The Ship Model Forum

Hi David,
Sorry for the late response. Could I please get a copy of the rigging plan off you. I thought mine was sufficient but its hard to read.

I keep finding new details I have never seen before, like the fighting lights on the forward mast (2 pairs of 3 sets), and paravane cranes. A lot more detail questions have come up that I've not been able to find an answer for looking through forums, photos, or watching Away All Boats. And that movie has been a great resource, but it still surprises me how hard it is to find onboard pictures. I do have photos of the USS Gage but that was towards the end of her life. I'm using ships like the Lane, Red Oak, and American Victories to fill in the holes, but there were clearly some real differences between them and Haskell class ships.

1. Is there a ships wheel above or near the wheel house? Most of the Victory ships have a flying bridge, and in the plans for the Latimore I see a binnacle, but no wheel or Engine Tell tale. Where the Wheel would have been is a rangefinder.
2. What type or size the rangefinder is on the Haskells?
3. Besides the radars, anyone know any specifics on aerials / antennas that would have been mounted on the masts?
4. Whats the difference between a streamline and Hawser reel?
5. Anyone have any pictures or able to describe what a fire station would have consisted of?
6. What is a bending slab? I see mention of this aft next to the engine shop.
7. Anyone have any drawings or pictures that show the seawater intakes or other ports below the water line? I have found very few drydock pictures of Victories to work them out.

I started the build and just finished gluing down the keel to the frames. As soon as my shop warms up a bit I'll be adding the strakes and then start laying down the basswood strips.
[img]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ABLVV87S0QpETRnkxqhnbP6hR1gUJB4sONEyFO55nYsQpvZsuukkpRFo8RA70wmdHtlAFOFzXNQyLxQH9Sv2GC6WsY14unC9FzGLkdM05H2mSig6c7VmO7v0P3cx7BSX9aEtA-nNvCi4hofh6lIsTTgQtsPezw=w1416-h797-s-no?authuser=0[/img]

Not sure on any specific books, but I think their is a section on APAs in Norman Friedman's Amphibous ships book. The movie Away All Boats.was filmed on the Randall, a Haskell Class APA. It might give you some details and it's a good movie as well.

Good luck!
Dave Henning

Thank you both for the quick responses. The Gosper plans are super helpful, and I had not seen the the navsource page before. I have plans for the Latimore, but they are a bit fuzzy so accumulating additional plans is now next order of business :) I had no idea Haskells had smoke generators but it seems obvious now. Can anyone recommend a good book with additional technical information on them?
Thanks! Mike

I don't have an answer for your question, but have you looked at the photos of the other ships in the same class on Navsoure.org? I have found it very helpful on my past projects. Here is a link to their page on the Lycoming:

https://www.navsource.org/archives/10/03/03155.htm

Hi all, I am doing research for a 1/96 build of USS Lycoming APA 155 and I have been running into some difficulty finding information on Haskell class ships. Where any or all of them equipped with radar during the 1944-45 period? I have seen some pictures that might be a radar on the aft mast but I am not sure what type it is or if it was added after WW2. Was there a gun director for the 5" 38? Also anyone know what the cylinder is on the main platform of the forward mast?
Thank you!

I've uploaded plans for several classes of APA's to the Webarchive. Most of these plans were found on the website of the US National Archives

Gilliam Class APA: [url]https://archive.org/search?query=subject%3A%22Gilliam+Class%22&sort=title&and%5B%5D=collection%3A%22ship-design-drawings%22[/url]

Haskell Class APA: [url]https://archive.org/search?query=subject%3A%22Haskell+Class%22&sort=title&and%5B%5D=collection%3A%22ship-design-drawings%22[/url]

Bayfield Class APA: [url]https://archive.org/search?query=subject%3A%22Bayfield+Class%22&sort=title&and%5B%5D=collection%3A%22ship-design-drawings%22[/url]

[attachment=0]apa 3 P4210084.jpg[/attachment]

My Randall project today, as you can see, using contemporary photos for reference, it is placed in a Black and White world.

The existing photo information would suggest they were painted in "black and white". Actually an interesting question and did they have a separate bottom paint? For instance my dad's ship off Okinawa was painted in a mottled camo pattern, what colors were used? My 95 year old dad doesn't remember. Maybe even greens?

Hope you find out!

Does anyone know what color the George F Elliott’s LCVPs we’re painted at the time of her loss in 1942, Guadalcanal campaign?




BobPink :wave_1:

Thanks for the info. In the photo of Montrose above, two of the longer ones are abeam the #4 hatch.

Cheers: T.

[b][i]There are a couple of long pairs which have some feature at the bottom that looks like a latch or some such. Any info on those?[/i][/b]

By "long pairs" you are still referring to the vertical bumpers, correct?

Check this link out;

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/s/skill-in-the-surf-a-landing-boat-manual/chapter-x-hit-that-beach.html

There is a blurb in the article:
"Deckhands put out the fenders and man the boathooks while you throttle down so as to come alongside slowly and smoothly. A deft hand is needed on the wheel to avoid damage to the hull. In a moment you are beside the ship and the bow line is secured to the sea painter. Then the cargo net is lowered into the LCVP's cargo space and held taut."

So possibly the latch you are referring to are for the boathooks to hook into once alongside?

Hope this helps.

Paul

Thanks! They would tend to keep anyone from getting crushed between the ship and LCVP. There are a couple of long pairs which have some feature at the bottom that looks like a latch or some such. Any info on those?

Cheers: Tom The build is in the "Scratchbuild" area.

Tom, the "pipes" are essentially bumpers, not to protect the passengers but the ships hull from the battering of the landing craft from wind & wave action.

-Paul

[attachment=0]ship floor.jpg[/attachment]

This is my current progress on USS Randall, APA 224. 100% scratch built, no stink'n PE etc. My question to the knowledgable folks here is about the semi circular "pipes" at the waterline level often seen on the APA's. Are these some sort of overboard discharge pipe or do they act as bumpers to keep the embarked "passengers" from getting smashed between the hull and boats?

Thanks! Tom

Question! I see a divergence from what seems normal practice in a number of APA models. The entire hull is painted in boot top black. The photos I have examined do not show enough of the hull to see where the bottom ends, if it does. One AKA on a similar hull is light enough forward that it appears that maybe the boot top ends down about 8'.

Anybody have any definitive info on this?

Thanks: Tom

USS Montrose (APA-212) at Hunters Point, November 1944. Photo BS120902, RG19-LCM, US National Archives
[attachment=0]APA-212USSMontrose.jpg[/attachment]

Jim,

Your models are so impressive, I bookmark the pages and keep coming back for another look. They are a great example of what to strive for.

Paul

Rick, yes all 1/350 scratch. There are more details in pages 3 to 8 of the following link ..
http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=40896

Those look really good, Jim!

Are they all built from scratch like the tanker you showed?

Have just finished my 5th APA, APA-49 USS Ormsby. More info on the builds is in the aux link below my signature.