Building the USS Johnston DD-557 Fletcher Class Destroyer 1/700 Scale Model Ship

Scale-a-ton presents Building the USS Johnston DD-557 Fletcher Class Destroyer Scale Model with Five Star Model Super Detail Set video.
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00:00 Intro
00:19 Kit and Detail set
00:55 Preparing the kit for PE Detail set
04:45 Short Story of USS Johnston
07:34 PE Works
14:32 Building the Base
17:23 Painting the Model
19:27 Waves and Foams
22:12 Final Reveal

[@Scaleaton]

Here's the link if you interested the story. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_off_Samar

[@ditzydoo4378]

For an absolutely riveting telling of the battle by a Historiographer. a link to Drachinifels kzbin.info/www/bejne/anLHlKl6nqZmoqc

[@tlinstalltl]

Thanks for the build and story. My uncle was on the Uss Heerman .

[@johnmaddox7432]

They found one the destroyers recently. It was in 3 pieces and shattered so badly that it was unidentifiable as to which one it is.

[@Rawkit_Surgeon]

Here's my favorite video of Jhonston kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaa2lWiKm6uCgM0 (I hope you like memes)

[@mbryson2899]

@DirzyDoo, that's my personal favorite telling of the tale. "Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" by Hornfischer is an amazing read as well.

[@austinfreeman8912]

I am glad that he included the detail of the Japanese commander saluting the sinking jonnston

[@swordmonkey6635]

Fun fact: If you place the USS Johnston model within 20 feet of a Yamato model, the Yamato model retreats.

[@tmseh]

Unless it's WoW.

[@tmseh]

I just found your channel today and subbed. Absolutely amazing the skills you have and your technique making water and wave effects is on another level. Thank you for sharing your artistry!

[@onionmilk5855]

@@tmseh who?

[@tmseh]

@@onionmilk5855 world of Warships

[@D.AKULA_TK208]

Kurita was a t1 captain commanding a t10 battleship

[@MrRebel-tw7hq]

10% model kit, 90% aftermarket details))) Amazing job!

[@geraldshultz4271]

WOW!!!!! have you ever got talent. You must be a brain surgeon. Your hands are so exact and steady. Your channel should be called Ton-of-Talent. Thank you for a great video.

[@luciusvorenus9445]

Every inch a fighting ship. Her skipper was a true warrior. My Dad was a Tin-Can sailor, torpedoman mate on a Fletcher Class. They may have been Tin Can ships, but the sailors were iron men.

[@korbell1089]

I gave this a thumbs up before even watching the video only because its the JOHNSTON...please don't disapoint me and rest in peace the crew who didn't make it home.

[@lordofdunvegan6924]

You must be a surgeon in your spare time. True professional....well done!

[@fubarmodelyard1392]

Stunning tribute to the men of the Johnston.

[@fotomakr]

Last Stand of the Tincan Sailors is a great telling of this story. Amazing build as usual!

[@dougsundseth6904]

Yes, indeed. The author is James D. Hornfischer, and it's a well-told version of an amazing story.

[@johnlynch8174]

Just read the book a few months ago. Great read.

[@okedoke1234]

@Niko2100 Also also read "For Crew and Country" , about the Sammy B Roberts....

[@akaneko2165]

That is an excellent book. Great read.

[@model-man7802]

@@dougsundseth6904 He passed recently. 😔

[@charlesmoore456]

I can almost hear Capt. Evans, "Hard about! Flank speed!"

[@rossnelson9576]

Looks really good! Minor nitpick is the Mark 37 Director (the thing that looks like a turret without the gun on top of the Bridge) should be aiming in the same direction as the guns, as the turrets are slaved to it. It's one of the reasons why she was able to do so much work against Center Force.

[@fastfreddy3103]

Correct. Radar controlled five inch battery salvo. Big improvement in accuracy and firecontrol.

[@chernobyl9531]

I had a Family member who served on the USS Johnston so i really love this video

[@connormclernon26]

They found her wreck recently

[@crazywarriorscatfan9061]

@@connormclernon26 I'm glad that she's the deepest shipwreck ever found. Saves her from dirty illegal scrappers.

[@sternmerc]

Just watched Greyhound the other day, it gave me itch to make a fletcher class ship, seeing the one you made is simply breathtaking, amazing work!

[@dannymiller3315]

Same have a fletcher in my room building it today

[@rc-fannl7364]

Turned out really well, very convincing diorama

[@ScottKenny1978]

The citation for LCDR Evans Medal of Honor: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Johnston in action against major units of the enemy Japanese fleet during the battle off Samar on 25 October 1944. The first to lay a smokescreen and to open fire as an enemy task force, vastly superior in number, firepower and armor, rapidly approached. Comdr. Evans gallantly diverted the powerful blasts of hostile guns from the lightly armed and armored carriers under his protection, launching the first torpedo attack when the Johnston came under straddling Japanese shellfire. Undaunted by damage sustained under the terrific volume of fire, he unhesitatingly joined others of his group to provide fire support during subsequent torpedo attacks against the Japanese and, outshooting and outmaneuvering the enemy as he consistently interposed his vessel between the hostile fleet units and our carriers despite the crippling loss of engine power and communications with steering aft, shifted command to the fantail, shouted steering orders through an open hatch to men turning the rudder by hand and battled furiously until the Johnston, burning and shuddering from a mortal blow, lay dead in the water after 3 hours of fierce combat. Seriously wounded early in the engagement, Comdr. Evans, by his indomitable courage and brilliant professional skill, aided materially in turning back the enemy during a critical phase of the action. His valiant fighting spirit throughout this historic battle will venture as an inspiration to all who served with him.

[@luciusvorenus9445]

"This a fighting ship. If you don't want to fight, you better get off right now. I intend to go into harm's way. " - LCDR Robert Evans at USS JOHNSTON Commissioning Ceremony. The wreckage of this ship was located recently and videos of her can be found on KZbin.

[@shadow7037932]

He deserves a ship class named after him.

[@williamanderson6006]

He deserves a holiday

[@EligibleBubble]

This was a great video. Poor Johnston is my favorite ship of the Fletcher class and she definitely needs more love. Thanks again

[@onursirri]

Great ,enjoyable ,calm video. Also giving information about the ship itself was wonderful. Thnak you so much.

[@JohnShires]

Amazing build! At what point does it stop becoming a model with PE and becomes PE with some plastic parts!?

[@bhop0073]

IMO it doesn't make a difference what material it's made of. It's the end result that counts.

[@TheModelGuy]

When it is 51% PE and 49% plastic parts.

[@jnsurf5512]

@@TheModelGuy 50.01 and 49.99?

[@OneofInfinity.]

Also the plastic parts, aka: model is usually cheaper than the detail sets.

[@dannymiller3315]

@@OneofInfinity. pe is also time consuming

[@kevinhaynes9091]

Fantastic build, honoring a remarkable event in the Pacific War...

[@witeshade]

Ahh the joys of watching superglue actually work properly... the last set of PE railings I installed kept failing to glue properly. I'd get it positioned and then when I was adjusting or bending parts, it'd randomly come unstuck and end up getting mangled.

[@rybuds47]

Pound for pound best warship in history. Just my opinion Capt. Evans!

[@c.a.mcdivitt9722]

@@Supermarine-Spitfire-mk-IX Yea, but it never managed to scare off half the Japanese navy with the help of only four other ships and some aircraft...

[@rc-fannl7364]

Amazing how such a small model can look so life-like.

[@Jacen13]

Amazing work! I love how small it is but your skill & attention to detail like when you are painting is awesome! R.I.P. 557

[@jimmccormick6091]

That is simply a fantastic model. I wisg I had the skill and courage to attempt the same ( not even in 350th, so, there). One critique, and this is something I picked up in my own days in the Navy- "Close those hatches, shipmate!"

[@warrenlehmkuhleii8472]

This guy’s hands are about as steady as the nerves of the men of the Johnston.

[@TheNorbica]

Very emotional story. You made a really good job tributing the heroes of USN!

[@robertcolfack26]

You do such tiny detail I could never do that thanks for the video I gave it a thumbs up.....

[@PlamoSamurai]

I think I'll go blind making photo etch on 1/700 scale. Excellent build!

[@dougshelton69]

My dad served on USS Melvin..he made me models to play with in the bathtub when I was a wee child..nice job😁🇺🇸💞

[@slackjaw703]

Simply amazing. Loved the use of the syringe! I’m stealing that from you. Now if I could just steal a bit of your skill & artistry....

[@williamgandarillas2185]

That’s an EXTREMELY impressive model!

[@astroblemeRC]

This is like the heart surgeon of the model world. If I ever attempted anything like this my end result would resemble a crushed tin can of sardines. Well done, awesome skills!

[@markmulder9845]

You forgot some really big pieces, but they might have been too heavy to lift. I'm of course talking about the massive steel balls of Captain Evans and his crew. PS: They just found her wreckage, and she is the deepest wreck found to date. She's relatively intact too with her guns still aimed out for broadsides. The back third of the ship broke off during the sinking from the hit she took from Yamato's main guns about that far back. She is absolutely filled with holes.

[@lunaticfringe8066]

A great build! It would have been interesting to also include geysers from Japanese shells. Especially as they had dye markers in them and were of all different colors.

[@hawkertyphoon4537]

Thank you for showcasing that these DD's (even if the Fletcher class was a large example) had no easy, and no glamorous life on the sea. Johnston and its men deserve a respectful minute of Silence - they threw everything including the Kitchen sink at the enemy.

[@dauntlesschicken9756]

My perspective is that war is never good, and the bravery showed by the people who partook in it are futile, because war is just a game to the higher ups. I respect your perspective too though.

[@hawkertyphoon4537]

@@dauntlesschicken9756 Agreed! Imagine two leaders declaring WAR! on each other. ...and the rest of the respective countries just shrug, go "meh - screw you" and carry on with every day peaceful life, including cross-border trade and visits. Now that would be something!

[@dauntlesschicken9756]

@@hawkertyphoon4537 haha! If only war was that way it would be the solution to world peace! But I'm so glad you also understand my point.

[@curvedslightly6815]

Excellent dio and your PE skills are sublime mate!

[@Fastbikkel]

Wow, just wow! THanks for sharing this, it looks amazing. I never built a shipmodel myself, but i have a healthy interest ;-)

[@colinmontgomery1956]

Commander Evans was a hero.

[@k.w.churchill4397]

Dad saw a ton of action at Guadalcanal on the USS O'Bannon DD 450.......Famous ship........Potato's come into play......look it up.

[@jekster]

That PE detailing is nuts.

[@WarrenFahyAuthor]

Beautiful job!

[@greggmhire185]

Remarkably well done!

[@billypapa6761]

Next time you,ll build something like this, in 1/700 it would be interesting to buy two kits (they are rather inexpensive) and build one like you did with the aftermarket kit and the other one straight from the box to watch and understand the differences.

[@gibbontakeit9098]

Hell... even watching you make this was pretty.

[@charlesstephens2651]

You done the Johnston proud!!!! I have been on a Fletcher Class Destroyer here in Louisiana and it is awesome!!!

[@charlesqc9272]

Finding a qualitative for your work is almost impossible It is a level of craftsmanship that I for one just dream to attained

[@lancerevell5979]

Amazing skills and build! I just built this same Tamiya kit of the USS Cushing a couple weeks ago. My 63 year old eyes and XXL fingers had real trouble with the tiny parts. I ended up ommiting the K-guns as I just couldn't handle them, even with pointed tweezers. I have little experience with PE brass parts so I generally try to avoid them. I build for enjoyment, over some fifty-plus years, but some of these super detailed kits are just beyond me. But watching this, I have learned some new techniques. Thanks!

[@frankcastle4300]

Wonderful model! Very fitting tribute to a glorious ship.

[@foreverplastickits138]

*Such a beauty with pe parts, a golden kit! 🤩 The pe in 1/700 scale is a little bit too small for my old eyes but with a good magnifying glass ... why not? Excellent diorama! 😍👍*

[@puttyanimal3909]

Nicely done! That tip with the two sanding blocks is genius too.

[@paulmoore5401]

You sure do make it look easy!

[@julieblundell7421]

Excellent work mate, brilliant diorama, Lee.

[@mariojulien001]

Incredible work. Great. Thanks for the video

[@wdavis6814]

This is my next build. Can't wait!

[@franktozier3184]

You are a patient man with all that small PE.

[@blusnuby2]

Lovely work. Bravo !

[@jtm4850]

Your skill and patience is remarkable.

[@ionmodel7426]

Great color of the sea!

[@Pavl9k]

Those sea effects are getting better and better, I haven't seen a better sea surface on youtube, great work!!

[@vincepugliese911]

Tamiya should reissue the kit as part of their new "Basic Shapes" range.

[@donaldparlettjr3295]

Brave ship, brave men. A salute to the sailors of Taffy 3. They went where angels feared to tread.

[@PhillyCh3zSt3ak]

This is one of those things I wish I had the time and patience to do it justice. Also, I'm pretty sure it'll show up in someone's recommended by KZbin, but Drachinifel has a pretty extensive video on the Battle of Samar and the balls of steel that Taffy3 and Johnston had.

[@Manu1876]

Its the same thing, just amazing, thanks for your great job. send more videos Manu

[@pdogone1]

the story goes that as a japanese cruiser officer ,steamed past the Johnston he noticed Cmdr Evans on the stern mortally wounded and saluted as he steamed past the stricken destroyer.. famous quip by sailor on bridge of Sprague's flaship as the Japanese fleet retired..."Damit admiral,,they are getting away" should be very close if my memory still works lol

[@andrewtaylor940]

It was a Japanese Destroyer as legend goes. The IJN Yukikaze. Which was a remarkable ship in her own right. Noted as "The One that Survived". She was the only Japanese Destroyer to survive the entirety of the war. The only of her class remaining. And she survived with most of her crew alive. She was present at most major actions, and was present as an escort when all three of the Yamato's met their end. Musashi, the day before this encounter with the Johnston, the Yamato off Okinawa, and the Frankenstein Abomination of a Super Battleship turned into the worlds most poorly thought out Carrier the Shinano (total lifespan from departing drydock for the first time to hitting the bottom, 10 days.). After WW2 the Yukikaze served for many years in the Taiwan Navy. By the time she was finally stricken from the rolls she was in such bad shape that she was unfit to even make the journey back to Japan to become a museum. Her keel was near rotted through. They saved a few pieces of her which are on display in Japan.

[@pdogone1]

@@andrewtaylor940 tks for the correction.. yea i build that model!

[@bluedog843]

Just by looking at the layout that you sketched on the styrofoam, I must say that that is an intense turn. That is taking hard to portside on a whole new level haha!

[@benjaminjohnke4108]

Very interesting story you told there! And an even greater Model, Thank you for sharing your awesome content.

[@AxellWolff]

What an awesome model and a great story of courage. And how fitting is that the remains of USS Johnston were recently discovered (or confirmed to be more precise) in the March of 2021, just a few months after you shared your built?

[@icecrack4579]

That was amazing, I love your models

[@Markus68Scale]

I like your construction report on the Tamiya Fletcher in 1/700 very much. The result with the Dio is great, I also like the way you handle the small fine etched parts. I take my hat off to your work. Just great cinema.

[@Boylei]

Looks great. I used your water technique on a build of mine recently and love how it turned out. Your projects are an inspiration!

[@tictac-nscale]

This was a great video thanks for sharing it. As a 1/700 ship modeler I can appreciate all the things that you've shared.

[@chrispixart4647]

Man I love the way you do your models. Always so professional looking. Your skill knows no limits. Also you sound just like another modeler on youtube named plasmo. You both are the best at what you do.

[@JAFKARNAT]

Another superb sea diorama, well done and thank you for sharing.

[@johnnyappleseed738]

Amazing talent, thanks for sharing all these builds!

[@MegaDave1962]

Beautiful build! And inspiring! I will try out those cotton simulated water foams 🏆

[@KeremDur89]

insane level modelling

[@yu-mingchang2256]

Holy..... That's an amazing work, truly! All the details make it much larger than its scale. Nice work.

[@lawrencereid9375]

GREAT model and display base of a great, historic ship!

[@ryburnsjr]

Wow much learned on PE techniques.. Thank you so much

[@gaetamodeler]

Stunning work!!!!👏👏👏👏

[@JedenSiedemDwa]

Great done. My last build was Grumman FM-2 "Wildcat" from USS "Gambier Bay", from the Battle of Samar. So, it was nice to see how You build the ship from that battle. I always admire how You easy work with CA glue and PE parts. I use for that purpose CA gel type - it is more "safe", because it is not flow, work in small amount, and dry slow. But Your way is great. All the best for You! ;)

[@Bryan-cs9to]

Absolutely amazing work both the ship and the water and esp the label you made for the base

[@OneofInfinity.]

Beautiful built, the Tamiya kit is just a place holder for all the details 😆

[@mndak76]

Beautiful model

[@MikeJamesMedia]

Incredible patience, with those small PE parts, and a gear build, overall!

[@harrisonwilliams3585]

Dude! I just finished the 1:350 Fletcher DD-445, and I was hard enough getting all the details to look nice. That must kit must have been pretty hard considering that it is 1:700. It looks great!!!

[@DavidMartinez-fq9eh]

Wow! Your work reminds me a lot master Frank Spahr's.

[@hasankorkmaz3789]

Merhaba, böyle başarılı bir kanal kurduğunuz ve bizlerle paylaştığınız için teşekürler.

[@StevieMuso]

Great work, as always. You're an inspiration. Thanks so much for your work.

[@brianmcpherson5746]

I think your work is outstanding great work.

[@firegodzila1328]

A truly Masterpiece build there! U are Legendary Modellers 🙇🙇🙇

[@robbo1068]

Amazing details and incredible build....I salute your mastery and modelling skill. How you manage miniscule PE on such small scales is truly gob smacking!!

[@craigstanley2848]

Thanks so much for yet another amazing video! I'm about to build a 1/350 Australian Tribal class destroyer and had been debating whether to just use the supplied PE or get the White Ensign full PE upgrade. Having just watched this and what you have done with all the PE I think I now have no choice but to go for the full upgrade set.

[@markbarrett6041]

That’s an amazing model!

[@tewam67]

My great great uncle was on the Johnston. His name was Joseph .M Check.

[@stryderprime]

Another amazing build. beside the Ship which looks amazing I really like the water effect of the diorama. I have pick up the Talon Gel Medium this year after watching you U-Boat build a few months ago and I kinda did the same thing with an old Trumpeter Fletcher class ship. I have it posted on my channel as well. This video has given me some ideas on some other ships kits that I have in stock so keep it coming!

[@ianblackman2144]

A very skilled piece of modelling I have seen for a long time it is an absolute pleasure watching you build these beautiful models and bring them to life thank you you for sharing your skills

[@bhop0073]

I'm actually currently building the Fletcher version of this Tamiya kit, nearing completion so this is perfect timing to help me figure out the rigging.. haha

[@Tigerpaw87]

Your PE skills are amazing!