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US Pocket Battleship?

Started by SigfanUSAF, March 15, 2011, 03:32:58 PM

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SigfanUSAF

March 15, 2011, 03:32:58 PM
So, America was terrified by the launching of the Deutschland class, and it came up with a response. One that proved unnecessary of course. The result was a 750' long lightly armored hull, with twin 16" triple turrets and 6 5" 38 twin turrets. The layout is loosely based on the Alaska class CB, using parts from Tamiyas 1/350 Missouri & New Jersey (I'm building a '69 NJ, so needed parts from bith kits).

This is being built on a heavily modified 1/400 scale HMS Hood hull- which scales to 750' in 1/350 scale. Most parts are obvious on where they came from, and I'm looking for a set of 16"45 Trumpeter turrets to use. This is going to be built as she looked after a 1944 extensive rebuild at Long Beach Naval Shipyard.


proditor

#1
March 15, 2011, 07:47:00 PM Last Edit: March 16, 2011, 08:15:24 AM by proditor
Neat!  I'll be watching this one closely as Pocket B-ships have been puttering around in my head for a while now.  It'd be nice to actually see one.  ;)

NARSES2

#2
March 16, 2011, 08:01:11 AM
Yup. Interesting concept, looking forward to the build  :thumbsup:

Do not condemn the judgement of another because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong.

GTX

#3
March 17, 2011, 10:57:01 AM
I like this idea.

Regards,

Greg
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

pyro-manic

#4
March 17, 2011, 11:17:35 AM
Nice idea! Not sure I'd call it a pocket battleship - it's not exactly pocket-sized! - but an interesting alternative to the Alaska-class, certainly.
Some of my models can be found on my Flickr album >>>HERE<<<

SigfanUSAF

#5
March 17, 2011, 01:35:19 PM
Thanks guys, I've made a little more progress, and ordered the styrene for the decks yesterday.



Mossie

#6
March 17, 2011, 03:37:01 PM
Hmmm, sitting up & taking notice! :thumbsup:
I don't think it's nice, you laughin'. You see, my mule don't like people laughin'. He gets the crazy idea you're laughin' at him. Now if you apologize, like I know you're going to, I might convince him that you really didn't mean it.

Taiidantomcat

#7
March 18, 2011, 01:17:29 PM
Wow!  :o  :wub:
"Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality." -Jules de Gaultier

"My model is right! It's the real world that's wrong!" -global warming scientist

An armor guy, who builds airplanes almost exclusively, that he converts to space fighters-- all while admiring ship models.

Joe C-P

#8
March 23, 2011, 07:42:14 PM
I've previously posted a US small or "light" battleship I built based on a proposal from a SNAME publication.
I've also build an alternate universe USN "heavy coastal defense battleship".
And I like what you're doing!   :thumbsup:
In want of hobby space!  The kitchen table is never stable.  Still managing to get some building done.

dumaniac

#9
March 24, 2011, 01:15:54 AM
Nice start - love the concept

Bernie

SigfanUSAF

#10
March 24, 2011, 05:10:53 AM
Progress!

.080" decks were a little thicker than I was expecting, but they're sturdy! I made the catapult stands from 30-06 shell casings.





SigfanUSAF

#11
March 24, 2011, 01:57:47 PM
Upon conferring with a friend about this, I've come up with a name. Though this is a mid-30s ship originally, BBs traditionally get State names, CAs get big city names. The Alaska class would get US territories- so what to name this?

I'm thinking regions- like USS New England, BL-1 :-)

sequoiaranger

#12
March 25, 2011, 06:41:13 AM Last Edit: March 29, 2011, 02:51:12 PM by sequoiaranger
You *KNOW* I am a fan of WWII-era ships.

(See Furashita's Fleet--  http://www.combinedfleet.com/furashita/furamain.htm )

I think your proposed US Pocket Battleship is overkill for hunting the Deutschland-class ships. Even the "Alaska"-class would be a bit much (designed to counter a beefier, alleged Japanese "pocket battleship" that was just a figment of American and Japanese imagination)

The Deutschland's armor was barely proof against 8" cruiser fire, so whomping it with 16"ers is un-necessary. The Deutschlands were in fact "armored cruisers" and not as fast, so decent heavy cruisers would be a reasonable match unto themselves.  For the tonnage involved, two heavy cruisers like the USS Boston should be more than enough to take on the German ships, and more flexible in deployment than one large ship.

The above "wet blanket" notwithstanding, I am enjoying the project. I certainly would not want to be the captain of a Deutschland seeing the "New England" coming up over the horizon!!

Maybe the concept should be an "escort battleship"  (BBE) to protect the convoys from German surface raiders like the Scharnhorst and even the Bismarck class. That is, even though it might not be able to go "toe to toe" with the Bismarck in a fight to the death, any "wound" to German surface raiders is near-fatal, given the distance from support, repair, or supply. The high speed of your "New England"s would mean that once contact is made, the German (or even Italian) ships could not escape---thus contact means death---a great deterrent!
My mind is like a compost heap: both "fertile" and "rotten"!

SigfanUSAF

#13
March 29, 2011, 01:22:04 PM
Major progress this weekend. If anyone wants to "donate" a Tamiya BB63 stern crane and some 40mm gun tubs, I'll make it worth your while :cheers:










SigfanUSAF

#14
March 29, 2011, 01:23:46 PM Last Edit: March 29, 2011, 01:26:34 PM by SigfanUSAF
sequoiaranger, you have valid points. The concept has always been in the back of my mind, just had to build it. I like the "BBE" concept.


For the record, this ship now includes parts from:
Tamiya      1/350 Missouri
Tamiya      1/350 New Jersey
Revell        1/240 HMS Campbelton
Lindberg (?)1/400 HMS Hood
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