The Ship Model Forum

I am pleased to announce my forthcoming history book, "The U.S. Navy's "Interim" LSM(R)s in World War II: Rocket Ships of the Pacific Amphibious Forces," published by McFarland Publishing of Jefferson, NC, and scheduled for release in early 2016.
This is the story of the original 12 LSM(R)s (Landing Ships, Medium (Rocket)), which served during the Okinawa operation from March through June 1945. Three of these LSM(R)s were sunk by Kamikaze airplane crashes, and several others were damaged either by Kamikazes or Japanese shore fire, and American casualties were heavy.
I also intended my book to be a helpful resource for modelers like myself by providing numerous detailed drawings, photographs, and an appendix on camouflage and markings.
I am grateful to see growing public interest in the ships and sailors of the US Amphibious Forces in recent years, like the LSM(R)s and LSMs, which have been overlooked far too long and deserve recognition for their proud and honorable service.

Here's a link to the McFarland Publishing page for the book: http://www.mcfarlandbooks.com/book-2.ph ... 864-9859-8

Here's the flyer from McFarland:

hi does the book have any plans etc ?

thomas

Hi Thomas, thank you for checking in with your interesting question!

(And while I'm at it, let me give a tip my hat to my brother John for so kindly posting the publisher's flyer for my book! Thanks! ).

Yes indeed, Thomas, my book features engineering diagrams of all three types of rocket launchers fitted on the wartime "Interim" LSM(R)s, as well as plan views of the rocket launcher arrangements and the 40mm, 20mm and 5"/38 conventional ordnance. Additional drawings reveal the internal compartments, such as the rocket and ammunition storage spaces, rocket assembly rooms, berthing areas, ballast and fuel tanks, and the like. Numerous excellent photographs further showcase these unique rocket ships, from the shipyard to the end of the war.

I hope I answered your question, and thanks again for your post! Please let me know if you have any further questions that I can help with!

Stay tuned in the meantime, because in coming days and weeks I shall post continuing updates about my forthcoming book and related information about the "Interim" LSM(R)s!

Ron aka docmackay

cool ...

My brother is probably going to let me have it about this, but his book is now out! Available at McFarland Publishing, as well as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I'm looking forward to getting my copies!

John

Speaking of the LSM(R), what happened to your build?? Looked great, but suspect that the rocket launchers might have slowed you down. I have the LSM kit and will probably build in that configuration.

Now you're gonna get me in double trouble for taking over my brother's thread!

Thanks for asking about the LSMR model. The launchers stopped me dead, at least until I can figure out the photo etch angle. I was actually putting some finishing touches on the drawings today, but now I have to decide how I'm going to get them made.

I think I also mentioned that we moved recently and I still don't have any place to work on my models, even after all this time. That is very frustrating! Also, we moved into a work in progress, so we still have a ton of work to do on the new place.
Thank you very much for asking about the model. though. I deeply appreciate hearing from fellow modelers who are following my threads. Your question caused me to flinch because I know I need to get back to work. Thank you for the kick in the rear - it's just what I needed!

A couple things about Ron's book before I go. I ordered my copies from McFarland on 4/16 and they arrived very quickly on 4/20. The speed surprised me. I have to admit that I have not seen many of the photos Ron put in his book, especially some excellent photos of the Mk 51 launchers on the 'spinner' LSMRs, such as the 198. Ron told me that he had approximately 74 photos, drawings, and maps in the book, which combined with his extensive research, yields an extremely thorough description of the ships and their short service. Ron tells their story on an almost day-to-day basis, with firsthand accounts that really bring their operations to life. Readers will see aspects of World War 2 that they likely have not seen examined elsewhere. For example, today, we are shocked to hear of shoddy workmanship by shipyards, but the book tells the story of the crews' struggles against the many problems that plagued the new ships from the time the Interim LSMR's left Charleston. Many of the problems were obviously a result of shoddy work, while others were due to the rush to get these ships to the war. I was also struck by the accounts in the book of the frequent collisions that occurred throughout their short service life, which underscore the lack of seagoing experience common on the ships. The book also provides descriptive accounts of LSMR encounters with Ohka piloted bombs and suicide speed boats. In my reading of WW 2 history, I have never come across this much detail told from the perspective of the men who faced these weapons. Of course, I may be biased, but I think the book is an important addition to the historical record of the war and will be very well received.

John