Tamiya 1/700 Sakura. Blooming great!

 This looks a nice little Japanese  destroyer. Let's see what I can make of this one...

Sakura 桜 or 櫻, "cherry blossom" was one of 18 Matsu-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the final stages of World War II. Completed in late 1944, the ship was assigned to convoy escort duties in February 1945. She was slightly damaged when she struck a mine in May. Sakura sank after striking another mine near Osaka on 11 July with heavy loss of life.

And I'm going to make a model of this...

Another nice little box cover. 

Designed for ease of production, the Matsu class was smaller, slower and more lightly armed than previous destroyers as the IJN intended them for second-line duties like escorting convoys, releasing the larger ships for missions with the fleet.

The long side has a couple of ideas for future projects. Looks suspiciously like the same class ship heading in the opposite direction...

The ships measured 100 meters (328 ft 1 in) long overall, with a beam of 9.35 meters (30 ft 8 in) and a draft of 3.3 meters (10 ft 10 in). Their crew numbered 210 officers and enlisted men. They displaced 1,282 metric tons (1,262 long tons) at standard load and 1,554 metric tons (1,529 long tons) at deep load.

I  believe there's info on the subject on the second side if you can read it...It could just be a recipe for Boiled eggs...

The usual purchasing information on the end panels. 

Just under four pounds and very just under five dollars. Great value for a couple of weeks modelling.

The ships had two Kampon geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by two Kampon water-tube boilers. The turbines were rated at a total of 19,000 shaft horsepower (14,000 kW) for a speed of 27.8 knots (51.5 km/h; 32.0 mph). The Matsus had a range of 4,680 nautical miles (8,670 km; 5,390 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph).

No stealth version on the underside. This is a more standard colour scheme...

Let's have a look in the box. 

There is just something exciting about opening a new kit.

Plenty of model goodness...

Thank you scalemates...

The instructions are clear and simple. It is a basic kit but it's what you would expect for the age and the price.

It's  a kit from 1994 so it has a little bit of age to it... 

The usual information in English and Japanese....

Looking at the instructions...

The main armament of the Matsu-class ships consisted of three 127-millimeter (5 in) Type 89 dual-purpose guns in one twin-gun mount aft and one single mount forward of the superstructure. The single mount was partially protected against spray by a gun shield. The accuracy of the Type 89 guns was severely reduced against aircraft because no high-angle gunnery director was fitted. 

There are not many images to be found on the net...This is one of the series from 1947...

The ships carried a total of twenty-five 25-millimeter (1 in) Type 96 anti-aircraft guns in 4 triple and 13 single mounts. 

The Matsus were equipped with Type 13 early-warning and Type 22 surface-search radars. The ships were also armed with a single rotating quadruple mount amidships for 610-millimeter (24 in) torpedoes. 

Check out the long lance video here...

They could deliver their 36 depth charges via two stern rails and two throwers.

Let's have a look at whether the model is showing it's age... There's a good amount of detail. No visible flash.

Looks good to me...

Let's get building..

As usual I'll be using the instructions as a guide only...

Superstructure first...

Basic grey subcoat.

Armourment next...

Masts now. Notice that not everything is done in turn. I want to get my paintbrush in before we finish adding the details.

Most of the bigger parts are present now. The smaller parts are painted on the sprue.

There are no port holes... so... drill at the ready.

this will get better the more I practice.

I certainly thinkit looks better with rather than without.

Adding some course  shading.

A simple base to hold the model while I soften the weathering and add to the effects.

I added a representation of the rails.

A simple Daiso display. Foil amd PVA to create the waves,

Green and blue for the colours. Adding a woodstain to create shine and shadow.

Dropping the boats on now too.

Attaching the model with PVA and creating bow  wave and wake.

Putting a representation of the rigging up now too.

About done now. Just the wavelets to be painted. I'll get the white out...

All done. Let me  know what you think.
I think it's a nice small model but there again I'm not going  near the accessories....

Construction and career

Authorized in the late 1942 Modified 5th Naval Armaments Supplement Program, Sakura (cherry blossom) was laid down on 2 June 1944 at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal and launched on 6 September.

Upon her completion on 25 November, the ship was assigned to Destroyer Squadron 11 of the Combined Fleet for training. 

 

On 12 February 1945, Sakura departed Moji as part of the escort for Convoy MOTA-36 bound for Keelung, Taiwan. She then escorted the cruiser Kashima to Shanghai, China and remained in the area, tasked with patrol and escort duties. 

On 15 March the ship was reassigned to the squadron's Destroyer Division 53. Six days later Sakura arrived at Kure, Japan. The squadron was briefly attached to the Second Fleet from 1–20 April before rejoining the Combined Fleet.

Sakura was slightly damaged when she struck a mine in Shimonoseki Strait between Kyushu and Honshu on 25 May. The ship was tasked with minesweeping duties the following month. When she struck a mine on 11 July in Osaka Harbor, her aft magazine exploded, severing her stern. The ship sank at coordinates 34°36′N 135°28′E with the loss of 130 crewmen. Sakura was removed from the navy list on 10 August.

Overall, I enjoyed this little kit very much and I have achieved a perfectly satisfactory result but I would love to hear what you think...