Another bad idea, not going to model it - USS Why-oming

[Joe C-P]

Actually there are a few models that could come out of this story.  Assembling the various parts is just too expensive.


USS Why-oming

With the loss of much of the Pacific and Asiatic fleets at the battles of Hawaii and Philippines, the USN was desperate to get ships in service until those building and planned could come into service.

While the State Department negotiated with South American nations to purchase their old but still effective dreadnoughts and cruisers, the USN dipped into the reserve, training fleet and even museum ships.  Beyond the many four-stack destroyers, from Philadelphia the armored cruiser Olympia was restored to service, armed as in the Great War with 5"/51s, except on the 8" barbettes which each had a pair of 5"/25 AA, along with a quantity of 3" and 1.1" where they fit.   The predreadnought battleship Oregon returned to service with a variety of guns from local naval stores replacing the original turrets, and the AC Seattle was reinstated to service, her unique 10" main turrets replaced with modern 6" triples for armament consistency.

Wyoming, serving as a training ship, was also designated for restoration.  Her age and design meant she could only carry 12" twins, but due to the Washington and London naval treaties nearly all such guns and their turrets had been destroyed.   A few were retained as spares for her sister Arkansas, but no turrets to carry them, so her two remaining in positions 1 and 2 had to be supplemented from other stocks.

A search across various shipyards turned up two, which were shipped to Norfolk to be mated to Wyoming.  One was from a Connecticut class, similar in design to Wyomings, while the other from a Virginia, double stacked with fixed 8" twins above.  Those openings were plated over, though the physical mount had to be left in place.  The turrets filled barbettes 5 (Virginia) and 6 (Connecticut), and could only support older 12"/45, unlike the Wyoming's original /50s.  Six 5"/51s, plus three 5"/25s, four 3", six twin 40mm, and six quad 1.1" rounding out her armament.  As a training ship she already had a variety of directors, radar, and communications equipment.  Her armor was replaced using newer, more capable steel, with improved torpedo bulge designs.

There being no time to build new turrets with their complex handling equipment, barbettes 3 and 4 instead were adapted for existing triple 6" from Cleveland class cruisers being converted to aircraft carriers. These were placed shifted to starboard (3) and port (4) giving wider fields of fire, while the 12" magazines offered room for a considerable supply of shells, equal to the entire supply of a Brooklyn.

The result wasn't the most effective battleship.  The three pairs of turrets had to operate independently due to varying ballistics.  During trials crew tried to work out how to get the two different caliber 12" to fire as a group, but after much experimentation they simply could not be properly aligned, so two different splash dye colors were supplied.

The 6" guns needed separate fire control, and ended up co-opting the directors for the 5"/51s, which were essentially abandoned due to their limited arcs of fire and elevation.  The AA guns would receive the most exercise, as nervous young crews would fire at flocks of birds, fast-moving clouds, and even on occasion friendly aircraft.

As she began her duties escorting convoys along the East Coast her unique silhouette inevitably garnered a variety of nicknames.  "Gift Boxes", "Cheyanne Skyline, "Wyoming's Hills," were among the printable ones.  The meanest was "Why-oming?" from other battleship crews, though not among the crew of her sister Arkansas, who preferred the term "Steps-sister". The Wyoming's men retorted with "OLD sister" for Arkansas, which hadn't yet enjoyed a refit and still bore her cage mast and other antiquated equipment.

After a few cruises north and south Wyoming was reassigned to transatlantic duties, guarding against Nazi raiders.  For the merchantmen her strange silhouette became a reassurance, knowing a proper battleship, after a fashion, was on guard.  Arriving England the locals came out to see the rebuilt warship, one wag dubbing her a "post-pre-dreadnought".

From England she joined the Murmansk runs, quite an experience as they encountered the storms and cold and fog of the far North, arriving without incident beyond many crew requesting transfer to ships headed to the warm, sunny Pacific ocean.

It was on her return trip she was to gain her fame, for as she escorted a group of merchants with a pair of destroyers, Scharnhorst, Scheer, and Emden sortied to intercept them after reconnaissance planes reported the weakly-defended convoy, the pilot mistaking the old and relatively small Wyoming for a cruiser.

When the attackers appeared on her radar, Wyoming ordered the merchants to turn west with the destroyers, to watch for submarines, while she turned to face the oncoming foes.  Without her own aircraft they had to wait until the enemy came in sight to be certain they weren't about to fire on allies.  The German ships were readily identifiable so Wyoming's gun crews let loose, their radar-enhanced ranging coming close on the first salvo.

The Germans were taken aback at the size of the shells, having expected a cruiser and destroyers.  They split and spread, which might have been a problem but for Wyoming's unique armament.  The fore and after pairs of 12" each took on one of the larger vessels, while the two 6" mounts aimed for the smaller.

Unfortnately, being the sole foe she was also the sole target, meaning she had to dodge fifteen 11" guns plus 6" shells.  Fortunately her own guns found the range faster than the Germans, striking both Scharnhorst and Scheer multiple times before she took a serious shot to the hull.  Emden managed to hit her as well, but was so outgunned by the rapid fire of Wyoming's six 6" she was hit multiple times in return, forcing her to withdraw, on fire and holed in the hull

The 6" then turned on the larger enemy; while they couldn't penetrate Scharnhorst's armor they caused havoc on the upperworks while the heavier shells of the 12" smashed two of the main turrets.  That was enough for the captain, though his parting shots did return the favor, damaging Wyoming's #2 main turret and destroying the unmanned starboard 5"/51s.  Her captain then turned to open #1 to join the aft 12" to pummel the last foe, and with a few more shots she put paid to Scheer, holing her hull forward so he slowly sank even as they tried to withdraw.

Wyoming had taken damage, but without loss of seaworthiness, so she was able to rejoin th econvoy.  The next morning they were found again by the Luftwaffe, sending a flight of Stukas that missed the convoy ships, but did have near misses on the Wyoming. 

By the time she returned to England, the accumulated damage was too much, and she had to be pulled from service and await dry dock time for hull repairs.  Much of her AA armament and related equipment was removed for use on other ships, and most of her crew redistributed as well.  Once a large enough drydock was cleared, she was brought in just to patch the hull and ensure she could return to the US.  She joined a westbound convoy, her main guns still available for protection.  When she reached the Chesapeake Bay she was met by a delegation from Congress plus the British ambassador, medals and honours distributed, the remaining crew feted, and then the ship was returned to her training duties, joining the recently purchased dreadnoughts of Brazil, Argentina, and Chile as they were being repaired and upgraded.

She would train the gun crews for those ships and many others over the next few years, always proud to show off her battle stars and scars.


The model would need the Wyoming (or Arkansas) plus several borrowed/copied turrets and parts that I don't have. 

I've also thought about the US buying the A-B-C South American dreadnoughts, especially if they'd lost more battleships permanently at Pearl, either from more big explosions, or if ships had sortied and been sunk at sea.  Maybe someday, if I win the lottery and get my life extended a few decades.

[NARSES2]

Neat story