Trumpeter
1/144th scale USS Gato SS-212 circa 1941
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History
 The
USS Gato is the name ship for its class of submarine. The Gatos as well
as its predecessors were also known as fleet boats. However it was the
Gato and her sisters that became legendary in the annals of US submarine
history. From late 1942 it was mainly this class of submarine that literally
took the war to Japan's front door. No other type of US Navy vessel did
as much damage to Japanese ships, both military and merchant, as the Gatos.
The Gato was 312 feet long and displaced 1825 tons. Seventy-three Gato
class subs were built. The vast majority of boats that became famous during
the war came from this original group and the majority of combat losses,
18 in all, also came from this initial group.
The Kit
 This
kit seems to be very straightforward if not almost simple. It contains
half a dozen parts sprues that are molded in medium gray plastic. Interestingly
one section seems to be the inside pressure hull, including internal partitions,
but it is not detailed. Accuracy- wise it looks to be well done. The detail
parts, such as the deck gun, hatches, props, cleats, etc look crisp and
nicely molded. The only things that I noticed missing were the arm/shafts
that are parts of the retraction mechanism for the bow planes.
Markings
 The
only markings provided are the ship's flags and its white hull numbers.
They look to be of good quality.
Conclusion
At 1/144th scale a 312 foot ship makes into a good size model. It shape
looks good as does its detail. Being all black you really can’t
say it is colorful, but it is definitely interesting.
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