Calling all HMS York and HMS Exeter (WWII) fans

[EJFoeth]

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[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

"Your message contains too few characters."

Hey EJ, thanks!

This looks even more the particular variant that was used on Exeter! Where the **** did you find that one? I have several other drawing, but not of this type!

Thanks again.

[EJFoeth]

Don't know, downloaded it without saving the source...

[Brett Morrow]

Excellent reference, thankyou.
An interesting 1940 instructional film on catapult launch, some very good reference here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dmNyts7f1w

[dhogue]

At the River Plate, the Exeter's Walruses were indeed still in the pre war silver grey paint scheme (as was the Exeter for that matter) but had the large numbers on the nose painted out and replaced by the two letter/one number code on the side of the fin. The Ajax's Seafox was in cammo though.

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

At the River Plate, the Exeter's Walruses were indeed still in the pre war silver grey paint scheme (as was the Exeter for that matter) but had the large numbers on the nose painted out and replaced by the two letter/one number code on the side of the fin. The Ajax's Seafox was in cammo though.

Hi David,

Thanks for your comment! Very useful. Do you happen to have any photos showing these fin numbers? Or what these codes were at that time? On the pics of your model they are't really visible.

Btw, your model of the ISW Exeter is a very valuable reference for me: http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... /index.htm
Highly recommended for anyone trying his hand on the Trumpeter kit!

[Graham Boak]

At the time of the River Plate action, Exeter's Walrus (Walri?) belonged to 718 Sq, whose unit code was C9. Two aircraft said to have been jettisoned before the battle were K8341 and K8343, but the latter was later recorded elsewhere. Another Exeter example was K8557 which is not recorded after 11.39, it being acknowledged as lost in 6.40. (i.e acknowledged in June 1940 as being lost at some unknown time before that.) However the individual codes do not seem to have been recorded.

PS I wrote too soon. There is a photo in Stuart Lloyd's Fleet Air Arm Camouflage and Markings (Dalrymple and Verdun 2008) showing K8560 being manoeuvred on Exeter's catapult, summer 1939, and she is coded on the lower fin as shown
N
9 F
K8560 was recorded on Exeter until 12.39, and later with another unit. N9 was allocated to the 8th Cruiser squadron 1939/40 but was considered "not used?" Clearly it was.

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

At the time of the River Plate action, Exeter's Walrus (Walri?) belonged to 718 Sq, whose unit code was C9. Two aircraft said to have been jettisoned before the battle were K8341 and K8343, but the latter was later recorded elsewhere. Another Exeter example was K8557 which is not recorded after 11.39, it being acknowledged as lost in 6.40. (i.e acknowledged in June 1940 as being lost at some unknown time before that.) However the individual codes do not seem to have been recorded.

PS I wrote too soon. There is a photo in Stuart Lloyd's Fleet Air Arm Camouflage and Markings (Dalrymple and Verdun 2008) showing K8560 being manoeuvred on Exeter's catapult, summer 1939, and she is coded on the lower fin as shown
N
9 F
K8560 was recorded on Exeter until 12.39, and later with another unit. N9 was allocated to the 8th Cruiser squadron 1939/40 but was considered "not used?" Clearly it was.

Super info, Graham! Where did you find this all??

[Graham Boak]

Mainly from two books from Air Britain, one is The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm - I used the second edition but the third is recently available and it does acknowledge the use of N9+ on the Walrus. The other is Fleet Air Arm Aircraft 1939-45 which gives the known history of every single airframe operated by the Navy. They were mainly credited to the late Ray Sturtivant. A second edition of this is being worked on currently.

The site has "corrected" my text: the N in the code should be positioned centrally above the other two digits.

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Thank you very much, Graham! Valuable info.

[SovereignHobbies]

Agreed. Thanks Graham, that's good stuff.

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Hi all,

I have been quiet for a while on the topic of the Exeter, as in the meantime also the Trumpeter Cornwall has appeared onto my desk. One item of the Cornwall made me thinking about the Exeter: the 8" turrets.

We know the Exeter and York basically had the same Mk II turrets as the Norfolk and the Dorsetshire. The other Counties, the Kent and London classes, had the Mk I turret and so has the Cornwall kit.

Well, the Cornwall turrets are clearly broader in plan view than the Exeter turrets, while the barbettes have the same diameter. So the conclusion is inevitable: the Exeter turrets are too narrow! Not much, but enough to be visible, about 1mm at the widest point, over the barbette. But the front and rear faces seem to be exactly right, so the turrets are too slender and too straight in top view.

Well, I attempted to improve one of the Exeter turrets with strips of .020" thickness, and filing/sanding away towards front and rear. I think it works! I had to snap off the rangefinder hoods though, and cemented these on again afterwards.

Look for yourself: L to R the old Exeter turret, the improved one and the Cornwall turret. Note the Mk II turrets are also longer than the Mk I, about 2ft I estimate.

[Phil R]

A long shot ,but has anyone any photos of HMS York in "China Station " colours? I`ve search the web and my own sources ,but haven`t turned anything up .
Thanks in advance

Regards Phil

[Brett Morrow]

Phil, by `China Stn` colours you would be referring to white hull with 507B upperworks and funnels.
She never served within the China Stn, she was part of the 8th cruiser sqd on the America/WestIndies Stn, late 30`s.
I expect you cannot find any images of her in those colours because there are none, to my knowledge.
All the best

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Hi Phil,

Are you certain she ever served on 'China Station'? In Wikipedia (admitted: not the most trustworthy of references) only this part refers to her stationing overseas:

She served with the 8th Cruiser Squadron on the North America and West Indies Station, and was detached to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1935 and 1936 for the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, before returning to the American Station until the outbreak of war in September 1939.

So not in East but in West. And in the Mediterranean. In both cases her colours would have been Light Grey AP507C, and I found plenty of photos supporting that.

Morover, after 1936 the typical 'China Station' colours (on several of the County class) of white hull and grey superstructures were also replaced by Light Grey, so even if she had been stationed there it would have made little difference for her looks.

[Phil R]

Thanks to Brett & Maarten.I had a feeling that she had not serve "Out East" ,so it`s Camo colour scheme for me .It should go nicely with the Type 42 York I built some years ago.

Thanks again fellas

Regards Phil

[Phil R]

Work is progressing on my York build.It`s a really good kit .

Regards Phil

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Work is progressing on my York build.It`s a really good kit .

Regards Phil

Nice to see your progress Phil!

Did Trumpeter correct any of the flaws in the Exeter kit, like the missing wood planking of the shelterdeck around the bridge, or the 8" turrets being too narrow and lacking detail?

[Phil R]

Thanks Maarten, The planking on "B" gun deck has not been added,so,I tried to simulate that myself .As regards the 8" turrets I haven`t looked that far ,yet. I judge a kit on how much enjoyment I get out of building ,this one is giving me loads of satisfaction.However Trumpy have omitted the two sirens on the forward funnel,so I made my own.

Regards Phil

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

...However Trumpy have omitted the two sirens on the forward funnel, so I made my own.

Yes, I noticed them, they look very good to me! I was also wondering whether Trumpy had included them this time. I can imagine these are too difficult to be made in plastic or even photo-etch.

I have started adding these on my Exeter too, and on my Suffolk model as well: same general idea, but different execution.

And I must admit that Trumpy's Cornwall kit is giving me even more pleasure than their Exeter: the basic kit is very good, but of course I found some 'room for improvement'. And that is even adding to the pleasure!