If any of you would like to order this book; you can do so here:

https://www.createspace.com/6121586

Tim

You can also get it here too: http://www.amazon.com/Sub-Busters-USCGs-83-foot-Cutters/dp/1530417546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457622209&sr=8-1&keywords=sub+busters+by+tim+connelly

Here's a review of the book:

Book Review

Sub Busters: Wheeler Built 83-foot Patrol Cutters in World War II
Author: Tim Connelly

As an obsessed student of WW II since childhood, the truism stands valid; no matter how much one studies, devours, learns, understands, there is always “more” out there about what was arguably the largest single “event” in human history, simultaneously encompassing the entire globe and leaving residuals and repercussions which continue to affect humanity. Those fateful years of about 1930 to 1950 left indelible marks, benefits…and scars.
Occasionally, untapped subjects and new information arises about the era, refreshing “breaths of fresh air” from endlessly rehashed, even “trite” streams of data on Messerschmitt Bf 109s, Tiger tanks and the battleship Yamato.
Such a 2016 Spring whiff of fresh air is well-known author on small naval units, Tim Connelly’s latest literary effort, Sub Busters: Wheeler-Built 83-foot Patrol Cutters in World War II, a welcome piece of veritably untapped material about The War.
Continually amazing to this admittedly jaded point-of-view is how enormous, focused whelming and efficient, was USA design, procurement and production of war material in that fateful era (roughly 1939 to 1946), totally without computers!!!!!
A well-known accomplishment of American industry during WW II was constructing a mighty-beyond-description fleet which in size and capability, exceeded the combined navies of the rest of the world.
While students of US WW II naval matters freely acknowledge; the aircraft carriers, submarines, destroyers, escorts, cruisers, battleships, fleet and T-2 oilers, LSTs, Liberty / Victory ships and Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs) DID the really big jobs of winning the war at sea…
…veritably no “print and plastic” is devoted, reference material and model-kits-wise, to the VAST “supporting cast” which is always in the “popular ships’” shadow.
One such largely unknown type is this book’s subject, the humble 83-foot Patrol Cutters, an American contemporary of the Royal Navy’s Fairmile Motor Launches.
Tim Connelly applied his fascination with small combatant watercraft and skills as researcher to this latest tome, probably the only current book on the subject. THIS is the definition of NEW material!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Summary and spoiler alert: the 83-foot Patrol Cutters were the result of frantic expediency, built fast and in substantial number (230 !!!! plus a few more for the USN) for the US Coast Guard (though many served under other flags). Constructed of wood, all by the same builder, to the same general design…all are now gone, save one museum-boat.
While the 83-footers were in service, though they did not sink any Japanese battleships or rid the seas of predatory U-Boote, the “matchstick fleet” performed unsung, locally vital service, in both theatres of The War. Coastal escort, harbour patrol, inshore patrol, rescue, distress-assistance, landing craft control, submarine-hunting; all were among the little boats’ and their young US Coast Guard’s crewmen’s duties.
Author expertise with small naval units and skills as researcher-presenter comes through in a concise, informative volume garnished throughout with tasty, juicy photos, drawings, plans, lists and yummy, informative text (especially about the boats at Normandy).
C’mon, like where else are y’ gonna get multiple illustrations of and data about a Maxim-Nordenfeldt 1-Pounder (originally planned as “main battery”), 7.2-inch rocket on a Mousetrap launcher or Mk VI Depth Charge? Or pics and specs of Hall-Scott Defender or Sterling Viking II, 600 HP gasoline engines?
And check this out; a looonnng list of the boats and bits on their history and fate!
All in the same place!? Right in this book; nowhere else.
~~~~~~~~~~
Before you now-subject-inspired watercraft modelers raise your X-Acto-scarred hands to ask where to get a kit of these interesting little craft, here’s that previously-advertised spoiler; there are no kits of a Wheeler 83-footer. Sorry. Hard cheese, there. However, lose ye not hope (let alone, screw up your faces and cry); the old Lindberg 95-foot Coast Guard Patrol boat in 1/82 scale is not impossible for a veteran plastic-eer ship modeler (y’ gotta boldly go far beyond being a “kit-assembler”) to convert into a reasonable 1/72 Wheeler 83-footer.
Or, because the subject is so interesting, a scratchbuild of a Wheeler 83-Footer would sure get a gob of attention at IPMS Nats or any other exhibition of nautical pretties!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Cost for Tim Connelly’s fascinating tome is $15.00, not much more than you’d plop down for a decent-oid fast food cheeseburger, fries and soft drink. This book has a health benefit, too. Really. It’ll last much longer in your hand and feed your insatiable appetite for floaty-stuff info, not push out that waistline.

Specifics so you can purchase this fine bit of nautical WW II history on a tres’ unique boatsy subject? Here y’ go.

Sub Busters: Wheeler Built 83-foot Patrol Cutters in World War II
By Tim Connelly
Available through http://www.amazon.co...ds=tim connelly
7.44" x 9.69" (18.90 x 24.61 cm)
Black & White on White paper 74 pages
ISBN-13: 9781530417544
ISBN-10: 1530417546

Review© March, 2016
by James Hood
Author, Adventure—Into The Neverland

Hello Garth, I ordered and received your book and I'm sorry to say that I'm a little disappointed. Particularly with the general arrangement line drawings. They are too small to be of any practical use and the writing is too tiny to read. There are some great photographs and interesting facts, but I think that this book could have been better. Al

Al,

OK. Do you think that, if I enlarge the book's format - they drawings and print would be any better? I'm just afraid if I were to do that, it'll price the book out of anyone's wallet ... let me what I can do, if anything.

Oh, well. Can't win for losing.

Tim

Thanks to Al Bubnis' comments, I've resized the book to an 8.5 X 11 format and realigned the drawings which Al had issues with ... making the book bigger did make the print bigger and religning the drawings somewhat enlarged the drawings and I fixed the color issues and added a few more photos. Unfortunately, as I feared; the price rose from $15.00 to $16.83. When it is "active" for sales - I will alert you.

Tim

Tim - if you are the master of Format, why not offering the book regular and the plans as an add on (a second file) in larger scale?
bis denne

Christian

Hello Christian,

That would be a good and nice idea. But, (1) I'm not that good at that, (2) I don't own the rights to the plans ... so, I don't think I could do that.

Builder's plans for the 83' cutter were available from the Coast Guard Museum Northwest, 1519 Alaskan Way South, Seattle, WA 98134. Haven't dealt with them for years, so am not sure whether they are still active.

The old Marine Model Company used to offer a wooden kit of this boat in 1/64 scale. The kit plans are dated June 1945 and I have not compared them against the builder's drawings, so I have no idea how accurate they are. They depict the bronze wheelhouse configuration with a single 20mm aft. I have one or two of these kits in my stash..

Al Ross

Hey, Al?

Query; if that old kit depicts one of the early 83-footers with the Everdur cast bronze pilot house, ... how would a modeler replicate that?

I don't mean a modeler like you, Alex Johnson, Wayne Traxel, Steve Sobrieski, Bob Cicconi or Stan (guys who can create masterpieces out of nothing) ... I mean average everyday modelers ...

Would they use sheet plastic?

Tim

The kit uses carved wood for the portion below the windows and the roof. The rest is heavy paper similar in thickness and stiffness to manila folder.

With reference the "cast bronze" wheelhouse, you might want to read page 78 here: https://books.google.com/books?id=Nsx2JgXhEpoC&pg=PA78&lpg=PA78&dq=everdur+bronze+pilot+house+coast+guard+cutter&source=bl&ots=CYPDvHNDfQ&sig=-OanZVG9A9DI_718RSlLRn80MkE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjYo7Sko-TLAhUMXB4KHSoKDfwQ6AEINDAC#v=onepage&q=everdur%20bronze%20pilot%20house%20coast%20guard%20cutter&f=false

You might also want to revisit your paragraph above the photo of the wheelhouse regarding the number of craft so fitted and the first sentence below the photo of 83336 being offloaded.

Hello, Dr. Ross,

Are you referring to where I said 'the first 136 ...' and I had 83300 to 83435? That'd mean the first 135 boats, yes, I see it now. Thank you very much, Dr. Ross, I will make that correction.

As a matter of fact, Dr. Ross, yesterday, the owner of 83527 sent me a PDF of that very same article and suggested I incorporate some of it in my text ... and I did. But, thank you for suggesting it.

Yeup, I see what you're saying about the first sentence of the paragraph under the photo of 83336. Again, thank you very much, sir. I have corrected it.

Al, would you consider selling me one of those kits you have in your collection?

Tim

No, but they show up on eBay from time to time. Expect to pay between $50-$75 for one. The box identifies it as Kit 1102 "Sub Buster". It is a traditional 1940s style kit - machine-carved wooden hull, wood strip and sheet, lead fittings, extremely limited instructions.

Hi Dr. Ross,

Thank you anyway ...

There's one on there right now; bidding ends in one day.

Al,

Thank you.

Tim

Guys,

Just as a FYI:

Thanks to the comments about the book from Al Bubnis and comments from Dr. Ross, I have revamped, resized and corrected the USCG 83-foot Cutter book and had it put out again. it's on Amazon for $17.18.

http://www.amazon.com/Coast-Guard-83-foot-Patrol-Cutters/dp/1530876702/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1460209083&sr=8-5&keywords=t.+garth+connelly

Hi Guys,

Well, ... thanks to comments that I received from Al Bubnis and from Dr. Al Ross; I resized, revamped and corrected my 83-foot cutter book - and while I was doing that, Dan Withers, who owns the CG-83527 sent me additional material to include in the text and I did.

The book went "live" again last week - on Amazon and CreateSpace ... just now, I received the five copies which I will send to the IPMS JOURNAL (to have it reviewed), the USCG Academy's library and the US Naval Academy and the USCG museum in Barnstable, MA .

I've got to say, the revamped book really impressed me. The larger format really improves it greatly.