Expertly built 1/72 scale USS Flasher w/display case World War Two US Navy submarine with crew figures Start Price USD 500.00 Current Price USD 500.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Sunday, August 17, 2008 End Time Sunday, August 24, 2008 Location Altoona, Pennsylvania See more about 'Expertly built 1/72 scale USS Flasher w/display case' Description USS Flasher SS-249 1945 This is an expertly built 1/72 scale model of the Gato class US Navy World War Two submarine USS Flasher SS-249, rigged, with five resin crewfigures on the bridge and mounted in a wood and plexiglass display case. I built this from the huge Revell kit of the Gato class submarine, with railing, antenna rigging and crew figures and it is huge with the display case.  This 1/72 scale submarine is about 52 inches long (about 132 centimeters) , about 4 inches wide (about 10 centimeters) and 8 inches high (about 20 centimeters) and the wood base she is mounted on is approximately 56-1/2 inches long (about 144 centimeters) overall  and 6-1/2 inches (about 17 centimeters) wide overall and the clear plexiglass cover gives a total height of  about 10 inches (about 26 centimeters). I had a batch of the Warrior brand cast resin bridge crewmen in 1/72 scale, and was impressed with the detail on these, so I recommend them to anyone out there looking to add some more detail to their own sub models. I've had this sub for quite a while now and over the past couple years have added extra details.  I added the complete deck railing, beyond what is provided with the kit, stretching out to the bow and and stern and included the extra aft boarding ladder rungs and handrails.  And I added the conduits for the electrical leads to the equipment on the periscope shears/masts as well as fabricating the rear guardrails on the 40 mm Bofors mount. This is, obviously, a very large model and huge display case.  It was difficult to get good clear shots of this thing without other stuff showing in the background (as you can see from some of the photos).  And as much as I like this, the size is also the main reason I'm selling it.  I've been working on other ship projects and this just takes up too much space.  It's been occupying the dining room table, but is constantly having to be moved around the house and with my other projects occupying the top of the piano and the tops of the entertainment center and book cases, I've run out of places for it.  Hopefully someone out there can give it a good home. As for shipping, I've included four photos of how it is being packaged for shipping.  I've sent my ships and display cases all over the world in the past several years, with only a few instances of damage, and those were from obvious mishandling by the shipping company.  For this sub, because of the size, I've built a plywood crate to protect.  The display case will be wrapped in several layers of clear plastic wrap, then cocooned in a styrofoam shell/box.  This will then be put in the plywood crate for shipping, which will be boxed in a fabricated cardboard outer box.  Even so, it will be fully insured because there's always something that could happen that is unpredictable. As you may know from my other ship listings, I build the cases for my ships, both for ease of display and protection from damage and dust or dirt (and also protection during shipping).  Nothing will ruin a ship faster than prodding and poking fingers, or an overly curious child or pet (I have both in the house, so I know first hand the unintentional damage that can occur).  And we also know how the dust that can accumulate on an uncovered model will build up quickly and then be very difficult, if not impossible to remove safely and completely. The wood base, stained an Oak coloring, also has foam padding covering the entire bottom to protect it and prevent marring of any surface, as well as being non-skid to prevent the case from sliding around. The custom cut plexiglass cover fits snugly into grooves around the inside edge of the base but also is easily removable for access to the ship. If anyone out there is thinking of getting the kit, I recommend it, especially to the submarine fans, as I think it is a great addition to the 1/72 scale series of submarines.  That said, it's also not a perfect kit either.  The hull is not one length, but pieced together and while the seams are well hidden on the side of the hull along the molded weld-lap joints, their are some visible seams on the upper deck casing that take a lot of sanding and filling to smooth out.  And the instructions state that this is the final outfit for the USS Flasher in 1945, it is more likely what it looked like in 1944 since many Gato boats had the conning tower cut down even more towards the end of the war and traded their 4 inch deck guns for the 5 inch 25 caliber guns, often repositioned behind the sail.  But that said, it builds up into a very impressive and massive model. Check out the photos and if you have any questions or comments, e-mail me at any time. SHIPPING:  For this item, I've made the shipping a nominal fee of $40, to cover the cost of the extra packaging for protection, for those inside the United States. I will be paying for most of the shipping, because I know that $40 is less than half what the shipping will cost. I will choose the shipping company that I know will handle this package with the care required.  Of course it will be shipped with full insurance and delivery confirmation so a tracking number is available.  Or you can arrange for pickup at no charge, or we can arrange to meet somewhere and hand off the sub, again without the shipping charge since I do travel a lot for my work (but be aware that at almost 5 feet long, it will NOT fit across some vehicles rear passenger seats and not in most passenger car trunks.  E-mail me for details or to see if a hand-off delivery is possible. FOR OUTSIDE THE U.S./OVERSEAS SHIPPING:  This is too big to be shipped through the US Postal Service, so that eliminates the best and lowest priced shipping option.  However, it could be shipped via UPS, but the shipping cost will be quite high. You can check the shipping cost at their website.  The box is 68 inches long, 18 inches wide and 18 inches high and weighs 38 pounds.  And my originating address is Altoona, Pennsylvania, zip code 16602.  You can also check other shipping services, with DHL probably being the next best option. PAYMENT:  I accept PayPal, bank cashiers checks and money orders.  And I expect payment within 10 days of invoicing after auction ends USS Flasher (SS-249) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Career Builder: Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut[1] Laid down: 30 September 1942[1] Launched: 20 June 1943[1] Commissioned: 25 September 1943[1] Decommissioned: 16 March 1946[1] Struck: 1 June 1959[1] Fate: Sold for scrap 8 June 1963, conning tower is a memorial at Groton, Connecticut[1] General characteristics Class and type: Gato-class diesel-electric submarine[2] Displacement: 1,525 tons (1,549 t) surfaced[2]2,424 tons (2,460 t) submerged[2] Length: 311 ft 9 in (95.0 m)[2] Beam: 27 ft 3 in (8.3 m)[2] Draft: 17 ft 0 in (5.2 m) maximum[2] Propulsion: 4 × General Motors Model 16-248 V16 diesel engines driving electrical generators[2][3]2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries [4]4 × high-speed General Electric electric motors with reduction gears [2]two propellers [2]5,400 shp (4.0 MW) surfaced[2]2,740 shp (2.0 MW) submerged[2] Speed: 21 knots (39 km/h) surfaced[4]9 knots (17 km/h) submerged[4] Range: 11,000 nmi (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h)[4] Endurance: 48 hours at 2 knots (4 km/h) submerged[4]75 days on patrol Test depth: 300 ft (90 m)[4] Complement: 6 officers, 54 enlisted[4] Armament: 10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (six forward, four aft) 24 torpedoes [4]1 × 3-inch (76 mm) / 50 caliber deck gun [4]four machine guns For other ships of the same name, see USS Flasher. USS Flasher (SS-249) was a Gato-class submarine which served in the Pacific during World War II. She received three Presidential Unit Citations and six battle stars, and sank 21 ships for a record total of 100,231 tons of Japanese shipping, the only U.S. submarine to exceed the 100,000 ton mark and the USN's top scorer of the Pacific War. 'She was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the flasher. Flasher (was launched 20 June 1943 by Electric Boat Co., Groton, Conn.; sponsored by Mrs. W. A. Saunders; and commissioned 25 September 1943, Lieutenant Commander Reuben T. Whitaker in command. Contents[hide] 1 First and second war patrols, January – May 1944 2 Third and fourth war patrols, June – October 1944 3 Fifth and sixth war patrols, November 1944 – April 1945 4 Post-war 5 Awards 6 References 7 External links [edit] First and second war patrols, January – May 1944 Flasher arrived at Pearl Harbor from New London 15 December 1943 to prepare for her first war patrol, for which she sailed 6 January 1944. Bound for her patrol area off Mindoro, she sank her first target 18 January, sending a 2,900-ton former gunboat to the bottom. Adding to what would be the greatest total of enemy tonnage credited to an American submarine in World War II, she sank a freighter off Manila 5 February, and sank two cargo ships of the same convoy on 14 February. Flasher arrived at Fremantle, Australia 29 February to refit. The 2 vessels sunk February 14, 1944 were the Minryo Maru and the Hokuan Maru. See [1]. Incidentally one source credits USS Tautog (SS-199) with sinking Hokuan Maru on October 27, 1942. Action-bound once more, the submarine departed Fremantle 4 April 1944 for the coast of French Indochina on her second war patrol. On 29 April she contacted the river gunboat Tahure guarding a freighter off Hon Doi Islands, and sank both. After sinking a large cargo ship in the Sulu Sea 3 May, Flasher shaped course for Fremantle, arriving 28 May for refit until 19 June. [edit] Third and fourth war patrols, June – October 1944 Flasher made her third war patrol in the South China Sea, where on 28 June 1944 she contacted a heavily escorted convoy of 13 ships. She made a cautious approach, undeterred by the escort, and shortly after midnight 29 June, broke into the convoy to sink a freighter and badly damage a large passenger cargo ship. Her next victim was a freighter, sunk 7 July. Twelve days later, Flasher sighted cruiser Oi escorted by a destroyer. Two attacks, each followed by a heavy depth charge retaliation from the destroyer, sufficed to sink this choice target, a fact confirmed several hours later when a periscope observation revealed only the destroyer in sight. Seven days later, she sank another important target, a merchant tanker, and the same day damaged another tanker later sunk by one of her sisters. With all her torpedoes gone, Flasher put back for Fremantle, where she replenished and refitted between 7 August and 30 August. Flasher (SS-249) underway, circa 1944. During her fourth war patrol, in the Philippines, Flasher headed a coordinated attack group which included two other submarines, Hawkbill and Becuna. Although she was on lifeguard station during the air attacks preliminary to the invasion of the Philippines during part of this patrol, Flasher sank three ships, a former light cruiser on 18 September, a transport on 27 September, and a cargo ship on 4 October. She returned to Fremantle 20 October. [edit] Fifth and sixth war patrols, November 1944 – April 1945 Heading the same attack group, Flasher now commanded by Lieutenant Commander G. W. Grider, sailed on her fifth war patrol 15 November 1944, bound for Camranh Bay. On 4 December one of her companions reported a tanker convoy, and Flasher set a course which would bring her to the target. As she made her approach in a heavy downpour, a destroyer suddenly loomed up before her, and Flasher launched her first spread of torpedoes at this escort. The destroyer was stopped by two hits, and began listing and smoking heavily. Flasher got a spread of torpedoes away at a tanker before she was forced deep by a second destroyer, which dropped 16 depth charges. Rising to periscope depth, Flasher located the tanker burning and covered by yet a third destroyer. Speedily reloading, she prepared to sink the destroyer and finish off the tanker, and though almost blinded by rainsqualls, she did just this with a salvo of four torpedoes, two of which hit the destroyer, and two of which passed beneath her as planned to hit the tanker. Once more, counter-attack forced Flasher down, and when she surfaced she found no trace of the two damaged destroyers. The tanker, blazing away, was still guarded by three escorts until abandoned at sunset, when Flasher sank her with one torpedo. The two destroyers, both found after the war to have been sunk, were Kishinami and Iwanami (However, the destroyer, Iwanami did not exist. Flasher's war patrol reported that her count of destroyers may have been inaccurate, but this seems to have been ignored, and it is likely that "Flasher" actually finished off previously crippled Kishinami and did not hit any other destroyer. If "Flasher" has the non-existent Kagero-class destroyer — on the basis of tonnage credited for Iwanami — subtracted from her credits, and no change is made to other ships, her sister Rasher becomes the top-scoring US submarine in WWII in terms of tonnage.)[citation needed] Flasher contacted another well-guarded tanker convoy on the morning of 21 December 1944, and she began a long chase, getting into position to attack from the unguarded shoreward side. In rapid succession, Flasher attacked and sank three of the tankers, receiving no counter-attack since the enemy apparently believed he had stumbled into a minefield. One of these tankers was the largest she sank during the war, the other two, of the same displacement, were tied for third-largest. Refitting at Fremantle once more between 2 January and 29 January 1945, Flasher made her sixth war patrol on the coast of Indochina. Contacts were few, but on 21 February she sank a sea truck by surface gunfire, and 4 days later sank a cargo ship with torpedoes. She completed her patrol upon her arrival at Pearl Harbor 3 April 1945, and sailed a few days later for a west coast overhaul. [edit] Post-war Bound for Guam on a seventh war patrol at the close of the war, Flasher was ordered back to New London, where she was decommissioned and placed in reserve 16 March 1946, attached to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. On 1 June 1959 the Flasher was struck from the Naval Vessel Register. She was sold for scrap on 1 June 1963. Her conning tower was removed and placed on display as a memorial at the entrance to Nautilus Park, a Navy housing area in Groton, Connecticut. [edit] Awards Flasher received the Presidential Unit Citation for her brilliantly successful third, fourth, and fifth war patrols. For her six war patrols, each designated "Successful", she received six battle stars. She is credited with having sunk a total of 100,231 tons of Japanese shipping, the only submarine exceeding the 100,000 ton mark. [edit] References ^ a b c d e f g Friedman, Norman (1995). U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute, pp. 285-304. ISBN 1-55750-263-3.  ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, pp. 271–273. ISBN 0-313-26202-0.  ^ U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 261 ^ a b c d e f g h i U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305-311 This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here. [edit] External links navsource.org: USS Flasher Sinkings by boat: USS Flasher Place a Bid!