The Agano-class light cruisers were built as the flagships of the Torpedo Squadron under the Fourth Replacement Plan. They were deployed after the Battle of Midway and were light cruisers during the latter stages of the war. The Yahagi was the third Agano-class ship and was completed at the end of 1943.
The ship was equipped with three twin 15cm main guns, two quadruple 61cm torpedo tubes, and two twin 8cm long guns. Its first battle was the Battle of the Mariana Islands in June 1944. It served as the flagship of the 10th Squadron and escorted the 1st Carrier Squadron. In April 1945, it set out for Okinawa with the Yamato battleship to carry out Operation Ten-Ichi-Go.
In developing the Yahagi, we gave careful consideration to how to best express detail in the 1/350 scale, and achieved a more realistic finish than previous 1/350 ship kits.
For example, the torpedo tube mantlets are the same type as those on the Yukikaze, and would normally be the exact same parts, but if you compare them, it's obvious! The difference in the contrast and density of the parts is overwhelming.
The chimney jack stays have also been sculpted in a way that is optimal for the 1/350 scale, making for a more realistic design!
The hull is divided into left and right halves. The internal support structure ensures a stable assembly. The flight deck with its blast vent is also precisely reproduced.
The main gun turret, anti-aircraft gun mantlet, and torpedo tube mantlet are precisely molded into one piece using slide molds. The tip of the main gun barrel is molded to recreate the muzzle. The complex steam exhaust pipe around the chimney is also precisely molded into a part.
Clear parts are used for the bridge windows, aircraft windshields, and searchlights. The movable parts are the rudder, main gun (rotation and elevation), 6m rangefinder, machine gun firing device, 8cm twin anti-aircraft gun (rotation and elevation), torpedo tubes, catapult, and Type 94 anti-aircraft system. The barrel of the anti-aircraft gun can be moved vertically.
Two A6M Zero three-seater seaplanes are included. The canopy is a separate part, molded in clear. The display stand has been improved from Akagi's specifications, with a fixing pin protruding from the stand side and inserted into the hull.