I suppose that I should have called this blog entry 'I blame Ken H' ... but I decided that all he had done when he made his comments yesterday was to put into words things that I was already thinking ... that the methods I had used to build my prototype 'Monopoly'-inspired model battleship could be used to build other (and possibly larger) models.
This all came to mind late this afternoon when I sat down to finish varnishing the prototype warship model. My brother and I had spent a large part of the day trying to get my father to the opticians to be fitted for his new glasses ... without much success. He was just too tired (and rather too irritable) to want to go with us, despite the promise of having lunch out in a local café rather than in the care home dining room. The day did, however, give my brother and I a chance to have a long chat about all sorts of things, and for that reason alone I can say that the day was well spent.
As I was sitting with my paintbrush in my hand, Ken H's comments came to mind, and as I glanced around my toy/wargames room I began to wonder if I could build some ships for my long-planned Operation Barbarossa/Eastern Front/Great Patriotic War wargame campaign. The models would have to be somewhat bigger in size (my current World War II collection is 20mm-scale) and generic rather than specific ... but it should be achievable without a lot of effort using the methods I have been using to build my prototype model.
So what ships will I need to model? For the Soviets I will need at least one battleship, ...
... a cruiser, ...
... and a couple of destroyers/torpedo boats.
For the Axis a cruiser and a couple of destroyers/torpedo boats should suffice. I will probably also need to build some merchant ships. This is not a particularly large number of ship models to build and I am very tempted to undertake this project before continuing the building of further 'Monopoly'-inspired model battleships.
This all came to mind late this afternoon when I sat down to finish varnishing the prototype warship model. My brother and I had spent a large part of the day trying to get my father to the opticians to be fitted for his new glasses ... without much success. He was just too tired (and rather too irritable) to want to go with us, despite the promise of having lunch out in a local café rather than in the care home dining room. The day did, however, give my brother and I a chance to have a long chat about all sorts of things, and for that reason alone I can say that the day was well spent.
As I was sitting with my paintbrush in my hand, Ken H's comments came to mind, and as I glanced around my toy/wargames room I began to wonder if I could build some ships for my long-planned Operation Barbarossa/Eastern Front/Great Patriotic War wargame campaign. The models would have to be somewhat bigger in size (my current World War II collection is 20mm-scale) and generic rather than specific ... but it should be achievable without a lot of effort using the methods I have been using to build my prototype model.
So what ships will I need to model? For the Soviets I will need at least one battleship, ...
... a cruiser, ...
... and a couple of destroyers/torpedo boats.
For the Axis a cruiser and a couple of destroyers/torpedo boats should suffice. I will probably also need to build some merchant ships. This is not a particularly large number of ship models to build and I am very tempted to undertake this project before continuing the building of further 'Monopoly'-inspired model battleships.
And so the madness continues.....
ReplyDeleteTim Gow,
ReplyDeleteYou might call it madness; I call it inspiration ... with just a touch of megalomania!
All the best,
Bob
Bob, normally I would apologise, but I am excited! In the words of Stephen Fry paraphrasing the late Robert Robinson...would that it weren't! I am also inspired, this time by your navalist modelry ( neither are words...but they should be clearly!!).
ReplyDeleteSo I am planning a wargame based upon Alistair Maclean's HMS Ulysses. It may take years but I will get there. If every journey begins with a single step, then every new wargamer project begins with a simple misunderestimate...how one misses George Bush! Good luck, and it's a bit rich blaming me, I'm blaming you...!!
I'm looking forward to seeing how this develops Bob. Don't listen to the little voices, start building :O)
ReplyDeleteKind regards, Chris
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteThe old standby of a 'project within a project' can, if you are disciplined about it, be a real pick me up and enable you to push on to greater things when done.
On the other hand it can the start of an almighty distraction....;-)
Wither way, it will be interesting to see how the 'upscaling' works out - not to mention that rather funky looking funnel on the Russian battleship!
All the best,
DC
Ken H,
ReplyDeleteIf my small efforts have helped spur you on to both begin a project … and to add some new and exciting words to the English language … then I am more than a little pleased.
I must admit that I cannot ever remember reading ‘HMS Ulysses’, but I think that I will have to do so now.
I am now off to begin building yet another warship … and to find someone else to blame!
Good luck … and all the best,
Bob
Chris Kemp,
ReplyDeleteI have learned that if I want to keep my enthusiasm for a project, then listening to the 'little voices' usually means that I will.
I am now off to start building a new model warship.
All the best,
Bob
David Crook,
ReplyDeleteBecause I have to wait for glue to dry, I am finding that I have bits of unoccupied time during the process of building my ‘toy’ warships. I am hoping that this 'project within a project' will help fill that space ... and stop me from fiddling with bits and pieces in my frustration at how long PVA white glue can take to dry before the model I am building can be handled!
The funnels on the warships are going to present me with a challenge ... but learning how to solve that sort of problem is half the fun!
All the best,
Bob
HI Bob - from memory HMS Ulysses was Alistair Maclean's first novel. I read it as a 5th former and was utterly engaged. It tells the story of a convoy escort in the freezing north atlantic, and is quite compelling as it is full of great operational detail, and - again from memory - relates the story of how tough those duties were. I suspect that you would find it very very good - I also remember that the edition that I read - my father's I imagine - contained a fascinating plan of the ship - explaining where everything was located below decks etc. A sort of slice through the ship. I'm working from home today and my "office" desk has been invaded from the war room, my notebook is out, and my Blackberry Playbook is on research duty. Perfect!
ReplyDeleteKen H,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are having a great day!
From my researches, you are absolutely right. It was his first published novel, and it was based on his personal experiences.
The fiction book that made me aware of what it must have been like to take part in a naval action during World War II was ‘The Ship’ by C. S. Forester It is set in the Mediterranean and follows the life of a Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Artemis during a single action (based on based on the First Battle of Sirte). It describes in varying details several different members of the crew and their part in the battle.
I first read it at school … and it was the first of many Forester books that I subsequently read. I recommend it to you wholeheartedly.
All the best,
Bob