Calling all Northampton-class (CA-26) fans

[nzmatt]

hello everyone.

are the hulls for the Northampton v Indianapolis hulls are the same???i have the floating drydocks bu plans for uss Chicago Northampton class and have hull plans for Indianapolis.the hulls look the same and the plans i have for both seem to match.although the Indianapolis is larger not by much?i could use the hull plans from Indianapolis to make the Northampton class hull and use those with the uss Chicago plans i have.maybe someone can help.have a good weekend.

cheers matt



Moderator Edit

Available kits:

1/700
Corsair Armada USS Chicago (1943)
Corsair Armada USS Houston (1942) {1942 Chicago can also be built from this kit)
Corsair Armada USS Louisville (1944)
Corsair Armada USS Northampton (1941)
Niko USS Augusta (1945)

1/350
Yankee Modelworks USS Northampton (1941)
Yankee Modelworks USS Louisville (1942)
Yankee Modelworks USS Houston (1942)

Gallery:
1/96 USS Houston by Bob Ivy (Scratchbuilt)
1/350 USS Houston by Mike Czibovic (Blue Water Navy/Yankee Modelworks)
1/350 USS Houston by Dave Becker (Blue Water Navy/Yankee Modelworks)
1/350 USS Chester by Dave Becker (Blue Water Navy/Yankee Modelworks)
1/350 USS Chester by Ron Smith (Yankee Modelworks)
1/350 USS Louisville (1943) by Dave Becker (Blue Water Navy/Yankee Modelworks)
1/350 USS Louisville (1944) by Dave Becker (Blue Water Navy/Yankee Modelworks)
A link to a photo showing the 1943 & 1944 Louisville by Dave Becker side by side
1/350 USS Augusta by Dave Becker (Blue Water Navy/Yankee Modelworks)
1/350 USS Northampton by Keith Bender
1/350 USS Northampton by Bob LaPadura

1/500 USS Augusta by John Bange (kitbash)

1/700 USS Houston by Jon Iverson (Corsair Armada)
1/700 USS Houston by Rob Weilacher (Corsair Armada)
1/700 USS Chester by Bob Dedmon (Kitbash/Corsair Armada)
1/700 USS Northampton by Mike Wain
1/700 USS Northampton by Christoph Mentzel
1/700 USS Northampton by Bob Dedmon

[Cadman]

IIRC the Indy is 10' longer but otherwise identical. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[MartinJQuinn]

From Navsource...

Northampton: Dimensions, 600' 3" (oa) x 66' 1" x 23' (Max)

Indianapolis: Dimensions, 610' 3" (oa) x 66' 1" x 24' (Max)

[Dick J]

The Northampton hull had a somewhat bulbous forefoot. Some of the design people suspected that this could cause unnecessary pitching during high seas, and the result would be pounding that could damage the hull, or make gunnery difficult. The solution was to remove the "bulb", but the bouyancy had to be made up somewhere. The hull was lengthened by 8' forward, and another 2' was added aft to keep the trim in balance. The additional armor came later in the design process.

[nzmatt]

thanks for the comments.

with the plans for both ships from the floating dry dock they will work.

cheers matt

[maxim]

I am searching information about USS Chicago at Savo Island. I found photos in The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal by Ballard (both can be also found at navsource.org) and in Heavy Cruiser in action Part I, but they are not very useful in regard of her AA fit. I would guess 4 1,1" quads (or still 3"?) and around 12 2 cm Oerlikons.

[Sean Hert]

Anyone know when USS Augusta CA-31 lost her 1.1"'s for 40mm's? Namely, was it during the Feb '43 refit, or before?

[WI_Chris]

I have been away from the world of tiny ships for a while, and hence, away from the forums, (I've made sure to keep my eye on the gallery though.) My first work will be the Niko USS Augusta. My question is this: Do the barrels of the main guns work independently like many later ships, or are they on the same mechanism, like earlier BBs? Did they wear blast bags? Many of the pictures I've seen of this class and then the Indy look like they have none.

thanks guys and feels good to be asking questions again!

Chris

[Dick J]

None of the US heavy cruisers prior to the Wichita had independent main gun elevation.

[Bob Dedmon]

I am searching information about USS Chicago at Savo Island. I found photos in The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal by Ballard (both can be also found at navsource.org) and in Heavy Cruiser in action Part I, but they are not very useful in regard of her AA fit. I would guess 4 1,1" quads (or still 3"?) and around 12 2 cm Oerlikons.

She carried the 1.1's I don't believe she ever carried 3" guns, 12 count sounds about right for the 20's though.

[maxim]

She carried the 1.1's I don't believe she ever carried 3" guns, 12 count sounds about right for the 20's though.

Nice to read that you come to the same conclusions. You can see my model of USS Chicago in the Savo Island fit here:

USS Chicago

[Quincy]

Great looking Chicago Maxim, and diorama!




Bob Pink.

[Bob Dedmon]

She carried the 1.1's I don't believe she ever carried 3" guns, 12 count sounds about right for the 20's though.

Nice to read that you come to the same conclusions. You can see my model of USS Chicago in the Savo Island fit here:

USS Chicago

Nice build I did her representing the early evening of 29 Janurary 1943 (fighting for her life), this build didn't survive a move so I'll be redoing it eventually. I plan to build the kit you used as Houston in Cavete blue. I ultimately plan to do the entire class in 1/700.

[philk]

Looking to backdate the old Blue Water Navy U.S.S. Houston to how she looked prior to 1940.
Anybody have any good visual sources (interweb, book or plans), to how the Houston looked from say '35 to prior to her '40 refit. I know she carried 3" 50's before they were replaced with the 1.1 guns in '40 (I have those already from Veteran Models). I'm looking for other things that will also need to be changed from the kits configuration of 1942.
Thnx.
--Phil

[Timmy C]

There are a few shots on Navsource, if you haven't seen them already: http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/030/04030.htm

[Dick J]

I know she carried 3" 50's before they were replaced with the 1.1 guns in '40
--Phil

What is your source for this? The 3" guns on this class were a result of the 1940 King Board assessment of US AA preparedness. They were only installed (during 1940 and '41) because of an inadequate supply of 1.1's, and were replaced as soon as the latter guns were available. Not all cruisers and battleships received the 3" guns because the 1.1's were available at the time of their refit. Others (like Arizona) received the tubs, but no guns were installed.

[Bob Dedmon]

Hey guys, I'm getting ready to build the Chester in 1/700 in late pre-war fit. I need some shots and/or accurate configuration change dates. I know she landed her torpedo tubes in the mid 30's, she didn't ever completely plate over the openings. I'd like to know when she added the upper 4 each 5" mounts and added shielding. I'd also like to confirm the date she went to her war paint. I want to do her in the pre-war haze gray rather than measure 1/measure 5 (even though she did have an interesting difference). I have the Louisville book, the Squadron cruiser book, Stefan Terzibaschitsch, and Michal Kopacz's books and I've been to Navsource. None of them have enough good shots, especially of the midship superstructure, if anyone has another good source of shots of this area I'd appreciate it. Pre-war the only extended yard date I have seen is being in an east coast yard from Sept 40 to Jan 1941.

[KMDjr]

Hello,

I have many photos of USS HOUSTON (CA-30) in the timeframe you indicated.

HOUSTON carried 3"/50cal guns initially after the King Board upgrades were promulgated, with at least one or two 1.1" added at her Mare Island refit in summer/fall 1940. She got the others in the Philippines @ Cavite in late 1941 just before the war broke out. AFAIK, these AA weapons had no individual directors, however.

In the 1935-1940 period she had but four (4) 5"/25cal DP guns, of course. In the 1940 refit at Mare I. she received four more, along with newly configured MK19 DP directors fore and aft.
Her raised forefunnel cap came in 1935, I think.
TT removed sometime in 1935.
Hangar arrangements altered (the doors) in 1940, along with other structural changes necessitated by King Board upgrades.

HTH

[GERARD]

Ok this is going to start a major flame war, but after having spoken to several Houston survivors, all were on her at the time of her sinking.
One guy I spoke to was a loader for the 1.1's, they all agreed she had 4 1.1's at the time of her sinking; they were added at Cavite just before the war ( I know about the story about her 1.1 being set up at Cavite they all agreed it was a 3") .
I have read every account of the battles in the N.E.I. and the Houston seems to have been the ONLY ship capable of AA defense (albeit poorly) and the 1.1's are always mentioned.
I have to agree with Jack Cox and Jack Smith they were there; granted they are old guys now but this info came from them at separate times, as well as several others ( at the time I was researching this I was in contact with the Houston survivors OGR).
I posted this info quite along time ago.
You can choose your opinion but I would have to go along with them; yes memories fade. We forget colors, but who among us forgets what our job was while in Service (heck my dad could still tell you the serial number of his .45 from Iwo and Guadalcanal.)
Gerry

[Guest]

Hello,

I have many photos of USS HOUSTON (CA-30) in the timeframe you indicated.

HOUSTON carried 3"/50cal guns initially after the King Board upgrades were promulgated, with at least one or two 1.1" added at her Mare Island refit in summer/fall 1940. She got the others in the Philippines @ Cavite in late 1941 just before the war broke out. AFAIK, these AA weapons had no individual directors, however.

In the 1935-1940 period she had but four (4) 5"/25cal DP guns, of course. In the 1940 refit at Mare I. she received four more, along with newly configured MK19 DP directors fore and aft.
Her raised forefunnel cap came in 1935, I think.
TT removed sometime in 1935.
Hangar arrangements altered (the doors) in 1940, along with other structural changes necessitated by King Board upgrades.

HTH

Thank you-Thank you-Thank you- KMDjr! This helps immensely and confirms a couple of things. I've just started reading Ship of Ghosts, although so far little has been mentioned of the configuration prior to moving to the Asiatic Fleet. Reading your reply it looks like I'll zero in on the way she looked during the 1940 Mare Island refit. This seems the closest to the configuration of the kit, so less alterations would need to be done. Do you know, were the splinter shields around the 5"ers installed then? I'd heard they were not but my source wasn't 100% sure. Would you also consider selling copies of some of those pix?