At 'Em Arizona Fans!

[Jim Azelton]

Are you referring to the actual structures or the equipment within?

[Jeff Sharp]

Hi Jim,
Thanks for the paravane drawing and the pic showing the bolts. About the aft director support, you said they had gussets at the base. Do you have a pic or a drawing that led you to this conclusion?
Thx,
Jeff

[Jim Azelton]

Here is an excerpt of the drawing:

[Jeff Sharp]

Awesome! Very cool!

[Jim Azelton]

Glad to help. The attachment below should help with a couple of other questions I saw mentioned.
*"Mushroom" vent installed on the large, square vent on the boat deck--at different times, there was one on the port, two (1 each, P&S) and then just one on the port side again. The attachment here with the locations circled is from a drawing dated 30 Mar 38.
*Wood decking on the veg locker -- this shows 1) there was wood and 2) that wood was Fir as I mentioned earlier. To my knowledge, the superstructure deck ("boat deck") is the only place with fir, the other weather decks with wood appear to have been teak.

Let me know if there are other areas needed -- I'll try to help.

[BB62vet]

Jim,

Referring to the Interior layouts of equipment and so forth. I would love to see any drawings (blueprints) of the interior equipment arrangements of the fire control tops on these ships (AZ/PA/OK/etc.). There are 2 levels inside, more than likely utilizing a ladder for access between. Somewhere, there had to have been drawings made that shows all the details, etc.

By F.C. Top I mean:

BB-38 Maian Mast F.C. Top_1.JPG (17.08 KiB) Viewed 4465 times

What's inside this Bad Boy????

[Jim Azelton]

Here's an earlier version drawing which shows what I mentioned regarding the vents and the decking on the veg locker. It also appears to show the "edge" divider I mentioned in conjunction with the salvage picture. This is an excerpt of a drawing dated 1931 (exact date illegible).

[Jim Azelton]

I've wondered the same thing for YEARS! See if this shows the detail you're looking for... These are for Pennsylvania and dated 8 Dec 1931 and show a more detailed "General" view.

[Ian Roberts]

Those are excellent plans - you can add a lot of detail just based on those.

For info on the "gun directors" shown in those plans, check Norman Friedman's "Battleship Guns and Gunnery" -- this book has lengthy descriptions of all the USN pre-war fire control systems for the battleships, including photos/drawings from ordnance pamphlets in some cases. Certainly enough to create a basic model for 3D printing if desired.

[Jim Azelton]

Thanks, Ian, I have wondered about that equipment but haven't seen much about it. I have a few of Mr Friedman's books but not that one -- I'll have to add that to my list!

[BB62vet]

Jim/Ian,

Thanks so much for directing me back to MY OWN set of those plan views in the PENNSY 1931 drawings which I had scanned at NARA in 2016. I had forgotten they were there.

I will indeed check out Norman Fieldman's book Battleship's Guns & Gunnery - that's one I don't actually have in my library. I can only imagine what those battery control crews were thinking on both PA & AZ when the P.H. attack took place. I wonder if either of those F.C. tops were hit at all.

Anyhow, thanks for posting!

Hank

[Jim Azelton]

Neither of the tops for AZ or PA were hit by any bombs (do not know about strafing hits) but the WV (?) had a bomb hit through one of the tops -- just don't recall off the cuff what the extent of damage was, but I want to say it went through a platform before hitting one of the turrets. I'll check my PH refs and follow-up.

[Ian Roberts]

Sorry, the entire title for the Friedman book is Naval Firepower: Battleship Guns and Gunnery in the Dreadnought Era.

Hardcover is available on Amazon for the very low price of $105...... https://www.amazon.com/Naval-Firepower- ... 1591145554

Alternatively, it's available on Kindle or e-reader format for $11.49: https://www.amazon.com/Naval-Firepower- ... 5NXRGS6JBM

I actually highly recommend the Kindle format as you can search for text terms in the book to more easily find things...

[BB62vet]

Ian,

Thanks! I saw that about the title, etc. The prices are really outrageous for the hardcopy version. But, I'm not into Kindle or elec. books, so...I may have to think about this one a bit.

Hank

[Jeff Sharp]

I oftened wondered what the little circles on her teak decks were supposed to be. Now I know. Deck lights. Go figure.

[BB62vet]

Jeff,
Thanks for pointing out the deck lights - I completely missed those being there!! They are also present on the 2nd deck (below) drawings, as well!!

I'll put that in the "Vault" for review when I get to my 1940's PENNSY build.

Hank

[Jeff Sharp]

Hi Hank,
I don�t know if either Arizona or Pennsylvania retained these lights into the late 30�s/ early 40�s. This Pennsylvania pic would suggest the lights were removed and filled in with teak blanks.

[BB62vet]

Jeff,
Point well taken! The drawings were dated in the early/mid '30s, so by late '30s both ships could have had them removed and decked over.

Hank

[chazi]

Hello everyone

Does anybody can help with shell expansion of lower part of Arizona hull. I'm looking for any drawings

thanks
chris

[Timmy C]

Others could confirm, but it seems like they're what we'd call 'skylights' in regular architecture: a way for natural light to reach into the hull to provide lighting without/in addition to interior electric lights.