I'll first introduse myself: I'm Josse, i'm from Vlaardingen, The Netherlands, and i'm 20years old.
For about 2 years i'm building scratch-build models of midium size, if i see the size of models out here.
This threat is about my first scratch-build model which was first intended to be the Dutch ocean-going tugboat Zwarte Zee III, which was the most powerful tugboat during WWII, and actually during almost her entire career which is about 30 years, then a ship with the name Zwarte Zee IV (which Billing Boats has a model of) took in her position with almost twice as much power.
Because of my lag of experience (the only model near to scratch-building is Billing Boats Banckert, which has a plastic hull) i didn't manage to get the wanted shape of the hull, the bow being the biggest problem as it started to bend upwards to far forward and had a curve, so i decided to finish her according to my own design, which in fact is still only in my head, and changes from time te time.
During WWII the Zwarte Zee escaped to the UK and went sailing for the Allied.
There were added weapons in order to make it possible to defent herself, as she needed to go to crippled ships without any escorts most of the time.
She managed to attack a submerged U-boat at least ones with her depth-charges, but during that action she sailed to slow as the crew had spotted the periscope while they were attaching the lines to a crippled ship and were needed to make speed by that time and for as far is i know the U-boat didn't sink, but i think the crew of the U-boat must have been really very surpised by that action.
Anyway, because i like warships about as much as i like merchant ships i decided to turn my tug into an escort (something like a fregate) with all the towing-stuff still attached.
For the armament i decided to look to the Flower-class corvettes as they are pretty well the same size, and decided to add some weapons that would give her a chance when fighting against bigger ships, and that weapon will be the torpedo.
There is allready one tube with base placed on board, but i want 2 double torpedo launchers, so i will have to make some more.
The main gun is on top of the foc'sle, making me decide to build a command-bridge on top of the navigation-bridge.
At the sides of the bridge will be 4 1,1inch AA-guns, and off course some depth charges at the rear deck, and maybe some hedgehog or mousetrap at the bow.
Here are some pics, build is going on for 2 years now, so i'll show the best pics:
One of the first pics.
Here allready with the lengthened sloop-decks at the rear and one of the earlier wheelhouses.
One of the later test-trials.
One of the first test-trials.
This was when i re-started work on her, about a year ago i've started work on a state-of-the-art diving-support-vessel which is 1,76m long, and as i've been working on the real i managed to get quite a lot of drawings, and because of the memories about the real ship she is much more important to me.
And here after i made the decision to convert her to an escort ship.
And here my entire RC-fleet.
Well Enhancer, a diving-support-vessel which i mentioned a bit up is nearest to the wall, Josse I, the escort-vessel is at the left, and then in the foreground a hull of a fishing-ship which will be build as a bunker-ship, and last is Smit Rotterdam of Billing Boats, which i got from someone who said he doesn't like building some much, so if i would like to finish her.
At full power ahead.
Well Enhancer and Josse I besides each-other.
That's it for now, as Well Enhancer gets most of my attention the progress won't come regular, but there still is loads of work to do on her.
Greetings Josse
