Calling all USS Pennsylvania BB-38 fans

[grim reaper]

Here is a pic dated 33 with Pennsylvania with the booth. Chad

http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/013896a.jpg

[Dick J]

Hank I had misunderstood what you said...sorry Brain farting I guess. .. No more MEK fumes for me today.

To clear it up....Pictorial evidence from August suggests the Booth Probably was there..I agree.
And with out evidence of Yard Work...it was in place on Dec 7 .......I agree..yes.

Guys, check out the "high-rez" version here and zoom in on Pennsy:
https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collec ... 32953.html
I don't know what you will see, but to me it looks like it is still there.

[SeanF]

Rick E. Davis posted some overhead shots of the battleships taken on Dec. 10, 1941 on the CASF Nevada-class thread, and we've had some interesting discussion over some zoom-ins he was able to provide for the Nevada. There is a shot of Pennsylvania in the bunch, and perhaps a zoom-in of the area around the port boat crane could give us definitive proof?
(However, from the photo angle, the mainmast birdbath might be in the way. It obscures enough that I can't see the projector room with the photo as-is. A zoom-in might allow us to pick out the corner of the room's roof or something.)

On the other hand, owing to all the very specific changes, re-painting questions, and so on, I've taken to building my Pearl Harbor fleet as "Late '41 fit" without insisting that they are specifically matching the morning of Dec. 7. (That way, I can also put them at-sea, with their full Kingfisher complements.) So yes, whether the booth was still there on Dec. 7 (I'm pretty sure it was), or not, I'll need to go back and add it. That's fine, just another bit of visual interest for the model!

- Sean F.

[BB62vet]

Sean,

I think the booth is there on the drydock overhead shot with HELENA & PENNSYLVANIA. That's a great photo, BTW!!! Thanks, Rick E. Davis

And your P.H. Diorama is spectacular - extremely impressive. Kudos on that effort!!!

Hank

[bioshock73]

About Pennsylvania's 1945 refit.... I have a couple questions.
1. How many twin 20mm were installed. I know of one on the forward most mount on turret 2.
2. The small antenna on top of the mainmast where the Mk. 3 antenna used to be?

[JollyRoger61]

Trying to figure out the arrangement of railings on the upper/boat deck around the big twin 5" on her '44/'45 configurations...so tough to see no matter how many photos I stare at. Should I just assume that, other than room enough for the 5" mounts to turn, there should be railings there, everywhere along the edge?

[bioshock73]

Trying to figure out the arrangement of railings on the upper/boat deck around the big twin 5" on her '44/'45 configurations...so tough to see no matter how many photos I stare at. Should I just assume that, other than room enough for the 5" mounts to turn, there should be railings there, everywhere along the edge?

It doesn't appear to be any around the 5" mounts and 20mm gun tubs. http://navsource.org/archives/01/038/013805d.jpg
Those gun tubs are still there in '45. http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/013801.jpg
But, some railings were install along the deck with the 5" mounts after the 20mm tubs and some 5" mounts removed before the atom bomb tests. http://navsource.org/archives/01/038/013809t.jpg

[JollyRoger61]

Thanks!

Another one, , this time a dumb Ms 21 question for the Penn in '44/45. (I posted this question in the general discussion as a general painting question, then thought better of it and reposted here)

Reading the Ms 21 qualifications, describing 5N being applied to "all vertical surfaces." I guess I was under the impression that the deck blue was only on the actual walking decks and everything else being in 5N. Unlike, for instance, Ms 22 in which even the main armament barrels had their upper surfaces in deck blue? So I'm wondering how this applies to the deck gear and main gun turrets....on the Pennsy '44/45; at first glance seems like they're all solid 5N top and sides...?

Hope this makes sense...?

[MartinJQuinn]

Reading the Ms 21 qualifications, describing 5N being applied to "all vertical surfaces." I guess I was under the impression that the deck blue was only on the actual walking decks and everything else being in 5N. Unlike, for instance, Ms 22 in which even the main armament barrels had their upper surfaces in deck blue? So I'm wondering how this applies to the deck gear and main gun turrets....on the Pennsy '44/45; at first glance seems like they're all solid 5N top and sides...?

Hope this makes sense...?

While it is harder to discern from photos, if applied correctly, Deck Blue 20B would be on all horizontal surfaces - all decks, turret tops, main battery gun barrels, tops of directors, etc., even on Ms21.

[JollyRoger61]

Regarding the stern gun tub fitted to the very end of the fantail in '44/45, I'm seeing triangular braces in the line drawing I have but can't see in any photos. I'm guessing either 3 or 5 of them, but can't be sure. Anyone have a definitive answer on this?

[JollyRoger61]

Thanks David! Disappointing to see the Dragon kit is wrong in that the tub is significantly raised above the deck. Too late now, grrr...

Another question now with that view; was the actual lettering of the ship's name physically removed?? I would have thought it to be just painted over, with the raised "bumps" of the letters visible if up close, but it looks as if they've been completely removed? Or is it just hard to tell?

[Rick E Davis]

Here is another view of the stern and the support structure under the 20-mm platform taken from a lower aspect angle.

The letters of USS PENNSYLVANIA name would still be there. But, you need a pretty close-up image to see the painted over name.

[InchHigh]

The hull numbers were weld lines on the hull plating. These served as location guides for painting. Missouri had both the full size outlines and the smaller outlines used during the war welded on her bows. They are almost impossible to see unless you are right up on them and the lighting is right.

[Rick E Davis]

A view of USS PENNSYLVANIA name on her stern during the 1920's, her name remained in that location in the 1930s.

A view of the stern of USS TENNESSEE in March 1942 showing her name which was outlined by rivets (or welds). Very hard to see in the full frame image.

USS PENNSYLVANIA letters would be pretty small at any distance and not anywhere as high off the hull as the porthole plates.

[kylewoody]

I tried searching but didn't find anything - would the Arizona have had her range clocks on the masts during the Pearl Harbor attack?

Photos of the wreck indicate no, and the most recent picture on Navsource has them in Jan of 1941.

Thanks!

[Jon C Ryckert]

No they were not present during the attack. I believe the one on the foremast was removed in Jan of 1941 and the after one on the mainmast was removed sometime after August of same year.

[chuck]

Is there any detailed plans of the Pennsylvania circa late 1944 comparable to floating drydock plans?

[bioshock73]

I have Floating Drydock's 1945 Pennsylvania drawings. Last year I ordered them in 1/96 scale. Well worth the money, 3 scrolls. And they are huge. About 8 ft. long and 30-31 in. wide.

[ModelMonkey]

I have Floating Drydock's 1945 Pennsylvania drawings. Last year I ordered them in 1/96 scale. Well worth the money, 3 scrolls. And they are huge. About 8 ft. long and 30-31 in. wide.

Highly recommended.

[Saransk93]

I think one of the best photos, and description, for any 1945 US battleship fit is in the Navsource.org photo archive for the USS Pennsylvania.
The photo is http://navsource.org/archives/01/038/013801c.jpg showing the Pennsylvania in June 1945 at Hunters Point. But what is great is the identification and description of most, if not all, the various antennas , etc. that were upgraded/added to her. She was even given some of the newest gun directors that even the Iowa class didn't get until after the war.

But the description of the various bits and pieces help identify the strange looking things that sprouted all over US battleships in the last year of the war.

Highly recommended