Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet) fans

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Expand view Topic review: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet) fans

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet) fans

by El Santo » Wed Sep 16, 2026 9:55 am

Jon C Ryckert wrote: Thu Sep 10, 2026 8:02 am BTW, would you happen to know of any plans for Kansas for WW1?
Not for Kansas, but I did find these for New Hampshire, dated 1919:

Image

As you said earlier, the Connecticuts were all pretty similar, so you could probably get close enough to fool even a moderately expert eye by adjusting those to match postwar photos of Kansas. Do note, however, that New Hampshire differed more from her sisters than any of the other five ships, due to being ordered under a later building program. The most immediately obvious revision was that she had unique arrangements for stowing her anchors, but you'll probably find others as you compare her plans to whatever reference material you already have for Kansas.



Edited to add a link to the web page for the New Hampshire plans: https://navsource.net/archives/01/018/012551.jpg
I didn't realize that the forum software wouldn't let you enlarge the image to a useful size.

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet) fans

by Jon C Ryckert » Thu Sep 10, 2026 8:02 am

Sorry, the previous post was from me.

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet)

by Guest » Thu Sep 10, 2026 5:04 am

El Santo wrote: Wed Sep 09, 2026 4:02 pm
Jon C Ryckert wrote: Sun Dec 22, 2024 11:25 am I am wanting to make the kit USS Kansas and since this kit has 3D printed cage mast, I assume it is after WW1.
Not necessarily. Kansas got her cage masts installed during her big refit right after the cruise of the Great White Fleet, so you could potentially be looking at anything back to the summer of 1909. The real tell for before or after World War I is the condition of the spotting tops and searchlight-control platforms, all of which got housed in as a result of wartime experience. The positions of the searchlights changed, too.
Thank you El Santo. BTW, would you happen to know of any plans for Kansas for WW1?

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet)

by El Santo » Wed Sep 09, 2026 4:02 pm

Jon C Ryckert wrote: Sun Dec 22, 2024 11:25 am I am wanting to make the kit USS Kansas and since this kit has 3D printed cage mast, I assume it is after WW1.
Not necessarily. Kansas got her cage masts installed during her big refit right after the cruise of the Great White Fleet, so you could potentially be looking at anything back to the summer of 1909. The real tell for before or after World War I is the condition of the spotting tops and searchlight-control platforms, all of which got housed in as a result of wartime experience. The positions of the searchlights changed, too.

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet) fans

by Timmy C » Sun Sep 06, 2026 11:16 pm

JoeP wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2026 6:52 pm Hi all,

Are there any good references in color that show the bow shields of the ships? I'm looking to paint the bow of my BB-16.

Thank you,
Joe
Given the lack of colour photography back then, paintings like this one on Navsource would be your best bet.

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet) fans

by JoeP » Sun Sep 06, 2026 6:52 pm

Hi all,

Are there any good references in color that show the bow shields of the ships? I'm looking to paint the bow of my BB-16.

Thank you,
Joe

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet)

by Fin&Tonic » Mon Jan 13, 2025 6:29 pm

When I researched colors for my build of USS V-4 (submarine), the official color was dubbed Standard Navy Gray #5. I don't get my knickers in a knot over exact colors, so I used Tamiya Light Ghost Gray AS-26 (spray) which looked the part. Will probably use the same on my ISW USS Florida (those printed cage masts are stellar) after I finally finish the ISW Dreadnought (sporting Tamiya XF83-a very nice medium gray).

Cheers

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet)

by Jon C Ryckert » Sun Dec 22, 2024 11:25 am

Working on a newer 1/350 USS Connecticut from ISW. I had an older kit, but it got put away and somehow got pretty beat up in storage. I am wanting to make the kit USS Kansas and since this kit has 3D printed cage mast, I assume it is after WW1. I am told that the class were pretty much the same, but I do see some differences in pictures. What would be the correct color of paint for this ship in that time frame?

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet)

by Iceman 29 » Mon Oct 07, 2024 4:10 pm

Rare footage:

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet)

by Dan K » Mon Oct 07, 2024 3:30 pm

In case anyone's interested, Hobbyeasy is running a sale on several 1/700 ROPS/Samek resin kits of various Great White Fleet ships:

https://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/category/S ... r/ROP.html

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet)

by Jon C Ryckert » Mon Apr 10, 2023 6:32 pm

Thank you for the reply. If you don't mind, where can a person find good plans of Kansas. I have tried online and I can't get to the archives. Thank you again.

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet)

by apfelzra69 » Sun Apr 09, 2023 11:57 pm

Photographs of the USS Kansas and USS Connecticut taken around 1911 (new cage masts, all four Standard Navy anchors) show great similarities with one significant exception -- the current ISW Connecticut kit (which I have and am building) does not include the additional deck with wings that sits atop the superstructure around the cage mainmast; this area is bare on the ISW Connecticut kit, but would be correct for the Kansas, meaning it would be easier to build the kit as the Kansas rather than scratchbuild the extra deck with a large hole in the center for the cage mainmast on the Connecticut.

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet)

by Jon C Ryckert » Mon Mar 07, 2022 11:16 am

It is my understanding that the kit is Connecticut's 1910 fit so I want to make a Kansas in the same time period, if possible.

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet)

by Jon C Ryckert » Mon Mar 07, 2022 10:02 am

I just won the Iron Shipwright 1/350 USS Connecticut BB-18 in an auction and not being familiar with U.S pre-dreadnaughts, I know this is going to be a long shot. I would like to convert the ship, if possible, to the USS Kansas, BB-21. So, my question is would anyone happen to know what differences there may be between the two ships? Thanks to all replies.

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet)

by William » Thu Mar 28, 2019 6:55 am

Maarten,

Thanks!!!!! They are a big help!

Bill

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet)

by Maarten Sch�nfeld » Wed Mar 27, 2019 3:10 pm

Kombrig publishes nice plans: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10268178

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet)

by William » Wed Mar 27, 2019 9:29 am

Resurrecting the thread . . .

I recently got the 1/350 ISW USS Connecticut kit as a gift (since I live in CT!) Anyway, I always thought that she looked better with her military mast not the cage masts. Therefore, I will convert her to her GWF appearance. Does anyone know of any plans that I can use?

Bill

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet)

by DariusP » Mon Oct 10, 2011 8:18 pm

I think that those "clamps" were used to hold in place (during turret rotation) a seal which prevented water entering through a gap between barbette and turret.

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet)

by Ironman » Mon Oct 10, 2011 7:16 pm

Hi,

I would like to scratch build a model of BB10 USS Maine from the Great White Fleet era.
Searching the internet came up with a couple of good pictures of "class" ships showing details, but I am uncertain what I'm looking at.
My hope is to get some help Identifying things and how they worked/were constructed.
I have little knowledge of the ships beyond what the internet has taught me, and the number of questions I could ask would be overwhelming.
If its cool with everyone here I'd like to post pictures from time to time and learn about those things.

I guess the first things I would ask are in reference to the attached photo.

To me these look like clamps of some sort, what do they do?
Does anyone know where I can get a good look at one that would have been typical of BB10, 11 or 12?

Image

Re: Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet)

by unBrando » Fri Sep 09, 2011 1:55 am

So, I got some supplies, this took a little longer than expected. The masts have been the most trouble.

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