Calling all Japanese pre-war/wartime Merchant Marine fans

[Jeffrey]

I hope this helps a bit .

Greetings from the North Sea Coast, Jan :wave_1:

Yes, it helps, thanks!

Makes me wonder if the Tama, Kiso and Sakito Maru will have just as many problems!

Now I hafta scrounge up $19 for one of those books.

[Merrick]

Some sources seem to indicate that the large majority of wartime Japanese merchant shipping was painted grey, dazzle painted, or green. This is true of the vessels shown in Mr. Iwashige's excellent book.

In reading books by USN submarine officers, for example William Ruhe's War in the Boats, he makes a point of saying in reference to one of Crevalle's attacks that the target (which he IDed as Hakubasan Maru)was likely an Naval Auxiliary due to her grey paint job. The implication of course is that other ships were not so painted�and this was July, 1944.

How late would it have been common to see civilian paint?

[Dan K]

Unlikely past 1942. All ships need to be refit sooner or later, including new paint to protect the hull. FWIW.

[Merrick]

Unlikely past 1942. All ships need to be refit sooner or later, including new paint to protect the hull. FWIW.

That was exactly what I was thinking, which was why I was so surprised when I read that account (merchant paint schemes not being referred to often at all in such accounts).

By July of 1944, the orders had already come down to repaint with the green measure as I recall (June?), so perhaps that was the rationale for the presumed oddity of the ship having an overall grey paint scheme to Ruhe. I might have to figure out which convoy it was, now I'm curious

[janschu]

Hello all,

the Fujimi Sanuki Maru is there! Well, actually i received the Message that the kit is sent to me via HLJ yesterday.

So, when it arrives i can give a more detailled view. I have found an in the box view of this kit at Hobby Search. http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10125126
It looks like the aircraft handling deck is no separate item, so a conversion to the army transports will be quite complicated. So one has to
wait until other ships of this class are released. But i think, this will happen since there are some extra sprues that show 75mm and 20mm guns.

Greetings from the North Sea Coast, Jan

[Gilbert]

So one has to
wait until other ships of this class are released. But i think, this will happen since there are some extra sprues that show 75mm and 20mm guns.
:

Thanks for the heads-up, Jan. Considering all parts coloured in grey are no to be used for this kit, it seems obvious that Fujimi will release soon another ship of the "S" class.

Gilbert

[reigels]

Looks pretty clear from the parts layout that they are clipping the merchant aft-deck (with hatches) from sprue A. I think I'll wait for the next release on this. Not really interested in the sea planes.

I have the Pit Road/Waveline resin Sagara Maru in the stash, but the length is off according to Iwashige-san's drawings. Hope Fujumi has it right.

Has anyone seen the PE set for this kit?

[Gilbert]

Has anyone seen the PE set for this kit?

Scott,

You can see it here http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10125128

Gilbert

[reigels]

Thanks - That's going to be expensive if all I want is the bridge front.

[janschu]

Well,

i have to admit that the photoetch set doesn�t convince me.

The two bridge fronts (two versions) look nice and the trolleys and aircraft cradles are ok.
But the stairs and the catapult looks simplified.The worst part for me is the railing. It looks
crude and is of the two bar type. But the civilian build vessels (requisitioned by IJA and IJN)
all had three bar railings.

But this is just my opinion.

Greetings from the North Sea Coast, Jan

[Jim Smith]

Disappointing that the Sanuki Maru will not be issued with the 'standard' rear deck - looks like I'll have to scratch build one as I was planning to build it 'pre-war' in her NYK colours. At least I've already built the Kimikawa Maru and Sagara Maru so I've got examples to work from.

BTW, just taken delivery of Frog Foot World 'Asama Maru' - Thanks again to Gernot for acting as middleman. Looks like a good kit - quality is much improved over the freighters I saw last year.

Jim S

[Graham Boak]

Very disappointing, I'd have cancelled had I known sooner. There's a limit to the number of 1/700 seaplanes I want to make, and I've already past it.

Hopefully it may not be too difficult to crosskit, perhaps with a Kimikawa Maru?

[janschu]

I think it�s legitimate when Fujimi leaves out the standard rear deck. Since they have released the Sanuki Maru as
a seaplane tender the rear deck with rails and turntables is needed. i am sure that we will find the standard rear deck
in future releases.

Well, "my" Sanuki Maru arrived last weekend. It has some good points, but also some weak points. I have checked the parts
using the drawings of Motoyuki san as a guide and these are my impressions.

- the dimensions of hull (length, width) and the superstructure are good, the detailling of the parts is nice.
- there are a lot of extra parts (not used in this kit) like AA guns, machine guns, latrines, pillars for gun platforms, which indicate
that some sisterships will also be released.
- the fitting of the parts is also good

But the kit has his shortcomings.

- the hull has not enough freeboard (has to be heightened by 2mm!) and the shape of the stern is incorrect
- the main deck has planks scribed in, that is incorrect since these ships had steel main decks

I plan to make a replacement hull with the correct shape and the standard freighter deck. The seaplane handling deck for Sagara Maru /
Sanuki Maru will also be incuded, and when ready will be available via BMK. See here: https://shop.modellmarine.de/

https://shop.modellmarine.de/product_in ... ts_id=1147

Well, nevertheless i will buy some more of this kit in order to build the IJA transports.

I hope this helps a bit, Jan
included in this set.

[Dan K]

PitRoad announced a new 1/700 Aikoko Maru armed merchant cruiser at the current Tokyo Show. According to Motoyuki-san's website, he had a hand in its development

[Graham Boak]

Is this Aikoku Maru plastic or resin? If plastic, it probably means the deathknell for my Hokoku Maru conversion, which is languishing after running into problems. I probably should have started with a Brasil Maru kit anyway.

Janschu: your idea of a resin replacement hull doesn't strike me as good business. 2mm on the hull is just a plasticard layer, and the merchant deck will presumably be coming from Fujimi shortly. That only leaves the stern (I'm not sure how significant that is, is it open to reshaping with a bit of filler?) and the scribed deck. How many people will buy a full resin hull just for that level of improvement? Would just a new stern and rear deck be cheaper and still satisfy the limited market?

Given that the Kawasaki tenders have too short a hull, wouldn't they offer a larger market for a replacement hull?

PS Can I scream now? My Sanuki Maru came today,so I placed the waterline base on some 40 thou plasticard and cut out two additional layers. Had I stopped there, that might have been ok, but no, because they were oversize I trimmed them thinner. I then set out to glue the hull sides to the waterline bottom. They were too big. Well, don't jump on Fujimi yet. What you are supposed to do is glue the base into the interior of the sides, not the other way around as on every previous kit. My layers are now too thin.

[janschu]

Hello Graham,

i am quite sure that the upcoming Aikoku Maru kit will be in plastic. But hopefully there will be also a waterline option,
not only full hull as the picture suggests.

Concerning the replacement hull. It was just an idea. Anyway, i will do the master and take 7 copies since i will build the
whole class. When the master and the castings are done i will post pictures then. So, if there are any interested then,
additional copies can be made then.

Concerning the Kawasaki tenders (the 4 Kamikawa Marus and the half sister Hirokawa Maru) you are right, but i see serious
copyright problems. Remember, Pit Road is the owner of the mentioned kits! Furthermore it is not just done with a
new hull, the superstructures also have to be rebuild since they are too short also.

Greetings from the North Sea Coast, Jan

[Graham Boak]

Resin replacement parts are common in the model aircraft world, including fuselages, so I'm not sure how this would be different as far as copyright is concerned. However, if so then wouldn't the same argument apply to your new Sanuki Maru hulls?

[janschu]

Hmmm, that�s an interesting question.

But maybe some of the other guys can bring some light in here.

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

[Quincy]

The new Aikoku Maru kit will mean a great conversion possibility to Gokoku Maru!




Bob Pink.

[Dan K]

Here's build-up shots of the upcoming Aikoku Maru, and the new Fujimi Sanuki Maru