Building the Tamiya 1/350 Fletcher using the Gold Medal Models Fittings Set

by Richard Eaton

Introduction

Recently I was given a chance to build one of my favorite class of ships, the Fletcher destroyer USS Fletcher. Bob Pearson asked me to do a buildup of the 1/350 Tamiya kit using the excellent Gold Medal photoetch detail set for this class. The kit was expertly reviewed in Internet Modeler's August issue. I was a little tentative at first since it had been some time since I had worked with PE railings. I just dove into the kit and enjoyed the result.

The Class

175 Fletcher class destroyers were commissioned from June 1942 through September 1944. During this era, no other class of destroyer had more ships built. Though built with the Pacific in mind, Fletchers also served in the Atlantic theater. Nineteen Fletchers were lost during World War II.

Fletchers were easily identifiable, yet many minor differences existed between individual ships. This was particularly true when contrasting early Fletchers with those produced late in the war. A handful of early Fletchers were even designed to operate a OS2N Kingfisher float airplane. Now that would make an interesting conversion! Three were actually built in this manner, but the need for a float plane was not great. All of these ships were refitted to a more standard configuration.

Because of the significant threat of attack by Japanese aircraft, some Fletchers were refitted late in the war with an increased anti-aircraft capability. On these cases, the forward torpedo tubes were removed, and the twin-40mm guns on either side of the aft funnel were also removed. A new quad-40mm anti-aircraft gun mount was placed on both the port and starboard side, between the two funnels. This gave the ship four additional 40mm gun barrels. Hopefully Tamiya might consider updating this kit with late war armament.

USS Fletcher (DD-445)

Fletcher (DD-445) was launched 3 May 1942 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry-dock Co. Kearny, N.J.; sponsored by Mrs. F. F. Fletcher, widow of Admiral Fletcher; and commissioned 30 June 1942. Lieutenant Commander W. M. Cole in command. She was reclassified DDE-446 on 26 March 1949.

The Fletcher saw its first action in the Solomon Islands, defending the US Marines on Guadalcanal Island. On November 13, 1942 - a Friday - the Fletcher was the thirteenth and last ship in line of Task Force 67.4, a quickly assembled surface group designed to stop the Tokyo Express. The enemy ships included two battleships surrounded by 14 destroyers and one cruiser. This resulting battle had shells passing over and torpedoes going under the Fletcher as it battled its way through the quagmire of burning and sinking ships on both sides during the savage night engagement. Being of new design, it is now thought the enemy set their torpedoes to hit the keel of a deeper draft ship.

After this battle, Admiral King made the statement, "This action lasted 42 minutes in one of the most furious sea battles in history and terminated when the USS Fletcher torpedoed the Japanese battleship HIEI and disabled it so that bombers from Henderson field could sink the abandoned and sinking battleship in daylight."

When the Fletcher was the only destroyer to come through this action unscathed, the crew named it the "lucky thirteen" and it also became known as the "FIGHTING FLETCHER".

Perhaps the "lucky 13" crew helped the legend along on two other occasions in the Philippines – Dec. 5, 1944 and Jan. 8, 1945. Both were the results of Japanese kamikaze pilots using the Fletcher as their target.

In the first incident, the plane's pilot was killed high above the ship but the plane continued to glide directly toward the ship. The Captain, seeing the danger, rushed inside and took the wheel from the helmsman and spun the ship hard to port. The plane dropped into the sea 15 to 20 yards off the starboard side and its delayed action bomb burst just past the fantail.

The other incident was when a plane flew just 10 to 15 feet above the waves and aimed for the port midship 40 mm gun. The total firepower of the ship singled on this one plane until it was brought down just 200 yards from the ship. The bomb failed to explode.

On February 14, 1945, the "lucky 13" was hit by shell fire from Corregidor Island in the Philippines killing seven crewmen and wounding nine. The exploding shell started a fire in the ammunition locker which was quickly extinguished by Elmer C. Bigelow when he entered the compartment with two fire extinguishers. His quick action without using proper breathing equipment spared the ship but cost him his life. He gallantly gave his life in the service to his country and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The U.S. Navy commissioned the destroyer, Elmer C. Bigelow DD 942, Nov. 8,1957 in his honor.

During WWII the USS Fletcher rescued over a 1000 survivors from five ships, five planes and one sub. It sank two destroyers and damaged one battleship and two destroyers. It also sank one Japanese sub and is credited with a 'probable' on damaging a German one. It also shot down a total of 12 planes including two kamikazes and with the assistance of other ships was involved in a total of 31 anti-aircraft actions where other airplanes were shot down. The Fletcher was in three surface battles, sixteen shore bombardments and for its actions awarded 16 battle stars for the individual battle zones in which it was in "Harms Way".

Recommissioned 3 October 1949 as a specialist in antisubmarine warfare, Fletcher sailed for San Diego 1 May 1950 for a tour of duty with the 7th Fleet in the western Pacific. At the outbreak of the Korean Conflict, she lay at Hong Kong with Valley Forge ( CV-45 ), and on 3 July arrived off Korea with the Valley Forge's group, augmented by the British carrier HMS Triumph, to begin launching air strikes on North Korea. During the Korean and even Vietnam actions, the Fletcher did numerous shore bombardments and carrier patrols, rescuing many downed pilots.

Fletcher was originally selected to be a living memorial in the Smithsonian institution at Washington DC. This was canceled due to the many structural changes made in its 28 years of service. It was decided that Fletcher no longer looked like a typical Fletcher Class World War II ship and so it was scrapped in 1972.

Gold Medal Models WW2 Fletcher Class Fittings

The fitting set consists of one fret of excellent details PE parts and directions. The set goes beyond just railings and ladders to include gun , radar, deck and depth charge details. Parts are provided for a mid and late-war Fletcher. I chose the mid-war parts for this early representation. Parts were easily separated with a new #11 X-acto blade and the fit to the Tamiya plastic was generally right on. The general assembly tips were a great comfort and very well written. It had truly been a while since I had taken on a full PE detail set like this!

Building the Fletcher

I started out things by preparing the parts as much as possible while on the sprue. I CAed the PE details on bulkheads and doors and then painted. I spray painted the major colors using Testors Flat Sea Blue for decks, gunship gray for the hull and neutral gray for the superstructure. I masked the hull to spray flat black and then red. I decided early on to not do a camo scheme as the kit represents an early class ship and I was mainly wanting to show off the PE on this one.

Kit assembly was pretty straightforward. I built things in sections so that detailing would be easier and to cut down on PE damage as the kit progressed. Each section's construction included cleanup, assembly, PE details, and drybrushing with Testors flat light gray and white. Basic plastic assembly took about a day. Most of the rest of the week was spent applying PE details.

For instance, I added two levels of railings to the aft superstructure, I cleaned up the twin 40 mm gun, replacing the rear solid railing with PE. I then placed the nifty gun sites in place and detailed with paint. I finished up the section by placing the 40 mm and 5 inch turrets in place and then set the assembly aside. Taking things in stages like that really helped keep the PE details in good shape for final assembly.

I next tackled the forward superstructure in the same manner. I detailed the bridge and lower gun deck separately and then joined them to the hull. PE gun shields, sights and harnesses were added to the 20 mm gun mounts. It really dresses up the parts nicely. Lastly I chose the mid war 5 inch gun director radar parts and bent and assembled them. I mounted them on the forward assembly after cleaning and filling the director turret.

I then cleaned up the kit main mast plastics and assembled the SC-2 radar with IFF. It topped the mast in place of the kit radar. I replaced the kit main spar with the detailed PE spar. The SG radar TBS and BK antennae were then added. Ladders and light supports finished off the assembly.

Moving aft I replaced all depth charge racks and storage bins with the PE parts. I assembled the aft roller racks around the cleaned up kit supplied racks to provide depth bomb details. Two types of K gun loader racks were supplied with the PE. I chose the single rack over the double for the period. GMM does a nice job of etching these details so that they are easily folded into shape and just look sharp once painted.

Final assembly was largely a simple matter of fitting and alignment. Once the superstructures were in place, I added lifeboats, rafts w/supports, cranes and miscellaneous PE detail all around the ship. Nice little touches like life rings, fire extinguishers, and Stokes litters really dress up the model.

Next, I placed the hull railing in place. Gold Medal Models provided two sets of rails; one with and one without netting. I chose the netting. I was amazed at how easily the parts fit the Tamiya plastic! And I was worried about PE railing! I managed to get the rails in place without too much damage. One must be careful during attachment and paint touch up as the detailed webbing is easily clogged.

Lastly, I tackled the rigging. I chose invisible nylon thread colored with permanent marker for the scale. I used kit supplied references and went to town. The GMMl main spar had a series of rigging rings that aided in support wiring on the main mast. Break out the magnifier here! I ran support and wireless aerials to represent the ship's rigging at a distance without doing too much damage to the PE.

Conclusion

A few last touchups and I was pleased to have a really sharp model of this classic ship. Despite the initial fears of taking on a detail job like this, I recommend this kit and fittings set to most ship lovers. Hey if I could do it so can you! Due to the large number of small detailed PE parts, I recommend this upgraded kit for experienced modelers. I want to thank HobbyLink Japan for supplying the Tamiya Kit and Gold Medal Models for supplying their excellent fittings set.

Sources

John V. Jensen --former First Class Petty Officer, USS Fletcher (1942-45)
The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Online