Not exactly - the focs'le length didn't change on the Portlands or the Northamptons!
Indy, Houston, Chicago and Augusta all had the long forecastle's and retained them until loss or scrapping. Portland, Northampton, Louisville and Chester had short forecastle's.
For some reason, the USN decided to have a visual difference between flag and non-flag fitted vessels in these two classes. The Pensacola's, New Orlean's and subsequent classes weren't different visually in this case, although I'm not sure as to how prevelent flag accomodation was with these classes.
Your quite correct that alterations were made to reduce topweight and also to clear sky arcs for the AA guns.
All that's needed would be one model to represent Portland, Louisville and Chester and another for Augusta and Indianapolis. By 1944/45 all 5 survivors were pretty much identical.
It's 1942 that the major differences were still there!
As you may have surmised, I know a wee bit
too much about these ships.
At the end of the day, it's Max's model and he'll do what he wants with it.
Mike.
