For those of you with an interest in the IJN battleship Fuso the kits are now shipping here in the US. I just received mine (pre-order) from FreeTime Hobbies. Having just ripped open the box and taken a quick look I can say it is a very nicely done kit. Mine contained a couple of bonuses not listed on the kit contents: brass main battery gun barrels and what looks like about 5-600 crewmen (I did not count them). The ship is in 1944 fit so will be great for Leyte Gulf modelers. I don’t think it would be too difficult to backdate for an earlier war appearance but I haven’t thoroughly looked into that as I am happy with the configuration as modeled.
Is that the new Fujimi offering?
…Maybe…
Yes, it is Fujimi kit no. 600055.
Fujimi has been including their seamen set of figures in their offerings, which are quite nice; much better than the gingerbread men from Eduard.
I have the Aoshima offering in 700th and I bought AM wooden deck sections…very nice and unusual BB…
I could be wrong, but didn’t it have the largest Pagoda style forecastle of any Japanese BB?
Wow - look at the pagoda on that thing!
This ship is worthwhile enough to model just for its extreme naval architecture but it also has historical significance that is fascinating in its own right. Fuso and sistership Yamashiro being the oldest and least modernized battleships in the IJN had been held back from most of the combat operations prior to Leyte Gulf. At Leyte they were the heavy units of the southern force that was intended to wreak havoc among the American landing forces. They and the rest of the force were intercepted by the USN bombardment group which consisted of the old US battleships on station which had some of the rebuilt survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack in it. After being torn up by PT boat attacks the Japanese force was finally destroyed by the old USN battleships. Fuso and Yamashiro were both sunk in the action.
Is that your pagoda or are you just happy to see me?
Seriously though, why so tall? More accurate for observing & gunnery I’m assuming? It’s like running up a “shoot here” flag though.
Iy was a “pissing” constest between the Yamashiro and Fuso to see who could stack more blocks…
Dreadnought52
Thanks for the update . . . I have been waiting for that ship for a long time. I prefer Yamashiro, but Fuso will do for a start. Their pagoda superstructures differed; Fuso being the first IJN battleship to be so modified and Yamashiro being second. The IJN learned from those two ships, making subsequent pagodas “cleaner” in appearance as well as smaller.
Concerning Leyte, you forgot to mention the American DD force that hit both ships hard with torpedos and 5 inch shell fire, Fuso sinking from a magazine explosion resulting from uncontrollable fires before coming under fire from the US battleships. Yamashiro survived the PT and DD torpedo attacks, suffering two torpedo hits that slowed her to about 15 knots before being sunk by Oldendorff’s force.
Bill Morrison
I believe between the two being sunk only about three survivors were picked up…none of them could answer the question when asked…
Fuso to the Yamashiro: “My pagoda’s bigger then yours”. [:|]
Thanks for adding the bit about the DDs. The first time I wrote it out I had it in there but made a mistake and started deleting stuff and out went the DDs!
What a terrific subject for a diorama. Charging DDs, PTs and then the shell fire from the USN battleships. Those sailors in the Japanese ships just didn’t have a chance at all. WS
I just placed an order for mine which should be showing-up soon. The question I have is does the Fuso come with Blast Bags for the barrels? If they don’t do you know where to get them?
Thanks Joseph
It was sweet revenge for the Pearl BB’s.
The kit comes with both brass and plastic main battery barrels. The blast bags are molded separately from the plastic barres and I “assume” that you can use them for either the plastic or the brass barrels. The secondary battery is in plastic and comes with integrated blast bags. All in all this seems to be a well thought out kit. WS
Thanks, at least I won’t have to get$$$ the metal barrels and blast bags separately. I am tempted though to get one of those pre-cut wooden decks, even though they are not cheap. But I figure they are worth it considering the price / detail of these 1/350 scale naval kits. I have a 1/250 scale Yamato which I haven’t started yet because i want to detail this out properly / accurately which means not having other model projects going on at the same time.
Joseph