This piece originally ran in the December 2022 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.

Recognition training became a priority for servicemen during World War II as the number and types of combat vehicles used by both the Allies and the Axis multiplied. Models were especially important, as they allowed observers to learn to recognize ships, tanks, and aircraft from any angle. H.A. Framburg & Co., a Chicago-based lamp and lighting company, produced more than 400,000 models of both friendly and enemy ship types for the U.S. Navy during the war. This particular set showcases a range of Japanese battleships, cruisers, and destroyers that naval aviators were likely to encounter in the Pacific theater.