The Ship Model Forum

Gentlemen,

I have built AFV Club's 1/350 scale I-58 (as built).

On a photo I have (see attachment) I believe to see two white stripes, the front one narrower, the rear one broader. Do I see things?

I have represented these stripes on my model, but there is some doubt left.

What do you think / know / guess?

Thanks and cheers,
Peter

My guess is they were there for trials. There were alot of US subs in the area, and they more than likely painted the stripes so as not to confuse her with an enemy combatant, especially from the air. After she was done fitting out, they were probably painted out. That is my take on it.



Bob Pink.

I plan to waterline the I-1 submarine (1/350 Combat Subs/Pit Road) und to add some detail, especially on the conning tower.

I have quite some literature on IJN subs in the meantime, but have not been able to find such conning tower details. Can anybody help with plans, drawings, pics please?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Peter

Hi Peter:

Does the I-1 kits conning tower have windows? The old crappy 1/700 Aoshima kits does not.



Bob Pink.

Hi Bob

Yes, it has windows, but apart that, the whole conning tower is rather plain, especially the upper side. There is really need for additional detail. But the general form of the sub seems to be correct.

By the way, I had hoped that Pit Road would correct the casting forms for this reissue. While the casting is rather good concerning the hull, there is a lack of register between the left and right side of the deck, i.e. the lines of hatches etc. do not correspond. Well, there will be some filling and re-graving to do.

HTH,
Peter

Further to my post concerning white "stripes" (air recognition?) on I-58 (as built), one narrower and one broader, I have seen similar "thingies" on same type subs, i.e. I-54 and I-56 (as built).

What the h*** are those?? I have depicted them on my model of I-58 (as built), but I have more and more doubts now.

Thanks for any information and/or educated guess.

Peter

G'day everyone,

Lots of great info on here. I am mainly an airplane builder so forgive me if this is a numpty question.

I am in the process of building the 1/350 Aoshima I-27 kit, the version that carried the 'Ko-Hyteki' class midget subs during the Sydney Harbour raid in May, 1942. I would like to know people's opinions on the colours of the subs. Salvages remains of the midgets confirms these were painted all over black, but the I-27 and her sister subs colours have me perplexed. I am thinking red lower hulls and grey upper hull, with a black or dark stained deck/horizontal surface . The instructions also call for a black panel along the top of the airplane hangar. I was also thinking around the periscope bases as well, but 1942 is also about the time when hull colours may still have been all or at least partially black. I am assuming there would not be ID stripes applied during this raid.

cheers,

Pappy

G'day all,

I need some colour advice. I am getting to the painting stage of my 1/350 Aoshima I-36/I-37 class sub. These were a developement of the B1 class subs that had an aircraft hangar (although the I-36 had its hangar removed) and were utilised to carry between 4-6 "Kaiten" manned torpedoes.

The instructions show what I believe to be a picture of I-36 in an all black upper hull. The Japanese navy experimented with different hull colours and some subs did have black upper hulls.The standard scheme, especially later on during the war was the dark gey hull over anti-fouling red lower hull, with either unpainted wood decks or dark stained wooden decks.

My questions are:

What colour should I-36's upper hull ( I assume anti-fouling red lower hull) be for the time of the "Kaiten" missions? Would the deck planks be weathered wood (ie unpainted) or should this be a shade of black too? I assume the time period is about 1940, so the early war scheme is possible.

The English portion of the instructions suggest grey over red with unpainted wooden decks,

cheers,

Pappy

Hi Pappy:

As my response on Steelnavy, Hull- An all black or dark Sasebo gray. Decks- Stained black but very weathered showing wooden deck underneath. Hull bottom Tamiya Hull Red would be my choice.



Bob Pink.

I meant to add also. Even if the IJN I-Boats decks were not stained they would be pretty heavily weathered from being submerged and exposed to the hot Pacific sun/climate.






Bob Pink.

G'day Bob,

Thanks for the prompt reply (on both forums!) I had previously asked for help here and nobody replied, so appreciate you taking the time. I primarily build jets, but dabble with subs. Is there a direct match for Sasebo grey? I have some Tamiya 'Kure Arsenal grey' (XF-75) that I used on my I-400 build, but I am not familiar with the Sasebo grey. I will follow your advice and go with a black hull. Tamiya's hull red looks very dull and dark, almost brown. Most IJN models that I have seen built seem to have a brighter red, almost like scarlet. Is the Tamiya hull red accurate?

I think that I will paint the decks buff and then give them a stain of black oil paint. I assume that the real thing was done in a similar way. The IJN subs's wooden decks were not a very redish hue to begin with as the wood was a light colour originally, but as you say, suns and salt water would bleach the colour further,

cheers,

Pappy

Hi Pappy:


Tamiya has a Sasebo Gray I believe in both bottle and spray can. It is the darkest of the 4 IJN grays. I was looking through all of my IJN sub books and they do have the black hull/ stained black decks that they were painted. In one photo there was the I-38, the I-36's sister and she was a black sub as well, the same time period as the I-36.

Tamiya Hull Red is a perfect match for the hull color. It is like a dark maroon.


If you need any more help don't hesitate to ask.


Bob Pink.

Hi Pappy:

I just found a picture of the I-36 with kaitens aboard and she was painted all black scheme. She has a white Japanese flag either painted or lashed to the conning tower with I-36 markings above it.
Decks stained black also.



Bob Pink.

G'day Bob,

You rock!

I will follow your advice and go the black route with the Tamiya hull red colour. Not sure how I will tackle the deck, but it will either be a muted black (like NATO black) or sprayed buff then given a heavy stain of black oil paint over. I will have to conduct some experiments.

Any chance of a scan of the picture that you found?

cheers,

Pappy

G'day all,

This is a painting experiment. Following the advice of the two Bobs I have quickly painted the fore deck in buff, and once dry, I crudely lathered lamp black oil paint all over it. I then wiped most of it off with a tissue. The surrounding areas were then touched in with some NATO black and the lot was given a (very) crude drybrush in alumium. \







I like the look of it.

I also tried the same approach with the deck in the conning tower, although nothing has been glued together yet



Your thoughts gentlemen?

cheers,

Pappy

Hi Pappy:


Your deck looks like the deck in the pictures of the real I-Boats! I wouldn't change a thing. I am not able to do scans, but if I am able to do so I will send a bunch of them to you.

G'day Bob,

Thanks very much. Incidentally, what is the reference source if you don't mind me asking? I plan on building a few more of these I/350 IJN subs (I-19, I-27, I-37, I-58, and the cargo carrying type) so a good reference book would be a great investment. One I get a few more things done on the hull, I'll start a WIP thread and post some pics in the photo-build gallery,

cheers,

Pappy

Hi PappY;

Good reference books are:

The Maru Special Japanese Navel Vessels #'s 31 & 37 IJN subs

Kojinsha or Kajinsha Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy #'s 20 & 21 IJN subs Free Time Hobbies and Pacific Front Hobbies would be your best bet for all of these titles.

Diamond Sha- Japanese Naval Warship Photo Album Submarines and Submarine Depot Ships HobbylinkJapan would be the best source.

These are just a few of many books that are great for the IJN subs information.



Bob Pink.

Pappy,

Love how the deck came out - very nice!

_________________
Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery

G'day Martin,

I am glad that you like it. As I mentioned, I mainly build aircraft, so I am not very familiar with maritime stuff, especially colour schemes, so I am relying on the collective wisdom of others, but in the end, modelling is modelling no matter the subject. I will start a build thread very soon,

cheers,

Pappy