war.

The destruction of the Satsuma, alongside that of Tosa and numerous other ships would be a primary catalyst to Japan’s defeat in the Battle of the Yamato Bank. For a time it seemed that to Russia, the humiliations of Tsushima were finally avenged. But the Imperial Japanese Navy was not out of the fight, as they would lick their wounds and begin a construction program to prepare for a final decisive engagement two years later in the waters that their fathers fought in all those years ago.

Tsushima…

[1]: In both cases, making it too late for both the Satsuma-class battleships, considered as semi-dreadnoughts at best (in reality, they were pre-dreadnoughts) and the Tsukuba-class Armored Cruisers. Both of which were built concurrently with HMS Dreadnought and HMS Invincible.

[2]: The Point of Divergence with regards to the Fusō’s. As I would come to discover in researching this, both Ise and Hyūga were originally ordered as Fusō-class Battleships alongside Yamashiro, but while funding for Yamashiro was approved and she was laid down later in 1913, lack of funding for the future Ise & Hyūga meant that time was made to reassess the design, culminating in Design A-92, which would become the Ise-class we know of today. Here, the authorization for all three battleships was made here. Though funding for the future Ise’s would still happen as the Ise-class does still exist in the Age of Imperialism timeline. It might also explain the reference as to why Hyūga in-game is depicted as a catgirl in-line with the Fusō’s, as well as Ise’s second Idle Secretary quote.

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IJN Satsuma is a 1922 Heavy Ship Hull Battleship for the Empire of Japan in the Hearts of Iron IV mod, “Age of Imperialism” which details a scenario where World War I was replaced with numerous smaller conflicts among great powers. Satsuma is the third of four Fusō-class Battleships, unlike in our timeline where only two were ever constructed.

Namesake:

Satsuma was named for Satsuma Province (also known as Sasshū Province), in the island of Kyūshū in Japan. The province was the domain of the Shimazu clan of daimyo, and a province who would be most known for its opposition to the Tokugawa Shogunate. The province and subsequent domain would be known for being one of the main forces behind the Meiji Restoration and Boshin War (1868-1869) and many of its post-war oligarchs hailed from this province, including Ōkubo Toshimichi and Saigō Takamori. Shortly afterwards, with the abolishment of the han system, Satsuma would unify with neighboring Ōsumi Province to form Kagoshima Prefecture. 

Satsuma Province had a number of capitals, including the namesake city, Satsuma, Satsumasendai, and the former Shimazu seat of power in Kagoshima. 

Historically, only one warship in the modern Japanese Navy ever bore the name of Satsuma, the lead ship of her class of Semi-Dreadnought Battleships.

Rarity:

SR

Stat Spread:

Satsuma’s stat spread is largely similar to her sister ships Fusō and Yamashiro. She sports fairly respectable Firepower (A) and has a fairly decent HP pool. (B) However her Speed is very sluggish and her Anti-Air capabilities leave much to be desired. (Both are D-rank)

Abilities:

• Priestess of Cinders: Increase this ship’s Firepower by 10% (20%). When this ship fires its main guns, 50% (80%) chance of launching a unique HE barrage that deals increased burn damage. Damage is based on skill level.
• The Black Cat’s Luck: Decrease the loading time of the first three salvos per battle by 30% (50%), with the first two salvos dealing 60% (85%) Damage, and 100% (120%) for the third salvo onwards.

Personality:

AoI!Satsuma is a person who, like her elder sister Fusō, deeply dutiful to her duties as a Sakura shrine maiden and deeply caring to her sisters. However, she is known in particular for her love of education and of western items, often collecting items like antique clocks, telescopes and musical instruments. However, despite this, she prioritizes her role as a shrine maiden and her role in the Sakura Empire above all else.

Quotes:

• Acquisition: Greetings, milord. I am the super-dreadnought Satsuma. A Fusou-class battleship from another realm. May the gods and your knowledge bless you in the trials and tribulations ahead.
• Secretary (Idle) 1: I deeply care for all my sisters. Fusō, Yamashiro and Aki. We all have a duty as miko to the spirits of the Sakura Empire.
• Secretary (Idle) 2: I wonder if the other battleships feel that tingly sensation whenever we fire our guns…
• Secretary (Idle) 3: Milord, are you interested in this device I have here?
• Secretary (Touch): I’m not as good as Fusō, but I’ll do my best!
• Secretary (Special Touch): T-That is not what you should be doing, milord!
• Skill Activation: Parting is such sweet sorrow…
• MVP: May those who lost themselves in this world find peace in the next…
• Affinity (Disappointed): It’s just my luck…
• Affinity (Stranger): Don’t touch that! *sigh* Thank the gods, I was afraid you might’ve broken this, milord. My apologies for the clutter, but I treasure this collection.
• Affinity (Friendly): Would you like to see my telescope, milord? It’s quite a novelty to own something this old yet still in working order. Why would someone like me own this? Well…staring into it means you get to see all the spirits in the night sky, right? 
• Affinity (Like): Even though I have a lot of trinkets from the Occident, that does not mean I’ve neglected my duties. Perhaps, just for you, I shall perform a traditional Sakuran dance, milord.
• Affinity (Love): I love to learn about the world beyond the shores of the Sakura Isles, the fascinating sites, the wonderful things made. So please…take me with you, wherever you go, milord.
• Oath: Milord, I’m very happy that you’ve chosen me. I shall treasure this and you as my greatest treasure of all. I love you.
• Sortie (Fusō (BB) and/or Fusō META): Don’t worry, we will find our own luck one day.
• Sortie (Hyūga): It seems we both have very enthusiastic sisters.
• Sortie (Kongō): Tell me more about the numerous items you can find in the land where you’re born!
• Sortie (Nagato): I shall do my best to see you safe.
• Sortie (Yamashiro): Please slow down, sister!
• Sortie (Satsuma (WoWS)): Though our names are the same, we are very clearly not like each other in spirit.
• Sortie (Mutsu): Hehe, you’re just as spirited as Yamashiro.
• Sortie (Ise): Please be careful with your drink!
• Sortie (Amagi): I have not forgotten my lessons or my resolve, Lady Amagi.

Design:

AoI!Satsuma is depicted as a woman in her mid-twenties with jet black hair, tied in a ponytail, and crimson red eyes with a lithe build. As a common feature of ships of the Fusō-class, Satsuma takes the physical features associated with cats (and thus the Fusō’s association with black cats), sporting cat ears and a black cat’s tail with a bell attached to its tip. Satsuma’s attire mirrors the style associated with the Fusō sisters. This consists of a black haori (kimono jacket) with a wavy and flowery pattern, a short black skirt with long white stockings, a solid black inner side with red trim and high heeled black Japanese-style sandals with a red strap.

Satsuma’s rigging harkens back to the pre-retrofit designs for the Fusō’s, in this case her four main guns (two on each side, with two around arm height and two around waist height) facing forward and a backpack in the style of the iconic pagoda mast superstructure.