Subject: SMML Vol 1113 Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2001 01:15:19 -0800 shipmodels@tac.com.au -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: USN PT Torpedo Successes 2: Beginner's Question 3: Eagle kits 4: Great Little Ships Reviews 5: Re: San Diego CLAA-53 / camo - to Damian Pliszka 6: 1:72 Flower Class Corvette 7: Portholes 8: Calypso 9: Re: Moskva photo etch, and other Russian wessels 10: KITS 11: Re: Old Kits 12: USS North Carolina 13: ARMOURED CRUISER "G.AVEROF" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: SKYWAVE W-54 TAKAO 2: Models FS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS Hi, Well we're back. As some wag put it - the Millenium Bug hit when it was supposed to ;-) Please pass the word around. Regards, Shane & Lorna -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "John Synder" Subject: USN PT Torpedo Successes A LONG ways back last year, there was a thread on SMML implying a virtually complete lack of success by USN PTs with torpedoes. At that time, I foolishly volunteered to research the topic and post the results to the list. Well... Night of 24 January 1942, PT 41 torpedoed a Japanese transport at Subic Bay. Night of 1 February 1942, PT 32 torpedoed and damaged IJN minelayer YAEYAMA in Subic Bay. Night of 8 April 1942, PT 34 and PT 41 torpedoed and damaged IJN light cruiser KUMA in action off Cebu. Night of December 9, 1942, PT 59 torpedoed and sank IJN submarine I-3 at Kamimbo Bay, Guadalcanal. Night of December 11, 1942 PT 44 and PT 110 torpedoed and sank IJN destroyer TERUTSUKI off Guadalcanal. Night of January 10, 1943, PTs 45, 39, 48, 115, 43, 40, 112, 59, 46, and 36 in action off Cape Esperance torpedoed and damaged IJN destroyer HATSUKAZE. Night of December 24/25, 1942, PT 122 apparendtly torpedoed and sank IJN submarine I-22 at Tufi, New Guinea, though recent investigations cast doubt on that assessment. Night of March 3, 1943, in the wake of the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, PT 143 and PT 150 torpedoed and sank the already-damaged IJN transport OIGAWA MARU, 6,493 tons. Night of May 8/9, 1943, PT 206 torpedoed and sank a German tanker in Ras Idda Bay during the North African campaign. On July 24, 1943, PT 216 torpedoed and sank the 8,800-ton Italian merchant ship VIMINALE near Palmi. Night of October 22/23, 1943, PT 212 torpedoed and sank an Italian corvette converted for use as a cargo carrier in the Maddalena-Bastia area. Night of November 2/3, 1943, PT 211 and PT 207 torpedoed and sank German subchaser 2206 off Giglio Island. Night of May 23/24, 1944, PT 202 and PT 213 torpedoed and sank German corvette UJ-2223 and torpedoed and damaged German corvette UJ-2222 near Vada Rocks. Night of June 14/15, 1944, PT 558, PT 552, and PT 559 torpedoed and sank German corvettes TA 26 and TA 30 between La Spezia and Genoa. Night of November 2, 1944, PT 308 torpedoed and sank German subchaser UJ-2207 off Portofino. Night of October 24/25, 1944, a PT torpedoed and damaged IJN light cruiser ABUKUMA during the Battle of Surigao Strait. Night of October 24/25, 1944, PT 323 torpedoed the damaged IJN destroyer ASAGUMO during the Battle of Surigao Strait. Night of November 28/29, 1944, PT 127 and PT 331 torpedoed and sank IJN subchaser No. 52 and Patrol Boat No. 105 at Ormoc Bay. Night of December 11/12, 1944, PT 492 torpedoed and sank IJN destroyer UZUKI at Palomplon, Leyte. Night of December 26, 1944, PT 223 torpedoed and sank damaged IJN destroyer KIYOSHINO off Mindoro. Night of January 23/24, 1945, PT 532 torpedoed and damaged a 6,000-ton Japanese freighter in Lingayen Gulf; the ship, its bows blown off, was beached and abandoned. Source: Bulkeley, Robert J., Jr., Captain, USN (Ret.). At Close Quarters: PT Boats in the United States Navy. Washington, D.C.: Naval History Division, 1962. Now, recognize that Bulkeley may have been a bit prejudiced toward PT successes, and that more information may have come to light (been declassified) since 1962, but it's clear that the PTs weren't exactly toothless with regard to torpedo attacks. John Snyder Snyder & Short Enterprises The Paint Guys http://www.shipcamouflage.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Tom Cowell Subject: Beginner's Question Hello Folks I've been lurking on this list for a couple of weeks, and now I'd like to chip in with a beginner's question. Some ships have a bulwark (correct teminology?) around the exposed portions of their bridges. Around the outside of top edge of this bulwark, there is a vertical (i.e. parallel to the bulwark) strip or sheet maybe 1 foot high, held away from it by a series of vertical strips. In plan view, this resembles a horizontal railing, or perhaps a ladder. Because that was a pretty bad description, here is a list of photographs from the fabulous Warship site that illustrate this feature: http://warship.simplenet.com/images/kidd/Kidd3.jpg (half way up the right hand side of the picture) http://warship.simplenet.com/images/kidd/Kidd7a.jpg http://warship.simplenet.com/images/belfast/Belfast%20Bridge.jpg (I'm not too sure about this one) http://warship.simplenet.com/images/Texaswalk/Txfocslbridstb.jpg http://warship.simplenet.com/images/Texaswalk/Txcontower.jpg http://warship.simplenet.com/images/USCG/Tenacity%20PG71%2007.jpg http://warship.simplenet.com/images/Sackville/Sackville%2021%20port%20bridge%20wing.jpg (with sunlight shining through on this last picture) This feature is also present on smaller vessels. I have the Revell Vosper MTB kit, on which it is moulded in thick chunky plastic. I would be grateful if anybody could tell me the name and/or purpose of this feature. Thanks in advance Tom Cowell -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: Fred Bustard Subject: Eagle kits On e-bay there are currently listings for 11 of the out-of-production Eagle plastic 1200 warships kits. Since the Pyro copies of some of these ships whetted my appetite for 1200 and later 1250 waterline ship models back in the 1960's, my question is this: Can anyone list all of the Eagle 1200 waterline ship models that were produced? Eagle 1:1200 kits I have listed may not be complete, these are most of what I have; Bismarck Prinz Eugen Lutzow Admiral Scheer Admiral Graf Spee Scharnhorst Gneisenau Tirpitz Admiral Hipper Atlantis Nordmark Rawlapindi Jervis Bay Maass Class Von Roeder Class U Boats – U38, U27, U59, U1231 & U2529 HMS Sheffield HMS Belfast HMS Duke of York HMS Warspite HMS Rodney HMS Hood HMS Ark Royal HMS Suffolk HMS Dorsetshire HMS Norfolk HMS Cossack HMS King George V HMS Victorious HMS Prince of Wales HMS Ajax HMS Exeter HMS Achilles HMS Kimberly HMS Hardy S, M, O, V Class Destroyers HMS Jamaica Tribal Class Destroyer H, I, F Class Destroyers Corvette HMS Allington Castle Fred Bustard From the Crowsnest -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "Leslie Brown" Subject: Great Little Ships Reviews At the end of last year (having waited a number of years since they were first announced), I purchased a couple of the fittings sets from the Great Little Ships range for the Flower Class Corvette in order to see just how good they were. Because of the interest shown by a number of people, I made some initial comments on the SMML posting and it was suggested that I should write fuller reviews when I had actually built the kits. This I did and the two reviews (16ft Dinghy and 20mm Oerlikon Guns) are now on the SMML website. Unfortunately the manufacturer, D J Parkins, does not think my reviews have been fair to his products and hence I would like to make a few general comments. Firstly, these kits make up into very detailed models, which are a great improvement over the originals included in the Revell kit. I certainly intend to purchase the sets (indeed I am awaiting a restock of the main Deck & Fittings Set at the moment) necessary to produce HMS Bluebell, the main subject of the original Matchbox kit, but as the total cost of these items would appear to be in excess of £250, they will be purchased over a number of months. This is a significant cost considering that the basic kit is less than £50, but it is not intended to imply that the sets are not good value for money when compared with other modelling products. It is not uncommon in the smaller scales (1:350 & 1:700) for the etched brass sets to cost more than the basic plastic kit and indeed some of the larger resin kits are priced at a similar level. I do know of a number of modellers who consider all etched brass sets to be overpriced but this is really a personal decision. I think of myself as an average (some might say below average) modeller in terms of ability and certainly do not consider myself comparable with the Jim Baumann's and Peter Hall's (or any other of the competition winners at Scale Modelworld 2000) of this world. I have therefore written the reviews in a way which I think the average modeller will find helpful. Where I have found difficulties, I have said so but I do accept that modellers with a greater skill level than my own may not experience the same problems. One particular area that DJP has commented on is "soldering". Firstly, I would say that there is no mention in any of the instructions attached to the two sets that I purchased, that this technique is recommended by them. I was only aware of this recommendation as a result of the previous correspondence with DJP following my initial comments. Having carried out small scale soldering in the past, I am aware of the difficulties of this technique but again I accept that some modellers might find this method a great improvement over the use of superglue, which is probably more commonly used in ship modelling where many of the metal parts are to be attached to resin or plastic. I accept that etched brass permits the production of very fine edges, but some of our resin manufacturers have shown that they can produce fine edges also. Although DJP makes comments about the durability and long term stability of cast metal and etched brass parts when compared with resin, I am no expert in materials and hence cannot comment. The assembly of these kits, I found time consuming. This was not intended as a criticism, after all many modellers gauge satisfaction by the number of hours of modelling per pound (or dollar) of outlay, but was simply intended as a warning that these kits will not provide the great improvements possible with this kit without the modeller himself (or herself) putting in some effort as well. I have every intention of supporting the efforts made by manufacturers to increase the range of products available to ship modellers and am looking forward to the promised sets for the Airfix kits and other larger scale models. I have a particular interest in the smaller warships as I am actively involved in the design of such for a leading UK shipbuilder (and have been for the last 20 years) and have recently started the IPMS Small Warships SIG (see our website at www.brown.abelgratis.co.uk ) and hence am particularly keen to support manufacturers of larger scale kits and accessories. I do hope the trend of introducing new products continues but I also hope that genuine problems experienced by the "average" modeller are relevant to others and can be freely expressed to the general improvement of all. Regards Les Brown -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: HAZEGRAYADM@aol.com Subject: Re: San Diego CLAA-53 / camo - to Damian Pliszka All the photos I've seen of the San D's camo indicate an un-patterned deck; no patchwork on turret tops & only anti-slip treads (Cemteck?) on deck. Just plain old deck blue should be all you need. A good reference with photos & camo patterns are in Glenn Arnold's booklet,"Warship Perspectives/ Atlanta class cruisers in WW II". Check it out. Bert McDowell. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: robottom@deakin.edu.au Subject: 1:72 Flower Class Corvette Greetings to all SMMLies. On a recent journey into some model shops I noticed the arrival of some Revell Flower Class kits (in Melbourne, for those interested). Could anyone with experience suggest whether it is a worthwhile purchase -- eg what is the quality of the mouldings and instructions. In addition, is the kit easy to modify for radio control? This will not determine whether I buy a kit, but would be a bonus if it is simple to do. Regards, Stuart Robottom -- stuck inside while the rest of the population (and workmates) are off at the beach on this 35+deg day... Not that I'm jealous! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: Charlie Jarvis Subject: Portholes Hi All: Right after the Pearl Harbor attack, Enterprise's portholes were welded shut as a damage control measure. Was that done on other ships as well under a fleet-wide order, or was it done on an individual ship basis? Thanks, Charlie -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: Friedrich Kappes Subject: Calypso Calypso AG-35 Thetis class 165 ft type B USCG cutter, sold in 1955 (That´s all Conway says) Friedrich The FriedrichFiles http://sites.netscape.net/friedkappes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: "Poutre, Joseph A" Subject: Re: Moskva photo etch, and other Russian wessels >> As a Russian/Soviet navy fan who usually builds in 1/700 I sincerely hope that Peter Hall and WEM would think of us poor 1/700 builders. After all, there are a number of kits available on which these sets can be used. First there is the Aoshima Kiev and the (ex) Skywave Sovremenny and Udaloy, second -in resin- HP's Kirov, Waveline's Grozny (Kynda) and the new Kombrig kits (one of which is Moskva). While there is a good GMM set available it is one of the older sets. It has rather thick railings and no Voschod (Head Lights) radar. I had to stop a project 1154 (Kresta 2) conversion of Skywave's Sovremenny as I lack the skill to scratchbuild 4 parabolic antana's (yes I have tried to do so) I think there is a -small- market for a new 1/700 photo-set for soviet vessels. << I second Pieter's request. I am building a Soviet SAG to accompany my US BB SAG, and could really use PE details for Sovremenny, Udaloy, and Krivak, all three of which are mass-produced. And if PitRoad decides to follow up on their Wish list results, we will have a 1/700 injected plastic Kirov soon, and even if they decide against, Kombrig is promising all 4 Kirovs in resin, plus several others, which I've listed in a previous note to SMML. A Blessed New Millenium to all! Joe Poutre -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: "DUCKMAN" Subject: KITS Does anyone have any info on the Dumas kits of the U.S.S. Monitor and the C.S.S. Virginia? I would like to know if they will build into good historic models, and who may have them in stock. Thanks, David -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: "Melea/Mike Maynard" Subject: Re: Old Kits In reply to Keith Richards questions: Marine Models of N.Y. manufactured a wood model of the U.S.Coast Guard 83' patrol boat. The hardwood hull measures 15 1/4" long with a 3" beam. The plans are full size for the model and are quite good regarding detail. The kit includes a metal fitting kit, all the fittings have a "chrome" look to them as opposed to the dull"lead look" most kits of the era had. There is no copyright date on the plans or instruction guide. However a product sheet listing 27 ship kits indicates that "A full set of fittings for the Cutty Sark kit will be available in September of 1946". I suspect that this company produced model kits prior to WWII and up into the 1950's. All and all, it's a nice kit, one day I'll get around to put it together. In answer to the other question, the Revenue cutter DALLAS was manufactured by Artesania Latina ship model company of Spain, I believe it's still offered by that company, I purcased mine in 1991. It's a plank on frame kit, and contains some nice fittings. Hope this helps. Mike Maynard USCG No longer underway, retired as before. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: Dave Shirlaw Subject: USS North Carolina It is the latest name announced for the Virginia class. USS Virginia SSN 774 USS Texas SSN 775 USS Hawaii SSN 776 USS North Carolina SSN 777 Any more names should be up to the new administration. Dave Shirlaw Editor, Seawaves Magazine www.seawaves.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: Subject: ARMOURED CRUISER "G.AVEROF" Dear SMML I wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year. I am in the SMML list for some time now. I save and read when i have time all the SMML news and I find it very interesting and satisfying. Myself I am a 1/700 w/l 1860/1945 period ship modeller, and I wish to inform the group about a new event here in Greece. Some member some time ago, mention the presense of a restored WWI armoured cruiser, moored nearby Athens. The news are that finally this vessel "G.AVEROF" is released in 1/350 full hull multimedia by a fellow modeler here in Greece. His E-mail is sagiadin@otenet.gr. Actually today is the anniversary of one of the Battles against Turks, when this ship, almost by herself chase away the whole Turkish fleet in the Batlle of Helli. Keep On the good work Sincerely Yours Romylos Chatziioannou -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Bill Gruner Subject: SKYWAVE W-54 TAKAO We now have received the Skywave 1/700 waterline kit of IJN heavy cruiser TAKAO, 1942 fit. This is an all-new kit of excellent quality, price is $32.00 + shipping, we have plenty in stock. Best to fax or call to order, as we are completely overwhelmed with e-mail and are over a week behind answering it. We also have the new AJ Press softbound books on Tirpitz, and Lexington Class carriers with separate plansets, for $22.00 each. The Lexington class plans include drawings for the projected battlecruiser fit. These are an excellent value. Thank you, Bill Gruner Pacific Front Hobbies http://www.pacificfront.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Ray8017@aol.com Subject: Models FS WE HAVE RESIN KITS OF THE C S S HUNLEY ..ASK FOR BROCHURE RAY8017@AOL.COM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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