Calling all Essex-class (WWII configuration) fans

[Anonymous]

Just some inspiration for you. Notice no bofors in tubs below the island.

[Capt652]

Here is one slightly different from the one from Mr. Larsen

[Tracy White]

Would you like to see a few more pictures from San Diego 1945. From the Shang one can see other ships of all kinds at anchor.

Given that this is the Essex fans thread, I don't think you need to ask

Thanks for sharing though!... it'll help me with my research!

[Capt652]

Here is A.D. Hayes of Chattanooga TN standing on the 'Z' with the island in the background. He was a good friend of my Dad.

[Capt652]

From scenes of the Franklin listing to starboard after the attacks and raging fires I noticed that some of the baskets were rotated down with the nets gone. I really didn't know how they deployed.

[Capt652]

Here is the clearest picture I have of the starboard side of the island. That's my Dad on shore.

[Bunzov Steele]

Does anyone have any knowledge of the hangar deck roller doors? Specifically, I'm trying to model my Intrepid with the roller doors all the way up. On the Trumpeter 1:350 kit, the internal hangar door parts are "duplicated" (so there are hangar doors back to back) and the bulkheads seem a bit thick. Should I dispense with the "double wall" and doors? Also, the internal door arrangement with the overhead door storage drum seems a bit lower than the outer doors. Should the inner face of the bulkheads be the same shape as the outer door (i.e., with slight angles at the top corners)? If that's the case, then I'll just move those big drums up further. I can't find information on this small detail anywhere. Thanks for any assistance on this.

Bunz

[Tracy White]

Here is the clearest picture I have of the starboard side

Nice shot. This shows something some people might not have been aware of. You can see open doors on the hull's side.... these were on the main (I.E. hangar) deck level. Next to each of them is a chock that was WELDED into the side of the ship. You can see the oval openings next to the open doors. Note that the one under the island (to the right of your dad) was wider than the one under the #3 twin 5" mount; some ships actually had this replaced with double doors as this area was where they ran hoses though for underway refueling.

. On the Trumpeter 1:350 kit, the internal hangar door parts are "duplicated" (so there are hangar doors back to back) and the bulkheads seem a bit thick

I only remember this being true in one area... maybe two. Forward starboard roller doors aft of the crane were this way. You can leave the inside piece off... but then you have to do some scratchbuilding as it provides some of the exterior structure as well as some interior shapes that would be missing. I have *no* pictures of the inside of this area of any use so I can't post or describe what to do with this area other than the fact that there were ammo elevators for the twin 5" mounts that ran through this area.. no idea of the details of how they looked. Not 100% sure what you mean with the last couple of senteces, but I had a long day and am not 100%

[Capt652]

This, I think, is the starboard forward spotlight in the background along with the front tripod platform support with the caged ladder and the top of the funnel in the center. The picture was taken under the front gun director MK 37 looking aft.

[Bunzov Steele]

Thanks again, Tracy! After examining the diagrams in Roberts' book, I removed the extra internal bulkhead on the starboard side near the ammunition elevators. I don't mind scratchbuilding the details, as long as I know what I'm supposed to be building. Hee hee.

As for the other part of my post, I was just wondering if the roller doors as viewed from inside the ship had the same gently scalloped door tops as when viewed from the outside. When you examine the Trumpeter's larger roller doors like the ones near the port elevator, the outside shape has a large arch, while the internal part of the door is rectangular. I'm sure it has to do with the "garage door" mechanism and retraction of the door into the barrel drum. Once again, thank you so much for your help!

Bunz

[Tracy White]

Dig this:



Undated photo of a big wig boarding CV-16 from the starboard aft roller door that usually had the aft boarding ladder... below and just aft of the #4 twin 5" mount. As you can see, the top is filleted, but when the roller doors were lowered you wouldn't have seen that from the inside. This curved filleting would be used on the shell (outside) of a ship to help prevent cracks from forming in corners of the doorway.

[Werner]

Unidentified "big wig" is James V. Forrestal....

[Capt652]

SB2C taking off from the Shang at dock. Not a lot of detail of the ship but one can see the top of the 40 mm Bofors shields and the horizontal railing at the leading edge of the flight deck. What's the railing for? Also, of the pictures I've seen late in the war and before 1947 I don't see any directors for the twin quad 40's at the bow... anyone have any thoughts as to how those guns were aimed?

[Tracy White]

By directors mounted on the corners of flight deck. Only the long hulls with the short front flight deck had the tubs behind the guns... once the deck was extended forward it cut out any overhead arc the directors had, so they were moved to the corners.

Check out Steve's post here and you can see them.

[Bunzov Steele]

Once again Tracy comes through...

I agree. Without Tracy, my Intrepid build wouldn't get anywhere. He's a Godsend.

Tracy, if I may bother you yet again (I promise to fully document your assistance when I write up my build), do you happen to have information on the large starboard aft roller doors? It's the large set of 3 connected doors where the starboard whaleboat and boat crane are located. Specifically, I was wondering if, when totally retracted, there would be only 1 open area (like the port hangar doors). I assume the 3 roller doors are actually separated by braces, rather than bulkhead? The Roberts book is unclear, and even shows 2 larger doors in place of the 3 (very confusing indeed) in one side drawing. I also noticed there are similar doors port and starbard forward too. Would these also roll up into 1 space? Thanks again, and Happy Easter!

[Tracy White]

Actually, you guys are the godsends, because you ask questions I wouldn't think to ask! There's nthing like having hundreds of eyes looking at something to get in-depth questions.

So.. to answer you latest roller door question: I don't know.

The AOTS Intrepid book shows her with TWO roller doors in this area, not three. Photos are unclear (pages 22, photo 8 and 27, photo 17) but lean me towards THREE doors as represented on the kit, the Alan Raven Essex Class Carriers book, and one of the Floating Drydock essex class plans (I have Franklin and Yorktown, one showed three, the other just showed a blank outline as if all the doors and support tracks were up).

As has been discussed earlier, in some areas the roller door tracks could be swung up and out of the way to allow for larger items to pass through the shell. I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty confident that there were three doors in this area and that they would have the thinner supports to allow for larger items... you don't put a major crane in an area like that and then NOT allow large, heavy items to pass through!.

[Bunzov Steele]

I totally agree with you, Tracy. Form should follow function in this matter. So, then, it appears the Essex class had 2 large starboard roller doors (one forward and one aft), and two to port (one forward and amidships at the port elevator).

That's odd if you think of it. That would mean all traffic onto the ship would be concentrated in the front and middle of the ship when it's in port. Also, one would think there might be a slight weakspot in firefighting with the lack of a large area port aft so you could flush burning fuel overboard.

[ModelMonkey]

A great photo of USS Intrepid. Notice the Hellcat on the outrigger and the lattice masts fore and aft. Other ships of the class had the aft lattice masts replaced with whip antennas.

[MartinJQuinn]

Nice photo, Steve. How is your Yorktown coming along? Any new pictures to share?

[Capt652]

This picture is similar to the other I already posted but it is a slightly different angle which shows the spotlight better. Taken below the gun director starboard side looking aft.