During World War Two, the United States Coast Guard fell under the department
of the Navy as of November 1, 1941. From the start a primary focus of the force
was anti-submarine warfare. The contribution of the Coast Guard cutters was
invaluable in the allied victory for the Battle of the Atlantic.
The cutters of the Coast Guard came in a wide variety of sizes, from small
motor launches for harbor patrol to the 6,500 ton Wind
class. During the 1920s the Coast Guard received thirteen 750 ton, twelve 1,000
ton and six flush deck destroyers, transferred from the navy. One of the key
peacetime missions in an era when almost all cargo and passengers traveled by
sea was ice patrol. To address this mission several types of cutters were
designed to operate in sea ice conditions. The Algonquin
Class was one such type.
There were six cutters in the class: Algonquin,
Commanche, and Mohawk
built by Pusey & Jones of Wilmington, Delaware and the Escanaba,
Onadaga, and Tahoma
built by Defoe Works, Bay City, Michigan. Starting in 1934 these cutters made
their appearance. They were designed to operate under severe ice conditions with
short length, medium draught, reinforced bow plates and a cut away for foot.
This intentional design gave them their short, compact tubby look. At 1,005 tons
(fl) they had the displacement needed for ASW augmentation but were hampered by
their slow speed (12.5 knots) in stalking submarines. Also because of their
short length, deck space was at a premium. Only Escanaba
was lost during the war. The first three were broken up in 1948-1949 and the two
surviving Defoe cutters were sold in 1954 and 1955. (History and statistics
from Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships
1922-1946 and Jane’s
Fighting Ships 1946-1947.)
In addition to having an impressive array of models for the smaller
combatants and support vessels of the USN in World War Two, Iron Shipwright
has developed a significant line of cutters of the Coast Guard in 1:350th
scale. Along with the cutters the Coast Guard manned 30 destroyer escorts, 75
frigates, 22 transports, 9 attack transports, 15 cargo ships, 18 petrol tankers,
76 LSTs, 28 LCIs, 33 smaller USN craft and 288 US Army craft. Iron Shipwright
also produces 1:350th scale models of a number of these vessels.
RESIN CASTING
The ISW Commanche (some
photos are labeled after sistership, Mohawk)
shares casting characteristics of the YMS-260,
reviewed earlier this week. (Click for review of the ISW YMS-260).
Details cast integral to the hull cover various deck hatches, ammo boxes,
skylights, winches, boat cradles, life rings, fire hoses and the ribbed bulkhead
shielding on the bow. The reinforced bow, shortened bow shielding (to improve
field of fire) and cutaway stern give the hull a unique look. As with the YMS-260,
the parts just click together. Photographs included in this article show the
parts pieced together without being glued. The hull requires minimal cleanup. As
you can see there will be a small amount of cleanup required for the bridge,
amounting to removal of resin pour plugs and a light sanding.
The smaller parts include the stack, mast, aft 01 level platform, ship’s
boats, three-inch guns with separate mounts, 20mm guns, K-guns, propeller, depth
charge davits, two sizes of ventilator cowling and anchors. Primary cleanup with
these parts involves removal of resin flash, removal of pour plugs and repair of
a few pinhole voids. When removing the pour stubs, do so with a scissors or a
knife. This is especially important with the ventilator cowlings as they have a
delicate thin outer rim that can be damaged blunt force removal of the plugs.
Although there is a higher parts count than with the YMS-260,
the Commanche is also a suitable
subject for a first resin and brass model.
PHOTO-ETCHED BRASS FRET
The ISW Commanche comes with a small
to medium sized brass fret. You get four types of railing in various lengths,
deck supports, 20mm gun shields, depth charge racks, K-gun racks, vertical
ladder, inclined ladders, boat davits, radar, stack caps, RDF, fighting light
and specially designed railings for the tapered bow shielding. There is quite a
bit of brass for a model of this size. The quantity of brass will make this kit
more of a challenge for the first time builder but not excessively so.
INSTRUCTIONS
Instructions run four pages in length. The format is basically the same as that
with the YMS-260. First page contains
a parts listing for resin and brass parts. Each part is numbered with the number
of the part corresponding with the number shown for the part on the assembly
page. Since resin and brass share numbers 1 through 11, it s necessary to
examine the drawings to determine if the number in the assembly drawing refers
to the resin or the brass part. There is no confusion since the parts are
totally dissimilar and the drawing is clear on what part goes where. Page one
concludes with a text assembly sequence.
Page two is devoted to the brass K-gun racks, depth charge racks and inclined
ladder shaping as well as attaching the shields to the 20mm guns. The K-gun
racks in the instructions drawing have a slightly different shape from the parts
in the P-E fret. Page three has drawings of the resin parts and a photograph of
the fret. It also includes the first steps in the assembly with placement of the
bridge and the location of the different types of railings to the hull and
superstructure. Page four concludes the assembly with four drawings showing
placement of the various resin and photo-etched parts. Although not CAD drawn
the assembly drawings are sufficient to allow the builder to complete the model
without confusion.
VERDICT
The ISW Commanche is yet
another of the unique models from Iron Shipwright. Depicting a medium
sized mid-war USCG cutter, as fitted during WWII, it fills a void not covered
from any other source. The parts are there to build the kit into a very
attractive model. Only slightly more difficult to assemble than the ISW YMS-260,
due to higher parts count and more elaborate photo-etched fret, the kit is still
a good first resin build and should appeal to veteran and novice builders alike.
Most of all, it should have a very strong appeal to the devotees of the
forgotten service of World War Two, the United States Coast Guard.
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