The Ship Model Forum

This is a pic of Churchill and Roosevelt sitting on the deck of USS Augusta at the Atlantic Conference on 8/9/41. Augusta just transitioned in MS-12 camo but it appears that her wood decks were not painted yet per Adm. King’s directive.

Just received stunning 3D printed 1/700 Northampton-class triple mounts from Micro Master - check my WIP thread if interested.

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Battle of Savo Island Collection (all 1/700)
Recently completed: USS Wilson DD-408
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Prep stage: USS Vincennes CA-44 | Yubari | Kako

I would say that anti slip was in use in late 41, just no definitive proof of what and where. Here are a couple of shots of that time frame on the Portland showing Antislip measures in place. Her upper gun deck was wood planked and there seems to be no sign of any anti slip measures, however different class so....




Matt

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In the yards right now:
USS Utah AG-16
On Hold
1/350 USS Portland CA-33 1942
1/350 Trumpeter Texas with a twist

Hi Matt, great photos, thanks! I just think that the bottom photo actually shows the lower 5in gun deck (wood planked) while the upper 5in gun decks were steel on the Norhamptons and Portlands, so the anti-skid stripes would have been used on the steel (= upper ones), just like it can be seen in the steel AA gun tub to the right. FWIW.

Could you please direct me where you found these photos (apparently from the Life magazine)? I tried finding them on the usual FB WW2 Radio page but maybe overlooked them. Thanks!

Vladi

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Battle of Savo Island Collection (all 1/700)
Recently completed: USS Wilson DD-408
At works: USS Astoria CA-34 | USS Patterson DD-392 & USS Bagley DD-386 | HMAS Australia
Prep stage: USS Vincennes CA-44 | Yubari | Kako

The last pic does not show an upper 5" gun...that's a 3"/50cal (I think) in the tub; an interim weapon used while they were waiting on more 1.1" quads.

It appears to me that there were several types of anti-slip surfaces used. Most show up in later photos--say, 1943--on these cruisers and are very conspicuous. I cannot find any pix on CA-30 showing them, however, and given her early loss suspect if she had them they were not of the later type.
Many later photos of LOUISVILLE (in Steve Wiper's Warship Pictorial No. 3) do show them.

HTH

The Life photos show the upper level on Portland was wood covered. The difference between her and Northampton being that the Portlands were built with 8 5" guns, while the Northamptons were built with 4. Therefore, all of the Portland's gun decks had the wood covering while the originally bare Northampton hangar roof did not. When the King Board AA upgrades were installed, wood was apparently not part of the installation, probably for topweight considerations.

Vladi,
I saved these back when it was easy to search the Life Archives. I will post a couple of the upper deck showing the wood covering over in the Portland CASF so as not to hijack the Northampton thread.



You are correct, I just posted that image to show late 41' Anti Slip measures.

Matt

_________________
In the yards right now:
USS Utah AG-16
On Hold
1/350 USS Portland CA-33 1942
1/350 Trumpeter Texas with a twist

BTW Matt, just as an aside, your Life photo of Portland's 5" gun deck posted above is reversed. Note which side of the 5" mounts the fuse setters are located. I have noticed that quite a few of their shots are reversed.

Thanks, guys!

You are indeed right

Pity these are not easily searchable anymore
Would anyone have a photo of Northampton-class (or maybe even Portland-class) showing clearly the area circled below at the back of the aft 1.1 AA tub (not quad 40mm, the tub was different by then) from above or looking down from the back? I am trying to find how much of the back of the tub was opened, how was the arrangement of the ladder going down there and how did the quad 1.1 mount crew get there.
This is hopefully the last thing I need to sort this our before spraying my build

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Battle of Savo Island Collection (all 1/700)
Recently completed: USS Wilson DD-408
At works: USS Astoria CA-34 | USS Patterson DD-392 & USS Bagley DD-386 | HMAS Australia
Prep stage: USS Vincennes CA-44 | Yubari | Kako

Best I can do at the moment...without more digging around. I think the area you are interested in is just to the L behind the practice loader shot, FWIW. (All photos from LIFE zine)

Thank you! I´ve got these photos, too, unfortunately they miss what I need precisely. The second one would have shown it the best, just the sailor to the left obscured exactly that spot.
The last one I think shows the forward quad 1.1 mount as there would be nothing above the aft one. What do you think?

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Battle of Savo Island Collection (all 1/700)
Recently completed: USS Wilson DD-408
At works: USS Astoria CA-34 | USS Patterson DD-392 & USS Bagley DD-386 | HMAS Australia
Prep stage: USS Vincennes CA-44 | Yubari | Kako

It looks like there's an overhang there, so that suggests a Fwd mount.

Here's part of a CA-30 drawing--re its absolute fidelity I cannot say--that gives an idea of how enclosed those mounts may have been.
Also, the big, high quality photo of CA-29 being refit in 1940 at Mare Island posted at navsource has a pretty good view (when enlarged) of those mounts, too.

HTH

Thank you! I think the drawing shows larger gun tubs than what would correspond to quad 1.1 (although it´s 1.1 quad drawn in there). There should be an inclined ladder connecting the upper and lower 5in gun platforms that is not shown here (and would not fit in). The back of the gun tub (looking from the ship´s side) should be open and somehow connected to the ladder. This can all be barely made up on the 1940 navsource photos, on the second Life magazine Northampton photo and also on the Louisville one I posted, but no details about how exactly it looked like. I´ll have to use some artistic licence one again

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Battle of Savo Island Collection (all 1/700)
Recently completed: USS Wilson DD-408
At works: USS Astoria CA-34 | USS Patterson DD-392 & USS Bagley DD-386 | HMAS Australia
Prep stage: USS Vincennes CA-44 | Yubari | Kako

Vladi,

Been doing some digging around, found these two images if they can be of any help. I get a feeling that each ship may have had a different set up depending on yard they were fitted.
Both of these images are from the Augusta


Gun tub looks elongated and there does not appear to be access from the center line. This would be more inline with above posted plan showing stairs down from upper gun deck.

This image was taken from a few feet behind the above one, there is a large locker or possible hoist which would make the access to the 1.1 tub kind of narrow I feel.

I will keep looking as I feel I have another shot of the Portland somewhere, but you can already see in the image I posted in that CASF that there was a break on the Center line side of the tub and probably a vertical ladder just out of frame.

HTH
Matt

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In the yards right now:
USS Utah AG-16
On Hold
1/350 USS Portland CA-33 1942
1/350 Trumpeter Texas with a twist

Couple more images,


A larger and clearer crop of the Louisville image. You can make out the steps down into the tub and linking rails to inclined ladder going from Gun deck to boat deck.


The Chester shows he Inclined ladder down to the boat deck, which probably means there was a Vertical Ladder up to the gun tub.


Take what can be seen with a grain of salt, it appears the back of the Northampton's tub was open however it can't be certain that it just isn't there anymore.

Artistic license may be the best option.

Matt

_________________
In the yards right now:
USS Utah AG-16
On Hold
1/350 USS Portland CA-33 1942
1/350 Trumpeter Texas with a twist

Hello Matt,

thanks a lot, these are wonderful close-up photos of the Augusta! Dou you have any dates for them?

You are indeed right about the differences in modifications between sisters. I cross-checked my Chicago collection once again and the two photos below clearly witness that - compare them to your Louisville photo. It seems that in case of Chicago the upper 5in deck ended even with the aftmost splinter shield without any opening for an inclined ladder leading downwards. The second photo perhaps indicates a vertical ladder close to the centerline? So perhaps there was only a narrow gangway (obscured by the superstructure here) leading to the spotting glass platform. In that case presumably another vertical ladder provided access to the 1.1in gun tub from the lower 5in deck.

It also seems that the 1.1in gun tub centerline part was already closed at this time, it can be seen behind the railings.

What do you think?

_________________
Battle of Savo Island Collection (all 1/700)
Recently completed: USS Wilson DD-408
At works: USS Astoria CA-34 | USS Patterson DD-392 & USS Bagley DD-386 | HMAS Australia
Prep stage: USS Vincennes CA-44 | Yubari | Kako

They were taken during Operation Torch in late 1942

I agree with your observations but I would possibly think there was an inclined ladder angled out from the centerline. In the first image, you see a sailor who's head is almost even with the 1.1 tub. Don't know what else would be there to have him so elevated other than he is descending a inclined ladder? It could open just out of sight being obscured by aforementioned superstructure.

Matt

_________________
In the yards right now:
USS Utah AG-16
On Hold
1/350 USS Portland CA-33 1942
1/350 Trumpeter Texas with a twist

Good catch! I thought the sailor was further apart but thinking about it again now that you pointed it out, you may be right! Thanks once again!

_________________
Battle of Savo Island Collection (all 1/700)
Recently completed: USS Wilson DD-408
At works: USS Astoria CA-34 | USS Patterson DD-392 & USS Bagley DD-386 | HMAS Australia
Prep stage: USS Vincennes CA-44 | Yubari | Kako

Hi all, I've been gathering references/pictures for a future build of the 4 Northampton class cruisers of the Pacific fleet in 1941. I was curious if anyone knew when Chicago was painted into Ms11 from Ms1. Shipcamouflage.com states she was in Ms1 all the way until repainted into Ms21 in 1942, but photos of her in December of 1941 show she definitely was not in Ms1 (and also shows Lexington in Ms12). The time frame I'm going to building her as is Nov-Dec 1941, so I'll go overall sea blue, but was just curious if she actually wore Ms1 (I haven't seen any pictures I can remember of her in Ms1)



I was also curious if anyone could help me determine the turret top colors. This is what I've discerned from info on Tracy White's website

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Abram,
I haven't taken the time yet to go through USS Portland's deck logs to figure out when this 1941 footage for the movie "To the Shores of Tripoli" was shot. She was sailing with USS Astoria (camera ship), USS Minneapolis, and USS Chicago.


All ships except USS Chicago were wearing MS-1. Chicago was in MS-11. I suspect it was either Aug or Sept of '41 but that is only a guess at this point.