Subject: SMML VOL 1024 Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2000 21:48:30 +1000 shipmodels@tac.com.au -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: Essex 2: Offer 3: Re: HMS Laforey - L-Class destroyer 4: ship scrapping 5: Re: Tamiya's reply about Essex 6: Tamiya and the USS Arizona 7: Tamiya Essex 8: models in museums 9: Re: Remember Pearl Harbor (I do) 10: HMS Upholder 11: Re: Lexington 12: 1990 Principe de Asturias (R-11) refit 13: Re: Displaying Full Hull Ships 14: Re: Lexington 15: Re: Lady Lex 16: Sao Paolo Airwing 17: BARRY to be scrapped 18: KEN MARSCHALL PRINTS 19: TV Shows (& Naval Videos) 20: News on Russian 'Admiral Gorshov' 21: Tamiya Arizona 22: ATLANTIC CVE GROUPS 23: USS Barry Memorial Ship 24: Re: HMS Laforey & Tribal Camouflage 25: WW2 anecdote HMS 'Howe' 26: Soviet Vospers camo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model club & SMMLcon Infomation 1: 2001 IPMS/USA Battle of Atlantic theme -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: James Corley Subject: Re: Essex >> Uhhh...Yorktown never received a -27C modernization. She remained a -27A until the end, hence why she became one of the first fully-converted Essexes to become a CVS, and why she decommissioned in 1970. I know this ship very well, and I will gladly consume my beret (you remember that beret from Atlanta in '99, right, James?) if she is a -27C.... :) Also, Yorktown never received a full -144 modernization. She *was* budgeted for it under FY66, but she had been on the line off Vietnam for a while and when the USN was finally able to schedule some yard time for her, the higher-ups reasoned that it wasn't a good idea to do that extensive a modification on a ship that would be decommissioned in FY70. (Also, since the Yorktown had been a trials ship for the ASCAC, or Anti-Sub Combat Action Center, in the early '60s, she wasn't in quite as much need as some others.) Thus she only received a partial modification. Most notably, Yorktown does not have the stem anchor or sonar dome. << Jodie, You are both right and wrong. I will admit is was an error on my part that she did not receive the SCB-27C, but she did get upgraded to the FRAM II standard in the FY66 budget, being carried out in her drydock period of 7April to 5August 1967. She did have the stem hawsepipe installed, but I have only seen the hole there, never an anchor. I cannot comment on the sonar, but since she did serve as a CVS and has the hawsepipe, I would have to assume that at least the dome was installed. Anyway, the count is still at 65! I was right only by coincidence The Nimitz class carriers have a speed bulb on their stem which is large enough for a sonar, but the Navy has never said the class has sonar, while NNSY will say only that they are capable. Look at the photos of the CVN-77 model that have been popping up and compare them to the drydock photos of any Nimitz. I have not found a single photo of a Nimitz class stem that wasn't covered by a work shed/tarp. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: john.baumann@talk21.com Subject: Offer SMML Members may like to know that our favoured model importer, John the Pole, can obtain all types of kits from Poland, Russia and even Czechoslavakia. Essentially I buy afv models from him, but he has already expanded into aircraft and books, so ships would be a natural progression of business. His motto is 'If he doesn't stock, he will try to obtain it' whenever possible. Contact: Pol Models, Jan Polonczyk, 64 Cumberland Road, Acton, London, W3 6EY, UK. Tel: 0208-992-5106 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: "Dana J Nield" Subject: Re: HMS Laforey - L-Class destroyer Ed Wrote: >> Dana - pardon me. I read that issue of SMML quickly and put it down. I didn't put the L-class and HMS Laforey together until today. I did a little bit of research. Iron Shipwright makes the L-class HMS Lance. See the following: http://warship.simplenet.com/Lance.htm Its in 1:350 scale resin & brass. << Unfortunately this was the AA version of the L-Class. I'm torn between waiting and starting a conversion to the Regular destoryer version. With my luck I will finish to find someone has released it! The L and the M were similar and the L was a little heavier, I think. I remember my grandfather spoke about that at one time but my memory is cloudy. Likely because I haven't had any tea yet this morning. :> Thanks for the heads up, and by all means SMMLies, please visit Clem's War at my site listed below. Dana J Nield http://www.dana-nield.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: Shirley Sachsen Subject: ship scrapping >> Leave it to Bert to get a detail wrong?! The AMERICA was scrapped??? When did this happen? Must have been about the time the ENTERPRISE got her third Sea Sparrow launcher! << >> I'll bet Bert meant the Lexington (he had a D&S book on the Lex. as well as the America). However, I don't know for certain what her fate is/was. << you're not from around here, are you? :-) the Lexington is alive and well as a museum in Corpus Christi, Texas: http://www.usslexington.com/ s -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: SHIPMDLR@aol.com Subject: Re: Tamiya's reply about Essex >> Dear Tamiya Customer Sorry to say is only a rumor, at this time Tamiya is not planning to release an Essex class carrier. Gary Demory Tamiya America Customer Service << Don't be too disappointed. The LAST people Tamiya would tell about a new release before it's released would be customer service or sales reps. Rusty White Flagship Models Inc. http://www.okclive.com/flagship/ Instant order online with Visa & Master card "Yeah I want Cheesy Poofs" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: Ned Barnett Subject: Tamiya and the USS Arizona I'd heard on a ship modeling list that you were considering kitting the Arizona, but were concerned about negative US (PR-type) backlash. As a 28-year veteran of PR and a life member of IPMS/USA - and as a knowledgable historian who is (coincidentally) being interviewed today by the History Channel, I wrote a shorter and more simplified version of what follows to my ship modelers e-mail discussion list - in a refined and more focused version, I offer you as well. I hope it will help your company make a win-win decision, and I ask that you pass this along to decision-makers who might be considering an Arizona. *** OK - I'm taking off my modeling hat and putting two others on ... 1. Military Historian (amateur, but still serious enough about it to be interviewed as an expert by the History Channel) 2. Public Relations professional, accredited (and a former professor/published author on PR issues) with 28 years' experience Here's my take. Historically, we (the US) tend to embrace the enemies we beat, and shun the enemies we didn't. Not since Mexico (1847) or perhaps Spain (1898) have we not embraced an enemy we beat in a stand-up fight. We have made allies of Japan and Germany; we shun Vietnam and barely acknowledge North Korea. What does that have to do with Tamiya and the Arizona? After Pearl Harbor, Admiral Halsey was widely quoted as saying that when we were done, Japanese would only be spoken in hell (or something like that). If you define Hell as Hiroshima, I think he was pretty damned correct. However, since then, we've had a great rapproachment with Japan - we all get along like cousins in one big happy economic family. From a PR point of view ... Pearl Harbor is ancient history - Bob Dole-land. Nobody alive remembers it (personally) - an exaggeration historically, but factual from a PR perspective. It happened, so we beat the tar out of them, end of story. So, if Tamiya (and I hope they're monitoring this) wants to build an Arizona, they have the opportunity to do so with little chance of backlash - those who REALLY remember Pearl Harbor (and who were at least 20 when it happened) are approaching (or exceeding) 80 - in short, they are not the bulk of the model-building public, and they aren't the ones likely to organize either protest marches or economic boycotts. The next generation (me - born on this date in '51, of a Navy family who DID remember Pearl Harbor) see it at one remove - it's not our hot-blooded passion. If Tamiya wants to REALLY avoid problems, they could do the following 1. Include in the kit a Pearl Harbor Arizona Memorial model, to show their respect; or, even better, 2. Put on the box and in the promotional literature that they are making a donation to the Arizona Memorial for each kit sold; and, 3. Donate the ORIGINAL first-run mold - built up by a master craftsperson into an exceptionally-accurate model - to the museum with a major, somber and sincere gesture of respect for the dead (on both sides - it's OK to remember the 55 brave fliers who did not return - as long as you first remember the Arizona's crew). Americans love this kind of gesture. We are a forgiving people. We are (in spite of our President), an honorable people. If Tamiya were sincere (and I'm sure he would be), this could be a major POSITIVE PR coup for the company ... it would push sales, etc., while enhancing the company's image in the US. Of course, a simple alternative is to build the Arizona's sister ship, the Pennsylvania (in her 1941 configuration) - she was barely scratched at Pearl and went on to serve throughout the war. As Arizona's sister, modelers could build the Arizona but Tamiya could avoid the flak. That would also allow a spin-off kit - a late-war Pennsylvania with all the modifications. However, the marketer in me suggests that for the 1941 version, the Arizona would sell much better (and still leave the door open for a late-war Pennsy). If I can help you any further, as a modeler, as a military historian or as a PR professional with significant experience in promoting Japanese and German business relationships with the US, please let me know. Ned -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: "Poore, Devin" Subject: Tamiya Essex This just occurred to me, but one of the fringe benefits of a 1/350th Essex from Tamiya for me would be the airgroup; especially if they were to emulate their 1/700th Shinano and do them in clear plastic. That alone would be a great reason to pick one up, and they could make a mint selling just those aircraft separately to those of us who have the other resin carrier kits. Devin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: Shirley Sachsen Subject: models in museums >> (Philadelphia and San Francisco come to mind) how about pooling your resources and putting together a display - it's a good way to support the museum ships AND a good way to recruit members. We got our glass cases from a used-furniture store catering to businesses - they got their stuff mostly from bankrupt companies - much was fairly new and all was in good condition. << that's where we've gotten a few of our cases at Hornet, too. but before people run off and start building models for museums, please inquire of the museum first. Museums are moving away from models (SF Maritime is an example--the majority of their models are now in storage in their library building), and others have Curatorial Master Plans that lay out specific guidelines for displays, their content and location as Hornet does. one of our quirks is that there can be no static displays in the hangar bays since we use the hangars for events and stuff gets moved around a lot (these next two weekends are glowing examples where we have several large events one right after the other where all the airplanes end up on the roof and everything else struck below). this is not to say we don't want models, but they have to fit with our exhibit needs and fall within our guidelines--otherwise we'll begin to have exhibits that look like garage sales. if this is true with us, I'm sure this is true for other museums, therefore it is best to consult the museum first rather than show up on the pier one day with a stunning model only to be told that the museum in question has no need/interest/space for it. and by the way, we do have a local IPMS chapter that meets on the ship once a month and any model needs for exhibits are passed through them. this is another means for modelers and museums to connect and establish relationships. s -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: PT191@aol.com Subject: Re: Remember Pearl Harbor (I do) I'm sorry Ned. But - I was only responding to what your last posting said. I let my father read your posting as well. He was in the US Navy for 25 years (and retired as a Master Chief) and he was on a 110 ft wooden hulled SC in the Phillipines in '44 to '46, ... SC-699 "THE SHOOTIN' 699". He himself was taken aback by your posting. To answer your question - yes, I have tried to get my nephew interested in WWII history, but again, like with so many of the "younger generations" my talking about something from WWII is met with a blank stare. I work with some college grads, from '97 on up who don't even know there was a WWII. And when I show them my two books - I get "do we still have these boats?" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: "Glenn and Kelly Neklason" Subject: HMS Upholder Can anybody hazard a guess as to the color(s) of the British submarine H.M.S. Upholder prior to her sinking in April '42? Thank you, Glenn -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: " " Subject: Re: Lexington Answering Rusty White's question on the USS Lexington. She is a museum ship, docked at Corpus Christi, Texas. She has several A/C on board, both on the deck and on the hanger deck. Tours are available most days and I've had the experience to do an "overnighter" with several hundred Boy/Cub Scouts. The ship is in very good condition and they are refurbishing new areas constantly. Hope this helps. Loren Pike Spring, TX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: Cataldo Torelli Subject: 1990 Principe de Asturias (R-11) refit Hello, Could anybody talk about that refit? Differences between before and after it? Thanks in advance, Cataldo Torelli. Madrid, Spain. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: "Kelvin Mok" Subject: Re: Displaying Full Hull Ships >> The same Dremel on a Drill press stand with an 1/8 bit is used to drill 2 holes in the bottom of a resin hull to accept two solid brass posts. I drill two matching holes in the wood base. << In place of ordinary brass posts go to the lighting accessories section of your friendly neighbourhood hardware store. There are turned brass FINIALS which is the terminating part, the screw on top of a lampshade. These have sensuous curves and fancier ones have cast 'leaf" patterns. They are of the right size, height for a ship of up to three feet long. Use more posts if the ship is larger. The finial base is already pre-drilled to accept a mounting bolt. It shouldn't be too difficult to adapt them to mount your ship. Kelvin Mok -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: Tom Detweiler Subject: Re: Lexington She was scrapped back along with Valley Forge in the early 70's, sold to Gillette. I was in the USN at the time, stationed in Long Beach. The Lex, VF and Ticonderoga were moored at the very end of the basin and l drove past them every day for a while, and went on board them doing "asset recovery" stripping of usable CIC/IC gear we needed on our old Fram II destroyer (not much left for us, either). Here's an interesting bit of trivia connected with these carriers: One day as I drove by there were tons of trucks and equipment and dozens of people coming and going on and off the VF. Each day more stuff collected, along with weird-looking huge plastic tetrahedrons, odd vehicles, potted plants, and movie making gear. They were shooting a movie aboard the VF and at night you could see the interior of the hangar deck all lit up and occasionally hear megaphones as people shouted directions. It was strictly off-limits to most of us, although I heard some Navy volunteers were helping out and some were allowed to watch filming now and then. This went on for several weeks, and then suddenly everything was gone. I went aboard doing our recovery strip shortly aftwards, and one of the other guys called me up to CIC. The movie crews had used the VF's actual CIC for the same purpose in their movie and had dolled it all up in there, painted portions of it royal blue, had added futuristic looking labels and fake plywood consoles here and there, even changed the watertight door shapes a bit, but they had basically used that deck of the ship and the hangar bay during the filming. Later, I found out the movie was "Silent Running", a sci-fi movie directed by Douglas Trumbull (2001), which featured three "greenhouse ships" in space. The writers, bless their hearts, used the names of the three decommissioned carriers going to scrap or elsewhere-the Lexington, Valley Forge and the Ticonderoga. The movie still plays on TV now and then, or you can rent it. Bruce Dern got his first big feature part in it, and it has sort of an ecology/conservation type theme and is rather pessimistic about the (then) future. All in all it's a pretty good flick and I still enjoy seeing it because it brings back a lot of memories. I always enjoy seeing Valley Forge's CIC in it,too. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) From: James Corley Subject: Re: Lady Lex The Lex is doing service as a memorial/museum in Corpus Christi. The last carrier to be scrapped (and really the last according to EPA regs) is the Coral Sea. I haven't been to Baltimore lately, but the last I'd heard is she was down to the hangar deck in most spots and will proceed no further due to financial problems with with scrapper and EPA regs. Don't know how they'll get around the EPA with the Big O or Cabot. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16) From: James Corley Subject: Sao Paolo Airwing Air Forces Monthly is reporting the airwing to be from A-4Ms refitted to the Brazilian A-4MB standard, including 2 seaters which are NOT designated TA-4MB or OA-4MBs ... I suppose these came from USMC OA-4Ms, however. The airwing will also include the SH-3s picked up by MINAS GERIAS a few quarters ago in Pensacola (missed that!) and some re-engined S-2T Trackers. BTW, Arii has a 1/400 aircraft set that includes A-4s, too. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17) From: "Mike Leonard" Subject: BARRY to be scrapped From the Washington Post: "Navy Might Scrap Display Ship" The days may be numbered for the USS Barry, the Navy display ship moored at the Washington Navy Yard for the last 16 years. The retired destroyer sprang a leak last month when workers were cleaning the ship's hull. It began listing, forcing the Navy Yard to take quick steps to stabilize the ship. The leak has been patched and the Barry reopened to the public, but officials at the Navy Yard have concluded that its condition has deteriorated to the point that it would need to be replaced with a decommissioned ship of more recent vintage. Accordingly, officials have made preliminary plans to scrap the Barry, a veteran of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War, and one of only three remaining Forrest Sherman-class ships. A survey of the ship conducted after the leak found that widespread corrosion has weakened the hull. "There are a lot of these spots that eventually would cause leakage," said John Imparato, a spokesman for the Navy Yard. "It's not a risk at this point, but eventually it will be," he added. "The hull is 40, 50 years old. Eventually, something worse is going to happen." The Barry likely will make a final journey to Norfolk to be scrapped, possibly in the spring, Imparato said. Officials are studying candidates for a replacement, possibly a ship from the early 1980s, he said. Despite the Anacostia River's shallow depth, the new ship could be brought up to the Navy Yard by removing its rudder and screw, Imparato said. The Barry, which was commissioned in 1956, supported the 1958 Marine and Army airborne landing in Beirut and in 1962 was part of the task force that quarantined Cuba after Soviet nuclear missiles were found to have been put on the island. The ship earned two battle stars for its service during the Vietnam War and is credited with "destroying over 1,000 enemy structures," according to a Navy fact sheet. During the early 1970s, the Barry was stationed in Athens, Greece, on a forward deployment mission. It was decommissioned in 1982. The Barry, which gets 80,000 visitors a year, is open to the public for free tours seven days a week. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18) From: IBea351423@aol.com Subject: KEN MARSCHALL PRINTS Does anyone know how to get copies of Ken Marschall's prints? There is a postal address and a E-mail address given in LOST LINERS and in THE ART OF THE TITANIC but I have had no reply from either mail or E-mail address. It says in both books that prints are available. Has any body got one?? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19) From: "sell4853" Subject: TV Shows (& Naval Videos) Hi In response to the query regarding the availability of videos entitled "Warship" and "Sailor" I have found that it is worth looking at the following sites. http://www.bbcshop.com/bbc_shop/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/ "Warship" I think was put out by one of the UK's commercial TV companies and as such I have not seen any mention of anywhere that a copy may be available. However any SMML'ier worth his salt (sorry that's an old navy saying) should at some time have found and looked through: http://www.ddvideo.co.uk/ site which contains many available naval/military, as well as commercial videos available by mail order that would relate to any modellers research. There are too many for me to mention albeit they include feature videos/newsreel footage of US, German as well as RN, ships and associated sea battles etc of WWII etc etc etc, so get in there and dig around ! All the Best and Good Hunting Norman Sells Tenterden, Kent UK Hi, Just as a minor aside, ABC here in Austalia did an Aussie version of "Warship" based on a Fremantle class patrol boat - reckon they couldn't afford any of our larger ships :-(. Not sure of any video release though. Shane -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20) From: doug brown Subject: News on Russian 'Admiral Gorshov' Hi .. If you're following the current status of Russian/Soviet carriers and related projects, here's latest bit of news on 'Admiral Gorshov' (Project 1143.4, modified Kiev class, fourth in class, originally 'Baku', renamed 10/90). Negotiations on this between Russia and India have been rumored since at least 1994. http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article&cid=FT3OLTDAXDC&live=true&tagid=ZZZGXV4R00C&subheading=global "India and Russia sign $3bn arms deal" October 4, 2000 "... Under the weapons agreement, India will manufacture under licence 150 Su-30 MKI long-range fighter bombers, buy and produce over 300 T-90 battle tanks, and take delivery of the aircraft carrier, Admiral Gorshkov. The carrier itself, decommissioned after a fire destroyed the engine room in 1994, comes free. But defence experts say it will cost India about $1.5bn to refit and for the two squadrons of Mig-29Ks it will acquire from Russia to equip it. Russia also expects to earn significant sums by supplying technology for India's nuclear energy programme, building on the existing contract to construct two 1,000-megawatt reactors in southern India. .." doug -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21) From: Al Salas Subject: Tamiya Arizona I also sent a couple of e-mails to Tamiya letting them know what I wanted to see from their next offerings. I got this message back: >> Thank you for your email regarding the Tamiya 1/350 Ship Series. I will forward your suggestion onto our product specialist, where they will review your email. As always, we at Tamiya thank you for your comments and suggestions. We truly appreciate your continued interest in our products." Caron Cunningham Customer Service Representative Tamiya America, Inc. << We'll see what becomes of this. Al Salas -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22) From: James Corley Subject: ATLANTIC CVE GROUPS Who was it that was wanting to do a diorama of an escort carrier with a Fletcher DD? Let me know off list and I can share some of my research with you. JZ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23) From: Joel Labow Subject: USS Barry Memorial Ship A visitor to the Washington DC Navy Yard will not only find the museum closed but the Barry is closed as well. Last month an over-vigorous attempt at side cleaning and painting resulted in a hole below the waterline followed by a significant list! She didn't actually sink at her moorings but will need several months of repair. It is a common Navy saying that old ships are held together by their running rust.....in this instance it appears to have been true! Joel Labow -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24) From: Sanartjam@aol.com Subject: Re: HMS Laforey & Tribal Camouflage Hi SMML, The Iron Shipwright kit of is of the Lance, one of four ships of the class with four twin 4" mounts; the Laforey (and the others in the L class) carried three twin 4.7" mounts of the type carried in all the ships of the M class. The WE Lance and Milne have not yet appeared.... It would take some modification to convert the Lance into the Laforey, aside from using twin 4" mounts instead of the 4.7" mounts, as I think the after deckhouse would be quite different. As for camouflage schemes for theTribal class destroyers Nubian and Mohawk... Martin Brice' book "The Tribals" has a starboard side view of the Nubian after repairs in India; I am not aware of a port side view. As for the Mohawk, there is a somewhat famous view of her lying on her starboard side in shallow water in the Med; if you look closely, you can discern her pattern. One book that has this photograph is Connell's "Mediterranean Maelstrom," but I'm sure there are others. Incidentally, anyone who doubts the courage of the sailors in the Italian navy should read the story of the sinking of the Mohawk, which was hit by a torpedo launched by a crewman of the sinking destroyer Tarigo. Cheers, Art Nicholson -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25) From: "Tony Ireland" Subject: WW2 anecdote HMS 'Howe' Hi Norman, Thanks for the superb photo of HMS 'Howe' transiting the Suez Canal in July 1944, at the Web site you listed. We were steaming very slowly, 3 or 4 knots, in a mercifully dead straight section of the canal just north of El Shallufah, about 20 miles from the southern end near Suez. The shadows of the two shrivelled trees, cleverly included by the photographer, show it was early morning, a couple of hours after we'd weighed anchor at dawn in the Little Bitter Lake where we'd been parked overnight to allow the previous day's log-jam of ships to get past us in both directions. What fascinates me is the fresh-water Sweet Water Canal in the near foreground, seeming to be a bit lower than the salt water of the Ship Canal only a stone's throw beyond. It took five years to lead this essential fresh water supply from the Nile at Cairo 75 miles N.E. across desert to the construction HQ at Ismailia, then 50 miles southwards to Suez - an amazing feat of forced manual labour as in the days of pyramid building in ancient Egypt. By contrast, much of the Ship Canal was able to be excavated by floating dredgers working from the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Suez entrances. The photo shows us moving majestically, like a swan, and without the two tugs that had been fastened to our bow and stern the previous day in an often futile attempt to keep us positioned in the centre of the canal. Our troubles had begun early that morning soon after leaving Port Said when we entered the first gentle bend. Mean depth in mid-channel was then 40 feet, with slight tidal variations, and a minimum of 180 feet width between 32 feet shallows rising to each bank. Our beam was 103 feet. The snag was that 'Howe' was deeply laden with munitions and stores to establish the new Pacific Fleet base in Sydney, including a couple of 'X-Craft' midget submarines in a huge crate on the quarterdeck. They probably were used to attack the heavy cruisers 'Takao' and 'Myoko' in the Seletar naval base in 1945. So she had a draft of 35 feet, leaving only a few feet of water under our beamy hull. As we advanced each ship's length we displaced 47,000 tons of water that piled up on either side and squirted astern of us. Not surprisingly, this 'canal effect' tended to make our rudder almost useless at the dead slow speed we were forced to use. Our first grounding had its comic side. A.A. batteries were emplaced on the east bank to deal with night bombers that had often dropped mines into the canal. A row of tents lined the canal bank, their end canvas brailed up for coolness, so that the pink feet of slumbering off-duty gunners poked out. Just as we approached them, entering a slight bend to the right, the ship suddenly sheered to port and headed for these tents. The tug astern strained on its hawser and our engines were reversed, the four 14.5-feet diameter 3-bladed props hurling masses of sand and mud up around our stern. The whole ship vibrated and the quarterdeck pulsated under my feet, but the long, tapering bow bit into the soft sandy bank and kept moving irresistably almost up to the tents before we stopped, heeling over slightly to starboard. Then the astonished gunners woke up and piled out of their tents, a bit like the Keystone Cops... After this rude awakening, the homesick servicemen kept up a grumpy chorus of: "You're going the WRONG WAY !" I tried not to think about our sister ship that had also voyaged out to the East, nearly three years earlier - albeit via the Cape.- and trusted that 'Howe's designers and builders had incorporated improvements from the lessons learned. Seen from the bow, as in the photo, she looked pretty impregnable. But Winston Churchill strongly criticized her design, disliking the 'hiatus' or weak gap amidships between her funnels created by the hangar for the two old Walrus seaplanes. They'd been removed to make a boat deck for the big 45-ft pinnaces and Admiral's barge, etc. Just as well that I knew nothing of the comment by Admiral Yamamoto following the air strikes at Taranto, Pearl Harbour, and on Force Z off Kuantan: - "The three most useless things ever built are the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China, and the 'Yamato' !" Cheers, Tony. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26) From: "Dmitry Antonov" Subject: Soviet Vospers camo Dear all! As far as I remember there was a discussion recently on Soviet Vosper MTBs camouflage. I've posted a question in Russian web, and the answer was that Vosper MTBs with Soviet Navy were unlikely to retain their British camo during WW2. People were quoting a book by authoritative Russian navy historian S.Berezhnoy "Ships and Vessels of Lend Lease". It has b/w photos of Vospers of the Northern Fleet. They look grey overall with white false bow wave. No camo at all. Unfortunately, the dates are unclear. Hope this will help. Cheers, Dmitry -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model club & SMMLcon Infomation -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Edward F Grune" Subject: 2001 IPMS/USA Battle of Atlantic theme Hello SMMLies One of the special themes that has been announced for the 2001 IPMS-USA Nats in Chicago next July will be the "Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1945". The obvious ship category candidates for this are (in no particular order): Flower class corvettes, the Bismarck, the Hood, U-Boats (particularly U-505), and Jeep Carriers (particularly the Guadalcanal). What are suggestions for other ship-based subjects? Ed Mansfield, TX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the SMML site for backissues, Member's models & reference pictures at: http://www.smml.org.uk Check out the APMA site for an index of ship articles in the Reference section at: http://www.tac.com.au/~sljenkins/apma.htm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume