Portland class cruisers

[heuhen]

Oh, just a question I forgot to come up with earlier. I've noticed thay with your latest work you have switched to 3x3 portholes instead of the usual 4x4 ones.
While this depicts portholes in a more precise way concerning their actual dimension, I had the assumption that we used to stick with the larger 4x4 ones because they had a more round appearance compared to the 3x3 ones. one of the slight "liberties" the SB style forced us to make (I myself have always used the 4x4 portholes unless the ship was so small -like Japanese subchasers and early destroyers- that the 4x4 portholes would look comletely out of place.

I have also always used 4X4 portholes... but they have almost always been out of place. But today we have brought shipbucket to a totally different quality level, so I praise Colo's 3X3 windows, it look more correct, and you get a better feel of the scale of the vessel.

[eswube]

Excellent!

[Hood]

Good point on the 3x3 vs. 4x4 portholes. I think 3x3 does look better on destroyers and smaller craft, on bigger ships like cruisers and battleships the 3x3 tends to get lost in the details a little.

[Novice]

I applaud the work done, in drawing this ship. Always had a soft for these ships, IMHO the best of American pre-war cruisers. Simply astounding!

[KHT]

About time.
Quite possibly my favourite class of heavy cruisers, for looks if nothing else. Great seeing them rendered by your hand.

[Colosseum]

Thanks all.

Next is INDIANAPOLIS (CA-35) in May of 1944 after a refit period at Hunter's Point near San Francisco. The ship is camouflaged in the Measure 32/7D scheme.

CA-35's 1943 refit completely reworked the ship's pilot house and superstructure. The aft boat accommodations were completely removed, with the cruiser retaining only a pair of 26' motor whaleboats. Open-topped Mark 33 directors were installed fore and aft, both with the Mark 4 "FD" fire control radar. The ship's original Mark 27 directors are still present but have been fitted with Mark 3 Mod.1 "FC" ranging radar sets. The light anti-aircraft battery has predictably been enhanced, with 20mm Oerlikons and 40mm Bofors added in the usual positions. A tall tripod mast has been installed above the number 2 stack to support the SK air search radar, with the small SG surface search antenna on the main top above it. The small pole foremast mounts another SG antenna. These radar sets were considered crucial enough to mount two, with one as a backup. A TBS tactical radio antenna sits on a small outrigger behind the forward SG set.

CA-35's next refit in December of 1944 would replace the Mark 27 directors with Mark 34 directors and Mark 8 "FH" radar sets (a potent combination fitted to all new-built USN cruisers of the time). A Curtiss SOC Seagull of Cruiser Scouting Squadron FOUR (VCS-4) is spotted on the catapult - these would be replaced with SC Seahawks by mid-1945.



All PORTLAND class cruiser drawings available here: http://test.shipbucket.com/drawings/sea ... ate=&view=

All USN cruiser drawings available here: http://test.shipbucket.com/drawings?cat ... hipType=16

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Re: 3x3 portholes, I've basically stopped trying to overstate things just for the sake of overstating them. I've found in a lot of cases that I'm not able to fit as much detail as I'd like if I use the larger portholes... so away they went.

[emperor_andreas]

Another beautiful masterpiece by our USN Master Artist! Every USN warship you've done has turned out to be a great testament to their memory, and I can only see your drawings improving from here. Keep up the excellent work!

[Cascadia]

The last one is quite cool, as I have a small Revell kit of Indianapolis on my sideboard showing exact the same measure. Must be 1:700 scale or something.

[eswube]

Excellent as always.

[erik_t]

These drawings are, of course, absolutely beautiful.