Black Cat Models
USS Ward (APD-16)


Reviewed by Felix Bustelo
November 2024
HISTORY
USS Ward (DD-139) is most famous for her actions on the fateful morning of December 7, 1941. While conducting a patrol at the entrance to Pearl Harbor, she fired upon and sank an IJN two-man midget submarine attempting to sneak into the harbor. USS Ward had fired the first American shots of the Pacific Campaign of WW2 a few hours prior to the Japanese airborne attack on Pearl Harbor. But there is more to her story.
USS Ward was launched on June 1, 1918 at the Mare Island Navy Yard. The Wickes-class flush-deck destroyer was commissioned on July 24, 1918. She did not see action during World War I, and was eventually decommissioned on July 21, 1921 and mothballed. With the outbreak of World War II in Europe and the growing threat by Japan in the Pacific, Ward was recommissioned on January 15, 1941 to conduct local patrols in Hawaiian waters.
Similar to other flush-deck destroyers, Ward was converted into a high-speed transport and redesignated as APD-16 in February 1943. APDs were designed to deliver small units onto hostile shores using the four LCP(L) crafts fitted on them. To accommodate the LCP(L)s, the aft pair of boilers and associated funnels were removed along with the torpedo tubes. 

USS Ward APD-16 saw action in various locations in the Pacific, providing escort and patrol work as well as taking part in several amphibious landings. Ironically, on December 7, 1944, while operating in Leyte Gulf, Ward came under kamikaze attack and was struck by a bomber amidships. When the resulting fires could not be controlled, orders were given to abandon ship and she was sunk by gunfire from USS O’Brien (DD-725). In another ironic twist of fate, the commanding officer of O’Brien, William Outerbridge, was the commanding officer of Ward on the morning of December 7, 1941. In December 2017, Ward’s wreck was located at a depth of 686 feet (209 meters) by RV Petrel.

For more on the Wickes-class and the Ward, check out these online references: 

Destroyer History Foundation: Wickes and Clemson Classes

Destroyer History Foundation: USS Ward

Wikipedia: USS Ward

The Black Cat USS Ward APD-16

The Black Cat Models USS Ward APD 16 kit is comprised of cast resin hull, 3D printed parts, photo-etch parts, Master Models turned brass components and a decal sheet. The contents come in a sturdy flip-top box with the contents packed with Styrofoam peanuts and warped in bubble wrap. The hull is also enclosed in bubble wrap with the 3D printed part rafts in plastic clam shell boxes. The PE, decals and turned brass are stored inside a clear plastic envelope. 

THE HULL 
The cast resin full hull is very nicely done. The hull itself does not have a lot of fittings cast into it as they are mostly done as 3D printed parts. The only structure cast into the hull is the bottom section of the forward superstructure. The deck has a mix of shallow openings and scribed locations to accommodate the 3D printed parts that are fitted onto the deck. The hull itself has plated over portholes, bilge keels and locator holes for the rudder and propeller guards. The superstructure part has cast in watertight doors and portholes.

 
3D PRINTED PARTS
All of the 3D printed parts are gray in color and come on rafts with thin attachment points for easy removal. All of the 3D printed parts are very well done. 

The three largest parts are the bridge, amidships housing and aft housing/gun deck structures. They are all well printed with portholes where present, watertight doors and other details. There are faint print lines which should disappear under paint. There are openings in the decks to accommodate fitting smaller parts. 

 
3D PRINTED PARTS - BAR A
Bar A has various deck fittings, such as bitts, chocks in several sizes and styles, hatches as well as running lights and ship’s bell

3D PRINTED PARTS - BAR B
Bar B has some more hatches, deck lockers and several styles of mushroom vents, oxygen tanks, SG radar as well as mast fittings and life rings.

3D PRINTED PARTS - BAR C
Bar C has some additional deck lockers, flag bags, searchlights, signal lamps, anchors, range finder and various bridge fittings.

3D PRINTED PARTS - BAR D
Bar D contains the propellers and shaft struts, cowl vents, a floater net basket, 3-inch practice loader parts, anchor handling davit, radio direction finder and the mast searchlight platform.

3D PRINTED PARTS - BAR E
Bar E has the Carley floats, small deck housing, propeller guards, depth charge roll-off racks, SR radar. Also on this bar are inclined and vertical ladders.

3D PRINTED PARTS - BAR F
Bar F has a pair of skylight sections, davits for the LCP(L)s, rudder, additional inclined and vertical ladders and extra floater net baskets. 

3D PRINTED PARTS - BAR G
Bar G has the forward funnel, 3-inch gun mounts, a 3-inch gun and a pair stowage racks for the LCP(L)s. Some extra parts found on prior bars are included, such as the SG radar, Carley floats, and a mushroom vent.

3D PRINTED PARTS - BAR H
Bar H has the aft funnel, remaining 3-inch guns, additional 3-inch gun mounts, propeller shafts, and another pair stowage racks for the LCP(L)s. Some extra parts found on prior bars are included, such as the range finder and the barrel for the 3-inch practice loader. 

3D PRINTED PARTS - BAR I
Bar I has the 20mm Oerlikons on pedestals. A total of 10 are provided but only 9 are needed, so you get one extra for breakage or the spares box.

3D PRINTED PARTS - BAR J
Bar J has depth charge K-guns and associated racks. 

3D PRINTED PARTS - BAR K
Bar K has LCP(L) crafts, which are fully detailed little gems. These should be made available as separate accessory in the Black Cat Models line. 

TURNED BRASS PARTS
A package of turned brass parts produced by Master Models is provided. The turned brass parts are the masts, yardarms, ensign and jack staffs and platform supports. 

PHOTOETCH
A medium sized photoetch fret is included with all of the railing, vertical ladders for the mast, yardarm supports and support for the mast searchlight platform. The photoetch is crisp and well done. 

DECALS
A small decal sheet with white hull numbers is provided. My apologies, they are hard to see in the photo I took.
INSTRUCTIONS
The assembly instructions come in a 24-page booklet which are very well done. The cover page has the box cover artwork with a brief history of USS Ward. Page 2 has images of the photoetch, decals, hull and the three largest 3D printed parts. It also has an inventory of turned brass parts and the glossary for the instructions. Pages 3 through 10 have top view images of the 3D printed parts bars with part numbers. Page 11 through 22 have the diagrams moving fore to aft, breaking down the assembly of the model in a logical order. Pages 23 and 24 contain the paint guides with color renders depicting the MS31 15-T camouflage scheme worn by USS Ward at the time of her loss. The last page has call outs for the different greens and other colors she was painted in. The color renders do provide a rigging diagram but not in specific detail.
CONCLUSIONS  
Overall, I find this to be a very complete kit with the quality and detail we have come to expect from Black Cat Models. While the kit is sold as USS Ward APD 16, with research any other flush decker destroyer converted into an APD should be easily built with this kit. The kit is recommended for modelers with experience working with 3D parts, some of which are delicate, and photo-etch. This kit is available directly from Black Cat Models directly or from the sponsor retailers that carry Black Cat Models products. My thanks to Ben Druel for providing the review sample.