"Balao class deck guns question" Topic
4 Posts
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| taskforce58 | 26 Nov 2014 8:27 p.m. PST |
Maybe someone here can help me out: I'm building a couple of Balao class submarine models. One will depict USS Bowfin (SS-287) as of her 2nd patrol in November 1943, and the other will be USS Archerfish (SS-311) as of the time when she sank the Shinano in November 1944. However I am not able to find out the exact fit of deck guns both were carrying at the specified time frame, as I understand that these varies between the different boats and also time period. |
| Coelacanth | 27 Nov 2014 5:46 a.m. PST |
Navsource is a good place to find photos of USN vessels. The link is to the Fleet Submarines page: link
Both boats are there. I hope that this helps. Ron |
| Charlie 12 | 28 Nov 2014 3:23 p.m. PST |
Kicked your question to a friend who is heavy into USN WWII submarines. As you probably found out already, nailing down what deck guns were on which boat at what time is a royal pain (I have 3 photos of the same boat with 1 gun forward, 1 gun aft and 2 guns. And they're all undated. Nice photos, but useless for research). Anyway, as close as the two of us could determine, Bowfin carried 1 4" gun forward (photo from July '43) on her first patrol (Aug '43 to Oct '43). Later photos (Nov '44, Mare Island refit) still show the same 4" forward. Archerfish carried 1 4" gun forward (photo from Sept '43). (Interesting, in that this series of boats were supposed to have a 5"). According to her 4th War Patrol diary, an attack was made using her 4" gun. The 5th War Patrol diary (when she sank Shinano) doesn't note any changes in gun armament (between patrols refits are noted in the prologue of the diary). She did refit with 2(or 1?) 5" guns in May '45. Not much help, I'm afraid. The USN was none too good at keeping track of this sort of thing. |
| reynroger | 01 Dec 2014 11:22 a.m. PST |
In many cases, the placement of the deck gun was made by the commanding officer. In general, a single 4" or 5"/25 was the standard armament. The CO would then have it placed forward or aft of the conning tower. Then there is the Nautilus and Argonaut; they were the biggest and had two 6"/53 guns. The Marine raiders used them a few times. |
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