Good Morning Rick,
I have a couple questions for you. First, I have seen a couple good pictures of the aft steering position on the Fletchers with the elevated quad 1 inch gun mount. The first five Fletchers had that configuration. From what I understand the remaining Fletchers aft steering position was on the gun director platform on the aft stack. In pictures of that platfrom I see a binacle, but no helm or telegraph for the engine room. How did they pilot the ship from that position? Do you have any detailed pictures of the controls on that platform?
Second, I have been a hunter and target shooter for many years, I have also reloaded my own ammunition and I understand pistol and fifle caliburs. From all I have read about the large guns used on our naval vessels I don't understand their caliburs. The 5 inch 38 calibur gun mounts on the Fletchers, what does the 38 calibur refer to? The projectile is 5 inches in diameter, but what is the 38 calibur? Or does it have something to do with the powder charge that the projectile is fired with?
Actually there where a few more than five that were delivered with the original aft con station and elevated AA platform above it ... DD445-451 and a couple more delivered with it partly disassembled for the transition to the newer arrangement. As for the Aft Con Station, it was relocated on the second stack platform when it still was used for searchlights with the two twin 40-mm mounts (one on the fantail) ... when there were no waist twin 40-mm mounts yet. They kept the station there when the searchlights were moved to the forward stack and the directors replaced the searchlights on the second stack. When the Anti-Kamikaze mod was installed, the con station was put on the 01 deck below the small platform it had been on. Here are a series of images from different aspects showing the associated equipment layout on stack #2. Some items were also located below in the amidships deckhouse. As far as I know, the layout stayed the same for all FLETCHERS, even if the platform configuration (shape/bulwark or no bulwark) was different.
As for naval gun calibers rather than gun caliber definition, that refers to the length of the barrel to bore diameter ratio. So a 5-in/38-cal gun had a longer barrel than a 5-in/25-cal. ... http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/Gun_Data.htm ...
The aft conn didn't have a wheel (or helm). The little boxes you see on the rail to the port or stbd sides of the binacle are jacks for IC, interior communication) system so there was communication with steering compartment where the steering gear was located. As long as the wires were intact between the aft conning station and the steering compartment, they could communicate with or without power. However, without power, the rudder had to be hand cranked to change it's position. At battle stations, the steering compartment was always manned.
snaphappy321 wrote:Second, I have been a hunter and target shooter for many years, I have also reloaded my own ammunition and I understand pistol and fifle caliburs. From all I have read about the large guns used on our naval vessels I don't understand their caliburs. The 5 inch 38 calibur gun mounts on the Fletchers, what does the 38 calibur refer to? The projectile is 5 inches in diameter, but what is the 38 calibur? Or does it have something to do with the powder charge that the projectile is fired with?
The best way I have come up with to make sense of the caliber question is to think of it this way: For the 5" 38, the "caliber" of the gun is 5". (Consistent with your experience.) The length of the barrel is 38 caliber(s); 5" x 38, or 190".
Now that I'm almost finished with my IJN DDs I plan to make a fleet of 1/700 Fletcher class DDs. I try and pick a variety of ships representing different periods during the war. I base my selection on war record, gun placements, modifications, etc.
For a good representation of the class during WWII, what ships and what time period would anyone select, and why?
With 175 units in the class and ALL of the major actions and units lost during WWII (add post-WWII for even more stories/configurations) ... narrowing down to 4-6 ships will be difficult. I'm not going to recommend individual units to build. I would suggest looking at units that were involved in the Solomon Islands campaign, island-hopping to the Philippines, and actions off Okinawa as a starter. Configurations for the class changed rapidly during roughly the first year of service for the class (June 1942 to August 1943), many of which carried over into mid-late 1944, that there are plenty of configurations to choose from.
I would suggest you spend sometime looking at this website ... http://www.destroyerhistory.org/ ... Dave McComb has done an excellent job heightening the more famous units and their actions during WWII.
Now that I'm almost finished with my IJN DDs I plan to make a fleet of 1/700 Fletcher class DDs. I try and pick a variety of ships representing different periods during the war. I base my selection on war record, gun placements, modifications, etc.
For a good representation of the class during WWII, what ships and what time period would anyone select, and why?
I was thinking maybe 4-6 ships, but whatever.
Thanks
Hi Geno the Viking,
I�m fairly new to the group and I know you�ll get a lot of recommendations here for which Fletcher�s to build. For one, I would recommend the USS Johnston DD-557 for her heroic battle on October 25, 1944 against the IJN Center Force off of Samar Island in the Philippines. Check out Dogfights Leyte Gulf on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Hei7O05_4g.
I have sat on this image. John Chiquoine, a WWII vet who has been digging through USN destroyer photos at the Archives and elsewhere told me about this image. He just just posted this at Navsource, so I'm safe to post the copy I scanned. John has the date as being taken in September 1944 based on textual records searches he did. There is also an overhead image that has been reported to be of JOHNSTON taken in September 1944, also showing her in Ms 21. So far these are the only "known" images of JOHNSTON other than those taken when she was completed.
Hi Rick,
I�m still working hard on the Haggard and I�m starting to accumulate fittings for my 1/96 scale build of the Bennett. Would you happen to have any pictures of the kamikaze up-grade on any of the Fletchers that received it? Would you also happen to have a diagram of the actual shape of the quad 40mm mount and the revised gun director platform and it's location?
Also, when the Fletchers received this up-grade were they still using the Mk-51 director�s or were the gun director�s up-graded as well to the Mk-49?
Since Cliffy B mentioned how to get the free deck plans for the Sigsbee, I�m going to scratch build all of the deck houses and get a set of hull plans from the Floating Drydock ($15.00)and attempt to scratch build the hull as well. The Bennett will also be RC, not just a static model.
Thanks Roger DD-555
Last edited by snaphappy321 on Wed Mar 21, 2012 8:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
Sorry I forgot to ask this, I have read that when the Fletchers got the quad 40mm�s that the amount of 20mm oerlikon�s were increased as well; if this is so how many? And did all the Fletcher�s with the kamikaze up-grade have increased numbers of the 20mm guns?
The "Anti-Kamikaze" Mod standard was to replace the seven single 20-mm mounts with six twin (Mk 24) 20-mm mounts. The main deck waist 20-mm guns were replaced one for one single to twin and the three singles on the fantail were replaced with two twins. I have only come across one FLETCHER that "MAY" have kept some single 20-mm guns. But, this unit was modified after the war ended. The yard period started in November 1945 and went to about May 1946. Many of the FLETCHERS in the yard at the end of the war, cancelled the Anti-Kamikaze Mod and they wrapped up repairs and went into Mothballs, so why this unit, plus a couple of others, went ahead with the "full monty" that late is a puzzle (one I have yet to find an answer to in official records). Anyway, this unit was assigned to Naval Reserve Training in summer 1946 and was listed as having four single 20-mm mounts at the waist and two twins on the fantail. This may well have been done for NRT training "Flexibility" because many ships in mothballs still had single 20-mm mounts.
Everyone of the Anti-Kamikaze Mod FLETCHERS completed between June and October 1945 had six twin 20-mm mounts.
As for the fire control systems on Anti-Kamikaze Mod FLETCHERS, the Mk 49 director was an early war design that eventually was cancelled in September 1943. The Mk 49 directors were slowly replaced with Mk 51 directors into early 1945. The "Interim" Mk 51 director that was "suppose" to be a stopgap until the Mk 49 director was available, but out-lasted it. The "desired" Gun Fire Control System was the MK 63 GFCF. Basically an upgraded Mk 51 director with a radar mounted on the gun mount. But, since the entire fleet was being upgraded to this new GFCS and large units had priority, only one in three Anti-Kamikaze Mod FLETCHERS actually got the Mk 63 GFCS during the war. The rest continued to use the Mk 51 director.
BENNETT (DD-473) was modified to the Anti-Kamikaze Mod at PSNY May-August 1945 and she didn't get the Mk 63 GFCS. I don't have a good view of BENNETT in the Anti-Kamikze Mod. Here is an overhead view of a sister, USS CAPPS (DD-550), with the Mod. The Destroyer History Organization website does have a view of BENNETT post-Mod at sea ... http://www.destroyerhistory.org/fletche ... ssbennett/ ...
Hi Rick,
Thanks for the info about the Anti-Kamikaze Mod. I thought the Mk-49 replaced the Mk-51, so the Bennett probably retained her Mk-51�s. My choice of the Bennett is because where she was built. You see my grand father worked at the Boston Navy Yard as a ship fitter during WWII. There is no way for me to know which ships he helped build and I would like to build a round bridge Fletcher and that�s my reason to choose the Bennett.
Hi everyone,
Can anyone tell me what direction the props turned while looking at them from the stern? Did they turn inward or outward? I need to so I can wire the motors to turn proper direction.
This should answer your question ... they turn outwards.
These photos are from post-WWII, but this FLETCHER should be typical of WWII units except for the longer rudder. Some FLETCHERS got four-blade props post-WWII.
Hi Rick,
Thank you very much for answering my question, and nice plctures as well. Rick, have you checked out my build thread? I know you don't like the kit I'm working with, but I would appreciate your comments and input.
Once again, Thanks!!!!!!
Roger DD-555
Roger ( the sow builder 
)
, I wish I had a few like that of the Haggard.
on the Haggard and I�m starting to accumulate fittings for my 1/96 scale build of the Bennett. Would you happen to have any pictures of the kamikaze up-grade on any of the Fletchers that received it? Would you also happen to have a diagram of the actual shape of the quad 40mm mount and the revised gun director platform and it's location?
I have read that when the Fletchers got the quad 40mm�s that the amount of 20mm oerlikon�s were increased as well; if this is so how many? And did all the Fletcher�s with the kamikaze up-grade have increased numbers of the 20mm guns?
