Calling all Japanese pre-war/wartime Merchant Marine fans

[DougKn]

Hello Everybody................
DougKn here is a another photo of the Arizona Maru I just found in my collection.
Ron Wolford

Arizona Maru
http://i41.tinypic.com/vl6xt.jpg

Ron,
Thank you very much. That is an angle that is very helpful to my project and rarely seen.
Thanks,
Doug K.

[Jim Smith]

Next up on my list is a Hog Islander merchantman based on the Battlefleet kit - probably Takusei Maru in Okada Gumi livery (circa 1938) or Kosei Maru in Daido Bussan livery.

As ever, there are questions as to colours - I'm assuming black hull, white superstructure and brown decks but have a question on funnel colour.

Ron's helpful ONI-208J supplement on funnel colours (see page 18 of this thread) show a black funnel with white logo for Okada Gumi

http://i43.tinypic.com/yfb5s.jpg

However, this picture suggests a lighter funnel with black top and logo

http://www.jsu.or.jp/siryo/map/nippon/t ... usei_o.jpg

So, usual questions - Is the photo really Takusei Maru? Was she operated by someone else in 1938/9? What were the funnel colours likely to have been? Whose logo is it?

Any help/comments most welcome.

Jim S

[D-Boy]

Next up on my list is a Hog Islander merchantman based on the Battlefleet kit - probably Takusei Maru in Okada Gumi livery (circa 1938) or Kosei Maru in Daido Bussan livery.

Jim S

Jim, just received the same Battlefleet kit for my birthday last month. Would love to see you document your build elsewhere on this forum - I will be watching closely.

- D-Boy

[Quincy]

Are there any good photos of the 1943 gasoline tanker sunosaki, other than her starboard side picture? I am looking for a good clear close up picture of her hull and bridge areas.



Bob pink.

[Dan K]

I'm not familiar with any other views.

New question to help out Hugh Letterly - in the new Model Graphix book, "The Japanese Carriers Of The
Imperial Japanese Army", pp. 36 - 37. Can anyone ID this ship, labeled "R". Is this just a design?

[Gilbert]

Dan,

Yes R1 was just a design ship prior to the construction of Shinshu Maru.

Gilbert

[Hugh L]

Thank you all. I have a master done and needed information. It looks like a Ki-10 Perry on the cats and front deck so I am in the process of getting it finished. I can't think of any other army aircraft that resembles the Perry that much. Thanks again!

[Motoyuki Iwashige]

Although it is not clear that the man who sent email to me has already read my reply, I drop showing notice on here.

Doug san,
About LOA of Arizona maru I simply followed existing material, but, I agree that the figure is very doubtful. Although not confirmed I suppose that the most likely figure is 150.9m for the present. These images are from SOTW extra issue Japanese Passenger Ships in History #1.

http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/photo.htm
Motoyuki Iwashige

[DougKn]

Hello, all

I think my Arizona Maru is far enough along to post some pictures. She is a smaller scale than usually posted here, and maybe not as detailed. My next activities are the davits and after-deck house. I have conflicting pictures of the after deck house, from flat with auxiliary wheel, to a built up one. I'm guessing the built up deck house might be from later? During the war she had an AA deck built up on the after deck. Next up will be painting (with my basic set), which I dread a bit as I am not very proficient in (mainly having done just grey stuff.)

She served on OSK's Tacoma-Japan-Hong Kong run pre-war, and was sunk in a Guadalcanal re-supply run in November 1942.





Doug

[Quincy]

She looks really good Doug! Did you use the bread and butter method for her hull?





Bob Pink.

[DougKn]

Thanks, Bob
Yes, you could say it's a layered construction, though I didn't use a paper maindeck cover that some people reccomend. There are seven layers in the bridge structure alone. It's all "wood, wire and card", though I did substitute some styrene for the main deck stanchions. They were so brittle I had to replace a bunch with pins anyway.
Cheers,
Doug

[janschu]

Hello altogether,

ok, i have asked that question already, but i will give it another try.

I have started to build the Shinshu Maru form Niko and want to display the vessel in a late war disguise,
that is as it took part in the reinforcement convois to the Philippines in late 1944.
Has anyone informations about that ship?
Was the armament altered? More light AA in addition to the 75mm guns or partly replacing them? Was she
still in grey or was the green tone anti submarine scheme applied already? And what about the boat stowage?
The Daihatsus on the fore deck and the Shohatsus on the upper deck make sense, but the river patrol boats
on the stern deck rather not.

So, can anyone help me out?

Thanks in advance and greetings from the German wharf, Jan

[discoverer 2]

Hello,My name is Bjorn.

I have been following this thread for a while and are impressed of info and quality available here.
And therefore I have some questions for you all, if anyone could be so kind to try help me out.

1. First is for Jan,how is your Kibitsu maru coming along??? been quiet the last couple of months now. And will it be available commercially for us ,like Tamatsu maru ???

2. Bought a few froogfots kits,(akitsu, kumano maru and R-1 design) which is underway from fleetnet.And when am looking inside "the aircraft carriers of the imperial japanese army (which all text is in japanese), I see 2 types of planes which I dont have seen before. The first one is a white double decker on the R-1 and Shinsu maru and a green/white plane with the wings over the cockpit on the other carriers.On Page 83 next to picture says, Fi-156.anyone know what kind of type theiy are,and are of these planes available in 1:700 ??? And if they are,where can I find them??

Thanks in advance

Bjorn

[DougKn]

Hello,My name is Bjorn.

2. Bought a few froogfots kits,(akitsu, kumano maru and R-1 design) which is underway from fleetnet.And when am looking inside "the aircraft carriers of the imperial japanese army (which all text is in japanese), I see 2 types of planes which I dont have seen before. The first one is a white double decker on the R-1 and Shinsu maru and a green/white plane with the wings over the cockpit on the other carriers.On Page 83 next to picture says, Fi-156.anyone know what kind of type theiy are,and are of these planes available in 1:700 ??? And if they are,where can I find them??

Thanks in advance

Bjorn

Welcome Bjorn

The one on page 83 is a Kokusai Ki-76, a STOL aircraft whose handling characteristics are often compared to the German Fieseler Fi-156 Storch. The autogyro on page 58 is the Kayaba Ka-1. I don't know exactly what the biplane on page 80 is, could be a Yokosuka K5Y, which were common, or something like a Tachikawa Ki-9 without wheel fairings. I've seen 1/72's of most of them, but I don't know what is available in 1/700. Maybe you can model them yourself?

Cheers

Doug

[DougKn]

Hello altogether,

ok, i have asked that question already, but i will give it another try.

I have started to build the Shinshu Maru form Niko and want to display the vessel in a late war disguise,
that is as it took part in the reinforcement convois to the Philippines in late 1944.
Has anyone informations about that ship?
Was the armament altered? More light AA in addition to the 75mm guns or partly replacing them? Was she
still in grey or was the green tone anti submarine scheme applied already? And what about the boat stowage?
The Daihatsus on the fore deck and the Shohatsus on the upper deck make sense, but the river patrol boats
on the stern deck rather not.

So, can anyone help me out?

Thanks in advance and greetings from the German wharf, Jan

Hello, Janschu

Other than the "Aircraft Carriers of the Imperial Japanese Army", I don't know of a good coverage on Shinshu Maru. If some of our Japanese readers were able to provide some insight on the book that might be helpful. There is a thread on this board covering IJA landing Ships (viewtopic.php?f=51&t=55585) that may help provide some answers. I have seen some pictures that purport to be Shinshu Maru late war under attack, but they look more like a conventional Maru to me.

Cheers

Doug

[janschu]

Hello,

@Bjorn, in the meantime i have completed the master for Kibitsu Maru / Hyuga Maru. Some improvements concerning
the parts have also been made (learning curve) For example, the 75mm guntubs on bow and stern come now
as complete items with underneath supports and pillars. Furthermore the Daihatsu stowage racks will be provided as
photoetch parts, similar to the ones Niko Model has done in their Kozu Maru kit. Basically the drawings for the photoetch
parts are done (the drawings of many parts of the Tamatsu Maru kit can be used again) but i have to have a first casting
in order to make adjustments.
Well, the main problem is that we are still looking for a new caster. Ok, in the meantime we had found someone who
offered to do the castings. Another modelling collegue and me, we are working on another project (Top Secret, 1/350, USN,
no more info given!). Well, as we met him in order to discuss about the master, he was quite sceptical if he could reproduce
the fragile parts like 5", 3" and 20mm guntubs and the bulwarks of the superstructure levels. He normally does upgrade
parts for miltary kits in 1/35, so he seemed not familiar with such delicate parts. Well, he didn�t say, but that was our
impression.

So, until the "caster-problem" is not solved, these projects are put to a stop, sorry.
Yes, of course the Kibitsu Maru will be available then.

@Doug, concerning the hull colour for Shinshu Maru i have checked my references. Since the vessel was taken over by the IJN
and the last upgrade was done at the Maizuru Navy Yard (May - July 1937) i have decided to go for Maizuru Grey. Why
Niko Model suggests a two tone hull painting, i don�t know. I guess it is because of a misinterpretating of existing
photos. Since the upper part of the hull (superstructure) is vertical and the lower part inclines towards the waterline,
suggests, that the hull was actually painted with two different greys.
I think you are refering to the photos on page 62 and 64 of the above mentioned book. The ship depicted here is the
Kibitsu Maru taking part in the convoy HI-81 (departing Inari Bay to Singapore on 14 Nov 1944).

At the moment i am building 4 of Scott Reigels (Dazzle Modelworks) Type 2A kits in parallel. 3 will be build as Type 2AT
oilers (Engi, Awakawa, Osakasan Maru)and the fourth as a Type 2A transport (Edogawa Maru). These kits are really fun to build,
i can highly recommend them! If anyone likes, i can post pictures of them, when they are done.

Greetings from the German wharf, Jan

[discoverer 2]

Thanks for the warm welcome and answers, guys.

Doug,

Thanks for the help I.D the planes. After I got your numbers, I checked on the net a bit,and you were right with two first.But is possible the doubledecker can be the kawasaki Ki-10 "Perry" instead of Yokosuka K5Y ???

Jan,

Thanks for the update on kibitsu, I will be waiting for this one .The tamatsu was just great,so im sure this will be even better
I would love to see some pictures of Scotts great 2A.
Have you done the Tonan maru 2/3 yet ?? whould love to see some pictures of this one as well,if you have done it.

Thanks
Bjorn

[DougKn]

Thanks for the warm welcome and answers, guys.

Doug,

Thanks for the help I.D the planes. After I got your numbers, I checked on the net a bit,and you were right with two first.But is possible the doubledecker can be the kawasaki Ki-10 "Perry" instead of Yokosuka K5Y ???

Bjorn

Hello Bjorn

Yes the drawings might be intended to be Kawasaki Ki-10s, kind of hard to tell. The Ki-10 bottom wing was almost 2.5 meters shorter than the top wing, couldn't tell too well on the drawings. I was refering to the pictures (the monoplane on pg. 95 is a Tachikawa Ki-55). The main point I have against the K5Y was it was a Navy plane, while all the others are Army (as well as the ships).

Cheers,

Doug

[janschu]

Hello Bjorn,

thank you for the kind words on our Tamatsu Maru.

Yes, i have the Tonan Maru No.3 lying around here. The problem with that kit (and sadly with several other early
Frog Foot kits) is that the hull dimensions are wrong. In this case the hull is too short by about 10mm.
But i have corrected that issue already by using the line drawings of Motoyuki san�s book. My plan is to get the
corrected hull casted in order to build both the Tonan Maru No. 2 and 3 and the Kyokuyo Maru.

Greetings from the German wharf, Jan

[Giampiero]

Info the cargo ship IJN Kashimo is in production?

To be an interested if you could convert my kit RM009 Ramb : ex Ramb II - ex Calitea II in Ikutagawa Maru ?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_ship_Ramb_II

http://www.combinedfleet.com/Ikutagawa_t.htm

Camouflage? realize from Lazer_one from Betasom