¹⁄700

Just released from Pit-Road, the Colorado class battleship USS West Virginia (BB-48). Sunk at her mooring during the Pearl Harbor raid, she was refloated, rebuilt and re-entered service in September, 1944.

She was laid down on 12 April 1920 at Newport News, Virginia and launched on 19 November 1921 sponsored by Miss Alice Wright Mann, daughter of Isaac T. Mann, a prominent West Virginian, and commissioned on 1 December 1923.

After her rebuild at Pearl Harbor, West Virginia arrived in the Pacific combat zone in October 1944a nd soon was participating in pre-invasion bombardment of Leyte, in the Philippines. On October 25th she was one of the ships that fought in the Battle of Surigao Strait, the last time in World history when battleships engaged battleships with their big guns.

West Virginia took part in operations to capture Mindoro, Lingayen Gulf, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, using her sixteen-inch guns to support U.S. ground forces. On April 1st, 1945, while off Okinawa, she was hit by a Japanese Kamikaze plane but was able to remain in action, continuing her bombardment duties there into June. After Japan's capitulation, West Virginia supported the occupation effort until mid-September. She participated in Operation "Magic Carpet" during the last part of 1945, bringing home veterans of the Pacific war. Inactive after early 1946, she was decommissioned in January 1947. Following twelve years in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, USS West Virginia was sold for scrapping in August 1959.

This is a full hull kit (No W172) that includes 3 SC-1 Seahawk float planes at PE details. Assembled kit is 272mm (10.7") in length.

Available from Hobby Link Japan for ¥3,840, ($30.99 USD, €28.41) plus shipping.