Calling all USS Barnegat-class seaplane tender (AVP) fans

[NukeMM]

[nick]

Carl, I'm speechless!!! It's so awesome!!!



Nick

[NukeMM]

Thanks, Nick!

Work continues on the rest of the diorama. Here is a new PT Boat that I've started on.

[NukeMM]

I think this will be the PT-490 of MTB Ron 33. I haven't come up with a 37mm solution, yet. Especially the big magazine on top. I'll probably end up depicting the guns with canvas covers over them so, the details of the 20mm and 37mm guns won't matter much. I'll probably use a 20mm for the 37mm gun with a "hump" under the canvas depicting the 37mm magazine.

The 40mm isn't the greatest. It's elevation is too, high but its glued pretty well. CA glue de-bonder didn't work very well. I have to use it, because there were only 8 of them in the pack L'arsenal guns.

I've added the circular gun foundation plates, ammo lockers, the 40mm, DC and Smoke Gen., torpedoes and empty torpedo racks. I've opened some deck hatches, as well as the cabin door to the bridge. I've given it a coat of the over all finish color.

The .50 cals will go on after I've darkened the insides of their "turrets?".

I'll have to do some retro-fitting on the 495 that I started long ago. This new one is almost farther long than the 495.

I'm starting to wonder if I'll make it through 8 PT Boats. I'll try.

[NukeMM]

[Russ2146]

Carl.

I take it that this is where you're going with the boats.

Is this any help or do you have it already?

Russ

P.S. You know, I just wanted to do a series of destroyers. Now.....

[NukeMM]

Carl.

I take it that this is where you're going with the boats.
Is this any help or do you have it already?

Russ

P.S. You know, I just wanted to do a series of destroyers. Now.....

Russ,

You're exactly right. That photo is one that I have been referencing, along with a few others. It isn't stated, anywhere that I've seen this photo, where this photo was taken but, I'd bet money that it was taken from the Oyster Bay.

I also have that drawing of the PT Boat masts. I downloaded from the Internet, somewhere. I'm getting a lot of help from PTBoat.org members, too.

If you get into building one of these AVPs or AGPs, just let me know. I'd love to help.

[NukeMM]

I've been working on the base for my diorama using birch cabinet-grade plywood with a groover routered around the perimeter for the plexiglass case to fit into. I will use birch strip veneer around the edge of the base and stain it after I get it back from the trophy shop that will make the plexiglass case for it. This base is smaller than the one that had initially intended to use. I thought that there was too, much blank water in the larger base.

There will be a total of nine PT Boats.

I have painted and cut a piece of Plastruct "choppy water" clear plastic sheet. It is calm enough to replicate the harbor / gulf at San Pedro, Leyte, Philippines.

I will attach it to the wood with contact cement and then spread Liquitex acrylic "varnish" over the water and attach the tender at that moment, too. The varnish will act like a glue and hold the ship and boats to the base. I may drill for some screws to pull the ship tight to the base, as well.

The boats will be attached one at a time, later, with a little Liquitex buttered on the bottom of them.

[Russ2146]

Carl,

I'd suggest that you seal any unfinished surface, like the underside of the plywood, to avoid any potential for moisture problems.

Russ

[NukeMM]

Carl,

I'd suggest that you seal any unfinished surface, like the underside of the plywood, to avoid any potential for moisture problems.

Russ

Hmmph! Never thought of that. Will do, Russ! Thanks!

[Russ2146]

Carl,

Here's another perspective that I found.

[Quincy]

Bob Pink.

[Russ2146]

Carl,

You've gotten me interested so now I need you to put up with some questions.

First, there is AVP 26, Half Moon.

Those look a lot like depth charge racks to me. Small ones but still....

Second, I noticed that the main decks of many of the class have sheet steel between the main deck to the 01 level overhang and running from the forward end of the deck house aft to just forward of the stack. Further, on several ships, this plate seems to have some depth to it, to the point where on the Duxpury Bay, this structure projects out beyond the hull and the 01 deck. Also, it doesn't show up at all on the plans you posted. What's the story? On the Duxbury, what's in that space?

Russ

[NukeMM]

Carl,

You've gotten me interested so now I need you to put up with some questions.

First, there is AVP 26, Half Moon.

Those look a lot like depth charge racks to me. Small ones but still....

Second, I noticed that the main decks of many of the class have sheet steel between the main deck to the 01 level overhang and running from the forward end of the deck house aft to just forward of the stack. Further, on several ships, this plate seems to have some depth to it, to the point where on the Duxpury Bay, this structure projects out beyond the hull and the 01 deck. Also, it doesn't show up at all on the plans you posted. What's the story? On the Duxbury, what's in that space?

Russ

Russ,

If you weren't a guy, I'd think you were a woman after my own heart.

I'm excited that you're excited about these AVPs.

Yes, those are depth charge racks. Some later AVPs only had one of them on the port side and the fantail deck stowed additional small boats.

The features along the port and starboard forward superstructures are "Torpedo Splinter Shields". Torpedoes were intended to be stowed behind these, along the main deck bulkheads. The were flush with the main deck's edge but not sealed to it (except for some USCG versions). I'm not really proud of the shields on my Duxbury Bay model they're aren't quite right. They were one of my first attempts at scratch building my own parts.

I have since gotten better at making these shields, but too, lazy to scratch build them every time, so a friend of mine molded a bunch of them for me, in resin and are like the ones on my Oyster Bay which turned out really, well. I have omitted the small detail of the brackets that attach the shields to the hull along the shields' bottom edges.

As far as the drawings, they are omitted in order to show the detail behind them. I have separate NARA shipyard drawings of the shileds, themselves.

The PT Boat Tenders (AGPs) had torpedo splinter shields on the aft superstructure, too.

[NukeMM]

Here is my rendition of a tarp/tent over the bow of one of the PT Boats for my diorama.

I added a couple of sailors attired in their shorts (hot in the Philippines in November 1944) a stack of boxes and a flaked mooring line.

I applied a large black piece of decal flim over the brass rod frame and used white glue to attach it. I applied Solvaset to form the tarp and then applied some thinned white glue over the whole tarp to stiffen it, and then painted it a light olive drab.

[Peralta]

Thanks, Nick!

I'm thinking about seven or eight PT Boats, a utility boat, or bowser boat, and maybe a whale boat or gig in the water with one or two accommodation ladders hanging down. This ship had three boat booms on each side, so a few of those will be rigged, as well.

Those boats are an eye-catching actually. They are all made a good quality plastic. I have also few boats in my house, I can take a picture of it, and I post it here.

[Russ2146]

Kinda looks like the side of a small seaplane tender. It is, it is, it is the side of a small seaplane tender

[NukeMM]

[quote="Russ2146]

Kinda looks like the side of a small seaplane tender. It is, it is, it is the side of a small seaplane tender[/quote]

Russ,

That's one of my favorite pics.

1. It is a close up of the boom's rigging and.....
2. It is the USS Greenwich Bay AVP-41 which was one of the three AVPs, including my Dad's USS Duxbury Bay, that served as flagships for COMIDEASTFOR.

I'll be starting a model of the Greenwich Bay and the Valcour, soon.

I have drawings of how the booms were rigged on the Oyster Bay.



My Dad took this pic from the Duxbury Bay

[NukeMM]

Those boats are an eye-catching actually. They are all made a good quality plastic. I have also few boats in my house, I can take a picture of it, and I post it here.

Hello, Peralta!

Are you speaking of some photos of PT Boats or photos of your PT Boat models? Either will be most welcome!

[NukeMM]

One almost done, eight to go.