1/700 SMP003600 Sealsmodel Hashidate and Itsukushima ( Matsushima Class Protected Cruisers) - Two Ship Kits
Plastic Model Kit, Box Condition: Exc+
Includes both cruiser kits. Very highly detailed and finely molded waterline models. The kits have never been started. They have been inventoried complete with all parts and includes flags and instructions. The Matsushima class consisted of three ships - Matsushima, Hashidate and Itsukushima. These three ships were the primary Japanese Naval force during the First Sino-Japanese War. On the advice of the French military adviser Louis-�mile Bertin, these ships were light, fast, thinly armored but had a huge main gun. The first of the class was built in France and delivered in 1891. While the basic design sounded good, it was not workable in service. The boilers also proved defective, with Itsukushima's failing during the delivery voyage. It was only after a prolonged stay in Ceylon and a visit by a French emergency team that she eventually made it to Japan. The Japanese wisely upgrade the boilers but the basic design could not be changed. But as the most modern ships in the fleet, they were destined for very active service. In the First Sino-Japanese War, they were certainly enough to overwhelm the inferior Chinese ships. Although badly outdated, the sisters were also very active in the Russo-Japanese War.
This item has been sold.
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