Calling all IJN Tone (利根) & Chikuma (筑摩) fans

[Dan K]

Vlad, the Gakken volume is inconclusive on many of your questions. I think it fair to assume that she carried splinter shieding on her 25mm, and it does seem obvious that she carried at least 6 of her 8 boats into Leyte Gulf.

Her main blast bags may have been replaced just prior to LG. I can see she spent time in drydock after the Marianas, so it's possible. Tone's postwar wreck shows blast bags on her 12.7cm mounts, so this is also possible for Chikuma.

[Dan K]

For Greg -

My source (Mucho) says that many manufacturuers have misinterpeted the plans sketched at Maizuru in Feb, 1945. Apparently, the area under the boat storage is steel treaded plate, while everything else is linoleum covered. I will layout out his illustrations in order

[blacman]

thanks a lot Dan!
I guess I could use this photos for Polish ships forum?

[Vladi]

Hi Dan,
many thanks for your views! The aircraft deck discussion is interesting, too, just it is too late for me now to change it. Never mind...
Re splinter shields at 25mm doubles/triples - yes, it seems Tone had them in 1945 so maybe they had them at Leyte, too. I just always wondered why Yamato did not have them at Leyte, too, and even not later in 1945 (according to many sources incl. photos and the Kure model).
Re blast bags at main guns - having fresh bags installed during the summer 44 overhaul sounds like a good explanation to what can be seen on the photo.
Re blast bags at 5" mounts - I would also expect them in place, just if you enlarge the Chikuma Damage overhead.jpg photo you posted earlier there seem to be very dark areas in that place, perhaps too dark for a blast bag but not for a shadow if the blast bags were missing... But this is just my interpretation.

[Dan K]

Greg - you can use the new versions that I posted. Mucho rightly insists on proper accreditation and copyright. Same goes for anyone else who may have copied the originals, please.

Vlad, the best path to enlarging the photo may be to contact the NHC and purchasing a hi-rez version. As to the 12.7cm mount's blast bags, this pic from the Admiral Bogan collection is what I believe to be a good indicator of Chikuma's fit as well.

[rdsaplala]

Hi guys,

Pardon me for opening this topic again: on page 7 of this thread, Jose had a question regarding the opening at the aft portion (part C-40) of the torpedo bay of Tamiya's IJN Tone as seen below:
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd10 ... /Tone5.jpg

This opening seems to have been carried over to the Chikuma kit:
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10183396n2/40/2

If I remember correctly, the initial consensus was that this particular portion should be entirely closed, but referring to the Chikuma picture posted by Dan (thanks for that Dan):
download/file.php?id=39754&mode=view

it appears that instead of closing this particular portion, I should do the exact opposite and enlarge the portside opening even further towards the outboard edge of the bulkhead (?)

Any idea if the starboard side should also receive the same treatment?

Thanks.

[J. Soca]

Hi guys,

Pardon me for opening this topic again: on page 7 of this thread, Jose had a question regarding the opening at the aft portion (part C-40) of the torpedo bay of Tamiya's IJN Tone as seen below:
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd10 ... /Tone5.jpg

This opening seems to have been carried over to the Chikuma kit:
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10183396n2/40/2

If I remember correctly, the initial consensus was that this particular portion should be entirely closed, but referring to the Chikuma picture posted by Dan (thanks for that Dan):
download/file.php?id=39754&mode=view

it appears that instead of closing this particular portion, I should do the exact opposite and enlarge the portside opening even further towards the outboard edge of the bulkhead (?)

Any idea if the starboard side should also receive the same treatment?

Thanks.

Took me a while to find my old Tone WIP thread viewtopic.php?f=59&t=82230 I remember after reading the guy's comments I decided I was going to leave it just as it was, I haven't done anything to the kit in months otherwise I'd show you what I've done. I planned on doing some girder work on the ceiling nothing fancy a few perforated bars should do the trick.

Jose

[Dan K]

I was of the opinion that it was enclosed. My thinking has come around that it may be semi-open. However, I do belive that the congiguration would be symmetrical, regardless of actual fit. FWIW.

[sirpaul]

I was of the opinion that it was enclosed. My thinking has come around that it may be semi-open. However, I do belive that the congiguration would be symmetrical, regardless of actual fit. FWIW.

They should be pretty open. They were designed that way for fear of the torpedo's going off in the event of a hit there. As for the pictures were they look closed in are due to canvas covers.

[Mutsuo Sasaki]

I was of the opinion that it was enclosed. My thinking has come around that it may be semi-open. However, I do belive that the congiguration would be symmetrical, regardless of actual fit. FWIW.

They should be pretty open. They were designed that way for fear of the torpedo's going off in the event of a hit there. As for the pictures were they look closed in are due to canvas covers.

hi, sirpaul, I�m a newcomer to this forum.
I�ve sent some materials for Tone to Dan K. ,you will be hearing from him soon,i hope.

regards,
M.Sasaki.

[Dan K]

I think Mucho is referring to this drawing, from cruiser Tone�s Sento Shoho 1944JACAR

[rdsaplala]

Thank you very much for sharing these info Jose, Dan, Sir Paul and Mucho
Very nice work on your IJN Tone, Jose
I'm not very good at interpreting elevation drawings of steel ships, but from the posted diagram,
it appears that the "square" areas on both outboard edges represent "enclosed" areas, while the area in between these two "squares" are open, thereby supporting the Tamiya model(?)

[Mutsuo Sasaki]

Thank you very much for sharing these info Jose, Dan, Sir Paul and Mucho
Very nice work on your IJN Tone, Jose
I'm not very good at interpreting elevation drawings of steel ships, but from the posted diagram,
it appears that the "square" areas on both outboard edges represent "enclosed" areas, while the area in between these two "squares" are open, thereby supporting the Tamiya model(?)

---------------
You�re welcome,rdsaplala
I had time to have a talk with IJN ships technical adviser of the Hasegawa TONE 1/350 kit model manufacturer,
he said he had not seen,nor did he confirm the opening on some unknown pics of Chikuma and Tone, admitting he had made a misinterpretation about the opening which was indeed a fact on the 2 cruisers. Attached is one of pics of Tone from Alan McGivern collection,Wisconsin. About the configuration of the safe box I figure out Dan K already knows abt. it, yea.

best regards,
M.Kotani

[Mutsuo Sasaki]

I had time to have a talk with IJN ships technical adviser of the Hasegawa TONE 1/350 kit model manufacturer,
he said he had not seen,nor did he confirm the opening on some unknown pics of Chikuma and Tone, admitting he had made a misinterpretation about the opening which was indeed a fact on the 2 cruisers.


It was not Hasegawa�s, but Tamiya�s ; to be corrected now.

regards,
M.Sasaki

[Dan K]

You're in too much of a hurry, like me, Mucho

Thx for posting the shot

[sirpaul]

Yes thanks MR Sasaki. It's good stuff, but i can't really make out the diogram that well.

[Vladi]

Dear all - did I get it right that the two openings aft of torpedo tubes (marked yellow bellow) would have normally be covered with canvas?
Did these openings served for torpedo loading? Or just as a way to direct the eventual blast of the loaded torpedoes at least partially out of the ship?

[Dan K]

Those smaller bays, or at least the one between the mounts, were the apertures for reloading torpedoes aboard. This is no different then in prior classes. The extra aperture aft is specific to this class. Whether it was left open on purpose for venting blast effects is unknown to me. Ditto the rear of that deck. It was std. practice to cover all the apertures with canvas in poor weather or in foreign port, to obscure curiousity.

[Vladi]

Thanks a lot Dan (also for your reply in the Kamikaze-class thread)!

[Mutsuo Sasaki]

hi, all gents,
About the box like objects i�ve been working with several possibilities, i.e.
1) larger sized safe boxes to keep important heiki weapons(gears)as shown in illust in another post.
2) crew stand-by positions
3) may contain something relating to torpepedoes
4) other purpose

No drawings or files are explaining the object/compartment;only images and a plain illust(Tone damage chart) exist. About apertures for loading torps from outside,I thought it ought to have a loading davit to hoist �m, however, i was NOT able to confirm existence of a davit for the aft one,,,Only the fwd one has it...

Dan, yea i�m having busy days,too, posting in haste,then going back to navy dock yard and to homeland forums,uha

br
M.(Kotani-)Sasaki