Calling all HMS Ark Royal (WW2) fans

[paulors]

Dear Ark Royal experts and fans,

Have a question concerning the Ark's 8-barrelled pom-poms, since I found differences between plans and photos. No question about the starboard side - four units, two in front of the island and two behind. On the port side, however, the two 8-barrelled pom-poms were not there in the beginning and were installed later on, probably in 1941. Can you confirm this information?

Best regards,

Paulo Roberto

[RNfanDan]

Spring 1941, probably May.

[paulors]

Hi RNfanDan,

Thanks!!!!

Bestegards,

Paulo Roberto

[Tim Stoneman]

ARK's designed fit was six octuple pompoms, but the two intended for the port side were not fitted initially because there was a risk that an aircraft trying to 'go round again' if it missed the arrestor wires might hit a pompom mounting; until a suitable crash-barrier had been developed, the gun mountings were not fitted. I believe the missing mountings were fitted in May 1941 - they were certainly in place when she took part in Operation HALBERD in September 1941.

[paulors]

Hi Tim,

Great!!! Found a photo here that (I think) shows the empty platforms for the port pom-poms. Have a look.



Best regards and thanks,

Paulo Roberto

[RNfanDan]

Interesting photo--thank you for posting!

[CharlesRollinsWare]

Gents;

HMS Ark Royal was refitted but three times in the UK in WWII, none being extended.

1. 21-02-40 through 19-03-40 at Portsmouth - it was assuredly not done then.
2. 08-10-40 through 28-10-40 at Liverpool - again, it was not done then.
3. 15-02-41 through 19-03-41 at Portsmouth - this would have to be the time as she was never in the UK again!

Hope this helps.

Mark E. Horan

[RNfanDan]

I wondered about this, myself--Ark was a very busy ship in May of 1941, but I could not find any better confirmation of the time frame than that month. Without evidence to either prove or disprove a May date, I was careful to indicate "probably May" in my post.

That given, must the pompoms' fitting necessarily have been done in the UK? Many Royal Navy ships' weapons and equipment were commonly installed/removed outside of home waters--might they have been added at Gib?

Thanks!

[Sylvain Auger]

I don't know if it could be of any help but I found a pretty good picture of the HMS Scylla model in the Glasgow Museum of art. It shows the turrets quite clearly but from only one angle.

[michik]

Hello group!

With the arrival of Airfix' 'Sink the Bismarck' set (dang, do I feel twenty years younger at an instance!) I'm preparing to build Ark Royal again, and, as part of my preparations, I'd like to discuss her paint scheme when she was sunk.

First, have a look at this picture http://www.seayourhistory.org.uk/compon ... emId=15874, showing the sinking AR with HMS Legion going alongside. AR's colour amidships looks a) rather uniform and b) lighter than Legion's hull but darker than Legion's upperworks. I have my Raven not at hand at the moment, but I think Legion wears 507A and 507C. That would point to 507B for AR.

However, AR was by no means painted uniformly, as http://www.seayourhistory.org.uk/compon ... emId=15870 and e.g. http://www.flickr.com/photos/nogtow/513 ... 088991333/ show. There is a heavily weatherd coat of a lighter tone, presumably 507C? There is a straight and perfectly sharp demarcation line between those two colours exactly at the lower edge of the hull openings as can be seen in http://www.seayourhistory.org.uk/compon ... emId=15882. I do not think this could have happend incidentially during the weathering process.

Therefore, I'd settle for the moment for something like an overall 507B with the sad remains of a dark hull-light upperworks scheme made from 507B and 507C. One thing that puzzles me is that the lighter tone seems to be rather confined to the fore and aft third of the length while the amidships third seems to be dominated by the darker tone (though not completely as http://www.seayourhistory.org.uk/compon ... emId=15872 shows).


Now, I'd appreciate your opinions!
MIchi

[DennisJP]

How come you cant part out another kit? Do none of the Tamiya Battleships or battlecruisers have usefull parts?

Not really. You could get the Pompoms from a PoW kit, but there are no Vickers quads out there - unless the new Tamiya E-class destroyer has some, which I don't know. The 4.5in Mk I/Mk IIID mount combination was unique to Ark Royal, Scylla, Charybdis and a number of depot ships, so these are really a toughie.

Jorit

I think Pacific Front Hobbies has the guns. I know I have seen several types of British barrage guns there pretty detailed.

[Guest]

Has anyone a photograph of the top deck of Ark Royal's island, showing the directors, mast arrangement, etc?

Thanks

IG

[Cobber]

Hi,
I'm working on a 3d model of Ark Royal, so I would like to design a right texture for her flight deck
who can show me how HMS Ark Royal deck was......
section, structure.....pictures.... of her armoured deck
I found how USS deck was with good pictures.....see

deck10G.jpg (101.85 KiB) Viewed 9118 times

but nothing regarding RN armoured flight deck

Can you help me?

regards
Cobby

[Captain pugwash]

So what was the substance and colour of the post war Ark Royal, was it black or Tan, I believe it was tarmac, am I right.

[tjstoneman]

Comer - in response to your 9 Feb post - the armoured deck of the 1937-1941 ARK ROYAL was the upper deck (ie one level below the lower hangar) except abreast the island, where it formed the lower hangar deck. Not sure of the colour, probably covered in linoleum except the lower hangar deck, which was probably bare metal. The flight deck was also steel, probably AP507A dark grey.

Captain Pugwash - would your question about the post-war Ark Royal (9 Mar post) be more appropriate in the "Calling all HMS Ark Royal IV (1955-1978) fans" thread (viewtopic.php?f=46&t=34185) on this site? The fourth ARK ROYAL's flight deck was definitely not tan-coloured, but, certainly in her latter days, it was dark grey, with the "runway" a different grey - although shades of grey for both areas varied depending upon how fresh the paint was, and how much wear and tear had been caused. Other horizontal surfaces were deck green (not sure of correct designation). Vertical surfaces were light grey. There are plenty of colour photos online in this configuration, but fewer of her early days. I'm not sure if the RN ever laid tarmac on carriers' decks, though!

Tim

[Captain pugwash]

I apoligise Tim, and thanks for putting me right on the aproprete site for this.

Again thanks for the input on 4th Ark, that is very helpfull.

[TimDRN]

I am returning airfix modeller after 40 odd years and I am in the process of doing the 1:600 HMS Ark Royal and I was wondering if the paint that comes with the set is it enough!!! So long since I have done one I am really not too sure.

[tjstoneman]

All the references I've seen show the flight deck of the World War Two ARK ROYAL to have been unarmoured (the later ARK ROYAL, completed in 1955, did have an armoured flight deck). The 1937 ship's 3.5" armoured deck was below the hangar (the flight deck may have had three-quarter inch plating for strength purposes). The subsequent Illustrious class did have an armoured flight deck; the resultant topweight meant that they could only be provided with a single hangar, as opposed to ARK ROYAL which had two, one above the other.
Tim

[Cobber]

hi guys,
i'm working on this 3d HMS ARK ROYAL

where was written (if...) the name Ark Royal ?
regards

[smor]

Hello Cobber,

Ship name was at the stern, as seen in the following pictures







Good luck with yours model,

Shalom Mor