Calling all RN Town-class (1936) & Fiji-class (Crown Colony-class) fans

[Ray S]

Hello all, I am currently reading an excellent book about HMS Gloucester, it is well worth checking out for anyone who is interested in her history. It is:

HMS GLOUCESTER, The Untold Story. It is by Ken Otter, ISBN 1-84415-122-0

It is a fascinating read, and brings home just what it was like in those conditions.

As I am now a Gloucester lad (well, getting on a bit), I would like to build a model of her, so does anyone know of a kit in 1/350 or 1/700 9resin or plastic) which can be converted to show Gloucester as she was in the first photo in the post above, in 1939?

I will also want to do one of the next generation which I think was a Type 22 and has just been recently retired like so much of our armed forces. I think Dragon can come to my assistance for that one

Kind regards, Ray

[Rob]

Ray,

The last HMS Gloucester was a Type 42 Batch III destroyer. The Dragon/Revell/pitroad kit could be used for that. Gloucester was available in 1/350 from WEM but is long out of production and if one turns up on ebay it goes for a mad price.

The town class cruiser - in 1/700 WEM HMS Sheffield, but will need a new bridge at the very least. I think Skytrex did one of the second group of town class cruisers in 1/600 scale which could be built as Liverpool, Manchester or Gloucester. WEM also did Sheffield in 1/350 scale which could again be convereted.

cheers,

rob

[Ray S]

Ray,

The last HMS Gloucester was a Type 42 Batch III destroyer. The Dragon/Revell/pitroad kit could be used for that. Gloucester was available in 1/350 from WEM but is long out of production and if one turns up on ebay it goes for a mad price.

The town class cruiser - in 1/700 WEM HMS Sheffield, but will need a new bridge at the very least. I think Skytrex did one of the second group of town class cruisers in 1/600 scale which could be built as Liverpool, Manchester or Gloucester. WEM also did Sheffield in 1/350 scale which could again be convereted.

cheers,

rob

Hi Rob, thanks for the reply. I realised my 'type' error when I googled Gloucester later on! Whoops!!

I do find different classes of ships a bit confusing at times I must admit. I am now on the lookout for the Dragon Type 42 batch 3 and I will see about the Skytrex too, I do not mind 1/600 at all.

Cheers again, kind regards, Ray

[K.Ingraham]

I model the Korean War as a theme, all subjects - land, sea & air, so my ship modeling emphasis isn't exactly significant & is limited to a few representative types.
I'd like to keep the collection in uniform scales, which means 350 & 700th. Any Belfasts out there that I missed in my searches?
A search of this site for 'Belfast' resulted in one hit only, in this thread so I'm not exactly holding my breath...

Not at all related to cruisers but for interest, my current Korea ship project is the Bataans in formation, 700th USS CVL & RAN Tribal DD.

[Graham Boak]

Skytrex do a 1/700 white metal Belfast as kit, assembled model, or assembled and painted model. Although they do other cruisers in 1/700, they do not do a Town nor any in 1/600, at least currently.

It is possible, fairly easily as these things go, to create a Town by combining the hull of an Airfix Tiger with the stern, modified deck and superstructure of the Airfix Belfast. White Ensign Models produce parts to improve the appearance of the Belfast, which would be usable directly on a Town.

[Guest]

Thanks for the Skytrex lead Graham. I'll look into those.

[sirpaul]

Dear Andrew,

Have you checked the following 3 key references:

British Cruisers of WWII by Raven & Roberts
Ensign 5 Town Class Cruisers by Raven & Roberts
HMS Sheffield by Roland Bassett?

The 2nd states for Sheffield:
Sept 1941 6 x Single 20mm added
Machine guns removed
July 1942 3 x Single 20mm added
June 1943 5 x Single 20mm added
Thus giving you your 14 total, but sadly it doesn't state the positions.

If you haven't checked the other sources I can do for you tomorrow?

I just had a very quick look in my warship photograph database for Sheffield, but I seem to have mainly pre-war, 1940-1942, and 1944-postwar photos of her instead of the late-1943 ones you need.
Hopefully Alan will let you know the 20mm locations.
Regards
LB

I would love to see some photo's of old shiny from 40-42. I have been working on this ship for over a year now and have taken it slow due to not wanting to make any errors.
Thanks
Paul

[sirpaul]

One more thing. Was Edinburgh built with a rounded bridge. I thought she was. But wem's kit came with the square bridge. I plan on building it as Belfast but am wondering while Belfast was in refit in 40-41 was the round bridge add then. Because the second group of South Hamptons also had the round bridge as built. I don't see why they would go back considering this would be a modified 3rd group. Plus the pictures i have all show Edinburgh with a round bridge. Any in put would be great.

[Dick J]

Belfast and Edinburgh both had the round bridge. Photos I have seen of the White Ensign kit seemed to show that. The Sheffield kit had the more square bridge. If the kit you have has a squared off bridge, I would send them a message and ask if you got the correct parts. (Perhaps the appearance of the rounded bridge in the kit photos was an optical illusion, but the real ship had a rounded bridge.)

[sirpaul]

I got it all figured out. They sent me the wrong bridge. I have the Ravens book on these cruisers. I was just wondering. I will be working on Sheffield and Belfast( Edinburgh kit) all this year. Hoping to have both of them done by the end of the summer. Also finishing up an old amt Exeter. Would love to see some pictures of Sheffield with the crazy pattern camo. Not the second camo pattern she wore in 1943.

[ZALADIS]

Hello Everyone

I am shortly going to paint a 1/1250 scale model of HMS Glasgow for a colleague,I was wondering if anyone could please kindly point me towards some good information on the camouflage schemes she wore during the war.

Thank you in advance for any help you may be able to give

all the best

Hugh

[sirpaul]

Love to see some pictures of the town class. I have the Ravens books on the class. I want to see more. I have 3 of these kits and want to make sure i'm doing it right. Anybody can do it wrong!

[Rob-UK]

.... WEM also did Sheffield in 1/350 scale ....

I've had a look on WEM's website and the 1:350th Sheffield isn't listed, presumably not in production any more. I don't suppose anyone knows if there would ever be a re-run of the kit?

[sirpaul]

I doubt WEM will do a re run on the Sheffield. But the guys at ISW( commanders models) do have it available. I just got a replacement hull from them.

[chazi]

Hello

My name is Chris. Now I build HMS Belfast in scale 1:96. I try to find a shell expansion with openings on the bottom. Could anyone help me?
I have some books and anatomy of the ship, but there are no any drawing with it.

Thank for any help

best regards
Chris

[avro683]

I recently got the excellent (he says with reservations!!) Trumpeter 1/350 Belfast kit. Extra Carley floats are needed (they're on th box art, but not in the kit!) which I have sourced but before I order them I need to ascertain the correct size. Can anyone help please? Thanks in advance.

[Guest]

I too have the new 1/350 Belfast kit and upon examination, have noted that the two funnels are different sizes. The AOTS book seems to cover most of the ship's time post-WW2 and I am led to understand that the funnels were, at one refit or other, made symmetrical.

So, does the kit depict the funnels correctly for the year the kit is supposed to represent?

[MartinL]

This is from Belfast AOTS dated 1945-1956 (page 72) clearly shows a difference

[dick]

The real plans tell a different story:

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collection ... 52;start=0

[Timmy C]

Is there any bending at all at the right side of those AOTS plans, Vlad, since that's the spine?