Calling all New Orleans-class (CA-32) fans

[MatthewB]

I still think those are some sort of "raft" or hydroplaning device.

I looked at the crane locations, and even after the mid-war modifications, the crane can reach them. Although after those modifications, they would need a line to pull it away from the bulkhead on the off-side.

But when the cranes are swung to aft, that thingy is directly below the end of the crane.

And the shapes have an "Airfoil" cross-section to them, and are angled as if to pull the sled away from the ship (based upon what looks to be the "forward" direction of the device).

But I really have no clue what it is.

MB

[Rick E Davis]

That may be true about the cranes accessing these objects prior to USS SAN FRANCISCO's 1944 refit, but once her two cranes were replaced by ONE crane on the centerline, it could NOT reach them. And they were still there.

Most sleds were a lighter construction than these would appear to be.

I still have no clue what they are for.

[MatthewB]

Another topic:

Searchlight towers.

I know that the Searchlight tower straddled the vent on the USS San Francisco, and didn't on the Quincy, Vincennes, and Tuscaloosa, .

But what about on the Minneapolis, New Orleans, and Astoria? I cannot really tell with the photos I have.

The Minneapolis looks like it MIGHT straddle it, but some of the photos look like it does, and others look like it doesn't.

I know there was something in the thread (and I am going to continue looking through it), but I have yet to be able to find it.

MB

[Dick J]

The searchlight towers were basically the same on all four navy-yard-built ships of the class; CA's 32, 34, 36, & 38.

[MatthewB]

The searchlight towers were basically the same on all four navy-yard-built ships of the class; CA's 32, 34, 36, & 38.

Thank you, Dick.

So the New Orleans, Astoria, Minneapolis, and San Francisco all had Searchlight Towers that Straddled the vent, and the Quincy and Vincennes (I'm not doing a Tuscaloosa yet - Atlantic Ship, not there yet) had the tower atop the vent.

That means that I need to get three more PE sets for the New Orleans-class from Toms' to get the towers I need. I hope that I can manage to re-build the splinter shields on everything with .008" styrene, as buying six sets of the Five-Star PE sets for all six ships will set me back a fortune.

I re-read most of this thread, and I could not find where it mentioned this previously.

MB

[diStefan]

Looking for accurate dimensions for a deck catapult USS San Francisco (CA-38)

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

Please just need 2d drawing with dimensions.

Thanks

[MatthewB]

Looking for accurate dimensions for a deck catapult USS San Francisco (CA-38)

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

Please just need 2d drawing with dimensions.

Thanks

I would just like one in PE for 1/700 that was both more accurate AND that would assemble better.

The best looking ones I have found (Five Star) are also the flimsiest.

I think that I just need to break down and buy the rest of the other manufacturers and build them to see how they feel compared to the Five-Star catapults.

But getting drawings would be really helpful.

MB

[bwross11]

Another head scratcher. Chuck Hansen in his technical history indicates that during the May to December 1942 timeframe, that the San Francisco carried 2-26ft motor whaleboats, 1-30ft motor launch and 1-36ft motor launch; the last two in cradles on the over hangar deck.
As I've searched the internet for pictures I've noticed that most models depicting San Francisco during this timeframe have a pair of 36fts with a pair of 26fts nested on the over hangar deck in addition to the two 26fts in the davits forward of the catapults.
Question is, does anyone have any definitive evidence one way or the other it is? I'm inclined to believe Hansen but just want to check before I commit.

thanks
Bruce

[MatthewB]

Another head scratcher. Chuck Hansen in his technical history indicates that during the May to December 1942 timeframe, that the San Francisco carried 2-26ft motor whaleboats, 1-30ft motor launch and 1-36ft motor launch; the last two in cradles on the over hangar deck.
As I've searched the internet for pictures I've noticed that most models depicting San Francisco during this timeframe have a pair of 36fts with a pair of 26fts nested on the over hangar deck in addition to the two 26fts in the davits forward of the catapults.
Question is, does anyone have any definitive evidence one way or the other it is? I'm inclined to believe Hansen but just want to check before I commit.

thanks
Bruce

I think Rick Davis addressed this earlier in the thread.

I'll look back through the thread in a sec to see if I can find it.

But I seem to recall that he said that the SF herself only had two-to-four boats by the time of the Battles in Fall of 1942 in the Savo Sound.

I cannot recall the lengths, but it was two in the davits, and two in cradles on the Hangar.

MB

Edit:

And after looking back through this thread from when I joined the forum in Summer-2015, I can only find one mention of the Ship's Boats, that those above the hangar were removed early in the war:

viewtopic.php?f=48&t=6603&p=701921&hili ... ts#p701921

And looking through my Warship Pictorial #7: New Orleans-class Cruisers it says on p. 7 that "The small boat accommodation has been reduced to two 40ft motor launches and four 26ft motor whaleboats" (Feb '42).

And photos of the Astoria on Navsource show just two 40ft Launches on the Hangar, and nothing in the davits to port, but a whaleboat in the davits to Starboard (July '42):

http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/034/0403402.jpg
http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/034/0403407.jpg

p.18 of the WP#7 shows that another 26ft Whaleboat is on the hangar roof in May '42, on the side with the boat missing from the davits (Port).

pp. 14 - 15 of Warship Pictorial #2: USS Minneapolis CA-36 show the ships with what looks to be the 2-and-2 boats.


Tuscaloosa in early '42 seems to show the 2-and-2 (40ft & 26ft) arrangement as well, but the Hangar deck could well be holding another pair of 26ft Whaleboats:

http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/037/0403701.gif

But the rest of the images of the Quincy, & Vincennes that I can find show that they had 2 & 4 boats (40ft & 26ft) when they were sunk.

[bwross11]

Thanks for the reply Matthew.

Rick's comment about two in the davits and two on the over hangar deck pretty much corresponds with Hansen's comments. So, I will go with two 26ft whaleboats in the davits and two launches in the cradles. I am going to have to go with one small deviation from Hansen's guidance, since I can find any hull sections for a 30ft launch my rendition of San Francisco will be getting two 36ft launches.

I've modeled the boat up in CAD and just receive two samples from Shapeways. Its' a little hard to see as they haven't been primed yet but I'm really excited about how well they turned out.



Now, just have to finish up the 26ft model and I can order those as well. Need six of those for three different model ships....that's going to be a little pricey!

Anyway, good modeling all
Bruce

[ModelMonkey]

Excellent!!

[DrPR]

You can get blueprints for most US Navy small boats (plus yard oilers, other yard vessels, some destroyers, etc.) from the Barbour Boat Works collection at the Joiner Library at East Carolina University. See this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=52&t=155093

I have obtained some drawings from the Library. They were very inexpensive and were excellent digital scans of the original blueprints. They were perfect for modeling the boats.

Phil

[bwross11]

Thanks Steve.

Phil, I actually got the plans for the 36ft from the Barbour collection. They had a few of the sections so I had to work the rest from looking at a few sparse pictures. For the 30ft that I actually need all they have is a profile and plan view; and I haven't been able to find any pictures so I'm stuck. Got great plans for the 26ft that I just placed an order for. I'll post pictures of that one when the models arrive.

Bruce

[Rick E Davis]

Well something I never expected to come across at NARA ... I came across a group of photos onboard USS CALIFORNIA in 80-G that answers a question about that odd looking "thing" on the aft superstructure onboard USS SAN FRANCISCO. I recalling don't think that this was the ONLY Seaplane Sled used during WWII and pre-WWII. I know that the sled used on the three Aircraft-Handling FLETCHER class destroyers was just canvas with no metal sled. Some of the distant photos I have of cruiser aircraft retrieval operation don't provide much detail, but always looked like they were canvas. In looking at these photos you can see that a complete sled outfit had a lot of canvas and padding associated with it. Boy that looks like it would make a nice bed for a sailor looking to grab a quick nap.

These photos were taken aboard CALIFORNIA after she was rebuilt and while she was painted in dazzle camo. Wherever they sowed this thing, they painted it in dazzle to match.

[MatthewB]

I told you so.



:�

MB

[Rick E Davis]

I have to wonder if the USS CALIFORNIA sled was a Pre-WWII design used on battleships and cruisers. This photo shows the more common type of sled I'm use to seeing deployed by war-built cruisers.



This rare view shows USS MINNEAPOLIS recovering her aircraft in 1939. It shows the arrangement of recovery rigging required to retrieve aircraft while underway. The close-up shows the sled used, which could be like the one show onboard USS CALIFORNIA. As you can see, not much detail of its construction can be made out.

[Gernot]

Rick, thanks for that close-up. If that is another one on the quartedeck, maybe a close-up of that can reveal a bit more?

[Rick E Davis]

Gernot,

I don't think it is another sled. But, I have no idea of what they are working on on the fantail. One of my "maybe" guesses is that they are getting ready to erect awnings. There is an a lot of rope laying there. They objects in the middle, almost look like tables. Could be cleaning them or getting ready for some sort of event????

[Guba]

Gernot,

I don't think it is another sled. But, I have no idea of what they are working on on the fantail. One of my "maybe" guesses is that they are getting ready to erect awnings. There is an a lot of rope laying there. They objects in the middle, almost look like tables. Could be cleaning them or getting ready for some sort of event????

I don't think they are getting ready to erect awnings as they look to be underway. And even if they were about to tie up dockside, the main decks would be clear to manhandle the mooring lines.

[DrPR]

A lot of the guys on the Minneapolis are wearing whites, but some are in dungarees. When I was in the Navy crew and officers only wore whites going into and out of port, or while in port. At sea it was khakis and dungarees.

So I would guess they were just entering or leaving port. The mooring lines on the stern are faked down pretty sloppily, as if they had just been hauled in. When preparing to enter port the lines were removed from storage reels and neatly faked down so they could be hauled without getting tangled. So I would guess they had just left port.

The flag staff is up on the stern (at sea the national ensign is flown from the mast top). It would be lowered for gunfire operations, and might have been lowered soon after getting underway and raised only when entering port again. Other photos of the Minneapolis at sea might reveal more about this.

It was common practice to send planes to repair shops/tenders while in port (when they wouldn't be flown off ship anyway) and to take them on board after getting underway. Looks like that is what they are doing in the picture.

The other stuff on the fantail? It looks like four doors - they are a bit longer that the sailors are tall and appear to have two panels. Maybe they are/were being painted? Maybe something from the Philadelphia experiment? Parts of a flying saucer they are secretly burying at sea? Pick your favorite rumor or conspiracy theory.

Phil