The Ship Model Forum

Thank you, Pavel :thumbs_up_1:

Really cool little side project, they are quite a nice way to cleanse the palette!

Thank you, Dan :wave_1:

[quote]Well, Furutaka got her beating a little bit later on...[/quote]

True, but only after Furutaka gave Boise her own beating. Plus, nobly stepping front of Aoba to absorb fire intended for the flagship.


Btw, nice work again, Vladi. :smallsmile:

[quote="Vladi"]Thank you, guys, I am happy you like my latest addition :cool_1:

Martin, the cruiser on that shot is actually my old Furutaka, not Kako, but let´s say the differences are not too many and not too obvious here, right? ;)[/quote]
Whoops! Well, Furutaka got her beating a little bit later on...

Thank you, guys, I am happy you like my latest addition :cool_1:

Martin, the cruiser on that shot is actually my old Furutaka, not Kako, but let´s say the differences are not too many and not too obvious here, right? ;)

Great little job. I like the sea base.

Very nice! I like the pic with her victim.

PS: I'll move this to the completed models forum.

Great Model! :thumbs_up_1:

The extent of changes is amazing!

BTW I´ve got 3 spare copies of the final PE, send me a P.M. if interested - but I am afraid postage would be more expensive than this rather small PE sheet ;). Tom´s Modelworks hull and gun are still needed to complete the model.

Calling it done – please meet the S-44 just in time for the 79th anniversary of the Battle of Savo Island!

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/vladi_k/nE0v7v][img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51365241624_b06166f29e_b.jpg[/img][/url]

[b][size=150]Unaware about the Savo Island events the previous night, the S-44 sighted the formation of four enemy heavy cruisers at 0750 on August 10th, 1942; their track less than 900 yards away. At 0806, she fired four torpedoes at the rear ship, only 700 yards away. By 0808, three torpedoes had hit; the Kako was sinking; and S-44 had begun her escape (adapted from DANFS). Kako sunk in 5 minutes. The remaining cruisers of Cruiser Division 6 rescued Captain Takahashi and most of Kako's crew, but 34 crewmen were killed.

Launched in 1923, the S-44 was considered second class by the U.S.Navy by 1942. She was on her 3rd war patrol from Brisbane, was partially damaged by heavy swells by the end of July and then deployed off New Ireland in the Kavieng area. The old Mk 10 torpedoes she used had old contact exploders and these worked just as intended, unlike torpedoes of more modern US submarines at that time.[/size][/b]

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/vladi_k/mKM21j][img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51365518175_93140d7cd2_b.jpg[/img][/url]

My model shows the S-44 patrolling on the surface just before sighting the enemy force and diving for the kill, the only „win“ of the Allies accounted to the Battle of Savo Island.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2mfVDGc][img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51364726583_d93750aeee_b.jpg[/img][/url]

This “fast & simple” detour build took me half a year to complete – well, ok, it happenned in parallel to working on other more complex projects. Researching the sub and designing two versions of the PE took definitely much more effort than the actual build.

I think came out well compared to the original resin model, but mastering 3D design & print would definitely be the better option for similar projects in the future.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2mfYffw][img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51365233058_d377c984af_b.jpg[/img][/url]

[b]Resources[/b]
[list]
[*]Pre-war and wartime photography from various online sources, most importantly Naval History and Heritage Command and Navsource.org
[*]Booklets of General Plans for S-4, S-11, S-16 and S-21 so kindly [url=http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=316158&p=934386]made available by Egilma[/url]n, thanks!
[*]Norman Friedman: US Submarines through 1945 - An Illustrated Design History
[*][url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/s-44.html]S-44 DANFS[/url] [/list]

Please check my [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/vladi_k/albums/72157719606336244]Flickr album[/url] for more hi-res photos of my build.

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/vladi_k/5j1065][img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51365242614_e286ebb30e_b.jpg[/img][/url]

Now to making the seabase

I wanted to try another approach this time using Styrex XPS. On the other hand I was not looking for a drastic change in style of seabases within my Savo Island collection by using a thicker Styrex layer and creating larger swells, so I decided to stay with the 4mm plexiglas as a basis (it serves also as a weight!). I added only a 3mm thin layer of Styrex on top of it. That allowed for some light swells that I used to make by putty or paper in the past - definitely easier and faster with Styrex.[attachment=4]20210707 S-44_0532.jpg[/attachment]
As usual I prepared the wave pattern according to the excellent http://www.steelnavy.com/WavePatterns.htm guide by Donald C. Simon - only to realize that such pattern is not relevant for a small and slim vessel like a submarine. So I searched for some photos of submarines at a moderate speed that could be used as a guide, the one of USS Torsk posted above being a good example. It turned out not the best idea to mark the wake with white marker, it later tended to show through the blue paint so another layer was required[attachment=3]20210714 S-44 seabase_0535u.jpg[/attachment]
Another material I tried for the first time was the Green Putty I used to sculpt bow waves and wake, it worked just fine.[attachment=2]20210720 S-44 seabase_0538_cr.jpg[/attachment]
Then I used a car paint spray can for the base dark blue and I was quite surprised to notice some of the Styrex being “consumed” by the paint although the can said the contents was acrylic paint! It can still be used but the first layer should be really thin to prevent irreparable damage to the Styrex layer.[attachment=1]20210721 S-44 seabase_0548.jpg[/attachment]
Next came highlighting of the wake by airbrushing green and white.[attachment=0]20210722 S-44 seabase_0550.jpg[/attachment]
I´ve never fixed my models permanently to the seabase before. The narrow gap between the hull and the seabase (covered with acrylic gel medium in the meantime) is usually noticeable only from overhead and I preferred the (yet theoretical) possibility of removing the model and using another seabase for it. However, in case of a submarine there was no other way as the convex hull would make the gap too obvious. I used the light wall putty to fill the gap. Being water-soluble it is easy to remove any unwanted marks on the hull. It is also white colour so there is no need to paint it in the vicinity of the hull as it looks like a good representation of foamy seawater. Cotton wool and acrylic gel will make it for the bow wave. I also tried one new material – AK Snow Sprinkles for the lighter foam. The Snow Spinkles are essentially tiny transparent balls in acrylic gel medium. This gives a quite unexpected effect of making the bow wave less even and smooth, adding “droplets” to it.

I am sorry but I completely forgot to take photos of final phases of the seabase construction, I was perhaps overexcited that the work comes to an end :(. You´ll have to wait until I take photos of the completed build – coming soon! Sorry for the waiting time but I want to show it all at the time of the 79th anniversary of the Savo Island events in 10 days time ;)

Thank you!

Now here comes a question: should matt varnish be used as the final seal on a submarine at sea? My conclusion by now is negative – a surfaced sub would remain wet most of the time because of the spray and its very low profile above the waves. So may another thin layer of Klear / Future (Pronto in Europe) - which tends to cure as a satin finish - be a good solution for most of the hull and bridge? Plus some more gloss areas on the bow etc.?

And another question: would a surfaced sub on a combat patrol fly the national flag?

Agreed. Nice rework on the bow. I certainly understand that compulsion.

:big_eyes:

Outstanding work!

Matt

Some weathering today :cool_1:

Used my usual method of filters, pin washes and slight dry brushing, all of it using artistic oil paints - very cheap and very effective method I learned from the [i]Ship Models from Kits[/i] book by David Griffith.
[attachment=1]20210726 S-44_0592_cr.jpg[/attachment][attachment=0]20210726 S-44_0593_cr.jpg[/attachment]

I decided to be quite radical in not giving up the fit on the forward quarter of the sub. I used an extremely thin piece of plastic that started it´s life as a separator in a pack of prosciutto, it fitted just under the PE thus visually correcting the shape. Some sanding and liquid putty made it for a smooth transition, I am much happier about it now.

Now leaving the paint to cure before gloss varnish and some weathering.
[attachment=3]20210720 S-44_0536.jpg[/attachment][attachment=2]20210720 S-44_0537.jpg[/attachment][attachment=1]20210721 S-44_0542.jpg[/attachment][attachment=0]20210721 S-44_0545.jpg[/attachment]

Thanks, Matt! I´ll give it a thought... :cool_2:

Great work Vladi :thumbs_up_1:

Perhaps a way to make a realistic bow wave and add some dimension would be to model her as she is just beginning to dive and go in for the kill?

Matt

Thanks for your kind words, Marijn!

Actually yes, I airbrushed the sub already, but I had some terrible problems with my airbrush this time, so I haven´t even tried much for some paint modulation etc. as I originally planned. Either I give it another try or I sort it out in the filters phase.

I am also not particularly happy about the fit on the bow. I amended the PE after my first trial earlier this year aiming for a better fit and that worked quite fine on most places but the bow is still not good. The precise and accurate one inside me contemplated about trying to sculpt what´s missing there while the other me, the lazy one, argues about concealing it with a bow wave like on the USS Torsk photo below. I just doubt an S-class sub would ever make such speed while patrolling in enemy waters, waiting for her prey... I don´t want to make the sea too rough as I recall no mentions about bad weather off Kavieng on August 10, 1942.
[attachment=2]20210707 S-44_0521.jpg[/attachment][attachment=1]20210707 S-44_0522.jpg[/attachment][attachment=0]SS USS Torsk.jpg[/attachment]