Greetings,
I am a good model railroader as you may have guessed, and I have no experience with ships, but I am building a model of the Destroyer that my wifes father was on in WWII. It was the DD 426 Lansdale, which was sunk off North Africa. He did survive, but he is now deceased. I got a Tamyia Fletcher Class destroyer which is 1/350 scale and I am back dateing it to the Benson class that it was. I am searching for a Decal set that has the numbers DD426 and possibly the name USS Lansdale. Looking at the few pictures I have seen it is painted in the standard grey, but I am guessing that when she went to war the paint was upgraded to something else, and I am looking for information on that also. I have the Squadron/signal on Fletcher Destroyers, but of course that does not cover the Lansdale. Thanks for any help you may provide.
Paul
Dayton and Mad River Railroad
The shipcamouflage.com database lists the Lansdale as being lost in Ms22 (5-H Haze Gray over 5-N Navy Blue). She was also in Ms 2 and MS12R during her wartime career.
http://shipcamouflage.com/benson_class.htm
A photo on NAVSOURCE shows that the hull numbers forward were white. Aft were probably also white. The Commanders decals will fill the bill
http://www.commanderseries.com/
Names were painted over during the war – so it is not necessary to have the name decals.
Classic Warships Publications has a very good book (similar format to the Squadron books but better) on the Benson/Livermores. Squadron also includes Benson/Livermores in Destroyers Inaction #4
There is supposed to be a 1:350 scale plastic Benson/Livermore kit to be released, by Dragon I believe. There are several 1:700 scale Benson/Livermores available from PitRoad. Commanders/Iron Shipwright also makes a nice resin & brass Benson/Livermore.