USS Independence (CVL-22) was the lead ship of the Independence-class light aircraft carriers, converted from a Cleveland-class light cruiser hull to rapidly bolster US carrier strength after the losses of 1942. Commissioned in 1943, she fought through the Pacific island-hopping campaign, including strikes on the Gilbert Islands and the assault on Tarawa, before ending her career as a target ship at the 1946 Operation Crossroads atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll.
Dragon's 1/350 kit reproduces the carrier's distinctive narrow cruiser-hull flight deck and compact island structure with finely moulded detail, capturing the light carrier's slender lines that distinguish her from the larger Essex-class ships of the same era.
The kit includes photo-etched railings and catwalks along with a decal sheet, and can be built as a full-hull or waterline display, offering an interesting counterpart to the larger fleet carriers in Dragon's 1/350 range.
A fascinating subject for anyone wanting a lesser-modelled US carrier with a genuinely unusual postwar history, from Pacific combat to nuclear test target.
