The Gunships GB - General Discussion

[NARSES2]

I feel inclined to tackle a literal submission to this GB in the form of a WWII monitor ship, probably RN use in North Africa for shore bombardments.

Oddly enough whilst in Birmingham New St station on Monday I was discussing that same concept with a guy who, in his very visible bag of Telford purchases, had the Trumpeter kit of HMS Roberts

[PR19_Kit]

I didn't know anyone did a kit of a Monitor, they're such an unusual sort of ship.

Hmmmmmm...............

[NARSES2]

I didn't know anyone did a kit of a Monitor, they're such an unusual sort of ship.

Hmmmmmm...............

It was 1/350 Kit. Looked nice in the box, the guy showed me 

[loupgarou]

There is a paper kit of the M-15 in 1/100, by WAK. I'll have to build it, soon or later....

[Dizzyfugu]

If I tackle a monitor ship, it will be a modded stock kit. Might be messy, but I think you can shorten a cruiser and modify the superstructure to fit into the concept. I recently got hands on a cheap 1:700 USS Arizona from Hobby Boss that qualifies for being sliced up.  I am not aware of any WWII monitor type ship kit, though, at least in 1:700. There are 1:350 IP kits from Trumpeter, of HMS Roberts and Abercormbie.

[NARSES2]

Been musing on the idea of a "Shore Bombardment Ship" based on one of the 1890's pre-Dreadnaughts with those flat sunken turrets seemingly at random spots on the hull. You could replace the guns in the turrets with large mortars or howitzers, or maybe replace some of the turrets with barbettes or just gun pits ?

[Old Wombat]

I didn't know anyone did a kit of a Monitor, they're such an unusual sort of ship.

Hmmmmmm...............

Trumpeter: https://www.bnamodelworld.com/model-ships-boats-trumpeter-models-tr-05335-1:350-hms-roberts-monitor-class

[PR19_Kit]

I do like the look of that. 

One of my fave Douglas Reeman books is 'HMS Saracen', which is about a WWI monitor that also ends up in WWII, captained by a guy who was a midshipman aboard the same ship in WWI. Very good it is too.

[kitnut617]

I have the book called 'Armed with Stings'. It's about RN gunboats in the Med' during WWII. The gunboats in question were the 'Insect Class'

[loupgarou]

I have very recently read:
Buxton Ian   Big gun monitors   Seaforth   Barnsley   2016
but it's only about british monitors.
Many other fascinating examples around the world, like in the american civil war where the south even had cotton-clad monitors, besides iron- and timber-clad ones.
And I am still trying to grab a book about Danube monitors.
Russians in WW2 had riverboats armed with T-34 turrets, what about an upgunned one with a KV-2 turret?

[NARSES2]

And I am still trying to grab a book about Danube monitors.

I've seen them mentioned in various histories but nothing else.

[McColm]

Another idea is to use a Corgi Major Chubb Pathfinder Airport Crash Tender.
I think that I have a battered example in the stash. A couple of large guns mounted on the top would make a battle bus with the right paint scheme.

[Rheged]

And I am still trying to grab a book about Danube monitors.

I've seen them mentioned in various histories but nothing else.

I think I once saw some info about Danube monitors/gunboats  in a publication about the "Insect" class China gunboats............But I can't remember which.

[buzzbomb]

I have the book called 'Armed with Stings'. It's about RN gunboats in the Med' during WWII. The gunboats in question were the 'Insect Class'

International Models Asia (IMACO) has a a few River gunboats in their catalogue

http://www.imaco.com.hk/cgi-bin/prod.pl/keyword/Boats

[jcf]

If I tackle a monitor ship, it will be a modded stock kit. Might be messy, but I think you can shorten a cruiser and modify the superstructure to fit into the concept.

The US Navy designed and built a single Inshore Fire Support Ship the USS Carronade.
Lindbergh did a kit that was also released under the label of "Bobtail Cruiser", for obvious reasons.
The kit is 1/170 scale and isn't hard to find having been re-released several times.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Carronade_(IFS-1)

http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/06/06001.htm



The primary armament was magazine fed rocket launchers.