Nautical Research Journal 75


1. YMS-328. Naval History and Heritage Command photograph.


Modeling YMS-328 By Jeff rey Fuglestad


John Heinz’s article covering Yard Minesweepers in NRJ 63:2 (Summer 2018, 83-96) with its photographs of models of YMS-155, YMS-421 and YMS-472 has prompted me to present details of the construction of my scratch built model of YMS-328. Rather than replicating historic detail, I took a “scratch built” approach.


Building an accurate model of a specifi c YMS demands signifi cant prior research. T ere were many variations among the 481 YMSs constructed for the United States Navy despite their fundamental similarities. For example, the various YMSs had diff erent bulwark lengths, sterns, and stack arrangement. T ey also were armed diff erently, and the shape of the acoustic sweeping gear varied.


My research prior to construction involved acquiring and studying plans from T e Floating Drydock


and examining over a hundred YMS photographs available on the internet. Deciding which specifi c minesweeper to construct involved taking into consideration the fact that many of these World War II-era vessels are no longer in existence. T e decision to model YMS-328 specifi cally was made easy for three primary reasons. First, there is an excellent wartime offi cial United States Navy profi le photograph of this minesweeper. (Figure 1) Next, the ship’s postwar history is compelling, since John Wayne purchased and refurbished YMS-328 as his yacht, Wild Goose, and owned the vessel from 1962 until his death in 1979. Finally, attesting to the durability of these vessels and their historic signifi cance, Wild Goose was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011 and still operates as a dinner cruise ship in Newport Beach, California. (Figure 2)


On to construction. T e model’s size was dictated by available display space. It is 25½ inches long to 1:64 scale. T e bread-and-butter hull was made of


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100