ATLANTIS MODELS RE-RELEASES THE MONOGRAM CLASSIC 16" IOWA CLASS BATTLESHIP AS THE USS WISCONSIN (BB-64).  VINTAGE KIT HAS A LOW PRICE AND IS EASY TO BUILD.  WILL DISPLAY WELL WITH YOUR 1/700-SCALE SHIPS.  PAINTING INFO FOR THE WWII INCARNATION OF THE WISCONSIN ISN'T IN THE KIT INSTRUCTIONS, BUT WE'LL SUPPLY EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO PAINT AN ACCURATE WWII WISCONSIN HERE.

BY BILL ENGAR

ATLANTIS M3006 -- MSRP AT TIME OF POSTING US$18.99 -- 81 PARTS MOLDED IN GRAY STYRENE PLASTIC -- MODEL GLUE REQUIRED FOR ASSEMBLY -- PAINT OPTIONAL/NOT INCLUDED -- MODEL RECOMMENDED FOR AGES 14 AND UP

One of the first kits that Atlantis Models released after acquiring its major stash of legacy tooling from Revell in 2018 was its classic 1/535 Iowa, Kit# H369.  This kit has been popular; Revell’s original USS Missouri, an Iowa Class battleship, has been in production almost continuously since it originally appeared a lifetime ago in 1953.

Plastic parts for the Atlantis 1/665 USS Wisconsin.  Hull length is 16".

​Atlantis Models’ “new” Wisconsin, Kit# M3006, is a former (1976) Monogram kit from their 16” series.  It scales out at 1/665.  It’s 4” shorter than the 1/535 Iowa.  1/665 is also very close to 1/700, the most common small-ship scale.  So you could easily put your Atlantis USS Wisconsin M3006 in a display with other 1/700 ships and it will fit in just fine.  The difference between 1/665 and 1/700 is like 5%, so it's comparable to displaying 1/24-scale and 1/25 scale cars together.  The difference just isn't really noticeable!
 
Not long after releasing their 1/535 Iowa, Atlantis released the same plastic as the Wisconsin, #H463.  This kit was apparently very popular and sold out quickly.  We were lucky to get our hands on one and created a separate review on it and the 1/535 Iowa that you can see here.

Monogram's 16" Iowa Class battleship is similar to the classic 20"  1/535 Revell kit.  We're guessing that Monogram used it as reference when they tooled their kit 20 years after Revell.

Aside from being 4” smaller than the 1/535 Iowa (Revell mold,” Atlantis’ 1/665 Wisconsin (Monogram mold) was engineered over 20 years later.  This means some aspects of it have better detailing and accuracy than the classic 1/535 version.
 
Pricing for the Atlantis 1/665 is amazingly low.  Nowadays, it’s pretty hard to find any new model kit for less than $20, but Atlantis has done it with the release of the 1/665 Wisconsin.

This is NOT a state-of-the-art kit.  You will NOT be dealing with photoetch, or resin upgrade sets.  But that’s OK, isn’t it?  Not every model we build has to be the latest available, hailed as the most accurate and most expensive.  Atlantis’ 1/665 USS Wisconsin will look just great built right out of the box!  If you have AMS (Advanced Modeler Syndrome) and are so badly infected that you are incapable of building a model out-of-the-box, you could probably get some 1/700-scale generic photo-etch ship railings and put them on your Atlantis Wisconsin if you want.  And your friends will be embarrassed that they didn't know that your model is not the latest, super-pricey 1/700-scale super-kit.  So the model does have some possibilities beyond the box.  It's really just a great kit!

Unlike the Revell kit, the Atlantis 16" Iowa Class kits have propellers!  Separate floats to the scout aircraft, catapult frames, and the main guns can be seen here.

The ship's Upperworks and smokestack are seen here.

As a vintage kit with roots in the 1970’s, you’ll find some minor flash and a few sinkholes.  Monogram’s 16-inch series of ship models was made for easy construction.  You’ll encounter a number of small parts but there is nothing here that will frustrate anyone who has built a glue-kit or two.  Like Atlantis’ Bismarck, this is a good candidate for a modeler who has never built a ship to try out their “sea legs” on a model ship build for the first time.

This view shows the 5" guns and "Chicago Piano" 20 mm antiaircraft guns.

Here, you can see scout planes, anchors, aft crane, and main gun turrets.

An interesting “action feature” that the kit included was a linkage between the gun directors and main guns.  If you’re careful with your glue, you could move the gun directors and the guns will also move.  COOL!!!  The instructions show just where the linkage parts go and the places you need to omit gluing for everything to move as intended.  Of course the feature is optional.  The linkage hardware sits below deck where it can’t be seen and you can simply glue the guns and directors in place if you don’t want to utilize the action feature.

The small but comprehensive decal sheet includes hull markings and aircraft insignias.

The only specific recommendations we can make is regarding painting.  The Wisconsin was painted in Measure 22 camouflage during WWII.  Later, it wore a classic battleship scheme, gray superstructure, fittings, and guns with wood decks and hull-red below the waterline.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with painting your Wisconsin in this scheme if you want.

If you’d like to depict your Wisconsin in the striking WWII Measure 22 camouflage scheme like the box art shows, the instructions won’t be much help.  Here, we’ll supply all the information you need!

The main hull color is Navy Blue 5N.  Starting at the point on the hull where the deck is closest to the water, a horizontal line divided the vertical surface, and the areas above the low point of the deck starting where it gradually curved up (the "sheer") were painted Haze Gray 5H. 
 
All vertical surfaces above the hull were also painted Haze Gray.  The wood deck was painted Deck Blue, and horizontal surfaces, such as the tops of the gun turrets and non-wood decks were also painted Deck Blue according to references I found.

Measure 22 paint chips.  Note that Ocean Gray and Light Gray are not used on the Wisconsin.  We'll have a lot more about Measure 22 camouflage in our bonus features for this article.  Stay tuned!

Instructions are a single piece of 8-1/2X11" paper (approximately A4 size) printed on both sides.

Like most battleships, the Wisconsin’s lower hull was anti-fouling red-brown.  Mix a small amount of brown into some flat-red paint and you can come up with a very pleasing version of the color.
 
The Wisconsin had a narrow band of black at the waterline; this stripe is referred to as the boot topping.

We’re thrilled to see Atlantis release its 1/665 USS Wisconsin.  The Iowa Class battleships have historically been very popular with modelers and it’s great to see this kit return after a lengthy absence.  The 2Modeler guys give it four enthusiastic thumbs up!

SPECIAL THANKS TO ATLANTIS MODELS FOR PROVIDING THIS KIT FOR US TO REVIEW AND ENJOY!

​UPDATE 04/2024

NEW 1/665 USS MISSOURI SPOTTED AT HOBBY LOBBY!

This new USS Missouri was spotted at Hobby Lobby.  It's the Monogram 1/665 plastic, same as the 16" Wisconsin.  The box art comes from a 1970's issue of Revell's classic 1/535 Missouri.  Note the low $19.99 price!

In late April, 2024, I was surprised and delighted to see this 16" Atlantis USS Missouri BB-63 model kit at my local Hobby Lobby.  It's the same plastic as the 1/665 (16") Atlantis USS Wisconsin.  Atlantis hasn't posted this kit on their website; we're going to assume it's a Hobby Lobby exclusive.  Collectors, take note!

On the back of the box is a photo of a model built by Jeff Smedley.

Hobby Lobby is a major arts and crafts retailer in the USA with over a thousand stores coast-to-coast.  They offer several popular Atlantis model kits in stores and online via their website.  The really cool thing about Hobby Lobby is (at time of posting) that they have 40%-off sales on all their model kits, at least every few weeks.  At $19.99, Atlantis' 1/665 USS Missouri is already a bargain at list price, but with at 40% sale discount, the tab drops to an even crazier-low $12.00!  You can track the sales on their website.  They post a sale flyer, plus they drop the prices of their model kits sold online by 40%.  When you see this sale, you can head to your local Hobby Lobby and pick up the model and save big!
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BONUS FEATURES

THE EVOLUTION OF FAST BATTLESHIPS

The battleship was considered the apex of naval power for several centuries.  Aircraft carriers took over this role during and after WWII, but between the Civil War and World War II, the iron battleship reigned supreme.
 
After WWI, five major Allied naval partners, The United States, Great Britain, France, Italy, and Japan, signed the Washington Naval Treaty the goal of which was to prevent an escalating arms race.  Germany’s battleship-building was limited separately by the Treaty of Versailles.  A major component of these agreements was that any new battleships had to be limited in their displacement.  Placing restrictions on the size of the ships in this manner regulated the caliber or number of main guns and would also limit the top speed.   A smaller, lighter power plant would reduce the ship’s speed just as a smaller, lighter engine in a car would affect its ability to accelerate and lower its top speed.

The USS Texas, BB-35, transits the Panama Canal in 1937 with her crew "manning the rails."  Serving in both World Wars, the Texas has been preserved as a museum ship.  Even though Mighty T packed a big punch with ten 14" guns (in five turrets!), she conformed to the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty with a displacement less than 30,000 tons.  Top speed, however, was only 21 knots.

The USS Texas is resplendent in Measure 21 camouflage in this modern-era photo of the famous museum ship.  At time of posting, she is undergoing badly needed repairs to her hull (the ship was never designed to be in the water over a century!).  Being on the Texas is possibly the closest you can come to experiencing what everyday life might have been like for sailors on the USS Arizona prior to the Pearl Harbor attack.

To reduce fleet counts as part of the agreement, the United States scrapped many of its older ships that were obsolete anyway.  Battlewagons such as the USS Arizona, Texas, and Tennessee, all with displacements less than the restrictions of the naval treaty, were upgraded and retained for possible future conflicts.  Around the period of WWI, many battleships had a top speed just over 21 knots.

The USS Florida was a WWI-era ship, commissioned in 1911.  During WWI, she was deployed to protect allied shipping lanes.  The Florida is shown here as she appeared in 1929; the ship was decommissioned and scrapped in 1931.  The London Naval Treaty placed additional regulations on naval power not addressed by the Washington Naval Treaty.  Florida and Utah were both de-militarized as warships under this agreement.

Florida's sister ship Utah, shown here in a 1935 photo.  Utah was converted to a gunnery training ship.  Note the turrets are in place but the big guns have been removed to assure conformance to interwar disarmament treaties.  She was berthed in Pearl Harbor with the Pacific Fleet and sunk during the Imperial Japanese Naval Attack of December 7, 1941.

As the winds of war grew in intensity, additional ships were commissioned.  The U.S. Navy’s North Carolina Class was designed from the outset to comply with the treaty.  Battleships North Carolina and Washington were laid down in the late 1930’s and commissioned just as WWII began.  Atlantis Models makes a very nice North Carolina kit in 1/500 scale.

The USS Arizona, BB-39, was commissioned in 1916.  She is shown here after her substantial 1929 modernization.  The ship exploded and sank with substantial loss of life during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Arizona's sister ship, the Pennsylvania, was in drydock at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.  Lightly damaged, she was quickly repaired and upgraded for service during WWII.  She received new 5" gun turrets.  Had Arizona survived Pearl Harbor, she probably would have received the same upgrades.

The South Dakota Class was designed originally under terms of the treaty, but when it was apparent that the hoped-for restrictions would be ignored by potential belligerents such as Japan and Italy, an additional pair these of ships was ordered instead of increasing displacement of two ships originally planned.  At the time, the U.S. Congress resisted efforts to abandon treaty specifications for displacement even though they had been nullified by the other parties.  Four South Dakota Class ships were built and put to sea for combat during 1942.  While retaining the treaty-specified 35,000 ton displacement limit, the South Dakota ships were heavily armored, had a top speed of 27.5 knots, and carried nine 16” guns.  During WWII, the ability for a battleship to keep up with an aircraft carrier was important.  The aircraft carriers of the era were comparable to cruisers with top speeds over 30 knots.  It was very difficult to build a sufficiently armored battleship with 16” guns that could reach this speed under the constraints of the Washington Naval Treaty.

USS North Carolina as she appeared Post-WWII.

Atlantis Models makes a very nice North Carolina.  In 1/500-scale, this former Renwal kit is a substantial model at just under 18".

With the terms of the Washington Treaty completely nullified by the late 1930’s, the next battleships to be built by the United States would be much bigger than the North Carolina or South Dakota class ships.  The Iowa Class ships carried the same primary armament ; three turrets each with a trio of 16” guns, but the Iowas were a fair bit faster than the older ships thanks to their design exceeding Washington Naval Treaty limits by at least 10,000 tons.  The Iowas were more heavily armed and even faster than Germany’s Bismarck and Britain’s HMS Hood battleships, two ships whose careers began and ended much earlier than the Iowas.  Atlantis Models makes a 16” Bismarck that is a great companion to your USS Wisconsin.

USS Wisconsin as she appeared in WWII, with Measure 22 Camouflage.

There was a pair of massive Axis battleships that actually outgunned the Iowas.  Imperial Japanese Navy Yamato and her sister ship Musashi had nine massive 18.1” guns in the same turret configuration as the Iowas along with a virtual phalanx of secondary weaponry. Putting this firepower to sea required a ship a third larger than the Iowas.  However, the Yamato Class ships had powerplants that could only match the performance of the older North Carolina and South Dakota battleships.

The recovered hulk of the USS Oklahoma which capsized during the Pearl Harbor Attack is berthed next to the USS Wisconsin.  This view demonstrates the difference in size between older ships that conformed to the Washington Naval Treaty and the Iowa Class Battleships.

The strategic might of the Yamato ships was merely symbolic.  After losing four of their six front-line aircraft carriers at the Battle of Midway in 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy lost its strategic strike force capability.  Yamato and Musashi lacked sufficient air and sea support forces and it was the lot of both ships to be sacrificed merely to draw out an increasingly futile war effort.  Like the Bismarck, the efforts required to sink both ships were remarkable thanks to exceptionally heavy armor.

The Imperial Japanese Navy Battleship Yamato riding the waves like a floating Shogun fortress.  These ships were truly massive with a displacement similar to a Forrestal Class aircraft carrier.  In the end, the Washington Naval Treaty didn't prevent this ship from being built.

Iowa Class firepower, modern era.

While the aircraft carrier became the key component of a naval task force, the battleship still had value thanks to its ability for heavy shore bombardment.  The Iowa Class battleships including the USS Wisconsin were reactivated by the U.S. Navy for use in the Korean war.  After modernization during the 1980’s, the Iowa Class ships were used as a deterrent force during the Cold War.
 
During the Persian Gulf War, the Wisconsin and Missouri shelled Iraqi shore installations and destroyed Iraqi shipping and shore facilities in occupied Kuwait in preparation for coalition forces to retake the country.

These tactics were meant in part to fool the Iraqis into thinking an invasion was coming via sea and hammered dug-in troops including Saddam Hussein’s vaunted Republican Guard, part of what was considered the world’s 4th largest military force at the time.

The Wisconsin finally fired over 300 16” shells during the Persian Gulf War, and nearly 1000 5” shells.  There was much speculation as to the psychological effect that such bombardment would have on the feared Iraqi military.  After being “softened up” by the big guns of Wisconsin and Missouri, Wisconsin’s crew was surprised to see Iraqi forces waving the white flag of surrender to a reconnaissance drone flown off the Wisconsin.  It was recorded as the first surrender to a drone.
 
All four Iowa Class Battleships have been retired and retained as museum ships.  A visit to any or all of these ships is highly recommended!

MONOGRAM'S 16" SHIPS SERIES

Monogram Models was legendary for its detailed model kits.  Another hallmark of the company was that they worked hard to engineer their kits to be easy to build by the average modeler.

While aircraft, armor, and automotive kits were engineered to specific scales and other manufacturers began to coalesce with standardized scales for ship models, Monogram produced a nice series of ship kits that conformed to a 16" hull length.  While they were engineered to be easy to build, they still had some nice details.  We thought it would be fun to take a ride down Model Kit Memory Lane with a little help from the awesome Scalemates.com website.

Monogram's 1/800 USS John F. Kennedy was first released in 1969.  The kit was also released as some Kitty Hawk class ships, but is said to be a better representation of the JFK.  Not released since the 1970's, it has become rare.

In 1969, Monogram also debuted the 1/415 USS Halsey, a Leahy-class guided missile frigate.  This white-box 1970's release shows it as the Leahy.

In 1970, Monogram released Guided Missile Destroyer USS Brooke in 1/310 scale.  Brooke was a newer ship when this kit was first released.  The model saw releases as the USS Ramsey in 1987 and 1991 but hasn't been available since then.

Monogram's 1/665 Iowa Class kit, released in 1976, came in boxes with the names of  all four Iowa Class ships.  Revell/Monogram last released it in the early 1990's.  It's also very close to popular 1/700 scale, so it's right at home in a collection in that scale in addition to its 16" companions.

Monogram's 16" USS Chicago guided missile cruiser of 1976 scaled out at 1/500, so it would look good displayed along with your 1/500 Atlantis USS Ticonderoga aircraft carrier and USS North Carolina.  Renwal Models picked 1/500 for its kits and both of these Atlantis kits are former Renwal subjects.  Atlantis also has the 1/490 USS Pittsburgh.  Both of these ships were originally Baltimore heavy cruisers!  Let's hope this one reappears soon; it's a very cool kit.

Monogram's D.K.M. (Deutsches Kreigsmarine) Bismarck was a 1/618 ship model originally released in 1977.  It was also released as the Tirpitz, seen here.  We've reviewed this kit as well; check our review elsewhere on the website.  This kit became quite rare but we were delighted when Atlantis re-released it.

Monogram's 1/823 Nimitz was popular on first release in 1977.  The kit was nicely detailed and came with three F/A-18 Hornets, which were still years away from operational use on an aircraft carrier deck.  This boxing is from the early 1990's.

Monogram's Nimitz was packaged with their 1/72 F-14 for this now collectible Final Countdown set, which tied in with the 1980 sci-fi time travel movie.  Spoiler:  We would have liked to see the Nimitz actually take on Admiral Yamamoto's Pearl Harbor Attack task force.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?  Atlantis Models may have least some of the tooling from the collection listed above.  They were technically owned by Revell-Monogram at the time of the Hobbico liquidation in 2018 when Atlantis acquired ownership of hundreds of pieces of classic, vintage model kit tooling.  We'd love it if Atlantis could release all or most of these in the near future.  Of course there are many variables as to whether or not this may happen; sometimes, tooling gets irreparably damaged or lost over the years or loaned to other manufacturers without being returned.  So time will tell whether or not we see any more of these kits!

In a relatively short time, Atlantis Models has evolved from a small company marketing a handful of eclectic UFO model kits to a major model kit manufacturer.  At time of posting, they have a substantial line of ship subjects.  Build your own collection today!
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​MEASURE 22 CAMOUFLAGE

It seems counterintuitive, but a view of this WWI-era British gunboat through a periscope would quite likely confuse an experienced U-boat targeting officer into a missed shot.

The concept of camouflage is as old as war itself.  The ability to blend into ones surroundings has always been desirable by the soldier or navy sailor.
 
Dazzle camouflage seemed to throw the normal convention of camouflage on its ear.  The combination of highly contrasting colors and angles was intended to throw off enemy gunners.  If a gunner couldn't enter accurate coordinates corresponding to the actual distance, heading, and speed of an enemy target, the enemy ship would likely not be hit.

The U.S. Navy used an evolving combination of techniques incorporating reduced visibility and dazzle strategies for its ships during WWII.

Measure 22 was intended to help a battleship blend in with sea and sky, particularly at a distance.  If it provided a few extra minutes or seconds more time before the ship was sighted by an enemy gunner, it could certainly improve the survivability of the ship and provide a major tactical advantage of surprise for its attack or protection for defensive missions.  Other considerations for standardized camouflage schemes included the role of the ship and even the geographical location where the ship was expected to serve.  Measure 22, for example, was designed for conditions predominate in the South Pacific where plenty of sun and good visibility would be expected.

This diagram comes from the US Navy's Ship Camouflage Instructions, 1942.  It describes Measure 22 camouflage instructions for late WWII battleships.  Note that Haze Gray is specified above the lowest point of the main deck and Navy Blue below that.  Deck Blue is used for all deck surfaces, and turret tops and other horizontal surfaces are also Deck Blue.  The USS Wisconsin was the newest of the Iowa Class ships, commissioned in June of 1944.  It wore Measure 22 colors through the end of WWII.

Here's a repeat of color chips including Measure 22 grays and blues.  Ocean Gray and Light Gray are extra camouflage colors not worn by the Wisconsin.

Cost and availability of paint, durability of the finish, and even safety were considerations for naval camouflage.  For example, painting decks would create headaches for the enlisted crew if the finish wore off quickly and could make the decks slipperier which could create a safety hazard or even impact crew response to general quarters.  The evolution of Navy camouflage for aircraft and ships during WWII is an interesting study.
 
We're grateful to Maritime.org for posting a copy of the U.S. Navy's Ship Camouflage Instructions, Ships 2, from June of 1942.  It will be very helpful to the ship modeler researching WWII ship schemes.  Note of course that this system evolved during the war, and of course there were exceptions.  At very least, the document provides some very interesting reading and insight to camouflage strategies and implementation for US Navy ships during WWII.

As mentioned, camouflage measures evolved during WWII.  This is the USS Missouri, Wisconsin's sister ship, wearing Measure 32/Design22D!  Unlike Wisconsin, the Missouri wore more than one scheme during the war.

Some model kit paint manufacturers have the various WWII naval camouflage colors available in their product ranges or you can easily mix them yourself.  If you keep your empty paint bottles, cleaning them out with thinner or solvent, you can reuse them for such custom-mixes if ready-made paints aren't available.

USS Wisconsin, BB64, in 1945.  It would appear that the Navy Blue deck and other top surfaces have been stripped by this time.  It would have been difficult to maintain this finish on high-traffic deck areas.  During peacetime, Wisconsin received a more conventional battleship color scheme.
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USS Wisconsin, 1952.

NAVAL HISTORY IS COOL!!!

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER ARTICLES WITH NAVAL HISTORY TOPICS ACCOMPANYING REVIEWS FOR ATLANTIS SHIP KITS!

• THE BISMARCK AND HER BRIEF CAREER.  WHY IS SHE SO POPULAR WITH MODELERS?

 

• AIR-LAND-SEA SET AND THE CRAZY WORLD OF PT BOAT COLORS

 

• 1/1200 US NAVY TASK FORCE FLEET FEATURES A SET OF COLD-WAR WARRIORS THAT GOT A NEW HISTORY AFTER THE SET WAS FIRST MADE

 

• MONITOR AND MERRIMAC - AN UNDER-APPRECIATED DIORAMA SET TEACHES ABOUT A SIGNIFICANT BATTLE IN NAVAL HISTORY

 

• ATLANTIS MODELS' FIRST USS WISCONSIN - 20" OF MODEL KIT HISTORY

 

• MODEL KIT HISTORY:  REVELL'S 1/535 WISCONSIN - IS IT ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR SHIP KITS EVER?

 

• ​ATLANTIS 1/300 USS NAUTILUS - HOW WAS A REVOLUTIONARY AND VERY TOP-SECRET MILITARY ASSET MADE INTO A MODEL KIT?

SCROLL DOWN JUST A BIT TO SEE WHAT ELSE WE'VE GOT GOING ON AROUND HERE - BOOKMARK US AS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITES!