U.S.S. Paul G Baker DE-642
Buckley Class Detroyer Escort
The Ships, (a brief history) |
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| Launched in the United States in 1943 &asmp 1944, the 102 destroyer escorts of the Buckley Class served in World War II as convoy escorts and anti-submarine warfare ships.
USS Paul G. Baker (DE 642) was commisioned in May 1942. After a shakedown cruise and alterations, she sailed for Pearl Harbor on escort duty on August 19, arriving on August 27th. From Pearl Harbor the Baker travel to the Admiralty Islands as part of an Escort Carrier Task Group and then escort duty under Task Force 11. On September 24th she headed for Port Purvis, Florida Island in the Solomon Islands. While stationed at Purvis Bay, Baker's duties entailed mostly escorting merchantment to various bases in the area.
Arrived off Okinawa on 1 April 1945, Baker took station on the inner transport screen off Hagushi Beach. She protected the transports during unloading by day and retirement by night until she departed the invasion area 5 April guarding empty transports to Guam, arriving on the 9th thence to Ulithi to join a convoy for Okinawa. During this operation, The Baker saw it's first enemy air action, Firing opn a Japanese plane whic crossed astern of the ship.
I chose to model The Paul G Baker because of the Camoflage. Where the USS England was painted Measure 21, Navy Blue 5-N on all vertical surfaces, The Baker was painted Measure 32/22D, Haze Gray, Ocean Gray and Black.
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| Build notes:
This kit sat on the shelf for a very long time. I hemmed and hawed over building it but once I started, I really enjoyed it. The kit was flash free with the usual mold line along the keel that required sanding. The PE set from Toms was great, the fit of the parts was excellent annd required minimal at most effort to fit |
| Products used in the construction:
Trumpeter Models 5305 USS England
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