Calling all Japanese pre-war/wartime Merchant Marine fans

[Dan K]

Another amazing image. Ok, Ron, where are these coming from and how many more of these tankers are there? We MUST know.

[Quincy]

Another tremendous photo Ron!

Thank you again.


bob pink.

[Motoyuki Iwashige]

Hello Ron san,
Again thanks for the second photo. I don�t have enough information about the device but I guess that it is possible to be altered to �double� type like others for, probably, side-by-side refueling simultaneously on port and starboard.
Aside it I am interested in hull painting as modeler; it seems to be painted in three tones i.e. grey, hull red and red brown between road and light line. It was just my long-time question.
Motoyuki Iwashige

[Jim Smith]

Can anyone identify the purpose of the umbrella shaped object aft of the funnel on pictures of some of the older Japanese merchantmen?

Is it a radio mast, smoke deflector, semaphore system, navigation light mounting? I haven't a clue although I've included it on some of my models based on photo evidence.

Any ideas?

Jim S

[Ron Wolford]

Hello Everybody
Jim, I assume that you mean the thing behind the stack of the Hofuku Maru. I have always thought that this was some kind of ventilator to exhaust the trapped hot air in the living spaces, but I could be wrong. You see it a lot in ships that are in tropical climates, like the Hofuku Maru here in the Panama Canal. This is a U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph, NH 46318 dated 11 September 1937.
One thing I forgot to do on my last two post was tell you were I got the photographs. The two photos of the Kokuyo Maru are from a collection of about 60 that I bought from a guy who sells old photos, He said that photos were part of the collection of Stanley Wheeler, Marine Editor of the Los Angeles Evening Herald and also a retired Navy Commander. I think the photos are Official U.S. Coast Guard Photographs, the reason I say this is that I have a lot of photos, that I got from the Mariners Museum in Newport News Virginia, that are marked exactly the same way and they are all Coast Guard Photos, also they were all taken in 1941. I think that in 1941 the Coast Guard was tasked with photographing any Japanese Ship that enter an America Port.
Ron Wolford


http://i45.tinypic.com/2ko3r4.jpg

[Gilbert]

Thanks for this great picture, Ron

Gilbert

[Gilbert]

HOFUKU Maru 5857grt was bombed and sunk on 9/21/44, SW of Manila.

Gilbert

[Freighter]

Ron,
That's it exactly. Great photo by the way. This bears out your statement that it was canvas or linen covered. In other photos it looks like a semaphore system - perhaps just the 'bare' arms.
Anyone have any other ideas?

Here's another picture:-
http://www.jsu.or.jp/siryo/map/new_solo ... raya_o.jpg

and my model of the Himalaya Maru:-
http://www.finewaterline.com/pages/gall ... malaya.htm


Jim S

[Motoyuki Iwashige]

Windsail on British tanker Havre

Jim san,
I have never seen such tasteful diorama in my radius.
Motoyuki Iwashige

[Freighter]

Iwashige-san
Many thanks for your kind comments. Your website is the main inspiration.

Ron,
Keep the photos coming - especially of Japanese merchant ships. They're of really good quality which is a great help to us modellers.

Jim S

[Ron Wolford]

Hello Everybody
Here is a pic of the Hoyeisan Maru, it has the canvas ventilator, taken in the Panama Canal 10/23/37. U.S. Naval Historical Center NH 45843

http://i48.tinypic.com/2yxox3r.jpg

Overhead view of the Hoyeisan Maru taken at the same time NHC NH 45842

http://i50.tinypic.com/2gtnoec.jpg

Ron Wolford

[Gilbert]

Hello Ron,

Thanks for these two great pictures .

According to this link: http://homepage3.nifty.com/jpnships/com ... _list1.htm , �46, she was completed on 10/1918, originally owned by Mitsui Bussan K.K., she was sold to Yamashita Kisen K.K. on 12/07/1937. She was ultimately sunk during an aerial bombing on Manila Harbour on 11/30/1944.

Gilbert

[Ron Wolford]

Hello Everybody
I know technically it not Japanese Merchant Ship but does anyone have any information on this ship, I know it one of the Shiretoko class oiler, but it has been converted to a heavy lift ship. What did it transport? This picture is in Ships of the World "Auxiliary Vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy" but the caption is in Japanese and unfortunately I can't read it. I have the old Kobo-Hiryu (A44) kit of this ship and would like to know a little more about it. National Archives photo 80-G-216865. Thanks!

Ron Wolford

http://i45.tinypic.com/2w69dlx.jpg

[Gilbert]

Hello Ron,

The picture shows AO/AC Shiretoko. Shiretoko was originally an oiler but IJN converted half of her tank into cargo space to transport turrets and main guns of BB Nagato type. IJN classified her as Collier-Oiler.

Cheers
Gilbert

[janschu]

@Ron, please fell free to post more pictures! They are highly appreciated.

I have started to build the new kits from Niko Model, as there are Shioya, Suruga Maru, Choun Maru and Yasukawa Maru. The detailling and the fitting is really nice bu two of them have some faults. Concerning to the drawings (and model pictures) of Motoyuki san Suruga Maru has the wrong bow shape, but this can be corrected easily. The Yasukawa Maru is more problematic. Most apparent is that the hull is too low by about 1.5mm and the shape of the stern is wrong.
I think, the hull height can be corrected quite easy but the stern will be quite labourious. Since Niko Model took a quite quite unique ship like the Yasukawa Maru i guess they are using Motoyuki san�s book. But why has their kit the wrong hull shape then? It is curious because the rest of the kit is really nice. The world wonders. Let�s hope that their upcoming kits are better researched.

Concerning new releases, here is a list of kits from Frog Foot Models. Kits that will be released in the future and kits that are planned,as there are:
SS-008, ?
SS-009, Nigitsu Maru?
SS-010, Kibitsu Maru
SS-011, Takatsu Maru
SS-012, Hayasui
SS-013, Hario
SS-014, Kazahaya
SS-032, Ose
SS-C017, Tonan Maru No.2
SS-C019, Tonan Maru No.3
SSC-005, Toyooka Maru
SSC-006, Arabia Maru
SSC-007, Huzi Maru
SSC-008, Hakone Maru
SSC-009, Kobe Maru
SSC-010, ?
SSC-011, Taiyo Maru
SSC-012, Katori Maru
SSC-013, Suwa Maru
SSC-014, ?
SSC-015, Haerbang Maru
SSC-016, Baikal Maru
SSC-017, Jilin Maru
SSC-018, Takasago Maru
SSC-019, Panama Maru
SSC-020, Manila Maru
SSC-021, ?
SSC-022, ?
SS-IF003, Wartime standard Type 3A tanker?
SS-IF006, Wartime standard Type 2TL tanker?

Well, since i have used Babelfish as a translation programm, some of the names are left out because their translation didn�t make any sense.
I have contacted Gernot already and asked him if he can find out more. In order to find out what vessles are meant i checked my "History on CD-Rom".
Wow, really interesting ships will come our way!

By the way, here is the website of Fog Foot Models: http://sachibiyoushitu.com/ff_01.html
And then navigate through the pages.

Greetings from the North Sea Coast, Jan

[Dan K]

What a list! What scale?

[Gilbert]

What a list! What scale?

Scale is 1/700, Dan

Gilbert

[Gilbert]

Jan,

Some additional info ref. your list (In Hepburn system):
SSC-007= Fuji Maru 9138 (Grt.)
SSC-010= Somedono Maru 5154
SSC-014= Anyo Maru 9256
SSC-015= Harbin Maru 5167
SSC-017= Kitsurin Maru 6783
SSC-021= Rakuyo Maru 9418
SSC-022= Santos Maru 7266
- Credit goes, not to Babelfish, but to Gernot

On the other hand, the following references are listed as NEW on the website:
- SS-006 1TL early type oiler NAMPO MARU 10033
- SS-006 1TL late type oiler NIPPO MARU 10528
- SSC-003 KAMAKURA MARU 17498
- SSC-004 ASAMA MARU 16947

Gilbert

[Quincy]

Here is a tip when doing Niko's Choun Maru concerning the rear bridge behin d the faceplate.
Behind the faceplate are 2 triangular braces that need to be shaved off per the instructions so that the bridge structure can be added to it.

To shave the braces off use a good sharp knife, and use your thumb. Put your thumb in front of the faceplate while you are trimming off the braces. It will stabilize the faceplate and cause it NOT to break while trimming.

Just thought that I would pass this along.




Bob Pink.

[Ron Wolford]

Hello Everybody
Janschu thanks for the information on the Frog Foot Models, I would love to get a model of the Tonan Maru 2 or 3. I have been fascinated with the large whale factory ships for a long time and would love to build a model of one. Unfortunately I do not know how to get a hold of Frog Foot Models, one time I sent an e-mail to Hobby Link Japan, to see if they would carry their kits but I never heard back from them so I guess I just out of luck. Thanks.
Here is a couple of pics of the Tonan Maru No 3 from the Stanley Wheeler collection.