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PostPosted: Thu Jul 11, 2019 10:01 pm 
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Posts: 21
Hi everyone,

Here is my first go with crafting ship silhouettes -- and one airplane. I've always worked with the ground war in this subject area before. And the B-24 was supposed to go with that effort from eight years back, but I never could get around to it then. I'm just glad to get back into this sort of thing again--which began about two months ago.

I've been kind of heart sick from just looking at new board games out there (excluding Avalanche Press and GMT Games) on the Pacific War from World War II. Most of them have just abandoned Avalon Hill's style of artwork with the neat and recognizable ship silhouettes to represent the ships in these tabletop strategy wargames. So I finally decided myself to get involved and help bring back Avalon Hill's old art form. (It's hard work, and is not as easy as it looks; but I battled through these nine line drawings to convert them to silhouettes.)

I'll try and add the remaining three large Japanese carriers from 1941 -- and also attempt to work in three US carrier class ships (Essex, Independence, and Bogue) silhouettes to capture all of the ship types for WWII up and through 1942. My long term goal is to take Grandmother's game, "Flat Top," and try and revamp the surface ships to give all notable surface ships (light cruisers and up) the larger PANZER LEADER sized 5/8-inch counters (so the counter art will show up better). Still to this day, that was Grandmother Dorothy's finest gift she ever gave me. I love my Grandmother.

Brother Dan Kaplan encouraged me to share these silhouettes here on the ModelWarships.com website, and so here they are. He really helped me out tremendously. And to that, I am so grateful. I can't thank him enough!

Anyway, thanks to everybody here with ModelWarships.com. I hope you all like these silhouettes/avatars that I have here to display. I'll attempt to work on more as time permits. Thanks.

~ Rod


Attachments:
File comment: Aircraft carrier Kaga
1936 Kaga - MG IJN CVs - JPEG.jpg
1936 Kaga - MG IJN CVs - JPEG.jpg [ 270.75 KiB | Viewed 4853 times ]
File comment: Aircraft carrier Chitose/Chiyoda
Chiyoda late 1943, Chitose class - JPEG.jpg
Chiyoda late 1943, Chitose class - JPEG.jpg [ 262.7 KiB | Viewed 4853 times ]
File comment: Aircraft carrier Junyo
Junyo 1942 - MG IJN CVs - JPEG.jpg
Junyo 1942 - MG IJN CVs - JPEG.jpg [ 190.78 KiB | Viewed 4853 times ]
File comment: Aircraft carrier Shokaku - 1941
Maru Special 6 Shokaku 1941 - JPEG.jpg
Maru Special 6 Shokaku 1941 - JPEG.jpg [ 304.49 KiB | Viewed 4853 times ]
File comment: Aircraft carrier Ryujo
Ryujo 1937 - MG IJN CVs - JPEG.jpg
Ryujo 1937 - MG IJN CVs - JPEG.jpg [ 175.98 KiB | Viewed 4853 times ]
File comment: Aircraft carrier Shoho/Ryuho
Shoho 1942 MG IJN CVs - JPEG.jpg
Shoho 1942 MG IJN CVs - JPEG.jpg [ 191.21 KiB | Viewed 4853 times ]
File comment: Aircraft carrier Shokaku - 1942
Shokaku Coral Sea 1942 - JPEG.jpg
Shokaku Coral Sea 1942 - JPEG.jpg [ 273.58 KiB | Viewed 4853 times ]
File comment: Aircraft carrier Zuiho
Zuiho 1944 MG IJN CVs - JPEG.jpg
Zuiho 1944 MG IJN CVs - JPEG.jpg [ 185.94 KiB | Viewed 4853 times ]
File comment: B-24C Liberator
B-24C Liberator -- see-through windshield JPEG.jpg
B-24C Liberator -- see-through windshield JPEG.jpg [ 121.41 KiB | Viewed 4853 times ]
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 19, 2019 8:06 am 
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Location: New York City
Nicely done, Rod.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 21, 2019 1:41 pm 
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Thanks Dan. I know I have said that this is an effort to show World War II through 1942, but I am actually taking the date to very early 1943 to allow for America's ship building speed. And then, this collection can show off about three or four Essex class carriers.

Thanks for your encouraging words.

~ Rod


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PostPosted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 6:58 pm 
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Hi everyone. I am including a few more drawings. Included with this post is Japan's carrier Soryu and America's 500 foot carrier Copahee. I'm going to attempt a couple more series that includes a Japanese and an American aircraft carrier in the upcoming weeks. I love the history behind all of this. And I'm just trying to add a few more ships from that same time period.


Attachments:
File comment: America's Bogue Class carrier -- the light carrier Copahee
Bogue Class, USS Copahee  - JPEG.jpg
Bogue Class, USS Copahee - JPEG.jpg [ 306.72 KiB | Viewed 4535 times ]
File comment: Japan's 750-foot carrier Soryu
Soryu, April 1939 MA SMS v69 - JPEG (revised).jpg
Soryu, April 1939 MA SMS v69 - JPEG (revised).jpg [ 299.24 KiB | Viewed 4474 times ]
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 22, 2019 10:40 am 
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Here is the latest -- keeping this rolling along. These silhouettes depict the Japanese carrier Akagi and a U.S. Independence Class (Independence, CVL-22) carrier. I have a few more left to cover now.


Attachments:
File comment: This is the 855-foot Akagi. She was Japan's biggest aircraft carrier in total size and aircraft capacity (91 airplanes) combined.
Akagi, 1939 MG IJN CVs - JPEG (raw).jpg
Akagi, 1939 MG IJN CVs - JPEG (raw).jpg [ 326.49 KiB | Viewed 4431 times ]
File comment: This is a silhouette of America's proud Independence Class light carrier. The Princeton and "The Mighty Moo" Cowpens are a few examples to list.
Independence Class light carrier, Warships No. 16 - JPEG.jpg
Independence Class light carrier, Warships No. 16 - JPEG.jpg [ 327.8 KiB | Viewed 4431 times ]
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 23, 2019 11:26 am 
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These are really great. I've always been a fan of this style of silhouettes. Many years ago I gave a go of making some of Yorktown (CV-5) and her escorts, but never got very far with them.

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We like our history sanitized and theme-parked and self-congratulatory, not bloody and angry and unflattering. - Jonathan Yardley


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 23, 2019 9:56 pm 
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Thanks Devin. Again, this all started after I had made this strange discovery. In fact, I was really looking into trying to find a Pacific War carrier sim on a PC or something, and I thought that my Avalance Press game of "Midway" was all the board game that I needed (and Avalanche Press uses these same artistic style silhouettes...which is great, very good indeed.)

But then I found out that the Avalanche Press game was not in the mold or style of Avalon Hill's FLAT TOP when I quizzed some fellows off Consimworld. That sent me into seek and search mode as I hit the web looking for newer board games.

And what I found really caught me off guard. The current games had dropped the older artistic format that you so fondly describe, Devin. You took my own words right out of my mouth when you described how much you appreciate the classic black silhouette for these naval ships. Games that have left this format are those like Lock 'n Load's "The Pacific War (2016)," Kokusai-Tsushin Co., Ltd's "Victory at Midway (1992)," and Dr. Benjamin Richter's "Kido Butai (2016)" -- which the guys off Consimworld are so high on for its fabulous game play.

But I'm a FLAT TOP fan. And I also am an artist -- getting my BFA degree in Art at the Univ. of Georgia many moons ago. And so I realized back in June that I needed to do something about this. Like we say in the game of football, I needed "to make a play." And I've been trying to complete this ever since then. And so I am doing my best to cover the old school style Avalon Hill-like silhouettes.

Funny you mention the CV-5 Yorktown. I walked through CV-10 Yorktown a few years ago when my family took a vacation trip out to Edisto Island. Charleston, S.C. was right down the road. I love that carrier.

I'm working on her right now, Devin. I mean -- it's the Essex Class carrier that I am covering, and CV-10 Yorktown is this as she was an early production Essex Class carrier indeed.

I am working on her and Hiryu right now, and I'm trying to work in small 600 feet Japanese carrier escorts to add a sense of completeness to this. This effort could use the Japanese carrier Unyo I feel.

Thanks for your interest. More are to come. The speed to this and all -- I can't promise. (I got to attend my first high school football game in two years tonight, so I'm trying remain flexible as you can get yourself lost in these little tasks and whatnot.)


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 7:55 am 
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Hi everyone. The effort continues. Here is the latest in my Pacific Ocean Theater for 1942 and World War II. Of course, the Japanese fleet carrier Hiryu is present. Also, here is an American aircraft carrier, the USS Essex, that was commissioned on the last day (12/31/42) of 1942.

I'm trying to accomplish something along the lines similar to what Ward McBurney was able to capture back when he set his "Imaginative Strategist" website up to enhance Avalon Hill's game of PANZERBLITZ. And I'm trying to do something similar for Avalon Hill's game of FLAT TOP.

The "Baby Flat Tops" will be next ... for both sides. I'll get on to those as soon as I can.


Attachments:
File comment: This is Japan's other early-war 750 foot aircraft carrier in the Hiryu.
Hiryu, 1940 MA SMS v69 - JPEG.jpg
Hiryu, 1940 MA SMS v69 - JPEG.jpg [ 275.46 KiB | Viewed 4241 times ]
File comment: Here is the United States' Essex CV-9 aircraft carrier at some 872 feet or so. She was dynamic, and three more Essex Class carriers were commissioned by April 1943.
Essex Class, SQUADRON, Warships No. 16 - JPEG (revised).jpg
Essex Class, SQUADRON, Warships No. 16 - JPEG (revised).jpg [ 354.72 KiB | Viewed 4223 times ]
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 04, 2019 9:56 pm 
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All right. I'm adding another.

This is America's light carrier Sangamon. The other "baby flat tops" that I promised are still in progress. This was another dynamic aircraft carrier that served at World War II.

I had almost left the Sangamon Class out of this artistic task. She had company in others like the USS Santee, USS Suwannee, and the USS Chenango. I'm glad I didn't miss this one.


Attachments:
File comment: This is America's light carrier Sangamon. This carrier escort was listed as CVE-26.
Sangamon Class, Warship No. 9 - JPEG (revised).jpg
Sangamon Class, Warship No. 9 - JPEG (revised).jpg [ 271.14 KiB | Viewed 4151 times ]
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 05, 2019 5:12 pm 
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Again, in continuing with the aircraft carrier theme here, I will continue to present these "baby flat tops."

This silhouette is of the CVE-30 USS Charger. She had a sister ship, the USS Long Island. And my effort on the USS Long Island is in progress along with some Japanese carrier escorts as well.


Attachments:
File comment: This is the light carrier Charger. This American ship (CVE-30) provided support for many convoys during World War II.
USS Charger, Warship No. 9 - JPEG (revised).jpg
USS Charger, Warship No. 9 - JPEG (revised).jpg [ 377.28 KiB | Viewed 4122 times ]
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 06, 2019 11:41 am 
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All right. Here comes a trio of "baby flat tops" --- one from the United States, and the other two from Japan. They all three served in the same time period---the U.S.'s Long Island, at Guadalcanal.

Provided here is also some support for Japan's Shokaku and Zuikaku. And Taiyo and Unyo provide just that.

Will work to add their remaining sister ship in the Chuyo here pretty soon.


Attachments:
File comment: The USS Long Island -- America's first "baby flat top." Hero at Guadalcanal ...
Long Island, Warship No. 9 - JPEG.jpg
Long Island, Warship No. 9 - JPEG.jpg [ 386.77 KiB | Viewed 4119 times ]
File comment: This is the Japanese light carrier Unyo. She often ran with the more popular Zuiho.
Unyo, 1943 - MG IJN CVs - JPEG.jpg
Unyo, 1943 - MG IJN CVs - JPEG.jpg [ 160.63 KiB | Viewed 4119 times ]
File comment: This is Taiyo, a Japanese light carrier. She and her sister ship Unyo were carrier escorts during World War II.
Taiyo, 1943 - MG IJN CVs - JPEG.jpg
Taiyo, 1943 - MG IJN CVs - JPEG.jpg [ 160.03 KiB | Viewed 4119 times ]


Last edited by Richt03 on Tue Sep 10, 2019 2:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 06, 2019 1:40 pm 
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All right. Here is the last of the Taiyo Class vessels. This is Chuyo. She was a carrier escort. I counted only three carrier escorts by Japan during 1942. They do purchase the Kaiyo by December, but that would lead to a conversion process later on.


Attachments:
File comment: This is Japan's Chuyo. The light carrier was almost 600 feet in length.
Chuyo 1943, Aircraft Carriers of the IJN - JPEG.jpg
Chuyo 1943, Aircraft Carriers of the IJN - JPEG.jpg [ 161.72 KiB | Viewed 4112 times ]
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 07, 2019 6:11 pm 
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Okay. I'm returning to add an aircraft carrier that is already present in this study, but this is a revision ... and for good reason.

Here, I revised the Japanese fleet carrier Zuiho, their 674 foot light carrier. I added her missing mast antenna---the large antenna near the front (bow) of the vessel. I would have got to this a lot sooner, but I had a decent sized selection that I was interested in fully covering.

My cutoff date for this World War II South Pacific Ocean study is somewhere in between January and March of 1943. I think FLAT TOP's inventory of ships reached out to December 1941 (but the Hiyo was an available Japanese carrier in S. Craig Taylor/Rodger MacGowan's board game). And I'm trying to take that out to the end of 1942/beginning of '43.

Anyway, here is a revised Zuiho - with her mast antenna inserted.


Attachments:
File comment: This is the Japanese light carrier Zuiho. She now has her large mast antenna added.
Zuiho 1944 MG IJN CVs - JPEG (revised).jpg
Zuiho 1944 MG IJN CVs - JPEG (revised).jpg [ 193.16 KiB | Viewed 4093 times ]
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 10, 2019 6:37 pm 
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Location: Hoboken, NJ
Nice work!

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We like our history sanitized and theme-parked and self-congratulatory, not bloody and angry and unflattering. - Jonathan Yardley


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 10, 2019 10:07 pm 
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Thanks Devin. It's been a rewarding experience. I didn't dive into the AFV and tank drawings like I did here recently with the ships. I spread my work with the World War II AFVs over a five, six year period though there was one summer where I put together a very difficult silhouette of a Sturmgeschuetz III Ausf. F. But with the ships, I was able to set aside time better. (It was tough; it wasn't easy.)

Again, thanks.


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