1:700 Ijn Fast Battleship Haruna (1944) - Sho Ichigo Operation

The fast battleship Haruna, the 1944 version

Fujimi offers the Haruna in the state in which the Japanese ship took part in the great autumn operation of 1944 off the Philippines. The designation of the version is given in the name of the item. The 1:700 scale is one of the classics of ship modeling and makes it possible to build even a sizeable squadron. The composition of the package is described by the manufacturer alone.

What we know about the subject

The Haruna was completed as a battlecruiser of the Kongo class, and two extensive interwar modernizations turned her into a fast battleship able to keep pace with carrier task forces. The main armament consisted of eight barrels of 356 mm caliber in four twin turrets, and her unmistakable hallmark is the tall, intricate mast above the bridge. In the final part of the war she served mainly as an escort and a carrier of anti-aircraft armament. She survived the fighting for the Philippines and was lost only in the raids on the naval base at Kure in 1945.

Painting and detailing

Japanese vessels are usually built on a dark gray hull with a distinct band below the waterline. The deck areas come out well when they are given a shade of their own and the seams are gently brought out with a dark glaze. Stretch the fine aerial wires from thin thread only after painting, otherwise they tear during handling.

Suitable for

• modelers with an affinity for the Imperial Japanese Navy
• builders who collect capital ships in one size
• anyone interested in the final phase of the war in the Pacific
• the advanced, who like adding photo-etch and rigging

The item is unassembled and without a finish. Glue, paints and other modeling chemicals are sold separately.