Calling all USS Indianapolis CA-35 & USS Portland CA-33 fans

[Dick J]

Anyone have any really good/detailed pictures of Portlands forecastle deck area or front stack? Mainly the area that one would have to cut up and build to convert to from an Indy.

What timeframe?

[JTninja]

Id say '43-45. I dont think much changed in the area after her March '43 refit, and im trying to build her in a '44 spec.

[semper_nav]

Try http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/033/04033.htm for some excellent photos of Portland. The close ups of the bow and stern seem to support Academy's rendering of the hull. The site also has a couple of good 1944 fo'c's'le shots which enlarge nicely.

[boomstick68]

I purchased the Academy kit with Pontos advanced set which provides both a natural wood deck and a blue stained deck. I want to build her as she was at the time of her sinking but I cannot pin point the deck color from black and white photos. Maybe someone can shed some light on the colors?

[Quaestor]

Anyway, my question is - what colors was INDY painted during her run to Tinian? Specifically, was she in the neutral grays after her 1945 post-kamikaze yard period? Tracy had a bit to say on it but I've searched this site and haven't found anything of substance on the paint subject. It seems as though there is no firm word either way. If so, that's fine. Just trying to come up with the latest wisdom on the subject. I know what the instructions for the kits say, but that's not what I'm asking here. Perhaps there is a general reference on the whole neutral gray deal - I think I recall reading that there was a late-war shortage of the purple-blue tinting medium. Thanks for any enlightenment - especially if I've missed something in plain sight.

I bring up John's question, along with James' in the post just above, because I'm stuck in the same place. Was Indy's deck blue or gray at the time of her loss? Put another way, was she repainted in the 1945 revision of Measure 21, as would seem logical given the date? If so, the deck should have been Deck Gray 20.
A similar question (blue or gray) could be asked about her lower hull; although the 1945 MS 21 allowed for either, making things murkier (as if interpreting B&W photos isn't enough fun).
Harold

[pbudzik]

I want to convert the Academy Indy to a 1943 Portland. What decks would be planked? Since I have to redo the 01 deck house (the structure that No. 2 turret and the forward superstructure sets on - needs to be narrowed and shortened) should the deck above this be planked. From drawings, it appears that the hanger deck all the way back to the stern is also planked, would this be correct?

Paul

[taskforce48]

Paul,

In Steve Wipers book, there are some great shots of her during her 43' refit. Problem is, deck details are fuzzy, but I am going to say that only the forecastle deck was still planked. Although you can't quite make out plank detail even on the forcasle, the color of the 01 deck would seem like they had removed it. The main deck aft, you can make out weld and seam lines that would indicate steel decking vs wood. The hangar well deck is the only one that does not have a clear shot, but I would assume if the 01 deck and main deck was stripped, this would have been as well. I know for sure that was the case by the time of her July 44' refit as those photos are a little clearer and for sure no planking anywhere else but the forecastle.

HTH

Matt

[JTninja]

I have a hard time confirming the accuracy of Warship Pictorial 10, but it mentions that during her May '44 refit, the original teak wood was removed everywhere except the foredeck. Do you have access to a Warship Pictorial 10? It has a couple '43 refit pictures, I can send them to you if needed.

[pbudzik]

Matt - Thank you for the reply. I have the Wiper book, but pouring over the photos doesn't seem to tell me much as the dot pattern of the printing makes everything look the same. I have seen written description of the deck removal for Indianapolis, but nothing for Portland in '43 refit, which is what I'm doing.

J - Thank you. I do not have that Warship Profile and I would greatly appreciate any additional information.

Comparing the two Raven drawing from Friedman's book, you can see the difference in basic structure - Indianapolis in the red outline...



Here is what I did yesterday...right now I'm going with planked unless it is a definite no...



Paul

[Timmy C]

Trumpeter's 1944 version has been released - see here for scans of the instructions to see which exact fit it is: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10262027

[JTninja]

Dammit, Trumpter once again, screws up. A 5 minute research would show that. The kit builds a Post Dec '44 Indianapolis (Dec '44-earl '45). However, the camo pattern show in the instructions was only on the ship during the summer and fall of '44 (painted during her May '44 refit). By the time of her Dec '44 refit, she had be repainted (MS 22).

Oh, and it doesn't look like they even got the camo correct. While they found the hull pattern, they missed the deck pattern.

And even if the kit is supposed to accurately reflect a Dec '44 ship, make sure to use single 20mm guns, I believe she upgrade to twin 20mms during her July '45 refit.

[pbudzik]

It's sort of for naught anyway because their hull rendition is second rate compared to the Academy kit.

J - Have you finished the Portland?

Paul

[JTninja]

Not yet, Ive taken a nice break from it, working on a few mini projects in the meantime. Construction on Sweet Pea should resume around mid-June

[isoc]

Two planes came with my kit. I put one on the catapult. Where would the other one go?

I took some of the small plastic ladders that I didn't use and built a "skid" to support the second plane, and put it on the hangar deck. No glue, however.

Trumpeter gave me no clue as to where to put the planes, other than the box top picture that (barely) shows one of them on the catapult.

Thanks ,

isoc AKA Ted

[Timmy C]

You don't have to use both planes, and she may not have carried both throughout her whole life. A good place to put it would be in the hangar, folded.

[isoc]

Thanks again, Timmy.

I read in the book ABANDON SHIP that one of the officers, during Captain McVay's trial, said there were 35 rafts aboard. Following the instructions by Trumpeter, I can place 14. I still have about 10+ on sprues. Any ideas about placing them, or am I over-thinking this?

- Ted

[JTninja]

I read in the book ABANDON SHIP that one of the officers, during Captain McVay's trial, said there were 35 rafts aboard. Following the instructions by Trumpeter, I can place 14. I still have about 10+ on sprues. Any ideas about placing them, or am I over-thinking this?

- Ted

According to my resources, I can find 29. Dont know where the remaining 6 are, perhaps in the hangers or under the rear 5" mounts. You should have
- 6 on Turret 1 (4 on top, 1 on each side)
- 2 on Turret 2 (1 on each side)
- 6 on Turret 3 (4 on top, 1 on each side)
- 4 directly behind the fore funnel
- 2 behind the fore funnel on the rear of the Focsle Deck (see page 13 of Trumpy instructions)
- 2 on the middle wall between the hanger doors
- 1 on the replaced catapult thing (see page 13 of Trumpy instructions)
- 3 infront of the stern 40mm tub
- 3 behind of the stern 40mm tub

Bottom of the page has some July '45 pictures from her last refit, showing locations of some rafts.
http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/035/04035.htm

[isoc]

I read in the book ABANDON SHIP that one of the officers, during Captain McVay's trial, said there were 35 rafts aboard. Following the instructions by Trumpeter, I can place 14. I still have about 10+ on sprues. Any ideas about placing them, or am I over-thinking this?

- Ted

According to my resources, I can find 29. Dont know where the remaining 6 are, perhaps in the hangers or under the rear 5" mounts. You should have
- 6 on Turret 1 (4 on top, 1 on each side)
- 2 on Turret 2 (1 on each side)
- 6 on Turret 3 (4 on top, 1 on each side)
- 4 directly behind the fore funnel
- 2 behind the fore funnel on the rear of the Focsle Deck (see page 13 of Trumpy instructions)
- 2 on the middle wall between the hanger doors
- 1 on the replaced catapult thing (see page 13 of Trumpy instructions)
- 3 infront of the stern 40mm tub
- 3 behind of the stern 40mm tub

Bottom of the page has some July '45 pictures from her last refit, showing locations of some rafts.
http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/035/04035.htm

Thanks! That's just what I needed to know!

[Jon C Ryckert]

Have a question regarding the hanger deck on Indianapolis. According to the HNSA plans, there is a ramp just to the inside of the each hanger door that appears to be about two feet deep and spans the width of the doors. What I am wondering is if the ramp rises into the hanger or does it rise to main deck level outside of the hanger? One more question, any idea as to how many inches it rose? Would six inches be about right, similar the the ramps on each side of the hanger deck catapult on the CV-5 Yorktown?

[Charles Landrum]

I did not know that HNSA had released the General Plans of the Portland Class. looking at photos of USS Portland in the Life Photo Archives on Google, the hangar deck was flush with the weather deck. These are early war photos. There appears to be a 1 foot plate that mounted flush, but folded upward to form a waterway in front of the roll-down hangar doors. This may be what you are seeing. This plate may have changed when the hangar doors were upgraded mid-war.