Build Page 1 | Build Page 2 | Finished Model

Updates

2020 March 10, Finished Model page added. Congratulations Stu on another exceptionally fine PT model! She is gorgeous with a lot of extra details that add a great deal of interest.

2015 June 6, 2nd page updated.

2015 May 28, 2nd page added with photos of the almost ready to paint model.

2015 January 7, page added.

About

For my second 1/35 scale project there were many interesting subjects to choose from, but I finally settled on PT195 with the M45 quad .50 gun mount she carried in 1944. Once again, thanks to Jeff for his help and for putting this up on his site.

After collecting together and studying copies of all the available photos I felt that I had enough to go on to build a reasonably accurate model. There are still areas that require educated guesswork which bugs me but it can’t really be helped. There are quite a few photos of 195 at the time she had the quad fitted but none show all the detail needed for a model of this size. Some of the likely features need to be pieced together from pictures taken in ’43 where she is painted in 31/5P with no quad fitted, what appears to be overall green in New Guinea in late 44 through to late war shots showing her in 31/20L with all the deck pads for the tubes removed, and fabricated 40mm ammo can holders on the stern.

All the areas modified in my 109 build were re-visited and improved upon. Some more were included as appropriate for the later build block. Hull mods to introduce the S shape were again added and this time I have scribed in the deck planking. I have built up new day cabin walls in order to get the windows in the right places, re-set the angle of the aft turret and altered the curvature of the roof edges.

My model is to be 195 in late ’44 as ‘TOODLES’ with quad and when the fittings for the torpedo tubes were still on the boat. She has many features common to other boats in her squadron. I intend to make this project a waterline model and to include figures. Photos of the bridge area show she appears to be in the overall green at this time. Wider shots are indistinct with high contrast so there is no indication whether any camo is carried on the hull.

Mission marks are visible on the bridge. US stars are painted on the charthouse and day cabin, hull numbers are carried on the bow, a 37mm M4 is forward with an ammo box, she has four Mk1 roll off racks and 20mms on Mk. 12 mounts in both turrets. No depression rails are visible either for the 20mms or the 40mm aft, although the brackets are still there at the rear of the engine hatch. She has a smoke generator and there is a depth charge rack mounted each side aft.

The Bofors has no back rail. Each side of the engine room hatch and flanking the 40mm ammo cabinet are large ammo boxes. An ammo box can be seen alongside the day cabin on the port side for the rear 20mm.

An early shot in ’43 shows mounting pads for an ammo box alongside the charthouse on the starboard side so I calculated that one would likely be fitted here for the 20mm. The footsteps are missing both on the charthouse and day cabin, the step up provided by the boxes (I think).

On the outer side of the bridge to port is a locker spanning between the antenna housing and the wing.

Smaller details I have noted include forward facing deck vents, rearward opening hatches, an antenna mounted on the port side of the charthouse, charthouse side window scoops/shades and shades over the day cabin windows (one missing port forward). It is not possible to see the forward charthouse windows at this time but an early ’43 shot shows them just painted over.

The engine room access scoop/hatch has a handy broom and mop rack on the port side.

The day cabin lux pull is missing.

There is a flexible pipe attachment from the stbd. bridge wing down to the deck and the port bridge wing has a tubular mount with prominent brackets.

The bridge has a folding seat and is fitted with an aldis light locker. There is considerable boxing in around the helm consoles and a torpedo director is fitted. On the starboard side of the bridge, the navigation horn seems to be fitted.

Spare ammo canisters for the quad are arranged along the deck on the port side of the charthouse but no retaining straps are visible, so it’s possible they are only placed there whilst being refilled. The quad mount has the folding armour removed and no sight is fitted.

The radar mast has a small angled platform on the side but no antenna is fitted to this.

A later style squarer shaped life raft is stowed on the day cabin roof.

I will have to apply some artistic license for the artwork on the front of the bridge when the time comes. As far as I know, no close up exists of the Betty Grable pin up, although a clue to the size and layout can be found in a crew group photo. It is possible that there is a small name painted on the front of the quad armour shield but it is not legible in photos.

This is a work in progress and I hope to add updates. There is a long way to go yet so please feel free to correct me if I have got something obviously wrong! If anyone has more information to share which would benefit the model I would be grateful.

Images