Calling all rebuilt "Big 5" (TN/MD class) fans

[Cliffy B]

Hey guys, I'm planning on doing a painting of BB-44 (1944-45 time frame) and I wanted to depict her recovering one of her floatplanes. Does anyone know of any photos, documents, drawings, etc... that show how she would do so? I know they rig a recovery mat that the plane drives up onto and catches its main float before being craned aboard. Where would they rig the mat? The after boat booms maybe? Would there have been a preferred side of the ship used or was is arbitrary?

Also, I've seen shots of both floatplanes being stored on the cat at the same time as well as only one on the cat, with the other on a dolly nearby. Which was common practice while in a combat zone? Would they ever keep one on alert, ready to fly?

Any help is appreciated as always.

-Mike

[garyrunnalls]

My friend Bernie was a mechanic for Curtiss-Seahawk on the USS Nashville @ 1945. We talked a few times about the actual history of naval float-plane take-off and retrieval ops( very dangerous and time consuming if the plane or ship missed the tow) The best source for photos is here at NavSource, although it might take a lil time to go through the pics, try all battleship[s cruisers etc

[MartinJQuinn]

WeeVee as rebuilt. July 7, 1944

[MartinJQuinn]

Some photos of a rebuilt WeeVee, taken at Puget Sound in July 1944. Photos scanned from NARA, RG 19LCM this past January. Boy, she sure is purty!

[ArizonaBB39]

Martin excellent photos

[MartinJQuinn]

Photos of Tennessee (BB-43) after her rebuild. Photos were dated May 12, 1943. Pictures scanned at the National Archives, from record group 80G:

[Rick E Davis]

Here is a view of MARYLAND (BB-46) at Newport News SB, VA, on 5 March 1920, from a photo I picked up at a show this weekend. MARYLAND was launched on 20 March 1920, so this view shows her as completed up to that date and you can see that the platform for the launching ceremony is already in place. Navsource has some photos of MARYLAND dated 20 March 1920, but this one is from a different aspect and appears to be much sharper. I think that WEST VIRGINIA is on the ways just to the left. I thought that they would have installed the barbettes before launching, but apparently not. The armor belt has yet to be installed (the light color area).

[Haijun watcher]

To anyone who checks this thread, I just had a question at another thread at the history section of the forum:

"USS Maryland at the Battle of Surigao Strait: Conflicting histories"

[krgf15]

So I scanned through and couldnt find anything related to my question: Is it feasible to build a 1941 California from the 1/700 Maryland kit?

The reason I ask, is that I have the Blue Ridge Tennessee, and I want a little Variety, and would like to do California in her 1941 fit.

Thanks,
Kelly

[Quincy]

Trumpeter is supposed to be releasing a 1/700 1941 California sometime in 2014 according to their website.




Bob Pink.

[krgf15]

well that fixes that.

Thanks
Kelly

[Haijun watcher]

Trumpeter is supposed to be releasing a 1/700 1941 California sometime in 2014 according to their website.




Bob Pink.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




For other people building/collecting all the ships from Pearl Harbor's "battleship row", this means one can use Trumpeter's California kit to model her sister Tennessee as well, instead of having to buy multiple Trumpeter Maryland kits (up to 5 if you want to model Colorado as well).

[Quincy]

Trumpeter is supposed to be releasing a 1/700 1941 California sometime in 2014 according to their website.




Bob Pink.

Forgot to add they are releasing the West Virginia too.

[Haijun watcher]

Trumpeter is supposed to be releasing a 1/700 1941 California sometime in 2014 according to their website.

Bob Pink.

Forgot to add they are releasing the West Virginia too.

In 1941 configuration or 1944?

Was hoping for the latter so that there will finally be an option to build her (or Tennessee or California) in her 1944 configuration without having to buy one of those overpriced resin kits sold online.

Edited to add: Are you sure? I've been going through the preview and product update sections of their website and I don't see either the WeeVee or California kits listed as upcoming releases.

[Timmy C]

Check my list at the top of the Main Forum for the most updated list on future kit releases. If I don't link to a source, then it usually means the source was Stevens International's (Trumpy's North American distributor) list.

[krgf15]

I wouldnt consider the Blue ridge West Virginia overpriced at all. Everything you need in one little box for 135. Ad if its like the Tennessee which I have, it is a very good one.

[Haijun watcher]

So I scanned through and couldnt find anything related to my question: Is it feasible to build a 1941 California from the 1/700 Maryland kit?

The reason I ask, is that I have the Blue Ridge Tennessee, and I want a little Variety, and would like to do California in her 1941 fit.

Thanks,
Kelly

Kelly,

Before I heard of Trumpeter's supposed upcoming release of the California and West Virginia in 1/700, I was actually going to refer to you to my post at the "Most Wanted kit in 1/700" thread for an idea of how to address your issue above:

Fortunately, for those who like the Colorado class, Trumpeter recently released the USS Maryland in her 1941 configuration. It wouldn't take much work to bring her to 1942 configuration.

Those of you who like the other ships could probably just substitute the Maryland for her sister Colorado in 1941 and 1942 configurations, or the West Virginia in her 1941 configuration.

For those who want the Tennessee or California in their 1941 configuration, and want to kitbash using the Maryland Trumpeter kit, it may prove a little tricky unless you can find a supplier for triple 14 inch turrets. I myself have been trying to find Pitroad's 1/700 US Navy ships' spare parts kit to no avail; I'm not sure if Tamiya's IJN ships' spare parts kits has 14-inch turrets.

Furthermore, Timmy also says at that other thread that triple main gun turrets are available in the Maryland kit if you want to convert her to a Tennessee or California in 1941 refit.

[SeanF]

So I scanned through and couldnt find anything related to my question: Is it feasible to build a 1941 California from the 1/700 Maryland kit?

The reason I ask, is that I have the Blue Ridge Tennessee, and I want a little Variety, and would like to do California in her 1941 fit.

Thanks,
Kelly

Kelly,

Before I heard of Trumpeter's supposed upcoming release of the California and West Virginia in 1/700, I was actually going to refer to you to my post at the "Most Wanted kit in 1/700" thread for an idea of how to address your issue above:

Fortunately, for those who like the Colorado class, Trumpeter recently released the USS Maryland in her 1941 configuration. It wouldn't take much work to bring her to 1942 configuration.

Those of you who like the other ships could probably just substitute the Maryland for her sister Colorado in 1941 and 1942 configurations, or the West Virginia in her 1941 configuration.

For those who want the Tennessee or California in their 1941 configuration, and want to kitbash using the Maryland Trumpeter kit, it may prove a little tricky unless you can find a supplier for triple 14 inch turrets. I myself have been trying to find Pitroad's 1/700 US Navy ships' spare parts kit to no avail; I'm not sure if Tamiya's IJN ships' spare parts kits has 14-inch turrets.

Furthermore, Timmy also says at that other thread that triple main gun turrets are available in the Maryland kit if you want to convert her to a Tennessee or California in 1941 refit.

Indeed they are, end even more. The Maryland kit comes with a full set of both 16" twin and 14" triple turrets, and gun barrels to do both types either with or without blast bags. (That's a lot of extra gun barrels!) It also comes with extra 3" and 5"/25 AA mounts, and even extra 5"/51 broadside guns above and beyond what you need to build the kit as intended.
The difficult part of building a 1941-fit TN, CA, or WV from the MD kit is not the turrets, but the hull. The aforementioned three had not had bulges added yet. But from some photos posted a while back of what was supposedly the Pit Road Maryland release, it looks like they actually showed the parts for a West Virginia kit with an unbulged hull. So it would likely be best not to convert a MD but wait and see if the other hull really does materialize in a future release. Then have at it!

- Sean F.

[Haijun watcher]

The difficult part of building a 1951-fit TN, CA, or WV from the MD kit is not the turrets, but the hull. The aforementioned three had not had bulges added yet. But from some photos posted a while back of what was supposedly the Pit Road Maryland release, it looks like they actually showed the parts for a West Virginia kit with an unbulged hull. So it would likely be best not to convert a MD but wait and see if the other hull really does materialize in a future release. Then have at it!

- Sean F.

D'OH!!!!

There goes my plan to get all 5 just using multiple Maryland kits, since I obviously overlooked the unbulged hull.

But I could at least make a Colorado from a Maryland kit, right?

Speaking of which, if I wanted to model BatDiv4 which had Maryland and Colorado in mid-1942, are you aware of where the upgraded their AA positions, etc., should be placed? Granted it wouldn't be as numerous the ones they had from 1943-44 onwards, but certainly more than their AA configuration at Pearl Harbour in 1941.

I read that their aft cage mast wasn't tapered down until late 1942. That was after their stint with Task Force One and just as they were sent to the South Pacific to guard the Allied convoy routes near Fiji.

[SeanF]

The difficult part of building a 1941-fit TN, CA, or WV from the MD kit is not the turrets, but the hull. The aforementioned three had not had bulges added yet. But from some photos posted a while back of what was supposedly the Pit Road Maryland release, it looks like they actually showed the parts for a West Virginia kit with an unbulged hull. So it would likely be best not to convert a MD but wait and see if the other hull really does materialize in a future release. Then have at it!

- Sean F.

D'OH!!!!

There goes my plan to get all 5 just using multiple Maryland kits, since I obviously overlooked the unbulged hull.

But I could at least make a Colorado from a Maryland kit, right?

Speaking of which, if I wanted to model BatDiv4 which had Maryland and Colorado in mid-1942, are you aware of where the upgraded their AA positions, etc., should be placed? Granted it wouldn't be as numerous the ones they had from 1943-44 onwards, but certainly more than their AA configuration at Pearl Harbour in 1941.

I read that their aft cage mast wasn't tapered down until late 1942. That was after their stint with Task Force One and just as they were sent to the South Pacific to guard the Allied convoy routes near Fiji.

You could make a late '41/Early '42 Colorado, yes. If you cut down the aft cage, you could do late '42 through Early '44 fit. I don't know about their early '42 AA fit; I haven't seen anything as clear and comprehensive as Pennsylvania's March '42 shots (though I expect something similar is probably out there somewhere.) Here's one nice clear shot of MD from Feb '42, but it's hard to pick out any AA guns:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/014606.jpg Here's a similar shot of CO: http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/014502.jpg Likewise, hard to pick out the small stuff, but both ships seem to now have two 5"/25 gun shields per side. Navsource notes this shot as circa March '42: http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/014500a.jpg however, the funnel reveals a camoflage pattern that was only revealed post-truncation; in fact, the cage is cut off just above the top of the photo. See the similar http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/014508.jpg
From what I've read, they tended to modify the AA fit frequently in those months, even adding some temporary mounts with sandbags (Note the '50 cal between the stern catapult and #4 turret in this Pennsylvania shot: http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/013865.jpg ) So... I don't know how definitive of an answer is even out there.

DavidP: You're right, of course. I've edited it. Thanks. (They weren't sold for scrap until '59, so technically there is a 1951 fit... but that certainly wasn't what I meant to talk about. )

- Sean F.