1700
USS Maurice J. Manuel (DE351)

  • move
"MSW crew-mate Jacob Walker (redneck) shares a very special build of Butler Class Destroyer Escort USS Maurice J. Manuel (DE351), in this "On Display" feature!"

As some of you already know my grandfather (who I’m very close with) served in the navy from 1944 to1945 and 1950/1951 to 1952.

He first joined at the age of 17 during WWII and was sent to a base in the Pacific where he did machine work making parts for the ships.

After the war he left the navy but was called back to service during the Korean War. He was first sent to the west coast where he once again worked on ships. He wasn’t there for long before going AWOL and coming back to Pennsylvania.

Of course it didn’t take the navy long to find him and he was assigned to the USS Maurice J. Manuel (DE351), a Butler class destroyer escort that was just being brought back into service at the time. The ship was expected to be deployed to Korea to draw out fire from North Korean shore batteries so our larger ships could knock them out.

Before leaving the West coast, the ships orders were changed and the ship was transferred to the Atlantic fleet. Here is where it took part in war games and training operations in preparation for any possible navel engagements with the communist forces, until the time my grandfather left the navy in 1952.

I built this ship for him as a gift. The kit is by Skywave, and I made some modifications to bring it up to its configuration when when he was on board.

Also added are 2 PE sets, resin 40mms and white metal hedgehog launchers.

See Jacobs build in our forums:
Link 1

Link 2

Link 3
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move

About the Author

About Jacob Walker (redneck)
FROM: PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES

I’m a redneck from Somerset county Pennsylvania.


Comments

That's a very impressive build, especially considering the scale, which I assume to be 1/700. My old eyes won't allow me to work that small anymore. 1/350 is about as small as I can go, even with an Optivisor. Great work, redneck! You did her proud. One of my favorite subjects for study is the Battle Off Samar. What a great movie that would make if Hollywood wouldn't muck it up with some silly love story. I wish one of the better manufacturers would kit up a DE or two, at least in 1/350, better in 1/144. I'd love to see a decent kit of the Samuel B. Roberts. Hint, hint. Bob
NOV 22, 2010 - 05:04 AM