Hasegawa

1/350 IJN Battleship Mutsu

Kit Number: 40067 (Limited Edition)

Reviewed by  Bill Kluge, IPMS# 45849

MSRP: $260.00 Kit Supplied by Dragon Models USA: www.dragonmodelsusa.com The Ship At the time of her commissioning in 1921, Mutsu, along with her sister Nagato, were the most powerful battleships afloat, and the first in any navy to mount 16-inch guns. In 1934, Mutsu began a major refit that improved her machinery and armor protection, and it altered her appearance significantly. Her two stacks were combined into a single funnel, bulges were added along her hull sides and her superstructure was beefed up fore and aft. From the late 1930s until the outbreak of hostilities with the United States, Mutsu made several cruises in Chinese waters in support of naval operations there. In June, 1942 she sailed with Nagato and Yamato for the Midway operation. Following the American offensive at Guadalcanal, Mutsu sailed into southern waters and conducted unsuccessful sweeps to engage U.S. naval forces. She returned to Japan in early 1943 for maintenance and training. On June 8, 1943, Mutsu was split in two by a massive explosion near her No. 3 turret. The forward section of the ship capsized and sank almost immediately, taking nearly 1,100 officers and men with it. The aft section floated for 12 hours before it, too, sank to the bottom of Hashirajima Anchorage. 353 of her crew survived. The cause of the explosion was never officially determined, but was ruled by the Japanese government as "human interference" within her No. 3 magazine. The Kit While this isn't Hasegawa's first 1/350th scale naval kit, it is, along with their Nagato, certainly their most ambitious. The oversized box is packed with several packages of plastic parts (at least 25 trees with over 800 pieces all together, so I'm told), two frets of photo etch, a length of anchor chain, a 28 page instruction book, a 14 page reference booklet with over a dozen photos of the overall vessel and portions of her superstructure, a two-sided 24 x 33 inch poster with one side providing a color painting guide and the other a full scale rigging diagram, and a 24 x 40 inch blueprint style poster with profile and detail drawings. There's also a decal sheet and a sticky back sheet of ensigns and signal flags. This is a limited edition kit of the Mutsu, and will only be available while initial supplies last. Typical of Hasegawa, the parts are well molded, with considerable deck and superstructure detail. Hasegawa makes brass main gun barrels for this kit (and Nagato), but with the kit's nicely molded single piece plastic barrels that have recessed open ends, that's an extra expense that hardly seems necessary. There are dozens of highly detailed single 25mm anti-aircraft guns that are not used on this early war version of Mutsu, but will easily find uses on other Japanese ship builds. Unfortunately, these are more detailed than the twin 25mm that are used, but they are adequate for the job. The detailing on the deck, superstructure, directors, boats and such is very nicely done and really enhances the character of this model. There are clear parts for bridge and other superstructure windows, searchlights and rangefinders. The kit includes parts (and decals) for three E8N "Dave" aircraft. At 25 inches long, the hull is comprised of left and right halves, and is meant to be built as a full hull model. There are 14 inter-hull pins and bulkheads that help support the two halves and maintain rigidity. Anyone who wishes to build this as a waterline model (as I do) will have to contend with these supports when attempting to cut the hull. There are also interior bulkhead supports for some of the superstructure. Much has been said about the apparently inaccurate plate detail on the hull bulges. I can't vouch for the accuracy of the pattern (laid out in a "stacked" arrangement, instead of a more conventional "staggered" pattern), but the engraved lines are very noticeable and would be been better represented as finely raised lines that Hasegawa is quite capable of producing. While this will lose much of its overbearing appearance as a waterline model, it will be more of a distraction when displayed with a full hull. It's a fixable problem should you choose to fill, sand and rescribe the plate lines, but it would be time consuming. It's the only real drawback to an otherwise truly outstanding model. The PE that is included in my sample covers most of the main deck railing, some of the upper deck railing and platforms, yardarm details and some ladder handrails. Other PE for catapults, aircraft and boat cranes, boat details, aircraft details, funnel grating, accommodation ladders, and additional handrails and deck railing are available as additional sets offered by Hasegawa and other aftermarket suppliers. What's really lacking in the photo etch sets are the structural supports for the search light platforms. The plastic parts in this kit, as in other Japanese battleship and cruiser kits that I've seen, replicate these towers as solid slabs, although with raised cross member detail. The prominence of these towers amidships makes them stand out, and a more detailed offering either in plastic or PE would go a long way towards enhancing the "wow" factor of these ships. To call this kit "impressive" would be a gross understatement. This will easily be one of the most eye-catching vessels in any modeler's ship display case. Thanks to Dragon Models USA for the review sample. Look for a full build review in an upcoming issue of the Journal.

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