"Question about Figurehead models." Topic

I have some 1/6000 ships from Figurehead. The package contains the Japanese ships Maya – Chikuma – Mogami 1943 [FGH-2J55], but I can't tell which is which. One looks like a classic cruiser. One has rows of floatplanes on the back. One has a flat aft that looks like a hybrid aircraft carrier. I'm stumped. Can anyone help identify them?

Maya: Classic cruiser
Chikuma: 2 float planes in tandem
Mogami: Mini flight deck aft

Thanks EC. What is the mini flight deck?

All these ships are available in their 1941 configurations. The pack you refer to provides additional models for those heavy cruisers which were significantly modified during the war. In the case of Mogami, she was seriously damaged at Midway,and reappeared in 1943 as a cruiser-carrier, losing the after turrets and gaining space for 11 float planes. I assume the model you refer to represents this. (I'm too lazy to inspect my Figurehead stash).

MH

Mogami:

Chikuma:

Maya:

The models say they are 1943. Were they used as aircraft transports, or mini carriers?

The Mogami used her eleven Aichi E13A seaplane (Allied reporting name: "Jake") aircraft for long-range reconnaissance. They could carry a bombload of 250 kg (550 lb), but strike was not their main role.

Yeah, recon. Those are all scout planes.

Further clarification: Scout planes. Launched from ships catapults. Recovered by landing in the water (they were float planes) and being hoisted back aboard by cranes. In reality these ships did not regularly carry the large compliments of aircraft shown except in a transport type roll. Bombing effectiveness of these types of planes was minimal. The planes were slow and had to do a low, level bomb run which made them very vulnerable to AAA. Bomb load was not very great and really reduced the range of the aircraft. The planes were too vulnerable if left on the ship during surface combat and too slow to launch to get them out of the way. The were also quite vulnerable to weather damage from high seas. If carrying a large number of planes the ship was probably going to anchor somewhere and act as an aerial scout provider for an active task force.

Chikuma (and Tone) were designed as carrier escorts, and were intended to take on the scout aircraft role so that the true carriers did not have to dedicate aircraft to the scout role, thus increasing strike aircraft. In reality the carriers often carried scouts as well.

Thanks guys!