Book Review of
The Japanese Light Cruiser Oyodo
Author: Aliaksandr Sukhanevich
Kagero Super Drawings in 3D
No. 16084
ISBN: 978-83-66673-65-6
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $ 37.95
No. 16084
ISBN: 978-83-66673-65-6
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $ 37.95
HISTORY: Ōyodo (大淀, Great Eddy) was a light cruiser built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II, and was the only ship of her class completed before the end of the war. Designed to command submarine operations, she was obsolete upon completion in 1943.
The ship was used as a transport and to escort the navy's capital ships for the rest of the year. Ōyodo was slightly damaged by American aircraft in early January 1944 during one transport mission and returned home several months later to begin conversion to serve as the flagship of the Combined Fleet.
The ship reverted to her previous roles when the headquarters of the Combined Fleet was moved ashore in September. The following month, she participated in the Battle off Cape Engaño, where she escorted the Japanese carriers attempting to decoy the American carrier fleet supporting the invasion of Leyte away from the landing beaches.
Afterwards, the ship was transferred to Southeast Asia and engaged American forces in the Philippines in December where she was slightly damaged by American bombers. In early 1945, Ōyodo participated in Operation Kita, during which she transported aviation gasoline and other strategic materials back to Japan.
The ship was damaged by American carrier aircraft in March and repairs were completed two months later. She was sunk with the loss of about 300 men during American airstrikes in July. After the war, Ōyodo was salvaged and scrapped in 1947–1948.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Operators: Imperial Japanese Navy
Preceded by: Agano class
Succeeded by: None
Planned: 2
Completed: 1
Canceled: 1
Lost: 1
Name: Ōyodo
Namesake: Ōyodo River
Ordered: 1939
Builder: Kure Naval Arsenal
Laid down: 14 February 1941
Launched: 2 April 1942
Commissioned: 28 February 1943
Stricken from service: 20 November 1945
Fate: Sunk by aircraft, 28 July 1945, salvaged and scrapped, 1947–1948
Type: Light cruiser
Displacement: 8,164 long tons (8,295 t) (standard), 11,433 long tons (11,616 t) (full load)
Length: 192 m (629 ft 11 in)
Beam: 15.7 m (51 ft 6 in)
Draught: 5.95 m (19 ft 6 in)
Installed power: 110,000 shp (82,000 kW) with 6 Kampon boilers
Propulsion: 4 shafts; 4 geared steam turbine sets,
Speed: 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Range: 10,600 nmi (19,600 km; 12,200 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement: 782
Armament: 2 × triple 155 mm (6.1 in) guns, 4 × twin 100 mm (3.9 in) AA guns, 6 × triple 25 mm (1 in) AA guns
Armor: Side belt: 60 mm (2.4 in), Deck: 30–50 mm (1.2–2.0 in), Turrets:25–30 mm (1.0–1.2 in), Barbettes: 25–30 mm (1.0–1.2 in), Conning tower: 40 mm (1.6 in),
Aircraft carried: 6 × floatplanes
THE BOOK:
Kagero is based in Lublin, Poland
Years ago, the first book I got from Kagero that said 3D had out of focus illustrations in it, that became 3 dimensional when viewed through the cardboard glasses that came with the book, that had one blue lens and one red one. None of the books labeled as 3D since are printed that way or have the cardboard glasses included. I think Kagero should stop calling these books 3D, as they are NOT and it is misleading therefore.
This book is soft cover of 64 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color illustration of the Oyodo as a head-on view from above. It is grey, with grey and red decks, white turrets and a red waterline. It is posed against an all navy-blue background.
The back cover shows another color illustration of the Oyodo as an above stern illustration. It shows a white rear deck and raised platform and 2 float planes on catapults that are overall green. Again posed against the all navy-blue background.
The book starts with 2 identical head-on color illustrations of the Oyodo and a port, starboard, top and bow and stern views.
There are 75 color walk-around type color illustrations showing every inch of the Oyodo’s anatomy.
There are 12 color individual illustrations of the turrets, 4 of the deck guns, 2 of the lifeboats and 2 of the captains launch, 2 of the searchlights, 2 of the aircraft catapults and a top and side view of the floatplane fighter.
The last page of the book shows black and white cover arts of 9 other books that Kagero publishes. They are too tiny to make out their titles.
There is a folded blue print inserted into the book, that is 26 ½” x 19” folded 4 times to fit into the book.
The face side shows a 1/300th scale line drawing of the port, starboard and top of the oyodo.
The reverse side shows 1/100th scale line drawings of the float plane, catapult and turrets.
This book will be of great interest to modelers planning to build a model of the Oyodo and to naval -historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review copy. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Kagero books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
The ship was used as a transport and to escort the navy's capital ships for the rest of the year. Ōyodo was slightly damaged by American aircraft in early January 1944 during one transport mission and returned home several months later to begin conversion to serve as the flagship of the Combined Fleet.
The ship reverted to her previous roles when the headquarters of the Combined Fleet was moved ashore in September. The following month, she participated in the Battle off Cape Engaño, where she escorted the Japanese carriers attempting to decoy the American carrier fleet supporting the invasion of Leyte away from the landing beaches.
Afterwards, the ship was transferred to Southeast Asia and engaged American forces in the Philippines in December where she was slightly damaged by American bombers. In early 1945, Ōyodo participated in Operation Kita, during which she transported aviation gasoline and other strategic materials back to Japan.
The ship was damaged by American carrier aircraft in March and repairs were completed two months later. She was sunk with the loss of about 300 men during American airstrikes in July. After the war, Ōyodo was salvaged and scrapped in 1947–1948.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Operators: Imperial Japanese Navy
Preceded by: Agano class
Succeeded by: None
Planned: 2
Completed: 1
Canceled: 1
Lost: 1
Name: Ōyodo
Namesake: Ōyodo River
Ordered: 1939
Builder: Kure Naval Arsenal
Laid down: 14 February 1941
Launched: 2 April 1942
Commissioned: 28 February 1943
Stricken from service: 20 November 1945
Fate: Sunk by aircraft, 28 July 1945, salvaged and scrapped, 1947–1948
Type: Light cruiser
Displacement: 8,164 long tons (8,295 t) (standard), 11,433 long tons (11,616 t) (full load)
Length: 192 m (629 ft 11 in)
Beam: 15.7 m (51 ft 6 in)
Draught: 5.95 m (19 ft 6 in)
Installed power: 110,000 shp (82,000 kW) with 6 Kampon boilers
Propulsion: 4 shafts; 4 geared steam turbine sets,
Speed: 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Range: 10,600 nmi (19,600 km; 12,200 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement: 782
Armament: 2 × triple 155 mm (6.1 in) guns, 4 × twin 100 mm (3.9 in) AA guns, 6 × triple 25 mm (1 in) AA guns
Armor: Side belt: 60 mm (2.4 in), Deck: 30–50 mm (1.2–2.0 in), Turrets:25–30 mm (1.0–1.2 in), Barbettes: 25–30 mm (1.0–1.2 in), Conning tower: 40 mm (1.6 in),
Aircraft carried: 6 × floatplanes
THE BOOK:
Kagero is based in Lublin, Poland
Years ago, the first book I got from Kagero that said 3D had out of focus illustrations in it, that became 3 dimensional when viewed through the cardboard glasses that came with the book, that had one blue lens and one red one. None of the books labeled as 3D since are printed that way or have the cardboard glasses included. I think Kagero should stop calling these books 3D, as they are NOT and it is misleading therefore.
This book is soft cover of 64 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color illustration of the Oyodo as a head-on view from above. It is grey, with grey and red decks, white turrets and a red waterline. It is posed against an all navy-blue background.
The back cover shows another color illustration of the Oyodo as an above stern illustration. It shows a white rear deck and raised platform and 2 float planes on catapults that are overall green. Again posed against the all navy-blue background.
The book starts with 2 identical head-on color illustrations of the Oyodo and a port, starboard, top and bow and stern views.
There are 75 color walk-around type color illustrations showing every inch of the Oyodo’s anatomy.
There are 12 color individual illustrations of the turrets, 4 of the deck guns, 2 of the lifeboats and 2 of the captains launch, 2 of the searchlights, 2 of the aircraft catapults and a top and side view of the floatplane fighter.
The last page of the book shows black and white cover arts of 9 other books that Kagero publishes. They are too tiny to make out their titles.
There is a folded blue print inserted into the book, that is 26 ½” x 19” folded 4 times to fit into the book.
The face side shows a 1/300th scale line drawing of the port, starboard and top of the oyodo.
The reverse side shows 1/100th scale line drawings of the float plane, catapult and turrets.
This book will be of great interest to modelers planning to build a model of the Oyodo and to naval -historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review copy. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Kagero books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.