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The Asashimo

History

The Asashimo was a destroyer of the Yugumo class. The Yugumo class was practically a remake of the previously built Kagero class. There were only small changes. The armament consisted of three twin towers with 12.7 cm guns, two quadruple torpedoes throwers and several 20 anti-aircraft guns. The number was steadily increased and last consisted of four 25 mm triplet, one 25 mm twin and six 25 mm single AA guns. In addition there were eight 13 mm single AA guns. She was laid down in 1943 in the Fujinagata shipyard. The launch took place on 18.07.1943 and she was completed in the same year. The Asashimo participated in several battles and convoys dutys. On February 29, 1944, the Asashimo sunk probably the submarine USS Trout during the protection of the convoy Matsu No.1. An inherent sinking of the Trout by her own torpedo can not be excluded. Then the battles in the Philippines Sea and in the Gulf of Leyte followed. By the beginning of 1945, the Asashimo was the last of the remaining Yugumo class destroyers. It was thus one of the few remaining destroyers of the Japanese Navy and was therefore used in the last major operation. She was to serve as a escort destroyer of the battleship Yamato during Operation Ten-Go to Okinawa. Due too machine problems the Asashimo fell out of the convoy and was discovered and sunk by aircraft of the US carrier San Jacinto. None of the crew could be saved.

The Kit

The kit comes from the company Pit-Road and with this you can build the Yugumo as it was put into service. For the conversion to a later destroyer I took the available set from 5Star ModelFlyhawk a set with a new completely etched deck.

Because of my ever growing spare parts box I have additionally used:



• Anchor and 13 mm AA guns by Flyhawk

• Ammunition boxes, 7m cutter and wooden boxes from 5Starmodel

• 25 mm AA guns from AKA Model

•Mushrooms Fans from Rainbow Model

• And certainly other things which I forgot

Shown is my model during Operation Ten-Go as you can see from the markings on the first chimney. I painted the model with Tamiya's Kure Gray. The model should later join with other ships from the Operation Ten-Go on a base plate. I already have the also participating Hatsushimo at home.