Japanese Navy doctrine had battleships and their big guns playing the main role in naval battles, and a powerful "8-8" fleet of 8 battleships and 8 battlecruisers was planned. To escort this fleet, the Kuma was laid down in 1918 as the lead ship of her namesake class of 5,500 ton light cruisers. This model depicts the ship as she appeared between 1939 and 1940, with her 3 straight funnels, simple bridge, and single 14cm guns, all distinctive features of Japanese light cruisers from that era, accurately reproduced. Even the degaussing cables anchors are crisply molded on the plastic.
Length: 230mm. Image shows assembled and painted kit.
