Strange investigation about HIJMS Mikasa

In Japan, several persons have claimed strange opinions about the Russo‐Japanese War and HIJMS Mikasa. But these do not seem to have made headway in Japan.

  As to model of the Mikasa, more than 3 years ago, one Japanese introduced a model of the Mikasa. It was given out that the model was the most accurate scale model of the Mikasa of 1905, and its price was more than 1,000,000 Yen.

  However, it was merely assembled Hasegawa's kit with partly new, and mostly wrong remodeling based on "his own investigation."

  Many errors in his claims were pointed out. After that, he changed his claims, saying "I have been already aware of them", and now, he seems to have introduced a new kit of the Mikasa, based on "his own new investigation", reviling at other makers' kits and models of the Mikasa.

  I can not judge whether his new kit is accurate or not, because he never shows clear images of the kit nor its completed sample. -- even now (July,2016)  --

 As a result, I cannot go along with his ideas.

About ventilators

Hello Mr.DariusP,

Hello Mr. Yasaka, I hope that your holidays were enjoyable

Thank you!  I enjoyed the holidays with my friends. (^o^)

And the more I look the more uncertain I have become... I can't read Japanese but drawings 2 and 3 appear to be of the same (or identical) ventilator's right and left sides but is drawing 1 also of the same vent? Even if scaled up, dimensions of the first drawing still do not conform to those of 2 and 3!

The drawing 1,2, and 3 are of the identical ventilator.
The captions in Japanese are ;

Fig. 14.  Warship Mikasa's port-forward ventilator of Engine room, which was damaged at the Battle of Yellow Sea, 10th, August.

 1.  Looking forward (in word-for-word translation, "Looking from aft part")
 2.  Looking to port. ( "Looking from starboard")
 3.  Looking to starboard.  ( "Looking from port")

***
So, we have to check not only these drawings, but other photos, official drawings (if they exist), etc. 

About ventilators of Mikasa

Mr. DariusP wrote;

It is amazing that those are drawings of the same vent, damaged in the same battle! My initial vote would go to drawing no.2 (JACAR, Ref. C05110130600) since it's a technical drawing and records damage in some detail. Second one is more of a sketch than a drawing, records much less damage and could have been done from memory without looking at the actual vent.

Thank you Mr. DariusP. I think that your opinions are reasonable. But, in several cases, such drawings contain errors.  For example, one sketch of vent of fore boiler room seems to be diverted to sketch of vent of middle boiler room, although actually they have different shapes. 

sketch of vent of fore boiler room. this shape is almost correct.

( JACAR Ref: C05110130600, 102nd image)

sketch of vent of middle boiler room. this shape is similar to above, but incorrect.

( JACAR Ref: C09050839400, 9th image)

From photo of Museum Mikasa in around 1926. The vent of fore boiler room is bended, but the vent of middle boiler room is straight.  Note: This image is flipped horizontal for comparison with the sketches.

So, there is a possibility that the drawing no.2 is made from a copy of drawing of aft vent of the engine room, which might differ from fore one.

Mr. DariusP wrote;

On an accurate plan view of Mikasa one should be able to measure this sideways shift of the vent's cowl and resolve the question.

Yes, I will continue search the plan. I'm sorry, but my response may be late. My 4-days-straight holidays are over. 

Hatch#7, and forward ventilators of engine room

Mr. DariusP wrote;

As for the hatch #7... Location right under ship's boat might not have been a best place for it and, if so, I wouldn't be surprised if it was moved at the first opportunity.

Thank you.  I have not thought of it.

As to the ventilators, there are 2 sketches below. Both sketches are records of damage to the same ventilator at the Battle of Yellow Sea, but different in (1) lower part of the ventilator, (2) part of bend , and (3) handle.

From "戦時機関部記事" (wartime record of engine section)

JACAR Ref. C09050661000, 58th and 59th image

From "極秘 明治３７．８年海戦史" ((Top secret) history of naval battles of Meiji 37,8)

JACAR, Ref. C05110130600, 62nd image

Engine hatch and its casing

Hello Mr. DariusP,

Mr. Yasaka - I was asking about "General Arrangement - Sectional Elevation" drawings of Mikasa because I'm interested in your corrections to Mikasa's engine room hatch:  Where did you get your information about that from?

That came from drawing  "General Arrangement - Sectional Elevation" drawing,  "General Arrangement - plan of boat deck, shelter deck, etc." drawing and postcard of Mikasa.

Elevation

Plan

By the way, hatch#7 might be sifted starboard in her career. But I can not find when it was. 

A : Hatch#7(probably original, but sealed with a steel plate with rivets) , B : Large opening (sealed with a steel plate with welding ), C : Curved beam for B.

Present Museum Mikasa. Around B & C.

Another problem is shape of forward ventilators of the engine room. There are two different sketches of them.

About Mikasa's Devastation

Hello Mr. DariusP,

BTW I have read on one of Japanese sites that it was USSR and not USA which insisted most strongly on Mikasa's destruction. Have you heard anything about that?

I think it is accepted widely in Japan.
Please refer official "MEMORIAL SHIP MIKASA" site by Mikasa Preservation Society. It describes the Mikasa's devastation briefly in English.

http://www.kinenkan-mikasa.or.jp/en/devastation_after_ww2.html

But, if I discuss the matter closely, I have to get some books such as "ウィロビー回顧録" ( reminiscences of Charles Andrew Willoughby ).