¹⁄700

A sneak peek at the impending 1/700 kitset from Trumpeter Models, who have announced the upcoming release of the 1/700 USS San Francisco CA-38 Heavy Cruiser, 1944 . It is expected that this kit will be released in October 2008. The suggested retail price is US$36.95.

This brand new model is a scaled down version of the previously released 1/350th kitset from Trumpeter. This kit will consist of 202 parts on 9 sprues plus it will contain a hull and waterline plate.

Kit features :

• Waterline or full hull variant
  
• Two SOC aircraft
  
• Deck wood pattern.
  

Ship History.
The USS San Francisco (CA-38) was a New Orleans-class heavy cruiser who saw extensive action during World War II.
She was laid down on 9th of September 1931 at the Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California and launched on the 9th of March 1933.After an extensive shakedown cruise she joined her division, Cruiser Division 6 at San Diego.
On 7 December 1941, San Francisco was in Pearl Harbour and awaiting docking and the cleaning of her heavily fouled bottom. Her engineering plant was largely broken down for overhaul. Ammunition for her 5 inch and 8-inch (203 mm) guns had been placed in storage. Her 3-inch (76 mm) guns had been removed to permit installation of four 1.1 inch quadruple mounts. The 1.1 inch mounts had not been installed. Her .50 caliber machine guns were being overhauled. Only small arms and two .30 caliber machine guns were available. Moreover, a number of San Francisco's officers and men were absent. At 07:55, Japanese planes began bombing dives on Ford Island; and, by 08:00, the surprise air attack on Pearl Harbor was well underway. The men in San Francisco secured the ship for watertightness and began looking for opportunities to fight back. Some crossed to New Orleans (CA-32) to help man antiaircraft batteries on that ship. Others began using available rifles and machine guns. Fifty caliber machine gun ammunition was transferred to Tracy (DD-214) for use.
The San Francisco was not bombed or damaged during the Japanese air raid. After the attack was over, work resumed to make the San Francisco seaworthy and combat-ready. On 16 December, she sortied with Task Force 14 (TF 14) to relieve Wake Island and then reinforced Midway.
Then she joined TF 17 for raids on Japanese installations in the Gilberts and Marshalls.
She was also involved in the Guadalcanal-Tulagi offensive.
The San Francisco would go on to participate in various invasions including Makin and Betio, the Burton, Berlin, and Beverly Islands, Saipan, Luzon, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. At the conclusion of hostilities the San Francisco had earned 17 battle stars during World War II. She was decommissioned in 1946 after twelve years of service and sold for scrap in 1959.As a very interesting aside during the November 1942 repair at Mare Island it was necessary to extensively rebuild the bridge. The bridge wings were removed as part of the repair and are now mounted on a promontory in "Lands End" at Golden Gate National Recreation Area overlooking the Pacific Ocean. They are set on the great circle course from San Francisco to Tokyo.