Calling all Independence-class (CVL-22) fans

[Tracy White]

Nice stuff, thanks for posting. I've got a document I completed recently that I should mention, a 1943 memo regarding the warm-up of aircraft inside the hangar. It mentions three things potentially of interest to modelers.

* When done at night, the elevators were lowered three feet to allow air in. Same in Daytime but with all roller and watertight doors to the outside opened.
* Aircraft were to be faced forwards or at least so that their props would funnel the air the same direction aft
* The top six feet of the elevator wells were to be painted black to prevent light from escaping.

Six feet is 2.6mm in 1/700 scale and three feet is 1.3mm... double that if you're building a 1/350th CV or CVE.

[oneslim]

Tracy,

I grabbed this shot from Navsource, USS Monterey. Worked it over in photoshop elements. It shows the black band You have documented.

[oneslim]

Tracy

Well, that didn't work!

It's the sixth photo down that You submited for USS Monterey. Clearly shows the black band at the top of the elevator well.

Bob Wescott

[Tracy White]

Here's a color one; I just didn't have the measurements before finding that document. There's another shot on Enterprise so I'm fairly certain this was a carrier-wide order.

[oneslim]

Her are a few shots of Monterey steaming up the Mississippi River to New Orleans for the 1951 Mardi Gras port call. Not much as far as great photos, but there are some details. If You guys get bored with this, let me know.

[oneslim]

A few more:

Bob Wescott

[Tracy White]

Not bored with it, but I may split some of them out into a CVL Independence picture post thread at some point... we try and keep the threads from getting too monstrous.

[Hill]

Hi all,
can somebody help me please ?

I have a USS Belleau Wood from Dragon. But I Am not sure with the enclosed bridge which on the box art. On every photo of the ship is older opened bridge.

There is enough parts in the box to build any other ship of the Independence Class, but there is only deck with 2 catapults. I read, that ships recieved second catapult in late 44 or early 45. Is it true ? I would like to build some ship in the dazzle camouflage, but I dont know, if combination dazzle camo and 2 cats is real.

[Tracy White]

Independence did, but she had a different layout for her catapults than the other ships did. I haven't seen the Dragon kit so I don't know what catapult arrangement it has.

[Hill]

Independence did, but she had a different layout for her catapults than the other ships did. I haven't seen the Dragon kit so I don't know what catapult arrangement it has.

Here is catapult layou from the Belleau Wood box. Which ships can I build from it?
http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/sh ... vl24-E.jpg

[Tracy White]

That matches an overhead view I have for CVL-22 Independence in late '45. She had the second catapult installed in early 1944.

[Steve]

Dragon has posted details on their site for their 350 scale kit of CVL-22. Just scroll down a bit, it's on the right side. Release date is this October and MSRP is $139.50.

[Tracy White]

Release date is this October

Geez, I better get cracking then!

[keithhufnagel]

Hello Hill, there is a very good picture in the Floating Drydocks' Camouflage II p. 53 that shows CVL-29 Bataan with apparently 2 cats while she is in Ms. 3_-8a (5-L, 5-O, 5-N with 5-U (white) countershading). (The darkest color is debated but but appears to be very dark.) Also her cats do not appear exactly as your part picture but very close. You might check out Bataan CVL-29. Hope this helps!

[Tracy White]

Keith's correct. When I originally responded I thought that CVL-22 was a one-off in her catapult layout, but have since come to find out that this was incorrect. There were two layouts for the ships when they had two catapult. One had the port catapult straight back, parallel to the line of the ship and the starboard angled inward to more follow the edge of the flight deck. The other was the reverse of this, with the Starboard cat straight and the port one angled inward.

CVL-23 Princeton was lost with only one catapult, so she's out of the equation. CVL-s 24 through 28 (Belleau Wood, Cowpens, Monterey, Langley,and Cabot) had the later arrangement, with the starboard catapult straight and the port one angled in. CVLs 22 and 29 had the first arrangement, and I'm still looking for information on CVL-30 San Jacinto.

[Dick J]

The ships all commissioned with one cat to port, parallel to the centerline. The second cat was added during a later upgrade which filled in much of the bow and stern under the flightdeck (for additional accomodation) and reduced the number of 20MM in compensation. This is also when the platform topping the mast on the bridge was shortened fore-and-aft. Independence was first of the class to upgrade, and Bataan was second. (Some of the early ships modified also got a 10th twin 40MM.) Princeton was sunk before she could be modified, and the war ended before they got to San Jacinto. When Indy overhauled, the new, slightly longer cat was added to starboard, and angled to clear the elevator. Apparently Bataan received the same config. However, this placed the after end of the new cat in an awkward position for lining up the aircraft, so in subsequent overhauls, the shorter, port cat was relocated to align with the starboard side of the elevator (still parallel to the centerline) and the longer cat was installed to port, slightly angled to clear the elevator.

[keithhufnagel]

Hello again, after reading further it seems Independence had her second cat added in March of 44'. Bataan (though a slightly different arrangement) got hers in late September 44'( completed 29th ,1944). According to the Squadron/Signal publication #16 'US Light Carriers-in action series' the approval was given in October of 1944 for all CVLs to be updated to the second cat upon next refit. I would start looking for photos of CVL's after Oct. 44' for camo and cat configurations if you have a favorite ship in mind. If not , Bataan had 2 cats and was in camo as mentioned before. With 6 Battle stars and a glorious service career in WWII she would definately be a 'fine' choice for your build. Hope this helps. Have Fun Modeling!

[Hill]

Thank You friends !
So my ship will be Independence or Bataan. Now I am looking for a correct AA allocation. Camouflage is not necessairly to be dazzle, but I prefer it.
It�s not easy to build corret CVL from Dragon kit I see.

[whaynes]

With the impending release of 1/350 CVL and CVE models, I am curious about the differences between these types. Without getting into technical details, what were the general differences?
Walt Haynes

[Tracy White]

CVLs were built on longer, thinner cruiser hulls and were capable of operating at speed with the larger fleet carriers.
CVEs were built on merchant hulls and were slower.

The islands were very similar (I have photos from the Vancouver Shipyard that the Casablanca class were built in of CVL island mock-ups that the Navy shipped out for reference in building the CVEs). CVEs were more often used as anti-submarine patrol ships, and had air groups that were primarily Avenger and Wildcats, whereas the CVLs had Avengers and Hellcats.