This is the first of three reports on the Hobby Boss 1:350 USS Missouri model kit. Two subsequent reports are planned, the second report at approx. the mid-point of the build and the third upon completion.

The USS Missouri was the third Iowa class battleship built for the US Navy and was completed in 1944. It is famous for being the ship on which the Japanese surrender was signed to end WWII. It was an impressive vessel, and this model captures its splendor.

With retirement, I have of course had to seriously curtail spending, and as such, just personally had opportunity to read and learn of this magazine by obtaining it from our reviewer corps. I had read a few kerfluffles online about jealous rivals, and this was an opportunity to find out exactly what this new Mag was about. For Simplicity, I am using PAMI as an abbreviated form of the magazine title.

I've previously built two of the 48th scale Tamiya tanks: the M-10 Tank Destroyer and the M1A2 Abrams, and they are great for a non-armor buff like me, both in size (not too big for the display cabinet) and part count (low to moderate, can be built in a week or two).

The M8 Howitzer Motor Carriage was a variation of the Stuart M5 light tank, powered by twin Cadillac V-8s with a 75mm M3 howitzer. Production yielded 1788 units from early 1942 to January 1944, and M8s served in Italy, Western Europe and the Pacific theater.

You get decals for two tanks: 106th Cavalry Reconnaissance Group, operating in Germany February 1945, and 758th Tank Battalion, Fifth Army operating in Italy, April 1945.