Subject: SMML VOL 2032 Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2002 02:53:49 +1100 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http://sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: Durban Castle 2: Re: durban castle 3: RN Escort Carrier Armaments 4: Re: Early American Battleships 5: Cancelled French Battle Ships and Kits 6: Re: Cancelled French Battle Ships and Kits 7: Re: Durban Castle 8: 1/700 Underwing Store spares availble among you? 9: Andrea Gail 10: Re: Doolittle raid 11: Re: a lot of questions 12: Re: Trumpeter Hornet to Enterprise/Yorktown conversion 13: MV Durban Castle 14: Cancelled French Battle Ships 15: Re: Durban Castle 16: Re: MV Durban Castle -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: Re: F.A.A. in WW2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Michael London" Subject: Re: Durban Castle >> Gotta come outa my shell for a question. Acquired a pewter mug yesterday at an estate sale. Wasn't wearing my glasses at the time, all I could make out was what appeared to be a Scottish Flag, the overall blue one with the white St. Andrews cross. Upon getting home and looking at it with my specs on, turns out the white cross has a very small white diamond shape in the center, and the ring around the flag reads 'M. V. Durban Castle.' Any clues out there, assuming, of course, that M. V. means 'Motor Vessel' << Durban Castle (1939) was built for the Union-Castle Line for the England-Round Africa Service. Launched by Harland & Wolff of Belfast on June 14th 1938, and completed on Nov 22nd, she was an intermediate liner of 17,388 Gross Registered Tons. She had a sister ship, Pretoria Castle (later named Warwick Castle). As Alan Millen correctly assumes she was, in common with most Union-Castle liners, a motor vessel in her case using Burmeister & Wain diesels generating 17,000 BHP for a speed of 18.5 knots. She became a troop transport in 1940 and was later used as a landing ship. She returned to her original service in 1947. She was scrapped at Hamburg in 1962. I would imagine that the emblem on the mug was her badge. Michael London ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "Roger Buckley" Subject: Re: durban castle British merchant navy ship http://fp.redduster.f9.co.uk/UNION18.htm regards Roger ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: glasgow Subject: RN Escort Carrier Armaments I'm hoping to build the Tamiya 1/700 Bogue Class escort carrier into either HMS Nabob or HMS Puncher. While I've got the colour schemes sorted out (me thinks!), can anyone advise how the AA armaments on RN Bogue/Prince William class carriers differed (if at all) from the standard US AA armaments as supplied in the Tamiya kit? Any other modifications to the kits (other than radar) required to properly RN-ify it? Any suggestions or points in the right direction would be appreciated. Thanks, ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "Daniel Bauer" Subject: Re: Early American Battleships Your question about the fore structure made of wood on early BB's was interesting. I myself am presently conducting research on a future project of constructing a large scale 1/96 scale of BB7 the USS Ilinois. I looked at several pictures I have and some plans. I do see that this part of the ship does seem to have a covering of wood. However, I am not sure if this over steel plate. Maybe someone with first hand knowledge can help. Regards, Dan Bauer ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: "JOHN WERLER" Subject: Cancelled French Battle Ships and Kits Mike Bartel wrote in SMML 2031: >> I suppose there isn't much to say about them that hasn't already been said, but they do make for interesting reading. At one point, I planned 1:700 scale kits for the Alsace and 1047 designs, and even made a hull master for the Alsace, but then discovered there wasn't a lot of interest in them. They are just interesting footnotes to the history of capital ship construction. << I have always been intrigued by the "What If's" in battleship development - including these French cancelled ships. That's why I'm so looking forward to your upcoming 1/700 South Dakota and Lexington kits. You appear to be one of the very few who has tried to address this area over the years and I would love to see you continue to do so in the future. Obviously, the interest needs to be present in the marketplace to make it worthwhile. I suspect that part of the lack of earlier interest may have been associated with the fact that your earlier "what if's" were more in the form of "craftsman" kits as opposed to more complete kits to which you now appear to be moving. I would also think that, as more and more of the gaps in the "As Built" navies are filled in, these "Never Built" ships may gather more appeal. Anyway, I definitely plan to purchase your future offerings in this area and would hope that others will also. Perhaps if the South Dakota and Lexington kits sell well, you will surprise us with more 1/700 kits like them. Are there others out there with a similar interest in these forgotten cancelled battleships and battlecruisers? John Werler ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: Sab1156 Subject: Re: Cancelled French Battle Ships and Kits The best drawings of the proposed french battleships and the dutch battlecruisers are in the book: Sirgfried Breyer: Schlachtschiffe und Schlachtkreuzer 1905-1970. I have the book,it is now out of print. Detlef Hartwig ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: URUDOFSKY Subject: Re: Durban Castle MV Durban Castle is a ship of the Union-Castle Line. See: http://www.union-castle-line.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: "nop61505" Subject: 1/700 Underwing Store spares availble among you? Hi, I'm looking for 1/700 Underwing stores to use on my 1/700 Mordern Aircrafts and Helicopters. Does anybody has any spares from PitRoad/Skywave or others available, that could sent it to me, please? If just underwing fuel depots are available, I'll be already happy.!!! many thanks Ayala Botto Lisbon, Portugal ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: "Robert P. Leonti" Subject: Andrea Gail Perhaps you should contact the publishers of National Fisherman magazine. In the past they have done articles on Andrea Gail. I Subscribe to the Fisherman and know that the builder was mentioned. She was modified (I believe lenghtened) which could have compromised her stability. The shipyard that did the modification was mentioned in a past article. I may be wrong but Blount Marine may have been her builder. Capt. Bob Leonti ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: "bendinggrass" Subject: Re: Doolittle raid Morning All, I also found a fine book on the Doolittle rair. It is THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO written by one of the survivors. It cannot be matched for pure adventure, and it is true!! I found it in a second hand bookstore. I strongly recomment it. A movie was also made with that title, but it dosen't match the book. Regards, Randy Nugent ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: Lou Meszaros Subject: Re: a lot of questions I watched that show and enjoyed every minute. The deck he was walking on looked like the USS North Carolina who just received a new deck this year. It has been posted on this list as to the donor and links to before and after pic's. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: James Corley Subject: Re: Trumpeter Hornet to Enterprise/Yorktown conversion >> I'll be driving back East to have Thanksgiving with the family in Atlanta. I've already let it be known that I was going to check out your shop on Friday. If the conversion master is there, I'd really like to see it. << Ed, I'll be at the shop most of the day and we are having a big sale - I'll even throw some ships on the sale table for the other SMMLies in the area (Dave, Richard, etc.!) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: "Katz, Gene S" Subject: MV Durban Castle Yes, "MV" is for Motor Vessel, and she was a ship of the old Union Castle Line in UK. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: rickl454 Subject: Cancelled French Battle Ships Check out the "whats new" section of the Alnavco website (http://www.alnavco.com/) for information on 1/1200 models of the projected French battleships and Dutch battlecruisers. It was updated a few days ago. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) From: nd.ward Subject: Re: Durban Castle MV Durban Castle was owned by Union Castle Lines, which was in itself owned by 'the British and Commonwealth Shipping Company', an offshoot of Cayzer, Irvine & Co. The logo described was the B&C house flag, carried by all members of the group, including the Clan Line, King Line, Hector Whaling. (I did an apprenticeship with B&C 1974-78) Dave Ward ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16) From: HGYL Subject: Re: MV Durban Castle MV "Durban Castle" was bulit by Harland and Wolff, Belfast, for the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company's round Africa service in 1938. Main particulars were: length 570,7 ft. breadth 76,4 ft. tonnage 17,388 gross 10,435 net passengers 220 first class and 335 tourist class During World War II she served as a troopship. After the war she was used on the company's Royal Mail service between UK and South African ports until 1950 when she reverted to the round Africa service. Withdrawn from service and broken up in 1962. The Union-Castle house flag was a combination of the Union house flag (white flag, blue border, red cross) and the Castle house flag (blue ground, white cross, red 'C' in white diamond in centre). Thus, after the merger of the Union and Castle companies in 1900, the Union-Castle house flag was a blue ground, white cross and diamond with red cross superimposed. This is the flag on the enamel badge on the mug which Alan Millen has acquired. Best wishes to all, Harold Lincoln ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: John Snyder Subject: Re: F.A.A. in WW2 >> However, as you are obviously looking to model the aircraft on HMS Formidable during early 1943, I can provide some details from the references I have. All the aircraft you list would have had an uppersurface camouflage of Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey (actually a grey-green) with the undersurfaces in Sky. << And you'll find these colours and more in the new range of Colourcoats paints for naval aircraft, at http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/white.ensign.models/colourcoats.htm Cheers, John Snyder White Ensign Models ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the SMML site for the List Rules, Backissues, Member's models & reference pictures at: http://smmlonline.com Check out the APMA site for an index of ship articles in the Reference section at: http://apma.org.au/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume