by Christian Bruer
1/700 USS Wagner DER-539 (Pitroad/Skywave Conversion)
During World War II the U.S. Navy used a lot of destroyers and destroyer escorts as radar picket ships to protect the main carrier fleet against the Japanese kamikaze fighters. The DD`s and DR`s were used in the normal condition without special changes for this order. After the war a lot of the ships were decommissioned but with the beginning of the cold war an early warning system was more important than ever. 34 DR`s of the Edsall class were converted to destroyer escort radar. A new superstructure and two new masts were added; also the main armament was changed. Two ships of the John C. Butler class were converted without changes of their main armament. The ships got new radar and equipment for ASW. After their conversion they had a new appearance. The ships were integrated in the distant early warning line from 1953 to 1965. Only the two Butler’s got new orders from 1960 because they were inferior in range to the diesel powered Edsall class. There is no model of a DER in 1:700 so I decided to rebuild a John C. Butler from Pit Road. I used the hull, stack, 5” guns and some superstructure parts as basic for the new superstructure. I took the measures from the print and pictures in the Escort Destroyer book from squadron signal. This is not really exact, but I to me it looks right. The whole superstructure with the new bridge was made from plastic sheet; the masts were made from plastic rod. Basic for the superstructure were the parts from the original model. I took the railings, radars and equipment from different Gold Medal Model frets. The model is painted in colourcoats haze grey, the washing is made with acrylic paint and water colors. The crew is the pre painted Eduard fret. The base was made of a frame, some styrofoam and transparent silicon.
