HBG Essex Carrier with Camouflage Hull

I just received my order. I happen to have an AAG40 game underway right now, and it’s in the middle of turn 7. So my plan is to try and incorporate these 4 expansions into the current game. I’m going to have the US start research on nukes immediately. Japan and Germany are really dominating this game though, so I don’t know if the US can get any nukes ready in time. If not, then I’ll try again next game.

I’m also going to have the US build some Marines so I can use that expansion set too and hopefully push the Japanese back across the Pacific.

But Germany and Japan are also going to start building the P170 jet and Super Yamato respectively, which should give the Allies second thoughts. Oh, the drama! Can’t wait to see how these expansions affect the war!

“The War Game” and others address this by letting you buy all the units for every team, with different costs. So China pays 8 for tanks, Most powers pay 6, Germany 5 etc. This makes things more complex, but also more flexible.

I plan on printing some out from Siredblood’s link.  I watched his video and you can certainly do it that way.  My only concern with adhesive backed “stickers” is that with all the handling of game pieces, I can imagine that the stickers begin to peel up after a while. If you’re going to use the adhesive backed stickers, might I recommend to apply thin CA glue around the outside edge of the sticker after you’ve burnished it down on the carrier deck.  You can get some thin CA at your local hobby shop where they sell RC planes, or just order it online.  Because it is literally as thin as water, you’ll need to apply it with some sort of makeshift precision applicator.  But after that, you won’t have to deal with annoying stickers that don’t want to stay down tight.

Also, if you use a glossy type sticker paper, after you’ve applied it and the carrier is “all done”, spray the entire piece with a light coat of Testor’s Dullcote spray laquer.  You’ll get rid of the sheen both on the plastic and from the glossy paper. All the colors will “blend” together and the piece will look much better.  :wink:

Thank you for the positive feedback! I forgot to say that in the previous post, and it’s very important that I do. It’s very encouraging and motivating to get good feedback, and we certainly appreciate it. The above mentioned four Essex class carriers are complete, a long with several other ships of the US Navy, so its time to update the thread. Just ships by FOlewnik in this post. More aircraft are almost done but I haven’t put magnets in them yet (so not really done), so no aircraft pictures this post.

We’ll start with the two “odd men out” of the HBG sculpt Baltimore Class Heavy Cruisers. Why “odd men out”? Because in the below picture we have on the left, the USS Unnamed Baltimore Class Cruiser Wearing Measure 31a, Design 9C, and on the right is the USS Columbus (CA 74), which wasn’t commissioned until June 8, 1945. The cruiser with the long name is wearing a design that was never used, but was taken from a period design found at https://www.wikiwand.com/en/World_War_II_US_Navy_dazzle_camouflage_measures_31,_32_and_33:_cruisers. The USS Columbus is wearing a Measure 12 Modified designed by FOlewnik to match the pieces we’ll be using for the US Atlantic fleet. These will get aircraft added, but at the time of the photographs the decals on the wings of the aircraft were drying.
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Next up are some metal destroyers from GHQ. Below on the left, the very brave USS Johnston (DD-557) painted in MS-3_/6D as it looked when it was “Sunk by Japanese Warships off Samar October 25 1944,” and next to it is USS Van Valkenburgh (DD-656) painted in camouflage Measure 31, Design 9d. All Wartime photos taken from Navsource.org, a great resource for US Navy history buffs.
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Below, the real USS Johnston shortly before her final battle, and the official design sheet:
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A great wartime picture of the USS Van Valkenburgh, which is the same on both sides:
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Now on to these two. From GHQ, USS The Sullivans (DD-537) painted in Measure 1, and the HBG sculpt light cruiser USS Marblehead (CL-12) who always wore Measure 2 throughout the war. If I can get FOlewnik to put the Shamrock on the first stack of The Sullivans when he puts the scout aircraft on the Marblehead, as seen in the below wartime photograph, I’ll come back and edit the post.
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The post previous to this post showed four Essex Class sculpts from HBG getting prepped and started with a base coat. Those are now completed and I had too much fun playing with them and the aircraft (that are complete so far) while I was taking photographs. I’m pretty sure I didn’t make any wooshing sea or aircraft noises or FOlewnik would have laughed at me. I was tempted though, and here’s why:
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Above we have the first of the Long Hull Essex Class, USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) on the left looking as she did after her April 1945 refit from suffering a Kamikaze Attack on January 21, 1945, and USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) on the right. The Bunker Hill is wearing Measure 33, Design 6A, of which Navsource says, “Her port side camouflage pattern was the most intricate design applied to any carrier.” One glance can confirm that!
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The final two Essex Class carriers are the USS Essex (CV-9) herself, and the USS Bennington (CV-20). The Essex is wearing a unique pattern, Measure 32v6, Design 10D, adapted from a destroyer pattern specifically for the long hulled Essex. The Bennington is painted in Measure 32, Design 17A.
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Finally, some group pictures just for fun:
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Thank you for checking out the post! If you liked it, please click the little heart. I’m trying to figure out why our post is only rated with a 2 when it seems it should be a bit higher if the other likes are any indication.

@AlphaKappa:

I don’t like the large size of the OOB Dauntless tactical bomber piece.  I am considering replacing them with the HBG P-47 Thunderbolt or Helldiver.  What are the sizes of these pieces?   The P-47 looks bigger than a typical fighter.  Would it work as a tac?

I have the HBG P-47 fighters… they are the same size as the OOB fighters… by comparison, they are bigger than the HBG P-51, which is actually smaller than OOB fighters.  If you’re expecting the HBG P-47 to be as big as OOB Tac Bombers, you’ll be disappointed.

Anzac defender,

––Keep up the good work.
----I don’t know if you’re interested, but there is a company called I-94 Enterprises that make many, many decals that are useful for our A&A units.

Tall Paul

jwo1984 & Others,

––This thread shows how the Shipyard was made by Ebard re-designing his Dry Dock, adding a large wharf area, adding a second crane, several warehouses, storerooms, and supplies to the dock area including some pics of the finished painted units. Enjoy, and ask any other questions you might have.
––It Also shows his Small Naval Base and Air Base (straight) units.

Tall Paul

I’m remembering the days when Table Tactics was the top of the line expansion for Axis and Allies. When '14 was announced i went crazy trying to find the WW1 pieces. I’m still looking.