--- VOL. 7, NO. 5 SEPTEMBER/I974

L The battleship NEVADA (88-36) was one of two ships of her class built in 1912, and both were mesent at Ford Island. Pearl Harbor when battles hi^ Row was attacked by the' Japanese. Although hit several times, the NEVADA has quickly repaired in time to serve in World War I1 for which she received seven battle stars. For her sistership the OKLAHOMA, however, World War I1 was not so favorable. Her story begins on page 12. =or stories of the planes and pilots that rrved the history of America's Heri- CONTENTS age of the Air, read AIR CLASSICS, SHORELOG ...... 4 low monthly. =or the serious modeler who wants to STAR OF BENGAL ...... Bartlett 6 ~~ldreplicas of the world's famous alr- TITANIC: SETTING THE :raft and ships, read SCALE MODELER. =or true sea sagas of the Captalns RECORD STRAIGHT ...... Marschall 10 lnd Ships that wrote the history of RETURN OF THE MIGHTY OKLAHOMA...... Zimmerman 12 hnerica's Heritage of the Sea, read SEA CLASSICS. USS GALVESTON (CLG-3) ...... 18 'or rare color photos, detailed Illustra- SAGA OF THE NINGPO ...... Hampton 20 ions, and personal accounts of aerial varfare read AIR COMBAT, the quarterly TARGET SHIPS FOR hat encompasses the whole spectrum of TOMORROW'S WEAPONS ...... Johnson 26 var in the air, from biplanes to jets, from ipandau to Sidewinder. WOOL CLl PPER TORRIDON ...... Helner 34 dl of these exciting publications are THE ELUSIVE IRONCLAD MONITOR ...... Editorial 36 vailable directly from the publisher. For BATTLE THE IRONCLADS ...... Wegner 42 hose who would like all four magazines, OF :hallenge .PubLications offers a combined THE NEW NAVY IN MINIATURE ...... 50 ubscription discount rate of $35.95 for . . 0 EDITORIAL STAFF 1 year subscription to all four maga-. HAS THE MONITOR Ines. That's a saving of $12.05 from the BEEN rou~m JIM SCHEETUEditor eguiar newsstand price. ROY~%CKETT/A~SO~~~~~Editor FRANK JOHNSON/Military Liaison ROBERT SUZUKI/Art Director JOHN HERNANDEZ/Art Associate

, EXECUTIVE STAFF PUBLICATlOblS, INC. I ED SCHNEPF/Publisher CHALLENGE BOB RATNER/Production Manager 7950 DEERING AVENUE JOHN ERNSDORF/Art Director CANOGA PARK, CALIFORNIA 91304 I KEN SHERMAN/Advertising- Director 1 CHRIS HAMM/Advertising NAME ...... Coordinator I JERRY STANFIELD/Circulation ADDRESS ...... 1 Director RICHARD GEHRUNGIGraphic Arts JANET GRAHAM/Reader's Service STATE ...... ZIP ...... I SEA CLASSICS is published bi-monthly by Challenge Publications, Inc., 7950 Deering Avenue, 1 Year Subscription Air Classics ...... $13.95 Canoga Park, California 91304. Copyrlght a1974 by Challenge Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Nothing in whole or in part may be reproduced without Wrilten permission of the 1 Year Subscription Scale Modeler ...... $15.95 publisher. Publisher assumes no responsibilily for unsoliciled material. All pholos, artwork, 1 Year Subscription Sea Classics ...... $ 7.95 I and manuscripts must be accompanied by stamped self-addressed return envelope. Single 1 Year Subscription Air Combat ...... $ 4.95 copies $1.50. Subscription $9.00 for 6 issues (one year). Second class postage paid at Canoga 1 Year Combined Subscription ...... $35.95 Park, California, and at addilionai mailing offices. Printed in U.S.A. I by Frank D. Johnson

LITTLE BOATS WITH A BIG PUNCH . . . THAT'S THE NAVY'S IDEA WlTH THEIR NEW PHM HYDROFOILS. IN ON THE GROUND FLOOR WlTH HIS FINE SCRATCH SCALE 12" MODEL, RICHARD WALTON OF PORT HUENEME, CALIFORNIA, HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF CAPTURING THE SLEEK LINES OF THIS NEW CRAFT THAT WILL LITERALLY "FLY" OVER THE WAVES.

E ARE CONSTANTLY that time, the Navy has contracted As mentioned, the model pictured alert to bring our readers with various private companies to here was made after artist's concep- the unique and unusual build several generations of hydro- tions and general arrangement draw- in the way of boat or ship foil craft, learning more and gaining ings. Except for smaller details, the wmodels whenever and wherever we more experience with each boat model was constructed entirely of may find them. Of necessity, many of until finally, in the early 1970s, it wood. The basic hull (stressed alumi- these truly unusual models are com- was felt that enough had been num on the real thing) was carved pletely scratchbuilt and such is the learned to proceed with the building from a solid balsa block as was the case with the model we present here. program of a major class. This new exhaust stack and the cannon hous- Mr. Richard Walton is a civilian class will be known as PHM for ing. The superstructure as well as engineer with the United States Patrol Hydrofoil Missile. the foils and struts were made from Navy attached to the Naval Gun The Navy's new class of hydrofoils balsa sheet. The harpoon launch- Weapons Systems Division located will be unique boats indeed. They ing tubes on the afterdeck were at the naval facility in Port Hueneme, will be as sophisticated as the latest made from lengths of drinking straws. California. Understandably, he is oc- computers and will use same for The most intricate detailing on casionally privileged to information the task of maintaining correct "fly- the model was in the construction that has not yet been made available ing" attitude while under foilborne of the radar and fire control sys- to the public. operation. They will run at speeds tem. A small balsa pod was made With his knowledge and interest well in excess of 40 miles per and mounted on an intricate frame- in naval affairs, he was naturally very hour over heavy seas pushed along work made from lengths of solder interested in the Navy's new hydrofoil by their turbine-powered water jet joined by epoxy. building program which now appears pumps. The mast, the various handrails as though it might be a significant What will make the PHM a truly and retaining lines were made from part of the wave of the future. Work- awesome weapon will be the Sunday small bits and pieces of plastic and ing from general arrangement plans punch packed in its eight Harpoon wood, fine copper wire and thread. and artist's conception paintings missiles. This new anti-ship missile, When completed, the model was made available by Boeing Aerospace, scheduled to become operational painted with Pactra Light Gray over- the primary contractor for the new about the same time as'the first of all. Deck surfaces were hand painted hydrofoils, Mr. Walton was able to the new hydrofoils, will have the with light grey mixed with a tiny construct a fine model of a class of capability to sink capital ships at amount of black to simulate the boat that may well be a mainstay of great distances when fired from the slightly darker walking deck surfaces the U. S. Navy's surface combatant afterdeck in fast-moving PHMs. on the actual boat. force in the years to come. In addition to ttie missiles, the The hull below the waterline as The hydrofoil concept is not a hydrofoils will carry the devastating- well as the exhaust stack tops were flash in the pan for the Navy. In ly effective 76mm Oto Melara dual done with Testor's Gloss Black spray fact, it is probably one of the most purpose gun as secondary armament. and then oversprayed with clear flat. thoroughly researched development Capable of rates of fire rumored to Such an unusual model is certain programs yet undertaken by that approach 60 rounds per minute, the to be a conversation piece when col- branch of the service. The early gun will be highly effective against lectors gather, for not everyone on 1950s marked the beginning of se- small craft that come within its the block has one . . . at least not rious interest for the Navy and since range. at present. 3r

-- 50 sea classics