Corona Virus Project - 2 Series USN a-e: Finally Completed

OK so the better part of the US Pacific Fleet is ready to field (see below, a lot of varnished [Satin Varnish] USN DD and a few more CA and CL, CL/AA): 

Ready for Coral Sea, Guadalcanal and Midway. Just a case of doing the same for the IJN forces!

Corona Virus Project 2e : USN Guadalcanal CA/LC-AAs

Some more 'seemingly' random USN cruisers - which almost finishes off my early war US naval fleet. There is a purpose behind this motley (but much loved) collection as it allows the naval order of battles for USN at Guadalcanal to be marked as complete (see below, nine ships, three more Atlanta's [San Diego, Juneau, San Juan], a Brooklyn and the Iron Bottom Sound trio of USS Chicago, USS Quincy and USS San Francisco - also the really early war USS Houston and USS Marblehead):   

OK with this lot complete it should be across to the IJN (although I do have three remaining pre-war heavy cruisers to paint up and there is the small question of US Battleships which [barring the USS Washington and USS South Dakota I have already painted up] will be needed for the later Pacific War battles) starting with the Coral Sea, to Guadalcanal and then to the (huge) Midway "Invasion Force"!

Corona Virus Project 2c and 2d (WIP): USN Destroyers and Midway Cruisers

Project 2c: Thirty "early war" US Destroyers (see below, I could not match "named destroyers" in teh battle [yet - that will have to wait for another order to Navwar], so I picked thirty "early war" destroyers to just "sub-in"):

Project 2d: The USN Midway Cruisers of Task Force 16 and Task Force 8 (see below, those already made in Task Force 17 and 16 are omitted) from the photograph:

Task Force 17: 

• USS Astoria .. already done
• USS Portland .. already done

Task Force 16:

• USS New Orleans (CA) .. already done
• USS  Minneapolis (CA) .. already done
• USS Vincennes (CA)
• USS Northampton (CA)
• USS Pensacola (CA)
• USS Atlanta (LC-AA)

Task Force 8:

• USS Indianapolis (CA)
• USS Louisville (CA)
• USS Nashville (LC)
• USS St Louis (LC)
• USS Honolulu (LC)

Once Projects 2c and 2d are complete it will be time to look at the IJN. The Coral Sea will be a relatively small affair but .. the IJN Task Forces are pretty large. Especially if you include the Aleutian force!

Corona Virus Project 2b: Coral Sea USN Cruisers

Coming next on the maritime theme, after the US CVs (as in the new capital ship of the Pacific Theatre) it is the ships charged with their "close" protection - AA and ship-to-ship gunnery. The first wave of which is the USN 8" CA (Heavy Cruisers). Thankfully they do not have the intricate deck markings associated with the CVs (see below, these had been lurking around in the deck for a good decade and their time has finally come): 

With the varnish still drying on their decks and the satin sea effect hopefully coning to fruition the Coral Sea Task Force 17 and Task Force 44 (US) cruisers are on show below:

• USS Minneapolis 
• USS New Orleans
• USS Astoria
• USS Chester
• USS Portland

Task Force 44:

• USS Chicago
• RAN Australia (not shown)
• RAN Hobart (not shown)

(see below, I am sure these CAs are secretly hoping they do not meet any IJN BB/BA opposition, as most of their's (US) is still resting at the bottle of Pearl Harbour):

Next up the DD escorts that provide the second ring of steel around the CVs.