Caling all IJN Tenryu-class, Katori-class, Yubari-class & Oyodo-class fans

[Vladi]

Hi guys, does anybody have any details about how Tenryu was configured in 1942 at the time of the Battle of Savo? Also any comments, known issues, differences between the OOB kit and its 1942 fit etc. on the Hasegawa 1/700 Tenryu would be much helpful. Thanks!

[maxim]

The bridge is wrong (very simplified), e.g. the armoured conning tower is not depicted. I have found a simple drawing for that some years ago. Contact me via PM, if you would like to have it.

The armament consisted of the four 14 cm, the torpedo tubes and two 2,5 cm twins. The last replaced the 1,3 cm near for the forward funnel. The 8 cm gun on the fantail was removed. Source: Lacroix and Wells.

[peppe]

ciao peppe

[maxim]

According to Lacroix and Wells there should be in contrast to this drawing no 8 cm gun on the fantail. They write that there is a 14 cm training mount. I do not know what is correct. The photos I have found are not good enough to determine that.

[Vladi]

Also interestingly the minelaying rails are missing on the drawing Peppe posted above. Does anybody know if they have been removed?

[ijnfleetadmiral]

Does anyone know what camouflage scheme Oyodo had in 1945? TIA for any info.

[Haijun watcher]

As we've discussed, I've got one of each of the new Katori/Kashima/Kashii kits, and while they build, OOB, into a early war (Katori), late war with AA (Kashima) and phantom funnel (Kashii) versions, I'm just looking ahead and thinking it might be more interesting to build Kashima as a post-war model.
.

So which kit is the best for building Katori the day she was sunk at Truk by the US battleship Iowa's guns?

Do each of the Aoshima kits have decals for all 3 ships in the class? (The same way the carrier Shoho kit also has Zuiho decals)

[Haijun watcher]

As we've discussed, I've got one of each of the new Katori/Kashima/Kashii kits, and while they build, OOB, into a early war (Katori), late war with AA (Kashima) and phantom funnel (Kashii) versions, I'm just looking ahead and thinking it might be more interesting to build Kashima as a post-war model.
.

So which kit is the best for building Katori the day she was sunk at Truk by the US battleship Iowa's guns?

Do each of the Aoshima kits have decals for all 3 ships in the class? (The same way the carrier Shoho kit also has Zuiho decals)

Would someone please answer my questions, bolded above?

[D-Boy]

So which kit is the best for building Katori the day she was sunk at Truk by the US battleship Iowa's guns?

Do each of the Aoshima kits have decals for all 3 ships in the class? (The same way the carrier Shoho kit also has Zuiho decals)

Would someone please answer my questions, bolded above?

I would go with the Kashima kit as it is the late-war option among these kits as that will provide you with the additional AA platforms, shielding, and weapons for the 1944 configuration of Katori, as well as radar fit.

There are no decals in any of these kits, so that would not be a factor in your decision.

Here is a photo of the Aoshima kit - if you click through you can see the build from several orientations and see all instruction pages:
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10144547a/20/1
- D-Boy

DanK has earned all deference in these matters... see his comment immediately below. His reference to configuration and refit is more accurate than my reference equating late-war kit and date sunk.

[Dan K]

I believe Katori only gained 2 additional 25mm twin mounts replacing some of the saluting guns on her bridge in her last, mid 1943 refit. So, I think the Katori or Kashii kits might work. I'm not sure of the parts breakdown. Not the Kashima kit, which is late war fit.

[D-Boy]

Hasegawa has released long-overdue kits of the Tenryu and Tatsuta IJN light-cruisers. My in-box review here:
viewtopic.php?f=53&t=159288

[Aekold]

Hi guys,
As some of you might know, I am looking into building the battle of Coral Sea lineups. So, Yubari is definitely on the list
I got the Tamiya kit + Flyhawk aftermarket, but I realized that none allows you to build Yubari'42: they don't have the rear single-mount turret which was replaced with additional AAs in 1943. Besides, it is quite hard to find good photos for this period - all I've got is 4 pre-war photos of her.
Any ideas how to build her for 1942? Maybe someone has a spare turret?
Would like to avoid getting a second kit just for the sake of an extra turret

[Dan K]

I have plenty of extra single 14cm mounts from the 5500 tonner kits. Really nice ones come with the newer Pit-Road NE03 IJN equipment sets.

[Aekold]

I have plenty of extra single 14cm mounts from the 5500 tonner kits. Really nice ones come with the newer Pit-Road NE03 IJN equipment sets.

Do I understand correctly that I need #2 from the photo:

If yes, do you have any of those spare?

[Dan K]

#3 is the 14cm single mount in shield. Unfortunately, I do not have any of this version to spare, only ones from earlier Pit-Road sets, and Tamiya 5500 CL kits.

[Aekold]

#3 is the 14cm single mount in shield. Unfortunately, I do not have any of this version to spare, only ones from earlier Pit-Road sets, and Tamiya 5500 CL kits.

Ah, got it! It's actually completely different turret: during 1943-1944 refits not only the rear turret was removed, but also the forward was replaced. Well, it makes it even easier - I just got a Rainbow Model set 5500t 140 mm turrets. Thanks a lot for pointing me in the right direction!

[Aekold]

It looks I need some further assistance
I googled for Yubari's photos and read the combinedfleet article, but still got few questions for Yubari's outfit at May'42:

1. What was the AA armament? Was it 4x2 13.2 machine-guns?
2. Where were they located exactly?
3. It looks like there was a AA platform between the torpedo mounts - how exactly did it look?
4. Where there any wind/wave-breaking shield in front of the rear single 140-mm mount, as it was in front of the forward one?
5. Combinedfleet says that 'The 8-cm HA gun mount is landed'. English is not my native language - what does 'landed' mean in this context? Removed?

Thanks a lot in advance for your answers.

[DavidK]

To Dan K:
Thanks for all the info on the new Tenryu kits, Dan, in your June kit review. I considered the original kit from the 70's to be one of the better ones, in that the hull included scuttles, bracing strips, and panel lines (which was almost unheard of for the original cruiser and destroyer releases by the Big Four). It also had the linoleum strips on the foredeck (whether correctly oriented and spaced or not). As pointed out, there were issues with the bridge and stacks, as well as with the deck rails (badly over-sized). The masts and boat davits were also over-sized. Many of the problems, however, could be fixed with after-market parts available in the late 1980s-1990s. Still, the kit was clearly due for an upgrade to bring it up to 2015 standards.

As Dan pointed out, the two Tenryu class cruisers were really an end of WW1 design, and they were outclassed in many ways by the destroyers being built in the late 1930's and into WW2 by both the US and Japan (four 5.5" guns and a half dozen torpedo tubes wasn't an impressive armament by 1942 standards for a 3500 ton ship). They had also lost a couple knots in their maximum speed due to wear and tear on the engines. Still, they were suitable to lead a squadron of Mutsuki or Kamikaze class destroyers, that were nearly as old.

In contest space, my Tenryu build never seemed to do very well, although it had minimal flaws in construction (it had both after-market and scratch-built parts to enhance the kit). It just didn't look like it should be competing against a Japanese heavy cruiser of the same scale (let alone a battleship). I think it could even be argued that Tenryu class models should be competing against WW2 destroyers at Nationals, given it's small size and light armament, rather than against other cruisers and battleships.

Still, I plan to buy at least one of the two new kits to build for my Battle of the Coral Sea collection.

[Dan K]

what does 'landed' mean in this context? Removed?

Correct. I'll see if I can dig up some more specific information on her May 1942 AA fit.

[Aekold]

what does 'landed' mean in this context? Removed?

Correct. I'll see if I can dig up some more specific information on her May 1942 AA fit.

Thanks in advance!