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

[Rob]

There is a 1/600 V/W kit in white metal. I have one but have not done anything with it.

Cheers,

Rob

[JWintjes]

I'm currently on another Type 16 (this time a correct one!) Tamiya conversion, a Type 15 based on a modified Matchbox hull and a 1944 HMS Petard which I had already started some time ago but had to start again anew.

By the way, there was a limited edition 1/700 resin V/W kit (Wair conversion) by WSW. I don't own one, but had the chance to see one, and it looked really nice.

Jorit

[mike mccabe]

Hi Jorit,
Yes I've seen the V/W kit on ebay, I had forgotten about it. I intend to try and scratch one as the hull is very similar to the admiralen class that HP do, the remainder of the superstructure is fairly straightforward.

Mike

[MartinJQuinn]

By the way, there was a limited edition 1/700 resin V/W kit (Wair conversion) by WSW. I don't own one, but had the chance to see one, and it looked really nice.

Jorit

The WSW kit is available on eBay right now: Item number: 6013332373

There was one made by "Arrow Models", depicting HMS Vanity. Jeff Herne gave it to me - the casting is okay, but no intructions, limited PE, smaller parts made out of white metal. Another kit I'll probably never build! Though I did airbrush the deck 507A....

[mike mccabe]

Another kit I'll probably never build! Though I did airbrush the deck 507A....

Martin
I would be happy to take it off your hands if you wanted to make a little space in your stash!

Mike

[Guest]

Thanks to Martin J Quinn I now have my sweaty paws on a V/W class destroyer (thanks Martin)! This is the Arrow kit of HMS Vanity as a Wair conversion, smaller parts need replacing but hull is nice. Going with the usual plan of building whatever I have best references for, I think she will be built as HMS Winchester. I aim to make a copy of the hull and use that as a basis for more builds, plenty of scope with these little beauties!

Mike

[mike mccabe]

Sorry, above message re V/W's was me

Mike

[Filipe Ramires]

Thanks to Martin J Quinn I now have my sweaty paws on a V/W class destroyer (thanks Martin)! This is the Arrow kit of HMS Vanity as a Wair conversion, smaller parts need replacing but hull is nice. Going with the usual plan of building whatever I have best references for, I think she will be built as HMS Winchester. I aim to make a copy of the hull and use that as a basis for more builds, plenty of scope with these little beauties!

Mike

Good luck with that project Mike. Looking forward to have a look on the progress. Very interesting ships indeed the V/W DD's. Got a few good photos of some of them quite recently.

[Laurence Batchelor]

Something else I forgot to mention I've found recently a dealer who was selling a few 1/700 WSW HMS Winchester's kits brand new sealed and cheap!!!

These were Ltd editions and are now no longer made and hard to find.

Luckily I managed to get one for about �10

HMS Winchester is a 'Wair' AA conversion V/W class. Now as there was about 15 ships converted this kit can be made into any of them.

Just thought I'd add this as yes Mike its turning into a good year RN DD's wise!!!!

Finally we are getting some new 1/700 RN WW2 DD's

About time

P.S. Toffee's be aware!!!

[phil reeder]

Just to remind everybody, the firm SKYTREX,produce 3 kits of the V&W Destroyers,one in the orginal configuration, a WAIR, and a long range escort. these are white metal, in 1/350th waterline. I`ve built 2 of them, and although, they are not up to the standard of modern plastic kits, they are a good basis to work on.

[mike mccabe]

Rumour has it that HP will produce 10 V/W kits in 1:700 some time this year, probably ranging from WW1 fits through a range of WW2 variants.

Also they have recently released I think three Battle class destroyers, a very nice J, K and N class range of kits and the S class of WW1 vintage.

Of course there is also the wem M class and the Tamiya E class. The only real gap in 1:700 kits at present is in the O-Z classes where the Tamiya kit is totally inaccurate. Of course a little hard work can remedy this situation as the basis of building this class is all available from the other kits including these newer ones.

Plenty of subjects out there for RN destroyer modellers and improving all the time.

Mike

[Michael E.]

All:

With the pending release by Tamiya of a V-W class destroyer (HMAS Vampire) in 1/700 scale, I was wondering if we could encourage some of our subject matter experts to help the rest of us gather the research materials we will need to build an accurate rendition of this ship or her sisters:

1) Are there good line drawings of the V-W class destroyers that served with the Royal Australian Navy (Vampire, Voyager, Vendetta) in wartime fit?

2) The Australian War Memorial website has some nice photos of each of these ships in various camo schemes. Has anyone any additional photos that could shed additional light on these or other camo schemes worn by this class in Aussie service? They all appear to be two or three tone grey schemes. Can anyone confirm this?

3) Did Vampire, Voyager, and Vendetta have any identical sisters in Royal Navy (i.e. British) service?

Well, I hope this can start things rolling.

Best wishes,

Mike E.

[Quincy]

I wonder what year the Vampire will represent? Hopefully a 1941 fit. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one. We'll just have to see.


Bob Pink.

[RNfanDan]

I should think that the model WILL be a 1941 configuration. This would be in keeping with Tamiya's "Force Z" subject theme, the apparent inspiration for their recent releases.

[dick]

First sighting at

http://www.tamiya.com/english/tamiyafai ... _index.htm

[Michael E.]

Dick:

I wish I could share your optimism, but the E Class destroyer kit is in a pre-war (or very early war) fit, and certainly does not depict any of the E Class destroyers as they appeared when assigned to Force Z, and from what I can make out from the photos of the Vampire in the link you so kindly provided, it seems to me that this is a pre-war fit for Vampire as well.

We'll need better photos to judge.

Mike E.

[Michael E.]

Dick:

My apologies. I meant to say I cannot share RNFanDan's optimism... but thanks to Dick for the link.

Mike E.

[mike mccabe]

Personally I am delighted to see a V/W in plastic, I don't care what fit it is in. I've been saying for the last few years these ships really need a model, so personally I am extremely happy to see it. If the kit is in a different fit or has faults (inevitably) that need correcting then that is what I will do.

So Tamiya in an eighteen month period will release a Repulse, and E class and V/W destroyer, if somebody had said that to me two years ago I would have thought they were mad. Great news.

Mike

[ar]

I have a photo of the ship taken in early 1942 showing major modifications;
Searchlight platform added between the funnels.
Aft set of tubes removed and replaced with a 12pdr on a raised platform.
I suspect the fitting of two single pom poms just aft of the second funnel.
Almost certainly other As & As not visible in the photo.
No radar.
In camouflage.
Good luck.

[dick]

At the time of the sinking of the PoW and Repulse, Vampire probably had a single 12 pdr in place of the aft set of torpedo tubes. A 12 pdr had been fitted at Alexandria in April 1941 and was in a large circular gun tub at iron deck level (not on a platform).

2 x 2pdrs were fitted 5 Jan 1942, the searchlight platform having earlier been moved forward to a new position between the funnels.

My understanding is that these 2 x 2pdrs were fitted on a new platform (higher than iron deck level) where 12 pdr had been, and the 12 pdr moved forward to a new position just aft the aft funnel (as also on Voyager and Vendetta of which there is clearer photographic evidence).

A photo of Vampire in 1942 on the Australian War Memorial site seems to show two smallish weapons on a platform aft, and certainly not one weapon in a deck level tub. It would be good if ar could post his photo for comparison.