USS Conway (DD-507)

USS CONWAY (DD-507) c. 1945.
(Tamiya USS Fletcher in 1/350 scale, kit #78012 c. 1996)

While at a friend’s Christmas dinner, I stumbled across a sketch of a US Navy ship in the home’s sitting room with the Caption “USS Conway”. Being somewhat of a ship nerd, I recognized the ship as a WWII Destroyer, specifically a round-bridge Fletcher-class DD in Measure 22 camo. It turns out that the host’s grandfather was a Signalman on the ship in WWII.

I figured my friend wouldn’t mind having a replica…

I bought the kit back in 2003 when it was still a young release and kept it in my stash for such a moment. Colors are MM Acryl 5-N Navy Blue and 5-H haze Grey, while the hull bottom is red rattlecan primer.

Decals (hull numbers) are cobbled from scraps. Non-skid strips from L'Arsenal sheet. The ship’s name was done in somewhat-exaggerated large lettering (so old folk like me and the recipient can read the ship’s name without reading glasses) with a blue background so that I could cut in the letters with a fine brush.

I did a minimal number of modifications, like adding a secondary conn and flag bags (mysteriously missing from the Tamiya kit) with rigging from smoke monofilament and Caenis fly-tying thread.

As it turns out, Conway was commissioned in late 1942 and entered the Pacific in January 1943, just in time to help foil Japanese attempts at reinforcing their garrison in Guadalcanal up “the Slot”. She spent quality time in the South Pacific, participating in multiple surface actions for the duration of the war, from Guadalcanal to the surrender and beyond, finally leaving for home from Shanghai in December 1945.

After the war, she served in the guise of a DDE and back as a DD, and served in the Vietnam War before being decommissioned in 1969.

My friend was pleased by the gift.