M o d e l W a r s h i p s . c o m Super Drawings in 3D Japanese Heavy Cruise Takao

Super Drawings in 3D
Japanese Heavy Cruiser
TAKAO
1937-1946
by Janusz Skulski & Waldemar Goralski
Kagero Publishing

Review by Steve Wiper
February 2015

This is the 26th. such book from Kagero Publishing of Poland in this series of computer rendered 3D CGI color illustrations and line drawings, and as with all in the series, it does not disappoint. This type of illustration in a realistic 3D view gives the reader an image as close to an original photograph of the actual historical topic as humanly possible. The effect is stunning, to say the least. Another huge benefit about these books is that they are published in English, while not always a perfect translation, but none the less, a huge benefit to readers here in the USA and other English speaking countries.

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This volume on the Imperial Japanese Navy heavy cruiser HIJMS TAKAO is the second such book on this topic by this publisher. Graphically, this second volume is an improvement over the first, and it contains line drawings that the first volume did not. This second volume has the TAKAO illustrated in her final camouflage pattern, painted while at Singapore in her damaged condition during the last year of the war.

The line drawings are really well done and there are many detail drawings provided. As one can see by the samples of CGI provided, they are first rate and are very nice to use as a reference for model builders.

The only negative I have about this book is that at the time TAKAO is depicted, she did not have a stern, or at least she did not at the time of her sinking/scuttling, but the illustrations show the warship with her stern intact. So, the question is asked, "Did TAKAO retain her stern after the torpedo damage and it was later removed at Singapore, or did she loose the stern at the time of the torpedo hit ?" It is this authors belief that TAKAO lost the stern at the time of the torpedo hit.

I highly recommend this book to any who have an interest in this type of IJN warship. There are many outlets from which to obtain this book and others from the series. I would suggest you check with the vendors that support this website first.