I was adviced to post the pictures here too It was first posted oN Armorama itself. These are some pics of Gizmo21 (Chris) a good friend of Mine and I'm helping him out with the pictures. It is a Scratchbuilt "Mike monitor Gunboat from the Brown Water Navy. I only post his pics here and don't take credit for the model. Chris will give you some additional information. I think it looks absolutely stunning although it is still in Progress





Ok post below you will find some information from Chris (Gizmo21) self

With friendly greetz

Robert Blokker

Ahoy Robert!

Thanks for posting these pix here, mate...and what a fine looking scratch-build do we have here!
Waiting to hear all the details from Chris!!
Cheers,
~Gunny

Very fine scratch build indeed. Paging Chris. You're needed in the carpenter shop forum.

hello all

I got the paging...

This mike boat is really comming together.
but is has some work.


Iam using the nimix monitor kit to build an programme 5 mon-H
yes thats the one with the 105mm howitzer up front

ARV is comming out whit the lvpt6 or whatever ..so the turret isn`t a
problem.

At first I was just building the nimix kit...but that kit was so bad.
that I stopped en put aside...(well started on a tiger tank) but german isn`t my thing en put it back on the bench again.

Did weeks of resarch and found a picture of a mon-H .
well as they say the rest is history.
I had to complety rebuild the rear /front /deck and cunning tower.
and that is verry hard to do with only 20 small pictures from the year 1970..

this stage is still a try-out, 20 mm turret / hull/barr armour will be rebuild
Iam still looking for detail foto`s or drawings to make it right.
In time i will get there, and if it dont work .......i build it again and again
till it `s right.

So to all BWN sailors.....please help me out
The dioarma scene will be .. one Mon-h with an ATC-H so I got my work cut out.

to all
regars
chris

Howdy gizmo21

First, allow me to say that I am most happy indeed to see someone else working on Brown Water Navy subject matter. And, your efforts and hard work show.
Even though I'm probably not as vocal as I should be about my BWN passion, I do share this very passion with at least a few blokes hereabouts.

To your build;

Thx for posting {Chris?} these photos of your build. The pics provided give me a good idea of how you went about it, and show some of the 'details' we scratchers enjoy.
Since there were quite a handful of differing "field mods" done on these boats, I don't suppose you could share the photo you used as reference with us? I would be most interested.
The vessel also appears to be built as a waterline hull configuration, is this true?
And, since you've obviously done some exhaustive R&D on your build, and by evidence in your photos of some sort of scale drawings, from where did you pull these drawings? My reason for asking is any and all scale drawings/schematics/ etc are hard to come by. So any help you can throw towards making this more fertile ground would be apprecited by all us Riverine aficionados. :-)

Additionally, I have tended to focus more on the ATC's {H's, CCB's, etc} than the Monitors......in fact, the only photo I could find in my fairly healthy stash of photos of a "Mike" boat like yours was the one below..........could this be the one?



Also, since all of your kindly provided photos only show your excellent progress on the stern of the vessel. I cannot see what you are planning for the bow.
Any more photos available?

Tread.

EDIT: As you know, both the 'Mike' Monitors and the 'Tango' ATC's used by the BWN were based on the stretched LCM 3's of WWII fame. These LCM 6's and 8's were used as the base hulls.
And as a {bad} example, I have provided a photo showing where the main hull deck would be located on one of these LCM's. The horizontal lines I have badly drawn on this photo show where the deck is, and the really crummy lines in the middle represent the wheelhouse and turret placements.
Here's the pic......



In addition to the lengthening of the base LCM 3, the hull was also widened by the addition of floatation 'buldges' on the sides of the hull. This was also true for later ATC's. The early American ATC's, and the French utilized versions did not have these 'buldges'.
In addendum to the side additions, the Monitor's or 'Mike' boats got the pointed prows added for better manuaverabilty in the narrow passages and backwaters of the Mekong.

Geeeeeeeez!...........there I go, rambling on and on about BWN again! sheeesh! Who let the bloody dawgs out!!!

hey all,

The more I read about what all of you have going on is getting me interested in th "Brown Water". We'll see how I do in the up coming campaign.

Howdy wildspear,

Glad to hear it. And, if there's anything I can do to cement your coming 'addiction'......just let me know.

Tread.

Necessity is the mother of invention. I believe that best dscribes the BWN.

hello
thank you all for your reply`s

gorden/treadhead.

thank you for your interest

as for your question about drawings...I been looking all over the net for it..
And iam sorry to say I have found absolute nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

the build of my boat is complety done by verry dark foto`s taking in the `60/`70
and a old german 251 crew member for the size.
(take the foto....take the german guy.... and try to build it)

As for the foto`s Iam using ..I have about 20 foto`s (as I say mid 60/70) and some verry small and Iam using 3 books to figure out how .

with reading those books and the net I know all about it....but that don`t give me detail that I need to build this model ..but he! it a hobby, and I keep building and trying to make it right.

As for some new foto`s..
the last two weeks been hard on my private life ..so I didn`t build at all.
As soon I have some new things I let FAUST know or ask to put it on the net.

If you need any pictures at all, let me know by PM or mail I will sent it to you

any questions let me know
as for now

greetings
chris

Howdy Gizmo21,

First, I am most sorry to hear that the past couple of weeks have been so hard on ya pard'.....but brass thru it, and keep a good atitude and hopefully things will turn around for you. I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya

I'm glad you stopped by to comment on your build, and all I can say is; Believe me, belieeeeeeeeeeve me, I completely understand and identify with your statement about finding very little in terms of drawings/schematics on the net. I have done my share of research on this subject and have been able to put a few things together.
Between my own searching, assistance from friends and amigos right here at Armorama, and indepent contact with outside sources, I've got a pretty good handle on the BWN series of boats.
And, as I've already stated, if I can be of any help whatsoever don't hesitate to ask.......

So, please indulge me by allowing me to maybe go over some possibly 'old' territory here.....

Just to illustrate how difficult it can be sometimes to sift through all the (mis)info out there, and form an accurate picture of the boats used by the MRF, below is a pic/line drawing of the original LCM 3.



The LCM 3 {pictured above} is 50' long with a beam of 14'.


Here is a pic/line drawing of an early LCM 6 showing it in the somewhat familiar ATC configuration. I post this picture to point out the difference in hull beam. If you compare the two pics, you can see the added floatation buldges both port and starboard. And as you will note, the length has been stretched to a total of aprox. 56'.





Hope the above rambling helps ya some........

Tread.

Howdy Gizmo21

Since you're workin' on the 'Mike' boat, here's a very nice {and clear} colour photo of a brace of three (3) Mike boats taken from the bow, and while at dockside.........

hope ya like, and they're useful to ya



Tread.

Oh, and BTW, the "dock" that they're moored to is not a dock at all, but actually a sectional 'P' Series pontoon barge { a project I'm workin' on}.

gorden/Treadhead

Thank you for your help and searching.
But that isn`t a Mike or Mon-H.
This craft is known as a late version ASPB (assault support patrol boat)
also a programme 5.

Or best known as a alfa boat,(the big A on the front of the hull) it is a late type seen on the radar on top of the cunning tower.
but haven`t had that picture so thanks, you never know if a need it for what ever reason.

I have build the side armour on the left side en almost completed the front.
Ill post some pictures tonight.

again thanks for your interest.

greetings
chris

{sound of me slapping the side of my head with the heel of my hand...} Doh!...you are indeed correct Chris, I stand corrected. I guess I was so excited by finding such a clear photograph {and in colour} that I forgot to put on my 'specs........my bad.
Good catch.

Actually.......it was just a test to see if you were paying attention.

Tread.

Hey all,

I have another silly question....

In the pic above the boat seems to have "rebar/slats" or something like that for armor???? What is that all about?

Frank.

That bar armour was used (and is still used on the afv "striker" in irak)
to whitstand an rocket or rpg to detonate on to the steel bars and not on the hull or cunning tower..

the down side was that the boats where so heavy that the topspeed was cut in half!!!
yesterday i build the left side hull armour...thats 130pieces of ,2.8mmx1mm plastic rods...
made in 16 brass windows and made the side guard rail.
the only luck I have is that I dont have to worry about is it straight or not.
they were field modifications and seen in pictures., they weren`t straight.

Iam also going to built it "used and shot up.....so I was lucky.

greetings
chris

gentleman we do have to love this hobby.....

hey all.

made some pictures of my self made side armour...







now it time for the right side

greetings
chris

Howdy Chris,

She's looking great. And I am impressed by all the effort you obviously applied to get all that stand-off armour put together!

I've recently been in contact with Mr. John {Jack} Carrico regarding some of his superb Brown Water Navy related offerings and amoung them is a 1/35th scale resin kit offered by http://www.masterpiecemodels.com/for_sale/sale01.htm that I'd like to share some photos with you that they might be of some help with the details. This first shot is of the box art and shows the Program 5 CCB underway.......



This second shot is part of the included instruction sheet and shows some of the bar armour, especially around the forward turret in some nice detail.......



Of particular note is how well you've done in replicating the side bar armour and supports along the side of the hull. Compare the pics and your efforts and I'd say you have something to be proud of Chris. :-)

Again, I hope these pics are of some help.

Tread.

Oh and Chris, if you need a bigger example of the schematic {lower pic} showing the turret bar armour just let me know and I'll Email it to you.

Ahoy mates.

For those River Rats who would like to build on a smaller scale, here is a company that has all the USN landing craft including the LCM 6.

Milicast

fellow brown water navy builders...

anyone care for any updates?.

chris

Well of course mate!
BRING 'EM ON!!!

ok ..
here we go.
Many thing s has happend.
but if you are interested in the whole story ..it on armorama.

in short..
I had found a lvtp-5 turret ..orderd it , when to work with it and toss it in the bin..
He was too small, lack of detail ..miscast..ect.
so.....built one myself.



spray the hull in to primer..



and built a twin 50 cal fot the turret.



pfff

because the resin turret was to small and i have made the deckhouse an gunbase to fit the size ..(still building with pictures no drawings )
So i rebuild the deck house and gunbase...to fit my new turret.



and yesterday iam was finishing the bararmour for the deckhouse...






so ..your guy`s are up to date..
any Q just ask.

chris

(treadhead/gorden: I know where you can get programme 4 drawing for a small amount , to bad mine is a programme 5 wich where complety differend..)

Amazing! I'm blown away by the size and expert construction!

hello all.

dade: thank you...

a little update is needed.

let`s say i have seen the light...




i have made some 105 mm ammo boxes(not done yet) thanks gino for your help.
also made a lifejacket locker.


And I thought it was time to make a test fit.
Nothing is glued yet so that why everthing is bens en off-center


made some lights. and sockets.



and sprayed the deckhouse in primer.



now Iam working on the bar-armour around the turret. not happy yet , but we have alot of time and material..so mabye it get rebuild.



so you guy`s are up to speed.

talk to you all soon.
Q=ask
chris

An absolute stunner of a build thus far, Chris, fantastic modeling, mate!

I've asked you before at your Armorama thread, and I'll ask again, we would sure like to host this build when complete at MSW as a full feature, my friend...

Please continue!

Hi Chris!

Glad you updated your tread here too
For what I've seen so far, it is perfect - so no things to point out - all good!

But I must say that what have impressed me the most was the turret scratchbuilding... truly amazing
Keep up the EXCELLENT work


Rui