Tamiya

1/350th IJN Destroyer Yukikaze

Kit Number: 78020

Reviewed by  Mark Dice, IPMS# 31326

MSRP: $91.95 Website: www.tamiya.com Background: Commissioned on 20 January, 1940 as the 8th ship of the Kagero (Kou-Type) class destroyers, Yukikaze (Snowy Wind) was the most active and one of the few Japanese destroyers to survive the war. She participated in numerous actions always returning safely, earning the nicknames "lucky destroyer" and "the unsinkable ship". Displacing 2490 long tons, with a length of 388 feet, crew of 240, and speed of 35 knots, she was armed with 6 5" guns in twin turrets, 8 24" Long Lance torpedoes in quadruple turrets, up to 28 25mm AA guns in triple and single mounts, 4 13mm AA guns and 36 depth charges. Yukikaze opened her wartime service supporting the invasion of the Philippines. In Feb 1942 she supported the southern conquests, participating in the Battle of the Java Sea. Later in 1942, she screened the troop transports during the Battle of Midway. During the Solomons campaigns she screened aircraft carriers during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz and took part in some of the naval battles off of Savo Island, as well as making many of the runs up and down the slot to support the Japanese troops on Guadalcanal, eventually helping to evacuate 13,000 troops. After a refit in 1943 that removed one of her twin 5" turrets and increased her AA armament Yukikaze returned in 1944 to escort tanker convoys and later participate in the Battle of Leyte Gulf as part of Admiral Kurita's force and the attack on Taffy 3. In 1945 Yukikaze escorted the battleship Yamato on its fateful mission to attack the Okinawan beaches during Operation Ten-Ichi-Go. During over 2 hours of constant aerial attacks by US carrier aircraft, Yukikaze only suffered 1 hit from an unexploded rocket, returning safely to port. At the end of the war, the only ship of her class to survive, Yukikaze was turned into a special transport ship and spent most of 1946 ferrying Japanese personnel home from far flung bases in the Pacific, bringing 13,056 home. In 1947, as part of war reparations, Yukikaze was turned over to the Republic of China and commissioned as the Tang Yan on 1 May, 1948. She served in the ROC fleet until 1958 and as a training ship until 1966. Efforts by Japan to repatriate Yukikaze at this time failed and she was broken up for scrap in 1970 or 1971. Her anchor and helm were presented to Japan and reside at the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force's school at EtaJima. Her propellers are displayed in front of the ROC Navy Officer Academy's Naval History Museum and Cheng Kung military base. The Kit: This kit depicts the Yukikaze as she appeared during the Ten-Ichi-Go operation to escort the battleship Yamato in the attack against Okinawa in 1945. It can be built as a full hull or waterline display model. Nice touches like a display base with name plates in English and Japanese, photo etch, metal parts (including anchor chain and propeller shafts), a color painting guide, and even a neat little cardboard storage frame are included. The plastic has great detail, no flash and very few mold seams or ejector pin marks. Everything is bagged and protected well. The hull even had bubble wrap on the ends to prevent damage. Nice touch! The 16 page instruction booklet is well done and easy to understand except for one point to be covered later. Color callouts are for Tamiya paints. Construction: I have nothing but positive words for this kit in the construction phase. The engineering and fit of this kit is excellent!!! It's typical of the Tamiya that we've come to expect. Very little cleanup of the parts was required and each step is laid out in a logical order. Highlights of the kit for me were the bulkheads in the hull that ensure a good fit of upper hull halves and upper to lower hull and position guides for assembly of the masts that ensure proper spacing between the legs of the masts. Just follow the instructions and you should have no problems. The only point I feel the need to warn you about is step #20 when you install the forward mast. The front leg of that mast goes through the aft deck of the bridge. I installed the mast first and then realized that it goes through the bridge, which I was planning to add later in the build to ease painting of the area in front of the forward funnel. Other nice touches are poly caps that allow the gun director and turrets (gun and torpedo) to be positioned as you choose, different guns at higher elevations so the turrets can be in a more warlike attitude, and enough extra parts for two spare turrets. The photo etch parts added nice touches of detail and the only thing missing to make this kit perfect would have been some railings. But those are easily obtained as aftermarket. Painting: Painting was pretty straight forward. Yukikaze was not a very colorful ship. I used the recommended Tamiya brand paints and everything went well. I feel the XF-9 Hull Red was a bit too brown and the XF-79 Linoleum Deck Brown a bit too red… The XF-77 IJN Gray (Sasebo Arsenal) looked fine and with some dry brushing to pick out the details this kit will look really great. Decals: A small decal sheet is included but then the painting guide states for the Operation Ten-Ichi-Go version, decals are not needed. Your call I guess. An even smaller paper flag sheet is included with several different size battle ensigns, some flat and square, some like they're waving in the breeze and you have a choice of where to hang your flags. The nameplates for the base are self adhesive and you are given two each in English and Japanese. I chose one each. Conclusions: This was an excellent kit!!!! Fit was great! Detail is great! There's enough photo etch to really help detail it up and make it a challenge but not be overwhelming. I'm not a ship builder at all and had a great time doing this kit. I feel it'll be a good kit for all skill levels as long as you take your time and follow the instructions. I initially wondered why this particular ship was chosen and after reading the history on the instruction sheets, I found myself referring back to my library and rereading some sections of books I have on the naval campaigns at Guadalcanal, Java Sea, and at Leyte Gulf. I would really like to see a 1942 version of this ship released, as well as more Japanese and US ships from the 1942-43 period naval battles around Savo Island. Great job Tamiya!!! Keep em coming.