American Gato-class submarines were ravenous undersea predators of Japanese shipping during World War II. An effective compromise of size, speed, armament, and range, they were one of the war’s most effective weapons. The class-leader, USS Gato, was launched in August 1941 and served throughout the war, completing 13 combat patrols. Like many of its class, the Gato was upgraded later in the war with better weapons, radar, and other gear.
HobbyBoss has re-released its kit of the Gato labeled as the 1944 configuration. Note: The box art shows a 40mm Bofors gun on the aft deck, which I believe is correct for 1944, according to references, but the kit provides only a 20mm gun for this position. Details of refits can be challenging, so check your references regarding equipment and painting for a specific timeframe.
The kit is refreshingly simple, with 26 parts total, including the photo-etched metal (PE) nameplate. The molding is excellent, with very refined surface features such as deck planking. The blades on the screws are a bit thick, but that’s understandable since they are tiny.
HobbyBoss molded the deck with the port hull half. Thankfully, the excellent fit prevented any problems. The rudder and forward mast are designed to be trapped by the hull halves, but I removed the lugs to allow installation after eliminating a minor hull seam.
I added the aft dive planes and rudder because they were safely below the paint demarcation line, but I left off the forward dive planes since they would have interfered with masking the hull. The conning tower assembly and weapons were finished separately and then installed at the end of the build.
I was disappointed with the one-piece prop shafts because the supports are solid, rather than open Vs that are on the real thing. I added them but left the screws off for painting. One of the shafts in my kit was badly warped, but it was thin enough to be forced to comply once glued.
The single-part conning tower gets two interior parts, which require a little trimming to fit flush. Conveniently, a single piece accounts for the many radar masts and periscopes attached to the conning tower. Unfortunately, this reveals what I think is the kit’s greatest failing — the lack of railings around the gun platforms that leave the sub looking like a toy. I wish HobbyBoss had devoted the PE fret to these instead of the nameplate.
The stand is a simple three-piece affair that I painted gloss black. This was complimented with a black wash over the brass nameplate that was wiped away from the raised letters for a bit of character.
The kit includes a color profile with callouts but check your references. It indicates Tamiya J.A. Grey (No. XF-14) for light gray areas, but that seems far too green. Instead, I used Mr. Color lacquers — Cowling Color (No. C125) for the lower hull, Light Gray (No. C324) for the hull sides, and Tire Black (No. C137) for the deck. After weathering, the forward dive planes, conning tower, weapons, and screws were attached as a final step — all fit perfectly.
I spent a little more than six hours on HobbyBoss’ USS Gato plastic model kit, sub-stantially less than most kits I build! While the result looks good and has nice features, the lack of railings lets it down. I hope an aftermarket detail set comes along soon that I can add to bring the model to its full potential.