The Ship Model Forum

I concur with Linux, that is her very early in her life, early to mid-1931

A while ago, i took out the Alanger/Matchbox repop Exeter for a spin. I decided to use her as a experimental hulk for plastic surgery. No attempt at historical/technical correctness was attempted: this was seat-of-the-pants plastic modelling at its finest.
The deck: a new scribed deck was installed. You can't see the scribing in the pictures, but it's there. The two barbettes were sliced off with a new knife and transplanted without any ado.
The angled walls: where possible, angled walls were removed and replaced with drop-dead vertical styrene.
The catapults: the kit's cats were removed and replaces with a bizarre something made to look like something resembling the real catapults. The lattice effect was created by using hairs from a dishwashing brush for thick (vertical), and hairs from a toothbrush for thin strips (the angled). This is cheaper, has a more consistent shape and is easier to manufacture then stretched sprue. It responds less to solvents, however, so use CA glue.
The crane: the same method as above was used to create something with an almost-PE-like effect.

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If all else fails, a complete pig-headed refusal to see facts in the face will see us through. - General Melchett

Hey, I really like your model! You've done some great mods. Exeter really was a fine looking ship, perhaps the most balanced looking of the British cruisers.

I know some people will denegrate the matchbox kit for being a bit crude but I like the look of it. I especially like the way the flare in the stern sections has been captured.

I've tried many times to buy a Matchbox original or MPC reissue on ebay and missed out as the price went over 40 US dollars. I've never been able to find anywhere on the web to buy the Alanger issue from either.

I actually have a copy of the Novo reissue of the FROG 1/500 scale kit but for some reason cannot bear to attack it with a knife and glue.

Thanks. Btw, you can find the Alanger kit at http://www.nntmodell.com.

_________________
If all else fails, a complete pig-headed refusal to see facts in the face will see us through. - General Melchett

Exeter, from a post card won in a recent auction

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Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery

In order to help people building Exeter here are some more rare wartime photographs of her.
I post them on this site rather than SN as this forum has longevity!

I hope especially the top one is useful to you WR!

Post-1940 refit close-up stb. Broadside showing A and A's clearly!
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/6/1/1940009/HMS%20Exeter%20close%20up%20shot%20after%20refit.jpg

Another post her 1940 refit and repair this time more distant:
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/6/1/1940009/HMS%20Exeter%20stb.%20broadside%20post-refit.jpg

This one seems taken either taken at the Falklands in Dec 1939-early 1940 or on her way back to Devonport in early 1940 for her refit and repair:
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/6/1/1940009/HMS%20Exeter%20late%201939-early%201940%20post%20Graf%20Spee%20action.jpg

An aerial photograph taken by attacking Japanese bombers:
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/6/1/1940009/Exeter%20being%20bombed.jpg

Under Japanese air attack:
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/6/1/1940009/HMS%20Exeter%20under%20Japanese%20air%20attack%20bombing.jpg

Once again under Japanese air attack:
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/6/1/1940009/HMS%20Exeter%20under%20Japanese%20air%20attack%20bombing%202.jpg

Cheers
LB

Dear Laurence,
I have finished the detailed drawings of Exeter as she appeared at time of loss, and copies will be posted off on monday along with the other material. Should take about a week to get to you.

Are you sure the dockies are carrying gas mask bags? certainly not around in 31 Just a thought?
Dave Wooley

Dave we were commenting on Tigerfish's picture on the previous page mate.

Many thanks ar was the 1st photo I posted above useful? It is the best photo I could find of her post-refit and repair.

The first photo that you posted was useful, and I already had a copy sent to me by another gentlemen, and thank you anyway.
I was forced to make some assumptions re the post refit configeration. These were based upon my knowledge of cruiser refit practices that took place during the early war period, coupled with photos and the Devonport Yard drawings which were not quite correct in some ways, and of course lacked any detail. An example of the latter was the complete absence of RU lockers for the twin 4" mounts and for the pom poms. But, was able to find most of them by knowing where to look on the photos. The deck layout is of course quite different port from starboard due to the position of the crane arm, which in it's stowed position rests on top of the boiler room trunk, whereas it originally rested on the deck. This raising of the crane arm was done so as to allow working clearence for the aft starboard twin 4" mount, which in turn had to be positioned 25' forward of the crane base. There being no crane on the port side allowed the aft port side twin 4" mount to be positioned further aft giving greater working areas for the ship's boats. The higher stowed position of the crane also demanded that the searchlight platform sited at the fore end of the second funnel be raised some four feet to give the searchlight clear arcs.
The rear of the bridge structure had to be reworked due to the fitting of the HACS at the rear of the compass platform which was lengthened, which then completely blocked signal flag facilities located at the rear of the lower bridge platform. This platform was therefore reduced in size, torpedo lookout postions were fitted port and starboard and the flag lockers removed and repositioned at the rear of the compass platform.
THere were other arears that caused me to be careful, including the precise nature of the pom pom platform.
Unfortunately, about 99% of the working fly sheets showing modification made to cruisers during the war were dumped in the nineteen fifties by the DNCs department, but----- only after these drawings (of which there were many thousands) were offered to the Imperial War Museum, which refused to send a few taxis to Whitehall to pick up. The next day, all these drawings were placed into bags and burnt. The IWM strikes again!

I should have added: One CANNOT use the model of Exeter that is held by the IWM. This model is one of Julian's and unfortunately contains MANY MAJOR ERRORS, and is poor and misleading, to the point where it should be PUT DOWN!

Now I'm with you .brain in gear I think?
Dave Wooley

Laurence: Excellent pictures! Thank you for sharing.

AR: I'm eagerly awaiting to see your drawings. Thank you


Bob Pink.

The posts on the destruction or archival documents has been pruned and moved here

The posts relating to Dino's scratchbuilt 1/700 Exeter have been moved here

Posts relating to the Dorsetshire's catapult and crane have been moved to the Calling All County Class Fans thread, in this forum.

_________________
Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery

Scan of a postcard of York:

_________________
Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery

For you Filipe:

2 views of HMS York at Suda Bay, Crete May 1941

http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/6/1/1940009/HMS%20York%20damaged%20at%20Suda%20Bay%201941.JPG

http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/6/1/1940009/HMS%20York%20damaged%20at%20Suda%20Bay%20May%201941%20port%20quarter.JPG

LB

Ahhhh, excellent photos...specially the first one!!!
Cheers mate.

Filipe

_________________
"Build few and build fast,
Each one better than the last"
John Fisher

Laurence/Filipe,

Re the two York at Suda Bay pictures, What is the consensus of opinion re her light AA fit at this time? There appears to be a possible bin on the roof of B turret but nothing on Y turret. Hard to say whats on the quarterdeck if anything.

Cheers,

Dick

No worries Filipe.

Dick it should be covered in detail earlier in the thread as we went through all the ins and outs in order for Filipe to build her in 1/700.

At this time York had nothing on Y turret and just 20-mm on the quarterdeck in a rectangular gun shield, which isn't completely clear enough in these photos, but is clearer in others and is there.
She also had 20mm atop B turret.

She wore, as can be seen, her Alexandria style camouflage throughout 1940 and 1941 including when she was in Norwegian waters. The only thing which isn't sharp enough is to tell if any of the panels were slightly altered by this May 1941 time.

To add some extra info on what Laurence said, York also had two quad Vickers on the bridge wings. And for heavy AA she retained the four single 4'' amidships...unlike Exeter that saw these older guns being replaced by 4 twins. About Y turret there is no information so far that she had a light AA gun on top of it. B turret had a single 20mm and there's one AA position on the stern like it was told here before and discussed when I was building my model of York.

_________________
"Build few and build fast,
Each one better than the last"
John Fisher