Calling all "Big 5" Tennessee-class & Colorado-class fans

[Dick J]

So who is going to contact Navsource and the Navy History page to tell them?

My vote is that Dick J should get the honors. After all, he was the one that raised the red flag in the first place.

Now done at NHHC.

[MartinJQuinn]

California 12/7/41 (or shortly thereafter). Photo 80G33948, from NARA II. Great detail shot.

[Steve]

California 12/7/41 (or shortly thereafter). Photo 80G33948, from NARA II. Great detail shot.

Martin - Any chance there is one like this for the Tennessee bridge? - Steve G.

[MartinJQuinn]

California 12/7/41 (or shortly thereafter). Photo 80G33948, from NARA II. Great detail shot.

Martin - Any chance there is one like this for the Tennessee bridge? - Steve G.

How are these?

80G32475

80G32426

[Atma]

I may sound funny but only recently I notice that very early in her career USS Tennessee had an extra searchlight platform on her second funnel. Its almost identical to the British "coffee box" styled search light platforms that was used during and after WWI.
I was unable to find pictures of the same platform on USS California, so Im guessing she never had one. So it seems USS Tennessee was the only one from the Big 5 that had that structure on her second funnel and it seems she had it till seaplanes and seaplanes handling equipment polluted her deck.

[Timmy C]

Link to full-rez version of that shot of Tenny in Vancouver: http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/uplo ... 770-90.jpg

[Atma]

Did the USS Tennessee and USS Colorado class had different cranes ? Judging from this famous 1941 picture the USS West Virginia has a slight different shaped cranes.

[HvyCgn9]

Came across this pic the other day...USS West Virginia, after refit.

[SeanF]

I'm putting the finishing touches on my late '41 TN, CA, and WV builds, and decided to mount the admiral's flags on them, as appropriate. Trying to find out how many stars go on each one, but so far coming up empty on names and ranks of the admirals in question. I'd assume 2 star Rear Admiral flags on just Tennessee and West Virginia as BatDiv 2 and 4 flagships, but does anyone know more specifics?

- Sean F.

[Haijun watcher]

Hello Sean,

Would you please post pictures of your Maryland here as well?

It would be a great help to me and others here if you could please post close up pictures of the corrected bulges of your Maryland/Colorado build we discussed earlier in the other thread on the "Big 5" in their rebuilt configurations.

If I can't duplicate the corrected bulges, I am mulling either building my Trumpeter Maryland 1941 kit either full hull or still going waterline but correcting the hull to push the oversize bulges further to make it look like the West Virginia kit without the bulges, thus making a pre-bulge Maryland/Colorado.

[Daytona675R]

Came across this pic the other day...USS West Virginia, after refit.

I can't help myself...the best looking warship. Ever.

[Daytona675R]

I'm putting the finishing touches on my late '41 TN, CA, and WV builds, and decided to mount the admiral's flags on them, as appropriate. Trying to find out how many stars go on each one, but so far coming up empty on names and ranks of the admirals in question. I'd assume 2 star Rear Admiral flags on just Tennessee and West Virginia as BatDiv 2 and 4 flagships, but does anyone know more specifics?

- Sean F.

Hi Sean,

TN: Flagship of the BatDiv 2, RADM David W. Bagley
CA: Flagship of the Battle Force, VADM William S. Pye
WV: No particular role.

Despite one can find info that WV served as a flagship for the Commander, Battleships, Battle Force RADM Walter S. Anderson (moreover, RADM Anderson had also an additional duty as the Commander, BatDiv 4), more sources are stating that the Maryland actually flew the RADM Anderson's flag (he returned to the MD during the PH raid from ashore).

By the way, I just found an interesting story in the "Daugters of Infamy" book - the Admiral's flags were supposedly cut away during the PH attack in order to prevent Japanese pilots to specifically attack the flagships.

[Haijun watcher]

Hi all,

Would it be reasonable to assume that the AA fit and secondary armament of the 1941 pre-bulge Colorado and Maryland were identical to West Virginia's December 1941 fit?

Just wondering because I might have to totally remove the bulges of my Trumpeter Maryland kit , and make it into a pre-bulge 1941 WeeVee, if my attempt to apply SeanF's "bulge-thinning technique", mentioned in the other rebuilt Big5 thread, doesn't work.

[diStefan]

Looking for accurate dimensions for a deck catapult USS California (BB-44)

Have request to design this for 3D-printing in different scales.

Please just need 2d drawing with dimensions.

Thanks

[diStefan]

was that a Type P Mark 6 catapult?

yes, 1935 era version P6, please

[Daytona675R]

By the way... I assume the catapult had to be rotated into at least 45� angle from the ship centerline before launch. However, there was a deck railing standing in the way. Was it somehow collapsible?

[Haijun watcher]

Has anyone here built Naval Works' resin 1/700 California 1941 kit?

Just wondering how it compares with Trumpeter's newly released styrene 1/700 California 1941 kit.

I am well aware there's already a review on Naval Works' USS California in our reviews section, but I just was looking for more feedback.

[Jeff Sharp]

Here are some nice shots of Colorado going through the Panama Canal 1939.

[Plasma_Frigate]

Are there any options for building Colorado in 1/350 scale? Can one of the existing kits of its sister ships be converted? Either before or after its refit is okay.

[MartinJQuinn]

Are there any options for building Colorado in 1/350 scale? Can one of the existing kits of its sister ships be converted? Either before or after its refit is okay.

Roger Torgeson built a 1/350 1943 Colorado, using the ISW kit as a starting point, if I recall correctly. Lots of work, but certainly doable.