SS NORWAY

[ROGER_HOUSTON2EMC-ENG.COM]

I know this may be a dumb question, but just out of curiosity, why did GHQ do a model of the SS Norway as part of its modern micronauts line? Was there a demand for it?
I bought one a couple of years ago at a greatly reduced price at the time a local hobby shop was going out of business, however, it sits sort of out of place with my ARLEIGH BURKES,SPRU-CANS, TICOS, KIROVS,UDALOYS,KIEVS,TYPE 42S AND INVINCIBLES.

Even doing a troop ship scenario in the North Atlantic against the Soviet Navy is a bit far fetched, considering the US would reinforce Europe using chartered airliners. The likelyhood of the Brits using her as troopship is limited as well, since the QE2 would be used and the NORWAY was not British flagged so she would not likely be part of STUFT. No disrespect GHQ, but maybe it might have been better, in hindsight, to have made container ships in lieu of a worn out cruise ship. The likelyhood of encountering cruise ships on the North Atlantic convoy lanes in WW3 or in the sea lanes of the Persian Gulf dodging Silkworms and Exocets would be very remote.

[voltigeur]

If I remember correctly the Norway joined the line up about the time that terrorist were attacking cruise ships. I think that was the idea behind it.

Been a long time tho.

[ROGER_HOUSTON2EMC-ENG.COM]

Dont recall seeing Gopher having a CIWS -Vulcan/Phalanx on the Lido Deck or Isaac launching Harpoons and Tomahawk TASMs from the Acupulco Lounge.
Cruise ships typically dont shoot back.
There's an idea.........Royal Carribean could outfit one of its ships with a CIC,practice ASROC and a LAMPS simulator for those of us who want to play squiddy instead of ballroom dance lessons and deck volleyball!!!

[GHQ]

If I remember correctly the Norway joined the line up about the time that terrorist were attacking cruise ships. I think that was the idea behind it.

That's why we did it. Obviously at this point, with hindsight, it wasn't the best use of resources. How is that for candor?

GHQ

[ROGER_HOUSTON2EMC-ENG.COM]

Id rather do that than run up a 500 dollar bar tab, get badly sunburned, lose all my money in the slot machines, and watch a bunch of fat women learn how to do the bus stop.
Imagine [annoying] off the the tourists with an 0300 GQ alarm.
Better yet, remove the liquor from the bars and replace with bug juice jugs and coffee pots.
Put em 8 to a stateroom instead of two.
Smoking Lamp Is Out!!

Aint we got Fun now Kathie Lee?

[Cav Dog]

Or join the Marines. Of course gator freighters aren't near as nice as the Norway is, or was.

[ROGER_HOUSTON2EMC-ENG.COM]

Hey! It was kinda fun to paint though!!!



Looooooove......Exciting and Neeeeeeewwwwwww. Come aboard.We're expecting yooooouuuuuu!!!!!!

[Donald M. Scheef]

There was a time when the large fast liners were a military asset. Using this type of ship as an armed merchant cruiser was probably a waste, but consider the thousands of troops moved from US to England by the British Queens. Their high speeds made them very difficult targets for submarines. As noted, QE2 was used during the Falklands/Malvinas affair.

SS Norway probably was not a good choice for a model, but there are a number of WWII and WWI era ships of this type that deserve modeling by GHQ. Some examples are the WWI German Vaterland, French Ile de France, Italian Rex, and US Washington.

Don S.

[ROGER_HOUSTON2EMC-ENG.COM]

A little research found that the Norway could carry about 2500 passengers. Im sure as a troopship, you could squeeze a couple hundred more aboard, hence you could move the manpower of a combat brigade in one lift easily . I guess the QE 2 moved the 5th Brigade from Portsmouth to the Falklands in one lift as well. The Norway was rated at 30 kts so it probably was feasible to move troops using superliners. The bad part was the need for intense ASW escort and screen for such a valuble target. Soviet subs could keep up on high speed runs better than the UBoats could when the QE1 or QM hauled [itself] across the North Atlantic .

[TAMMY]

The original liner SS France had qa speed of 30+ knots adn four shafts. When it was converted to cruiser SS Norway part of boilers and two shafts were removed., reducing the max speed below 25 knots.

.2500 passengers was the capacity after the last refitting that added 2 top decks and about 500 passengers. As a military transport it could probabluy carry twice that number and even more depending on how much time you will have to make some modifications to the cabins.