thorfinn Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 (edited) Greetings all. Got Round-2's re-pop of the old Lindberg "Q-Ship" last Christmas, and in a fit of nostalgic juvenile enthusiasm, decided to give it a little love. As a ship model it's pretty atrocious---it's Lindberg, after all, so not only is there little (or wrong) detail, but the hull and decks are bizarrely truncated, with what should be the 'hold' areas largely missing---but I decided to do what I could to 'dress her up' as the sort of nondescript workaday pre-WW1 freighter of the sort that genuinely furnished the bulk of the Royal Navy's U-Boat-hunting 'Special Service vessels'---better known as 'Q' ships---during the Great War. I give you the 3200 GT collier Atholl Star (of my own made-up 'Green Diamond Line'), laid down about 1905, and with a hard-used but completely unremarkable career before being caught in the waters off the west of Ireland in 1917. ('Dressed up with Tom's Modelworks etched railings, doors and ladders, and Alliance Modelworks' gorgeous etched ratlines. Rigging a combination of EZ-Line and good old-fashioned stretched sprue) To be continued.... Edited March 4, 2018 by thorfinn Photobucket betrayed us all.... 23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorfinn Posted February 16, 2017 Author Share Posted February 16, 2017 (edited) Part 2 - When the U-boat strikes.... The box says 'Q-Ship'...so Q-Ship it is. For those unfamiliar with the term, the Germans' name for the vessels---'U-Boot-Fallen,' or 'U-Boat traps'---pretty well sums it up. They were mostly hard-used civilian ships...fishing smacks, tramp steamers and sloops...that were taken into RN service and fitted out with whatever armaments were available---and could be concealed. Plying the waters where U-Boats were active, they would cruise along on their plodding courses, hoping to lure a German submarine to attack with the promise of a tempting 'easy kill.' With extraordinary courage...and unbelievable patience...the Q-Ships would often steer into torpedo tracks, or slow their speed to knowingly take gunfire. (They typically carried cargoes of timber or other buoyant materials, to help...or so it was hoped...keep them afloat.) 'Panic parties' would take to the lifeboats, giving the appearance that the crew was abandoning their doomed vessel. Usually wishing to save valuable torpedoes, the attacking U-Boat would generally surface, hoping to 'finish off' their target with deck-gun fire. The steel-cajoned Captain of the Q-Ship...usually alone on the bridge...would bide his time, and wait for that perfect moment when the U-Boat crept just a little too close... First...always...the 'Red Duster' of the merchant fleet would be hauled down...and the White Ensign of a British warship run up in its place. Then false bulkheads and hull-plates might open...'false' crates and lifeboats be pushed aside...or harmless-looking pieces of 'ordinary deck machinery' might lose covers or false end-pieces to reveal guns. torpedoes, and even depth-charges. Opening a sudden and quick-firing 'broadside' of as many weapons as could be brought to bear, they'd aim for the waterline and the base of the conning tower, hoping to fatally hole the U-Boat...often, before their own ship went down.... Launched as Atholl Star, 'my' ship was re-christened HMS Burnham Wood when taken into RN service. Weapons depicted are pretty 'typical' of real Q-ships' fitting-out, based on historical accounts. All weapons positions...and the 'ruses' depicted to conceal them...are based (broadly) on authentic accounts and /or photographs. (You can't make this stuff up....) (Armament mostly courtesy of Mirage 1/400 Wickes-class 'spares') Thanks for having a look. For those interested, build-log is here. Edited March 4, 2018 by thorfinn 27 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 That is superb, brilliant modelling & a fascinating write up! Top job! Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darby Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 Tis a veritable silk purse and to create that amount of detail is remarkable in it's ingenuity. One tiny piece of critique though unless it's my shoddy eyesight and I can't see them; the red diagonals of Northern Ireland in the Union Jack on the ensign are missing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorfinn Posted February 16, 2017 Author Share Posted February 16, 2017 19 minutes ago, Darby said: the red diagonals of Northern Ireland in the Union Jack on the ensign are missing. GOOD eye...and entirely my fault. I did not look carefully at the image I used to print it. 'T shall be fixed.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murdo Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 I like that very, very much. What a wee beauty! Good WIP article too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancona Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Absolutely love it, you must have had so much fun with this, beautifully done 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorfinn Posted February 17, 2017 Author Share Posted February 17, 2017 Thanks, gents, fun it was...when I wasn't trying to 'hinge' things about half the size of a fingernail! Just thought I'd throw in here that today happens to be the 100-year anniversary of renowned real 'Q-Ship' commander Gordon Campbell's sinking of SM U-83 by his ship HMS Farnborough...for which action he was awarded the Victoria Cross. A heartfelt tip of the cap to all those brave seamen---many of them 'civilians'---who went to sea knowing they were supposed to be targets. It surely deserves to be remembered. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aginvicta Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Great little ship. It's good to see something a little bit different. I really enjoyed following your build as well, Cheers Andy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilneBay Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 That's a really interesting and well done model. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Superb build and finish and a very original way of posting the build too,love it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaddad Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 tasty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rwa66 Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 Very nice and a great job on the build. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billydick Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 Great build of something unusual ... all the better for being Lindberg BillyD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoscar Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Hello, It is superb. A great idea served by an excellent achievement. I'm a fan. (I will now look for this model to try to get closer to what you did ... poor me.) Marc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorfinn Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 Thanks, gentlemen. It's a great basic kit to use as the basis for something different...since one doesn't feel the least bit reluctant to poke a hole or lop a bit off here and there. Almost any change or addition cannot help but be an improvement. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Pirate Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 that's a fantastic build and an even better history lesson. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 A really effective build and great fun as well! Martian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 Fantastic. I do mean everything. The model, pictures, explanation. A model with a soul. Regards, orion 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorfinn Posted March 2, 2017 Author Share Posted March 2, 2017 Thanks, one and all. 18 hours ago, Orion said: A model with a soul. I particularly appreciate that bit. Most kind. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_opland Posted March 3, 2018 Share Posted March 3, 2018 I would love to see this, Thorfinn. Any chance of getting the photos hosted at Flickr or somewhere? Cheers, -Lars 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorfinn Posted March 3, 2018 Author Share Posted March 3, 2018 2 hours ago, lars_opland said: I would love to see this, Thorfinn. Any chance of getting the photos hosted at Flickr or somewhere? Cheers, -Lars Thanks for your interest, Lars! (Always heartening to see a thread rise from the dead!) I shall see what I can do. (I'll quote you again so you receive a notification.) Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted March 3, 2018 Share Posted March 3, 2018 Id love to see this to bad the Photobucket Ransom things have replaced your photo’s. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorfinn Posted March 4, 2018 Author Share Posted March 4, 2018 14 hours ago, lars_opland said: I would love to see this, Thorfinn. Any chance of getting the photos hosted at Flickr or somewhere? Cheers, -Lars 1 hour ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said: Id love to see this to bad the Photobucket Ransom things have replaced your photo’s. Thanks again for the interest, gents! It was a fun project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_opland Posted March 5, 2018 Share Posted March 5, 2018 Thank You, Thorfinn! I'm an old modeler while this is an old model kit I heard about but don't remember ever seeing. Aurora did one of the German raider "Atlantis", IIRC, the molds for which were lost somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean...or so the story goes.... Cheers, -Lars 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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