1/350 IJN Yukikaze, (??, "Snowy Wind"), Kagero class DD, Summer,1943

Having thoroughly enjoyed my building of the 1/350 kit Tamiya Kagero destroyer kit as Kuroshio back in 2024, I began a second build of this kit. As with Kuroshio, I chose a 1943 fit, but in this instance, the configuration here exemplifies a mid to late 1943 fit for a Kagero class destroyer, as opposed to Kuroshio’s early 1943 fit. While there are countless builds of Yukikaze and her sisters in early and late war fits (as the Yukikaze and Kagero Tamiya kits represent), there are very few in this interim fit.

In late May 1943, Yukikaze’s foremast had been partially modified in anticipation of mounting a Type 22 radar upon it, but the radar was not yet available. So, the platform and mounting braces were installed, though the upper portion of the mast was not yet converted to a single pole.

Yukikaze also retained her three main turrets at this time, added a 25mm AA twin mount in front of the bridge, and upgraded the 25mm AA mounts to either side of funnel #2 from twin to triple barrels. Roll-off depth charge racks were added to the stern and new ECM passive radar detectors were added to her bridge face. Auxiliary voice tubes were also utilized as a back-up measure.

Yukikaze was photographed in this mid war configuration at Rabaul on July 11, 1943, the day before the Battle of Kolambangara. Yukikaze at Rabaul (Wiki link) [1] There, her ECM detectors successfully alerted the Japanese to the American presence 30 minutes prior to the actual engagement.

I again used the Tamiya 1/350 Kagero kit and Infini’s comprehensive 1/350 Kagero class and Torpedo Trolley photo etch sets for this build. As before, the kit was a real pleasure to put together, and the Infini sets for it are well matched. Fit for both the injection and photoetch parts was excellent. The one real nitpick with the Tamiya kit are the seam gaps at the back of the main turrets, but the Infini set supplies a turret back plate to cover it. Also, there are custom torpedo adjustment tables placed atop the aft deckhouse instead of erroneous mushroom vents. _ _

Note that the Imperial Japanese Navy used white painted upper works for IFF identification on its ships through the latter part of 1942 into 1943, and these are not commonly depicted on IJN destroyer models. Also not commonly depicted are the exposed, flexible voice tubes utilized as a contingency communications mode. Meager documentation hampers such efforts, but some photography does exist.

Yukikaze’s funnel markings are representative of her assignment to DesDiv16 while a member of DesRon 10 as she came out of refit at Kure in late May 1943. As an aside, both the white funnel bands and white upper yards were temporarily painted out as she rotated through several commands on an ad hoc basis in the summer of 1943, including while she participated at Kolambangara. _ _

Tamiya 1/350 Kagero class kit

Injected replacement parts:
• * Finemolds 7m cutters, 25mm AA guns, 90cm searchlight lens, masthead & 2kw lights
• *Selected mushroom vents from Aoshima, FineMolds, and Hasegawa

Photo Etch
• *Infini Kagero class comprehensive photo etch set with turned brass barrels, yardarms, etc.
• *Infini Torpedo Trolley set, which includes turned brass paravane winch parts, torpedo bodies, torpedo trolley rails, and numerous tie-down mounts.

3D Printed
• *Five Star IJN Speedometer Baskets

Corrections
• *Replaced hawser reels with Infini PE and styrene drums
• *Replaced erroneous vents atop aft deck house with proper torpedo adjustment tables
• *Stiffening bands eliminated from #s 2 and 3 turrets
• *Drilled out lightening holes under forward torpedo stowage bays

Scratch-built
• *Fore and mainmast legs from brass rod, soldered together with yardarms
• *Foremast platform extension for eventual radar placement
• *Forward AA bandstand (in front of bridge) from brass and styrene
• *Exhaust piping for auxiliary diesel generator (around mainmast)
• *Torpedo adjustment tables
• *Canvas coverings (paint)
• *Boat straps (paper) and rigging
• *Damage control lumber
• *Rigging (per references) - Infini Lycra line 40 denier
• *Ardois lights hanging from the foremast.
• *Voice tubes

References
• *1/200 plan set for Kagero from Miyukikai
• *Gakken #19
• *Gran Prix Shuppan Anatomy of IJN Destroyers
• *Kojinsha Mechanisms of IJN Destroyers
• *Kajinsha (Ships of the World Special) History of Japanese Destroyers- vol. #435, 1992 & revised vol. #772, 2013
• *Kure Maritime Museum - IJN Destroyer volume
• *Model Art Ship Modeling Special # 30, Genealogy of Japanese Destroyers Part 3, winter, 2008
• *Maru Special # 41
• *Selected photos from the Shizuo Fukui collection 2 vol. set