Revisiting the CL-51 class

Very nice work. The camo looks good.

_________________
Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Novice wrote: *

May 3rd, 2017, 8:57 pm

Great work. I had always had a soft spot for destroyers armed cruisers, like this class and others. This drawing just illustrates how far Shipbucket has advanced, drawing wise, in the last decade.

This right here. I can't count the number of times I've thought to myself "this is it, this is the pinnacle of Shipbucket, I don't know how drawings can be improved beyond this"

I keep being wrong, but I'll say it again: I don't know how pixel-art of an Atlanta could be any better than this. (and yet I expect somebody will blow me away with something even amazing-er in a year or two)

Thanks for all the nice comments guys.

Next up is CL-52 at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on October 25th, 1942 (this is also how the ship would have appeared as lost at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal later that November):

[ img ]

The only real changes between the Atlanta and the Juneau at this time period were the radar fits - Juneau having an SG surface search set on the foremast and SC air search on the mainmast. The life rafts were moved around a bit (but this was something the crew would do easily) and Juneau appears to have received shell catchers for the aft superstructure 1.1" quad mount - these are the only changes I was able to identify from the grainy photos available. I'm sure there were more but this is the best I could do, barring a huge high-res image dump from Colombamike (what happened to that guy? I was expecting at least one reply from him!)

I always thought CL-52 was still painted in its strange modified Measure 12 camouflage in late 1942, but it seems that all of the ships of TF17 were in the process of repainting into Measure 21 (all over Navy Blue 5-N). According to photo research on the Ship Model Forum, it looks to most of the researchers that Juneau was fully repainted into Measure 21 by the time of the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. Atlanta had only had its hull repainted into 5-N, with its superstructure remaining the familiar mottled Measure 12 modified with its mixture of overall 5-O Ocean Gray with splotches of 5-H Haze Grey. Here's the best available photo of Juneau at Santa Cruz: http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/052/0405229.jpg

I may do a version of Juneau in mid-1942 with the famous pattern that appears in every painting, model kit, and video game. Unfortunately the exact colors are still unknown!

_________________
[ img ]

MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

#FJB

So apparently, there is no official consensus among the ship model forum researchers about the actual color. I personally think 5-N is too dark and so I made two new versions with 5-H and 5-O overall. There's even suspicion that Capt Swenson had the ship repainted into Mountbatten Pink!

[ img ]

I personally really like the 5-H overall and think it matches the available photos most closely.

Incredible work!

(You're going to hate me, but I just found pics of her in two other camo schemes.)

11 February 1942: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USS_ ... -28143.jpg

1 June 1942: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USS_ ... 405202.jpg

_________________
[ img ]

MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

#FJB

Some solid work here. It is nice to see you back in action.

Thanks, I had both of those but not in such high resolution. The first especially provides some insights to changes that are not visible on the yard plans. The location of the outrigger on the foremast seems to actually be above the yardarm on the Juneau only, not below it as I originally thought based on plans.

The first photo is a great reference for the location of the scuttles and drainpipe outlets on the hull.

I'm planning to draw the June 1942 version, but probably not the February 1942 version. My time is precious these days and I've abandoned my old method of drawing every single iteration of each ship. It's just not possible or really 'fun' for me to do that anymore. My plans for this class are:

- Juneau 6/42 (non-standard Measure 12 modified scheme)
- San Diego 6/42 (Measure 12 modified)
- San Diego 4/44 (post-refit at Mare Island with Measure 33/24D)
- Flint 12/44 (Measure 33/22D with darker Ms.32 colors)

Excellent work there. Looking forward to further updates.

Awesome...didn't expect San Diego or Flint to be drawn, too! Can't wait to see them!

If you're back into drawing, might this possibly mean a return to the North Carolina thread once the Atlantas are completed?

_________________
[ img ]

MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

#FJB

Shipbucket

Who is online