HobbyBoss's 1/48 FM-1 Wildcat
- Mido
- 14 hours ago
- 11 min read
Welcome to the exciting continuation of my Wildcat series! In this post, we’ll take a historical journey through the Battle of the Atlantic, spotlighting the crucial role of escort carriers and the relentless pursuit of U-boats by the Wildcats and Avengers of the VC-13 Black Cats. And because of the demands of war, we also get to dip our toes into the waters off Okinawa and Japan.
On the modeling front, we’ll dive into several exciting techniques to enhance your builds:
Panel Line Pre-Shading: Learn how to add depth to your models.
Weathering with Oils: Discover the secrets to achieving that authentic, battle-worn look.
Overall Impressions of the HobbyBoss Kit: Get my thoughts on the quality and detail of this model.
That's a lot to cover in this fascinating intersection of history and modeling, so grab your beverage of choice and settle in!
Editor's notes: This post is part of a series discussing 1/48 Wildcats by Tamiya (1994), HobbyBoss (2007), and Eduard (2022) from unboxing to final weathering. Catch up with the series at these links:
This build is for the late Kevin Noonan (Ancient SubHunter) who initially tipped me off that the kit's marking call-outs for the VC-12 Fighting Omars was in fact the VC-13 Black Cats. You can read about his service here, here, here, and here!
I also want to thank U-Boat Archive for their trove of photographs and unparalleled U-boat information.
Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic was one of the most complicated campaigns in naval history, and the longest running of WWII. But to keep things simple, the battle was about blockade and counter-blockade. It was a game of cat and mouse.
On one side, the Allies sought to blockade Nazi Germany. On the other side, Nazi Germany sought to blockade England, an island nation, and interdict lend-lease supplies traveling by ship from North America to Allied entities abroad. Sensible enough.
The Kriegsmarine operated very effectively in the early years of the campaign. Yet it wasn't owing to their capital ships like Bismarck (disabled by "obsolete" Fairey Swordfish and later sunk) or Tirpitz (largely sidelined in Norway). Much of the credit must go to a smaller and harder to detect class of ships called Unterseeboots. That's right: U-boats.
There are immense histories written on the success and methods of U-boats, so forgive me for mentioning only two hopefully-not-overly-simplistic narratives (I'm told this is a blog...about models after all!) and focusing much more on the second one:
The famed Enigma machines gave the Kriegsmarine a secure naval code. This allowed U-boats to communicate over vast distances and coordinate attacks in so-called wolf packs.
The Atlantic Ocean is big. Too big for land-based aerial reconnaissance to cover entirely.
Need an Escort?
Escort carriers, also known as "jeep carriers," were smaller and less heavily armed than fleet carriers. They were a crucial component of naval operations during World War II and played a vital role supporting convoy operations, naval task forces, and amphibious landings with air cover.
The need for escort carriers arose from 1) the increasing threat posed by submarines to naval convoys and 2) limited availability of fleet carriers due to task saturation and attrition sustained in the Pacific theater. Escort carriers were designed to be more affordable and quicker to build than fleet carriers. Some were even converted from merchant ships or other existing hulls. Their numbers enabled wide-area arial coverage in the vast land-based arial reconnaissance voids of the Atlantic.
In the Atlantic, escort carriers were initially paired with convoys. But advances in allied naval intelligence, primarily a cracking and exploitation of the Enigma code, allowed escort carriers to go on offensive operations in hunter/killer groups against U-boats. By war's end, escort carriers would claim over 50 U-boat sinkings.
The VC-13 Black Cats
The VC-13 Black cats, and subject of this build, were commissioned in August 1942. Their excellent black cat logo was designed by Walt Disney in 1942 as a deliberate challenge to fate by pairing an unlucky black cat with the unlucky squadron number 13.
While most squadrons operated only one type of aircraft, the Black Cats operated both Wildcat fighters and Avenger torpedo bombers. That's why they were a VC squadron, with the C designating a “composite” of aircraft types. By March 1943, they were equipped with 12 F4F-4 Wildcats and 9 TBF-1 Avengers with the split between Wildcats and Avengers evolving over the course of the war. Importantly for the subject of this blog post, the FM-1 Wildcat variant would enter VC-13's ranks ranks in August 1943 but was fully replaced by FM-2 Wildcats in August 1944. This according to my best interpretation of the squadron's official War History.
The Black Cats saw their first operational cruises with the Bogue-class USS Core (CVE-13) escort carrier from March 1943 until November 1943. During this assignment, the squadron was credited with 5 U-boat sinkings according to postwar assessments.
A subsequent cruise from January to February 1944 with Casablanca-class escort carrier USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60) was credited with an additional U-Boat. These cruises would be the Squadron's most prolific period.
Date | Carrier | Submarine | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
7/13/1943 | Core | U-487 | Lt(jg) Earl H. Steiger piloting an F4F was lost to anti-aircraft fire. He was the only Black Cats member known to be killed in action due to enemy activity. 33 submarine survivors were rescued by an escorting destroyer. |
7/16/1943 | Core | U-67 | Attacked with depth charges from a TBF Avenger. Hits were scored near the conning tower. There were 5 survivors of which 3 were rescued. |
8/24/1943 | Core | U-185 | Attacked with depth charges from a TBF Avenger. Explosions occurred under the battery room. 36 survivors were rescued including the captain. |
8/24/1943 | Core | U-84 | Postwar assessment credited VC-13. *Subsequent analysis by Axel Niestlé suggests U-84 was sunk by a land-based US Liberator aircraft of VB-105 |
10/20/1943 | Core | U-378 | Attacked with depth charges from a TBF Avenger and had conning tower strafed by an F4F Wildcat. Initial records listed as probably sunk. No known survivors. |
1/16/1944 | Guadalcanal | U-544 | U-boats U-129, U-516, and U-544 were caught on the surface conducting refueling operations. TBF Avengers dropped depth charges and fired rockets between two. The fueller, U-544, submarine appeared to sink stern first with the bow up 45-degrees. Initial assessments were "probably sunk" for U-544 and "probably damaged" for either U-129 or U-516 (the records are unclear as to which). |
7/16/1945 | Anzio | I-13 (Ohashi) | Initial strikes carried out by VC-13 and final blow dealt by John C. Butler-class USS Lawrence C. Taylor (DE-415). It is possible that VC-13 is the only carrier-based squadron to sink German and Japanese submarines. |
As the Black Cat's and other VC squadrons' success mounted in late 1943, U-boats were forced to change tactics. No longer could they 1) reposition, 2) recharge batteries, and 3) resupply/refuel on the surface in daylight hours with impunity. U-boats were forced to undertake most surface activities at night. Eventually, U-boats could even "snorkel" to recharge batteries without fully surfacing. These developments necessitated VC squadrons to conduct exponentially more dangerous, and less fruitful, nighttime flight operations.
The Black Cats started their night training and operations in May 1944, but they saw limited successes. A combination of significant U-boat losses and nighttime tactics meant target scarcity for the Black Cats and other VC squadrons. By most accounts, the Battle of the Atlantic was now largely won. Thus in December 1944, the unit received orders to prepare for the Pacific.
The Black Cats arrived off Okinawa in March 1945. They flew their usual anti-submarine patrols and received friendly fire from a jumpy kamikaze-fatigued fleet. Once again their mission evolved and combat air patrol, anti-ground and anti-surface bombing and strafing runs became routine.
Then on April 6th, 1945 the Black Cats claimed seven Zeroes and Vals shot down as they were vectored to support two destroyers on the radar picket line. Another three shoot-downs were claimed to be related to VC-13 operations and a final Zero was downed 10 days later.
In July 1945, the Black Cats supported attacks against the Japanese mainland. While on patrol, they spotted and attacked an Imperial Japanese Navy submarine. Although the submarine, later identified as I-13, did not sink immediately, a trail of oil betrayed her position and allowed the USS Lawrence C. Taylor (DE-415) to deliver the finishing blows.
Editor's note: I find this sinking remarkable. As far as I can tell, VC-13 and VC-69 are the only squadrons to sink German and Japanese submarines and only VC-13 is credited with sinking subs in both the Atlantic and Pacific.
The Black Cats were deactivated after Japan's surrender in September 1945. During their service, they engaged in submarine hunting, close air support, and aerial interceptions. Despite their impressive combat record, the squadron suffered 28 fatalities over three years of operations. I hope my build will help preserve their memory and sacrifice.
Painting
This Wildcat trilogy has always meant showcasing different methods of building, painting, and finishing. For my Tamiya build, the oldest of my Wildcats, I went with brush painting. However this HobbyBoss kit is the middle-child. Therefore I broke out the airbrush to do a tried and true pre-shading technique.
Before we get into the painting process, it is worth exploring the Atlantic-based Wildcat paint schemes. They are lessor known as compared to their Pacific-theater brethren. Generally speaking, there are two paint schemes to choose from. Both stemmed from a July, 1943 order to modify the famed Pacific theater tri-color for Atlantic sub-hunting use:
Scheme I was for aircraft operating in areas with clear skies. Think Caribbean. This was a tri-color scheme, similar to the Pacific tri-color, but with gray instead of blue. It used Dark Gull Gray (ANA 621, FS 36231) on upper surfaces, Light Gull Grey (ANA 620, FS 36440) on the sides, and the familiar Insignia White (ANA 601, FS 37875) on the lower fuselage.
Scheme II was for aircraft operating in overcast regions of the Atlantic. Think most of it! Here, the tri-color, was reduced to two. It used Dark Gull Gray (ANA 621, FS 36231) on upper surfaces and sides, and Insignia White (ANA 601, FS 37875) on the lower fuselage.
Scheme II is far more common than Scheme I. My build uses Scheme II.
Editor's note, Wildcat schemes prior to 1943 and for the Pacific theater are detailed in my Tamiya Wildcat post.
Pre-shading the bird began with a coat of Vallejo's Grey Surface Primer (73.601). This created a unified canvas, highlighted build imperfections, and allowed subsequent paint layers to better adhere. Then I carefully traced out all the panels and rivet lines with the pre-shading color. I used Dark Gull Gray for under the scheme’s Insignia White areas and Dark Gull Gray plus Black for under the scheme’s Dark Gull Gray areas.
Perhaps I overcomplicated things, but hear me out:
Pre-shading relies on paint translucency.
I’ve learned not to pre-shade with black or a color that is much darker than the to-be main color. It usually takes too long for the main color to cover such contrasting shading. I get impatient, and then I screw something up!
By limiting the pre-shading color to shades of a main body color, I could maintain a more harmonious paint finish. That was my theory anyways.
Next I laid down each main color. It is important to keep these coats light so that all the pre-shading goodness shows through. When you think the pre-shading is nearly subtle enough, stop!
Now walk away.
Give your eyes a break.
Then come back to the model and re-assess. Is the pre-shading still too subtle? Or is it just right?
Finally, a gloss varnish was used to seal in all the paintwork and prep for decaling.
Decals
Before we get into this section, I want to reiterate that the decal sheet's stated unit is incorrect. The kit's squadron insignia is for the Black Cats of VC-13, not the Fighting Omars of VC-12.
Unit typo aside, the decals went on without issue. I’ll note that this made me particularly happy after the ordeal with Tamiya’s Wildcat. I also added two steps to my standard decaling process prior to the final gloss varnish protective coat. Both of these steps better integrate the decals with the model.
A sanding sponge was used to scuff up the decals. As a bonus, sanding decals will reduce the "step" that thicker carrier films create.
The underlying body colors were misted over the decals. This helped to tie the ink used for the decals together with the paint used on the plastic.
Weathering
Oils were the primary weathering medium for this Wildcat. I enjoy working with oils because they have a slow drying time and therefore tons of flexibility. It’s also easy to mix up pin washes, filters, and even textures with oils. With a rudimentary set of oils, I honestly believe you can forgo the need to buy many weathering products marketed by the big hobby companies. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate that such choices exist, and I love trying out new products like the rest of us. There’s just something nice about the purity of using artists’ oils to do, well…art!
I used a sloppy panel line pin wash to emphasize the model's many recessed panels and rivet lines. Just apply the wash, let it nearly dry, then wipe most of it away. Repeat as needed and voila, instant depth and visual interest.
Then I decided to push things even more with targeted oil dot filters. First you leech the oils out of the oil paint. A piece of cardboard and 10 minutes will do. Then you apply the relatively dry oil paint in tiny dots to individual panels. A dry brush is used to feather the oil dots as desired. If necessary, a second brush dipped in mineral spirits and wiped nearly dry can help clean up any excess.
I'll note that these finishing techniques may not be "realistic" individually or in combination. However, I am usually willing to sacrifice realism for visual interest and fun!
Final thoughts
This was a great project because it opened my eyes to Wildcats in their less notable role as hunters in Atlantic-based ASW composite squadrons.
This HobbyBoss kit is my second completed Wildcat. While it is similar in nature to Tamiya's offering, I felt there was less consistency in mold crispness, yet offered important details where Tamiya did not. HobbyBoss's fuselage construction was also more enjoyable than expected. Lastly, HobbyBoss's decals (even though the unit call-out is incorrect) and their application were superior to Tamiya's kit. In the head to head with Tamiya, it is likely too close to call. So definitely consider the HobbyBoss Wildcat variants if you find one at a reasonable price.
Compared to Eduard, the HobbyBoss kit might look and feel slightly tired. That being said, you might not want to bother with the precision-induced build difficulty I encountered with Eduard's kit. Eduard's kit will also likely go for a premium price point. Again, hard to offer up a clear winner between HobbyBoss and Eduard. It comes down to preferences.
On the painting side, Vallejo's Model Air paints look phenomenal and I love how the airbrushed Atlantic ASW paint scheme contrasts with the hand painted Pacific scheme applied to the Tamiya Wildcat. And remember to give oils a go. Don't be scared of them. They are one of the most forgiving, versatile, and effective finishing mediums around!
Thanks for reading,
Mido
Contact the author: mido@igluemodels.com or on Twitter @igluemodels
Sources, information, and other useful links
Vallejo's US Navy & USMC Colors 1940 - 1945 paint set card insert
Hunter-Killer: U.S. Escort Carriers in the Battle of the Atlantic by William T. Y'Blood
Japanese Submarine Casualties in World War Two - Naval History and Heritage Command
Composite Squadron 13 Official War History via Fold3.com
Another superb job. Thanks for sharing your work with us.