Gunkan Kōshinkyoku

The Gunkan (Warship) March

IJN Surface Action Group conducting high speed sea trials

The first 1:1800 scale units for the Imperial Japanese Navy are painted and undergoing sea trials until they get their labels. 2x Takao class heavy cruisers, 2x Tenyru class light cruisers, 6x Fubuki class DDs and 6x Kagero class DDs. 

Japanese heavy cruisers were very much the same in profile, so this one stl will do for many of them.

Takao Class CAs

Most Japanese CLs were intended as Destroyer Division Leaders, and they also looked much the same. At least the early war ones used around the Solomons up until 1943. Although the Sendai class had a different arrangement of more guns and torpedoes. But for game purposes their profiles aren't much different.

Tenyru Class CLs

IJN paint schemes are very simple: dark grey hulls, linoleum brown decks for anything smaller than a battleships. Tamiya helpfully makes IJN ship colours.

There are different shades of grey depending upon the shipyard, but I'm not getting into the weeds that deeply! I used the darkest grey for the hull and the lighter shade to dry brush the upper works. Successively lighter greys are used to drybrush the upper works some more and paint the boats.

Fubuki class DDs

The big difference in the IJN destroyers is with the torpedo load out. The Fubukis have 3x triple torpedo launchers, the Kageros have 2x quadruple launchers.

Kagero class DDs

Like the USN I have some other types of destroyers getting printed. Once they arrive I'll print everyone's labels.

These models caused some problems. Some supports from the turrets were stuck to the deck and I caused some damage trying to clean them up. These prints also had quite noticeable curving at the bows. I applied liquid putty to try and remedy both issues. I don't think anyone will notice mid-game.

Note odd little bits sticking out from torpedo launchers and turrets, and the big ding in the fo'castle

Anchors Away!

I've been listening a lot to the "Unauthorized History of the Pacific War" on YouTube, which does some very detailed examinations of several of the many surface actions around the Solomon Islands in late 1942 to '43. One of the hosts being a retired naval officer really gives some good insights into why things happened the way they did sometimes. So as a break from the Mediterranean Theater I decided to get some Pacific Theater models ready. A lot of these battles would be quite well sized for Snorkers! (Good Oh!). Because the narrow waters around the islands limited the maneuvering of larger units, the actions were mostly destroyer and light cruiser affairs.

Perfect.

My 1:2400 fleets were pretty unimaginiative in grey, which is basically "Measure 1". Dark grey or dark blue decks make it "Measure 3." So I decided to try and delve into USN naval camouflage for the war.

Old 1:2400 and new 1:1800

I think the new basing gives more action, and going bigger isn't taking up much more sea room.

Boy, howdy!

There were TWENTY-FIVE different camouflage schemes used by the USN at one time or another during the war. Several all at the same time or overlapping significantly.

 

So, you've got to figure out when they were used, where they were used, and which were just for submarines or landing craft etc. Or only used by one or two ships as an experiment.

The Wikipedia article World War II Ship Camouflage Measures of the United States Navy was very helpful. Complete with useful colour swatches to try and compare my existing paints to, instead of working on guesses from photographs or buying a specialty paint set.

Two squadrons of Fletcher class destroyers 

Despite my best efforts, 2 ships were crooked on their bases, so I painted their wakes to make them look like they were maneuvering at speed.

Trying to strike a balance between accuracy, easy to paint, and pleasing to the eye, I settled on "Measure 12" as the most likely livery worn by USN ships during the battles of the Solomon Islands campaign.

I hope. Maybe it's "Measure 14?" 

For the "Ocean Grey" hulls I used French Grey Blue. The "Haze Grey" upperworks were dry brushed with Light French Blue. The "Deck Blue" for the decks I used Admiral Blue. Which might not be exact but it's the same colour I use for the bases. 

Atlanta class 5" CLs in front

Brooklyn class 6" CLs in front

But here's a nice Task Force of 2x Brooklyn class CLs, 2x Atlanta class CLs, and 8x Fletcher class DDs. Although I need two more 6" gun CLs to make a complete Cruiser Division for an action like Empress Augusta Bay.

I've got two Northampton class CAs and two battleships to paint until some Porter, Sims, and Bagley class destroyers arrive from Don's printer farm. I'll hold off printing labels until I can do them all at once.

North Atlantic Squadron

 Away, away with the pipes and drums!
Here we come, we're full of rum!
We're looking for women to paddle our bums, 
The North Atlantic Squadron!

We certainly sang that lustily enough in our 14 year old innocence as we marched along in the summer heat. The verses, if you're familiar, describe the sexual (mis)adventures of the Cabin Boy. Most of which, I doubt we really understood. 

Tribal class destroyers and Flower class Corvettes served mostly in the North Sea and Atlantic, so these ships pushed me to attempt some Western Approaches camouflage. Some blue and green would be a break from grey at any rate. Ironically, the green is called "RLM Grey." 

They also gave me the opportunity to add some RCN vessels to the collection. 

Ready aye! RCN units join the battle.

Of course I had to include HMCS Haida, "the fightingest ship in the Navy!" Under the command of Harry de Wolfe, she served with other Tribals in the 10th Destroyer Flotilla, chewing up German coastal forces in the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel. You can visit her in Hamilton, Ontario. 

The Tribals were designed for aggressive action and defeating enemy fleet destroyers. Destroyer Captains were picked for their aggressive style and Tribal Captains were the most aggressive of the lot. I submit the Second Battle of Narvik as proof. Possibly the Third, if you count the German's brief action with the Norwegian Coastal Forces as the First.

Drachinfel describes the Tribals as "floating lunatic asylums" and the 10th Flotilla as particularly mad.

As a patriotic Canadian I had to get some Flower class Corvettes as well. These can stand in for any minesweepers I might need as well. I almost named one HMS Bramble. 

HMS Peony, Hyacinth, Gloxinia, and Salvia all served with Force H and escorted Malta convoys.

HMCS Sackville has also been preserved so I had to name one of the corvettes after her. I named the other HMCS Rimouski because that name has always amused me ever since Canadian Geography in High School. 

A 25% off closing out sale at Wargaming 3D has prompted me to buy the Germans ahead of schedule. So hopefully by September I'll be getting into some hot North Sea and Bay of Biscay action.

Cadets aren't allowed to sing songs like North Atlantic Squadron any more. Which is probably for the best. Now they march along to more wholesome songs from the Scouting program. 

In Which They Served

The second batch for the Royal Navy has finished their working up and are ready to deploy to the table top.

This group includes two Fiji, or Crown Colony, Class light cruisers from Lee MColl stls printed for me by the Mad Padre. These are insanely detailed, and Mike printed them on an FDM printer. I think better results might be had with a resin printer, but separating masts and guns from supports would be tricky as well. 

So who knows? Shan't look gift ships in the gun turrets so to speak.

Also two Dido class light anti-aircraft cruisers, which were terribly useful in the crowded Mediterranean, where allied shipping was never far from German and Italian airfields. These are the more robust, gamer friendly, stls from Ghukek.

Finally, six J,K, and N class destroyers. Again from Ghukek. These will be formed into two flotillas. One of the J-series and one of the K-series. 

That is the nice thing about many RN destroyers from WW2, you can tell what class it is just from the name.

With this batch I pushed the boat out a bit further with more complicated camouflage patterns which I think turned out well, even though the destroyers don't give a lot of room to work with.

Of course I'm trying to keep this project to light forces. Heavy cruisers were only with Force H in Gibraltar. But I already have a RN battlecruiser and a couple of Italian battleships in the pipeline, because I got the stls for free. So the temptation to get a couple of Queen Elizabeth class battleships keeps singing it's siren song.  The Mediterranean did after all feature one of the very few times that opposing battleships engaged each other in the Second World War.