USS "Spadefish" - the US submarine

USS "Spadefish" (SS-411) - American diesel-electric submarine of World War II. Its keel was laid in May 1943, launched in January 1944, and commissioned in March of the same year. The ship was 95 meters long, 8.3 meters wide, displacement about 2,400 tons. The maximum underwater speed was about 9 knots. The ship had ten 533 mm torpedo tubes: six forward and four aft. The submarine was also armed with one 127 mm, 40 mm, and 20 mm cannon's. USS "Spadefish" - one of the ships of the "Gato" class. Submarines of this class were designed and began to be built as a further improvement of the "Tambor" class construction. Compared to their predecessors, they had a much greater range and significantly improved combat characteristics. They also had new, very reliable and proven diesel engines, which increased the possible patrol time of one ship. Units of this type greatly improved the living and working conditions on submarines. They were equipped with the most modern radio and electronic equipment of those times. USS "Spadefish" participated in five combat voyages in the Pacific Ocean from September 1944 to July 1945. The first of them was the most successful - USS "Spadefish" sank a total of six Japanese ships, the total capacity of which exceeded 31,500 BRT! The second combat voyage was also successful, as the ship helped sink the escort aircraft carrier "Shinyo". USS "Spadefish" was written off in 1946 and sold for scrap in 1969.

A large, but not very complex, well-designed and richly detailed submarine model for any experience modeler. 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 stocks, and there is also nowhere to "combine" it. Textual instructions, one might say, are not there - only a few general notes, the graphic one - is also not too large, but sufficient for gluing the model. Only the drawings could have been at least twice as large. Antiquarian publication.