I-25 "Otsu-Gata" - the Japanese submarine

I-25 - Japanese submarine of World War II, the keel of which was laid down in 1939, launched in June 1940, entered service in the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1941. The length of the ship - 108.7 m, width - 9.3 m, underwater displacement - 3300 tons. The maximum speed of the I-25 on the surface of the water reached 23.5 knots. The main armament was six 533 mm torpedo tubes, artillery armament - one 140 mm gun and two 25 mm Type 96 anti-aircraft guns. The ship also had one Yokosuka E14Y seaplane. I-25 was a B1-type ocean-going submarine, many of the design decisions of which were based on the design of the "Kaiden" and especially the KD6-type submarines. However, it differed from its predecessors in size, especially in underwater and surface speed, and in the depth of immersion, which increased to about 100 meters. The B1 type ships had a seaplane in their armament, which gave them greater opportunities for sea reconnaissance, and they were also distinguished by a long range and autonomy. I-25 began its participation in the war in the Pacific Ocean, patrolling the waters of the island of Oahu during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. In February and March of the following year (1942), I-25 operated in the South Pacific, in the Sydney and Melbourne areas of Australia. In May 1942, the ship was directed to the Aleutian Islands region, where reconnaissance tasks were mainly performed. In turn, in the second half of 1942, I-25 was directed to the western coast of the United States. The ship was sunk in 1943. September 3, when the destroyer USS "Ellet" was torpedoed in the New Hebrides area.

A large, but not very complicated, well-designed and richly detailed model of a submarine for a modeler of any experience. It is not suitable only for beginners, who are taking their first steps in paper modeling. Beginners, who have glued several models, and modelers with little experience are recommended to work under the supervision of a more experienced colleague and not rush. And for medium-experienced and experienced "sea wolves" there will be room for the "winds of improvement". There are no color reserves, but some of them can be "combined" from the gluing boxes of the other sides of the part. Text instructions, one might say, are not there - only a few general notes, the graphic one - also not too large, but sufficient for gluing the model. Only the drawings could have been at least twice as large. Antique publication.