American destroyer ship USS Kidd DD-661 COBI 4866 - World War II 1:300

USS KIDD DD-661 MODEL | COBI 4866

A building blocks set of the American destroyer named after Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd. The model, featuring a rising bow, perfectly captures all the key lines according to the real ship. Deployed on the deck are gun turrets with adjustable cannon elevation, lifeboats, iconic funnels, and a mast with the pirate flag, for which the ship received special permission from the US Navy. The model features two rotating propellers and an adjustable rudder. You can safely display the model in a sturdy stand with a description.

Did you know that:

Construction of the ship began with the laying of the keel on October 16, 1942, at the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in New Jersey. In less than six months, the shipyard managed to complete and fully arm the vessel, allowing it to be commissioned into service on April 23, 1943. The destroyer was named after Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, who died on the bridge of the flagship USS Arizona during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Ever since his academy days, Rear Admiral Kidd had the nickname "Cap," which was a humorous nod to the name sharing with the famous 17th-century Scottish pirate, William Kidd. When the ship was commissioned in 1943, the new crew decided to build on this name coincidence and chose the pirate Captain Kidd as their mascot. Mrs. Kidd, the widow of the Rear Admiral, pushed the idea through with the US Navy command, and the ship thus received official permission to hoist the pirate flag and decorate one of the funnels with a drawing of a pirate.

During World War II, the ship was deployed as an escort vessel for aircraft carriers as part of operations in the Wake Island area. In mid-October, Kidd and a task force were assigned to attack the Japanese base at Rabaul, New Guinea. Upon reaching their positions, the ship was called to rescue the crew of a crashed plane from the USS Essex. During the rescue, a Japanese group of aircraft attacked the vessel. Kidd shot down three attacking planes and completed the rescue while successfully evading torpedoes and bombs.

After World War II, the ship was decommissioned and placed in the reserve fleet. However, this did not last long. On March 28, 1951, she was recommissioned to participate in operations during the Korean War. From late 1953, Kidd operated in Western Pacific waters on patrols against Soviet submarines.

The final end of combat deployment came for USS Kidd on May 23, 1982, when she was towed to Baton Rouge, where she can be seen today as part of a veterans memorial. Of the Fletcher-class vessels, three ships have survived to this day, but only USS Kidd remains in the exact condition in which she left the battlefields of World War II.

Technical parameters:

• dimensions: length 115 m, width 12.09 m, draft 5.41 m
• displacement: 2,050 t
• propulsion system: 4 Babcock & Wilcox boilers, 2 General Electric steam turbines with a total output of 22,371 kW, transferring power to 2 propellers
• maximum speed: 65 km/h
• operational range: 12,040 km
• armor: belt 19 mm, deck 13 mm, conning tower 13 mm
• armament: 5x 127 mm guns + 6x 40 mm anti-aircraft cannons + 7x 20 mm anti-aircraft cannons + 10x 533 mm torpedo tubes and six K-Gun depth charge throwers
• fuel tank capacity: 525 tons of fuel oil + 25 tons of diesel for backup generators
• radio station: Westinghouse Electric Corporation model TBL
  
• crew: 329

From the memoirs of Captain Robert E. Jeffery:

“At the beginning of 1951, I received orders to assemble a completely new crew and reactivate USS Kidd from the mothball fleet in San Diego. When we finally arrived on board, we realized how much work lay ahead of us. All openings and passageways were sealed with plastic covers; mechanical parts, cables, and electrical equipment were covered in a thick layer of protective grease, which we never completely managed to get rid of despite our best efforts. After a few days, it was everywhere. On your clothes, in your hair, in your bed, but worst of all, in the food.”

About COBI building sets:

• the COBI 4866 building set consists of 706 high-quality ABS pieces
• number of figures: 0
• World War II collection, 1:300 scale
• pad printed - no stickers
• detailed and faithful design
• made in the EU
• compatible with other brands of building blocks