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Iowa class battleships
http://shipbucket.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=7866
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Author:  Colosseum [ August 20th, 2017, 2:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Iowa class battleships

A personal favorite of mine.

[ img ]

This is IOWA (BB-61) in December of 1944, while the ship was at the ABSD-2 floating drydock at Ulithi for hull repair. BB-61 is painted in Measure 32/1B, a design originally submitted for the NORTH CAROLINA class battleships but adapted to the IOWA, probably at Norfolk in late 1943. This scheme has been erroneously shown with Dull Black (BK) disruptive shapes, but the correct color (as defined in SHIPS-2) was actually Navy Blue (5-N). These two colors are almost identical in the black-and-white photos of the era, hence the confusion. The base color was Haze Grey (5-H), with Deck Blue (20-B) on the horizontal surfaces.

A notable feature of IOWA's early configuration is the lack of the big enclosed pilot house most modern viewers associate with the class. Originally, IOWA had only a small catwalk around the conning tower for ship control, and this was found to be unsatisfactory during her shakedown and an open conn was added immediately aft of the conning tower around the forward Mark 37 director ("Sky One"). This position was fitted with prominent wind baffles, which are also visible on the platform halfway up the fire control tower. IOWA mounts a fairly standard electronics fit for a mid-war large combatant, with the SK air search radar on the foremast, and two SG surface search sets (one on the main top and one ahead of and just below the air defense level). The scaffolding aft of the forward SG mounts a small reflector screen, I suspect to deflect the microwaves away from the personnel inside the structure behind it. IOWA's Mark 37 directors mount Mark 4 "FD" radars, and the Mark 40 GFCS inside the upper level of the conning tower is fitted with a Mark 3 "FC" set for backup ranging. TDY jammer screens sit on either side of the forward tower, at the same level as the forward SG set, and the yardarms show the "double cone" AS-56 receiving antennas associated with the SPR-1 radar countermeasures system. Companion AS-37 "wagon wheel" antennas (with flat ground plane elements) are mounted to the front of the air defense level. A Vought OS2U Kingfisher of Battleship Observation Squadron SEVEN (VO-7) is spotted on the stern catapult.

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All IOWA class battleships available here: http://test.shipbucket.com/drawings/sea ... =&drawing=

All USN battleships available here: http://test.shipbucket.com/drawings?cat ... shipType=2

Author:  BB1987 [ August 20th, 2017, 2:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Iowa class battleships

Magnificent.

One question:
With all the midship Bofor mountings, and a few Oerlikons as well, are we "breaking" the "rule" of having all weapons pointing either forward or aft unleess they cannot be phisically trained that far?. Or they all fall within that category of exceptions?

Author:  Charybdis [ August 20th, 2017, 3:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Iowa class battleships

Superb work.

You must be the most productive member in the Real Designs section at present. What's your secret? ;-)

Echoing BB1987's comment; I would also like to use this style for the Essex class gallery guns and side mounts.

Author:  paul_541 [ August 20th, 2017, 6:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Iowa class battleships

Great job ! :D

Author:  heuhen [ August 20th, 2017, 7:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Iowa class battleships

looks quit good. was looking for drawings error, could find any. there is a double black line between the top 40mm gun and firing control. but's it is one that can't be avoided

Author:  erik_t [ August 20th, 2017, 9:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Iowa class battleships

I don't have much to add; it's an excellent drawing. I do wonder about using some dark gray rather than black for (e.g.) the wind baffle structures; some of these regions are so detailed that they threaten to lose themselves to clutter, and I think a shade like 30,30,30 might convey the strong features while still showing they are subordinate to deck edges.

Something to think about, maybe.

Author:  emperor_andreas [ August 20th, 2017, 11:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Iowa class battleships

AWESOME!!! Can't wait to see more!

Author:  Hood [ August 21st, 2017, 7:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Iowa class battleships

Excellent work, I'm sure these refreshed Iowas will get many people's mouths watering.

I'm pretty cool about showing guns side on, if they cannot be physically trained fore and aft on the real ship for historical accuracy, if its clear what the gun or mounting in question is and if the sideways view provides the viewer with some information that would otherwise be lost on a side view only.

Author:  eswube [ August 22nd, 2017, 6:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Iowa class battleships

Great work!

Author:  Colosseum [ August 24th, 2017, 4:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Iowa class battleships

I kept forgetting to respond to these questions!

Re: showing guns trained outboard vs. fore-and-aft, I like the effect it gives. I'm not quite sure why we implemented that rule many years ago (I suspect it was just laziness about not having to draw multiple views of a weapon system...) and I think it more accurately shows the ship in "default" rig. It's certainly not a requirement but I wouldn't bother calling people out on it anymore. Same goes for the gun directors being trained fore-and-aft. Do whatever you think looks best. If it's unnecessarily disruptive then I'm sure our viewers will tell us. ;)

Re: the color of the wind baffles, they are distinct structures and as such should be shown with black. Using a dark grey would understate their nature. This is a personal style issue though, some others might show it differently.

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