-
Announcement
-
Simtropolis Returns! 05/26/2026
See here for details about our site recovery efforts.
-
Search the Community
Showing results for tags '20th century limited'.
Found 1 result
-
Chapter 57: The Photo Tour 13
Dreadnought posted a City Journal entry in IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN
IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN By: Dreadnought & AP Chapter 57: THE PHOTO TOUR 13 In this chapter, we will take a look at the destroyers berthed along the east quay of the Inner Basin. Historically, the scouting forces of the Hochseeflotte consisted of the 1st and 2nd scouting groups. There were other scouting groups – light cruisers and torpedo boats -- but they were assigned to work with the battle fleet and were home-ported in Wilhelmshaven. The 1st Scouting Group, the battlecruisers – and the 2nd Scouting Group, composed of light cruisers and torpedo boats – constituted the main advanced scouting forces of the Hochseeflotte. This force fanned out in a search pattern ahead of the battle fleet to seek out the enemy. (See Chapter 24 for details of their formation and search procedures.) In the 2nd Scouting Group, the torpedo boats were used to search and to investigate sightings – while supported by the light cruisers of the group. In the 1st Scouting Group, the torpedo boats were tasked with screening the battlecruisers from submarine attack and defending them against enemy destroyer attacks. (As mentioned earlier – strictly speaking – the Kaiserliche Marine did not have “destroyers”. German torpedo boats carried a heavy torpedo armament alongside an adequate gun armament and were oriented toward aggressive torpedo attacks on enemy capital ships. The Royal Navy protected their capital ships with heavily-gunned “torpedo-boat-destroyers” – hence the term “destroyer”.) This overview shows the eastern quay of the Inner Basin. Two destroyer flotillas of twelve boats each are “nested” at berths. The VI Flotilla on the right is assigned to work with the light cruisers of 2nd Scouting Group, while the IX Flotilla on the left is assigned as escort for the battlecruisers of 1st Scouting Group. Note the extensive dockside infrastructure supporting the flotillas. The ships composing the VI Flotilla are not, as you can probably tell, WW I Era German torpedo boats. They are, in fact, Italian Leone Class destroyers built between the wars (they saw service in WW II). Unfortunately, I had no models of British WW I destroyers – but these Italian ships are quite handsome and vaguely similar to early British designs – so I went with them. The Leone Class ships displaced 2,195 tons and were strikingly long and narrow (372 feet in length, 34 feet in beam) – well armed with 8x4.7-inch guns in four twin mounts and 6x17.7-inch torpedo tubes in two triple mounts – and capable of a dazzling 33 knots. The dock they are nested against was taken from a “PEG Marina Set” and re-lotted onto an “NBVC Seawall”. This is a close-up view of the quayside support facilities. The four metal sheds on the left were borrowed from the “PEG SNM Submarine” base – re-lotted on 2x2 lots. The rusty-roofed warehouse next to them is absolutely perfect for a turn-of-the-century harbor and can be found in “SimCoug’s Historic Harbor” series. The building is lotted on a 1x1 tile and overhangs the two adjacent lots. This makes it possible to plop a 1x1 modular lot on either end to compliment the structure – note the activity on either end. The small warehouse and angular building on either side of the water tower are from the Maxis industrial props. The angular building is a machine shop to assist with repairs and maintenance. Same scene, different view. Notice the display of diagonal props to the left of the water tower. It is amazing what a difference diagonal props can make in a scene. I found these among the hundreds of props and lots in the “SimCoug” collection and thought I’d give them a try This is a close-up of the Leone Class destroyers. They are finely detailed models, with excellent weathering, and typical of the light destroyers built between the wars for service in the Mediterranean. The only noticeable error the model maker made concerns the midships torpedo tubes – there were six in twin mounts – not four. The Leone’s are courtesy of “Barroco Hispano”. These are the ships of the 9th Destroyer Flotilla, tasked with screening and anti-submarine duties for the main body of the 1st Scouting Group – the battlecruisers. The flotilla is composed of British Tribal Class destroyers. Built between the wars, the Tribal’s – next to the US Navy Fletcher Class destroyers – were the most effective destroyers deployed in the European theater during WW II. Note the paddle tug Sophia in the lower left corner of the shot. This shot shows the general layout of the quayside support infrastructure for the detsroyer flotilla. You can clearly see a road bisecting the dock area. On the right side of the road is the cargo handling strip. This freight handling strip was lotted as a 9x1 with a wide variety of props, and “dressed-out” with numerous 1x1, 1x2, and 1x3 modular lots. The angular machine shop building is actually a 3x2 lot with various props “dressing-out” the building. But it is surrounded by a mix of 1x1 modular lots that seamlessly blend it into the whole scene. This is another view of the same scene. If you look closely, you can see many instances where activity on one 1x1 lot seems to “spill over” into the adjacent lot. This is particularly noticeable on the lots just to the right of the Quonset Huts. This spill-over effect was achieved by rotating the 1x1 lots until the activity blended in with adjacent lots. This method creates large, cohesive scenes – while maintaining the flexibility of small modular lots. The same scene from a different angle. The freight is brought in by rail, unloaded trackside, then distributed to the various warehouses, huts, and work shops supporting the flotillas – and the cruiser berths on the opposite side of the tracks. In the early 1930’s, British destroyer designs were being surpassed by the new construction of other naval powers – the Germans, Italians, and Japanese in particular. To counter this trend, Royal Navy designers entertained the idea of a small light cruiser to combat enemy destroyers. But the tactical concept was unnecessarily complicated and quite beyond Britain’s peacetime budget. Instead, a faster and more powerful destroyer design with multiple tactical uses was settled upon. The Tribal Class destroyers were handsome vessels in their own right, with raked funnels and a clipper bow. They displaced 1,854 tons on a length of 377 feet, with a beam of 36 feet. They were well armed with 8x4.7-inch QF guns in four twin mounts and 4x21-inch torpedo tubes in a quadruple mount amidships – and capable of an amazing 36 knots. Tribal Class destroyers served from 1938 to 1963. Close examination of this highly detailed model is well worth the time. HMS Cossack is courtesy of @Barroco Hispano. In the top left of the picture, you can see Admiral Hipper arriving by train from from Berlin. The house directly across the road from the train is the Admiral’s quarters ashore. The dock at center is the Admiral’s private landing. Again, the construction of the scene is largely 1x1 modular pieces, with a 3x2 for the house. The woodlands are 1x1 custom-made Tree Filler lots, dressed out with @Girafe MMP work. In the foreground of the picture, you can see the docks and quayside facilities of the East Berthing Basin. At the top of the picture, two small boats from across the Inner Basin are approaching a destroyer dock. And across the main road is the Admiral’s compound. Same scene, different view. This view shows the Admiral’s landing and provides a good view of the cruiser docks in the East basin. This is a close-up of the Admiral’s landing. Anticipating Hipper’s return from Berlin, the motor launch on the starboard side of the landing has brought the Deputy Commander of Scouting Forces, Konteradmiral Levetzow, to meet the Admiral’s train. A “side party” of sailors has been mustered on the landing to greet him. The beautifully detailed motor launch is by “AP”. This is a much better view of the entire scene. The compound guard has been turned out to greet the Deputy Commander on his arrival and they have mustered on the approach to the landing. Out on the landing, the crew of Admiral Hipper’s steam launch has been mustered as a “side party”. A side party is an old tradition found in most navies – but especially in the Royal Navy. Any time a ranking officer comes aboard a warship, he is piped aboard and honored with a “side party”. It is purely a matter of naval protocol and courtesy – but it is just one of the privileges due to an officer of rank – and is not to be ignored. Early on in their existence, the Kaiserliche Marine adopted many customs from the Royal Navy – especially those of protocol. This is another view of the landing – this one showing the Admiral’s steam launch moored. This is an excellent view showing the details of the landing. The very stylish steam launch was provided courtesy of “Barroco Hispano” and is a classic example of their type. Most warships carried various styles and sizes of steam launches as part of their “ship’s boats” inventory, but the Admiral Commanding would have his own launch – usually larger and more plush – hoisted aboard the flagship for his own use. This launch was often referred to as the “Admiral’s Barge”. The landing is one of several old wooden piers modeled by @AP and is a work of art in its’ own right. The detail of the planking, pilings, and ladders is absolutely amazing, and the weathering is truly masterful. I added the light post, rope coils, barrels, and sailors. The landing has been lotted as a “free-standing” 1x2 lot that is placed on the flat harbor bottom with the end of the landing overhanging the “NBVC Seawall”. The Motor launch and steam launch props were added to the lot. Admiral Hipper was appointed to command 1st Scouting Group in 1913, at 50 years of age, and he had been at sea for the better part of 32 years. Dedicated to his profession, he could inevitably be found on the bridge, or in his cabin aboard ship. Along with his appointment as “Commander Scouting Forces”, Hipper inherited comfortable quarters ashore from the previous Commander (Admiral Bachmann) and found the need to rest or work from them from time to time. Life at sea, even for an admiral, can be hard and stressful. The quarters were also useful for entertaining visiting dignitaries, his squadron captains and their wives, and even the junior officers on occasion. Here you see the Admiral’s comfortable, two-story dwelling – large enough to billet his immediate aides and enlisted attendants. There is a comfortable dinning room with a small adjacent ballroom for formal occasions on the ground floor -- with just enough room for a kitchen tucked away in a corner. The third floor is partitioned-off for the Staff Officers and enlisted attendants. The second floor holds the Admiral’s sleeping quarters, with an outer office for the staff, and an inner office overlooking the harbor for the Admiral. The building is located on the east side of the Inner Basin ship channel, and the Admiral often takes breakfast on the terrace (when ashore). A short distance to the left is the Admiral’s landing. In this shot we see the Admiral stepping off the special train returning him from an Imperial Staff conference in Berlin. The train model consists of a locomotive, tender, and passenger car from the famous “20th Century Limited”. The express passenger service of the New York Central Railroad operated from 1902 to 1967, and ran between Grand Central Terminal in New York City and the LaSalle Street Station in Chicago. Stops along the route were rare – the coal tender was large enough for the trip, and water for the boiler was obtained while in motion using a scoop, dipped into special “track water pans” built into the roadbed. The First Class fare in 1927 was $51.30 – equivalent to $920.00 today. A private compartment was considerably more expensive. In 1938 the industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss designed the streamlined Art Deco rolling stock you see in the model. The locomotive under all that classy Art Deco look was a 4-6-4 “Hudson” built by American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in the Baldwin Locomotive Works – weighing 166 tons and capable of 124-mph. The phrase “red carpet treatment” was derived from “Limited” passengers boarding the train via a plush red carpet. The superb “20th Century Limited” – in all its streamlined glory -- is courtesy of @Barroco Hispano. (I had to work that into a naval base somewhere. Right next to battleships, I’m very fond of old steam trains.) Another view of the Admiral. His train, and his quarters. The 150-ton crane at left is borrowed from the “PEG SNM Dry Dock” lot. This is one last close-up of the modular nature of the lots. Everything in this picture is a 1x1, 1x2, or 1x3 custom-made modular lot. I have an untold number of modular lots in my plugins folder that are designed to be used in almost any situation. The Quonset Huts are the main focus of the scene, and they have individual props placed on their lots. But they take on a whole new look when they are surrounded by other modular lots. Suddenly they blend right into the scene and fit seamlessly into the activity of the surrounding lots. It’s as easy as assembling a jig-saw puzzle. You plop the Quonset Huts, then scroll through the menu and plop additional modular pieces into the scene – no need to stop and open Lot Editor to make a new lot for each and every scene. Simply assemble the new scene with jig-saw pieces. It’s quick, easy, and – I think – remarkably effective and realistic. NEXT TIME…… CUXHAVEN: THE PHOTO TOUR 14 MANY THANKS to @Barroco Hispano for his beautiful warship models. SPECIAL THANKS to my friend and partner, @AP, for his talents, meticulous models, colorful imagination, and extreme dedication. If you enjoyed anything – please punch the “like” button so WE will know. A comment would be even more informative. Comments and critiques requested and gratefully accepted. All questions answered promptly to the best of our ability. THANK YOU for your visit! You may wish to visit these CJ’s as well…… SERIES I: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: WILHELMSHAVEN SERIES II: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN Appearing – Work In Publication SERIES III: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: BREMERHAVEN Appearing -- ??? And please feel free to drop in at… THE SIMTROPOLIS SHIPYARD https://community.simtropolis.com/forums/topic/761469-simtropolis-shipyard/?tab=comments#comment-1766496- 5 Comments
-
- 8
-
-
- destroyers
- docks
- (and 8 more)
