¹⁄700

IJN DD Shiokaze 汐風

"New MSW crew-mate Lars Juel Mosbaek (aeronautic) shares his first MSW submission with us, in this fantastic build story/photo feature of the Shiokaze!

The vessel...

Shiokaze 汐風 "Wind and Flame ("Sea Breeze")
(Minekaze-class of 15 units)

The ships of the Minekaze-class were the first Japanese destroyers built by only Japanese concept, and earlier, the building program was influenced by British norms. The first 2 units were build under the 1917 Program, then followed 5-1918p, 5-1919p, 3-1920p. They were also classed as minesweepers. The ships fought bravely through the war and many took hard and severe toll...they were removed from frontline destroyers tasks to more aux. duties such as fast transport etc. But this led the ships into more harsh duties. (8 lost).

Shiokaze survived the war and was completely disarmed. From September 1945 to May 1947 Sihokaze was used to transport immigrants between Shanghai and Sasebo. In January 1948 the destroyer passed to the breakers at the former Navy shipyard in Kure.



Technical specifications:

Laid down at Maizuru Naval yard 15. Sep.1919
Launched 22. Oct. 1920
Completed 29. Jul. 1921
Broken up: 1948
Reconstruction and rearmament: 1938, 1943, and converted to a Kaiten carrier (4xSuicide torpedo's) in late Jan. 1945.
Displacement: 1,215 tons
Length: 102.6 m
Beam: 8.9 m
Draught: 2.9 m
Ship horse power: 38,000 shp.
Speed : 39 knots
Main guns 2 (2x1) 4,7" = 12.0 cm
Light guns AA 18-25mm AA guns = (4x2)+(10x1)
4 torpedoes (type 21"= 53 cm) in (2x2) mounts
3 depth charge launchers (38 rounds)
20 mines carried.
Crew: 148

The Model...

The building of the model kit was mostly straight forward as the quality of the Pit Road models is high. I used the PE-set's from:

Tom's Model works:
#705 1/700 IJN railing (railing, funnel caps and small items as wind detector on top at the masts.)
#721 1/700 IJN Destroyer set. (Very good! enough items for 3 DD if you have extra railing)
#749 1/700 IJN Yamato 25mm AA (single)

Lion Roar:
LE700054 1/700 ladders
LE350003 1/350 ladders (for bridge windows)
LE700038 1/700 IJN anchors and chain + life rings etc.
LE700039 1/700 IJN Davits for small ships
LE700042 1/700 IJN 25mm AA (twin)

17 502 Eduard 1/700 figures

+ few extra parts from "The surplus storeroom"

The scratch building on the kit is:

Degauss cable around the ship made of metal wire 0.3 mm, forward davits as well as the (masts 0.5 and 0.3mm) and flagpoles. Anti-splinter ropes was made of very thin copper wire. Cable drums was made of copper wire and styrene plastic. The Swan neck vents were made of medium size (1 mm) soldering lead (easy to form and cut).

This was an enjoyable model kit to assemble, with no hidden trouble along the way. The only con's on this series is the poorly marked portholes on the hull -But I can highly recommend the Pit Road Destroyers to others, they cost a little more than the others IJN DD from the "Big four" , but are really the extra amount worth also because of the many small boats and directors included in the kit. Building time, 13 days.

References

Japanese Naval Warship Photo Album Destroyers from Diamond Sha books.



Ships of the world no. 453 History of Japanese Destroyers



Warships Japanese Navy, Navy destroyers 10. 1918 - 8. 1945 by YV Apalkov, PP Vasiliev



Japanese destroyers 1920-1945 by VV Ivanov



Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945 by Hansgeorg Jentschura & Dieter Jung



Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946



Websites:

http://www.wunderwaffe.narod.ru/

http://nihonkaigun.modellmarine

http://www.j-aircraft.com/

http://www.combinedfleet.com/kaigun.htm