Japanese destroyer design evolved from the late 1920s through the very early 1940s as a manifestation of the effort to diminish an enemy force by engaging them at night with superior ships of longer range, high speed, and weaponry (i.e. torpedoes). The Yugumo class was the final production iteration of what began with the Fubuki “Special Type” destroyer. 
 

The bridge was redesigned to lessen wind resistance and increase the internal space.  The facing was inclined slightly aft, off the vertical, and the forward surfaces of the compass bridge deck faired within the structure to a greater degree.  While the placement of the bridge began at the same frame number as the proceeding Kagero class, the bridge was extended aft of the forecastle break by 1.5 meters to provide more room. The entire aft end of the bridge sat upon a set of raised trestles over the main deck for support. 

The forecastle was extended aft slightly over the main deck to accommodate new type davits for the 7m cutters. Small changes were also given to shape of the main director, the cupola atop it (for the later batch of eight ships), and in the design and location of the aft mast. 

The main battery still consisted of three, twin 12.7cm 50 cal. guns in fully shielded turrets, but the mount was improved to allow the barrels to elevate to 75* for better AA effectiveness. All the turrets were reinforced with two horizontal stiffener bars.  The ships had improved stability over the previous class, which allowed them to retain their full main battery while accommodating the inclusion of several additional 25mm AA mounts as the war progressed. The ships retained the same 52,000shp power plant of the previous class. 

Eleven units were planned and constructed under the 4th Naval Armaments Supplement Program (also known as the Circle 4 program) of 1939. Another eight units were completed out of sixteen planned under the 5th Naval Armaments Supplemental Program (Circle 5). The rest of the units were cancelled in lieu of simpler destroyer construction. A further batch of eight ships was also cancelled on Nov 8, 1943. 
 

She assumed the position of flagship for Destroyer Division 32, comprised of herself and newly commissioned Yugumo class sisters Fujinami and Suzunami. DesDiv 32 was itself assigned to Destroyer Squadron 11 supporting the First Air Fleet. With the carrier force mostly inactive or training, the division was reassigned to DesRon 2 of Second Fleet at the end of September, 1943 after working up.

The division spent the next six months as escorts on numerous missions. The latter portion of 1943 was spent escorting large fleet units and troop convoys to, from and between Truk, Rabaul, Bougainville and other destinations in the upper Solomons Islands and South Pacific. Division mate Suzunami was lost in the November 11th raid on Rabaul by the USN, while Hayanami, Fujinami, and Urakaze were called upon to escort the torpedoed light cruiser Agano to safety. Together they helped foil an attack by the submarine USS Albacore the next day and managed to shepherd Agano over to Truk for additional repairs. 

Following the raid, Hayanami joined major fleet unit movements as an escort in response to the US landings on Tarawa. More patrol, fleet escort, and convoy duty (primarily with tankers) ensued, with Hayanami eventually returning to Japan in late January, 1944. There, she underwent a refit at Yokosuka until mid-February.  There, she gained two additional 25mm triple mounts on top of a wide platform erected aft of funnel number 1. She also gained a Type 13 radar attached to the main mast.

Hayanami then resumed a variety of escort duties, often with Fujinami. These missions typically involved escorting tanker convoys, along with the occasional fleet unit. Eventually, she made her way to the fleet anchorage off Lingga, Brunei where she joined the First Mobile Fleet as it gathered and trained in preparation for the A-GO operation, meant to engage the US fleet in a massive, all- out assault.  Hayanami moved with the fleet to a new anchorage at Tawi Tawi in mid-May so as to be closer to sources of unrefined, yet high grade, oil for the fleet. 

She was on anti-submarine patrol out of the anchorage on June 7th when alerted to the presence of an enemy submarine by a patrolling aircraft.  Hayanami closed with the sub quickly but fell prey to two of three torpedoes fired at close range by USS Harder. One torpedo detonated Hayanami’ s forward magazine and she sank within a minute, losing 208 men and her captain.  Fujinami, Hamanami, and Urakaze were sent immediately to search for survivors. Urakaze eventually rescued 45 men. 

Second generation kits were issued by Pit-Road in the mid-1990s. While these kits provided the much-desired level of detail of the typical Pit-Road kits of that period, the model itself was a bit of a disappointment when compared to the other Pit-Road issued Type A destroyers, namely their Asashio and Kagero class kits. Their Yugumo kits were rife with outright errors:  poor bow profile, a bridge too short in length and improperly positioned on the forecastle, with a compromised shape that did not truly reflect either configuration of the early or late war bridges, and a stern that did not extend and slope down towards the waterline. 

Over time, some photo etch sets were issued by Five Star and FlyHawk to address some of these errors. Even PitRoad eventually issued a small PE fret (PE-196) to address some of the superstructure issues. However, these options still come down to more corrective efforts and work without necessarily satisfying all the problems.

Fortunately, Hasegawa has chosen to update its Yugumo 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. These 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-five pieces are used for assembly.

The fit of this kit is essentially a mid-war fit and meant to depict Hayanami as commissioned in mid-1943, with optional parts to represented her upgraded AA and radar fit after her January-February 1944 refit. Based on the style of the bridge and new kit parts, sister ship Hamanami can also be built “as- commissioned” from this kit. Other ships likely to have carried this as-commissioned configuration would have been Suzanami and Fujinami. 

With some minor scratch-building as it relates to the number of portholes on the bridge face and the rake of the upper foremast, those early war sisters that were refitted with a revised foremast, Type 22 radar, and additional radar room can also be built to a mid to late 1943 appearance. These would include Yugumo, Naganami, Kazegumo, and most likely Makinami, Onami, and Tamanami.

Taken one step further with regard to accuracy as based on the degaussing cable pattern (I’m in rivet counting mode here), this kit best depicts those ships built by the Fujinagata shipyard, Tamanimi and Fujinami in particular.  The Fujinagata built Naganami and Onami would also qualify if one adds additional portholes to the bridge face and eliminates the rake of the upper foremast to depict them in a mid-war fit. 
 

The bow profile is very good, though just a hint more of a curve as it approaches the waterline would have been nice.  A slight swipe of a sanding stick would solve that, though the edge of bow is very sharply molded and one wouldn’t want to lose that fineness. Unlike the Yugumo kit, my sample had no hint of a sinkhole to either side of the bow at the waterline.

Unfortunately, just as with the Yugumo kit, my review hull bowed upward ever so slightly at the bow and stern, more so at the stern. I will say that this particular kit was a little less bowed then the Yugumo kit, but the curvature was still evident. Obviously, there is some variability between individual hulls.

While the hull has been engineered to fit more closely with the waterline plate, with more attachment points along the centerline axis of the hull, I’m a little doubtful that merely gluing the waterline plate to the hull will eliminate the bowing at the ends. In this particular case, it might work.  However, it seems more likely that the bowing can be eliminated with temporary weights at the bow and stern when glued, or by using the hot water immersion method. Obviously, if one attaches the hull to a fixed base, this is not going to be an issue. There’s no weighted metal plate to help keep the hull upright.

The deck is mostly free of superstructures, excepting the base housings for both funnels.  Nor is there any deck equipment molded on, aside from hatches, vents, and hawser reels. The reels are properly sized, and do have tiny, individual cable lines molded in. The forecastle deck and the treaded portion of the stern have been molded as separate pieces. The bullnose at the top of the bow has been separated and is attached to the forecastle deck.

Interestingly, the treaded deck at the very stern has been molded down to the degaussing cable. In other words, it’s not just a deck plate, but also includes the upper part of the hull in that area. I suppose that helps to eliminate unsightly seams in the deck.

Perhaps most impressive to me is that some tertiary air intakes have been reproduced, something previously seen on only the Fujimi Yukikaze kit for a Japanese 1/700 destroyer. Here, they have been molded as part of the hull, so while the overall shape is correct, the shapes are simplified and not fully formed. The simplification applies mostly to the portion of each that faces the bow; otherwise, the shapes are fine. These pieces could be fully shaped with a little sanding and carving work, or, replaced with brass rod. Given that these are largely hidden once all the other structures are in place, I think it likely that most modelers won’t notice the simplified shapes. I will say that Hasegawa did an excellent job on the tiny pair of intakes at the front of the base of funnel number one. Those should be left as is. 

The hull scales out extremely well. Hayanami’s particulars versus the scale and kit:
 

Overall Length:	119.3m/391’4”	1/700 scale OA length:	170.43mm	Kit OA length:	170mm*
Waterline Length:	117m/383’10”	1/700 scale WL length:	167.14mm	Kit WL length:	167mm
Beam:	11.2m/36’9”	1/700 scale beam	16mm	Kit beam:	16mm

*The separation of the bullnose from the hull accounts for the difference between the calculated kit scale length and the actual kit length.

(Rivet counter alert – notes on the kit degaussing cable pattern.)

The construction of the Yugumo class was evenly divided between three shipyards: Maizuru, Fujinagata and Uraga Dock. As these vessels were all completed just as or after the war began, each came out of its yard with an external degaussing cable already installed. Each shipyard produced its own pattern, though none were that dramatically dissimilar from one another. The biggest point of differentiation came over the last 50 feet of ship’s length at the stern, where the cable usually dipped in some fashion to accommodate the propeller guards. There were some other, subtle differences forward in the vicinity of the forecastle break as the cables rose one level above the main deck to the forecastle deck. For simplicity’s sake, I will focus just on the stern. 

The Maizuru yard’s stern pattern was the simplest, with the cable mounted horizontally around the stern at the same level below the main deck as the rest of the cable. The pattern from Fujinagata dipped downward in a gently slope along the last 50 feet of length to the very end of the stern. The pattern from Uraga was the most complicated, with the cable dipping down, running horizontally for about 20 feet, then angling back up and resuming a horizontal attitude back to the stern. This was the same pattern as was seen on the Kagero class ship Yukikaze and is probably the most familiar to IJN destroyer fans.

The degaussing cable on the kit hull follows the pattern set by the Fujinagata Shipbuilding Yard. The cable is very well done, just not actually reflective of Hayanami, or Yugumo. (However, this is the pattern seen in the Miyukikai plans for Yugumo, which I suspect were used as a reference for these new kits.) Notable Yugumo class ships from the Fujinagata yard include Makigumo, Naganami, Fujinami and Asashimo. Altering the pattern to reflect a ship from another yard without completely removing the cable and replacing it would be difficult, I think. At the very least, doing so will require a very delicate touch.
 

As with the hull, everything is beautifully scaled, detailed and sharply molded. The detailing on all surfaces of the aft deckhouse exceeds any that I have seen for any other previous IJN destroyer kit.  Plus, most all the proper details are molded on its sides. The deck treading is incredibly fine, yet sharp, as it is for the forecastle deck and the AA platform.  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 galley pipe has the proper number of auxiliary extensions, and the other 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. Unlike any prior IJN destroyer kit, the upper portion of the forward torpedo reload gantry has been molded to the base of the air intake that sits under funnel #1. Doing so maintains the geometry of the angle to which the gantry sits, which I think is a very astute aspect to the kit’s design.

The mid-to-late war AA platform is meant specifically for this particular kit and fit.
 

Again, everything is beautifully molded, detailed and scaled. In addition to the usual features, the bridge pieces have some very small vents molded on, which is a deeper than usual detail. 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.
 

The stern insert is meant for a late war appearance and is not to be used with this kit. Of course, it can be adapted for some of the other aforementioned sisters for their appearance later in the war. The additional AA platform is meant to be used to depict Hayanami after her early 1944 refit. Obviously, it can also be used for other sisters in a later fit. 
 

The compass bridge deck has a properly recessed deck within the bridge enclosure, 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. Compared to an early war version, the exposed deck aft the bridge has been widened to accommodate both revised mast tripod and the radar room under it. The radar room itself is a little nondescript, but it really was just a shack on a light platform suspended between the aft end of the bridge and the trailing legs of the foremast. 
 

The bridge face is properly inclined and sports the right amount of curvature used to help reduce wind resistance. Unlike the facing included with the early war kit of Yugumo, this facing has reduced number of portholes as befits the second group of Yugumos ordered the Circle 5 program. 

The foremast is molded as two pieces, with the major piece consisting of the trailing legs, a portion of the platform that carried the Type 22 radar, and the upper mast and yardarms. The upper mast is properly raked backwards off the vertical of the rear legs, a development that came with the foremasts of the second group of Yugumos. (The upper mast of retrofitted foremasts for the earlier ships were completely vertical, just as they were for earlier destroyer classes.)  A set of light yardarms are properly swept outward and back.  The foreleg is also raked backed at the appropriate angle and contains both the forward portion of the radar platform and the Type 22 radar unit molded above it. The radar is properly scaled. 

The smaller mainmast has also been changed to a two-piece set-up. The foreleg is set to sit in a raked back position and has mounting points for a Type 13 radar set.  The rear legs are joined as one piece. All the components for both masts seem a bit finer and thinner than in the Yugumo kit, which is a nice tweak to the kit. 

(Rivet counter alert – technical notes on the aft (main) mast.)

All Yugumo class aft masts were not created equally. In fact, it has been said that only the first unit from each of the three yards – Yugumo (Maizuru), Kazagumo(Uraga) and, possibly, Makigumo (Fujinagata)– had the configuration seen here, which was also typical for all the previous destroyers from the Kagero, Asashio, Shiratsuyu, and Hatsuharu classes. That configuration was a single set of yardarms and a wide stance between all legs, with the rear legs running 90* vertical to the ship’s axis.

The remaining majority of Yugumos had two sets of yardarms, placed in a horizontal “X”, much like Shimakaze and the Akizuki class ships.  The open stance between the fore and trailing legs was shallower, and the mast’s placement was slightly further aft. Rendering these type refinements in 1/700 styrene is nigh well impossible as of the present time. However, the revised mainmast can be replicated with brass rod for those who wish to have it. (It also appears that Five Star includes it in both their early and late Yugumo Type upgrade sets for the Pit-Road Yugumo class kits.)
 

Not everything is used for a mid-war kit.  Certainly not the 13mm, and 25mm single barreled AA mounts, nor the 6m launch. These appear to be meant for yet to be released kits with a late war fit, and the Asashio class kits.  These extra pieces will go nicely into the spares box for now. As does one of the torpedo mounts. 

While the 25mm AA singles appear very nice, I’m not quite as enamored of the twins and triples. Though these are certainly better than what has been supplied with most Waterline Consortium kits, I don’t think these twins quite as nice as what Hasegawa provides in its relatively new, retooled Tenryu/Tatsuta kits. In any event, there are superior aftermarket versions of both type mounts if one wishes. 

The Yugumos sported a new, simplified type of davit on the forecastle for the 7m cutters. Previously, the davits had pivoted around to move the cutters outboard to lower away. In the Yugumos, the pivot was limited to just tilting outward, perpendicular to the ship’s axis, similar to how the davits for the 7.5m motor launches worked. Seen from outboard, the davit resembled an upside down “Y”, with the legs splayed apart. The kit part captures the overall shape, much as did the earlier Pit-Road Yugumo version, but the base is solid instead of open. Admittedly, this is not easily corrected or modified. A proper version is available from the companion photoetch set for this kit just released by Hasegawa. Or, one can take a bi-folding PE davit and splay the legs apart, or, use versions from the aforementioned Five Star Yugumo sets. 

The torpedo mounts are very nicely detailed and properly scaled, with the slightest bit of asymmetry to the shield when viewed from overhead as befits the real thing. The Pit-Road NE series version and the FineMolds WA-20 version have a little more detail, but the FM version is clearly overwrought in terms of scale. The NE version has a bit more detail (and that being slightly more pronounced) with dogs on the watertight doors and side grab rails, but the Hasegawa version certainly holds its own. The torpedo warheads and body come integrated with the torpedo tube, unlike the FM version.

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. 
 

The detailing is particularly sharp on many of the little pieces. The director, both cupolas, 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 torpedo reload housings have the proper aperture upfront, and are not clunky in appearance. Interestingly, one side has some molded storage compartments while the other side is mostly open. The main gun director housing was slightly modified from earlier destroyer classes, and here is properly shaped in front, something not achieved in the past. 

The early war cupola is meant for use only with an early war kit, though it can still be used if one is depicting a refitted early war vessel.
 

The color callout and fit illustration is specific to two different periods for Hayanami:  1) as commissioned in July, 1943 with DesDiv 32, and B) as refitted in January-February, 1944, still with DesDiv 32. However, the instructions state that this second fit is still in 1943, which is simply not possible based on her Tabulated Record of Movement (TROM).

In the Yugumo review, I erroneously stated that there is no guide for placing the draft markings on the hull. This is not true for either of these kits. Indicators 8, 9, 10, and 11 refer to the draft markings. 

I don’t mean to damn the kit because of the hull’s tendency to bow at the very ends. 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. It’s not perfect, as there have been understandable concessions to production costs, but there are no obvious errors, the shapes and details are very accurate, and Hasegawa has provided for a few extra details that have usually been ignored in this scale, even if those details are sometimes a little simplistic. It’s good to see these kits on the market.  I look forward to building them.

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