The SteelNavy.Com Message Board: Re: This was the first of a one-two punch that sort-of took out Lindberg

Thanks Ralph and Tracy.

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From what I recall, the original owner had either bought the company back or become involved again and was trying to revitalize it with large-scale kits (this was before Trumpeter's 1/200 Arizona was released). The I-153 kit was largely panned and didn't sell well with the "enthusiast" crowd as hoped. The same builder/designer who had done this kit was brought in to make a scratch-built 1/144 BB-39 Arizona, but got all sorts of details wrong and also got all sorts of butt hurt when they were brought up to Lindberg before the molds had been cut. He had been to the Navy archives, see, so really his work was beyond reproach.

He got a collective raspberry from a lot of really knowledgeable people and I'm not sure if that killed the project or other factors did, but it never saw the light of day.

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You didn't see this, did you?

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2546543432029704&id=100064693388551

Because if you did, you've stumbled into a world of confusion and misinformation.

The model shown is by Lindberg, and is an unfortunate product of inaccurate research. The b&w photo shown in this link of a real sub is of "the original" I-53. In 1942, the IJN renumbered their sub fleet, and that sub got renumbered I-153. A new I-53 was built. That was a completely different animal...this second I-53 was a Type C sub.

The old sub, now I-153, was built well before the war, and was relegated to rear area service during the war. Mostly training duty.

The new Type C I-53 was the one which became a kaiten carrier.

The folks at Lindberg failed to sort this out, and their model has features from both subs, making a fine mess.

The old sub, of the b&w photo, has no AA guns because when she was built, they were not considered necessary. The new I-53 had AA guns. Some might have been removed for the kaitens, but she should have retained her conning tower pair.

Here's a model of sister sub I-52, before conversion to any sort of carrier. Note the AA guns:

https://sdmodelmakers.com/type-c-mod-i52-class-japanese-submarine-model-14-inch.html

Here is info on both the subs I have discussed:

The original I-53 turned I-153:

http://www.combinedfleet.com/I-153.htm

The 1942 I-53 Kaiten carrier:

http://www.combinedfleet.com/I-53.htm

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Today, on Facebook, I saw photos of the mini-sub carrying I-153. I noticed that it didn't have any AA guns. Didn't IJN subs have AA guns?

Tim