Hello, I'm new here.
After Googling for more Habakkuk info. on the Internet last night, I stumbled upon this thread and couldn't resist the temptation to register on the forums and help add some insight on this most unique ship design.
I'm not a ship designer, but rather a model builder. For the last two years, I've been building a 1/700 scale Habakkuk carrier model. In fact, It'll be done soon in just a few week's time. I just have a few details to finish yet. Anyway, As I've been building my model, I have scoured the Internet far and wide for as much info. as I could find on such a unique ship. Results though, have been minimal since a real ship was never built.
I like the drawings that Alvama has done. Very creative.
I've read the majority of posts in this thread and I'd like to offer the following insight.
1. According to an article titled "Habakkuk" by William J. Wallace in Vol. 5, Num. 18 of Warship magazine. 1981, Pages 80-85, the outside surface of the pykrete hull of the Habakkuk would have been the following:
"The outside hull would be insulated by a complex 9in thick composite material, made of plywood and insulation boards (masonite type) in 27 layers. This tough outer shell would dovetail together and be attached to the hull by 1ft 6in dowels embedded in the ice."
I also drew up a rough sketch of what the outer hull may have looked like:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/ ... sketch.jpg
2. As for what armament the Habakkuk would have had, that is pure speculation. But......
As originally conceived, the Habakkuk was a British design and was to have British armament, namely the following. However, since no references discuss how much armament the Habakkuk was to have, nor the exact locations, etc., the listing here is an "educated guess" based on what was commonly used during WWII by the British.
Approximately 20-40 4.5" dual barreled DP (dual purpose) guns.
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_45-45_mk1.htm
And numerous lighter anti-aircraft armament of various amounts of the following:
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_2pounder_m8.htm
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_5-62_mk3.htm
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_2cm-70_mk234.htm
However.......
1. If a real Habakkuk ship had been made in WWII, it would have been built mostly by the Americans and Canadians as we had better resources, materials, etc. than what Britain did.
2. It would've been far easier to make and ship armament from the factories and yards on the Eastern coast, and the Midwest, of the U.S. up to Canada where the Habakkuk was being built, than to ship British armament overseas and/or re-tool American factories to produce British armament to be used for Habakkuk.
As for painting a Habakkuk ship, I suspect the following: U.S Navy Measure 13
Since the Habakkuk was originally designed to operate in the Northern Atlantic area and help search for U-boat threats, I began to think that it would probably be better in some type of all gray scheme to blend in with the cloudy, overcast, hazy, and foggy weather that is so common in that particular region. As I did more research, especially on a site called
http://www.shipcamouflage.com/ , I noticed a camouflage measure called Measure 13
http://www.shipcamouflage.com/measure_13.htm
......which is pretty much all Haze Gray. The measure is described as follows:
Effectiveness:
Low visibility to surface observers in hazy or foggy weather especially when it is accompanied with periods of weak sunlight.
High visibility in bright weather when seen against the water.
Useful in submarine infested areas, where periscopic observers will see a vessel entirely against a sky background.
High visibility under searchlight, and down-moon at close ranges. Very low visibility on moonless nights and at twilight.
Method of Application:
Haze Gray 5-H All the vertical surfaces of the ship above the waterline.
Deck Blue 20-B Deck surfaces and other horizontal surfaces, which are visible to aerial observers. Under sides of overhanging horizontal surfaces may be painted with white (5-U) to lighter) shadows.
Notice the key words and phrases such as the following: "Low visibility to surface observers in hazy or foggy weather..." and "Useful in submarine infested areas...."
Sounds like a good camo measure to me!
As I said, the Habakkuk was intended to operate in the North Atlantic region to help search for German U-boat threats.
Although the Habakkuk was originally a British idea/concept, the ship actually would have been built up in Canada along the eastern coast somewhere. Most resources would have come from the US/Canada as those countries had more and better materials, financing, etc. than what Britain did.
If Alvama or anyone else has questions they'd like to ask me about the Habakkuk, then just ask away! I'll help wherever I can. Oh, and here's a pic of the 1/700 model I built.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/ ... C03826.jpg