Calling all Independence-class (CVL-22) fans

[Tracy White]

Looks like 5P with no pattern, but I can't be sure about the bow bulkhead. The stern bulkheads are a lot more open and easier to see, and I can say that there's no pattern on them. The bow has a lot more overhang and enclosure, so it's harder to tell. My guess would be 5P as well, seeing as I have a photo that shows PART of it as 5P near the shell area that's black. I just can't see very much of it.

[whaynes]

Thanks, Tracy. That is pretty much what I thought. Walt

[Tracy White]

Another point in favor of this is that the Navy was in to counter-shading at this point and trying to avoid or minimize shadows.

[whaynes]

Several pictures of Independence class carriers show a metal structure {post} with a sheave at the top on the extreme bow of the ship. I presume this is for the paravane chain. My question is this: is this a fixed device or can it be removed when the paravane is not in use? Pictures of the same ship at different times do not always show this. Thanks. Walt

[Tracy White]

CVL22-5086-53.jpg (18.01 KiB) Viewed 3777 times

This? Fixed.

[Keith T. Bender]

Calling Tracy white, hey I may have missed it but was Bataan's hanger all blue as well and if so which blue was it ??

Thanks man,

Keith

[Tracy White]

None of the hangars were all blue; generally the elevator well areas at least were, with the top six feet painted black. I'm not sure which blue it was as I still haven't found any official directives, but my personal belief is 5-O in 1943 as Flight Deck Stain 21 was matched to it, and 5-N Navy blue starting in mid 1944 as it was close to deck blue, which is what the flight deck stain 21 revised was matched to.

Unfortunately, the best hangar photos I have are from CVL-22, but they're mostly undated. Some I think are from when she was a night fighter carrier and it makes me wonder if the extent of dark paint was normal or just for her. Based on this photo and the catwalks visible in the photo (yes, I really did spend that much time looking!) I can say that CVL-22's aft section should be painted blue from the elevator to FOUR vertical supports forward from the edge of the elevator - this is essentially from the support aft of the single roller door in this area aft.

This photo shows at least three on the forward section painted dark, and a photo from 1943 that I can't post here shows it extending back to the vertical support just forward of that first hatch on the hangar deck (port side). That's the same vertical support that's just forward of the #2 exhaust trunk on the starboard side.

This photo shows a couple of wings hanging from the bulkhead; this was JUST after the demarcation, so it's a little detail you can add if you want. You can just make out the angle support they rest on at the wing tip and then the straps to hold them in place. Couldn't get Dragon to include the extra wings for that!

Simple, no?

[Keith T. Bender]

Thanks Tracy and next time I'll remember to put a large "W" in front of your last name

Keith

[Tracy White]

Piffle, I get called Terry, Tracey, Stacey, and butt face all the time!

Having grown up with "a girl's name" it's not a big deal.

[Tracy White]

Details, details.

So far I've only ever seen evidence of splinter shields on the Quad 40mms of CVLs Langley and Bataan. None of the others have any shots during the war with the shields in place. I grabbed a high-rez scan of this picture at NARA a couple of weeks ago and noticed something peculiar:

CVL-27 Langley

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T'would appear that the starboard piece of the shield is missing in December 1944. I'm sure a judge would gig you for getting this detail right, but I thought I'd throw it out there for anyone doing Langley.

[Dick J]

Tracy, I can't find a clear shot of Cabot, but San Jacinto also had the shields. Check the Camouflage 2 book, bottom of page 55. The forward quad is canvas covered, but the shape of the shields is unmistakeable. As for Langley's unique broken shield, I would guess that this was right after Halsey's first typhoon. Don't forget that great photo of Langley rolling in the storm.

[Tracy White]

I'll look at the book when I get home, but I'd put her in the questionable category. The shots of her just out of the Philly yard on Navsource showed the forward quad covered, but the aft was not and had no shields. It did, however, have the railings, so I figured it was possible the forward mount's canvas shape was "influnenced" by the railings and just have it as questionable.... but I'll check to see if that photo is a different shot when I get home.

[whaynes]

What type of support structure or bracing was used beneath the catwalks? Anybody have any photos or diagrams?
Walt Haynes

[Tracy White]

It depends on what you mean. The overhang between the hull and the edge of the flight deck was largely open unless there was an equipment or clipping room in between. You can see examples of some of these structural elements on the ninth page of the Monterey Booklet of General Plans as well as launch photos of Princeton, Belleau Wood, Cowpens, and San Jacinto. There wasn't much bracing under the catwalks proper unless there was a gun or director tub outboard of it. For those sections there were generally a rectangular plate welded perpendicular to the catwalks on either side of the tub platform with an angled piece joined to it that tapered out to the edge. Best photographs of this I've seen online are on San Jacinto's and Belleau Wood's Navsource pages, but you'll need to look at them a bit to figure out precisely what you're seeing.

[oneslim]

whaynes,

This is a tough call with no clear solution. I have been working on a 1/32 scale dio of mount #9 on USS MONTEREY, Which can be viewed at this link: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=76455

Obtained the Floating Drydock drawings of MONTEREY, they do not show the gallery support framing or the catwalk framing.

What I have been able to do by using Proportional Dividers is to work out from photos provided by Rick E Davis, that the framing under the gallery deck 'seems' to be 30 inches on center. So, I will take the leap that the catwalk framing is the same on centers. Check the photos in my WIP, notice the life raft brackets, they are fixed to the bottom of the catwalks. The can't be just hung from the perforated catwalk decking. My best guess 4inch beams since the kick plate is about 6 inches.

Hope this helps

Bob W

[whaynes]

Bob, amazing 40mm!! Thanks for your reply. I'm going to try to replicate bracing under the catwalks as the bare PE just looks lame. Your suggestions help. Thanks, Tracy. Always appreciate your help.
Walt

[commodore4]

I am sure many have acquired this kit .It,s a ball at 1/350 . I had to go back and dissassemble the stacks . the instructions have you put the wrong parts in the wrong place . I have discovered something though , I am having a dag-nabbed fine old time putting together those teensy-tiny aircraft . I haven,t had this much fun since I did the BILLINGS and the REVELL kits of the CALYPSO (JACQUE COUSTEAU,S ship) The mini subs actually had me laughing . I know, I must be going nuts ! Not really , I just decded to let model shipbuilding be fun again . This ship put me there . I think it,s one of the BEST that DRAGON has done of their "SMART KITS ". Doing the little bits made me realize , the plastic industry has come a long way since I was a kid what , 60 years ago ( I started building when I was eight) . Back then, REVELL here in the STATES and maybe some from the " old " AIRFIX were what was out there . We still had fun building them though . I even have managed to save a LINDBERG aircraft carrier from back then that had a cardboard insert for the hangar deck .I thought that was cool . Well , this model has me going back in time in enjoyment and brought back , to me anyway , the fun of modeling . Now where did that little F4 get off to ? Happy Holidays -----commodore4

[Jon C Ryckert]

Have the Dragon 1/350 Indy kit. The instructions call for Navy Blue 5-N but the Ship Camoflauge website says that it is Ocean grey 5-O for 1943. Which is correct?

[Timmy C]

5-O during shakedown cruise, 5-N during operation in the Pacific (see comment near the painting guide in the site's review: http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/sh ... eview.html).

[ESzczesniak]

I'm looking for some help getting things ready to build my USS Independence. Let me note I'm kind of a closet ship guy and as such do not know nearly as much as many on this forum...hence the kind of stupid questions.

1. I'm a sucker for dazzle camoflage and plan to paint her in this scheme. Can anyone tell me the official colors? I can't seem to find what combination of haze/ocean/light gray was used and whether it was navy blue of black for the dark color.

2. I know the dazzle cmaoflage was applied following her refit. One of the visible changes I know came with this was the addition of a second catapult which is easy enough to add. Is there a simple list of other key changes?

Thanks for any and all help.