Subject: SMML VOL 1135 Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2001 18:26:41 -0800 shipmodels@tac.com.au -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: Model Boats Plans 2: Re: Sandpiper Class River Gunboats 3: Re: SEA RAM 4: Classic Warship's 1/700 USS Wichita 5: An Officer and a Gentleman 6: Re: SEA RAM 7: Sandpiper 8: Turtle: Truth or Fiction 9: Re: Sean D.Hert -M class 10: HMS Chelmer & Escort Groups 11: HMS Dreadnought Trivia 12: Re: SANDPIPER class river gunboats 13: USN Uniforms WW2 - Color Trivia 14: Re: Lamp Finials 15: RAN Hull Colours -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: Classic Warships Light AA set -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "J. London" Subject: Re: Model Boats Plans Further to John Rule's offer of an index the plans (not the articles) are available in 1:600 and 1:1200 from the International Naval Research Organization http://www.primenet.com/~inro. They have about 220 to choose from. Michael London -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "Kevin W. Woodruff" Subject: Re: Sandpiper Class River Gunboats Martin: Actually it is the "Heron Class" Displacement 85 tonnes all launched between 1897-8. Heron-sold 1919 Robin--Sold 1928 Sandpiper--Sold 1920 Snipe--sold 1919 None served in Africa, all were built and served in China Kevin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: "Devin J. Poore" Subject: Re: SEA RAM They still haven't gone forward with the Sea Ram project? They had mock-up's of it at Dam Neck when I was stationed there back in '89, I figured it would have been in service by now! For those of you who want to know what it looks like, it has the exact same base and trunion assembly as a CIWS, but where the gun is supposed to be, there is what looks like a smaller scale Sea Sparrow box launcher. I don't remember what it uses for a RADAR system, though; I do know they were toying with using the AEGIS system on those sort of ships as guidance, but AEGIS is less than impressive on low and close in targets. Devin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: rweilach@mindspring.com Subject: Classic Warship's 1/700 USS Wichita Classic Warships lists this kit as the 1942 configuration. Does anyone know how difficult it would be to modify it to a 1943 or 1944 version of the same ship, when it served in the Pacific? Thanks, Rob -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: SantMin@aol.com Subject: An Officer and a Gentleman The following is from another list but I thought you might enjoy it because it's from "A GUY WHO WAS THERE". Cheers, Bob Santos >> This past weekend I had to fly out of town and I was on the shuttle to the airport and we made only one stop to pick someone up. The person who climbed aboard was an elderly gentleman wearing a Nevada BB36 baseball style cap. Also on the front of the cap was a siloutte of the "old girl" herself. On the right side of the cap there was a patch sown on that had an American flag and said D-Day. I immediately struck up a conversation with him about his being on the Nevada. He told me that he was assigned to her at Bremerton WA after she had come back from Pearl. The gentleman's name by the way is Stan Matthews. Mr. Matthews told me that when he was assigned to the ship the damage done at Pearl Harbor had been repaired and they were working on the new masts and installing new guns. He told me that it was an amazing sight with all the guns to be installed lined up on the dock next to the ship. 5"/38 twin turrets to replace the "waist guns" as he called the old five inchers, also he mentioned 40mm's and a whole slew of 20mm's. He also said that the old cage masts had been removed and that the masts that were built on the Nevada were exactly like the ones on the USS Washington. "A much newer battleship." He told me how the Nevada was refloated off of Hospital Point where she had been beached and had steamed to Bremerton on her own power and alone. He also said that the Nevada was the sister ship of the Oklahoma and that they had been built in 1916 and were the first US Battleships to be run on fuel oil. He also mentioned that Hospital point had been renamed Nevada point in honor of she being the only ship to get underway during the attack at Pearl. Mr. Matthews said that after Bremerton they went to the Atlantic and for a while were stationed at Scapa Flow just like the Nevada had been during the First World War. They were there in case any German raiders hit the open seas. He spoke of the Normandy invasion and how his ship was assigned to Utah Beach. He said that Utah was fairly easy but the next beach over Omaha, was horrible. (As I'm sure we have all read) He stated that the crew couldn't figure out why we landed at Omaha in the first place he said that there was nothing but a bunch of cliffs there and nothing else. After Normandy the USS Nevada was sent south for the invasion of Southern France. He said that they shelled Marseille and Toulon. At Toulon he said there was the ex-French Battleship Richelieu (sp?) and that the Germans had taken off many of her guns and mounted them as coastal guns on the bluffs above the beach. Still he had a gleam in his eye when he told me that they "sent the Richelieu down stern first." They would go in and bombard and the former main turrets from the Richelieu would be firing back. He said that they hit those turrets quite a few times but never knocked them out due to the heavy armor. In the evening they would retire out to sea and the shore gunners would have to have the last word. One last salvo as they retired for the evening. After France Mr. Matthews said that the Nevada was at the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He was the officer in charge of "sky four". He commanded the Number 4 5"/38 twin turret. At Okinawa he spoke of the ship moving in to 900 yards offshore and firing. He said you could see the shells from the main batteries on a flat trajectory. He mentioned that some of them would hit and not explode and just fly off like a stone skipping across a pond. The crew figured that they had been given old WWI ammo. He said that some of the soldiers at Utah beach had found some of Nevada's unexploded shells also. While he was aboard the Nevada was damaged by the enemy once. He said off Okinawa that that three heavy shells from a shore battery hit the number three main turret and close by. The turret was put out of action until the next morning and the shells demolished the Chief's quarters and killed over 30 men. By this time we had reached the airport and I wished that we had more time to talk. We wished each other well and went off on our respective flights. I feel honored to have met this man and it saddens me to think that every day we lose more and more vets from World War II. Brian Korbelik << -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: SHIPMDLR@aol.com Subject: Re: SEA RAM If anyone can send me some photos of this weapon, I'll consider producing a 1/35 scale model kit of it by using the CIWS parts already available. I haven't seen one yet and I would really like to. Scans are acceptable. The more views the better. Rusty White Flagship Models Inc. You can now pay using your Visa / MasterCard Flagship Models - Photo Etched Details for Warships -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: "chenyangzhang" Subject: Sandpiper Hi Martin Sandpiper was in a class of one, built by Thornycroft and launched on 9.6.33. Displacement was 185 tons, length (pp) 160ft width 30.75 feet and draught is given as 1.75 feet. She was powered by a 2 shaft reciprocating engine with an IHP of 600 which gave her a speed of 11.25 knots. Armament was 1 x 3.7 inch howitzer, 1 x 6 pdr and eight single machine guns with a compliment of 35. She was transferred to the Chinese (Chiang Kai She's lot I would imagine) as Ying Hao in 1942. Chris Langtree -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: "Btbldr" Subject: Turtle: Truth or Fiction Having read multiple conflicting versions on the web, (it is amazing how much junk is presented as fact on the web!!) I turn to my learned colleagues to tell me about the events of 1776, and the Bushnell Turtle.... which of the items below is true? I am thinking B, C, and F??? BTW - I searched on Google and on Altavista. Crew Version A - Turtle piloted by David Bushnell himself. Crew Version B - Turtle piloted by volunteer, one Mr Lee. Battle Version C - Copper plate too strong to attach explosive, explosive abandoned. Battle Version D - Turtle entangles itself in Eagles rudder, explosive abandoned. Results Version E - Explosive floats downstream, destroys a schooner. Admirals spooked, moves fleet. Results Version F - Explosive blows up harmlessly. Nonetheless, Admiral is spooked, moves fleet. Results Version G - After bumping into rudder, fleet fires on Turtle (miss) and Admiral is spooked, moves fleet. Results Version H - Attacke completely unsuccessful, fleet doesn't move anywhere. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: "D.Przezdziecki" Subject: Re: Sean D.Hert -M class Hi Sean, Before you will get too excited keep in mind that they were a FLOP and with sinking of M 2 with huge loss of life (there was a documentary about it in the UK recently) the class is not remembered well. But I have to admit they DO lookk great. The plans drawn by John Lambert were published by Modelbooks series Warship Data International code L/S/02 ages ago and much later you could pick it up at bargain basement prices.It was distributed by Albion Scott Limited (I think now extinct). I do have a copy so if your search will prove unsuccesfull drop me a line I am sure we can work something out. Regards D.P. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: WRPRESSINC@aol.com Subject: HMS Chelmer & Escort Groups I am trying to locate a photo of the frigate Chelmer as she appeared with a funnel emblem during the war. Any help would be appreciated. I am also looking for a copy of a book recently authored by Hague covering the make up of convoys in WW two. Unfortunately I have forgotten the name of this book. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: RhinoBones@aol.com Subject: HMS Dreadnought Trivia I happened across a small something which seems to qualify as a pretty good trivia question. Lets see who knows the answer to this question: The HMS Dreadnought is credited with destroying one ship during her career. When, how and to whom did this destruction take place? I found the answer to be quite surprising. Regards, RhinoBones -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: Roland Mar Subject: Re: SANDPIPER class river gunboats Mr. Foley: Do you mean the INSECT class? The SANDPIPER, as far as I know, was a one-off design. She was 185 tons, 160 (pp) x 30 3/4 x 1 3/4, 2 shaft Reciprocating (VTE), 600 IHP = 11 1/4 kts. 1- 3.7" howitzer, 1- 6 pdr, 8- MG (.303?) 8 x 1. Build by Thornycraft in 1933, she ended up as the Chinese YING HAO in 1942. Final fate unknown. British pennant # T.41. If you mean the INSECT's let me know as I have some information on them including deployment. HTH Roland Mar -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: GrafSpee34@aol.com Subject: USN Uniforms WW2 - Color Trivia Here's another bit of WW2 color trivia: During WW2 Naval Officers in warm climates did wear khaki uniforms as service uniform on board. They would be in shirtsleeves, or in service uniform with a four pocket tunic. This is what one always sees in the movies. However, a light grey uniform (indistinguishable from Khaki in BW photos) was also very common. According to some veterans I met, the grey uniform was favored over the khakis. A friend who studies and collects WW2 uniforms explained that the grey colored uniform was introduced mid-war in order to economize on war-critical chemicals used in khaki dyes. It may also have been percieved as somewhat less conspicious by Kamakazi conscious men exposed on the upper decks. Dave -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: Bradford Chaucer Subject: Re: Lamp Finials >> Lamp finials are are the screw-in things that hold the lamp shade onto the harp that rises above the lamp body and around the bulb. Generally they are brass or brass plated. Most always they have the top end that will need to be removed. A hack saw will do. There is a threaded end that is about 1/4 inch, but the threads per inch is non-standard. I generally << I believe that they are 1/4-28 nf thread I suspect that one could make up a simple fixture (lacking a lathe of course) to allow one to chuck the finial in a 3/8 in electric drill to both cut off and face the end. Regards, Bradford Chaucer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) From: "M & R Brown" Subject: RAN Hull Colours Bob Mac wrote >> Maybe somebody there can tell me why Aussie ships have all black bottom hulls as opposed to the usual red with black boot top. << They don't. Normally ships have a dark red (almost plum like) colour. However, they have been trialling colours and grey has also been used. Two are black, Kanimbla & Manoora, and an Anzac launched with black hull but is now red. Michael Brown -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Timothy Dike" Subject: Classic Warships Light AA set >> Can I hope this set is in 1/700th scale??? << You are correct, I did a review of that set a while back. You can still find it in the "PE" review section on ModelWarships.com. (http://modelwarships.com/reviews/reviews.html) There are 50 Cal, 20 mm single and 20 mm dual mounts included in the set. Timothy Dike Webmaster and Editor ModelWarships.com http://www.modelwarships.com/index1.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the SMML site for the List Rules, 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