Calling all Iowa-class (BB-61) fans

[Fliger747]

I discovers an area of definite superiority of Richelieu and Jean Bart over any other Battleship, including the Iowa's! Examining an inboard profile I discovered a well protected compartment low in the ship forward for wine, instead of a gas or some other nonesuch that an American ship might have. Perhaps Bismarck came a second with storage for some 350 tons of beer....

Coffee mates?

T

[Cliffy B]

Hank,

James M. and a friend were on board BB-64 a week or two ago and we 3 personally measured the distances between the gusset plates down the entire port side. I can't remember the distances but I do remember that they were all different yet very close together; matter of inches. James has them all written down.

-Mike

[James M]

When we get home we're headed to the Iowa for some more research then I will figure a way to post the information.

James

[RandyM]

Hank:

See below. Thanks.

[BB62vet]

CliffyB/James M -

Thanks so much - this info will certainly help us all in detailing the hull.

James - Dick Landgraff just informed me that the "gusset plates" are actually called BUTT STRAPS. So, from here on out that's the term I'll use! I think in light of the comment CliffyB has made regarding the distances between each Strap, the spacing gauge supplied with the 3rd party PE might be simply based on the "average" distance between straps. I'm looking forward to seeing your information re. these straps.

Randy - KUDOS!! I think your Mk. 8 is a winner

I just got the final drawing version of my NEW JERSEY Decking Set from Kim @ Pontos - he's really done a wonderful job on getting this drawn up, etc. This is a big step forward on my model.

Hank

[RandyM]

Added the mainmast and some support stays. Continued working on the mk8 antenna array. Here's a large-ish image of entire ship to date.

http://www.nulspace.com/hobbies/missouri/102914a.JPG

[Fliger747]

Yesterday I was re painting all the weather decks (except the helicopter deck) with model master USN deck blue instead of the slightly darker gunmetal that I had on there. The question arises as to what was covered with the deck paint. Some ships painted the tops of the 5" mounts, though I believe Missouri did not, at least at the end of the Gulf War period. I currently have the top of the coning tower painted in deck blue, however looking at my photos of the top of the tower, it is just haze gray. I presume the current museum paint scheme has nothing to do with nothing. Varies ship by ship and date by date I expect.

Cheers. T

[RandyM]

...and while you're at it, I am in need of detail photos of the after Mk51/Mk57 director tubs - the ones on the aft stack (Missouri WW2). I'm specifically looking for the support structure.

[James M]

Will pictures of the 1/48 navy models do for the supports?

James

[RandyM]

Absolutely. I have some of both Missouri and Iowa models, but the images I have do not show this area / detail well. Anything you can provide would be much appreciated.

[Cliffy B]

Yesterday I was re painting all the weather decks (except the helicopter deck) with model master USN deck blue instead of the slightly darker gunmetal that I had on there. The question arises as to what was covered with the deck paint. Some ships painted the tops of the 5" mounts, though I believe Missouri did not, at least at the end of the Gulf War period. I currently have the top of the coning tower painted in deck blue, however looking at my photos of the top of the tower, it is just haze gray. I presume the current museum paint scheme has nothing to do with nothing. Varies ship by ship and date by date I expect.

Cheers. T

Speaking for the Wisky only, photos from her recommissioning period show the 5" mounts with Deck Gray on them. Sometime later they were painted pure Haze Gray. There are other random color changes around the deck, specifically in the anchor area around the Wildcats and the deck mounted valves and fill pipes. Depends on the CO I believe and whether its wartime or peacetime.

[Fliger747]

Looked at one overhead photo of Missouri at the end of the gulf war and the tops of the 5" mounts are done in deck blue/gray (B&W photo). Book illustrations never have quite the spy in the sky detail we would like. Give war fighting in the modern era one might as well paint the whole ship in Euclid Green. I can't make out the color or tone of the top of the coning tower, though my close up of the current one is haze gray on bb63. Think it was deck color in the day.

Thanks to all as usual! Tom

[Fliger747]

Cliffy!

Garzke and Dulin (what do they know) also called them Bloomers.

Cheers. T

[RandyM]

More questions...

I've been looking at the aft stack/FCS tower. I think I've got the director tubs under control (although James if you have any photos of the supports, I'm all eyes), but have a couple related questions.

1. Does anyone have photos/drawings of WW2-era "sound powered telephone lockers?" I believe this refers to a weather-deck version of a typical phone cradle as would be found inside the ship. (???)

2. Does anyone know anything about the "service platform" attached to the after side of the aft-most mk51 director tub on Missouri? I can only fund one reference to it - in the FDD Plan Book (it is not shown on the 1/96 plans I have). See image below at red arrow (it shows on both sides in the plan, but I've only put one on as I have no idea how real it is).

3. It appears that Iowa / New Jersey were different than Missouri / Wisconsin regarding placement of the mk51 tubs on the aft stack. Does anyone know why this was so?

[James M]

Randy, pm sent.

Thank you Cliffy for the help on the Wisky.

[RandyM]

James: Rx/Tx. THANK YOU.

This is what I've come up with based on a single photo I found of a 40mm tub with a phone locker visible. It looks like a two-piece box, hinged lid with wingnut hold downs. But that's with a good dose of conjecture.

[James M]

Here are a couple of the supports from one of the models.





I can email these to you if you need better resolution. They are 1500 KB pictures
James

[BB62vet]

James M:

Very nice photos - what model is that? Is it in one of the musuems?

Thanks,

Hank

[James M]

It's a 1:48th scale Iowa class model in the Iowa state capital building. It is labeled USS Iowa but has mostly Missouri details.
This one is better than the Gibbs and Cox model at the Washington Navy yard, there is more detail and it has the planked deck.

James

[Fliger747]

I took a few photos of the John Haynes 1:48 model aboard Missouri, in the wardroom. Hard to get decent photos through the glass cases.

Cheers. Tom