“Based on the information available in books and on the internet as well as existing drawings I’ve made my version by my imagination of the IJN’s B-65 type battlecruiser. The changes as follows compared to the drawings widespread on the net:
– Reduced Yamato like bridge and aft superstructure instead of the Nelson like tower like bridges
– More light AA guns as by the time these ships finished (1945, 46) they would carry large amounts of light AA
– Superfiring 2nd and 3rd pair of 10cm twin turrets, while an all same deck layout reduces topweight the superfiring position allows better ahead and astern fire for the middle turrets
– 2 Catapults and 1 Crane instead of 1 Catapult and 2 Cranes, as among the modern cruisers only the Oyodo and Agano class light cruisers featured single catapults, and in case of Oyodo that was a very long one though the preliminaries showed two smaller ones so for such a large ship 2 catapults is a must and also more Japanese looking. Both of these catapults are on the main deck.
– No Torpedo launchers. While many texts says they would carry torpedo tubes no drawings show them installed and the later iteration of the design (the 3×2 36cm armed one) does not mentions it either and as I consider them as capital ships a single quad launcher per side is a waste in my opinion on this design. (Eric Lacroix’s Japan Cruisers of the Pacific War too does not mention torpedo tubes)” – TZoli