Wilhelmsaven Liberty Ship

[copitz]

Hello!

After hanging around this forum for more than a year (and being blown away by the pictures of models I have seen), I finally decided to try buying & building a ship -- the Wilhelmshaven CD Liberty Ship. If one doesn't look too close, it does look like a Liberty Ship. The instructions occasionally refer to diagrams or "sketches", but my cd contains no such graphic aids. For the most part, this hasn't been too great a problem, but the guns, particularly the small guns and the large stern gun are complete mysteries to me. Does anyone out there know what they are supposed to look like?

I have tried to add 2 pictures to this post; don't know if it worked.

Many Thanks

 

[michik]

Copitz,

I have to check whether I have sketches of the guns.

The best I can come up with at the moment is a pictorial on Dr. Reinhard Lachmann's "John W. Brown" at http://www.kartonbau.de/wbb2/filebase.php?fileid=23&lim=40

The depicted model, however, is not an oot of the box build, Reinhard always does a fair ammount of extra detailling on his models.

Ahh, and unfortunately this shows only how the 2cm AA Guns SHOULD look like. I.e., Reinhard replaced them completely, because the guns on the CD are anything but Oerlikons.

(And in case you notice: Don't get puzzled by the M113 APCs. Reinhard is an expert on ships, but not on armour!)

Michi

 

[michik]

Here's the missing Diagram.

Michi

 

[copitz]

Thanks

This group is amazing!

Many thanks, Cal ("copitz")

 

[milenio3]

Very good looking ship, Cal!
Bring more pics as you go on.

 

[Jim Krauzlis]

Not sure if this helps, but I found a few pictures of the guns a Liberty normally carried online. I'm sure a google search of liberty ships and their guns will provide a few more sources for you.
Here are pics of the five inch, three inch and 40mm guns from the Liberty Ship Jeremiah O'Brien, of which there are a few picture sources online.

Cheers!
Jim

 

[copitz]

again, thanks

I should be able to figure something out from all this!

I'll post the results.

Cal

 

[copitz]

progress

Again with thanks, this is coming together reasonably! Still needs some work, but it has been fun.

 

[Clashster]

Wow! Looks amazing!!! A request... a few more pictures with a narrower focus - that is a busy ship! Would love to see some more of the details! Thanks for the post!

Chris

 

[David T. Okamura]

Beautiful job! I enjoyed your photos.

Bill Geoghegan has reposted my two-part review of the John W. Brown, which was originally published in a now-defunct online magazine. He also has a photo walkaround of the actual ship. Take a look at:

http://www.geoghegan.us/index.html

 

[jleslie48]

coming together reasonably???

I'd say you have a gift of understatement and/or modesty.

That is a first class build, an award winner.

 

[copitz]

modesty?

Thanks for all the encouragement. My pride was somewhat humbled by looking at the Lachmann model! In addition, reading the tale of David Okamura's build did make me aware of some early blunders which I shall now cheerfully live with.

I have to admit I have chosen lighting for the model that doesn't emphasize the way the bulkheads telegragh through the hull-skin. Glancing light doesn't do the model any favors.

After removing it from its base plate, I notice the model has developed a bit of a bow. I haven't quite decided whether to (1) ignore it, (2) try to glue it to a more rigid base (and let more of the water line are be visible -- reduce its cargo, so to speak, or (3) paste on a new waterline "apron" around the base, or??

Thanks again for the kind words. I am generally pleased with the result and will add some more pix after a bit more work.

Calvin

 

[copitz]

More Pictures

I believe this is about as complete as it's going to be. Here are a few more pictures.

Calvin

 

[Clashster]

Looks great, Calvin! I hope my attempt at a ship comes out looking half as nice as this one!! :grin: Thanks for sharing!

Chris

Hey Chris G - now that he posted pics of the John Brown, you don't have to visit in Baltimore!:twisted:

 

[copitz]

Finally

One more shot, with additions:

a background, smoke and me on the rear deck!

 

[Clashster]

:rofl:

 

[DrBill]

David kindly pointed to the walk-around I put up on my web site to accompany his resurrected 2-part construction report. There's also a photo report of a cruise on the John W. Brown which contains some additional detail on the gunnery and the problematic winches (the Wilhelmshaven kit shows them as a electrical winches, when in fact they were steam driven -- here you can see them at work on a live cruise...).

 

[DrBill]

And, by the way, a very nice build of a really problematic design! Congratulations! And don't let this keep you fro visiting the original in Baltimore. They sell the W'haven kit, but I don't think any of the Project Liberty Ship members have seen it completed.