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Class classification

All of ship class codes on the list are based on USN Hull Classification Codes or modifications thereof.

Terms In-game Code Japanese Name English Name
Kanji Romaji
DD 駆逐 駆逐艦 Kuchikukan Destroyer
AS 潜母艦 潜水母艦 Sensui bokan Submarine Tender
SS 潜水艦 Sensuikan Submarine
SSV* 潜母 潜水空母 Sensuikūbo Submarine Aircraft Carrier*
CL 軽巡 軽巡洋艦 Kei Jun'yōkan Light Cruiser
CLT* 雷巡 重雷装巡洋艦 Jūraisō Jun'yōkan Torpedo Cruiser*
CLp* 練巡 練習巡洋艦 Renshū Jun'yōkan Training Cruiser*
CA 重巡 重巡洋艦 Jū Jun'yōkan Heavy Cruiser
CAV* 航巡 航空巡洋艦 Kōkū Jun'yōkan Aviation Cruiser*
AV 水母 水上機母艦 Suijōkibokan Seaplane Tender
CVB/CV/CVL - 正規空母 Sei'ki kūbo Fleet Carrier
CVL 軽母 軽空母 Kei kūbo Light Aircraft Carrier
CV 航空母艦 Kōkū bokan Standard Aircraft Carrier
CV 装母 装甲空母 Sōkō kūbo Armored Aircraft Carrier*
BB 戦艦 Senkan Battleship
FBB* 高速戦艦 Kōsoku Senkan Fast Battleship*
BBV* 航戦 航空戦艦 Kōkū Senkan Aviation Battleship*
LHA* 揚陸 ドック型揚陸艦 Dokkugata Yōrikukan Amphibious Assault Ship*
AR 工作艦 Kōsakukan Repair Ship
Note
  • The term Kūbo (空母?) is a shorthand for Kōkū bokan (航空母艦?), which means "Aircraft Carrier".
  • In-game, the cards & encyclopedia have the ship class English Name, but some are rendered differently from above.
  • "Aircraft Carrying Submarine" instead of "Submarine Aircraft Carrier"
  • "Aircraft Cruiser" instead of "Aviation Cruiser"
  • "Seaplane Carrier" instead of "Seaplane Tender"
  • "Aircraft Carrier" instead of "Standard Aircraft Carrier"
  • "Aircraft Carrier" instead of "Armored Aircraft Carrier"
  • "Battleship" instead of "Fast Battleship"
  • There are no USN hull classification codes for:
  • Submarine Aircraft Carriers
  • Training Cruisers
  • Torpedo Cruisers
  • Aviation Cruisers
  • Armored Carriers
  • KanColle fans occasionally use CVB, which was for the largest aircraft carriers, such as Shinano.
  • Fast Battleships
  • Aviation Battleships
  • Landing Craft Carriers (Amphibious Assault Ship)

General

API link

A method to play the game without having to access the official DMM website.

Crossing the T

Classic naval strategy in which a line of warships cross in front of a line formation of enemy ships, allowing the crossing line to bring all their guns to bear while receiving fire from only the forward guns of the enemy. Gameplay-wise, when your fleet crosses the enemy fleet, both sides (counter-intuitively) gain a significant increase in damage dealt. When the opponent crosses your fleet, both sides receive a significant damage increase.

Docking

This allows your damaged ships to be repaired to full health by consuming steel and fuel. You can use an instant repair (高速修復材) to immediately finish.

Expedition

This is where you send your fleets to complete expeditions, in exchange for resources and certain items. Certain ships and equipment can be obtained exclusively through expeditions.

Food supply ship Mamiya

 
Blinking button in the 'Organize' menu showing that Mamiya's food can be used.

This item removes any fatigue on your fleet. See here for the Wikipedia entry.

Modernization

The process of using spare ships to increase the stats (firepower, AA, torpedo, armor) of ships up to a certain point. Luck can also be modernized with Maruyu, but she is difficult to obtain.

Naval Exercise

These are battles against other players' fleets. Opposing teams update in real-time, but there is no simultaneous play.

  • New opponent list refreshed at 03:00 and 15:00 JST

Phases of Battle

  • Day Battle
    1. Reconnaissance (Stat boost, avoid being T-crossed)
    2. Initial airstrike (opening bombing, air superiority)
    3. Support fleet attack
    4. Opening/initial torpedo strike (see Type A Ko-hyoteki (甲標的甲型))
    5. Shelling/artillery phase (regular airstrike happens here)
    6. Torpedo salvo
  • Night Battle

Remodel

Often confused with Modernization, will usually result in *ship name*-Kai (改). also known as Upgrading.

Fatigue

Orange/sad faces are displayed next to the ship icon if they are too fatigued. Rest them for 15 minutes or so if it happens. Fatigue will reduce by 3 every 3 minutes. Fatigued ships will have lower accuracy and evasion. If your ships are still fatigued upon returning from expedition, your expedition will end up failing even with all other criteria fulfilled.

Sparkle

The polar opposite of Fatigue. If one or more of your ships sparkle, they will gain evasion boost during sortie. The evasion boost stats are not shown in your ship stats directly. Or, if you choose to send a sparkling ship on an expedition, it will have a chance for 150% resource gain and a higher likelihood of returning with a special item (note that this requires the entire fleet to be consisting of sparkling ships).

Medal

Medals (勲章?) are a multi-purpose item that can be used to exchange for a small amount of resources or a remodel blueprint (改装設計図?).

  • 1 medal can be used to exchange for   x300,   x300,   x300,   x300 and   x2.
  • 1 medal can also be used to exchange for Improvement Materials   x4.
  • 4 medals are needed to exchange for 1 x remodel blueprint.

Medals can be obtained by clearing certain maps. You can find the amount of medals owned by accessing the Item page(アイテム) at the top menu bar of the main screen. Remodel blueprint is needed to remodel certain ships.

Tracer-fire effect

This occurs when a ship fires any equipped machine guns to defend itself, reducing incoming damage from enemy bombers. Your flagship will always do this by default, even without any anti-air stat.

Equipment

Color-coded Aircraft

Color-coded Naval Guns

It is based on their roles, not ability.

  •  Red Gun: Main Gun; Primarily used against ships, with a secondary role as AA.
  •  Yellow Gun: Secondary Gun; increase in accuracy and AA stats.
  • Green Gun: High-angle dual-purpose guns or AA machine guns
  •  High-angle guns have the ability to effectively attack both aircraft and ships.
  •  AA machine guns specifically attack aircraft and always trigger tracer-fire effect.

Midget Submarine

Also known by its design code name Type A Ko-hyoteki ( 甲標的甲型) which literally means Target Type A, it's a submarine equipable on Torpedo Cruisers, Submarines, and Seaplane Tenders. Frequently used because of their ability to attack before the shelling phase.

Turbine

Turbine  are equippable on any ship. Turbine increases the evasion stat causing enemies to miss more often.

Trivia

!すでのな

One of Inazuma's lines written "backwards", in traditional Japanese format. Also appears as a wall scroll in the furniture page.

2-4-11

The fleet idol, Naka-chan dayo!~ (see number 48 designation).
2-4-11 refers to the fuel/ammo/steel combination received from her scrap (if scrapping with her default equipment).

Beaver

See Yukikaze and notice the similarities. pic related. Japanese fans call her 'Hamster' instead.

Big Seven

A group of warship built to carry the biggest naval gun (41cm) allowed by the Washington Naval Treaty. It comprise of Nagato, Mutsu, USS West Virginia, USS Maryland, USS Colorado, HMS Rodney, and HMS Nelson.

Black Rick Shooter/Black Ruck Shooter

Nickname of Heavy Cruiser Ri-Class Kai and Battleship Ru-Class Kai, respectively.

  • Abbreviated BRS

Black Wock Shooter

Nickname of Standard Carrier Wo-Class Kai Flagship.

  • Abbreviated BWS

BURNING LOVE

Notable line from Kongou, a Kongou-class battleship built by Vickers Shipbuilding Company. Loves tea and fond of using English words due to her being built in England. Other examples:

  • 提督ゥ~、You've Got Mail! Love letterは許さないからネ!
  • Wow! Congratulations!
  • Tea timeは大事にしないとネー

KTKM

Shorthand for Kitakami. Wordplay from Japanese netslang KTKR which is read as kita kore, literally 'it's here', sort of like 'woohoo I got it' or 'I've been waiting for this!'.

Melon-chan

Nickname for Yuubari due to her uniform color scheme and general resemblance to a melon as well as the City of Yuubari, on the namesake Yuubari River, which is well known for its melons.

Nagamon

The name is due to Nagato's (長門) second kanji, 門, which can be pronounced as mon.
Instead of being cool and serious, Nagato is usually depicted doing silly things or showing love to random destroyers, Northern Hime, and other girls.

Rensouhou-chan (連装砲ちゃん)

A Danbo-like robot which appears with Shimakaze. Amatsukaze, having a more formal character, calls hers Rensouhou-kun instead.

RJ/Airport

Light Carrier Ryūjō which has a second flight deck very flat chest. Don't complain about it, the chart agrees.

Tenryuu Kindergarten

A common theme where Tenryuu and her destroyers escort was regularly used in expeditions due to Tenryuu's lower ammo cost (compared to other light cruisers). The official 4-koma also shows Tenryuu as being good at taking care of children (destroyers), hence the name.

Zekamashi (ぜかまし)

Shimakaze's name read backward (in traditional Japanese, characters are read right-to-left). Found on one of the Rensouhou-chan's life buoys.

Birthdays of Ship Girls

The birthdays of the ship girls are based from their date of launch sourced from their appropriate wikipedia pages. Alternative calculation method, like the date they get named or the date their construction start, could/would also be applied in some occasion.

Destroyers

Fubuki Class Destroyers

Also called Special Type Destroyers. Fubiki class broke down into three groups as Type I, Type II (Ayanami Class), and Akatsuki Class. Although, Fubuki Class was considered as the most powerful destroyers in the world during the time of WWII. They got a serious stability problem due to restriction by Washington Naval Treaty

  • Fubuki is main character in the Kantai Collection anime and one of the five starter kanmusu. Still, she had no major roles in Pacific Ocean theater.
Ayanami Class Destroyers
  • Ayanami was one of the famous ship from Special Type unit due to her outstanding performance, especially during Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal where she sank two American destroyers and severely damaged other two destroyers, then caused heavy damage to another battleship, with assisted from Nagara, Uranami, and Kirishima.
  • Ushio was the only Special Type destroyer to survive WWII.

Akatsuki Class Destroyers

The last four Special Type destroyers that got enough differences to deserve a new class name. By the way, they still had same stability problems as Fubuki Class

  • Hibiki was only Akatsuki class to fight until the war ended. Later turned over to the Soviets as reparations and renamed Верный

Mutsuki Class Destroyers

The first destroyers class built under Washington Naval Treaty, with introduce of several new features, especially heavy torpedo armament.

Hatsuharu Class Destroyers

Hatsuharu Class faced by London Naval Treaty, that put more restriction than Washington Naval Treaty. Yet, this class confronted further stability problems and needed extensive modification and redesign.

Shiratsuyu Class Destroyers

Shiratsuyu Class was redesigned from unstable Hatsuharu Class, by means of breaking London Naval Treaty.

  • Shigure was the most famous ship from her class, known as Shigure of Sasebo and Indestructible destroyer, being sole survivor from 2 disastrous defeat of IJN.
  • Yuudachi, Nightmare of Solomon poi~!, the alias resulted from her success, sinking two destroyer transports and torpedoed another heavy cruiser, during Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.

Asashio Class Destroyers

Another class to ignore London Naval Treaty. Asashio Class designed with improved boilers resulted in faster speed than preceding Shiratsuyu Class (1 knot faster). None destroyers from this class survived the war.

Kagerou Class Destroyers

Kagerou Class design, based on the success of previous Asashio Class, resulted in slightly improve stability.

Yuugumo Class Destroyers

Yuugumo Class was the Kagerou Class with some minor improvements. They assigned to escort primary fleet units most of time.

Shimakaze Class Destroyers

Design based on Yuugumo Class, with the purpose to achieved as high speed as possible to gain a tactical advantage in naval combat. By the way, its performance wasn't that good compared to very complex design. So, the construction of this class was cancelled, resulted Shimakaze being the only ship in the class

Akizuki Class Destroyers

Akizuki Class built on purpose of antiaircraft warfare. Also, the class that IJN considered as their most successful destroyers.

Light Cruisers

  • Tenryuu 11 March
  • Tatsuta 29 May
  • Kuma 14 July
  • Tama 10 February
  • Kiso 14 December
  • Nagara 25 April
  • Isuzu 29 October
  • Natori February 16
  • Yura 15 February
  • Kinu 29 May
  • Abukuma 16 March
  • Sendai 30 October
  • Jintsuu 8 December
  • Naka 24 March
  • Ooi 15 July
  • Kitakami 3 July
  • Yuubari 5 March
  • Agano 22 October
  • Noshiro 19 July
  • Yahagi 25 October
  • Sakawa 9 April
  • Ooyodo 2 April

Heavy Cruisers

  • Furutaka 25 February
  • Kako 10 April
  • Aoba 25 September
  • Kinugasa 24 October
  • Myoukou 16 April
  • Nachi 15 June
  • Ashigara 22 April
  • Haguro 24 March
  • Takao 12 May
  • Atago 16 June
  • Maya 8 November
  • Choukai 30 June
  • Tone 21 November
  • Chikuma 19 March
  • Mogami 14 March
  • Mikuma 31 May
  • Suzuya 20 November
  • Kumano 15 October
  • Prinz Eugen 22 August

Battleships

  • Nagato 9 November
  • Mutsu 31 May
  • Kongou 18 May
  • Hiei 21 November
  • Kirishima 1 December
  • Haruna 14 December
  • Fusou 28 March
  • Yamashiro 3 November
  • Ise 12 November
  • Hyuuga 27 January
  • Yamato 8 August
  • Musashi 1 November
  • Bismarck 14 February

Light Carriers

  • Houshou 13 November
  • Ryuujou 2 April
  • Hiyou 24 June
  • Junyou 26 June
  • Shohou 1 June
  • Zuihou 19 June
  • Chitose 29 November
  • Chiyoda 29 November
  • Ryuuhou 16 November

Standard Carriers

  • Akagi 22 April
  • Kaga 17 November
  • Souryuu 21 December
  • Hiryuu 16 November
  • Shoukaku 1 June
  • Zuikaku 27 November
  • Taihou 7 March
  • Unryuu 25 September
  • Amagi 1 October

Submarines

  • I-8 20 July
  • I-19 16 September
  • I-168 26 June
  • 1-58 30 June
  • I-401 8 January
  • Maruyu 31 October
  • U-511 21 Febuary
  • RO-500 16 September

Auxiliary

  • Akitsumaru 24 Sept
  • Akashi 29 June
  • Taigei/Ryuuhou 16 November
  • Mamiya 26 October
  • Katori 14 December

List of vessels by Japanese voice actresses

Voice actress Ship girls
Bridcut Sarah Emi Maikaze, Hatsukaze, Yuubari, Suzuya, Kumano
Endou Aya Bismarck, Z1, Z3
Fujita Saki Akagi, Fusou, Yamashiro, Kagerou, Shiranui, Kuroshio, Yukikaze, Tokitsukaze, Aircraft Carrier Demon, Aircraft Carrier Princess (special boss)
Hayasaka Kozue (早坂梢) Sazanami, Akebono, Ushio, Oboro
Hidaka Rina Ryuujou, Mutsuki, Kisaragi, Satsuki, Fumizuki, Nagatsuki, Kikuzuki, Mikazuki, Mochizuki, Yayoi, Uzuki
Horie Yui Asagumo, Yamagumo, Amagi, Supply Ship Mamiya, Supply Ship Irako,
Iguchi Yuka Kaga, Tone, Chikuma, Tenryuu, Tatsuta, Nagara, Isuzu, Natori
Ise Mariya I-401
Kanemoto Hisako Kiyoshimo, Hayashimo, Harusame, Northern Princess (special boss)
Kawasumi Ayako Unryuu, Isokaze, Ooyodo, Midway Princess (special boss)
Kayano Ai Asashimo, Katori, U-511/Ro-500, Light Cruiser Demon (special boss), Battleship Water Demon (special boss)
Kobayashi Motoko Hatsuharu, Nenohi, Wakaba, Hatsushimo
Komatsu Mana (小松真奈) Zuihou, Hamakaze, Tanikaze, Urakaze
Kuno Misaki (久野美咲) Littorio, Roma, Takanami, Harbor Water Demon (special boss)
Misato (味里) Musashi, I-19, I-8, Airfield Princess (special boss), Battleship Princess (special boss)
Miyagawa Wakana (宮川若菜) Chitose, Chiyoda, Asashio, Ooshio, Michishio, Arashio, Arare, Kasumi
Nakajima Megumi Mikuma, I-168, I-58, Kinugasa
Nomizu Iori Shoukaku, Zuikaku, Kinu, Abukuma, Special bosses (敵巨大母艦, 鬼, 姫, 戦鬼, 戦姫)
Noto Mamiko Taihou, Akitsu Maru, Maruyu
Ogura Yui Amatsukaze, Taigei/Ryuuhou, Harbour Princess (special boss), Isolated Island Demon (special boss)
Ootsubo Yuka Ise, Hyuuga, Furutaka, Kako, Ooi, Kitakami, Hiyou, Junyou
Ozawa Ari Akizuki, Prinz Eugen, Nowaki, Destroyer Princess (special boss), Aircraft Carrier Water Demon (special boss)
Sakura Ayane Nagato, Mutsu, Shimakaze, Kuma, Tama, Kiso, Sendai, Jintsuu, Naka
Suzaki Aya Mogami, Houshou, Aoba, Akatsuki, Hibiki/Верный, Ikazuchi, Inazuma
Taketatsu Ayana Yamato, Akigumo, Yuugumo, Makigumo, Naganami
Taneda Risa Myoukou, Nachi, Ashigara, Haguro, Shouhou, Samidare, Suzukaze, Akashi
Tanibe Yumi (タニベ ユミ) Yura, Shigure, Murasame, Yuudachi, Shiratsuyu
Touyama Nao Kongou, Hiei, Haruna, Kirishima, Takao, Atago, Maya, Choukai, Ayanami, Shikinami
Uesaka Sumire Souryuu, Hiryuu, Fubuki, Shirayuki, Hatsuyuki, Miyuki, Murakumo, Isonami
Yamada Yuki (山田悠希) Agano, Noshiro, Yahagi, Sakawa
Uncredited

List of vessels by artist

Illustrator Ship girls
Akira (アキラ) Special Bosses: Anchorage Demon (泊地棲鬼), Anchorage Princess (泊地棲姫), Airfield Princess (飛行場姫), Battleship Princess (戦艦棲姫), Northern Princess (北方棲姫)
Amemiya Chiyou
(雨宮千遥)
Samidare, Suzukaze
Ayaki (彩樹) Tenryuu, Tatsuta, Murakumo, Hatsuharu, Nenohi
bob Sendai, Jintsuu, Naka, Myoukou, Nachi, Ashigara, Haguro, Tone, Chikuma, Shouhou
drew Oboro, Akebono, Sazanami, Ushio, Tutorial Musume
Fujikawa (藤川) Kinugasa, Akigumo, Yuugumo, Makigumo, Naganami, Supply Ship Mamiya, Error Musume, Akashi, Ooyodo, Hayashimo, Kiyoshimo, Supply Ship Irako, Asagumo, Yamagumo, Asashimo
hatsuko (ハツ子) Aoba
Konishi (コニシ) Kongou, Hiei, Haruna, Kirishima, Asashio, Ooshio, Michishio, Arashio, Arare, Kasumi, Kagerou, Shiranui, Kuroshio, Shoukaku, Zuikaku, Yura, Kinu, Abukuma, Yuubari, Zuihou, Suzuya, Kumano, Maikaze, Hatsukaze, Agano, Noshiro, Yahagi, Sakawa, Nowaki
Kujou Itiso
(玖条イチソ)
Shiratsuyu, Shigure, Murasame, Yuudachi, Taigei/Ryuuhou, Harusame
Kusada Souta
(草田草太)
Mutsuki, Kisaragi, Yayoi, Uzuki
Kuu Ro Kuro
(くーろくろ)
Ryuujou, Nagara, Isuzu, Natori, Chitose, Chiyoda, Hiyou, Junyou, Akitsu Maru, Maruyu, Unryuu, Amagi, Katsuragi
Mikoto Akemi
(みことあけみ)
Takao, Atago
Oguchi (おぐち) All standard enemy vessels (main design concept creator)
Parsley (パセリ) Maya, Choukai, Hamakaze, Tanikaze, Urakaze, Isokaze, Katori
Rikka (六花) Fusou, Yamashiro
Shibafu (しばふ) Akagi, Kaga, Souryuu, Hiryuu, Ise, Hyuuga, Fubuki, Shirayuki, Hatsuyuki, Miyuki, Isonami, Ayanami, Shikinami, Ooi, Kitakami, Houshou, Mogami, Mikuma, I-401
Shimada Humikane
(島田フミカネ)
(Twitter)
Taihou, Bismarck, Z1, Z3, Prinz Eugen, U-511/Ro-500
Shizuma Yoshinori
(しずまよしのり)
Nagato, Mutsu, Yukikaze, Shimakaze, Yamato, Musashi, Amatsukaze, Tokitsukaze, Akizuki
Shobon
(ショボン)
I-168, I-58, I-19, I-8
UGUME Kuma, Tama, Kiso, Furutaka, Kako
Yadokari
(やどかり)
Satsuki, Fumizuki, Nagatsuki, Kikuzuki, Mikazuki, Mochizuki, Akatsuki, Hibiki/Верный, Ikazuchi, Inazuma, Wakaba, Hatsushimo
youki Shinano (speculative, from p.26 of Teitoku no Natsuyasumi & p.31 of Teitoku no Fuyuyasumi)
Uncredited

List of music by composers

Composer Tracks
Okamiya Michio (岡宮道生) Game, Event, OST -Akatsuki-, Incomplete
Ookoshi Kaori ( 大越香里) Game, Event, OST -Akatsuki-, Incomplete
Usami Hiroshi (宇佐美宏) Game, Event, OST -Akatsuki-, Incomplete
Uncredited Japanese wiki

Acronyms

Ever see an acronym in the wiki you didn't know the meaning of and urbandictionary doesn't have it? While it is preferable to not use acronyms to avoid confusion, some discussions will inevitably have them. This is an incomplete list of acronyms used in discussions by English-speaking KanColle players.

  • AA - Anti-Air
  • AACI - Anti-Air Cut-in
  • ACH - Aircraft Carrier Hime
  • AFP - Air Fighter Power
  • ASW - Anti-Submarine Warfare
  • AS - Air Superiority
  • AS+ - Air Supremacy
  • BP - Blueprint
  • CI - Cut-In
  • CV - Character Voice (=VA, but CV also can mean Aircraft Carrier)
  • DA - Double Attack
  • EO - Extra Operation (maps 1-5, 1-6, 2-5, 3-5, 5-5, and some event maps)
  • FBB - Fast Battleship
  • FCF - Fleet Command Facility
  • FP - Firepower
  • FS - Flagship
  • GS - Great Success
  • KC - Kantai Collection
  • LSC - Large Ship Construction
  • LoS/LOS - Line of Sight
  • RSC - Resources
  • RNG - Random Number Generator
  • SCAMP - Skilled Carrier-based Aircraft Maintenance Personnel
  • TP - Torpedo
  • VA - Voice Actress, same as CV