Reviews of products for scale ship models, including submarines.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
March 28, 2020
Company
OKB Grigorov
Scale
1/700
MSRP
$25.00

OKB Grigorov has provided a super USS Skipjack submarine which represent this classic class of American Submarine. The Skipjack class first entered service in 1974.

Included is:

  • Five resin parts
  • One photoetch sheet
  • One resin submarine
  • One resin stand

The detail quality is great; The parts are very delicate parts that need careful removal from the resin bases.

There was no instruction sheet in the box I received to review, this was not a problem as it was a simple build.

The assembly is quick and easy.

The resin stand is an awesome addition to the kit.

I would like to have seen some small decals.

The final part is painting.

Thanks go to OKB for providing this kit to review and IPMS USA for allowing me to review it for them

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
March 28, 2020
Company
OKB Grigorov
Scale
1/700
MSRP
$10.00

OKB Grigorov has provided very nice and unusual submarine in this German Type 201. This was the first post war German submarine. They only built three type 201’s U-1, U-2 and U-3 and they first entered service in 1961. The had issues with the Amagnitic steel material which lead to cracks in the structure, so all were scrapped.

Included is:

  • Two Photo Etch Sheets
  • One resin submarine
  • Two small resin parts

The detail quality is great; The parts are very delicate parts that need careful removal from the resin bases.

There was no instruction sheet in the box I received to review, this was not a problem as it was a simple build although there was not much reference materials online due to this being a very short lived program.

The ssembly is quick and easy.

I would like to have seen some small decals.

The final part is painting.

Book Author(s)
Michael Green
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
March 27, 2020
Company
Pen & Sword
MSRP
$22.95

Michael Green is a freelance writer, researcher, and photographer. He specializes in military subjects and has authored and coauthored over 100 non-fiction books, for both children and adults. His books have been translated into several languages. Mr. Green is an honorary lifetime member of the "Marine Corps Tanker Association," as well as the U.S. Army Brotherhood of Tankers. Michael Green lives in Dale City, California.

Pen & Sword’s latest book in the Images of War series is a square back soft cover includes 234 gloss paper pages. I counted 130 black and white period photographs. There are 95 color photos, 8 black and white illustrations, and 17 color illustrations.

Review Author
Scott Hollingshead
Published on
March 26, 2020
Company
OKB Grigorov
Scale
1/700
MSRP
$22.27

Developed following the concept of a titanium-hulled design first seen in K-162, Project 705, or the Lira class, was a small, streamlined double hull design which was built to operate at depths in excess of 2200 feet, and allegedly deeper than 3600 feet. The submarines of this class (seven in all) were 265 feet-9inches in length, 31 feet at the beam, and had a draught of 26 feet-3inches. The liquid metal reactor and two steam turbines could propel the boat at a speed of 20 knots surfaced, or 42 knots submerged. The weapon options included a loading of up to 18 torpedoes or 21 missiles or 36 mines, and the crew compliment was a mere 31 sailors. In addition to the main screw for propulsion, two small propellers were also present for emergency operations as well as slow, quiet maneuvering.

Book Author(s)
Brian Lane Herder
Review Author
Bill Kluge
Published on
March 21, 2020
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$24.00

In the final months of the Pacific War, the U.S. Navy unleashed its full fury on the Home Islands of Japan. Beginning with airstrikes to cover the amphibious landings on Iwo Jima in February, 1945 until the day of the Japanese surrender on August 15, aircraft and naval vessels of the American navy (soon joined by the British Pacific Fleet) ranged up and down the length of the Japanese Islands attacking industrial targets, sweeping aside Japanese air power and, with particular relish, devastating the last remnants of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Book Author(s)
Waldemar Goralski
Review Author
Luke R. Bucci, PhD
Published on
March 20, 2020
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$37.95

Thanks to Casemate Publishing & IPMSUSA for the review copy!

Waldemar Tubus Goralski is a prolific author of illustrated warship books for Kagero Publishing, and has previously authored Super Drawings in 3D book on Kirishima’s sister ships Kongo (in 2015) and Haruna (in 2013, previously reviewed in IPMSUSA). He is still working on the Hiei, the final sister ship in the foursome of battlecruisers-turned-fast battleships. Each book shows improvements and advancements in the quality and clarity of the CG-generated drawings. He also makes exhibitions of his illustrations in Poland where visitors can virtually walk on ships. Waldemar has cooperated with the late Piotr Forkasiewicz for ocean and battle settings, and dedicates this book to Piotr. Wojciech Lizakowski collaborates by running the website warship3d.pl. Waldemar is lucky to turn his passion into a career, igniting passions of many modelers around the world.

Book Author(s)
Tassos Katsikas
Review Author
Luke R. Bucci, PhD
Published on
March 3, 2020
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$37.95

Thanks to Casemate Publishing & IPMSUSA for the review copy!

Kagero Publishing continues to illustrate obscure ships in exacting CG 3D detail with their characteristic dark blue background. This time the first German Imperial Navy battleships – the Brandenberg class – is the subject. This book is a softbound European A4 size (8 ¼ by 1111/16 inches) with only English language (instead of English and Polish) –probably because the author was Greek. Tassos Katsikas is a 3D Content Designer, Image Editor for Radnet and graduated from the Anotati Scholi Kalon Technon, a higher education institution in Athens, Greece.

Book Author(s)
Witold Koszela
Review Author
Luke R. Bucci, PhD
Published on
February 25, 2020
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$24.95

Kagero Publishing, from Poland, is one of the major military history publishing houses. Since 1998, when Kagero started publishing in English, over 550 titles have been produced. Topics focus on specific planes, armor and ships, along with a bevy of focused topics, such as a class of warships or an armor type. Kagero caters to ship modelers by turning out books filled with line and 3D computer-generated illustrations, with incomparable accuracy to details. For warships, Kagero has two series: 1) Super 3D Drawings and 2) Top Drawings, focusing on a single ship per book. The topic of this book review is one of the Top Drawings series, which are designed for modelers to have a reference for detailed appearances of individual ships. Top Drawings consist of color covers with black & white (B&W) line drawings of the ship, particular features, and equipment, especially armament.

Book Author(s)
Mark E, Stille
Review Author
Luke R. Bucci, PhD
Published on
February 9, 2020
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$22.00

Mark E. Stille, a retired Commander of the U.S. Navy, and is a prolific writer and enthusiast for WW2 naval history – over 40 Osprey titles. Paul Wright painted the ships on the cover and in the text. Alan Gilliland illustrated the maps, ship profiles and armaments. Maurizio Brescia provided many of the photographs.