by Keith Bender
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1/350 USS North Carolina BB-55 (Trumpeter)
I was commissioned to build a 1/350 model of North Carolina for the son of one of her skippers. Phil Thomas was a teenager when his father "Captain Frank P. Thomas" sailed her during 43-44 as the commanding officer. Frank Thomas had a long navy career. He graduated in 1914 from the academy and passed away in 1953 in his 60's. Franks first ship as an ensign was the cruiser Maryland. Phil also had a brother who was lost aboard the USS Growler SS-215 when she was sunk.
The model is 1/350 scale that Phil purchased and decided to have a model builder make it rather then try himself. To be honest after seeing Phil's work shop and furniture work he is well qualified to do a good job. The model itself needed allot of TLC to bring it around to my liking. I did my usual hull plating job on her along with the seachest. These dims. Were taken from micro film and drawing from "The Floating Drydock". Phil also sent me a few photos to help along with the small details.
I used resin kingfishers to avoid the weight of the white metal on the cats during shipping. I made a master of the 16" 45. barrels then cast them in resin. The kit barrels are unusable, diameter is too large and they just look bulky. Mr. Thomas wanted the model painted in her later pattern when she was ready for sea after her overhaul in the fall of 44. This is when his father left the ship. I've learned that turret top #3 is ocean gray 5-0, I'm sure there will be some na sayers coming but the photos prove this.
In all this was a fun build mainly because of the place it was going and not the working on the kit itself. After driving 30 miles west of Richmond,VA and spending Saturday night and early Sunday with Phil's family I had to get moving on back to Delaware but not without an extra 128 mile trip to the Roanoke Rail Museum to see the J 4-8-4 locomotive. Mr. Thomas talked my ear off Saturday night and he asked me several times if he was boring me. Not at all. I had both ears wide open and eyes as well to see some of the great photos he has. His father worked for some well known admirals and served on many ships and subs through his long career.
It was a pleasure to build this model for Phil Thomas to honor his father. I'm sure he'll be happy with it for a very long time.
