Profile Morskie is back in the news today with a new series in their great line of reference books. This news series, Ships In Color, will give the modeler line drawings, photographs and four color silhouettes in scale drawings. First in the series is Japanese battleship FUSO (1939/42).

Ships In Color #1
"Japanese battleship FUSO (1939/42)"
New drawings, new photographs, 4 color silhouettes (2 in the 1:500) scale.
Retail cost - $19.79

Ship History

The Fuso class was a larger and more powerful version of the Kongo class battlecruisers. Composed of two ships, the Fuso and the Yamashiro, the former was laid down at the Kure Naval Yard on 11 March 1912 and the latter at the Yokosuka Naval Yard on 20 November 1913. Both ships were outfitted with six twin 14in turrets and as a result, were built with a greater length to provide the necessary space for such an armament. The ships were designed with offensive capability in mind and as a result suffered from weak armor.

Throughout their lives, the Fuso and the Yamashiro underwent periodic modifications and modernizations. By 1923, foremast platforms were added, as well as changes to the funnel caps to lessen smoke hindrance. Yamashiro in the same time period was equipped with a large spotlight and an experimental platform above her No. 2 turret to allow aircraft to fly off her deck. The Fuso class were also the first ships in the Japanese Imperial Navy to be rebuilt to accomindate oil-burning boilers, which allowed for a minimal increase in speed and independence from coal. In the same reconstruction period in the early part of the 1930's, both ships were outfitted with tower foremasts and the Fuso's 14in gun was modified to elevate an additional 13 degrees allowing for a farther range of 5,000 meters.

The overall modification period in the 1930's lasted five years and also involved the lengthening of the aft hull, as well as the addition of more armor. Prior ro the Battle of Midway, it had been taken into consideration that the Fuso class be converted into hybrid carrier-battleship. This plan was dropped after the devestating defeat at Midway. The Fuso and the Yamashiro saw little action in the war and were sunk together at the Battle of Surigao Strait, part of the larger Battle of Leyte Gulf, on 25 October 1944.