discussion IJN Mikasa visit -Yokosuka October 2004

[Steve-the-Duck]

So, for anyone building any of the Mikasa kits, in any scale, here's a stack of photos I took of the 1:1 scale version, twenty years ago
And yes, it was a grey, rainy day!

This is part one. There are over 70 pics in all, which I have to scan because I can't access the CD-ROM they were copied to

 

[Bri62]

Chris this will be most useful in the coming weeks/months

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

I aim to please

And I may never get around to MY Mikasa, which is the Tsushima Centenary edition

From 2005

Oh, and where appropriate I will be adding details and comments

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

Hmm, I was going to go back and annotate the first lot, but I guess you can't if there are likes there
So, anyway:
1 - Admiral Togo welcomes you to Mikasa Park
2 - Stern view overall
3 - Admiral's stern walk
4 - Centenary sign, shell, and sign too small to read. If I'd had my digital back then...
5 - Aft turret
6 - Aft superstructure

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

Now on to the next dozen. Only 54 to go!

Rear superstructure and rear casemate

Main 6" gun deck - The red outlined areas are damage from Tsushima. Green outlined areas (visible later) are Yellow sea damage

For'ard gun deck

Fore bridge (portside) - The starboard side, from the shore, was not open on the day I visited

For'ard superstructure and casemate

Funnels (well, obviously!)

For'ard turret and davits

Bow and crest

Forward port quarter view

Damaged armour plate

Rear turret

Quarterdeck access

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

And this brings me up to the half way mark. That's enough for now!
BTW, I kept writing 'Gun Deck' above. I'm sure I should have said Main deck, that being ABOVE the gun deck

Rear quarterdeck looking out over Yokosuka

Access from rear quarterdeck to main deck. Again, the red shading is from hits at Tsushima. That's the rear turret on the right

Main deck, port side, looking for'ard

Upper main deck walkways, starboard side looking aft

For'ard conning station, beneath main bridge. Possibly a rear conning station?

Funnel bases, , starboard, looking for'ard

Funnel tops

Starboard side

Searchlight, rear superstructure overlooking quarterdeck

Lower bridge chartroom

Binnacle, rear superstructure

Lower fighting top, main (rear) mast

Fighting / searchlight top, main (rear) mast

Spotlight, portside

Main (rear) mast and ventilators

Foremast

Companionways and for'ard conning station

Upper gun deck
That'll do...

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

Next lot, to take us to #50 (well, there are only 49 scans, because #46 was a rather heroic JSDF recruitment poster!)

Upper bridge access

Upper chart house and conning tower

For'ard portside 6"

Foredeck and fore turret

Ship's wheel and conning tower interior

Starboard bridge access and foremast base

Main deck ventilators and damage to mast

Midships main deck

Portside secondary armament

Starboard secondary armament

No.1 12" gun, main fore turret

12" gun

Lantern made from damaged ship's armour

 

[BattleshipBob]

Excellent Steve, very interesting!

 

[Guest]

A great reference if anyone's about to build the kit they will be most grateful Chris. Thanks for posting and your time .

 

[Guest]

Hmm, I was going to go back and annotate the first lot, but I guess you can't if there are likes there

You can’t if too long has passed since you made the original post. Not sure how long that is right now, it seems to change every so often …

 

[Guest]

When these builds start I hope you know you have opened Pandoras box - we will all be comparing your work to the original :smiling5: Great reference photo's and thanks for posting them.

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

You can’t if too long has passed since you made the original post. Not sure how long that is right now, it seems to change every so often …

Must be close to a week, I guess

When these builds start I hope you know you have opened Pandoras box - we will all be comparing your work to the original :smiling5: Great reference photo's and thanks for posting them.

Pandora? I keep hope alive

She's been extensively rebuilt to restore her to 'original' condition. After becoming a memorial ship in 1926, all the guns and mountings were removed. Even though she was already set in concrete, she was bombed by the Americans in WW2! I must add the picture of her rebuilt as a dance hall, 'Club Mikasa' I've got somewhere

Chester Nimitz helped the restoration in the late 1950s by getting the USN to donate an LCT for sheet steel, and parts from two decomissioned South American dreadnoughts were apparently also used
So, there's a case of 1/1 scale modelling for you!

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

Next lot

Is that yours? No, it's Mine!

Access to main deck from fore deck

Anchor chains on fore deck

Starboard fore davit

Fore deck hatches and 12" guns

For'ard jackstaff

Fore turret, main bridge, and Yokosuka!


Fighting top on foremast

Fore turret and starboard side

Restoration work in progress

The next lot may be the last externals. Then I might add some of the museum pieces from inside

 

[Ian M]

These are a great resource. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Andy the Sheep]

Great set of pics, Chris. Thank you!

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

Yr welcum!

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

Right, this is the last sets

I challenge any of you builders to add this detail!

Composite of the charthouse door and bridge companionway

Charthouse door showing Tsushima battle damage

Bridge Binnacle

Bronze memorial plaque of the officers on the bridge

Who stood where on the bridge plaques

Bridge rangefinder


Port side of flying bridge

Main deck access to museum

Casemate splinter damage

Tsushima hits

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

Well, here's a selection of the museum pieces

'Night attack by torpedo boats' contemporary print

'Mikasa gundeck at the height of the action' contemporary print

'Interactive' model of the fleets coming into action - apologies for the poor quality!

This is either 'Mikasa' or 'Hatsuse' - they're not so easy to tell apart

'Imperator Nikolai I' of the 'Alexander II' class - captured by the Japanese and re-named 'Iki'

Armstrong's manufacturer model for Mikasa, showing the differences as designed and as built

Armoured cruiser 'Yakumo'

Protected cruiser 'Chitose'
The museum also had a complete collection of the 1/700 IJN models, from Aoshima, Tamiya and others. That may be the only complete set of all those kits actually built anywhere

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

And finally

Main mast - this pic almost got away

Hope this is legible enough!

Anyone feel adventurous enough to fit this panorama together?

Main entrance to the ship

And, to round out, a composite of the view you got arriving in Mikasa park. Gift shop on the right (which I managed NOT to buy a compete set of 1/1250 scale pre-dreadnoughts from!)

So there you have a rainy day in October, 2004. I've got a few pics of other sites around Yokosuka. Unfortunately, I never managed to find Will Adams tomb
Cheers all