Tamiya 78023 - 1:350 Mogami Japanese Heavy Cruiser

Plastic model kit of the Japanese heavy cruiser Mogami in 1/350 scale

Before Mogami became the aviation cruiser with the unmistakable silhouette, she spent the first months of the Pacific war as a classic Japanese heavy cruiser: five twin 20.3 cm turrets, four triple mounts for 610 mm torpedoes and a top speed of around 35 knots. Tamiya 78023 recreates exactly that configuration — after her rearmament from 15.5 cm guns and before the rebuilding of her stern into an aircraft deck.

The kit is based on 2010 tooling, which added new parts to the 78021 moulds: the bridge and the fore and aft masts. The model, approximately 573 mm long and 76 mm wide when built, can be assembled as a waterline or a full hull version; the hull is split along the sides and the large structural sections are joined with screws. The main and secondary turrets, the torpedo launchers and the catapult all remain movable once assembled, and the 20.3 cm barrels can be set at normal or anti-aircraft elevation.

What's in the box:

• Plastic sprues, including new parts for the bridge and the fore and aft masts
• Clear parts
• Photo-etched parts (crane, catapult, aircraft propellers, trolleys)
• Metal anchor chains
• Metal propeller shafts
• ABS masts
• Main and secondary turrets, torpedo launchers and catapult that remain movable once assembled
• 20.3 cm barrels that can be set at normal or anti-aircraft elevation
• 2 Mitsubishi F1M and 4 Aichi E13A floatplanes
• Stands for displaying the aircraft in flight
• Parts to build the model as either a waterline or a full hull version
• Waterslide decal sheet for the markings
• Display stand
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Model specifications:

• Scale: 1/350
• Product number: 78023
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Model length: approx. 573 mm, width: approx. 76 mm
• Version: waterline or full hull (display stand included)
• Skill level: beginner/intermediate (large, elaborate kit with photo-etched parts)

Note: The kit does not include glue, paints or modelling tools. The model is intended for self-assembly.

Building the model:

The screw-joined sub-assemblies keep the long hull rigid from the outset, and the side-split hull makes it easy to align the halves. Choose between the waterline and the full hull version before starting work on the lower hull. Setting the barrels at anti-aircraft elevation is an attractive option if you are planning a diorama showing the ship fighting off an air attack. The photo-etched parts — crane, catapult, propellers and trolleys — are best fixed with cyanoacrylate glue and handled with precision tweezers, while the ABS masts need an adhesive intended for that material.

For the paintwork, the greys used on Japanese warships are recommended (e.g. Tamiya XF-75 IJN Grey (Kure Arsenal)), a light brown for the wooden deck areas (e.g. XF-78 Wooden Deck Tan) and red for the underwater hull (e.g. XF-9 Hull Red) on the full hull version. The F1M and E13A floatplanes are finished in Imperial Japanese naval aviation colours. Paint codes are given in the instructions. Applying the decals over a gloss coat helps to avoid decal silvering, and a matt varnish makes a suitable final finish.

Tools you will need:

• Modelling side cutters for removing parts from the sprues
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up sprue gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• ABS adhesive and cyanoacrylate glue for the photo-etched and metal parts
• A screwdriver for the hull screws
• Precision modelling tweezers
• Brushes in various sizes
• Model paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Wash to emphasise detail

About the ship – Mogami:

Mogami was the lead ship of a class designed in the shadow of the London Naval Treaty. The vessels were completed as light cruisers with 15.5 cm guns, but their hulls were laid out from the start with later rearmament in mind. Once the treaty limits were set aside, the triple turrets gave way to twin 20.3 cm turrets, producing a fast, heavily armed cruiser with a formidable torpedo battery.

It was in this form that Mogami began the Pacific war, taking part in the operations of its first year. The turning point came at the Battle of Midway in June 1942: during a night manoeuvre she collided with her sister ship Mikuma and was badly damaged. The repair work became an opportunity for a thorough rebuild, after which Mogami returned to service as an aviation cruiser with an aircraft deck aft.

She fought on until the autumn of 1944. During the Battle of Leyte Gulf, in the action in the Surigao Strait, she was heavily damaged and was scuttled by her own side on 25 October 1944. Tamiya 78023 depicts her in her early-war configuration, still with the full set of five main turrets.

Original specifications (Mogami as a heavy cruiser):

• Standard displacement: approx. 12,400 t
• Length: 200.6 m
• Power: 152,000 hp
• Maximum speed: 35 knots
• Main armament: 5 twin 20.3 cm turrets (10 guns)
• Dual-purpose armament: 4 twin 12.7 cm mounts
• Anti-aircraft armament: 25 mm and 13 mm mounts
• Torpedo armament: 4 triple 610 mm torpedo tube mounts
• Aircraft: reconnaissance floatplanes
• Crew: approx. 850
• Sunk: 25 October 1944 following the action in the Surigao Strait

About the manufacturer – Tamiya:

Tamiya Corporation is a Japanese model company founded in 1946 by Yoshio Tamiya in Shizuoka, regarded as the heart of the Japanese model industry. The company began in the timber trade and wooden model production, and released its first plastic model kit in 1960. The brand is known for extremely precise injection moulds and excellent parts fit, which is why its kits are equally popular with beginners and experienced modellers. In its 1/350 warship kits Tamiya combines plastic sprues with photo-etched parts, ABS components and metal details, and joins the large hull sections with screws to keep a big model rigid. The instructions are clear, richly illustrated and include paint codes from the manufacturer's own range. Alongside plastic kits, Tamiya offers a full range of modelling accessories: paints, glues, tools and brushes. Today the company is present in dozens of countries and remains one of the best-known brands in the hobby.