HMS Lowestoft - potential kit bash, advice needed.

[cruiserguy]

Good Morning Everyone,

I generally model WW1 and WW2 ships, but recently I bought MT Miniatures 700 scale HMS Whitby intending to use it as a basis for modelling HMS Lowestoft as a gift to one of my friends. However, I now wonder if I would have been better buying MT Miniature's HMS Plymouth instead. The reason I bought HMS Whitby is I read there was little difference between the first batch of Type 12 frigates, and the second batch (Rothesay Class), of which HMS Lowestoft was a member.

I am happy enough to attempt to kit bash the HMS Whitby kit into an early Rothesay Class frigate, but wonder if using the HMS Plymouth kit would be a better bet; it would give a much later version of HMS Lowestoft as modernised. Frankly, I should have researched it better before buying the Whitby kit, but that's in the past.

Do any of you who know this era better than me have any suggestions?

Best Wishes,

Will.

PS The MT Miniatures kit of HMS Whitby is real beauty, and worth the money. I'll be buying more of MT's range.

[bootneck]

....The MT Miniatures kit of HMS Whitby is real beauty, and worth the money.

I agree. They are produced locally and are really nice resin kits which should be obtained before moulds are used up etc. Unfortunately for me, they are not to my scale.

[terryn]

Will

From memory you're correct and there is very little external difference between the Whitby Class and the original Rothesay Class. The funnel is one thing to watch out for but some Whitby's also got the later raked funnel after a while. However the Whitby's never had the Helicopter conversion. Personally I prefer the original ships pre-conversion. They were very low with minimal superstructure to help them survive a nuclear attack. However the later ship may be easier to model as they have solid rather than lattice masts.

Once again from memory one way of telling them apart is that the Rothesay Class had a diesel generator in the bow. The exhaust stain being the giveaway. One of my favourite classes of ship.

Terry

[mollythedog]

There was a major difference between HMS Whitby and the rest of her sisters-she served as the prototype and as such was built with a different bridge to all other Type 12's. It was larger internally and from the outside has the "wings" of the bridge almost perpendicular to the hull-that is to say virtually flat fronted. A glance at any of her sisters or the follow on Rothesays will show that they had angled faces that were more streamlined,and gave up more deck space to the area around the bridge.Anyone that has been on a Type 12 will know just how crowded this area was with all sorts of vents and tripping hazards!

If the model you are working from has been mastered correctly then it would be a major undertaking to make a new bridge (ask me how I know,I've built 4 of them so far,Tenby,Scarborough,Blackpool and Eastbourne) as this bridge was not only angled,but had distinctive stepped bridge windows as well.

Terryn is correct about the funnel angle,you have to find photos of the actual ship,and weapons fit for the given period is not as simple as it might appear either.I could go and bore for England on it but won't.....

Also Whitby as built had the vertical uncapped funnel,Lowestoft had the later,angled and capped version,and STAAG instead of a single 40mm etc etc.

Good luck

mtd

[cruiserguy]

Good afternoon Terryn and Mollythedog,

Thanks for your advice. It looks as if what I thought would be a simply kit bash of HMS Whitby will prove more involved than I thought. Never mind, I'll do the research and if I think I can do it, I'll give it a bash. If not, I could always try and work with a model of HMS Plymouth instead. Either way, I'll have two good kits to work with,

Best Wishes,

Will.

PS Mollythedog, feel free to go on and "bore me for England", I love learning about ships, kits, and how to modify them.

PPS. Mollythedog - I just realised, you built the 1200 scale Eastbourne featured a couple of years ago. Am I right or is my memory fading?

[mollythedog]

Hi Will,

Yes,that was my 1/1250 scale Eastbourne you saw.

My advice would be to decide which ship (obvious I know but....) which you have indicated as Lowestoft,and then try and decide which period. I would think that the later the better,purely from reference photo choices. This would simplify things a bit weapon wise,as it would be either single 40mm or Seacat. Looking at the few photos I have the choice for this ship is,roughly, 1963 aft deckhouse and 40mm, by 1975 she had lost a Limbo but gained a hanger and Seacat (with director) and,what I hadn't noticed before,and has piqued my curiosity somewhat,by 1984 she had what looks like a type of VDS winch on her quarterdeck. Take your pick.....

PM me with your e mail addy and I'll send you what I have on her photo wise.

Cheers

mtd

[cruiserguy]

Mollythedog,

Very grateful for the offer, and thanks, PM sent.

Best Wishes,

Will.