Subject: SMML VOL 2117 Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 17:30:37 +1100 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http://sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: new releases from Japan 2: Questions 3: Re: German and English Articles 4: Re: Prinz Eugen-German 101 5: Airfix??? 6: HMS Havant 7: Re: PT Boat Questions 8: Re: Fine Scale Modeler June 1995 9: Re: PT Boat Questions 10: Re: Nautilus 11: Revell & Renwal USN kits 12: German Language - myth? 13: PT Boat questions 14: Re: Nicknames 15: Query about Melbourne ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Gernot Hassenpflug Subject: new releases from Japan There are some interesting new 1/700 kits available in Osaka since the start of the year. Resin kits molded in blue which require some additional small parts readily available in weapons and accessory sets, but include small frets of photo-etch, primarily anchors and small AA guns. Instructions rudimentary, and hull is in sections. However, for Japan the prices are decent and the subjects extremely interesting. I have a list of ships, covering the very first ships of the Japanese Navy, the Sino-Japanese, Russo-Japanese, WW1, WW2 and modern ships from many countries. I picked a few interesting ones to send to SMML: Hermes WW2 4000Yen Glorious WW2 4800Yen Salt Lake City 3500Yen Wasp CV-7 4800Yen I looked at this one and it looks very nice indeed for a limited edition resin kit. Hull in three sections, deck detail impressive, and photo-etch 20mm, radar, anchors etc included. Akitsu Maru (IJA carrier 1944) 3800Yen Kumano Maru (ditto) 3800Yen Yamashio Maru (ditto, at end of war) 3800Yen Chakri Narubet (Thai carrer) 4000Yen Blucher WW1 3500Yen Scharnhorst WW1 3500Yen Gneisenau WW1 3500Yen Also, I see Seals Models plastic/resin 1/700 kit of the Matsushima is available at last (did anyone get hold of one yet?) There was only one box on display and it appeared to be sealed so I did not ask to open this one to check how much is resin, but judging from the price of 6500Yen there is not much plastic left, as D.P. and others suspected from the large differences between this half-sister among the three famous-views-of-Japan (I cannot translate the Japanese, two measly kanji characters, well into English!) class. It will be the first resin castings from Seals Models that I am aware of, so I wonder if anyone has comments (apart from choking sounds mixed with drooling noises, sorry guys and gals, taking myself as an example here). I did not see the Trumpeter 1/350 Hornet anywhere, so perhaps it is not yet on sale in Japan, which surprises me a bit.... on the other hand, it is easy to import cheaply from China direct over internet. Looking over the latest Pitroad catalogue, the 2003 plans include plastic versions of the improved Murasame class (Takanami), which has already been released by Aoshima. Not surprising that Skywave want to keep up with JMSDF developments, but Aoshima got the jump on them this time, pricewise too not unexpectedly. Furthermore, a resin Aoba to follow the Furutaka. Should be a good year.... Regards, Gernot ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: NeustadtDonau Subject: Questions Greetings all: I have a question about the USS Kidd on or about 11 April 1945. Tom Freeman's painting of the USS Kidd moments before a kamikaze's impact shows her with dodgers on the handrails on top of the pilot house. The only photos I have of her are from February 1945 and after 11 April 1945. Both show her without dodgers. Does anyone have better information? It may be a moot point anyway. I am about an inch shy of having sufficient two bar railing from my GMM kit to outfit the pilot house, but I have plenty of railing with dodgers. Second question. On a fleet submarine running on the surface in mid-1943, how many officers and men would be on deck and where would their stations be? How many men would be allowed on deck for a break? Thanks, John Collins Franklin, TN, USA ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: HGYL Subject: Re: German and English Articles Actually, English has two articles, one definite and the other indefinite, with a variation of the latter for nouns beginning with a vowel. Having been compelled through necessity to learn Dutch and some German when I lived in Continental Europe I sympathise with Katrin's comment about the illogicality of some of it. Even well educated Germans of my acquaintance have been known to slur the article so as to hide their uncertainty. And as for Dutch articles, there are only two hard and fast rules: all diminutives are neuter and all plurals are masculine/feminine; everything else is a mystery (at least to me). Thus a small girl is neuter but several are masculine/feminine. As a Dutch friend once told me, the only way you ever really learn it is at your mother's knee. Best wishes to all, Harold Lincoln ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "Daniel Bauer" Subject: Re: Prinz Eugen-German 101 Hello Folks, What you are saying is true of "correct" German Grammar. However, there is still the fact that the crew of Bismarck did call their ship, "Der Bismarck". Per Admiral Lujgens saying Bismarck was too big to be a Lady, or "die". I have many relatives and friends living in Germany who still get their grammmar wrong.But in this case, there was a reason for the article change with Bismarck. Best Regards, Dan Bauer ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: "shaya novak" Subject: Airfix??? Anybody knows Airfix's web address? Shaya Novak Naval Base Hobbies www.modelshipbuilding.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: John Currie Subject: HMS Havant Hi All Seeing as the H and I Classes have been mentioned, does anyone have info on the Camo worn by HMS Havant at her time of loss. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: John Snyder Subject: Re: PT Boat Questions Hi David, >> 1. Are the Revell hulls fairly accurate? << Yes. >> 2. Are the deck layouts appropriate to the represented class? << Yes, but the deck itself should be plywood, not planked. Welcome to the wonderful world of sanding off LOTS of planking (been there, done that!). >> 3. Does anyone offer replacement armaments? (Especially the guns) << Aeroclub do white metal .50s, and may also offer a 20mm Oerlikon. The kit Oerlikon isn't that bad, with some added details. >> 4. Would either of the boats offered by Revell have been used in the Med. and if so does anyone offer suitable paints? << Don't know about the first part of the question (Al Ross, where are you?), but our Colourcoats line of enamels has all the colors for all the camo variants worn by PTs, including those in the Med. Best, John Snyder The Token Yank White Ensign Models Home Page for WEM, http://WhiteEnsignModels.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: "Allan Sharafinski" Subject: Re: Fine Scale Modeler June 1995 Fine Scale Modeler's web site offers a list of all past issues with short descriptions of the contents which remain available. Check it out. Good luck. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: ALROSS2 Subject: Re: PT Boat Questions >> 1. Are the Revell hulls fairly accurate? << Depends on which Revell kits you mean. The 80' ELCO boat is very good, especially considering it came out around 1960. The Higgins is not as good as the ELCO but the Vosper is about on a par with the ELCO. >> 2. Are the deck layouts appropriate to the represented class? << ELCO and Vosper - yes; Higgins - no. The ELCO is representative of the PT 103-196 series as built. Only the first 15 or so boats had planked decks, however. The Vosper represents one of the boats built specifically for the Soviet Navy. Despite Revell's packaging, this version never served with the RN. The Higgins is packaged as 197 series boat but is actually a 462 series boat (sorta). The hull is not correct although it does resemble a Higgins. >> 3. Does anyone offer replacement armaments? << The ELCO and Vosper are 1/72, so you should be able to get .50s from a number of aircraft after-market companies. The Higgins is some odd scale, so you probably won't be able to find much. >> 4. Would either of the boats offered by Revell have been used in the Med? << As kitted, no. There were three PT squadrons in the Med - RON 15 (PT 201-218 Higgins), RON 22 (PT 302-313 Higgins), and RON 29 (PT 552-563 ELCO). The Higgins boats were an earlier configuration than the kit and the ELCOs were a later configuration than the kit. Take a look at Bulkley's AT CLOSE QUARTERS, Tim Connelley's US PT BOATS IN ACTION, Polmar & Morison's PT BOATS AT WAR, Vic Chun's AMERICAN PT BOATS OF WWII, or John and my ALLIED COASTAL FORCES OF WWII, volume 2. Al Ross ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: Randy Ward Subject: Re: Nautilus >> Robert was looking for Nautilus SS 168, not her namesake, SSN 571. << I thought the number was off, but couldn't remember Capt. Anderson's boat's number offhand. Guess I should stay with the "targets", and out of the subs, eh? 8-) >> The correct name for the "Nautilus Museum" is the Submarine Force Museum & Library. << Thanks, Tom. It's been probably 11 years since I visited there. A nice place! Randy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: annobon4 Subject: Revell & Renwal USN kits Hi Guys I have a question for you. A few months ago at a contest while talking to a ex- navy guy who collected Renwal and Revell kits. I learned that the reason the Renwal kits of our early DDG's and CG's or Revell kits weren't accurate was because of a disinformation program started by the USN to confuse the Russians in the early 1960's who buying anything to get accurate intelligence. Has any one ever heard of this? About the MPC USS Saratoga kit they did produce one and it's sister the Forrestal according to the John Burns The Collector's Value Guide for plastic model kits After that they reissued no other surprises except for known Airfix kits of warships, sailing ships, a speed boat model for the Chrysler Corporation, and a small line of waterline 1/1200 kits from Casadio. Craig Bennett ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: M.C. Linson Subject: German Language - myth? A German language question for the experts on the subject: "Die Wehrmacht," if memory serves correctly, is literally translated as 'Armed Forces.' As such, "Das Heer" (Army), "Der Kriegsmarine" (Navy), "Die Luftwaffe" (Air Force), and "Die Waffen SS" (lit.- Armed SS) were BRANCHES of "Die Wehrmacht." Is this correct? If so, is the common English usage of the term "Wehrmacht" as a synonym for 'the German Army' in error (remotely similar to 'neanderTal'), based on the above logic? And finally, is this error being perpetuated as a myth that "Wehrmacht" equals 'German Army' by ignorant English (language) writers? Much thanks in advance for your reply. Kindly, Mike Loveland, CO ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: "Stephen Allen" Subject: PT Boat questions David The Revell Elco is pretty accurate hull-wise and otherwise as a representation of a very early (first ten units?) 80 foot Elco PT boat with the planked deck - it's certainly the best plastic rendition of this boat. The Elcos that operated in the Med with Squadron 29 (the only Elco-equipped unit in that theatre) had the same hull but substantially different fit-out - armament upgraded, different deck fittings, roll-off torpedo racks and, in the case of some boats, the Elco Thunderbolt quad 20mm mount. Cockpit and machine gun mount details and locations change as well - these boats were built in 1943 and incorporated changes based on the war experience of the earlier units. As for camouflage, that is a matter of some debate over the origins and description of the 'Robin's egg blue' shade these boats were painted in. I used White Ensign Thayer Blue, but others have suggested an RN-sourced paint or even pre-war standard navy gray. The best references for these boats are Allied Coastal Forces Volume II (Ross and Lambert) and Victor Chun's book on US PT boats - the latter has some nice shots of the Ron 29 boats at Bastia, Corsica. Be aware that some published photos of former Ron 29 boats show them in service at the MTB training base at Rhode Island after return from the Mediterranean, and the armament fit etc is not correct for their operational period of service. For the rest I would suggest some searching in the SMML archive, which will turn up a lot of information about sources for armament etc. for converting the Revell kit. As for the other Revell 1/72 boat - the Vosper - this is a very late war lend-lease unit produced for the Soviet Navy and was never used in the Mediterranean. Similar short hulled Vospers were used, but they differ markedly in armament fit and deck/hull details. regards Steve ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: "Arthur Taylor" Subject: Re: Nicknames On Feb. 06, Michael Brown gave us a fascinating list of the nicknames of some of the RN's ships. He asks: does anyone know why HMS Juno was nicknamed "The Raving J". I confess that I can only speculate that it might have something to do with an earlier Juno (2nd Class Protected Cruiser, laid down in 1894). This Juno was commanded in the early 20th c. by one Beatty (later ADM of Jutland fame). The commission was in the Mediterranean, Beatty was rich, with a "socialite" wife, and I gather inclined himself to a social as well as a professional life. I can only guess that the result could have been a "spit and polish" ship, which might well have led to a crew of raving maniacs! Brian Taylor ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) From: Shane & Lorna Jenkins Subject: Query about Melbourne Hi Guys, Suddenly we're planning to attending Melbourne Model Expo this year for the first time ever (SANDLE is sponsoring the Ship Categories). While we look forward to it, we are having trouble working out a place to stay - some Festival or other is on. If you've been to Melbourne in the last fifteen years, you've been more recently than we have. We'd appreciate a low-down on accommodation (don't really care where, just as long as it's not Albury-Wodonga). Cheers Mistress Lorna ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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