Ahoy mates and welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Let’s see what going on today.
Scratch Built CSS David
New MSW Crew-mate Arthur Macon (ArthurSC) sends us his first submission, a mighty fine scratchbuild of the Civil War vessel, CSS David in this MSW "On Display" feature.
CSS David
On going Build Logs
We have several blogs (build logs) going on right now. There is fine work coming off the slipways of Model Shipwrights. Here are a few of them:
MSW Build Contest - 1/700 Yamato - Full Build
Mirage 1/400 ORP Wicher
MSW Build Contest - 1/350 USS Ellyson Full Build
Diorama Maiale
New Early War U-boat figures from Heckler & Goros
German manufacturer Hackler & Goros has announced the release of their 1/72 Deutsche Kriegsmarine U-Boot IIA Crew 1938. No other detail are known at this time.
New 8” Gun Barrels for 1/350 San Francisco from BMK
BMK has released a set of 8''/55 (20,3cm/55) Gun Barrel for Trumpeter’s 1/350 "USS San Francisco". The set includes 9 turned brass barrels with realistic, open drilled muzzles. Simply cut off the original plastic barrel from part C4, drill a hole in the remaining blast bag and glue in the brass barrel in place with super glue or Gator’s Hobby Glue.
1/700 Late War IJN Aircraft from LionRoar
Following their 1/700 early war aircraft set, LionRoar has announced the release of a 1/700 later war IJN aircraft set.
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1870 - Act of Congress establishes Pay Corps, which later becomes the Supply Corps.
1942 - First photographic interpretation unit set up in the Pacific.
1958 - In response to request by the president of Lebanon, 6th Fleet lands 1,800 Marines at Beruit to support Lebanese government against Communist rebels.
US Navy to Donate ex-USS Dolphin (AGSS 555)
The Navy has determined that the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s application for the permanent donation of ex-DOLPHIN (AGSS 555) has met the minimum requirements for donation as a museum and memorial. The Navy intends to donate and transfer ex-DOLPHIN to the Maritime Museum of San Diego by September 2008.
HMS Exeter’s – Arctic Convoy’s Remembered
HMS Exeter, the Portsmouth Based Type 42 Destroyer, has just completed a very successful visit to Reykjavik, Iceland. The focus of the visit was to support the veterans of the World War 2 Arctic Convoys who were in Iceland for a conference entitled ‘a lifeline across the Atlantic’.
The veterans attending the conference were those involved in bringing goods to the Eastern Front during the Second World War. Essentially, allied countries sent navy ships and maritime vessels from different countries to assemble in Iceland and then convoy to the North Western ports of Murmansk and Archangelsk in Russia. During this period the convoys operated under heavy fire and were among the most daring and difficult ventures of World War 2, playing a vital role in the outcome of the war.
Despite the rough weather, Exeter arrived in the Iceland area with enough time to look at the picturesque ĺsafjarŏardjũin and Hvammsfjŏrŏur Fjords in the North West of the Island.
On the first evening alongside in Reykjavik an official reception was held and amongst the guests was a number of the Arctic Convoy veterans. After the Commanding Officer, Commander Paul Brown Royal Navy had made his welcome speech, one of the veterans, Mr Raymond Ball, presented the Commanding Officer with his memoirs of the Arctic Convoys and followed this with a short speech.
At the request of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office based in Reykjavik, some of the Ship’s Company visited the World War 2 memorial in the city to carry out some urgent restoration work. The team repaired the rose arch, rubbed down and varnished the bench that was covered in graffiti, polished the plaque and tended to the flowerbeds. Their efforts made the local newspapers and the evening news.
Iceland, being the Island where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge becomes land borne, is natural volcanic site that sits on the boundary of two diverging tectonic plates which, are spreading apart by 1-2 Centimetres per year. As a result, the Island is covered in volcanoes and Hot Springs, which deliver boiling hot sulphur smelling water to the surface and thus ensure that the scenery of Iceland is absolutely stunning. To experience these sights a number of the Ship’s Company took the opportunity to go on the ‘Golden Circle’ tour which visited the Pinvellir National Park (the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rift valley), the Gullfoss waterfall, the Geysir Hot Spring area and finally the Keiro Volcanic crater (a Caldera). Others visited the ‘Blue Lagoon’ to relax in its tranquil surroundings.
On the final day of the visit, the Commanding Officer attended a memorial service with the President of Iceland and the visiting Arctic Convoy veterans. The ceremony took place at the site of the Russian memorial and was attended by a number of representatives from Iceland, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Russia. After a short speech by the President of Iceland a number of wreaths were laid down and prayers from the attending priests.
The Commanding Officer said “it has been very humbling to have been here at Reykjavik during the Arctic Convoy Conference and to have met some of the veterans. It meant a great deal for me and my Ship’s Company to be part of the wreath laying ceremony and to remember those who lost their lives in what were extremely arduous conditions”.
Photo of the Day
The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Regan and Carrier Air Wing 14 begin their transit into Agana Harbor for a port call on Guam after working off the coast of the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Fengshen, July 6, 2008. The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is on a routine deployment in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility.
Gator
