Merchant Ships

This one is rusty and has had masts added.

A tired and rusty old steamer and is sitting high in the water.

A seaplane, catapult and crane has been added to this ship.

Close up of the seaplane in natural aluminum.

The whole fleet in convoy with the Yamato.

Japanese Cargo Ships

Battleship Yamato, in 1/2400 scale.

So the battleship is about 4 1/2 inches long, for size comparison with the freighter.

I have been building Japanese freighters for World War Two.  They basically started off like these two.

Each one got painted a little differently and like this one some got different accessories.  This one sits higher in the water, as if it is empty or lightly loaded, got booms and two smoke stacks.  It really changes the look of the ship.

This one got cargo booms but placed at the rear side of the hatches, and is painted with a green deck.  Note the white camouflage line at the bottom of the hull makes the ship look lower in the water and farther away.

This one has a shorter smoke stack and a gun on the rear.  Booms are a little bit re-arranged. 

Closeup on the guns.

Ships Unload Their Cargo

In the vast reaches of the Pacific Ocean every fly speck of an island has strategic importance.

The ability to stockpile weapons, supplies, ammunition, and fuel is essential for operations here.

Once sleepy ports only visited by the occasional tramp steamer are now thriving ports.

Modern ships refuel at state of the art facilities.

Tankers bring the fuel and supply ships use it for their return run to port.

Smaller ships act as inter-island steamers.

Ships large and small call here.  Given that they are 1/2400 scale, even the large ships are pretty small.

An Uncharted Desert Isle

A small volcanic island.

Somewhere in the South Pacific.

The Imperial Japanese Navy has built a supply base.

Ships of all kinds off load and load supplies.

Sometimes they make use of the repair facilities. 

Ships more and more frequently wear camouflage paint to disguise the speed, distance, and course from Allied submarines.