Known for their accuracy and attention to detail, Aoshima's precision Waterline Series focuses on naval ship models, depicting the ship's structure from the waterline and above. Models in this series are designed to be seen as if floating on the water, highlighting the above-water structure, whilst also making for a more practical and space-efficient display on a flat surface.
Chūyō started off life as the Nitta Maru, a passenger-cargo liner built in Japan in the thirties; she was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) in late 1941, and converted into an escort carrier the following year.
Her slow speed and a lack of arresting gear meant Chūyō wasn't able to support the main fleet (as originally envisaged), so she was mainly utilized for ferrying aircraft to and from the large Japanese base at Truk.
In April 1943, Chūyō had a narrow escape: the USS Tunny attacked the ship with torpedoes, but faulty detonators meant her Mark 14s either detonated prematurely, or didn't explode at all - Chūyō merely sustained a dented hull.
Chūyō's luck ran out in December 1942; she was hit in the bow by a torpedo from USS Sailfish, which blew off her bow but didn't sink her. Two more torpedoes from the same submarine struck her almost six hours later, knocking out her engines. A couple of hours later, 1-2 more torpedoes caused massive flooding, and finally sank the ship.
Aoshima's precision Waterline Series model kit represents Chūyō as she would have appeared with aircraft embarked and parked at the aft end of her flight deck.
- 1/700 scale precision model kit
- Waterline design
- Assembly required
- Glue, paint, and tools not included - available separately
- Not a toy: not intended for children under 15 years old
- Made in Japan
