Calling all King George V-class (WWII) fans

[Martocticvs]

You can purchase them from the RMG Picture Library:

https://images.rmg.co.uk/search/?searchQuery=M3142
https://images.rmg.co.uk/search/?searchQuery=M3143
https://images.rmg.co.uk/search/?searchQuery=M3144

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

You can download reduced resolution images from those links. If you only need to have an indication where the plates are situated, that might be sufficient for your purpose. If you however need the exact dimensions related to the frame nrs, then you'll have to order the full size prints - but it'll be quite costly!

I have ordered those prints from the Hood and the Nelson, many years ago. The prices have increased since then - of course!

[Stefano Salesi]

i paid for this very set of plans 170 pounds in 2022. They are really beautiful, even with the position and size of every single bolt and rivet.
Expensive but really good. the images are high resolution .tiff, perfectly scanned and registered.

[Martocticvs]

I've just finished reading King George V-class Battleships by Daniel Knowles. A decent read, but one passage in particular caught my attention. In an account of the conditions faced by Duke of York during the Battle of North Cape, Knowles says this:

... the large waves of the following sea made if difficult for the destroyers to keep up with the Duke of York. A number of 20-mm Oerlikon cannon and 40-mm Bofors that had been fitted on the forecastle were ripped off their mounts along with ready-use lockers as the battleship d[r]ove headlong into the waves...

As far as I can remember, this is the first reference I have ever come across to there having been Bofors mounted on the forecastle of any KGV, and in 1943 as well. I've never seen any photographic evidence to support this, or any drawings. Does anyone know of any references that could back this up? Knowles doesn't give a reference for this paragraph.

[81542]

Martocticvs,

I have not read the book that you mention, however, despite it being a "decent read," I recommend that you treat the information given with reserve.

I have checked both Raven and Roberts' "British Battleships of World War 2" and Burt's "British Battleships 1919 - 1939."
The former is the best technical record. Burt is also good but tends more to the biographical side of the ships' lives.
Raven and Roberts gives details of the additions/removals of close-range armaments throughout the lives of all of the
KING GEORGE V class. DUKE of YORK did not receive any 40/60 Bofors mountings until the 1944/45 refit prior to going to the Far East when she was given two quadruple mountings.

Concerning weather/self-inflicted (blast) damage suffered off the North Cape: Burt contains what I take to be an extract from the ship's Report post the action. It is worth reading.

Hope that this is useful.

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

And 40mm Bofors guns on the forecastle seem very unlikely in any ship. You can read the passage even that these were ripped off the accompanying destroyers, and those certainly didn't have any guns on the forecastle, it would be far too impractical.

[Martocticvs]

Thanks guys. Yes, I was very skeptical of that statement as I know they didn't get Bofors on the forecastle even in 44/45, or post war when the single mounts started appearing. In fact they had a lot of the Oerlikons removed from the forecastle in the 44 refit. The quad mount Bofors were in short supply and I couldn't see them risking them in such an exposed position.

[FFG-7]

Maarten, a number of US battleships had 40mm gun mounts on their forecastle.

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Maarten, a number of US battleships had 40mm gun mounts on their forecastle.

Thank you, I didn't know that.

[TZoli]

I wonder how accurate this drawing of Duke of York in her 1945 state?
https://www.reddit.com/r/WarshipPorn/co ... /#lightbox

Did she really had this much Quad Pom-Pom-s all around the hull?

[Timmy C]

I wonder how accurate this drawing of Duke of York in her 1945 state?
https://www.reddit.com/r/WarshipPorn/co ... /#lightbox

Did she really had this much Quad Pom-Pom-s all around the hull?

The two on the stern are seen here: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205161420
One of the two by Turret B: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205161490

[Martocticvs]

Plus one either side on the signal deck extensions: https://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/ ... 846.attach

[TZoli]

Thanks!
Wonder why not use the Octuple mounts for the added main deck mounts?

[robn1]

Hey all.
I am wondering if anyone can point me in the direction of where I can find the locations and images of external hull fittings, ie sea chests etc. on KGV.

Cheers,
Rob

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Hey all.
I am wondering if anyone can point me in the direction of where I can find the locations and images of external hull fittings, ie sea chests etc. on KGV.

Cheers,
Rob

Hi Rob,

You can find those fittings and a lot more (bilge keels, docking keels, etc.) on the 'outer hull skin expansion plan' of the ship, or a similar title. A real treasure trove for such details. Everything related to the frame locations, so dimensionally accounted for.

But I admit I haven't seen this published for any of the KGV class. Maybe someone else on this forum?

Next resort would be the libraries of any of the cities where these were built: Glasgow comes to mind first (PoW). Finally, I would turn to the Greenwich Museum: their fees are horrendous thou, it wil cost you easily something like 100 GBP to get a scan of this one.

And if this all fails: also the 'docking plan' of any of these ships could provide quite some of the details of what you're looking for.

[robn1]

Thanks for that.
I've never seen them on a model of KGV, though they are shown on a lot of Bismarck/Tirpitz models.
Cheers,

Rob

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Thanks for that.
I've never seen them on a model of KGV, though they are shown on a lot of Bismarck/Tirpitz models.
Cheers,

Rob

In 1:350 we only know the Tamiya kit: they didn't bother very much about the underwater details of their models. In the smaller scales 1:400-1:700 it was the same.

Revell was the first that attempted to make an accurate Bismarck/Tirpitz, first in 1:350 and then in 1:700. Trumpeter copied that in 1:200.