Calling all Shoho-class (祥鳳) fans

[Ledinot]

Dear colleagues,

I am afraid this thread will fall asleep from the very first day, as there seems to be a small interest to the Shoho class among the ModelWarship audience. However, I decided to start this thread: the Hasegawa 1/700 Shoho kit in my stash appeals desperately for some clarification.

In a very generalized form my question is: are there any reliable sources (preferably photos) covering the port side of Shoho/Zuiho? I mean anything apart from that well-known photo of Shoho on conversion, with an IJN battleship (supposedly Hiei) in the background.



(Available kits revised 8/14/2020, galleries revised 6/24/2024)

1/700


1999 (Waterline Consortium 1st generation) � Hasegawa Issued

Shoho - Item #49217, kit # WL217, 1942, issued September, 1999
- Item #30014, 1942, Super Detail with PE fret MA153, issued 2001
- Item #30055, 1942, Hyper Detail with new, comprehensive PE fret, issued September, 2018

Zuiho - Item #49216, kit # WL216, October, 1944, issued July, 1999
- Item #30016, October 1944, Super Detail with PE fret MA153, issued June, 2001
- Item #30032, �Midway� version, June, 1942, issued June, 2005
- Item #08314, Kanmusu Light Aircraft Carrier Zuiho - Kantai Collection, issued 2014, distributed by Aoshima


2015 2nd generation � Fujimi Issued

Shoho 1942 item #431277, SWM (EX) -88, released March, 2015
item #431444, SWM (EX) -SP48, with comprehensive PE fret, released August 2016
item #4222268, FH-38, full hull version, released March, 2017

Zuiho 1944 item #431260, SWM (EX) -87, released December, 2014
item #421926, FH-34, full hull version, released October, 2015
item #431451, SWM (EX) -SP49, with wood flight deck and dry transfer decals, released August, 2016
item #451237, FH-SP19, DX version with full hull and comprehensive PE fret, released April, 2017
item #432014, SWM (EX) -87 EX-1, , with comprehensive PE fret, released April 2018
item #432199, SWM (EX) -87 EX-2, with camouflaged flight deck decal, released June, 2018


Galleries

1/350

Zuiho late 1944 (3D Wild) by Harry Van Baal (2024 entry): http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... /index.htm

1/700

Shoho 1942 (H) by Frank Portello: http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html
Shoho 1942 (H) by Andrey Zhukov: http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html
Shoho 1942 (H) by Christopher Mentzel: http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... ho-01.html
A comprehensive, beautifully detailed of Shoho 1942 (H) by Milan Kuliffay: http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... /index.htm
Shoho 1942 (F) with Flyhawk flight deck by Anthony Kochevar: http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... /index.htm
Shoho 1942 (H) by Daniel Leoni : http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... /index.htm

Zuiho 1944 (H) by Christopher Mentzel: http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html
Zuiho 1944 (H) by An Chu: http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html
Zuiho early to mid-1944 (H) by Michael Choi: http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

There is also a nicely documented build and completed comparison between the Hasegawa and Fujimi Zuiho kits by Ryuji. W-I-P here: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=160062&start=0 and completed viewtopic.php?f=60&t=160155&p=664573#p664573

Plus, a 10 part series of articles detailing a 1/100 build of Zuiho 1944 by Jason A: http://www.modelwarships.com/index1.html

[peppe]

hope can help, not very good foto but...
ciao peppe

[peppe]

one more from the book drawing of imperial japanese naval vessels vol 3 - model art ediction
ciao peppe

[steviecee]

look at the free time web site under books. they may have a book that covers the Shoho. no i do not own or work for them. also try this site. http://www.combinedfleet.com/

[Ledinot]

Thanks, peppe!
I suspected the Hasegawa 1/700 Shoho had some omissions, as the model�s hull design seemed to be based mostly on starboard photos. IJN carriers, as far as I know, had similar boarding facilities on either sides of the hull, but the Hasegawa depiction of Shoho has not. I suppose on the port side there should be a boarding door under the forward boat/paravane deck, and a ladder from gun tub to the swinging boom, with a door to the lower hangar deck. Drawings you had attached to the post support to some extent this guess.

By the way, there are (at least) two unidentified hull objects on the port side photo you provided (see attachment). They are also not on the Hasegawa Shoho; these objects remind of boiler projections on the Soryu hull�

steviecee, thanks for advice; there is a lot of sources at Free Time Hobbies, but I found nothing applicable to Shoho. As for Combinedfleet, they simply forgot about Shoho class.

[Dan K]

Don't be too quick to dismiss the Shoho construction photo. It's one of approximately 10 taken of the starboard side, at various times and angles. They are all published in vol. #3 (CVs and Seaplane Carriers) of the Shizuo Fukuo 3 vol set. I'll see if I can get some time to scan the area in question.

Peppe has basically posted all the published starboard photos of Zuiho. For the record, the very first posting that compares Ryuho with Shoho was done by Ed Low for the j-ship board.

[Timmy C]

As for Combinedfleet, they simply forgot about Shoho class.

Forgotten in the Carriers list, but not in the TROM section:
http://www.combinedfleet.com/shoho.htm

[Ledinot]

Considering the photo with that �unidentified hull objects�: I wonder if this is a Shoho/Zuiho, not a Ruyho photo. I mean not only distinctive hull projections, bur also something resembling a blister and a recognizable stern gun mounting.

[Dan K]

The photo is of Ryuho. The bulges were air intakes and exhausts. Shoho class did not sport these.

[Ledinot]

The photo is of Ryuho.

I propose the following name: "The short-deck Ryuho on trials".

[Dan K]

Agreed.

[Dan K]

Here are two shots of Shoho under reconstruction as a CV. Incidentally, Leonid, there is another photo in this series that shows the raised wind barrier and box. They are the same size all around.

[Ledinot]

Thanks for interesting photos, Dan. My guess on boarding facilities on the portside of Shoho seems to be confirmed.

[Ledinot]

I forgot about the possible fix for these outboard ladders: it could be based on GMM PE parts called "Inclined ladders with fold up handrails". They are on IJN carrier, cruiser and battleship sets.

[Ledinot]

There is another curious thing on Hasegawa 1/700 Shoho model kit: protrusions on forward pillars on the rear boat deck (part F4, see Attachment 1). I found the Shoho model with improved version of these protrusions (see Attachment 2; the original is here: http://www.moxing.net/2010/0831/1622_4.html); this �container� looks much better than the kit detail, though slightly wider than what can be seen on Shoho photos.

I wonder what the purpose of these objects was, were they lookout posts, boat telfer control posts or something else?

[Dan K]

They are ship handling stations. Certainly bigger than as depicted on the model though I'm not sure they are as large as shown in the second photo

Cropped from a Shoho photo and lightened for detail

[Dan K]

And perhaps a better view of Zuiho's

[Ledinot]

Thanks, Dan. It seems that this cylindrical cabin on the Zuiho photo has a sort of curtain above the bulwark. By the way, did you mean ship or boat handling?

[Dan K]

I've always taken it to mean ship handling, for docking.

[Ledinot]

What a pity, I thought telfer (beam crane) operators, responsible for �boat docking�, used those cabins...