Calling all Japanese pre-war/wartime Merchant Marine fans

[Gilbert]

They came out great!




Bob Pink.

Ditto, great job indeed . +1 for resin copies

Gilbert

[Freighter]

Jan,
Looking great! Did you use the plans in Mototyuki-san's book?

Gilbert,
Thanks for reminding me about the Japanese shipping losses website. This one may also be of use - especially if you can get the merchant ship loss map reference (recommend Miramar ship index for this info.). The site also includes photos of many Japanese ships in pre-war liveries.

http://www.jsu.or.jp/siryo/map/map1.html

Also this german website has been of help in the past

http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/ve ... .41-42.htm

Hope these help those modellers out there who like to know a little more about the ships they're making.

Jim S

[Quincy]

What was your construction technique especially regarding the hulls?




Bob Pink.

[Quincy]

I forgot to mention, did you use the Kamikawa/Kimikawa hulls for the Kinka, and Kinryu Maru's? I see that they have been lengthened.






Bob Pink.

[Gilbert]

Gilbert,
Thanks for reminding me about the Japanese shipping losses website. This one may also be of use - especially if you can get the merchant ship loss map reference (recommend Miramar ship index for this info.). The site also includes photos of many Japanese ships in pre-war liveries.
http://www.jsu.or.jp/siryo/map/map1.html
Also this german website has been of help in the past
http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/ve ... .41-42.htm
Hope these help those modellers out there who like to know a little more about the ships they're making.
Jim S

Jim,

Thank you very much for sharing these two very useful sites

Gilbert

[janschu]

@ all, thanks for the compliments!

The next step is to do a prototype casting in order to find out how all of the parts are coming out. If i have to rework the masters or not.
You may have noticed that i left off the bulwarks on the main decks. That is because they have cutouts and therefore a casting won�t be possible.
So they will have to be added later on by the builder with plastic strips.

@ freighter, yes, i used the drawings of Motoyuki sans wonderful book! They were really helpful and the construction of the hulls and structure parts is quite
easy. Domo arigato, Motoyuki san!

@ Quincy, the hulls were used for both masters but they were altered as one can see in the pictures. For the Kinka Maru class, the hull had to be
lengthened by 15mm and widened by 1.5mm. As a result both the stern and the bow had to be reworked. For the Mayasan Maru class about two third
of the original hull were used, the rest was completely scratch build. Here the hull was widened by 2mm, so also here the bow had to be reworked.
The hull reconstruction was quite simple. At first the hull was widened with the use of plastic strip (1.5x1.5mm for the keel, 1.5x4.0mm for bow
and stern), the midship "gap" was filled with 1mm thick plastic card (bottom) and 0.5mm plastic card for the sides. Then a new main deck and bow
deck (0.5mm plastic card) were fit in, the old bulwarks were cut off (except 15mm at the bow, the bulwarks of the Kinka Maru class were shifted
about 0.5mm to the inside). Et voila`, then you have the basic hull, when then has to be detailed with cargo hatches, winches, bollards, etc.

I have started the next master. It will be Akitsu / Nigitsu Maru and Kibitsu / Hyuga Maru. Both classes have the same hull, bow and stern decks, but the
main deck and superstructures are of a different shape.

Regarding copies of the ships. On principle that is no problem, but first i need to know how big the demand for such vessels is at all. Since i do not do the
casting myself (and therefore have costs by myself) it wouldn�t make much sense if i order 25 hulls plus additional parts and only a few buy them. I hope you understand that.

An option could be to release these ships as a craftsman kit. So, all the parts shown in the pictures will be provided but the buyer has to get the additional
parts like boats, masts, weapons, etc. as well as photoetch parts like railings, ladders, boat davits, etc. by himself. But several issues like packeging,
instructions, etc. have to be dealt with first.

No worries, i will keep you informed about the progress, but it may take a while. So, please be patient with me!

Greetings from the North sea Coast, Jan

[Serhan Oflas]

Hello,

Regarding Heianmaru, I saw this topic and did not open new one.

Quote from combinedfleet heianmaru TROM :

.........
15 October 1941:
........ A degaussing cable (anti-magnetic mine device) is also fitted.

......
23 October to 7 November 1943:
Yokosuka Navy Yard. Refitted. Four 152-mm guns are replaced by one 120-mm AA gun (10th Year Type), two Type 96 25-mm twin mounts and two Type 93 13.2-mm twin mounts In addition, a Type 2 sonar is installed. The crew complement is increased to 242 men. The HEIAN MARU's dazzle camoflague pattern is possibly applied at this time.
......

Compared build in Iwashige san's book. Confused again

Any input ?

Regards,
Serhan

[Gilbert]

Hello,

Regarding Heianmaru, I saw this topic and did not open new one.

Quote from combinedfleet heianmaru TROM :

.........
15 October 1941:
........ A degaussing cable (anti-magnetic mine device) is also fitted.

......
23 October to 7 November 1943:
Yokosuka Navy Yard. Refitted. Four 152-mm guns are replaced by one 120-mm AA gun (10th Year Type), two Type 96 25-mm twin mounts and two Type 93 13.2-mm twin mounts In addition, a Type 2 sonar is installed. The crew complement is increased to 242 men. The HEIAN MARU's dazzle camoflague pattern is possibly applied at this time.
......
Compared build in Iwashige san's book. Confused again

Any input ?

Regards,
Serhan

Hello Serhan,
Heian Maru went through different configurations. It has been discussed here: http://propnturret.com/tully/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=502 .

Gilbert

[Serhan Oflas]

/quote]
Hello Serhan,
Heian Maru went through different configurations. It has been discussed here: http://propnturret.com/tully/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=502 .

Gilbert

Oh no, I 'll be more confused now

Thank you Gilbert.

Regards,
Serhan

[Dan K]

Jan, great work on those masters. Very impressive.

[Motoyuki Iwashige]

Hello everyone,

Jan san,
Wunderbar! Let me introduce these images to Japanese modelers on my website BBS.
Kinryu maru is based on general plan in 1939 and needed some alteration to represent real configuration in 1941.

Gilbert san,
When examining the photo of Brazil maru on Noma�s book you must be able to find that structure painting, originally white, is darker than canvas cover on lifeboats. I judged that she had been coated with very thin grey painting overall.

Motoyuki Iwashige

[Gilbert]

Gilbert san,
When examining the photo of Brazil maru on Noma�s book you must be able to find that structure painting, originally white, is darker than canvas cover on lifeboats. I judged that she had been coated with very thin grey painting overall.

Motoyuki Iwashige

Motoyuki san, thanks for the info, looking at the photo again, I agree on the ship's superstructure looking a little darker

Gilbert

[janschu]

Hello Motoyuki san,

i am really honored that you show my scratchbuilding attempts on your website. Thank you! Can you inform me if there are any reactions?

Can you tell me what i have to change on the Kinryu Maru master in order to get the configuration when she was sunk (25 August 1942)? So, then i can
get the first test castings of the ships?

Thanks in advance and greetings from the North Sea Coast, Jan

[Motoyuki Iwashige]

Hello Jan san,

About the real armament of Kinryu maru, please see page 35 in the book. To supplement it in passing she must had shipped some of landing berges to perform a role of landing troop transport.

regards,
Motoyuki Iwashige

[janschu]

Hello Motoyuki san,

thank you for the tip concerning the armament layout of Kinryu Maru!

I guess the the mounts no.4 and 5 (on the rear deck forward of the torpedo launchers) were removed in order to make
room for the Daihatsu barges needed for the role as troop transport. I think the two reconnaissance planes were landed
for the same reason.

Greetings from the North Sea Coast, Jan

[Quincy]

Hey Guys: Just a heads up for ya. Niko models are coming out with some interesting resin IJN releases. Check it out in the manufacturers section under Pacific Front Hobbies, ie. shipguy.


Bob Pink.

[Gilbert]

Hi Bob,
Thanks for the heads-up. Here is some additional information on SURUGA MARU.

Date of completion: 10/12/1938
Owners: Nippon Suisan K.K.
Gross Tonnage: 991t
Lenght: 62m
Breadth:10.5m
Draft: 5.3m
Power: 1 Diesel, 830 HP
Fate: She was torpedoed by SS-212 GATO on 02/15/1943 SE off Bougaiville Island.

Here is a photo showing her pre-war. Credit to this website: http://www.jsu.or.jp/siryo/map/map1.html

Cheers
Gilbert

[Gilbert]

Additional information on Naval Tanker SHIOYA can be found on Nihon Kaigun website here: http://www.combinedfleet.com/Shioya_t.htm .

Photo of sistership ASHIZURI in 1943 here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IJN_A ... n_1943.jpg

Gilbert

[Gilbert]

Here is some additional information on CHOUN MARU.

Date of completion: 21/08/1940
Owners: Nagasaki Godo Unso K.K.
Gross Tonnage: 1914t
Lenght: 82.8m
Breadth:12.2m
Draft: 6.2m
Power: 1 Turbine, 1300 HP
Fate: Used from 05/20/1945 as an Auxiliary Fleet Replenishment Vessel, she was removed from the ship's list on 01/12/1945.

A thumb photo of her can be found here: http://www.geocities.jp/tokusetsukansen/E/index.html

Gilbert

[Quincy]

Hi Gilbert :

Thanks for the great links.

The Shioya should be much better than the Kobo Hiryu kit of the Ashizuri.

The Suragu Maru is on Motoyuki sans site under "Trawlers" for modeling reference.



Bob Pink.