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Tuesday, September 25, 2007 - 08:50 AM UTC
Are you a cruiser fanatic? Well then this should interest you. Pit-Road and Trumpeter have teamed up again to bring the ship modeler two new World War II USN cruisers, the USS New Orleans and the USS Astoria. Both of these kits have the option of full hull or waterline. At this time, it is undetermined as to which manufacturer will release these kits. Retail cost will be $31.36
USS New Orleans, name ship of a class of seven heavy cruisers of approximately 10,000 tons' standard displacement, was built at the New York Navy Yard. Commissioned in February 1934, she cruised to northern Europe in May and June of that year, then moved to the Pacific to conduct operations with the cruiser Houston and airship Macon. For the next two years, New Orleans mainly served in the Atlantic, though she visited the Pacific on occasion and was regularly stationed there after early 1937.
Undergoing overhaul at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard when Japan attacked the Pacific Fleet there on 7 December 1941, New Orleans' crewmen fought back as best they could with hand-operated weapons. She subsquently escorted troopships to other Pacific islands as the U.S. struggled to contain Japan's offensive. In May 1942 she took part in the Battle of the Coral Sea and a month later in the Battle of Midway, in both cases helping to protect U.S. aircraft carriers from enemy air strikes. Back in the south Pacific, she screened USS Saratoga during the early August 1942 invasion of Guadalcanal and Tulagi, the Battle of the Eastern Solomons later in that month, and while Saratoga was out of the combat area for repairs after she was torpedoed in late August. In the Battle of Tassafaronga, off Guadalcanal at the end of November, New Orleans was severely damaged by a Japanese destroyer torpedo that sliced away her bow between the two forward gun turrets. Saved by her crew's effective damage control work, she received temporary repairs at Tulagi and at Sydney, Australia. In March 1943 she arrived at the Puget Sound Navy Yard for permanent restoration.
The thoroughly repaired New Orleans was back in the war zone by late August 1943. For the rest of the Pacific War, she used her guns in bombardments of Japanese shore positions and as part of the carrier task forces. Her major combat operations in 1943-44 included the invasions of the Gilberts in November 1943, the Marshalls in January and February 1944, New Guinea in April, the Marianas in June and July, the Palaus in September, Leyte in October and Mindoro in December, as well as a host of raids throughout the central and western Pacific.
Following a west coast overhaul, New Orleans took part in the Okinawa Campaign during April-June 1945. Beginning in late August, after the Pacific War fighting had ended, she covered occupation operations in China and Korea. During late 1945 and early 1946, New Orleans transported veterans home from the Asia-Pacific area. She arrived at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in March 1946 to prepare for inactivation and was formally decommissioned in February 1947. USS New Orleans was sold for scrapping in September 1959, after a dozen years in the Reserve Fleet.
USS Astoria, a 9950-ton New Orleans class heavy cruiser built at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, was commissioned in April 1934. She spent the summer of 1934 on a shakedown cruise that took her across the Pacific to Australia, then joined the Scouting Force for operations with the U.S. Fleet. For the most of the rest of the decade Astoria took part in the fleet's regular program of exercises in the eastern Pacific region and the Caribbean.
Following the conclusion of Fleet Problem XX in early 1939, Astoria was assigned to carry the remains of the late Japanese Ambassador Saito back to his homeland. Upon this diplomatic mission's conclusion in late April, the cruiser visited China, the Philippines and Guam before returning to her normal duties with the U.S. Fleet. As tensions with Japan became increasingly severe in the autumn of 1941, Astoria escorted a troop transport to Manila. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, she was at sea with a task force taking aircraft to Midway. Later in the month, she participated in the abortive Wake Island relief expedition.
During the first half of 1942, Astoria operated with, or in support of, aircraft carrier task forces, primarily that built around USS Yorktown (CV-5). From February until May, she was in the south Pacific, protecting that vital region against the ongoing Japanese offensive. She screened the U.S. carriers during the Battle of the Coral Sea in early May, then steamed back to Pearl Harbor in time to take part in the Battle of Midway a month later. After Yorktown was disabled by Japanese air attack on 4 June, Astoria served as Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher's flagship.
With the victorious outcome of the Midway battle, U.S. forces were able to begin offensive operations. New Japanese air bases in the southern Solomon Islands were the first objective. After several weeks of repairs and training near Pearl Harbor, Astoria went back to the south Pacific to join the invasion forces. During the 7-8 August 1942 landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi, she provided gunfire support for Marines ashore and screened the amphibious task force against counter-attacks by Japanese aircraft. On the night of 8-9 August, Astoria was one of three heavy cruisers guarding the northern approach to the invasion area, and was the only one afloat after a blistering night action against a Japanese cruiser force. However, she was gravely damaged in this Battle of Savo Island. Though her crew struggled all through the morning of 9 August to save their ship, USS Astoria succumbed to her wounds shortly after noon, sinking into the depths of a body of water that would soon be called "Iron Bottom Sound", in recognition of all the ships that were lost there.
Undergoing overhaul at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard when Japan attacked the Pacific Fleet there on 7 December 1941, New Orleans' crewmen fought back as best they could with hand-operated weapons. She subsquently escorted troopships to other Pacific islands as the U.S. struggled to contain Japan's offensive. In May 1942 she took part in the Battle of the Coral Sea and a month later in the Battle of Midway, in both cases helping to protect U.S. aircraft carriers from enemy air strikes. Back in the south Pacific, she screened USS Saratoga during the early August 1942 invasion of Guadalcanal and Tulagi, the Battle of the Eastern Solomons later in that month, and while Saratoga was out of the combat area for repairs after she was torpedoed in late August. In the Battle of Tassafaronga, off Guadalcanal at the end of November, New Orleans was severely damaged by a Japanese destroyer torpedo that sliced away her bow between the two forward gun turrets. Saved by her crew's effective damage control work, she received temporary repairs at Tulagi and at Sydney, Australia. In March 1943 she arrived at the Puget Sound Navy Yard for permanent restoration.
The thoroughly repaired New Orleans was back in the war zone by late August 1943. For the rest of the Pacific War, she used her guns in bombardments of Japanese shore positions and as part of the carrier task forces. Her major combat operations in 1943-44 included the invasions of the Gilberts in November 1943, the Marshalls in January and February 1944, New Guinea in April, the Marianas in June and July, the Palaus in September, Leyte in October and Mindoro in December, as well as a host of raids throughout the central and western Pacific.
Following a west coast overhaul, New Orleans took part in the Okinawa Campaign during April-June 1945. Beginning in late August, after the Pacific War fighting had ended, she covered occupation operations in China and Korea. During late 1945 and early 1946, New Orleans transported veterans home from the Asia-Pacific area. She arrived at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in March 1946 to prepare for inactivation and was formally decommissioned in February 1947. USS New Orleans was sold for scrapping in September 1959, after a dozen years in the Reserve Fleet.
USS Astoria, a 9950-ton New Orleans class heavy cruiser built at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, was commissioned in April 1934. She spent the summer of 1934 on a shakedown cruise that took her across the Pacific to Australia, then joined the Scouting Force for operations with the U.S. Fleet. For the most of the rest of the decade Astoria took part in the fleet's regular program of exercises in the eastern Pacific region and the Caribbean.
Following the conclusion of Fleet Problem XX in early 1939, Astoria was assigned to carry the remains of the late Japanese Ambassador Saito back to his homeland. Upon this diplomatic mission's conclusion in late April, the cruiser visited China, the Philippines and Guam before returning to her normal duties with the U.S. Fleet. As tensions with Japan became increasingly severe in the autumn of 1941, Astoria escorted a troop transport to Manila. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, she was at sea with a task force taking aircraft to Midway. Later in the month, she participated in the abortive Wake Island relief expedition.
During the first half of 1942, Astoria operated with, or in support of, aircraft carrier task forces, primarily that built around USS Yorktown (CV-5). From February until May, she was in the south Pacific, protecting that vital region against the ongoing Japanese offensive. She screened the U.S. carriers during the Battle of the Coral Sea in early May, then steamed back to Pearl Harbor in time to take part in the Battle of Midway a month later. After Yorktown was disabled by Japanese air attack on 4 June, Astoria served as Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher's flagship.
With the victorious outcome of the Midway battle, U.S. forces were able to begin offensive operations. New Japanese air bases in the southern Solomon Islands were the first objective. After several weeks of repairs and training near Pearl Harbor, Astoria went back to the south Pacific to join the invasion forces. During the 7-8 August 1942 landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi, she provided gunfire support for Marines ashore and screened the amphibious task force against counter-attacks by Japanese aircraft. On the night of 8-9 August, Astoria was one of three heavy cruisers guarding the northern approach to the invasion area, and was the only one afloat after a blistering night action against a Japanese cruiser force. However, she was gravely damaged in this Battle of Savo Island. Though her crew struggled all through the morning of 9 August to save their ship, USS Astoria succumbed to her wounds shortly after noon, sinking into the depths of a body of water that would soon be called "Iron Bottom Sound", in recognition of all the ships that were lost there.
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