Calling all Shokaku (翔鶴) and Zuikaku (瑞鶴) fans

[Sbouba]

Hi gang! Can anyone of you suggest which set of the Flyhawk antenna masts for the IJN carriers I should buy for my Shokaku? TIA, Jean.

[Fivi_1241]

Hello!

Does anyone know which of the twin sisters was the flagship of CarDiv 5 during the Pearl Harbor attack? I've found various sources claiming opposite versions, and I don't know who should I trust...

[Ed R]

That would be Zuikaku

http://combinedfleet.com/Zuikak.htm

Ed R

[Fivi_1241]

I actually found a trace that Shokaku could be the actual flagship.
All Japanese planes during Pearl Harbor attack carried identification stripes on their tails. Red stripes for CarDiv 1, blue for CarDiv 2 and white for CarDiv 5. They carried either one or two stripes, and most likely single-striped signs were for flagship-based aircrafts (planes from Akagi had single red stripe, and those from Soryu have one blue). In CarDiv 5, Zuikaku's planes had two stripes while Shokaku's had only one, and that would mean that Shokaku was the flagship.

[Ed R]

I don't have a dog in this fight, but flag of the CARDIV was shifted from Shokaku to Zuikaku in Nov 1941. Whether the planes were repainted to match this is another question.

[Fivi_1241]

I guess this might be the case.

Thanks for help!

[Dan K]

As Ed stated, the flag shifted to Zuikaku in November. However, photos clearly show that the striping of the sisters respective aircraft was not changed. She retains the flag at least through July, 1942, when Adm. Hara transfers away from CarDiv 5.

[Haijun watcher]

Hi all,

I assume that Fujimi's GUP-35 wood deck meant for their Shokaku kit would also fit the Tamiya Shokaku kit?

[Dan K]

Nope. Tamiya's wood flight deck shape is not the same as Fujimi's. Mk 1 Designs (div. of KA Models) makes both a very nice PE set and wood flight deck for the Tamiya kit.

I have a long stalled Tamiya project Zuikaku project with a lot of stuff, including this stuff. I might consider parting with it. Shoot me a PM if you want.

[ijnfleetadmiral]

As Ed stated, the flag shifted to Zuikaku in November. However, photos clearly show that the striping of the sisters respective aircraft was not changed. She retains the flag at least through July, 1942, when Adm. Hara transfers away from CarDiv 5.

RADM Hara Chuichi was the first and only person to be ComCarDiv 5. As of July 1942, the division was deactivated, Hara reassigned, and both ships transferred to form the new CarDiv 1 with CVL Zuiho.

[Vladi]

Hello,
does anybody have an idea from which material (and so what colour) were the blister protection add-ons on the bridges of Shokaku and Zuikaku at the beginning of war? These look definitely different than those seen on Akagi and Kaga which were made of rolled mattresses. These look more like empty hoses (flat), not like heavy ropes that were also sometimes used.
I attach two photos showing these, although they are not of a good quality. Does anybody have some photos showing this feature better?

[Dan K]

I've always taken them to be hawser rope, probably hemp (brown)

[Vladi]

Hi Dan,
your photo is much clearer, you are right, it definitely looks like hawser rope. What do you think about the much darker, strangely applied thing above bridge windows?
Also it seems to me they added some extra (metal?) plates under and above bridge windows before the Coral Sea Battle - see the other photo above.
Thanks!

[Dan K]

I think those are more hawser ropes, coiled in some fashion. It looks like they put a plank through some of the loops to weigh them down and hang straighter, but I'm only guessing on that. I don't know why they felt the need to hang them there at all.

Yes, the metal plates. These were actually pointed out to me several years ago by Toshifumi Kimoto (Vanguard website: http://homepage2.nifty.com/vanguard/ ) during his extensive research on this class. IIRC, Shokaku has flat plates (or eaves as he called them) while Zuikaku's seem to be raised slightly at an angle. They also don't appear in all photos.

Like with the destroyers, these appear to have been installed to minimize the exposure of the openings. They are also seen in close-ups of Junyo's bridge.

[Vladi]

Thanks! Interesting about the metal plates, I thought someone must have noticed them. Still, neither plates nor ropes appear on any of the excellent models at the Vanguard website.

BTW I can imagine Hiriyu and Soryu having some arrangement of mattresses or ropes on their bridges, too, as it has apparently been a common practice then. Just that there are so few wartime photos of them and probably none of them showing enough bridge details...

[Dan K]

I'm not sure when these shields first appeared but, definitely by May, 1942. Examples below. I found one closeup of Soryu at Staring Bay in February, 1942, where you can just make out the padded rolls around her bridge windows, also below.

[Vladi]

Many thanks, Dan, especially the first photo is much better than my copy, it can all be seen quite well there!

[Dan K]

The wonders of Photoshop. I increased the contrast.

[DennisJP]

The purpose was to protect the bridge crew and admiral if present from frag damage from hits or near misses. The more rounded one on Akagi and Soryu also looks like the rounded ones I have always read were the beds of the crew members. Used much like the mattress used on the US carriers.

[zotz]

I haven't found a color plate that lays out my impression but, this illustration from the Model Art volume #537, Drawings of Imperial Japanese Naval Vessels, vol 3, renders best the camo demarcation lines and shapes as I see them.

Hi,
While looking at the video I couldn't help noticing a pair of straight white lines port to the main spaced white line.
Would there be another set of them on the stb side too? (1:19 on the youtube vid)
Eli