Calling all Japanese pre-war/wartime Merchant Marine fans

[Quincy]

She is a very busy ship!!





Bob Pink.

[Gilbert]

a 1/700 Sanuki Maru and related PE are due to be released by Fujimi this September

see : http://www.hlj.com/product/FUJ40099 and http://www.hlj.com/product/FUJ11312

Gilbert

[Dan K]

That's a very interesting development. Another aux. seaplane tender. Aren't there several ships in this S-class? Some could be built as a straight cargo ship.

[Dan K]

That was answered previously, I see. oops.

[janschu]

Hello altogether,

@Quincy, thank you for the flowers! But wait until you see them both (Mayasan Maru, Tamatsu Maru) with photoetch
and rafts and other stuff!

@Gilbert, i have stumbled across the kit plus photoetch myself yesterday, and preordered one of each already. Well, if the quality
is appealing i surely will buy more in order to build the sister ships, especially the IJA Military Transports.

@Dan K, yes, you are guessing right. There were 7 vessels in this class. Two were used as Auxiliary Seaplane Tenders (Sagara Maru,
Sanuki Maru) and 5 as IJA Military Transports (Sado Maru, Sagami Maru, Sakito Maru, Sakura Maru, Sasako Maru). Quite a
bunch of ships to build!

Greetings from Germany, Jan

[Freighter]

Good to see the Sanuki Maru from Fujimi - sister ship Sagara Maru (Pit Road/Waveline resin) is getting very hard to find these days.

These ships could provide a colourful display together - see Iwashige-san's website for examples:-

http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/modellist.htm

Now all we need are some WW1 'Standard type' freighters from the injection moulded people and our lives would be complete

Jim S

[Quincy]

Thank you Gilbert for the info! My credit card is listing very hard to port with decks awash!
At least I held out on the photoetch set as for now!




Bob Pink.

[Graham Boak]

Yes, I've ordered one too, but I'm a little disappointed with the choice of subject. Another seaplane tender, almost identical in appearance to the Kamikawa Maru? I'd have thought there'd be a larger market for something a little more different in function, if not in size and shape? Perhaps an AMC, or one of the amphibious warfare ships?

Or is there something about this particular ship that makes it stand out as a subject?

[Gilbert]

Or is there something about this particular ship that makes it stand out as a subject?

Well, Graham if you look at her TROM http://www.combinedfleet.com/Sanuki%20Maru_t.htm you will notice she took part in many operations and had quite a busy wartime service before being sunk in January 1945.
On the other hand, this kit will enable you to make one of her six sisterships (Sagara, Sakito, Sado, Sagami, Sakura, Sasako Marus) http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... pnships%2F

Gilbert

[Graham Boak]

Thanks. Any new subject is always appreciated, but I still feel that a vessel of more distinctive appearance would have been more welcome. It's a nice looking ship, but very similar to what is already available.

At the risk of displaying my ignorance, it looks as though it would be a fairly straightforward conversion from the Kamikawa Maru, being of the same dimensions and very similar appearance.

[Dan K]

While there is not a great deal of difference between the S-class and Kamikawa type in actuality, know that the PitRoad Kimi-Kamikawa Maru kits are too short by a scale 35', or about 18mm. So, to do it right, the K class kit has to be lengthened.

[janschu]

Well, let�s wait and see how the Sanuki Maru kit comes out. Hopefully it will be done like the Kimikawa/Kamikawa Marus.
With the aircraft deck as an extra part and the mast and derricks included to make the transport conversion possible.
But, hopefully they use the correct hull measures. Apparently PitRoad mistook Lpp for Loa and therefore their Kamikawa/Kimikawa Marus
were too short by at least 14.5mm! As a result of the wrong hull length the superstructure is also too short by about 5mm.

@Graham, if you are looking for other interesting IJN and IJA vessels, you could try Frog Foot Models. http://sachibiyoushitu.com/ff_01.html
While the early kits of the manufacturer weren�t that good (for example the hull of Mayasan Maru was too short by 15mm!)
The newer ones are quite nice in my opinion. I have already bought quite a bunch of them. As there are Tonan Marus No.2 and 3,
Nissho Maru, Hayasui, Kazahaya, Hario, Ose. But, since they are "garage kits" one may have to replace smaller parts
like bollards and ventilators. Well, since these parts are available as after market item this should be no problem.

Recently Gernot told me, that more kits are in the making:

I also obtained some information about new items for the late year and
early next year:

1. Train ferry Matsumae Maru

2. Icebreakers Soya Maru, Hakuyo Maru, Takashima Maru

3. Supply ships Mamiya, Irako, Kashino

4. Special transports, Army transports: Taiyo Maru, Toyooka Maru,
Arabia Maru, Kinka Maru (latter is for next year).

It looks like a fine year for Japanese auxiliaries!

Or maybe Niko Models will go on and do more of the japanese auxiliaries. They have started with Choun Maru, Suruga Maru, Shioya,
Yasukawa Maru. So, hopefully more will follow.

Greetings from the North Sea Coast, Jan

[janschu]

Hello,

today i have taken a look on the Fleetnet website and i have found three new Frog Foot kits (to be released in mid December, i guess).

As there are:

FRSSC-005, Toyooka Maru (https://www.fleetnet.jp/index.php?main_ ... ts_id=9975)
picture: https://www.fleetnet.jp/images/PID9975.jpg

FRSSC-006, Arabia Maru (https://www.fleetnet.jp/index.php?main_ ... ts_id=9976)
picture: https://www.fleetnet.jp/images/PID9976.jpg

FRSSC-011, Taiyo Maru (https://www.fleetnet.jp/index.php?main_ ... ts_id=9974)
picture: https://www.fleetnet.jp/images/PID9974.jpg

Well, what do you think?

Greetings from the North Sea Coast, Jan

[Jim Smith]

Jan
Thanks for the 'heads up' on forthcoming Frog Foot World models. All credit to Frog Foot World for producing the freighters, troopships and 'also rans' that played such an important part in the Pacific campaign. I think they have, quite rightly, exploited the niche that people like Iwashige-san and yourself have made us aware of through your models, websites and books. I wish them every success.

'My' version of Toyooka Maru's sister (Tsuruga Maru) is shown here:-
http://www.finewaterline.com/pages/gall ... suruga.htm

I've also pre-ordered Taiyo Maru using the good offices of Gernot (again!!). Taiyo Maru was built by Blohm & Voss in 1911 so it might be interesting to the 'liner' community

Note: I'm planning to take some of the FrogFoot freighter models that Gernot got for us to Telford this year.

Jim S (Freighter)

[Jeffrey]

So is it fair to say that the just-released model of the Sanuki Maru doesn't look the same as the Sakito Maru, due to the alterations to make the Sanuki Maru a seaplane carrier? If so, would it be hard to convert it to the Sakito Maru?

[Gilbert]

So is it fair to say that the just-released model of the Sanuki Maru doesn't look the same as the Sakito Maru, due to the alterations to make the Sanuki Maru a seaplane carrier? If so, would it be hard to convert it to the Sakito Maru?

It won't be very hard to remove the floatplanes fittings, but there is on the other hand a possibility that Fujimi will release some other ships of the "S" class as they did for their tankers.

Gilbert

[janschu]

Hello,

@ Jim, on the pictures the three new releases from Frog Foot look look like masters to me (brass pins as bollards, pencil lines).
nevertheless, it looks like the quality of the kits is getting better and better.
I will contact Gernot also, and ask him if he can get these vessels for me.
By the way, the Arabia Maru had three sister ships, Africa Maru, Manila Maru, Hawaii Maru. Two of them, Manila Maru and Arabia Maru,
were used as hospital ships. So when they were painted in that manner (white hull sides, natural decks, green hull stripe, red crosses) they
should make a very colourful addition.

Burkhardt and me , we will attend the Telford Exhibition this year as an "IG-Waterline advance guard". So i am really looking
forward to your ships!

@ Jeffrey, yes, you are right. They belong to the same class. Actually there were seven vessels (Sado, Sagami, Sagara, Sakito, Sakura,
Sanuki, Sasako Maru). Hopefully Fujimi provides the alteration parts as extra parts, especially the aircraft handling deck. Like
Pitroad did with their Kamikawa / Kimikawa Marus. But until the kit is not released and we see it by ourself, these are all
speculations. Well, hopefully Fujimi will release also some sister ships, as Gilbert mentioned.

Greetings from the North Sea Coast, Jan

[Jeffrey]

So is it fair to say that the just-released model of the Sanuki Maru doesn't look the same as the Sakito Maru, due to the alterations to make the Sanuki Maru a seaplane carrier? If so, would it be hard to convert it to the Sakito Maru?

It won't be very hard to remove the floatplanes fittings, but there is on the other hand a possibility that Fujimi will release some other ships of the "S" class as they did for their tankers.

Gilbert

It looks like you said above that this kit would allow me to build its sister ships as well, and you list the Sakito Maru among them. So presumably the kit is set up so that the alterations the IJN made to the Saduki Maru are additions to the basic Sakito Maru base, if you know what I mean.

[Jeffrey]

Apparently PitRoad mistook Lpp for Loa and therefore their Kamikawa/Kimikawa Marus
were too short by at least 14.5mm! :doh_1: As a result of the wrong hull length the superstructure is also too short by about 5mm.

Argh!

Is Pit Road the only one the makes the Kimikawa Maru?

Is there a way to adjust this without scratchbuilding?

Where will I find a model kit that needs NO alterations to make it accurate?

[janschu]

Hello Jeffrey,

yes, Pit Road is the only manufacturer that produces Kamikawa Maru / Kimikawa Maru.

And no, you will have to do quite some scratchbuilding to make correct representations of this class.
That means lengthen the hull, and therefore rearranging the deck equipment (hatches, winches, bollards, etc)
In order to kepp the proportions the superstructure also has to be lengthenhed.

There is a nice report concerning the reworking of the Kimikawa Maru kit in Model Art No.27 together with some
photos and line drawings. http://www.hlj.com/product/MDAKS-27

Or you use the drawings of Motoyuki san�s wonderful book: http://www.hlj.com/product/MDG22989

I hope this helps a bit .

Greetings from the North Sea Coast, Jan