Brooklyn class cruisers

Nearly a month between drawings...

This is NASHVILLE (CL-43) in October of 1944 while operating in the Philippines. The ship is camouflaged in the light pattern system of Measure 33/21D.

NASHVILLE shows the standard mid-war refit scheme applied to the BROOKLYN class ships, which drastically reduced the superstructure fore and aft. This refit moved the foremast aft 7' and added a large platform forward to accommodate an SK air search radar, with an SG on the foretop above. A second SG was fitted to the small platform on the mainmast. The prominent searchlight and radio direction finding platform between the stacks has been reduced by one deck level, and 20mm Oerlikons in tubs have been added amidships and abeam the searchlight platform. Mark 4 "FD" radar has been fitted to the Mark 33 directors for the 5" guns. NASHVILLE's Mark 34 forward main battery director has received the modern (for the time) Mark 8 "FH" ranging radar, while the aft director retains its Mark 3 "FC" radar, likely due to supply issues. A Vought OS2U Kingfisher of VCS-15 (Cruiser Scouting Squadron FIFTEEN) is spotted on the catapult aft.

NASHVILLE would survive the war to be sold to the Chilean Navy, where it would serve until 1982 as the CAPITAN PRAT.

Excellent work! Another possible distinction for this drawing could be the addition of a red four-star flag, if that's how she looked when she was MacArthur's flagship during the Leyte landings. Or would a General's flag not be flown from a ship's halyards?

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MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

#FJB

With this quality, a month of wait is more than justifiable!

This is top notch work, as usual!

Fantastic detailing, while keeping the drawings "clean" at the same time. Something I find a bit challanging sometimes.

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In your dreams. ~ Yae Miko
報園-872 (方義鑑銃)
Patriotic Presentation Number 872, Q-102 (A6M3-32 captured in Buna, New Guinea)

Grand. Absolutely grand.

Do you know why no. 3 turret was facing aft? I suppose it doesn't matter as it can't fire forward. Was there a specific name for this type of position as in "super-firing" for No. 2 turret?

Excellent work, beautiful drawing!

Thanks all.

Charybdis wrote: *

May 4th, 2018, 10:29 am

Do you know why no. 3 turret was facing aft? I suppose it doesn't matter as it can't fire forward. Was there a specific name for this type of position as in "super-firing" for No. 2 turret?

I spent some time re-reading the chapter on these ships in Friedman's Cruisers but couldn't find the answer. I imagine it was probably just the optimal arrangement to have it facing aft (like you say, not like it could fire forward anyway). There is a mention in the text about the turret closest to the bridge being low for less interference with fire control equipment on the superstructure, but no specific naming convention for this type of arrangement.

This is NASHVILLE (CL-43) in March of 1945, after the conclusion of a refit at the Puget Sound Navy Yard. NASHVILLE returned to the US west coast after sustaining kamikaze damage off the Philippines in December of 1944.

NASHVILLE is camouflaged in Measure 21, though using the later flat grey paints that replaced the blue-grey based paints used earlier on in the war. This refit added Mark 8 Mod.3 "FH" ranging radar on the main battery Mark 34 directors, and Mark 25 radar on the Mark 33 dual-purpose 5" gun directors. The amidships searchlight tower has been cut down and replaced with a small deckhouse mounting a Mark 51 director for 40mm gunfire control. The two 36" searchlights have been relocated to small platforms abaft the second funnel. All single 20mm Oerlikons have been replaced with twins, which allowed for weight savings and consolidation of mounts. The stern 20mm galleries have been expanded to fit twin 40mm Bofors, and the amidships 40mm quad Bofors mount has been fitted with the Mark 28 radar antenna (part of the Mark 63 gunfire control system).

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This is HONOLULU (CL-48) in November of 1943, after a refit period at the Mare Island Navy Yard following massive damage at the Battle of Kolombangara. The ship is camouflaged in Measure 32/2C, a pattern developed for the NEW ORLEANS class cruisers but adapted to the BROOKLYN class.

HONOLULU's fit at this time is nearly identical to her sister NASHVILLE; the main difference is the heavier mainmast, designed to support a second radar antenna (likely a height finder), but this radar antenna was not fitted until HONOLULU's final refit in 1945.

HONOLULU would survive the war, ultimately being sold for scrap in 1959.

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