1/400 D012 Dolphin Capellini Italian Navy Submarine Marcello Class
Resin Model Kit, Box Condition: NM
Very rare. Beautifully cast resin kit with numerous cast metal details, many photoetched parts, options for waterline or full hull and even a display stand. The kit has never been started. The parts are still in the internal factory sealed bags and includes instructions. CAppellini was a very successful Italian Navy submarine with a very interesting war record. She was started in Le Spezia on April 25, 1938 and launched on May 14, 1939. The Regio Marina took delivery of her on September 23, 1939. After training and working up, Cappellini left for her first war patrol with Captain Cristiano Masi for the Atlantic. The patrol did not go well; she was sighted at least twice and the British destroyer Vidette fired torpedoes at the submarine, which missed. But the Cappellini failed to score and eventually went to a Spanish Harbor then to La Spezia. The Navy changed commanders, putting Corvette Captain Salvatore Todaro in charge and this seemed to make a big difference. He navigated the Straight of Gibraltar submerged on Sept. 29 and broke out into the Atlantic. She sank the armed vessel Kabalo with torpedoes and used guns to sink the British merchant Shakespeare. On January 14 she sunk the British auxiliary cruiser Eumaeus after a long two hour battle involving both torpedoes and guns. On another mission in April of 1941, Todaro attacked two large vessels and sank one. Command changed for the next voyage to Lieutenant Aldo Lenzi and he proved as brave as Todaro, sinking the British Miguel de Larrinaga with two torpedoes near the Azores. Lieutenant Marco Revedin commanded Cappellini next, sinking the merchant vessel Tisnaren and the tanker Dinsdale. On Sept 13 she took part in the search for survivors from the Laconia, which U-156 had sunk. She rescued many survivors but naturally had little room for them; Revedin call the French and they too the survivors to shore. In may of 1943, Cappellini was converted into a 'carriage' submarine for cargo and placed under Captain Walter Auconi; she left for Singapore and arrived on July 10th and was given the new name Aquila III. According to official reports, the submarine was so overloaded that she was hardly buoyant; only the tip of the bow and part of the conning tower were above the water. After avoiding many air attackers, she did arrive safely but with completely dry fuel tanks. After unloading cargo Cappellini went to Sebang as planned to meet the submarine Giuliani. But with the situation in Italy in flux, the Japanese made various excuses and seized the submarine. The put the crew in a POW camp. And handed the submarine over to the Germans as UIT-24. However, some of the enlisted men in the POW camp decided to fight alongside the Germans and a mixed crew was formed with Oberleutnant-zur-See Heinrich Pahls as commander. She had five patrols like this until Germany surrendered; at that point the Japanese took her over again and assigned the name I-503. She operated that way until the end of the war. The Cappellini was eventually captured by the United States and sank in the deep waters off Kobe on April 16th, 1946.
This item has been sold.
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