Calling all Benson-class & Gleaves-class DD fans

[1943Mike]

I'm not sure, even with the directions, where to locate and attach part C10 on the Dragon Buchanan kit. Can anyone tell me, in terms that a land lubber would understand, where to glue this small rectangular piece? The directions show it going on the port side of the bow just forward of the anchor. That is something I can't find in any other diagram or picture of her. I am building her as the Duncan (DD-485) and don't know whether or not this part is generic to the Benson-Gleaves class of destroyers or just the Buchanan. In other words, I'm at a loss .

Any help would be appreciated.

Mike

[Timmy C]

It goes under the deck along the centerline between the anchor chain hawsepipes (depicted as holes in the kit). It's there to prevent you from being able to unrealistically see light coming from the opposite side's anchor chain exit when holding one side's exit to your eye (e.g. seeing light coming from the starboard hole when looking from the port hole, and vice-versa).

[1943Mike]

Timmy, Thanks so much! Very logical but I just didn't have a clue.

Mike

[Haijun watcher]

Hi guys I just built my uss benson dragon kit, it is one nice build but I have one problem why are there sooooooo many extra parts

Please inform me I'm not sure if I built the model right, but it's still fixable I haven't glued anything on the decks and hull
Thanks

-DANIEL FROM THE PHILIPPINES

Daniel,

Magandang hapon to you from Vancouver, Canada.

You ever build Dragon's other Benson class kit, namely the USS Laffey and Woodworth two-in-one 1/700 kit?

[Thundergrunt]

Hey all its thunder been away along time and sorry about that afghanistan deployment and a divorce got in the wsy. Anyway. I am going go build a gleaves class dms d the uss.endicott for friends grandpa. And I got the 1/350 benson class uss. benson 1945. And from what I have read and researched in my limited ability the benson/gleaves class outside difference is something about the stacks. I cannot tell. I am not a rivet counter as this will be my first 1/350 ship. And I know I will have to get the dms gear. My question is will this kitget me close since it is not the buchanan 45.

Thanks
Thunder

[Rick E Davis]

Welcome back.

Since you got the 1945 BENSON kit, you got the DML kit with the most options. This kit has both the BENSON class "square-stacks" and the GLEAVES class "round-stacks". All the DMS units were conversions of GLEAVES class units.

However, ENDICOTT (DMS-25) was one of the 20 Square-Bridge GLEAVES class units. Not all DMS conversions were of Square-Bridge units. Fortunately there is a Square-Bridge conversion set for the 1/350 scale GLEAVES kits made by Admiralty Model Works ... http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/mi ... eview.html ...

Also, ENDICOTT was one of the second batch of DMS conversions and had two quad 40-mm mounts aft, not two twin 40-mm mounts. You didn't say when Grandpa's friend served aboard her. Post-WWII several GLEAVES class DMS units continued to serve into the mid-1950s, including ENDICOTT. The starboard quad 40-mm mount was removed to save top weight after the war.

All this presents you some challenges, depending on HOW accurate you want to make the model. But, fortunately I don't think they are impossible to get around.

I only have one view of ENDICOTT in her DMS role, taken in about January 1952.

I may be able to provide some better configuration images of sisters that would help in your effort. But, first let me know which period you want to model the ship.

[Thundergrunt]

Thanks Rick

Always the go to with ship knowledge thank you. He was on from 49 to 52. I want to do his 1950-51 korean tour when the supported inchon and the rescue of that thai ship and also the loss of a ship with them called pirate he said.and 2 others but I can't remember.

[Tracy White]

Welcome back, I'm glad you survived!

Principle difference was in power, which caused different stack shapes. Benson class destroyers had squarish stacks versus the Gleaves round stacks.
You can see the differences in this review.

Oops, I see Rick beat me to it....

[Rick E Davis]

Thunder,

Well then the photo I posted is right from that period.

Here is a view of a Square-Bridge sister, USS DOYLE, also during the Korean War period that comes close to showing the topside configuration.




Here is an "as completed" WWII overhead view of a Round-Bridge DMS, USS COWIE, that gives you an idea of the layout before they removed the quad 40-mm mount. The bridge is different from ENDICOTT, but otherwise the gear and armament are similar. The armament for the second batch was pretty straight forward; three 5-in guns, two quad 40-mm mounts, and two twin 20-mm mounts before the bridge.




I have other views, several of USS THOMPSON, another Square-Bridge sister, during the KW, mostly profile/quarter shots. Somewhat better details can be seen, but the deck layout isn't very visible. Plus, the COWIE view about is quite detailed, so I can blow up to any area for a nicer view.

[anj4de]

Hello all

I happened to get a Benson (45) for very good money and have since started reading about this class in addition to my Flecher and Gearing research. I have also read Gordon's excellent build thread on his 45 Benson. Now...I am not really keen on doing a lot of poly cutting on this otherwise super nice kit and hence my question would be: Which other ships can be build from the Benson 45 kit without going through too much scratch building. I have researched yesterday that a 45 Buchanan would be almost possible...only very minor operations are required here....that is if the Buchanan 45 kit as sold by Dragon is correct!

thanks a lot
Uwe

[Rick E Davis]

Watch out, BUCHANAN is a repeat-GLEAVES class unit, not an early BENSON class unit.

The surviving early BENSON and GLEAVES class units (DD-421 through 443) had TWO quint Torpedo Tube Mounts, two twin 40-mm, and four single 20-mm guns in 1945. Whereas in 1945, the repeat BENSON and GLEAVES class units ( AND only ever) had ONE quint Torpedo Tube Mount, plus two twin 40-mm, and seven single 20-mm guns until the Anti-Kamikaze mod. This ignores a wide variety of earlier configurations that would take a small book to document.

The 1945 BENSON kit should be able to model any of the five surviving early BENSON-class six units in early 1945; BENSON, MAYO, MADISON, HILLARY P JONES, and CHARLES F HUGHES (LUDLOW was lost in 1944). The DML kits are a compromise of many variations, so to be EXACT match to any individual unit requires some research and small mods.

[Redshirt]

Hi, i do need a word of help please :)
First, I am an utter newbie when it comes to ship modelling so please bear with me if i ask something stupid :) . I recently bought the Dragon USS Benson (1940) kit and while i found it o be quite well done, i have some slight problems with the painting guide. The guide's sidewiew shows the ship paintined in standard navy grey, while the top view shows several of the same surfaces painted with deck grey. So my question is, do i only paint the deck surfaces (only the deck itself and rooftops ) with deck grey or the upper sides of the turrets, furnaces etc as well?

[Tracy White]

Based on this prewar photo on her Navsourcec page it doesn't look like any of the turret or director tops were deck gray. I would say decks only, which is pretty standard for the time. Here is a color image of another destroyer at the same time and the turret tops are also not deck gray (even though they look white, they're the Standard Navy Gray and it's just reflecting more sunlight).

[Rick E Davis]

A short answer is, for pre-WWII USN destroyers, only the decks were painted Standard Deck Gray and the rest of the hull and superstructure Standard "peacetime" Gray (or Grey).

Here is an aerial view of a SIMS class destroyer, that even though it is of a different class, shows what the standard way to apply paint pre-WWII in 1940-early 1941.

[Redshirt]

Thanks for the answers!
Having only one dominant colour should make the highlighting (limited as it is at that scale )much easier.

[Tracy White]

Welcome to the forum!

[Jamie Alguire 1]

Guys do you know if Laffey DD459 had the flat front 02 level deckhouse behind the #52 mount as Rick Davis posted for USS Ellyson back on page 1?

[Rick E Davis]

Short answer is YES.

[Gordon Bjorklund]

I want to do the USS Gleaves DD423in MS12mod. with 5x5"38 guns. Navsource and Warship Pictorial #12 have pictures of the hull camo. scheme for both port and starboard sides.

My two questions are:
1) The outline of the aft search light platform.
a) round
b) semi-circle forward with a flat face aft
c) something different

2) This concerns the K gun DC stations along the aft deck house. The WS Pictorial 12 Benson/Gleaves DD on page 19
clearly shows the aft and middle stations with depth charges but not the forward one. They could be hidden behind the
outer deck edge shield but in pictures of other ships the can be clearly seen behind the shield. I know that this shield is
different lengths on different ships.

Tia

[Rick E Davis]

This will likely get merged into the BENSON-GLEAVES class Fans thread.

I'm away from home so I can't look at the photos you are referencing in Wiper's book. But, looking at the photos I have GLEAVES worn TWO DIFFERENT Ms 12mod patterns. I have one good photo of GLEAVES starboard side in late February 1942 in one pattern and a whole series of photos taken after her yard period at Boston in May 1942 in another pattern.

In the February 1942 view GLEAVES didn't have K-Guns yet, she had a Y-Gun on the fantail. In May 1942 she had six K-Guns and yes the forward pair were behind the midships bulwark. Also, in February GLEAVES had the typical ten 50-cal MGs for 5-Gun units and in May she had six 20-mm guns. The K-Guns had the pedestal stowage method for the reload Depth Charges.

I assume you are working with the DML 1942 GLEAVES class (LIVERMORE) kit. The kit would be easier to modify to the May 1942 version. The 5-Gun units had the two 20-mm guns on the aft deckhouse located in a different location, further aft, than on the 4-Gun units.

As for GLEAVES searchlight platform, it looks round to me with straight vertical stanchions and only a canvas cover on the forward section.

I can't post images right now, maybe next week if you can wait.