Unimax Forces of Valor 86203
Iowa Class Battleship Diecast Model
USN, USS Missouri (BB-63), East Coast, 1944 |
| 1:700 Scale | | Length | | Width |
|---|
| Iowa Class Battleship | | 15.25" | | 1.75" |
The USS Missouri is perhaps the most famous battleship of WWII, not so much for its wartime activities - which were heroic enough - but because on September 2nd, 1945, the formal surrender of the Japanese was signed upon the Missouri's deck, finally bringing an end to the worst war the world has yet known.
The USS Missouri was commissioned in June 1944, and after shakedown in the Atlantic spent most of her career in Pacific. She arrived at Okinawa on April 1st, 1945, in time to take part in the storming of the island by American forces. Twice she was hit by Kamikaze planes: The first - a zeke fighter plane - crashing into the starboard side about 20 feet behind the number three gunmount and the second, a damaged plane that spun out of control, hitting the aircraft crane and exploding. In both cases, damage to the ship was superficial. After operations in Okinawa and Japan proper, the ship was used for the momentous signing of the Japanese surrender.
When the Korean war broke out, the USS Missouri Battleship, was the only battleship operational at the time and was the first to become involved in the operations there.
Placed out of commission in reserve on February 26, 1955, the USS Missouri remained at the Puget Sound shipyards until 1984 when plans for the battleship's re-activation began. Currently the USS Missouri Battleship is on display at Pearl Harbor.
In 1939 and 1940, the United States Navy ordered a class of six battleships for service in the Pacific Theater of WWII. Because there were no cost restrictions in the development of these ships, the Iowa battleships were fearsome-fast enough to provide support to aircraft carriers and heavily armed for shore bombardment. The long service careers of these battleships included participation in every major war of the second half of the 20th century, from WWII to Korea and from Vietnam to the first Gulf War. Decommissioned in the early 1990s, two Iowa ships were mothballed for a decade and three now serve as military museums. © Copyright 2003-2024 The Flying Mule, Inc.
Forces of Valor's 1:700 scale Iowa Class Battleship is constructed of diecast metal and plastic, with metal used for the lower portion of the hull and plastic for the upper portion. Simulated wood decking, conning tower and guns are recreated in plastic, providing the highest possible level of detail. There are three detailed rotating main turrets, each with three elevating 16-inch cannons. The conning tower and adjacent super structure are masterfully rendered in miniature, with five rotating 5-inch gun turrets port and starboard. The aft features two OS2U Kingfisher aircraft, and there are twin rudders and four nicely detailed propellers below.
© Copyright 2003-2013 The Flying Mule, Inc.
The Unimax "Forces of Valor" range presents affordable, ready-made diecast models of military vehicles.
Unimax "Forces of Valor" diecast vehicles feature:
- Diecast metal construction with some plastic components.
- Rotating turret, elevating cannon and accurate hull.
- Moving tracks on detailed rotating wheels.
- Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
- Pad printed markings and placards that won't fade or peel like decals.
© Copyright 2003-2024 The Flying Mule, Inc.
