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ť Forum Category: PT Boats of WWII
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboard.cgi?cid=101&fct=showf

ť Forum Name: PT Boats - General
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboard.cgi?fct=gotoforum&cid=101&fid=102

ť Topic: Fine Scale Modeler article on Italeri's PT 596 kit
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?cid=101&fid=102&tid=1052

Well, Fine Scale Modeler magazine's December 2008 issue is out, and in it is a build-up article, complete with color photos, on Italeri's 1/35th scale PT 596 kit.

The builder did a decent job on the kit (he scratch-built some very nice-looking Mark VI depth charges and cradles), building it, he wrote, as "PT 328."

One thing that struck me as odd, though were the photos that showed the outboard (seaward) side of the kit's starboard twin-.50 turret's gun-limit railing as totally enclosed. I've never seen anything like it in over 40 years of casually reading and researching WWII PT boats.

Before I root through my PT books and see for myself, does anyone know if this is a flaw in the kit, or have I missed this feature when looking at photos of the late-war boats? And was it standard for the stern-mounted smoke generators on the late war boats to be flipped so the nozzles were to starboard (the boat in the FSM article's is)?

Posted By: Drew Cook | Posted on: Nov 5, 2008 - 4:18am
Total Posts: 1306 | Joined: Oct 19, 2006 - 10:44am

Drew, I am not sure where I saw it, but yes the Gun Tub you are refering to in some boats were totally enclosed Gun Depresser rails. As far as the smoke genrators, they came out of the Factory in their specified locations, but as you know, many items were changed or removed in the Combat Zone. It kind of lends credibility to my statement, NO TWO BOATS WERE ALIKE......

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Nov 5, 2008 - 6:48am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Two things about that model that are incorrect;

The color of the torpedoes and their warheads. It appears that the gentleman utilized the color drawing of PT-328 from my PT BOATS IN ACTION book as a guide in his painting the model.

I've since discovered that how I instructed Squadron to paint that drawing was totally wrong. The bodies of the torpedoes should be in natural metal and the warheads should be either Gray, or the base color of the scheme or painted to match the surrounding area ...

Also, there was no boot stripe (waterline) on the boats ... man - did I screw that up.

Garth

Posted By: TGConnelly | Posted on: Nov 5, 2008 - 7:38am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered

Is this the gun? Inscription on back reads May15, 1945 - Copy of Navy TR12091 - PT gunner with glasses searching for enemy

[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/Twinmount.jpg[/image]

Posted By: Ed B | Posted on: Nov 5, 2008 - 11:24am
Total Posts: 91 | Joined: Oct 26, 2006 - 5:31am

Ed

That is one of the photo's I have seen on the fully enclosed gun tub, although not sure which boats had them.

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Nov 5, 2008 - 12:03pm
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Frank and Ed B,

Thanks for the reply and the photo...I learn something new (almost) every day!

Posted By: Drew Cook | Posted on: Nov 5, 2008 - 8:14pm
Total Posts: 1306 | Joined: Oct 19, 2006 - 10:44am