Japanese Class A 1/16

[Von Hilde]

Thats a nice drawing It shows quite a bit. I would like to get a full size copy of it. I have seen it before, but its always a low resolution. At least you can read the fine print. I am looking for a replica IJN submarine proficiency badge to mount on a display stand for a small type A. The real ones are expensive and I wouldnt want to pay that much just to stick it on a stand. I met Mr, Kazuo Sakamaki, when we (city of Key West) gave the Ha 19 to the Nimitz WWII museum, in 1990. At the time he was a corporate executive, for Toyota. He was the first Japanese POW and Captain of the Ha19. I got to speek with him about his boat, briefly.He had mentioned that there were parts missing from the prop guards, but at the time I didnt know that much about the boat, so I wasnt sure what parts he was talking about.

[HardRock]

I found this a while ago when I was building my Type A. Just re-discovered it.

[HardRock]

I spoke with the guy who searched for M24 from a number of years (he was going to Burma to look for the wreck of Kingsford Smith's plane at the time and needed some local support). He concluded that M24 had left the harbour and turned North toward the original RV with the mother sub. Most of the searching prior to that was done South of Sydney Heads. He was pretty sure that he'd find it somewhere off Gosford on the Central Coast but it seems that he was beaten to the punch by a group of local divers who found it sitting on a flat sandy bottom covered in fishing net remnants.

[Von Hilde]

Not sure that's right. The boats that came into Sydney Harbour had to negotiate a boom net across the harbour entrance. One of them became caught in it. Those boats have a different and (possibly) more evolved forward structure. There's one in the museum in Canberra which is a composite of the two recovered examples.

The composit at the AWM is made from M21 and M14 ( RAN designations)
M14 being raisedM21 being raisedM21con remains. M14's bow was blown off from the 500lb TNT scuttle charge after tangling in nets. 21 was attacked by a destroyer after floundering from net entanglement. The M24 sits on the bottom Note all the prop cages, Also notice the composit has 14's number on a undamaged hull but in the raising picture. its mostly torn up. Leads me to believe they used 21's hull from forward of the tower to the props, for the war bond tour. The M24 snuck into the harbor when the nets were open for the Manley Ferry boat. Its target was the USS Chicago, a cruiser. Fired both torpedos at her, one missed and ran aground and the other went under the Chicago and hit the HMAS Kuttabul and sank it. Was fired on several times by the Chicago. 24 evaded until the crew shot themself and went to the bottom. Was a mistery for years untill discovered recently. Note the bow netcutter configuration on M21 being raisedsame as the M24's drawing

[HardRock]

I like the booze idea, alcohol will desinfect those germs, it's getting better after David's fatherly advice (still hate him).
I personally think that those Pearl Harbour boats had to meet specific demands for penetrating the torpedo-nets, later variants did not have the need for such things like the anti fowling cables, so they adopted a more simple design.
I'll go with the anti fowling cables, the more stuff on the boat, the better it is, had the same experience with my type VII, it kinds of dresses your boat up, it made me decide to go for the extended wintergarten conningtower on the type VII, this way i could place a wopping 8 20 mm guns to scare off those allied pilots.
Tomorrow i'll start up the SkunkWorks for some buildingtime, let's see if i can show some progress later this week.


Manfred.

Not sure that's right. The boats that came into Sydney Harbour had to negotiate a boom net across the harbour entrance. One of them became caught in it. Those boats have a different and (possibly) more evolved forward structure. There's one in the museum in Canberra which is a composite of the two recovered examples.

[Von Hilde]

Every day I find out more about them. The basic hull and tower of all the varients of the A class were the same. Its like the type VIIs with all the different add on modifications. That leaves the door wide open for a basic kit production with any exterior mods by the builder's choice. If you notice on the boats that were in Sidney harbor had that "Jules Verne" look, with the big net cutter affair, on the tower and the big sawtooth, German type bow rig,in conjunction with the unusual torpedo guard. (Wich, by the way didnt work out so well, as this particular boat was snagged, in the Sidney netting.) The Austrailians have a different system of numbers for the boats M24=I-24tounote that these boats have the full cage prop guards as well, like the Ha8. I believe they all had that configguration aft. The majority of the ones on display elsewhere were dammaged and discarded before restoration. I also noticed that in the pictures of some of the un recovered wreckson the bottom have the remminance of the double ring cage.The actual IJN designation for this boat is Ha14

[MFR1964]

I like the booze idea, alcohol will desinfect those germs, it's getting better after David's fatherly advice (still hate him).
I personally think that those Pearl Harbour boats had to meet specific demands for penetrating the torpedo-nets, later variants did not have the need for such things like the anti fowling cables, so they adopted a more simple design.
I'll go with the anti fowling cables, the more stuff on the boat, the better it is, had the same experience with my type VII, it kinds of dresses your boat up, it made me decide to go for the extended wintergarten conningtower on the type VII, this way i could place a wopping 8 20 mm guns to scare off those allied pilots.
Tomorrow i'll start up the SkunkWorks for some buildingtime, let's see if i can show some progress later this week.


Manfred.

[Von Hilde]

Manfred, Chicken soup and blackberry brandy. holistic remidy, actually works. Alligator tail meat stew as well, but you dont get much of that over there. Dont worry about catching up, I have slowed down, waiting on some small wheels for the anti fowling cable, tentioner pully. Contimplating the tower attachment points, now. I did get a 1/72 scale model from, Fine Models in Japan. It shows the detail hull plating and service hatches and pannels, positioning. Its rather inspirational, to look at. Also has different varients to build, with and without the fowling cables and prop guards, and bow torpedo guards. Evidently, the 5 Pearl Harbor boats, all were original design, but as the war progressed the later model "A" types were modified somewhat. Its not unlike building a U boat where each boat was slightly unique, and one representing a particular boat would have to research that boat to see what type of configuration. was proper. That being said, my boat will be Ha19.

[MFR1964]

Yes, DAD!!!!, hate you too!!!

M

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Manfred:

Drink your fluids, take your med's, and get to bed.

Your'e no good to me DEAD!

(good looking stuff, as usual ... I still hate you, by the way).

M

[MFR1964]

Von is running ahead of me fast, his advice for searching a 4" tube helped, i even found it on the attic, those cardboard tubes which David uses to send off his SD's, argghhh, all the time under my grasp, never thought about it.
And then came the Flue, last week i was knocked off my feet with fever, today i feel good enough to start up the computer, i'll show you what happened before the Flue.



First i scooped up this drawings from the web, some one took the effort to take some measurements, greatly appriciated.



Fastened the tower to the tube and started with imitating those tubes from both the access hatch and the scope, cutted some big diameter tube into pieces to get me the rounded parts.



At this moment the Flue got me, just started with making the reinforcement rod to get me a rounded front of the tower, still have to place the strip at the back.
Using this as a startingpoint for cladding the tower with sheet copper.


Manfred.

[Von Hilde]

When Mitsubishi, got the word to build the two "target" boats, they took a storage tank that the shipyard had already been producing. Basically found a big steel can about5 meters by2 meters, large enough for a man to stand in, and stuck a tapered front section( built in a different part of the yard) and a tapered motor section, built separately, as well. It was for opsec, as well as convienience. They were suppose to be target vessels, and were expendable, hence the rugged craftsmanship, and less than esthetic appearances. Here at the Yokosuka shipyard on Little Torch, we like to keep in the tradition, and follow the legacy. The Can I have to build a jig today, then it's time to switch Navy's . It's raining radios here, the back orders all caught up. Now I have more than I need. It's almost May, and the Germans need attending to. They are going to loose the war, 70 years ago.The dremmel died, so is hand file time for this puppy. Time to step away for a bit. I ordered another, and have three to send into Dremmel, for worn out slider switches, and cleaning. PIA to do it myself anymore.

[Von Hilde]

I judge a Craftsman not by his words, but by his WORK. This is outstanding stuff! For what it's worth, you have been elevated a bit in my opinion.

There! ... secure from gushing.

M

"As you were gentelmen, I will be in the area all day, Carry on"....... (TWEEEET! Ding! Ding!).....Now,....Sweepere, sweepers... duty section muster on the fantail.......

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Some more on the tower[ATTACH=CONFIG]30787[/ATTACH]have to figure out how I will mount it, before I go much further.

I judge a Craftsman not by his words, but by his WORK. This is outstanding stuff! For what it's worth, you have been elevated a bit in my opinion.

There! ... secure from gushing.

M

[Von Hilde]

Some more on the towerhave to figure out how I will mount it, before I go much further.