My Review and Build of Tamiya’s 1/350 scale Kit #78005,
The USS NEW JERSEY BB-62 1980’S MODERNIZATION
Last updated: November 30, 2015 - Decals, rigging, and completion
Introduction - USS New Jersey, BB62
The USS New Jersey, is an Iowa class battleship built during World War II. Four vessels were built, the USS Iowa BB61, the USS New Jersey BB62, the USS Missouri BB63, and the USS Wisonsin BB64.
The New Jersey was the second in class and was commissioned in May 1943. The four Iowa class battleships were the largest battleships the US Navy ever built, and the strongest. Their main battery consisted of three large turrets, each carrying three 16" (406mm) 50 caliber guns. The effective range of these guns in their day was over 20 miles. They displaced, full load, over 58,000 tons. They were 887 feet long and had a beam of 102 feet, precisely enough to allow them to fit through the Panama Canal.
As stated, USS New Jersey was commisisoned in May 1943. After her shake down cruise and outfitting, she conducted her work up exercises and then went to war in January of 1944. From that time until returning homwe from the War and Occupation of Japan in 1946, she took part in all of the following operations:
- Marshall Islands Invasion
- Attack on Truk Island
- Mille bombardment
- Aitap Invasion
- Saipan/Mariana Invasion
- Battle of the Philippine Sea
- Invasion of the Philippines
- Battle of Leyete Gulf, covering for Halsey’s carriers
- Attack on Formosa
- Iwo Jima Invasion
- Okinawa Invasion
- Overhaul in Puget Sound
- Flagship of Japanese Occupation
- Operation Magic Carpet, returning US forces to the US
After returning home from the end of World War II, USS new Jersey was decomissioned in June 1948 and put in reserve. However, with the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, she was recommissioned in June 1950 and served during the Korean war and thereafter.
She was again decommissioned in August of 1957 and again placed in reserve. Almost eleven years later, in April 1968, after a significant modernization to her sensors and the removal of most of her 20mm and 40mm anti-aircraft guns, she was called upon again, this time for the Vietnam War. She provided fire support to US and South Vietnamese forces in 1968 and throughout 1969. At the end of that time, she was was decommissioned in December of 1969.
Again, she spent several years in reserve. But in the early 1980s, a good twelve years later, after the election of Ronald Regan as President of the United States, she was called upon again, being recommissioned in December of 1982. This was in support of Reagan’s desire for a 600 combat ship Navy.
She was significantly modernized under a program where all four Iowa Class battleships were modernized to the same standard to be used as the centerpieces of large modern Surface Action groups.
With this modernization, all of the Iowa clas received modern sensors, the ability to land and fuel modern helicopters, new modern armament to compliment the 16" and 5" guns. This new armament consisted of four Phalanx 20mm Close-in Weapons systems (CIWS), eight Box Launchers carrying four Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles each for a total of 32 Tomahawk missiles, four quad launchers for Harpoon anti- shipping missiles for a total of sixteen of those missiles, and a flight pad supporting helicopters from the SH-60 Seahawk ASW/SAR to CH-47 transport helicopters. As stated, each vessel also received all of the modern radars, sensors, communication, computer, and defense systems to to go with it.
The refit vessel retained all nine of the 16" main guns in their three turrets. It cut back on the number of 5" guns turrets. The original fitting for these battle ships was five twin 5" turrets on each side, for a total of ten turrets and 20" five inch guns. After the refit, there were three twin turrets on each side for a total of twevle five inch guns. When you conisder that the most any US destroyer or the new Toconderoga crusiers had at the time was two single 5" gun turrest, this was a huge increase in 5" fire power. Not to mention the 16" guns.
Because of the modernization work that had already occurred on the New Jersey beofre her 1968 deployment, including the removal of her older anti-aircraft guns, the New Jersey was the cheapest of the four to modernize, and also the quickest.
Her firepower, which had been used in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, spoke again. They were used quickly in 1983 off of the coast of Lebannon to attack terrorist camps in response to attacks on US Marine peace keepers. Throughout the 1980s, her presence was a credible deterence and powerful addition to US naval power around the globe, along with her three sisters.
Finally, in 1989 and into 1990 she provided a powerful presence in the Pesian Gulf.
With the fall of the Soviet Union, she was scheduled for deactivation and decommissioning in February 1991, and so missed out on being used in Desert Storm which her sisters, USS Missouri and USS wisconsin participated in.
Ultimately, all of the Iowa class battleships were once again put into reserve. By 1994, all had been decommissioned.
In 1996, Section 1011 of the US Congress National Defense Authorization Act required the United States Navy to reinstate two of the Iowa-class battleships. These ships were to be maintained in the United States Navy reserve fleet. The Navy was to ensure that both of the battleships were in good condition and could be reactivated for use if called upon. USS New Jersey and USS Wisconsin were chosen for this duty and were both reinstated to the Naval Vessel Register and placed in the reserve fleet in 1996.
However, in the US Congress Defense Authorization Act of 1999. Section 1011 required the United States Secretary of the Navy to list and maintain the USS Iowa and USS Wisconsin on the Naval Vessel Register, while Section 1012 required the Secretary of the Navy to strike New Jersey from the Register and transfer the battleship to a not-for-profit entity in the State of New Jersey. As a result, the Navy made the switch, and in in January 1999 the USS New Jersey was struck from the US naval registry, 56 years after she had been commissioned. In September 1999, the USS New Jersey was towed from Bremerton, Washington to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, for restoration work in the in advance of her planned donation as a museum ship.
After a review of plans submitted to the Navy for estanlishing the USS New Jersey as a museum ship, the US Navy selected the Home Port Alliance as the battleship’s final resting place. Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig made the announcement in January 2000, and in October of that year, USS New Jersey arrived at her final resting place on the Camden Waterfront in New Jersey. In 2004, the State of New Jersey officially designated the battleship as an historical site and the New Jersey was then placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The USS New Jersey Museum Ship
In the end, after all of her campaigns, the USS New Jersey accumulated 20 battle stars. This made her the most decorated US Navy battleship in history.
All four Iowa class vessels are now Museum ships. But the Act of Congress establishing that the USS Iowa and the USS Wisonsin be available for service if needed still stands. It is unlikely that they will ever be used again, but a very popular sciencce fiction movie of 2012, called “Battleship,” shows an exciting scenario where the USS Missorui is brought back to life. It’s a good movie and I would recommend it.
What’s in the Box
Tamiya began building large, 1/350 scale model vessels back in the 1980s and has been doing so ever since. They make OUTSTANDING 1/350 scale model kits for naval vessels.
I originally purchased and built this model in the mid-1980s while working for Structural Design Research Corporation (SDRC) in Milford, OH. There were no photo etch parts at the time and I worked after work in the evenings, in a shop in my basement. It took me almost 6 months to complete. But I really treasured it and took it with me, along with the unbuilt Tamiya model of the USS Enterprise, CVN-65, as we moved around after leaving SDRC. This took our family…and that model…to Montana, Utah, and ultimately to Idaho, where we live now and have lived for the last 18 years.
About a year ago I began thinking about building the model again. I had long since purchased and added PE railing to my older model, but I just thought it would be fun, after all of these years ,to build it again.
A year or two before this I had taken the time (about six months) to build my Tamiya 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, CVN-65, and really enjoyed it.
So, a few weeks ago I purchsased the Tamiya model of the USS New jersey online to build, thinking that I would sell my older one on eBay…which I may still do.
When I got the model in the mail, to my dismay, I found that the entire aft main deck piece was missing!
I contacted the seller and all they would offer was a partial refund. So, I contacted Tamiya USA and explained my predicament. I offered to purchase the part and pay for the shipping if they had access to spare parts.
To my pleasant surprise, they replied to me within two days and indicated that it would not be a problem, that they would send my a new part at no charge. And they did.
within a week I had the part and was able to continue with the build. I told Tamiya USA that I would surely mention this in my review and build page, thanking them and punctuating their good servicee, and so, now I am making good on that promise.
Thank you, Tamiya, USA! You guys exemplify good service and caring for your customers. In todays world, there are not too many that can say that.
Now…hehehe…if you guys at Tamiya would simply build 1/350 scale model kits of the following:
USS Gerald Ford, CVN-78 (or better yet, make it the USS Enterprise, CVN-80 to go along with the older Entrerprise model) USS Zumwalt, DDG-1000, the new, very modern and exotic US Navy destroyer HMS Queen Elizabeth (or HMS Prince of Wales) the new, modern Royal Navy aircraft carrier(s), INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant, the two new INsdian aircraft carriers
If you guys build these, I would be forever even more in your debt…and you would immediately get a lot more of my money too!
Seriously though, back to the reveiw and build of this kit.
This model is a 1/350 scale kit of the modernized USS New Jersey. She underwent a major refit in 1982, becoming a fully modernized battleship for the modern US Navy. This model depicts her after that modenization.
The model comes in a large, beautifully illustrated box, that is well built and very protective. Inside, the hull comes in a single large piece that is well molded without any excees flash. There is no “water-line” option unless you want to cut the hull yourself. In my case, I build full hull 1/350 scale models so this was perfect for me.
The main deck comes in three pieces (the aft portion of which was the one Tamiya sent me). Then there are six additional sprues with about 400 additional parts. The parts are well molded and have very little excess flash. They are molded in a medium gray, except for the stand, which is molded in black.
The main 16" gun turrets can each be built to rotate. All of the modern weapons systems are included in detailed, plastic assemblies for the Tomahawk cruise missile box launchers, the Harpoon missile quad- launchers, and the four 20mm Phalanx CIWS.
The kit, as all Tamiya kits, has excellent instructions, that, in addition to the painting guide, give painting instructions for each part as you build the model.
There is a decal sheet for the pennant numbers, campaign decals, ship’s name, etc.
All in all an excellent model…just as I remember it.
I also purchased a Gold Medal Model Photo Etch metal kit for the USS New Jersey. It has all of the railing, sensors, and other fittings for the modernized New Jersey on two sheets of Photo Etch (PE) parts. I also have a couple of sheets of additional PE parts from other kits I will use as necessary. There are brand new kits (ie from Revell) that come with the PE parts included. But I elected to use the GMM detail kit on the Tamiya kit. It is a very complete PE kit and also very reasonably priced.
If you want to go all out and get a huge set of PE parts (six sheets), the complete wooden deck pre-stained, over 110 brass parts including all of the metal gun barrels which are bored out, and 85 more detailed, resin replacement parts, well then, you would have to consider the Pontos Super detail set for the 1/350 scale USS New Jersey. They do an extremely good, professional job…but be advised, that set will cost you quite a bit more than the model itself, usually from $130-150 dollars. But, as indicated, they also do very, very good job.
Here is the model, all of the parts, and the Photo etch parts I will use.
And here are all of the instructions:
…and finally, the decals and the Whie Ensign Model PE instructions:
The Build - Props and rudders, painting the hull, painting the main deck and dry fitting - November 9, 2015
I began this model by painting the waterline on the hull, and then adding the rudders, props, and supports to the aft end, on the underside. I then painted the wood deck in mix of flat brown and tan on the three main deck pieces:
After this, I masked off the hull and painted the hull red underside, below the waterline. I mixed 3 parts Insignia red, two parts flat brown, and one part Insignia orange (all Model Master) to get the standard US Navy hull red I use. I then dry fit the three main deck pieces onto the hull.
Then, I painted the two decks above the amidships main deck (they are the last levels using the wooden deck) and then dry fitted them to the hull
That’s all for this first session. Here’s how she looks with the existing deck dry fitted to the vessel:
I have some more main deck painting (the gunship grey for the aft end around the helo deck, and some deck details to add) before I glue them down, including completing the main turrets and assembling them so that they can be rotated in place… That will be for the next round.
The Build - Main batteries, adding main deck, secondary and missile decks, funnels - November 12, 2015
Veteran’s Day was during the last couple of days and I had the day off as a holiday. I spent pretty much all of that day working on the USS New jersey. Very fitting.
I started the session by asesembling and then painting the main batteries. This consists of three large turrets, each housing three 16" 50 caliber guns. There are range finders and hoists on each of these monster turrets.
Once the turrets were complete and dry, I then attached them to their various loctions on the main decks. I made the forward two turrets movable, but glued down the aft turret. I then attached the three sections of main deck to the hull.
I then assembled the next higher decks…the auxillary and weapons deck for the vessel. Forward, this includes the bridge and the base for the main superstructure and first smoke stack. Amidships it includes the forward deck holding the Tomahawk missile box launcher bases. Aft, it includes more Tomahawk box launcher bases, as well a being the location of the second smoke stack.
Once the sub assemblies for these decks were all completed, I then glued them together to form each of the major assemblies.
Here’s how each looks attached to the vessel.
At this point, I decided to go ahead and place the decals on the main decks. There are several markers/warning lines, as well as the helo landing area on the aft portion of the ship. It is important to put these down now before all of the smaller details are added to the decks which would make the placement of the decals more difficult.
Once this was completed, I built and painted the smoke stacks, and the forward superstructure and then placed them on the ship.
Now the vessel is sure enough looking like an Iowa class battleship.
There is still LOTS of detail work to be done. Hundreds of pieces to build into small assemblies, as well as many individual parts. Then there will be all of the Photo etch parts…and there are a lot of those too.
In the next session I hope to get all of the secondary armaments built and placed. This will include the six double 5" gun turrets. The eight box launchers for for Tomahawk missiles each. Four quad launchers for the Harpoon missiles. And finally the four 20mm Phalanx Close in Weapon Systems (CIWS).
The Build - Armament/Weapons - 5" guns, Tomahawks, Harpoons, Directors, CIWS - November 14, 2015
As stated, in this session I consentrated on the secondary armaments…the modern armaments being the main thing. It’s the whole reason the vessel was upgraded…to give it these capabilites.
I started with the twin 5" gun turrest. There are three on each side of the ship. Each is a small assembly of five parts which needed to be painted and assembled.
Then, it was on to the eight Tomahawk missile box launchers. Each holds four Tomahawk cruise missiles for a total of 32 Tomahawks. Back then they could either be the land attack variety, or the Anti- Shipping variety. Mostly they embarked the Land-attack variety because of their dedication to support of US Marines ashore.
Each of these is a small assembly of three pieces that had to be assembled, painted and fixed to the vessel on their respective missile decks.
Then it was on to the Harpoon missile launchers. These are anti-shipping missile with a ranger of around 100 miles. There are four quad launchers, making for a total of 16 missiles carried.
They are an assembly of three parts each too, which were painted, assembled, then had their distinctive red war-shot caps painted on, and placed on the vessel.
After this, I built and placed the directors. There are a total of four of these and they are assemblies of three pieces as well.
Then it was on to the Phalanx, 20mm Close in weapons systems.
These are 20mm gatlin guns, with each system having six 20mm barrels which rotate and fire up to 4,000 rounds per minute. They are autonomous…meaning they have their radar and target acquisition built right into them. They are used to shoot down incoming missiles, or aircraft close to the ship. They can also be used for small craft threatening the ship close aboard.
Each of these was an assembly of three parts. They were painted, with their distinctive white radome, assembled, and then placed on the ship.
