The Ship Model Forum

Another photo I found at the Military Collectors Show was of this unidentified destroyer tied up to a tender at Brest. If anyone has a hint, I would appreciate the help. I don't have a database of what camo schemes went with which USN destroyer during WWI. All I can tell at this time is that it is a pre-Flush-Decker destroyer class. I suspect that she may be a CASSIN class unit (or a Repeat CASSIN class?) based on the aft gun being relocated to the aft deckhouse.

[b]Edit;[/b] I figured out that this is USS MacDONOUGH (DD-9) that arrived at Brest on 20 February 1918. The locations of the 3-in guns, rub strake, four short funnels spaced almost evenly, and the shape of the vents all match. DANFS entries eliminated her near twin sister USS LAWRENCE (DD-8).

[url=http://s131.photobucket.com/user/TincanREDavis/media/zWWIunkBrestx100red-1918.lr_zpsxjudlxi7.jpg.html][img]http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p303/TincanREDavis/zWWIunkBrestx100red-1918.lr_zpsxjudlxi7.jpg[/img][/url]

Sorry to not get around to posting earlier, but I have been very busy with other projects. I still need to cross check the images I have scanned to what has been posted here. I note that some of the images I have found in purchases or at NARA have already been posted.

I recently found this photo at a Military Collector Show of a destroyer escorting USS LEVIATHAN and after scanning it I discovered that the ID of this destroyer on NHHC and Navsource as USS DOWNES (DD-45) is wrong and is actually USS WINSLOW (DD-53). The ID was likely based on the camo scheme ... which it turns out BOTH destroyers wore in 1918.

[url=http://s131.photobucket.com/user/TincanREDavis/media/zUSSLeviathanx10red-1918.lr_zpsqjddgoyh.jpg.html][img]http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p303/TincanREDavis/zUSSLeviathanx10red-1918.lr_zpsqjddgoyh.jpg[/img][/url]

Thank you for sharing this pictures bengtsson.
I also like the Japanese destroyer in Mediterranean Sea, especially the Kaba class.
Some very nice colorized pictures on this website:
[url]http://blog.livedoor.jp/irootoko_jr/archives/cat_20856.html[/url]

I'm working on one of this class built for French Navy (1/700):
[attachment=1]CIMG4606.JPG[/attachment]

Already committed a few ones in the past:
[attachment=0]CIMG1760.JPG[/attachment]

[quote="Gernot"]Those are all awesome photos, thank you very much for the time and effort of posting them, I have had some very good hours perusing them and getting lost in searches related to the ships in question.
Very nice portrait there. The early USN DDs all appear very sleek, and the camouflage looks good on such delicate vessels.[/quote]

You are very welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed them. I am interested in the Imperial Japanese Navy Destroyers sent to the Mediterranean Sea during WWI to take part in the ASW along with the Royal Navy. If you know of any photos of those ships, please post them. I am about to start my own search for photos of them taken by the Royal Navy.
Bob B.

Those are all awesome photos, thank you very much for the time and effort of posting them, I have had some very good hours perusing them and getting lost in searches related to the ships in question.
Very nice portrait there. The early USN DDs all appear very sleek, and the camouflage looks good on such delicate vessels.

The file for this photo is too large to pin to the post, so I post a direct link to it in expanded form.
USS Henley a Paulding class destroyer in fresh camo paint in the European War Zone. This is probably the finest ship portrait of a USN Destroyer in World War I. Note that gun shields are fitted to each mounting, something that was added piecemeal over the war.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Henley_DD39_43-1273M.jpg

If I were to build a model, I think this photo makes the perfect starting point. Expand the photo for more detail! :smallsmile:

Battle damage was rare. But here are two photos of one of the more famous torpedo hits to a USN DD on troop convoy duty. Once again, torpedo attacks tended to come from surfaced U-Boats. Meaning keeping them under was the name of the game.
On 15 October, she sighted the German submarine U-61 about 20 nmi (23 mi; 37 km) south of Mine Head Lighthouse, Monagoush, County Waterford, Ireland, and pursued her. At 13:30, Cassin was struck on her port stern by a torpedo. The torpedo struck above the water line, and ignited several depth charges. Cassin, her rudder blown off and stern extensively damaged.

And several other additions.

Several construction photos and war zone photos

With this post I will clean up the extra photos still not posted. Sort of a random cleaning up of my collection. Excuse the possible reprint of some.

NOTE: The photo of "Parker, bow gun & officers" Look at the base of the forward gun mount. Notice the cable passed around a special fitting made into the gun base. This provided a Hard Point for towing. You can see the cable passed around and fitted into this hard point.

NOTE: "Stern gun & depth bombs" photo. Notice the emergency tiller aft of the gun, a pulley system can be mounted on deck to steer the ship should steering engine fail. This would get in the way of depth charges later on, and would need shielding or removal.

This should close my postings for now. If in future I come across other photos worthy of posting I will put them up.
I hope model builders like the detail photos, and ship lovers who enjoy the WWI USN Destroyer fleet found som :wave_1: e unusually detailed pictures.
Others feel free to add pictures, or better yet, if you have a model of any one of these ships, please post it.

A few photos showing depth charge arrangements. And general late war DD photos.
Note the heavy depth charge loads at the stern of different classes of DD in the DD Nest photo from astern.

Please note the "potato Locker" located next to a funnel in the photo : "USN, RN officers on Deck of DD"
keeping food stuffs in on deck lockers was a RN tradition, and the USN also practiced it to some degree. On deck. Meat Lockers existed even in WWII on some RN ships.

There will be some flush deck four pipe DD's here.

[quote="moomoon"]THANK YOU :worship_1:[/quote]

Glad you enjoy the photos. This collection I found deep in the Imperial War Museum collections in 2005. I bought some prints then, and the IWM now posts some on their collections :cool_2: on line archive. Sadly, I am running near the end of the IWM photos. But am still digging for an odd one or two might still turn up!

A few more , excuse if some duplicate, I have trouble remembering which were not yet posted.

THANK YOU :worship_1:

I hope there are some pleasant surprises among these. A few full length deck views and details. :smallsmile:
A late war depth charge photo shows how crowded the stern of USN DD became with the large naval gun sharing space with dozens of depth bombs.

Like to add a few additions today.

There is a very nice photo of one of the wing 4 inch guns of a TBD

A few photos. Two shows late war depth charges on stern. Compare to the earlier post of depth charges mounted astern!

Here are a few some later war photos showing camouflage.
The Photo of USS Roe shows the heavy riveted hull construction of these ships.

Sorry I already posted this late war photo of a nest of USN Destroyers in Brest France. I forgot to call attention to the cut down length of the masts, and notice the higher mounted crows nests, and the presence of two of them, fore and aft at this stage of the war.
Cutting the masts reduced top weight and made up for the double crows nests. Their value in the age of the "eye ball" sensor system speaks for itself!