F-Toys Yokosuka D4Y1-C Suisei 彗星 (Comet) “Judy” of Soryu, Battle of Midway in 1/72 Scale

An obscure footnote to the Battle of Midway is that it marked the first use of the Yokosuka D4Y1-C in combat.  The type endured a protracted developmental history, one persistent problem being aerodynamic flutter when in a dive.  This precluded the D4Y from being used in its intended dive-bombing role until the issue could be rectified, but the range and speed of the Judy made it an ideal reconnaissance platform.  Two developmental aircraft were outfitted for the reconnaissance role and embarked aboard the aircraft carrier Soryu for the Battle of Midway.  One aircraft was damaged in a landing accident during the transit to Midway and did not participate in the battle, being relegated to Soryu’s hanger deck.  The second was launched by Soryu during the battle, crewed by PO1c Masatada Iida (pilot) and WO Isamu Kondo (observer), and was the first Japanese aircraft to confirm the presence of all three American carriers.  Radio problems delayed this vital intelligence from reaching the Japanese fleet, and in the interim Soryu was hit by American dive bombers, forcing the Judy to recover aboard Hiryu.  Hiryu’s respite was brief, and the Judy went down with Hiryu when she was sunk later in the day.

No photographs survive of either of Soryu’s Judys, so the markings are to some degree open to interpretation.  Hiryu and Soryu switched places within the 2^nd Carrier Division between the Pearl Harbor Raid and the Battle of Midway, Hiryu becoming the flagship.  By protocol, Hiryu’s aircraft should have been repainted with one blue band on the fuselage and tail codes beginning with BI-, while aircraft embarked on Soryu should carry two blue fuselage bands and tail code BII-.  It is not certain the aircraft were repainted and so the markings may still have been as they were at Pearl Harbor, but I have depicted the model as if they had been changed.  The numbers in the tail code are conjecture.  Some artists render Soryu’s Judy with the yellow wing identification bands, but this is clearly an error as those were not introduced until September.  Likewise, I have depicted the undersurfaces in Gray Green rather than Light Gray.

A view of the underside, note the how the drop tanks extend to the trailing edged of the wings, covering the flaps. On a flight during the transit one of Soryu’s Judys could not jettison her tanks, which precluded dropping her flaps. This resulted in an excessive landing speed when recovering and subsequently damaged the aircraft to the point that it did not participate in the actual battle.

Special Hobby Vought SB2U Vindicator of 2LT James H. Marmande in 1/72 Scale

VMSB-241 launched their first strike of the Battle of Midway against the Japanese carriers between 0610 and 0620 on 4 June 1942.  A total of sixteen SBD-2s and twelve SB2U-3s took off, one Vindicator pilot returned because the left side of his cowling separated, eleven proceeded to their targets.  White 6 was flown by 2LT James H. Marmande and PFC Edby M. Colvin and was lost during this mission.  None of the Marine Vindicators scored a hit on the Japanese fleet.

Special Hobby Vought SB2U Vindicator of CAPT Richard E. Fleming in 1/72 Scale

This is the aircraft flown by CAPT Richard E. Fleming during the Battle of Midway.  CAPT Fleming flew all three of VMSB-241s missions during the battle and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions.  White 2 returned from both 4 June missions, but was lost with Fleming and PFC George A. Toms during the 5 June strike against the Japanese cruiser Mikuma.  According to Shattered Sword, Fleming’s Vindicator was one of only two U.S. aircraft lost to Japanese anti-aircraft fire during the Battle of Midway.

Douglas TBD Devastator Color Photographs

Here is a beautiful photograph of a TBD Devastator from a series taken for LIFE Magazine. This TBD is from Torpedo Six aboard USS Enterprise (CV-6), likely taken in 1940. Aircraft assigned to Enterprise carried blue tail surfaces, Enterprise’s call sign was “blue base”. Note how the Orange Yellow paint wraps around the leading edge of the wing, this was done to smooth the airflow.

Enterprise’s flight deck was stained Mahogany with Yellow markings, this was stained Deck Blue shortly before the U.S. entered the war. The object on the starboard side of the Devastator’s fuselage is a camera, used as a training aid to evaluate practice attack runs. The aircraft in the background has the mounts in place but no camera.

A flight of Torpedo Six’s Devastators off Hawaii, giving a nice view of the “Yellow Wings” scheme which was carried until December 1940. 6-T-16 is trailing a radio antenna.

The Devastator first entered Fleet service in 1937. While it was considered state of the art for its time, the pace of advancements in aviation rendered it obsolescent by the time the U.S. entered the Second World War. Midway would be the TBD’s last use in combat.

A portion of Yorktown’s airgroup seen ashore at a Naval Air Station, most likely North Island. In the foreground is the TBD of the commander of Torpedo Five, as indicated by the red fuselage band and cowling. The aircraft in the background are Northrop BT-1 dive bombers, just visible beyond them are three SBC Helldivers.

This is a still from the movie “Dive Bomber” and shows a TBD in the overall Light Gray scheme. The Light Gray scheme was only used until 20AUG41, when it was directed that carrier aircraft be painted Blue Gray on their upper surfaces.

While no Devastators are preserved in museums today, RV Petrel photographed this TBD on the bottom of the Coral Sea. This aircraft is from USS Lexington (CV-2) and was lost when the ship went down on 08MAY42. The preservation of the aircraft is remarkable, and shows her camouflage and markings to good advantage.

This is a screen grab from the John Ford film “Torpedo Squadron No. Eight” which was shot aboard USS Hornet (CV-8) on 15MAY42. Plane handlers run on either side of the aircraft carrying the wheel chocks. Modelers should note the wavy separation of the Blue Gray as it wraps under the wing.

Commanding Officer of Torpedo Eight LCDR John Waldron (right) and crewman RMC Horace Dobbs pose in front of their TBD. Waldron led Hornet’s Devastators in their attack against the Japanese Fleet at Midway, all fifteen of their aircraft were lost. Only one man, ENS George Gay, survived.

Aircraft Carrier Hiryū Book Review

Anatomy of The Ship The Aircraft Carrier Hiryū

By Stefan Draminski

Hardcover, 336 pages, bibliography

Published by Osprey, July 2022

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1472840267

ISBN-13: 978-1472840264

Dimensions:  10.3 x 1.2 x 9.8 inches

The Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryū 飛龍 (Flying Dragon) was built to a modified Sōryū design.  While the two ships are often referred to as near-sisters, the Hiryu incorporated a number of revisions intended to strengthen her structurally, improve seakeeping, and reduce top weight.  The most obvious visual difference is that her island was located on the port side of the ship.  Only one other aircraft carrier, Akaki, was fitted with a port-side island.  At the time of her commissioning, Hiryū was the fastest aircraft carrier ever built.

Hiryū was commissioned on 05JUL39 and led a very active service life.  She supported the Japanese invasion of Indochina and the blockade of China.  Then she was one of the six aircraft carriers of the Kido Butai which attacked the US Fleet at Pearl Harbor.  She and Sōryū were then detached to bolster the attack on Wake Island.  After rejoining the Fleet in Japan, they next supported the invasion of the Duch East Indies, and then attacked Darwin and Java.  The Kido Butai then raided the Indian Ocean, sinking several Royal Navy ships including the aircraft carrier Hermes.  She was one of the four Japanese fleet carriers sent to support the invasion of Midway.  After U.S. Navy dive bombers hit the Akagi, Kaga, and Sōryū, Hiryū remained unscathed and was able to launch two strikes against the USS Yorktown (CV-5) which took her out of the fight. Her reprieve was not to last long, as she was in turn hit by dive bombers from Enterprise and Yorktown which led to her sinking.

Imperial Japanese Navy warships are fascinating, and any new additions to the published works are welcome, particularly in English.  For this book author Stefan Draminski was able to access surviving copies of shipyard drawings from Hiryū’s construction. He has used these to produce detailed line drawings and 3D renders of the ship’s hull and fittings.  Several of these are useful for modelers working on other IJN subjects as many pieces of equipment were common to other ships as well.  The cover lists 600 drawings and 400 3D renders.  I didn’t count them, but that sounds about right.  Several of the drawings are sections of the ship which reveal the internal structures.  There are also several full-page renders which show the aircraft spotted on deck for each wave of the Pearl Harbor strike.

Overall, a beautiful book on an interesting ship.  For the sheer volume of information it is quite a bargain.  It is easy to get lost in this book and spend hours going through the pages.  Highly recommended for all Imperial Japanese Navy fans.

Hasegawa Grumman F4F-4 of LCDR Jimmy Thach in 1/72 Scale

This is LCDR John “Jimmy” Thach’s Wildcat which he flew during the Battle of Midway.  After the loss of USS Lexington (CV-2) at Coral Sea, VF-3 was quickly re-assigned to USS Yorktown (CV-5) for Midway.  Thach was credited with three Zeros while flying this aircraft, but it was pushed over the side after Yorktown was damaged.  Thach survived the war with six victories.  In addition to several Squadron commands, he served as Captain of three aircraft carriers.  Jimmy Thatch retired from the Navy in 1967 as a full Admiral.

This is the Hasegawa kit 51324 (AP24) F4F-4 Wildcat, built with the True Details resin cockpit & wheelwell sets.  This kit has been re-boxed several times with various stock numbers, but all versions contain the same sprues for the F4F-4.  The kit is excellent, but including the True Details set is almost a requirement to dress up the rather Spartan cockpit and close up the otherwise empty wheelwells.  I added some wire & Evergreen details to the interior and wired the engines.  Tailwheels on the carrier-based aircraft were scratched to better represent the solid wheels used there.  Starfighter decals sheet 72-114 was used for the markings.

Hasegawa Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless of LT Dick Best in 1/72 Scale

This aircraft is B-1 of VB-6 from the USS Enterprise (CV-6) during the Battle of Midway, 4 June 1942.  The crew was LT Richard H. Best and Chief Radioman James F. Murray.  This was one of only three SBDs which attacked Akagi, and Best scored the only hit which led to her eventual loss.  Best was also credited with a hit on Hiryu later in the day and was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions.

This is the Hasegawa SBD-3 kit, dive flaps were replaced with Quickboost resin, there’s really no way to get a decent appearance using the kit flaps.  The cockpit was also replaced with resin, canopy sections are from Falcon.  The bomb is from True Details.  The small window forward of the bomb is molded closed, it was opened up and given glass with Micro Krystal Klear.  The landing light is a small section punched from the inside of a candy bar wrapper, these are very reflective.  Decals are from Starfighter’s Midway sheet and performed quite well, as expected. The spinner is True Blue.  This a throwback to the Yellow Wing days, when Enterprise’s air group tail color was Blue.  Enterprise’s call sign was “Blue Base”.

Hasegawa Curtiss SOC Seagull Aboard USS Portland in 1/72 Scale

This SOC Seagull was assigned to VCS-5 and operated from the heavy cruiser USS Portland (CA-33) during the Battle of Midway in June, 1942.  The kit is the 1969 Hasegawa release with decals from Starfighter sheet 72-136.

Construction posts here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2022/03/18/hasegawa-curtiss-soc-seagull-build-in-1-72-scale-part-i/

Vought SB2U Vindicator Color Photographs Part II

A fine study of a U.S. Marine Corps SB2U-3 Vindicator assigned to VMS-131 in the overall Light Gray scheme in use from 30DEC40 through 20AUG41, when the upper surface color was changed to Blue Gray. (NASM, Rudy Arnold archives)

 

A clear, if somewhat dusty, view of the undersides showing several details. The Vindicator was designed to carry floats for water operations if needed. (NASM, Rudy Arnold archives)

 

A Marine VMS-131 Vindicator in flight. The bomb displacement gear under the fuselage was designed to swing the bomb clear of the propeller arc in a dive. Under the wings are practice bomb dispensers. (NASM, Rudy Arnold archives)

 

Several details of the Vindicator’s construction are visible in this view. The aft fuselage and outer wing panels were fabric-covered. The arrangement of the gunner’s canopy sections when stowed forward is also visible. (NASM, Rudy Arnold archives)

 

A section of Marine Vindicators in flight. U.S. Navy and Marine squadrons were organized into six sections of three aircraft for a total of eighteen aircraft. (NASM, Rudy Arnold archives)

 

An SB2U-1 Vindicator in the overall Light Gray scheme in flight. (NASM, Hans Groenhoff archives)

 

The only combat engagements using the Vindicator by U.S. forces were flown by the Marines of VMSB-241 during the Battle of Midway. John Ford filmed these aircraft in color for his documentary of the battle, three screenshots are presented here. White 2 returned from the 4 June mission, but was lost with her crew CAPT Richard E. Fleming and PFC George A. Toms during the 5 June strike against the Japanese cruiser Mikuma. CAPT Fleming flew during all three of VMSB-241s missions during the battle and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions.

 

Aircraft numbered “1” would traditionally be flown by the squadron commander, in this instance that would be the leader of the SB2U-3 unit, MAJ Benjamin W. Norris and his gunner, PFC Arthur B. Whittington. If that is the case then both the crews in this screenshot did not survive, as Norris and Whittington were lost on the evening mission which failed to locate the Japanese fleet. White 3, crewed by 2LT Kenneth O. Campion and PVT Anthony J. Maday, did not return from the first strike.

 

White 6 and White 9 are shown taking off from Midway. White 6 was flown by 2LT James H. Marmande and PFC Edby M. Colvin and was lost during the first Midway mission. The unusual fuselage striping seen on these aircraft was actually four-inch medical tape, doped onto the fuselage fabric as a field-expedient repair. 

More screen captures and analysis of VMSB-241 Vindicators are presented in an earlier post here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2018/11/25/the-sb2u-3-vindicators-of-vmsb-241-during-the-battle-of-midway/

Shattered Sword Book Review

Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway

By Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully

Hardcover in dustjacket, 640 pages, appendices, notes, and index

Published by Potomac Books, November 2005

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1574889230

ISBN-13: 978-1574889239

Dimensions: 7.4 x 1.8 x 10.0 inches

The Battle of Midway is regarded by many historians as the turning point of the war in the Pacific.   Many articles and books have been written about the battle.  Most of them are wrong.

Shattered Sword examines primary source material to tell the story of the Battle of Midway from the Japanese perspective.  Furthermore, the analysis does not just start with the battle, but examines the Japanese plans from a strategic perspective and shows the effect of the Imperial Navy’s doctrine on the conduct of the battle.  The internal competition with the Imperial Army had a much larger role in Japanese naval operations than is generally realized, and this had huge implications in both the campaign planning and distribution of forces.

The authors also take a deep dive into the design and equipment of the four Japanese aircraft carriers at Midway and how these factors affected the operation and employment of the air groups.  By determining what was possible for the ships and crews to do, they have ruled out several persistent myths about what the Japanese did do and have set the record straight.  Doctrine also plays a huge role in the decisions which are made in any engagement, as navies fight as they train.  An Admiral decides what to do when, doctrine determines how those orders are to be executed.  Here again the authors have been able to show why the Japanese fought as they did.

The surviving records have provided several details which are not present in other works on the subject.  The authors have been able to pin down the times of launch for individual aircraft as well as the names of aircrew.  From this they have been able to determine the number of Zeros over the Japanese fleet at any given time during the morning of 04JUN42.  This also conclusively dispels the myth that the Japanese were launching their own strikes against the American carriers when the Dauntless’ dives began.  There are also a few surprising facts revealed in these records, such as the ineffectiveness of the Japanese anti-aircraft fire, which only accounted for two American aircraft.

I am confident that this book will be the definitive history of the Battle of Midway from the Japanese perspective for the foreseeable future, at least in the English language.  There is room for the story to be told from the American viewpoint with the same scholarly rigor and level of detail, but that history is more readily available to the reader even if it is not compiled in one volume.  This is not a quick read, but well worth the time for anyone wanting to understand the Battle of Midway.  Recommended without reservation.