This is the 1/700 Scale Japanese Navy Submarine I-370/I-68 from the Water Line Series by Hasegawa?. Modeling skills helpful if under 10 years of age. FEATURES: Highly detailed plastic molded in grey Detailed hull Waterslide decals Illustrated instructions INCLUDES: One plastic model REQUIRES: Assembly Hobby knife (RMX886909) Sprue cutters (HCAR0630) Plastic cement (HCAR3415) Paint COMMENTS: Due to small parts that could cause a choking hazard please keep away from children 3 years of age and younger
The I-370 was a Japanese submarine whose keel was laid in December 1943, launched in May 1944, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in September 1944. The length of the ship at the time of launching was 73.5 m, width 8.9 m, and underwater displacement - 2,200 tons. The maximum surface speed of the I-370 was up to 13 knots on the surface. The main armament was two 533 mm torpedo launchers, and the secondary armament was a single 140 mm gun and two 25 mm Type 96 anti-aircraft guns.
The I-370 was a Type D submarine, which in turn was developed after the Battle of Midway and in connection with the changes in the Pacific War that this battle entailed. The D-class ships were supply and transport submarines based on the German U-155. They were to operate in waters where the enemy had a clear air advantage and to provide people, supplies and weapons to the Japanese garrisons in the Pacific. Originally, torpedoes of this type were not intended to be armed with torpedoes, but later the assumption was changed. Shortly after entering service, the I-370 was quickly modernized and converted into the carrier of Kaiten-class live torpedoes. The ship in this configuration could carry up to five such torpedoes, and was equipped with a Type 22 radar, but a 140 mm gun was removed from its deck. In January 1945, the crew underwent training in attacking with a new weapon, and in the second half of February of the same year, the I-370 was directed against the American troops landing on Iwo-Jima. However, the ship was sunk on February 26, 1945 south of Iwo-Jima in an attack with depth charges by destroyer USS Finnegan.
