Calling all Independence-class (CVL-22) fans

[Longshaor]

Per The Independence Light Carriers by Andrew Faltum and US Aircraft Carriers: An Illustrated Design History by Friedman, the air wing included a single utility type aircraft. I have photos of Grumman Ducks being used in this role on a number of CVs and CVEs, but I haven't been able to find any conclusive proof of what Independence or Princeton carried.

The SBDs were only aboard very briefly. Their non-folding wings made them difficult to handle on the smaller CVLs, and by the time the ships entered combat the SBDs had been replaced by additional F6Fs and TBF/TBMs.

Cheers

[Tracy White]

I've looked through the reports I have and none of the utility aircraft are EVER mentioned for ANY of the carriers.

[Rick E Davis]

Here is a photo of the Independence taken 2 May 1943, on her shakedown cruise when she still had 5-in. /38 cal guns.

Note the aircraft hanging from the overhead to the left of this photo.

I have posted this photo before (where I don't remember?) and I forgot the designation that Tracy provided at that time. I think it is the USN version of the Army "Grasshopper". I have no idea if this was a one time cruise for this aircraft or was used often on CVL's or for how long.

[Tracy White]

It was designated the NE-1.

Per The Independence Light Carriers by Andrew Faltum and US Aircraft Carriers: An Illustrated Design History by Friedman

::snip::

The SBDs were only aboard very briefly. Their non-folding wings made them difficult to handle on the smaller CVLs, and by the time the ships entered combat the SBDs had been replaced by additional F6Fs and TBF/TBMs.

I did some digging this AM and I have reason to believe Faltum's statement above to be in error. I haven't gone through all of my Friedman book yet but I'm finding little on the air groups so far.

Navy reports show SBDs present on at least two ships of the class that were in action in September of 1943... the Marcus Island Raid and Tarawa. I need to cross check this a bit more, but SBDs could be a possibility as well for those interested in "action" air groups.

[Tracy White]

OK, conflicting data, but I'll accept Faltum's statement as factual. Weekly reports list SBD-5s attached, as I mention earlier, but "Naval Aviation Statistics - World War II," dated June 1946 posted on the Navy Historical Website here has a summary of all of the air operations broken down by type of platform and then aircraft. No SBDs are listed in table 8 for the entire war (page 35, document page 27).

[Longshaor]

Rick,

Indeed you have found the beast! BTW, you posted the picture on Steelnavy's message board. I saw it there and never noticed the aircraft hanging from the overhead! Thank you, sir!

Cheers

[oneslim]

Hi,

I'm a new member to this forum, long time modeler. Currently working on CVL-26 USS Monterey. Here is a link to my build log:

http://modelshipworld.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3963

Bob Wescott

[Tracy White]

Welcome aboard!

[MartinJQuinn]

Outstanding work, Bob. Nice tribute to your Dad - you must have some neat memories of going to see the mothballed ship in Philly.

[oneslim]

Hi Martin, Yeah, good memories, and one sad one. Fall of 1970. Frist year on the job at a QC lab with the second largest chemical co. The lab is just feet from the Delaware River in the shadow of the DMB in Deepwater, NJ. I worked on the second floor with a view of the river. One day I saw a fleet tug towing a CVL down river. It was the USS Monterey, I ID'ed her from a long way off. She was on her way to Baltimore, Bethlehem Steel, to go under the Torch. I quick called Dad, and he managed to catch her just entering the C&D canal from Fort Mott. Never could find those photos.

Bob W

[oneslim]

Update.

http://modelshipworld.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3963



Bob Wescott

[Greg W]

She looks great Bob. A real tribute to the ship.Even more amazing in that scale.Greg W

[NukeMM]

Very, very, Nice Bob!

Is there any way that I can delete my Picture Post of my Monterey model?

What did you use for the flight deck colors? It looks similar to the shades that I used on mine. Gunship gray with some brown shades of pastel chalk powder. I thought that I had screwed it up.

I admire your model, Bob! And I'm jealous of the photos that you have to refer to. I wish that my father has been a Photographer's Mate. Maybe he would have had more photos of the ships that he was on.

My Monterey model was my first 1/700 and my first ship model in about 13 years. I bought the Independence kit to practice a little before receiving and building my FleetNet Commencement Bay CVE model, USS Mindoro CVE-120, for my Dad who served on her, briefly, in 1953 before getting out of the Navy. My Dad was an Interior Communications Electrician. He served mostly on the USS Duxbury Bay AVP-38, a seaplane tender small. I'm still working on a 1/350 model of her, for him.

Just last month, I finished the Monterey build that I started at the end of Nov '07. I picked the Monterey because the decals were included in the kit and she had the least most complicated paint scheme. My build is in no way as detailed as yours, of course.

Once again, very nice work!

[NukeMM]

Oh, Bob! One other thing! Don't spend that quarter that you have in one of your photos. Its a silver one!

[oneslim]

Greg W,

Thanks, I don't think I'll work in 1/700 any more, Just too small and I keep misplacing parts. I was thinking about building her from scratch in 1/350, but there is a rumor that one is coming soon.

NukeMM,

Don't You DARE delete those photos, It's a fine model and the photos are great!

The flight deck is a photo etch item from Midship Models painted with White Ensign Models Colourcoats enamels ( Flight Deck Stain 21). Then coated with Model Master Gloss Lacquer. The weathering is a black wash with some pastel browns and grays added, all coated with dullcoat.

My kid brother got most of Dads photos and 16mm movies. I was sick when I found out he just trashed them along with 20 copies of the WW2 cruise book.

USS Duxbury Bay AVP-38 is looking very nice, Has You Dad seen it Yet?

That Quarter has been in my pocket for years, always will be.

Bob W

[NukeMM]

Bob,
Except for the PE flight deck it sounds like we did about the same thing as far as the color of the flight deck. I was just experimenting when I did it. I guess that I got lucky without doing any research on it. It just looked right, to me.

I had trouble fitting and lining up the hangar deck bulkheads to the lower hull on my Monterey. It was "practice" after all.

Is that quarter your no-interest savings account?

The FleetNet Commencement Bay kit was nice, in my opinion. All of the resin parts fit together perfectly. I haven't seen anyone post a completed model of that yet, besides myself. It just came out in 2007. I had to do some scratch building on the bridge to make it look more like the Mindoro. The kit didn't have much detail on the bridge. The first ships of the class must have looked like that before enclosing that whole area. It was my fist try at scratch building anything on a model. Also my first try at PE except for the railings on the Monterey. I shied away from the PE mast on the Monterey. Now I wish that I had tried it.

Mark at Starfighter Decals made custom hull numbers and stern ship's name, for me.

Now that I've had more practice at 1/700 rigging lines, I think I'll get the Mindoro model back from Dad and add more rigging lines to the island.

Yes, Dad knows about the Duxbury Bay model. I have needed his help in modifying it from the ISW Barnegat/Mackinac AVP kit. Quite a few differnences. The Mindoro model was a complete surprise to him for Christmas last year. I got it done, just in time, December 24th.

[MartinJQuinn]

Update.

http://modelshipworld.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3963

Bob Wescott

A stunning piece of work.

[oneslim]

MartinJQuinn,

Thanks Martin, Much more to do yet.

NukeMM,

I can afford a no-interest account, It has kept me out of trouble for some time.

Bob W

[nick]

I'd like to show my in progress photos of USS Independence 1943. It's from Dragon and 1/700. As you may know, I don't like building 1/700 models but I'll give this one a try!

[MartinJQuinn]

I don't like building 1/700 models but I'll give this one a try!

For someone who doesn't like building in this scale, it sure looks like you are doing a nice job on the kit!