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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> Scenario Design and Modding >> What the heck!

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What the heck! - 8/21/2018 2:36:54 PM

m10bob

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During wars, all nations are prone to experiment "in the field" with various ideas, and one which got my interest was when the USN deployed four new Fletcher-class destroyers to the Pacific with Kingfisher aircraft aboard.
These ships were meant to be used for fast scouting missions, and were (like many other things) found to be redundant by the time they were deployed.
While the Japanese were able to have recon type planes mounted on submarines from "day one" of the war...and they did make many missions over Australia...the Allies did not have anything early on for fast "in and out" type missions.
It seemed easier to mount them on Fletchers, than to begin from scratch with possible submarine mountings, because the Fletchers were alraedy designed with a lower center of gravity than other flushdeck types, and had already proven more seaworthy ships than Bensons or Livermore type ships.

To counter the weight of the plane and single catapult, the center gun and turret was removed, as was the rear torpedo mount.

To replicate this, I created a new ship class which I labelled "Fletcher SCOUT"
Then, I located the four ships which had this conversion...USS Stanly, USS Pringle, USS Stevens, and the USS Halford.
Then, I copy pasted the proper Fletcher *stock*class to an open class slot and removed that center turret and torpedo tubes.

Then, I marked the class to support ONE aircraft.
Then, I went to each of those ships and placed them in the NEW class.(FLETCHER SCOUT).
Next...go to air groups and create four separate new air groups..I labelled mine VD 1, VD 2, etc...V for Navy, D for Destroyer....Location will be on the individual ships, and you can leave their "leaders" name random...
NOTE:...The editor is VERY user friendly and holds pages open for you as you flip back and forth from Ship Class...to ships...to aircraft...to air groups...etc...Once finished with all, just hit "SAVE" at the top left corner.
Note...On the ships, you may wish to delete or alter the scheduled next "upgrade" box entirely...or leave them to upgrade per their historical dates...
After all this effort, I chose to leave mine alone and will use them to escort convoys for ASW work.

This is the Kingfisher being launched from the Pringle

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< Message edited by m10bob -- 8/21/2018 2:38:04 PM >

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RE: What the heck! - 8/21/2018 2:39:11 PM

m10bob

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This is the USS Stanly with Kingfisher.

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RE: What the heck! - 8/21/2018 2:44:13 PM

btd64

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Ok, soooooooo, what the heck???

Does it work?....GP

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RE: What the heck! - 8/21/2018 3:29:23 PM

m10bob

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Time will tell, lol...I know it does "in game", but if you mean is it "cost effective"...can it hurt with over 170 Fletchers made?

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RE: What the heck! - 8/21/2018 3:39:08 PM

btd64

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Let me know. Might be something to add to RHS....GP

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RE: What the heck! - 8/21/2018 3:44:29 PM

m10bob

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quote:

ORIGINAL: btd64

Let me know. Might be something to add to RHS....GP

Just for your interest...Might help someone make a "ship side" for the art folder

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< Message edited by m10bob -- 8/21/2018 4:02:22 PM >

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RE: What the heck! - 8/21/2018 4:05:41 PM

m10bob

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Another angle of the mount.

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RE: What the heck! - 8/21/2018 4:47:14 PM

fodder

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WoW!, something like this could make me an AFB again. Na, Japan still has more floatplanes.

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RE: What the heck! - 8/21/2018 5:43:58 PM

m10bob

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quote:

ORIGINAL: fodder

WoW!, something like this could make me an AFB again. Na, Japan still has more floatplanes.

You would love playing the Italians as well, then?..lol

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RE: What the heck! - 8/21/2018 7:32:35 PM

Dili

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Italians didn't even recovered their floatplanes. They returned to nearest naval-airbase.

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RE: What the heck! - 8/21/2018 7:42:52 PM

fodder

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quote:

ORIGINAL: m10bob

quote:

ORIGINAL: fodder

WoW!, something like this could make me an AFB again. Na, Japan still has more floatplanes.

You would love playing the Italians as well, then?..lol

Yes, yes indeed. I always play Italy when I have a choice in a European theater game.

I like the little float planes they made.

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RE: What the heck! - 8/22/2018 10:32:13 AM

m10bob

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For our friend Fodder.

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RE: What the heck! - 8/22/2018 4:19:54 PM

fodder

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quote:

ORIGINAL: m10bob

For our friend Fodder.

Very nice! I've downloaded and save it. Thank you!

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RE: What the heck! - 8/22/2018 11:50:07 PM

RyanCrierie

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I think I have some documents on that *somewhere*

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RE: What the heck! - 8/24/2018 10:09:14 PM

Dili

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That Z.511 was supposed to operate midget chariot(maiale) submarines, now try to that in the game.

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RE: What the heck! - 8/24/2018 11:54:13 PM

spence

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I vaguely remember building a model of one of these ships when I was about 8 or 9. Did any of them so equipped enter active service and for how long. As far as I know their performance in action certainly didn't warrant keeping them around with taht configuration..

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RE: What the heck! - 8/25/2018 2:50:27 PM

m10bob

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quote:

ORIGINAL: spence

I vaguely remember building a model of one of these ships when I was about 8 or 9. Did any of them so equipped enter active service and for how long. As far as I know their performance in action certainly didn't warrant keeping them around with taht configuration..

Different sites indicated a "top heaviness", but more recently info indicates they were NOT top heavy as the Fletchers were already designed with a lower center of gravity than any of the prior destroyer classes.
These more recent sources also show the weight of the planes and catapult were offset by the removal of the rear superstructure, the rear-most torpedo tube launcher (and torps), and the center 5" gun and turret.

They all were in active service, but only for less than a year, and were only thought to be redundant due to the (by then) ample number of searchplane/floatplane support ships, and the need for anti-kamikaze ships.

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RE: What the heck! - 8/26/2018 4:32:47 PM

LargeSlowTarget

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Nice idea, will add them to my mod.

However, according to my info only three Fletcher DDs operated floatplanes - USS Pringle, USS Stevens and USS Halford - and since the experiment was not a success, all three lost the aircraft installations and received the "missing" 5-inch gun and second torpedo tube set.

USS Stanly was fitted with a catapult for only a week but never used it operationally.

Apparently the catapult on USS Pringle was removed before or shortly after she deployed from the Atlantic to the Pacific - she left for the Pacific in February 1943 and a photo taken at Pearl Harbor in April 1943 shows her without catapult and full set of guns and torps.

USS Stevens and USS Halford operated in the PTO but lost their catapults during a October-December 1943 refit.

Here is a ship side I have made - can send the .bmp side and shil via PM.

Attachment (1)

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RE: What the heck! - 8/26/2018 5:35:13 PM

pmelheck1

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The issues to me would be these seem to be single use scout and would need to return to a port to have a new plane loaded as these don't seem to have a crane to load the float plane back on board. Another question would be would these be kept fueled because of a lack of fuel storage and hardware or would drums of fuel be kept to manually fuel the AC before launch. As an aircraft person the idea of trying to fly off a tin can on any but the calmest of days would be a very hair raising experience indeed.

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RE: What the heck! - 8/27/2018 2:03:33 PM

LargeSlowTarget

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Caption: "USS Stevens, DD-479, one of three Fletcher class destroyers to operate with a catapult for a short period, 12 May 1943. The Stevens is at Charleston NY during her inclining experiment. Note her aircraft handling crane, the type that was used on the Stevens and Halford (DD480). The Pringle (DD-477), the third unit to operate a catapult, used a different type of crane."