More model warships: Centre Battery ships

Now that the snow has begun to melt, my wife 'discovered' lots of chores that needed doing now that it was possible to go outside ... such a shopping for all the things that we had begun to run short of (tea, Diet Coke, washing powder etc.).

As a result, I did not get a long enough time-slot to watch THE LAST SAMURAI as I had hoped ... but I did get enough time in between doing other things to do some modelling. Inspired by ANDEAN TRAGEDY: FIGHTING THE WAR OF THE PACIFIC, 1879 - 1884, I decided to build two model Centre Battery Ironclads. The idea was to create something that looked like – but were not exact models of – the Almirante Blanco Encalada and the Almirante Cochrane.

Plan and side view of the Almirante Cochrane. The Almirante Blanco Enclada was almost identical.

Almirante Cochrane

Almirante Blanco Encalada

I used the same basic methods I used to build my earlier Casemate Ironclads, but the superstructure was a bit more complex and was made up of quite a few small pieces of basswood that were cut, trimmed, and sanded before being glued together.

I am quite pleased with the results, and should I decide to re-fight some of the naval battles of The War of the Pacific using my MEMOIR OF BATTLE AT SEA naval wargames rules, I have made a head start with the ship models I will need. In the meantime, constructing them has helped me to develop the methods I may need to employ when making future models.

All in all, not a bad day's work, even though I say it myself!