Balao class submarine specifications during world war 2, the balao class of dieselelectric submarine used for attack missions. The best resource is the gato class plan book by the floating drydock. She completed six war patrols from 1944 to 1945 and served as a. Together with their nearsisters the balao and tench classes, their design formed the majority of the united states navys world war ii submarine fleet. Mrc 37327 1 700 russian navy oscar ii class submarine. She went to six patrols in pacific and she sank 6 japanese ships and damaged 4 others. The ship is now blocked on the deck of the floating dry dock for repair. In this book, bestselling author michael legat looks back over his long and distinguished career in publishing and his subsequent achievements as a writer. Battery powered wwii gato balao class submarine atlantis toy and hobby. How a ww2 submarine works diesel electric submarine. Subs of this class and the following balao and tench class were named for marine creatures. Some series show full interiors as well as the exterior.
List of balaoclass submarines and their dispositions. Uss pampanito balao class submarine, was a united states navy ship, the uss pampanito ss383 balao class submarine, was a united states navy ship, the only one named for the pompano fish. The floating drydock gato and balao class plan book. The balao class was a successful design of united states navy submarine used during world war ii, and with 120 units completed, the largest class of submarines in the united states navy. The hardcopy book has been out of publication for several years, but tom walkowiak sp of fd has just announced that he is rereleasing the book. A very interesting and helpful reference for this project was the floating drydocks plan bookgato and balao class submarines by thomas f. Submarines were still evolving at the beginning of ww2. The plans listed below are listed by plan order number and ships name in hull number sequence by class of ship. We carry a large selection of ships plans, which are grouped by series. When a boat came in for refit or repairs, problems noted while on mission were corrected. Sub uss cod tour anti aircraft guns bfd submarines. The plans that hugh wants is available from the floating drydock. This is a rework of the original printed version, which has been out of print for several years. During world war 2, the balao class of dieselelectric submarine used for attack missions.
Gato balao class submarine of world war two plan ebook. In january 1945, on her way to the pacific, all vertical surfaces were repainted to haze gray 5h, with a navy blue 5n band on the hull parallel to the waterline from the lowest point of the sheer down to the boot topping. Uss pampanito is a member of balao class submarines of ww2 which were built a total 122 units. The floating drydock s plan book for uss missouri says that during her shakedown in 1944 the ship was measure 32, design 22d. For additional information, you can do a search for gato class submarines. The united states s class submarines, often simply called sboats sometimes sugar boats, after the thencontemporary navy phonetic alphabet for s, were the first class of submarines with a significant number built to united states navy designs. An improvement on the earlier gato class, the boats had slight internal differences. Johnston 2012the origin of the balao and tench class submarines of the 2nd world war actually stemmed froman incident that befell the u. She then served as a training ship from 1960 to 1971. Auxiliary floating drydock are us navy floating dry docks that are able to submerge under water and be placed under a ship in need of repair below the water line.
The following books are recommended for detailing fleetboat models. I purchased this over thirty years ago with the idea to pay homage to the uss caiman ss323 on which i was stationed from 1965 to 1968 in 1957 she went thru a fram job and had a full fiberglass sail and deck aft of the sail. Gato and balao class submarines paperback 1990 by thomas f. This is a complete exterior plan guide of these famous submarines of ww2. Media in category submarines in dry docks the following 95 files are in this category, out of 95 total. This 196 scale plan shows both plan and profile views of the turret drawn in scale with all details plus a drawn of the gun barrel with dimensions. The uboat war in world war two kriegsmarine, 19391945 and world war one kaiserliche marine, 19141918 and the allied efforts to counter the threat. The balao and tench boats were nearly identical externally, with improved steel used for the pressure hull and some other internal modifications. Good references include aldens the fleet submarine in the us navy and the floating drydocks plan bookgato and balao class submarines. Expand your options of fun home activities with the largest online selection at. Each series of plans are ideal for the model builder. On all of the gato class, and other similar subs, there is a strange hole at the top of the bow. This book is now out of print, but apparently available on cd from the floating drydock.
World war ii fleet fuel capacity axis history forum. Floating drydocks then rise up under the ship raising the ship out of the water. Hi guys, this is my first post here, so please go easy on me. I would recommend it to anyone interested in us fleet submarines. The kit itself is fair at best, with the hull shape being basically correct. Balaoclass archives fleet submarine history of ww2. There were 120 completed and were involved with a total of 10 patrols from july 1943 to august 1945. And this wasnt just any gato sub, but a big 172 nd scale gato. The gatoclass was a class of submarines built for the united states navy and launched in 19411943. Balao and tench classes 19421950 1st edition, january 2012 by david l. Some of the flooding holes have been cut into the bow on both sides. The letters or letter before the ships hull number is the series of plans the can be found. Discussion gato drawings with bulkheads submarines.
The balao class submarines were superior to the previous generation gato class submarine, both of which were the. The balao class, fleet submarines of the united states navy, are toadys subject. County class patreon choicekms tirpitzmontana class florida class uss salt lake citystorozhevoyflower class uss san juanhms sheffielduss johnstondido class hunt class hms vanguardmogami class. Gato and balao class submarines of world war twoauthor. You can get the hull lines from floating drydock and i recommend that you get his gato balao class eplanbook, it. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Provides strategies for tackling the critical reading, math, and writing. And thank god for floating drydock s gat and balao plans book. Uss bowfin from revell 1180 uss lionfish kit imodeler.
I think this and other plan books theyre all worth having is still available as a pdf from floatingdrydock. Atlantis battery powered wwii gato balao class submarine b3. Vintage late girl scouts sash pins and patches lot see pictures free shipping. She is now a memorial open for visits in san francisco. The balao class was a successful design of united states navy submarine used during world war ii and with 122 units built, the largest class of submarines in the united states navy. Others of this class were built to contractor designs.