by Bob Nandell
1/700 USS Pastores AF 16 (Scratchbuild)
While other WWII sailors were racing around at 30 knots on sleek cruisers and other fighting ships, far in the backwaters the supply chain sailors brought everything from ammo to refrigerated stores aboard often antiquated vessels, wheezing along with reciprocating steam engines at a stately 10 knots. One such ship was the stores ship AF 16 Pastores, built in Ireland in 1913. Pastores was acquired by the Navy in 1918 for World War I service. It was returned to United Fruit Co. in 1919 and spent two decades hauling refrigerated fruit. It was again pressed into U.S. Navy service in 1942, and was one of the myriad of ships in support of the Phillipines campaign. The well worn 12,650-ton vessel was decommissioned in 1946. Although some pictures of Pastores in WWII navy livery exist, only a few show the ship painted in civilian colors during the 1930's. Pastores was armed for WWII with one 5" gun on the stern, and some obsolete one-inchers on splinter-shield platforms. Some small parts on my model are from the parts box. The hull is thin sheet-stock over balsa plug. A scratch-build 'Hog Islander' looms in the background.
