Republic of Texas

[Krakatoa]

The P-51 has always been one of my favourite fighters, that colour scheme looks good on it Redhorse.

[emperor_andreas]

YES!!! The Mustang comes to Texas! Awesome job!

[Redhorse]

February 1945:

In 1943 a design study was conducted for the follow-on ships of the Ralls class. Hard lessons learned facing Axis air power in the Mediterranian Sea were applied, as were anticipated requirements for shifting Navy assets to Pacific operations. The result was the Taylor class. Two configurations were built, one with a full complement of torpedos and the other with additional 40mm Bofors and a half-complement of torpedos.



All Taylor class ships were completed in the Consolidated yard in Orange, Texas. The lead ship, Taylor, was built with the full torpedo complement and the standard blue paint scheme for Atlantic and Mediterranian operations.



The second ship, Teague, was built with the additional Bofors and given an experimental scheme similar to the US Measure 22.

The Taylors were very similar to the US Sumner and Gearing designs in appearance and armament. They were also the first destroyers built with a dedicated space for a Operations Center or Combat Information Center (as the US called it). Thirteen would be completed before VJ day, and others on the stocks finished at a slower pace following the war. Units not laid down were cancelled and those with incomplete hulls were scrapped.

[Krakatoa]

Tough looking ships Redhorse, there is a lot of power in the armament of those ships.

Any thoughts on a quad 40mm aft?

[JSB]

I like them a lot ,
but no ahead thrown ASW by 45 ? (you are carrying lots of DC)

[Redhorse]

By 1945 there are 143 Destroyer Escorts afloat, each with a Hedgehog projector. I just haven't spent much time on my DEs, even though they are the main anti-submarine force in the Atlantic.

There's a quad 40mm just forward of the after 5" turret.

[emperor_andreas]

Very nice work! The Fletchers of Texas!

[eswube]

Nice additions!

[Hood]

I like the looks, blocky but squat, looks like a mass producible design with no frills.
I never favour high-mounted torpedo tubes personally but this design certainly looks spacious of its size.

[Redhorse]

1945: Odds and ends

Shortly after D-Day in 1944, the Texas Navy sent several ships into refit to prepare them for operations in the Pacific. Anti-aircraft armament became a priority, and 40mm quad and twin Bofors were installed where space and blast radii from larger weapons allowed.

BB-4 Independence emerged with fourteen quad Bofors, and updated search and fire control radar sets:



The refit was completed so quickly that the changes were not painted to match the rest of the ship - noticeable because they are light gray.

Also, the Texas Air Force replaced the SOC Seagulls after the Curtiss Seamew turned out to be a disaster.



The Seahawks brought a sorely needed capability and durability to fleet operations that, as good as the old Seagull was, it could not provide.