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Per the new USN paint scheme and additional documentary evidence available, I've reworked the Northampton-class CA:s :

The class leader, USS Northampton (CA-26) is depicted as of ca. 1937, as flagship of CRUDIV 4 Scouting Force, US Fleet, flying the two-star rank flag of a RAdm. She has gained her ungainly, but distinctive heightened forefunnel and her torpedo tubes have been suppressed.


The USS Chester (CA-27) depicted as commissioned, June, 1930, still rated as CL-27 due to her very scant armor scheme (The USN at this time compared these new vessels with their old, fairly well-armored ACR:s of the Pennsylvania and Tennessee-classes) On July 1, 1930, she and her sisters were reclassified as heavy cruisers (CA) in recognition of their 8in main battery. During this period she made extensive cruises in European waters to show the flag and iron out any deficiencies in her, still new design. She was commanded by Capt. Arthur Fairfield. Noticeable is her upper bridge wings with their knuckles and the open admiral's bridge below. This appears to have been their original design and, at least Chicago (CA-29) also shared it.


The USS Louisville (CA-28) is seen as of 1934, serving in the Atlantic Fleet (6 CRUDIV, Scouting Force). Here she was present to celebrate Memorial Day in New York, and was open to the public.


The USS Chicago (CA-29) depicted as of 1937/38 when, as flagship of the Cruisers, Scouting Force, US Pacific Fleet, she flew the flag of RAdm Joseph K. Taussig. Unusually for the period, Chicago carried a full complement of six scout-planes.


USS Houston (CA-30) shown amid one of her many glorious moments: playing host for the President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, in May 1935 slowly cruising off San Diego, CA. She carried, in addition to the Presidential flag, also the four-star flag of the CNO, Adm. William H. Standley.


The USS Augusta (CA-31) is depicted two years into her commissioning, in Aug. 1933, when, under the command of a future notable Texan, Capt. Chester W. Nimitz, she hoisted the four-star rank flag of Adm. Frank B. Upham, C.-in-C. US Asiatic Fleet and who was to be associated with this ship till his departure in Oct. 1935.
Noticeable are the impressive extended flagstaffs that the Augusta is carrying. It was probably one of the rare moments when such extravagant features were employed, surely to impress both the Japanese, who were present at Shanghai at that time, as much the Chinese themselves. Also worth noting is that her gantry ladder, unlike all her sisters is forward facing; why it's not known. The Augusta also carries a pair of 27ft whalers, similar to the ones carried abreast the aft superstructure, abaft her catapult towers. Louisville and Chester did likewise. Again the reason eludes us.

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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

Ok, I've no damn clue as to what's happened to the Dropbox-links...
I apologize for the inconvenience...

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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

The links go to images, none have the new USN colors.

This is what she looks like with the proper colors: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/939 ... on1930.png

damn again...must have mixed up some of the upload...I guess I'm way too stressed... but yes, the Chicago most certainly has it though...

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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 have a few comments:
- quite a few surfaces on the CA-29 drawing are not the same colour all over, but have bits which are slightly off. I have not done a thorough check, only a quick check on the CA-29
- I don't get what you have done with the hull shading. are the shapes actually that bumpy? is there any reason why there are that many shades? and does the bow look like an hammerhead shark, because with the bulb shading that strong that is what you are implying.
- why is none of the 3 drawings on the same position on the template? and neither is the name and credit line?
- why is the CA-30 painted with an different underwater hull colour and shading style? (the shading style on that one looks much more acceptable, btw)
- I don't really get why the windows are not outlined in black
- US flag colours seem to be off from the official colours.

EDIT: ah, it seems from the posts above that something went wrong with the upload and the above ones are earlier versions, I leave these comments up hoping they are fixed in the final version

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Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
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Chicago and Augusta have been reworked, but not the USN colors. Unless USN ships in the 20s and 30s used other colors than the early form of Light Gray 5-N and Norfolk 65A anti-fouling paint.

To be clear, they should be US Flag colors are F5F5F5, B22234, & 3C3B6E (Colo's sheet is missing the off-white nature of the white spaces on the flag).

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Thanks TJ. Now, what I REALLY don't get, is the fact that, indeed, the Houston is showing up with the old u/w hull paint here, but when I check my dropbox, it's with the new scheme! This is very, very odd... I'll see what I can do with this crap later... (Maybe just have a either colo or golly just delete the bloody crap?!?)

(Oh, ace, while I have to look into some of your critic, the reason why the window are not outlined in black but dark grey is because they are not permanent, fixed fixtures, but rather loose panes, removable, and held in their slots by a thin metal strip covered with a dark-grey rubber strip on either sides. I have explained this feature before, but it was a while ago...)

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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, no matter what color they are!

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the dropbox problem might come from that you have either multiple drawings with same name, or that the dropbox folder on you'r computer havn't uploaded it yet... sometimes the connection between you'r folder and the server can be a bit... for example at my place, I have no problem to downloading things, but sometimes I can have problem to upload it. but give it some time and it will.