1/600 HMS DORSETSHIRE (from Airfix SUFFOLK)

[Chewbacca]

HMS DORSETSHIRE was a County Class cruiser laid down in 1927 and commissioned in September 1930, the last of the 10 Counties to do so.  Initially she served in the Atlantic Fleet before moving to the Africa Station in 1933, and then to the China Station in late 1935.  She remained there until the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, when she was transferred to the South Atlantic then in early 1942 to the Eastern Fleet where she was sunk on 5 April 1942 by Japanese dive bombers with her sister ship CORNWALL while en route to Colombo.  Over 400 sailors lost their lives from the two ships.

The model is based on the Airfix 1/600 HMS SUFFOLK and represents here as she was in the mid-1930s whilst on the China Station.  The modifications are extensive as the Airfix kit, which dates from 1963, represents SUFFOLK in 1941 by which time she had been considerably modified with a large fixed hanger, improved secondary armament etc.  Perhaps more so, however, was the fact that DORSETSHIRE and SUFFOLK were very different even at build.

The first batch of Counties, the Kent sub-class, of which SUFFOLK was one, had prominent armour belts which had disappeared by the final, Norfolk sub-class.  Similarly, in an attempt to remain under 10,000 tons in accordance with the limits imposed on heavy cruisers in the 1922 Washington Treaty, the Kent sub-class all had a lowered quarterdeck which was raised in later sub-classes.  Hence the kit has considerable reshaping of the hull including the addition of the Admiral’s walkway aft.

The forward superstructure retains the kit outline up to 01 deck; above that it is all scratch built.  Similarly, both midships superstructure, gun decks, aircraft platform and catapult and after superstructure are all scratchbuilt.  The catapult is largely made from spare White Ensign photo-etch guardrails!  The boats were all detailed including the addition of masts to one of the whalers to represent the ship’s Midshipmen heading off for a sailing regatta near the stern.

Secondary armament is all scratch built from plasticard and wire whilst the masts are a combination of wire, stretched sprue and photo-etch with rigging from EZ Line.  There is extensive use of White Ensign photo-etch for guardrails, anchor cables, ladders and one accommodation ladder.  The after officers’ accommodation ladder was scratchbuilt from spare White Ensign ladders whilst the boats-boom was a combination of wire, stretched sprue and White Ensign rope ladders.  The base is MDF covered in a thin layer of Plaster of Paris with a light rippling and combination of blue, brown and green to represent Hong Kong harbour.

 

I'm really not sure about the deck colour.  Light grey seems wrong to me in every respect, but I do recall finding one B&W picture of DORSETSHIRE in 1937 which clearly showed her with the white hull, buff upperworks and a light coloured deck so it may or may not be correct.  I'd be open to comments if anyone has a better idea (though it's too late now to change!).

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2018 by Chewbacca

[AndyPG]

Fabulous sea Chewbacca.

Especially in the last two pics.

 

Andy.

[Martian]

Beautiful build!

 

Martian

[Chewbacca]

Thanks both

[mick]

great work