Gerry Paper Models - new models from ships collection

[Gerry1966]

Dear friends, I have established a new thread, where I will present my ship models. The first one I will present here is a set of 10 variants of the famous American PT-Boats. Scale as usual 1/400, the models are waterline and of course free. You can find the download link in my catalog

[chicharrero]

Big thanks Gerry for these little jewells

[Gerry1966]

I present to you my new model, which is the famous heavy cruiser USS CA-30 Houston in the version in which she fought her last hopeless fight in the Sunda Strait.
The basis for my model is a 1/600 scale model, authored by Clifton McCullough, that can be downloaded from Papermodelers download page. As in the past, I rescaled this very nice model to 1/400 scale, completely redrawn it and, above all, improved it with new details that fit better on a larger scale.
I spent several hours on documentation, plans, photographs, and discussions in specialized forums to make the model as close as possible to the appearance of Houston at the time of the Battle of Sunda Strait. All of the Northampton-class sister ships were quite different in detail, and these differences were even greater as time went on. But I think I found out the details of Houston as best I could.
The same challenge for me was the reconstruction of the camo. After a thorough study of the materials, I can consider it almost certain that Houston wore Measure 1 camouflage during the Java battles, but the original 5-D Dark Gray color was replaced by an emergency shade, unofficially called Cavite Blue. Measure 1 had superstructures above the tops of the chimneys painted with 5-L Light Gray, but according to the photos, this color at Houston (probably by a misinterpretation of the regulations) began at the level of the captain's bridge. Just before the outbreak of war in the Pacific, the horizontal surfaces were to be painted with 20-B Deck Blue, but the ships in the Philippines and Java were given, again in an emergency, Cavite Blue paint. This coating of the decks was relatively well preserved, but the original coating of the hull, superstructures, chimneys, etc. was already heavily weathered and damaged during the battles for Java.
I tried to put all these details into my model. I hope that you will like it. I will inform you in time when it is completely finished.
And, of course, I plan to convert Houston to its sister ships.

[Gerry1966]

So after a long fight, I finished (I hope) the second model of cruisers from the Northampton class. I started from the beginning and the first was the CA-26 Northampton. My idea that it would be a few easy adjustments soon proved to be very wrong. In my estimate, at least 75% of the pieces are modified or completely new. I even had to change the hull and decks (the first three ships of the class had a short bow deck and the front chimney stood on its own superstructure, while the rest had a deck extended to the chimney ...), the superstructures, details, equipment changed ....
So there was a lot of work, but I am very pleased with the result. The ship is as she looked at the time of her last battle at Cape Tassafaronga on November 30, 1942. She carries camouflage Ms 11, ie vertical surfaces in 5-S Sea Blue, horizontal in 20B Deck Blue.
I'm currently putting together the materials for Chester. :-)

[Gerry1966]

If I sweated while making the USS Northampton, it's nothing against what awaited me at the USS Chester. If I do not count the effective, but demanding "dazzle" camouflage, then I had to remodel the superstructures again, add new stations, bridges, firing positions .... a horror. But so far I am very satisfied with the result. But the worst is yet to come. I would like to make the fourth sister ship USS Louisville in the 1945 version. It will mean a completely new bridge, mainmast, rear superstructures ... The only thing that comforts me is the fact that I have the best materials for it and I will not have to rummage through it. dozens of indistinct photographs, and a much simpler camouflage Ms.22.

[Gerry1966]

New superstructures for Louisville are already being prepared ... ... ;-)

[whulsey]

You[re really putting a lot of work into this project. Thanks for your efforts.

[Gerry1966]

I need a break from planes and while the Northampton class cruisers are still awaiting the test build of new superstructures at Louisville, I went back to an older shelved design, made a few modifications and I can say that the base of the ship fits much better than I expected.
You may have gathered from the photos that I am preparing a model of a large Cherokee class fleet tug.
I once bought a 1/1250 scale model of this ship from Scissors & Planes to add to my collection of 1/400 scale Watership models. However, I soon discovered that the model was too small for that magnification and therefore too simplistic ( even though the shape is excellent). So I took inspiration from the design of some parts of the ship and designed my own model which I hope will suit the chosen scale, including a more accurate shape of the stern and details of the armament, winches etc.
For now I am doing an alpha build and will be continually finalizing the model.

[Gerry1966]

All the main design parts seem to fit as they should (except for small and easily fixable bugs), I guess it's time to start working on the final version.

[Gerry1966]

And here it goes!