Forward Deck House

The forward deck house is fairly complex, but the blueprints show the basic structure. There were a lot of small changes between the initial construction and the period (1971) that I am modeling. To discover these changes I had to study many photos. There are lots of doors, air ports, ladders, railings, etc. remaining to be added to this model. Look closely and you can see faint outlines where the doors and air ports will go. Parts that are about finished are rendered in a bluish gray similar to Navy Ocean Gray. Preliminary parts are rendered in a yellowish gray.

Midships Deck House

The midships deck house includes the boat decks, kingposts, boat booms and the winches used for boat movements and transfer of large objects from ship to shore. Again, there are lots of details still to be added.

Missile House

The missile house is the simplest of the deck houses, but it still has a lot of details. This part of the model is almost complete. The starboard warhead davit is in the stowed position and the port davit is raised for warhead transfer.

After Deck House

The after deckhouse sat atop the missile house. It housed the missile tracking and guidance radars and associated equipment and Weapons Control where the missile system was operated. The aft radar tower rested on top of the deck house. It carried the AN/SPS-30 3D air search radar.

The black rubber hoses fastened to the front of the deck house served as bumpers for when missile transfer carts were being handled in rough seas. At the forward starboard side was a refueling station.