Manila soldier
Corporal
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2013
- Messages
- 400
good point ...... the jap loader doesn't work with a base......... he's basically feeding ammo into the ground.
Another great bunch of releases, like the JagdPanzer with side skirts, the Jap Zero with all the weathering is a cracker and the US para's look great as well.
Tom
The new KC Japanese Zero is painted in the markings of an aircraft of the Konoike Kokutai, based at the Konoike Airbase on Honshu in early 1944. The airbase is located in Ibaraki Prefecture and is part of the defensive ring of Tokyo. The tail code is JJ 170. The 170 should also appear on the underside of both wings, painted in black, between the national insignia and the landing gear.C) THE IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY ... ON LAND !
By the first half of 1942 the Japanese military juggernaut had smashed its way to victory throughout South East Asia ... Hong Kong had fallen first ... then Malaya and Singapore ... The Philippines followed as did the Dutch East Indies. Across the Pacific in the island chains that connected their recent conquests the Japanese now began to build up their defenses knowing full well that the Allies, particularly the Americans, would sooner or later strike back.
The Imperial Japanese Navy rapidly began construction of dozens of airfields on these distant islands as a first line of defence against any kind of attack from either land, sea or air.
Among the aircraft selected to be deployed from these land bases was their highly successful Mitsubishi A6M “ZERO” carrier-borne fighter.
View attachment 193367
JN016 “The Land-Based ZERO”
This is K&C’s 4th version of Japan’s best known fighter aircraft ... and the most popular.
The green and black colour scheme is typical of the island –based A6M’s. As you can see the weathered and “battle-weary” ZERO has been exposed to the worst elements of the hot and humid climate of the South Pacific.
However, the Zero was still, in the right hands, a formidable foe and packed a powerful punch. But it’s days were numbered soon bigger, better and more powerful opponents would take to the skies over the Pacific and this time the outcome would be very different ...
Note: Just 250 of this “The Land-Based ZERO” are being released.
JN017 “Lieut Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, Imperial Japanese Navy ”
Possibly Japan’s most successful Naval aviator. He claimed 87 enemy victories ... Some sources even claim over 100!
Early in 1942 he was flying over New Guinea before being moved to Rabaul and operating against the Americans who had just landed on Guadalcanal. In his first encounter he shot down two U.S. Navy “Wildcats” ...more were to follow. By November 1942 his score stood at 40.
After a training tour back in Japan he returned to active service in mid 1943 and by 1944 was flying in the Philippines.
Sadly for him, he was shot down and killed while flying as a passenger in a transport aircraft over Mindoro Island on 26 October, 1944.
JN018 “Lieut J.G. Tetsuzo Iwamoto, Imperial Japanese Navy”
Another of the Imperial Navy’s Leading Air Aces. Iwamoto first flew in combat in China in 1938 and was credited there with 14 victories.
Subsequently, he flew A6M Zeroes from the IJN Carrier “Zuikaku” beginning in December 1941 until May 1942, taking part in “The Battle of the Coral Sea”.
In mid 1943 Iwamoto was sent to fly from Rabaul, New Britain where he remained until recall to help defend the Japanese home islands in mid 1944.
By the end of the war he was credited with 94 “Kills” ... His own personal diary accounted for just over 200.
Our figure shows him checking his watch while holding a flight map and getting ready to climb aboard his “Zero”.
JN019 “Air Mechanic Crew Chief, Imperial Japanese Army”
Although many of the land-based aircraft actually belonged to the Imperial Japanese Navyground crew to service them were also drawn from the Army Air Force as well as the Navy.
This Army NCO is carrying both his toolbox and an aircraft repair guide.
JN020 “Ground Crew Set #1, Imperial Japanese Army”
As one senior mechanic cleans the oil off his hands the other takes a closer look to inspect the work.
JN021 “Ground Crew Set #2, Imperial Japanese Army”
A kneeling armourer festooned with belts of machine gun bullets is joined by another hard at work on a repair.”
JN022 “Airfield Guard Officer, Imperial Japanese Army”
This smartly-dressed young officer is armed with a “Nambu” pistol and the traditional “Samurai” Sword.
JN023 “Airfield Guard, Imperial Japanese Army”
Two Japanese infantrymen in casual poses but standing guard and helping to keep the airfield and the aircraft secure.
JN024 “Petty Officer Toshio Ota, Imperial Japanese Navy”
Ota flew alongside two other Imperial Japanese Navy air aces Saburo Sakai and Hiroyoshi Nishizawa with the Tainan Air Group. His first confirmed “kill” was a P40 “Warhawk” over New Guinea in April 1942. Over the next 6 months Ota downed an additional 33 American aircraft before being killed in a dogfight over Guadalcanal with U.S. Marine Corps “Wildcats” on October 21, 1942.
AVAILABLE : Mid June
i don't mean to be a downer and am generally not overly "politically correct", but should we be slinging the term "Jap" so much? Isn't it a racial slur?
We have discussed the shrinking of the our hobby and if I were Japanese, I would not find it a very welcoming place. Especially, when Andy and the team have done such a great job of not having the figures faces look cartoonish.
i don't mean to be a downer and am generally not overly "politically correct", but should we be slinging the term "Jap" so much? Isn't it a racial slur?
We have discussed the shrinking of the our hobby and if I were Japanese, I would not find it a very welcoming place. Especially, when Andy and the team have done such a great job of not having the figures faces look cartoonish.
Really like this whole scene. - Is the gate & walls a future release or a retired set from the past?
The new KC Japanese Zero is painted in the markings of an aircraft of the Konoike Kokutai, based at the Konoike Airbase on Honshu in early 1944. The airbase is located in Ibaraki Prefecture and is part of the defensive ring of Tokyo. The tail code is JJ 170. The 170 should also appear on the underside of both wings, painted in black, between the national insignia and the landing gear.
Interesting note on Lt.(jg) Tetsuzo Iwamoto. His own score book (diary) claimed 202 destroyed, 26 shared, and another 22 unconfirmed. Most of the victories were scored flying out of Rabaul. Postwar Japanese historians have reduced his claims back into the 80's but it seems that he was certainly the top scoring pilot of Japan. -- Al
Those walls/gate are old/retired! I have a set from back when...
the jagdpanzer with the mesh skirts does not seem to habe been available for the Normandy campaign. the tank and mesh seem to have began to appear in late 1944. This may have been better released as a battle of the Bulge version.