Calling all Queen Elizabeth-class (1914-1947) fans

[Admiral John Byng]

I am getting ready to get the Trumpeter 1/350 QE but I have a slight problem.
I can't get at my Roberts/Raven book at the moment but in the Shipcraft book there is a line drawing of QE in 1943 with a 20mm gun tub on the after main gun director. In all the photos of her in the book the gun tub seems to be empty, was the 20mm ever fitted?

Was this gun tub fitted during her refit in the US ending in 1943?

[richtea]

Don't be hard on him Timmy,
he's probably just recovered from celebrating Australia Day.

[Rob-UK]

There were definitely at least two camo schemes applied to Warspite. Up until her second camo in 1943 the pattern was made up of sharp rectangular shapes.
I think there might have been a change in her last camo as can be seen in the images above on the starboard side of the main superstructure where it looks like the pattern is more of a wrap around design as opposed to asymmetrical one as portrayed in the Academy instructions.

David Gatt

The rectangular scheme was worn during the Far East posting in '42. I think it was applied during the Pudget Sound refit, and not sure but suspect was replaced by the later sloping pattern during the refit on returning to the UK prior to going back to the Med.

[Guest]

I haven't got my sources to hand at the moment, but photos I have seen show Warspite received her rectangular pattern sometime in late 1940, when she was in the Med. The pattern was changed slightly during her Puget Sound refit, notably around the starboard 6" battery. This altered scheme is what she wore during her time in the Indian Ocean, when most photos of her were taken.

Cliff

[JCRAY]

Admiral Byng, the photos in Ensign 4 page 48 (stern view) clearly show the tub atop the rear director at alex, in 41. The series at the end of the book, after the refit in the US show the tub but they are too small to see a gun. I think it would have been removed if it was not required for a gun mounting.

[Dino Carancini]

...I spent some time looking for the missing gun, but what I found is an empty mount ( with shield ) in a picture captioned as QE in 1946 ( source profile morskie )

[Ensign Jay]

Don't be hard on him Timmy,
he's probably just recovered from celebrating Australia Day.

Thats ok , it was a dumb question - my browser had been playing up and I have a new Grandaughter staying with us temporarily ( I hope ) so I am scrambling to keep up . My LHS says my preorder should be in at the end of Jan (now) so I am just waiting for the news !!

[Captain pugwash]

I imagine thease pictures have been shown before or seen by many, but shows the camoflage in 1944 off Normandy.



The design again seems different in the layout.

[David Gatt]

The camo in the second image is very similar to that of the Academy instructions in regards to the forward superstructure. I doubt that it was taken at the same time as the top one as the dark paint on the rear top of the funnel is not present in it as it is in the first image

[Captain pugwash]

Yep your right, 'so the confusion'.

Mind you its starboard and port sides

I will be doing mine in the Academy version.

[AngloSaxon]

I disagree, I think the second image conflicts with the Academy instructions. The light grey band on the bridge superstructure is clearly sweeping upwards in the image yet is shown sweeping downwards in the Academy instructions?

Mike.

[whaynes]

Mike, I think you're right. Walt

[Captain pugwash]

I do not disagree with you Mike.

Those last two pictures are from 1944, I will be doing 1943 and so will be doing the Academy version of camo which I believe is earlier '0r am I wrong'

I believe some of the AA tubs(20mm) were not in use for Normandy.

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Guys,

The later (and final) paint scheme of the Warspite was almost completely symmetrical, as Academy suggests in their insteructions. However, there were two notable exceptions:

1. The forward superstructure had a so-called wrap-around pattern, in fact bands of light and medium grey spiralling upward around the superstructure. So the bands run from lower right to upper left, no matter when you look from the front, right, left or the rear. Academy got this wrong, as they suggest on the starboard side a mirror image from the port side, this was not the case. See both pictures.

2. The front of the rear deckhouse has a slant divide between the two greys. Academy doesn't show this at all in their instructions.

The other notable error in the Academy instructions is the height of the waterline: Academy shows this much too low and too narrow. In fact the top of the boottopping (the black band) ran along the top of the bulges, and just below the stern walk.The width of the boot-topping should be one fathom (six feet) or 5.2 mm in width. Have a look for yourself at the nice picture of the stranded od vessel, showing a large part of the lower hull.

[Captain pugwash]

Thank you Maarten.

Thats how I see it with the water line(black stripe)and you are right on Academy camo, they have got it wrong,'Whew'.

Will change it.

[AngloSaxon]

Hi Maarten,

Thanks for the information, it clears up a lot of the confusion.

Mike.

[Captain pugwash]

Well have not started Warspite just yet so will be able to make any changes ness.

Have HMS QE 1/350 from Trumpeter on the way too.

So its a busy year for me.

[Admiral John Byng]

JCRAY and Dino, thanks for the help. One of the line drawings of QE in the Shipcraft book shows her with the tub on the after director but the other doesn't so I assumed it was a mistake and the tub was added in 1943.

I shall have to delve deep into this one.

[Not_so_COB]

Interesting pic for Warspite fans... Don't know if it was already mentioned here...

http://www.warspite.dk/photograph.html

[Captain pugwash]

Thanks for that Not_so_COB, a good picture of the stern showing the veranda detail and the thicker Black line.