Calling all Japanese pre-war/wartime Merchant Marine fans

[reigels]

I finished the first build up of the 2A today. Please excuse the lack of weathering, but I just wanted to do one quick and clean to see how it went together. Will work on a more realistic depiction with some PE, etc. in the future.

Thanks to everyone for the kind words on the project. It's 100% scratchbuilt (save the two guns on top of the bridge). Paint is Gunze IJN camo for the greens and WEM for the red on the hull.

[Jim Smith]

Ron,
Thanks for the clarification re Tokyo Maru etc.

Scott,
Great job on the 2A - if you ever 'go into production', you can put me down for one as well

Jim S

[D-Boy]

HLJ's site today indicates the impending release of the IJN liner/auxiliary cruiser Aikoku-Maru in 1:700 scale:

http://www.hlj.com/product/PITW-134

All pictures show a full-hull model in a great dazzle scheme. Wiki has some great b/w shots of the camo options for this ship: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C5%8Dkok ... cean_liner

Hobby Search Japan has at least one additional photo of the model: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10152501

Ship has quite a history: http://www.michaelmcfadyenscuba.info/vi ... age_id=222

Nice to see Pit Road joining Fujimi in focusing on the auxiliaries!

I cross-posted to "new plastic releases..."

[janschu]

Aha, another class of auxiliaries that can be done with this kit. Aikoku Maru, Hokoku Maru and Gokoku Maru.
http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/aikokumaru.htm
http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/hokokumaru.htm
http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/gokokumaru.htm
And with some modifications a similar class hopefully. Aki Maru, Awa Maru and half-sister Miike Maru.
http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/akimaru.htm
http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/awamaru.htm
http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/miikemaru.htm

By the way, Frog Foot has announced two more kits, the IJN auxiliary transports Hakone Maru and Nankai Maru.
The last three kits from them (again thank you, Gernot), the special transport Kashino and the store ships Irako
and Mamiya, are really good.
The measurements are correct, a former issue on those kits. Furthermore the fitting of parts and the level of detail
is also really nice. I can recommend them.

Greetings from the North Sea Coast,
Jan Schulz, SIG-Waterline

[Quincy]

Will Pitroad/Skywave be releasing ships Hokoku, and Gokoku Maru as well? I am more interested in the Gokoku Maru.




Bob Pink.

[Dan K]

I would think so. Each sister has an interesting enough history (and paint job). PitRoad would seek to maximize its return and their pattern is to release multiple sisters of a class. The sample photos indicate a very nice level of detail. Keep in mind that Motoyuki-san had a hand in their development.

Speaking of our friend, he is buried in projects, so he has not had time to do any recent posting. He does surf the boards from time to time. He asked me to post the following in response to two photo ID queries that were posted earlier this year.

- By AC Studio, posted in 24 Mar; Standard ore carrier, see my (Motoyuki-san's) model of Kinrei maru.

- By Scott Reigel, post in 11 June; Tokyo maru in background, probably Koan maru auxiliary water supply ship in foreground

[Jim Smith]

Good to see PitRoad issue of Aikoku Maru is now imminent, in plastic and at an affordable price. I had to search about 3 years for the Resin version (PITROAD ref SP74) and paid a small fortune for it!! Still, it made up into a nice kit:-

Enjoy

Jim S

[Graham Boak]

Thank you janschu! I was just cursing at the release of Aikoku Maru, because I had abandoned a conversion (from Yawata Maru) because of difficulties I could not see my way around. The intention was to come back later, of course.... All that work was going to be wasted, but no, you have pointed me at Aki Maru which will be considerably easier to produce from my conversion, avoiding (or at least reducing) the problem areas.

OK, I've yet to get the plastic out and stare at it.

[Jim Smith]

Having just completed the NYK 'S' type freighter (see Civilian Group Build on Picture Post), my next project is the Yasukawa Maru from Niko. As usual, I plan to do this in pre-war livery - in this case Kawasaki Kisen ('K' Line).

I have a question re colour scheme on this particular vessel.
Jordan's 'The World's Merchant Fleets 1939' states K Line as black hull/red boot topping. However, the picture provided by Gilbert (see Page 14 of this thread), shows a distinct light grey?? hull. I think this is probably a result of the history of the vessel when it was virtually rebuilt after the fire in the Phillipines in 1937 - see history on http://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110003864217 in which case it may have retained the Silver Line livery

Can anyone tell me:- what were the specific hull/boot topping colours for Yasukawa Maru pre-war? Were these peculiar to this vessel (as surmised above)? What colour were the decks/hatch covers likely to be for K Line?

Any help most welcome. Thanks,
Jim S (Freighter)

[janschu]

@Graham, to be exact, the hull of the Aki Maru class is very similar to the Aikoku Maru class, but there are some
differences that have to be noted. The line drawings in Motoyuki san�s first book show them clearly
(page 106 Awa Maru, page 108 Hokoku Maru). The Aki Maru hull is longer by 3mm, the bow is straight
not curved like Aikoku Maru, the scuppers in the main deck bulwarks are different, and of course the
whole arrangement of the main eck is different (deck hatches, winches, masts, etc.). And the super-
structure is one level lower. But i will order one in order to find out how to do a conversion.

@Jim, i am sorry, but since i have no interest in those prewar outfits (as you know, i like the wartime disguises
with dazzle schemes or green tones and of course, guns!) i cannot help you with the colours. Surely you have
noticed already that Niko got the hull wrong. The hull is too low about 2mm (!) and the shape of the stern
is totally wrong. Refer to the line drawing in Motoyuki san�s first book, page 119. Curiously in the painting
diagram the hull is correct.
I have just completed the master for "my" S-class transports. The Fujimi hull is too low by 2.5mm (!) and the shape
of the stern is wrong (not curved enough). At the moment i am struggling with the hull of "my" Asama Maru.
The hull was cut amidships and had to be lengthened by 17mm(!). Next the wrong stern has to be reshaped, see
the line drawing in Motoyuki san�s second book, page 100. And yes, i will do the ship in this beautiful greens at
the time of the reinforcement convoys to the Philippines.

Greetings from the North Sea Coast,
Jan Schulz, SIG-Waterline

[Ron Wolford]

Hello Jim
I'll try to answer your question, but this led me to a bigger question. First off the Yasukawa Maru was definitely in the light grey paint scheme as seen in the picture on Motoyuki-san web site http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/yasukawamaru.htm. If the color post cards below are right, the color scheme is, gray hull, red bottom, reddish-brown deck, green hatch covers, white superstructure and red band with white K on the stack. You can see B&W photo of this scheme on page 30 of this board, in photos I posted of the Kamikawa Maru and the Kiyokawa Maru.
Up through the start of WWII the K line had ships, with both grey and black hulls. Why, I do not know. At first I thought, that all their Steam Ship (S.S.) had black hulls and all their Motor Ships (M.S.) had the light grey hulls, but I found a photo of the Shinko Maru a Motor Ship with a black hull. Maybe Motoyuki-san can help us out.
When I was in the Persian Gulf at the Port of Jebel Ali in the UAE I photograph a K line ship, not sure if this the same grey color as pre war but I think it's close.

Kiyokawa Maru
http://i52.tinypic.com/105tiqo.jpg
K Line Ship
http://i53.tinypic.com/1426ip2.jpg
Modern K Line Ship
http://i55.tinypic.com/m90eav.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/20at446.jpg
Ron Wolford

[Pagodaphile]

I would like to do a waterline build of a type A or B Daihatsu carrier, with the stern doors ( Settsu or Mayasan Maru class ) . It would seem that the logical platform to convert for this would be a type M merchant hull, as this is what was used for the originals.

The main problem seems to be at the rake angle of the stern, which needs to be nearly straight down to the waterline.

Mayasan Maru

Could anyone suggest a commercially available 1/700 plastic kit (open interior needed) that would have a hull like this ?

[Jim Smith]

Ron,
Many thanks for the prompt reply with the necessary info on Yasukawa Maru. I'll go with your suggestions and the excellent photos attached.

I'll post photos of my model when completed.

Jim S

[Dan K]

I think the Kiyokawa Maru postcard most interesting. It shows wooden decks as well as orange coated main decks. Thx, Ron.

[janschu]

Hello pagodaphile,

well, actually there is a kit of an Army Landing Craft Carrier, the IJA Tamatsu Maru (parts for Mayasan Maru also included).
But it is a resin kit, so the stern loading doors are closed.

See here: https://shop.modellmarine.de/product_in ... ts_id=1381

The master for our next kit, Kibitsu Maru / Hyuga Maru is almost done, but since we have troubles with our caster (we have
to look for a new one) the progress in this kit is delayed for a while, i am afraid.

Kumano Maru / Settsu Maru are also an interesting option to go for.

Greetings from the North Sea Coast,
Jan Schulz, SIG-Waterline

[Pagodaphile]

Hi Jan !

Thanks for the information. I had a problem with that link...it wouldn't load. If that kit is resin..I am assuming there wouldn't be much left if it were hollowed out to make an interior.... As interesting as this class of ships was... I am surprised that more kit makers have not offered them.

BTW... I understand the Settsu Maru survived the war and is still out there as a fishing factory ship.

[Timmy C]

I fixed the link - try again, Pagodaphile

[Pagodaphile]

Thanks Timmy.....I see it now.

Thanks Jan.....I missed that release by Niko. Very tempting. I suppose you could invert the hull and slowly hollow it with a drill press......but one slip...yikes, thats a lot of Euros to grind up !

[Gilbert]

Announced on the main forum, looks interesting http://www.raydenmodels.com/index_008.html

Gilbert

[Hugh L]

That is interesting! Loose Cannon has one ready for the rubber in a couple of days. It will be part of the Mini Maru series accompanied by a small small Wa 1 Minesweeper that has already been cast.