1/72 RCN British Power Boat Type 'G' Motor Torpedo Boat

[JohnWS]

Here’s my second scratch built Coastal Forces project - a 1/72 scale model of Royal Canadian Navy Type ‘G’ Motor Torpedo Boat 486 that served with the RCN 29^th MTB Flotilla during World War II, circa 1944.  I started the build in October 2016 & completed the project this month (November, 2017).

 

History:

The Type ‘G’ MTB’s were built by the British Power Boat Co. at the BPB Hythe, Southampton boat yard.  Originally, eight Type ‘G’  MTB’s were assigned to the Royal Canadian Navy 29^th MTB Flotilla.  Three additional boats were later added to the flotilla to replace MTB’s that were either damaged or sunk.  The 29^th Flotilla had a short & distinguished history in the English Channel, including action during the D Day invasion.  The flotilla was formed in March, 1944 and disbanded shortly after five Canadian boats were sunk & 26 sailors were killed by fire & explosion at Ostend, Belgium, on February 14, 1945.  MTB 486 survived the war & is the only known RCN MTB to survive into the 21st century (as the civilian houseboat 'Sungo').

 

Research:

Unfortunately, after researching a number of books and searching the Internet, I couldn't find enough details about any one 29th Flotilla MTB to accurately build a complete boat. So, I built this model using information & photos for a number of different 29th Flotilla boats, as well as RN Coastal Forces BPB MTB's found in books I had collected, & on the Internet.

 

 

The Naval Museum of Manitoba (Canada) also provided me with invaluable information about the bridge details on the Canadian boats.  I could only find a couple of photos showing partial views of the MTB’s bridge.  However, I was able to accurately detail the bridge on my MTB using the information provided by the Museum.  As it turns out, one of the Museum’s directors (who passed away in 2000) served with the RCNR on a number of RN & RCN ships including the boats of the 29^th Flotilla.

 

Collectively, I was able to compile enough detailed information to complete this model. Since the model includes features from a number of different RCN BPB MTB's, I picked the Flotilla's senior officer's boat hull number (486) for this model to represent all the boats that I used for reference.  

 

Scratch Building:

I carved the model’s hull from a 4X4 inch cedar fence post (a remnant from the same fence post I used for my Fairmile 'D' build over 40 years ago).

 

 

 

 

The superstructure and deck details were made using Evergreen plastic sheet, strip, rod & tubing, balsawood, stretched plastic sprue, paper card stock, wood cotton swab sticks, & additional bits & pieces from around the house.  Number decals are ink-jet printed.

 

Weapons include Coastal Craft resin & PE 6-pounder forward gun, twin Oerlikon guns on the stern, and two 18” torpedo tubes, plus Great Little Ships cast metal and PE twin .303 Vickers machine guns mounted on the torpedo tubes. 

 

I chose the Royal Navy Coastal Forces a light grey and white wave hull design, and a B15 dark grey-blue deck paint scheme.

 

Completed Build Photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[/url]

 

 

A small four man crew was conscripted from the Matchbox Corvette & the Airfix Vosper MTB model kits.  A couple of the figures were modified and the four were painted to show some of the many different uniforms worn by the RCN crews.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On display ...

 

 

... and in virtual water using Photoshop.

 

 

It was a fun build.  I learned a lot about the boats & crews of the RCN 29th Flotilla during the build, and the part they played in Canadian naval history.

 

Thanks for looking in.

 

John

Edited November 7, 2017 by JohnWS

[Beard]

That's rather splendid.

[Darby]

20 minutes ago, Beard said:

That's rather splendid.

Hear, hear.

[Murdo]

What an absolute beauty, love the paint job and detail! Well done mate!

 

[Bandsaw Steve]

That’s fantastic!

I love that the hull is made from cedar. When I was a kid I made a few models using cedar. A superb  soft, straight-grained wood with a beautiful aroma unlike any other timber. In my mind I can just smell that hull being carved - it’s a smell that always takes me back. 

A terrific piece of work.👍

Congratulations.

[longshanks]

Great to see such a wonderful rendition of an often forgotten type.

 

Love It !!

 

Kev

[Guest]

Very smart and the hull ,thanks for showing this superb work .

[Alpha Delta 210]

Sensational result. I love the "virtual water" shot.

[beefy66]

Stunning job on your build that’s what I,am trying to aspire to with my build of 466

 

Just looking at this gives me a lot of inspiration to get mine completed thanks. 

 

beefy

[JohnWS]

Thanks everyone!  Much appreciated,

 

Here's a link to my in-progress build thread, if you're interested - http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?/topic/295669-172-rcn-british-power-boat-co-motor-torpedo-boat/

 

 

[longshanks]

Thanks for posting the link John. Some great/creative modelling there...

I hope we are going to see more of your work on here ....

 

You build brought back fond memories of my Airfix Vosper Type 1. I say Airfix but in fact there was very little left of the kit.

You inspired me to redo the pics of the Ready for Inspection

 

 

I will get around to doing the WIP

 

 

Thanks again for sharing your work

 

Kev

[JohnWS]

Thanks Kev.  I got caught by our friends at Photobucket, as well.   I'm slowly transferring my photos to Flickr, so hopefully I'll have more to share regarding previous builds.

[Bugle07]

Great stuff!

 

 

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Great work 👍 I particularly like the crew, Display, & Photoshop.

[andrewa]

That's really nice  - especially starting from a fence post...

 

[Al Gunthwaite]

Splendid! 

 

Top modelling skills and a really clean and professional result.

 

Al

[longshanks]

Pssst! @JohnWS

 

Al does some nice figures for 1/72 boats

http://www.gunthwaite.co.uk/Index.html

 

Kev

 

[pdsvidioman]

That is a really nice model. Well done. !

 

Paul

[JohnWS]

Thanks for the kind comments everyone.

8 hours ago, longshanks said:

Pssst! @JohnWS

 

Al does some nice figures for 1/72 boats

http://www.gunthwaite.co.uk/Index.html

 

Kev

 

Thanks for the info Kev.  I've seen Al's figures & they look great.  

 

I still have a number of leftover kit figures in the stash, & I've been trying to use them up on the boat builds.

[phildagreek]

You carved the hull? Holy crap. I can barely stick plastic together having read the instructions twice, but you carved the hull.

 

Good effort sir, the finished result is quite splendid, nicely done indeed.

[Redshift]

Like this a lot, very good end result

[JohnWS]

14 minutes ago, phildagreek said:

You carved the hull? ...

Yes sir!

 

 

 

A visit back to her birthplace. 

 

[Courageous]

What everyone else says...brilliant.

As a matter of interest, you're not joining @Bandsaw Steve club and changing your name to 'Bandsaw JohnWS'? 

 

What's next?

[Bandsaw Steve]

How did he get such a large block of wood under the bandsaw? 😁

[JohnWS]

Thanks!

 

10 hours ago, Courageous said:

... As a matter of interest, you're not joining @Bandsaw Steve club and changing your name to 'Bandsaw JohnWS'? 

 

What's next?

Not Bandsaw, but maybe Handsaw.

 

Right now, I'm taking a short sabbatical from modelling to catch up on some chores around the house.  I have a couple of MTB & a few aircraft plastic kits in the stash, so maybe one of them will be next.  We'll see!