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I've been going over some of then-Commander Ward's patrol notes I got on CD from a gent on Ebay. It seems that upon reporting back from her early 1944 overhaul and before departing on her first post-refit patrol, she had two items installed or modified that I've not been able to figure out. The notes don't state if these mods were down stateside or at Pearl, but I would obviously suspect stateside.
First, she had mountings for two "Sailfish-type" twin-20 mm mounts installed. I had not known that twin Oerlikon mounts were being shipped in the summer of 1944, but Commander Ward's paperwork specifically calls them "Sailfish-type." Does anyone know what these looked like?
Secondly, these notes also state that Guardfish's bridge was now of the "Trigger-type." Does anyone know what that means? I have a suspicion its referencing a covered wagon cutdown, with the covered wagon framing showing through. Can anyone confirm this?
Finally, from Claude Connor's book, "Nothing Friendly in the Vicinity," he cites an interview with Guardfish's then-gunnery officer, who would probably know wherefore he spoke. He stated that Guardfish had a 40 mm Bofors mount installed stateside before returning to the war zone in the aforementioned refit. That would make her's one of the first, if not the first, Bofors mount in Subpac. Can anyone confirm if it was mounted forward or aft? There is no other information I can glean.
Thanks for any help. I'm far more interested in modeling Guardfish on her first patrol (let's watch the horsies!) but can't find anything definitive about her configuration at that time; lots of suspicions, but nothing definitive. So, I'm looking at 1944 as an alternative since I can at least find some references. For so famous a boat, there is remarkably little photo coverage other than her Electric Boat commissioning photos.
Robert
First, she had mountings for two "Sailfish-type" twin-20 mm mounts installed. I had not known that twin Oerlikon mounts were being shipped in the summer of 1944, but Commander Ward's paperwork specifically calls them "Sailfish-type." Does anyone know what these looked like?
Secondly, these notes also state that Guardfish's bridge was now of the "Trigger-type." Does anyone know what that means? I have a suspicion its referencing a covered wagon cutdown, with the covered wagon framing showing through. Can anyone confirm this?
Finally, from Claude Connor's book, "Nothing Friendly in the Vicinity," he cites an interview with Guardfish's then-gunnery officer, who would probably know wherefore he spoke. He stated that Guardfish had a 40 mm Bofors mount installed stateside before returning to the war zone in the aforementioned refit. That would make her's one of the first, if not the first, Bofors mount in Subpac. Can anyone confirm if it was mounted forward or aft? There is no other information I can glean.
Thanks for any help. I'm far more interested in modeling Guardfish on her first patrol (let's watch the horsies!) but can't find anything definitive about her configuration at that time; lots of suspicions, but nothing definitive. So, I'm looking at 1944 as an alternative since I can at least find some references. For so famous a boat, there is remarkably little photo coverage other than her Electric Boat commissioning photos.
Robert