The "others"..USN/1944..1/350...AH-10 - Samaritan

[Sr. Gopher]

Actually, how do you scratchbuild those LCVPs and LCMs? I need them, but I'm not really willing to but 10 for $15. Please reply.

[JimRussell]

If you could, I would suggest casting resin copies of the landing craft. The ships are fabulous, and deserve some epecial treatment for everything that the actuals have done!!

Actually, how do you scratch build those LCVPs and LCMs? I need them, but I'm not really willing to but 10 for $15. Please reply.

S.G., I am confused.....Your first post stated that I should resin cast the boats. The implication I took from this post was that the boats were "inferior" in quality to the rest of the ship. I did not know what to make of this, since I thought that the boats I scratched for the Heywood were good to very good (ranking the L'Arseal LCVPs as excellent) and comparable in quality level to the ship as a whole. But all are entitled to their opinion (however wrong I think them to be). Then I thought you may have been referring to the crude appearance of the boat blanks to be used on the C3's. If this is the case, then the criticism is truly absurd since it is in the nature of blanks to be crude...the only appearance that counts is the final one. I draw your attention to the third picture of the last series posted. The finished LCVP's mixed with the blanks are spare from the Heywood and were made from the same blanks that are being used for the C3's. I would appreciate a clarification of what you think.

Now your second post requests information on how to scratch these (inferior??) boats. Have you looked at the "boat parts" picture on page 3 of this thread? Anyway...

Tools....scroll saw, small (6') disc sander (with 90 degree work rest), slow speed "Dremel" with drum sander.

Materials....1/8" basswood, .040" styrene, .100" x .125" styrene (engine cover), .080" x .080" styrene (control station), .005" brass, wood glue, solvent contact cement.

References....buy a set of L'Arsenal LCVPs and LCMs - you need a standard/goal. Get drawings (LCVP is on line - LCMs I used Friedman's Amphibious book).

Waiting for a more "directed" criticism and specific questions.

Jim

[Sr. Gopher]

If you could, I would suggest casting resin copies of the landing craft. The ships are fabulous, and deserve some epecial treatment for everything that the actuals have done!!

Actually, how do you scratch build those LCVPs and LCMs? I need them, but I'm not really willing to but 10 for $15. Please reply.

S.G., I am confused.....Your first post stated that I should resin cast the boats. The implication I took from this post was that the boats were "inferior" in quality to the rest of the ship. I did not know what to make of this, since I thought that the boats I scratched for the Heywood were good to very good (ranking the L'Arseal LCVPs as excellent) and comparable in quality level to the ship as a whole. But all are entitled to their opinion (however wrong I think them to be). Then I thought you may have been referring to the crude appearance of the boat blanks to be used on the C3's. If this is the case, then the criticism is truly absurd since it is in the nature of blanks to be crude...the only appearance that counts is the final one. I draw your attention to the third picture of the last series posted. The finished LCVP's mixed with the blanks are spare from the Heywood and were made from the same blanks that are being used for the C3's. I would appreciate a clarification of what you think.

Now your second post requests information on how to scratch these (inferior??) boats. Have you looked at the "boat parts" picture on page 3 of this thread? Anyway...

Tools....scroll saw, small (6') disc sander (with 90 degree work rest), slow speed "Dremel" with drum sander.

Materials....1/8" basswood, .040" styrene, .100" x .125" styrene (engine cover), .080" x .080" styrene (control station), .005" brass, wood glue, solvent contact cement.

References....buy a set of L'Arsenal LCVPs and LCMs - you need a standard/goal. Get drawings (LCVP is on line - LCMs I used Friedman's Amphibious book).

Waiting for a more "directed" criticism and specific questions.

Jim

Of course, I see now. In my first post, I was stating that instead of making each individual boat, you should make one and recast everything else. Your boats could use a little more detail, but it is expected that they stay off when it is, after all, 1/700. Also, thank you for repeating the process of making the boats. I'm sorry for this misunderstanding on my part.

[JimRussell]

Just about all of the large and medium sized parts are done. I left the davits and boats on the isolation block, the pile at the rear is the 16 boats that go under the davits. On to painting and assembly.

Jim

[Sr. Gopher]

Looking like a hero!!!!

[ArizonaBB39]

Hey Jim,

Your ships are looking fantastic! I am always amazed at what you can do. How have you been building the smaller landing craft, I have been wanting to build some LSTs and other landing craft of the like and was hoping you could help me out. As a matter of fact maybe we could arrange a meeting, now that Im back stateside and in Arizona again, just let me know!

Thanks!

[JimRussell]

Abram,

Welcome back - have sent you a PM.

To answer your question, have not done the "commissioned things" yet but certainly want to in the future. I would certainly like to help you in any way possible.

Jim

[JimRussell]

One C-3 done.

Jim

[JimRussell]

Two APA's. The second photo shows the difference between a beam of 56' vs 70'.

Jim

[Sr. Gopher]

WHOOOOOAAAAAA!!!!! that is fantastic Jim!!!

[gtbred]

you are a artist sir!

[ArizonaBB39]

Excellent work Jim. I do have to say the pictures here do not do your ships justice, not after having seen them in person!

[JimRussell]

One more photo, in honor of "Beachhead Belinda".

Jim

[Sr. Gopher]

Wait, is that a sailboat on the deck??

[JimRussell]

Wait, is that a sailboat on the deck??

Yes, it is a sailboat, specifically a 24' centerboard sloop named the "Albatross". The sailboat was an important secondary plot line in Kenneth Dodson's 1954 novel "Away All Boats" (in 1956 the book was made into a movie with the same name). The book followed the campaign of the fictional USS Belinda, APA-22 from the Gilbert's in Nov 1943 to Okinawa in Apr 1945.

The book does not go into detail about the ship itself, but does state that she was built on the west coast early in the war, had a 70' beam and carried 4 LCMs. The only ships that met this criteria were the C-3 conversions, which included the Bolivar I have just finished.

Similar to "The Caine Mutiny", one of the major plot lines of the book was a study of command at sea. In this book Captain Hawk was at all times competent, but both he and the crew were in various ways negatively influenced by the length and insanity of the war. One of the devices the Captain used to "shake up" the crew was to have them build a sailboat, to make him and the boat a concrete and absurd focus for their anger. The Captains own problems showed up when he decided he absolutely had to have red sails for his boat and became obcessed with the song "Red Sails in the Sunset".

Anyway, just to have some fun, the Bolivar is shipping Captain Hawk's red sailed "Albatross".

Jim

[JimRussell]

The Burleigh is done...

jim

[JimRussell]

pic 1..two c-3's (the difference between the LCM-3 and LCM-6 can be seen)

pic 2..three APA's

On to the C-2's. since I now have a fleet of 3 APA's, they obviously need leadership. In other words, the Admiral needs a ride. The USN provided with a class of ships called AGC's or amphibious force flagships. I will do AGC-3, Rocky Mount which was the ride for Admiral Richmond Kelly "Terrible" Turner during the Mariana's campaign

jim

[GTDEATH13]

Incredible builds...

Thanks for sharing... The camouflage is really impressive, both the pattern and the paintjob...

[garyrunnalls]

Jim, after looking at your fantastic ships and learning something about you, all I can say is "sir , you are a man of great talent and character" Thank you, Gary R

[JimRussell]

Vacations are over, time to start building!

The next ship is AGC-3, USS Rocky Mount, an Amphibious Command Ship. The need for a ship dedicated to command and communications became apparent early in WWII and a number of merchant hulls were converted for this purpose. Rocky Mount was converted from a C2-S-B1 hull.

She collected 7 battle stars during WWll, carried Admiral "Terrible Turner" during the Mariana's campaign, was present at Leyte Gulf and last but not least FDD had plans for her.

#1 is a Navsource photo (no credit given).

#2 is the ship roughed out in a similar pose.

Sometimes photos give you interesting stories if you use some imagination. Photo #1 is not dated but 1944 would be a solid guess. You can see there is an extension on the top of the starboard forward kingpost carrying a SG surface search radar. The ship as built nor any of her sisters had this extension in 1943 and it disappeared post war. Most ships of this class had the extension in the 1944 - 1945 period. It does not take much imagination to guess that the higher surface search radar was authorized because of the LARGE size of the fleets under command. Never again.

Jim