Book Review of
The Fletcher-Class USS Stevens (DD-479)
Author: Walemar Goralski
Super Drawings in 3D No. 16078
Kargero Publications
ISBN: 978-83-66148-99-4
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2020
MSRP: $37.95
ISBN: 978-83-66148-99-4
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2020
MSRP: $37.95
HISTORY:
USS Stevens (DD-479) was a Fletcher-class destroyer in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was finally sold for scrap in 1973.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Namesake: Thomas Holdup Stevens and Thomas H. Stevens, Jr.
Builder: Charleston Navy Yard
Laid down: 30 December 1941
Launched: 24 June 1942
Commissioned: 1 February 1943
Decommissioned: 2 July 1946
Stricken: 27 November 1973
Fate: Sold for scrap, 27 November 1973
Class and type: Fletcher-class destroyer
Displacement: 2,050 tons
Length: 376 ft. 6 in (114.7 m)
Beam: 39 ft. 8 in (12.1 m)
Draft: 17 ft. 9 in (5.4 m)
Propulsion: 60,000 shp (45 MW); 2 propellers
Speed: 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Range: 6500 nmi. (12,000 km) at 15 kt
Complement: 336
Armament: In 1942-4 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal. guns (4 × 1), 2 × Bofors 40 mm AA guns (1 × 2), 8 × Oerlikon 20 mm AA guns (8 × 1), 5 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes (1 × 5), 6 × depth charge projectors, 2 × depth charge tracks, in 1944-5 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal. guns (5 × 1), 6 × Bofors 40 mm AA guns (3 × 2), 11 × Oerlikon 20 mm AA guns (11 × 1), 10 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes (2 × 5), 6 × depth charge projectors, 2 × depth charge tracks
Aircraft carried: 1, one catapult (removed 1944)
THE BOOK:
Kagero Publishers is based in Lublin, Poland.
This book is soft-cover of 74 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
It comes in a self-sealing clear cello envelope.
The cover art shows a color illustration of the USS Stevens as a bow-on view, posed on an all-dark navy-blue background.
The back cover shows another color illustration of her as a stern-on view, showing a white 479 on her hull sides.
The book contains 123 color walk-around type illustrations (including the cover arts).
I want say that when I first got a Kagero book in their 3D series, it was indeed 3D and came with a set of cardboard glasses that had a red and a blue lens to use to see the illustrations in 3D. All samples of 3D series books that I have received since are NOT 3D printed with the glasses inserted in the book. Since the 3D name is not TRUE, Kagero should delete that. It is miss-leading.
The color walk around illustrations include:
Six side views, 2 top views, 14 views of the Vought OS2U Kingfisher floatplane shown on her catapult and with her hoist, 8 views of the bow, 4 views of the stern, 3 views of the fore-deck, a view of the windlass on the fore-deck, several views of the pilot house, a view of the forward fighting station, a view of the No. 2 -5” Mk. 30 gun turret, 8 views of Oerlikon guns, 3 views of life rafts, a view of the Pelorus and torpedo director on the bridge, a view of the top of the main-mast with radar antennas and position lights, 2 views of the ship’s bells, 2 views of the 26 ft. motor-whaleboat on its davit, a view of the base of the main mast, a view of the forward smoke stack, 7 views of areas of the superstructure, 2 views of the 21” torpedo launcher, a view of a search-light and its platform, a view of the ship’s compass, a view of her battle flag, a view of a torpedo handling-crane, a view of the 5” practice platform, 2 views of the loading machine.
A view of the K-gun and racks with 150 lb. depth-charges, a view of 300 lb. depth-charges with a K-gun and racks, 3 views of No.3-5” Mk.30 gun turret, views of aft gun turrets, a view of ASW Station and AAA Platform with 40mm Bofors gun, 2 views of the aft 600 lb depth-charge release-rack, a view of the Mk. 1 Smoke Screen Generator, a view of the windlass operating station, a view of No. 1-5” Mk.30 gun turret, a view of the flying bridge, 3 views of Oerlikon gun mounts, 2 views of the Mk. 22 range-finder and radar antenna, a view of the combat deck and pilot house, a view of the sky lookout on the pilot house, a view of the base of the Mk. 37 range finder and 24” search light.
A view of the top of the main mast with radar gear, a view of the observation platform with Mk. 27 torpedo director, a view of a heavy duty winch, a view of the smoke stack and a 26 ft. motor-whaleboat on davit, a view of the aft deck, 14 views of the aircraft handling crane, 3 views of cable drums, a view of the aft catapult turn-table and launch mechanism, a view of the main deck. a view of the fire-fighting station, a view of No. 3 and 4-5” Mk.30 turrets, a view of the aft main turrets, a view of the aft Bofors gun mounts and Mk.51 gun director, a view of the aft deck, a view of the aft 600 lb depth-charge release racks and a mid-ships view.
The last page of the book shows 9 black and white cover arts of other Kagero Naval Series books. However, these are very inky and I fail to read their titles. Sorry!!
Inserted into the book is a sheet of blue-print line drawings of the USS Stevens. It is a large 18 ¾” x 26 ¼” format, folded 3 times to fit the book.
The face side shows a line drawing of the port, starboard, top, bow and stern of the USS Stevens in 1/200th scale.
The reverse side shows line-drawings of the amidships AAA and ASW stations, aft turrets of the 5” Mk. 30 guns, 21” torpedo launcher between the smoke stacks, the amidship with 26 ft. motor-whaleboats on davits and a view of the superstructure.
This is one neat book about the USS Stevens. It will be of great interest to shop modelers and naval historians alike.
I sincerely want to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Kagero book titles can be found on Casemate’s website at:
USS Stevens (DD-479) was a Fletcher-class destroyer in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was finally sold for scrap in 1973.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Namesake: Thomas Holdup Stevens and Thomas H. Stevens, Jr.
Builder: Charleston Navy Yard
Laid down: 30 December 1941
Launched: 24 June 1942
Commissioned: 1 February 1943
Decommissioned: 2 July 1946
Stricken: 27 November 1973
Fate: Sold for scrap, 27 November 1973
Class and type: Fletcher-class destroyer
Displacement: 2,050 tons
Length: 376 ft. 6 in (114.7 m)
Beam: 39 ft. 8 in (12.1 m)
Draft: 17 ft. 9 in (5.4 m)
Propulsion: 60,000 shp (45 MW); 2 propellers
Speed: 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Range: 6500 nmi. (12,000 km) at 15 kt
Complement: 336
Armament: In 1942-4 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal. guns (4 × 1), 2 × Bofors 40 mm AA guns (1 × 2), 8 × Oerlikon 20 mm AA guns (8 × 1), 5 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes (1 × 5), 6 × depth charge projectors, 2 × depth charge tracks, in 1944-5 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal. guns (5 × 1), 6 × Bofors 40 mm AA guns (3 × 2), 11 × Oerlikon 20 mm AA guns (11 × 1), 10 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes (2 × 5), 6 × depth charge projectors, 2 × depth charge tracks
Aircraft carried: 1, one catapult (removed 1944)
THE BOOK:
Kagero Publishers is based in Lublin, Poland.
This book is soft-cover of 74 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
It comes in a self-sealing clear cello envelope.
The cover art shows a color illustration of the USS Stevens as a bow-on view, posed on an all-dark navy-blue background.
The back cover shows another color illustration of her as a stern-on view, showing a white 479 on her hull sides.
The book contains 123 color walk-around type illustrations (including the cover arts).
I want say that when I first got a Kagero book in their 3D series, it was indeed 3D and came with a set of cardboard glasses that had a red and a blue lens to use to see the illustrations in 3D. All samples of 3D series books that I have received since are NOT 3D printed with the glasses inserted in the book. Since the 3D name is not TRUE, Kagero should delete that. It is miss-leading.
The color walk around illustrations include:
Six side views, 2 top views, 14 views of the Vought OS2U Kingfisher floatplane shown on her catapult and with her hoist, 8 views of the bow, 4 views of the stern, 3 views of the fore-deck, a view of the windlass on the fore-deck, several views of the pilot house, a view of the forward fighting station, a view of the No. 2 -5” Mk. 30 gun turret, 8 views of Oerlikon guns, 3 views of life rafts, a view of the Pelorus and torpedo director on the bridge, a view of the top of the main-mast with radar antennas and position lights, 2 views of the ship’s bells, 2 views of the 26 ft. motor-whaleboat on its davit, a view of the base of the main mast, a view of the forward smoke stack, 7 views of areas of the superstructure, 2 views of the 21” torpedo launcher, a view of a search-light and its platform, a view of the ship’s compass, a view of her battle flag, a view of a torpedo handling-crane, a view of the 5” practice platform, 2 views of the loading machine.
A view of the K-gun and racks with 150 lb. depth-charges, a view of 300 lb. depth-charges with a K-gun and racks, 3 views of No.3-5” Mk.30 gun turret, views of aft gun turrets, a view of ASW Station and AAA Platform with 40mm Bofors gun, 2 views of the aft 600 lb depth-charge release-rack, a view of the Mk. 1 Smoke Screen Generator, a view of the windlass operating station, a view of No. 1-5” Mk.30 gun turret, a view of the flying bridge, 3 views of Oerlikon gun mounts, 2 views of the Mk. 22 range-finder and radar antenna, a view of the combat deck and pilot house, a view of the sky lookout on the pilot house, a view of the base of the Mk. 37 range finder and 24” search light.
A view of the top of the main mast with radar gear, a view of the observation platform with Mk. 27 torpedo director, a view of a heavy duty winch, a view of the smoke stack and a 26 ft. motor-whaleboat on davit, a view of the aft deck, 14 views of the aircraft handling crane, 3 views of cable drums, a view of the aft catapult turn-table and launch mechanism, a view of the main deck. a view of the fire-fighting station, a view of No. 3 and 4-5” Mk.30 turrets, a view of the aft main turrets, a view of the aft Bofors gun mounts and Mk.51 gun director, a view of the aft deck, a view of the aft 600 lb depth-charge release racks and a mid-ships view.
The last page of the book shows 9 black and white cover arts of other Kagero Naval Series books. However, these are very inky and I fail to read their titles. Sorry!!
Inserted into the book is a sheet of blue-print line drawings of the USS Stevens. It is a large 18 ¾” x 26 ¼” format, folded 3 times to fit the book.
The face side shows a line drawing of the port, starboard, top, bow and stern of the USS Stevens in 1/200th scale.
The reverse side shows line-drawings of the amidships AAA and ASW stations, aft turrets of the 5” Mk. 30 guns, 21” torpedo launcher between the smoke stacks, the amidship with 26 ft. motor-whaleboats on davits and a view of the superstructure.
This is one neat book about the USS Stevens. It will be of great interest to shop modelers and naval historians alike.
I sincerely want to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Kagero book titles can be found on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.