{"product_id":"original-u-s-wwii-navy-japanese-warship-recognition-teacher-model-set-of-20-by-comet-metal-products-special-devices-division-5-a","title":"Original U.S. WWII Navy Japanese Warship Recognition Teacher Model Set of 20 by Comet Metal Products – Special Devices Division 5-A","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item. Only One Available. This is an original U.S. Navy WWII Japanese warship recognition training set, containing \u003cb\u003e20 miniature Imperial Japanese Navy ship models\u003c\/b\u003e housed in their original fitted wooden carrying case. Manufactured by Comet Metal Products Co., Inc., of Richmond Hill, Long Island, New York, the set was produced under contract for the Special Devices Division of the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics. Officially designated \u003cb\u003eDevice 5-A, Serial Number 297\u003c\/b\u003e, these miniature \"teacher models\" were used to train American naval personnel in recognizing Japanese warships during the Pacific War.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe collection consists of twenty gray-painted waterline models representing various Japanese warship types, including battleships, aircraft carriers, heavy and light cruisers, and destroyers. Each miniature is mounted on an individual pale-blue wooden base, which slides into the corresponding compartment of the carrying case. The models incorporate detailed metal fittings and superstructures, with representations of gun turrets, funnels, masts, bridges, and other important recognition features.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf particular interest, the undersides of the wooden bases retain original identification stamps naming individual ships or classes. Legible markings include:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAircraft carriers:\u003c\/b\u003e SHOKAKU CLASS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBattleships:\u003c\/b\u003e KONGO, ISE, FUSO CLASS, NAGATO CLASS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCruisers:\u003c\/b\u003e NATORI CLASS, AOBA, YUBARI, SENDAI CLASS, CHUKAI AND MAYA, ATAGO, TONE CLASS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDestroyers:\u003c\/b\u003e AMAGIRI (the remainder of the marking is faint)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese markings retain their original wartime wording. Several additional base markings are considerably faded. The undersides also bear the manufacturer's ink stamp:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMFG. BY COMET METAL PRODUCTS CO., Inc.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRICHMOND HILL, N. Y.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe original wooden carrying case has a hinged, book-style design, with a gray-painted exterior and pale-blue interior. Each half contains ten individually fitted compartments arranged in two columns of five. The case retains its rope carrying handles, metal hinges, and exterior closure hardware. A colorful metal identification plate is secured to one side with four round-headed fasteners and displays the distinctive winged insignia of the Navy's Special Devices Division, flanked by two anchors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe plate is marked:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSPECIAL DEVICES DIVISION\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eU.S.N. BUREAU of AERONAUTICS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDEVICE NUMBER 5-A\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSERIAL NUMBER 297\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJAPANESE MINIATURE SHIP MODELS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCONTRACT No. NOa(s)-1630\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMFRD. BY COMET METAL PRODUCTS CO., INC.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRICHMOND HILL, L. I., N. Y.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe closed carrying case measures approximately \u003cb\u003e16\" x 4\" x 14\" [40.6 x 10.2 x 35.6 cm]\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe set remains in good overall condition, showing age, handling, and storage wear. The wooden case has scattered scratches, paint loss, and exposed wood along its edges and corners, while the interior exhibits localized staining, discoloration, and wear to the shelf supports. The models retain their recognizable profiles and substantial portions of their gray-painted finishes. Several show wear, bending, or apparent losses to delicate fittings, particularly masts, antenna elements, and small superstructure details. Isolated oxidation and deterioration are also present. The identification stamps on the wooden bases vary in legibility, while the exterior metal plate remains especially well preserved, retaining strong coloration and clear lettering. Careful handling of the miniature vessels is recommended.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHistorical Context\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring WWII, the U.S. Navy placed considerable emphasis on the rapid and accurate recognition of friendly and enemy vessels. Ship identification was particularly important in the Pacific Theater, where American naval forces frequently operated across vast distances and encountered Japanese warships during reconnaissance missions, carrier strikes, and surface engagements.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNaval personnel were expected to identify ships by their characteristic silhouettes, including hull proportions, superstructure arrangements, funnel positions, masts, and armament. These features provided important clues when determining the type or class of a distant vessel, particularly when national markings were obscured by distance, weather, or poor visibility.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe U.S. Navy's 1944 \u003ci\u003eWar Instructions\u003c\/i\u003e formally emphasized the importance of positive recognition, identifying inadequate training and mistaken identification as potential causes of friendly-fire incidents and missed opportunities to engage enemy forces. Familiarity with ship silhouettes and markings was therefore considered a fundamental element of naval readiness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo develop these skills, the Navy employed a variety of instructional materials, including recognition charts, silhouette drawings, photographs, and scale models. Three-dimensional ship models were especially useful because they allowed instructors to demonstrate how a vessel's appearance changed according to the observer's position.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA ship viewed broadside presented a recognizable arrangement of funnels, masts, and gun turrets. From the bow or stern, however, its silhouette could appear substantially different. Observations from aircraft introduced additional considerations, particularly the shape of a vessel's deck, the arrangement of its main armament, and the position of its superstructures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMiniature waterline models helped familiarize trainees with these variations. Instructors could arrange individual vessels or groups of ships on a table, presenting them from different angles and distances to simulate recognition exercises. This allowed students to develop familiarity with the principal identifying characteristics of specific warship types before encountering them during operational service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Imperial Japanese Navy presented a particularly demanding recognition problem. During the decades preceding WWII, Japan had developed an extensive fleet of capital ships, aircraft carriers, cruisers, and destroyers. Many older vessels underwent substantial modernization, which altered their silhouettes and produced distinctive arrangements of bridges, funnels, and armament.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJapanese battleships were especially recognizable for their towering, multi-level bridge structures, often described as pagoda masts. The extensive reconstruction of several Japanese capital ships during the interwar period resulted in unusually tall and complex superstructures. Other important identifying features included the number and arrangement of main gun turrets, the position of the funnels, and the overall proportions of the hull.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAircraft carriers required their own recognition characteristics. The outline and length of the flight deck, the location of the island or other deck structures, and the arrangement of elevators and antiaircraft positions could all assist in distinguishing individual carrier types.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJapanese cruisers also displayed recognizable characteristics, particularly in the arrangement of their gun turrets, bridge structures, torpedo armament, and funnels. Heavy cruisers formed an important component of Japanese surface forces and participated extensively in the naval campaigns around the Solomon Islands, the Philippine Sea, and Leyte Gulf. Smaller light cruisers were frequently employed as flotilla leaders, reconnaissance vessels, and escorts, while destroyers undertook screening, torpedo attacks, and numerous transport and supply operations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis recognition work became particularly important during the Guadalcanal campaign of 1942–1943, when American and Japanese naval forces fought repeated engagements in the waters surrounding the Solomon Islands. Operations often took place at night or in restricted visibility, creating considerable difficulties for accurate identification. As the Pacific campaign progressed, recognition training remained valuable to carrier aviators, surface crews, and personnel responsible for reporting enemy naval movements.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe manufacture and distribution of specialized training equipment formed part of the responsibilities of the \u003cb\u003eSpecial Devices Division of the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics\u003c\/b\u003e. The division developed instructional devices intended to improve the effectiveness of wartime training, particularly in subjects requiring technical knowledge or practical familiarity with operational equipment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnder the direction of naval officer Luis de Florez, who served as director from April 1943 through December 1944, the Special Devices program became an important contributor to American synthetic training. Its projects covered a broad range of military specialties, including aviation, gunnery, navigation, submarine operations, and recognition instruction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe underlying principle was to reproduce selected features of actual military operations through models, simulators, and other instructional devices. Trainees could practice identification procedures and technical skills under controlled conditions, reducing the need to rely entirely on operational aircraft, ships, or weapons for instruction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComet Metal Products was among the American manufacturers contracted to supply miniature recognition models during the war. The company produced models representing American, Japanese, German, British, and other national fleets. Their production helped provide naval training establishments with standardized representations of contemporary warships.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe use of fitted carrying cases made these sets practical for instructional purposes. Individual models could be removed, arranged for training, and returned to their designated compartments, while the case protected the delicate assemblies during storage and transport. The standardized construction and individually identified bases also made the models useful for repeated instruction involving a considerable number of vessel types.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Navy's wartime ship recognition program extended beyond formal classroom instruction. Accurate identification was relevant to aerial reconnaissance reports, evaluation of enemy formations, and operational decision-making. Personnel familiar with the outlines of Japanese capital ships, carriers, and supporting vessels were better prepared to identify significant enemy contacts and communicate useful information to commanders.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe development of such training aids illustrates the considerable resources devoted to preparing American servicemen for the technical demands of modern naval warfare. The portable recognition model set was one practical component of this instruction, designed to provide repeated visual familiarity with the ships that personnel might encounter during their service in the Pacific.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46351573057605,"sku":"ONSV26MWC038","price":595.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/90B919E3-DFB4-4C8A-8CB4-F79F9F05AB8E.jpg?v=1794257600","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-u-s-wwii-navy-japanese-warship-recognition-teacher-model-set-of-20-by-comet-metal-products-special-devices-division-5-a","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}