Calling all Essex-class (WWII configuration) fans

[raggs]

BINGO. Thanks Tracy!!!!

I forget about that Fold3 site, maybe cause ya gotta pay. LOL.

[Tracy White]

I pay a couple of grand a year to go to archives, so FOld3 is "cheap" in comparison and I have an annual subscription to save me time when I'm on site at archives.

[raggs]

You have a passion Tracy, and its greatly appreciated!

[Tracy White]

Well, it's also a big hang out party with friends now too. Hang out, research, talk history, have the shared experience of lunch made by the lowest bidder (government contract, but better than MREs by a bit). I really do have to start finishing books though.

[Tracy White]

I can't remember which ship - I think it is Philippine Sea but I can't remember where the photos are or if they're online. It's post war, heading east through the Panama Canal, and a couple of the sponsons were cut off and set on the flight deck for the transit.

Found it! It was Philippine Sea. Note that these are not the starboard side sponsons but the quad 40mm "bumps" on the outboard side of the port-side sponson that replaced the catapult flipper. They're the two structures outboard of the left scout plane.

[anj4de]

...

[anj4de]

I guess this explains also why Intrepid's were cut of in that picture. I guess she is on her way from mothballs to an east coast yard to receive SCB-27? The 40mm positions are also gone!





cheers
Uwe

[Tracy White]

Note that in the second, yard side photo, that the weld lines from the sponson that replaced the catapult flipper are visible (not strictly weld lines, just a rough cut not ground down). If you get a close enough photo you can see the same thing generally for the starboard side sponsons.

[anj4de]

Hello all

Yesterday I receive a super thick Essex class book...that I spotted on a page for small adds where people sell all kind of stuff. It's absolutely huge, almost 500 pages, a lot of pictures, an extra map booklet and some plans of Randolph and Intrepid. Normally rather expensive I got it for 20 bucks...and it came in mint condition. It's this here...

https://www.amazon.com/Essex-Class-Carr ... 8360041490

I do not know how accurat it is yet since I have not taken a deeper dive into it but it has some nice, so far unknown, pictures in it. A few carriers are excellentely covered, Lexington for example, and guess which is the one with the worst coverage when it come to pictures...yes, of course...Hancock!

The Lexington island pictures might be interesting for Steve in order to do the end of war version of his 3D island. I am also going to dive into another so far not too well documented section of the Essex class islands, the area around the aft Mk-37 director and the aft Mk.51 tub. Here the kits I have all seem to be wrong one way or the other...

cheers
Uwe

[Tracy White]

I have a copy - it's too large for me to want to to through and do a page-by page review, but I did find problems. Lots of good content, don't get me wrong, but it's not 100% accurate and should serve merely as a starting point for questions.

[anj4de]

I have a copy - it's too large for me to want to to through and do a page-by page review, but I did find problems. Lots of good content, don't get me wrong, but it's not 100% accurate and should serve merely as a starting point for questions.

Your observations go inline with what I have read about Trojka books in general. This is why I did not buy it so far...but when it popped up 2nd hand, well...
Speaking of books...when is the book of books on the Essex class going to be published?

cheers
Uwe

[anj4de]

Hello all

Another question...or observation on Essex class islands...the main mast tripod! It appears that there are two versions of that one around, and early one with normal platforms and a later one with a re-enforcement with three oval cut outs. I have so far found out:
9, 10, 11, 16, 18 and 31 have the early version, from 12 on we see the re-enforced version. So basically all long hulls and later short hulls had the re-enforced version. Lexingon as far as I have seen so far is the only one that was "born" with the early tripod and was later modified to a re-enforced one BUT not of the same pattern as the others. It had only two roundish openings...
Researching this class is really exiting but can almost drive you insane. I do not think there were ever two ships identical at any time. Some examples for the masts

Early/simple mast platforms...here CV-10 Yorktown


Re-enforced mast platform...here CV-12 Hornet


Lexington special...as build and late war



I have a Dragon short hull in early configuration here half build, it's the hornet kit. Not sure yet which carrier it will be...but I want to use a 3D island for the first time.

cheers
Uwe

[Tracy White]

Researching this class is really exiting but can almost drive you insane. I do not think there were ever two ships identical at any time.

That's one reason why I decided early on to focus just on the WWII ships to start. It's at least "manageable."

[anj4de]

Another point of intrest is the area around the rear Mk.37 or better it's base. I am trying to find out if there was a direct passage way from the platform right behind the funnel to the director. In a lot of pictures it looks like it, then in others it looks like you have to crawl through the Mk.37 mount to get to the director. I only know one picture that clearly shows this area...and it's post war! They also had alraedy removed the search light/20mm platform at that time. CV-17 Bunker Hill after they put the puzzle back together...

[Builder 2010]

It's looks pretty clearly in this image on the Lexington that was posted above yours that the way into the director was through the open door at its base.

[Mikevpd]

Hello Everyone,

I plan on using Trumpeter 1/700 kits to model USS Lexington in her post FEB 44 fit. Which would make more sense, updating an Essex or backdating a Franklin? I'm leaning toward the latter, mainly because the Franklin has a two-catapult flight deck. Would the island from the Essex kit work for Lexington or should I look at the 3D printed one instead?

Mike

[Tracy White]

Start with the Franklin kit for the extra quad AA mounts as well. She retained the single quad 40mm mount on the stern at that time, though.

[Mikevpd]

Start with the Franklin kit for the extra quad AA mounts as well. She retained the single quad 40mm mount on the stern at that time, though.

That is the direction I am heading. I'm going to start with the Franklin and swap the island and single stern 40mm mount from the Essex kit. I wish Trumpeter was more like Dragon and wasn't as stingy with extra parts in their kits. One Sprue E from the Essex kit looks like all that you need to complete this.

[ADavies]

Hello,

I�m interesting in producing a model of Intrepid, representing her during the latter half of 1944. I�m pretty confident I know what the ship herself looked like. Where I am a little stuck is with the question: What tail or other markings did her airwing carry during this period?

Looking through my references I have three options:

Option one. A single white plus (+) sign applied to either side of the tail. This strikes me as the most likely.

Option two. A single white vertical stripe applied to either side of the tail, and a white stripe applied to the port wing. It is my understanding is that this was the marking adopted in 1945 and so is outside of the timeframe I�m hoping to represent.

Option three. A two digit number on the tail, underlined with a single horizontal white line. This is shown on the rear cover of the AOTS covering Intrepid. And is (unhelpfully) dated as 1944.

Any insight and or confirmation would be gratefully received.

Many thanks.

Adrian.

[MartinJQuinn]

This is from Warships Perspectives, Essex Class Aircraft Carriers in World War Two, by Glenn R. Arnold. For discussion purposes only.

Warships Perspectives, Essex Class Aircraft Carriers in World War Two, by Glenn R. Arnold