1/700 USS California BB-44 1941 (Pit-Road/Trumpeter)
|
by Dan Kaplan |
1/700 USS California BB-44 1941 (Pit-Road/Trumpeter)
The second of the two Tennessee class standard battleships, and designed as a fleet flagship, she was sunk during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. California was raised, modernized, and returned to service in January, 1944. She served with distinction for the remainder of the war, mainly providing gunfire support during multiple amphibious operations as part of the US island -hopping campaign. She also took part in the Battle of Surigao Strait on October 25, 1944 in the Philippine Islands, which was the last battleship vs. battleship engagement in history. California was deactivated soon after the war ended, and was scrapped in 1959.This is the Trumpeter 1/700 California 1941 kit, and I completed this build in 2021. I’ve combined photos from three different shoots for the gallery, mostly because I hated most of the shots. The kit itself was reasonably straightforward, though the fit of the kit is approximately that of 1940, before an early 1941 refit that extended the Navigation Deck bridge wings that held 12-foot rangefinders. Those wings were scratch-built, as was a piston for the turret mounted catapult. Interestingly, the kit does have splinter shielding for the bridge and secondary battery positions that was installed during the 1941 refit.
I used a Five Star Photoetch set for Maryland (knowing that not everything could be used), replacement cage masts and 3”50cal guns from Blue Ridge, spotting tops, directors and small weapons from 3D Model Parts, a deck mask from Hunter, alternate photoetch from Tom’s, 14”/ 5.51”/ 5.25” brass barrels from Master Models, and the 5.25” weapons set from the Finemolds Nanodread line. Since California’s bridge was configured for a flagship role, some modification of the kit and Five Star PE parts was necessary for the Signal Bridge level. Additionally, a large air intake is erroneously molded onto the forward portion of the bridge base, and this was removed.
I used custom mixes of Tamiya acrylic paint to match 5-D and 5--L to render her in Measure 1 camouflage. The same is true for her wood planked deck, which was subsequently washed (lightly) with burnt umber. A build log is available here: http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=304091
References
- U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman
- USS California: A Visual History of the Golden State Battleship BB-44 (Visual History Series HC) by David Doyle
- USS West Virginia BB-48 Booklet of General Plans, circa 1940 (as a general Big Five reference)
- Navsource Online: US Battleship Archive – USS Maryland BB-46 and the other Colorado class sisters
- www.history.navy.mil (Naval History and Heritage Command) assorted photos
