Calling all Allen M. Sumner-class & Gearing-class DD fans

[USS Orleck Museum]

Hi all,
I am one of the volunteers at the USS Orleck museum in Lake Charles, La. I am in charge of requisitioning original materials and putting together an accurate account of the ship's specifications and armament. I really need some help finding a decent profile, and overhead photo or schematic drawing that I can use to draft out an original print for display purposes. Anything anyone has or websites you can recommend would be great. I've found a bunch of stuff in Naval Archives but they aren't finished with the site and I can't actually view them. Again any help would be appreciated. I'd be willing to share all I have with anyone who wants it too.

[Rick E Davis]

Are you looking for WWII, 1950's (still w/40-mm guns), or FRAM I version plans?

ORLECK (DD-866) on 11 September 1951


ORLECK (DD-866) on 23 September 1953

[falcon04]

FreeTime Hobbies is showing "new" 1:700 kits from Midship Models of the Sumner & Gearing. Are these new molds or re-boxed Pit Road kits ?

[Rick E Davis]

My guess is that since Midships has repackaged kits in deals with Pitroad before (Cleveland class), these are likely Pitroad SUMNER/GEARING kits repackaged.

Otherwise the only other 1/700 scale SUMNER/GEARING kits I'm aware of in plastic were made by a company called Albatross. But, they are out of business. DML probably will be coming out with 1/700 scale versions of their GEARING kits.

[Garry71]

Hi all!
I need help - who know shiplist of Sumner/Gearing-class destroyers with 3" gun mounth?
Please!

[Rick E Davis]

Garry,

That is a long list. It is easier to list which ones DIDN'T get upgraded. Friedman's book is pretty accurate on this listing. Which units had which configuration and when, is much more involved.

All GEARING DDRs eventually were upgraded with 3-in/50-cal RFG mounts. Various configurations.

Only four GEARING DDEs were upgraded (actually completed with) 3-in RFG mounts: DDE-719 and 824 with two twin mounts, 825 and 827 with two twin 3-in/50-cal replaced by 3-in/70-cal ... last units two the 3-in gun was their main armament.

All Fleet Destroyer GEARINGS except for DD-710, 712 (did get 3-in RFG mounts when converted to DDG-1), 782, 783, 785, 787, 836, 851, 864, 869, and 886 were upgraded. Two different configurations ... staggered or in-line, plus EDD-849 KRAUS had only one twin 3-in RFG mount. EDD-828 TIMMERMAN was really a class of one and never had 3-in guns.

All Fleet Destroyer SUMNERS except for DD-699, 700, 701, 730, 734, 747, 756, 759, 760, 761, 778, 781, and 857 were upgraded. Two different configurations ... staggered or in-line.

[Garry71]

Rick E Davis, than'k You for information!

[Solomo]

Would someone who's kitbashed the Dragon 1/350 Gearing to a Sumner mind posting pix of the location of their hull/superstructure cuts? Never done that kind of thing before, but would like to try.
Thanks in advance!
Best,
Paul
P.S. - Auk! Found this on a Google search, although the actual measurements for the cuts aren't given by Russ (e.g. measured from stem or stern), so it's a little unclear where to do them:
viewtopic.php?f=59&t=50142

[el Cid]

Solomo,

You can see the final joint on my Dickson at:

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

I used Russ's photos as a guide and just eyeballed the cuts. Doesn't really matter exactly where amidships you remove the ~1/2 inch from the hull, but the deck and superstructure should be shortened just forward of the stack, where the 5-inch practice loader is. Really wasn't too difficult, just take your time and think things through. I used a small mitre box to keep things square, as best I could.

HTH,

Keith

[Solomo]

Thanks Keith - I'll give it a shot! BTW - I love your Dickson conversion!
Best
Paul

[Mike CC]

Hello I am looking for some help for a buddy. His father was station on the USS Strong DD 758 in the late 1950, before the Fram conversion. He is looking for some advice, experinces, and direction on kits, 1/350 kit, or the 1/92 tehnoart kit. Thanks

[KennyLoup]

Just saw the photos of the Orleck posted above. I want to build the USS Orleck when she was a member of the Train Buster Club and this will help a lot. Who makes 1/350 hedgehog lauchers?

Thanks. Kenny

[Timmy C]

I think they're different sizes, but if they're not, then GMM's Buckley DE set has PE parts for the blast deflector and projectiles; all you would have to do is make a simple box for the base and add those parts on top. If this works for you, you might try contacting Loren and see if he's willing to sell you just the Hedgehog parts (or hey, if you have Trumpeter's England kit lying around and can live with the simple plastic Hedgehog there, you can buy the whole fret).

[Rick E Davis]

As Timmy says, the Hedgehogs used post-WWII on USN destroyers forward of the bridge (port and starboard) were the same Mk 10 or Mk 11 (difference is the pattern of the projectiles take once fired) units used in WWII. It seems that someone made these aftermarket, but I can't remember who has them. They show up on several post-WWII destroyer kits made by resin kit makers. Whether they will or do sell them as separate items is a question mark. I know that White Ensign has kits with hedgehogs in them, but I can't tell if they sell them separately (WEM search engine never works for me). Anyway, since resin aftermarket items can come and go, I would suggest going to the MAIN FORUM and asking in the title something like "Looking for 1/350 scale Mk 10/11 hedgehogs" and see if you get a response.

[whaynes]

When did the Navy start re-inforcing the Twin 5 inch guns on the Sumner/ gearing class ships?
Walt Haynes

[Rick E Davis]

Walt,

I'm not exactly sure when it started nor how soon units were so modified, but I know that they started late in WWII adding reinforcing as they experienced damage issues with the forward mount.

This view of a SUMNER class unit, INGRAHAM (DD-694), taken on 10 October 1945 shows the reinforcements.

[whaynes]

Thanks, Rick. I'm doing USS Frank Knox in Nov. 1944. It doesn't look like their 5 in. guns were reinforced at that time.
Walt

[Rick E Davis]

Walt,

You are right ... as commissioned as a straight Destroyer she didn't have reinforcements added to the 51 mount. But, I just checked and when she was modified to a DDR at Boston Navy Yard she had the reinforcements added. But as a side note, CHEVALIER modified to a DDR at Norfolk Navy Yard, didn't have the reinforcement braces added. Also, after looking at several different GEARINGS over the years and port and starboard views, the reinforcements were added only on the STARBOARD side of the mount ... there were doors/hatches on the port side that likely made reinforcing unnecessary. Also, I noted that reinforcements were added to the face of the forward mount as seen on INGRAHAM, but not always on other GEARINGS at the same time.

As always, try to find photos of your subject for the year of your build to be sure.

[Tom Lathrop]

I am building a BaD model of my destroyer in its 1952 configuration. I've made an SR air search RADAR antenna but am not completely happy with it. Does anyone know of any photo etch antennas of the SR, MK25, MK28, SPS, etc. and other antennas in 1/96 scale? The YE and jammer look easy enough.

I have some comments about the BaD model Gearing if anyone is interested.

[Rick E Davis]

Having never done anything in 1/96 scale, I have no idea of what PE is available in that scale.

Yes I would be interested in knowing more about this kit and the firm building it. Rumor has that they "may" be coming out with a FLETCHER in this scale.

Which GEARING destroyer are you building in 1952? I have scanned images for several GEARINGS in the 1950s I found while looking for photos of FLETCHERS at NARA. I may be able to help with photos. Whoops ... now I see DDR-874.

I did find a nice set of photos of the SRb radar antenna with the IFF antenna atop it used on several FLETCHER/SUMNER/GEARING Class destroyers in the 1950s. For the longest time I thought these were SC radars I was seeing in photos.