AVF Club 1/350 Japanese Navy I-19 Submarine

Overview

One of the lesser known offensives against the United States by Japan was the incendiary attacks on the west coast. The Japanese believed that if massive fires were started in the forests in Washington, Oregon, and California, the Americans would have to draw considerable resources away from the war effort to protect natural resources and industries. Initially these attacks were done by balloon, taking advantage of the prevailing winds over the Pacific. These were highly ineffectual, though, as there was no guidance and no way to cluster enough together to start a large blaze.

For a more targeted attempt, Japan turned to an aerial assault, using aircraft launched from a submarine. Using the large Type B1 submarine with its Yokosuka E14Y1 floatplane, the I-25 carried out a small attack in Oregon, when the plane dropped its two bombs on the forest. Unfortunately for the Japanese, no fires resulted, but it did mark the only time submarine-launched aircraft bombed the United States. It is interesting to note that one of the requirements to cause a rapid spread of a forest fire is wind, and for the wind to be strong enough to do that, it would also be too strong for the E14Y1 to fly.

There were other attacks by the Type B1 submarine on the West Coast. The I-17 managed to shell the California coast at Santa Barbara, targeting an oil field. I-25, on its third patrol, shelled the gun batteries at Fort Stevens near the mouth of the Columbia. I-26 shelled the lighthouse and radio direction finder off the coast of British Columbia, resulting in a severe disruption of shipping, as other lighthouses shut down to prevent their targeting by other submarines.

The I-19 was one of the most successful Type B1 submarines. Its first patrol was in support of the planned second Pearl Harbor attack, Operation K-1. On February 23, 1942, the I-19's E14Y1 flew nighttime reconnaissance flights over Pearl Harbor. The submarine then retreated to the French Frigate Shoals and operated as a radio beacon for the Kawanishi H8K flying boats that were to bomb Pearl Harbor. This attack was canceled before the aircraft arrived at the I-19, though.

The most successful attack by the I-19 happened on September 15, 1942. Operating south of the Solomon Islands in support of the Guadalcanal campaign, the I-19 came across CV-7 USS Wasp and its escorts. The submarine fired six torpedoes, three of which hit the Wasp. The other three hit BB-55 USS North Carolina and DD-415 USS O'Brien. The Wasp's crew tried to control the resultant fires but could not, and the carrier was scuttled after the crew abandoned ship. The North Carolina had minimal damage, making her way back to Pearl Harbor for repairs that kept her in dock until mid-November 1942. The O'Brien, although superficially appearing salvageable, suffered severe internal structural failures which resulted in the ship sinking a month later.

The I-19 did not survive the war, though. On November 25, 1943, DD-446 USS Radford, using its radar, detected the I-19 on the surface. Although the I-19 submerged, the Radford attacked with depth charges and the submarine went down with all hands.

The Kit

This has been a submarine many naval modelers have been wanting for some time. For those not familiar with AFV Club's submarines, these are beautifully done kits, with solid engineering and petite detail. The kit is molded mostly in light gray plastic, with the lower hull in red and the diminutive E14Y1 molded in clear. There is a fret of photoetch providing some essential details such as railings and struts. The decal sheet covers the minimal markings you would find on the I-19 and her aircraft.

Starting with the construction, it does not take long to recognize the effort AFV Club has put into the engineering of this kit. There are quite a few internal details that would be invisible when built out of the box, for example. But for those modelers who decide to open up all the vent holes, that internal hull would then become very visible. The option of extended or retracted forward dive planes is another nice touch, as the retracted ones would still be visible through the openings. Small details like this shows that AFV Club really goes the extra step to accommodate all modelers.

The actual construction is very straightforward. Once the crane masts are put in place and the other interior details fitted, the upper and lower hull pieces can be attached. The seam is very tight, and with some careful gluing the only requirement here would be just a slight bit of sanding. External hull details are extensive. For example, the propeller shaft assembly is made up of a separate shaft, propeller, and rear support. This will make prepping these parts much easier.

The plane is also nicely done, with the trailing edge separate control surfaces delicately molded in place, with a gap present. The floats are separate, with a large flat strut piece that can be replaced by the more delicate and more realistic photoetch struts. Also provided in photoetch is the propeller (a quick jig to twist those blades will really enhance this piece), wing and tailplane bracing struts, and the catapult attachment harness. As this is molded in clear, the modeler can mask off the canopy for more realism.

The sail is simple, yet detailed. All of the various periscopes and antennae are provided, and are petite and to scale. Railings are provided in both plastic and photoetch. The forward hangar bay has interior detail, for those who wish to modify the front hatch to display this area open (major kudos to the modeler who decides to build the E14Y1 folded up and in that hangar!). The catapult is made up from several pieces and will look good with that aircraft perched on top.

When it comes to colors and markings, these are pretty straightforward. The decks are identified as wood brown, the lower hull as hull red, and the rest as dark gray. The E14Y1 is finished in dark green. The decals provide hinomarus for the aircraft and the sail number and flag for the submarine.

Conclusion

This is really a great addition to any 1/350 submarine collection, and I would highly recommend anyone interested in German U-boats to pick one of these up. Why? Because it does an amazing job of showing how very different the Japanese submarines were to their German counterparts. Just holding this one next to my Type IX U-boat I finished recently really drives home how big this boat is, as lined up, the Type IX ends right about at the aft gun on the I-19. Impressive indeed. My thanks to Merit International for the review sample.