Casemate USS Massachusetts. Kagero 3D Series

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USS Massachusetts

Kagero Super Drawings in 3D

USS Massachusetts, a 35,000 ton South Dakota class battleship built at Quincy, Massachusetts, was commissioned in May 1942. Following shakedown and training operations, she took part in the Invasion of North Africa, engaging French warships at and off Casablanca, Morocco, on 8 November 1942. Massachusetts transferred to the Pacific in early 1943. Following several months in the South Pacific, she participated in the invasions of the Gilberts and Marshalls in late 1943 and early 1944, raids on Japanese-held islands in February to May and the Hollandia invasion in April 1944.

The Massachusetts was overhauled in mid-1944, then returned to the Pacific war zone to take part in raids on Okinawa and Formosa in October, the Battle of Leyte Gulf later in that month and attacks in the Philippines area during the rest of that year. Her operations with the fast carrier striking forces continued in 1945 with further attacks in support of the invasion of Luzon in January, Iwo Jima in February and Okinawa in March-June. During July and August 1945, Massachusetts twice bombarded the Japanese home islands with her sixteen-inch guns.

Following a late 1945 overhaul, Massachusetts was stationed along the U.S. Pacific coast until April 1946, when she returned to the Atlantic. The battleship decommissioned in March 1947 and remained in the Reserve Fleet until stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in June 1962. Three years later, USS Massachusetts began a second career as a memorial and museum ship at Fall River, Massachusetts, and remains in that role to the present day.

The book is in the form of Kageros' 3D format with the first seven pages dedicated to the history of design, construction, The Battle of Casablanca, her Service in the Pacific and the Post War Years. The rest of the book is filled with highly detailed 3D renderings of every part of the main decks and superstructure. All the drawings are supremely well done and will be an absolute goldmine of information for the locations of the many different bits of smaller equipment not normally shown in side drawings or plans, such as 5” practice loaders which are almost hidden from view between the 5” amidships turrets. Included with the book is a pull out double sided sheet, with line drawings of various ships equipment in various scales from 1:50 to 1:200 on one side and side, front and rear views in1:350 scale on the reverse, which is very helpful, particularly with the rigging of the ship..

Conclusion
As we have seen with other titles in this series this is a brilliantly laid out book with superbly drawn and rendered pictures plus a good potted history of this fabulous looking ship. I can highly recommend this book to all interested in the “Big Mammie” as she became to be known. Whilst more useful if you have the Trumpeter 1:350 kit for direct comparisons, this book can still help with adding those extra details onto the their 1:700 release. Very highly recommended

Review sample courtesy of