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Well, I've been holding this for over a year, maybe even longer, but here they are finally: in my humble opinion, most handsome armored cruiser-class ever built, the Pennsylvania-class ACRs:



The Keystone State Cruiser USS Pennsylvania, the class leader, as of 1905. She carries her full complement of ships' boats, as well as an extra, seventh 30" search light atop her pilot house:


The Mountain State Cruiser USS West Virginia (ACR-5) is next, showing her outfit as a fleet-flagship, US Asiatic Fleet (Formerly 4th Cruiser Division, Atlantic Fleet), flying the (temporary) four-star flag of Acting Adm. Willard H. Brownson, 1905-07. Besides the obvious differences that she shared with the California, Maryland and South Dakota, with regards to her sisters, Pennsylvania and Colorado, she now sports a prominent aft flying bridge with a "cabin" at the aft end. The "cabin" was a combined admiral's plotting-chart house and radio station, and she has four Marconi transmitters on either tip of her fore- and aft bridge wings.


The Golden State Cruiser, USS California (ACR-7), appropriately enough, for a ship named after the gold nugget paradise of the 1800s, sported one of the most elaborate bow-scrolls of any US cruiser. Perched on top of the impressive twirls and garlands sat a Golden eagle, attentively guarding the emblazon of the United States - also fittingly for a ship named after one of the most pro-union states. Here she is flying the two-star flag of RA Giles B. Harber, Commander Second Division, Pacific Fleet, shortly after commissioning, in March, 1908:


...and here's the Centennial State Cruiser USS Colorado (ACR-7) as a close comparison of the differences between Babcock & Wilcox-equipped ships and Niclausse-boilered ones... a few significant differences can be noted between the Colorado and Pennsylvania, such as the position of her forward top cowlings and, most obviously in her boat complement.


The Free State Cruiser, USS Maryland (ACR-8) was unique among the Big Ten in not having the shield with the Stars and Stripes as part of her bow scroll. Instead she displayed proudly her home state's coat of arms. Other than that she was very similar to the WeVee, except not shipping the "coach" on her aft bridge.


The last of the class, the USS South Dakota - "SoDak" (ACR-9) was not completed till 1908, well after the first battlecruiser HMS Invincible had been completed by the British navy. Thus, upon entering service she was thoroughly obsolete and hopelessly outclassed by the new big "cats" being built in Britain and Germany. Nonetheless the "SoDak" was an exceedingly fine and well-liked ship, which gave sterling service to the USN. Unlike her sisters, The Mount Rushmore State Cruiser carried no fewer than eight 36" searchlights. (Her sisters shipped six 30", except the Keystone State vessel that was commissioned with seven.)

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My Avatar:Петр Алексеевич Безобразов (Petr Alekseevich Bezobrazov), Вице-адмирал , царская ВМФ России(1845-1906) - I sign my drawings as Ari Saarinen

VERY nice work!

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#FJB

Excellent work indeed. Both her and the Scharnhorst ACs were perhaps my favorites ever built in terms of looks (though Rurik and Blucher are pretty nice too).

Is the cutaway section aft of the secondary casemates beneath the mast supposed to be white like that? Shouldn't it be the same shade as the front cutaway?

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"The first rule is not to lose; The second rule is not to forget the first rule"

An excellent work! And indeed a handsome ship for an ACR.

the hull shading is however incorrect, the waterline is drawn outside the hull, and are you sure the white was somewhat yellowish? the US flag looks somewhat transparent.
also, the shading above and below the waterline doesn't match up (or better said, in the red and in the white, as the underwater shading goes on above the waterline).

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Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin

What a miserable response to such an impressive drawing!

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Jabba's Worklist

if everybody praises, somebody should point out the flaws otherwise nobody does it.

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Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin

Thank you, Jabba. I'll let ace do the research himself, and eat his words!
Denodon, I'm not quite sure I understand your remark. Either level of end casemates were painted in either buff or white. But maybe you can specify your query, so I may be able to give you a more satisfying answer!

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My Avatar:Петр Алексеевич Безобразов (Petr Alekseevich Bezobrazov), Вице-адмирал , царская ВМФ России(1845-1906) - I sign my drawings as Ari Saarinen

I might be wrong on the whites, bezo, but the other points are there for all ships and the sb scale. so which words would I have to eat?

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Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin

It's a great drawing, but I agree with Ace. Shadows don't just end at the waterline.

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