My 1/1200th-scale Imperial Japanese Navy battleships

I decided to hold a 'fleet review' of my collection of 1/1200th-scale Imperial Japanese Navy battleships.

My Imperial Japanese Navy battleships. They are (from top to bottom) IJNS Nagato, IJNS Fuso, IJNS Ise, IJNS Haruna, and IJNS Kongo.

My Imperial Japanese Navy battleships. They are (from left to right) IJNS Kongo, IJNS Haruna, IJNS Ise, IJNS Fuso, and IJNS Nagato.

My Imperial Japanese Navy battleships. They are (from left to right) IJNS Kongo, IJNS Haruna, IJNS Ise, IJNS Fuso, and IJNS Nagato.

The jetty is from my Triang Minic Fleet Anchorage set.

The Imperial Japanese Navy battleships of the Ise-class

The Ise-class battleships (IJNS Ise and IJNS Hyūga) were ordered and laid down just as their predecessors - the Fuso-class battleships - were being completed. It was already apparent that the design of the Fusos was imperfect, and the Ise-class battleships were designed to incorporate changes that had been identified as necessary. These included a revised layout for the main armament and a slightly smaller calibre secondary armament.

IJNS Ise as built.

As built, the class's characteristics were as follows:

• Displacement: 31,260 tons (deep load)
• Dimensions:
• Length: 208.18m (683ft)
• Beam: 28.65m (94ft)
• Draught: 8.93m (29ft 4in)
• Propulsion: 24 x Kampon water-tube boilers providing steam to 4 x steam turbines, each driving a propellor
• Speed: 23 knots
• Range: 9,680 nautical miles at 14 knots
• Complement: 1,360
• Armament: 6 × twin 356mm (14-inch) guns; 20 x single 140mm (5.5-inch) guns; 4 x single 76.2mm (3-inch) anti-aircraft guns; 6 × 533mm (21-inch) torpedo tubes
• Armour: Belt: 300mm (11.8-inch); Deck: 85mm (3.3-inch); Gun turrets: 254mm (12-inch); Barbettes: 305mm (12-inch); Conning tower: 305mm (12-inch)

IJNS Ise during the mid 1920s.

From 1934 to 1937 the class was reconstructed.

• The stern was lengthened by 7.62 meters to improve speed.
• The forward superstructure was rebuilt into a pagoda mast.
• Torpedo bulges were added for better underwater protection.
• With the exception of the rearmost turret, main battery's elevation was increased to 43 degrees for improved range.
• The number of casemate-mounted 5.5-inch/140mm guns was reduced from twenty to sixteen.
• The existing single 3-inch/76.2mm anti-aircraft guns were replaced by four twin 5-inch/127nn anti-aircraft guns.
• Ten twin-mounted 1-inch/25mm Hotchkiss anti-aircraft machine guns were fitted. 
• Additional armour was added to the deck and turret tops and two torpedo bulkheads were installed, increasing the ship's overall armour protection.
• The existing twenty-four mixed coal-fired and oil-fired water-tube Kampon boilers were replaced by eight lighter and more powerful oil-fired Kampon boilers.
• The fore funnel was removed and the remaining funnel was rebuilt in a different position.
• Newer, lighter steam turbines were fitted in place of the original geared turbines.

After their 1930s reconstruction, the class's characteristics were as follows:

• Displacement: 42,001 tons (deep load)
• Dimensions:
• Length: 216m (708ft 8in)
• Beam: 31.75m (104ft 2in)
• Draught: 9.45m (31ft)
• Propulsion: 8 x Kampon water-tube boilers providing steam to 4 x steam turbines, each driving a propellor
• Speed: 25 knots
• Range: 7,870 nautical miles at 14 knots
• Complement: 1,376
• Armament: 6 × twin 356mm (14-inch) guns; 16 x single 140mm (5.5-inch) guns; 4 x twin 127mm (5-inch) anti-aircraft guns; 10 x twin 25mm anti-aircraft guns
• Armour: Belt: 300mm (11.8-inch); Deck: 140mm (5.5-inch); Gun turrets: 254mm (12-inch); Barbettes: 305mm (12-inch)
• Aircraft: 3 x floatplanes; 1 x catapult

IJNS Ise after her first major reconstruction.

After the loss of four aircraft carriers at the Battle of Midway. the Imperial Japanese Navy examined the possibility of converting existing battleships in to aircraft carriers. This was felt to be both too expensive and would take too long, but as IJNS Hyūga had lost her No.5 turret after an explosion and the No.6 turret of both ships was unable to elevate to 43 degrees like the rest of the main armament, conversion into hybrid battleship/aircraft carriers was viable.

During the reconstruction, the following changes were made:

• Nos.5 and 6 turrets and their supporting structures were removed and the holes in the ships structure was plated over with 152mm/6-inch armour.
• The existing 140mm/5.5-inch secondary armament was removed.
• Four additional twin 127mm/5-inch anti-aircraft guns were added.
• The existing ten twin 25mm anti-aircraft guns were replaced by nineteen triple 25mm anti-aircraft guns. Twelve triple and ten single 25mm anti-aircraft guns were later added.
• A 70m/229ft 8in long and 29m/95ft 2in to 13m/42ft 8in wide flight deck was built atop a 40m/131ft 3in long and 20m/65ft 7in to 11m/36ft 1in wide and 6m/19ft 8in high hanger at the stern of the ship.
• Two catapults were fitted at the forward end of the flight deck.

After their conversion into hybrid battleship/aircraft carriers, the class's characteristics were as follows:

• Displacement: 42,675 tons (deep load)
• Dimensions:
• Length: 219.62m (720ft 6in)
• Beam: 31.71m (104ft)
• Draught: 9.03m (29ft 8in)
• Propulsion: 8 x Kampon water-tube boilers providing steam to 4 x steam turbines, each driving a propellor
• Speed: 25 knots
• Range: 7,870 nautical miles at 14 knots
• Complement: 1,463
• Armament: 4 × twin 356mm (14-inch) guns; 8 x twin 127mm (5-inch) anti-aircraft guns; 31 x triple & 10 x single 25mm anti-aircraft guns
• Armour: Belt: 300mm (11.8-inch); Deck: 85mm (3.3-inch); Gun turrets: 254mm (12-inch); Barbettes: 305mm (12-inch); Conning tower: 305mm (12-inch)
• Aircraft: 22 x aircraft; 2 x catapults

IJNS Ise after her reconstruction into a hybrid battleship/aircraft carrier.

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The class's wartime service:

• December 1941: Formed part of the distant force covering the retirement of the aircraft carrier that attacked Pearl Harbour.
• February to November 1943: Converted into hybrid battleship/aircraft carriers.
• October 1944: Battle off Cape Engaño.
• November 1944: The catapults were removed and the ships were used to transport troops and supplies.
• March 1945 onward: The ships were used as floating anti-aircraft batteries..
• July 1945: The ships were sunk by US Navy carrier-borne aircraft.

The Imperial Japanese Navy in 1/1200th-scale ... yet another addition

As a result of winning a recent eBay auction, I now own a model of the INS Ise that I can add to my collection of 1/1200th-scale Imperial Japanese Navy ships.

(42,001 tons; 25 knots; 12 x 14-inch guns, 16 x 5.5-inch guns; 8 x 5-inch AA guns; 20 x 25mm AA guns; a catapult; 3 floatplanes)

I now own an example of each of the Japanese battleships that were in service in 1941.

The Italian/Russian battleship Guilio Cesare/Novorossiysk

At the recent Conference of Wargamers (COW), I took part in a committee game about the loss of the Russian battleship Novorossiysk in Sebastopol on 29th October 1955. The ship had a rather unusual and chequered history, and I thought that its story might be of interest to some of my regular blog readers.

Giulio Cesare was one of three Conte di Cavour-class dreadnoughts (Conte di Cavour, Giulio Cesare, and Leonardo da Vinci) that were designed in response to the laying down of the French Courbet-class battleships. She was laid down on 24t June 1910 at the Gio. Ansaldo shipyard in Genoa, launched on 15th October 1911, and completed on 14th May 1914.

Giulio Cesare as completed.

At the time, her characteristics were as follows:

• Displacement: 25,489 tons (deep load)
• Dimensions:
• Length: 176m (577ft 5in)
• Beam: 28m (91ft 10in)
• Draught: 9.3m (30ft 6in)
• Propulsion: 24 x Babcock & Wilcox boilers providing steam to 4 x steam turbines, each driving a propellor
• Speed: 21.5 knots
• Range: 4,800 nautical miles at 10 knots
• Complement: 1,000
• Armament: 3 x triple & 2 × twin 305mm (12-inch) guns; 18 x single 120mm (4.7-inch) guns; 14 x single 76.2mm (3-inch) guns; 3 × 450mm (17.7-inch) torpedo tubes
• Armour: Belt: 80mm to 250mm (3.1-inch to 9.8-inch); Deck: 24mm to 40 mm (0.9-inch to 1.6-inch; Gun turrets: 240mm to 280mm (9.4-inch to 11.0-inch); Barbettes: 130mm to 230mm (5.1-inch to 9.1-inch); Conning tower: 280mm (11-inch)

During the interwar period, Giulio Cesare and her contemporary Italian battleships (Conte di Cavour and the similar Andrea Doria-class battleships Andrea Doria and Duilio*) became increasingly obsolete, but due to financial restrictions and international treaties, they could not be scrapped and replaced by newer ships. In the end, it was decided to modernise them … and as a result, they underwent the most drastic reconstructions of any of the early dreadnoughts.

Between 1933 and 1937, Giulio Cesare was lengthened to improve her speed, her, armour and underwater protection were upgraded, her propulsion machinery was replaced (with a resulting increase in her top speed), her main armament was extensively renovated (the number of 12-inch guns was reduced from thirteen to ten and their calibre increased to 12.6-inch), her secondary armament was replaced, and her original superstructure replaced by a much more modern one.

Giulio Cesare after her extensive reconstruction. Her new bridge is similar in design to that found on the Italian Navy's contemporary heavy cruisers.

As a result, by the outbreak of the Second World War, her characteristics were:

• Displacement: 29,100 tons (deep load)
• Dimensions:
• Length: 186.4m (611ft 7in)
• Beam: 28.6m (93ft 10in)
• Draught: 10.42m (34ft 2in)
• Propulsion: 8 x Yarrow boilers providing steam to 2 x steam turbines, each driving a propellor
• Speed: 27 knots
• Range: 6.400 nautical miles at 13 knots
• Complement: 1,260
• Armament: 2 x triple & 2 × twin 320mm (12.6-inch) guns; 6 x twin 120mm (4.7-inch) guns; 4 x twin 100mm (3.9-inch) anti-aircraft guns; 6 x twin 37mm anti-aircraft guns; 6 x twin 13.2mm anti-aircraft machine guns
• Armour: Belt: 80mm to 250mm (3.1-inch to 9.8-inch); Deck: 125mm to 166mm (5.3-inch to 6.5-inch; Gun turrets: 240mm to 280mm (9.4-inch to 11.0-inch); Barbettes: 130mm to 280mm (5.1-inch to 11-inch)

During World War II, Giulio Cesare took part in several naval battles:

• July 1940: Battle of Calabria: She was lightly damaged by British gunfire.
• November 1940: Attack on Taranto: Although present in Taranto harbour when Fairey Swordfish torpedo-bombers attacked the Italian fleet whilst it was at anchor, she escaped damage. 
• November 1940: Battle of Cape Spartivento: She took part in an offensive sweep designed to show that despite the losses at Taranto, the Italian Navy was still capable of challenging the Royal Navy’s dominance of the Mediterranean.
• December 1941: First Battle of Sirte: She took part in an attempt to intercept a Royal Navy convoy on its way to supply the besieged island of Malta.
• As a result of fuel shortages, from early in 1942 she became a harbour-based training ship. When the Italian Navy surrendered and sailed for Malta in 1943, Giulio Cesare was one of the ships that was interned.

As part of the settlement of war reparation agreed by the Allies, Russia was allotted one of the older Italian battleships as war reparations. (They had wanted one of the modern Italian Littorio-class battleships, but this request was denied). Giulio Cesare was selected and in 1949 she was transferred to the Soviet Union and renamed Novorossiysk.

The former Giulio Cesare was reanmed Novorossiysk when she became part of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet.

After some technical delays, she eventually arrived in Sebastopol where she became the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet. She later served as a gunnery training vessel with the Black Sea Fleet, but on 29th October 1955, she sank in Sevastopol Bay after a massive explosion occurred aboard her. 617 crew members were killed and the wreck was salvaged in 1956 and subsequently scrapped.

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* The Leonardo da Vinci sank after a magazine explosion on 2nd August 1916, was refloated in 1919. The Italian Navy considered modernising the salvaged ship by replacing her amidships triple 12-inch turret with six 102mm (4-inch) anti-aircraft guns. However, due to the financial situation Italy was in, this was never done and the hull was sold for scrap on 22th March 1923.

The Imperial Japanese Navy battleships of the Nagato-class

The two Nagato-class super-dreadnought were launched during the First World War and completed just after it. The sisterships were named Nagato and Mutsu, and they were the largest battleships in the Imperial Japanese Navy until the Yamato-class super battleships entered service.

Before and during the First World War the Imperial Japanese and Royal Navies retained official and unofficial links, and it is hardly surprising that the design of the Nagatos was heavily influenced by that of the Queen Elizabeth-class battleships. This can be seen by comparing the silhouettes of both classes of ships as built:

The Queen Elizabeth-class as built.

The Nagato-class as designed. They were completed with a hexapod foremast (see below).

The Nagato-class as built. The hexapod foremast can clearly be seen in this photograph.

The Nagato-class as built.

The class's characteristics as built were:

• Displacement: 32,200 tons (deep load)
• Dimensions:
• Length: 215.86m (708ft)
• Beam: 29.02m (95ft 3in)
• Draught: 9.08m (29ft 9in)
• Propulsion: 21 x Kampon water-tube boilers providing steam to 4 x Gihon steam turbines, each driving a propellor
• Speed: 26.5 knots
• Range: 4,500 nautical miles at 16 knots
• Complement: 1,333
• Armament: 4 × twin 410mm (16-inch) guns; 20 x single 140mm (5.5-inch) guns; 4 x single 76.2mm (3-inch) anti-aircraft guns; 8 × 533mm (21-inch) torpedo tubes
• Armour: Belt: 100mm to 305mm (3.9-inch to 12-inch); Deck: 69mm (2.7-inch) plus 75 mm (3-inch; Gun turrets: 190mm to 356mm (7.5-inch to 14-inch); Barbettes: 305mm (12-inch); Conning tower: 369mm (14.5-inch)

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During their service they were rebuilt/reconstructed several times.

1924-25:

• The fore funnel was rebuilt into an S shape to prevent smoke interference.

The silhouette of the Nagato-class with their remodelled fore funnel.

The remodelled S-shaped funnel fitted to the Nagato-class battleships can be clearly be seen in this photograph.

1926:

• The four above-water torpedo tubes were removed, and the anti-aircraft armament was reinforced by three additional 3-inch/76mm anti-aircraft guns.

1932:

• The 3-inch/76mm anti-aircraft guns were removed and replaced by eight 5-inch/127mm in four twin dual-purpose mountings.
• The existing rangefinders fitted to the two superfiring main gun turrets were replaced by new 10m ones.

1933:

• A catapult was fitted between the mainmast and X turret and storage and maintenance facilities for 2 or 3 floatplanes was installed.

1934 to 1936:

• The bow was remodelled to reduce spray when steaming into a head sea.
• The stern was lengthened by 7.55 meters to improve speed.
• The forward superstructure was rebuilt into a pagoda mast.
• Torpedo bulges were added for better underwater protection.
• The main battery's elevation was increased to 43 degrees for improved range.
• The number of casemate-mounted 5.5-inch/140mm guns was reduced from eighteen to fourteen and their elevation was increased to 35 degrees for improved range.
• Twelve twin-mounted 1-inch/25mm Hotchkiss anti-aircraft machine guns were fitted. 
• Additional armour was added to gun turrets and barbettes, increasing the ship's overall armour protection.
• The existing twenty-one mixed coal-fired and oil-fired water-tube Kampon boilers were replaced by ten lighter and more powerful oil-fired Kampon boilers.
• The fore funnel was removed and the remaining funnel was rebuilt in a different position.
• Newer, lighter steam turbines were fitted in place of the original geared turbines.

The silhouette of the Nagato-class after they were reconstructed in the mid-1930s.

1938:

• A new, much more powerful catapult was installed.

By 1944:

• Nagato: Additional 1-inch/25mm Hotchkiss anti-aircraft machine guns in twin and triple mountings were fitted to the IJNS Nagato, bringing her total to 98 barrels.

By 1945:

• Nagato: All the of casemate-mounted 5.5-inch/140mm guns were removed and two twin 5-inch/127mm in four twin dual-purpose mountings were added.

After their reconstruction, the class's characteristics were:

• Displacement: 38.510 tons (deep load)
• Dimensions:
• Length: 224.94m (738ft)
• Beam: 34.6m (113ft 6in)
• Draught: 9.49m (31ft 2in)
• Propulsion: 10 x Kampon oil-fired boilers providing steam to 4 x Gihon steam turbines, each driving a propellor
• Speed: 25 knots
• Range: 8.650 nautical miles at 16 knots
• Complement: 1,734
• Armament: 4 × twin 410mm (16-inch) guns; 18 x single 140mm (5.5-inch) guns; 4 x twin 127mm (5-inch) anti-aircraft guns; Up to 98 x 25mm anti-aircraft guns
• Armour: Belt: 100mm to 305mm (3.9-inch to 12-inch); Deck: 69mm (2.7-inch) plus 100 mm (3.9-inch; Gun turrets: 280mm to 460mm (11-inch to 18.1-inch); Barbettes: 457mm (18-inch)
• Aircraft: 3 x floatplanes; 1 x catapult

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Nagato's wartime service:

• December 1941: Formed part of the distant force covering the retirement of the aircraft carrier that attacked Pearl Harbour.
• June 1942: Battle of Midway.
• June 1944: Battle of the Philippines Sea.
• October 1944: Battle of Leyte Gulf.
• October 1944: Battle of Sibuyan Sea.
• November 1944: Due to a shortage of fuel, she was reduced to the role of a floating anti-aircraft battery. Her mainmast and funnel were removed to improve the arcs-of-fire of the ship's anti-aircraft guns.
• July 1945: Badly damaged by an attack by US carrier-borne aircraft whilst at anchor.
• Post-war: Used as a target during the Bikini Atoll nuclear weapon test.

The IJNS Nagato in 1944.

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Mutsu's wartime service:

• December 1941: Formed part of the distant force covering the retirement of the aircraft carrier that attacked Pearl Harbour.
• June 1942: Battle of Midway.
• August 1942: Battle of the Eastern Solomons.
• June 1943: Destroyed by an explosion in the magazine of No.3 turret.

The Imperial Japanese Navy in 1/1200th-scale ... another addition

At the recent COW20026, my old friend Nigel Drury very kindly gave me a model of the INS Nagato to add to my collection of 1/1200th-scale Imperial Japanese Navy ships.

(38,510 tons; 25 knots; 8 x 16-inch guns, 18 x 5.5-inch guns; 8 x 5-inch AA guns; 98 x 25mm AA guns; a catapult; 3 floatplanes)

This will now serve as my fleet flagship, rather as she did for Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.

My 1/1200th-scale collection of Imperial Japanese Navy warships now comprises:

Battleships

• Nagato-class: Nagato
• Fuso-class: Fuso
• Kongo-class: Kongo; Haruna

Aircraft Carriers

• Kaga-class: Kaga
• Akagi-class: Akagi

Heavy Cruisers

• Myoko-class: Myoko
• Mogami-class: Mogami
• Aoba-class: Aoba

Light Cruisers

• Yubari-class: Yubari
• Isuzu-class: Nagano
• Sendai-class: Sendai
• Chikuma-class: Chikuma; Hirado

Destroyers

• Kagero-class: Kagero; Shiranui; Kuroshio; Oyashio
• Mutsuki-class: Mutsuki; Kisaragi; Uzuki
• Asashi-class: Asashio; Ōshio
• Fubuki-class: Fubuki; Amagiri; Asagiri; Shirayuki; Hatsuyuki; Murakumo; Shinonome; Oboro
• Hatsuharu-class: Hatsuharu
• Shimakaze-class: Shimakaze
• Kaba-class: Kaba, Kashiwa

Quite an impressive little collection, even though I say it myself!

The Colony/Fiji-class and Minotaur/Swiftsure/Tiger-class light cruisers

After the First World War, the Royal Navy had a large number of light cruisers, many of which were obsolete and/or worn-out. Many were scrapped under the terms of the Washington and London Naval Treaties and new designs were built, starting with the Leander-class and Modified Leander-class (AKA Amphion/Perth-class). These were followed by the smaller Arethusa-class light cruisers, which retained the twin 6-inch turrets of the Leanders.

HMS Orion, a Leander-class light cruiser.

HMAS Perth (ex-HMS Amphion), an Amphion-class light cruiser.

HMS Arethusa, an Arethusa-class light cruiser. She looks like a cut-down version of the Amphion-class light cruisers

The next design to come into service was the Town-class light cruisers, which were armed with BL 6-inch Mk XXIII guns in triple turrets. This gave them 150% more firepower without the ships needing to be proportionally heavier. (The first group of Towns had a displacement of 11,540 tons whilst the Leanders weighed in at 9,740 tons ... an increase of 1,800 tons or 18%.)

HMS Southampton, the lead ship of the Town-class of light cruisers.

The Town-class was a very successful design and was followed by a slightly more compact version that was closer in size to the Leander-class. The were known as the Colony or Fiji-class, and eleven ships were built in two groups:

HMS Fiji, the lead ship of the Colony/Fiji-class of light cruisers.

• Fiji group: HMS Fiji (Sunk), HMS Nigeria (Sold to India and renamed INS Mysore), HMS Mauritius, HMS Kenya, HMS Trinidad (Sunk), HMS Jamaica, HMS Gambia (Later HMNZS Gambia), and HMS Bermuda.
• Ceylon group: HMS Ceylon (Sold to Peru and renamed BAP Coronel Bolognesi), HMS Uganda (Later HMCS Uganda), and HMS Newfoundland (Sold to Peru and renamed BAP Almirante Grau).

The class's characteristics were:

• Displacement: 10,450 tons (full load)
• Dimensions:
• Length: 555ft 6in (169.32m)
• Beam: 62ft (19m)
• Draught: 16ft 6in (5.03m)
• Propulsion: 4 x Admiralty 3-drum boilers providing steam to 4 x geared steam turbines, each driving a propeller
• Speed: 31.5 knots
• Range: 10,100 nautical miles at 12 knots
• Complement: 920
• Armament:
• Fiji group: 4 x triple BL 6-inch (152mm) Mark XXIII guns in Mark XXI mountings; 4 x twin QF 4-inch (102mm) Mark XVI guns in Mark XIX mountings; 2 x 4 QF 2-pounder (40mm) Mark VIII anti-aircraft guns in Mark VII mountings; 2 × triple 21-inch (533mm) torpedo tubes (Four ships of this class [HMS Bermuda, HMS Jamaica, HMS Mauritius and HMS Kenya] later had one of the triple 6-inch turrets removed and replaced by a 1 x 4 QF 2-pounder anti-aircraft gun.)
• Ceylon group: 3 x triple BL 6-inch (152mm) Mark XXIII guns in Mark XXI mountings; 4 x twin QF 4-inch (102mm) Mark XVI guns in Mark XIX mountings; 3 x 4 QF 2-pounder (40mm) Mark VIII anti-aircraft guns in Mark VII mountings; 2 × triple 21-inch (533mm) torpedo tubes
• Armour: Belt: 3.5-inch to 3.25-inch (89mm to 83mm); Deck: 2-inch (51mm); Bulkheads: 2-inch to 1.5-inch (51mm to 38mm); Turrets: 2-inches to 1-inch (51mm to 25mm)
• Aircraft: 2 x Supermarine Walrus amphibious aircraft (Never fitted in HMS Fiji or HMS Kenya; removed from all surviving ships by 1944)

The Colony/Fiji-class proved to be very successful design, and the next class that was built was a modified version of it. It was named the Minotaur-class, and it was originally planned to build nine ships. However, in the end only three were build to the original design, three were cancelled and never built, and three were completed to a very heavily modified design ... the Tiger-class.

The three ships that were built to the original design were HMS Minotaur (which later became HMCS Ontario), HMS Swiftsure (which became the name-ship of the class after HMS Minotaur was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy), and HMS Superb.

HMS Swiftsure of the Minotaur/Swiftsure-class light cruisers.

The class's characteristics were:

• Displacement: 11,130 tons to 11,560 tons* (full load)
• Dimensions:
• Length: 555ft 6in (169.32m)
• Beam: 63ft to 64ft* (19m to 20m*)
• Draught: 17ft 3in (5.26m)
• Propulsion: 4 x Admiralty 3-drum boilers providing steam to 4 x Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving a propeller
• Speed: 31.5 knots
• Range: 8,000 nautical miles at 16 knots
• Complement: 867
• Armament: 3 x triple BL 6-inch (152mm) Mark XXIII guns in Mark XXI mountings; 5 x twin QF 4-inch (102mm) Mark XVI guns; 4 x 4 QF 2-pounder (40mm) Mark VIII anti-aircraft guns; 5 x single 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns; 2 × triple 21-inch (533mm) torpedo tubes
• Armour: Belt: 3.5-inch to 3.25-inch (89mm to 83mm); Deck: 2-inch (51mm); Bulkheads: 2-inch to 1.5-inch (51mm to 38mm); Turrets: 2-inches to 1-inch (51mm to 25mm)

(All characteristics with an asterix (*) refers to HMS Superb.)

The three suspended Minotaur-class ships were left incomplete until 1954. It was then decided to complete them to a heavily modified design that incorporated new weapons. The ships were HMS Tiger (ex-HMS Bellerophon), HMS Lion (ex-HMS Defence), and HMS Blake (ex-HMS Tiger, ex-HMS Blake).

They came into service between March 1959 and March 1961, and the last (HMS Blake) remained in service until December 1979. During that period HMS Tiger and HMS Blake were rebuilt as helicopter/command cruisers, and enabled the Royal Navy to maintain large, aircraft-carrying warships in service in the period between the scrapping of HMS Ark Royal (the last of the post World War Two aircraft carriers) and the commissioning of the Invincible-class light aircraft carriers.

HMS Tiger as built.

HMS Tiger after her conversion into a helicopter/command cruiser.

The class's characteristics were:

• Displacement: 11,700 tons (full load) (12,080 tons after conversion)
• Dimensions:
• Length: 555ft 6in (169.32m)
• Beam: 64ft (20m)
• Draught: 23ft (7m)
• Propulsion: 4 x Admiralty 3-drum boilers providing steam to 4 x geared steam turbines, each driving a propeller
• Speed: 31.5 knots
• Range: 8,000 nautical miles at 16 knots
• Complement: 716 (855 after conversion)
• Sensors & processing systems (after conversion): Type 965 air-surveillance radar; Type 992Q target-indication radar; Type 903 gunfire-control radars; Type 904 Sea Cat fire-control radars
• Armament:
• Before conversion: 2 x twin 6-inch (152mm) Mark N5 guns; 3 x twin 3-inch (76mm) Mark N1 guns
• After conversion: 1 x twin 6-inch (152mm) Mark N5 guns; 1 x twin 3-inch (76mm) Mark N1 guns; 2 x quadruple Sea Cat GWS-20 surface-to-air missile launchers
• Armour: Belt: 3.5-inch to 3.25-inch (89mm to 83mm); Deck: 2-inch (51mm); Bulkheads: 2-inch to 1.5-inch (51mm to 38mm); Turrets: 2-inches to 1-inch (51mm to 25mm)
• Aircraft (after conversion): 4 x Westland Wessex helicopters; later replaced by 4 x Westland Seaking helicopters

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The Triang Minic range of 1:1200th-scale model ships included the HMS Swiftsure and HMS Superb ... and they could easily be used to represent the Ceylon-group ships and the four modified Fiji-group ships of the of the Colony/Fiji-class.

The Ton-class minesweepers

Sea mines were a major threat to shipping during both World Wars, and during both conflicts the Royal Navy had hundreds of minesweepers in service. Some were specially designed and built ships, and some were merchant trawlers and drifters that were taken into service, often with their original crews.

In the period after the Second World War, the Royal Navy decided to build two classes of minesweepers for inshore and coastal work. The former were the Ham-class (and their related Ley-class) and the latter were the Ton-class.

A side view of the Ton-class minesweeper as designed,.

One hundred and nineteen Ton-class minesweepers were launched between 1952 and 1959, and they served in several navies besides the Royal Navy:

• Argentine Navy: Four ex-Royal Navy and two ex-Royal New Zealand Navy ships.
• Royal Australian Navy: Six ex-Royal Navy ships.
• Ghanaian Navy: One ex-Royal Navy ship.
• Indian Navy: Four ex-Royal Navy ships.
• Irish Navy: Three ex-Royal Navy ships.
• Royal Malaysian Navy: Seven ex-Royal Navy ships.
• Royal New Zealand Navy: Two ex-Royal Navy ships.
• South African Navy: Two built to order and eight ex-Royal Navy ships.

HMAS Curlew, the former HMS Chediston.

The class's characteristics were:

• Displacement: 440 tons
• Dimensions:
• Length: 152ft (46m)
• Beam: 28ft (8.5m)
• Draught: 8ft (2.4m)
• Propulsion: 2 x Mirrlees diesel engines (later 2 x Napier Deltic engines) each powering a propellor
• Speed: 15 knots
• Complement: 33
• Armament: 1 x Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft gun; 1 x Oerlikon 20 mm anti-aircraft gun or 1 x M2 Browning 0.5-inch machine gun

The hulls were built of two layers of mahogany on an aluminium fame, and as many fittings as possible were made of non-ferromagnetic metals in order to reduce  the ships' magnetic signature. Their shallow draft and small displacement gave them some protection against contact mines and pressure and mines and allowed them to operate in shallow inshore and coastal waters.

The ships were originally fitted with Mirrlees diesal engines, but these were replaced by Napier Deltic diesal engines. The latter were an opposed-piston, valveless, supercharged, two-stroke diesel engine that were designed to have a high power-to-weight ratio. The design was very effective and was employed in numerous small warships (e.g. Royal Navy Dark-class and Norwegian Tjeld or Nasty-class,fast attack craft) as well as British Railways Class 55 locomotives).

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Special mention should be made of two Ton-class ships, HMS Bronington and HMS Wilton:

• HMS Bronington was commanded by the-then Lieutenant Charles, Prince of Wales (now King Charles III) from February to December 1976. She is currently awaiting preservation.
• HMS Wiltonwas launched on 18th January 1972 and commissioned on 14th July 1970, and was a specially-built Ton-class minesweeper with a glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) hull. Most of her fittings were salvaged from the hull of HMS Derriton when the latter was scrapped. The experimental use of GRP proved successful, and the subsequent Hunt-class minesweepers were built with GRP hulls. She currently serves as a the floating clubhouse of the Essex Yacht Club at Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. 

HMS Bronington.

Some more Triang Minic 1:1200th-scale ships

I have made another foray onto eBay and have added four more Triang Minic 1:1200th-scale ships to my collection.

My four new Triang Minic Ton-class minesweepers.

They are four Ton-class minesweepers, HMS Carlton, HMS Dufton, HMS Repton, and HMS Upton ... and are splendid additions to my collection!

The post-war Daring-class destroyers

By the end of the Second World War, the Royal Navy was already looking to the future with regard to its warship designs. The lessons of the war were fresh in the minds of the Admiralty and the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors, and there was a desire to incorporate them in the next warships that were to be designed and introduced into service.

The Daring-class destroyers – along with the smaller Weapon-class destroyers – were the result. Whereas the latter were an intermediate-sized design that emphasised anti-aircraft capabilities and were intended to be built by shipyards whose building ways were too small to be used to build Battle-class destroyers, the Darings were large, fleet destroyers. Interestingly, the Weapons and the Darings both had their propulsion machinery arranged on the unit principle, with their boiler and engine rooms arranged alternately. This was intended to improve survivability in the event of battle damage. As a result, both classes had two funnels, the foremost being inside their lattice foremast.

A side view of the Daring-class destroyers as originally designed and built.

When the Darings were being designed, the Admiralty was beginning to explore the possibility of producing a new class of warships that combined the roles previously performed separately by light cruisers and destroyers. As such, the Daring-class can been seen as a step towards the fulfilment of that concept, and the following class of destroyers to be built - the County-class - were certainly classified by some commentators as light cruisers.

It was originally intended that a total of twenty Daring-class destroyers would be built, sixteen (enough for two flotillas) for the Royal Navy and four for the Royal Australian Navy. However, only eight were completed for the Royal Navy and three for the Royal Australian Navy, with the fourth Australian ship being cancelled after work had begun on her. Her remains were scrapped in situ to clear the slipway.

The completed Royal Navy ships were HMS Daring, HMS Dainty, HMS Defender, and HMS Delight (all of which were fitted with older DC [direct current] electrical systems), HMS Decoy, HMS Diamond, HMS Diana, and HMS Duchess (all of which were fitted with more modern AC [alternate current] electrical systems). The ships underwent some minor modernisation during the 1960s that saw the STAAG (Stabilised Tachymetric Anti-Aircraft Gun) mountings replaced by single 40mm mountings and the removal of first one and then both sets of torpedo tubes.

HMS Daring-class as built.

In 1969, HMS Diana and HMS Decoy were sold to the Peruvian Navy and renamed BAP Palacios and BAP Ferré. They were extensively modernised and remained in service until 1993 and 2007 respectively.

The completed Royal Australian Navy ships were HMAS Voyager, HMAS Vendetta, and HMAS Vampire. HMAS Voyager was sunk in February 1964 after a collision with the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne. HMS Duchess was loaned to the Royal Australian Navy for four years to replace HMAS Voyager, and at the conclusion of the loan period, she was sold to the Royal Australian Navy.

The class's characteristics when built were:

• Displacement: 3,820 tons (full load)
• Dimensions:
• Length: 390ft (120 m)
• Beam: 43ft (13m)
• Draught: 12.75ft (3.89m)
• Propulsion: 2 x Foster Wheeler boilers providing steam to 2 x Parsons steam turbines (Royal Navy ships) or 2 x English Electric steam turbines (Royal Australian Navy ships) powering two propellors
• Speed: 30 knots
• Range: 4,400 nautical miles at 20 knots
• Complement: 297
• Sensors & processing systems: Type 293Q target indication radar; Type 291 air warning radar; Type 274 navigation radar; Type 275 fire control radar on director Mk.6; Type 262 fire control radars on director CRBF and STAAG Mk.2; Type 903 fire control radar on system MRS-3
• Armament: 3 × twin 4.5-inch/45 (114mm) Mk.5 guns in UD Mk.6 mountings; 2 × twin 40 mm/60 Bofors anti-aircraft guns in STAAG Mk.2 mountings; 1 × twin 40 mm/60 Bofors anti-aircraft guns in Mk.5 mounting; 2 × quintuple 21-inch (533mm) torpedo tubes; 1 × Squid anti-submarine mortar

The much-modernised BAP Palacios. She was equipped with two twin 4.5-inch/45 (114mm) Mk.5 guns in UD Mk.6 mountings, eight Exocet MM-38 surface-to-surface guided missiles, two twin OTO Melara 40mm/L70 DARDO compact guns, and an AB-212 anti-submarine helicopter.

The Type 11, Type 41, and Type 61 Frigates

Towards the end of the Second World War, the Royal Navy identified the need for three types of frigate (an anti-submarine frigate [Type 11], an anti-aircraft frigate [Type 41], and an aircraft direction frigate [Type 61]) that could act as convoy and amphibious group escorts.

They were to share a common hull design and be powered by Admiralty Standard Range ASR1 diesels. They would therefore have long range and a maximum speed of 24 knots which would mean that they were not expected to operate with the navy's aircraft carrier groups. In the end, it was decided not to build the Type 11 (the Type 12 Whitby-class anti-submarine frigates were built in their place) but the other two designs were built … but in smaller numbers than originally planned.

HMS Jaguar, a typical Type 41 anti-aircraft frigate.

HMS Chichester, a typical Type 61 aircraft direction frigate.

It is interesting to note that all these frigates were designed to carry the same main and anti-aircraft armament, namely the twin 4.5-inch (114mm) guns Mark 6 (as fitted to the Daring-class and Australian Battle-class destroyers and later the Type 12 frigates) and twin 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun STAAG (Stabilized Tachymetric Anti-Aircraft Gun) Mark 2.

The ship’s characteristics were as follows:

• Displacement: 2,520 tons (full load)
• Dimensions:
• Length: 340ft (100m)
• Beam: 40ft (12m)
• Draught: 16ft (4.9m)
• Propulsion:  8 x Admiralty Standard Range ASR1 diesels driving 2 propellors
• Speed: 24 knots
• Range: 7,500 nautical miles at 16 knots
• Complement: 235
• Sensors & processing systems (Both classes): Type 960 air search radar (later Type 965 AKE-1 or AKE-2 air search radar); Type 293Q target indication radar (later Type 993 target indication radar); Type 277Q height finding radar (later replace in the Type 61 by Type 278 height finding radar); Type 974 navigation radar (later replaced in the Type 61 by Type 978 navigation radar); Type 275 fire control radar on director Mark 6M; Type 262 fire control radars on director CRBF and STAAG mount; Type 110 Cossor Mark 10 IFF; Type 174 search sonar
• Sensors & processing systems (Type 41): Type 164 attack sonar
• Sensors & processing systems (Type 61): Type 982 aircraft direction radar (later Type 986 aircraft direction radar); Type 170 attack sonar
• Armament (Type 41): 2 x twin 4.5-inch (114mm) guns Mark VI; 1 x twin 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun STAAG Mark II (later 1 × single 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun Mark 9); 1 x Squid anti-submarine mortar
• Armament (Type 61): 1 x twin 4.5-inch (114mm) guns Mark VI; 1 x twin 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun STAAG Mark II (later 1 × twin 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun Mark 5 or 1 x Sea Cat GWS-20 surface-to-air missile launcher); 1 x Squid anti-submarine mortar

Type 41 or Leopard-class anti-aircraft frigates

A total of seven ships were built: HMS Leopard, HMS Lynx, HMS Puma, and HMS Jaguar for the Royal Navy and INS Brahmaputra, INS Beas, and INS Betwa for the Indian Navy. HMS Lynx and HMS Jaguar were sold to the Bangladeshi Navy and became BNS Abu Bakr and BNS Ali Haider respectively.

A fifth member of the class (HMS Panther) was ordered for the Royal Navy, but the order was later cancelled.

Type 61 or Salisbury-class aircraft direction frigates

A total of four ships were built: HMS Salisbury, HMS Chichester, HMS Llandaff, and HMS Lincoln. HMS Llandaff was sold to the Bangladeshi Navy and became BNS Umar Farooq.

Three additional ships of the class were planned: HMS Exeter, HMS Gloucester, and HMS Coventry. The order for the first two was cancelled whilst the third was re-ordered as a Leander-class frigate (HMS Penelope).

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Type 11 anti-submarine frigate: A 'what if ...'

The Type 11 anti-submarine frigate was never designed. but one can conjecture that its characteristics would have been something like the following:

• Displacement: 2,520 tons (full load)
• Dimensions:
• Length: 340ft (100m)
• Beam: 40ft (12m)
• Draught: 16ft (4.9m)
• Propulsion:  8 x Admiralty Standard Range ASR1 diesels driving 2 propellors
• Speed: 24 knots
• Range: 7,500 nautical miles at 16 knots
• Complement: 235
• Sensors & processing systems: Type 293Q target indication radar (later Type 993 target indication radar); Type 277Q height finding radar (later Type 278 height finding radar); Type 974 navigation radar (later Type 978 navigation radar); Type 275 fire control radar on director Mark 6M; Type 262 fire control radar on STAAG mount; Type 110 Cossor Mark 10 IFF; Type 174 search sonar; Type 162 target classification sonar; Type 170 attack sonar
• Armament: 1 x twin 4.5-inch (114mm) guns Mark VI; 1 x twin 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun STAAG Mark II (later 1 x Sea Cat GWS-20 surface-to-air missile launcher); 2 x Squid or Limbo anti-submarine mortars; 8 x 21-inch (533mm) anti-submarine torpedo tubes

The above is based on the armament and sensors carried by the Type 12 Whitby-class frigates. Had the Type 11 been built, it might well have received an midlife upgrade that would have seen the removal of the anti-submarine torpedo tubes (if they had ever been fitted) and one or both of the Squid or Limbo anti-submarine mortars and a hanger and landing pad installed in their place so that the ship could carry a Westland Wasp HAS.1 anti-submarine helicopter.

As for possible names ... who knows? ... but I would like to have thought that the Royal Navy could have re-used the names of dog breeds that had previously been used for destroyers (e.g. HMS Afghan, HMS Beagle, HMS Basset, HMS Bulldog, and HMS Greyhound).

The Type 15 and Type 16 Anti-submarine Frigates

At the end of the Second World War, each of the victorious allies took examples of captured Axis ships. Some were used for experimental purposes and others were incorporated into their respective navies as active units.

The Soviet Union managed to acquire a number of complete U-boats and up to eleven incomplete ones, and these included examples of the latest designs, the Type XXI. This was an advanced U-boat design that had been introduced into service just before the end of the Second World War. It had a streamlined hull as well as improved underwater performance, and it was designed to operate submerged for long periods, thus making it significantly more difficult to find and sink.

An example of a Type XXI U-boat, U-3008. She was handed over to the United States Navy and used by them until June 1948.

Four Type XXI submarines were commissioned into the Soviet Navy (U-2529, U-3035, U-3041, and U-3515 became B-27, B-28, B-29, and B-30 (later B-100) respectively). British and United States intelligence services estimated that by January 1948 the Soviet Navy had fifteen Type XXIs operational, could complete a further six more within 2 months, and had sufficient captured prefabricated components to build another thirty-nine within eighteen months.

This posed a major problem for the Royal Navy. The Type XXI could make 15.6 knots on the surface and 17.2 knots underwater and the top speeds of the Royal Navy’s escorts were (by class):

• Flower-class corvettes: 16 knots
• Castle-class corvettes: 16.5 knots
• Black Swan-class frigates: 20 knots
• River-class frigates: 20 knots
• Bay-class frigates: 19.5 knots
• Loch-class frigates: 20 knots
• Hunt-class destroyers: 27 knots
• Captain-class destroyer escorts (Lease-Lend): 20 to 24 knots

Only the Hunt-class ships had a sufficient margin of speed over the Type XXI to enable them to hunt and kill the Type XXI submarines that were operated by the Soviet Navy … but many were already worn out after heavy wartime service and some of the class had a reputation for being top-heavy and would not be suitable for rebuilding into fast anti-submarine frigates. The Royal Navy did – however – have a large number of destroyers that had been built to a standard design under the War Emergency Programme, and many of these were relatively new and in good condition.

It was therefore decided to rebuild a number of these ‘surplus’ hulls into anti-submarine frigates. Two designs were chosen: the Type 15, which was a major rebuild of the vessels chosen, and the Type 16, which was a much more austere conversion that could be undertaken quickly.

The Type 16 frigates were:

• O-class: HMS Orwell. HMS Onslow and HMS Onslaught had been transferred to the Pakistan Navy and became PNS Tippu Sultan and PNS Tughril respectively. They were later converted into Type 16 frigates for the Pakistan Navy.
• P-class: HMS Paladin and HMS Petard.
• T-class: HMS Teazer, HMS Tenacious, HMS Termagant, HMS Terpsichore, HMS Tumult, HMS Tuscan, and HMS Tyrian.
• W-class: HMS Wessex and HMS Whelp had been transferred to the South African Navy and become SAS Jan van Riebeeck and SAS Simon van der Stel respectively. They were later converted into modified versions of the Type 16 frigate for the South African Navy.

HMS Tenacious before her conversion.

HMS Tenacious after her conversion.

The class’s characteristics were as follows:

• Displacement: 2,300 tons (full load)
• Dimensions:
• Length: 362ft 9in (110.57m)
• Beam: 37ft 9in (11.51m)
• Draught: 14ft 6in (4.42m)
• Propulsion:  2 x Admiralty 3-drum boilers providing steam to two turbines powering two propellors
• Speed: 32 knots
• Complement: 175
• Sensors and processing systems: Type 293Q target indication radar; Type 974 navigation radar; Type 1010 Cossor Mark 10 IFF Type 146B search sonar; Type 147 depth finder sonar; Type 162 target classification sonar; Type 174 attack sonar
• Armament: 1 x twin 4-inch (102mm) gun Mark 19; 1 x twin 40 mm Bofors gun Mk.5; 5 x single 40 mm Bofors gun Mk.9; 2 x Squid anti-submarine mortar; 1 x quadruple 21-inch (533mm) torpedo tubes for Mk.9 torpedoes

The Type 15 conversions were far more extensive. The ship's existing superstructure was completely remodelled, and the changes included:

• The forward superstructure was extended across the width of the ship.
• The front of the superstructure was curved and reinforced to resist the impact of waves at high speed and in rough weather.
• The forecastle was extended aft to provide additional internal volume.
• The bridge was located at forecastle deck level.
• The operations room was located behind and below the new bridge.

The Type 15 frigates were:

• R-class: HMS Rapid, HMS Relentless, HMS Rocket, and HMS Roebuck.
• T-class: HMS Troubridge.
• U-class: HMS Grenville, HMS Ulster, HMS Ulysses, HMS Undaunted, HMS Undine, HMS Urania, HMS Urchin, and HMS Ursa.
• V-class: HMS Venus, HMS Verulam, HMS Vigilant, HMS Virago, and HMS Volage.
• W-class: HMS Wakeful, HMS Whirlwind, HMS Wizard, and HMS Wragler.
• Z-class: HMS Zest.
• Australian U-class: HMAS Queenborough, HMAS Quadrant, HMAS Quiberon, and HMAS Quickmatch.

HMS Ulster before her conversion.

HMS Ulster after her conversion.

The class's characteristics were as follows:

• Displacement: 2,700 tons (full load)
• Dimensions:
• Length: 358ft (109m)
• Beam: 37ft 9in (11.51m)
• Draught: 14ft 6in (4.42m)
• Propulsion:  2 x Admiralty 3-drum boilers providing steam to two turbines powering two propellors
• Speed: 31 knots
• Complement: 174
• Sensors and processing systems: Type 293Q target indication radar; Type 277Q surface search radar; Type 974 navigation radar; Type 262 fire control radar on director CRBF; Type 1010 Cossor Mark 10 IFF search sonar: Type 174 search sonar; Type 162 target classification sonar; Type 170 attack sonar
• Armament: 1 x twin 4-inch (102mm) Mark 19 gun; 1 x twin 40mm Bofors Mk.5; 2 x Squid or Limbo Mark 10 anti-submarine mortars
• Aviation facilities: A flight deck was fitted to HMS Grenville and HMS Undaunted for the Fairey Ultra-light Helicopter (HMS Genville) and Saro P.531 helicopter (HMS Undaunted). (N.B. The Saro P.531 was the forerunner of the Westland Wasp helicopter.)

The Type 15 and Type 16 anti-submarine frigates fulfilled a vital role in the Royal Navy. They not only filled a gap in the Royal Navy's anti-submarine capabilities at a time when Russian submarines based on the Type XXI U-boats (i.e. the Whiskey-class) were coming into service, but also gave the Admiralty and the Royal Corps of Constructors time to develop the design of the Type 12 anti-submarine frigates (the Whitby-class) which – in turn – was developed into the later Type 12M (the Rothesay-class) and then the very successful Type 12I or Leander-class.

My new Triang Minic 1:1200th-scale ships

The Triang Minic ships that I recently bought via eBay have been delivered ... and I am very pleased with my purchase.

My recently purchased 'squadron' of Triang Minic 1:1200th-scale warships.

The ships are:

• The Albion-class light fleet aircraft carrier HMS Bulwark.
• The Minotaur-class light cruiser HMS Swiftsure.
• Two Daring-class destroyers (HMS Daring and HMS Dainty).
• Two Battle-class destroyers (HMAS Anzac and HMS Alamein).
• Two Whitby-class anti-submarine frigates (HMS Whitby & HMS Torquay).
• Two Type 15 anti-submarine frigates (HMS Vigilant and HMS Virago).

All-in-all, this is a very nice 'squadron' of ships to add to my collection, especially as it includes two three classes (the Battles, the Whitbys, and the Type 15s) that I was never able to buy when I was a child.

The models are quite basic and are by no means collector's models ... but they are made of metal, are robust, and certainly look reasonably convincing enough from a metre away to be useable in a wargame.

Until they arrived, I had no idea that the destroyers and the Whitby-class frigates models all shared the same model turret (the twin mounting UD Mark VI turret with quick-firing 4.5-inch/45 (114mm) Mark V guns). Whilst this is spot-on for the Daring-class destroyers and Whitby-class anti-submarine frigates, this gun turret was only fitted to the Battle-class destroyers built in Australia. So its right for HMAS Anzac ... but not right for HMS Alamein, which was fitted with a twin mounting BD Mk. IV turret with quick-firing 4.5-inch/45 (114mm) Mark III guns.

HMAS Anzac.

HMS Alamein.

The other 'inaccuracy' is the additional UD Mark VI turret fitted towards the stern of the models of the Whitby-class anti-submarine frigates. I assume that it is meant to represent the twin 40mm Bofors gun Mark 2 on STAAG (Stabilised Tachymetric Anti-Aircraft Gun) mounting ... which was later removed when it proved to be overweight, too complex, and a maintenance nightmare.

HMS Tenby, one of the Whitby-class anti-submarine frigates.

Interestingly, the slightly earlier, diesel-powered Type 41 or Leopard-class anti-aircraft frigates were armed with two twin mounting UD Mark VI turrets with quick-firing 4.5-inch/45 (114mm) Mark V guns.

HMS Jaguar, one of the Leopard-class anti-aircraft frigates.

This class was originally to have included far more ships than the seven that were built (four for the Royal Navy and three for the Indian Navy) but six of them were re-ordered as Whitby-class anti-submarine frigates ... and I wonder if this might be the reason why Triang Minic produced their models with two turrets.