Calling all USS Lexington CV-2 fans

[Jon C Ryckert]

I was looking at the Booklet of General Plans and saw this note "Curtain covers boat pocket opening". Any idea if it was steel, canvas or any other type of material? Can't find a pic anywhere that shows a curtain being used. Not planning on showing this on my model, just curious as to what it may have looked like.

[smithec]

I was looking at the Booklet of General Plans and saw this note "Curtain covers boat pocket opening". Any idea if it was steel, canvas or any other type of material? Can't find a pic anywhere that shows a curtain being used. Not planning on showing this on my model, just curious as to what it may have looked like.

Jon, yes, I noticed that too. I think we can rule out steel, given they are called 'curtains'. And how would they be stowed/folded/shuttered if they were? My initial thought was canvas 'dodgers' on the life rails. But dodgers are not annotated on any of the ship's drawings, so why would they be here? My guess is that they would be full-height canvas with tie-downs to protect these areas and their contents in rough weather. In a sense, it is not surprising we see no photos of them 'drawn' since Lex's deployment was, I believe, exclusively in the Pacific, plus nearly all of the at sea photos we see were taken in fine weather. If she's gone into the Atlantic - who knows?

[Jon C Ryckert]

Hi Smithec,
I wonder if they were pulled back to the sides like an actual 'curtain' that you see in a home or possibly just rolled up and tied up to some beam or other device similar to what you see for the canvas covers for the casement openings on pre war battleships. Just a guess as we may never know.One question for those that may know and this concerns the weathering of the 5-N paint. Since Lex only operated for about a month from last refit at Pearl to sinking, do you think that there would be some paint erosion on the hull from bad paint adhesion. They say the early war paint did have adhesion problems and I think that is what I see in the pic on page 57 in WP33? Just out of curiosity, what is that thing that looks like a tomato that you see in the same pic. It is located at sea level and is attached via a line aft of the 1.1 inch mm mount with a man who has just abandoned ship standing on it. We can all guess that it is some type of emergency gear but I have never seen anything like it in any pics.

[Michael Vorrasi]

Color shots as promised!













From VF-2 film clip, Oct 1941. CarQuals off California

[Jerry Phillips]

Wow...great stuff Mike, thanks! Notice the flight deck stripes were partially stained over. When the stripes were yellow, they were much wider, and the new blue stain looks darker over the that portion of the stripe.

Thanks again Mike,

Jerry

[smithec]

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. How to do it and how not to do it in pictures (i.e get on the deck). I concur with the observation about the deck stripes.

[Elvis965]

What are the two darker stripes to the inside of the gray ones? I've never noticed those before, even when I watch the First Flattops DVD.

Bob

[Michael Vorrasi]

What are the two darker stripes to the inside of the gray ones? I've never noticed those before, even when I watch the First Flattops DVD.

Bob

Bob, as Jerry pointed out, the old big wide yellow stripes were covered over when the deck stain was changed from mahogany to 250-N blue. Stains don't cover as evenly over yellow painted stripes as paint might, so the sections of yellow that were not covered by the narrower 251-N light gray stripes were probably painted out in as close a match to the stain as they could get, but given the different tonal qualities of stains and paints, it comes out looking a lot darker.

[Elvis965]

...as Jerry pointed out....

Oops...missed Jerry's post...

Bob

[Jon C Ryckert]

Do you think that those stripes may have been still present in May 42? Can't remember if the deck was stained again when Lex was painted 5-N.

[Dick J]

The "stripes" visible in this photo http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/020237.jpg are metal water-runoff channels rather than painted stripes. No other stripes are visible. The same goes for this photo http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/020236.jpg but a hint of something is visible to the left of the channel on the left. It is faint enough to be something old covered by the new stain. Since all of the other CV's appear to have dashed lines by this time, it is probable that Lex did as well. However, I haven't seen any photographic evidence that proves it one way or the other.

[Jon C Ryckert]

Trying to get this build of mine going again. The only thing that I am able to do as of right now is plan out what I want to do for when I am able to get started. Probably a month away as I am getting married in a couple of weeks.. Still messing with the hull itself. I am guessing that the accomadation doors on the sides of the hull at the 2nd deck be flush with the hull sides when closed. Am I right? Can't see any good details of it in pics.

[smithec]

Trying to get this build of mine going again. The only thing that I am able to do as of right now is plan out what I want to do for when I am able to get started. Probably a month away as I am getting married in a couple of weeks.. Still messing with the hull itself. I am guessing that the accomadation doors on the sides of the hull at the 2nd deck be flush with the hull sides when closed. Am I right? Can't see any good details of it in pics.

Beware - Lady Lex could destroy your marriage pal! I spent two years with her building her and this was tolerated because I'd been with the same human lady for 25 years. I'm not sure getting into bed with Lady Lex two weeks after being wed ... er ... I'll shut up now.

Yep, accomodation doors were a flush fit (all plans and photos checked, including those when she was wired up pumping juice into Tacoma city). I opened them up on one side of my build and put on accomodation ladders, lifting derricks and boats nudging up.

[Jon C Ryckert]

I'll heed your advise for now as that and my work and her honey doo's probably won't leave any choice. BTW, I enjoyed reading your build blog on another website. I have it added to my favorites list so that I can reread it whenever I get to a certain part of the build. Thanks for doing all of the research for us that don't know much about this ship.

[lvsquarerigger]

I'm now starting the forward aa platforms on my Lex, circa May '42. There sems to be some conflict with the information as to what exactly was done in the PH refit. IN WP 33 there are different things about this location. In the text at the front of the book Steve says 22 20mm guns were installed.In the prints on pg 36/37 it shows 2 20mm guns on the forward platform and instructions to extend it as necessary. If we count all the positions known, 12 in the former boat pockets, 6 on the lower funnel gallery, 2 on the lower rear platform on the funnel, 2 in the rearmost platforms (1 each side), 4 on the raised platforms abutting the 1.1's next forward from the single units (2 each side), and last but not least the 4 on the forward platforms, for a total of 26. If we remove the 4 on the forward platforms we do get the noted 22. So what really occured? Were they short guns and didn't do the forward ones? I"ve looked at all the different pics where these platforms are visible and cannot distinguish whether they are still the existing 50 cals or the new 20mm. While the pic on 50/51 is not definitive Steve lists them as 50 cal but where does this come from?

Personally I'm inclined to go with the 20mm. These platforms seem to be the same as the rear ones although flipped, the 1.1's forward in the forward platforms, and the 1.1's rearward on the aft ones.

Any thoughts or other sources?

[Jerry Phillips]

The fwd AA platforms did not have 20mm installed. Each platform had 2 .50cals, and 1 quad 1.1". Pg. 53, CW-33, far left, shows the 2 .50cals in the port fwd AA platform. The 22 20mm (total) would be correct. Robert Stern's book "Lexington Class" also confirms this total.

Jerry

[smithec]

I agree. This was the conclusion I came to from Robert Stern's book and the photographic evidence.

[lvsquarerigger]

After spending much time looking at various pictures, using my magnifiers, I think I have to agree with you both. Thanks for the input.

[lvsquarerigger]

Color shots as promised!
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From VF-2 film clip, Oct 1941. CarQuals off California

While viewing these pics I noticed somethng that had just sparked my attention while I was cutting all the safety netting off my deck in preparation for mounting on the hull and installation of the PE nets. There seems to be something standing up at the port side rear of the deck and a landing signaller in front of it. There's nothing of this sort in the kit and the only reference I can find is in the prints on pg 18 of WP 33. It shows a talkers platform, an indicator box, and a signal platform. Also in pics on pgs 60 through 65 show something is here. Does anyone have any additional info?

[Jon C Ryckert]

It's the LSO (landing sinal officer) Platform. He's the guy with red (?) paddles in his hands that guides the planes in when they land. Not sure if the screen that you see standing vertically was a wind break or what. There is also one on the starboard bow (also seen in the drawings of pg 18&19) which IIRC was used seldomly when the ship was recovering aircraft as the ship was moving in reverse. That is also the reason why there are arrester cables at the front just like the stern part of the ship. You see them on the Yorktown class also.