Calling all IJN Fubuki-class (吹雪) fans

[Dan K]

Actually, I don't think there are any longitudanal brass strips. It depends on what you are looking at, Gilbert. I assume you are referring to the area above the forward, starboard ventilator, around and just aft the 7m cutter. If you look carefully, one can certainly see the typical transverse tiedown strips. The seemingly longitudinal strip just under and to the left of the cutter is actually the edge where a linoleum covered walkway meets a metal plated area under the cutter. Is this what you are referring to?

Also, the 2 vertical stripes rising out of the top of the ventilator are the handrails for the starboard ladder rising from the main deck to the forecastle. You are just viewing it from directly astern.

[Gilbert]

Actually, I don't think there are any longitudanal brass strips. It depends on what you are looking at, Gilbert. I assume you are referring to the area above the forward, starboard ventilator, around and just aft the 7m cutter. If you look carefully, one can certainly see the typical transverse tiedown strips. The seemingly longitudinal strip just under and to the left of the cutter is actually the edge where a linoleum covered walkway meets a metal plated area under the cutter. Is this what you are referring to?

Yes, Dan, I am referring to the area just aft of the cutter. If you look at the tripod mast leg, around it, it seems to me there are two longitudinal brass stripes forming a square shape. I have noticed the edge you are mentioning under the cutter but my spot is just aft of it. However, as I have said before, this would be a new thing to me, therefore, it is more than likely not longitudinal brass stripes but something else.

Cheers
Gilbert

[Dan K]

I looked further at a close-up, Gilbert. To be honest, I'm not sure what they are. I do not think these to be brass strips but something rising from the ventilator hood itself, stays or grab bars, perhaps. If they were tie down strips, it seems unlikely that they would halt in the middle of the linoleum - they don't section off anything. The ladder is actually a bit to the right.

[Gilbert]

Thanks, Dan and keep up the good work

Gilbert

[Dan K]

Type II ships were all completed with the same foremast as the Type Is. The foremast was changed slightly during the refits of the mid 1930�s for all Type II ships. The changes were minor in nature. One was the addition of an extra cross-brace and the small 2kw daytime signal light as in the Type Is. The mast was also shortened slightly. The most significant change has to do with the trailing two legs of the foremast.

Whereas the Type Is had straight legs, after refit, the Type IIs gained a slight pinch inward at the point where the leg meets the aft end of the open deck at the compass bridge level. I�m not sure why it was done. The change is not visible in profile; only in head or aft-on and bow quarter view. Two views of this detail change are included here: the first is on board Yugiri, and the second of Sagiri, both taken while on fleet maneuvers in the fall of 1941.

[Dan K]

As to why the mast was not revised for the Type I vessels, the answer is not known. I do wonder if the reason lies with the nature of the extended forecastle, or perhaps the greater top weight of the larger Type II bridge, but this is only conjecture. I also assume that Uranami follows the changes for the type IIs but cannot be certain as I am unaware of any clear wartime photo for her.

Tamiya and PitRoad do not provide any differentiation for the changes in the mast after the 1930�s refits.

The addition of the Type 22 radars in 1943-44 necessitated changes to the foremast: the addition of a small horizontal platform above the level of the bridge mounted rangefinder to carry the radar, and the remounting of the upper portion of the mast as a single pole mast with upper yardarm and lookout position. The lower portion of the structure was buttressed with additional cross-bracing.

Fortunately, there exist photos of Ushio taken late war and postwar that are available to illustrate the changes. Two appeared earlier in this thread but here are two more croppings: the first is in October 1943 after her last major refit, where she gained the new foremast, radar, and AA that replaced turret #2, and the second is taken postwar.

As with the Type I kits, Tamiya and PitRoad do offer late war configurations of the foremast with their Type II class kits. Both versions are simplistic but evocative. Both could benefit from additional detail work.

[Dan K]

For Type IIIs

These 4 ships also saw three different mast configurations. The original was a very large version of the original mast seen on the earlier ships, sized to match the increased size of their original bridge. Seen here is Ikazuchi in her as-built configuration with the enlarged mast.

[Dan K]

These sisters were heavily modified in the 1930s to reduce top weight in the wake of the Tomoruzu capsizing incident during a heavy storm in 1934. The bridge was radically redesigned and reduced in height from a compass bridge topped with two higher observation decks to a single level atop the original bridge base. The bridge base was lengthened aft as well. The mast was also reduced in height, stance and placement to match that of the other refitted Fubuki types. The previous page shows Inazuma�s redesigned bridge to good effect.

Ikazuchi, Inazuma & Hibiki all received a revised foremast to carry radar in the late 1943 � early 1944 timeframe. The design was essentially identical to that seen in the Ushio photos. Here are two views of Hibiki after the last refit with the changed mast: Oct. 1944 in Taiwan after taking a torpedo in the bow and after the war at Yokosuka.

[Dan K]

To my recollection, despite the box art representation, the Tamiya kits does not offer a true, multileveled bridge version of an original Type III ship while the PitRoad versions do. In both cases, the same mast used for the other versions is used inappropriately. A proper mast would have to be scratch built.

Both makers offer the reconstructed bridge version/mast configuration with both early and late war masts. All prior comments about the masts apply to these as well.

(Note on Type III bridges � Neither Tamiya nor PitRoad provide for a bridge base long enough to accurately represent a modernized bridge. The rear of the bridge base needs to extend almost the end of the portion of the forecastle deck directly in front of funnel #1. This means extending the base by 2-3mm.

The photo below is of the rear of the modernized bridge of Akatsuki. Note how close the bridge is in relation to the front of the air intake of funnel #1. Photo credit is unknown.)

[Dan K]

I'm editing and amending the April 23 post regarding Torpedo Tube mounts for the kits

[john53]

I have a question on my Aoshima 1/700 Yukikaze 1945.
It has a lot of parts not mentioned in the instructions.
There are extra turrets, guns, torpedo tubes, AA guns, and
a motor launch along with life boats.
The instructions mention nothing as far as what to use for
the 1945 version. Is there a kit review or pictures showing
what needs to be added to convert to the 1945 version?
Thanks---john

[Dan K]

I believe your question was answered on the IJN DD/DE CASF thread.

[Dan K]

RDF Compartments

RDF (radio detection finder) loops and compartments were added to all the Fubuki types at some point between 1936 and, I believe, 1939-40. There is no apparent consistency as to when the work was done; I believe each ship received this additional equipment as it came in for periodic yard work. I�m not even sure when RDF loops were originally added. Photos of the class in the late 1920s and early 1930s don�t show RDF loops as far as I can tell, but I could be wrong about that.

Most Fubuki Type I�s had a cube shaped compartment with a loop mounted on top. This compartment was added aft of the searchlight, see the plan below (photo credit is from Maru Special extra edition GUNKAN MEKA (Warship mechanism) part4- Japanese Destroyers, Dec 1982, Ushio Shobo and was supplied to me by Motoyuki Iwashige). Also shown is a view of Hatsuyuki 1939 cropped from a larger photo, with the square back of the compartment clearly visible behind funnel #2. The previously posted photos of Shirayuki 1943 also show the compartment.

[Dan K]

Fubuki Type IIs and IIIs had the compartment built out and aft from under the searchlight position, with the stern bulkhead angled out slightly over the #2 torpedo mount.

Note that Type III ships seem to have an enlongated base for the entire searchlight/RDF structure in that it seems to stretch back about a meter further from funnel #2 as compared to Type II ships. This is my estimate only.

There is a diagram in Maru Special #21 that illustrates the additions nicely - see below. However, note that the diagram is mislabeled. The top image is labeled as Yugiri, the bottom as Sazanami when, in fact, the names should be swapped.

Regardless, the top image depicts the original searchlight position without an RDF compartment while
the bottom image illustrates the addition of an RDF compartment as part of the searchlight platform. Also, The photo of Ushio�s compartment from Maru Special 95 nicely shows the basic layout of the compartment.

The planset cropping illustrates the same change for the Type IIIs.

For modeling: both PitRoad and Tamiya supply only a conical searchlight position from the �as built� configuration� One has to scratchbuild the compartment. But, at least PitRoad gives you more of the surrounding structure to work with.

[Gilbert]

Thanks, Dan for these useful info. About the RDF loop used on DDs, were they identical in shape with the ones used on other IJN ships (i.e. 2 loops 90� angle) or were they only fitted with a single loop (as likely on Ushio picture) ?

TIA
Gilbert

[Dan K]

I'm pretty sure they were identical, 2 loop versions, and that this particular photo of Ushio is deceptive because the angle of the 2nd loop is head-on to the camera. I will try to post some other photos soon.

[Gilbert]

I'm pretty sure they were identical, 2 loop versions, and that this particular photo of Ushio is deceptive because the angle of the 2nd loop is head-on to the camera. I will try to post some other photos soon.

Thanks, Dan

Gilbert

[Dan K]

They are 2 loop RDFs. See the cropping from Shirayuki 1943 and what is probably Sazanami 1942

[Gilbert]

Thanks again, Dan.

Gilbert

[Timmy C]

Just a heads-up for those who haven't heard, the long-awaited and little-heard 1/350 Fubuki from Finemolds is now confirmed as "Ayanami" at the Wonder Festival in japan this past day: http://www.hlj.com/wonfesw10.html