1/700 JMSDF DD 181 Asakaze
$16.00
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■Product Description
We were able to obtain valuable remarks from Mr. Tatsushi Abe, who served in the former Imperial Japanese Navy and played an active role in the early days of the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
This time, we will introduce the story of the first "Asakaze," which he served as chief engineer and which holds particularly fond memories for him.
"Memories of the Destroyer Escort Asakaze"
Former Chief Engineer of Asakaze, Tatsushi Abe
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, which was established with 18 PF ships as its main force, received two US Navy LIVERMORE-class destroyers on loan in 1954 as its first full-fledged combat vessels, albeit somewhat outdated. These were the destroyers "Asakaze" and "Hatakaze." The two ships formed the 5th Escort Division and were incorporated into the 2nd Escort Flotilla, becoming stars of the naval force. In July 1957, I was appointed chief engineer of the longed-for "Asakaze," and I boarded the ship with great excitement.
This type of ship appeared top-heavy to anyone who saw it, making it difficult to stabilize, and shortly after arriving in Japan, the No. 2 5-inch main gun was removed. However, the forecastle and bridge structures had high ceilings, were robust, and had a spacious design, providing living conditions comparable to Japanese light cruisers.
The two-shaft 50,000-horsepower main engines, with B&W boilers producing approximately 40 kg/cm² of steam pressure and a superheating temperature of approximately 440°C, and the direct-drive cruising turbine main engines were more than 10 years more advanced than the naval standard's 30 kg/cm² and 350°C. Looking at any of the ship's equipment, the difference in national power and industrial capacity at the time of its construction was clearly evident.
I served on this ship for a full year, during which I experienced the first joint Japan-US-UK training exercise, the first at-sea refueling operations, and anti-submarine training, keeping me extremely busy. During this fiscal year, the Asakaze's fuel consumption amounted to more than 10% of the total fuel consumption of the escort fleet for that year.
Incidentally, at that time, the Hatakaze was undergoing special repairs, so the Asakaze often operated alone, and it was a good old era when a fuel allocation system had not yet been implemented.
In the latter half of this year, the Asakaze underwent special repairs with an exceptionally generous repair budget for the time, and various domestic manufacturers visited to conduct research and studies during the thorough overhaul, making a significant contribution to the later construction of domestic warships.
■Product Specifications
Manufacturer: Pit-Road
Item No: J21
Scale: 1/700
JAN: 4986470011288
1/700 JMSDF DD 181 Asakaze
$16.00
We were able to obtain valuable remarks from Mr. Tatsushi Abe, who served in the former Imperial Japanese Navy and played an active role in the early days of the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
This time, we will introduce the story of the first "Asakaze," which he served as chief engineer and which holds particularly fond memories for him.
"Memories of the Destroyer Escort Asakaze"
Former Chief Engineer of Asakaze, Tatsushi Abe
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, which was established with 18 PF ships as its main force, received two US Navy LIVERMORE-class destroyers on loan in 1954 as its first full-fledged combat vessels, albeit somewhat outdated. These were the destroyers "Asakaze" and "Hatakaze." The two ships formed the 5th Escort Division and were incorporated into the 2nd Escort Flotilla, becoming stars of the naval force. In July 1957, I was appointed chief engineer of the longed-for "Asakaze," and I boarded the ship with great excitement.
This type of ship appeared top-heavy to anyone who saw it, making it difficult to stabilize, and shortly after arriving in Japan, the No. 2 5-inch main gun was removed. However, the forecastle and bridge structures had high ceilings, were robust, and had a spacious design, providing living conditions comparable to Japanese light cruisers.
The two-shaft 50,000-horsepower main engines, with B&W boilers producing approximately 40 kg/cm² of steam pressure and a superheating temperature of approximately 440°C, and the direct-drive cruising turbine main engines were more than 10 years more advanced than the naval standard's 30 kg/cm² and 350°C. Looking at any of the ship's equipment, the difference in national power and industrial capacity at the time of its construction was clearly evident.
I served on this ship for a full year, during which I experienced the first joint Japan-US-UK training exercise, the first at-sea refueling operations, and anti-submarine training, keeping me extremely busy. During this fiscal year, the Asakaze's fuel consumption amounted to more than 10% of the total fuel consumption of the escort fleet for that year.
Incidentally, at that time, the Hatakaze was undergoing special repairs, so the Asakaze often operated alone, and it was a good old era when a fuel allocation system had not yet been implemented.
In the latter half of this year, the Asakaze underwent special repairs with an exceptionally generous repair budget for the time, and various domestic manufacturers visited to conduct research and studies during the thorough overhaul, making a significant contribution to the later construction of domestic warships.
■Product Specifications
Manufacturer: Pit-Road
Item No: J21
Scale: 1/700
JAN: 4986470011288