Reference number: 5605
Review by: Graham Thompson (May 2012)
A bit of Background
The Maiale (roughly pronounced My~arley), which is Italian for Pig, was probably the finest and most successful human guided torpedo weapon of WWII.
I have read somewhere that it was called a pig due to the fact it was a ‘Pig to control’, but although I love that idea, I sadly cannot confirm it and I have seen pictures of later more enclosed versions with the same name.
The word ‘torpedo’ conjures up images of these simple yet effective craft being steered into their targets to explode on contact.
The Japanese Kaiten, a fast running manned torpedo, was in fact such a suicide weapon. However, certainly in the case of the Maiale classed as a slow running torpedo, this was not the case.
The concept was for the two man crew to manoeuvre under the keel of the target ship, attach a cable and then unscrew the warhead from the craft and hang it on the cable directly under the keel.
The crew then set a timed detonator and sailed away, hopefully to their mothercraft or safety.
The effect of placing a large explosive device in this position caused an upward blast capable, in the right circumstances, of breaking the back of a small to medium vessel or causing massive underwater damage to a larger one.
There is no doubt at all in my mind that the men who developed and crewed this highly effective weapon were heroes in the best sense of the word. The teams that developed the Maiale were instrumental in the development of the British version, known as the Chariot, which bears a striking resemblance to the Maiale after Churchill demanded that we have the same weapon after the Alexandria attack.
I also believe that Italian crews did attack German shipping after the surrender under Allied control. Although many missions were taken on by these brave Italian crews, perhaps the most effective was against British shipping in Alexandria.
“19 December 1941: The Decima Flottiglia MAS attacked the port of Alexandria with three Maiale. The battleships HMS Valiant and Queen Elizabeth (and an 8,000-ton tanker) were sunk in shallow water putting them out of action for many months. Luigi Durand de la Penne and five other swimmers were taken prisoner. De la Penne was awarded the Medaglia d’oro al Valor Militare after the war.” Sourced from Wikipedia.
Onto the kit: Initial Assessment…
Sublime.
That really was my initial assessment when I unpacked it from its postal wrappings. The artwork on the box blew me away, but the contents of the box took me to plastic heaven.
OK, you may think I am being overly dramatic but this kit, from 2007, is how all kits should be packaged, apart from the Revell-style box that is.
Not only do you get a great subject beautifully moulded in grey plastic, you get a small, if thick, photo etch fret for appropriate detail. A small sheet of clear thin acetate for glazing plus a booklet detailing the history of the subject and a set of walkaround pictures. And there’s more!!!
You also get a card reproduction of the box artwork without the text to put on your modelling den wall.
Just what more could you ask for? This particular version of the Maiale was produced with either a single or double warhead. Parts are included to model it in either version.
It can also be modelled without the warheads, giving possibilities for a diorama with the warhead being winched into place, all that would be needed is blanking plate making for the open end of the warhead.
On top of that, you get superb figures for the crew, one in full face mask.
Accuracy…
Comparing the parts on the sprue to the superb pictures included in the booklet, I think that, visually, the model matches the pictures very well indeed. Dimensionally, I cannot really comment.
Also, apart from the extended torpedo used for the basic construction of the boat (?), they were virtually handmade so there were loads of discrepancies depending on who made them and what ‘tweaks’ they added.
Quality…
The overall quality of the moulded parts is first class, flash free with just a few mould lines that will disappear with a swipe of scraper blade.
As a package, even allowing for the slightly thick PE although it is 1:35 scale (I am used to working with 1:700 scale so it could just be me), the quality is just superb.
You also get a shaped former for bending the PE to make the guard around the propellor, I think the PE will need annealing prior to bending this particular part though as it will soften it up quite a bit.
The stand is, for once, actually a usable item. Basically, it is a wooden cradle that the Maiale sits on when hoisted out the water. This is well moulded with wood grain and the iron straps that reinforce it, just cry out for a little dockside diorama.
Instructions
The instructions are just perfect.
No exploded line drawings in this kit, the instructions are all photographs of the kit parts to be assembled. They are broken down into fifteen stages.
Decals
There’s not a lot to say about the decals as, apart from the number ‘227’ in white, there are only the decals for the gauges and compass but what there are, they look fine.
Conclusion
As a kit, there is nothing to fault this.
As a build, it doesn’t come much simpler, it will be the finish that makes or breaks this kit.
I just wish all kits could come like this. OK, it is a simple kit with few parts but, other than Wingnut Wings, who else provides photo instructions and a book with history and walkaround pictures?
If it builds as well as it promises, it will be a little beauty. Time will tell, but it will not be that long before this is built and entered into the magazine.
Any issues I come across, I will include in the build write up.
The Booklet…
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
| FEATURE | STAR RATING (out of five) |
|---|---|
| Quality of moulding | ***** |
| Accuracy | ***** |
| Instructions | ***** |
| Decals | ***** (for what there is) |
| Subject choice | ***** |
| Overall | ***** And worth it! |
Graham T.