Calling all Yamato (大和) and Musashi (武蔵) fans

[bucketfoot-al]

Originally each side of the ship had 3 pairs of searchlights around the funnel (6 total, 3 on each side of the ship). Two of them are side-by-side right under the funnel; the third one was forward of the funnel and one deck lower. The 2 searchlights that were located forward of the funnel and one deck lower were replaced by machine gun fire control directors prior to Operation Ten-ichi-go.

[Atma]

Im not talking about the searchlight(s), notice in the picture(black "arrow") that I posted the extra pair of AA directors, that extra pair for first time apears on the 1945 Fujimi's IJN Yamato kit in 1/500.
I guess thats new informations about the IJN Yamato.

[bucketfoot-al]

I see. They're keeping the 3 searchlights but adding the extra AA fire control director farther up front. It is at times like these that I wish I could read Japanese so I could figure out what sources the info is coming from.

As an aside, another fire control director was supposedly added one deck below that, between two of the 5" turrets, as you can see on my customized Yamato here:

http://bucketfoot-al.tripod.com/DinoMod ... o?i=69&s=1

Does the 1/500 Yam show that one?

[Senkan]

Didn't Yamato have different AA directors at the beginning and end of the war? And 4 search lights at commission? Also I don't think they had all those AA directors at the beginning of the war. They only had (8) 25mmx3 gun turrets.

Wondering if Fujimi used the superstructure of their '45 version of Yamato for their '41 version. Would be a shame.

[bucketfoot-al]

There were many fewer AA fire control directors at commissioning because she had few AA machine guns in 1941 (at least when compared to the AA 'hedgehog' look of the center of the ship in 1945.)

Here is a photo of Yamato during trials in October 1941; make sure you click in the lower right hand corner to enlarge the photo - 4 searchlights are clearly visible so you are correct about that:

http://www.battleshipyamato.com/index.a ... 41?i=7&s=1

[Atma]

Checking the thread of Mima's IJN Yamato:viewtopic.php?f=59&t=78238
He is using the latest sources available as you read in his thread and as you can notice he use the same layout as with the later IJN Yamato release from 1/500 Fujimi.
Red arrows:Searchlight position
Black arrows:AA gun directros

and

"As an aside, another fire control director was supposedly added one deck below that, between two of the 5" turrets"
Yes, Fujimi 1945 IJN Yamato has also that extra director, but not the 1944 model of IJN Yamato in 1/500.

As Mima said Fujimi is using the latest sources available for the 1/500 IJN Yamato and is a good reference material for those who cant read Japanese.
By the way, I think I saw a 1944 IJN Musashi wich had the forward searchlight pair replaced with a rocket launcher.

[Atma]

Wondering if Fujimi used the superstructure of their '45 version of Yamato for their '41 version. Would be a shame.

No Senkan, I have and advance sample of 1941 IJN Yamato from Fujimi, the Bridge is the 1941 version.No worries

[Senkan]

The fire control directors that you point out in the fujimi instructions seem to show what Yamato would have looked like in 1945. Not 1941.

[Atma]

The fire control directors that you point out in the fujimi instructions seem to show what Yamato would have looked like in 1945. Not 1941.

Thats the instructions for the 1945 version of Fujimi's IJN Yamato.
There is 3 different versions in 1/500 from Fujimi
1944
1945 and the new 1941 coming out at late August.
Also a 51 cm IJN Super Yamato, that can be build in a "normal" 1945 IJN Yamato too.

[Senkan]

I see it now. It looked like what the 1941 superstructure would have looked like but I see the unshielded 127mm guns. Guess the lower part for the shielded guns is a seperate part.

[Atma]

Guess the lower part for the shielded guns is a seperate part.

Yes, its a seperate part in 1/700 IJN Yamato/IJN Musashi too from Fujimi, unlike Tamiya's IJN Yamato class.

[Senkan]

The Nichimo 1/200 and Hasegawa 1/450 also have a single piece superstructure base.

[Atma]

The Fujimi's IJN Yamato 1944 with a complete set of PE is limited release by the way.

[chuck]

Something that I notice on my 1/500 Fujimi's IJN Yamato:

That IJN Yamato had recieved an extra pair of machine gun directors in 1945, every build I see of IJN Yamato 1945 era dosent not have this feature.
Fujimi maybe came with new details about the 1945 version of IJN Yamato cause the 1944 version of IJN Yamato dosent have the extra machine gun directors.
Anyone can confirm that ?

If you mean the 2 pairs of MG directors forward of the search light cluster, then I am looking at photos of a Japanese model from late 1970s that had them.

[Atma]

There was 2 pairs on a 70's model ? Can you name please the company ?
Thanks in advance.


Edit:Are you sure there is four directors on that 70's model ? Cause by keeping the 3 searchlights and adding the extra AA fire control director farther up front arrangement is a new trent.
Just recently used on Fujimi's 1/500 1945 IJN Yamato version and from some new published models of IJN Yamato 1945 versions, in various Japanese modeling magazines.

[chuck]

There was 2 pairs on a 70's model ? Can you name please the company ?
Thanks in advance.


Edit:Are you sure there is four directors on that 70's model ? Cause by keeping the 3 searchlights and adding the extra AA fire control director farther up front arrangement is a new trent.
Just recently used on Fujimi's 1/500 1945 IJN Yamato version and from some new published models of IJN Yamato 1945 versions, in various Japanese modeling magazines.

It's not a kit, but a 1/100 scale model, presumably scratch built, used as an illustration. Without reading Japanese I can't tell if the model has been updated since its completion. But judging from other inaccuracies on the model, I would say the model has not been systematically updated to reflect latest research.

On a distantly related note, the pedestal that the more rear of the 2 pair of AA director in quesiton stood on was originally used by a 4m hooded range finder. The design of that range finder hood is not exactly like any other I've found on Japanese ships. I assume it to be part of some fire control system. But for what weapons?

[Atma]

On a distantly related note, the pedestal that the more rear of the 2 pair of AA director in quesiton stood on was originally used by a 4m hooded range finder. The design of that range finder hood is not exactly like any other I've found on Japanese ships. I assume it to be part of some fire control system. But for what weapons?

Actually the strange hooded 4.5 m rangefinder is actually still there, at the base of the main bridge:Red colour.
The other non hooded 4.5 m range finder moved further back:Blue colour.

The protective hood was for blast damage from number 1# main gun.As for what weapons each rangefinder was repsonsible I really dont know...

[Atma]

Notice the rocket launcher on the 1944 IJN Musashi.

Here is what I found by the way from a Japanese site of what each rangefinder in IJN Musashi(1944) was responsible:

[chuck]

The range finder at the base of the bridge tower is actually part of a type 94 director for the 12.7CM/40 AA guns with special blast shields for the range finder arms. AFAIK, Type 94 is the only Japanese director with an completely integrated range finder. Other Japanese directors (both AA and surface) either have completely separate range finders and directors at different locations, or director mounted co-axially on top of the range finder housing (ex: Yamato and Mogami)

The one behind the type 94 director, located over forward 5" mount, is as far as I can tell, not another type 94 director. It lacks the optical apertures needed by the interior mechanisms of the type 94 director. It seems to be just a hooded range finder for some other fire control equipment.. I am not certain that the interpretation that this hooded range-finder was moved to the aft-end of superstructure in 1944 could be right. The reason is the modification was done at much the same time as the addition of 6 more 12.7CM gun mounts. Type 94 director has parallax correction for only up to 3 mounts. So generally each type 94 director is used to control at most 3 AA mounts. This suggests that what was installed in the aft end of the superstructure wasn't the relocated pure range finder, but a new type 94 director.

[Atma]

According to the AOTS IJN Yamato and various Japanese model magazines and books about the IJN Yamato class, the hooded rangefinder remained till the end at that possition, at the base of the pagoda.
The hoods was for blast protection and its a type 94 rangefinder, type 94 rangefinder is the hoodless too. That particular rangefinder was moved later further aft, afther the removal of the secondary 15.5 cm guns.