Calling all Mikasa (三笠) fans

[Iceman 29]

posting.php?mode=quote&f=59&p=1044668

Next, onto the portholes. Some of them have grids and I had to find out exactly which ones are true.
The grid would only have had a right to exist at the height of the anchors. On this ship, the anchors were pulled back on board with the davits and an anchor could have hit the hull or the porthole. In addition, the anchor chains ran past the portholes.
So I looked at everything I had in detail again.

The fact is that during active service, here in 1921, the front portholes were barred. You can see this in the following and best quality picture of the ship that I have. It was taken in Vladivostok in 1921.



Here the section is enlarged. So there were bars, but you can�t really tell whether all the lower portholes on the bow were barred.



Then this picture of the stern, also taken in Vladivostok in 1921. So quite late in their active service. She was in this dry dock for repairs.




Here the enlarged and brightened section shows that there were definitely no grilles in front of the portholes at the rear.



So the question arises as to where this protective measure went. The anchor area would be logical. I found the solution in the following picture.



The white arrow points to the same porthole in both photos. You can clearly see here that the portholes were protected with grilles right up to the anchor storage areas.

[Bozothenutter]

found this japanese blog...

seems like the current kits will need a LOT of correction, especially amidships.

http://blog.livedoor.jp/studio120/

Has anybody ever done the correct ventilators etc?

[Iceman 29]

https://www.kinenkan-mikasa.or.jp/en/index.html

�Maintenance work completed, bridge and deck before reopening.� H.I.J.M.S. MIKASA

Note the typical colour of the deck slats:

[Bozothenutter]

since you mention the decking..

look at this blog: http://blog.livedoor.jp/studio120/archives/8874652.html

it shows the original, and the current decking, quite a difference!

[Matthew in TO]

I�m looking to build Mikasa as HMS Formidable in Victorian black, white and buff. Before I purchase, do all these kits below include the lower fighting tops? These were removed from Mikasa by 1905, but remained on her half sister Formidable.

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/hasegaw ... 8/timeline

40021 - Japanese Battleship IJN Mikasa "The Battle of the Japan Sea"
40061 - IJN Battleship Mikasa "The Battle of the Yellow Sea� (the image shows fighting tops)
40081 - IJN Battleship Mikasa "The Battle of the Japan Sea" w/Figure
40090 - The Battle of the Japan Sea 1905" IJN Battleship Mikasa with two Figures
52270 - IJN Battleship Mikasa 120th Anniversary of Launch

[Matthew in TO]

This sectional view of the turret suggests they are vents - or at the very least, structurally integrated into the turret top. I don't think I've ever seen it portrayed as a separate colour other than as weathering or highlighting. They are not present on the museum ship today.

It�s the wide barbettes compared to the turret that always confuse me.

[Timmy C]

I�m looking to build Mikasa as HMS Formidable in Victorian black, white and nuff. Before I purchase, do all these kits below include the lower fighting tops? These were removed from Mikasa by 1905, but remained on her half sister Formidable.

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/hasegaw ... 8/timeline

40021 - Japanese Battleship IJN Mikasa "The Battle of the Japan Sea"
40061 - IJN Battleship Mikasa "The Battle of the Yellow Sea� (the image shows fighting tops)
40081 - IJN Battleship Mikasa "The Battle of the Japan Sea" w/Figure
40090 - The Battle of the Japan Sea 1905" IJN Battleship Mikasa with two Figures
52270 - IJN Battleship Mikasa 120th Anniversary of Launch

The lower fighting tops are on sprue J, which was not in any of the other versions of the Hasegawa 1/350 other than the Yellow Sea kit. If you're trying to shop around because you're having a hard time finding the Yellow Sea kit, I've got good news: Hobby Search 1) has it in stock and 2) it's on steep sale: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10045599

[Matthew in TO]

The lower fighting tops are on sprue J, which was not in any of the other versions of the Hasegawa 1/350 other than the Yellow Sea kit. If you're trying to shop around because you're having a hard time finding the Yellow Sea kit, I've got good news: Hobby Search 1) has it in stock and 2) it's on steep sale: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10045599

Brillant! Thanks. I've just placed my order. You've just launched me onto the Mikasa becomes Formidable project! I've already begun comparing the two ships.

What are your thoughts on the different turret profiles? British Battleships, 1889-1904 by RA Burt states that while Mikasa was built by Vickers instead of the Royal Dockyards (Portsmouth, Chatham and Devonport) where the Formidable-class were built, the Japanese required that the same Armstrong guns as the Formidable be used instead of Vickers guns. I wonder though if the gunhouse (turret) is from Vickers, since while I cannot find any British preadreadnought with the same square turret profile as Mikasa, there are several Japanese battleships built in Britain with this turret type.

If I had a 3D printer I would make new turrets, but instead I'll use some modeling clay or filler and styrene to round off Mikasa's turrets to better look like Formidable's. Too bad there are no 1/350 Royal Navy predreadnoughts earlier than the Lord Nelsons (they used the more modern turret look of those on HMS Dreadnought). The British built a huge fleet of predreadnoughts and yet they're mostly forgotten by the model kit firms.

[Matthew in TO]

Here�s a good image of the earlier rounder turret showing shells stored near the back. After the Fujis the Japanese changed to the smaller, square gun houses.

[SeanF]

So, what is that patch on the turret roof that looks like slats or louvers? And for that matter, I see them in drawings, and on models, but I can't recall ever seeing them in photos of the real thing (granted, photos of pre-dreadnoughts from a high-enough angle are few and far between).

- Sean F.

[TZoli]

I thought they were wooden plates but do not know the why.
IJN Yashima's turret shows that they were more like steel plates:


Mikasa 1904:

[FFG-7]

could be used as same on the decks, insulation & maybe anti-skid.

[SeanF]

The Yashima picture looks like they've secured a canvas cover over it. (And what a fascinating detail: "BANZAI" along the barbette shelf... just for the visitors, or might it have been there all the time? It's big enough that you could read it pretty easily in 1:700 scale.)

And the Mikasa photo looks like there's a knee-high guardrail with canvas dodger around it. Maybe the "slats" are some kind of cleats for securing stowage?

- Sean F.

[Matthew in TO]

I notice that when builders used the Mikasa detail kits that they leave these components unrealistically unpainted. Why? Do the detailed parts not take to paint well?

https://www.hobbylinc.com/hasegawa-ijn- ... cale-40062

https://www.hlj.com/1-350-scale-ijn-bb- ... sic-hsgqg7

https://www.bnamodelworld.com/deck-sets ... ox-aw10093

[Timmy C]

I notice that when builders used the Mikasa detail kits that they leave these components unrealistically unpainted. Why? Do the detailed parts not take to paint well?

https://www.hobbylinc.com/hasegawa-ijn- ... cale-40062

https://www.hlj.com/1-350-scale-ijn-bb- ... sic-hsgqg7

https://www.bnamodelworld.com/deck-sets ... ox-aw10093

If you're referring to the product images, that's so buyers know what are part of the upgrade set and what are not.

Most models by actual modellers (rather than models built for the aftermarket company for advertising purposes) do paint all detail parts. Do you have links to any examples to show what you mean?