Calling all WW2 Imperial Japanese Navy submarine fans

[mongo580]

I notice that AFV club has released the I-27 with a E14Y Glen and Midget Submarine as cargo in 1/350 scale.
http://www.hobbyfan.com.tw/product/prod ... 0121115001

Could anyone answer if this would be suitable for I-27 that attacked Sydney Harbour in 1942?
The three ships with type A midget subs were I-22, I-24, I-27 but there is no evidence suggesting that they carried an E14Y.

Also, is the midget sub the correct for a Sydney harbour attack? As they were different to the ones that attacked Pearl harbour (different guards).

Tony

Ok, I asked on another forum and I also got the AFV club kit.
The I-27 was a B-type that could carry an E14Y but there is evidence to suggest that it did not. The midget sub that comes in the kit is correct for a Sydney Harbour version.

I-22 & I-24 were C-types and did not have sea plane carrying abilities. I-21 & I-29 were B-types that carried the E14Ys.

Does anyone know if these five subs have any black paint applied to their conning tower or any other type of special markings applied? ie the "i" numbers and Hinomaru's? Or a source of where I might find this info?
Thanks

Tony

[redoctober27]

Does anyone have a good picture of the conning tower of a I-370 class sub? And does any one have any idea what the decks would have been like? Thank you!

[Dan K]

There are some side views on the Wiki page, halfway down: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_D_submarine

[redoctober27]

Yeah I looked at these but I haven't found any thing on the deck as far as color and what not :/ I figure there painted black just wondering what the decks would be like. I bought the old hasigawa I-370 boat. There interesting for sure.

[redoctober27]

Question are there any pictures of the I-400 or I-13 classes during war time? Also as for the black banner behind the id number we're those always present ? I have seen pics of both and I am in the process of putting one decals from the skyway kits and the black banner is so fragile that it chips and looks way over sized :/ any ideas for a way round this other than painting? I don't quiet trust my skills sometimes :/

[Dan K]

This is the only phto I know of, from the excellent Sakaida book on the I-400 class. It is I-400 with two Seirans on deck while training in Japanese waters. Probably early 1945. No markings of any kind that I can see.

[redoctober27]

Awesome thank you very much Dan k! Hope all is well. interesting to see the hanger looks short but probly from the angle. At first I thought I-14 or I-13! Unfortunatly one can't make out the aircraft paint schem. I just read some where ( I'll post my scorce later) that the aircraft were panted like American aircraft in silver and with the stars painted on the wings in an effert to desive allied gunners as friendlys on aproch!

[Hen]

Hey fellas,
I thought this might be interesting - a series of pictures of a late war B-class submarine (I-36, I-38, I-41 or I-44) on trials with amphibious carriers of "Ka-Tsu" type off Kure in early 1944. There's a 1/350 Tamiya kit of I-41 with those carriers, but I've never before seen them in action...





Here's some additional info on the "Ka-Tsu":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_4_Ka-Tsu
http://www3.plala.or.jp/takihome/ka-tsu.htm

[Timmy C]

Minor correction: it's Aoshima that has the kit. Tamiya only ever made the I-400 in their 350th submarine "line".

[Hen]

Minor correction: it's Aoshima that has the kit. Tamiya only ever made the I-400 in their 350th submarine "line".

You're right, my fault here it is/was:

http://www.hlj.com/product/aos05012

[redoctober27]

Any new ijn subs in 1/700 scale set to come out soon? Like any thing from pitroad or fujimi or others? It's been some time :/

[Dan K]

None that I know of. FWIW.

[Quincy]

If only Aoshima would retool their I-1/I-6 kit . I would be happy. You could always do a little bit of scratch building to produce an I-7/8 using the Tamiya I-16 kit, and I believe also an I-176. But as Dan said, nothing on the immediate horizon.



Bob Pink.

[redoctober27]

Hi guys, What are your guys's views on 1/700 vs 1/350 ? I ask this because I am currently debating whether or not for my Japanese submarine fleet Converting from 700 to 350 scale subs and only subs! I am a huge fan of 1/700 for ships! but when it comes to my russian subs I usually do them in 1/350 scale and thinking about doing the same for my Japanese submarine fleet as well but still leaving my surface ships at 700 scale only because there are more 350 scale japanese submariens available than there is in the 700 scale. Does anyone have any opinions on this?

[Peter Rathgeb]

Hi guys, What are your guys's views on 1/700 vs 1/350 ? I ask this because I am currently debating whether or not for my Japanese submarine fleet Converting from 700 to 350 scale subs and only subs! I am a huge fan of 1/700 for ships! but when it comes to my russian subs I usually do them in 1/350 scale and thinking about doing the same for my Japanese submarine fleet as well but still leaving my surface ships at 700 scale only because there are more 350 scale japanese submariens available than there is in the 700 scale. Does anyone have any opinions on this?

Hi, redoctober27.
Are you sure there are more IJN subs in 1/350?
I find quite a bit of them in 1/700 (although not all are of the best quality, but can be considerably upgraded with Tom's photoetch sets; the Pit Road and Tamiya kits are great!):

I-1 + I-6 (Junsen Type 1 and Type 2) (Aoshima)
I-9 + Ro-35 (Type A1 and Kaichu Type 6) (Pit Road)
I-15 + I-46 (Type B1 and Type C2) (Fujimi)
I-16 + I-58 (Type C1 and Type B3) (Tamiya)
I-58 late (Type B3 with Kaiten) (Tamiya)
I-56 and I-58 (Type B3) (Pit Road)
I-13 and I-14 (Type A modified) (Pit Road)
I-400 and I-401 (Sen Toku) (Pit Road)
I-400 also from Aoshima and Hobby Boss
I-68 and I-370 (Kaidai Type 6A and Type D1) (Hasegawa)
I-171 and I-361 (Kaidai Type 6A and Type D1) (Hasegawa)
Ro-35 and Koryu (Kaichu Type 6, and midget Type D) (Pit Road)

I don't think there are so many different types available in 1/350, that's why I went the other way, from 1/350 to 1/700.

Cheers,
Peter

[redoctober27]

Yeah you make a good point there peter! I guess I'm just fixed on new tooled kits. But yeah I guess I'll stick with the 1/700 scaled kits then lol.

[Peter Rathgeb]

Yeah you make a good point there peter! I guess I'm just fixed on new tooled kits. But yeah I guess I'll stick with the 1/700 scaled kits then lol.

It would be great to have some more new tooled kits! But as I mentionned, the Pit Road and Tamiya kits are very good. Especially the newest Pit Road kit (I-56 and I-58) is exceptional. You can also use parts of the Tamiya and Pit Road kits to "upgrade" others.

For the other (older) kits I strongly suggest you use Tom's modelworks sets which improves many of the details:

- set 747 IJN Submarines is designed to upgrade the Pit Road kits
- set 709 Axis Submarines is designed to upgrade some of the other brands' kits

Cheers,
Peter

[redoctober27]

True once again, Question... do you have the new 1/700 pitroad I-58-I-56 kit?
It sounds like you do or at least know much about it, I ask because I too have the new 1/700 pitroad kit and while I'm still working on the I-58 and I-56 boats there is another set of decks with the kit and another set of conning towers. While I was looking at the Aoshima 1/350 kit of the I-37 / I-36 Submarines Equipped with Kaitens almost match these extra parts. Do you know if these parts are for or intended for giving the buyer the option of building these two ships in 1/700 as well? If so do you know what other ships had the same configuration as I-37 / I-36 in what i'm assuming the be Mid-44 to 45?

[redoctober27]

Here is a lay out of the Aoshima I-37/ I-36 1/350 kit im talking about http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10109980

[Peter Rathgeb]

True once again, Question... do you have the new 1/700 pitroad I-58-I-56 kit?
It sounds like you do or at least know much about it, I ask because I too have the new 1/700 pitroad kit and while I'm still working on the I-58 and I-56 boats there is another set of decks with the kit and another set of conning towers. While I was looking at the Aoshima 1/350 kit of the I-37 / I-36 Submarines Equipped with Kaitens almost match these extra parts. Do you know if these parts are for or intended for giving the buyer the option of building these two ships in 1/700 as well? If so do you know what other ships had the same configuration as I-37 / I-36 in what i'm assuming the be Mid-44 to 45?

Let me tell it like that: The I-58 was a B3 type Submarine, while I-37 and I-36 were B1 types. As such, there are many similarities externally. The B3 type were a bit slower but had a range considerably increased. (Ca 21'000 nm vs. 14'000 of the B1 type) The B3 type was, so to say, the long range version of this kind of cruiser subs.

I-58 was converted to a Kaiten carrier before completion, the rear deck gun was then removed, but it still pertained the aircraft hangar. In May 1945, the hangar was removed to make place for a total of six Kaiten to be carried. To model this configuration, you can use the larger (broader) of the two decks in the Pit Road kit. The narrower deck is for the I-56.

I-37 was converted later in her life, also by removing the aircraft hangar, but only to allow to carry four Kaiten. If you check some references, you should be able to make a conversion from the I-56.

Anyway, if you are planning to build an "ordinary" B1 boat (i.e. without conversion to Kaiten carrier) I would suggest that you use Tamiya's kit with the I-16 and the I-58 as built. You should be able to convert the I-58 as built (i.e. with the hangar) to any of the B1 boats.

Cheers,
Peter