Tamiya / Eduard 1/350 scale
I-400 Submarine-Carrier

by Roland Sachsenhofer

I-400 Submarine-Carrier

Tamiya's 1/350 I-400 Special Edition is available online from Squadron.com

Discussing the relationship of aircraft and submarine is mostly a matter of hunter and hunted. There are just a handful of planes that have been flown from carrier-submarines on reconaissnace missions. Just one nation has used submarine-based planes as offensive weapons. That nation is –no surprise considering the strategic circumstances- Japan.

I-400 was the first ship oft he biggest class of carrier-submarines ever build. Measuring nearly 122 meter in length and having a displacement of 6560t (submerged) it truly was a leviathan. In comparison, Germans biggest U-boats, the Typ X featured „just“ 89 meterin length and a displacement of 2177t.

Eighteen of those I-400 class submarine carriers have been planned to be built, in reality just two ever got into combat with a third being finished at the end oft he war.

Up to six M6A „Seiran“ floatplanes could be stored on board, their payloads of one 800kg bomb per aircraft was originally thought to make the Panama canal inoperative, but the only combat missions I-400 and ist sister ship I-401 ever set out aimed at the US carrierbase at the Ulithi atoll in July 1945. The mission was aborted after the ships had left the port: Japan had surrendered.

Tamiyas I-400 ist a true pleasure to build. Details are fine and crisp, and even build out oft he box it would be a fine representation of the ships powerful appearance. Additionally I used Eduards etched parts set which offers the railings and a plenty of extra detailing parts.

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If you are interested in the building process and would like to have a look at the used Tamiya- and Eduard parts, please have a look on the workbench at the JAM Forum:

http://www.razyboard.com/system/morethread-i-400-u-boot-tamiya-1350-raidenjack-1270543-6275303-0.html

That was quite an exciting excursion into the marine world I would recommend everybody interested!

As ever, remarks will be appreciated: ro.sachsenhofer@gmx.at

Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2014 by Roland Sachsenhofer
Page Created 18 February, 2014
Last Updated 18 February, 2014

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