The Ship Model Forum

These battleships were the most modern in the U.S. Navy at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack and were in the Atlantic at the time, and perhaps for that reason they have not often been subjects for commercial kit makers. They provided coastal defense early on, provided shore bombardment support, and served admirably throughout the rest of the war. New Mexico and Mississippi were in Tokyo bay for the surrender.

I am only aware of 3 commercial kits ever produced for this class. Classic Warships (no longer available) and HP models (still available) both produced 1/700 scale kits, whereas Iron Shipwright offered (now OOP, some may still be available) a 1/350 kit. For the RC modeler you will not find a 1/144 or larger hull for this class unless you have it custom built. It is too bad that these battlewagons have been neglected, as in my opinion they were elegant but tough-looking ships. Most probably the lack of coverage has to do with the relatively small populations of the states which these ships were named after, as well as the fact that none was in Pearl on 12/7/1941. Classic Warships publishing did produce a very nice pictorial book for USS New Mexico.

For those whose travels take them to Fredericksburg, Texas, you can see a large-scale (probably 1/96) model of the New Mexico in the Nimitz museum, and I'll try to post some pictures in the near future.

Let's hear from others that have interest in the New Mexico-class, especially from those that have scratch-built these majestic ships!

MODERATOR EDIT: ADDED LIST OF KITS AND LINKS TO GALLERY SUBMISSIONS FOR THIS CLASS

Available kits (all in resin):
HP 1/700 Mississippi 1945
HP 1/700 Idaho 1945
HP 1/700 New Mexico 1944

Blue Ridge Models (re-worked Classic Warship kits)
1/700 Idaho 1941
1/700 Mississippi 1941
1/700 New Mexico 1942

Iron Shipwright
1/350 New Mexico 1944

Gallery:
New Mexico
1/350 Iron Shipwright, by Robert Apfelzweig http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... /index.htm

1/350 Scratch built by Ken Summa http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

1/350 scratch built by Pierre Marchal http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... 40/350-pm/

1/350 Trumpeter kit bash by Michael Hatfield http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

Mississippi
1/350 Iron Shipwright conversion by Dave Backer http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

1/700 HP by Christoph Mentzel http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

1/2400 GHQ by Paul Helfrich http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

Idaho
1/500 Revell KitBash/Scratchbuilt by John Bange http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

1/700 MiniHobby Kit Bash by Paul Helfrich http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

1/700 HP by Kostas Katseas http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

1/700 HP by Frantisek Kut http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

1/1200 Scatchbuilt by Gary Johnson http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

I think a lot of the reason they were not modelled is they were sailing isolated and dark neutrality patrols off Iceland when Pearl Harbor was bombed.

Colorado is similarly neglected because she was in dry dock stateside.

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If an unfriendly power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war.

-- "A Nation at Risk" (1983)

Midship Models I believe will be revamping the old Classic Warship New Mexico Class kits in 1/700. It will probably be in the near/distant future, but the wait will be worth it. I'm looking to get the New Mexico and do her in her dapple Measure 12 mod. pattern of early '42.


Bob Pink.

Ooooh - that will look sharp. Of course, applying it will drive you to drink, but it will look great!

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Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery

I have done the Classic Warships USS Idaho and liked the kit (it was probably 6-8 years ago).

I have HP Models USS Mississippi (1945 with the extra 5"/25's - total of 16) and the HP Models 1944 New Mexico both unbuilt.

I am not sure about the Mississippi, but the HP Models New Mexico may well be their worst kit with major innacuracies mid-ship compared to the photos and drawings of New Mexico in 1944 (dazzle cammo) in Steve Wiper's book on the New Mexico Class.

There are some nice builds in the Gallery on this site of New Mexico - particularly Dave Beckers build. Good photos to use as additional reference along with Steve Wiper's book.

Rob

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Rob Weilacher

I have been trying for a long time to find a good set of lines or hull station plans for these battleships with the intent of building a 1/96 scale model. There isn't much available out there. It appears that these ships indeed fell through the cracks regarding a good set of drawings. I have the plans from the Floating Drydock as well as Maryland Silver Company. I also have the classic warship pictoral and the profile morskie. If you are looking to build a hull to represent the ships post reconstruction in the 30's, pictures abound but plans do not or at least thats been my experience.

I recall, about a year ago, seeing an RC warship supplier listing a 1/96 New Mexico hull as "coming soon". It may have been fleetscale, but I'm not sure. In any case, as far as I know it never materialized. One reason may have been the lack of hull station plans.

I'm pretty sure I remember seeing exactly what you want at NARA but you're not getting off cheap, copies are $2.70/linear foot for paper plans or $65/reel for microfilm.

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How do I get the pen to write here? Now my screen's all smeared with ink.........

While talking with Lee Upshaw of Scale Shipyard, he indicated that he was in the process of forming a hull for this class of battleship but that was several years ago. I have also been in contact with an individual at NARA but he indicated that no hull plans exist. His offering is a copy of general plans which I already possess. Again, no lines or accurate stations. The closest that I have come to an actual set of hull plans has been Maryland Silver Company; Unfortunately, the hull stations are as built (1916) and I have been unable to extrapolate the torpedo blisters added during reconstruction in the 1930's. If I am missing anything I would sure appreciate any help from fans of this class. Thanks

The hulls were almost identical to Pennsylvania class. Different bow and slight difference in the stern area. The rest is the same.

The New Mexico class battleship hulls were closer in shape and dimensions to the following two classes of US BB's, namely Tennessee and Colorado classes. Same length and beam along with the clipper bow, the hull casemates were designed and built into the New Mexico class but were deleted from the latter two classes. With the exception of the casemates, each following class of BB's would have had the identical main deck to hull edge shape. The reconstruction in the 1930's provided the torpedo blisters which along with the british style superstructures, set this class of battleships apart from all others in my opinion.

In my first post I mentioned that I had seen plans on a web site to offer a 1/96 scale New Mexico class hull, possibly at Fleetscale. Frank R.'s post would seem to suggest that it was at Scale Shipyard, which I believe no longer lists a New Mexico class hull as being in the offing.

The New Mexico is still listed in The Scale Shipyard catalog and listed as TBA

I have tried to persuade Lee of scale shipyard to lend me a copy of his New Mexico hull plans as he has not yet produced a hull from them. I indicated that I would be modeling a hull for my personal use only but unfortunately he has not come around. When I asked him where he originally procured the plans, he indicated that they came from another individual and that he was unaware of any additional information. Oh well. Lee did indicate that he was going to have this hull available in the future but to date has not advertized it.

The NM profile morskie book contains a decent set of hull stations for this class and I actually enlarged them to 1/96 scale along with the hull profile and plan with an eye toward using them to construct a model. However, I have been unable to line up the stations to the hull plan and profile views for an accurate set of building plans. Something is wrong and I have been unable to put my finger on it but I will keep trying.

John Warneke of Commander Series Models Inc. reports that his kit was based upon plans from the Floating drydock but the torpedo blister was extrapolated from an additional set of plans of the ship which actually show the various decks including the area of the blister in a plan view. John indicates that the blister essentially goes straight down to the turn of the bilge but several photos that I have show that the top edge of the blister above the waterline slopes outward from hull centerline as it enters the water. The profile morskie actually depicts this but again nothing lines up enough to build from it.

Frank the floating drydock has a set in 1/192 scale of the idaho, sister ship to the new mexico and it has the hull sections included with the set. dont know if this is to any help to you or not. Chad

http://www.floatingdrydock.com/GQ.htm



GQ-BB42 USS IADAHO BB42 1/43 A-D,F,J,P 1/192 $22.00

Hi Chad,

I have the plans that you mentioned. The hull stations are not from the Idaho however. The blisters that are shown are far to large for the NM class. I believe that they depict the Tennessee and Colorado class (specifically Tennessee, California and West Virginia) after their complete reconstruction post Pearl Harbor. I also have the plans to the Colorado by the Floating Dryock and the hull stations on this plan are an exact duplicate of the stations on the Idaho plan sans blisters. Also the Idaho plan hull stations do not indicate any hull casemates which Idaho obviously had. Thanks for the information however.

I know of the two that the classic kits bow looks better "to me" than the HP. There was an ipms journal that had simple new mexico class plans too.

I love the dreadnoughts looking forward to the DML 1944 Pennsylvania

Still think NMs are closer to Pennsy hull wise than to big five.
Just to keep the thread alive.

This thread needs some pic's!

The Mississippi and Idaho as they looked in late 1944 (I know this is a stretch for the Idaho - but I like this fit).

!/350 ISW waterlined. The Mississippi just had the 5"-51 casements drilled out and filled with a scratch gun, while Idaho was modified with the 5"-38's in single houses. ISW made the large deckhouse deck (AA deck) a loose piece so these mods were easier than I had any right to expect.

Would liked to have spent more time on photos but I prefer sunlight and at 8 AM in Arizona I was already dripping on the setup. More in the fall if anyone wants.

Jim