Tamiya 31342 Japanese Heavy Cruiser Mikuma

Mikuma was a Japanese heavy cruiser whose keel was laid in 1931, launched in March 1934, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in July 1935. The length of the ship at the time of launching was 197 m, width 18 m, and the actual full displacement, after modifications - 13,400 tons. The maximum speed of cruiser Mikuma was up to 37 knots! At the outbreak of World War II, the main armament was 10 203 mm guns in five twin turrets, and the additional armament included: 8 127 mm guns and 12 610 mm torpedo tubes.

Mikuma was the second cruiser of the Mogami class. Cruisers of this type were originally built light to meet the requirements of the Washington Disarmament Treaty of 1922. Moreover, at the time of launch, they displaced only 9,500 tons, instead of the 10,000 tons provided for by this treaty for cruisers. At the same time, they had powerful artillery in the form of as many as 15 155 mm cannons in five turrets of three guns! The Japanese designers, however, assumed a later retrofitting of this type of units with 203 mm guns already at the design stage, which actually happened later. As one of the first Japanese ships, welding techniques were used in their construction, but due to the low experience of the shipyards in this field, it led to problems in operation - as did the wrong center of gravity. In the course of modernization, these defects were removed on all units of this type. The combat trail of the cruiser Mikuma in World War II began in December 1941 with support for Japanese actions in the area of French Indochina and landings in Malaya. He also took part in the landing in Borneo at that time. Shortly after - in February 1942 - the cruiser took part in the Battle of the Sunda Strait. In April of the same year, he took part in a Japanese fleet rally to the Indian Ocean. Mikuma also took part in the Battle of Midway (June 1942) where, as a result of a navigational error, she was rammed and severely damaged by the twin cruiser Mogami. Shortly thereafter, as a result of an attack by American cabin aviation, Mikuma sank - on June 6, 1942.