Calling all Japanese pre-war/wartime Merchant Marine fans

[Gilbert]

Hello Jan,

You did not cause any confusion at all . Sorry I can't give you the answer for the three merchant ships. I know the painting represents one of the numerous reinforcement convoys to Tassafaronga in 1942 but I don't know which ships are precisely depicted. Motoyuki San will tell you for sure and I hope he will chime in soon.

Best regards
Gilbert

[Gilbert]

Hello All,

I noticed on "finewaterline" website a very fine build by "Freighter" of Himalaya Maru in pre-war colours. This kit has been made from a HP Soviet freighter named Legie.

Jim explains it all here: http://www.finewaterline.com/pages/gall ... malaya.htm

Well done Jim

Gilbert

[Quincy]

I agree with Gilbert. Very well done!





Bob Pink.

[Gilbert]

Hi All,
I have just bought from "History on CD-ROM" their #583 issue ONI 208-J Supplement No. 2 Far Eastern Small Craft & Supplement No. 3 Standard Classes of Japanese Merchant Ships. The CD describes 293 individual Ships/Classes features 240 pages; 654 Pictures; 292 Line Drawings; and 31 page Statistical Index. Among the different ship types covered, are the following :
- Minor Combattant vessels
- Passenger Vessels
- Cargo Carriers
- Barges
- Fishing Vessels
- Utility Vessels
- Native Craft
- Standard Classes of Japanese Merchant Ships.
I found this CD-ROM very useful either for historical purposes or modelling.

Cheers
Gilbert

Link to their site: http://www.history-on-cdrom.com/id110.htm

[Motoyuki Iwashige]

Hello everyone,
After long absence I wrote response to Caravellarella Terry san at present.

Most of Japanese material mentions �an honor of pioneer� without �why he was not succeeded�. The lattice mast on Hakubasan maru was introduced to work timber as you write. Apparently Mitsui did not conclude to be better than twin post after comparing with her sister Hakonesan maru. I guess the reason that to eliminate post rigging is not so important because more complicated wire arrangement is needed to operate derrick, and raised other problem on shipbuilding cost or strength (and to build model! ). The centerline stay might interfere with derrick operation when using union purchase system. How do you think?

Tumble home is commonly used in that era. Attached plan is Horaisan maru. The shape of funnel top can be seen on some ships built by Mitsui in about 1930 for example Nagisan maru, Nachisan maru and Nihonkai maru. It might be related with diesel machinery.
Hakubasan maru was transferred to Taiyo Kogyo (meaning Ocean Promoter). It was established by Toyo Kisen and Yasuda Bank. Later Taiyo Kogyo established Toyo Kaiun with Mitsui Bussan. Taiyo Gyogyo means �Ocean Fishery�.

By the way do you have any picture about Enju maru or her sister? She is originally CANADIAN MILLER built by Canadian Vickers, Montreal in 1918.

Best regards,
Motoyuki Iwashige

[Caravellarella]

Thank you Motoyuki-san. Unfortunately on-line and published translation (or transliteration) of Japanese names leaves something to be desired. Hence ny use of Gyogyo instead of Kogyo......

I would be interested to know the relationship between Toyo Kisen Kaisha and Toyo Kaiun Kaisha however......

I'm sorry but I do not know anything else about Hakubasan Maru or Enju Maru; my own interest concentrates on post-war construction for replacement of war-time losses and later expansion into newer or faster services......

M.V. Mayasan Maru (ii), � unknown.

With best wishes, Terry (Caravellarella)

[Graham Boak]

Has anyone looked at Loose Cannon's Mini Marus? The three "Steel Sea Trucks" include Fukutomi, which I can't find on Google, and Yanawai, which wasn't Japanese. I don't know the third. The other is a set of four 210ft economy standards - the photo shows two with different hatch arrays.

Secondly, I've started the Niko Minoo. I was pointed at her "sister", the Eijo Maru, in Motoyuki-san's book, but this has a more angular hull. Should the Minoo have this kind of hull too?

[Dan K]

I was given the mini maru fuel barge set to build (not yet) by Hugh at Loose Cannon at the 2008 NATS. Everything is based on ONI documentation, which I have at wrok. I'll check.

[Graham Boak]

I should perhaps have included those. The fuel barges are the second set of three: Steel Sea trucks, fuel barges, and 210 footers. I didn't mention them because, well, barges aren't ships...... legitimate models, of course, but not of personal interest.

[Freighter]

Motoyuki-san,
Canadian Miller became Enju (Enzyu?) Maru in 1941. There were other ships built to the same specification by Canadian Vickers around that time. These included Canadian Pioneer, Canadian Ranger which became Canadian Ranger Maru - Broken up at Osaka in 1933, Canadian Seigneur which became Rasin (Rashin) Maru in 1933 and Canadian Spinner which became Fukuya (Hukuja) Maru in 1941.
Details on Miramar Ship Index
http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz/ship ... &link=1676

The design was to a World War 1 'Standard' specification for simple ship designs using standardised engines and hulls led by the Merchant Advisory Shipbuilding Committee in the UK. These ships were built in Britain, the US, Canada, Japan and at British yards in Hong Kong and Shanghai. The fact that these were to a British design may account for the fact that the US Office of Naval Intelligence shows sister ships to Enzyu Maru being built in Britain. ONI 208J shows pictures of some of the sister ships (page 219) including Rasin Maru.

Note that Battlefleet Models 'Wentworth' can easily be converted to this class.

I hope this helps.
Jim S

[Hugh L]

The Niko Minoo looks like the angles are not sharp enough on the hull. Photos I have seen show this economy class ship to have straight lines and sharp angles. I haven't seen photos of the Minoo and can not judge if that particular ship is correct but I would guess that it is not.

[Gilbert]

Has anyone looked at Loose Cannon's Mini Marus? The three "Steel Sea Trucks" include Fukutomi, which I can't find on Google, and Yanawai, which wasn't Japanese. I don't know the third.

Some information about LCP Japanese "Sea trucks". This term is the translation of Japanese "Kaijo Torraku" and is applied to cargo carriers of 100 to 1000 gross tons in size.
The three LCP ships are:
A)- Daikokuzan Maru (ex Fukutomi Maru #2) with the following characteristics:
Year built 1911, Tonnage-689(gr), Lenght 188'(bp);198'(oa), Beam-27', Draft-16.5'(loaded); 7'(light), Speed-9 kts(light), Machinery-Reciprocating, Coal(8 tons daily).
B)- Yanawai with the following characteristics:
British ship captured in China, Year built-1937, Tonnage 434grt, Lenght-152'(wl), Beam-28', Machinery-Diesel 30RPM,oil, BHP 200. Remarks-12 first-class passengers accomodated.
C)-Ikuta Maru with the following characteristics:
Year Built-1935, Capacity-857(cargo), Tonnage-485grt, Lenght-140'(wl), Beam-29', Speed-10knts(cruising), Machinery-Diesel, Fuel-oil 41 tons (2.3 tons daily), armament-one 3" gun amidships; possibly MG.

cheers
Gilbert


Source: ONI 208-J Supplement no. 2 Far Eastern Small Craft #583

[Motoyuki Iwashige]

Thank you very much to Terry san and Jim san,
It is interesting to know that many sisters of Enju maru had been concerned to Japanese shipping. She was one of the elements of convoy 4804 that was annihilated by US task force.
I am planning to build Tonegawa maru, ex-Ceylon built in Holland.

To know relationship between Japanese shipping companies 'Zaibatsu' is important key word (for example Nippon Yusen - Mitsubishi, Osaka Shosen - Sumitomo), but I am not familiar with the term .

cheers,
Motoyuki Iwashige

[Caravellarella]

Dear Motoyukisan, here is a photograph I've just bought of another wartime standard steamship......

S.S. Eitoku Maru (i), � A. Duncan.

S.S. EITOKU MARU; a wartime standard 2A design steamship which sailed for Nippon Yusen Kaisha.

Builder � Ishikawajima Dockyard, Tokyo. Yard No. 643.

Laid down � date unknown.
Launched � date unknown.
Service (NYK) 8th November 1944 to 15th February 1962.

Length 137.3 metres, breadth 18.2 metres. 6,923Grt.


If you are interested (and if the moderators allow) one of my favourite ebay.co.uk sellers is selling lots of photographs of pre-war and wartime Japanese merchant ships at the moment. Look under the name observation_lounge ......

Terry (Caravellarella)

[Graham Boak]

Re the Minoo kit: if I accept that the original had the simplified bow as shown on the Eijo model, this means the model cannot be made as Minoo because the hull shape begins tapering to the bow from too far back.

The standard hull presumably was based upon previous conventionals hulls. Is the hull as provided in the kit representative of such earlier ships, so that the model can be made as a simple freighter? Can anyone suggest an appropriate example?

[Gilbert]

Correction to some information regarding LCP "Mini-Maru" kit Yanawai.

According to ONI-208, Yanawai was a British ship captured in China, Year built-1937. In fact Mr. Peter Cundall in a J-Aircraft forum said "Yanawai was never captured. The ship operated an interisland service around Fiji throughout most of the war."

Some additional information can be found here: http://www.j-aircraft.org/smf/index.php?topic=8260.0

Gilbert

[Gilbert]

Hi All,

An interesting link about Japanese Naval and Merchant losses during WW2 by all causes: http://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/Japan/IJN/J ... index.html

Gilbert

[janschu]

Hello altogether,

i have made some pictures of the first two completed masters, which are:

1. IJA Landing Ship Mayasan Maru / Tamatsu Maru
2. IJA Transport Kinka Maru / IJN Merchant Cruiser Kinryu Maru.


Img_400: Mayasan Maru / Tamatsu Maru, complete parts


Img_404: Mayasan Maru, version when completed December 1942


Img_405: Tamatsu Maru, version when completed January 1944


Img_408: Kinka Maru / Kinryu Maru, complete parts


Img_406: Kinryu Maru, version merchant cruiser Summer 1942


Img_407: Kinka Maru, version IJA transport Autumn 1942

Sorry, but i had to crop the pictures in order to make them fit. So, what do you think? I mean, about the masters.

Greetings from the North sea Coast, Jan

[reigels]

Very nice work. Are you planning on making resin copies?

[Quincy]

They came out great!




Bob Pink.