The Ship Model Forum

OK, here's a little more on the interior of the Essex class in WWII. Following picture is of the port side, although I'm not sure where yet. It's taken out of one CV-12 Hornet's cruise books, undated.



I suspect that this is aft of the deck-edge elevator but like I said, no proof yet. Note the extra 40mm barrels hanging from the bulkhead walls... I think this is near the stern as I can't imagine them storing these very far away from the mounts! Hornet didn't receive the extra mounts the other ships did until the war was essentially over, July/August of 1945. The scheme on the TBF Avenger in the background looks more 1944 than 1945 to me but I haven't finished my research on the airgroups and their camouflage yet.

Note too the medical liters hanging below the barrels.



This picture was taken from about the deck-edge elevator looking starboard towards the uptakes. Structure on the left is the Conflagration Station where fire-fighting activities within the hangar would be controlled from. It's hard to make out in this picture but those two windows aftually stick out from the wall. *Every* kit of these ships gets this area wrong, or at least, wrong for every ship except maybe CV-11 Intrepid. I don't have any pictures of Intrepid's Conflagration station but the drawings I have of her look similar to the Trumpeter and Dragon parts. I've seen liters hanging below this on Essex.

Note the large score card behind these players on the uptake; my guess is that this dates this photo to when she was steaming home following damage to her flight deck in a Typhoon, June 1945. I have a better copy of this score board and it looks to me like the final tally for her war cruise, so I'm (once again) guessing that this was painted on AFTER she was finished fighting. Still sorta neat.

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Tracy White -Researcher@Large

"Let the evidence guide the research. Do not have a preconceived agenda which will only distort the result."
-Barbara Tuchman

Actually, given the angle of the bulkhead in the lower picture and the distance between the openings and the tube for the ammo hoist in the upper picture, I bet the first pic is below the forward 5-inch turrets and the second picture is about where the uptakes rise from the main deck to the island. The CONFLAG station ought to settle it. I need to look at my Anatomy of the Ship plan books.

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If an unfriendly power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war.

-- "A Nation at Risk" (1983)

I just grabbed mine. Hard to tell; pages 42-43 show roller doors outboard of the 5" hoists. structure in the plans looks deeper than what I see in the picture too. Know of any good photos of the 5" hoists in the hangar? I haven't been able to ID any myself.

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Tracy White -Researcher@Large

"Let the evidence guide the research. Do not have a preconceived agenda which will only distort the result."
-Barbara Tuchman

Hi everybody ,

I have two questions about Essex Class carriers:

1. How many cats did USS Essex (CV-9) have got after her April 1944 refit ? Two (starboard and port) or one (only starboard) ?
2. When did USS Lexington CV -16 receive two quads 40mm on stern ? I read Essex Class Reference Guide on steelnavy.com but I think it is mistake that she had two from her commissioning.

1. She left the refit with just a single cat, starboard side.

2. She didn't have hers at comissioning. There's actually lots of little mistakes there, but I've been unable to have any of them changed. Exact date I'm not sure of off the top of my head but I'll check when I get home where my notes are.

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Tracy White -Researcher@Large

"Let the evidence guide the research. Do not have a preconceived agenda which will only distort the result."
-Barbara Tuchman

She got the dual quads in her early 1945 overhaul. February 1944 until then she had the single mount on the stern BUT the three extra quads under the bridge on the starboard side. Pretty sure Dragon's CV-16 kit is the only one with the parts to do this in 1/700. No one does it in 1/350th.

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Tracy White -Researcher@Large

"Let the evidence guide the research. Do not have a preconceived agenda which will only distort the result."
-Barbara Tuchman

Thank you for your answers

My next questions:



Did she save this single cat to the end of war ?



So, if I would like to build USS Lexington in 1944 from Trumpeter kits (1/350) I should use:

1\early bridge
2\single quad on stern
3\additonal 3 quads under bridge
4\two catapults.

What about period from early 1945 to May of 1945. Did she exist in configuration with early bridge and dual quads on stern ?

The Franklin kit has the two quads at the stern...or are you just referring to three more quads under the bridge? (so that makes a total of six under the bridge then?)

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De quoi s'agit-il?

What he's referring to is the ability to model the ship with one quad at the stern or two along with the three quads under the bridge. None of the 1/350 kits have parts to do both from one kit, you have to get two seperate kits to do this.

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-Abram
ModelWarships Gallery Page
Joslin Models Facebook Page

As far as I can tell at this point. If you read her history the trip to Hunter's Point was the only major overhaul she had during the entire war, so she was actually one of the least changed during the course of the war. A cat install was a major project, and not one that would typically happen at sea or Atoll, but I have no proof that it didn't happen so I can't speak with certainty.



Pretty much. She also had her forward arresting gear still aboard at this point. Here's your radar reference:



Merry Christmas



She was on overhaul from February until May. Jan-Feb she'd be as before; but no way and I going to try and figure out what day in the yard were certain components changed! You're on your own for that

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Tracy White -Researcher@Large

"Let the evidence guide the research. Do not have a preconceived agenda which will only distort the result."
-Barbara Tuchman

Alright guys, new pics of my build, questions/comments/criticizms welcome! The first six pics after the hangar deck pic are in my room on my shelves after I did touchups on problem areas that can be seen in the last six pics

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/ ... ardeck.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/ ... hull11.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/ ... hull10.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/ ... dhull9.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/ ... dhull8.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/ ... dhull7.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/ ... dhull6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/ ... dhull5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/ ... dhull4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/ ... dhull3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/ ... dhull2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/ ... dhull1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/ ... edhull.jpg

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-Abram
ModelWarships Gallery Page
Joslin Models Facebook Page

If someone wants to build short hull Essex class carrier with full set of additional quads ( including two on stern), late bridge and in dazzle camo Yorktown is the only choice, I think.

Tracy, one more question
When did USS Bunker Hill receive SK-2 radar ? Before or after she was hit by Kamikaze attak ? I can see only SK on all photos that were taken on 11 May 1945.

My information on Bunker Hill is somewhat limited to a collection of photos taken after her late 1944/early 1945 refit and immediately post war. My *guess* is that it was added during the 1944-45 refit as the SK-2 didn't start to appear on the short-hulls until late 1944. I'm still looking for CV-17's departure reports, which list all work done during overhaul. Found CV-9s last time but didn't have enough time to scan them all in.

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Tracy White -Researcher@Large

"Let the evidence guide the research. Do not have a preconceived agenda which will only distort the result."
-Barbara Tuchman

Hi
can anyone tell me if the prop struts on this kit are correct? It seems to me both the inboard and outboard struts should be V shaped.
Thanks mark

I don't have any plans that actually have the struts in them. I have found two photos that I can compare... The kits are V shaped and look close to me. The outboard strut should be nearly vertical and the inner one slants in maybe at a 45 degree angle. This is all interpretted from photos however.

AOTS Intrepid Page 20
Warship Perspective Essex Class, Page 49

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Tracy White -Researcher@Large

"Let the evidence guide the research. Do not have a preconceived agenda which will only distort the result."
-Barbara Tuchman

While looking for departure reports last week I ran across two memos from April and June of 1944 talking about aircraft outriggers. These were the little swingable tracks that allowed the deck force to store a plane hanging out over the water, such as you can see in this picture of CV-11 Intrepid. I didn't realize until I read these memos that these were an ADDITION. CV-16 Lexington was the first to receive them in her refit ending in February of 1944.

I *do not* have the dates for any other ships at this point. These things were small enough that they could have very well been shipped out and installed at fleet anchorages but I don't know if this was done. I just thought I'd share this new wrinkle with everyone; 14 ships I have to figure out the data for every time I uncover a new detail such as this.

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Tracy White -Researcher@Large

"Let the evidence guide the research. Do not have a preconceived agenda which will only distort the result."
-Barbara Tuchman

Hi Tracy
Maybe what I should of asked was do both the inboard and outboard shafts have V struts? the Dragon Essex has V struts on the inboard shaft and a single verticle strut on the outboard shaft, this doesn't seem right to me.
Thanks Mark

Hi guys, got a silly question-what was the color used on decks,interior an exterior,and flight deck for Ticonderoga?

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Matija

No, both should be V struts. My kit's currently in the same room as my sleeping sister in law, so I can't go double check but I'm fairly certain my Essex had V struts on both when I looked last night?




Interior bulkheads and overheads (walls & ceilings to land lubbers) were white; interior decks were Deck Gray. Flight deck color depends on year.

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Tracy White -Researcher@Large

"Let the evidence guide the research. Do not have a preconceived agenda which will only distort the result."
-Barbara Tuchman

Tnx, but I still don`t know what was the color of exterior walkways,decks etc.
Which year carried what deck color?

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Matija