At last! Getting serious about sticking parts on the
Harusame hull, and am bumping up against something curious. It appears this old Tamiya kit carries the weapons configuration of
after the time period 21-30 May, 1943? Comparing the TROM to the kit parts, and noticing the kit parts did not match armament specs of two of my references. At that time according to the TROM,
". . .'X' turret removed/replaced by triple 25mm mount during these repairs; Type 22 radar also mounted on the foremast."This pretty much matches the parts on the tree and the build illustration. And all this time I've been wondering where that "other" 5" gun went to [that wasn't on the tree].
But then that raises another curious thing. The triple gun sets in the kit are all item #26's. Which according to the specs, were 13mm. So the aft triple is molded as a 13mm, but is actually supposed to be a 25mm? Me thinks so. Probably just a convenient and economical way to market the kit? Then again, at 1/700 scale, perhaps the difference is not noticeable as long as the configuration of the triple is the same?
So, shucks, DanK (and interested others), in the 'as sunk' configuration- (which I really wanted anyway-
vice the Battle of Guadalcanal config), the funnel markings again come into question. Thinking perhaps I'll go with the three bands on the forward funnel, none on the rear as depicted in the box art. After coming out of repair, again according to the TROM,
Harusame went to DesDiv 27, DesRon 2, Second Fleet.
That TROM is a neat thing. Also am preparing an acetate overlay on an old atlas page of the South Pacific, and am tracing the operational track of the
Harusame. Right now, I'm as far as The Battle of Java Sea with the overlay. That's what bumped me up against all of the above, otherwise it would have been missed.
Cheers,
Arnie H
Houston