Calling all Japanese pre-war/wartime Merchant Marine fans

[Timmy C]

I got myself the Fujimi pre-war Brasil Maru kit today and have browsed through this thread for some information! I note Motoyuki-san's comment on page 2 that there are some problems with the kit's details' arrangement - are there more specifics regarding this? I am looking to build her in her pre-war guise, so basically as the box allows. Is the painting on the front accurate?

I also see Jim S's build up, which is excellent! Jim, did you do any rearranging of the kit details?

Thanks for any hints!

[Ron Wolford]

Hello Timmy C
Here is a picture I got from somebody on e-bay, it shows the Brasil Maru in Los Angles in 1941. As you can see, her hull was black and her upper works white with light tan masts and ventilators. I hope this helps you out and please post a picture of your model when you get it built.

Ron Wolford

http://i48.tinypic.com/ifrfxd.jpg

[Timmy C]

Thanks for the beautiful picture, Ron!

Were there any structural differences between when she wore the Japanese flags on her hull and when she didn't (as drawn on the boxart)?

[Gilbert]

Were there any structural differences between when she wore the Japanese flags on her hull and when she didn't (as drawn on the boxart)?

Timmy,
AFAIK, and as she was quite a brand new ship, (Completed on 23/12/1939), there was no structural differences between 1939 and September 1941 when she was requisitioned by IJN as a Tokusetsu Zatsuyokan (APK). In Noma's book, on p.37, there is another black &white pre-war nice picture of her, showing no difference with Ron's amazing colour picture .
Regards
Gilbert

[Dan K]

Great Photo!

[Quincy]

I concur with Dan! This picture looks like it was taken yesterday, what clarity.





Bob Pink.

[bootneck42]

Hi Timmy,

I have posted a 1939 image of Brasil Maru and Argentina Maru below.

Brasil Maru


Argentina Maru


I hope that they can help with your model making

Mike

[bootneck42]

Ron Wolford,

I have tried to send you the Ussuri Maru stuff but I don't have your details.

Please send me a pm how to contact you and send this stuff

Mike

[Timmy C]

Thanks a lot, my friends!

Were there much/any differences between Argentina Maru and Brasil Maru in the pre-war period? Or can pictures of the former be used for referencing the latter?

[Freighter]

Timmy,
Thanks for your comments on the Brasil Maru. The only addition/modifications I made to the kit were buying the dedicated photo etch set from Fujimi (which includes railings, stantions, stairs etc) and replaced the plastic masts with turned masts from BMK via Battlefleet. Otherwise it was pretty straightforward.

Colour scheme was copied from a museum model - details of which Motoyuki-san posted on one of the MW forums some time ago.

As I understand it, the addition of Japanese flags to the hull was done to show Japanese neutrality in between the outbreak of war in Europe September 1939 and Pearl Harbour (or the requisitioning of merchant ships into military service).

Ron,
Thanks for the superb picture of Brasil Maru. Keep them coming.

Jim S

[Timmy C]

Thank you, Jim!

I have the GMM Merchant Ship PE set (was the only one in the store that fitted), which is designed for the Titanic/Lusitania, but much of the generic stuffs should work here, I hope!

I took a look at all the links that Motoyuki-san posted, but they all seem to have 404'd except for his main site

[Timmy C]

In looking for info on Brasil Maru, it seems that there is a lot of misinformation on the internet! I've seen at least two sites that have mistaken the one built in 1939 and sank in 1942 (the Fujimi kit) with the one that acted as a POW-transport ship in 1944 - one such site was even a paper written for the US Archives back in 2003!

[Freighter]

Timmy,
Just to clarify. The BraSil Maru was the passenger liner planned to be converted to an escort carrier but was sunk August 5, 1942 before that could be done. The sister ship Argentina Maru was converted to escort carrier Kaiyo.

BraZil Maru was a freighter built in 1919 (5860 tons) which was used to transport POWs - it was designated a 'Hell ship' and was sunk 12 May 1945 (mined).

Jim S

[Timmy C]

Thanks Jim - it seems I'm not the only one who thought the names were interchangeable!

[Ron Wolford]

Hello Everybody
Here a couple of charts you guys might find interesting, there from ONI-208J (1942). I found these in the copy at the Washington Navy Yard library. For some reason not all copies of ONI-208J (1942) have them. Enjoy

Ron Wolford


http://i43.tinypic.com/igvy2q.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/yfb5s.jpg

[Jim Smith]

Ron,
Thanks for the excellent links. Just the thing I've been trawling the net for for what seems years.
A welcome companion piece to my copy of Jordan's Merchant Fleets 1939.
Jim S

[bootneck42]

Thanks Ron,

I have ONI208-J and ONI208-J (revised) and neither have these 'essential' pages so thank you very much.

Did you receive my email with the images and plans of Ussuri Maru OK?

Mike

[Ron Wolford]

Hello Mike
Yes I did get your e-mail, Thank You! But I've been soon busy with school this week, I havent found time to get back to you, this weekend I'll e-mail you and let you know what my plan is for getting you that info. Thanks.

Ron Wolford

[Burkhardt]

Hi Everybody,


here our "Deutsche Modellwerft" first hull testshot from "TAMATSU MARU" in 1:700!

Complete Hull


Bow details


Stern details


In one or two month we are ready with the kit!

Gru�
Burkhardt

[Dan K]

Beautifully done. Did she really carry a degaussing cable?