IJNS Kirishima designed&built 1:1200

[LouCoatney]

Actually, I started with the Hiei for its simpler conning tower, but after doing the prototype hull of the Hiei, I decided to go for the more complex, usual Kongo class conning tower - Kirishima - for prime time.

I've got the ONI side and overhead views from ONI Japanese Naval Vessels which I have on CoatneyHistory - I have all the original ONI recognition manuals - even the uncompleted French one ... and want to do Strasbourg and Dunkerque, of course.

How did I do?

The Kongos have/had the usual complex British 2-deck hull design - Kongo herself was built in a British shipyard - so the Queen Elizabeths shouldn't be too much of a problem.

At 1:1200, my 74 year old eyes were challenged but rose - bulged? - to the occasion. Then there was the issue of my finger(s') size.

This was designed for simplicity for use in naval miniatures games. 1:1200/1250 is the traditional indeed historic Jane's and naval war college scale, and there are no plastic kits out at 1:1200 for most of the Japanese battleships - besides Yamato and Musashi, of course - let alone any of the cruisers and destroyers.

(The Japanese have come out with same-scale models at 1:3000, 1:2000, 1:1000, 1:700, 1:550, and 1:350, but except for 1:700 seldom do Allied models to complement theirs for play.)

3D computer printed models are very expensive at 1:1200 and so far quite crude.

You can upscale it with the Scale Selector, but no guarantees on the resulting fits. In any case, LOTS of Kongos at the other scales.

In the last photo, my new Kirishima is squaring off with one of my 2 German Wiking 1:1250 plastik/kunststoff North Carolinas - must be her nemesis Washington.

Now to assemble ... 6? ... Shiratsuyu class destroyers ... each of them having a battleship's wallop anyway, with their Long Lance torpedoes. Then Hiei

These are up on CoatneyHistory and so far free at Free Cardstock Paper Model World War 2/II Warships

I'm thinking of doing Japanese and American - the South Dakotas are next - task force sets and selling them via Wargame Vault.

Unbelievable! I signed in and before I could upload the photos, I was timed out and have to re-do this.

[LouCoatney]

The 2nd Naval Battle of Guadalcanal face-off.

[wireandpaper]

Very nice of you to share the models.
Looking forward to the French ships!

[georgerutherford1861]

Looks great Lou! My Hiei is starting to slowly take shape, I am doing mine at 1/700 because I like the scale - someday I may rebuild at the smaller scale.

I would definitely pick these or others like these up on Wargame Vault should you decide to go that route. The waters around my imaginary Solomon Islands at my house are way too quiet.

Doug

[LouCoatney]

George, be sure to check CoatneyHistory for the latest update/revision.

I'm going to re-do the little catwalks between Kirishima's 2 conning towers.


Also, what do you think about the pale gray in the grid of the amidships radar scaffolds. Would another color be better?


Thanks for your interest!

[georgerutherford1861]

Lou,

I think the pale gray is probably the best compromise color, it blends best with the color of the ship's sides as well as any background "sky."

I do like models with this level of detail. I do love seeing the work folks do on some of the larger models, but for what I hope to get as an end result (with a 9 year old wanting to push them around on the floor as well), these hit the sweet spot.

I do not get models built quick, but I do like them - some may take until retirement to build, but at least then I won't get bored.

Doug

[LouCoatney]

"... some may take until retirement to build, but at least then I won't get bored."

Serious thanks for your motivating appreciation, Doug.

By the way, have you seen my free print-and-play Naval Action naval miniatures rules? at Naval Action: A Simple Combat Resolution System for Model Fleets of the 1898-1945 Era ?

Those cardstock paper British L/AA and L&M class destroyers at the top of the page I designed and built manually, for our 1:700 naval wargames back in Juneau Alaska in the 1980s. I should digitize them, which I could do easily.

[georgerutherford1861]

I will have to give those rules a look, I appreciate all that you have offered on your website, even if I will only be able to get to some of them and not all of them in the years ahead.

Doug

[USSMissouri]

Looks nice. Cool.