Subject: SMML Vol 3107 Date: 27 Mar 2006 17:39:51 -0000 The Ship Modelling Mailing List (SMML) is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http//sandlehobbies.com For infomation on how to Post to SMML and Unsubscribe from SMML http//smmlonline.com/aboutsmml/rules.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: ITC Water Witch kit 2: USS GUAVINA and the Martin P6M Seamaster ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From Maarten Schönfeld Subject ITC Water Witch kit Hello SMMLlies, A friend of mine acquired yesterday an old plastic kit of a schooner yacht, the Water Witch. This was a model kit of ITC Hobby Kits of 1963, and had a length of 27.5 inches. The scale is not known (yet), but is somewhere around 150, I guess. Does anybody on SMML happen to have the building instructions of this kit? These were missing unfortunately, and my friend would very much like to have a copy of those! Kind regards, Maarten Schönfeld The Netherlands ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From "Harold Stockton" Subject USS GUAVINA and the Martin P6M Seamaster I had written a while back about the USN project of placing Vought Regulas I and II nuclear tipped missiles on board surface ships and submarines. All of this effort was due to the Navy's continued program for having a larger share of a shrinking defense budget after WW-II. A follow on program was for a nuclear strike force of USN aircraft that could still allow some form of response from the USN very large fleet of ships other than carriers. Proposals to build a "super carrier", the USS UNITED STATES, as a floating base for Navy strategic bombers were shot down in 1949, and so the Naval Bureau of Aeronautics came up with another scheme, the "Seaplane Striking Force (SSF)". The SSF envisioned a fleet of big, jet-powered seaplanes that would not only be capable of long-range nuclear strike, but would also be useful for conventional bombing, reconnaissance, and mine-laying. Laying mines was seen as particularly important, since to reach the open seas the Soviet Navy had to pass through a number of "bottlenecks" that could be blocked by mining. The seaplanes would be able to operate from advanced areas, supported by a seaplane tender or even a submarine. Despite the loss of both prototypes, the latest on 9 November 1956 during a flight test of a modified tail configuration, the Navy still remained enthusiastic about the SeaMaster. A beaching cradle was designed to allow SeaMasters to taxi in and out of the water, and two LSDs (landing ship docks), two seaplane tenders, and the submarine USS GUAVINA (SS/SSO/AGSS/AOSS-362), a Balao-class submarine, were sent to shipyards to refit them as SeaMaster support vessels. A home base was set up at Naval Air Station Harvey Point, near Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The SeaMaster was a futuristic aircraft, and its performance demonstrated that it wasn't just a pretty toy. The wings were built very strong for low altitude operation, with aluminum 2.5 centimeters (an inch) thick at the wing roots, and the SeaMaster was able to attain the Mach 0.9 requirement for "on the deck" flight. By contrast, the Air Force's B-47 could only manage about Mach .58 at low altitude, the newer B-52 only .55. Three production P6M-2s had been completed by the summer of 1959, with all-Navy crews moving them through operational conversion for service introduction in early 1960. Five more were in construction. However, the Navy had been steadily cutting back the number of production aircraft, from 24, to 18, and then to 8, and then on 21 August 1959 canceled the SeaMaster program completely. There were loud protests, since the program had cost about $400 million USD and the machine was certainly whizzy, but in truth the SeaMaster was an obsolete concept. The Navy was already moving full steam ahead to a much more effective nuclear deterrent capability in the form of the Polaris ballistic missile submarine. [The same fate as the Regulas program mentioned earlier, HS] http//www.vectorsite.net/avcmast.html From March 1949, GUAVINA underwent extensive overhaul and modification for conversion to a submarine oiler at Mare Island, and was even equipped with a snorkel. GUAVINA recommissioned in the active fleet as SSO-362 1 February 1950 at Mare Island. After operations along the West Coast, she sailed to Norfolk via Balboa and San Juan 24 July to 25 August. Further operations out of Norfolk were followed by overhaul at Philadelphia and on 29 January 1951, GUAVINA reported to Key West, her new homeport. Operating out of Key West, GUAVINA cruised to the Caribbean Sea and up the East Coast to Nova Scotia to test the concepts of fueling seaplanes and other submarines, although most of her work was in the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida. After overhaul at Philadelphia 18 April to 26 July 1952, GUAVINA was redesignated AGSS-362. Two more years of operations along the East Coast and in the Gulf were followed by a second extensive overhaul at Philadelphia. To aid refueling, GUAVINA gained a large, raised platform over the after torpedo room, which was soon dubbed the "flight deck". And a flight deck it soon became as in January 1956 GUAVINA began testing the concept of mobile support of seaplanes from a submarine oiler. After an initial 2-week trial period, GUAVINA and a variety of seaplanes carried out refueling development for most of 1956. Sailing from Charleston 18 September, the submarine headed for the Mediterranean Sea. After her 2-month deployment there with the 6th Fleet and Patrol Squadron 56, GUAVINA returned to Key West 1 December, then put into Charleston for overhaul. Emerging from overhaul 12 July 1957 with the new designation AOSS-362, GUAVINA resumed her established pattern of testing various applications of submarine oiler and seaplane refueling concepts, operating principally in the Caribbean. Ranging along the coast from New London to Bermuda, she also engaged in antisubmarine exercises and other peacetime training missions. GUAVINA (AGSS-362), refueling a P5M Marlin flying boat off Norfolk, VA. in 1955. It was planned to use submarines to refuel the new jet-powered P6M SeaMaster flying boats. As part of this program GUAVINA was converted to carry 160,000 gallons for aviation fuel. [Caption to photograph, HS] http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Guavina_(SS-362) Prior to World War II, several submarines were fitted to refuel seaplanes. During the war, Germany and Japan used this technique with some success. After the war this technique was experimented with within the US Navy. It was planned to use submarines to refuel the new jet powered P6M flying boats. As part of this program GUAVINA was converted to carry 160,000 gallons for aviation fuel. To do this, blisters were added to her sides and two stern torpedo tubes were removed. When the P6M project was canceled, there was no further need for submarine tankers. This concept was never used operationally in the US Navy. GUAVINA (AGSS-362), alongside CHEWAUCAN (AOG-50), taking on AVGAS, off Cagliari, Sardinia, 9 October 1956. Photo by Larry Bohn. GUAVINA (AGSS-362), coming alongside CHEWAUCAN (AOG-50), to take on AVGAS, in Suda Bay, Crete, December 1956. Note the fueling platform at the stern of GUAVINA. [Photo captions. HS] http//www.navsource.org/archives/08/08362.htm Although the technology was up-to-date, the requirement was outdated; in the age of the ICBM and SLBM, the manned bomber was an expensive, unreliable way to deliver nuclear weapons. The P6M program had already cost US $400 million (about $2.5 billion in 2004 dollars) and could not be justified without the strategic mission. http//www.answers.com/topic/p6m-seamaster In the USN original mission requirement for all of this monetary expenditure, they argued that Designed for minelaying and reconnaissance tasks, and adaptable to other missions, this plane initially demonstrated great promise for the offensive potential of the operating forces. The tactical concept behind the Seamaster was that it would operate in small numbers and be refueled and rearmed by submarines or other small naval craft. It was undoubtedly the most sophisticated flying boat constructed at that time. In speaking against building the B-36 and the notion of the heavy all-jet B-52 in the future, Rear Adm James Russell, chief of the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, argued that the Navy's prototype jet seaplane, the P6M, could be more effective than land-based bombers. "Sea planes could also 'hide' in ocean coves and inlets around the world and be supported by ship task forces." The P6M, however, was completely incapable of carrying the size and weight of the early nuclear (atomic) weapons. [Though the fact that the P6M could not carry the then sized nuclear weapons was conveniently not mentioned. HS] Shifted to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in February 1956, AV-5 Albemarle was earmarked for conversion to tend Martin P6M "Seamaster" jet flying boats. She was reassigned from the Atlantic Reserve Fleet to the Commandant, 4th Naval District, for conversion, effective 6 February 1956. Equipped with stern ramps and servicing booms to handle the "Seamaster," as well as a semi-sheltered area and a service drydock, the ship emerged from the conversion possessing the capability to serve as a highly mobile seadrome capable of supporting jet seaplanes anywhere. Albemarle was recommissioned at Philadelphia on 21 October 1957, Capt. William A. Dean in command. After fitting out, she sailed for Norfolk on 7 December, and arrived there on the 10th. The ship then sailed for Guantanamo Bay on 3 January 1958, made port there on the 7th, remaining there for ten days and carrying out shakedown training, before dropping down to Montego Bay, Jamaica. Proceeding thence back to Guantanamo, concluding her shakedown on 21 January, Albemarle steamed thence to San Juan and Trinidad, carrying out tending operations with four squadrons of Martin P5M "Marlin" flying boats and participating in "Springboard" exercises. Albemarle arrived back at Norfolk on 9 April, remaining there only five days before proceeding back to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, where she remained under overhaul through mid-July. Returning to Norfolk on 20 July, the ship got underway for operations in the North Atlantic on 14 August, and ranged as far as the Azores before returning to Norfolk on 16 September. Over the next two months, Albemarle operated between Norfolk and Bermuda; she rounded out the year at Norfolk, arriving there on 19 November and remaining until 2 March 1959. Albemarle continued to operate out of Norfolk through 1959 and into 1960, although the cancellation of the "Seamaster" program meant that the ship would never service the aircraft for which she had been reconfigured. Even at this low point in the program the Navy BuAer still saw promise in the concept and optimistically continued funding for the SeaMaster and a number of expensive "options." A beaching cradle was designed that allowed SeaMasters to taxi in and out of the water on their own power. Two old amphibious-warfare dock ships and two conventional seaplane tenders began shipyard conversions as support ships for the SSF. The submarine U.S.S. GUAVINA, redesignated as an AO(SS) "oiler," was equipped to refuel SeaMasters at secret seadromes. There were also plans to use an old escort carrier equipped with a retractable rear ramp for "beaching" P6M's, which were too heavy to be hoisted aboard by cranes. Finally, an auxiliary naval air station was refurbished to serve as the SeaMasters' home base; it occupied 1,265 acres at NAS Harvey Point, near Elizabeth City, N.C. NAAS Harvey Point, North Carolina was established as an NAAS on 15 June 1943 and was capable of servicing up to 48 patrol aircraft (four squadrons) at a time. It was used during WWII primarily as a training base for establishing new seaplane squadrons. During the period 7 October 1943 to late 1945, NAAS Harvey Point also served as the headquar-ters for FAW-5 and HEDRON 5-2. The NAAS portion of the base was disestablished on 1 September 1945 and the site served as a storage area for the Navy's surplus PBM Mariners. The base was reactivated in 1958 to support sea trials for the P6M Seamaster seaplanes. The demise of the Navy seaplane program resulted in the closure of the base once again in 1963. The development of the Polaris ballistic missile and submarine had finally given the Navy its strategic deterrent. Further, the atomic powered carrier Enterprise was going into service with long range nuclear capable strike aircraft, namely, the A3D Skywarriors and supersonic A3J Vigilantes. http//www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/p6m.htm This same reason of a lack of a strategic mission was why the earlier AJ Savage, and the abortive A2J "Super Savage", was changed over to a photo-recon and tanker a/c after the arrival of the newer A3D Skywarrior, which could operate from Essex class carriers as did the earlier AJ, and that a/c too went swiftly past the nuclear bomber role and into the exact same missions as the AJ's were doing in the fleet. And an even later a/c, the A3J Vigilante suffered from the same death-knell of a lack of a strategic mission. But, they did provide the necessary deterrent during the transitional period before the Polaris system came on line. Harold Stockton ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the SMML site for the List Rules, Reviews, Articles, Backissues, Member's models & Reference Pictures at http//smmlonline.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume