IJN Chokai
by Dan Kaplan

1/700 IJN Chokai (Aoshima)

It’s hard to be a fan of IJN ships without putting the Takao class of heavy cruisers near the top of the favorites list. When I first built them years ago, I found the old Aoshima kits to be severely lacking in detail and was thrilled when PitRoad released new versions of the Takao class. I purposely held off building a new version until I felt that my skills had improved enough to do a new kit justice. By the time I felt ready, Aoshima had released its own newly tooled kits of the class.

My original plan had been to build a one of the class for experience and familiarity before tackling a late war ship. Most people tend to do Takao or Maya, and I wanted something a little different, so I chose Chokai as fitted during the Guadalcanal campaign.

I encountered several unexpected surprises while researching her. My first: I grew to feel that Chokai probably amassed the most notable record of her class, especially in ship vs. ship action. Her performance as Admiral Mikawa’s flagship at the Battle of Savo Island, and during the early part of the Guadalcanal campaign, was particularly outstanding.

My second surprise was that the newest Aoshima tooling, specifically the clear bridge version, was far more accurate for any of the wartime fits for Chokai than the PitRoad version. And my third surprise was that I found few, if any, correct representations of her as fitted during the Guadalcanal campaign. Most such representations appear to be a mix of fits from pre and very early war.

Predictably, Chokai quickly became my favorite Takao class sister and I ditched any thought of a less than thorough build. Chokai was an unusually focused & intense effort, 9 months without working on any other model. I think she turned out very well but now I’m all Chokai’d out.

The increased accuracy and detail not withstanding, the kit still requires some corrections and scratchbuilding. For those who are curious, the PitRoad and Aoshima versions are very similar in breakdown, but not interchangeable. In the end, I found I could only use the 4.7cm HA mount bases (more accurate) and also chose to kitbash the PitRoad bridge facing as I thought the detail was more appealing.

I apologize for some of the lousy lighting in the photos. I will resubmit better photos in the future.

Corrections

  1. Kitbashed Pitroad Chokai bridge face & 4.7cm HA mount gun tubs
  2. AA fit, bridge fittings and mainmast for mid 1942
  3. Replaced 40+ deck vents with brass mushroom vents – 4 sizes
  4. Replaced reels, anchor chain, bow bulkworks
  5. Raised mantlets for 4.7cm HA mounts, added louvers
  6. Replaced a/c trolley rails with PE rails.
  7. Corrected a/c hangar vents

Scratch built (from styrene unless noted otherwise)

  1. Degaussing cable
  2. 20cm turret vents for heat shield lagging from brass ladders
  3. Foremast platforms and yardarms, entire mainmast except boom, 4.7cm HA barrels, jack staffs, antenna, funnel piping & vents, small boat boom, lookout binoculars, f/c voice tubes, all from brass rod (.016, .014, .012, .010, .008, .006”)
  4. Brass funnel & ventilator grills (forward funnel, bridge intakes – 2 positions)
  5. Trestle support for fore funnel
  6. Signal lights/rear mast array, running lights, maneuvering signals on mainmast
  7. Torpedo rudder adjustment table/hatches
  8. Canvas coverings (paint)
  9. Boat rigging & boat straps (paper)
  10. Anchor hawse pipes and covers – 2 sets
  11. Biplane struts and propeller
  12. Drilled out portholes (per references), searchlights – aluminum/Future fill
  13. Rigging – aerial and running lines (per references) – Dai Riki .002”

Painted in Kure Grey, hull red & IJN linoleum

Pictorial References

Dan Kaplan


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