The Ship Model Forum

So I need to remove them if I want to represent a 1945 USS West Virginia from the 1/700 Trumpeter kit ? Well there where some stumps remain on the place of the old removed optical rangefinder or it was completely flat ? Any close up picture of this, from USS West Virginia or USS California?
Thanks in advance.

No stumps, they were flat. check out www.navsource.org for pics on the ships in question.

Would you please let me know what is the purpose of the small chains coming from the deck right behind the anchors? According to the plans, their bottom end is attached to the very front-bottom tip of the hull. They appear on all the Standard-type battleships during the war, no matter if the ship was anchored or at sea. Nothing like this on the fast battleships. Thank you.

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- David
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Almost completed: BB-44 ('45), BB-56 ('42), BB-59 ('44)
Just building:

For use with paravanes (minesweeping gear - fitted with "wings", they help provide the tension needed for cables to drag mines into cutters). The fast battleships also had them from time to time, though the chains tend to (but apparently not always) be deployed from the nose bullring/hawser instead of the sides as I recall.

You can just barely see the attachment point at the "front bottom tip" in this photo of Missouri: http://navsource.org/archives/01/063/016338.jpg

Here's another showing the chain attached at the bow: http://navsource.org/archives/01/063/016352b.jpg

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De quoi s'agit-il?

Thank you very much, Timmy. I never knew what these strange "winged" things were. Everything is clear now.

By the way, the idea of using a battleship as a minesweeper...but I assume the goal is just to have some mean of a last resort. Would be interesting to know if any battleship ever used the paravanes in combat environment.

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- David
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Almost completed: BB-44 ('45), BB-56 ('42), BB-59 ('44)
Just building:

Hi Sean F,

After taking my Trumpeter Maryland kit out of storage, I'm about to try your "bulge thinning" procedure, which you demonstrated a few pages earlier on pg.9 of this thread.

I'm just not sure what you mean by a "simple needle stuck in a pin vise". Can one use a modelling razor instead? Or must it be that tool above?

I also bought Plastruct 1/16th L-angle strips.

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"Haijun" means "navy" in Mandarin Chinese.

"You have enemies? Good. It means you stood up for something in your life."- Winston Churchill

Exactly as DavidP said. Use a small pin vise, similar to this one:
http://www.squadron.com/Squadron-Tools- ... q10804.htm

Instead of putting a small drill bit into the chuck as you'd normally do, you use a sewing needle, or a clothing pin (not a clothes pin, I mean the straight metal pins like what you'd pull out of a newly-purchased dress shirt) with the head cut off, and the point protruding from the vise enough to scribe with, but not so long as to make it likely to bend.

I suggest this instead of an X-Acto blade or other razor because you are looking for a somewhat curved line. Any blade will try to go in a straight line. Also, the round pin will travel smoothly along the edge of your template; a blade will readily dig into it if you're not very careful (and honestly, even if you are careful)

You can pull out the blade to complete the job after the pin scribing is good and deep.

Now, remember: This procedure will leave your hull with very little material above the resulting holes. It is advisable that the deck already be glued on for strength before you begin scribing off the bulges, and even then be careful not to handle the hull roughly or you can snap it in two. I have done this procedure twice now, and have not had a break, though I did see some plastic stressing; it just takes some handling with care.

- Sean F.

Thanks again. I might consider starting a "work in progress" thread if I get it right...

After reviewing your previous input into this thread I've decided Feb.42 Colorado is more doable than the Feb.42 Maryland at this point. Because the additional AA positions are more certain with CO.

So you have both Maryland and Colorado in 41-42 fit? Got pics of them side by side with their bulges done?

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"Haijun" means "navy" in Mandarin Chinese.

"You have enemies? Good. It means you stood up for something in your life."- Winston Churchill

No, I have MD '41 done, and CO '44 started but not complete (but past the bulge fixing stage). In fact, most of the photos I posted showing my procedure are from the CO build.

I do have aspirations to do MD two more times: '44 Surigao fit (the 6 battleships of that gun line have long been a modeling goal of mine), and '45 in her unique final fit - which means two more of these bulge fixes. Just... not right now.

- Sean F.

I have Trumpeter's USS California 1945 as one of my future builds. Did all of her 20mm get replaced with twin 20's?

all of them except the one's on #3 turret. The kit twins are "eh"
not the greatest.

The 4 20's around the aft Mk. 37 radar, did those stay as single mounts as well? Also, I'll be using 3d models and Blue Ridge Models AA guns for my builds. Also, brass barrels for the main and secondary guns.

yes those and the one's as the deck lowers. A great source for detail in regards to BB-44 1945 is Pierre Marchal's 1/350 scratch built model. If you haven't seen his work go check it out. It is amazing and he works with plans so it is pretty accurate.

Hello guys, a real quick question here as Im close to complete my last 1/700 project of the year.
Is this "director" circled in red circle(In USS Tennessee 1943) a Bofors 40 mm Director of some type or something else? If so where can I find a resin/pe in 1/700.

Thanks in advance.

I believe it's a mk. 51 director. For pe, Free Time Hobbies and Spruebrothers are my go to sites. They also carry some resin parts under accessories along with pe. Resin, also modelmonkey's shop at shapeways, or 3dmodelparts.

I really think that is a Mk 49 director instead of mk 51. But Im not sure, thanks for your reply.

I also think it is an Mk 49. Tracy White mentions them being installed on the BB-43 here.

However, I am not aware of anyone actually producing them in resin...

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- David
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Almost completed: BB-44 ('45), BB-56 ('42), BB-59 ('44)
Just building:

A good question. The Pierre Marchal's build mentioned by Gary shows the same arrangement as shown by Trumpeter and as present at the drawing in the Norman Friedman's book on the page 374. This means thirty three twins plus four singles on the top of the turret 3 plus four more singles below the aft Mk 37 director. However, it is mentioned on the page 381 of the same book that the California had just forty twins in August 1945.

No reasonable info in the Myron Smith's "Golden State Battlewagon", Jaroslaw Palasek's "Big Five" nor Mark Stille's "US Standard Type Battleships" books.

Not even this picture is of a much help for me, because the barrel(s) of the one unmasked Oerlikon on the top of the turret 3 are hidden. Is it a single? A twin? I don't know.

I am following the 33 twins + 8 singles pattern. Why? Because I want to. I know it might be a little illogical as the Maryland had every and all her singles switched for twins during the summer 1945 reconstructions. Why would anyone left any singles when they were considered lacking the destructive power? As such, if anyone proves me wrong, I will be more than grateful.

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- David
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Almost completed: BB-44 ('45), BB-56 ('42), BB-59 ('44)
Just building:

There's a cd/rom of the California's WWII cruise book that you can buy online and preview it on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_gtRqEgJlM
At 1:20 of the preview, you can clearly see the 20mm's on top of turret 3 are twin mounts.
I think I might order this cruise book.

A nice find! As such, I think we can expect even the mounts below the aft Mk 37 director to be twins. I don't see any sense in leaving just four singles among all other twins.

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- David
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Almost completed: BB-44 ('45), BB-56 ('42), BB-59 ('44)
Just building: