[I]          Heavy elements of the US Pacific Fleet on maneuvers: BB-36 USS NEVADA leads BB-46 USS MARYLAND (second-nearest) and BB-43 USS TENNESSEE (at distance). A generic scene, circa Winter 1941.  Besides NEVADA, details of armament coupled with nuances of the Measure-1 camouflage worn by these ships, as well as the obvious lines of anti-torpedo blisters also permit clear identification of MARYLAND at least – given that of the 16-inch gunned latter three of the ‘Big-5’ standard battleships, BB-48 USS WEST VIRGINIA was not fitted with anti-torpedo blisters by Winter of 1941; and, BB-45 USS COLORADO was in refit at the time represented by this drawing. Admittedly there was very little I could add on so small a sketch to differentiate between TENNESSE and her sister BB-44 USS CALIFORNIA.  The International Code of Signals still reads fairly well in black & white – which is by design not accident; thereby the signal NEVADA makes at her Starboard foretop signals yard reads : “PREP-BAKER-TARE, FIRST-REPEAT-LOVE-ZED, X-RAY-ONE-SEVEN-NINE”. Or, translated: “TOGETHER TURN TO COURSE TRUE ONE-SEVEN-NINE”.  It was a bit of fun working an actual message into so small a drawing.  Of course with the signal still hauled up NEVADA has yet to actually execute her own turn – and with MARYLAND and TENNESSEE in line astern still wearing around onto the same heading the scene would no doubt make for some fun between the respective Officers of the Deck and Signals Yeomen in all three ships.  But no doubt with war brewing all crews were being put through their paces.

[II]            The venerable Standard American Battlewagon BB-37 USS OKLAHOMA, depicted as she might have looked on gunnery exercises with the US Pacific Fleet, also circa Winter 1941.  Notwithstanding two very different wartime fortunes both OKLAHOMA and her sister NEVADA still rest on the bottom of the same blue Pacific.  NEVADA having been sunk as a target ship after surviving two atomic bombs during post-war tests; OKLAHOMA having defied the scrapper’s torch to part her towline and sink again after her salvage from Pearl Harbour.  There are apparently not many images of this proud ship in her final guise – so it was deliberate intent to show her living and breathing, fully worked up and formidable in fighting trim.  The Vought Kingfisher scout planes have all been flown off; all boats and davits unshipped and stowed inboard; fighting top cupolas opened and main firecontrol revealed; the American Ensign and two “KEEP CLEAR” flags stream and snap at the halyards aloft.  The setting was useful for conveying the odd 2-gun 3-gun superfiring pairs of 14-inch guns which were a prominent feature of this class of ship.

          This series of two studies was originally prepared for the licensed use of Tom's Modelworks Limited, a specialist scale model manufacturer based in California.  The images have also been contributed to Navsource.org for non-profit use.