I thought I might try this as I am partial to WWII ships. My fathers best friend served on the USS Idaho but there is no model of that ship so I went with whatever I could. Not a battleship but a very interesting subject and battle history.
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Surely you have read “ Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors “ then ?
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Not to distract from this build but you can build one in 1/700 scale and there is parts to convert if 1/350 is your desire.
HTH
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There is a resin kit for a 1/350 USS Idaho (1945)
for ONLY $395 + shipping (OUCH!!!)
Maybe it can be picked up in Cookeville …
Welcome aboard, John
The USS Johnston is indeed a worthy subject, and Trumpeter’s kit is pretty decent - good luck with it!
No I haven’t. I just joined here yesterday and can’t even see my own post! Let me try to figure this site out first please. Thank you.
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Thanks, no interest in 1/700 or $500 for 1/350. The highest I ever went was $80 for a Fine Molds Amagiri. Was worth it I thought. I don’t do museum quality work, I build to enjoy and relax from the stressful world.
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This is me, what and how I build. I started with the old 1/249 Revell USS Buckley, worked my way up to 1/350 Trumpeter USS Buckley with a TypeVIC U Boat and finally 1/350 Fine Molds Amagiri. I did not use PE rails but will on this build of the USS Johnston, still learning at 69 years old.
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My goof, those 2 Revell USS Buckley images were not finished, here are the completed ones with boot top.
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Welcome to Kitmaker- great bunch here .
Your models are very nice indeed and it seems we are the same age . I think you will find this book inspiring for your Johnston build . Incredible bravery on the part of her crew ( and others as well ) .
My late father in law served on the USS Maddox DD 731 and was aboard when she was struck by a Kamikaze and post war in Yokosuka during occupation . My Uncle Robert was also in Yokosuka aboard a sister ship USS Mansfield.
Looking forward to your build.
Cheers - Richard
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It’s your hobby enjoy as you see fit.
I am not a ship guy but it appears that you might be able to take the HobbyBoss Arizona and Model Monkey gun houses https://www.model-monkey.com/product-page/1-350-new-mexico-class-battleship-14-50-cal-turrets-with-barrels
to make an Idaho.
Thanks, my father was on Okinawa and Guam in 1944-45 with the USAAF. He was manning a D7 bulldozer making airfields for the bombers headed for Tokyo. He was to be with the main invasion force in 1945 if the A bomb did not work. His best friend and an “adopted uncle” to me was on the USS Idaho in 1944-45. He was a member of the “black gang” in the engine room. Didn’t say much about WWII. My Uncle was on the USS New Jersey during the Korean War and mentioned shelling a N Korean large shore gun on a RR car on the coast. We also had some neat silverware he brought home with USN stamped into the handles, the large table spoon in particular I remember as a kid as it would NOT bend, I swear you could put 1000 pounds on it and it wouldn’t bend!
I started with the hull. I scratch built a sonar dome and added it to the forward starboard side, I had dimensions from a model warships site I frequent. Now I can sand down the glue marks and imperfections on the hull bottom then start the hull red, black boot the MS 21 Navy Blue 5N. I also found what looks like a good rattle can spray for 20B Deck Blue and tried it in the decck, looks good to my eye, a dark bluish gray.
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Welcome to the forum! Looking forward to your build. The Sullivans kit is perfect for building the Johnston, since both were square bridge ships, and as far as I can tell neither had any significant modifications to visually distinguish one from the other.
I’m impressed with the addition of the sonar. I built a model of the USS Healy, DD 672, and it never occurred to me to add that detail, which obviously is a significant part of the ship’s equipment.
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Thanks, here are some images of the sonar dome, there were various types. I think some were stationary and some retractable into a seachest. I put mine on the right side of the keel up front.
The size and shape of the sonar dome depended on the type of sonar the ship carried at that point in time. Ships with longer careers could get a new sonar once or twice.
Yup. I read the first sonar used on early Fletchers was retractable into a sea chest. I think they looked like this one from a Canadian Tribal class DD from WWII.
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My previous post is partially wrong concerning the Fletchers, sorry about that …
http://pwencycl.kgbudge.com/Q/c/QC_sonar.htm
This could be worth reading
https://www.jstor.org/stable/44895827
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That’s excellent information about the various installations. Reading between the lines, if I had to guess, (and if I were inclined to go back and modify my DD-672, USS Healy), I’d have to guess that it probably had the QGA installed.
Although hull number 672 was commissioned earlier (9/10/43) than the 683 (2/11/44) and 795 (3/20/44) shown above, she was one of the 50 odd ships which received the “Emergency AA” fit late in the war in response to the significant increase in the kamikaze threat. This was incorporated during refits in 1945, and thus in addition to the AA refit, she PROBABLY had the upgrade to the sonar as well.
But since I don’t have a good reference (and just about NOBODY will notice the absence of a sonar dome on the underside of the hull), I think I’ll just leave well enough alone.
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Good plan!