Calling all USS North Carolina BB-55 & USS Washington BB-56 fans

[Tracy White]

Everything you read on the internet is true

Actually, that's one reason why I've been posting the documents I have and referencing where I find them. My goal is to do the same on ShipCamouflage once I get it done on mine... there's a lot of work to be done!

The site I'm referreing to is my Naval Camouflage Section

[Chic Sky]

I posted several months ago about the error in the trumpeter 1:700 NC class kits concerning the height of the funnels, but I was not able to give any details. My point then was that the funnels in the 1:700 kits were the same height, whis is wrong.

Now, upon careful examination, I have concluded that the aft funnel is about the right height, but the forward funnel's height must be increased. Either a little scratchbuilding using sheet styrene to increase its height would correct this error. Others may want to scratch build the entire funnel for a more seemless look. I on the other hand would just build up around the base of the funnel.

[JPH]

Hi all.

Have been lurking for a couple of weeks now & thought it hightime I register & get involved.

I recently began building warship models again after 20 or so years. I recall the last model I built was the Alabama BB-60 1/700 as I got it as a 15th b'day pressie, but I don't recall whether it was Tamiya or Hasegawa. I am thinking it was probably a Hasegawa.

Anyway, so far I have built up the Hasegawa USS Ticonderoga CV-14, Tamiya IJN Yamato & Tamiya DKM Scharnhorst all in 1/700. I am now building up the Tamiya USS Missouri (1945) & have also just purchased the Trumpeter USS Washington BB-56. I decided to get the Big W as it didn't get the same overall recognition as it's sister the Nth Carolina. However, I wish I had read these forums before the purchase as it wasn't until I had opened the box that I realised it didn't have any 40MM enplacement tubs on the stern or anywhere else on the ship but the guns & mounts for such are on the kits sprews.

After reading through here & realising that the Trumpeter Washington is modelled in it's launch config & the Nth Carolina is modelled in it's 1944/45 config I immediately went online & ordered the Show Boat. I figure they are a little different so well worth having both. All I need to do now is get the painting right. I am OK with the hull type 22 camo (the Might Mo looks great with type 22), but it is the deck that has me a little stumped. The in-kit diagram colouring of the deck is way to dark I reckon. So I will settle for a mid grey/blue hue just to be safe.

Looking forward to being a part of this great site.

[Tracy White]

Welcome aboard!

If you look at Measure 22 and the picture on that link, you'll note the main deck of the ship looks about the same darkness as the 5-N on the hull below.

[JPH]

Thanks for the welcome Tracy.

That link you provided is perfect. I hadn't seen the ship camo site before & it gives pretty good indications as to the hues & richness of colours.

Thanks mate.

[JPH]

Question!

When North Carolina & Washington were launched they both had a cut out on the front port side deck area. Anyone able to offer an opinion on what that was or it's purpose & why during later updates they where removed.

This webpage gives some good pics (pic 7). Looks like Washington's was left out following the bow rebuild.

http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_di ... n_bb56.htm

Thanks.

[Dick J]

When North Carolina & Washington were launched they both had a cut out on the front port side deck area. Anyone able to offer an opinion on what that was or it's purpose & why during later updates they where removed.

The cutout was for storing a spare anchor. It was deleted for weight and seakeeping considerations. The South Dakota's also originally had the cutout, although Alabama ultimately commissioned without it. The Iowa's had it in the original design, as did the Montana. The Iowa's deleted it while under construction, and (of course) Montana was never built.

[pbudzik]

Does anyone have any drawings depicting the line of the hull plates for the entire hull.

[gtb -red]

Hi Guys, I have the Classic Warship 1/350 Washington and what to build her in 44' fit. Do I have to do a lot of scrathbuilding on this nice model or what? Also I went to my HobbyShop and pickup LionRoar's 1/350 P.E set did I just wast my money getting it? The Classic already has a good set,I know that this set was made for the Trumpter model.But it looks so good on the web.I'm a supercarrierbuider,but I like big guns too.

[JPH]

Can someone here point me in the right direction.

I understand that late on in the war Nth Carolina went from having camo scheme 32 to 22. Scheme 22 was true in every sense with the mix of 5-H (haze gray), 20-B (deck blue) & 5-N (navy blue) however, I recall reading from somewhere that sometime around the end of the war or early 1946 her deck was painted "bright" after passing through the panama canal. Hmmmmmmmm. Does this mean her deck went back to the original teak type colouring while the rest of her remained in the 22 scheme camo??

Any pics or links to pics would be fantastic.

Thanks guys

[JPH]

Affirmative to the holystoned teak. Check out Navsource's BB-55 Postwar - 1961 page.

Sensational.

I have Nth Carolina in Trumpeter 1/700 & 1/350 each waiting for a start. Now which camo scheme 22 do they get? Or does one of them get the 32 camo? Decisions.............

Thanks mate.

[CWatson]

After being away from ship modeling a few years I come back and find out there are three of four BBs on my 1/700 plastic wish list are now being made. Washington an North Carolina were two so I scooped up a Trumpeter kit of each in hopes of building a late war N.C. in measure 22 and a early war Washington. I am happy with the N.C. and think it will look ok in measure 22 ,instead of the dazzle recommended,built right out of the box but after reading this thread I feel the Washington which I plan on building first may need some tweaking.

I would like to build the Washington from the time she fought Kirishima or her earlier time in the Atlantic, whichever is less chopping. I can add details like gun tubs or light AA guns ect.. but I am not comfortable removing details that would screw up the deck planking. So can you guys recommend a "tweeks list" or point me to a onlines source that will show the early war light AA fit for Washington?

Thanks,
CW

[MartinJQuinn]

Does anyone have any drawings depicting the line of the hull plates for the entire hull.

Keith Bender plated his BB-56, but IIRC, he said he did it from photos, since he couldn't find a drawing.

[Tracy White]

The shell plating diagram is probably at NARA. You might ask Ron Smith at AA Military Research if he has or has seen a copy as he did a lot of NC research there.

[bb56]

So can you guys recommend a "tweeks list" or point me to a onlines source that will show the early war light AA fit for Washington?

The Trumpeter 1/700 kit has instructions to build with 1.1 quads early war but around 9 40mm mounts are on the sprues (probably intended for the later war north carolina kit)
I am also researching what AA she actually had in Nov 42 there where probably some 40mm mounts. The Trumpeter kit is totallylacking the stern tubs also, I would add them from a hasegawa or similar kit.

[MartinJQuinn]

The Battleship Washington website has a drawing of the AA layout and lots and lots of pictures. IIRC, Washington carried a mix of .50 and 20mm, plus 1.1 guns in early 1942, when she served with the British Home Fleet. When she came back to Brooklyn for a refit, they added a pair of 40mm quads on the stern...not sure if they kept the 1.1 guns on the forward superstructure or replaced them with 40mms. Of course, this is all off the top of my head, and I could be dead wrong!

[Tracy White]

I've got a picture of Washington with 1.1" guns in stern tubs courtesy of Rick Davis... we'll have it posted online for people soon.

[CWatson]

I've got a picture of Washington with 1.1" guns in stern tubs courtesy of Rick Davis... we'll have it posted online for people soon.

Thanks!

The Battleship Washington website has a drawing of the AA layout and lots and lots of pictures. IIRC, Washington carried a mix of .50 and 20mm, plus 1.1 guns in early 1942, when she served with the British Home Fleet. When she came back to Brooklyn for a refit, they added a pair of 40mm quads on the stern...not sure if they kept the 1.1 guns on the forward superstructure or replaced them with 40mms. Of course, this is all off the top of my head, and I could be dead wrong!

Thanks for the Link. It shows a pic marked Aug 42 that shows 1.1 mounts in the stearn tubs . I wonder if they were swapped out for 40mm soon after?

So can you guys recommend a "tweeks list" or point me to a onlines source that will show the early war light AA fit for Washington?

The Trumpeter 1/700 kit has instructions to build with 1.1 quads early war but around 9 40mm mounts are on the sprues (probably intended for the later war north carolina kit)
I am also researching what AA she actually had in Nov 42 there where probably some 40mm mounts. The Trumpeter kit is totallylacking the stern tubs also, I would add them from a hasegawa or similar kit.

Please let me know what you find out about the Nov 42 as compaired to the Trumpy kit. Gun tubs will come from a Aoshima N.C. on it's way to the breakers.
I noticed in some early war photos of Washington her hull sides are painted with a dark wavey pattern. Is this a veriation on MS 22 or are the colors different?

I checked out the schematics on the Washington website and the appear to be a later war fit going by the amount of 40mms present. I will

Thanks again.
CWatson

[Gordon Bjorklund]

These locations for Washington's armament in November 1942 were listed on the Steel Navy site earlier this year by Mike Sills.

This is my wip USS Washington. (semi on hold while waiting for more info on armament)) I started removing the 20mm shields in hopes of being able to add on to them. I couldn't find any plastic strip with the right hieght or width, so now I'll r&r all the shields and replace with plastic strip. I'm not in any real hurry to finish her. Washington gets attention when I need a brake from a currant build.



Then if this picture taken from the Wasington web site http://usswashington.com/ is dated correctly, then there should be more 20mm's on the ship for the November 1942 date.



They don't show in other pictures of Washington.

Gordon
[/img]

[pbudzik]

This is what I have on the 1.1 stern tubs. It is from Steve Wipers book.


This is my WIP for the Washington. My first step was to straighten out the hull so I epoxied a stout piece of hardwood to the inside of the hull. A piece of heavy aluminum plate keeps it flat.


I don't have the patience for trying to modify the kit deck so I used some Evergreen N scale siding that comes in 24" in sheets for a new deck.


I used some .010" x .020" Evergreen strips as the raised kick plate that goes around the deck.


I don't have a photo of this, but I carved the waterway just inside the kick plate.

I used some aluminum tubing to stiffen the first level of the superstructure. The pieces of acrylic rod are for location and mounting later. I was also able to reduce the height of the first level to correspond to the Floating Drydock drawings included in Randall Shokers book.




I found the anchor washboard cutout to be a bit challenging.


In the photo of the Washington's bow after the collision with Indiana, I saw no evidence of 20mm mount as there was in North Carolina. This photo is North Carolina.


This is my first steel ship since an old Revell Iowa when I was a wee lad so this is going to be an experiment to see if I can keep up with all the fine builders that I see on this site.