Aoshima 1/350 PT-132

KIT #: 050194
PRICE: $38.00 SRP
DECALS: Five options
REVIEWER: Scott Van Aken
NOTES: San be built as waterline or full hull. 2 kits. Includes PBYs

HISTORY
The PT-132 is an 80' Elco Motor Torpedo Boat:
  • Laid down 6 June 1942 by the Electric Boat Co., Elco Works, Bayonne, NJ
  • Launched 28 August 1942
  • Completed 11 September 1942, placed in service and assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron SEVEN (PTRon 7) under the command of Lt. Rollin E. Westholm
  • PTRon 7, assigned to the Southwest Pacific, had action in New Guinea waters at Tufi, Morobe, Kiriwina, Dreger Harbor, and Aitape, and in Philippine waters at San Pedro Bay and at Ormoc. The squadron based for a time at
    • Kana Kopa, New Guinea; Thursday Island, Australia; Ferusson Island, d'Entrecasteaux Group; and Mios Woendi, Dutch New Guinea, but had no action at these bases. PT's 127 - 132 were on detached duty at Thursday Island from June to August 1943 as Motor Torpedo Boat Division 19, under command of Lt. Comdr. Robert J. Bulkley, Jr., USNR. PTRon 7 was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for action in the New Guinea area from April 1, 1944, to February 1, 1945.
  • Transferred 15 February 1945 to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron TWENTY ONE under the command of Lt. Carl T. Gleason
  • The "Little Lulu", ex-"Sea Bat" was placed out of service 10 November 1945, stripped and destroyed at Samar, Philippines.

    Specifications:

    Displacement 56 t.
  • Length 80'
  • Beam 20' 8"
  • Draft 5'
  • Speed 41 kts.
  • Complement 17
  • Armament: Armament: One 40mm mount, one 37mm mount, two 20mm mounts, four 21" Torpedoes and two twin .50 cal. machine guns
  • Propulsion: Three 1,500shp Packard W-14 M2500 gasoline engines, three shafts.

    • THE KIT

    This kit is part of Aoshima's 'Ironclad' series, with is sort of ironic for a plywood boat, but there it is. The kit provides two of everything you see in the scan of the kit, and that includes the 1/350 PBY-5A Catalina, which makes up about 1/3 of the kit.

    The molding on the kit is very good and what we have come to expect of a modern Aoshima kit. The kit can be built as either a waterline or full hull version. For the latter you get a small display stand. The lower hull includes the prop shafts, props, rudders and the engine mufflers. For the waterline version you'll have to leave the latter off which makes the lower stern look rather bare as part of the exhaust did stick up above the waterline.

    The deck area is where most of the parts will be attached and you have the various bulkheads to glue onto the mounting areas. There is also a full weapons array including the 37mm gun forward, 40mm gun aft and twin 20mm guns in staggered side mounts. This boat has the tall mast with a radar antenna atop it. There are also four torpedoes and depth charge racks near the stern. The Catalina is also well done and detailing is appropriate for this scale. No clear bits so you'll need to paint the windows in a contrasting shade to the Navy Blue upper camouflage. There is a display stand, but the shaft does not seem to be part of the kit.

    Instructions are well done and paints are in Gunze references. A full color fold out is provided for the PT boat itself, though shows only a standard grey boat and not the camo pattern as on the box art or photo. Decals are provided for one of five boats from PT-130 to PT-134 and one set of generic insignia for the Catalina.

    CONCLUSIONS

     

    REFERENCES

    http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/05132.htm

    August 2011

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