Calling all USS Lexington CV-2 fans

[Michael Vorrasi]

Jon...concerning Lexington's padeyes....square, and I am not clear in regards to placement. I believe Saratoga had some tie-down strips similar to later USN CV's installed later in the war, but CV-2 did not. CV-2's Degaussing Cables! Still a point of contention/mystery! My thoughts are that the set-up did NOT wrap around the bow (check out pg. 16, CW #11, Lex. Class), but they did wrap around the stern. In some places on the hull there were 4 cables grouped together, others places 2. Then factor in the "brackets" that were installed over the cables along the hull.........(purpose?). Im sure Dick or Mike can add more,,,,curious myself!

Jerry

My thoughts are that if you know the degaussing cables wrapped at the stern, then they should not wrap at the bow. Reason is that at some terminus, probably the bow, if CV-5 and CV-6 are examples, the cables must enter the hull in order to be connected to the electro-magnetic current that must run through them in order to generate the anti-magnetic field they are there to provide. I'm just looking at it from a functional point of view. Not sure the exact run of CV-2's cables, but they would have to enter the hull, probably at a point where the portion of the hull at that location hull extends beyond where any hull portion is still submerged below waterline. That would be the bow, where the cables would end and enter the hull at a point well ahead of the cut-water. That would leave all submerged hull sections protected overhead by a charged section of cable.

[Jon C Ryckert]

Hi Mike,
Thank you for your input. I have a wild guess I'm just throwing out for discussion. What if that 'terminus' is also located outside of the hull? An example that I am going to use is the U.S.S. Oklahoma. There is a pic in the book titled "U.S.S. Oklahoma, BB37" by Phister, Hone and Goodyear. In this book on page 65 there is a pic of the Oklahoma at Puget Sound on September 28, 1940. The pic is not the best quality due to being a paperback book. When looking at the pic, it appears that the external degaussing cable does wrap around the bow but unfortunately the only veiw of the stern is after the righting of the ship and then one can't really make out heads or tails . If you look closely at the stern pic look at the area just forward and below of the ships name. Look forward to all replies.

[Michael Vorrasi]

Hi Mike,
Thank you for your input. I have a wild guess I'm just throwing out for discussion. What if that 'terminus' is also located outside of the hull? An example that I am going to use is the U.S.S. Oklahoma. There is a pic in the book titled "U.S.S. Oklahoma, BB37" by Phister, Hone and Goodyear. In this book on page 65 there is a pic of the Oklahoma at Puget Sound on September 28, 1940. The pic is not the best quality due to being a paperback book. When looking at the pic, it appears that the external degaussing cable does wrap around the bow but unfortunately the only veiw of the stern is after the righting of the ship and then one can't really make out heads or tails . If you look closely at the stern pic look at the area just forward and below of the ships name. Look forward to all replies.

Hi Jon,
My theory is 100% pure SWAG, but I was struck by the fact that, while viewing the photo of the cable at Oklahoma's bow, she was one of the older battlewagons that had a hull that extends farther forward below water than above. Maybe they chose to wrap around the bow for that reason. Honestly cannot make out anything in the stern raised hulk shot. Again, this is all pure speculation on my part!

[smithec]

Jon...great workmanship! However, I personally dont believe that the degaussing cables wrapped around the bow. It is my belief that they stopped aft of the anchor p/s postions on the fwd hull. This is based on the few poor photos of the Lex. hull for 1941-42. I believe that the fwd sweep you have depicted is correct (similar to CV-5). BTW, what diameter of plastic rod did you use....looks pretty accurate in dimension. Please keep us udated w/ your build!

Jerry

To inform this discussion about the forward arrangement of the degaussing cables, the following should lead to a reasonable conclusion. When the principle of degaussing against magnetic mines had been proven, the cables were installed internally in all new builds. Previous ships were retrofitted, but, to make installation quick and relatively easy, the cables were attached externally all the way round the hull. However, early experience was that heavy seas carried the cables adrift � almost invariably at the bow end. So the expedient was taken of running them internally only at the fore end of the ship. In some cases they were also installed internally at the aft end.

Regards, Chris

[Tracy White]

Which was why I made my comment about Lexington's fine bow... I would imagine it was more likely to cut into incoming waves to the point that a degaussing cable would get submerged and "loaded" by the force of the water.

As a point of interest, a fellow researcher came across a photo of (one of?) Honolulu's cables being installed. It was being carried/held by a group of men, that I kid you not, was about the length of the dock at least. These cables were not structures they would want to replace often.

[Jon C Ryckert]

Well you guys sold me on the cables. I'll probably redo it so that it looks some what like Enterprises because of the number of cables ran. I really enjoyed this dicussion. A lot of good ideas were brought up. If I get time this weekend to work on it I'll try to post pics for your thoughts. Thanks for the different insights.

[dolpf74]

Hello all Lexington class fans!

Accessories / Is there any flight wooden deck that fits into the USS Lexington CV-2 1942 Trumpeter 1:700?

Best Regards

dolpf

[lvsquarerigger]

I've been working on the funnel assembly of my 1/350 Lex and the pictures in WP 33 have me redoing a lot. The pictures on pg 11 and 31 show a lot of detail previously hidden in shadow and blurry pictures. I removed the six small wedges supporting the upper gun platform and scratch built the supports shown in the pics. My question is what are the boxes under the searchlights?On page 31 you get a good view of the end showing the x bracing and on 11 you get a good look at the forward ones port and starboard. I'm also doing pics for my log build and should have them posted today so you can see what I've done.

James

[Jon C Ryckert]

James, I think those are some type of working platform. If you are familiar with the early war battleships such as those at Pearl Harbor you will see those under the searchlight platforms on the main mast. When i get time I'll post a pic in case you are not sure what I'm talking about.

[lvsquarerigger]

James, I think those are some type of working platform. If you are familiar with the early war battleships such as those at Pearl Harbor you will see those under the searchlight platforms on the main mast. When i get time I'll post a pic in case you are not sure what I'm talking about.

Thanks Jon. I can see what you're talking about in the photo but what I see on Lex doesn't match. It's solid all around except on the ends and then has cross bracing not rails on the open sides. Whatever it is I'm going to put it in there.

Also just spent the better part of four hours posting on my Lex build and getting caught up on that. Lots of pics and still have more to go. You can check it out here:

viewtopic.php?f=59&t=40911&p=394602#p394602

[Jon C Ryckert]

James, I still beleive that the platform under the serchlights is still a service platform for tsearchlights above. They may not look just like the platforms on Arizona or other ships but that maybe due to design or commanding officer having a say in their design during a refit. The forward one is, if I recall correctly, is a platform for the water cooling tanks for the .50 cal mg's. I'm still learning about the Lex but this is information that I have learnt from others more knowledgeable on this board than I am. Hopefully they will either confirm or prove wrong what I have said. I'll use my assumption on the degaussing cable as an example.

[Jon C Ryckert]

Getting ready to paint my Lex kit flight deck with Military Brown instead of the Mahogany stain and then plan on painting the blue deck stain. Since the deck was restained with the 250N would the brown be visible like others say it was on other carriers or not since it was fresh? I'll probably go ahead with the brown first just to show some wear from air ops but would like some advise. Thanks

[Michael Vorrasi]

Getting ready to paint my Lex kit flight deck with Military Brown instead of the Mahogany stain and then plan on painting the blue deck stain. Since the deck was restained with the 250N would the brown be visible like others say it was on other carriers or not since it was fresh? I'll probably go ahead with the brown first just to show some wear from air ops but would like some advise. Thanks

Jon, here is a color shot in an article by that noted author, hmmm, me..... Judge for yourself. This photo dates from October 1941. IMHO, people get too carried away trying to "brown out" blue decks. It is an ancillary disease related to brown deck syndrome. Restraint is always best. Also, I've noticed a tendency to keep up blue decks was more prevalent early in the war that later in 1944, when the pace of extended operations far from base may have caused some ships to let appearance go a bit. http://shipcamouflage.com/specialtopics ... Decks.html

[smithec]

Jon, here is a color shot in an article by that noted author, hmmm, me..... Judge for yourself. This photo dates from October 1941. IMHO, people get too carried away trying to "brown out" blue decks. It is an ancillary disease related to brown deck syndrome. Restraint is always best. Also, I've noticed a tendency to keep up blue decks was more prevalent early in the war that later in 1944, when the pace of extended operations far from base may have caused some ships to let appearance go a bit. http://shipcamouflage.com/specialtopics ... Decks.html

Hi Michael

That's a fascinating picture I've never seen before. Looks like a movie clip. Where did you find this?

Chris Smithers

[Michael Vorrasi]

Jon, here is a color shot in an article by that noted author, hmmm, me..... Judge for yourself. This photo dates from October 1941. IMHO, people get too carried away trying to "brown out" blue decks. It is an ancillary disease related to brown deck syndrome. Restraint is always best. Also, I've noticed a tendency to keep up blue decks was more prevalent early in the war that later in 1944, when the pace of extended operations far from base may have caused some ships to let appearance go a bit. http://shipcamouflage.com/specialtopics ... Decks.html

Hi Michael

That's a fascinating picture I've never seen before. Looks like a movie clip. Where did you find this?

Chris Smithers

From the ship's film footage. Yes its a clip. I have several captures. Shot off California. If you have the F4F Wildcat DVD, the footage is on there. Starts with the Squadron chalkboard giving the details of when it was shot.

[Elvis965]

If you have the F4F Wildcat DVD, the footage is on there.

I'm pretty sure it's on the First Flattops DVD as well.

Bob

[DanCinSD]

ok..... wow, i just finished reading the 24 pages of this CASF! Now to go thru and consolidate what I read into one builders note for me....

Looking at the picture of the F2A landing, was the word LEX still on the flight deck at Coral Sea in the grey paint?

[Michael Vorrasi]

ok..... wow, i just finished reading the 24 pages of this CASF! Now to go thru and consolidate what I read into one builders note for me....

Looking at the picture of the F2A landing, was the word LEX still on the flight deck at Coral Sea in the grey paint?

Yes, in gray 251-N (matches 5-O). I'll try to post a few more shots of that footage soon. Have several nice ones.

[DanCinSD]

Thanks Mike.

I built the 1/350th kit right after it first came out..... I just aquired the 1/700 trumpeter Lexington...... after reading the CASF at least one of them will be close to being correct!

So, would it be safe to assume the the other PacFlt carriers had the name on the aft flight deck as well??

[Tracy White]

So, would it be safe to assume the the other PacFlt carriers had the name on the aft flight deck as well??

No, photos of Enterprise in 1941 show no letters.