Ships

The Imperial Japanese Navy Cruiser Submarine I-16 was constructed at Mitsubishi Shipbuilding in Kobe, and was then towed to Kure Navy Yard for completion, as well as commissioning in 1940.  She was the lead boat for a class of five submarines that included the I-18, I-20, I-22, and I-24, which were Type C1 boats.  The design of this class was based on the Junsen-type, and they were developed from the type KD6.  These boats were designed to carry either the Ko-hoteki midget submarine or Kaiten suicide torpedo.

History

The War of 1812, in the reviewer’s opinion one of the least necessary wars we have ever fought, was in essence the finale of the American Revolution.  Its end led to an era of cooperation between the United States and Britain that continues to this day.  However, in 1812, both sides were serious adversaries, and American attempts to conquer Canada were countered by British efforts to attack the East Coast and take New Orleans.  The Great Lakes were a boundary between the two countries and, although a few ships existed in those waters, it was the war that spurred a shipbuilding boom that lasted throughout the conflict.

This is the 3rd book in MMP’s Maritime Series (# 3103), entitled Austro-Hungarian Submarines in WWI. It is published in an A4 format (8.25 x 11.75) soft cover book; containing 152 pages packed with black and white photographs, submarine line drawings and tables of technical data. This is a much needed book on the subject of WWI. Whenever I hear of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, I’m reminded of their biplanes, which are represented better in scale modeling. Submarine warfare at that time was largely the domain of Germany, with Austria having more of a supportive role. This book covers their submarines from their beginnings to the collapse of the monarchy and the relationship they had with the German navy.

This book is well written and is actually a reprint of a Czech book from 2001. The book is broken down into 18 chapters which are easy to understand and not too full of technospeak. While explaining the different types of submarines, it also gives a good narrative of what is going on during the war. Also included are cutaway drawings of the U3 and U4, the older Havmanden boats U20 to U23, and the German coastal boats BI, BII, and BIII.

• Main Armament – SM-200-001, $21.49
• Secondary and AA – SM-200-002, $18.99

The USS Arizona is one of the most widely known and publicized battleships in US Naval history. As such, there have been many kits produced of the Arizona. Of those, one kit stands out. In late 2010, Trumpeter released the massive 1/200 scale USS Arizona. With such a large scale, it comes as no surprise that there have been numerous aftermarket detail sets released, including a set from Trumpeter.

Master Model has established themselves as the leader in turned metal barrels. Their attention to detail and accuracy has earned them a top spot in the aftermarket world. Recently, Master released two new sets designed for the 1/200 Arizona. I already had the base kit and the Trumpeter upgrade set (both of which contain metal barrels), so I was interested in seeing what Master had done. And I was not disappointed.

Bottom Line: Dragon’s first foray into 1/700 WW2 German Navy destroyers sets the standard for “Narvik” class models.  None better.  One of the best injection-molded plastic 1/700 warships kits I have seen.

DKM Z-39

History Brief

The Z-38 was a Zerstörer 1936 A-class destroyer, also known as the Narvik class destroyer by the Allies. These ships carried only their hull number and were not named by the Germans. Constructed by F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG in Kiel, she was fitted with leftover parts intended for larger ships, including 155mm twin turrets and 5.9inch guns. Closer in size to a light cruiser, her wartime displacement weighed in at 3,691 tons and hosted a crew of 330 souls. She was launched on August 5th, 1941, and commissioned on March 20th, 1943. Soon after completion of her sea trials, she was selected for escort duties and found herself assigned to the battleship Scharnhorst. Her colorful wartime record was extensive and, nonetheless, just as honorable. After WWII, she was seized by the British and used as a test ship under the name Nonsuch.  She was scrapped in 1950. A total of 15 Zerstörer 1936A-class destroyers were produced by Germany.

This large format publication on fine, heavy paper is almost entirely written in Japanese. It contains articles on ships present at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, both Japanese and American, but primarily American battleships. The articles, which I am unable to read, focus on models of these ships, both in plastic and in resin.

Even so, the photographs of the finished models, along with many photographs of the model builds in progress, are fascinating and I found that I really did not need to understand the text to get inspiration and information from this publication.

Lead ship of the Queen Elizabeth-class of dreadnaught battleships, the HMS Queen Elizabeth was named after Elizabeth I of England, and would see service in and survive both of the World Wars.  Launched on 16 October 1913 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, this ship was commissioned in 1915 and was not decommissioned until 1948, when she was scrapped.  The ship as built had a displacement of 33,020 tons, a length of 640 feet 10 ½ inches, a beam of 90 feet 6 inches, and a draft of 30 feet 6 inches.  Propelled by a total of twenty-four boilers (using oil instead of coal), her four turbines could move the ship at twenty-four knots as a top speed, or for 8600 nautical miles at 12.5 knots, or for 3900 nautical miles at 21 knots.  Her main armament consisted of eight fifteen-inch guns, as well as sixteen six-inch guns and two three-inch anti-aircraft guns.  My research also mentions four single three-pounder saluting guns and four 21-inch submerged torpedo tubes, but these items are not represented on this kit.

Osprey Publishing continues expanding its New Vanguard series. This is installment #187 and it focuses on the Japanese Light Cruisers (the 5,500 ton class). Even when the title refers to the WWII period, the book covers the development and modifications to that class since the early 1920s.

The Light Cruisers were designed and launched as Destroyer Flagships or Submarine Squadron Flagships. As such, aerial reconnaissance, anti-aircraft protection, and space for squadron staff were specific requirements in this class, in addition to the standard offensive armament consisting mainly of torpedo tubes.

As it played out, by the onset of WWII, several of these ships were outclassed – both in speed and offensive armament – by the destroyers they were supposed to lead. Therefore, several ships in this class were converted into other roles, which they performed well, but were not outstanding in them, either.

Authorized in 1936, launched in 1940, and commissioned the following year, USS North Carolina was the first battleship constructed for the US Navy since USS West Virginia’s 1923 commissioning.  The first of America’s fast battleships, North Carolina compiled a sterling combat record in the South Pacific between 1942 and 1945, earning 12 battle stars while participating in every major naval campaign in the theater, making her the US Navy’s most decorated battleship.  Following the war, North Carolina was eventually decommissioned, but bypassed the scrapyard when she was purchased by the citizens of North Carolina to serve as a memorial to those who served and sacrificed to preserve America’s freedom.  Today, she sits moored in Wilmington, North Carolina, as one of the most awe-inspiring floating museums in the world.