I knew a crewman from 1948 who served on Midway. It always seemed strange to him that his old ship was now a floating museum. Unfortunately, he passed away a couple of years ago now, but I still have his uniform and papers and photo album from his time on board the Midway. He took several "forbidden" photos of such secret sensitive projects such as the landing of a Blimp on board it.
William
"Much that once was, is lost. For none now live who remember it."
A further example, in this case, the larger, so called teacher series of such recognition ships.
What scale would they be, approx.? I would have expected them to be painted or made in a naval grey colour.
Beautiful models.
The smaller ones are 1:1200 and the larger ones are 1:500, I believe.by lithgow
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1:1200, and these are more common.
and this is the 1: 500 less common ones, which are considerably larger.
further information from a fine site. The work of a Mr. Dorris, thus.....
WWII Ship Model Manufacturers in the United States
During World War II the U.S. Navy contracted with four manufacturers to produce ship identification models at a scale of 1:1200 for use by the various armed forces and the merchant marine. The earliest manufacturer was a small company with 4 - 8 employees located in the Bronx area of New York city. It was known as the Bessarabis Company, being named after its founder who is reported to have emigrated from Finland in 1939/40. Bessarabis produced an unknown number of sets, probably less than 1,000, before their contract was terminated. The models found in the sets were also issued individually and some boxes may have Army Air Force Stock Numbers written on them. These models were produced during the period between approximately 1940 & 1942. There are no markings on the models to indicate a date of manufacture but a review of identification manuals and other material shows that all of the ships that the models represent were in service or under construction prior to the end of 1942. The models were most likely manufactured in 1941 or 2 prior to the 1/43 date found on some models in sets manufactured by Comet Metal Products Co., Inc., of Richmond Hill, N.Y.. Bessarabis produced the only submarine models issued during the war with one exception. One of the first sets produced by Comet contains the only submarine model found in any of their wartime sets. This set contains eight models of U.S. Navy ships and includes a model of the USS Sargo, an early "S" class boat.
Bessarabis produced two sets of United States Navy ship models, each consisting of 30 models.These models are not attached to mounting boards but are wrapped in soft paper and inserted into 27 individual cardboard boxes. Three of the boxes each containing two models and all boxes are stamped with the name of the model or models it contains. The models for each set are carried in a wooden case closed with a sliding top. On the inside of the sliding top is a set number handwritten in red pencil. Each case contains a "Contents of this Locker" card that lists the numbers and names of the models. The only identifying mark on the models is a raised number on the bottom of the hull that is sometime found in an oval depression. Models in both sets are numbered from 1 through 30 resulting in two models of different ships having the same number. Identifying characteristics of the models are found in the gun barrels that have a tendency to be flat on the bottom and in the masts which are cast, not wire as found on the models produced by other manufacturers.
Bessarabis also produced one set of 29 models of German Navy ships. These models are also found in individual cardboard boxes stamped with the name of the ship it contains. The boxes are carried as a set in a wooden case holding 30 boxes of two different sizes, 18 "standard' size and 12 smaller ones, one being an empty filler box. The only identifying mark on the models is a number with a prefix "G" cast into the bottom of the hull. The outside of the sliding top of the case is stamped "German Ships". The inside of the top has a set number handwritten in green pencil.
Comet Metal Products Company produced the majority of the models used by the services during WWII. The company was founded by the Slonim brothers who had emigrated from Germany to England, via Sweden, about 1938. While in England it is reported that they work for TreMo, a manufacturer of small scale ship models, before emigrating to the United States and establishing Comet Metal Products company.
Comet apparently produced individual models for the services as early as 1/42, a model of the Curtiss (AV) carries this date, these early models are painted a lighter gray than models found in the later sets. Army Air Force stock numbers found on individual model boxes indicate that these models were also issued individually. The earliest models produced by Comet are undated, they are identified by an ink stamped name on the bottom of the hull instead of the later cast identification on the side, some have COMET cast in raised letters on the bottom of the hull. Some of these models appear to be copies of Wiking models from the late 1930's.
Comet's first set of models contains only eight models of US Navy ships. These models are carried in a small wooden case with their mounting sticks sliding into grooves cut into the pieces separating the models. The case is stained instead of being painted and is of a different type than any of the other sets. The bottom of the case is stamped with "Case & mountings created by KAY DISPLAYS, INC.", along with their address in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Some cases may also have a stamped U.S. Navy anchor. The dark blue mounting sticks are marked with the type and class name and a scale of 1" = 110’. The models are actually built closer to a scale of 1:1250; some may be dated 1/43 which would indicate an update of earlier undated models, these scale close to 1:1200 scale.
Comet and South Salem companies jointly produced models for a set containing 47 U.S. Navy ships models. Comet manufactured 30 of the models and South Salem manufactured the remaining 17. All of the models are identified with a name or class name and type cast into the starboard side of the hull, with one exception, the model of the Yorktown class has the identification cast into the port side. The Comet models are all marked 1/43 on the bottom of the hull except for the Bogue class which is marked 2/43. The South Salem models have no bottom of hull markings. All of the plywood mounting boards for the Comet models are stamped with the ship name and "Mfg. By Comet Metal Products Co., Inc., Richmond Hill, N.Y.". The mounting boards for the South Salem models are printed with the ship class name & type and "South Salem Studios, South Salem, N.Y".
South Salem Studios was a small shop owned by Mr. Enzo Yocca who emigrated from France prior to WWI. He specialized in miniatures and with the outbreak of WWII offered the services of his shop to the Navy. South Salem also received another contract to produce a set of 16 models of merchant ships that are dated 2/45. They continued producing models under these contracts throughout the war but for reasons as yet unclear they received no further contracts for 1:1200 scale models. They also produced a set of "Auxiliary Pocket Models" of merchant & warships in 1:2000 &
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See here....
Ship Models for the Military by Fred Dorris
Since many of you are from the English speaking peoples and the Commonwealth, here is this point of information about which I know nothing.
Are, that is, were these ships officially made for the spotter role? Or are they works of art?
I collect German militaria, in fact, so I am an ignoramus.
Bassett Lowke HMS York Recognition Model WW2 Waterline Model SHIP RARE 1 600 | eBay
Last edited by Friedrich-Berthold; 03-11-2014 at 03:58 AM.
I'm not from the "Commonwealth" but just one of those colonist from across the pond. I have to say FB that your collection always put me in a state of awe . Such a great variation. War time model ship's??? I would not have guessed. If I ever have a chance to travel to " here and there" It would be an honor to just shake your hand and have a brew with you and shoot the shit!!!! Beers on me!
Take care
Semper Fi
Phil
Thank you. Through a fluke do I own these things. They have the signal merit of being less often faked than the things I normally collect, which is somehow refreshing.I'm not from the "Commonwealth" but just one of those colonist from across the pond. I have to say FB that your collection always put me in a state of awe . Such a great variation. War time model ship's??? I would not have guessed. If I ever have a chance to travel to " here and there" It would be an honor to just shake your hand and have a brew with you and shoot the shit!!!! Beers on me!
Take care
Semper Fi
Phil
All the best to Yuma, Arizona, which is somewhat different from my home of "here and there." I working on the there part of it, as best I can, and sometimes that place has a coast and a place for warships.
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