At 'Em Arizona Fans!

[mark_sch]

Hello,
Does anyone have links or can post some good pictures of the 50 cal. machine guns that were installed on the Arizona at the time of the attack?
TIA,
Mark

[Sr. Gopher]

Here are some. As far as the pictures show, there was one on each side of the stack.

http://wmunderway.8m.com/museum/pearlha ... arbor.html

[mark_sch]

Thanks for the link, however I'm looking for pictures of the real machine gun implacements.
Regards,
Mark Schroeder

[Tracy White]

They're the standard Navy water-cooled .50 cal mounts; are you looking for pictures of those in general, or are you only wanting photos of the mounts on Arizona, keeping in mind that they're the same type that other ships had?

4 in the aft fighting top, two on the top platforms of the stacks (one on each side) and two on the forward mast on the platform directly below the fighting top. You're not going to find any official photos of these emplacements unless by some small chance someone has a photo from non-navy sources (I.E. a crewman). Other than the stack guns, the other ones were too high and on small platforms or tubs that did not lend themselves towards photography from the outside. I think I've seen ONE photograph from one of the gun tubs from the entire battle fleet at Pearl, and I'm fairly certain it wasn't Arizona.

I'm not saying they don't exist, just that I wouldn't hold up your build in the hope that one will appear soon.

[mark_sch]

They're the standard Navy water-cooled .50 cal mounts; are you looking for pictures of those in general, or are you only wanting photos of the mounts on Arizona, keeping in mind that they're the same type that other ships had?

4 in the aft fighting top, two on the top platforms of the stacks (one on each side) and two on the forward mast on the platform directly below the fighting top. You're not going to find any official photos of these emplacements unless by some small chance someone has a photo from non-navy sources (I.E. a crewman). Other than the stack guns, the other ones were too high and on small platforms or tubs that did not lend themselves towards photography from the outside. I think I've seen ONE photograph from one of the gun tubs from the entire battle fleet at Pearl, and I'm fairly certain it wasn't Arizona.

I'm not saying they don't exist, just that I wouldn't hold up your build in the hope that one will appear soon.

Hello Tracy,
I'm just looking for the photo's of the machine gun. Thanks for the info.
Mark

[commodore4]

Hi,I just want you-all to know I just yesterday read a breakdown on the 1/200 TRUMPETER kit of the ARIZONA. Oh, my gosh what a list of metal and plastic. I do believe this could be the pinnacle as far as the ARIZONA in kit form is concerned.The thing is how many more of these type of parts can we expect. The prices,I feel are commensurate with the product, BUT, the ceiling is getting closer for those of us on a very tight acquisition budget! The truth is I would like to see the kit get a boost from an aftermarket company in the form of a resin and photoetch set to backdate her to pre-1941 configuration.Those were some beautiful ships back then! They are timeless in a way. commodore 4

[Sr. Gopher]

They're the standard Navy water-cooled .50 cal mounts; are you looking for pictures of those in general, or are you only wanting photos of the mounts on Arizona, keeping in mind that they're the same type that other ships had?

4 in the aft fighting top, two on the top platforms of the stacks (one on each side) and two on the forward mast on the platform directly below the fighting top. You're not going to find any official photos of these emplacements unless by some small chance someone has a photo from non-navy sources (I.E. a crewman). Other than the stack guns, the other ones were too high and on small platforms or tubs that did not lend themselves towards photography from the outside. I think I've seen ONE photograph from one of the gun tubs from the entire battle fleet at Pearl, and I'm fairly certain it wasn't Arizona.

I'm not saying they don't exist, just that I wouldn't hold up your build in the hope that one will appear soon.

Hello Tracy,
I'm just looking for the photo's of the machine gun. Thanks for the info.
Mark

You might want to consider looking at this:

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=7599&start=40

Tracy was right, the 50 caliber MGs are the same on almost all ships, so looking around at other threads could show some results.

[Tracy White]

There's a series of photos of .50 cal mounts on either the North Carolina or Washington that I have, unfortunately the licensing doesn't allow me to post them. However, I know I've seen them in books and am going through my collection; check out pages 9 and 53 of Classic Warships "North Carolina Class Battleships (Warship Pictorial #29)" and 18-19 of Randall Shoker's "USS North Carolina Technical Reference 1" if you have copies.

[mark_sch]

Thanks Sr. Gopher for the link.

Tracy,
Thanks for the reference books that will have photo's.

Mark

[OS1880]

Trying to find out if Arizona had a 4 letter call sign on 12/7/41. I can only reference her 3 letter call sign NBW. The other BB's had four letter call signs or were these assigned later than 12/7. Any help would be appreciated.

[David_Aiken]

Twelve O'Clock High...a Quinn Martin Production
Calling All Ship Fans...a Quinn, Martin Production
Great works...!

[Tracy White]

That's Martin Quinn, not Quinn Martin!

[David_Aiken]

...notice the strategic 'comma'?

Quinn, Martin, has done a great job as have all the moderators, just like that classic movie by Quinn Martin (no comma)...a great job.

[MartinJQuinn]

...notice the strategic 'comma'?

Quinn, Martin, has done a great job as have all the moderators, just like that classic movie by Quinn Martin (no comma)...a great job.

Aw, shucks. I'm just a little cog in a bigger wheel, but thanks for the kind words.

[USSKIDDBATONROUGE]

I have puzzled for years about the clock face on the front of the lattice mast on this ship before it was refitted with tube masts. I have heard it refered to as a "range clock". Apparently a range clock was a complicated analog computer that was in the compartment at the top of the mast and it relayed firing solutions to the turrets. Did the clock face have anything to do with ranging or firing? The Wikipedia article on the Arizona has a picture of the ship taken in 1924, and the clock face (apparently with one hand) is visible.
DOC

[Tracy White]

From: http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/Gun_Data_p3.htm

Concentration Dial or Range Clock - In many ship photographs taken between about 1916 and 1940, there are what appear to be large clocks on the front and rear superstructures or masts. These are actually devices to tell the other ships in the formation at what range that ship is firing at. Together with Declination Marks (see below), these mechanisms allowed the other ships in the formation, whose view of the target may be obscured by fog, gun smoke or funnel smoke, to have their guns at the proper elevation and bearing when their view becomes unobstructed. This greatly reduced the time needed before they were ready to fire. The introduction of radar and better ship-to-ship communication methods in the late 1930s eliminated the need for these devices and they were removed from most ships by the start of World War II or shortly thereafter. For the concentration dial shown here, the small hand represents the range in thousands of yards, with 0 = 10,000 yards and 9 = 19,000 yards. The big hand represents range in hundreds of yards.

[Sten Ekedahl]

Two more, hopefully not too controversial, colour questions:

1) When/if Arizona was painted in the 5-S blue scheme, what would most likely be the colour of the metal protective plating under the anchor chains on the foredeck?

2) The 5"/51 casemate guns had their barrels painted in the ship's exterior colour. How about the rest of the gun and its mounting inside the casemate; exterior colour or inside colour (white)?

TIA

[MartinJQuinn]

Two more, hopefully not too controversial, colour questions:

1) When/if Arizona was painted in the 5-S blue scheme, what would most likely be the colour of the metal protective plating under the anchor chains on the foredeck?

2) The 5"/51 casemate guns had their barrels painted in the ship's exterior colour. How about the rest of the gun and its mounting inside the casemate; exterior colour or inside colour (white)?

TIA

If you use Mr Pruel's model as a guide, the answers are

1) Sea Blue

2) The entire 5"/51 is sea blue, the interior bulkheads are white, with any outside surface matching the overall color of the ship.

[Sten Ekedahl]

Thanks, Martin!

[Mike Lowe]

Hi, I have the new Arizona kit. I am impressed by the detail. The fit is good. I put the prop shafts and rudder on the lower hull and painted the base color tonite. One big battlewagon.