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OK, when I have time, I'll see what images I have. At this time I don't have many views of SMITH, but several of sisters that may fill-in. In the quick look I made, it looks like such features were stowed on bulkheads and under overhangs, making spotting they hard to catalog where all were located. Early war views showed several reels that were gone late in the war.

Raggs,

My collection of images for the MAHAN class is limited at this time, particularly close-up yard photos. Plus if the hoses were painted to match the camo, spotting them is even harder under overhangs.

Here are a couple of close-up views of USS SMITH herself after the war prior to the Bikini Tests. She is less cluttered, but they would have retained fire fighting gear. Finding where they placed all the hoses isn't going to be easy (maybe not possible) unless there are views showing what is attached to the bulkheads under all the overhangs and on forward and aft bulkheads.

You can see one hose (or rope?) hung on a bracket at 01 (forecastle deck) aft of the bridge under the ladders in this forward deckhouse view. Also one deck below (at Main Deck level) there looks like there could be another hose hanger.



In this aft deckhouse, I couldn't locate any hoses. I strongly suspect that fire hoses in this area were hung on the fore and aft ends of the deckhouse under the overhangs. Or the amidships fire hose could be on the bulkhead under the twin 40-mm gun mounts/directors out-of-sight. In early war views, there can be seen reels for ropes and maybe fire hoses under the aft 53 mount shield protecting the 54 mount. It would be logical to place hoses there. But, I can't find a late war view looking directly in that area.



To give you an idea of some "possible" locations, here is a couple of good views of the rebuilt sister USS CASSIN. The configuration has been almost completely changed, but does show where fire hoses were desired. Looks like one pair (starboard and port) forward, one pair amidships, and one pair(?) aft.

You can make out where the hoses were hung clearly from their "white" color in these views.



Also, if you look close, you can see that a fire hose (or two?) were hung on the aft end of the aft deckhouse.

Thank you Rick!

I had a heck of a time trying to locate these, which led me to think as you that they were
tucked away on reels. That, to me, is understandable for pre-war destroyers.

The aft shot of the Smith bridge you provided looks like a cradled hose line to me, doubt
theyd put a woven fender that far off the deck.

It actually is possible that USS SMITH and other units retained most of the original firefighting hose reels. Particularly on the aft side of the aft deckhouse. I just don't have any images looking directly in that area. Drawings may show where the firefighting water connections are located, which would indicate that the hoses are near them.

I was looking at my unstarted Midships Mahan and it occurred to me, that if I replace the twin bofors guns the kit mistakenly (for 1942) says to use with single Oerlikons and replace the open backed forward 5 inch mounts with enclosed 5 inch mounts, then leave off the shelter in between the no 2 mount and the bridge, it looks a lot like USS Fanning.

Am I correct in my thinking? The kit is missing the round shield from around no 1 mount, which Fanning didn't have.

thanks
Mike

Hello guys, would you have any suggestions for trustworthy plans for any Bagley class unit in 1941-42? Scale does not matter that much (my target scale is 1/700). Same for the Benham class 1941-42 (ideally USS Wilson).
Thanks!

_________________
Battle of Savo Island Collection (all 1/700)
Recently completed: USS Wilson DD-408
At works: USS Astoria CA-34 | USS Patterson DD-392 & USS Bagley DD-386 | HMAS Australia
Prep stage: USS Vincennes CA-44 | Yubari | Kako

Mike

Any of the 4 Midships Mahan kits have the "universal" sprue "B" for the hull and deckhouses . Only the 1938 Mahan and the rebuilt Cassin kits have additional sprues unique to those ships. All you need to do a Fanning is the Dunlap instruction sheet plus you should consider getting a Benham/Gridley kit for the forward deckhouse and superstructure parts. I am sure that the Dunlaps did not have the 5th 5" mount shown on the Dunlap instructions. The Mahan kits did not include the shield in front of the No. 1 mount - an easy part to make.

Steve

If anyone could spare the instructions from the Midships Dunlap kit, that would be a big help.

thanks
Mike

It's in our review section: http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/sh ... eview.html

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De quoi s'agit-il?

Thanks for that, there's just a few alternative parts that are in the kit, so that's easy enough!

thanks
Mike

Hope you won´t mind one more trial on my previously unaswered question

I searched some sites and so far I found two relevant sets in Floating Drydock´s G series:

G-DD387 USS BLUE DD387 5/43 1/96 $30.00
G-DD397 USS BENHAM DD397 1942 1/96 $30.00

Anyone has an experience with them? Any ideas for alternatives?
(BTW I´ve already got Profile Morskie USS Bagley 1944 plans but I already learned to take PM plans with some caution)

_________________
Battle of Savo Island Collection (all 1/700)
Recently completed: USS Wilson DD-408
At works: USS Astoria CA-34 | USS Patterson DD-392 & USS Bagley DD-386 | HMAS Australia
Prep stage: USS Vincennes CA-44 | Yubari | Kako

I have the Benham and Blue Blueprints.

I do not yet really know enough about either for whether they would be reliable for Early-War. The Benham more so than the Blue.

I had made a few notes on them about things that needed to be changed or paid attention to for both ships in the Solomons. But I would have to dig them out to see what they are.

But the plans were good enough to build some 3D files for the hull and superstructure.

MB

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OMG LOOK! A signature

Working on:


1/700 (All Fall 1942):
HIJMS Nagara
HIJMS Aoba & Kinugasa
USS San Francisco
USS Helena
USS St. Louis
USS Laffey & Farenholt
HIJMS Sub-Chasers No. 4 - 7
HIJMS Sub-Chasers No. 13 - 16

Thanks for your feedback, Matthew! Sent you a PM.
Vladi

_________________
Battle of Savo Island Collection (all 1/700)
Recently completed: USS Wilson DD-408
At works: USS Astoria CA-34 | USS Patterson DD-392 & USS Bagley DD-386 | HMAS Australia
Prep stage: USS Vincennes CA-44 | Yubari | Kako

So cruising through my archives, I come across this picture. At first it looks to be an early war Farragut, the Monaghan to be exact. What caught my eye though was the midship 20mm’s. Early on after the removal of Mt#53, we get 4 20mm’s arranged around the superstructure after side. But this photo and another from October of 42 show something centerline with just two 20mm’s forward abreast the stack. Question, what is it? Are we seeing a quad 1.1 or from the broadside image, a single centerline twin 40mm bofors?






Matt

_________________
In the yards right now:
USS Utah AG-16
On Hold
1/350 USS Portland CA-33 1942
1/350 Trumpeter Texas with a twist

Based on the shape beneath the canvas in the upper photo, and the length of the barrels in the second, this is a twin 40MM pointed forward. This ID is further supported by the presence of the director in the tub forward of the mount (directors on 1.1's were very rare - and even more rare on DD's). Also, by the date on the photo, 40MM were being installed in preference to the 1.1's. The Bagley's were getting one twin mount at the same time. In a way, it is too bad they didn't stop there. The weight of the second twin mount installed later, coupled with other additions, are what pushed the ship to the limits (past he limits?) of her safe range of stability, leading to her loss in the typhoon.

Can anyone confirm that BCM's version of a Mk 33 in 350 scale is the correct radar for a mid war USS Farragut Mk33? (Not the face mounted dish usually seen on the Mk 33.) This is a lead in question to the rumored BCM 350 scale model of the USS Farragut as seen recently over on Steel Navy (Mystery Model).

Sorry, I have been busy on other things and didn't post these images earlier.

Yes USS FARRAGUT (DD-348) had her Mk 4 radar atop the director. This photo dated in December 1943 clearly shows it. Also, note that she has two Mk 49 directors for her twin 40-mm mounts. They were eventually replaced by Mk 51 directors.



As for close-crop views of USS MONAGHAN (DD-354) after her September-October 1942 overhaul, shows that she had a single twin 40-mm mount. I'm not aware that any FARRAGUT class unit ever had a quad 1.1-in mount. The installation of twin 40-mm mounts on the pre-war destroyers didn't really get underway until the Fall of 1942. The twin 40-mm mounts and Mk 51 directors were not available until July 1942. The heavier units, carriers, cruisers, and battleships, plus units nearing completion had higher priority for receiving the new mounts.

Within a couple of months after USS MONAGHAN got her single twin 40-mm mount, the USN increased the authorized number of twin 40-mm mounts on FARRAGUT's to two. Photos of those first installations date to November and December 1942. As best I can tell, USS MONAGHAN may well have been the only FARRAGUT class unit to have only one single twin 40-mm mount, installed during repairs to hull damage she had received in July 1942. Photos taken sometime after October 1942, shows that she had her 40-mm armament increased to two mounts as well.

Not a rumor anymore!!
Black Cat Farragut

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In the yards right now:
USS Utah AG-16
On Hold
1/350 USS Portland CA-33 1942
1/350 Trumpeter Texas with a twist

Rick,

As always sir, you come through. No doubt, a single twin 40mm. The smaller image I had reminded me of the 1.1 covered and centerline like on Shaw and Plunkett. Beautiful images as always sir.

Thank you,

Matt

_________________
In the yards right now:
USS Utah AG-16
On Hold
1/350 USS Portland CA-33 1942
1/350 Trumpeter Texas with a twist

From the US National Archives, NARA II, via Roger Torgeson and Tracy White, a scan of a negative of USS Monaghan DD-354.

_________________
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

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