Calling all IJN Takao-class (高雄型) fans

[Dan K]

As far as I can tell, the rangefinders, including the 25mm, were still there when she was scuttled.

I think they used whatever stocks were available in Singapore to paint her. Those specific camo scheme paints were meant for carrier and merchant usuage, though I suppose they could have been used otherwise.

[rafacarasig]

As far as I can tell, the rangefinders, including the 25mm, were still there when she was scuttled.

I think they used whatever stocks were available in Singapore to paint her. Those specific camo scheme paints were meant for carrier and merchant usuage, though I suppose they could have been used otherwise.

Wow thank you for this sir! much appreciated

[bismarck1304]

Hello, I bought a photoetching kit Fujimi for the Maya heavy cruiser 1/700 kit (ref: 113968) but I did not receive the assembly instructions, someone would he have these instructions to provide me please?

[littlewake]

Working on the 1/350 Ironclad Atago. Was wondering if a dedicated PE set is available for this kit?

Thanks Frank R

[Timmy C]

Working on the 1/350 Ironclad Atago. Was wondering if a dedicated PE set is available for this kit?

Thanks Frank R

Yes, Aoshima made their own for the 2018 "retake" version of the kit: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10551130

Though you might want to combine it with the set released for their initial 2007 version as it comes with catapult and crane parts: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10063590

Presumably they thought the 2018 retake kit had good enough details that the parts rendered in the 2007 PE set were unnecessary to reproduce.

[littlewake]

Timmy C

Much appreciated. That was what I was looking for.

Frank R

[rafacarasig]

This might have been answered already, but i had to ask

Was the degaussing cable in Takao removed ?

Thank you

[Dan K]

Well, at Singapore, post-war, she was not wearing a cable. Nor was Myoko. It's not known when the cable was removed, but I think it most likely while at Singapore. The copper wiring would have been more useful elsewhere.

[SilverGhost]

I am building Atago 1944 late from Aoshima kit 1/350 w/many PE for Takao + resin
viewtopic.php?f=59&t=216604

And now I am drawing/modifying new plans of Takao, Atago and Chokai, using late plans of Janusz Skulski from Kagero 3D Takao 1945 and many photos from Japanese books Maru/Gakken and others.

So I know the answers for many questions.
Degaussing cable was removed from all IJN heavy cruisers at spring or summer 1944 (last modification at the end of June 1944 and beginning of July 1944)

For example - degaussing cable was removed from Maya at modernization before April 1944. Because, at photo taken 15 May 1944 when Maya arrived at Tawitawi, Maya didn't have degaussing cable.


If we will look at R/V Petrel photos - we will not find cable.

Now we can look at photos of Mogami, Chokai, Maya at the sea bottom - and they all don't have degaussing cable from October 1944
We can look at photos of Aoba, Tone, Myoko, Takao and uncompleted Ibuki in Late 1945-1946 - they didn't have degaussing cable too.
I have some photos of Atago and Chokai from May 1944 at Lingga and Takao in March 1944 at Palau, but shadows on board on a sunny day or the size and quality of photos doesn't allow me to see the cable or its absence on board. Only at one photo of Maya in Tawitawi I don't see the shadow from degaussing cable on board

Only Ashigara, Chikuma and Atago weren't discover at sea bottom. Haguro was discovered many years ago (The ship was heavily overgrown with algae and shells. Therefore, all the small details on it are extremely difficult to consider) and Nachi was raised from bottom of Manila Bay in 1960s.

[KevinD]

Note: Ashigara wreck was discovered many many years ago, i.e. long before Haguro was in 2003, and was already partly salvaged prior to that date. Probably one of the first IJN CA wrecks (after Nachi) to have been located / dived. Unknown if she is completely gone now like many other wrecks are in JS, SCS and MS.

[SilverGhost]

Note: Ashigara wreck was discovered many many years ago, i.e. long before Haguro was in 2003, and was already partly salvaged prior to that date. Probably one of the first IJN CA wrecks (after Nachi) to have been located / dived. Unknown if she is completely gone now like many other wrecks are in JS, SCS and MS.

Thank you for information.
When I build Haguro, I was looking for information about the Ashigara at the bottom, but I didn�t find anything. No pictures of divers, no renderings of wreck. This was strange since the depths are small and the transparency of the water is good. Probably he was already raised for scrap.

And is there information about the wrecks of Myoko and Takao?

[KevinD]

Thank you for information. When I build Haguro, I was looking for information about the Ashigara at the bottom, but I didn�t find anything.

Not much if anything available. Wreck not allowed to be dived as just off Indo naval base (although some sneak dives done and salvors have dived her). As a matter of fact a couple of Indo navy divers died getting lost on the wreck many years ago

No pictures of divers, no renderings of wreck. This was strange since the depths are small and the transparency of the water is good.

As for visibility, you are very mistaken! The water is the colour of milk coffee there. What we would call 'braille diving'.

Probably he was already raised for scrap.

Maybe. Unknown to me.

And is there information about the wrecks of Myoko and Takao?

Only positions where Myoko (and Takao) lay. We located what we believed to be the wreck of Myoko (by the sonar image of the 'squared off' stern), but couldn't dive her as wreck is in middle of very busy shipping lane with ships passing almost / or directly overhead every 15 mins (or less at times), and at around 100m deep, there is going to a lot of decompression to do after that dive (drifting in that busy shipping lane for a couple of hours!).

[ijnfleetadmiral]

We located what we believed to be the wreck of Myoko (by the sonar image of the 'squared off' stern)

Could you tell her condition based on the sonar scans? Is she on her side or upright?

[SilverGhost]

Thank you for information. When I build Haguro, I was looking for information about the Ashigara at the bottom, but I didn�t find anything.

Not much if anything available. Wreck not allowed to be dived as just off Indo naval base (although some sneak dives done and salvors have dived her). As a matter of fact a couple of Indo navy divers died getting lost on the wreck many years ago

No pictures of divers, no renderings of wreck. This was strange since the depths are small and the transparency of the water is good.

As for visibility, you are very mistaken! The water is the colour of milk coffee there. What we would call 'braille diving'.

Probably he was already raised for scrap.

Maybe. Unknown to me.

And is there information about the wrecks of Myoko and Takao?

Only positions where Myoko (and Takao) lay. We located what we believed to be the wreck of Myoko (by the sonar image of the 'squared off' stern), but couldn't dive her as wreck is in middle of very busy shipping lane with ships passing almost / or directly overhead every 15 mins (or less at times), and at around 100m deep, there is going to a lot of decompression to do after that dive (drifting in that busy shipping lane for a couple of hours!).

Kevin, thank you for information!

[KevinD]

We located what we believed to be the wreck of Myoko (by the sonar image of the 'squared off' stern)

Could you tell her condition based on the sonar scans? Is she on her side or upright?

Matt, condition no, but either upright or upside down based on the image generated (as we were using a 'look-down' sonar at the time, not the side-scan which would have shown a lot more re orientation).

[Mutsuo Sasaki]

Degaussing cable was removed from all IJN heavy cruisers at spring or summer 1944 (last modification at the end of June 1944 and beginning of July 1944)

For example - degaussing cable was removed from Maya at modernization before April 1944. Because, at photo taken 15 May 1944 when Maya arrived at Tawitawi, Maya didn't have degaussing cable.
If we will look at R/V Petrel photos - we will not find cable.

Now we can look at photos of Mogami, Chokai, Maya at the sea bottom - and they all don't have degaussing cable from October 1944
We can look at photos of Aoba, Tone, Myoko, Takao and uncompleted Ibuki in Late 1945-1946 - they didn't have degaussing cable too.
I have some photos of Atago and Chokai from May 1944 at Lingga and Takao in March 1944 at Palau, but shadows on board on a sunny day or the size and quality of photos doesn't allow me to see the cable or its absence on board. Only at one photo of Maya in Tawitawi I don't see the shadow from degaussing cable on board
--------------------------

hi, Dan K- and me did discuss the degaussing cables a lot in the past. Can assure you Chokai at least had the cable,one of R/V Petrel photos can confirm this. On Chokai model 1944, yes, expression of the degaussing cable is a must, I might say.
As Dan wrote above, copper and other metals were in acute shortage,they stripped �em off from ships removed from ocean going operations. They even collected any metals from cities and civilians:bells,clocks from temples, metal statues ,just about any available metals from anywhere in the country then.

cheers,

[Mutsuo Sasaki]

the photo of Maya, Tawi tawi,may 1944
I�m afraid the photo was taken against the sun,and it is hard to see existence of the degaussing cable, but camouflage patterns are seen all over at the hull and on the surcface of the upper structrures. Chokai had the same. :)d


cheers,

[Mutsuo Sasaki]

About degaussing cable my humble opinion is, it is unthinkable that Chokai had it and Maya didn�t at the time of the Leyte Opr.
Besides,it will be more difficult to perceive the cable not only due to the photo taken against the Sun, but also camouflage painting makes it difficult for us to see the cable. Am estimating Maya�s cable will be partially and narrowly seen here, borrowed by the poster. The photo came originally from Ujiie Takuya, chief accountant officer of Maya. When he came to an exihibition party of finished Maya model 1:100 by Rengo Kantai club of Tokyo(we can call this a gakken modelship) ,year 1992,he saw the model closely, didn�t claim anything about the cable. It is also hard to see the cable on Chokai,too, when a pic is taken against the Sun.

sincerely,

[Mutsuo Sasaki]

About visual proofs of the degaussing cable Chokai has this here, in some R/V Petrel photos.
A logical thinking may be needed ,if one claims sistership Maya didn�t have the cable at the time of the last battle of the Rengo Kantai.

cheers,

[Mutsuo Sasaki]

By looking into the R/V Petrel�s photos in the above I took a time in re-arranging the cable of Chokai around the stern, 1944 and on the drawing as a side task to do, so the cable here runs below the place of the ship name plate.

cheers,