I salute all the expertise and passion for the Yamato and Musashi on this forum. I hope to tap into that fountain of knowledge now. As an introduction, I won’t give my age, but one of the first models I remember building was the Revell USS Missouri with the John Steel box art. I have an extensive Yamato collection of resource material and over the years have built at least nine different models of the ship.
I recently read through a build log for the Tamiya New Tool Yamato with the Pontos Detail-Up Kit by a modeler named Koppalakki:
viewtopic.phpf=60&t=163104The model is presented as during Operation Ten-Ichi-Go and includes many of the features discussed at length on this forum:
Weather deck stained black with funnel soot.
NOT AS DARK AS ON THE MODEL. ORIGINAL PHOTOS FROM JANUARY 1945 SHOWS THE DECK BRIGHTER THAN THE KURE GREY ON THE SUPERSTRUCTUREAircraft crane tower mast removed.
YOU CAN´T FIND THE AERIAL MAST ON PHOTOS FROM 07.04.1945: AS DESCRIBED IN MODEL ART NO.745Correct number of 25mm AA guns (6 single 25mm and 52 triple 25mm mounts).
Sandbag and bedroll protection around open AA mounts.
IMHO ONLY ON THE FOUR 25MM SINGLE GUNS NEAR 46CM TURRET NO. 1 AND ON THE FOUR OPEN TRIPLE GUNS ON THE ROOFS OF 46CM TURRET NO. 2 AND NO. 3No ships boats on board.
Only two aircraft remaining on board for ASW search (one Jake depicted).
White Chrysanthemum crest painted on funnel port and starboard.
Admiral Itos flag on mainmast.
Imperial flag on mainmast.
Samurai banner on mainmast.
He also depicted that the anchor chains had been removed with the anchors held in place by chain stoppers only, stating that this was as per the photo evidence.
WHY THEY WANT TO REMOVE THEM? PHOTO FROM JANUARY 1945 SHOW THE ANCHOR CHAINSI started checking all the available photos that showed Yamato’s bow clearly and found that, yes, the photos of Yamato during Operation Ten-Icho-Go did show there were no anchor chains present. The anchors and chain stoppers were there, but no anchor chains past that. The photos of Yamato during Operation Sho-Go clearly showed the full set of anchor chains present.
PHOTO FROM MARCH 19TH 1945 SHOW THE ANCHOR CHAINSI plan to build the new 1/200 Trumpeter Yamato (or Glow2be or Gallery or Monochrome or whatever name it has) and hope to finish it exactly like Koppalakki’s with the following additional details:
GOOD LUCK! BECAUSE THE KIT HAS A LOOOT OF ERRORS!!!!The four open triple 25mm mounts on either side of the bridge tower and the two open 25mm triples mounted either side of the aft range finder tower will be equipped with Le Prieur mechanical lead computing sights (these mounts used to have armored shields that were removed and used to mount the additional 25mm guns along the port and starboard railings during her 44-45 repair/refit).
THAT`S CORRECT! PHOTO FROM 1945 SHOWS ONE OF THESE TRIPLE GUNS IN THE BACKGROUNDAdd a 25mm gun director that replaces the forward 150cm searchlights port and starboard.
SIX SEARCHLIGHT - SIX CONTROL TOWER UNTIL THE END. SIX SEARCHLIGHTS ARE CLEARLY VISIBLE ON A FEW PHOTOS FROM TEN GO. THEY ARE COVERED WITH CANVAS!Add additional 25mm gun directors port and starboard on second deck between 5” AA guns.
THIS WILL MATCH THE THEORY OF - 1 GUN CONTORL TOWER FOR TWO TRIPLE GUNS AROUND THE SUPERSTRUCTURE AND THE KATAPULT/AIRCRAFTDECK.I also plan to add gun shields to the open 25mm triple mounts as depicted in Skulski’s book. Call it creative license if you want. I prefer to look at it like I was the Captain of the Yamato. I would want to do anything and everything in my power to protect my crew during battle. Knowing the mission and the known American Navy doctrine of having fighter aircraft strafe the decks with machine gun and rocket fire prior to the dive bombers and torpedo bombers attacking, adding sandbag, bedroll, and gun shield protection for the gun crews is, in my mind, absolutely necessary.
WHY? ON ONE HAND YOU WANT TO BUILD AS ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE; AND ON THE OTHER HAND YOU WANT TO GIVE THE OPEN TRIPLE GUNS PROTECTIONS SHIELDS? A PHOTO FROM 1945 SHOWS CLEARLY NO SHIELDS ON THE OPEN MOUNTS!Now, my questions for this forum are:
I have read through every page of this forum and have either missed any discussion about the anchor chains being removed or else the subject has never been brought-up before. What is the input on this?
AGAIN IT MAKES NO SENSE. SEE ABOVEThe new 1/200 Trumpeter Yamato has an aircraft handling deck that depicts armor plating engraved in a square pattern, similar to the Flyhawk PE set I have seen. There is no anti-slip pattern on the deck, even around the aircraft trolly tracks. Depending on the model or resource you check, I have seen it depicted both ways. Any input on this subject?
ORIGINAL PHOTOS FROM CREW MEMBERS ON THE CATAPULTDECK SHOWS ANTI SLIPPING PATTERN UNDER THE TRACKSAlso, the new Trumpeter kit only depicts ESM antenna on the front of the bridge tower. There is no ESM antenna on the rear sides of the signal platform or the sides of the air defense platform. These are present in Skulski’s book and on the 1/10 Kure model and I plan to add those separately. There is apparently another ESM antenna mounted higher up. The 1/10 Kure model has this ESM antenna mounted on the center yard at the rear of the air defense platform. Skulski’s book shows this mounted on the curved mast atop the main rangefinder. Any thoughts on this?
HERE I WOULD FOLLOW THE 1/10 YAMATOFinally, what is the consensus on the air defense control station on the air defense platform directly in front of the main range finder base. The new 1/200 Trumpeter kit represents it with a PE part as an open curved bulkhead with three windows. The Gakken Super Illustrated Yamato book shows it as an open curved bulkhead with no windows. Skulski has it as an enclosed armored bunker rounded at the top with three windows and doors on either side. The Fujimi 1/200 kit of the Yamato bridge also shows it that way, as does the digital rendering made of the Musashi wreck site. The 1/10 Kure model represents it as an enclosed bunker with flat top, no windows, and doors on either side. So many choices.
I FIND THE SUPER ILLUSTRATION THEORY THE BEST. FOR A CLOSED ROOM IT IS TOO LOW. IMHO!In closing, great work everyone and keep up the good fight!