by Bob Nandell
1/700 Sealift at the Pier (Scratchbuilt)
The first Gulf War, circa 1991 'Desert Storm' put an immediate demand for sea lift into play, with some ships brought hastily out of reserve and being manned by civilian mariners who still knew how to run steam power plants. Relatively new gas-turbine powered vessels were pressed into service along with rusty WWII left-overs. Left to right in the lead photo at the unloading pier are T-AKR Sea Lift, MSC AK 242 Andrew J. Miller, and T-AK 5044 Gulf Banker. The models are made of balsa, sheet plastic, typing paper, broom-stick bristle, and some parts box findings. They represent what a typical scene would have been as ships unloaded military cargo during Desert Storm. Since the 1990's, use of self-unloading sea container vessels, huge pre-positioning ships, and roll-on roll-off vessels has diminished the role of older style 'break bulk' cargo vessels, and has given a huge tonnage capability increase to the Military Sealift Command
