by Bob Nandell
1/700 USS Laertes AR-20 (Scratchbuild)
AR-20 USS Laertes was commissioned too late (March, 1945) to see much World War II duty. But the Liberty-ship varient floating machine shop did earn two battle stars in Korean War service before fading into mothballs in 1954. Laertes was propelled by a triple-expansion steam engine and had two boilers and a single shaft. She was not broken up until 1972. The model photos show Laertes with a barracks barge and in several angles DD 398 Ellet (also a scratch-build although a slightly different scale).
