Hey all. For those that aren't familiar with me I'm a modeler and researcher who's AO is the Pacific Theater of WWII. I'm currently researching the Essex class ships that took part in the war with the intent on releasing a book on modeling them. In the pursuit of answers I've come across some interesting reports and rather than ignore them I've been scanning them in and turning them into web pages.

I lost track of this site until Jim let me know recently that he'd finished the design work and that things were up and running. So I wanted to pop in and present links for you guys; if you're into these ships on more than a model assembler's level these reports should be of interest to you. I've got more queued up and one more almost done, but I also do Randy Short's Shipcamouflage site and have to split my time up between my site, his site, work, and my wife (not necessarily in that order ), and oh yeah, modeling. So I don't churn these things out.

General Ships section
* CV-2 Lexington powers a city
* Franklin's October 1944 Kamikaze hit report
* TBF Crash on CVE-11 Card, December 1942
* CV-12 Hornet Flight Deck damage due to June 1945 Typhoon
* CV-16 Lexington report on the use of Army quad .50s aboard ship, 1945

Hope everyone enjoys them... they provide some unique insight.

Hi Tracy

I know you were a long time contributor to Warships in the starting period of Armorama and although we never came across... Welcome to MSW

I don't want to go off-topic on your Essex Class post, but I have to ask you this:
- USS Santee and it's Measure MS.17

I am currently making it in 1/700 (Aki resin model) and I am trying to find out which colours are used in MS17...
I have a colour profile on Squadron/Signal Escort Carriers book but that's it!
I am using WEM Colourcoats range for USN WWII
Can you enlighten me on this issue?

Thanks in advance and once again, Welcome

Skipper

Hi Tracy, welcome back mate!
Glad to see you "back in the murky depths" and hope to see more of you ! Thanks for the great links!
~Gunny

Hey Skipper,

I found a color photo of Santee for you.



I hope this helps.

Kenny

Hi Kenny

I also have that photo in one of my books... Thanks for your effort though
What I really need is the colour names, because I don't trust much on old colour photos (ageing, process method, film type and so on) and I don't want to make a stupid mistake

Skipper

Actually, it occured to me after I posted it that I already had; a couple of the links were to non-essex class ships and i didn't mention that

Partof the information you're looking for is here . Measure 17 is described as follows:

MEASURE 17

Forerunner of Measures 31, 32, and 33. A course deception anti- submarine type. Used from mid 1942 to late 1942 on at least three vessels, the carrier SANTEE, the cruiser AUGUSTA, and the tanker CHICOPEE.

Colors: 5-N Navy Blue, 5-0 Ocean Gray, 5-H Haze gray, 5-L Light Gray, 20B deck Blue (revised).
Vertical Surfaces composed of angular panels of 5-N, 5-0, 5-H, & 5-L.
Decks and horizontal surfaces - 20B.
Flight decks on carrier SANTEE believed to be Red Mahogany stain from mid to late 1942. Counter shading - no information available.

This is out of an article by Alan Raven. He's highly respected but I haven't had a chance to look at his source documents or research that much at NARA II in College Park. I'm limited at this time to what's in Seattle NARA.

Dooh! Sorry Skip. I was right there this morning. Had I read further, I would had found it.

Kenny

Thanks Kenny
And Many Thanks Tracy - Those were the words I needed...

Skipper

Many thanks for the sites Tracy. with all the 350 scale versions out there, this will be a definite asset to those looking to build a specific one with minimal work on conversion.

I hope to be able to provide the builder with minimal research necessary at least... depending on what level of detail you want there may be lots of work in store!

I came across an interesting article in the archives today and scanned it in... OCRd real purty like so it's posted here.

... and I finally finished this report on CV-14 Ticonderoga's two kamikaze hits . This one took a couple of months to do