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Topic review - Calling all USS Indianapolis & USS Portland (CA) fans
Author Message
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all USS Indianapolis & USS Portland (CA) fans  Reply with quote
I too have the Academy 1/350 kit for 1945 and the 2 Pontos detail sets, and am interested in building the measure 32 early1944 fit. It looks like the Academy kit represents Indianapolis in July 1945, after the October/November 1944, December 1944, and May/June 1945 refits, so all the documented updates from these dates need to be undone to accurately represent the measure 32 Indianapolis.

I do have the Warships Pictorial for the Indianapolis, but am handicapped in explaining my needs by my relative lack of knowledge of navy terms; hope more experienced minds will understand.

I’m trying to compile a comprehensive list of what I’ll need to get for this build, using previous posts as a starting point. I would welcome any corrections to this tentative list - thanks in advance for any help:

1. Need 2nd catapult on the starboard side
2. Need twin 40mm mounts on the fantail instead of (1945) quad mounts
3. Replace (all 1945?) twin 20mm guns with single 20mm (also,1944 used more 20mm guns, check deck plans)
4. Academy kit includes 1944 bow splinter shields for 20mm guns.
5. 1944 forward mast was different, above (what I think is called) the chart house top. It looks like I could use part of Model Monkey’s “1/350 USS Portland Forward Superstructure 1942” to add on the new top.
6. I still need photo etch detailing for the new forward mast, not sure where to find it. If I can find a detailed picture reference for the mast I could scratch build.
7. Not sure, but I think 1944 Indianapolis had MK33 5” gun directors with MK4 radar, instead of MK25 radar, and MK37 main fire directors instead of MK34?
question: can anyone simply tell me the names of the two kinds of gun directors and accompanying radar, for 5” guns and main guns, for the 1944 version?
8. 1944 aft main battery director was positioned further forward
9. 1944 had SOC Seagull aircraft instead of SC-1 Seahawks
10. other radar and electronics upgrades probably too detailed to follow up on.
Post Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2023 6:02 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all USS Indianapolis & USS Portland (CA) fans  Reply with quote
There are some significant differences. The biggest is that the forecastle deck did not extend as far back on Portland, ending at about the forward end of the catapults. This will require scratch building the narrower structure beneath the forward stack. Also, the deckhouse supporting turret 2, in addition to being shorter, was slightly narrower as well. Portland retained both catapults and never got the twin 20MM upgrade that Indy received. So you will have to locate all of the single 20MM gun positions. Indy had quad 40MM on the fantail, while Portland had twins. But Portland had two more twins on the main deck just forward of turret 3, where the Indy's boats were located. Portland had her boats on either side of the forward stack, beneath the forward ends of the catapults. Portland's tripod foremast was slightly taller than Indy's, and the SK radar was on the foremast rather than the mainmast. These are the basic differences. It then depends on how picky you are with the smaller details.
Post Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2023 6:13 pm
  Post subject:  Portland Class Cruisers  Reply with quote
Is anyone able to tell me the necessary changes I would need to make in order to convert the 1/350 Academy USS Indianapolis to the USS Portland to represent the ship in the same time period? Thanks heaps, Clyde.
Post Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2023 5:31 am
  Post subject:  USS Northampton Class Kit Option 1/700  Reply with quote
Is is possible (reasonably) to use the Tamiya Indianapolis kit as a starting point for a Northampton as the Portland was done by SL at MM using the same approach? Of course the parts needed would have to be developed by MM or Kraken or a similar 3D house. There are so many variations for the class it is a loss not to have a plastic/3D option. We can have the RAN heavies using existing plastic RN kits why not the Northamptons?
Post Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2023 8:05 pm
  Post subject:  Searching for info..  Reply with quote
All:
I am searching for information(plans, drawings, etc) for the Indianapolis as she was in May'44(dazzle); particularly the forward superstructure. I know she received her Mk34 main directors later in Dec/Jan 44-45 which replaced the Mk27 which is the version I'm looking for. The May '44 version has two-20mm singles(1 each side) just above the ones by the quad 40mm. They later were removed with a peloris replacing it.. Also there seemes to be a gap around O-5? level navigation? I have drawings/plans for the later 1/45 version. I'm just trying to get an idea if its feasible..
Randy
Post Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 11:12 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all USS Indianapolis & USS Portland (CA) fans  Reply with quote
Gents, thought some might be interested in this recently 'discovered' photo of Indy, which apparently has sat basically unseen since it was taken.

You can almost get the feel of what is was like looking through the Jap subs periscope on that fateful July night in '45.

It came to me courtesy of John Duresky, a researcher for the recently published book RELENTLESS HOPE - A True Story of War and Survival, by David L Britt with John Duresky and Vickie Graham ISBN 978-1-09838-539-2 about 1Lt Chester K Britt and the men he served with on Bataan, Corregidor and as a POW. John recently donated the pic to the Naval History and Heritage Command.


Attachments:
1939-3-7-USS-Indianapolis-in-Atlantic-news-photo-CROP.jpg
1939-3-7-USS-Indianapolis-in-Atlantic-news-photo-CROP.jpg [ 317.44 KiB | Viewed 3555 times ]
1939-3-7-USS-Indianapolis-in-Atlantic-news-photo-back.jpg
1939-3-7-USS-Indianapolis-in-Atlantic-news-photo-back.jpg [ 50.39 KiB | Viewed 3555 times ]
Post Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2022 8:28 am
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all USS Indianapolis & USS Portland (CA) fans  Reply with quote
ESzczesniak,

I have a set of Yankee Model Works p.e catapults that I will not be needing. They are somewhat dated as there is no relief etch but I guess that was the technology at the time. You are welcomed to have them if you are not able to come up with another option. Jon
Post Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2022 2:00 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all USS Indianapolis & USS Portland (CA) fans  Reply with quote
Thank you all! I will have to inspect the kit parts some. It seems doable at least. I've got some sorting to do to figure out a Mk. something to Mk. another. But seems doable. Seems the biggest issue may be to figure out detailing the second catapult.
Post Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2022 6:10 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all USS Indianapolis & USS Portland (CA) fans  Reply with quote
Howdy :wave_1:

The Academy kit does give you the opportunity to backdate vs the Trumpeter edition but not quite out of the box.
- It does include 2 sprues with parts for 2 catapults, can't comment on if the Infini set includes parts to detail 2 catapults though.
- The MK33's were open topped versions with MK4's I believe
- The forward mast was different with the fighting top where the MBD was and the MBD was an earlier model with Mk3 radar on top
- The 20mm Single layout was similar but more of them. Academy included the bow shields for the 44' version

Those are the big ones off of the top of my head. I recommend getting the Classic Warships Pictorial(Indy is way out of print and hard to come by, the Indy/Portland edition is still nice and is easier to find) and the latest from David Doyle Legends of Warfare series on the Indy is a great resource as well.

A 3D Aftermarket outfit has a backdate kit on the books, just no timeline yet on when it will enter design queue and be produced.

Hope this helps,

Matt
Post Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2022 5:20 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all USS Indianapolis & USS Portland (CA) fans  Reply with quote
The October/November 1944 refit at Mare Island, when the Measure 32 camouflage was replaced with Measure 22, included replacement of the twin 40mm mounts on the fantail with quad mountings, in addition to new Mk 34 main battery fire control directors and radars, plus Mk 25 radar replacing the Mk 4 or Mk 12 sets.

In December 1944, the after main battery director and support were replaced, and positioned further aft.

In her May/June 1945 refit/repair, the single 20mm were replaced by twins, the starboard catapult removed and SC-1 Seahawk aircraft replaced the SOC Seagulls, as well as further radar and electronics upgrades.
Post Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2022 5:18 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all USS Indianapolis & USS Portland (CA) fans  Reply with quote
I have the Academy 1/350 kit and Infini detail set in the stash. These as designed for 1945. I am having an interest to build her in measure 32, which would mean 1944 fit. If I've done my reading correctly, I need (in descending order of obviousness):

1. Source another catapult to put on the starboard side
2. Source new radars on the gun directors (Mk. 4 I believe for the 44 fit)
3. And downsize the dual 20mm mounts to single

To my knowledge, there were no superstructure, deck, or mast changes. So the rest of of the kit could be left as is?

Any major omissions? And any advice to source numbers 1 or 2, particularly the catapult?
Post Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2022 4:18 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all USS Indianapolis & USS Portland (CA) fans  Reply with quote
Well, it certainly helps me. New kitten decided to go kaiju on my 90% complete Academy premium edition Indianapolis. Only thing salvageable is the hull and decks. So I just ordered the Model Monkey Portland conversion set and am backdating her to pre-war.
Post Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 4:35 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all USS Indianapolis & USS Portland (CA) fans  Reply with quote
This info was posted by Dana Bell over on Steelnavy, thought it was worth archiving in this thread. Thanks Dana!!

Quote:
This probably should have been appended to the thread below, but it took me five hours to dig this all out of the files and I didn't want it to get lost. (I really have to finish that book....)

INDIANAPOLIS

Indianapolis became the flagship of Commander, Scouting Force, in late 1933. As such, for most of her pre-war history she attached herself as the last ship in a cruiser division rather than taking the position of the divisional lead ship. (This often affected the turret colors and aircraft markings.)

1934 photos show her with the “Squadron” flag painted atop turrets 1, 2, and 3. The colors are a checkerboard pattern of (clockwise) white, blue, yellow, and red. She was attached to CruDiv Five at the time.

At some point in 1935, the flags atop turrets 1 and 3 were painted out and a white “35" was painted atop Turret 1. (CruDiv Five marked its ship colors only on Turret 2 at that time).

In June 1935 Indianapolis reattached herself to CruDiv Six. As such, the Squadron flag should have been repainted atop Turret 3, but I have no photos to prove that this happened.

In November 1935 the Commander Cruisers, Scouting Force canceled the system for turret painting. (A February 1936 letter to ComScoFor would complain that “several ships” had not yet complied with the change order.) I’ve not yet found the orders explaining what the new turret markings were to be, but photos suggest the hull number was applied with the ships division and divisional position identified by the color of the number and the turret to which the number was applied. (I’ve found refs to specific documents, but haven’t yet found those docs in the Archives.)

On 10 August 1937 CinC US ordered a new turret identification scheme – the scheme now familiar as seen on the ships at Pearl Harbor. CruDiv Six was to have a black band on its forward turrets. Some ships would paint only Turret 2, others would paint turrets 1 and 2. The top of Turret 3 was painted in the individual ship color. In August 1938 CruDiv Six clarified that the forward black stripe was to be 8 feet wide on both turrets and the individual ship color was to be painted as a 12-foot-wide disc on the after turret; both colors remained black for Indianapolis.

In April 1940, when Indianapolis became the fifth ship in CruDiv Six, the disc color on Turret 3 was changed to Willow Green. The markings remained unchanged through December, when she moved to CruDiv Four. At this time the forward turret stripes became blue, with the Turret 3 disc once again painted black.

PORTLAND

Commander, Scouting Force, records show that Portland wore yellow atop Turret 2 in September 1934. This was totally appropriate for the fourth ship in CruDiv Five (with the divisional marking on Turret 2 and the color yellow designating the fourth ship in the division) which had been Portland’s assignment in most of 1933. However, in November 1933 Portland became the third ship in that division, and the turret color should have changed to white.

(A ship’s position within a division depended on the seniority of her commander. Since every command change could affect the turret color, Scouting Force had recommended that the turret colors be locked, regardless of the ship’s ranking – this is evidence that such a rule was enacted, even if briefly. The aircraft section assigned to each ship continued to change with the ship’s divisional position.)

On 7 July 1934 Portland became the third ship in CruDiv Six, a position she held until April 1935. For that period her turret marking should have been white paint atop Turret 3, though I’ve not found evidence that the change was made.

In April 1935 she returned to CruDiv Five as the second ship - in that position she should have carried red paint on Turret 2 - but again I’ve not proof the change was made.

By November 1935 the turret markings were ordered removed and the new system of hull number markings (noted above) appears to have been substituted.

At the time of the August 1937 introduction of a third turret marking system, Portland was the third ship in CruDiv Five – a position she held through the end of 1940. The stripes on forward turrets would have been Yellow and the paint on Turret 3 would have been Blue.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,



Dana
Post Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2020 2:02 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all USS Indianapolis & USS Portland (CA) fans  Reply with quote
I believe there was a Loose Cannon conversion hull. Otherwise you can get a 1942 Portland with ModelMonkey 3D printed parts and cutting the hull on your own.

Matt
Post Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2020 12:33 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all USS Indianapolis & USS Portland (CA) fans  Reply with quote
Thank you Dick, Steve,Tracy, and David! :thumbs_up_1:
This helps a lot!!

Bob Pink :wave_1:
Post Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2020 10:08 am
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all USS Indianapolis & USS Portland (CA) fans  Reply with quote
Steve wrote:
3D Models


Linkage
Post Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2020 9:11 am
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all USS Indianapolis & USS Portland (CA) fans  Reply with quote
Quincy wrote:
What type of Fire Control Directors did the Indy have after her April 1942 refit? And also, where can you get them for 1/700 scale?

Any help would be most appreciated. :wave_1:


Bob Pink :wave_1:


3D Models has the only Mk33/28 directors (open and closed) in 700 sale that I am aware of!
Post Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2020 6:14 am
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all USS Indianapolis & USS Portland (CA) fans  Reply with quote
Main directors were MK-27's. AA directors were open-topped MK-33's.
Post Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2020 10:05 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all USS Indianapolis & USS Portland (CA) fans  Reply with quote
What type of Fire Control Directors did the Indy have after her April 1942 refit? And also, where can you get them for 1/700 scale?

Any help would be most appreciated. :wave_1:




Bob Pink :wave_1:
Post Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2020 12:12 pm
  Post subject:  USS Indianapolis Information  Reply with quote
I am building the Trumpeter 1945 USS Indianapolis 1/350. I intended to build her right out of the box as this is an interim project
while waiting for another kit to arrive. The Indy deserves my best effort so I have strayed from just OOTB and been adding details that
are not part of the kit.
I hope someone can help me with a rigging question. The mainmast (aft) shows flag halyards coming off the yard but I haven't been
able to find where those halyards terminate. It would be in the area near the base of the crane.
Any assistance is appreciated.
Thanks
Post Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2020 5:48 pm

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