[propbeanie]

Yes, intentional. The game only reliably changes textures on the player's sub with a conning tower change. Not all players qualify for an "Elite" tower on January 1, 1944, and most boats were repainted before that time into the MS32 sub scheme, so the change coincides with the #3 conn change, which under "normal" circumstances happens much later in a player's career. However, a "new" boat gets what is available at the time, hence the MS32 on the New Construction Gato start in January 1943. The Balao is done differently, currently as an experiment, a little later in the year.