The London Naval Treaty of 1930 led to reductions in both individual destroyer size and overall destroyer tonnage for all the signees. Japanese compliance with the treaty meant two things: 1) a cancellation of the last 12 planned units of the Fubuki types, and 2) new destroyers that could only be had by shrinking the successful Fubuki hull form.  The result was the subsequent Hatsuharu class ships. However, the size restrictions also meant a corresponding reduction in power, range, speed and firepower. Attempts to maximize firepower on the smaller hull led to a top-heavy design which subsequently required a redesign (and rebuild of the first two ships) in the wake of the tragic Tomozuru torpedo boat incident.

The revised Hatsuharu design was reworked again with the following Shiratsuyu class ships, resulting in a more stable ship with an increase in the torpedo broadside. Despite earning a reputation as both good and powerful ships, the Japanese were still dissatisfied with the overall shortcomings of the Shiratsuyu design when compared to their “ideal” of the Fubuki type. For a variety of reason, the Japanese chose to let their participation in the naval disarmament treaties to lapse while the last of the Shiratsuyus were under construction. Doing so permitted a return to a larger destroyer. The first IJN destroyer class to emerge under these new conditions was the Asashio class. 

The Asashios were given an improved hull form that reverted in size to that of the Fubukis.  The new class was approximately the same length as the Fubukis, with subtle changes in width and draft, but on a larger displacement of over 2000 tons. These were the first Japanese destroyers to surpass that displacement mark.

The hull form provided for greater stability, which allowed a return to three twin mountings of the 12.7cm 50 cal. main gun in new Type C turrets. It also enabled the retention of the two quadruple 61cm torpedo tube mounts of the Shiratsuyu class, along with a full set of torpedo reloads.  Essentially, the Shiratsuyu hull was enlarged by inserting additional length to accommodate the superimposed #2 turret atop a full deckhouse aft, along with somewhat greater draft. The hull also showed a little less freeboard than the earlier Fubukis. The bridge form of the last batch of Shiratsuyus was also carried over to the new class. 

The power plant used three steam boilers and Kampon geared turbines to drive two shafts, with a rise in total shaft horsepower from the 42,000 shp of the prior two classes up to 50,000 shp, the same as the earlier Fubukis.  Speed rose by one knot, and most importantly, the range increased by 20%, to 5700nm at 15 knots.

Initially, two twin 13mm AA mounts were installed on a platform to either side of funnel number two. Some ships may have been upgraded to twin 25mm AA mounts by the start of the Pacific War in 1941, with all the ships changing over to the larger mounts within the first year of the war. All ships received six single rack roll off depth charges placed at the extreme stern and an athwartships depth charge rack feeding a Y thrower aft of number three turret. 

Unfortunately, the new class was not problem free. The first four ships were completed with a stern shape that utilized a slightly rounded knuckle at the waterline at the extreme stern end of the ship.  Unexpectedly, the turn radius of the ship was much larger than expected at trials, and wholly unsatisfactory. The knuckle had to be reshaped with a much sharper crease at the waterline. Further, the rudder shape was revised, the propeller blades shortened slightly, and engine rpm upped slightly. The changes gave positive results. The turning circle shrank, and top speed rose by over half a knot.  The last six ships of the class were completed to the revised set of specifications without further trouble.

There were also unexpected problems with the turbines. An inspection shortly after trials revealed that several turbine blades had cracks in them. A series of tests were run, ultimately revealing issues with blade resonance within the intermediate pressure (IP) turbines.  The blade design was changed, the blades rebuilt, and the problem eliminated in all class members by 1940.
 

Early in 1938, while still in reserve and under repair at various naval yards, all four ships were assigned to Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 25. Oshio was designated flagship. Sometime in mid-1938, repairs were completed on all four ships.  They spent that autumn working up again, and in November, the division was redesignated DesDiv 8 and assigned to Destroyer Squadron 2. The division spent the years 1939-40 supporting various operations in China.

At the start of the Pacific War in December, 1941, Asashio and DesDiv 8 accompanied the Japanese Southern Force in a series of invasion operations that resulted in the conquest of the Philippines and Malaya. By February, 1942, the Japanese had reached the Dutch East Indies.  On the night of February 19/20, DesDiv 8 was in the Strait of Badung escorting the invasion force when a sizeable force of light cruisers and older destroyers under the Allies ABDA command entered the strait. This force sought to disrupt the invasion by destroying the invasion convoy. 

The division had temporarily split up into pairs, with each pair escorting a damaged cargo ship. Closest to the opposing force, Asashio and Oshio did not hesitate to engage the ABDA force with torpedoes and gunfire, eventually driving them off after two rounds of engagement over several hours. Asashio is credited with sinking the Dutch destroyer Piet Hien by torpedo, and inflicting notable damage on light cruiser Tromp as well as the destroyer USS Stewart. In turn, she suffered light damage to her searchlight, with four men killed, and eleven wounded. Oshio also inflicted considerable damage upon her opponents while incurring significant damage of her own. 

Eventually, Arashio and Michishio joined the engagement, with Michishio also suffering a fair amount of battle damage. Afterwards, Asashio had to tow Michishio out of the area to Makassar for makeshift repairs.  The battle is considered the first in which the Japanese demonstrated their considerable prowess in night fighting over the Allies during the early war years.

The division returned to Japan shortly thereafter for repairs at the Yokosuka Naval Base at the end of March. Michishio remained out of action until mid-November, while Oshio did not return to duty until the end of December. Asashio and Arashio departed for the Philippines at the end of April to assist in the reduction of Corregidor, returning to Kure in May. Some convoy duty to Guam then ensued.

In June, Asashio and Arashio escorted CruDiv 7 (heavy cruisers Mogami, Mikuma Kumano, Suzuya) as part of the Close Support Force covering the Midway Invasion Force. In the immediate aftermath of the devastating loss of the four carriers of the Kido Butai on June 4th, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto ordered CruDiv 7 to bombard Midway atoll in the hopes of salvaging some momentum and inflicting damage upon the American forces. The order was reversed after several hours upon the realization of the vulnerability of the force to American aircraft.

Unfortunately, two of the cruisers (Mogami and Mikuma) collided during evasive maneuvers after sighting a submarine (USS Tambor).  While the undamaged pair of cruisers withdrew, the two destroyers stood by to assist the two injured cruisers. Eventually, all four ships came under several air attacks on June 6th. Mikuma was sunk, Mogami was badly damaged, and both Asashio and Arashio were each hit by a bomb and strafed several times. The destroyers were able to rescue a few hundred crew from Mikuma and then escorted Mogami to Truk, where all three vessels underwent emergency repairs meant to enable them to return to Japan. Both destroyers eventually reached Sasebo Naval base by the end of June. 

The entire division was designated reserve as Asashio and Arashio underwent extensive repairs. Asashio complete repairs in mid-September, 1942, and spent the next month working back up while performing convoy escort duty. Arashio’s repairs were completed at the end of October, at which time the division was reactivated. Both ships then headed for Rabaul. 

Asashio was promptly earmarked for participation in the Guadalcanal campaign. She made multiple transport runs to Guadalcanal, and was part of the Support Force during the November 13-14 Naval Battle for Guadalcanal. She continued to participate in transports runs and was slightly damaged by near misses off her stern in early December, though she continued to participate in those missions.

Asashio returned to Kure Naval Base in early January, 1943 for refit and repairs. (It is not clear if she received any upgrades to her AA at this time, though it is likely.) By early February, she had rejoined her DesDiv8 sisters Arashio and Oshio at Rabaul. The division was tasked with escort duty for several convoys.  Oshio was lost on Feb. 20 off New Guinea, torpedoed by USS Albacore. Asashio took over her duties as division flagship.

In the meantime, the Imperial Japanese Army had decided to reinforce its position in the Southwest Pacific. A convoy was organized to deliver approximately 7000 Imperial Japanese Army troops to Lae, New Guinea in early March. The convoy consisted of eight transports and eight destroyers, including Asashio and Arashio, along with air coverage by land-based fighters drawn from a variety of units. The convoy departed Rabaul on February 28th, hugging the northern coast of New Britain while heading west for the Vitiaz Straits that divided New Guinea from New Britain. 

Unfortunately for the Japanese, Allied intelligence and codebreakers had intercepted Japanese communications and ascertained their intentions. The Allies planned an ambush of the convoy using a massive concentration of aircraft from both the US 5th Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force operating from Australian bases. The attacks took place over March 2-4 and annihilated the convoy, sinking all eight transports and four of the destroyers, including Asashio and Arashio.

Attacks began on March 2nd and resumed on the 3rd. By the end of the 3rd, most of the merchants and three of the destroyers were hit and sunk, including Arashio. On the 4th, Asashio was rescuing survivors from both Arashio and the troopship Nojima Maru when the remnants of the convoy were attacked again by more aircraft in several attack waves. Heavily strafed, Asashio was fatally hit by a 500lb. bomb dropped from a B-17. She was lost with all 299 hands save for a few survivors in a lifeboat.
 

The second-generation kits were issued by Pit-Road in the early 1990s, during the years 1993-94. The first of the IJN Type A destroyer class kits (Asashio, Kagero, Yugumo) that Pit-Road released, these remain the best of those types from them, in my opinion.  They came with a good amount of small details, an accurate bow profile, and generally fine shapes all around. Accuracy-wise, these kits fall short in one glaring regard, the shape of their torpedo tube mount shields.

Both the Asashio and proceeding Shiratsuyu class ships had new quadruple torpedo mounts (Type 92 Mod 2) covered with a weather/splinter/gas covering shield that had a squared off rear end when viewed in profile. The kit provides the more commonly known type of quadruple shield mount, the Type 92 Mod 4 utilized by later classes, which was a longer shield whose rear end sloped down towards the tube ends. There is no replacement option for the earlier type torpedo mount currently on the market, unless one strips the Fujimi Shiratsuyu class destroyer kits of theirs. Other details, like doors and hatches, are a bit simplistic when compared to what today’s kits now offer.

Now, Hasegawa continues to freshen its 1/700 kit line with updated Asashio class offerings. These kits are brand new, utilizing more extensive research and modern injection molding technology to create vastly improved models of extremely high detail, all properly scaled. The kits are molded in the typical Hasegawa light grey styrene.  The plastic is hard and clean, with no soft or greasy aspects, nor any flash.  Eighty-eight pieces are used for assembly. More subtle details are molded on than ever before. 

The fit of the kit is meant to depict Asashio in December, 1941.The most likely change to her fit prior to her end in early 1943 was the upgrade to twin 25mmAA from 13mm AA, parts for which are available with the kit. This fit is likely true for all the ships of her class as well during that timeframe. 
 

The hull scales out amazingly well. Asashio’s particulars versus the scale and kit:
 

Overall Length:		118.3m/388’1”		1/700 scale OA length:		169mm		Kit OA length:		169mm*
Waterline Length:		115m/377’4”		1/700 scale WL length:		164.29mm		Kit WL length:		164.3mm
Beam:		10.39m/34’1”		1/700 scale beam:		14.85mm		Kit beam:		15mm

*This is an estimate. The separation of the bullnose from the hull makes it impossible to take a true measurement without gluing the bullnose onto the hull. The OA of the hull without the bullnose is 168.5mm, so it seems reasonable to assume that the OA length is accurate.

(Note: A photo comparison of this kit hull to that of the Pit-Road Asashio kit will be posted shortly on the CASF Asashio class thread.)

As with the hull, everything is beautifully scaled, detailed and sharply molded. The detailing on all surfaces of the aft deckhouse is superior, though perhaps not as detailed as their recent Yugumo class kits.  The deck treading is incredibly fine, yet sharp, for the forecastle deck and other horizontal surfaces.  It would have been nice to have seen Hasegawa dispense with the molded-on hawser reels on the forecastle deck (and the main deck), but at least the reels are properly small, and show separation between the coiled lines.  The ancillary funnel pipes have the properly shaped exhaust tips on top. The grill for funnel # 1 has been divided into two pieces as befits the actual appearance, but solid plastic can never appear as nice as a photo etch version. 

My one nitpick, a minor one at that, has to do with the breakwater on the forecastle in front of the base for turret number one. Its thickness is significantly overstated. Hasegawa appears to have used each end as an injection point, or maybe an excess runoff point. Regardless, it probably made sense from a production standpoint, and most folks won’t notice, but it does seem a little heavy handed.

Also noticed is that the waterline plate has raised ridges that could hold a waterline weight in place. I’m guessing that was the original intent, but the weight was subsequently omitted. 
 

Unlike the new, one-piece quadruple Type 94 Mod 4 torpedo mount that comes with the new Yugumo kits (and is also included in this kit on a separate sprue), the Mod 2 mount comes with a separate shield. The mount is nicely detailed and properly scaled.  It may not have the degree of detail that some of the Mod 4 mounts that are out there do (i.e. FineMolds NanoDread and Pit-Road NE series versions), or even the Hasegawa Mod 4, but it is more than adequate. The torpedo warheads are molded into the bottom of the tubes.

Again, everything is beautifully molded, detailed and scaled. Two bridge faces are provided; the one labeled F5 is apparently specific to Minegumo and not used here. Nor are the parts labeled F9.

As with the Yugumo kits, my one nitpick here has to do with the way the depth charges are detailed. They sit nicely in individual roll-off racks as befits an early war ship. Viewed from the inside looking outward, one can even see the delineation between the rack and depth charge. Strangely, the same fidelity is not offered on the outside of the depth charges sitting in their racks. I do think that the charges can be delineated with a scribe tool and a little care.
 

Much is commendable here. As with the other sprues, detailing is sharp.  The AA platform wisely comes without solid rails or siding, which too often misrepresents the open railings and canvas that typically ringed them. The compass bridge deck has a properly recessed deck, suitable for additional detailing. There’s actually a chart table molded next to the central support housing, and tiny, raised circles indicating the placement position of lookout binoculars and a compass binnacle.

The foremast is molded as one piece, with the rear legs integrated with the foreleg. It observes the correct angles of the tripod legs, particularly where the rear legs are 90* vertical to the ship’s axis. Integration also eases the proper placement of the mast on the ship. A set of light yardarms are properly swept outward and back. As far as I know, this one-piece setup is a relatively new innovation for an IJN tripod mast, having been introduced by Hasegawa with the recent 1/700 Yugumo class kits. I find this rendition superior to that of the Yugumo kits, as the tripod legs are slightly thinner.  The uppermost set of yardarms might be a little low and too close to the set of yardarms under it, but overall, it looks really nice. 

The same configuration and stance is true for the smaller main mast that sits atop the aft deckhouse. 
 

Only a few items are used for this kit, those being the 7m and 7.5m boats with cover, the 13mm twin mount, the twin set of 12.7cm barrels with boot coverings, the rear boat davits, the crow’s nest, anchor and small hawser reel. Everything else goes into the spares box, though one could swap out the 13mm mount for the twin 25mm mounts for a slightly later war appearance. If one choses to do so, it might be best to look at some of the other twin 25mm mounts on the market in accessory sets as an alternative. The kit supplied guns are certainly better than what has typically supplied the Waterline Consortium kits, but there are superior versions available.

The ship’s boats may not contain quite as much detail as some aftermarket versions, but they are very nicely shaped and sized, particularly the motor launch. 
 

As with the M sprue, several items are not used for this kit. These would include the Type 13mm radar, the AA bandstand supports, the late war cupola, the torpedo reload housings, the supports for the AA bandstands, the stern bullnose, and (supposedly) the anchor and deck winch. I say supposedly because these items were standard equipment on board IJN destroyers.

The detailing is particularly sharp on many of the little pieces that are used. The cupola, the paravane and deck winches, and the Y-thrower are most notable. Even the depth charge rack, solid as it is, has more depth than usual to the outline of the latticework of the rack. 

The biggest issue here, and probably with the kit, is that the main gun director (part N24) is not appropriate for these vessels. The model of director included in this kit was specific to the Yugumos and Shimakaze. For whatever the reason, Hasegawa neglected to include an earlier type housing that was used. It certainly could have been accommodated on one of the Asashio class specific sprues.

The earlier directors were fully more round in circumference shape. The differences would be very noticeable in a side by side comparison, though it is not a deal stopper here. There are alternatives; the best being part B27 from the original Pit-Road accessory set E-10, one of which is still included with every one of their Akatsuki, Hatsuharu, Asashio, Kagero & Yugumo class kits.  Barring that, the director from the Aoshima or Fujimi Kagero class kits could be used as well. 

Yes, there are a few nitpicks, and the absence of a proper main gun director is a bit surprising, but none of these make the kit less desirable.  Nor am I as dismayed about the bowed hull for these ships as I was with the new Hasegawa Yugumos, as the flaw here is less obvious. I hope that Hasegawa moves to correct this problem in this kit in the near future, perhaps with harder styrene. And, as I wrote before, this is not going to be an issue for anyone who mounts the hull to a solid base. The rest of the kit is extremely well done, and a welcome freshening of the available class kits.

Thanks to Hobbico Model Distributors for the review sample. They are your US distributors for Hasegawa.  MSRP for the US is $25.99.