US Fleet Boats at Pier
by Ken Hart

1/178 US Fleet Boats at Pier (Revell)

Each of three more of those old Revell kits were modified into different styles of WWII U.S. fleet submarines.

As always, I used clear waterglass, painted on the flat underside with a few coats of high-gloss enamel, to represent the water in the scene. This diorama measures about 18"x30" or so. And, as always, a 12"-tall plexiglass dustcover was made beforehand to protect the project during and after.

I was commissioned in 1993 to build this diorama by a fellow submarine historian and afficionado, who loaned it out for display to the U.S. Naval Submarine Force Library & Museum (USS NAUTILUS Memorial) just outside the sub base in New London, Connecticut. It has since made a round of displays at various libraries, schools, hobby shops, and museums.

A lot of scratchbuilding was accomplished with the vast range of great odds 'n' ends available at model railroad shops. I always prefer stretched sprue for use as antenna wires, cables, ropes, hand rail cables, etc. Thin brass wire, plastic card stock, Plastruct I-beams, and Evergreen plastic stock always serve as basic staples in diorama projects. Balsa wood served for a realistic wood pier.

I didn't use any model railroad figures, since N-scale would have been too small, and HO scale would have been too large.

1. A bow oblique view of three WWII U.S. fleet submarines moored to pier shows a mid-war Gato configuration at the left, then an early-war modified Gato in the center, with a Balao-class boat on the right.
2. A starboard bow oblique view of the diorama.
3. A close-up of the mid-war Gato bow.
4. A starboard side view of the diorama.
5. A starboard side oblique view of the scene.
6. A close-up from that starboard oblique view shows some of the pier and sub detailings.
7. A bow high oblique view of the diorama.
8. A starboard bow oblique close-up view.
9. A close-up of the early-war Gato forward deck.
10. A port side view of the diorama.
11. A starboard side high oblique view of the diorama.
12. A view of the nearly completed scratchbuilt early-war Gato fairwater, with only the aft cigarette deck cut away where railings were added.
13. Three variations of WWII fairwaters -- Early-war Gato modification (left), mid-war Gato configuration (center), and Balao-class (right).
14. Three variations of scratchbuilt deck guns -- a 5"/.25 cal for the mid-war Gato (left), a 4"/.50 cal. for the Balao (center), and a 3"/.25 cal. for the early Gato (right).
15. A preview of the cut-down water-lined hulls set at a mock pier upon the still-clear waterglass.
16. The U.S. Fleet Boats Pierside diorama on display in the main corridor at the Submarine Force Museum in 1996.

While I had this diorama on display during one of our annual SubCommittee regattas at the sub base in New London, Dave Merriman came and told me to take a look -- there were a group of U.S. SubVets all gathered around staring at the diorama for a long time. One of them later told me they couldn't look away, because it made them feel like they were back at the piers at the lower base in 1943... High compliments, indeed !

© ModelWarships.com