I've started working on the Trumpeter
Sullivans (my latest "lunchtime project"). I'm going to build her as the USS
Gatling (DD-671), for my Uncle, who served on her after her 1945 refit at Mare Island. This
picture from Navsource show the
Gatling in drydock at Mare Island, towards the end of her yard period. She is wearing Ms22 (or the new Ms12). Notice the gun tub and the depth-charge racks on the stern are painted 5N. There is
another photo of
Gatling from the Tin Can Sailors site that shows the same thing.
Isn't that unusual for Ms22? I don't think I've ever seen that before. I'm going to paint the
Gatling per the photo, I was just curious if this was a change in the way the measure was applied, or perhaps Mare Island's interpretation of the guidelines. Interestingly, the bow hull numbers also seem to be applied in a "non-standard" manner in
this picture.
My Uncle was assigned to the
Gatling at Pearl Harbor in the summer of 1945. Here is the DANFS account of her war service after that point:
After repairs and refresher training, Gatling escorted New Jersey and Biloxi to Eniwetok, bombarding Wake Island en route. Continuing to escort New Jersey, she arrived at Guam 9 August. There the news came that Japan had accepted the provisions of the Potsdam Declaration and agreed to surrender. The mighty sea war was won. Gatling now headed for Japan escorting transports bearing the 4th Marine Division as the 3d Fleet rendezvoused off Japan. On 3 September 1945, Gatling steamed into Tokyo Bay as a unit of the Allied Naval Occupation Forces of Japan.
My Uncle says the crew was allowed up on the deck (he was in one of the firerooms) to watch the
NJ shell Wake.
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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
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