#753 IJN Cruiser Jintsū

Building the Fujimi 1:700 kit of the IJN Cruiser Jintsū (神通) (じんつう).

Build

Notes

Japanese cruiser Jintsū (神通) (じんつう) was the second vessel completed in the three-ship Sendai-class.

oni-sendai

oni-sendai-2

Commissioned in 1925, On 13 July 1943 in the Battle of Kolombangara, she was discovered during a night attack by American ships and sunk in combat.

Key events from the record of movement:

8 December 1923: Launched at 0800 and named JINTSU.
October 1931: The Kure Type No. 2 Model 2 catapult, previously tested aboard KINU, is transferred to JINTSU. An Aichi E3A1 Type 90 Mod. 1 reconnaissance floatplane is embarked.
6 December 1941: Operation “M” - The Attack on the Southern Philippines
12 December 1941: The Invasion of Legaspi, Luzon
17 December 1941: Operation “M” - The Attack on the Southern Philippines
19/20 December 1941: The Invasion of Davao, Philippines.
23 December 1941: The Invasion of Jolo, Philippines.
9 January 1942: Operation “H” - The Invasion of Celebes, Netherlands East Indies
17 January 1942: JINTSU launches a reconnaissance floatplane, probably a Kawanishi E7K2 “Alf”. The pilot claims downing a Dutch Lockheed A-29 “Hudson” light bomber near Menado. The victory is short-lived because soon thereafter, the floatplane is shot down.
31 January 1942: The Invasion of Ambon Island, Netherlands East Indies
27 February 1942: The Battle of the Java Sea
28 May 1942: Operation “MI” - The Battle of Midway
24 August 1942: The Battle of the Eastern Solomons
31 January 1943: Operation “KE” - The Evacuation of Guadalcanal
13 July 1943: The Battle of Kolombangara: sunk
- Transport Group from Buin, carrying troops and equipment to be landed at Vila on Kolombangara Island
- at 0036, a PBY Catalina reports the sighting of the Japanese squadron to Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth, leading Task Group 36.1
- At 0108, JINTSU snaps on her searchlights to illuminate Ainsworth’s force. Two minutes later she is taken under the radar-controlled fire of three cruisers.
- Around 0145 a torpedo hits JINTSU at starboard aft engine room. A massive explosion follows; the cruiser breaks in two abaft the middle funnel and sinks three minutes later at 07-38S, 157-06E.

Finding of the Wreck

February 2019: Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen’s research vessel RV PETREL locates the wreck of JINTSU a depth of 2,952 ft. Her bow section is lying on her port side while the stern section is upright.

The Wreck of IJN Jintsu – Blown in Two, Yet Remarkably Preserved

The Kit

The Fujimi Kit No. 40123 is a 1st generation tooling from 1973.

I’ve used a few upgrades, though these are far from essential:

Ocean Spirit No. H034 1:700 - replace the catapult with a nicely details PE part
Tetra Model Works No. SA-70016 1:700 - railings
Ocean Spirit No. H049 1:700 - pullies for rigging
Sky Wave Series Pit-Road No. E12 1:700 for the E7K1 float plane to replace the E8N included in the kit

Paint Scheme - Jintsū

Feature	Color	Recommended	Paint Used
		H8
		H11
		H12
hull		H17	H17
		H18
Deck		H37	H37
Superstructure		H83	H83
	flat red	H13/H3+H20

Paint Scheme - E7K1

The Fujimi kit includes an Nakajima E8N Navy Type 95 Reconnaissance Seaplane Model 1 but it appears most likely that Jintsū normally carried an Kawanishi E7K2 Navy Type 94 Reconnaissance Seaplane Model 2.

For the plane, I’ve used an E7K1 from Sky Wave Series Equipment For Japanese Navy Ships-WW2 (Set 7) Pit-Road No. E12 1:700.