Model Art Modeling Magazine

The Operations in the North Pacific (Aleutian Islands Campaign, WW2)

Reviewed By  Luke R. Bucci, IPMS# 33459

MSRP: 1700 yen (approximately $17) Publisher: Model Art Co., Ltd, 12-30, 1Chome, Kudankita Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0073 Japan (www.modelart.jp) Imported by Dragon USA (www.dragonmodelsusa.com ) As usual, Model Art No. 27 is in almost 100% Japanese language. The format is A4 size, and as usual, the printing and reproduction quality is excellent. Model Art No. 27 focuses on what Americans call the Aleutian Campaign, and the Japanese call the North Pacific Front. This campaign includes the diversionary attack on the Aleutians by the Japanese and the occupation of Attu and Kiska, followed by the Battle of Komandorski Islands, the Invasion of Attu and the Evacuation of Kiska. The first 61 pages show build reviews of 12 IJN ship models ranging from torpedo boats to carriers and tankers. Each build review gives a description with pictures of modifications made to the kits, along with many color photographs of the finished models - excellent for guides to building the ships. Each ship is identified in English. The Aleutian Campaign was notable for the rare use of camouflage patterns on Japanese warships, particularly light cruisers and even a few destroyers (see pictures below). There are excellent color diagrams and photographs to show the exotic schemes. Auxiliaries (tenders) also displayed camouflage schemes, so building the Japanese Aleutian campaign fleet is more colorful than other periods.

A history of the campaign is mostly Japanese text from pages 62-77, but laced with photographs of chief combatants, diagrams and maps of ship movements during battles. A Kit Guide from pages 78-87 explains which commercially available kits represent the ships used in the campaign on both IJN and USN sides. Each kit is identified with its waterline numerical designation, which can be matched to the kit and company if one chooses to do some online searching (easily done by standard web searches of the number and IJN or USS as search terms). Pages 88-91 show diagrams of the Japanese planes used in the campaign, followed by foldout art from Y. Mizuno of the IJN Ryujo launching a Kate bomber, also on the front cover. The reverse side is a map showing all the major Japanese ship movements for the invasion period in 1942. Pages 98-113 show build reviews of US Navy heavy cruisers and the escort carrier Nassau, ending the special feature section. Afterwards, there are feature articles on a review of Italeri's 1/35 scale Italian Barchino and Maiale models, and 10 pages on modeling the new JMSDF Atago DDG Aegis destroyer, with pages of photographs of the real thing. An article on Revell Archives features the old US Navy heavy cruiser model kits (some of which I remember building). There are only two pages of recent kit reviews and model club events, followed by a few pages of ads, noticeably short for Model Art magazines. This issue is a gold mine for information on the Japanese, and a few American, ships used in the Aleutian campaign in 1942-1943, especially for the camouflage schemes, all in one place. The build reviews show how to modify some of the kits to accurately portray their 1942-1943 fits, and provide many photographs of the finished models. Recommended for IJN WW2 buffs. Thanks to Dragon Models USA and IPMS/USA for the review copy.

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