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IJN Heavy Cruiser Chikuma Kagero Super Drawings in 3D Chikuma was completed at Mitsubishi Nagasaki shipyards on 20 May 1939. After several months as a unit of the CruDiv6 (Sentai 6) of the Second Fleet, she was transferred to the CruDiv8 in November 1939. In addition to taking part in regular combat exercises in Japanese home waters, she operated off southern China on three occasions between March 1940 and March 1941. Chikuma was designed for long-range scouting missions and had a large seaplane capacity. She was extensively employed during World War II in conjunction with an aircraft carrier task force, or as part of a cruiser squadron with her sister ship, Tone. The Tone-class cruisers were originally envisaged as the 5th and 6th vessels in the Mogami class. However, by the time construction began, serious weaknesses in the Mogami-class hull design had become clear following the Fourth Fleet Incident in 1935. As Japan no longer was obligated to abide by the limitations of the London Naval Treaty, a new design was created and new means of construction were utilized. Though the external dimensions were close to the Mogami class, the design was quite different, with all the main battery of guns placed forward of the bridge, reserving the entire stern area as a large sea plane hangar. Unlike the United States Navy, the Japanese did not have a dual role attack/scout aircraft. No reconnaissance units were assigned to the Japanese carriers, and little emphasis was placed on this aspect of carrier warfare. Instead the Japanese reserved all of their carrier aircraft for attack roles. Reconnaissance was left up to float planes carried by cruisers. Chikuma was intended to provide the long range scout planes needed for their carrier Air Fleets. She took part in many famous battles during the war, including the Indian Ocean raids, Battle of Midway, Battle of Eastern Solomans, Battle of Santa Cruz, Battle if the Philippine Sea, and lastly the Battle of Leyte Gulf, during which she was sunk by US navy torpedo bombers. This is the latest book from Kagero in their Super Drawings in 3D, and like the previous books it has a brief history and the ships specifications at the beginning. This includes the following:- Technical Description Fire Control Equipment Modernisations In Service The rest of the seventy three pages are filled with beautifully drawn 3D renderings of every part of the ship. It is obvious that a lot of time has been taken to get the drawings this good and accurate, and there is a wealthy of information for the modeller to use during their build. Every area of the upper hull and superstructure is dealt with. I particularly like the renderings of the interior of the torpedo deck and the inclusion of the loading mechanisms and tubes, with the addition of some crew members showing the operation of the equipment. For even more detail, especially for the rigging, Kagero have included a double sided A2 fold out sheet with a five view on one side, in 1:350 and a ¾ bow view on the reverse, with additional drawings of the ships boats and close ups of the most forward pair of turrets. Conclusion This is a great addition to any maritime modeller’s collection and continues this superb series of books. The detail included is second to none, and the renderings are so clear that they will be a delight for the superdetailers, particularly if build the beautiful Tamiya 1:350 scale kit. Review sample courtesy of

AMX-30 Family KAGERO Publishing The AMX-30 served the French Armed forces as its main Battle Tank in the front line from 1966 to 2006, and like many other nations the French used the basic tank chassis to produce other armoured vehicles over the years for the Army. The most recognised of these was the AU-F1 Self Propelled Gun.Other guises included the Bitube 30mm SPAAG, the Roland Alsace SAM System (AMX-30R); and importantly for the French the Pluton (AMX-30P) which was their independent ground based Nuclear weapons system. In common with many armies around the world The AMX-30 spawned a number of Engineer based vehicles, these included; a Bridge Layer (AMX-30H), a combat engineering vehicle (EBG - Enginè Blind du Gènie) with a 142mm demolition gun, dozzer blade and hydraulic arm. The final engineering version was a re-build of the EBG, this had the demolition gun decommissioned and was fitted with a mine clearing carpet system. The book is A4 soft cover with 96 pages, there is a section of detailed photographs at the rear of the book, followed by 6 pages of colour profiles. Conclusion This is an excellent book chronicaling the myriad of vehicles using the AMX-30 chassis. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

AMX-30 Char de Bataille 1966-2006 Vol I KAGERO Publishing The AMX-30 served the French Armed forces as its main Battle Tank in the front line from 1966 to 2006, and in other roles it still continues to serve. This book (Volume 1 in the AMX-30 series) concentrates on the design, development and early deployment of the tank. The book is A4 Softcover format with 78 pages. They include information on the design & development of the tank. There are many photographs included as well as technical drawings, orders of battle for the French Arm and plans to sell the tank in Europe, which ultimately did not materialise as it was competing against the German Leopard. There is a section of detailed photographs at the rear and 3 pages of colour profiles. Conclusion This is an excellent book chronicling the early stages of the use of the AMX-30. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

AMX-30 Char de Bataille 1966-2006 Vol II KAGERO Publishing The AMX-30 served the French Armed forces as its main Battle Tank in the front line from 1966 to 2006, and in other roles it still continues to serve. This book (Volume 2 in the AMX-30 series) concentrates on the later service of the AMX-30. It looks at the modernisation of the tank in the 1980s as the AMX-30B and again in the 1990s with the Brenus AMX-30B2 featuring the addition of the distinctive Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) blocks to the tank, when it was forced to serve longer than planned due to delays in the the Leclerc MBT. There are 87 pages in A4 softbound format featuring many photographs a lot of which are in colour. As well as the details of the tank and the upgrades the book features the use of the AMX-30 in the Gulf War of 1991, and the continued use to this day of the tanks in the FORAD (forces adverses) role often painted and modified to resemble potential enemy tanks. Also included is use the AMX-30 by foreign armies such as Venezuela. Conclusion This is an excellent book chronicling the later stages of the use of the AMX-30. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

#21/2016 And my dad´s factory output goes on. This time another Luftwaffe chapter that is connected with our home region. About 30km away from our hometown there was a He162 underground facility in Hinterbrühl. Besides that, the 162 maiden flight took place also 30km away at the Schwechat Airbase (now the Vienna International Airport) on Dec. 6th 1944 where the testpilot Gotthold Peter reached over 800km/h. On Dec. 10th 1944 during the official presentation flight the aircraft partly disintegrated and Peter died in a fatal crash. Tamiya kit with Kagero decals from their mini Topcolors 37 "Last Hope of the Luftwaffe" including some nice profiles made by fellow Austrian and Hyperscaler Simon Schatz. Super-Fabric seatbelts from Eduard, model painted with Gunze and Tamiya acrylics. The model shows and a/c 1./JG1 in May 1945 where the whole unit surrendered to the Brits and GIs

We have the latest Infini Model products inbound: For modellers of Cold War & modern US Navy carrier aircraft in 1/72 and 1/48 scales, these tie-down sets offer some added realism and talking points: For 1/350 modellers interested in the Imperial Japanese Navy, Infini Model have released two new sets for destroyers. The first is Kagero, for the recently re-released Tamiya kit: The next is Shimakaze, for the Fujimi tooling: A Shimakaze set for the Hasegawa tooling is in development for release imminently.

SMS Battleship Baden Kagero Super Drawings in 3D SMS Baden[ was a Bayern-class dreadnought battleship of the German Imperial Navy built during World War I. Launched in October 1915 and completed in March 1917, she was the last battleship completed for use in the war; two of her sisters—Sachsen and Württemberg—were incomplete when the war ended. The ship mounted eight 38-centimeter (15 in) guns in four twin turrets, displaced 32,200 metric tons (31,700 long tons; 35,500 short tons) at full combat load, and had a top speed of 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph). Along with her sister Bayern, Baden was the largest and most powerfully armed battleship built by the Imperial Navy. Upon commissioning into the High Seas Fleet, Baden was made the fleet flagship, replacing Friedrich der Grosse. Baden saw little action during her short career; the only major sortie in April 1918 ended without any combat. Following the German collapse in November 1918, Baden was interned with the majority of the High Seas Fleet in Scapa Flow by the British Royal Navy. On 21 June 1919, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter ordered the scuttling of the fleet. However, British sailors in the harbour managed to board Baden and beach her to prevent her sinking. The ship was refloated, thoroughly examined, and eventually sunk in extensive gunnery testing by the Royal Navy in 1921. The Baden design was actually used as the basis for the later Bismarck and Tirpitz. This latest release from Kagero flows the now familiar format, with a short history of the ship, covering eleven pages, including:- The construction outline General characteristics of the hull Armour Machinery and propulsion Armament Fire control Ships oats and other equipment Complement SMS Baden Commanders Operational history The next fifty seven pages are taken up with the wonderfully rendered 3D drawings that this series has become known for. Although with this release quite a bit of the lower hull is also shown which is a bonus particularly the torpedo tubes, rudder and propellers. The renderings show every part of the ship both in wide angle and close up which show some amazing detail not seen in other publications. The last ten pages contain more 3D renderings that have been produced in real 3D. Kagero have kindly included a pair of 3D glasses to view these pictures and whilst it is a little gimmicky they do work rather well, with the guns and equipment standing out of the page. Conclusion As we’ve come to know what to expect from this series I can’t really say much more, other than if you’re a maritime fan you really should have them all in your reference library. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

#16/2016 Noooooooo, not another 109.......well, my dad will always build another one It still takes some time until the real Eduard G-14 comes, but their new G-6 kit includes all neccessary parts. Only filled the compressor access point for the here not existing 3cm engine gun (U4 version)on the rear right fuselage side and added the GM-1 filler cap on the spine after the canopy and the flare-pistol outlet on the right side of the windscreen. If only Eduard had created this kit the first time....a wonderful kit, to recommend! Eduard Super-Fabric seat belts added, EZ Line for the antenna wires......speaking of....thanks to the fellow modellers who explained the canopy-locking-antenna-wire-tensioning-system my dad knows a lot about 109s but as it seems there is always something new to learn Painted as ususal with Gunze and Tamiya paints. Decals from the kit and Kagero (mini Topcolors 28, Luftwaffe over the Far North). The Model shows the a/c of Unteroffizier Karl-Heinz Erler, 16./JG5, Rygge/Norway in April 1945. Cheers, Franz and Reinhard

IJNS Destroyer Kagero Eduard 1:350 It hasn’t taken long for Eduard to release these two sets for the new Tamiya 1:350 IJNS Kagero destroyer kit. Unfortunately I haven’t got my hands on the kit itself, so it’s taken a little while to figure out what parts Eduard have provided, as their instructions still let them down. Fortunately the etched brass doesn’t and there are more than enough details, both additional and replacement to satisfy the most ardent maritime modeller. Part 1 (53161). Whilst the majority of the larger parts on this single sheet make up the ships railings, which look distinctly of the Japanese style, not just generic, the set also includes numerous other much smaller details. All the inclined and vertical ladders are replaced, as are the anchor cables, which while a little flat on their own, it looks like there is enough stock to double the chains up, giving a more scale depth. There are new watertight doors, propeller guards, replacement side walls and doors for the forward torpedo reload boxes, new doors for the aft torpedo box, new grilles, platforms and cable reels, for which the modeller will need to provide some plastic rod for the reel centres. There is a replacement DF loop and support frame, new turret mounted aerial masts, a new griller for the large intake just forward of the funnel and the ships boats receive new thwarts and oars. The masts are fitted with new yardarms, rope walks, a weather vane, gaff, and braces. Part 2 (53162) This set also contains a single sheet, but this time it is crammed full of smaller detail parts. There are new davits, rangefinder doors, depth charge racks, windlass tops, winch control hand wheels, and more watertight doors. The frameworks that straddle the forward and aft torpedo reload stores are completely replaced with a pair of delightful PE parts that’ll require some careful folding, new funnel cap grilles, torpedo handling cranes, ships crane main jib, funnel foot and hand rails, searchlight faces. Then there are quite a few platform support brackets, along with complete replacement of the twin 25mm gun mounts, which include a new base, seats, hand wheels, sights and foot pedals. The bulky torpedo tubes and fitted with new scuttles, hand wheels for the loading end of each tube, hand rails, access doors, and top mounted toe guards, whilst the turrets receive new strakes for the sides and handrails for the front, sides and roof. Conclusion Eduard continue to release superb sets for us maritime modellers, no matter what ship is released, they have a set or five for it. Having looked at a built up model of the Tamiya Kagero, these sets will certainly help make it into not just a more detailed model, but one with a much highly level of finesse and accuracy. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

#7/2016 Revell edition of the Dragon kit, markings from Kagero, rest of decals Revell, Dragon, Testors painted with Gunze and Tamiya acrylics The model shows an a/c of 7./JG400, flown by Leutnant Reinhard Opitz, Nordholz/Germany, April 1945.

IJNS Aircraft Carrier Taiho Kagero Super Drawings in 3D Taihō (meaning Great Phoenix), was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Possessing heavy belt armour and featuring an armoured flight deck (a first for any Japanese aircraft carrier), she represented a major departure in Japanese aircraft carrier design and was expected to not only survive multiple bomb, torpedo, or shell hits, but also continue fighting effectively afterwards. Built by Kawasaki at Kobe, she was laid down on 10 July 1941, launched almost two years later on 7 April 1943 and finally commissioned on 7 March 1944. Taihō was formally commissioned on 7 March 1944. Following several weeks of service trials in Japan's Inland Sea, she was deployed to Singapore, arriving there on 5 April. Taihō was then moved to Lingga Roads, a naval anchorage off Sumatra, where she joined veteran carriers Shōkaku and Zuikaku in the First Carrier Division, First Mobile Force. All three carriers engaged in working up new air groups by practicing launch and recovery operations and acting as targets for mock aerial attacks staged from Singapore airfields by their own planes. On 15 April, Vice-Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa officially transferred his flag from Shōkaku to Taihō to take advantage of the carrier's extensive command facilities. Shortly thereafter, the First Mobile Force departed Lingga and arrived on 14 May at Tawi-Tawi off Borneo, where the fleet could directly refuel with unrefined Tarakan Island crude oil and await execution of the planned Kantai Kessen ("decisive battle") known as Operation A-GO. When American carrier strikes against the Marianas indicated an invasion of Saipan was imminent, the Japanese Combined Fleet staff initiated Operation A-GO on 11 June. Taihō and the rest of Ozawa's First Mobile Force departed Tawi-Tawi on 13 June, threading their way through the Philippine Islands and setting course for Saipan to attack American carrier forces operating in the vicinity. On 19 June 1944, Taihō was one of nine Japanese aircraft carriers involved in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. At 07:45 that morning, she was turned into the wind to launch her contribution (16 Zeros, 17 Judy’s and nine Jill’s) to Ozawa's second attack wave. As Taihō's planes circled overhead to form up, American submarine USS Albacore, which had spotted Ozawa's carriers earlier that morning, reached an ideal attack position and fired a spread of six torpedoes at the carrier. One of Taihō's strike pilots, Warrant Officer Sakio Komatsu, saw the torpedo wakes, broke formation and deliberately crashed his aircraft into the path of one torpedo; the weapon detonated short of its target and four of the remaining five missed. The sixth torpedo, however, found its mark and the resulting explosion holed the carrier's hull on the starboard side, just ahead of the island. The impact also fractured the aviation fuel tanks and jammed the forward elevator between the flight deck and upper hangar deck. With the ship down 5 ft (1.5 m) by the bows due to flooding, the forward elevator pit filled with a mixture of seawater, fuel oil and aviation gasoline. Taiho's captain marginally reduced her speed by a knot and a half to slow the ingress of seawater into the hull where the torpedo had struck. As no fires had started, Vice-Admiral Ozawa ordered that the open elevator well be planked over by a flight deck damage control party in order to allow resumption of normal flight operations. By 09:20, using wooden benches and tables from the petty officers' and sailors' mess rooms, this task was completed. Ozawa proceeded to launch two more waves of aircraft. Meanwhile, leaking aviation gasoline accumulating in the forward elevator pit began vaporising and soon permeated the upper and lower hangar decks. The danger this posed to the ship was readily apparent to the damage control crews but, whether through inadequate training, lack of practice (only three months had passed since the ship's commissioning) or general incompetence, their response to it proved fatally ineffectual. Efforts to pump out the damaged elevator well were bungled and no one thought to try to cover the increasingly lethal mixture with foam from the hangar's fire suppression system. Because Taihō's hangars were completely enclosed, mechanical ventilation was the only means of exhausting fouled air and replacing it with fresh. Ventilation duct gates were opened on either side of hangar sections No. 1 and No. 2 and, for a time, the carrier's aft elevator was lowered to try to increase the draught. But even this failed to have any appreciable effect and, in any case, air operations were resumed about noon, requiring the elevator to be periodically raised as aircraft were brought up to the flight deck. In desperation, damage control parties used hammers to smash out the glass in the ship's portholes. Taihō's chief damage control officer eventually ordered the ship's general ventilation system switched to full capacity and, where possible, all doors and hatches opened to try to rid the ship of fumes. Unfortunately, this simply resulted in saturation of areas previously unexposed to the vapours and increased the chances of accidental or spontaneous ignition. About 14:30 that afternoon, 6½ hours after the initial torpedo hit, Taihō was jolted by a severe explosion. A senior staff officer on the bridge saw the flight deck heave up. The sides blew out. Taihō dropped out of formation and began to settle in the water, clearly doomed. Though Admiral Ozawa wanted to go down with the ship, his staff prevailed on him to survive and to transfer his flag to the cruiser Haguro. Taking the Emperor's portrait, Ozawa transferred to Haguro by destroyer. After he left, Taihō was torn by a second thunderous explosion and sank stern first at 16:28, taking 1,650 officers and men out of a complement of 2,150 down with her. The titles in this series from Kagero are being released thick and fast. This is the 39th title in the Super Drawings in 3D, and another superb reference book for modellers. Continuing with the tried and tested format, but due to the short nature of the ships career there are only four pages of information, yet covering items such as:- The Hull Propulsion Armour The Hanger Conning Tower Armament Aircraft Radars In Service These are followed by ninety pages of the beautifully rendered drawings we have come to expect, covering all external areas of the ship, and although rather a plain ship in comparison with some of the other titles in this series there is a lot of detail provided, such as the retracting searchlights and their covers on the flightdeck edges. Something I didn’t know the ship had. Each rendering has brief annotations which give useful insights as to what the areas are and the subtle details included. There are no detailed 3D drawings of the ships equipment or aircraft, which is a bit of a shame, but you can get most of the detail from the main renderings. The drawings of the quarterdeck and the boat hangers are probably the most interesting part of the ship, just a shame that the aircraft hangers themselves haven’t been included in the drawings, probably due to the lack of accurate material available on this design. The centre pages are taken up with two full width views from the starboard bow and aft quarter and with a pair of side views of the island area showing the camouflage she most likely wore when she was sunk. Unlike the previously reviewed book on the HMS Warspite, this edition does include an A1 sheet of line drawings of the ship, with a three view on one side in 1:400 scale and slightly angled views on the reverse which aren’t to any particular scale. The fore and aft views on this side, however, are also to 1:400. Conclusion This book is certainly a lot thicker than the other titles reviewed here and if you have a set of optivisors then the detail contained therein can be put to good use if you’re building either the Tamiya or Fujimi 1:700 kits available. I just hope that Fujimi release an example in my preferred 1:350 scale one day. As with the others in the series, this book could form part of a superb library of 3D drawings that any maritime modeller will be proud of. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

HMS Warspite 1914-1919 Kagero Super Drawings in 3D HMS Warspite was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship built for the Royal Navy during the early 1910s. Other than the Battle of Jutland, and the inconclusive action of 19 August, her service during World War 1 generally consisted of routine patrols and training in the North Sea. Warspite, the sixth warship of the Royal Navy to carry the name, was laid down on 21 October 1912 at Devonport Royal Dockyard, launched on 26 November 1913, and completed in April 1915 under the command of Captain Edward Phillpotts. Warspite joined the 2nd Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet following a number of acceptance trials, including gunnery trials, which saw Churchill present when she fired her 15 inch (381 mm) guns. Churchill was suitably impressed with their accuracy and power. In late 1915, Warspite was grounded in the River Forth causing some damage to her hull; she had been led by her escorting destroyers down the small ships channel. After undergoing repairs for two months at Rosyth and Jarrow, she rejoined the Grand Fleet, this time as part of the newly formed 5th Battle Squadron which had been created for Queen Elizabeth-class ships. In early December, Warspite was involved in another incident when, during an exercise, she collided with her sister-ship Barham, which caused considerable damage to Warspite's bow. She made it back to Scapa Flow and from there to Devonport for more repair work, rejoining the fleet on Christmas Eve 1915. Having escaped the trap the 5th Battle Squadron headed north, exchanging fire with both Hipper's battlecruiser force and the leading elements of Scheer's battleships, damaging Markgraf. When the squadron turned to join the Grand Fleet the damage from a shell hitting the port-wing engine room caused Warspite's steering to jam as she attempted to avoid her sister-ships Valiant and Malaya. Captain Phillpotts decided to maintain course, in effect circling, rather than come to a halt and reverse. This decision exposed Warspite and made her a tempting target; she was hit 13 times, but inadvertently diverted attention from the armoured cruiser Warrior, which had been critically damaged whilst attacking the leading elements of the German fleet. This action gained her the admiration of Warrior's surviving crew, who believed that Warspite's movement had been intentional. The crew regained control of Warspite after two full circles. Their efforts to end the circular motion placed her on a course which took her towards the German fleet. The rangefinders and the transmission station were non-functional and only "A" turret could fire, albeit under local control with 12 salvos falling short of their target. Sub Lieutenant Herbert Annesley Packer was subsequently promoted for his command of "A" turret. Rather than continue, Warspite was stopped for ten minutes so the crew could make repairs. They succeeded in correcting the problem, but the ship would be plagued with steering irregularities for the rest of her naval career. As the light faded the Grand Fleet crossed ahead of the German battle line and opened fire, forcing the High Seas Fleet to retreat and allowing Warspite to slip away. Warspite was holed 150 times during the battle, and had 14 killed and 16 wounded; among the latter warrant officer Walter Yeo, who became one of the first men to receive facial reconstruction via plastic surgery. Although she had been extensively damaged, Warspite could still raise steam and was ordered back to Rosyth during the evening of 31 May by Rear-Admiral Hugh Evan-Thomas, commander of the 5th Battle Squadron. Whilst travelling across the North Sea the ship came under attack from a German U-boat. The U-boat fired three torpedoes, all of which missed their target. Warspite later attempted to ram a surfaced U-boat. She signalled ahead for escorts and a squadron of torpedo boats came out to meet her. They were too slow to screen her effectively, but there were no more encounters with German vessels and she reached Rosyth safely on the morning of 1 June, where it took two months to repair the damage. Upon the completion of her repairs, Warspite rejoined the 5th Battle Squadron. Further misfortune struck soon afterwards, when she collided with Valiant after a night-shooting exercise, necessitating more repair work at Rosyth. Captain Philpotts avoided reprimand on this occasion, but was moved to a shore-based job as Naval Assistant to the new First Sea Lord, Admiral Jellicoe. He was replaced by Captain de Bartolome in December 1916. In June 1917, Warspite collided with a destroyer, but did not require major repairs. In the following month, Warspite was rocked at her moorings in Scapa Flow when Vanguard, a St. Vincent-class battleship, exploded with the loss of hundreds of her crew when an ammunition magazine detonated. Early in April 1918 she joined the Grand Fleet in a fruitless pursuit of the German High Seas Fleet which had been hunting for a convoy near Norway. In 1918, Warspite had to spend four months being repaired after a boiler room caught fire. Captain Hubert Lynes relieved Captain de Bartolome and on 21 November he took Warspite out to escort the German High Seas Fleet into internment at Scapa Flow following the signing of the Armistice. This is the latest book of Kageros 3D Drawings, and the 38th in the series, which is building up nicely into a superb single point of reference for maritime modellers. Following the now familiar format, but with only four pages of text giving the information on the design of the ship and its operational service; these are followed by seventy three pages of beautifully rendered drawings covering all external areas of the ship, and it is these drawings that set this series above others as the show much more detail than any period photograph can show, or that shown on 2D plans. Each rendering has brief annotations which give useful insights as to what the areas are and the subtle details included. The last nine pages contain drawings of individual items, such as the main turrets, secondary and tertiary armament, ships boats, (ranging from the 50ft steam pinnace right down to the 15ft dinghy), torpedoes, and the various calibres of shells she carried. Unfortunately this title doesn’t come with any line drawings or plans, unlike most of the series. Conclusion This is another great addition to the series and will be very useful if you’re building the Trumpeter 1:700 kit, although it will be just as useful for any other scales. It’ll certainly be a nice addition to any maritime library, especially those with family connections to this great ship as I do. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

The Light Cruiser Emden Kagero Super Drawings in 3D SMS Emden was the second and final member of the Dresden class of light cruisers built for the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine). Named for the town of Emden, she was laid down at the Kaiserliche Werft (Imperial Dockyard) in Danzig in 1906. Her hull was launched in May 1908, and completed in July 1909. She had one sister ship, Dresden. Like the preceding Königsberg-class cruisers, Emden was armed with ten 10.5 cm (4.1 in) guns and two torpedo tubes. Emden spent the majority of her career overseas in the German East Asia Squadron, based in Tsingtao, in the Kiautschou Bay concession in China. In 1913, she came under the command of Karl von Müller, who would captain the ship during World War I. At the outbreak of hostilities, Emden captured a Russian steamer and converted her into the commerce raider Cormoran. Emden rejoined the East Asia Squadron, after which she was detached for independent raiding in the Indian Ocean. The cruiser spent nearly two months operating in the region, and captured nearly two dozen ships. In late October 1914, Emden launched a surprise attack on Penang; in the resulting Battle of Penang, she sank the Russian cruiser Zhemchug and the French destroyer Mousquet. Müller then took Emden to raid the Cocos Islands, where he landed a contingent of sailors to destroy British facilities. There, Emden was attacked by the Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney. The more powerful Australian ship quickly inflicted serious damage and forced Müller to run his ship aground to prevent her from sinking. Out of a crew of 376, 133 were killed in the battle. Most of the survivors were taken prisoner; the landing party, led by Hellmuth von Mücke, commandeered an old schooner and eventually returned to Germany. Emden 's wreck was quickly destroyed by wave action, and was broken up for scrap in the 1950s For number 37 in their series of Super Drawings in 3D, Kagero have chosen another great subject, the German light cruiser SMS Emden. Normally with these books, the first fifteen or so pages provide much of the design, specifications and history of the ship. Well, not in this case. Whilst there is a potted history of sorts, it only takes up the first four pages and is very brief indeed. The next fifty three pages are filled with beautifully rendered 3D drawings 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. Being in full colour also helps with the painting. Unlike the rest of the series, this book does not come with the large full colour pullouts that complimented the previous releases. Instead you can order them, now rolled rather than folded, from the Kagero website. Apparently the folded ones weren’t easy to frame? This book also doesn’t include any plans, which is a great shame as they are really useful to the maritime modeller. The final sixteen pages contain the weird looking 3D pictures, for which you will need the red and blue glasses that Kagero provide. Conclusion Following the now tried and tested formula that Kagero have made their own this book is superbly produced. If you have a kit of the Emden in your possession then you really need this book to make the very best of it. Just a shame they haven’t included at least the plans as they are most helpful to the modeller. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

P-51/F-6 Mustangs Kagero SMI Library No 11 The North American P-51 Mustang has got to be one of the most famous fighters of all time, so there’s no real requirement for me to regurgitate its design milestones and operational career. That is exactly what this book does too, where the design element takes up only a couple of paragraphs. The rest of the narrative contains information about the operations the P-51 carried out along with its lesser known derivative, the F-6 reconnaissance ship when flying with the USAAF within the European Theatre of Operations. This narrative, in both English and Polish takes up only the first seventeen pages, the next sixty five pages is really all about the men who fought their war in these aircraft through period photographs of the pilots and their steeds, some including their ground crew. Each of the photographs are annotated in both languages and contains information about the men, their victories and in some, their unfortunate demise. Where there are no known photos of the men posing next to their machines there are photos of their aircraft, mostly in flight, taking off or landing. The last few pages of this section are in full colour. At the back of the book are several colour side views of eleven aircraft on five pages and back cover. The book is very well printed in portrait orientation with a soft cover and even though the photographs are over 70 years old, because of their posed nature, they are really clear, which allows the modeller to see many of the paint schemes and inscriptions really well. The book comes with a small sheet of what look like 1:32 scales masks, so that the modeller can paint the Stars and Bars, of which there are four on their models rather than use decals, The sheet also includes just the Stars, although I've yet to find where these were used. Conclusion This book isn’t really my normal fare, but once I started to read it and really look at the photographs I didn’t stop until I got to the end. Some of the photographs are quite powerful, some are thought provoking, they are all interesting for one reason or another. The information on the F-6 operations is probably one that hasn’t been told fully, and needs to be explored more, but at least they pilots have got a mention as, with most reconnaissance units, they get very little recognition over the fighter boys. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

HIJNS Yahagi Kagero Super Drawings in 3D The four Agano-class cruisers light cruisers operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. All were named after Japanese rivers. Larger than previous Japanese light cruisers, the Agano-class vessels were fast, but with little protection, and were under-gunned for their size. They participated in numerous actions during World War II. The Agano class was followed by the larger Ōyodo-class cruiser, of which only a single vessel was completed. The Imperial Japanese Navy had developed a standardized design for light cruisers as flagships for destroyer and submarine squadrons, based on a 5,500 ton displacement, shortly after World War I. However, by the 1930s these vessels were obsolete, as contemporary destroyers were faster, carried more powerful armament, and had greater endurance. As soon as the restrictions of the London Naval Treaty were removed, the Navy General Staff developed a plan within the Fourth Fleet Supplemental Budget to build 13 new 6000 ton cruisers between 1939 and 1945 to replace the Tenryū, Kuma, and Nagara-class cruisers. These vessels were intended to be the flagships for six destroyer squadrons and seven submarine squadrons. The new design was finalized in October 1937; however, construction was delayed due to overloading of the Japanese shipyards. Construction costs came to 16.4 million yen per vessel. The design for the Agano class was based on technologies developed by aboard the cruiser Yūbari, resulting in a graceful and uncluttered deck line and single smokestack. Unlike most Japanese designs, the Agano class was not overweight, so it exhibited good stability and seaworthiness. The Agano class was armed with six 152 mm Type 41 guns in three gun turrets. These guns were also used on the Kongō-class battlecruisers, some of these weapons having been removed from the Fusō-class battleships and the Kongō class during their modernizations in the early and late 1930s, respectively. This gun fired a 100 lb (45 kg) projectile 22,970 yards (21,000 m). The Agano class was unique among Japanese cruisers in that its main armament could elevate to 55 degrees, but this was still not enough to make them effective as anti-aircraft weapons. Secondary armament included four 76 mm Type 98 DP guns designed specifically for the class, in two twin turrets amidships. Anti-aircraft weapons included two triple 25 mm AA guns in front of the bridge, and two twin 13 mm mounts near the mast. The class also had two quadruple torpedo launchers for Type 93 torpedoes located below the flight deck, with eight reserve torpedoes. The torpedo tubes were mounted on the centerline, as was more common with destroyers, and had a rapid reload system with eight spare torpedoes. Being mounted on the centerline allowed the twin launchers to fire to either port or starboard, meaning that a full eight-torpedo broadside could be fired, whereas a ship with separate port and starboard launchers can only fire half of its torpedoes at a time. Two depth charge rails and 18 depth charges were also installed aft. The class was also equipped with two Aichi E13A aircraft. The first two vessels in the class (Agano and Noshiro) had a larger flight deck with a 26-foot catapult. The later Yahagi and Sakawa had a shorter 19-meter catapult. The engines were a quadruple-shaft geared turbine arrangement with six boilers in five boiler rooms, developing 100,000 shp (75,000 kW) for a maximum speed of 35 knots (65 km/h). Like Yūbari, the Agano class had its stacks join into a single funnel. All of the vessels in the class were updated with additional anti-aircraft weaponry and radar at various points in their service lives. Commissioned on 29 December 1943 Yahagi, the subject of this book, saw action in the Marianas in May/June 1944, during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. After the US invasion of Okinawa on 1 April 1945, she was ordered to accompany the battleship Yamato on its suicide mission against the American fleet at Okinawa. Yahagi was hit by some seven torpedoes as well as a dozen bombs, and sank on the afternoon of 7 April 1945. This latest book of Kageros 3D Drawings is actually the 36th in the series, which is building up nicely into a superb single point of reference for maritime modellers. Following the now familiar format the first eight pages contain text describing the design of the ship and its operational service; these are followed by sixty three pages of beautifully rendered drawings covering all external areas of the ship, a lot of which shows up details that you couldnt get from period photographs of plans. Each rendering has brief annotations which give useful insights as to what the areas are and the subtle details included. The last eighteen pages show similar detail, but are printed in such a way that you need to used the red and blue 3D glasses provided, otherwise they make you eyes go a bit weird. Whilst this is a bit of a gimmick it does work and gives the reader a sense of proportion and depth of the ship. A while ago Kagero stated that they werent going to include plans with these books and were going to sell them rolled up so that buyers could mount them in frames. So, it was a bit of a surprise to find that they have included a double sided A1 sheet of plans. One side contains five views of the ship in 1:350 scale, along with a couple of scrap views of the funnel area. On the opposite side plans of the superstructure, aircraft handling deck and main mast, some in 1:350 and some in no particular scale. Conclusion This is another great addition to the series and will be very useful if youre building the superb Hasegawa 1:350 kit, although it will be just as useful for any other scales. The 3D pictures at the back of the book are a bit of fun and its surprising how well they work even with the cheap cardboard glasses included. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Sd.Kfz.161 Panzer IV Ausf. H/J Kagero via Casemate UK The Panzer IV was one of the most common tanks fielded by German forces during WWII, but gets overshadowed by its more advanced brethren, despite their shortage and shortcomings. The H entered production in 1943 with thicker armour and a zimmerit coating to defeat magnetic mines that never materialised in significant quantities. By the time the J was introduced the war was going less-than-well and "improvements" to save build time, weight and strategic materials ended up worsening the situation. It still saw the end of the war, despite originally planned as a short-term measure while Tiger and King Tiger production ramped up. The Book This is number 25 in Kagero's TopDrawings series, and is card bound with a set of 1:16 plans loose inside that will be welcomed by anyone that has the new Trumpeter Ausf.J that we reviewed recently here. Each set of drawings within the book are marked with a letter, and have a bilingual (English/Polish) caption detailing specifics for the mark. Some sets are more detailed than others, and some detailed drawings of specific parts of the vehicle, such as the cupola and exhaust system. The last few pages are filled with profiles of individual vehicles, showing their markings and colour schemes. As a bonus, you get a set of pre-cut vinyl masks of all the vehicles that have a red star next to them in the profiles in 1:16, which confirms my suspicions regarding timing of its release. Conclusion Some useful drawings from different angles from the norm, that may give you some additional insight into how various aspects of the later Pz.IV marks and variations went together, a double B2 sheet of 1:16 plans, and a free set of masks for four 1:16 tanks in one handy package. Highly recommended, especially to the 1:16 builder. Review sample courtesy of

Messerschmitt Bf.109 Early Versions (A-D) Kagero via Casemate A lot has been written about the 109 over the years, but this book from Kagero gathers an awful lot of information in its pages, coupled with a lot of contemporary photos, plans, 3D renders and profiles that will build into a comprehensive history of one of the most important types in the WWII Luftwaffe. This hard-backed and weighty tome (I had to get that in somewhere!) covers the early 109 from its very beginnings, including some of Willy Messerschmitt's earlier designs that led to the birth of the 109 at Bayerische from which the Bf was derived – Bayerische Flugzeug-werke, originally BFW, shortened to Bf. for the purposes of aircraft designations. The book goes through the aircraft's gestation, birth and subsequent development through the early years of initial flight-tests, V-series airframes, the early (and almost forgotten) A, and subsequent B-series models that fought with the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War that was the crucible in which German WWII military tactics were forged, as well as their initial combat veterans who went on to lead the squadrons and wings during the war. It is laid out in a highly readable two column format, with drawings, photos and small tables interspersed, each with their own caption in smaller bold font. After page 75 there are a wealth of plans for the various marks, plus a handy set of line-art profiles that show the differences between the variants that I find useful, due to my poor memory. The next section shows the airframe in 3D renders, in various variants, in various states of undress from different angles, as well as detail renders of the cockpit, engine and radio compartments. There are even some shots with the skin of the aircraft stripped away, showing the spars, ribs and internal structure to good effect. These would be most helpful for maintenance or crash dioramas, allowing the modeller to understand fully what would be exposed in these situations. The final section is devoted to profiles of interesting and important airframes from the side, as well as some from three-quarter views, above and below. Conclusion As always with Kagero's titles, the layout, artwork and texts is first rate, with plenty to recommend it. The photos are of great interest from a historical point of view, with many showing maintenance situations, and more candid photos of aircrew and ground crew, as well as the test pilots and technicians. A very thorough book at a reasonable price, and I'm looking forward to seeing the next volume. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Arado Ar.234 Blitz Volume 2 Kagero via Casemate This delightfully thick tome is the second volume detailing the Arado Ar.234 in its various forms as the world's first operational jet bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. Had it arrived earlier in WWII it could have made some kind of a difference to the conflict along with the Me.262, but happily for us it didn't. From a technological point of view it was very advanced, having a rudimentary ejection seat as well as an incredibly slender front area that helped it cut through the air at high speed higher and faster than most any Allied fighters. That led to its first use as a spy over the D-Day beaches, but eventually it was used to bomb an important bridge, where it proved almost impossible to intercept, even at lower levels. Volume I covers the design and development of the airframe, while this 2nd volume covers the deployment of the B airframes with Kampfgerschwader 76, who at the very late stages of the war received a few of the four-engined C-series, which are my personal favourites. The book is broken down into four main sections, as follows: Detailed description of the aircraft in service from initial testing to the last flight to Stavanger in Norway, where they were captured. Airframe drawings and photographs showing the internal layout of the airframe and its systems. 3D rendered images of the B and C series aircraft in full colour, showing every detail. A set of three plans, one of the C-3 in 1:32, one of the C-3 in 1:48 with general arrangement drawings on the reverse, and another of the B, including cross-sections, engine and munitions details, with more general arrangemnt drawings on the rear. The plans are printed on double folded A2 paper, and are slipped inside the cover for safe-keeping, with a re-sealable cellophane back protecting them from loss. Extending to 120 pages in a perfect-bound softback portrait A4 format, the book is stuffed with contemporary photographs, drawings and diagrams, and would be of interest to anyone with a Blitz in their stash, or a general interest in the aircraft. Combine it with Volume 1 and you will have a huge repository of information on the type. Review sample courtesy of

Introduction Time for my first WIP-contribution to this forum. It regards a 1/350 HMS Dreadnought by Zvezda, with aftermarket stuff from Pontos and WEM. Scratchwork beside the aftermarket stuff will be plentiful. For reference purposes I mainly use John Roberts' magnificent book "The Battleship Dreadnought - Anatomy of the ship" featuring hundreds of drawings. Beside that I use old photographs from a Dreadnought photo DVD that can be purchased and Kagero's 3D-book and drawing, although the latter are not a reliable source. My impression of the kit Zvezda have done a great job on some aspects such as certain detailing, not so good of others. The biggest problem is that Zvezda have copied the port and starboard sides of the hull: to be exact, the starboard side is mirrored onto the port side. This is thoroughly incorrect as the layout of ports and side scuttles ('portholes') on respective sides are anything but symmetrical. The only thing differing the Zvezda port from starboard is the single hawsepipe (port) vs. the double hawsepipe on starboard. By the way if you think that's a good reason to choose a Trumpeter Dreadnought, think again; that kit has exactly the same flaw. Quite the coincidence, obviously. The problem that Zvezda faced when they were engineering this kit must have been that there are no drawings available of the ship's port side. Plenty of pictures though and on pages 79-87 of the Roberts book there are very precise drawings showing the position of the side scuttles and ports on both sides. My impression of the literature Roberts' book is simply excellent in almost every way. One should use this as a primary source of reference if desiring to scratchbuild this ship. I have not seen any obvious mistakes in the book thus far. Kagero's book is very nice but not for recreating the hull. Like Zvezda and Trumpeter, they have not based their drawing on Roberts' drawings but, rather, seem to have made estimations based on pictures. Comparing Roberts' drawings and Kagero's book to real photographs, it is understandable that certain mistakes were made by Kagero, but still it's a shame (also for their own efforts) because they have done such an amazing job on the 3D-rendering. I recommend using both books (Kagero's to a certain extent as mentioned) and I also recommend purchasing the picture DVD. It features more than 50 photographs of HMS Dreadnought I had not found via Google. This topic I usually take a lot of pictures and describe almost everything I do. I know some of you will like that, others will not. As this is my first WIP-topic on this forum I'll just try to design this topic as I usually do and see what you'll think of it. If my elaborateness is not much desired I'll keep it more compact next time. I started building this ship about a year ago but not much visual progress was made due to the above-mentioned problems. Actually, the only visible progress is 'going back to basic' as I sanded the two hull sides flat. Of course, at first I didn't see Zvezda's errors. Then I followed Kagero's plans, then I found out that also Kagero's plans are faulty, etc. etc. Other builds have also interfered with this one. Many, many mistakes were made and corrected. I always describe my own errors, hoping that others will learn from them. Time spent on the Dreadnought before the following picture was taken: 97 hours. Number of pictures taken and described until then: 117. Let's start from that point! Oh yes.. as a non-native speaker mistakes in language can be made. I'd very much appreciate it if you guys correct me if I use certain terms incorrectly. The build 118. Originally I didn't know how to make the cone-shaped relief at the hawsepipe. So I decided to move that relief a few millimeters. Starting by drilling a hole. 119. Removal of the part by using a microsaw and a sharp hobby knife. 120. After the amputation. 121. Filing the plastic a bit towards the designated position, then glueing both parts together (some pieces of Evergreen are added, not yet installed when the picture was taken). 122. Gluing the brass sheet onto the polystyrene. Secure with a plastic modeling support. 123. Making the next piece of brass sheet (toward 'P' barbette). The impressions are where the side scuttles should be drilled (1 mm.). 124. Holes are drilled into the plastic. 125. And then I started anew (yet again), because the two pieces of brass sheet didn't connect / align. Something just wasn't right... It obviously had something to do with the troublesome mathematics involved in calculating the sizes and lengths. Without the use of a 3D-model the lengths are virtually impossible to calculate for someone with limited math skills such as myself. A hull has two curvatures: horizontal and vertical. Because of that, calculating the lengths of sheet or distances between side scuttles is almost impossible. On top of that, certain horizontal lines which I thought to be dead straight turned out to be slightly curved. Time to say goodbye to (some) calculations, as on 1/350 a deviation of merely a tenth of a millimeter is visible. After some deliberations I decided to try to tackle this in a different, more thorough, way. I followed the following step by step-plan: 1) Sideview drawing: measure distances flying deck -> sea level, every 5 resp. 10 millimeter along the hull, accuracy 1/100th of a millimeter. 2) Sideview drawing: measure distances high deck -> sea level, every 5 resp. 10 millimeter along the hull, accuracy 1/100th of a millimeter. 3) Sideview drawing: measure all distances regarding armor plates (4 lines horizontal along the full length of the hull, 4 lines vertical). 4) Draw all other objects such as side scuttles, ports, hawsepipe etc. and measure their heights as well as horizontal position from bow. 5) Multiplying all values *1,097 (scale 1/350) and adding 2,75 millimeter due to raised height -> Zvezda apparently added 2,75 millimeters to the sea level line along the length of the hull. 6) Top view drawing: measure distances of all side scuttles (port side), top row and bottom row. Multiplying by 1,097. 7) Positioning the brass sheet onto the model and scratching every individual spot into the brass with an electronic marking gauge. This way, a sort of puzzle evolves, which needs to be carved out and on which holes are to be drilled. Hereunder I illustrate these things through photographs. To start, I attach the brass sheet and measure it. 126. Working with two rules simultaneously. 127. Scratching the lines. Where there were height differences between two impressions, scratching was performed, for example, by moving the gauge from left to right and at the same time lightly and gradually rotating the gauge. 128. Due to copyright reasons I cannot show (parts) of the drawings featuring measurements. Quite of few of them are present, it was a lot of work. 129. Interim score: a couple of lines were drawn. 130. I don't often need my outside caliper, but now it comes in very handy! Using it, the contours of the bow could be perfectly scratched into the brass. 131. The construction on the following picture needs some explanation. I used it to mark the horizontal position of the side scuttles and ports on the brass sheet. 1) Ruler is attached by tape to table, perpendicular to table ('work bench') side. 2) Hull is also on table, along table side so perpendicular to ruler, also taped to the table. 3) Electronic marking gauge (I'll hereinafter call that simply 'gauge') is used parallel to the ruler on one side and equal to the ruler on the other side. That way, a 'sideview-straightness' is created. 4) If according to the drawing 100 millimeters behind the bow a side scuttle is present, that number must be multiplied by 1,097. The gauge is extended to 109,7 millimeter and is positioned over the ruler (which is taped onto the table). Where the extended arm of the gauge touches the hull, I mark a little dot using a 0,3mm. fineliner. 5) Using a folding knife (see photo) or ruler, a vertical line kan be drawn. Somewhere along that line the side scuttle will be drilled. The height will be determined later. 6) To keep an overview of the situation, I number the side scuttles and ports. This makes for a precise measurement as ruler and ship are perpendicular and solidly taped to the table, plus all measurements are based on the Roberts' drawings. 132. Marking with the fineliner. 133. Current status. 134. Markings are where the side scuttle holes should be drilled: simply measured on the drawing, multiplied by 1,097 and 2,75 millimeters added. 135. And this is what it looks like after -finally- the brass is detached from the hull. Beside measurements, it took about 5 hours to prepare this piece for carving and drilling. Very excited and slightly nervous... I can't make any mistake now or I have to restart yet again! 136. Meanwhile I have learned how to make a cone shape in brass... by using a 0,5mm. metal drill on a Boschhammer machine ! I tried to drill a hole but it just didn't work. Everytime I tried I got a cone. At one point I thought... hey, wait a minute! This is exactly what I need! Still, practice is necessary. To make a nice round cone I had to practice a couple of times, scrapping quite a bit of brass sheet . 137. The scratches will be deepened and thereafter bent back and forth, so that the sheet will eventually break along the fold lines. 138. Drilling was done -as you can imagine- extremely carefully. I really couldn't afford to make any mistake. 139. On the next picture (don't mind the bent cone) you can see the peculiar way the heights of the side scuttles vary. Only by the curvature of the hull and the sheet (when attached to the hull), it will appear straight. But this result I could never have attained by calculating only... 140. Filing the backside of the brass in order to make it nice and flat, makes for two accessory advantages: it creates grip for the glue to 'bite' and it nicely precurves the sheet. 141. This time it (logically) fits. Nevertheless for me it is marvelous to see this result after so much work (most of which is not discussed in this first post). 142. To demonstrate the size, in comparison with a 1/24 scale Krupp Titan-engine, see the next picture. Also the reinstated cone is visible here. Spent time thus far: 113.

IJN Carrier Kaga Kagero Kaga was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), the third to enter service, named after the former Kaga Province in present-day Ishikawa Prefecture. Originally intended to be one of two Tosa-class battleships, Kaga was converted under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty to an aircraft carrier as the replacement for the battlecruiser Amagi, which had been damaged during the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake. Kaga was rebuilt in 1933–35, increasing her top speed, improving her exhaust systems, and adapting her flight decks to more modern, heavier aircraft. The ship figured prominently in the development of the IJN's carrier striking force doctrine, which grouped carriers together to give greater mass and concentration to their air power. A revolutionary strategic concept at the time, the employment of the doctrine was crucial in enabling Japan to attain its initial strategic goals during the first six months of the Pacific War. Kaga 's aircraft first supported Japanese troops in China during the Shanghai Incident of 1932 and participated in the Second Sino-Japanese War in the late 1930s. With other carriers, she took part in the Pearl Harbor raid in December 1941 and the invasion of Rabaul in the Southwest Pacific in January 1942. The following month her aircraft participated in a combined carrier airstrike on Darwin, Australia, helping secure the conquest of the Dutch East Indies by Japanese forces. She missed the Indian Ocean raid in April as she had to return to Japan for permanent repairs after hitting a reef in February. Following repairs, Kaga rejoined the 1st Air Fleet for the Battle of Midway in June 1942. After bombarding American forces on Midway Atoll, Kaga and three other IJN carriers were attacked by American aircraft from Midway and the carriers Enterprise, Hornet, and Yorktown. dive bombers from Enterprise severely damaged Kaga; when it became obvious she could not be saved, she was scuttled by Japanese destroyers to prevent her from falling into enemy hands. In 1999, debris from Kaga including a large section of the hull was located on the ocean floor at coordinates 28°38′34″N 176°29′16″W Coordinates: 28°38′34″N 176°29′16″W at a depth in excess of 5,000 meters (16,404 ft); 350 miles (560 km) northwest of Midway Island. The main part of the carrier's wreck has not been found. This one hundred and forty page hardback book is much more comprehensive title than the book on the Soryū and Hiryū as she was a much older ship and there is a great deal more information available, including a larger number of photographs available. Not only is it an accurate history of the ship, but it also makes for very interesting reading, particularly on how the Japanese Navy converted the design of the intended battleship into one of a large fleet carrier. The period photographs accompanying the text show a huge amount of detail of her build, original design and after the large modernisation and refit she had to her complete her final transformation, very useful for the modeller. It is certainly great to see pictures of the ships crew and aircrew, giving them some human interest, rather than just being about the ship, which is nothing without her crew. The restrictions levied on photographers just before the war, and the destruction of a lot of photographs at the wars end doesn’t seem to have affected the Kaga as badly as most of the other ships of the carrier fleet. There atmospheric photographs of the ships flightdeck, aircraft landing and take-offs, and showing the Kaga through the flightdeck supports of the Akagi on the Pearl Harbour raid. Along with the various design changes of the ship there is a lot of information on the aircraft she carried, the weapons they used as well as the operations which took place. Naturally, the operations were pretty much the same as all the carriers in the 1st Air Fleet as they were used together as was the Japanese Naval doctrine of the time. So, there are the usual photographs of the Pearl Harbour raid and the Battle of Midway, although with odd exception which were new views this reviewer had not seen before. For me the Port Darwin raid photographs are the most interesting as, although I knew about the raid, I hadn’t seen decent photographs from the time. At the end of the book the last few pages are dedicated to two sets of coloured plates, giving views from port and starboard sides, top down, plus bow and stern as the ship was in early 1941 and at the time of Pearl Harbour. Throughout the book there are additional line drawings of the ship, from the battleship design, triple deck carrier to her final configuration. There are also line drawings of the ships armament, propulsion systems and various early design concepts. Conclusion This is a superb book, filled with detail and would be a fine addition to the library of the maritime historian and modeller alike. With the recent release of the new 1:350 Fujimi kit this book release is perfectly timed. For those who model in 1:700 there are several versions of the ship available and, again this book will prove invaluable. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

SMS Viribus Unitis Kagero Super Drawings in 3D In 1907 the navy of the dualist, multinational Austro-Hungarian Empire placed an order for a new class of warships, whose design was based on the “all big gun” concept pioneered by HMS Dreadnought. Eventually four Tegetthoff class vessels were laid down, including the flagship Viribus Unitis, Tegetthoff, Prinz Eugen and Szent Istvan. The last warship of the class was not completed until well into World War I. The vessels’ careers were not especially eventful. They spent most of their service lives as a “fleet in being” anchored in a well-protected port of Pola with only occasional trips to the Fažana Channel (well-screened by Brijuni Islands) for gunnery practice. During the war the ships were manned mainly by reservists, while the most promising and experienced members of their crews were detached to serve onboard submarines or torpedo boats, or assigned to land-based units. The second ship of the class ended her career in rather dramatic circumstances, which is why she perhaps deserves a more detailed treatment. Launched in late June 1911, Viribus Unitis had an overall length of 152 metres (498 ft 8 in), a beam of 27.9 metres (91 ft 6 in), and a draught of 8.7 metres (28 ft 7 in) at deep load. She displaced 20,000 tonnes (19,684 long tons) at load and 21,689 tonnes (21,346 long tons) at deep load. She had four Parsons steam turbines, each of which was housed in a separate engine-room. The turbines were powered by twelve Babcock & Wilcox boilers. The turbines were designed to produce a total of 27,000 shaft horsepower (20,134 kW), which was theoretically enough to attain her designed speed of 20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h), but no figures from her speed trials are known to exist. She carried 1,844.5 tonnes (1,815.4 long tons) of coal, and an additional 267.2 tonnes (263.0 long tons) of fuel oil that was to be sprayed on the coal to increase its burn rate. At full capacity, she could steam for 4,200 nautical miles (7,800 km) at a speed of 10 knots (12 mph; 19 km/h). When completed the ship mounted twelve 305-millimetre (12 in)/45-calibre K 10 guns in four triple turrets. Her secondary armament consisted of twelve 15-centimetre (5.91 in)/50 K 10 guns mounted in casemates amidships. Twelve 66-millimetre (3 in)/50 K 10 guns were mounted on open pivots on the upper deck above the casemates. Three more 66-mm K 10 guns were mounted on the upper turrets for anti-aircraft duties. Four 21-inch (530 mm) submerged torpedo tubes were fitted, one each in the bow, stern and on each broadside; twelve torpedoes were carried. With their series of books in the 3D format, Kagero never fails to deliver. This particular publication on the Austro Hungarian battleship not only provides a superb history of the ship, one which I knew very little, if anything about before reviewing this book. Since there really isn’t much in the way of history to this ship therefore it only takes the first five pages to cover it and includes the following:- Design Naming of the ship The Only Overseas Cruise Archduke Ferdinand’s Final Voyage Helping the Goeben Bombardment of Italy’s East Coast The Empire of Many Governments First Signs of Collapse at Pola Viribus Unitis Under the Red Ensign The Navy of the National Council Assault of the Flagship The Remains The rest of the fifty nine pages are filled with beautifully rendered 3D drawings 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. Kagero have recently made the decision not to include the full colour pullouts and plans that the rest of the series had. Instead you can order them, now rolled rather than folded, can be ordered from the Kagero website. Apparently the folded ones weren’t easy to frame? Whilst this is a shame, they have included several overall A4 views of the ship and the centrefold covers the full A3 size, showing the ship anchored at sea, which is beautiful rendition, in fact it’s one of the best I’ve seen. The last ten pages of the 3D renderings, give closer details for the turrets, ships boats, boat cradles, ships cranes, the bridge structure and rather unusually the propellers. The most useful sections are those drawings that show how the anti-torpedo nets were hung from the poles along the sides of the ship, as these would have been similar throughout the worlds fleets from that period. Conclusion Following the now tried and tested formula that Kagero have made their own, this book is superbly produced and with the unusual subject matter will become a must have for any maritime modeller or historian. With only the Combrig kits available, it may have a lesser role in the modelling field, but with the later release of a Top Drawings title, also from Kagero, it may come in handy for a scratch builder. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

IJN Carriers Sōryū and Hiryū Kagero Sōryū meaning "Blue (or Green) Dragon") was an aircraft carrier built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the mid-1930s. Sōryū 's aircraft were employed in operations during the Second Sino-Japanese War in the late 1930s. Hiryū ("Flying Dragon") was also built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the late 1930s. The only ship of her class, she was built to a modified Sōryū design. Although ostensibly they were sisters and designed as such, the Hiryū, being built much later, enabled modifications to be initiated during construction, as experience of operating the Sōryū had shown some difficulties and weaknesses, resulting in the Hiryū have a much modified hull form, with the beam increased by just over a metre. Both ships supported the Japanese invasion of French Indochina in mid-1940. During the first months of the Pacific War, they took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Battle of Wake Island, and supported the conquest of the Dutch East Indies. In February 1942, there aircraft bombed Darwin, Australia, and she continued on to assist in the Dutch East Indies campaign. In April, aircraft from the two carriers helped sink two British heavy cruisers and several merchant ships during the Indian Ocean raid. After a brief refits, Sōryū, Hiryū, Kaga and Akagi of the 1st Air Fleet participated in the Battle of Midway in June 1942. After bombarding American forces on the atoll, the carriers were attacked by aircraft from Midway and the carriers USS Enterprise, Hornet, and Yorktown. Dive bombers from Yorktown and Enterprise crippled Hiryū and set her afire. She was scuttled the following day after it became clear that she could not be salvaged. The loss of Hiryū, and the two other carriers at Midway was a crucial strategic defeat for Japan and contributed significantly to the Allies' ultimate victory in the Pacific. Sōryū sank with the loss of 711 officers and enlisted men of the 1,103 aboard. Hiryū was attacked by dive bombers from Yorktown and Enterprise crippled the carrier and set her afire. She was scuttled the following day after it became clear that she could not be salvaged. This hardback book contains one hundred pages of information on the two carriers, their design, construction, and modifications, (particularly the differences between them). It also covers their weaponry, aircraft handling, plus many of their systems and sensors. Due to the restrictions imposed by the Japanese military there aren’t too many period photographs of the two ships, but what there are, have been included. Where systems and weaponry are concerned, most photographs used have been taken on other carriers of the Japanese fleet, since they were pretty standard, this isn’t really a problem. The text is well written and covers both ships as separate entities where appropriate and combined where the operations are concerned as they spent their time sailing together for most of them. The line drawings, mostly showing both the external and internal structures, mainly the layouts of the hangers, are very clear and make for useful references for the model maker. Naturally, since both carriers were used in operations against Pearl Harbour there is extensive information about the target ships assigned to each carriers air wing, along with a detailed account of the raid itself. This is also true of the Battle of Midway in which both carriers were sunk. Most of the photographs used to illustrate both raids have been published before, but there are also some new and very interesting ones included. Some of the information within the text was completely new to this reviewer and as such made for a very interesting read. For those more interested in the aircraft used on the carriers, there is a fair bit of information provided. The colour side views are particularly useful as not only do they show the colour scheme, but the relevant aircraft codes numbers for their parent carriers. The same can be said for the side views of the US aircraft used at Midway. Conclusion Being very interested in the aircraft carriers of the Japanese fleet I was pleased to be asked to review this book, and having several 1:350 scale kits in the stash, I can see me using it as reference for my Hiryū build. Those who build in 1:700 scale will have even more information to work with as both ships are available from the likes of Aoshima. All in all a very nice book, and only hampered by the pre-war restrictions on photographs of the Imperial fleet. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Do.17/Do.215 Monograph Kagero The Dornier 17 and 215 have become quite high profile of late with the discovery of the submerged wreck of a 17 that now resides at Cosford, Airfix's 1:72 kit, and now ICM's lovely and growing new range of kits in 1:48, so this book should find favour with a great many modellers, myself included. It is written by Marek J. Murawski, and extends to 136 pages in a portrait oriented oversize A4 format that is perfect-bound in a card cover. It details the genesis of the aircraft from the drawing board and its humble beginnings as a faux passenger aircraft before WWII, through the upgrades that gave rise to the 215 and through to the end of its life in text, with plenty of pictures and drawings, all of which are well captioned. The sections are broken down as follows, but without an index, which is unusual for Kagero's offerings. Pages 3-10 Introduction Pages 11-15 design & development Pages 16-38 Prototypes & serial production Pages 39-99 Operational service Page 100 Endnotes Plus 2 double A3 pages & 24 pages of A4 3-view drawings 11 pages of colour profiles plus one on the back cover (pictured above) The quality and diversity of photos is good to see, and there are many in the book that I have not seen before, as well as details of the changes that the aircraft went through during its career. The drawings are captive to the book to keep them safe from loss, with the A3 sheets folded to ensure they don't get damaged. Conclusion A great reference book for this type that will turn you into an instant expert if you read it from cover to cover. If you're looking for detail photos for your project you'll find them in droves, so whatever your point of view it's well worth acquiring one for the shelves. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

I would like to offer Monogram’s 1/48 ProModeler P-38 G/H Lightning done with Kagero decals for a P-38G flown by Lt. Kenneth G. Ladd, 80th FS/ 8th FG, Dobodura, New Guinea during 1943/44. It is called the Nulli Secundus/X-Virgin with “Ruthie” on the outer port engine. This kit has been around for a long, long time, back in the 60s or 70s when it first came out. The version I have is a 2002 reboxing with some new decals. (More about that later). Other than Accurate Miniatures, I cannot think of a line that has better instructions than the old ProModeler series. Most of them have pictures of actual aircraft (not the best quality, but at least they are there) and some helpful hints on how to make your build better. Anyway, looking forward to this build to help get my modeling mojo back. Here are the box and sprue shots. And here is the Kagero scheme I will be attempting to replicate. The cockpit is first up as it is inserted into the top fuselage half. The parts layout consists of 10 pieces. Detail for the kit’s age is not too bad Once the cockpit is built up, it rests on top of the nose wheel well. I am going to use the ladder provided in the kit, so I have to open up the bottom of the lower fuselage half. The cockpit parts get their base coat of either chromate green or NATO black. Then the weathering and dry brushing begins Once the parts are painted, dry brushed and weathered, the kit detail is pretty darned good. Especially when you consider this kit is about 50 years old. The detail on the control wheel and instrument panel are better than some modern kits that are just coming out. Assembly of the cockpit begins with the seat, the control yoke and wheel, instrument panel, rudder pedals and side panels. Some more details have been picked out to add a bit of color to the cockpit. Although given the fuselage opening, I doubt much will be seen. Must make a mental note to myself to not close up the cockpit before I source some seat belts for this plane. The cockpit is inserted into the bottom fuselage half. Next up, the wheel wells need to be built up to be inserted into each tail boom. The wheel well consists of a roof and two sides. The roof of the port wing well is warped. So with the application of brute force, some CA glue and accelerator, the roof is conformed for the most part to the wheel well sides and is now pretty square. I was hoping the starboard roof would be in better shape. No luck, it is even more warped than the port side. So some more persuasion is used. Then the two wheel wells are placed inside of each tail boom and the two tail boom halves are sealed. The kit instructions would have you place the undercarriage at this time, but with some dry fit testing, the undercarriage can be added after painting making my masking a whole lot easier. After the booms are glued together, the scoop faces and intake are put on each boom The upper fuselage half is glued to the two booms. Then the bottom half is attached to the upper half and fuselage booms. At the same time the main tail piece is fit between the two booms to make sure everything lines up correctly. Twin boom planes are always fun and games to align, but the engineering of this kit makes it a very easy thing to do. Some tape is applied to keep everything in place as the glue dries. While I wait for the glue to dry I start the job I like least in modeling, masking the canopy. Yechhhh. And why do I hate masking canopies, could it be this: Earlier in the day I had masked a canopy for an F-117 with all of its fun sharp angles and points. No problem. With this canopy and fairly simple lines, I skewer myself. This is why I buy pre- cut masks right? I tape up my finger, finish the rest of the canopy masking, (I cheated, but more on that later) and by that time the glue has set on the mainframe because I am so slow at masking. The tape is removed and now I get to inspect the seams for “irregularities” that must be corrected. And there are a few: So the plane is puttied up and left to dry overnight. While I wait for the putty to dry, I work on the propellers. These consist of a hub, 3 separate propellers, and a spinner. Now the kit comes with 4 propellers per engine. Why 4, I have no idea? Is there some P-38 variant I missed that had 4 propellers? Anyway, according to the paint scheme the back part of the hub is black, the blades are black with yellow tips, and the spinner has a green tip with a white stripe. It is morning now and the always enjoyable (not!) task of sanding the seams presents itself. So various grades of sandpaper are used to get rid of the seams and smooth everything out. The grey undersides are painted, let dry and then masked for the upper olive drab. The olive drab is then applied Now the picture tonal quality is a bit warped as the weather outside is not ideal. So the spray was done in the bathroom with the vent to the outside on so I don’t poison anyone else. Obviously the bathroom lighting leaves a bit to be desired. Might have to get different lights. Once dry, the olive drab seems to be spot on. The tape is removed and the green tips to the tail fins are applied. Once that dries, a coat or two of future is applied to get ready for the decals. Now the kit decals will have to be used for the national insignia and stencils. The Kagero decals only have items specific to each paint scheme. I start with the topside decals and stencils from the kit. The kit decals, though only from 2002 did not hold up well. They were fragile, took a long time to release from the backing and if I looked at them wrong, shattered apart. Almost every kit decal had to be pieced together. Since this will be a tired old plane, it may work out in my favor, but putting them on was very frustrating. I can’t wait for the Kagero decals. I start with the port side. The Kagero decals were superb. They went on well, could be moved around to get in the right position and reacted very favorably to Micro Sol. The kit decals, more shattering and piecing together. The starboard side decals were next. The nose art went on smoothly and looks great. The bottom was done using the rest of the kit decals, but less shattering for some reason. Now, I am going to let everything dry and let Micro Sol do its thing. Next up will be a protective coat of future and then the weathering will commence. I am still cogitating on how best to proceed with dirtying this bird up. As always, all comments are welcome.

DKM Pocket Battleship Lutzow Kagero Super Drawings in 3D Deutschland was the lead ship of her class of heavy cruisers (often termed a pocket battleship) which served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II. Ordered by the Weimar government for the Reichsmarine, she was laid down at the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel in February 1929 and completed by April 1933. Originally classified as an armoured ship, (Panzerschiff), by the Reichsmarine, in February 1940 the Germans reclassified the remaining two ships of this class as heavy cruisers. In 1940, she was renamed Lützow, after the Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruiser Lützow was handed over to the Soviet Union. The ship saw significant action with the Kriegsmarine, including several non-intervention patrols in the Spanish Civil War, during which she was attacked by Republican bombers. At the outbreak of World War II, she was cruising the North Atlantic, prepared to attack Allied merchant traffic. Bad weather hampered her efforts, and she only sank or captured a handful of vessels before returning to Germany. She then participated in Operation Weserübung, the invasion of Norway. Damaged at the Battle of Drøbak Sound, she was recalled to Germany for repairs. While en route, she was torpedoed and seriously damaged by a British submarine. Repairs were completed by March 1941, Lützow returned to Norway to join the forces arrayed against Allied shipping to the Soviet Union. She ran aground during a planned attack on convoy PQ 17, which necessitated another return to Germany for repairs. She next saw action at the Battle of the Barents Sea with the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, which ended with a failure to destroy the convoy JW 51B. Engine problems forced a series of repairs culminating in a complete overhaul at the end of 1943, after which the ship remained in the Baltic. Sunk in shallow waters in the Kaiserfahrt in April 1945 by Royal Air Force (RAF) bombers, Lützow was used as a gun battery to support German troops fighting the Soviet Army until 4 May 1945, when she was disabled by her crew. Raised by the Soviet Navy in 1947, she was subsequently sunk as a target in the Baltic. Yet another release from Kagero in their Super Drawings in 3D series of softback books, this one concentrating on the Pocket Battleship Deutschland/Lutzow. Totalling eighty Five pages the first thirteen pages are taken up with the ships history and covers:- The construction outline Early Service and the Spanish Civil War Wartime Operations Combat activity from Norwegian Bases Final demise The next fifty nine pages are taken up with the wonderfully rendered 3D drawings that this series has become known for. Although with this release quite a bit of the lower hull is also shown which is a bonus particularly the rudder and propellers. The renderings show every part of the ship both in wide angle and close up which show some amazing detail not seen in other publications. The last thirteen pages contain more 3D renderings that have been produced in real 3D. Kagero have kindly included a pair of 3D glasses to view these pictures and whilst it is a little gimmicky they do work rather well, the guns and equipment standing out of the page. This title also comes with two A1 fold out double sided sheets. The first has drawings of the ship and certain parts of the superstructure, all in 1:200 scale, which hopefully will be a portent of things to come from, say, Trumpeter. The second has plans of the ship as she was in 1942 and drawn in 1:350 scale, along with numerous detail drawings of armament and equipment ins 1:50 and 1:100 scales, all very useful to the modeller who may like to convert the Academy Graff Spee into the Lutzow. Conclusion As we’ve come to know what to expect from this series I can’t really say much more, other than if you’re a maritime fan you really should have them all in your reference library. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of