Calling all Japanese pre-war/wartime Merchant Marine fans

[Dan K]

Graham,

What threw me was the assertion that the mounts were 14cm. Actually, there were a mix of mounts used on the auxiliarys. Some were 12cm, others 14cm, most 15cm. Only a handful wore the shields, mostly the 15cm type. Same shields as seen on the 5500 ton CLs.

Anyway, the original Skywave/Pitroad Cruiser/Destroyer set (E-38?) has some shielded versions, and there is a small set known as the SP-25 Conversion Parts for IJN Merchant Ships that has 4 combined shield/barrel mounts.

You could also probably pickup one of the Tamiya 5500 kits on the cheap for the mounts. Easly to substitute different width brass rod for smaller diameters. HTH

[Graham Boak]

Thanks for the tip - SP25 looks promising but is OOS at HLJ. It might be worth placing an order and waiting.

I'm reluctant to buy a CL kit just for the guns: I have four (Erimo and Nippon Maru) and could get more from Kamikawa Maru kits. I probably will use two more KM kits but was reluctant to commit quite so early - I have too large a backlog already! Ah well, I have to order some winches anyway so it seems that WEM are to get more of my business sooner than expected.

[Harry @ BFM]

Hi Graham,

I have an extra sprue of the guns in the 5500 CL kit if you need some.

[Gilbert]

Hi All,

I have noticed Loose Cannon Productions have recently released the following reference :

Kit #123 - 1/700 Mini Marus 210' Economy Hulls / set of 4. You can have a look at them here : http://home.earthlink.net/~lcpwebmaster/Kit123.html

These small ships correspond to 2TEds or 3TE classes. "The 2TEds were standardized coastal tankers powered by diesel engines. They were designed for mass production rather than commercial economy, like the American Liberty Ships. The ships therefore had a reduced number of transverse frames (weakening their hulls) and no double bottom compartments."
Between the two classes, about 150 ships have been built from 1943 to 1945.

Thanks to Hugh Letterly for making them and I hope other Marus will be released in the future

Gilbert

Source : Pacific War Online Encyclopedia - link : http://pwencycl.kgbudge.com/

[Graham Boak (not in use)]

Thanks to Harry for the sprue.

To extend the discussion, this has seven open gunshields. I have two from the Erimo kit, and two spare from a Kitikami, but these are of a different design with rounded fronts. They are solid but I presume are meant to have open rears. I shall just scratch an eighth open position to match the cruisers', but does this actually reflect different equipment fits or have Fujimi and Skywave just over-simplified?

[Dan K]

Simplification. All the shields were open backed, and rounded fronts, IIRC.

[Dan K]

Have a look at the forward mount on Aikoku Maru. OTOH, a view of Kimikawa Maru's main mounts seems to be more flat sided. I guess it depends on the ships though, round faces are more common.

[Dan K]

You know what would be helpful to me, if someone could list the various std. cargo type ship classes (and members) much as Terry has begun listing in the post-war thread. Aside from some of the aux. seaplane carriers, I am very confused about this. I've heard of the Kinai Maru class, the Kiyosumi Maru class, the S-type (whatever that is), but would find it most helpful to have a breakdown. Maybe a photo as well.

Anyone up to it? Thx

[Caravellarella]

Thanks DanK, I'm only showing the photographs of the post-war ships that I've got in my collection, and I reckon that's about 1% of the Japanese Merchant Marine fleet. There are hundreds and hundreds of ships that I don't have photographs for and about which I know aboslutely nothing......

If I've given the wrong information in any of the captions, please let me know and I'll correct them.

Terry (Caravellarella)

[Freighter]

Dan K
I have been modelling pre-war/wartime 'Marus' for a few years now and my main reference material is Iwashige-san's site

http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/modellist.htm

which has main groupings - passenger liners/tankers etc etc ( a 'Google' translation page is available but I don't think it's up to much).

Alternatively, I would recommend investing in the History on CD ROM ONI 208J which shows details of the recognition manuals issued to US Navy personnel at the start of WW2. This details ships showing classes, names, build data and possible 'war' use. It also includes a good number of photos and outline plans.

http://www.history-on-cdrom.com/id132.htm

Hope this helps

Jim S

[Dan K]

Thank you, Freighter. I'm very familair with Motoyuki-san's site. However, I was hoping for the broader view of various classes of merchants, not just those listed on his site. Not quite ready to go the ONI route as of yet.

[janschu]

Hello altogether,

i have a question for all the experts out here.
It is about the two following freighter kits that are offered by Battlefleet Models.

- BFM-710 HOG ISLANDER / CAPELLA-Class Type A

- BFM-713 British Tramp Steamer SS Drumgeith

Well, now to my question. Is it possible to modify/rework the above mentioned kits in that way to get ships of the
japanese merchant marine? As far as i know the japanese shipbuilding was in the beginning so during
that time many vessels were build under license or bought from other countries.

Here are some examples of what i have in mind:

http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/chinamaru.htm

http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/manjumaru.htm

http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/mantaimaru.htm

http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/mexicomaru.htm

http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/tsushimamaru.htm

Greetings fron the North Sea Coast, Jan

[Freighter]

Jan,
Without the direct translations from Iwashige-san's book or Model Graphix, it looks like you may have to scratchbuild the hulls for your selected ships. However, for split superstructure types the HP models Doxford freighter is a good starter (sold as CAM ship, Tobruk, Baltyk etc).

See my kitbash at Finewaterline (Tsuruga Maru)

http://www.finewaterline.com/pages/gall ... suruga.htm

Alternatively, try the HP Models 'Legie' (original was built at Uraga Shipyard, Japan), Loose Cannon 'Dayrose', Battlefleet Models 'Wentworth' , 'Drumgeith' as your starting points. These were for the most part 'standard ships' which populated the world's shipping fleets between the wars.

Jim S

[Quincy]

Has anyone started scratchbuilding any of Motoyuki sans merchant ships from his 1/700 drawings in his new book?

I am going to give Fujikawa Maru and Arizona Maru a shot.




Bob Pink.

[Graham Boak]

Not (entirely) scratchbuilding, but I'm well along with a Hokoku Maru, cutting down a Yawata Maru to get the hull and most of the decks. I'm rather struggling with the promenade decks, being uncertain how to get nice regular stanchions on the central superstructure. I'm considering using Evergreen strips with thinner strips behind it to form a latticework, but have the problem of getting it to bend around and match perfectly up the other side!

[Dan K]

While still working on my Fubuki project, I am anticipating building a of couple of Kawasaki type tankers from the new Fujimi kits. Motoyuki-san's plans make clear that the later batches, esp. Shinkoku Maru, more closely resemble the kits so, I'm going to try and minimize the amount of alterations in this next project.

[Quincy]

Hello altogether,

i have a question for all the experts out here.
It is about the two following freighter kits that are offered by Battlefleet Models.

- BFM-710 HOG ISLANDER / CAPELLA-Class Type A

- BFM-713 British Tramp Steamer SS Drumgeith

Well, now to my question. Is it possible to modify/rework the above mentioned kits in that way to get ships of the
japanese merchant marine? As far as i know the japanese shipbuilding was in the beginning so during
that time many vessels were build under license or bought from other countries.

Here are some examples of what i have in mind:

http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/chinamaru.htm

http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/manjumaru.htm

http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/mantaimaru.htm

http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/mexicomaru.htm

http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/tsushimamaru.htm

Greetings fron the North Sea Coast, Jan

The SS Wentworth could be used for a couple of Japanese Merchantmen. It mentions this on the website

[janschu]

Hello altogether,

@Quincy, i have bought two SS Wentworth kits already. I plan to build them as Shinkyo Maru and Gyokuyo Maru, but i have to get informations
concerning equipment, colours, armament, etc. first.

And yes, i am already underway of scratchbuilding some of Motoyuki sans ships!
The first two masters, Kinka Maru / Kinryu Maru and Mayasan Maru / Tamatsu Maru, are almost completed. I will do the hulls and additional parts
like superstructure levels, AA gun and MG platforms, funnels, etc. Then we will make a test casting of the parts to see how they come out.

So, if someone is interested, i could post some pictures here. First of the masters and then of the test castings when they are ready.

Arizona maru is also on my "to do list". But at first i will try the "easier" ships! The next ships, which are in planning state are:
Akitsu Maru (late) / Nigitsu Maru, Kibitsu Maru / Hyuga Maru, Kumano Maru / Settsu Maru. And then afterwards i plan to do the Kamikawa Maru
class (5 ships) and the Sado Maru class (7 ships).

@Graham, this is a tricky project! But afaik the Hokoku Maru / Aikoku Maru kits from Waveline are out of production so this seems to be the only
option. I have built this kit twice. The first was build as Aikoku Maru, one of my earlier builds that will be upgraded (photoetch
parts, rigging, weathering, etc.). The second one was converted to resemble Awa Maru. A third kit is in storage that could be used
as a master for further projects.

Greetings from the North Sea Coast, Jan

[Quincy]

Yes, please post pictures of your progress. I would love to see them along with our other merchant fanatics.




Bob Pink.

[Dan K]

Janschu, if you please, can list the 7 ships in the Sado Maru class? thx. Dan