Although naval warfare has a long history, naval mines were not deployed until 1855 in the Crimean War. The first minesweepers date to that war and consisted of British rowboats trailing grapnels to snag the mines. Despite the use of mines in the American Civil War, there are no records of effective minesweeping being used. Officials in the Union Army attempted to create the first minesweeper but were plagued by flawed designs and abandoned the project. Minesweeping technology picked up in the Russo-Japanese War, where aging torpedo boats were pressed into sweeping service in 1908 and more boats were purchased for the purpose the following year.

Minesweeping made significant advancements during World War II. Combatant nations quickly adapted ships to the task of minesweeping. Both Allied and Axis countries made heavy use of minesweepers throughout the war. Historian Gordon Williamson wrote that "Germany's minesweepers alone formed a massive proportion of its total strength, and are very much the unsung heroes of the Kriegsmarine." Naval mines remained a threat even after the war ended, and minesweeping crews were still active after VJ Day.

For their latest detail set for 1/700 IJN ships, Fine Molds/Nano Dread have provided a complete mine sweeping apparatus. This consists of both a large and small paravane, a depressor (which I believe allows the paravane to operate at greater depths), the derrick used to hold and operate the paravanes, and the winch assembly.

There are four complete sprues, all of which are identical. The derrick needs to be slightly modified, depending on which side of the ship the system is attached. The instructions are on the back of the box and show a dual set up on the back of a Kagero class destroyer.

It is a neat option for those who like to build in this scale and adds quite a bit of detail to the afterdeck area of any ship on which you may wish to mount it.

January 2013

Review copy courtesy of www.dragonmodelsusa.com . Ask for them at your favorite hobby shop.

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