The Great White Fleet

Hey Guys,

 

Thanks for all the good info.  I will make a point of taking a look at the books you all have suggested.  Once I pick out a kit and get started on it, I'll fill you in on my progress.  Since I do live in Connecticut now, that is the one I am leaning towards (although, I did grow up in Maine...)

Thanks again...

Hi Boyd,

have a look for the book Teddy Roosevelts Great White Fleet By James R Reckner.

 Its written by the father of a friend of mine and I can remember him doing the research for it at Auckland university I think for his Doctorate.

Ive read it and its very interesting

HTH

chris 

 

 

 

bbrowniii wrote:

My recent edition of Naval History has a pretty interesting article about the voyage of the Great White Fleet in 1907 - 1909.  It is one of those historical events that I know about, but do not really know 'about', if you know what I mean... Anyways, the article has really gotten me fired up and I was thinking I would like to build a couple models of the ships that participated.  Does anyone know of models of the class of ships that participated in the cruise?  There were 16 battleships: 5 of the Connecticut and 4 of the Virginia class, plus 3 of the Maine class, 2 each of the Illinois and Kearsarge class. Hopefully someone makes at least some of these (scale is irrelevant for now) and they do not cost too terribly much...   Thanks for your help.

As far as Pre-dreadnought USN battleships go most of what is available will be from Commanders Iron Shipwright as noted above. They have in 1/350 scale Kearsarge BB-5 of the Kearsarge class in 1905 fit, Illinois BB-7 of the Illinois class in 1905 fit, Ohio BB-12 in 1910 fit of the Maine class, New Jersey BB-16, 1910 fit of the Virginia class and Connecticut BB-18, 1910ish fit of the Connecticut class.

YS Masterpieces (available through Pacific Front Hobbies, www.pacificfront.com) makes a superb Oregon of the Indiana class. At this time no one makes either of the Mississippi class.

Should you be able to build all those in this lifetime of the later 1/350 dreadnought type classes there are many available. From ISW again is Michigan BB-27, 1918 fit, Texas BB-35, 1944 fit (New York class), Oklahoma BB-37, 1941 fit (Nevada class), New Mexico BB-40 in late war fit, and if they are not out of production some of the rebuilt Tennessee/Colorado and other Pearl Harbor veteran ships in late war fit. You can of course get the Banner Arizona BB-39, 1941 fit (Pennsylvania class), the Trumpeter North Carolina BB-44 and Alabama and Massachusetts or the Iowa class Missouri from Tamiya. Yankee Modelworks makes superb reditions in 1/350 of the Colorados, Tennessees and South Dakotas.

In 1/700 the choice of USN Great White FLeet is virtually nil a this time (I believe that the ISW Kearsarge/Kentucky is OOP in 1/700). I would look to Combrig and Niko Model for the future there. However, lots of USN dreadnought types are available in 1/700 and a huge selection of pre-dreadnoughts is available for the Royal Navy, Russian Navy, German, Austro-Hungarian and Japanese Navy in 1/700. (again, check it out at Pacificfront.com) WS

If you are interested in the GWF, check out:

 http://www.greatwhitefleet.info/index.html

Also: The Great White Fleet, Robert A. Hart, 1965 -  an interesting book that I'm currently reading, available at used book stores on http://used.addall.com/ for about $5.  Do title and keyword searches at ADDALL.COM, there are a varitety of reasonably priced books on the subject

For 1/350 models: http://www.commanderseries.com/ships_350.html

For 1/700: http://www.commanderseries.com/ships_lg-sm.html

For 1/1250: http://www.1250ships.com/test/product_info.php?products_id=3941

1/1250 example:http://www.1250ships.com/test/product_info.php?products_id=3941

And finally: to see an awesome 1/144 model:

http://modelshipwrights.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=95161&page=1

http://www.shipcraftguild.org/gallery/ne_conf/2005/models/photoalbum.html

and look up USS New Jersey by Gary Kingzett.  Google his name to find other photos.