AFV 1:350 scale Gato-class submarine, 1943

[Panzón]

A few years ago, I toured the USS Cavalla (SS-244), a Gato-class submarine set up as a museum ship in Galveston, TX, so I decided to build a model of it. AFV offers different 1:350 scale kits of Gato-class submarines built in 1941, 1942, and 1943, so I chose the 1943 version, that being the year USS Cavalla was built. A little research showed me, however, that USS Cavalla was extensively modified in the 1950s, with a new sail fitted, two of the forward torpedo tubes removed , and a bulbous nose fitted to the bow to house new sonar gear. I decided that these modifications were beyond my scratch-building abilities at such a small scale, so I built USS Cavalla as she was during WWII.

[Mpfiend]

NIce! I like the weathering effects.

[psmithmags]

You've done a great job there. The weathering gives it a fantastic look. Interesting to hear about the updates to the USS Cavalla during the 50's.

Paul S.

[Panzón]

Thanks for the comments, guys, and thanks for looking. The Wikipedia article on USS Cavalla has a photo of her at sea in 1957, after the modifications, as well as a current photo of her on dry land as a museum ship at Sea Wolf Park in Galveston, TX. The sail installed on the Cavalla in the 1950s looks alot like the sails retrofitted to the GUPPY-class submarines, though Cavalla's sail was installed prior to the GUPPY program.

[ForeverPlasticKits]

NIce! I like the weathering effects.

Same, the effects are really good!