British Destroyer vs German Destroyer Narvik 1940. Duel 88

Published: March 2, 2022
Book Author(s): David Greentree & David Campbell
Company: Osprey Publishing

Thanks to Osprey Publishing for the review copy and IPMSUSA for the opportunity to review!

This book is a revisit to the naval battles at Narvik, Norway, relatively early in WW2, after the “Phony War” during the winter of 1939-1940. Unlike other Osprey books, this issue is 80 pages (not counting the front/back covers) and packed with expert interpretation and technical facts. The two Battles of Narvik had greater strategic importance than first glance would suggest, but also was the largest scale of destroyer vs. destroyer action in the European theatre.

This book has eleven sections:

• Introduction
• Chronology
• Design & Development
• Technical Specifications
• The Combatant
• The Strategic Situation
• Combat
• … more

Naval Archives Volume 9. Radetzky-class – Forgotten Battleships of the Forgotten Navy

Published: October 28, 2018
Book Author(s): Damian Majsak
Company: Kagero Publishing

Thanks to Casemate Publishing & IPMSUSA for the review copy!

Kagero Publishing’s latest installment of its Naval Archives – Volume 9 – is a softbound European A4 size with only one page of ads – for Kagero Publishing books. You get five feature articles with detailed text and photographs plus drawings, and sprinkled in between, two-page color layouts of specific ships. The last 10 pages live up to Kagero3D’s name with 3D CG drawings of the WW2 Kriegsmarine destroyer Z37 in its early fit (before its 1945 “Barbara” antiaircraft gun enhancement), and a red/green plastic eyeglass is included to visualize the 3D effect.

The main features start with the front cover title - a well-researched article on the design, building and appearance of the Radetzky class of… more

IJN 14cm Barrels Without or With Blast Bags Sets

Published: October 21, 2018
Company: Master Model

What You Get

A 2 ¾ by 5 1/8 inch 2-piece cardboard card wrapped in clear plastic containing a small Ziploc bag with Instructions and another card with a small plastic bag holding 20 barrels taped to the card (Figure 1). For no blast bag mounts (-058), each barrel is 7mm long with a 1mm tab at the end. For mounts with blast bags, each barrel is 4.5mm long with a 1mm tab at the end (Figure 2). The tip has a fine hole that is difficult to see, but it’s there.

These barrels are intended for Ise and Nagato battleship classes (secondary armament), Hosho aircraft carrier, Tenryu, Kuma, Nagara, Sendai, Yubari, and Katori light cruiser classes, and tenders Nisshin, Itsukushima, Okinoshima, and Jingei (Figure 3). Other auxiliaries and armed merchant cruisers carried this… more

USS North Carolina (BB-55) From WWII Combat to Museum Ship

Published: February 10, 2020
Book Author(s): David Doyle
Company: David Doyle Books

David Doyle has written over 100 books, mostly on military subjects, including a Squadron At Sea book about the North Carolina from 2011. This book is one of the Legends of Warfare – Naval series for Schiffer Publishing, a well-researched history and photo album of America’s first “modern” battleship – USS North Carolina, BB-55. Since the North Carolina is a museum ship anchored off Wilmington, North Carolina, most of the book is a color photo tour of the ship inside and out. This book is an excellent resource for modelers of the North Carolina and of WWII US Navy common fittings.

You get a 9x9 inch hardbound book consisting of Acknowledgements, Introduction and five Chapters (Construction, Commissioning, To War, Layup and Disposal, and Preservation). The pages are thick, semi-… more

The Japanese Cruiser Maya 16058

Published: February 3, 2020
Book Author(s): Waldemar Goralski & Dariusz Miszczak
Company: Kagero Publishing

Thanks to Casemate Books for the review copy!

Kagero Publishing has produced a large number of WW2 warship books from their Super Drawings in 3D series, focusing on a single ship at a particular point in time (appearance). 16058 illustrates the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) Maya in its final 1944 so-called Anti-Aircraft (AA) fit. Maya was one of the four Takao class heavy cruisers important to IJN naval efforts in WW2. Damage from a bomb hit from US carrier planes while at Rabaul in 1943 led to Maya becoming the first AA conversion of IJN five-turret heavy cruisers. The C turret (closest to the bridge) was replaced by two of the ubiquitous 127mm/40 Type 89 twin open antiaircraft mounts, along with additional 25mm mounts (triple and single) throughout the ship. Maya shipped six… more

The Japanese Destroyer Shimakaze

Published: October 24, 2021
Book Author(s): Mariusz Motyka
Company: Kagero Publishing

Thanks to Casemate Books for the review copy!

Kagero Publishing has produced a large number of WW2 single-warship books from their Super Drawings in 3D series. Each book has roughly 80 pages (82 for Shimakaze), beginning with a short biography of the ship followed by a wealth of CG (computer-generated), three-dimensional, full-color drawings and a 1:200 scale B&W line drawing foldout of side/top views and details of fittings and close-ups on the obverse side.

These are reference works of the highest quality, detail and interest for modelers. All sorts of views, and close-ups of ship sections, and fittings (turrets, boats, torpedo tubes, masts, radars, etc.) are exquisitely illustrated in accurate color. Their detail is so well studied that this book listed the… more

The Japanese Cruiser Maya 16058

Published: February 3, 2020
Book Author(s): Waldemar Goralski & Dariusz Miszczak
Company: Kagero Publishing

Thanks to Casemate Publishing for the review copy!

Kagero Publishing has produced a large number of WW2 warship books from their Super Drawings in 3D series, focusing on a single ship at a particular point in time (appearance). 16058 illustrates the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) Maya in its final 1944 so-called Anti-Aircraft (AA) fit. Maya was one of the four Takao class heavy cruisers important to IJN naval efforts in WW2. Damage from a bomb hit from US carrier planes while at Rabaul in 1943 led to Maya becoming the first AA conversion of IJN five-turret heavy cruisers. The C turret (closest to the bridge) was replaced by two of the ubiquitous 127mm/40 Type 89 twin open antiaircraft mounts, along with additional 25mm mounts (triple and single) throughout the ship. Maya shipped… more

United States WW2 Naval Ensigns (Flags)

Published: June 23, 2021
Company: Eduard

Thanks to Eduard for supplying the set.

Bottom Line: At first glance these steel, foldable flags look bright and colorful, but there are a few limitations. On a real model, they are good enough. Not to mention the unspoken scandal of oversized flags for all 1/700 WW2 warships kits, decals or paper. In that case, Eduard’s flags are at least good enough, sturdier and more flexible than other options.

Aftermarket Upgrade Parts Set Review

Flag Facts

The national flag flying on US Navy ships is called the national ensign (I prefer to use the more common term flags in this review). The blue flag with white stars generally flown at the bow of US Navy ships is called the Union Jack (jack). The jack is the same size as the blue part of the… more

US Flush-deck Destroyers 1916-1945

Published: February 3, 2020
Book Author(s): Mark Lardas
Company: Osprey Publishing

Thanks to Osprey Publishing for the review copy!

Mark Lardas is a real “rocket scientist” who has worked on Space Shuttle analytics and navigation. He is also an accomplished author with at least ten books on naval topics, and a model maker as well. See his website for more details (www.marklardas.com).

New Vanguard 259 covers the large number of WW I era US Navy destroyers known as the flush-deckers and four-pipers, another overlooked topic. Like other Osprey books, this issue is 48 pages (not counting the front/back covers) – enough for an excellent synopsis of design, characteristics and historical highlights of these warship classes.

This book provides three one-page illustrations of specific actions, three one-page… more

Italian Cruisers of World War II

Published: May 20, 2018
Book Author(s): Mark Stille; Illustrator: Paul Wright
Company: Osprey Publishing

Mark Stille is a retired Commander of the US Navy and has written a succession of books for Osprey Publishing on naval topics. He continues as an intelligence analyst at the Pentagon. New Vanguard 258 covers Italian cruisers of World War Two, an overlooked topic. This book joints Stille’s previous Osprey Vanguard 182 book on WW2 Italian Battleships (previously reviewed for IPMSUSA in 2011). Like other Osprey books, this issue is 48 pages (not counting the front/back covers) – not enough for an in-depth treatment of WW2 Regia Marina cruisers, but enough for an excellent synopsis of design, characteristics and history of each ship.

This book provides four pages of full-color side profiles of specific Italian cruisers, a two-page cutaway illustration of the Pola, a heavy cruiser,… more