HMS Scorpio

[tigercat]

HMS Scorpio

Name:   HMS Scorpio
Builder:   Harland and Wolff shipyard, Belfast

Laid down:   10 November 1940
Launched:   21st  May 1941
   
   
   
General characteristics
Class and type:   Catapult Class Seaplane Carrier
Displacement:   8370 tons
Length:   384 ft 6 in (117 m) overall
Beam:   62 ft 3in (19 m)
Installed power:   12,000 shp (8,948 kW)
Propulsion:   Triple expansion engines, 24 boilers, 2 shafts

Speed:   19 knots (35 km/h)
   
   
Armament:   2 ×  40mm Bofors AA
20-26 x 20mm Oerlikon AA



   
Aircraft carried:   10-14 Aircraft
Motto: 
    Cavendum maxime mihi stimulus
Best, beware my sting

HMS Scorpio was a Royal Navy  Catapult class seaplane carrier of the Second World War
Built by Harland and Wolff shipyard, Belfast , she was laid down 10 November 1940, launched 21st May
One of a class of 6
HMS Trebuchet
HMS Ballista
HMS Scorpio
HMS Onager
HMS Springald
HMS Catapult


The design of the Catapult class was inspired by a whale factory ship design constructed by the Smiths Dock Company of Middlesbrough. The class was intended to be a "stop-gap" measure for the Allied navies in their battle against Kriegsmarine U-boats to help block the Mid Atlantic air gap.


The Catapult class was the spiritual successors of the first HMS Ark Royal later HMS Pegasus which also launched Seaplanes from its deck albeit on trollies opposed to the catapult fitted on the Catapult class. While the seaplane concept had its disadvantages, not having to provide a flight deck meant that the seaplane carriers could cover the mid Atlantic gap with a smaller expenditure of resources than a fully fledged aircraft carrier. While the Camships and the Fighter catapult ships concentrated on combating the Condor menace the seaplane carrier specialised in combating U boats. While the seaplane was slow and unwieldy and no match for modern fighters in mid Atlantic they did not need to worry about encountering such. Many U-boat had an unpleasant surprise when it spotted a twin floated Swordfish diving on it where no aircraft had a right to be.


HMS Scorpio, HMS Trebuchet & HMS Ballista were extended and converted with a flying on deck for Fairey Exocet Auto- gyro's. The Navy liked the craft's short take-off span, and its low maintenance requirements. Folding rotors and stub wings meant that they occupied less space than conventional aircraft but were not without their drawbacks. They operated mixed air groups with the conventional aircraft and auto gyros complimenting each other.

The 6 ships did sterling work plugging the mid Atlantic air gap although operations were curtailed in the extremes of North Atlantic weather. The auto - gyro's similar in appearance to their stablemate the Swordfish could operate when the seaplanes could not.

HMS Springald, HMS Catapult were both torpedoed. HMS Catapult managed to limp back to port was declared a total constructive loss but the rest of the class survived the war.
Once more conventional aircraft carriers became available they found a new lease of life as they  were converted to Landing craft carriers and Heavy lift ships.

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[Hobbes]

Wow, that's great! Imaginative and well-executed. Must have been a complex build. What scale is it?

[deathjester]

That is amazing!  Not only is it super cool, but you've managed to incorporate tiger stripe style camo on an ocean going vessel!

[GTX]

 

[NARSES2]

Whoaaaa 

[JayBee]

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
1/72ndish I take it, I recognise rather a lot of Airfix railway bits in there.



Jim

[PR19_Kit]

... and that Gannet floatplane on the bow cat looks interesting too.

[tigercat]

I sort of backdated a Gannet to make it more Avengerish with a turret and dorsal gun position.

[tigercat]

HMS Scorpio 1943 . With the introduction of baby flatops the seaplane carriers were gradually withdrawn and converted. Limited aviation capacity was  retained as erstwhile  CAM ships as they were converted to Landing Ships Stern Launch LSSL. The conversion was hurried due to pressures to free up dockyard space and german bombing of the dockyards.

These photos show HMS Scorpio as she was for Operation Husky. HMS Scorpio was attacked by a squadron of German aircraft, armed with an early guided missile, the Fritz X (FX-1400). She was hit by one and badly damaged but still able to move under own power. She limped to Malta where running repairs were carried out before she went to America for proper repairs.  

[PR19_Kit]

The Gannet got replaced by a floatplane Fulmar....... 

[tigercat]

HMS Scorpio 1944 as she appeared at the D Day landings. Her sejourn in  the USA allowed for an increase in her carrying capacity as a more thorough and leisurely conversion was possible. Experience also led to the reinstatement of the stern Auto gyro pad  to give her limited ASW capacity as well as the Floatmar's anti aircraft capacity

[tigercat]

Postwar HMS Scorpio was sold to a Norwegian company and served as the KOSMOS III  as a Whale factory ship