Calling all RN County-class fans

[Laurence Batchelor]

Steve wartime additions to plans are rare indeed, they just never had the time to keep updating the plans in wartime.
Sometimes the dockyards did draw some modifications, but you usually can only get to see the full wartime additions from clear photographs.

Dear old WR to my knowledge you can no longer order half size!
They only do you full-size copies in black-and-white or for even more expense they can do colour again full-size!
Your going by what was available in the 1970s and not today's copying I'm afraid.

Please excuse my incorrect terminology I merely meant order the sheet or sheets with the decks given in a birds-eye view.
Not being a draftsman myself please excuse if I don't use the correct terminology.
Please also spell my name correctly

In-terms of photos, the Japanese aerial photo's of her being sunk are like this, you can make out very little!





On a brighter note this is a good view of her catapult area:-

[Steve Sobieralski]

NMM didn't give me any choices of drawing scale when they sent me the list to order from. The rig plans are in 1/192, everything else is 1/96, but they are all the same price-14.40 pounds per sheet (plus 11.75 pounds research fee and 25 pounds shipping). I ordered seven sheets: rig, WT rig, superstructure, profile, upper deck, main deck and sections. I didn't strictly need the last two for the model, but got them anyway. Being flush decked, Dorsetshire does not have a forecastle deck, but if a ship did (Exeter, for instance) it was my impression that you would also need an upper deck plan for a complete set of weather deck plans.

wr- I will finish the Dorsetshire model either in pre-war China station colors (white and primrose) or as she was during the Bismarck action, so I guess I won't need to worry about the 20 mm (I had thought she might have had them in May '41). One question if I may (apologies to the Exeter and York folks for diverting their thread), on page 16 of Man O'War 1 the photo caption states that her colors in 1941 "appear to to Mountbatten Pink and 507C" and on page 22 of Camouflage Volume One the colors are given as "507b and 507c". Did later research eliminate the use of Mountbatten Pink or is that still a possibility in your mind?

[mike mccabe]

NMM didn't give me any choices of drawing scale when they sent me the list to order from. The rig plans are in 1/192, everything else is 1/96, but they are all the same price-14.40 pounds per sheet (plus 11.75 pounds research fee and 25 pounds shipping). I ordered seven sheets: rig, WT rig, superstructure, profile, upper deck, main deck and sections.

Presumably Steve your model is 'large' scale? At 112 pounds not includng postage I think it is fair to say this is the reason the majority of 1:700 scale modellers won't go to the trouble of buying as fitted plans!

Mike

[Filipe Ramires]

However this is not Dorsetshire meeting her final doom this is the best photo I am aware of HMS Cornwall at the same moment that the Kido Butai hit the two heavy cruisers:

[wr]

On the matter of the camouflage.
It was believed for a time that the camouflage was Mountbatten Pink and light grey.
I was not really happy with this, and sought further data over a period of time from ex officers and 'old hands'. All stated that the ship was NEVER in Mountbatten Pink, only the two shades of grey from the 1941 refit onwards.
At the time of the Bismarck action and without looking at my notes, I would think that the ship would be overall medium grey; quite a dull appearence in terms of a model.

NMM didn't give me any choices of drawing scale when they sent me the list to order from. The rig plans are in 1/192, everything else is 1/96, but they are all the same price-14.40 pounds per sheet (plus 11.75 pounds research fee and 25 pounds shipping). I ordered seven sheets: rig, WT rig, superstructure, profile, upper deck, main deck and sections. I didn't strictly need the last two for the model, but got them anyway. Being flush decked, Dorsetshire does not have a forecastle deck, but if a ship did (Exeter, for instance) it was my impression that you would also need an upper deck plan for a complete set of weather deck plans.

wr- I will finish the Dorsetshire model either in pre-war China station colors (white and primrose) or as she was during the Bismarck action, so I guess I won't need to worry about the 20 mm (I had thought she might have had them in May '41). One question if I may (apologies to the Exeter and York folks for diverting their thread), on page 16 of Man O'War 1 the photo caption states that her colors in 1941 "appear to to Mountbatten Pink and 507C" and on page 22 of Camouflage Volume One the colors are given as "507b and 507c". Did later research eliminate the use of Mountbatten Pink or is that still a possibility in your mind?

[Steve Sobieralski]

On the matter of the camouflage.
It was believed for a time that the camouflage was Mountbatten Pink and light grey.
I was not really happy with this, and sought further data over a period of time from ex officers and 'old hands'. All stated that the ship was NEVER in Mountbatten Pink, only the two shades of grey from the 1941 refit onwards.
At the time of the Bismarck action and without looking at my notes, I would think that the ship would be overall medium grey; quite a dull appearence in terms of a model.

That will pretty much settle it for me. Thanks.

[E.springer]

Greetings mariner modelers:
This is my first post, of many I hope.

I'm considering doing a model of one of the early 'County'-class heavy cruisers: Kent, Cumberland, or Suffolk. I would like to model it at the outbreak of WWII.

My question concerns the 4-inch secondaries. Just what was the layout of these three ships, say, in 1940 during the Norwegian fracas?

I have Raven's book "British Cruisers" for research, but I'm still confused as to the arrangement of the 4-inch secondaries after their late '30s reconstruction.

[Steve Sobieralski]

According to Man o'War 1, County Class Cruisers, also by Raven and Roberts, as of 1939 Cumberland and Kent were both fitted with four twin 4" mounts, while Suffolk carried two twin 4" mounts and two single 4" mounts, of a type used only on Suffolk. The singles, which I believe were mounted in the fore positions, were replaced with twins by late 1941.

[Hugh Williams]

Hi,

I have some prewar photos which I have included in a Flickr Photo Album.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank_deweck/


My Uncle served as a cook on HMS Suffolk, and I still have his Crossing the Line Certificate from that ship.

My bible for cruisers is the 'Cruisers of World War 2' by M.J. Whitely. ISBN 1-86019-874-0. A pretty reasonable and concise history of the mods to these ships is included in this book.

Regards,

[/url]

[Rob]

Not cheap - but you'd find a copy of Raven/Roberts very useful.

Cheers,

Rob

[Hubert Boillot]

I always loved white and buff ships (that's why i prefer pre-Dreadnought era) and found that "County" class cruisers were among the most handsome ships.

John's CUMBERLAND combines the two of my favorites, in a fantastic masterpiece.

Well done John!

[MartinJQuinn]

Agreed, the Counties were handsome ships. Nice to see one done up in the white and buff scheme. Nice stuff all the way around today, each model is a standout in it's own way.

[Kym Knight]

Not being a fan of either 1:600 scale Airfix kits or pre-dreadnaughts, I must say John, you really turned a 'sow's ear into a silk purse'. Excellent job.

[Michael Potter]

Modeling Cumberland with technical accuracy and fine workmanship is an achievement!

What are your methods for painting the wooden decks and for achieving the sharp distinction between the stanchions and the lifelines?

[Persona non grata]

Yes. Just looking at it. Great build. Great subject. Bravo.

[Paul Helfrich]

I agree, I really enjoyed seeing this ship in the white-and-buff China station scheme. Nice work!

[Stumper]

Great job! Did you use new deck material or joint the two pieces Airfix provides?
Thanks. I was contemplating a similar project with an extra Airfix Suffolk.
regards
Simon Scheuer

[William J]

Bill

[Elvis965]

Beautiful job!

Someone needs to make some WW2 British cruisers in 1/350 plastic. It's hard to believe no oner's done a Suffolk or Norfolk, Ajax or Exeter, in 1/350 plastic yet.

Mike McCabe's tanker was also top notch! Great job!

Bob

[JIM BAUMANN]

I have to pitch in here...

It was a real pleasure taking pics of the Cumberland-very atmospheric model!

Nicely observed detail of the canvas cover on the crane housing...

Congratulations also to Mike McCabe--Having previously only seen the model as part of 'the Atlantic Convoy'---...

I never realised what a fine 'stand alone ' model the British Promise tanker really is!

Really evocative colouring--sort of 1950's postcards--
this is my favourite view:( evening sunlight....)



Phil Reeders HMS Kite is also a worthy model--all round a great way to greet your morning tea!

JIM B