Trumpeter 05702 1/700 US Battleship BB-62 New Jersey 1983

This is a plastic model kit, which comes unassembled and unpainted. So glue, model paints and other basic modelling tools are additionally required.

The construction of BB-61 Iowa began on 16 September 1940 in the New York Navy Yard. as the first Ship of Iowa class battleships. The Iowa class was Planned with a view to rival the super battleships. (Yamato class-to-be) planned by Japan, which withdrew from Washington and London Treaty in 1936. According to its design, the Iowa class was 45,000 tons (the very limit to the London Treaty), nine 16in/50cal guns in three batteries, and speed 33 knots. The speed was decided under precautions against the Japanese Knots class battleships, which boasted of speed 30 knots. To fulfill those conditions, its engine compartment for a high-power engine needed to be large. However, the width of US warships Was limited to 33m. Because the US faced two oceans and its ships had to pass through the Panama Canal. Inevitably, the waterline of the Iowa class was as long as 262m. Iowa entered service on 22 February 1943 and experienced several battles in the Pacific Ocean with New Jersey, her sister Ship. The next year she participated in Battle of Leyte Gulf. Then she and New Jersey Were expected to confront with Adm. Kuritas freet inchlding Yamato and Musashi. It was, however, not realized because of Adm. Ozawas decoy operation and Kuritas mysterious U-turn. In April 1945 Iowa, which had been repaired in the US, returned to the Battle of Okinawa and supported landing attacks with her bombardment. Against it the Japanese Navy ordered Yamato and 9 warships to Okinawa. On the way Yamato was sunk by aerial attacks by US aircraft carriers. After all the fight of the super battleships between the US and Japan was forever unrealized. By the way the comparison between Iowa and Yamato is often treated in some technical books. Certainly Yamato (18in guns, 41cm armor) exceeds Iowa (16in guns, 31cm armor) in gunnery and armor. However, Iowa is faster by 6 knots and discharges more shells in one minute than Yamato. And Yamatos 15m rangefinders gave tremendous precision, but was no match for Iowas radars. All these conditions considered, it is difficult to decide which is better. In a night battle, Yamato could have been one-sidedly hit by Iowa. Moreover, the supremacy of naval force had been switched from battleships to aircrafts when the two were constructed. From that point of view, Iowa was more powerful I that she served as the escort of aircraft carriers. The outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950 brought back Iowa, which had been I mothballs after the WW ,TO THE BATTLEFIELD. IN April 1952 she succeeded the flags