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

[Dr_Who2]

Tough one ...

If it is a gun loading trainer, which I believe, this version of Hasegawa in 1/350 scale (Nr. 10 in the manufacturer listing) might be visually of use:



I checked within Super Illustration and found explaining text:

Super Illustration Yamato - Model Art - Page 88
"... Initially the loading trainer was installed on the deck close to and behind the base of the bridge tower. On the modification a crew stand-by-room was newly built on this position and the gun loading trainer was shifted onto the position next to and to the right of the rear secondary 15.5 cm gun turret. ..."

I guess Timmy is spot on regarding recognizing the part then.
However, the given book states further

Super Illustration Yamato - ModelArt - Page 88
"... But on her final condition the position was replaced with a triple 25mm machine gun and where the trainer was shifted ultimately is unknown. ...."

hth

[baseballbrat]

OK, you guys made me dig into my man cave and find this. Here ya go!!!

[Senkan]

I've thinking of changing the color on my 1/200 Yamato to a lighter shad of grey. Currently it's painted Tamiya IJN Kure Grey but it seems a little dark. Yamato might have been this shade of grey earlier in the war but was she this dark in 1945? In Requiem for Battleship Yamato Yoshida states the color of the paint was a silvery grey. Not sure if this paint was captured British paint or a new mix they made up of existing paint. I was watching the 2005 Otoko-Tachi no Yamato and the color seems much lighter than the Tamiya Kure Grey.

What color did everyone use on their Yamato?

[baseballbrat]

The deck wasn't painted, but rubbed with the soot (ash) from the coal used to power the ship. The color of the soot takes on a silver color, due to it being ash. From my understanding the deck was made of teak wood, probably didn't take paint very well.

That photo was of a mock-up built for the movie Yamato 2005 and maybe at that time the deck color was still up in the air and research wasn't complete enough to be certain. Again this issue may not ever be resolved to our liking, but knocking around opinions will get to the bottom of this someday.

Maybe someday a book will come out with all the right answers, but for now Skulski's Battleship Yamato is the closest you're going to get to fact unless you can prove him wrong. It's just not photos and elaborate engineering drawings but an accurate description of what the ship looked like and what things were used for.

As a note: We seem to all be asking questions that have not been fully answered, due to interpretation between Japanese and English. As I said before, everything technical about this vessel has been written in Technical Kanji (Japanese/Chinese) in Naval terms that only a few Japanese readers can still understand, so information coming to light is very slow. You also have to take in to consideration that when the war was coming to an end, the Japanese Navy and Government destroyed as many documents as they could before US occupation occurred.

With all that said, It seems that all these facts are great if you are a Japanese Naval Historian, but for the rest of the modelers out there building these great examples of the Yamato during different phases of her life, if something is incorrect on your build, I bet you won't find one human on earth that can prove you wrong 100% of the time. The term for this is called Modelers Interpretation. Look at the Kure 1:10 Hiroba. Overtime somethings changed with the reference research and they go and update it.

As for the deck color during your building, use your best guess with the information available, and do the best you can to bring all that plastic to life.

[Senkan]

Does anyone know the color they painted the 1/10 Museum Yamato?

[baseballbrat]

Does anyone know the color they painted the 1/10 Museum Yamato?

Also, this model is not in her last configuration on April 7th.

[RandomNoob]

I think the Yamato Museum model, while striving for accuracy, is build as a 'general configuration', hence the crane tower still present and the deck color in the more popular bright wooden orange.
I imagine if they suddenly renovate the model to have a dark deck and missing the crane tower, some people might think the model has been vandalized!

Also, I noticed that the picture by baseballbrat shows the deck triple AA mount is using a circular shield tub. They've changed that recently, if I'm not mistaken?

[bucketfoot-al]

I think the Yamato Museum model, while striving for accuracy, is build as a 'general configuration', hence the crane tower still present and the deck color in the more popular bright wooden orange.
I imagine if they suddenly renovate the model to have a dark deck and missing the crane tower, some people might think the model has been vandalized!

Also, I noticed that the picture by baseballbrat shows the deck triple AA mount is using a circular shield tub. They've changed that recently, if I'm not mistaken?

Yes, the tub shape was corrected back around 2008. If you search for photos you will eventually find more recent ones posted online.

[Senkan]

Does anyone know the exact color they painted the 1/10 Yamato?

[baseballbrat]

I imagine if they suddenly renovate the model to have a dark deck and missing the crane tower, some people might think the model has been vandalized!

I really don't think that the 1:10 model will ever be converted to the last cruise of April 7th.

The model displayed is more of a memorial to the ships legacy then a accurate depiction of the demise of the crew and vessel. The Japanese are very sensitive about what happened during the war and to this day, it's still not taught in history class. Just ask a young student about the WWII and they'll say, what war?

The word "Yamato" in Japanese is a word of honor. That's why the ships configuration is not on the day she died, but how she sailed in her prime. Also, you wouldn't have Japanese going to see this museum if it was configured in a matter that it was more of a reminder of the 2,000+dead, the demise of the worlds largest battleship and pride of Japanese honor.

The Musashi was rumored to be possibly recovered and made into a museum some years back. Stupid idea having a completely destroyed Battleship sitting somewhere in a museum with a placard saying how successful she was until America came along and sank her.

Both Yamato and Musashi were used as propaganda during the war. Didn't really see any major action, but was used as a symbol of Japanese pride. Sinking both ships is a short period of time was not what Japan had in mind. Using Yamato on a kamikaze mission and sacrificing 2,300 men just to prove a point, is way beyond me.

[bucketfoot-al]

The total number of dead for Operation Ten-ichi-go was over 4,000, of which over 3000 died on Yamato alone ... the greatest loss of life on any single warship in history....

That story about raising the Musashi was someone's idea of an April Fool's joke. Impossible, even if the ship wasn't most likely in several pieces as a result of the detonation of several magazines after she went down...

[baseballbrat]

The total number of dead for Operation Ten-ichi-go was over 4,000, of which over 3300 died on Yamato alone ... the greatest loss of life on any single warship in history....

That story about raising the Musashi was someone's idea of an April Fool's joke. Impossible, even if the ship wasn't most likely in several pieces as a result of the detonation of several magazines after she went down...

Thanks Vlad, I stand corrected!

I am reading about a much smaller number killed. What source are you using?

[baseballbrat]

Check this out!!! Take your time and scroll through hundreds of photos of the Kure Museum and the 1:10 Hiroba model.

http://www.fluidr.com/places/Japan/Hiro ... nly-photos

[bucketfoot-al]

The total number of dead for Operation Ten-ichi-go was over 4,000, of which over 3000 died on Yamato alone ... the greatest loss of life on any single warship in history....

That story about raising the Musashi was someone's idea of an April Fool's joke. Impossible, even if the ship wasn't most likely in several pieces as a result of the detonation of several magazines after she went down...

Thanks Vlad, I stand corrected!

I am reading about a much smaller number killed. What source are you using?

You can start with Mitsuru Yoshida, but any more recent Japanese source will have the correct numbers.

Here is another, quoted from the Ten-ichi-go page on Wiki:

Abe, Saburo, Tokko Yamato Kantai (The Special Attack Fleet Yamato)", Kasumi Syuppan Co. 1995, a Japanese book which has apparently not been translated into English, gives the following breakdown in deaths for the Japanese in the operation: Yamato- 3056 killed, 276 survivors; Yahagi- 446 killed; Isokaze- 20 killed; Hamakaze- 100 killed; Yukikaze- 3 killed; Kasumi- 17 killed; Asashimo- 326 killed (all hands); Fuyuzuki- 12 killed; Suzutsuki- 57 killed.

[chuck]

Hey guys, I came across this part in my instruction booklet, and since I cannot read Japanese, I do not know what this piece is supposed to be. It also seems to exist only in the port side. Any idea what this is?

It's a machine for simulating the 5"/40 AA gun breach action. These guns are manually loaded, and several loaders work on each breach at once. The loaders must follow carefully coordinated drills get the best rate of fire. These machines allow loaders to practice their drill without incurring wear and tear on the actual guns.

The U.S. navy also uses practice loading drill machines for its own 5"/37 AA gun.

[baseballbrat]

Need some help guys........

I have a friend building a 1:200 Nishimo Yamato (brand new kit in bags) from 30 years ago. Can someone please tell me the Detail Parts or Detail Kits out now that he can use to build a rather accurate Ten-ichi-Go version? I am trying to get him to join here, so you Nishimo builders can give him some good advise! Thanks for you help!!! Jim

[RandomNoob]

Well, I have never personally built one myself, but in this site's review page, Bill Waldorf has a build log for the Nichimo giant. Here is the link, maybe it can help: http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/sh ... to-bw.html


Also, I wanted to ask something. I just noticed that the aft superstucture base in my kit will leave quite a large hole. Should I fill it, or is it supposed to be there?

[Mt.Niitaka]

I think it should be left as is, If I recall correctly.
Does anyone here have a picture of the hirihoukenten banner? I am trying to find one to print and use it as a flag for my kit.

[bucketfoot-al]

Need some help guys........

I have a friend building a 1:200 Nishimo Yamato (brand new kit in bags) from 30 years ago. Can someone please tell me the Detail Parts or Detail Kits out now that he can use to build a rather accurate Ten-ichi-Go version? I am trying to get him to join here, so you Nishimo builders can give him some good advise! Thanks for you help!!! Jim

He will need to get the two (2) Gold Medal Models 1/200 Yamato ship sets:

http://goldmm.com/ships/gms200-1.htm
http://goldmm.com/ships/gms200-1A.htm

http://www.goldmm.com/

Next, he will have to get re-sculpted main 18" turrets, part of the superstructure, 5" AA guns, additional AAA gun tubs and AAA turrets. SOme of these he can make moulds of from the parts that come with the ship and then cast extras (what I did), otherwise all of the above can be had from this ebay seller:

http://www.ebay.com/usr/resellersunlimi ... 1543.l2754

Send him a PM about his 1/200 Yamato upgrade parts. His prices are very reasonable.

[baseballbrat]

Need some help guys........

I have a friend building a 1:200 Nishimo Yamato (brand new kit in bags) from 30 years ago. Can someone please tell me the Detail Parts or Detail Kits out now that he can use to build a rather accurate Ten-ichi-Go version? I am trying to get him to join here, so you Nishimo builders can give him some good advise! Thanks for you help!!! Jim

He will need to get the two (2) Gold Medal Models 1/200 Yamato ship sets:

http://goldmm.com/ships/gms200-1.htm
http://goldmm.com/ships/gms200-1A.htm

http://www.goldmm.com/

Next, he will have to get re-sculpted main 18" turrets, part of the superstructure, 5" AA guns, additional AAA gun tubs and AAA turrets. SOme of these he can make moulds of from the parts that come with the ship and then cast extras (what I did), otherwise all of the above can be had from this ebay seller:

http://www.ebay.com/usr/resellersunlimi ... 1543.l2754

Send him a PM about his 1/200 Yamato upgrade parts. His prices are very reasonable.

Thanks Vlad!!!