1/350 The Battlecruiser Iowa (Veryfire-mod)
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by Theodore Tsaltas |
1/350 The Battlecruiser Iowa (Veryfire-mod)
This model is a modification of the excellent Very Fire Iowa kit. It is based in the evolution of Iowa’s design as described in Friedman’s US Battleships, and on the wood model for it made prior to the addition of the heavy AA battery.The Iowa class originated in a desire for a fast battleship. The US battle line at the time had a top speed of 21 knots. There was concern that fast, heavy Japanese cruisers, supported by the three Kongos (Hiei was thought to be demilitarized) could cut behind the US forces’ long Pacific supply line. Detached cruisers could not face the Kongos, and the Japanese cruisers were in any event more powerful than their American counterparts. The original fast design arose from these strategic and tactical concerns.
The first fast battleship design was scheme XVa for the North Carolina- 35,000 tons, 33 knots, 14 inch guns. When the US invoked the escalator clause of the London Treaty, the concept was expanded. The original concept called for 12 16-inch guns and armor proof only against 8-inch shellfire between 10,000 and 30,000 yards. This evolved into a three turret, 9 16-inch gun design with better armor but still not proof against 16 inch shells. Ultimately this concept was in essence mated with the protection scheme of the South Dakotas to produce the Iowa’s final design.
The original ‘cruiser killer’ design had the same armament as its battleship contemporaries, but with less armor and greater speed. This Iowa design bore the same relationship to the North Carolina as Invincible did to Dreadnought, or Hood to Warspite. It was in size, displacement, armor and armament startlingly similar to the Constellation design of 1920. It fulfilled in all respects the battlecruiser concept of Fisher 40 years earlier- a lightly armored, fast, heavily gunned cruiser killer.
I have never cared much for the cluttering of AA on the otherwise clean lines of Iowa. In building the battlecruiser version I relied on the specifications in Friedman, as well as pictures of the wooden model. This Iowa design had a boat deck and cranes instead of the heavy triple 40-mm mounts between the funnels, and it had virtually no other AA. I fitted my model with the original design AA battery of North Carolina- 4 quad 1.1 inch (I used 40 mm) in unshielded mounts, and 12-20 mm. I also removed radars as none were shown in the concept model. I kept the large range finders but eliminated the 10 foot turret-top range finders of the model.
I chose the Very Fire kit because every gun emplacement is a separate part. It was thus possible to achieve a flush deck without extensive sanding and repair. In fleshing out the design I used multiple kit modifications and additions-
The model pictured is the result. I love the clean, sleek lines.
- filled and sanded all mounting holes for unused AA guns and emplacements
- removed the 40-mm mounts on the forward and after superstructure.
- modified and cut down the superstructure to accept a 3D printed open bridge
- added the 3D printed open bridge parts
- removed the triple 40-mm mounts amidships
- cut away the midships superstructure elements
- scratch built a boat deck, a base for the after funnel, and cranes, using PE arms from HMS Repulse.
- added a suite of boats from my spare parts stash, including davit-mounted boats.
- drilled out port holes in the hull. Originally North Carolina design had them, but they were plated over.
- Added an 8 inch armor belt cut from sheet styrene. The North Carolina had a visible armor belt. The sloped armor scheme on South Dakota was heavier, and the notch it created in the hull was plated over in Iowa. I reasoned the belt would have been visible.
I learned a great deal from thinking through the design and building. I have much to learn about scratch building. It requires tools I do not have, and the limited results are obvious. I hope you will enjoy the idea and excuse the obvious limitations in execution.
