Forward Superstructure

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 Superstructure

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. It supported the midships radar tower. These deck houses contained offices, workshops, radio rooms and living quarters. This is a work in progress so there are lots of details still to be added.

The boat decks were modeling projects in themselves. The boat supports and boat nests were modified from the original blueprints. Enough of the original was still there to allow most of the dimensions to be determined, but there was still a bit of "photoguestimation" necessary to piece together the entire structures. And the boats were each a modeling project.

On the port side a 28 foot personnel boat was nested above the 40 foot utility boat. I have yet to model the smaller boat but the support frame is finished.

After Superstructure

The after superstructure housed the Talos missile system. The lower part was the missile house where the Mk 7 Guided Missile Launching System was housed. It included the missile stowage magazine, ready service magazine, wing and fin area and missile test cells. Just aft of the missile house was the Mk 7 guided missile launcher where the Talos missiles were fired. On the forward end of the house (on the right in this image), above the missile stowage magazine, were the FAST crane and two strikedown hatches where missiles were lowered into or raised from the storage magazine during missile transfers. The open deck area here was the after transfer station for underway replenishment. Stores, ammunition and missiles were transferred from and to replenishment ships at this location.

Above the missile house was the after deck house that supported the missile tracking and guidance radars. Inside the structure were the electronics spaces for the radars and Weapons Control where the missile system was operated. There were also fan rooms and gear lockers in the deck house. Refueling stations were located at the forward end of the deck house to port and starboard. Above the deck house was the after radar tower. This carried the AN/SPS-30 air search radar and additional antennas.

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 - all that is missing is the accommodation ladder stowage on the starboard side forward. The starboard warhead davit on the top of the missile house is shown in the stowed position and the port davit is raised for warhead transfer.

These images show the relationship of the Mk 7 Guided Missile Launching System inside the missile house to the Mk 7 Guided Missile Launcher. The blast doors on the face of the missile house opened and a rail on the top door mated with the rail on the launcher. Missiles were pushed out of the missile house onto the launcher and then the blast doors closed. The launcher could be trained in bearing across the stern of the ship through a large arc from side to side to launch the missile. However, it was desirable to launch off the side of the ship to minimize the amount of burned paint on the missile house.

After Deck House

The after deckhouse sat atop the missile house. It housed the Mk 77 Guided Missile Fire Control System, including two AN/SPG-49 missile tracking radars and two AN/SPW-2 missile 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 large AN/SPS-30 3D air search radar, AS-791/UPA-43 IFF antenna, AS-979A/UKR satellite telemetry antenna and a few other antennas. This part of the model is essentially complete, with all of the details like doors, deck drains, wiring and water wash down system piping. The AN/SPS-30 antenna is still a rough model and needs to be improved.

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 rigged with a receptacle for for quick connections. Port forward was another refueling station, but without the quick connection equipment.