Kagero IJN Super Carrier Shinano. Super Drawings in 3D

[Shar2]

IJN Super Carrier Shinano

Kagero Super Drawings in 3D

 

Originally designed and laid down as the third of the Yamato class super-battleships in 1940 construction was put on hold in 1941 as Japan prepared for war.  With the loss of the four fleet carriers of Carrier Divisions 1 and 2 it was decided to change plans and finish Shinano as a fleet carrier. In doing so she became the largest carrier in the world.  Before completion it was decided to move her from Yokosuka to Kure to escape possible allied bombing for final fitting out. The overseer of the build, Admiral Fukuda argued against the move as the watertight doors, amongst other items below decks hadn’t all been fitted. The request for a delay in moving was overruled and she departed for Kure in November 1944. Only three hours out of port she was spotted by USS Archerfish and after a short cat and mouse chase, the Archerfish finally got into a firing position and launched six torpedoes. Four of the six hit causing much flooding and a list to the starboard side. Even with counter flooding and other damage control the list continued to increase, until, finally, the Captain gave the command to abandon ship.  She capsized just over seven hours after being hit, with the loss of over half her crew of 2500 men.

 

 

No matter how many of this series Kagero releases they have kept the standard very high. This particular publication on the Japanese super carrier not only provides a superb history of the ship, one which I knew only a little, if anything about before reviewing this book. If she had been completely fitted out and made operational, she would have surpassed anything afloat up until the super carriers of the Forrestal class. The drawings in this book show her as she would have been when operational and with a air wing. Even though she was quite advanced for her time, particularly for the Japanese navy, she still had some unusual quirks in her armament, such as the unguided rockets, similar to those that the Royal Navy fitted to major warships at the beginning of the war, and which were soon removed as being of not much use. As with the previous books, there is an introduction which, in this case doesn’t contain separate sections, but a narrative of the ships construction, intended use, not just as a carrier, but as a logistics supply ship for smaller carriers, and, naturally her loss.

 

 

The rest of the eighty two pages are filled with the beautifully rendered 3D drawings we have got know so well in this series, covering every part of the ships structure, weapons, boats and sundry equipment. The drawings are really clear and perfect for the maritime modeller to see all the useful details that could help make that masterpiece that we all strive for. This release does include drawings for below the waterline, unlike a lot of other books in the series, so perfect for those of us who build full hull. An A2 folded sheet of line drawings is also included and this contains 3 views of the ship overall, in 1:400 scale, while on the reverse there are bow and stern drawings, also in 1:400, plus three detailed drawings of the island unscaled. It’s unusual to have the drawings in 1:400, as the scale that Hasegawa have recently released their latest incarnation of the Shinano is 1:450.

 

 

Conclusion

In keeping the format the same throughout this series, the reader knows exactly what they are going to get from Kagero.  A book that provides the best 3D drawings and a sheet of excellent plans that are so informative for the modeller, that they can make the most of the models they are building and fit them with the greatest amount of detail that is shown within these pages.

 

 

 

Review sample courtesy of

 

 

[bootneck]

Nice review Dave.  Could this possibly mean we might  be seeing a large scale kit of the Shinano in the not too distant future?  If it was 1:200 then I could ride it back from the model shop!

[Shar2]

I do hope so Mike.