Calling all Yamato (大和) and Musashi (武蔵) fans

[Philippe R. DAVID]

I'm presently collecting information as I intend to realize in a near future a 1/150 or 1/144 scale model of IJN Yamato.
Pictures of IJN Musashi's foredeck during June and July 1942 sea trials show strange metallic structures attached to the guns of main turret A and the same + platforms on the guns of main turret B (cfr. attached pictures).
Such structures are shown on the partial replica of IJN Yamato used for the movie Otoko-Tachi No YAMATO ?????? but I couldn't find evidence of their actual use aboard Yamato neither if they were also present on the guns of the rear third main turret C of IJN Musashi (...and consequently of IJN Yamato).
Those "structures" are not present on the superb Kure Museum 1/10 replica...
What were those structures for ? Were they present on the two superb battleships ? Were they installed permanently ? (e.g. it's hard to see on aerial views of both giants if they are present or not).
Needless to say that all information about this would be mostly welcome.
Thank you for your kind attention and best regards,

Philippe R. DAVID

[imlaam]

Hey guys good day,
Just wana share with you guys a few photos of my completed 1/350 Yamato. Hope it can help. Cheers

[Philippe R. DAVID]

Hey guys good day,
Just wana share with you guys a few photos of my completed 1/350 Yamato. Hope it can help. Cheers

Nice pics of a very beautiful 1/350 scale model !

[baseballbrat]

Hey guys good day,
Just wana share with you guys a few photos of my completed 1/350 Yamato. Hope it can help. Cheers

imlaam, Do you have any High Res Photos of your build?

I would be nice to zoom in on the details.

Any with rigging detail would be great.

Thanks!

Jim

[Philippe R. DAVID]

Further to my post of June 15, I found a partial answer on page 17 of Janusz Skulski & Stefan Draminski fabulous monography,
the new edition of "Battleships Yamato and Musashi - Anatomy of the ship" where it is mentioned that:..."Small trusses on the left and right barrels and small platforms were fitted temporarily for precise adjustment of the guns".

[imlaam]

Hey guys good day,
Just wana share with you guys a few photos of my completed 1/350 Yamato. Hope it can help. Cheers

imlaam, Do you have any High Res Photos of your build?

I would be nice to zoom in on the details.

Any with rigging detail would be great.

Thanks!

Jim

Hey Jim,
Which parts do you wana have a close look? I can send your via email if you want.

Cheers.

[Philippe R. DAVID]

In the latest edition of "Battleships Yamato and Musashi - Anatomy of the ship", Janusz Skulski and Stefan Draminski depict a stern design which is fully different from all previous representations including that one of the 1/10 Kure Museum model.
This seems to be a consequence of the somehow recent respective wrecks expeditions of 1985, 1999 and 2015 but I cannot find any underwater picture or video showing IJN Yamato' or IJN Masashi' stern intact or partially destroyed which would have induced that fully "redesigning" of the two battleships' sterns !?
Could somebody elaborate on this ?

[cplchanb]

we should probably merge this thread into the existing Y & M thread. Besides this has already been discussed at length in that thread.

[Philippe R. DAVID]

Thank you, guys !...

...but access to those links is forbidden to me !?!?...
http://ww2db.com/images/ship_yamato12.jpg
http://ww2db.com/images/ship_yamato11.jpg
http://ww2db.com/images/ship_musashi13.jpg

Should I understand from your exchange that MM. Shulski and Draminski stern representation is wrong ?

[William]

I have read that Musashi had been equipped with depth charge racks during her 1943 refit but have never seen any photos of this. Can anyone direct me to any references/photos of the ship in this configuration? No model kit of her includes this feature, and I don't want to simply guess when I build the model; I want to accurately place these racks from after-market products.

Thanks!

Bill Morrison

[Philippe R. DAVID]

Hi Bill !

Let's guess that we may trust Janusz Skulski's assumptions.
Here are the very few information given about depth charges on IJN Musashi in his updated book.
One can see 2x2 racks on the stern, next to AA MG.

Hope this could help !

[William]

Thank you! The pics are a great help. That is how I will depict these on my model!

Bill

[Philippe R. DAVID]

You're welcome, Bill !

[Senkan]

Depth charges on Musashi? WTF? Id figure they would be steaming in the opposite direction of a sub.

[Timmy C]

Depth charges, as I recall, were used by larger vessels (including Bismarck) to mislead enemy gunners as to where their shells hit, not as actual anti-submarine weapons.

[Senkan]

That must be the case.

[MalX]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hobby-Bull-1-20 ... 3641.l6368

this is a new 1/200 Yamato kit by Hobby Bull..........PE looks ok
BUT..........Hobby Bull needs much more research before you part with over 800 dollars !!!! but at the moment i cant find out anything about them

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ARII-1-250-Yama ... Sww9xZD-F4
this is the new PE upgrade set for the Arii Yamato 1/250.........which as you know has been unavailable for years !

so now we have a choice of Yamatos above 1/350 scale.............but because we know little about Hobby Bull, the Arii Yamato is probably the safest bet...............this PE set for the Arii kit changes everything, because before this the Arii kit wasn't worth having.

[Senkan]

I got the Hobby Bull 1/200 Yamato. I'll probably be putting something on here this month with some kind of review. The hull is nice. Works great for RC. I don't plan on using it in that fashion and the motors/ assembly I'll sell. There are some things I don't like. You have to cut wire to use as external guns on 25mm turrets. The bow and stern detail are PE parts that have to be glued on. Worried they won't stay on or will warp. I'm going to try to mould/cast some of the parts and use them on other 1/200 Nichimo models I have. Is it worth the money? Meh. If you want to RC this model it probably is. It's worth it to me because Yamato floats my boat.

[Senkan]

Regarding Arii 1/250 photo etch...GMM puts out a set. Also I've seen 1/250 railings on Ebay. I once saw a not so fancy PE set for $25 on Ebay...just have to keep your eyes open. Think I've seen it within the past month.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

Isn't there supposed to be a new 1/200 injection molded kit of the Yamato in the pipeline from either Hasegawa or Hobby Boss?

If there is, I hope in includes options to build an early war version, instead of the done to death April 1945 outfitting.