日本陸軍　特殊船「神洲丸」昭和１７年頃(1/700 二コモデル）
IJA Assult ship/aircraft carrier (official name:special ship) Shinshumaru 1942(Nikomodel)

参考文献：
　大日本絵画「戦時輸送船ビジュアルガイド」「日本陸軍の船艇」
　靖国神社所蔵「神洲丸」図面
　　　
Reference document:
　　　　　　　　　Dainihon kaiga "visual guide of merchant vessels during WW2""IJA Ships"
Blueprints preserved on Yasukuni Shrine

　二コモデル製のレジンキットをベースに制作いたしました。
　
　キットにはエッチングパーツも同梱されていて、殆どアフターパーツのいらない構成になっています。
　主だった追加部品は防舷材のタイヤと浮輪くらいでしょうか（両方１．５ｍｍプラ棒に穴をあけて輪切りにしたもので再現）。
　日本最初の陸軍空母・揚陸艦にしてＲＯＲＯ船という船舶の歴史上重要な船ですが、そもそもの扱いが機密だったためあまり有名な船ではありません。
　尚、名前の「洲」の字は当時既にさんずいのない「州」の字も使われていました。
　靖国神社の資料室になぜか残されていた図面は概略図と実際の建造に使われた施工図面の細かな部位のもので、あまり模型製作には役立ちませんでした。
　二コモデル製のキットは中国に派遣された際の姿をベースに、電路を追加した日米開戦後の姿を現しており、艦橋前の左右の張り出しに設置される予定だったカタパルト（本来この船のために設計された呉式五号射出機）は 入っておらず、代わりに左舷側にだけ設置されていた（日中戦争中イギリス軍の撮影した写真に写っている）、おそらく水上機を引き出すための台だけが部品化されていました。
　神州丸が飛行機を実戦で発進させた機会は、昭和一二年九月二三日、白河々口から乗船した独立飛行第四中隊（中支那方面軍　松井石根大将隷下、九四式偵察機九機を装備、 神崎清大尉（３６期）隊長）を分解格納、船内で組み立てて、上海方面へ洋上から発進させた一回きりでした。

This model is based on resin kit from Polish maker, Niko model.
Kit included photo-eched parts, and there were less need to add extra parts. I only made tires and lifesaving materials by myself.
During the first Shanghai incident(1932),IJA made assault-before enemy landing ,and from that mission, japanese arimy learned difficurlty of shifting soildiers fromk ship to l anding boat in front of enemy.that made decision to make landingcraft tender.
However, IJN had no know-how to build such ship, so they asked navy shipbuilding inst.itute to help building the ship. &nb sp;The first draft was very amazing and considered as not available. so, navy institute had remodeled the first draft and made better and practical.
As reusult , the ships shape looked as modern RORO ship or vheecle tranceporter (it were amazing on that day).
she was first plannned to equip 3 4000HP diesel engine, 3 shafts, but in reality, she equiped turbine engine with IJN kanponshiki boilor, 1 shaft, 7000HP.but speed did not change.she was capable to make 20.4knots.
IJA named this ship "shinshu maru ", began constructing (there are several dates by refference) in april 1933 at Harima zosen, delivered in 30th november, and coplete celemony were held in Ushuina, december 15th.
She also had another names as "Ryujo maru(sane asIJN Ryujo)", "MT ship"(meaning military tranceporter, or coming from name of director, Matsuda and Tajiri), "GL ship" (maybe came from meaning of ship, GODLAND).
Ships identity was "special ship". she was actually the very first assult ship and army aircraft carrier.
After damaged in 1943 by friendly fire from CA Mogami,she was salvaged.after that, she seems to have removed large crane and catapults,add AAgun deck, and sunk in 1944 by both air and submarine attack.


The most identicle equipment of Shinshumaru is boat launching deck.It penetrates ship from stern to stem, and there were 2 doors (opens upward) on stem, 1 each on side to slip ship out.
there were pull wire on roof of ship, and she was capable to lauch landing boat one by one in very short time.
The door on side was consisted by 6 plates, and gantry crane was stored inside. rails were pulled out from upper door.
There were also boat deck on stern, middle and stem.
The front boat deck had large derrick post with large crane (said to be capable 30t), and this crane was also used to carry aircrafts and catapults.this large crane seems to have been removed in 1944.
Middle deck equiped small motorboats called "shohatsu", and takendown by davids.
Stem deck carried small rapid boats and armored boats to protect landing boats.
Second identicle point is capability to carry aircrafts.
Though she had no way. to return aircrafts, she had capability to lauch aircrafts from catapults on both side. aircrafts were assembled in deck called "horse deck".
Compared to normal tranceporter ,which takes at reast few days to assemble and adjust, she had capability to make airpower on first day of mission.
The only chance to lauch aircrafts were in 23th september 1937.
The independent 4th airunit(equiped 9 of type94 recon plane, captain Kiyoshi Kanzaki) , carried from Shirakawa ,were assembled inship, and launched to Shanghai.
She had 2 funnels. but only thin,small one was real one. another large funnel was originated as battleship Hyuga, and it were add to hide aircraft deck, and pretend as if IJA has several type of ship.
size of ship was originaly designed as 445of 60 feet, 135.6m of18.3m.
It were enlarged to 144m of 22m. but width of waterline is about 19m.

＜艦橋＞

　艦橋の窓はレジンむくのまま、つやありの黒で窓を表現しています。
　おそらく夜間荷役や停泊時の海上警戒に使われると思われる探照灯はキットのままです。 　透明部品に置き換えようと思いましたが、不使用時は白い防水布で梱包されているはずですので、そのように塗装で表現しています。 serchlights are painted as if it is covered by waterproof canvas.
＜マスト＞

　マストは０．５ｍｍ真鍮線製。ヤードは０．２ｍｍ真鍮線を使用。
　空中線は、０．０１５ｍｍ鋼線製です。
　艦隊運動に必要な信号灯は当時装備していたのか不明なため、とりつけていません。
　
　＜ボートデッキ＞ 　
　ボートデッキには、初めて目にする装甲艇が部品化されていました。 　
　ウインチ・ウィンドラス等もキットのレジンパーツのままです。
　
　There is armored boat on boat deck.
　
　

her mast is made of 0.5 and 0.2mm brass line.
Antenna lines are made of 0.15mm steel wire.
she may have equiped signal lights to make fleet movement, but it is not confirmed.

＜機銃・高角砲＞

　対空兵装は、短艇甲板と、後ろデリック付近に八八式７ｃｍ高射砲を二基づつ、船尾の船尾門開閉指揮所に２０ｍｍ機関砲を２基(後に４基）装備していました。
　太平洋戦争開戦時の装備は高射砲６、機関砲４、野砲１でした。
　レジン製の高角砲・機銃は非常に繊細な出来でした。高角砲は砲の角度を選べる仕様になっていました。


Shinshumaru equiped 4 of type 88 7cm AAguns on upper deck, and 2 single 20mm AA machineguns on watchdecck of stem door.
At the beggining of pacific war,dditonal 2 machineguns and one field gun was add.
In 1944, 8 basement of guns are confirmed by photo, but front deck seems to be empty.
＜塗装＞
　塗装は明るめのグレー、軍艦色１で塗装しています。
　今回初めて、木甲板の強調にタミヤのスミ入れ塗料・ブラウンを使ってみました。
　左舷側にだけ、弱冠の錆汚れをパステルで入れてあります。


Shinshumaru,s color was painted in gray (gunkan-iro, warship color).
Maybe she was repainted in green carmo in 1944.
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