by Marty Shay
1/700 IJN Mogami Heavy Cruiser (Tamiya)
Tamiya Mogami: This is the "Aircraft carrying" version of the Mogami with the rear turrets removed and a flight deck added. As always with Tamiya a very nice level of engraved detail, crisply molded, good instructions. Includes parts to build the all gun version but no instructions for the pre-Midway version. Superstructure detail is a little lacking but not bad. No locator pin holes for the forward AA tubs made alignment a little tricky but manageable. Lots of extra parts, boats and guns for customising. Masts assemble nicely. Lots and lots of different planes supplied.
My only real complaint with the kit is the seam in the flight deck, it's a complex line meant to tuck into the original superstructure. It fits really nice, the problem is that in puttying and sanding the seam it's impossible to not damage the raised detail of the aircraft handling tracks.
Considering I paid about $14 for the kit it's a really nice value and a fun build.
This has to be one of the more jinxed ships histories I've ever read.
Gorgeous design, fast, heavily armed and armored, the history of this ship reads
like something out of McHale's Navy. Here's some examples: February 28, 1942-Battle of Sunda strait
Mogami attacks USS Houston and HMAS Perth with torpedoes, misses, sinks several friendly transports.
June 5, 1942-Battle of Midway, collides with sister ship Mikuma. Heavily damaged. June 6, 1942
bombed by US aircraft. Mikuma sinks. Sept. 1942-April 1943 rebuilt as hybrid aircraft carrying
cruiser. No aircraft available, carries obsolete biplanes for several months.
May 22 1943-collides with oiler. November 5 1943-bombed by US aircraft October 25, 1944
Battle of Surigao Strait-Collides with IJN Nachi, later engages 3 US Cruisers.
Engine breaks down. Bombed and strafed by US forces. Ship scuttled.
