Calling all Essex-class (WWII configuration) fans

[task force 58]

OK so Franklin it is then, I saw a photo of Wasp in August of 1945 and it appeared that she only had one gun tub under her bow, can anybody confirm? http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... CV-18).jpg

[Dick J]

10 Essex's were built as "short hulls", including CV's 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 20 & 31. All of these only had the one quad 40MM on the bow, and the mount barely peeked out from under the flightdeck. A later modification to the design put a second mount on the bow, but to improve the sky arcs, the bow was extended - the so called "long hulls". All 14 of the later Essex's were long hulls. During their modernizations in the 1950's, CV's 9, 10, 11, 12, 18 & 20 were converted to the long-hull bow. CV's 16 & 31 might have been converted too, but the enclosed bow was fitted before they recommissioned. At that time, their bow config was identical to CV-38, which had started as a long hull.

[task force 58]

Thanks, before I tackle Wasp I want to cut my teeth on another Essex can Hornet in 1944 be built out of the Franklin box?

[Adaks]

USS Hornet CV-12 in 1944 still had early island, hangar cat and one flight deck cat, so Trumpeter Essex would be much better as a starting point.

[ModelMonkey]

Hi all,
I have a question concerning whip antennae that replaced the original radio masts on some Essex-class carriers in late WW2 - like those on this photo of USS Bunker Hill off Okinawa seen in the foreground at http://goo.gl/hlqacO . What I cannot figure out of the picture is if these were collapsible like the original radio masts during flight operations? I consider this very likely (in which case the two objects below the antennae platform would perhaps be hydraulic supports responsible for moving them). Does anyone have a photo or other information showing this?

Here you go. This photo is of Bunker Hill CV-17 on 11 May 1945 after the two Kamikazes hit. The Avenger tail wreckage gives some sense of the scale of the antenna's pivot mount and counterweight:

I hope that those who suffered that day found peace.

[Vladi]

Thank you, this is exactly the info I needed!

[Rob Jansen]

I am building a 1944 Ticonderoga from the 1/350 Trumpeter kit and have a question I'm hoping someone could answer: I have plugged the holes for the 40mm tubs and Mk51 directors but am curious about the location marked "X". This is where kit part 18 goes. I am guessing this represents a Clipping Room and should be removed and deleted also. Am I correct or is it something that should be there?

Thanks for any help

[Rob Jansen]

OK I found this picture; so yes it needs to be removed

[Roberto]

Hi, does anybody know whether the hangar catapult required the forward elevator to be up or down in order to be operated?
Thanks

[ModelMonkey]

Rob, nice photo of Tico. Really looks good. Good luck with your build.

[Memphis]

I need help CV-11 Intrepid 1/350 Galery Models. Manufacturer didn't give anything for the hangar deck. Could anybody give me the dimensions of details from trumpeter's kits CV-9, CV-10, CV-13, CV-14? Scale 1/350 or 1/700

[ModelMonkey]

I need help CV-11 Intrepid 1/350 Galery Models. Manufacturer didn't give anything for the hangar deck. Could anybody give me the dimensions of details from trumpeter's kits CV-9, CV-10, CV-13, CV-14? Scale 1/350 or 1/700

Here are plans for Hornet CV-12, post-conversion to an angle-deck carrier:
http://maritime.org/doc/plans/cv12.pdf

Hope this helps.

[MFH]

I while back I found a pretty good spot for carrier images, many from WW II Essex-class carriers. I tried to post the images, but they were too wide. So, I'm going to try links to them. Here goes...

Here's the main search page: http://collections.naval.aviation.museu ... /Query.php

Here's some images of USS Wasp (CV-18; late war):

Overall view:
http://collections.naval.aviation.museu ... ?irn=30400

Good view of forward flight deck markings:
http://collections.naval.aviation.museu ... ?irn=30465

A different perspective of the forward flight deck markings after a typhoon!:

http://collections.naval.aviation.museu ... ?irn=30447

A good view of her island, radar suite, and forward twin 5"/38 gun mounts:
http://collections.naval.aviation.museu ... ?irn=30517

A detailed view of her forward twin 5"/38 gun mounts:
http://collections.naval.aviation.museu ... ?irn=30419

Just search for any carrier (pretty much), and you'll be rewarded with some pretty interesting images.

There's some GREAT collections as well, like Captain Carlos W. Wieber's photo album (basically) from his time on Essex, a Jumpin' Joe Clifton album (which these came from), and others (Gilreath and Balden are worth checking out).

[Erik W]

I have been researching CV-36 USS Antietam as she appeared from commissioning on January 28, 1945, through the end of WWII. All the printed material I have in various books, as well as what I've found on the net states that she never received the additional 40mm quad Bofors sponsons that some other Essex class carriers received during refits late in the war. I found this photo and have circled what clearly seems to be the seven 40mm quad mounts that were the standard configuration when beefing up the AA outfit late in the war.

Here is the super-large original version of this photo (without my circles).
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... 9_1945.jpg

Just figured I'd add to the ever growing body of knowledge on these ships.



Erik

[MFH]

Erik,

Have you seen this pics of Antietam from March to April 1945?

http://collections.naval.aviation.museu ... ?irn=42843

http://collections.naval.aviation.museu ... ?irn=42845

http://collections.naval.aviation.museu ... ?irn=42846

http://collections.naval.aviation.museu ... ?irn=42847

[Erik W]

Erik,

Have you seen this pics of Antietam from March to April 1945?

http://collections.naval.aviation.museu ... ?irn=42843

http://collections.naval.aviation.museu ... ?irn=42845

http://collections.naval.aviation.museu ... ?irn=42846

http://collections.naval.aviation.museu ... ?irn=42847

Yeah I've seen those before. Thanks. Most of the Antietam photos I've found from WWII show the ship in the time frame when she was wearing the Measure 32/17A(2) camouflage, before she deployed to the Pacific.

Erik

[Dick J]

Conventional wisdom also said that Boxer never had the outboards, but this photo is from Navsource:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/022132.jpg
And by 1947, they are gone:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/022134.jpg
Both Boxer and Antietam were in the Pacific en route to the war zone when the war ended. Antietam spent close to a month at Pearl before continuing on. Apparently, like Randolph before them, they had the outboards added prior to seeing their first combat. But once the threat was over the outboards were removed, most likely because of topweight concerns.

[Michael Vorrasi]

Conventional wisdom also said that Boxer never had the outboards, but this photo is from Navsource:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/022132.jpg
And by 1947, they are gone:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/022134.jpg
Both Boxer and Antietam were in the Pacific en route to the war zone when the war ended. Antietam spent close to a month at Pearl before continuing on. Apparently, like Randolph before them, they had the outboards added prior to seeing their first combat. But once the threat was over the outboards were removed, most likely because of topweight concerns.

Top weight was an issue for sure, however, of greater concern, particularly for the late Essexes remaining in active service in the immediate post-war period, was the fact that the outboard 40 quads prevented the ships from clearing the Panama Canal. Many of the early ships went straight into mothballs with all their wartime quad mounts.

[Dick J]

Top weight was an issue for sure, however, of greater concern, particularly for the late Essexes remaining in active service in the immediate post-war period, was the fact that the outboard 40 quads prevented the ships from clearing the Panama Canal. Many of the early ships went straight into mothballs with all their wartime quad mounts.

While Canal transit was an issue, the two ships in question remained in the Pacific and Antietam was only deactivated in 1949. The outboards had already been removed from both before then. Other signs point to topweight, like the removal of the on-mount shields from the remaining 40MM quads on all of the active Essex's on both sides of the Canal. Topweight was increasing due to the increasing weight of the aircraft and electronics. This was coupled with the removal of the Kamikaze threat and no equivalent threat was in immediate prospect. Something had to go. The Korean War, to some extent, increased the threat level, thus the outboards reappeared, but not in the same numbers as seen on Princeton and also shown by some empty tubs on Bon Homme Richard following her reactivation. (CV-31's on-mount shields had also been removed.) But the outboards could still be removed relatively quickly if the Canal needed to be transited, as on Franklin when she went to the east coast for her 1945 repairs.

[Erik W]

These are the reference books I own on Essex class carriers. I'm curious if there are any others out there I haven't heard about. After looking at the list, does anyone know of any that I have missed?

The Essex Aircraft Carriers - Andrew Faltum
Warship Perspectives - Essex Class Aircraft Carriers in World War Two - Glenn R. Arnold
Essex Class Aircraft Carriers of the Second World War - Steve Backer
Essex Class Carriers in action - Michael C. Smith
Essex Class Carriers - Alan Raven
Anatomy of the Ship, The Aircraft Carrier Intrepid - John Roberts
Warship Pictorial 22, USS Ticonderoga CV/CVA/CVS-14 - Steve Wiper
United States Navy Camouflage 2 of the WW2 Era, Fleet Carriers - Larry Sowinski & Tom Walkowiak
Osprey New Vanguard - US Navy Aircraft Carriers 1942-45 - Mark Stille
US Aircraft Carriers an Illustrated Design History - Norman Friedman
Essex Class Carriers in WWII, Technical and Operational History - Andrzej Szewczyk, Waldemar Trojca, Zbigniew Kolacha
Warship's Data 4, USS Intrepid (CV 11) - Floating Drydock
Warship's Data 5, USS Yorktown (CV 10) - Floating Drydock

Thanks,
Erik