This is the latest detail set from Finemolds. It is part of their Nano Dread 350 series (okay I have no idea why it is called “Nano Dread”). This detail set provides replacement bridge equipment for Imperial Japanese Navy warships, even though the box does not say that. What is noteworthy of Finemolds is that their after market detail sets are injection molded styrene; there is no multi-media included. What is surprising, since this is my first look at a Finemold molding, is how petite and detailed the injection details are!

In the box are four sprues of details; two each of Sprue A and Sprue B.

Sprue A contains:

• 1 magnetic compass binnacle (mis-identified as a Gyro Compass)
• 3 azimuth gyro repeaters
• 4 mounted binoculars

Sprue B contains:

The Ship

The USS Independence (LCS-2) is the second Littoral Combat Ship commissioned by the U. S. Navy, and the leader of the Independence class. She is an aluminum high speed trimaran capable of speeds in excess of 44 knots (50mph), with a range of over 4300 nautical miles at 18 knots. Commissioned on 16 Jan 2010, she has a length of 418 feet and beam of 104 feet, with a large flight deck and mission bay located beneath the flight deck. Capable of handling many types of aircraft, including the CH-53 and the V-22 Osprey, she can be configured to accomplish many different missions through the use of “mission” modules. Very cool ship!

German U-boat U-176 was ordered on 23 December 1939, and had her keel laid on 6 February 1941. She was launched on 12 September 1491, and was commissioned on 15 December in 1941 at Deschimag AG Wesser in Bremen. The boat was lost with all fifty-three hands on 15 May 1943, while on patrol near Havana, sunk by the Cuban patrol boat CS-13 after being spotted by an American OS2U Kingfisher on watch in the area. During the boat’s career, she served under a single commanding officer, Reiner Dierksen, performed training cruises with the fourth flotilla from 15 December 1941 until 31 July 1942, and was the front boat of the tenth flotilla on a cruise beginning 1 August 1942 until her loss. There were eleven ships sunk by U-176 during her career, consisting of 53,307 gross rated tons.

Most of you have heard of PT Boats, E-Boats, and MTBs. There have been movies, books, and some good models of these boats. But a class that doesn’t get that much attention is the British Motor Gun Boats or MGBs. This 48 page soft-cover book starts with the development of these craft. The Motor Torpedo Boats did not have the firepower to take on their German cousins, so the initial thought was to remove the torpedo tubes and add heavier weapons. Later, boats made specifically as MGBs were created and finally, some of these were rearmed with torpedos by the end of the war, making a full circle.

I was intrigued by the title of this PE set when I was notified by John Noack of its availability and was very excited when it arrived. You would think that a set titled “WWII USN Accommodation Ladders and Gangplanks” would not stir the imagination, after all accommodation ladders are available in other sets. But I have never seen gangplanks offered anywhere. It is a subject often neglected by PE manufacturers – “how do you get on and off a ship.” Well, this PE set is the answer.

There is a lot of detail and options packed into this small set: