Trumpeter 1/350 USS The Sullivans DD-537
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History
 The
USS Sullivans DD-537 is a mid war square bridge Fletcher-Class Destroyer.
Her keel was laid down on 10 October 1942 at the Bethlehem Steel Ship
yards in San Francisco California. She was completed and then commissioned
the following year on 30 September 1943. She served until the end of the
war and was then decommissioned in December 1945. Later she became part
of the Naval Reserve Fleet until 1974.
 The
Fletcher-Class is probably one the best known US Navy destroyer types
to serve in WWII. A total of 175 were built, second only in quantity to
the WWI four stack flush deck destroyers. As destroyers went the Fletchers
were big measuring over 376 feet long with a beam of almost 40 feet. Armament
consisted of five 5”/38 closed turrets, three to five twin 40mm
AA mounts depending on the ships configuration as well as a number of
20mm AA mounts. Fletchers also carried ten 21” torpedo tubes in
two mounts of five that were located amidships. Of course they also sported
a variety of ASW weapons.
The Kit
 The
kit is cast in medium gray plastic and consists of a half dozen styrene
trees of small parts plus a separate main deck and upper and lower hull
sections which give the modeler the option to build the kit as either
a waterline or as a full hull model. A review of these small parts seems
to show a fairly decent level of detailed. Also a check of major dimensions
and a comparison of overall shape of the hull to drawings from Alan Raven’s
book on Fletcher-Class destroyers indicated that the length and beam of
the hull is correct as is the angle of the stem and the rake of the stern.
 Marking
The kit comes with a small set of decals for DD-537 including the ships
number, an American flag and the green shamrocks that was painted on either
side of the rear funnel of the USS Sullivans.
Conclusion
 This
being a first look it is pretty hard to tell just how accurate this kit
is or how well it goes together of course. However I am sure a square
bridge Fletcher is a welcome addition to the growing variety of 1/350
WWII fighting ships.
My thanks to Stevens International
and Trumpeter for the sample copy. |
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