"Ok, let's go!" US Navy's Amphibious Ships and Crafts

June 6, 1944: Operation Overlord (aka D-Day; Normandy Landings). It has been a plan of mine to commemorate these events by doing various transport ships and landing crafts. Outlined below are my choices of what to include in 1/4800.

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Attack Transports (APA)
Looking at the various classes of attack transports (APA) used, I've decided to do two: Bayfields and Haskells; due to the sheer number of ships per class, 34 and 117 respectively. Started with the Bayfield as there are no good (general/deck) plans available publicly. The APAs differ from attack cargo ships (AKAs) are considered as CL/CA in terms of 1/4800 pack construction.

Bayfield-class Attack Transports
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayfield_class_attack_transport
http://www.navypedia.org/ships/usa/us_aws_bayfield.htm
http://www.shipscribe.com/usnaux/APA/APA36-p.html
http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/03/03033.htm

Below are links to the camouflage scheme (M32/2A), the main resources I used to recreate the ship
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/g100000/g177454c.htm (port-side)
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/g100000/g177453c.htm  (starboard-side)
Please visit http://www.shipcamouflage.com for more information about USN camouflage.

 

Haskell-class Attack Transport
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haskell_class_attack_transport
http://www.navypedia.org/ships/usa/us_aws_haskell.htm
http://www.dobrinkman.net/lowndes/index.shtml

Additional links:
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/shusn-no/apa-no.htm

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Landing Ship, Tank Mk2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_Ship,_Tank#LST_Mk.2
http://www.navypedia.org/ships/usa/us_aws_lst1.htm
These ships are almost as long, or as short (?!) as the destroyers I've done, albeit with wider beams (Bagleys, Navigatoris, Le Hardis) and are intended to carry 20 medium tanks across the Atlantic and unload them through a bow ramp. Materiel located top-side are unloaded (driven-off) via an access ramp going below deck.

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Landing Crafts

Landing Craft, Infantry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_Craft_Infantry
http://www.navypedia.org/ships/usa/us_aws_lcil.htm
For their size, I did the three versions: 'square' conn tower, round conn and "round conn with bow ramp" (the two previous ones' ramps are located on the sides)

Landing Craft, Tank (Mk5 and Mk6)
http://www.navypedia.org/ships/usa/us_aws_lct5.htm
http://www.navypedia.org/ships/usa/us_aws_lct6.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_craft_tank
http://ww2lct.org/
Mk5's conn located aftmost, vs Mk6's starboard

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The 1/4800 pack: 48US06 US Navy Amphibious Ships & Crafts contains the following:
APA Haskell (x6)
APA Bayfield (x4)
LST Mk2 (x10)
LCI(L) (4 of each version, 12 total)
LCT (2 each of Mk5 & Mk6, 8 total)

Lastly for size/length comparison:

WIP: South Dakota-class battleships [1939 design]

4-28-12: First up; the 10x 5"/38cal non-flagship version. Based on the USS Alabama (BB-60); this can/will also represent the USS Indiana (BB-58) and Massachusetts (BB-59) as she appeared during 1942... Aircraft to represent the OS2U Kingfisher (2x per ship)

EDIT#1: Right, I shouldn't have looked for pics (LOL...?) for the other ships Indiana (BB58) and Massachusetts (BB59) - MaritimeQuest, Navsource and/or History.Navy.Mil ... I noticed that their boat cranes are present during 1942/43. Realizing Alabama being the last ship of the class, I cannot get over this difference and will have a model for those two (with boats and cranes... worse, have a different model? we'll see)... but will have to do it *after* I'm done with the lead ship USS South Dakota (BB57) with only 8x 5"/38cals...
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5-2-12 #1: The BB57 South Dakota is done. Photos of her during her shakedown cruise in 1942 are widely known, but I based her appearance on Photo# 80-G-36088, late 1942 according to the caption (during the Guadalcanal campaign/Battle for Sta. Cruz Islands). This link will take you to her (BB57 South Dakota) entry in the National Historical Center.

Additionaly, this link directs you to BB60 Alabama's Battleship Photo Archive over at NavSource Online

5-2-12 #2: Next up BB58 Indiana. Modded the Alabama sculpt to coincide with the photographs, please see this link for some very good (large-ish) pics; focusing on the year 1942 (render below BB58)

5-6-12: Done with the BB59 Massachusetts. As said earlier, modded SoDak sculpt with the additional pair of dual 5"/38s. Platforms to correspond, and the addition (subtraction?) of an indent on the mid-portside of the forecastle, forward of the A turret...

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US BB57 South Dakota[1942] 

Lead-ship of the class. Built to serve as flagship; she only had 8x dual 5"/38cal

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US BB58 Indiana[1942] 

Note: additional 5"/38cal turrets (10x vs. BB57's 8x) and presence of boats and cranes (vs. BB60)

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US BB59 Massachusetts[1942]

Mod of the BB57 South Dakota[1942] sculpt, with additional 5"/38cals;

quad 40mm Bofors in place of  the 1.1in; modified platforms.

Note indention (with 20mm AA) on portside of the forcastle, just forward the A turret

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US BB60 Alabama[1942] 

Note absence of boat crane abreast of mainmast

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US Navy's New Orleans class heavy cruisers [1942]

Sister ships:
- New Orleans (CA-32)
- Astoria (CA-34)
- Minneapolis (CA-36)
- Tuscaloosa (CA-37)
- San Francisco (CA-38)
- Quincy (CA-39)
- Vincennes (CA-44)

The sculpt for this class represents their general appearance during 1942 (3 of the class: Astoria, Quincy and Vincennes were sunk during the First Battle of Savo Island)

Note I've put in a support strut in between the cranes on top of the hangar. The 1/4800 pack contains 14x aircrafts representing SOC Seagulls (also in 1/4800); as usual and at this scale, extra care is advised when handling/painting these tiny aircrafts (~2mm wingspan).

Preliminary USN List: Atlantic/Med theatre...

Below is a semi-copy-pasta from the discussion on the USN Med/Atlantic list, together with some notes and updates from the 1/4800 Naval Wargaming Yahoo Group

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There are only a couple of sculpts left for the Regia Marina: Italian aircraft carriers almost done and should be available this weekend. Capitani Romani class light cruisers and the Freccia/Folgore destroyers

I'm having doubts with the SS: primarily because the last one (MN SS Redoutable) only got sold a handful (thanks to whoever you are ;) ) ...also I'm having difficulties finding higher resolution references (apart from some Italian forums/site)...

For the preliminary USN list, my only source at the moment is the OOB for the Invasion of North Africa ( http://www.navweaps.com/index_oob/OOB_WWII_Mediterranean/OOB_WWII_Casablanca.htm ). Tabulating the ship classes below:

BB SD = 1
BB NY = 2
CV Ranger = 1
CVE Sangamon = 4
CA Northampton = 1
CA New Orleans = 1
CA Wichita = 1
CL Cleveland = 1
CL Brooklyn = 3
DD Wickes = 2*
DD Clemson = 1*
DD Fletcher = 1
DD Sims** = 2
DD Benham = 3
DD Benson = 3
DD Gleaves = 26

*"Note that all three of these had the North Atlantic escort mod with 6
x 3 inch guns, aft funnel removed, and the two sets of torpedo mounts
removed (replaced with the two extra 3 inch). Note also there are 5 more variants of the class as destroyer minesweepers."

**Already done/available

I have no idea yet if we can proxy anything with regards to the DDs (just going with the Figurehead stuffs: Wickes/Clemson?)

Hmmm, coincidentally my preferred ships (BB SD, BB NY and CA NO) are in there XD. Note I also plan to have the BB CO and CV Wasp somewhere in the mix.

Also, during the previous conversations, some BBs have been mentioned (BB NewMex stuck in my mind). We'll list it down...

TL;DR for now