Subject 29/11/98VOL378 Date: Sun, 29 Nov 1998 02:14:28 +1100 (EST) shipmodels@tac.com.au -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: Campbeltown 2: Campbelltown Destoyer 3: Re: Iowa follow-up 4: RFA RELIANT 5: Re:Thinned putty 6: Re: Sanding thinned putty technique 7: Re: HMS CAMPBELTOWN 8: Re: Cambletown 9: HMS Campbeltown 10: HMS Campbeltown 11: Re: the NS Savannah 12: Thinning putty 13: Arizona paravanes/degaussing 14: Putty for filling seams 15: Campbelltown 16: Re: HMS CAMPBELTOWN 17: Re: NS SAVANNAH 18: SAVANNAH, FILLER, AND CAMPBEL(L)TOWN 19: Re: Putty 20: Re: Campbelltown name. 21: Re: Campbelltown Destoyer 22: Pit-Road Ships Colour 23: USS Buchanan/HMS Campbelltown 24: Re: Campletown 25: Dan Jones and Plastic Ship Modeler Quarterly 26: Harbor Photos 27: Campbeltown Destroyer 28: HMS CAMPBELTOWN 29: Viking USS Texas/NewYork (1/700) 30: 1/700 Scale LCMs -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: Annoucement - Web Site Update 2: NEW BOOKS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Les Pickstock (Les Pickstock) Subject: Re: Campbeltown The fifty Wickes class destroyers sent to the UK as part of the lend-lease deal were all given the names of British towns that share their names with towns in the States. The whole list and many detailled drawings and photos can be found in Al Ross's excellent CAMPBELTOWN Anatomy of a ship. There is also The Towns by Arthur Hague but I've not seen a copy of this so can't comment on it. The changes to CAMPBELTOWN from her time as BUCHANAN were largely cosmetic until her conversion for St Nazaire. In service as an convoy escort she wore a spiffy Lt Blue and White paint job and was fitted with British style DC throwers at the expense of 2 of her Torp Tubes. The aft 4" was replaced by a 3" QF and her aft funnel was shortened. Changes were made to her stern to accomodate British DC racks. Many "Towns" under went even more radical changes, to the extent that no 2 seemed the same. Les Pickstock -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: ironship@usit.net (Jon Warneke) Subject: Campbelltown Destoyer >> Next to my farm outside of Hershey Pa, there is a very very small town of Campbelltown. On the main (and about only street) is a memorial to the Campbelltown ship used in what I believe was the attempt to blow up docks in France. In the case is a model which I believe is the 1/72 kit (the scale I work in) of the USS Ward by Combat Models. Who ever did it did a great job. My question is how in the world did a lend-lease ship get the name of a small town in the PA Dutch/Amish country? We are hundreds of miles from the ocean, or anything British. Of course, nobody in the town has a clue (being a Vet, I stopped at the VFW for beer and infro, plenty of beer, no infro). << The name Campbelltown, as were the the other names given to the 50 Lend Lease DD's, were chosen for this reason. Each name had a town of the same name in both countries, and hence the class name of "Town" in RN service. The USS Buchanan DD131 happened to receive the name Campbelltown, which reflects the small Pennsylvania town, and a small town in the Midlands, I think. >> I plan on doing two versions of the Ward based on the old Leeward (sp) book, but am very interested in a Campbelltown if anyone knows of a source of information on this ship in US and British service. I understand Floating Drydock has 1/72 fittings that I can use, but any other 1/72 sources of parts or fittings would be greatly appreciated. << The best reference on the Campbelltown that I know of is the book "Anatomy of the Ship Campbelltown" published by Naval Institute Press. It has complete drawings of the Buchannan as built, Campbelltown as an escort destroyer in RN service, and her conversion to he St. Naziare configuration. Now for the shameless plug. There is a 1/350 scale of the Campbelltown available from Tom's Modelworks if you're looking for a 3D representation of her St. Mazaire look. You can contact Tom through his website on Warships at http://warships.simplenet.com. Floating Drydock is your best bet for 1/72 fittings. Good Luck, Jon Warneke Iron Shipwrights I am Elmer J. Fudd, millionaire. I own a mansion and a yacht! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3)From: ironship@usit.net (Jon Warneke) Subject: Re: Iowa follow-up >> Sorry, I wasn't being entirely clear. With the resin kits, the casting of the hull, deck, and level 1 superstructure as 1 piece is somewhat dictated by the properties of resin itself (ie casting the hull solid). But I don't see why Tamiya had to mould the level 1 integrally with the middle section of deck in their Missouri kit. It makes the clean seperation of the deck and side colours unnecessarily difficult (if you're using an airbrush). << Really, the casting of the 01 level with the hull in a resin kit has more to do with the preference of the pattern maker than with the properties of the resin. I do it mostly to provide the builder with the starting place to start stacking the other deck levels, and to make it easier to cast parts. If you make a large seperate part, such as a deckhouse, you'll have to somehow design a way to locate it on the deck. There are three ways to do that. The first is to make a cutout of the deckhouse and lay it in as part of the main deck. Not too difficult to do, but when the different RTV molds shrink at different rates, there may be a mismatch. Second is mounting pins, but this entails a two piece mold, and having to deal with two pieces of RTV which could get up into the 12"x12" range flopping in multiple directions. Finally, there's the "tell the modeler to measure from a fixed point" method. This will work well, as long as you give the measurements in something the modeler can use (I have rulers marked off in hundreths of an inch, which seems to be a rarety). However, the first and last solutions have another part to be completed, which is sanding off the pour chamber (if the part was produced in a one piece mold). I personally don't enjoy flat sanding a resin piece, and thus try and avoid putting these types of piecesin my kits. Thus, large pieces are attached as much as possible. As for the Missouri having the center 01 level attached to the main deck, I think you may be looking at economics. To properly do the level, it would probably have been designed as three parts (two sides and a deck), and that would have entailed one or two new molds to be cut. However, by attaching this level to the main deck, two to three molds became one, and the airbrushing crowd can find a way to get the seperation line correct. This and the "it's always been done that way" excuse are the only reasons I can really think of. Jon Warneke Iron Shipwrights I am Elmer J. Fudd, millionaire. I own a mansion and a yacht! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "HARRY GARLAND" Subject: RFA RELIANT Hi, I wonder if anybody can help. My father-in-law asks if anybody knows the previous name of the RFA Reliant. The years he was onboard were 1944/45. I would be obliged if anyone could help him in his quest. Thank you, Harry Garland. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: "David P. Judy III" Subject: Re: Thinned putty Instead of thinning putty I found an automotive spot glazing putty that comes in a tube that is very thin already. This stuff is called Nitro-Stan red putty #9001. It is so thin it will ooze out of the tube if you don't cap it! It also doesn't shrink as much as other fillers. Also I've found 3M acryl-green or blue spot putty works well for thicker applications. These products can be found at automotive paint supply stores. Dave Judy -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: SHIPMDLR@aol.com Subject: Re: Sanding thinned putty technique This technique works very well for smoothing out thinned putty without damaging the surrounding molded on detail. Once the putty is dry (either thinned or not thinned) use a soft cloth (such a diaper) dipped in DENATURED alcohol. Denatured alcohol is the only type that will work. You can get denatured alcohol at drug stores. Gently rub the soft rag over the putty and the denatured alcohol will dissolve it leaving the surrounding detail unblemished. This technique is particularly useful to fill gaps in tight corners. Since the rag will conform to any shape you can smooth seams in very tight places. Rusty White Flagship Models Inc. http://www.okclive.com/flagship/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: CBNJBB62@aol.com Subject: Re: HMS CAMPBELTOWN I have a answer about the Campbeltown. The U.S. sold 50 destroyers to England for base rights as the Royal Navy was short of escorts in 1940. So the Brits named after towns that had matching names in America. There is a Scottish town named Campbeltown. President Roosevelt didn't like Hilter or his ambition so he began to aid the Brits. By the way, their is a new H.M.S. Campbeltown in service today. It is a Broadsword class missile frigate built in 1989. It visited Philadelphia in 1991. I live near there and went to see it. Sincerely, Craig Bennett -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: Jay Schantzen Subject: Re: Cambletown A great source of info on the Cambletown is the "Anatomy of the Ship: HMS Cambletown" by th US Naval institute Press. It shows the Cambletown at all stages of her career, and has great technical drawings. Another source is the National Archives down the road from you in College Park, MD. They may have the plans, and definitely have a treasure trove of Microfilm. Have done research on DD187 USS Dahlgren there, and got great info. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: "RLOCKIE" Subject: HMS Campbeltown The 50 four-pipers such as HMS Campbeltown (as I recall, the ex-USS Buchanan) which were sent to the UK early in the war were all given names of towns which existed both in the UK and the USA. How many there are of those I have no idea, but there were obviously at least 50. I do not know precisely how they were selected. There is a useful Profile on Campbeltown (long out of print) which includes some photographs of the work being done to convert her for the St. Nazaire raid and I think these are IWM photographs so prints should be available (around four pounds per 5 by 7 inch black and white print). I have an article in an old annual which described converting Airfix's old 1/600 kit to the St Nazaire configuration, which I can dig out if it would help. Quite a few changes were made, with extra Oerlikons, armoured bulwarks down the main deck edges and extra armour on the bridge, as well as the removal of two funnels and reshaping of the other two to make the ship resemble a German torpedoboot (well, in the dark anyway). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: Jeff Herne Subject: HMS Campbeltown I'm not sure why the Brits decided to name her Campbelltown, maybe there's a town in England by that name? Anyway, the Combat models kit is a very rudimentary (read: damn near impossible)kit. The hull parts are vacuformed, and that's about it. The rest is up to you, so I hope you're an experienced modeler. As for fittings in 1/72 scale, you're best bet is Floating Drydock, they carry some fittings from a company called HR Products. They're quality is marginal to acceptable, depending on what you're ordering. HOWEVER...I noticed you wanted to the ship in both versions, before and after. If you must have a big scale, try the Bluejacket USS Ward in 1/96. She's the same basic ship. The length of the kit is 40 inches, not much smaller than the Combat kit. The kit is wood based, but has a pre-carved hull, so it will be a much easier build than the Combat kit as well (this is coming from experience here). The Bluejacket kit is more expensive, $252.00, but it is complete and requires considerably less scratchbuilding. In the end, the cost of 1/72 fittings will more than likely balance things out. Since the scale is a ship modeling scale, 1/8" = 1', fittings are abundant if you decide to get real crazy with the details. There is also a book, Anatomy of the Ship, on the Campbelltown. It is out of print (I believe) but I am sure it can be had. Drop a note to Bill Gruner at Pacific Front, he may have one/know where to get one. If I can be of any help in your project, drop me an e-mail. Jeff Herne PS: Bluejacket's phone number is 1-800-448-5567 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: "Michael C. Smith" Subject: Re: the NS Savannah The Savannah is (as of summer of 1997) no longer at Patriots Point with the Yorktown. I assume they were trying to change to a more naval (as opposed to nautical) focus. I have no idea where she is, but you might trying Dr. Steve Ewing, director of the museum - he should know. He may also have, or know of where you can obtain photos or other documentation of the ship. And re: the National Geographics, don't forget that these are now available on CD - you can search and print out whatever articles, ads, or photos you want. Michael Smith Marshall, Texas -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: KDur597268@aol.com Subject: Thinning putty On the subject thinning putty - when I use Squadron white or green, I use enamel thinner. Works fine, and I haven't noticed a lot of shrinking problems. I also generally seal any putty I use with CA, so that may keep it from shrinking. Also gives it a much better surface. However, when there's alot of neighboring detail that would prevent mr from using the vigor required to sand CA, the enamel thinner - on the tip of my finger - can be used to smooth the surface of the putty to near-finished state. As one other person mentioned, however, I find Miliput vastly superior. It's also a lot more expensive and more trouble to use. But it's thinnable with H20 - a big environmental advantage. Ken Durling -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: "Michael C. Smith" Subject: Arizona paravanes/degaussing Here are the results of my research on the Arizona model "paravanes/degaussing" equipment. In Paul Stillwell's "Battleship Arizona" p. 368-369, the diagram of the ship's June 1941 fit shows the torpedo shaped apparatus I think we're talking about mounted on the base of turret no. 2. Nothing on the hull forward, where I think the Revell kit has it as well(don't remember for sure). The deck by deck plans on. p. 373 show two units mounted on the port side of the turret and one on the starboard side. The text is even more helpful. On p. 152 there is a photo of one of the units (sometime in the 1930's) with a caption "Lashed to turret two is a paravane used for protection against mines." On p. 33 there are photos of the forefoot of the ship being painted on 9/24/18, which has a closeup of the holes in the extreme lower end of the bow and shows the chains through them, which it says were for "burney gear" for the sweeping of mine cables - added as a wartime precaution. It says that the holes were used for "streaming paravanes to push the mine cables out from the side of the ship." The photo here is National Archives 19-N-681. A lot of photos show chains dropping straight down from the bow into the water (in drydock only, as far as I can tell) - this is where they were headed. I can see the paravanes similarly mounted on the wartime Arkansas, New York and Texas in the Friedman battleship book, and a late 20's-early 30's New York. As far as the degaussing cables, they were two or three cables that wrapped all the way around the ship. The Oklahoma shows them in February 1941, and the Yorktown clearly has them in May 1942 in drydock in Pearl Harbor (the 1/700 waterline kit has them, incidentally). The last known closeup of the Arizona (1/41) does not show any, nor do Tom Freeman's paintings. I never see any on the Pennsylvania, pre-Pearl, post-Pearl, or post-1943 modernization, and I vaguely recall something about the method or the need for degaussing changing, but I'm not sure on this. Just for a little background, the magnetic mines were used by the Germans in the first months of the war in 1939 - they would be dropped by plane at harbor mouths and would be drawn the ships' hulls as they entered and exited. 59 Allied and neutral ships were sunk by such devices. On November 22-23 1939 such a mine was accidentally dropped in mud flats of the Thames river, where it was retrieved at low tide by the British, who figured out the technique of encircling a ship with a cable that would fool the mine by passing an electrical current that neutralized the ship's magnetic field. At first these cables were laid on the decks, then mounted on the hull, and I suspect they eventually found a better internal or electronic solution. By March 1940 Allied ships were so equipped, according to some sources. Another solution was to have an appropriately equipped plane fly over an area - it would explode any such mines below it. Japan may never have used these type of mines, and the planned deployment of degaussing apparatus on U.S. ships may have been cut short for some reason. In any event, the magnetic mine was a German weapon, and perhaps Japan never used it. Hope this helps. Michael Smith Marshall, Texas -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: BSteinIPMS@aol.com Subject: Putty for filling seams >> I use Squadron white putty and I have two problems with it... 1) It doesn't sand smooth always - it leaves tiny pits and holes 2) It sometimes melts and deforms the surface of the plastic Can anyone recommend a better brand (in the USA/Canada), or perhaps tell me where I am going wrong? << Malcolm: If you are most comfortable using putty rather than some of the other fillers, try using what I consider to be the finest putty on the market: 3M Acryl Blue. This is an automotive filler in a large tube which has the following admirable qualities: it's a light blue color which makes visualizing the filled area easy, thus promoting additional filling and correcting of flaws. It adheres very well to polystyrene, sands out to a feather edge, and has little to no pitting. One tube will last you a lifetime, and you can find it at almost any automotive supply store. Bob Steinbrunn Minneapolis -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) From: Donald Bridge Subject: Campbelltown Hi all The destroyer HMS Campbelltown as used in the heroic but not that successful raid on the French port of St. Nazaire was named after the Scottish town of the same name. This town was named after the Clan Campbell in whose traditional area it lies. Campbelltown PA is probably, as are a large number of other US towns and cities ( Boston, Plymouth, New YORK, and Birmingham to name a few) named after the town in the UK. So the two names (American town and ship) probably get there name from the same place. Don Bridge -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16) From: John Snyder Subject: Re: HMS CAMPBELTOWN When the RN renamed the 50 flush-deck DDs supplied under lend-lease, they gave them names of towns that existed in both Great Britain and the U.S. Campbeltown happened to be one of those, and that's why a rural Pennsylvania town, well away from the sea, came to have a ship named after it. BTW, according to Arnold Hague in _Destroyers for Great Britain_, in the late 1940s the Admiralty gave a book (title not specified) on the subject to each of the towns for which the ships were named. You might want to check the Campbeltown Library.... BTW, is the model painted in Mountbatten Pink? John Snyder Snyder & Short Enterprises T he Paint Guys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17) From: James Corley Subject: Re: NS SAVANNAH >> Concerning questions #3 about the NS SAVANNAH. The ship was built in Camden NJ by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation (1899-1967).Now 2 things about this the real ship still exists a museum in Patriot's Point South Carolina. << Unfortunately, the US Navy "repossessed" the Savannah a few years ago due to a lack of upkeep. The ship is currently moored in the James River storage fleet. I have heard rumors that the YORKTOWN is facing the same fate if her condition does not improve. I saw her in 95 and she was in fairly bad shape then. HUGO did some damage and those repairs plus normal upkeep put the association behind. JZ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18) From: Baker Subject: SAVANNAH, FILLER, AND CAMPBEL(L)TOWN Three points in reference to items in SMML # 377: Gunze Sanyo is now issuing a new paintable filler in two degrees of viscosity for use in filling seams, etc. It's applied with a paintbrush. Got a nice review in a recent British aircraft modelling periodical, but it was said not to be generally available yet. You might also want to try using the thicker forms of superglue to fill seams, and for the same purpose, I've used stretched sprue, painted into the seam with solvent-type glue (Tenax) and then sanded smooth. Secondly, SAVANNAH is now resident in the Maritime Administration's National Defense Reserve Fleet anchorage in the James River, Virginia, just upriver from Newport News (off Ft. Eustis). The Patriots Point Museum could not afford to maintain her. She is, of course, no longer open to the public. Lastly, The "50 Ships that Saved the World' 4-piper destroyers that were transferred to the UK by President Roosevelt were, at least in theory, all given names shared by United Kingdom and U.S. towns. There is a slight spelling problem, however, in that the Scottish town and the RN ship had the name spelled as "CAMPBELTOWN" (i.e.,with only one L), as is the name of the modern RN Type 22 frigate. Happy day after Thanksgiving to EVERYBODY. Dave Baker -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19) From: "David & Alicja Lombard" Subject: Re: Putty I've found that denatured alcohol does a good job at thinning and also softening to extend working time. My experience has shown the alcohol to be very safe with plastics. I'd worry about acetone or liquid cement. David Lombard Rossmoor, Orange County, CA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20) From: b29@ix.netcom.com Subject: Re: Campbelltown name. The 50 Lend-Lease destroyers were given new names by the British when the ships were transferred. The British named them after towns in Britain that that had matching names with towns in the U.S. with the exception of one, renamed after Churchill. The British referred to these ships as "Town" Class, not to be confused, however, with their "Town" Class cruisers. At the time of her loss, Campbelltown had been significantly altered in an attempt to make her silouette look somewhat like a MOWE Class German torpedo boat. For more on the ship, see the ANATOMY OF THE SHIP book by Al Ross on her. In addition, a model of the ship in her final configuration, made by Argos, can be obtained in 1250 scale. Also available in 1250 scale from Argonaut are a variety of "Town" Class destroyers representing various rigs during British service. Paul Jacobs 1250 Editor http://warship.simplenet.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21) From: "Caroline Carter" Subject: Re: Campbelltown Destoyer Well, I'm sure you'll get a load of replies to this one, but basically the lend-lease Towns were named after towns that were common to both the U.K. and the U.S. hence Campbeltown, U.S. and the little town of Campbeltown up on the West coast of Scotland (we sailed into there once, and got very, very drunk, so it holds especial memory for Dave and myself!). THE best reference for Campbeltown is "Conway's Anatomy of The Ship HMS Campbeltown", now out of print, although it occasionally crops up secondhand at 20-30.00 pounds in the U.K. Re building one, my fave is the Revell 1/240 Campbeltown which recently went out of production... it has appeared in various guises e.g. as the USS Ward in the past. Just the right size for the mantelpiece! In fact with the Gold Medal Models photoetched brass detail set, a very lovely and detailed model can be built from this kit. The book "The Towns" by Arnold Hague is still in print, and covers all the ships of the class, both in history and pictures. Regards Caroline Carter Whiite Ensign Models http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/avenue/index.htm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22) From: Dave Swindell Subject: Pit-Road Ships Colour 1. Are these paints acrylic or enamel, what thinners to use? 2. Anybody on the group used them? How did you rate them? 3. I have 3 bottles; 9 - Kure Naval Arsenal, and 14+15 Royal Navy Grey 1+2. How do these shades match up to the greys used on WWII IJN battleships (Yamato in particular) and modern Royal Navy ships (type 42's in particular) The Kure Naval Arsenal grey is a spot on match for the grey used on JSDF surface ships, as I tested it whilst working in the IHI yard in Kure on a turret from Asagumo which was refitting at the time. This grey also matches various models of Yamato I saw whilst out there, whether these were painted this colour because it was accurate, or because it was readily available locally I couldn't ascertain. (Several small boats in nearby marinas wore a very smart Brunswick Green paint scheme very similar to the colour of our ship that had just finished building - coincidence or what?!) I've had these paints for about ten years but they seem OK, and as I intend building some ships over the winter I wondered what you all thought of them. Dave Swindell -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23) From: Duane Fowler Subject: USS Buchanan/HMS Campbelltown The USS Buchanan, DD131 was launched on January 2, 1919. It was named after Franklin Buchanan who served as a Captain in the US Navy and a Ranking Officer in the Confederate Navy. He was the first superintendent of the Naval School at Annapolis, Maryland (later the US Naval Academy). She was decommissioned three and a half years later on June 7, 1922. She was recommissioned on April 10, 1930 and served off and on until April 9, 1937. On September 30, 1939 she was brought back once more due to the war in Europe and served as part of the Neutrality Patrol. She was decommissioned for the last time on September 2, 1940. On September 9, 1940 she was accepted by the Royal Navy as one of the first Lend Lease ships. On September 10, 1940 the Admiralty ordered the ex-US four stackers should be known as the "Town" class and should be named after towns with names common to both Britain and the US. The HMS Campbelltown was the fifth of the first five to arrive in Britain. The Campbelltown took her name from the fishing port in Kintyre, close by the Mull, and from her US sister city of Campbelltown, Florida. Her pennant number was I-42. In March of 1940 she was allocated to the Royal Netherlands Navy, in exile, who wanted to name her the "Middleburg." However, since there was no corresponding Middleburg in the US the Admiralty would not allow it. The Campbelltown retained her name and was manned by a Polish crew until September 1941 when she once again reverted to the Royal Navy for Atlantic convoy and patrol duties. The Campbelltown was selected for the St. Nazaire raid because of her age and the fact that she could relatively easily be disguised as a German destroyer. From March 10 to March 17, 1942 she was so modified along with a giant concrete plug filled with several tons of explosives being fitted into her bow. On the night of March 27/28, 1942, she made her way up the channel to the locks at St. Nazaire, along with 18 MTBs, and rammed them at full speed. Several commando parties made their way to the pumps and gates at the other end of the locks and destroyed them. At 1135 on March 28, 1942, the bows of the Campbelltown blew up, demolishing the ship, the docks, and approximately 300 unfortunate German inspectors, guards, and sightseers. The forward part of the ship aft as far as the first funnel disintegrated completely. The aft section was sucked to the middle of the locks, where she remained throughout most of the rest of the war. Sorry but the Campbelltown was officially named after Campbelltown, Florida. Tom's Model Works in Cupertino, CA (see their offering on the Warship page) makes an excellent 1/350 scale resin model of the Campbelltown as fitted for the raid. Combined with the Iron Shipwright 1/350 model of the USS Ward, you could make a great before/after set. I'm doing it. For References, check out: The Greatest Raid of All, by C. E. Lucas Phillips Anatomy of the Ship: The Destroyer Campbelltown, by Al Ross Warship Profile #5: HMS Campbelltown (USS Buchanan)/ Flush Decker Destroyer (4 Stacker) 1918-1942, by John Wingate. Best regards, Duane Fowler -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24) From: Graham Holmes Subject: Re: Campletown To the Gentleman from Campletown asking about theRN ship of the same name, she was given that name because of the naming theme for the four-pippers from the USN. They were all given names of towns that existed both in the US and Britain. I don't know if the US Campletown was referring to the one he lives in, but the British version was from the Campletown in the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland. A charming town is very much connected with the sea. Hope this helps -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25) From: fleetnut@juno.com (Stephen C Gustafson) Subject: Dan Jones and Plastic Ship Modeler Quarterly Just a note, at Dan's request, to inform those trying to contact Dan that he is having a software problem with his computer. When he told me of this yesterday, he thought that he would be off line for only a few days but has just informed me that he will probably be out of commission for ten days to two weeks. If I can be of any help in relaying messages to or from him, don't hesitate to contact me. Thanks, Steve Gustafson -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26) From: fleetnut@juno.com (Stephen C Gustafson) Subject: Harbor Photos I'd like to add my 2 cents worth to these requests. What I wouldn't give to have some photos of the many WW II U.S. naval facilities. Some in this country have been fairly well covered such as Mare Island, Pearl Harbor, Bremerton, and Norfolk. This leaves several such as Boston, New York, New London among others. It would also be fascinating to see good photos and maps of the many Pacific ports that were so important to the war effort. Good photos of Cavite, the Java bases, Singapore and the many Australian bases that are now legendary. Do I live in a dream world or is this information out there? Steve Gustafson -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27) From: "Pletscher-Lenz-Schneider" Subject: Campbeltown Destroyer Hi CaptainOD (Whatever your name is) You are asking yourself how in the world did a lend-lease ship get the name of a small town in the PA Dutch/Amish country. Well, those old Four-Pipers which were transferred to Britain were first designed to retain their American names, and the first 16 ships in fact made the passage under their USN name with the British HMS prefix. But in early September 1940, the decision was made to rename all these ships after towns common to both America and Britain. It is very probable that the Admirality simply picked the names from an atlas index. So the USS BUCHANAN became HMS CAMPBELTOWN. For information on this ship you should try to get the old "Warship Profile" on Campbeltown, which has some good photos of her conversion for the St. Nazaire Raid. Another fine source of information is the book on Campbeltown in the "Anatomy of the Ship" series, which has plans of all her states of appearance. Falk Pletscher -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28) From: ALROSS2@aol.com Subject: HMS CAMPBELTOWN When the 50 lend/lease destroyers were acquired by the RN, official policy was to name the ships after towns in the US and Britain which shared a common name. Arnold Hague, in his book The Towns, indicates that "...it is very probable that the Admiralty simply made use of an atlas index to pick town names common to both America and Britain, once the decision to use that nomenclature had been taken..." (p. 10). For more info on HMS CAMPBELTOWN (ex USS BUCHANAN [DD 131]), refer to: Hague, Arnold. The Towns. Kendal, England: The World Ship Society. 1988. Ross, Al. Anatomy of the Ship - The Destroyer Campbeltown. London: Conway Maritime Press, LTD. 1990. Tom's Modelworks ( www.tomsmodelworks.com/ ) offers a 1/350 scale kit of CAMPBELTOWN in her St. Nazaire raid configuration. Al Ross -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29) From: Ed Grune Subject: Viking USS Texas/NewYork (1/700) This is a followup to a post a few days back asking for information on the USS Texas & New Tork in 1/700 scale. I checked the Viking website (www.bryrus.net/vikingmodels) and they do not mention these kits as being available. I mailed the folks at Viking, but no responses yet. The only published reference which I've found is in the Verlinden ad in the new Fine Scale Modeler. The text says available soon. Ed -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30) From: Ed Grune Subject: 1/700 Scale LCMs I've gotten the Skywave 1/700 AK99 Bootes Victory Ship. I'd like to mod it to be my father's ship -- the AKA14 Oberon. The Oberon was originally AK56, then was modified to carry landing craft and reclassified in 1943. The Oberon participated in the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Palermo, Southern France, Leyte, Kerama Retto (Okinawa campaign), and landed occupation forces in Japan. I have a source for the LCVPs which were carried. I'm looking for a source for LCM-3s and a LCP personel boat. Thanks Ed -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Felix Bustelo Subject: Annoucement - Web Site Update The International Maritime Modeling Site has been updated: http://members.tripod.com/~Febus65/imm.htm The update includes: A new maritime history page with an article on the HMCS Haida The first installment of an article on how to build the Revell USS Constitution Reviews of the Heller 1/400 Richelieu and Glencoe 1/450 SS France kits Reviews of the GMM 1/450 Merchant Ship, 1/350 Titanic Skylight and 1/350 Titanic Bench PE sets Reviews of the WEM 1/600 Modern RN Radars and 3-bar Rails & Ladders PE sets addition of Flagship Models products for classic scales to the PE list. Please stop by for a visit. Felix Bustelo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "Caroline Carter" Subject: NEW BOOKS A Happy Thanksgiving to all our American friends.... hmmmm.. it's just not fair.. you guys get to eat turkey and eat and drink too much TWICE in a month! We have to wait till Christmas.. Anyhow, on the subject of 1/700 Scale Coal, we have just had the following coal-orientated naval titles in today: One pounds equals about 1.64 US dollars at this time. WAINE RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS Each hardbound A4 sized voulme contains excellent coverage of the subject in the authoratative text, but the real wow is the quality of illustration. Together with drawings and photos of the vessels, there are superb quality plans, usually more than adequate for construction of a model, and where stated, colour litho profiles. We cannot recommend these books enough . ***British Steam Tugs 222pp, covering tugs from 1833 to 1956 (including naval and wartime subjects)90+ photos(some colour), 29 colour profiles & plans 24.95 ***Steam Coasters & Short Sea Traders 182pp British coasters and puffers from the 19th Century to post WWII. 76 plans, 29 colour profiles, 97 b&w photos& sketches.22.95 ***British Ocean Tramps. Volume 2. 182pp The ships, crews companies and routes involved in the trade, with 34 ship plans, 22 colour profiles&56 photos 19.95 ****The Steam Collier Fleets 226pp A full history of the British coaling trade, with 93 plans, 55 photos (some colour) & 53 sketches, maps 24.95 New Polish and Russian titles arrived today and we will be shipping from tomorrow. Profile Morskie Italian light cruiser Raimondo Montecuccoli 8.99 HMS Scylla Dido Class Cruiser. NEW 8.99 Canarias ClassSpanish Cruisers 9.99 Swedish Battleships 1880-1950 9.99 and finally, a long-awaited restock ORP Piorun GPM 3 J,K and N Class destroyers A4 s/b16pp,lovely centre spread colour camouflage plan and profile,drawings, pics 7.99 ORP Orkan GPM 9 L,M Class destroyers A4 s/b 16ppOrkan in Western Approaches 1942,Plans for HMS Lance and Orkan 7.99 ORP Orkan (ex-HMS Myrmidon)destroyer,s/b105pp,photos, camou,uniforms and insignia of the Polish Navy,camouflage,plan+profil 8.99 Other books have also suddenly descended en masse... WORLD SHIP SOCIETY Sloops 1926-1946 Hague, A. s/b124pp, covers every RN Sloop.Photos of every sloop, and words.. from armament changes to which subs sunk by which sloops 13.00 The Type 35 Torpedoboats of the Kriegsmarine, Whitley, M.J. 24pp, b/w photos, drawings.2.50 Cunard Portraits Isherwood, John H. A4 s/b 64pp high quality showing nice full colour drawings of every Cunarder.. check out that WWI Aquitania in camouflage.9.00 Conversion For War, Monograph no. 6, Osbourne, R. s/b 84pp, 40 photos, details every British merchant conversion of the Second World War.4.50 Short Sea Long War, de Winser, John, 161pp s/b, 132 photos, Cross channel ships' naval and military service in WW2, splendidly researched.21.00 Leander Class frigates, Richard Osborne and David Sowdon, s/b, 120pp, 127 photos, a history of their design and development, 1958-1990, inc. Dutch, New Zealand, Chilean, Indian, and Australian River Class frigates.13.50 Convoys to Russia 1941-1945 Bob Ruegg and Arnold Hague, s/b,104pp, 49 photos, Immaculately researched, ALL convoys, ALL ships, a complete history.12.00 The Towns Hague, Arnold, 92 pp, 110 photos, a history of the 50 destroyers transferred from the U.S. to Britain in 1940.9.00 Cheers! Caroline Carter SMMLlie old WEMblie -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume