1/700 SP-75 Pit Road Aikou Maru Auxiliary Cruiseer Imperial Japanese Navy
Resin Model Kit, Box Condition: Exc
Very rare waterline model that features a pressure-cast (no air bubbles) high-definition cast resin hull & larger parts, two large tree of fine injection molded details, many cast metal parts, many photoetched metal details with railings and a variety of metal stock as required. Includes a full-size, four view paint guide. The kit has never been started. The parts are still in the internal factory sealed bags and includes instructions. Aikoku Maru was laid down at the Mitsui Tamano shipyards in Okayama Prefecture on 29 December 1938. The vessel measured 10,438 gross register tons,[1] with a length of 160.8 m (527 ft 7 in). Powered by two Mitsui B&W diesel engines with 13,000 shp (9,700 kW) driving twin screws, she was capable of 20.9 knots (38.7 km/h; 24.1 mph). The vessel was launched on 25 April 1940, and was named Aikoku Maru at that time.She was designed to be a combined passenger liner / cargo vessel for the Osaka Shosen Lines's regularly scheduled services to South America. Provisionally named Kyoto, the design for the new vessel was to have boasted of luxurious suite rooms. The vessel was built with large government subsidies provided from 1936 to encourage the production of large, high-speed transports and tankers, which could be quickly converted to military use in times of conflict.Although ostensibly a luxury ocean liner, the military had a say in the design of Aikoku Maru with an eye towards its future use as a troop transport. Provision was made for landing craft and for the anchoring of naval artillery. Immediately on completion on 31 August 1941, Aikoku Maru was officially requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was converted into an armed merchant cruiser from 5 September while still at Tamano, with the installation of four 15 cm/50 41st Year Type guns, two QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval guns, two Type 93 13.2 mm machine guns and two twin-mount 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes. She was also fitted with powerful searchlights and boom for handling a Kawanishi E7K float plane (with one additional aircraft as a spare). Aikoku Maru sank the US SS Vincent cargo ship and the US SS Malama. After this, she served with a sister ship supporting submarine operations off the east coast of Africa and Mozambique. Her base shifted to Penang, where she was again successful as a merchant raider, sinking a Dutch tanker and British Freighter. Shortly after that, she captured a New Zealand freighter and put a prize crew aboard to sail back to Japan. She continued to have a varied and successful career until transport duties put an end to the raiding; she was sunk while serving as an ammunition ship in Feb. of 1944.
$95.00
