HMS Gorleston. 1:350

[Shar2]

HMS Gorleston

Atlantic Models 1:350

 

The Banff-class sloops were a group of ten ships of the Royal Navy. Built as United States Coast Guard Lake-class cutters, in 1941 these ships were loaned to the Royal Navy as anti-submarine warfare escorts. The transfers took place at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where HMS Malaya was under repair after being torpedoed by U-106. The sloops were manned for transport to England by personnel from the damaged battleship. The sloops were initially used to escort SL convoys between England and Sierra Leone, and one was sunk while so employed. The nine surviving sloops were assigned to Operation Torch where two were destroyed attacking Oran in Operation Reservist. The remaining seven escorted Mediterranean convoys in support of the North African invasion and saw varied employment in the Atlantic until assigned to the Kilindini Escort Force in late 1943 and early 1944. They stayed in the Indian Ocean for the remainder of the war escorting trade convoys in the Arabian Sea, and five served in the Bay of Bengal supporting Operation Dracula and Operation Zipper in the last months of conflict with Japan. Six were returned to the United States after the conclusion of hostilities; and one, disabled by mechanical failure, was scrapped overseas.

 

Originally in USCG service as the Itasca performed Bering Sea patrols; but is most remembered as the "picket ship" that would provide air navigation and radio links for Amelia Earhart when she made her 1937 attempt to fly around the world. Itasca, stationed at Howland Island, tried to keep in radio contact with her. However, due to a series of misunderstandings or mishaps (the details of which are still controversial), two-way radio contact was never established.

 

Itasca was decommissioned on lend lease to the United Kingdom where she received a name change, becoming HMS Gorleston (Y92) after the East Anglian port of Gorleston on 30 May 1941. Gorleston was equipped with Type 286M Radar after arrival in England; and was assigned to the 40th Escort Group escorting trade convoys between England and Sierra Leone with sister ships HMS Landguard and HMS Lulworth, Lend-Lease destroyer HMS Stanley and Shoreham-class sloop HMS Bideford. After escorting convoys OS 4, SL 87, OS 10, SL 93, OS 12, SL 95, OS 17, SL 100, OS 22, SL 106, OS 28, SL 112, OS 34 and SL 118 on this eastern Atlantic route, Gorleston made a trip to Iceland escorting convoys DS 33 and SD 33, and escorted convoys KMF 3, MKF 3, KMF 5, MKF 5, KMF 7 and MKF 7 between England and the Mediterranean Sea in support of Operation Torch.

 

Gorleston was then assigned to the 42nd Escort Group with sister ship HMS Totland, River-class frigates HMS Ness and HMS Exe, and sloops HMS Weston and HMS Folkestone escorting tanker convoys UC 1 and CU 1. Gorlestone then resumed escorting eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean convoys until refit in Wales in December 1943. After refit, Gorleston escorted eastern Mediterranean convoys from March 1944 until assigned to the Kilindini Escort Force in August 1944. Gorleston escorted Arabian Sea convoys until transferred to Colombo in June 1945. Gorleston spent the remainder of the war escorting Bay of Bengal convoys in support of Operation Zipper. She was returned to the United States on 23 April 1946 and redesignated USCGC Itasca until scrapped in 1950.

 

The Model

As with all the other Atlantic Model kits this one comes in a sturdy cardboard box, although admittedly somewhat smaller than normal in this case.  Inside you are met with a box full of polystyrene chips, amongst which you will find a bubble-wrapped two piece hull, two bags of resin and one of metal parts, a sheet of etched brass, and the instructions. As usual Peter has cast his magic and produced another superb resin model.  The two piece hull is free from blemishes, pin holes or other imperfections other than the moulding pips on the mating surfaces of the hull sections. The detail included on the upper hull section is superb, but their is a fair bit of cleaning up on the smaller resin parts and particularly the metal parts. Originally, I believe that this was to be released by White Ensign Models, and was on their website for some time. But then they went down, and Peter has finally picked it up and finished it off. While it may not be the most well used or largest class in the RN, it is still a very interesting ship and a good reminder that there were many of these unsung heroes amongst the hundreds of ships the RN had at the time, small ships doing important and dangerous jobs.

 

 

 

Once the modeller has decided whether to make the model as a waterline or full hull, it’s on with the build. If building full hull you will have to remove the small moulding pips on the mating surfaces first.  This will ensure a really good fit with minimal filling and sanding required.  The main superstructure is the glued to the deck. The rudder and prop are then attached to their positions on the lower hull. 

The many sub assemblies are then built up, these include the forward gun with PE shield, 6pdr gun and PE shield, PE 20mm Oerlikons, PE quad 0.5” mounts, anchors. The main gun, two 6pdrs, anchors, and if building one of the other ships of the class you may need to add the two gun platform extensions.  The superstructure is then fitted with two tall ventilators, which may need to be shortened to match the bridge height as this was done in British service, the funnel, with PE funnel cap and two intake structures.

 

 

 

The bridge is made up from the single piece main section bridge roof railings, the four piece PE Type 279 radar lantern, and six piece foremast topped off with the three piece HF/DF aerial. The bridge assembly is then glued to the front of the superstructure, followed by the two piece PE gun platform on which either two Oerlikons or two quad 0.5” assemblies and mounted. The bridge wings are fitted with two angled supports and inclined ladders are attached between the bridge deck and superstructure.  

 

The boat davits and accommodation ladders are assembled from their PE parts, as is the multipart aft platform, which includes the gun platform and splinter shields for two more Oerlikons or 0.5” Quads.  Two short ventilators are also fitted to the roof of the structure. The three piece rangefinder tower is also assembled and glued into position.  The aft platform is also glued into position and the wings fitted with their lattice supports. Again, depending on which ship of the class is being modelled, there are alternative gun tubs which are attached to the superstructure sides along with their lattice supports.  Two inclined ladders are then glued into position between the superstructure and the main deck. There are four boats, two sitting on cradles either side of the aft superstructure, and two on davits which have a separate part depicting the downfalls. Just forward of the two cradled boats there are PE support platforms for three Carley floats on each side of the superstructure. The two depth charge racks aft are assembled and glued into position, followed by two depth charge throwers and their handle derricks, towing hitch and aft mounted 5” deck gun, followed by the railings, thus completing the build all bar the painting.

 

 

 

Conclusion

Well, Peter does it again, with this release of another great kit of an unusual subject. With the exceptional moulding and etch we’ve come to expect from Atlantic models it would make a good kit to start with if you wish to build these multi-media style models. It is quite a bit smaller than the previous releases too, so would make for a nice centrepiece to a seascape that will be easy to transport and store. Very highly recommended

 

 

Review sample courtesy of Peter Hall of

[bootneck]

Another good review Dave, and an interesting read! It sounds like you have the book "Allied Convoy System" by Hague.

 

Mike