During the dark days of WW2 when the U-boat peril was at its height, and merchant ship sinking were on the increase, the allies were in dire need of new hulls. The American industrialist Henry Kaiser came to the rescue with what would become known as the 'Liberty' ship - mass produced in prefabricated sections, the Libertys went on to see service wherever the Allies needed them. Many were taken up by the military and used for a multitude of tasks including transport and depot ship under the designation of AK.

The Skywave kit of the Bootes shows their usual crisp moldings. There are 140+ parts on three sprues. Sprue one is the hull and deck. In a departure from the usual waterline kit, this one is split along the centreline, and has a separate deck a'la Airfix and Matchbox. Care will be needed in joing the halves. Sprue two has the superstructure, the 5" and a 3" guns which were mounted on the bow and stern, as well as 20mm Oerlikons, lifeboats, vents, cranes and masts. Sprue three contains frames to supprt carley floats as well as the floats themselves. An added touch is the full colour profile on the rear of the box to aid in painting.
Conclusion Although it is the fighting ships that capture the imagination., none of these vessels would be able to exist without the support of the various auxillaries and such that kept them supplied. The Liberty ship is evocative of the age and I look forward to adding this one to my collection of 1/700 ships. Thanks to Hobbylink Japan for the review sample.

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