Calling all Royal Navy V-class & W-class fans

[Mike E.]

All:

Here are some screen grabs of HMAS Vampire from the aforementioned link in the previous posting. Note that this scheme appears to consist of three colors:

[Mike E.]

And here are photos of HMAS Vampire from the film sequence mentioned in my previous email, in her dark hull/light upperworks scheme:

[Mike E.]

And here is a picture of HMAS Vampire from the AWM website (mislabeled HMAS Vendetta) taken at about the same time as the first set of photos I posted above. Here, it looks like she is in the same camouflage scheme, but in a two-tone version of the above:

[mstary1]

At long last, late March release, 1/350 HMS Vendetta 1918 by Showcase models.

[JCRAY]

Yippie! Where can we get one?
john

P.S. I have ordered one thru Dragon. 4/23/16!

[mstary1]

Yippie! Where can we get one?
john

http://www.showcasemodelsaustralia.com.au/

Will be taking pre orders in the next few days.
I must say she looks good.

[Speedydan]

Hi, Can anyone help re Vampires Search light platform locations & AA at various points - the conversation on vampire inconclusively petered out.

hoping to model her in dec 41 so wondering
1) when the SL moved between the funnels - was it in singapore nov 41 or singapore jan 42? I think in 41?
and to confirm aa
2) in Dec 41 shielded 12 pdr has replaced aft tt ?
3) in dec 41 2 pounder behind aft funnel + pom pom crew shelter?
4) lewis guns on bridge wings
5) 1 x vickers .303 is mentioned on RAN site- does this mean the 4 barrel job and if so where was this??

The RAN website pictures http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-vampire-i
1) 2nd pic down, entering malta in 1940:
original SL position, 2 x triple TT,
old camouflage
? is that a single 2 pounder aft of rear funnel

2) There was an Alex refit in April 41 where 12 pdr added and presumably aft tt removed

3) undated mediterranean pic ?? 41 https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P00219.024 mislabelled vendetta. aft TT removed & replaced with iron deck bandstand. no sign of aa weapon behind aft funnel, SL still in original position. med camouflage (narrower dark section on bow and no curvy bits) - could this be when stripped of AA prior to singapore?

4) refit in Singapore completed Nov 41
? pic http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-vampire-i picture showing "light line transfer" where new curved camouflage, search light position moved but no new aa weapon on old SL position. ? 12pdr with shield superimposed over aft superstructure and odd structure visible aft of 2nd funnel (? crew shelter). verbal descriptions of 12pdr, pom pom and machine guns firing in force z action as noted earlier in this thread.

5) refit in singapore jan 42
pictures show searchlight between funnels, 2 x 2 pdr added on old SL postion. 12pdr position + shield (as per voyager see earlier in thread). ?? another AA aft of funnel ?? quad vickers .303

cheers for passing on any knowledge to help with this!
Dan

[Speedydan]

Just found this quote on https://www.navyhistory.org.au/vampire-in-the-med/2/

"sailed for Singapore. In what seemed to be a fitting farewell, we were stripped of all AA guns and ammunition and left with twelve rounds of 4 inch SAP shells. Then we were warned to watch out for a German raider known to be in the Indian Ocean."

So apart from her Main 4 inch armament this suggests she was a "clean slate" for the Singapore 1941 refit.

[Speedydan]

Ok pulling together my very limited sources (many second hand) summarised below I really would lke to know what is the structure behind the funnel in the DEC 1941 photo!
Early war:
Camo: initially light grey, ? then dark hull light upper works.
4 x 4 inch, 6 TT, 1 x 2pdr aft of funnels, SL position between TT, lewis guns bridge


Brief refit in 1940:
Quad Vickers added (1)

Further refit Alex April 41
Camo: 2 (?3) tone.
Aft TT removed, replaced by 3 inch,
Main mast removed replaced by ? shape on SL platform



1941: transferred for refit in Singapore. All AA guns stripped and only 12 rounds 4 inch SAP left (2)

1941: Singapore refit & force Z
Camouflage: 2 (?3) tone, thicker section of dark colour on bow, curves added
Searchlight moved between funnels but old SL platform remains empty
Shielded 12 pounder reshipped aft TT�s (3)
4 lewis guns on bridge wings reshipped
? 2 pounder reshipped aft of funnel (CASF Thread comment ��eyewitness mention I could find of her AA fit in 1941 after a brief check was this stated by someone onboard during the sinking of PoW & Repulse "Vampire's 12pdr opened up a stacatto bark followed by the four inch and then the pom-poms and last of all the machine guns".


My major question is what is the structure behind the funnel in this Dec 1941 photo escorting convoy BM9A.
It seems too tall to be a shield for a 12pdr or 2 pounder and the angles (especially the lower one) do not seem to match (ie lower one off vertical). Could it be a canvas shelter for guncrew�. But again does not seem to match other examples and lower angle seems off vertical. Can anyone offer any light on what this is?



Then Jan 1942 she receives 2 staggered 2pdrs and ? quad Vickers??




(1) Scrap iron flotilla (written 1942-44) available at
http://www.gunplot.net/main/content/chapter-4-odd-jobs
chapter odd jobs: Aug 1940: Vampire and Voyager screened Eagle as the Fleet turned back to Alexandria and an hour later a Nazi dive bomber attacked the aircraft carrier. Vampire had a multiple 0.5 machine gun now, added during a brief refit, and as the Nazi screamed down on Eagle, Vampire poured a hail of bullets into him.
(2)Vampire in the med https://www.navyhistory.org.au/vampire-in-the-med/2/
Vampire was the first of the remaining destroyers to leave the Mediterranean. In dire need of a refit, we sailed for Singapore. In what seemed to be a fitting farewell, we were stripped of all AA guns and ammunition and left with twelve rounds of 4 inch SAP shells. Then we were warned to watch out for a German raider known to be in the Indian Ocean.
Arriving Singapore, we turned Vampire over to the dockyard and more of us came home in a Dutch passenger vessel.
(3) Scrap iron flotilla (written 1942-44) available at
http://www.gunplot.net/main/content/
Chapter war in the east
Force Z: vampire crewman
�A few seconds later a second machine came towards us, but we scored a direct hit with our 12-pounder. The shell did not explode, but went right through the fuselage and the Jap seemed to stop dead. Then he flopped over, and tumbled into the sea.
BM 9A

This convoy transported the first large troop reinforcement to the island. It left Bombay on December 21 1941 and arrived in Singapore on the 3rd of January without much delay or difficulty. Aboard was the 45th Indian infantry brigade. It departed Bombay on December 21 1941, and arrived in Singapore on January 3 1942. The order of battle for the convoy was as follows:

[dick]

I suggest:

Note the way the shield is angled is this photo matches the angles in the Vampire photo

I think the mystery thing may be a form of canvas "umbrella" enabling ventilation of the boiler spaces below deck.

This

1942%20AWM%20vampire%20annotated_zpsgwq20evh.jpg (37.63 KiB) Viewed 4017 times

is this

Vampire 4 March 1942 - Copy.jpg (31.36 KiB) Viewed 4017 times

is this

1942%20annotated_zpsyp5zh1kr.jpg (30.23 KiB) Viewed 4017 times

A mushroom-shaped possible earlier version can be seen in this early war photo of Vampire

[Speedydan]

Thank you richard for your comprehensive response! I hadn't seen a shield like that and it seems to match perfectly. I guess maybe she just had the quad 0.5 vickers and the 3 inch until they placed the 2 pom poms in jan '42. That canvas vent looks spot on too. Thanks again! Time to start building...

[Mike E.]

Dick:

You usually are right on these matters, but regarding the last photo of HMAS Vampire in the sequence above, are you sure that is a mushroom-shaped vent? My take is that it is a light grey camo panel on the canvas windbreak enclosing the forward base of the searchlight platform (you can see the outline of the handrail underneath the canvas windbreak).

Thoughts?

And as usual, we are indebted to you for your contribution to this discussion!

Best,

Mike E.

[dick]

Well spotted Mike! Looking again I now agree with you.

Best wishes.

[englishgunner]

Hello all,
just joined this forum and found this great subject. I am currently scratchbuilding a 2.7m long V & W Class, have finished the hull and am about to fiber glass it. I love the V and W's. I have been searching the web for months for photographs and have found the best ones here. Still not sure if to build as original or later modified. I can upload a photo later if possible, Cheers Will

[ModelMonkey]

Hi, Will!

Welcome aboard!

Please consider posting pics of your build. Many here will be very interested. If you do, create a thread just for your model here: viewforum.php?f=59

[Guest]

does anyone know if the Company Showcase Models Australia will still produce the V & W Class Destroyer in injected plastic in 1/350 scale , still ?
http://www.dragonmodelsusa.com/dmlusa/p ... =SMAANN002 This link shows the Model to have been available for sale from Dec 2016

I ask as the Showcase Models company Facebook page is dead - and the company shop premises seem to have been closed down in April 2016 due to
the death of an owner .
any information anyone can supply I would be grateful !

[JCRAY]

Freetime offered one for pre-order so I ordered one from them too! I haven't heard anything more.....
So if it happens I will be surprised! someday.......maybe!
HaHa

[73north]

great news -
I got a message to a question that I posted last week on the Show Case Models Australia website asking about the 1/350 Model Kit
and if it was ever getting released - they said that is will be out in June 2017 and that they will post the notification of Facebook and the web page !

so looks like we WILL have a injected plastic model of the V & W Class , to go alongside the Trumpeter Tribal Class !

[Timmy C]

The Showcase V-class was on the verge of release at the time of the owner's death. The next-of-kin had expressed their willingness to follow through with the release once everything had settled down, so it seems that is indeed happening with the recent Freetime call for preorders.

[MatthewB]

Did any British ship mount a single Vickers 2pdr?

Does anyone make one in 1/700 scale?

MB