Calling all Iowa-class (BB-61) fans

[Timmy C]

Because the Google maps aren't all taken at the same time, the same ship may appear at more than one place.

[Yamato1701]

Because the Google maps aren't all taken at the same time, the same ship may appear at more than one place.

I know, but it's still kinda cool to see.

[ModelMonkey]

Beautifully big 1/72 Missouri:

http://wmunderway.8m.com/gallery52/gallery52.htm

[Anonymous]

Some beautiful models in this thread.

Looking at Steve Larsens Missouri on the first page has me a little stumped. The blue hull & deck shades are awesome but what grey is used on the vertical surfaces? To me it looks to light to be Haze grey (Tamiya TS-32 spray paint).

Any help appreciated. If it has already been covered here apologies, but at the moment & don't have time to flick through 32 pages, being that i'm at work & all

Thanks.

Hi JPH!

You are correct, the gray I used on my model is NOT haze gray. I did indeed originally paint the appropriate portions of the model with PolyScale acrylic Haze Gray but when dry it looked, well, purple. A hideous, cute Lavender, really. At this scale, it just looked way too purple. So I repainted the gray with Light Ghost Gray instead which has no purple hue and better replicates a faded 1945 version of Haze Gray in use on some US Navy ships.

There has been some discussion about the purple-blue grays in use by the US Navy at the time. The purplish color is actually correct according to specification. However, some sources state that a shortage of blue tint in 1945 led to the use of a second Haze Gray which was far less blue. John at WEM can give you more details and he offers both the original purplish Haze Gray and the 1945 Haze Gray in his line of Colorcoats.

Missouri may have been very purple above the main deck. You might compare color photos of the ship here and decide for yourself:
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/even ... /js-8e.htm





In this photo, the Deck Blue 20-B looks very bold:

[Tracy White]

The switch over the the neutrals (as opposed to the blues) was ordered in February '45, although documentation at this point hints to some aspect of the work starting in November, testing or production perhaps. I found the order and posted it; the question would then be when Missouri was re-painted and where.

[Tony Bunch]

Hi Guys,
Alright alright!
Now is the time to show.........!
Tracy, I have not yet seen the, "order", of which you spoke. It only makes sense that I read it before I say whaaaaaaaaaaatttttttt???? I'm going to say whaaaaaaat now besides.
Here's why I'm interested. My Mo will be as she appeared in October 1945..no hull band and unpainted decks. Color pics from this era when compared to other ships, (where applicable), and any other background will lend credibility and ease of assertion. My assertion is...5-H not neutral when compared to DD499, as she was determined to be Ms12/45 neutral. All I can assert at this moment.
My stalled 1/350 Tamiya Missouri project will some day see its' own finish, and the big question is............Neutrals or not???????
It was only recently that I discovered neutrals, and that came by querying Randy Short heavily about my also stalled DD499 project. Same date..October 1945, but after a May to June stateside refit.
Back to Missouri:
Summrall's book on the Iowa Class BB's etc etc say Missouri wore Ms22 from 01/45 to 03/46.
Ms 22 was described as 5-N, 20-B and 5-H. No mention here of Neutrals. Is this new information? How can that be? Additionally, the Missouri was then painted, "Haze Grey", March 1946.
One would assume the Missouri did wear Haze Grey Neutral in 1946.
What with Missouri's 09/45 stopover in Pearl Harbor enroute to the East Coast, she had her entire hull painted 5-N according to Summrall.
Was the hull actually painted 5-N Navy Grey Neutral instead of 5-N Navy Blue?
Was only the 5-H part of the hull painted, not all of it in Pearl harbor?
I have more to say, but I have a commitment this evening to help a friend with his home and its refurbishment.
Later dudes, Tony

[Tracy White]

My stalled 1/350 Tamiya Missouri project will some day see its' own finish, and the big question is............Neutrals or not???????

::snip::

What with Missouri's 09/45 stopover in Pearl Harbor enroute to the East Coast, she had her entire hull painted 5-N according to Summrall.
Was the hull actually painted 5-N Navy Grey Neutral instead of 5-N Navy Blue?

Best I can say is "I don't know yet" The document I found, which I linked to above, is dated February 26. We can tell from that document that the new paint specifications were issued or mentioned in November of 44, but as I don't have the actual text, I don't know precisely what it called out for and to whom, but odds are it just calls for the start of manufacture.

As this document also calls for the application of either Navy Blue or Navy Gray, we really have to look at each individual ship or yard the work was done at to determine what their records say, either ship-specific documents concerning paint or yard records for when they received paints, switched, etc.

My belief is that by September '45 anything stateside would have been painted in neutrals. I believe this to be the case after spring but have nothing other than a gut feeling about it. Closer to Japan is anyone's guess at this point; the supply chains were longer and slower to react.

[Poppop]

I'm getting the USS Missouri off the shelf and will start again to finish her.

I am finishing her as she appeared on surrender day. One question that I have not resolved is how the port holes were generally represented.

I suspect that some (many) were open? But for those that were closed, were they still painted over?

Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Charlie Letteer

[ModelMonkey]

One question that I have not resolved is how the port holes were generally represented.

I suspect that some (many) were open? But for those that were closed, were they still painted over?

Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Charlie Letteer

Not actually painted, but see how portholes had a steel cover when closed in the bottom of this picture:

[EJM]

I'm not building an IOWA, but I am robbing parts from a Missouri kit to build/finish my USS Montana, and I have a few questions on some of the parts from that kit.

1. What are parts F5, B17, C11, & C12 for? I'm not sure I want to use/have these parts.
2. What is the correct color scheme for the SC-1 Seahawk aircraft? I'll be using Testor Acryl or Tamiya paints, so if anybody can suggest colors to use from those two lines, I would appreciate it.
3. What is the proper color to paint the 20mm and 40mm guns? The instruction booklet says Gun Metal color, but I've seen models where the guns are painted gray, silver, black, or some other color.

[ArizonaBB39]

EJM,

Without the instruction booklet on hand I cant help with your first question, but I think I can help on the other two.

For the Seahawks, IIRC, they are overall dark sea blue with white/light gray undersides. I've used Testors Dark Sea Blue and Light grey to do a pair for a ship once, but I don't know the paint #s or the exact names.

For the 20mm and 40mm guns it depends. For the 20mm guns the whole mount was painted the camouflage color *except* for the actual gun barrell/breach assembly, that would have been gun metal. The 40mm guns were generally up to whomever was painting the ship. The barrels would either be painted or left gunmetal. The recoil spring, I believe, was never painted over so would be black, and I *think* the tips were kept unpainted.

Hopefully that made some sense, and hopefully if I'm wrong someone who really knows can chime in.

[Tony Bunch]

Hi Guys,
EJM,
Montana in 1946?
Seahawk would be overall Gloss Sea Blue FS15042.
I'd paint the AA weapons grey with black barrels or recoil boots.
I'll get back to you with the p/n info if Abe doesn't first.
Rock on!
Tony

[ArizonaBB39]

EJM, now that I'm home I have access to my instruction booklets.

The parts are:

F5 - On the Missouri kit this goes on the aft section, just after the 16" guns on the outboard sides of the deck. I'm not exactly sure of it's function though. That being said I could not find them in this photograph(should be close to the rails about where the men are standing towards the 16" guns):


This part can be seen on my model here close to the rails just after the 16" guns (you can also see the boat boom on the side of the hull)



B17 - I think it is called the boat boom. This goes on the aft end on the hull and swings out over the water with ropes and ladders hanging down to tie off boats. Can be seen here in this photo:

C11 & C12 - go onto part C20 and are vents, although I'm not too sure about the little pole sticking off of them. You can see them here on my model in the middle at the far left next to the two floaternet baskets

[EJM]

Thanks, Abe and Tony for the info. That helps a lot. Still not sure if I'll add any of those parts I mentioned, but I'll think about it.

[ArizonaBB39]

Thanks, Abe and Tony for the info. That helps a lot. Still not sure if I'll add any of those parts I mentioned, but I'll think about it.

You should add part B17 for sure, as every ship in every navy had them.

[Anonymous]

Abe's got it right.

...I'm not too sure about the little pole sticking off of them.

The pole is a hollow pipe that serves as a trunk for antenna cables. The roundish top is an insulator. Most US
battleships of this period would have these trunks.

The cable would pass from within ship inside the trunk through decks to the ship's exterior. Then extending upward
from the insulator, the antenna cable would pass freely up to overhead cables suspended between fore and main yards.

Although poorly molded on Tamiya's kit, the various stubby posts found in the area between the triple Bofors towers
between the funnels are also antenna trunks and should look identical to the poles you see by the vents that Abe talked
about.

IIRC, F5 are parts for the refueling equipment.

[ModelMonkey]

The New Jersey Veteran's Organization announced that RADM J. Edward Snyder, Jr., USN (Retired),
C.O. of USS New Jersey from 1968-1969 - Vietnam, passed away at 1300 hours, 4 November 2007.
The family has requested that no cards, phone calls or emails be sent at this time. Funeral arrangements
are listed as private.

[EJM]

I was wondering: About how many fire hose racks and life rings would an IOWA battleship have on average? Also, what are some of the locations that they would be placed at? I'm starting to paint the photoetch ones I have and knowing what an IOWA would have might help me determine what and where to put on my Montana battleship.

[Tracy White]

Although poorly molded on Tamiya's kit, the various stubby posts found in the area between the triple Bofors towers between the funnels are also antenna trunks and should look identical to the poles you see by the vents that Abe talked about.

This picture should help the detail freaks:

[Tony Bunch]

Hi Guys,
Detail freaks you say?
Blame Steve would you please? Just kidding! Steve, your 1/192 Missouri is still one of my build up references. After studying many 1/350 Iowa buildups, this area of the ship/model has been all but totally neglected/ignored. Way back when I was building Missouri at earnest, Mark Deakin was building his early Iowa conversion. He added detail in this area!
In the back of Stillwell's Missouri book, there is a great drawing of this area.
I want to take a moment to recognize Steve Larsen for all of his Iowa enthusiasm! This goes back........quite a while. I'm gonna say...2003.


Call me a detail freak
Man, these close up shots don't hide a thing! The paint still needs to be touched up, and that's after touching up!
Photo close-ups can keep the modeler honest!
Can you imagine using 4 rows of 40mm ammo racks, (like it should be)???
My real stumper in this area of the model was the antennae mast/posts/lattice bases and how to make them.
Just one of the stalled areas on Missouri.
Every turn showed another, "would be", area to improve on Tamiya's 1/350 kit.
Just finish it, I've been told!
Had to share, and I am an Iowa fan!
Tony