Calling all IJN Kawasaki-type (川崎型油槽船) oiler fans

[bootneck42]

I have just bought the Fujimi kit of Nippon Maru and would like to paint her in pre-war colours. I would be grateful if someone could advise me of the various deck colours.

Thanks

Mike

[Dan K]

Well, the fore and aft superstructures have wood planked decks. everything else was metal. There is a variety of opinion on whether these decks were orange-red, green or grey. I just don't know.

[Jim Smith]

Mike,
I asked this question some time ago (see CASF Pre-war Japanese Merchants page 45) and eventually ended up painting my decks a red/brown shade.

I also pointed out that, pre-war Yamashita Line tankers had a red 'Y' on a yellow funnel with black top. (ref The worlds merchant fleets 1939 by Roger Jordan)

Here are some pics of my build:

[bootneck42]

Thanks Dan and Jim, especially for the views or your build. I also have the Jordan book but wanted to get confirmation on the deck markings.

cheers

Mike

[Dan K]

A posting of the Group 3 photos and information is coming, but first, I want to finish some thoughts on the kit bridge.

It is a bit simplistic, like the facings. However, I feel it could be used as the basis of a reasonable acceptable version of the bridge with a few tweaks � the additional of some hatches, portholes and access ladders in the correct positions could go far. Thinking out loud, somehow, the compass deck level needs to be opened up in the rear, or perhaps just this level needs to be scratch-built.

I have seen versions of the bridge facing with the molded apertures and bridge windows actually opened up in several Japanese publications. The bridge windows were replaced with PE ladders (as I have done); together with a re-worked bridge structure as I have suggested could build into a very presentable structure. Food for thought.

[Hen]

Maaaan what a nice outcome!!! I feel like scrapping my OOB builds now superb!

[Dan K]

Thx. Keep in mind that here, mine is scratch-built. However, I think the kit version could be tweaked to a much higher level of detail with just a little creative work.

[Dan K]

Here is an example of what I am talking about, from a diorama in the Model Art IJN Auxiliaries, Fleet Data volume. It was modeled as Nichei Maru.

[Dan K]

Going back to decks - here is a period postcard of Nippon Maru, which makes it seem likely that the decks were a reddish brown while in commercial service.

[Dan K]

The sisters differed in other details separate from the bridge, but I will finish listing them first before delving into those specifics.

The third group of sisters had machinery of approximately 11,000hp and were completed 1938-1940. (It occurs to me that I have not mentioned that all these ships were diesel engined.) This is the largest grouping; seven ships comprised of Genyo, Itsukushima, Kenyo, Kokuyo, Nichei, Shinkoku, and Toei Maru. Technically, Shinkoku Maru was the last to be completed. All follow the revised bridge location introduced with the second group. All have their second level plated in on either side as does the second group.

Three vessels: Genyo, Itsukushima, and Shinkoku Maru had solid bridge faces as did Tatekawa Maru. Kenyo and Kokuyo Maru were almost identical to Nippon Maru, with openings to either side of the facing on the main deck level, but neither had any additional extension of the compass bridge decking as did Nippon Maru. (Note: Clear views of a bridge with the portside opening are rare. So, I am posting a crop of the Kokuyo Maru SOTW photo in which I have tweaked it as best I can to show the recesses.) I am at this point uncertain as to whether or not Nichei and Toei Maru had a solid bridge face or openings to either side.

As previously stated, Genyo, Itsukushima, Kenyo, Kokuyo and Shinkoku Maru all had indentations to either side of their compass bridge deck whereas Nichei and Toei did not.

(photo credits: Genyo Maru � ONI, USCG via the Stanley Wheeler Collection; Itsukushima Maru � SOTW, USN via the National Historical Foundation, USCG via the Stanley Wheeler Collection; Kenyo Maru � SOTW, Acme News Pictures; Kokuyo Maru � unknown via Ebay, SOTW; Nichei Maru � Maru Special #10, SOTW, USCG via the Stanley Wheeler Collection; Shinkoku Maru � Shizuo Fukui Collection, Maru Special #53; Toei Maru � Maru Special #53.)

[Dan K]

The rest of this group -

[Dan K]

Cover art pertinent to this group:

[Dan K]

Some of the best photos of the class are those of Kokuyo Maru in her wartime grey. A number of clear, detailed photos were taken pre-war in 1941 at San Pedro by either the Coast Guard or ONI. More photos taken by the Japanese which survived the war, including a good detail shot of her aft topsides taken just prior to the Battle of the Philippine Sea. (Photo credits: #s 1-3, United State Coast Guard (USCG) pictures from the Stanley Wheeler collection, Maru Special #94, USN via the National Historical Foundation ,Nihon no Gunkan #7)

[MartinJQuinn]

Some of the best photos of the class are those of Kokuyo Maru in her wartime grey. A number of clear, detailed photos were taken pre-war in 1942 at San Pedro by either the Coast Guard or ONI.

Pre-war 1942? Alternate universe?

[Dan K]

Corrected. At least I know you're paying attention.

[Dan K]

Some Japanese sources, and the Wikipedia entry, list a fourth group consisting of one vessel, Kyuei Maru. However, information on her is scarce, spotty, and decidedly uncertain. It seems more likely that she was a member of the following 1TL type, and not an original Kawasaki type.

A more legitimate fourth group of three ships was built by the Harima Shipyards (which is not too far from the Kawaski, Kobe shipyards) to the Kawasaki design. These were Akatsuki, Akebono, and Kuroshio Maru. Completed 1937 � 1939, they were dimensionally the same as the original design, but differed in small details. The bridges, particularly the concavity of the facings, were closer in shape to the original Toa and Kyokuto Maru. However, the bridges were situated in the revised location shared by the second and third Kawasaki groups. The wings of the second level were also plated in as with the later Kawasakis. The Harima built ships also had apertures in the bridge face, to either side of the central trunk, similar to those on Kenyo, Kokuyo and Nippon Maru. However, these apertures were completely open, with no support columns. The openings were also a little narrower.

Other visual differences are seen mostly in the hull plating cutouts that mark the transition from the main deck to the 01 deck, and again to the boat deck. In the Kawasaki type, these are straight edged slants, whereas the Harima built ships have concave transitions. The only exception is where the bridge meets the main deck; there are no transition plates at all, fore and aft, for the Harima built ships.

One last visual references has to do with the set of joined kingposts aft the bridge. They were of a slightly simpler design than those of the original Kawasakis.

Kurushio Maru differed from her sisters in having steam boilers instead of diesels. Accordingly, her intake set-up atop the rear superstructure was somewhat simplified and reduced. Ultimately, this design variation was chosen as the plan for the subsequent wartime standard 1TL tanker design. (I may expand this CASF in the future to include this class.)

Photo credits: Akitsuki Maru � Ships of the World vol. # 826, Wikipedia, Acme News Pictures,Los Angeles bureau; Akebono Mau- ONI, unknown via Motoyuki Iwashige; Kuroshio Maru � SOTW vol. # 826)

[ijnfleetadmiral]

AWESOME collection of photos...thanks so much for posting them! I had several of them, but they were much-smaller-resolution copies.

[MarkGallimore]

From some sources I'm left with the impression that the Japanese transferred fuel to warships from oilers in harbors, while stationary. If this is so, has anyone come across photographs of this?

[Dan K]

All navies used their tankers at some point as fuel depot ships, at anchorages everywhere. The Japanese tended to use the smaller, slower classes more in this regard but, yes, even the Kawasaki types were used as depot ships.

The photo above of Kokuyo Maru under attack at Rabaul was taken not long after she had refueled Atago there. You'll note that she still has some bumpers hanging over the starboard side.

The photos below were taken from DD Ushio at Truk in mid 1943.

[MarkGallimore]

Dan K,

Big thanks for the photos. So it looks like when in harbor they moored these ships pretty close together, perhaps against those bumpers, and similar to the diorama pictures you posted above. It seems to me this offers real possibilities for dioramas in 1/700, especially for folks who don't have a lot of experience sculpting ocean surfaces with ships' wakes.

Thanks again,

MG