From WWII to Cold War: USS Cutlass (SS-478)

In this build I depicted USS Cutlass (SS-478) in the early 1960s, during her Cold War service after the U.S. Navy’s GUPPY II modernization program. GUPPY upgrades were designed to make late-WWII fleet submarines far more effective underwater, with a more streamlined shape and major improvements to submerged performance and operating systems - turning proven WWII hulls into practical Cold War workhorses. 

Cutlass arrived at the very end of WWII: she sailed to the Pacific, began her first patrol toward the Kurile Islands, and entered the patrol area just after Japan’s surrender, remaining on observation patrol into late August 1945. Decades later, after U.S. decommissioning, she was transferred to Taiwan as ROCS Hai Shih (SS-791) - a boat often noted for still being operational and for achieving an unmatched service lifespan among submarines. This model was finished in acrylics and oils, with restrained weathering to add depth and scale realism while keeping the overall look true to an in-service U.S. Navy submarine of the period.

Stretching the Mark IV: The WWI “Tadpole” Tank

The British “Tadpole” was an experimental WWI tank concept based on the Mark IV. The idea was simple: make the tank longer by fitting extended rear track frames, which increased trench-crossing ability and helped reduce the tendency to “nose in” when climbing out of shell holes or wide ditches. In theory it would handle broken ground better than the standard Mark IV while keeping the same basic layout, crew arrangement, and armament options.

In practice, the Tadpole concept didn’t move beyond trials and limited prototypes. The added length and altered weight distribution brought handling and reliability issues, and it didn’t provide enough real-world advantage to justify the complications compared to standard production tanks and evolving designs. Still, it remains one of the more interesting WWI “field improvement” experiments - a snapshot of how quickly tank designers and crews were trying to adapt to trench warfare realities.

Field trials Tadpole “T2” depicted here during testing with stowed canvas cover and asbestos wrapped exhaust - typical of the times - seen at Tank Corps Central Workshop in Erin, France, 1918. Kit by Takom in 1/35 scale.

Type IX-B: The Long-Range Hunter

This HobbyBoss Type IX-B U-boat build is now complete and mounted on a simple “dock plank” style cradle display base, finished entirely with acrylics. I went for a clean, realistic presentation that lets the long, purposeful lines of the boat do the talking, with subtle tonal variation and restrained weathering so it still looks like steel and paint instead of “effects.” The base includes a national identifier flag and a QR code so visitors can quickly jump from the model to the real-world context behind the subject. A 1/350 scale human is included on the base for size comparison.

Historically, the Type IX-B boats were Germany’s long-range ocean-going submarines - built to prowl far from home waters and strike Allied shipping across the vast reaches of the Atlantic. Operated by the Kreigsmarine, they were bigger and longer-legged than the more common Type VII, and they became a key tool in early-war commerce raiding before Allied technology, tactics, and air coverage steadily tightened the net. Even without a specific boat number attached, a Type IX-B represents that tense era of undersea cat-and-mouse - quiet patrols, long transits, and the constant pressure of being hunted while hunting.

H.L. Hunley (1864): The First Successful Combat Submarine Attack

My 1/350 scale H.L. Hunley build is finished and on its display base, with a simple “dock plank” style cradle, a country identifier flag, and a QR code so viewers can jump straight to the real-world story behind the model and as always a human scaled down to 1/350 in order to see the relative size of the submarine (just to the top and right of the flag). The goal was to keep the presentation clean and museum-like while still showing off Hunley’s distinctive riveted iron hull and cigar-shaped silhouette. In this small scale, I focused on crisp construction, a convincing dark iron finish with subtle variation, and a restrained, realistic look that fits an 1860s prototype built for hard use rather than show. The kit is resin and was manufactured by 3D-Wild. I added the wooden upper spar and supports along with the rope to adjust the lower boom for attack along with the copper canister filled with explosives and the tiny detonating line along with the rudder steering mechanism.

Historically, H.L. Hunley was a Confederate (Civil War-era) hand-powered submarine that became the first submarine to sink an enemy warship in combat, when it attacked and sank the USS Housatonic off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. The mission was successful, but Hunley did not return and was lost with her crew, turning the little submarine into one of the most haunting “what exactly happened?” stories of naval history. The Hunley was just under 40 feet and had a crew of 8 men. Today, the recovered vessel is preserved and studied, and even in 1/350 scale it’s still an eye-catching reminder of just how experimental (and dangerous) early undersea warfare really was.