At 'Em Arizona Fans!

[Tracy White]

It was shot by Dr. Eric Haakensen, an Army doctor who was visiting the Solace when the attack happened.

[Bondoman]

One of the things I'll never figure out is how there are virtually no pictures of anything in Pearl Harbor in the weeks, days, hours, and minutes leading up to 7:50AM on December 7th, yet as soon as the bombs fell everybody and his cousin was busy snapping pictures. In fact, I almost feel there were more people shooting back with cameras than rifles!

Because they all uploaded their disks on Saturday night. Ever try to take a picture at a Naval Air Station? Get's lot's of attention fast.
It's a good question. I've tried for years to get a good set of pictures of the control tower on Ford Island, you know the red and white striped job. First of all, it was not completed and didn't have the observation room on top. Second, most of the pictures taken by our side of Ford Island were from it's top. The Japanese photos only have a few shots of it, and they are from up high. And the later harbor views are obscured by smoke.

[Bondoman]

I have to laugh. There's obviously a "bot" that tracks book titles all over the web. Every time we get to talking about $tilwell, the price on Amazon goes up. Back a couple of months ago it went stratospheric, $ 300 - $ 400. Then the chatter slowed down and the book got all the way down to $ 102 last week. This week some of us bought copies from the Museum at list $ 65.00.
Today on Amazon the book is selling for $ 60, $ 97 and $ 102. Get 'em while they're hot.

[ArizonaBB39]

Well if that's the case why don't we talk about Sillwell's book being $20 I bought mine from AbeBooks a while back for $25 I think it was. Last time I looked they were all super expensive now. I'm glad I got it when it was $25

[dsk]

Anybody else notice how most of the copies on Amazon are "liberated" ex-library books?

[BFR4570]

Anybody else notice how most of the copies on Amazon are "liberated" ex-library books?

Which means that whoever is selling them paid next to nothing for them. Talk about a profit! OH MY!!

[gs]

Thought I saw the Stitwell book on sale at the Pearl Harbor WWII memorial. The price was not inflated.

[dsk]

Anybody else notice how most of the copies on Amazon are "liberated" ex-library books?

Which means that whoever is selling them paid next to nothing for them. Talk about a profit! OH MY!!

Probably not even "next to".

[Bondoman]

Mine arrived today from Honolulu. For sure I will keep the invoice as provenance; my daughter is going to build the Banner Arizona with me. The lady whom I bought it from is named Angel. I contacted her on the 888 number. Be sure to say "Aloha" as she is one of the jewels on the Island. New in the wrapper for $ 65.00, which goes to the non-profit Museum.

I spent the afternoon reading the book. First impressions. The copy is pretty turgid. Not quite "Japs attack" but pretty one sided, as it was written in 1962. We've of course seen all of the pictures in the book long since.

The drawings are good, but split page in an edgebound binding so the book needs be destroyed to make a true copy.

I think the best part is the various appendii with lists of those who lost their lives; the chronology of the ship; and in particular short bios of many of those who served on her.

Not particularly useful for a modeler, but good history.

One note Stillwell makes, apropos to an earlier question in this forum. There was an act of Congress in 1938 that prohibited photography of military installations without the consent and supervision of the base; read in the book. Tracy would have a better source I am sure.

[dsk]

Ya, we were talking about that earlier, either in this thread or in "Unboxing Arizona". That's why there's tons of pictures in Stillwell's book through the late 30's, but next to nothing after 1940. I was surprised to see a grainy long-distance shot of the Arizona in late '41 in the book "Pearl Harbor- the Way It Was", but otherwise I haven't seen any images later than the well-known pic of her at PSNS in January '41.

BTW I believe Stillwell's book was published in '93 or '94.

[JohnD]

My copy of Stillwell's book is a first printing edition published in 1991, in time for the 50th anniversary.
John

[mark_sch]

Stillwells book is outstanding. I am glad I own one.
Mark

[dsk]

Switching gears here, can anyone tell me what to use to make the rolled-up canvas covers for the casemate guns? I realize I'm missing that detail, but I can't figure out what to make them with.

[Timmy C]

You might be able to use a piece of rolled putty or tissue paper infused with glue.

[Jon C Ryckert]

I'm going to try using coffee filters for a coffee machine. I think that if I cut it to size and the soak it in water, roll it up and let it dry, it may work. It may also be a good idea to use white glue with it as Timmy C said. If anyone tries this before I do, let me know how it worked out.

[stef76]

Switching gears here, can anyone tell me what to use to make the rolled-up canvas covers for the casemate guns? I realize I'm missing that detail, but I can't figure out what to make them with.

hello dsk on my arizona i make rolled up canvas cover for the casemat guns, with "pate a fixe" in french.you can used tamiya milliput and rolled them.i use too kleenex with water and wood glue to make this on another kits !!sorry for my bad english i hope you undestand me.
cheers
stef

[mark_sch]

I saw a on-line 1/350 Arizona build and the modeler used Mr. Surfacer 500 to make the tarps. He just layered it until it looked like what was on the the ship.
Mark

[dsk]

Here are a couple of pictures to share with everybody. They were brought to my attention by Jon, and were published in the "Nautical Research Journal Summer 2008, Volume 53" and "Pearl Harbor- The Way It Was". They were supposedly taken from the National Archives so hopefully they're okay to post here. If not then mods please remove.

The first picture is of the Arizona in August 1941 at Pearl, and clearly shows that the radar platform had not yet been installed on the foretop, and the range clocks still appear to be in place. The second photo was taken two months later on October 13th, and while the image is more grainy it appears the radar platform is there and the range clocks are gone. According to Stillwell's book the Arizona went into drydock from September 15-19th, so I am guessing the changes were made at that time.

I really hope some better pictures still exist from late 1941 and will soon be found, but in the meantime at least these answer a couple of questions for modelers.

[Vitreous]

Can any of our aficionados tell me if the Funnel Stays were still present after Arizona's yard period in Bremerton in early 1941? I am referring to the support lines that were attached to both the forward and aft sides of the funnel to support it. These are shown clearly in a number of photographs in Stillwell's book (pp. 160 and 204 most prominently).

I don't know if this can be answered, and it is possible they may have been removed when the splinter shields were placed around the 5" AA guns near where they appear to have been attached to the deck. I notice they are not depicted in the Arizona Memorial Model, nor can I see them in the photo on p. 220. They DO appear the Chesley plans for June 1941, however. I am beginning to think that they were frequently removed and replaced as needed, because their presence seems to come and go. One of the two anterior stays is shown in a March '39 photo on p. 214.

Anyway, if anyone can confirm their presence for me (I am modeling BB-39 in late January, 1941), and also fixation points for the anterior stays (appears to be the the level containing the flag bridge, but can't tell with any certainty), I would be grateful.

Bruce

[Vitreous]

fixation points for the anterior stays

Sorry, guys. By anterior, I meant the forward stays.


Bruce[/quote]