Subject: SMML VOL 1808 Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2002 12:02:05 +1000 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http://sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: USS MIDWAY 2: Turrets 3: Pearl Harbor Charts 4: Re: Flag device 5: USS MIDWAY's bulges 6: Re: Midway, a-rockin' and a-rollin' 7: Re: USS MIDWAY 8: Ensigns -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: New sets from Tom's Modelworks ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Keith Bender" Subject: Re: USS MIDWAY Hi SMMLies, On the subject of the Midway CV 41 bulges, were they like the job that was done on the Essex class where they blended in so well with the hull that it was hard to notice them or do they appear like the lower sides of the North Carolin BB 55. Rounded and stand out. I haven't seen any photos or plans of them either. Keith ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: RDChesneau@aol.com Subject: Turrets Roy Please, let's not go there! They ain't turrets, some would say - they're barbette hoods or barbette shields. Turrets disappeared in the late 1800s, Hood (1891) being the last in the Royal Navy (says Parkes). He also says: 'Finally...all gun houses, large or small and armoured or not, became known as "turrets",,,' Dangerous waters - and a pedant's paradise! Roger Chesneau ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: Graham Preston Subject: Pearl Harbor Charts Hi Everyone, This entry is for anyone on the list interested in Pearl Harbor. I have a "Portfoloio" of four small charts (chartlets ?) on the attack on Pearl Harbor from a company called "STARSHELL MAPS". I picked these up at the Submarine Museum in Pearl Harbor, during one of my visits there, a few years ago, and when I got home, found out that they were/are produced about ten minutes from my home !!! The portfolio consists of four maps (or charts to be more correct), each 27.3cm X 49.5cm. Three of the sheets have 3 smaller charts on them, and one has one large chart, all laid in a manner similar to a nautical chart. For the model builder who researches the subject being modelled, there is a lot of information here. Sheet #1 has the following: Map (chart?) A - Territory of Hawaii, including all the islands in the Hawaiin Island chain, from Midway Atholl to the Big Island of Hawaii. Map " B - Island of Oahu, Territory of Hawaii, showing the location of all major naval and military installations, including radar sites such as Opana Point Radar Site, and Haleiwa Airfield. Map " C - Pearl Harbor Anchorage Plan, for 07 DEC., 1941. Sheet #2 has the following: One map (Chart) only, showing the routes taken by both the Carrier Stirke Force and Submarine units, to and from Hawaii, plus the position of the Strike Force on each day of the deployment. Sheet #3 has the following: Map (chart?) A - Map of Oahu, showing the deployment of the two attack waves of aircraft, and the tagets for each type of aircraft. Map " B - This is a small map of Wheeler Field, with the disposition of attacking aircraft, and the types involved. Map " C - Chart of Pearl Harbor and Hickam Field, showing the various routes of attacking aircraft, their types, and targets. Sheet #4 has the following: Map (chart?) A - A chart of IJN Submarine Deployments around all the Hawaiin Islands, by Hull Number, I.E.: I-9, I-15, etc. Map " B - A chart of Oahu, showing the dispostion of the five submarines carrying the 2-man midget submarines of the Special Attack Unit, and their deployment around the entrance to Pearl Harbor, plus the location of were three of the five midget subs were known to have been lost. Map " C - This is a chart of the Anti-submarine action between the USS WARD and one of the midget submarines, shortly before the main attack began. This sheet also lists all the IJN submarines assigned to the Hawaiin Operation, by hull number, what sqaudron they were assigned to, and their duties and patrol sectors for the operation. All the sheets have a brief narrative for each chart, plus tables for items such as the losses on both sides, etc. The producer of this folio has several thousand of them that he has been unable to interest anyone in since they were printed in 1991. They now have ISBN numbers (mine don't), and the current price is $19.95 (US). He is also producing another portfolio of maps(charts) for the Midway Operation, for another book on the Pacific War. This person is no relation to myself - I haven't even met him. I looked up his telephone number in the phone book yeterday, and gave him a call, and after finding out that he has a stockpile of these folio's, said I'd put the "word" out on SMML. If anyone is interested, his name is Stuart Daniel of "STARSHELL MAPS", and his e-mail address is: ckoehn@coastnet.com. He's also an avid Pacific War historian and past model builder. Happy Modelling, Chris Preston, Victoria, B.C. Canada ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "Michael London" Subject: Re: Flag device >> I have recently encountered an unusual device which is a part of the signal flag system, and goes by the rather inelegant name of "pigstick". I have discussed this with a SMML member who is knowledgeable in U.S. Naval flags, and am spurred to seek additional opinions and details from other SMML members. << The pigstick is a small spar projecting above the top of the mainmast from which the commissioning pennant is usually flown. Commissioning pennants date back to the Anglo-Dutch wars of the 17th Century and are worn by all but flagships which fly the commodore's or admiral's flag in lieu. [Source: Almanac of Naval Facts, USNIP] Michael London ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: Mike Potter Subject: USS MIDWAY's bulges From first-hand experience aboard USS MIDWAY and from a presentation to the Amerrican Society of Naval Engineers on this subject, I think these quoted statements could benefit from clarification: "In 1986 in Japan; new bulges were added to improve freeboard and seakeeping. The bulges actually made the problem worse, making flight operations impossible in 6-10 foot seas. This problem was never corrected." In comparison with other aircraft carriers, MIDWAY rolled significantly BEFORE she had bulges. During flight quarters the air officer, not the chief engineer, had control of the ship's liquid loads so that he could arrange them to suit flight deck operations. MIDWAY had no official problem with seakeeping because the USN had no standard to judge the seakeeping of aircraft carriers. On occasion larger carriers rolled, too; in 1977 one lost an A-7 jet over the side during a roll while it was being towed on an elevator (no human loss). It is possible that the ship's rolling caused the loss of an A-4 with its pilot and its munition of a nuclear bomb over the side from an aircraft carrier in 1965. The huge weights added during MIDWAY's career reduced her reserve buoyancy and gave her a 3-foot trim by the stern. By the mid-1980s the USN was concerned that one torpedo hit aft would sink the ship. The objectives for adding the bulges were to improve reserve buoyancy and to raise her stern to remove the 3-foot trim. In bulging MIDWAY, the objective regarding seakeeping was that MIDWAY must operate her aircraft in any sea state in which a KIEV-class aircraft carrier could fight. Therefore the designers focused on obtaining performance in high sea states, not in improving seakeeping in moderate sea states. A photo in USNI PROCEEDINGS showing the amplitude of the roll after bulging looked no worse than I recalled experiencing in 1977 but I have no photograph for direct comparison. The assertion that "flight operations [were] impossible in 6-10 foot seas" could describe an instance where rolling increased from resonance, which a ship can overcome by adjusting course at a cost in time and extra fuel consumption. I think the evidence is that MIDWAY could operate successfully in high sea states. The bulges succeeded in improving reserve buoyancy and in supporting flight operations in high sea states. They did not remove the trim aft, even despite the concurrent reduction of armor thickness around her steering gear from 6 inches to 3 inches. The USN evaluated whether to make other changes to the ship to change her rolling charateristics. Alternatives included notching the bulges at the waterline and installing athwartship tunnels to transfer liquid loads quickly. Any changes would have negated the military improvements from bulging. The US Congress approved a motion by Senator Kennedy to forbid further spending on this issue. Another aspect of MIDWAY was that her crew turnover was very high because she was homeported in Japan. I suspect that many of her officers and sailors were replaced during the yard period when she was bulged. When the ship went to sea afterward, many of these new personnel may have been surprised by normal (for MIDWAY) rolling and blamed it on the new bulges. It might also be the case that new officers in the air department had to learn how to trim the liquid loads for stability. New conning officers might need to learn how to steer the ship in various sea states to reduce rolling. I understand that the ship's crew figured out how to lessen the rolling, which sounds like a combination of load-trimming and course adjustments. MIDWAY continued to operate in the northern Pacific where sea states are commonly higher than at lower latitudes. She was involved in a large exercise near the Bering Straits in 1989, for example. So I think that actual events proved that the reported problems were exaggerated. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: "Chuck Messer" Subject: Re: Midway, a-rockin' and a-rollin' >>> In 1986 in Japan; new bulges were added to improve freeboard and seakeeping. The bulges actually made the problem worse, making flight operations impossible in 6-10 foot seas. This problem was never corrected. << Does that mean she rolled too much - in 6 to 8 foot waves??? Waves like that are pretty common, it would seem she could only launch/recover in fairly calm water. Anyone know anything about this?? << My stepbrother did a brief tour on the Midway. From what I recall, he said she had trim problems from the start, even when she was an axial deck carrier. I don't think he mentioned any specifics as to the magnitude of the waves that would cause her to roll excessively. She also had quite a cockroach problem as well. Every once in a while she had to be fumigated from stem to stern. Sounds like a ship with personality. Chuck ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: AAA Hobby Subject: Re: USS MIDWAY >>> In 1986 in Japan; new bulges were added to improve freeboard and seakeeping. The bulges actually made the problem worse, making flight operations impossible in 6-10 foot seas. This problem was never corrected. << Does that mean she rolled too much - in 6 to 8 foot waves??? Waves like that are pretty common, it would seem she could only launch/recover in fairly calm water. Anyone know anything about this?? <<< Actually, the ship was able to operate in rougher seas, too. The condition had a narrow range because the moment arms of motion were the most severe in 6-10 foot seas. Below that and above that the mass of the ship would be enough to overpower the forces imparted by the limited range of wave motion (Most carriers cannot operate aircraft much above a 15 foot wave, I am not certain of the exact sea state limits as that information is classified). I am correlating the action of various turbulences concerning bridges and building to ships. I am certain the physics is the same. At lower wave heights the forces imparted were not enough to significantly affect the structure. At higher sea states, the ship could power through the waves and actually become more stable but have a wetter deck. AFAIK, the motions were more severe on the beams than the longitudinal axis. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: Edd Pflum Subject: Ensigns I have been re-reading the Hornblower saga, and it reminded me of the following questions: The Royal Navy has white, red and blue ensigns. What do these signify? (The blue seems to be auxiliaries, but what do I know?) Second, IIRC, the white is a white flag with a red cross with the Union Jack in the upper, staff-side quadrant. What are the colors of the crosses on the red and blue. Thanks, Edd ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Tom & Carolyn Harrison" Subject: New sets from Tom's Modelworks Set 3535 1/350 scale US style inclined, vertical and boarding ladders $13.00 Set 4017 1/400 scale US style inclined, vertical and boarding ladders $13.00 both sets can be viewed on our web site www.tomsmodelworks.com We have several more specialized detaling sets of this type in various stages of development now, they will be announced as they go into produciton. Another new set that is currently at the etcher and can be viewed on our web site, is the 1/350 Scale Titanic Deck Chair set #3533, We should have brass in a couple of weeks. The test brass was reviewed by the Titanic Research & Modeling Association last month at their gathering. The etching films for our 1/400 Prinz Eugen set #4008 and the 1/400 Scale Scharnhorst/Gniesenau set #4012 are at the etcher now, brass should be available by end of month, The 1/700 scale Scharnhorst/Gniesenau is being drawn up now. Other new sets under development are listed on our web site, just click on the "New Releases" button. Another new button on our web site is the "Specials" button, where you can find kits and brass on sale. example the 1/350 scale resin Japanese I-400 kit with brass ( Pit Road Combat Sub series and brass set #3517) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the SMML site for the List Rules, Backissues, Member's models & reference pictures at: http://smmlonline.com Check out the APMA site for an index of ship articles in the Reference section at: http://apma.org.au/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume