Very Fire VF350918DX 1/350 USS Des Moines CA-134 DX Deluxe Version

USS Des Moines (CA-134) - one of the three American Des Moines-class heavy cruisers, which entered service after the end of World War II. They were the last American cruisers armed only with muzzle artillery.

The cruiser was launched on September 27, 1946 at the Fore River Shipyard of Bethlehem Steel Corporation in Quincy, Massachusetts, and commissioned on November 16, 1948, into the US Navy. The first commander of the ship was Commander AD Chandler. Between 1949 and 1957, she served in the Mediterranean every year as the flagship of the 6th Fleet. In 1952 and also from 1954 to 1957, she made training cruises calling at the ports of Northern Europe. In 1952, 1953 and 1955, the cruiser participated in NATO fleet maneuvers. She was last flagship of the 6th Fleet between February 1958 and June 1961. On July 14, 1961, the cruiser was placed in reserve, moored in Philadelphia, and preserved. In 2006, the ship was towed to Brownsville, Texas, where it was scrapped.

USS Des Moines (CA-134) was the lead ship of the class of United States Navy heavy cruisers. She was the first ship in the United States Navy to feature the auto loading Mark 16 8-inch/55 caliber gun, the first of its type in the world, and the second ship of its name in the U.S. Navy.Des Moines was launched 27 September 1946 by Bethlehem Steel Company, Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts; sponsored by Mrs. E. T. Meredith, Jr.; and commissioned 16 November 1948, Captain A. D. Chandler in command. She became the first of her class to mount the semi-automatic Mark 16 8-inch turrets [1] and carry the new Sikorsky HO3S-1 utility helicopters in place of seaplanes. She was named after the capital of the state of Iowa.In a varied operating schedule designed to maintain the readiness of the Navy to meet the constant demands of defense and foreign policy, Des Moines cruised from her home port at Newport, Rhode Island and after 1950, from Norfolk, Virginia on exercises of every type in the Caribbean, along the East Coast, in the Mediterranean Sea, and in North Atlantic waters. Annually between 1949 and 1957 she deployed to the Mediterranean, during the first seven years serving as flagship for the 6th Task Fleet (known as the 6th Fleet from 1950). In 1952, and each year from 1954 to 1957, she carried midshipmen for summer training cruises, crossing to Northern European ports on the first four cruises. She also sailed to Northern Europe on NATO exercises in 1952, 1953, and 1955. On 18 February 1958, she cleared Norfolk for the Mediterranean once more, this time to remain as flagship for the 6th Fleet until July 1961 when was placed out of commission in reserve.

Through her Mediterranean services Des Moines contributed significantly to the success of the 6th Fleet in representing American power and interests in the countries of Southern Europe, Northern Africa, and the Near East. She made this contribution through such activities as her participation in NATO Mediterranean exercises; her call to seldom-visited Rijeka, Yugoslavia, in December 1950 and Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, in May 1960, and to many other ports as a regular feature of her schedule; her cruising in the eastern Atlantic during the wake of the Suez Crisis of 1956; and service on patrol and as control center for American forces in the Lebanon crisis of 1958. Film footage of her cruising with other ships of the United States 6th Fleet was used in the introduction and conclusion of the movie John Paul Jones, starring Robert Stack (Warner Brothers 1959).

Features

• This kit is a fully new-tooled, deluxe edition kit of the USS Des Moines. It includes a full detail set with wooden decks, PE frets, brass gun barrels, resin parts and more.

• This is the deluxe version of this model kit includes many extra parts to enable super-detailing this model.

• This finely detailed plastic model kit requires assembly and painting.