The United States Navy built YC series barges since the turn of the 19th
century. The YC barges designated open non-propelled lighters. For the first
part of the century most YC barges transported coal, the bulky fuel that powered
all of the warships before the advent of fuel oil. As the navy grew, more and
more barges were needed because of the huge volume of coal needed to feed the
hungry battleships, as well as smaller ships.
After the coming of fuel oil and conversion of the ships to that form
of fuel, the navy no longer needed hundreds of coal barges and other uses were
found. Some became concrete barges and others became accommodation barges with a
structure added to the originally open barge.
The second set of 1:700 scale barges by Lion Roar includes two YC
barges, YC-293 and YC-755.
Both barges are as they were fitted for World War Two and no longer needed to
lug coal. With both barges photographs can be found in the Navsource website,
which also gives a good idea of colors with black hull and natural weathered
galvanized metal superstructure. YC-293
was an accommodation barge with windows running along the sides. YC-293
on January 12, 1943 can be seen at www.navsource.org/archives/08/0817815.jpg
.
The second barge included in the YC set is YC-755.
YC-755 was also used as an accommodation
barge but didn't get the windows as received by YC-293.
Instead of a run of windows each side has two large door opening with twin
sliding doors as well as roof openings allowing ships cranes to remove palleted
cargos from inside the barge. Navsource as two good photographs of YC-755
at Ulithi in 1944, while being used as an accommodation barge but in cargo barge
configuration. A bow/stern photograph is found at www.navsource.org/archives/14/1428075501.jpg
and a broadside view at www.navsource.org/archives/14/1428075502.jpg
. Navsource lists the dimensions of YC-755
as 110-feet in length, 35-feet in beam and a draft of 8-feet. Displacement was
120-tons light or 590-tons loaded with cargo.
Lion Roar Barge Set Two provides the modeler with accommodation
barges for dioramas but in two decidedly different configurations. YC-293
appears as a dwelling with a long series of standard building windows. However, YF-755
still has the appearance of a cargo barge, even though it was used at Ulithi for
berthing. Either way Lion Roar provides excellent resin and stainless
steel relief-etched photo-etch.
|
|
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
|
