North Carolina class battleship

Ian, wonderful work, my friend, thank you!

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"It is better to type nothing and be assumed an ass, than to type something and remove all doubt." - Me

All versions of BB-55 and BB-56 updated with new aircraft crane.

I've also updated the OP with all the drawings and a short blurb about each version.

Another SB masterpiece!

EDIT: annoying double post.

Excellent, Colosseum!

Charybdis wrote:

EDIT: annoying double post.

you know that in lover right corner there is an "X"-icon. if this is you'r last post, you can use it to delete you'r latest post...

BB-56 in June of 1942, as the ship sortied with the Royal Navy in the Atlantic. Note the drastic increase in anti-aircraft guns since the shakedown. The 1.1" quads have been fitted, with the guns directed by the Mk.44 gun director (an early predecessor of the Mk.51, with no capability for lead angle computation). Large, prominent wind deflectors have been added to the air defense level - a feature characteristic of BB-56. A TBS (Talk-Between-Ships) antenna is mounted ahead of the air defense level. Fire control radars have been added to the Mk.38 main battery directors (Mk.3 Mod.1 "FC" radars in this case), and Mk.4 radars have been mounted on all the Mk.37 5" directors except for Sky Four (the aft director). The CXAM-1 air search radar sits above the fire control tower.

Most interesting is the large bracing on the aft director towers as well as the forward Mk.37 director's foundation. As mentioned before, this was due to vibration problems. The bracing on BB-56 is much more substantial than that on BB-55.

The ship wore Measure 12 Modified during this period (the famous splotch camouflage on most early USN fleet units), but would soon repaint into the Measure 22 graded system camouflage it would wear for the rest of its service life.

More iterations to come as I find time.

Mk.44 director available here in the top right corner...

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MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

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BB-56 emerged from her refit at the New York Navy Yard in September 1942 with Measure 22 camouflage - as would be worn for the rest of the ship's service life. The aft Mk.37 director has received a Mark 4 radar on long supports. A small open conning station has been built atop the pilot house; this would later be extended during the ship's May 1943 Pearl Harbor refit. 1'1" quads have been added in tubs at the fantail, and the old Mk.44 directors have been replaced with Mark 49s (now available in the USN components sheet in my signature). A single 20mm Oerlikon was added port & starboard above the aft conning station between the Mk.37 and Mk.38 directors, along with a new splinter shield and a 20mm ready service box. The ship retains its CXAM-1 air search radar.

Most importantly, this refit added an SG surface search radar ahead of the fire control tower. This position left a large cut out immediately astern, and this proved to be a hindrance during the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal when BB-56 was not able to ascertain the position of the USS South Dakota because of the blind spot to the rear. At the time, waveguide losses meant the SG radar had to be positioned relatively close to the radar plot - this would later be resolved, allowing the SG to be placed in a much more advantageous spot above the foremast as on most late-war USN surface combatants.

It was in this fit that Washington engaged and destroyed the Japanese battleship Kirishima.

More to come...

Shipbucket

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