Consolidated Micronaut Wish List

[Donald M. Scheef]

Consolidated Micronaut Wish List Summary

Replaced by updated list 2010-02-08.

Don S.

[Donald M. Scheef]

Consolidated Micronaut Wish List Summary

Replaced with updated list 2010-02-09

Don S.

[ww2navyguy]

This is my Top 25 Wish List for New Micronauts:

1. WWII Japan destroyer Akatsuki class
2. WWII Japan battleship Fuso (late-war appearance)
3. WWII France light cruiser Emile Bertin
4. WWII UK heavy cruiser York
5. WWII UK light cruisers Scylla & Charbdys
6. WWII Italy destroyer Maestrale class
7. WWII Italy destroyer Oriani class
8. WWII UK light cruiser “modified Colonyâ€￾ class (Ceylon, Uganda, Newfoundland)
9. WWII UK heavy cruiser London class (unmodified - Devonshire, Shropshire, Suss*x)
10. WWII UK A – I class destroyer leaders (Codrington, Keith, Assinboine, Exmouth, Faulkner, Grenville, Hardy, and Inglefield)
11. WWII UK heavy cruisers Berwick & Cornwall
12. WWII Italy destroyer Freccia class
13. WWII Italy destroyer Folgore class
14. WWII France heavy cruiser Duquesne class (Tourville)
15. WWII France destroyer Bourrasque class
16. WWII France light cruiser Duguay-Trouin class (Lamotte-Picquet, Primauguet)
17. WWII UK light cruiser Coventry/Curlew (anti-aircraft conversion)
18. WWII UK battleship Prince of Wales
19. WWII Germany pocket battleship Lützow (Deutschland)
20. WWII Japan light cruiser Kuma class (unconverted) (Tama, Kiso)
21. WWII German heavy cruiser Hipper class (Blücher)
22. WWII France battleship Courbet class (France, Jean Bart, Ocean, Paris)
23. WWII Japan destroyer Kagero class
24. WWII UK heavy cruiser Kent
25. WWII UK light cruiser Emerald

[Donald M. Scheef]

Consolidated Micronaut Wish List Summary

Replaced by updated list 2010-03-05

Don S.

[Donald M. Scheef]

Consolidated Micronaut Wish List Summary

Replaced by updated list 2010-03-10.

Don S.

[Donald M. Scheef]

Consolidated Micronaut Wish List Summary

Replaced by updated list 2010-03-11

Don S.

[Laevakutt]

Unlike in other years that I have submitted a list of the ships that I would enjoy
seeing produced, I thought that I would voice my desires a bit earlier. I do not know
how much of a difference that it will really make, but I thought I would write in early
this year. I will add a bit of commentary with my ideas to aid in showing how these
units would assist in rounding out the already established product lines (for which I
am quite grateful) as well as add various options allowing for greater versatility in
scenario development for wargamers. These proposals also include hulls that were
produced in great numbers or can serve in more than one navy - hypothetically. GHQ is
obviously a great company that knows how to please its customers, I am certain that I
am not speaking only for myself here. I already have a remarkable collection of GHQ
and other 1/2400 products and continue to add to this massive fleet each year. In that
tone, I submit this list humbly and as food for thought. Perhaps there are other
modelers and gamers who would agree (or disagree) with my proposals and scenario ideas.

I was very pleased when GHQ introduced the Koninklijke Marine Line a few years ago. It is not possible to do an early Pacific War scenario without ABDA. All of the
significant programs are represented except two. Granted these were not completed in
time to fight. In order to give the Japanese a headache in January 1942 I propose:
1. The Dutch 1047 Battlecruiser - There were to have been three of these 28,000 ton
formidable ships. The design was in concert with the Germans, and they would have roughly resembled the SCHARNHORST class though with some very-very notable external differences, so it is not possible merely to use the German ships instead, the
modification is too great. I have done a lot of modification in my time to make ships
that were different from each other in each class. The other nice thing about this
model would be that the three could not only be used to hunt the Japanese cruisers in
the Southwest Pacific, but could be also be put into German colors - "seized at the
beginning of the war" hypothetically. Granted, they were never laid down, but it would
be a great what-if scenario, aides to SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU prowling convoys out of Brest or Norwegian lairs.
2. PROVINCIEN class cruiser (as designed) - There were two of these ships laid down
prior to the War. They were not completed by the time of the German invasion however. So again, not only could a person purchase these two 8300 ton light crusiers for The Netherlands Royal Navy, but they could also go under German colors as well. Germany overtook these two ships and classified them as KH1 and KH2 intending to finish them themselves, but never worked very seriously in getting them finished unfortunately. They would be nice to have with DE RUYTER in the East Indies or with PRINZ EUGEN in the Baltic at War's end.

I was also very happy to see GHQ start a Soviet and Russian lines. I had some of both
from Viking Forge. The GHQ versions are astounding and I am very interested to see how far they go. I have a lot of duplicates now, needless to say, but I have managed to
incorporate them into the fleet one way or another. We all know how ambitious Comrade Stalin was. Ambitious indeed, but not very practical. Between the economic
constraints of communism and the fact that many of the naval architects and shipwrights fell victim to the Purges, many of the novel designs and good ideas did not get off the board or when they did it was much belated. That is where I would like to focus. Like the Dutch line, I think that the Soviet Navy could be nicely augmented with just a couple of additions.
3. SOVETSKII SOJUZ (Projekt 23) - As originally foreseen they were to comprise a class of fifteen 59,00 ton battleships. Later this was reduced to only eight and then to
just six, but only four were laid down. This class was to be the centerpiece of
Stalin's oceangoing navy. The final version of Projekt 23 is what was laid down, the
previous version of 46,000 tons being redesigned and finally approved in 1938. The
four that were laid down were laid down between the Summers of 1938 and 1940. In fact, one was captured on the stocks by the Germans in the Crimea. It sort of reminds one of VOLYA from the previous war ( a great way to use a GHQ IMPERATRISTA MARIYA. Nevertheless, there were indeed eight vessels ordered and that would be very interesting to have in all theatres of operation: Northern, Baltic, Black and even
North Pacific.
4. KRONSHTADT (Projekt 69) - These were planned as a class of sixteen ships, however in June of 1940 this number was reduced to only eight. Nevertheless, if GHQ were to issue this model, I am sure that there are some "Stalinist" purists out there who would take all sixteen, just as with SOVETSKII SOJUZ. Only two of these ships were laid down and with commissioning dates foreseen in 1942. These were the Soviet ideas generated from the Panzerschiffe and SCHARNHORST classes as well as the P1 design. Though the fluidity of information regarding German naval designs is sketchy and at times contradictory. An addition of these ships into the Baltic Sea makes for a nice recipe for latter war scenarioes. One of these was also captured by the Germans and disassembled on the ways.
5. STALINGRAD (Projekt 82) - As planned, there were to be seven of these ships. They were ships designed with war experience and due to difficulties in getting funding and the numerous changes in the design (not to mention the burden of communist economic bureaucracy), these ships did not get laid down until 1951. Even then, only three of them were ever laid down. Like the ZEVEN PROVINCIEN and the later SVERDLOV and CHAPAEV classes these ships could be packaged to bridge the gap between the Second World War and the early "modern" period, kind of like VMF '47. Perhaps GHQ could include optional after deckhouses in the case of the Soviet cruisers or optional weaponry in the case of SAMs. There would be the ability to build the models as designed - gunships or as later modified to modern warships.
6. CHAPAEV (Projekt 68) - Seven of these cruisers were laid down prior to the German
invasion in 1941. In total there were fifteen of this Projekt foreseen and there were
another four that were authorised and submitted to builders prior to falling afoul of
the need to defend Mother Russia. These ships, as mentioned, could be issued in the
"as planned" form with perhaps an additional after deckhouse or the like in order to
sate the desires of both the Second World War gamer and the modern scenaroist. Indeed, these ships were completed with very little alteration even after the Great Patriotic War despite the delay in entering service until 1950. An addition of fifteen, or
perhaps only seven as laid down, cruisers into the fray would give the German admiral
interdicting those Murmansk convoys some additional considerations. How would ADMIRAL SCHEER or ADMIRAL HIPPER contend with these threats?
7. SVERDLOV (Projekt 68bis) - This class of twenty five (some sources report
twenty-seven) Cold Warriors is indespensible for those early post-War sea control
scenarioes. The Projekt 68bis is the 13,320 tons of improvement on the 10,642 ton hull
of CHAPAEV. Though not all of these ships were completed, fourteen were. That makes more SVERDLOVs than BALTIMOREs. In fact, one can think of these as the Soviet CLEVELAND Class. They are the multi-purpose Soviet light cruiser, indeed. These ships had long service lives and carried just about every piece of Soviet armament and detection equipment available, even Red Army gear was mounted at times. As stated before with this type of "stradle class" comme ZEVEN PROVINCIEN, STALINGRAD and CHAPAEV, perhaps there could be modified deckhouses or armament/sensor suites added in the GHQ blister pack to give these ships an even broader appeal. Also consider how good your GHQ PRINZ EUGEN hull would look with modernized Soviet superstructure placed on top of it to stand in for a modernized LUTZOW comme TALLIN. Who amongst us has an extra BOLZANO hull and ZARA superstructure because we needed that distinctly faired in superstructure of BOLZANO in order to make a nice POLA?

The largest of the little big navies in the GHQ Catalog is certainly Germany's of the
Second World War. There are so many rich design plans that resulted from the Admirals'
plans that evolved into the Z Plan. There is also a rich batch of plans that had no
hope but still capture the imagination. The H-44 instantly leaps to mind. I am sure
that we would all add this monstrous improbability into our miniature Kriegsmarines by
the sixfold if someone would produce this beast. However, there are more practical
German designs that came nearer to fruition than the H-monstrosities (though I would
buy them by the armload if they were to made in 1/2400). Indeed, the most realistic of
the Z Plan were the smaller ships. There were the M Class cruisers and the
Spähkreuzers but there were also the likely heavyweights:
8. The O-P-Q Class Battlecruisers - These were a class of three ships armed with six
of the same 380mm guns that were carried by the BISMARCK Class. These ships were
improvements over both the Panzerschiffe and the SCHARNHORST Classes. They would be able to threaten convoys far away from Continental Europe thus forcing the RN to provide heavier escorts to the convoys themselves. This in itself could lead to some nice scenarioes to sort out south of Iceland in the vicinity of the MOMP. None of
these ships were laid down and in fact only one of these ships was ever ordered.
Unfortunately for us gamers, she was ordered less than a month prior to the invasion of
Poland. After 01 September 1939, the Wehrmacht had other things on its mind aside from major capital ship construction.
9. The P1 Class Panzerschiffe - In addition to the O-P-Q Class battlecruisers there
was a class of twelve improved Panzerschiffe proposed as a follow-up in the Z Plan.
Imagine if Admiral Raeder had followed through with the plan to envelope UK. Much of
what we know of today as Germany's war plan during the Second WOrld War came in the form of laments or regrets from Admiral Wegener published after the First World War. Some of the same points are realized by Admiral Scheer as well. Specifically, Admiral Wegener posits that the reason Germany lost the First World War is that she was never able to impose maritime hegemony beyond her immediate environment vis-a-vis the North and Baltic Seas. This was because the Kaiser respected the neutrality of Denmark and Norway as well as Portugal and Iceland. In the Second World War, Admiral Raeder tried to overcome the restrictions outlined in his former colleague's book regarding the Great War. With the Z Plan and bases in the Azores and Iceland, the Kriegsmarine and Germany's destiny take on different complexions. With a dozen panzerschiffe at hand to base out of pretty much where-ever the scenarioes take you, ties down a lot of British shipping. Admittedly, they were never laid down, but can we in the Micronaut milieu live without our own alternatives a-la Wehrmacht '47?

The Royal Navy line of Second World War Micronauts is very extensive. No, it does not
include every little frigate or corvette, but, in my opinion, the biggest missing pieces are the two missing classes of wartime battleships. These ships would be a great addition to any late war scenario or even something in the early years of the Cold War, again sort of like an RN '47.
10. HMS VANGUARD - This is the last battleship produced. She was an amalgam of spare parts punctuated by the state-of-the-art at the time. She was the largest warship ever produced in UK up to that time. Though she was not commissioned in time to see service in the war, she would still provide a nice centerpiece for a NATO task force acting in the late forties.
11. HMS LION - This group of four ships was seen as a response to the BISMARCK Class building in Germany. Orders were placed in 1939. Unfortunately, only two of them were ever laid down. These ships were 40,000 ton "improved KGV" armed with 16in guns. At the outbreak of the war construction was suspended as resources were steered to the construction of escorts. Once the war in Europe was wrapping up, and the industrial might of the United States had made its presence known, was the construction of these ships resumed or contemplated. Needless to say, their race was run and it was decided to drop the program.

The last small handful of ships belong to the era of the Great War. This was a time
when Germany did have a huge navy and raised a significant challenge to the British
supremacy at sea. The Kriegsmarine of the Second World War was but a poor imitation of the Reichsmarine of the First World War. GHQ offers a very nice line of both British
and German warships. There are still some capital ships that are not covered though.
12. SMS HINDENBURG - This is single ship class, like VANGUARD is somewhat of an
improved DERFFLINGER. She was built under the 1913-1914 Program but was not finished in time to fight at Jutland. This beautiful ship was completed in 1917, just in time
to be too late for action. Her addition to the line offered by GHQ would enhance
possibilities for action in a final sortie of the High Seas Fleet into the North Sea or as an active participant in the war in the Baltic.
13. SMS MACKENSEN Class Battlecruisers - This class of four (six planned) splendid
battlecruisers from the latter half of the First World War represent Germany's ultimate
wartime battlecruiser design. Four were laid down, all after the war had begun and the
competition for resources was afoot. These 30,500 ton wonders of engineering were
armed with four double 350mm gun turrets and would have provided something special to those late-war sorties in which we can bring the High Seas Fleet into contact with the Grand Fleet augmented by the American squadrons GHQ has recently added to the new USN First World War line. These ships proved to be the pinnacle of capital ship
development in the waning years of the Hohenzollern Kaiserreich. As an interesting
footnote, there can be even more use for these vessels. Indeed, with the first three
ships launched in order to clear slips and then the war ending a needy Netherlands laid
eyes on the hulls. There was an attempt by The Netherlands to appropriate these hulls
as war reparations. War reparations to a nation not in the war? Of all the countries
impacted by the First World War, The Netherlands did rather poorly though officially
neutral. She lost much of her merchant fleet and was distrusted as a double-dealer by
British and German alike (though the Kaiser did live in exile in Holland after the war). Another key fact as well, as always with The Netherlands in this time period, is the defence of the Netherlands East Indies. The 1914 Battleship program with
Germaniawerft was to produce three battleships similar in appearance to BAYERN and
SALAMIS Classes. The war interrupted these ships. The Netherlands, ever pragmatic and ever-opportunistic saw a chance to jump start their naval program and build a credible defense of the East Indies. These GHQ hulls with some modern deckhouses from the "spare parts box" or some custom work from skilled hands would serve well in the East Indies in any Between-The-Wars Scenario, or even early Second World War.
14. SMS SACHSEN - These two ships were the follow-ons to the BAYERN Class. They are armed with 380mm like BAYERN but were several hundred tons heavier and slightly longer. The physical appearance of these two ships is also significantly different from their predecessors. These ships were both laid down and launched but never completed due to other demands for resources. Not only could these two ships be used under German colors but their unfinished hulls could have been passed to another country as reparations. The possibilities are boundless as to how these models can be painted and used. It would be nice to have the possibility of the German L20a Class fast
battleships armed with 420mm guns that were foreseen for the Autumn of 1918 or the
Dutch Germaniawerft design or even SALAMIS, the Greek battleship actually laid down by Vulcan and enveloped into a legal wrangle after the war; in order to fill out the High
Seas Fleet and design interesting scenarioes.
15. HMS NEPTUNE - Many are familiar with this one-off battleship. She is offered by
Viking Forge, but I am holding out to get her from GHQ one day. She is the only capital ship from the RN that cannot be represented at Jutland.

So there it is, my (not so) brief list of a few models I would enjoy seeing soon in the GHQ Production Announcement:
1. The 1047 Dutch Battlecruiser Design
2. ZEVEN PROVINCIEN
3. SOVETSKII SOJUZ (Projekt 23)
4. KRONSHTADT (Projekt 69)
5. STALINGRAD (Projekt 82)
6. CHAPAEV (Projekt 68)
7. SVERDLOV (Projekt 68bis)
8. O-P-Q Class
9. P1 Class
10. HMS VANGUARD
11. HMS LION
12. SMS HINDENBURG
13. SMS MACKENSEN
14. SMS SACHSEN
15. HMS NEPTUNE

I think that these fifteen classes would be very interesting productions for GHQ and
would help round out their current lines of little big navies or big little navies. These are also not obscure classes without technical support for the designers at GHQ. There is numerous source material available to aid in casting these little pieces of art. Sure there are numerous classes out there to manufacture, GHQ knows what they do not make. I think that rounding out the product lines should be a priority for the gamers out there. I also think that a gebazillion different destroyer classes or modelling each sister ship from a class is not as important as issuing as many capital ships as possible, especially for scenario play. I would rather see RIVADAVIA or SAO PAULO produced (I would buy these two classes in a heartbeat by the way!) before more destroyers or frigates. That is why I would like to see capital ships. For gamers, they are the building blocks for the fleet actions. Of course escorts are important, but I think that finishing of the bigger ships, especially ones that offer numerous hulls in several navies is more interesting. In any case, hopefully my post has helped to generate some thought amongst the rest of you and you can have some more interesting and more rewarding games/scenarioes. To be honest, we all know that no matter what GHQ produces we will be eager to buy. Some stuff is just that much more exciting than other stuff.

- Cheers

[Donald M. Scheef]

re: Laevakutt "I do not know how much of a difference that it will really make, ..."

It may not make any difference at all (note that five of the eight new models for 2009-2010 did not have even a single vote), but I am enjoying the process of collecting and tabulating the 'votes.'

I will enter your votes in a soon-to-be-posted update. HMS Vanguard and HMS Lion are near the top of the list. HMS Neptune has seven votes. Your vote for SMS Mackensen returns this ship to the posted list with four votes. Sovetskii Sojuz, Chapaev, Sverdlov, O-P-Q class battlecruisers, and SMS Hindenburg are just off the posted list with three votes each. The 1047 battlecruiser, de Zeven Provincien, Kronshtadt, Stalingrad, and P-1 class have two votes each. Surprising to me, your vote was the first for SMS Sachsen.

Just to throw some flame into the conversation, I will add my comments to your wish list:

Although the 1047 battlecruiser design and de Zeven Provincien are interesting to me, I would rather have the small cruiser Jacob van Heemskerck (as completed by the British with anti-aircraft armament) or the Callenburgh design destroyers that were on the stocks when the Germans invaded.

I like your choices of Chapaev and Sverdlov (although the chances of getting any of the 1950-era modifications is even smaller than the chance of getting the ships in their as-built configuration). I also like the Sovetskii Sojuz (actually got farther along than the US Montana and German H class monsters that are already available from GHQ). The Kronshtadt is also on my list. However, I would prefer some of the smaller ships that actually saw combat; Krasni Kavkaz, Krasni Krim, and Type 7U destroyers.

For the WWII Germans, the O-P-Q and P-1 designs have been widely described as some of the worst German warship designs. Instead, how about some Spahkreuzer and Z 52 (1944 type) to provide escort for the H-class battleships and Graf Zeppelin?

I whole-heartedly agree with HMS Vanguard and HMS Lion design. I would add some of the WWII British cruisers that actually saw combat and have not yet been modeled by GHQ.

I also like SMS Mackensen, but SMS Hindenburg and SMS Sachsen less so - they were not that different from Derfflinger and Bayern classes. I would prefer to finish up the light cruiser and destroyer classes that GHQ has not yet modeled; Wiesbaden, Brummer, Regensburg, Karlsruhe, Kolberg, Konigsberg, V1-S24, V25-V48, G85-G95, and G96 type. For a more hypothetical ship, how about Ersatz Yorck or L20a (imagine Bismarck in 1920)?

Although I recognize its unique appearance, HMS Neptune is not that interesting to me. I'm satisfied with re-mounting the tripod on a Colossus. Instead, like the WWI Germans, I would prefer the light cruisers and destroyers not yet modeled by GHQ:
CLs: any of the numerous subtypes of the C class, Birkenhead, Birmingham, Chatham, Active, Blonde, Boadicea
DLs: Scott, Shakespeare, Parker, Faulknor, Lightfoot
DDs: repeat W (2nd group), S, R, L, K, H, G, F, Talisman

Thanks for your posting.

Don S.

[Donald M. Scheef]

Consolidated Micronaut Wish List Summary

Replaced by updated list 2010-03-12.

Don S.

[ed*b]

The more WW1 scenarios I'm putting together, the more keenly I feel the want of the Wiesbaden. How can we not have the most-fired-at warship from Jutland? I have even (shudder) started looking at the Panzerschiffe version of this ship.

[Laevakutt]

Don S.,

Thanks for the response and building onto the conversation. Maybe this posting is more
apt in the Micronauts Header, but you made some very good points regarding my last
posting and I wanted to follow-up. First, I want to be perfectly clear about the
quotation that you cited from me. As to the whether it makes any difference, I was
referring to submitting the list "earlier" this year instead of "later"; not whether GHQ would have any greater inclination to produce anything on the list. I want to be clear, especially to our hosts, I am a very satisfied customer and do look forward to each year's new offerings. GHQ are the manufacturing professionals and far be it from me to second guess them. After all they were right on the MINNESOTA Gamble. Not only
did I go for four from the VERMONT Class, but the preceding two from the CONNECTICUT Class (nearly identical). I read somewhere on the forum that that package was their most successful item for a time. I will always be a "buyer" but since we have the forum here to show our interests, then why not, right?

Indeed, there are a lot of ship classes left still to model, some significant and some
obscure. I restricted my list to just fifteen, I like to be optimistic. I agree, there are other units that saw more action than any of the 'could-have-beens' that grace my list. My rationale for the larger units is that with the capital ships it is easier to build a scenario, especially at this scale. Admittedly, it would be difficult in 1/2400 to do S-Boote in the Channel. My point is that there are so many more destroyer classes than there are capital ship classes. This being the case, I prefer to focus on the capital ships. As an example, one can fight Jutland without destroyers, but not without the battle lines. One can fight Midway without destroyers but not without the carriers. I am by no means saying that the small ships are not necessary. Since GHQ's catalog is not the same as the contents of Conways or Janes and there is a finite amount of ships produced each year, I would prefer to see the capital ships.

I agree with your assessment regarding CHAPAYEV and SVERDLOV. I would prefer them "as built", granted that would be similar to a VMF '47. I know that modern is not very popular, but I thought that for a bit more casting there could be a broader marketing
appeal to potential Cold Warriors. I think that if it were not for the incompetence of
Stalin and the Communists, the ships would have been constructed in a more timely
manner. I do agree with your opinion regarding the Tsar's previous cruisers introduced
into Red service. I lean towards the later classes because of the volume of hulls that
were planned and therefore (hopefully) greater economic return for GHQ. Certainly,
one-offs are less viable (commercially) than larger classes, unless those one-offs were
contested like AGINCOURT became prior to her RN service. Besides, I already
recommended HMS NEPTUNE and VANGUARD and SMS HINDENBURG.

I also enjoy First World War scenarioes because the rules systems are more streamlined due to a more two-dimensional battle space. Aircraft in their infancy are irregularly used and the submarines were not very successful historically in interceding in maneuver warfare. I did indeed mention L20a in my posting (I would love to see them -
call it Reichsmarine '19), but since I had already "voted" for so many other "never-weres", I thought that I would try to keep things on a somewhat even keel. There are some great scenarioes in the North and Baltic Seas during the late phases of the war. I think that the best thing for our passtime is to have as many units as possible available to us in order to work out as many scenarioes and/or re-enactments that our minds can dream-up. I think that with the greatest volume of equipment (that can be produced, of course) the more creative we can be. The more creative we are in our scenario development the more attractive the games become to newcomers. Newcomers
are definitely good for the hobby because they buy ships too and GHQ gets more revenue.

It is a bit like "supply-side" economics in 1/2400.

Cheers

[Donald M. Scheef]

Laevakutt,

Sorry, I just didn’t see your initial noting of L20α. My bad.

I really like the idea of a Reichsmarine ’19 parallel to Wermacht ’47. Consider the following possibilities:
UK: N3 design battleships and G3 design battlecruisers.
US: BB49, South Dakota design battleships and CC1 Lexington design battlecruisers (possibly even 1916 “Spring Styleâ€￾ fast battleships or even Tillman IV-2 with five triple 18â€￾ mounts – even H42 might have trouble with this 80,000 ton monster)
Germany: L20α battleships and Ersatz Yorck battlecruisers
Japan: Kaga design battleships, Kii design battleships, Amagi class battlecruisers and #13 design battlecruisers
France: Normandie design or Lyon design battleships and Grille design or Durand-Viel design battlecruisers
Italy: Francesco Caracciolo design battleships
Russia: Bubnov design or Putilov design battleships and Imperial 1917 design battlecruisers

On the down side, few of these show up on the wish list.

Don S.

[exodusforever]

Hey Don,

Since I am pretty much more of a Modern Warfare Naval Collector, Wanted to put in my votes for modern day ships, just for the fun of it.

I mean you won't know till you give it a shot.

I vote for these since they already have significant votes for it, I guess it would provide no harm to add to the pile.
Post Cold War France aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle
Post Cold War UK landing ship Fearless (L10) class

Post Cold War USA guided missile destroyer Arleigh Burke flight II A+ (DDG-81) class
One reason i am up for this is because it will add more vairety to the Post Cold War USN fleet variety

Early Cold War UK destroyer Daring (type 45) class
Btw, isn't this suppose to be more of Post Cold War than Early Cold War? The Daring Class only recently commissioned. The reason why I am voting for this too is because it provides a ship that gives a post cold war relevance to the UK collection of modern micronauts.

Understandably, Modern Micronauts do not provide a lucrative business for GHQ in terms of wargaming.

But for collectors and diorama set, these pocket scale modern naval ships provide a good avenue for Post Cold War naval collectors like me.
And GHQ is indeed the best damn wargaming products that provide a good array of pocket modern naval products that noone else has.

SO GHQ, PLS GIVE US ONE MORE MODERN NAVAL SHIP new release :p

Thanx for the great effort of setting up this thread, Don

JQ

[Donald M. Scheef]

Consolidated Micronaut Wish List Summary

Replaced by updated list 2010-03-14

Don S.

[Laevakutt]

Don S.,

You listed quite an impressive array of very interesting early twentieth century warships. Indeed all of those ships would be nice to have in a collection for both
modelers and gamers. NAVWAR produces nearly all of the ships that you have listed. In fact I have bought all of them from NAVWAR. I would gladly have them in GHQ 1/2400 as well one day, that is for certain! The nice thing about NAVWAR is that their line is perhaps the most extensive of any naval miniature line in existance. Maybe
Panzerschiffe has more, I do not know for sure. In fact I do not know much about
Panzerschiffe. Really the only thing I do know is the advice that I received to stay away from them if I am also hoping to use GHQ as well. Maybe things have changed.

The drawback of NAVWAR consists of two critical points though. First, and perhaps the most critical, is that they are 1/3000 and therefore 80% the size of 1/2400. That
makes any co-usage of GHQ and NAVWAR nearly impossible. The second drawback is that their quality is not up to GHQ. I say this only because most of us here in this forum are impressed by the detailing (albeit at times almost too rich) of the GHQ lines. For modelers and collectors, these ships are certainly not an alternative. NAVWAR Staff specifically make the remark that their miniatures are specifically designed as game
pieces and are offered so proudly. From that perspective, they are second to none,
especially when extent of their lines is considered. Perhaps, another aspect that is
less suitable for the American market would be the weak dollar and the limited supply.

Shipping from UK is probably prohibitively expensive since the ships are quite heavy.
Interestingly though, some of the ships that you mention in your post are actually already available. Viking Forge makes USS LEXINGTON in her final battlecruiser configuration. I have six of the LEXINGTONs and I am very happy with the quality. One big complaint about Viking Forge is that the castings are inconsistent. I can vouch these though, they are good and if GHQ were to issue them as well, I probably would not replace them. I also have six each of their USS SOUTH DAKOTA (BB49)s. They offer both 12X16in and 8X18in versions of the ship. I have all twelve and am very happy with them as well, though they are not of the same level as the LEXINGTONs and none are up to
GHQ, I do not think that I would replace these either. However, I am happy with the
price and it is much easier extensively modifying GHQs HOOD to make USS LEXINGTON. Viking Forge has also recently offered KAGA as a battleship and the AMAGI Class battlecruisers. I have not bought these yet. I am optimistic that they are up to the same standards of LEXINGTON though.

The other ships you listed are also very interesting for me. However, being a realist, I am sure that there is scant chance of any ship from your posting finding its way into
the GHQ catalog any time soon. Miniature companies do not appear to be huge
corporations but more modest in size. I know that for a fact from NAVWAR, Viking
Forge, and CIC. That being the case, a few poor decisions in developing less than
viable new lines could possibly prove ruinous. Despite my zeal and devotion to the
passtime and GHQ products, I hardly thing that I and a few like-minded and
like-spending buyers could support such an endeavor. That leads me to believe that the
more esoteric or obscure ships will be longer in arriving. GHQ seems to make roughly a
dozen ships per year for all of their lines combined. I am grateful for all of the
offerings that are now avaialble from GHQ. While being a hybrid of modeler, collector
and gamer I do look forward to a broadened selection of quality 1/2400 ships.

Cheers