The SC-1 class of subchasers were built during World War I for the U.S. Navy to counter the threat of German U-boats. A total of 441 SC-1s were built from 1917 to 1919. The boats were 110 feet long, with a 14-foot beam and a draft of 5 feet 7 inches. The boats were predominantly wooden. They were powered by three Standard Motor Construction Co. 220 hp, 6-cylinder gas engines and carried 2,400 gallons of fuel, giving them a top speed of 16-18 knots and a 1,000 nautical mile range. The engines were primitive, with an open crankcase spewing gas fumes and oil, a compressed air starting system, a clumsy cam system rather than a clutch for changing from forward to reverse, and the need for constant oiling and attention. On board fires were a hazard. Armament (seldom used) usually consisted of a Poole 3-inch gun forward and two 30-caliber machine guns. Aft was a Y-gun depth charge launcher, used during sub attacks while on patrol. Although sinking only one or two U-boats during the war, the SC-1 class nonetheless hampered U-boat operations, especially in waters around Atlantic and Mediterranean seaports.
Hunters of the Steel Sharks, a book by Todd Woofenden published in 2006, documents the history and exploits of the SC-1 class during WWI. I bought a copy from Amazon and read it to give me background on this subchaser. Woofenden profiles boat SC 93 in particular, com-manded by Ensign George S. Doyle. SC 93 served in the Mediterranean Theatre during the war and had a few encounters with U boats, although none were confirmed sunk.
I purchased the Dumas kit on October 5, 2019 and completed it on March 5, 2020. But compared to most of my other model boats, this one was a rather simple build. But it is advertised as a semi-scale kit, so some details are missing. But I added a few of my own along the way. The model is all wood and the hull is planked with 1/8 x 1/2 balsa strips, then fiberglassed. The boat has single screw (the full-size boat had three) and is radio controlled. But it has not yet been on the water.
I added a few details of my own to "personalize the model:" a crew of sailors, an identification triangular "roundel" on the bow, a bearing indicator used when hunting subs, and a raised wooden platform around the deck gun. All in all I am pleased how the sub chaser turned out.
I sawed the cradle base from a slab of 1-inch “blue cottonwood” that was given to me by a guy from a southern lumber company. I routed the edges with a Roman Ogee bit. The vertical saddles were made from hickory. I finished it with a couple coats of Minwax polycrylic, then glued on strips of felt padding.
Hunters of the Steel Sharks, a book by Todd Woofenden published in 2006, documents the history and exploits of the SC-1 class during WWI. I bought a copy from Amazon and read it to give me background on this subchaser. Woofenden profiles boat SC 93 in particular, com-manded by Ensign George S. Doyle. SC 93 served in the Mediterranean Theatre during the war and had a few encounters with U boats, although none were confirmed sunk.
I purchased the Dumas kit on October 5, 2019 and completed it on March 5, 2020. But compared to most of my other model boats, this one was a rather simple build. But it is advertised as a semi-scale kit, so some details are missing. But I added a few of my own along the way. The model is all wood and the hull is planked with 1/8 x 1/2 balsa strips, then fiberglassed. The boat has single screw (the full-size boat had three) and is radio controlled. But it has not yet been on the water.
I added a few details of my own to "personalize the model:" a crew of sailors, an identification triangular "roundel" on the bow, a bearing indicator used when hunting subs, and a raised wooden platform around the deck gun. All in all I am pleased how the sub chaser turned out.
I sawed the cradle base from a slab of 1-inch “blue cottonwood” that was given to me by a guy from a southern lumber company. I routed the edges with a Roman Ogee bit. The vertical saddles were made from hickory. I finished it with a couple coats of Minwax polycrylic, then glued on strips of felt padding.
