PT520 Ron35 1944 - Italeri 1/35

[FlyingSpanner]

With my Vosper (almost) stalled until the forward gun and the crew arrive I began to look for my next project. My primary interest is WW2 coastal forces, and I would prefer to stick to a consistent scale (for now). I wanted to try an aftermarket detailing set for additional challenge and to build skills, and I wanted to spend more money on the model and less on reference materials this time around. This criteria leaves a pretty limited choice, so I was thinking of another Vosper with the Griffin etch set, depicting a later home waters MTB with single Oerlikon forward and twin Oerlikon aft, or perhaps a J S White subcontract built Vosper with the conversion challenge that might bring.

 

While browsing eBay I stumbled upon a Italeri ELCO PT boat kit for a good price. Remembering mention of PT boats in The Battle of the Narrow Seas by Peter Scott I did a little digging. Four PT boat squadrons (RON 2, 30, 34 & 35) served in the English Channel performing various roles at or around the time of D-day, photos are plentiful, and at least two of these squadrons used the type of boat that Italeri offer. To round out my criteria my existing reference books cover the ELCO PT boats. All my wants satisfied I hit buy it now.

 

 

The kit is the 1/35 Italeri PT596, a late war 80’ ELCO PT Boat.

 

 

Also included in the sale was a kit and a half of crew

 

 

There is two of the upper sprue 

 

 

Along with the Eduard etch set, and the Royal Model etch and resin set

 

 

The Royal Model set looks comprehensive 

 

 

I will need the SO radar too so I also picked up the Italeri PT conversion set

 

 

Lastly, I ordered the Echelon decal set and metal barrels for the four .50cals and the Oerlikon. The Italeri kit includes metal barrels for the 37mm and the Bofors. 

 

 

I’m still waiting for the decals and the .50 barrels

 

 

 

There are a few parts to backdate from the later war configuration that Italeri depict, so there will be some modification and scratch building too, which will stretch my abilities I’m sure. Fortunately Arjan and Tom dK have paved the way building European theatre PT boats, and I have their threads both here and on the PT boat forum to use as a guide

 

Arjan’s threads:

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235048521-pt-515-ron-35/

 

http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?fid=102&cid=101&tid=4771&sc=20&pg=1&x=0

 

 

Tom dK:

 

http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?fid=102&cid=101&tid=4774&st=0&nd=10&pg=2&sc=20

 

Not sure if you need to be a member of the PT boat forum to view the threads, but if you have even a passing interest in US coastal forces then it’s well worth signing up.

 

 

 

PT520, along with 514, was one of the first boats of the squadron to join the invasion fleet on D-day+1. She patrolled the Mason line protecting the fleet, took survivors off the mined USS Rich on D-day+2, was shelled by shore batteries, and later joined British coastal forces in some the last of the fierce battles off Cap d'Antifor. Finally along with the rest of the Ron35 boats 520 was transferred to the USSR under the lend lease agreement by the end of 1944. PT520 seems to have been on the scene whenever Ron35 saw action.

 

There are only a few photos of PT520, but there are lots of the other boats and the majority of features are common.

 

Here’s a couple PT513 to give you an idea of the general arrangement 

 

 

 

The twelve boats of Ron35 changed weapons fits and colours throughout their short service in the channel. 

 

They arrived in theatre in Measure 13 camouflage (haze grey vertical surfaces, deck blue horizontals), having been repainted from their Pacific theatre greens whilst aboard transport ships from the states. Later they were repainted in a darker scheme. 
 

Measure 13:

 

 

Showing blue deck and horizontal surfaces:

 

 

Later darker scheme (Ron34 boat):

 

 

As built the boats forward armament was a single Oerlikon, later many boats retrofitted a single 37mm autocannon whilst in service, some also remounted the Oerlikon, and later still some boats are seen with 2x 37mm.

 

Single Oerlikon:

 

 

37mm and Oerlikon:

 

2x 37mm:

 

 

 

While photos are numerous they are mostly undated, so I cannot say exactly what time period I intend to depict, but the colour scheme will be the earlier Measure 13, and the forward armament will be the 37mm and 20mm setup.

 

 

 

I expect this to take me six months or more, and there is a bit of a steep learning curve with the many modifications needing to be scratch built, so progress will be slow

 

Cheers 

 

Lewis

[Arjan]

Nice to see you have enjoyed your Vosper project well enough to embark on a similar one 👍 . Of course I'm very interested  and I will follow your new build closely 🙂. The second colour pic you posted is new to me, where did you find it ? 

 

Regards,

 

Arjan

[JohnWS]

Hi Lewis,

 

Here's a link to one of my go-to references for USN PT boats - http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/05idx.htm.

 

John

[FlyingSpanner]

Thanks John, the three images of 513 actually came from navsource, though they are reposted in countless other locations. Sadly they have only one image of 520 (a better quality version of which I have posted above) besides the crew photo.
 

Cheers Arjan, yes I have thoroughly enjoyed the Vosper, and am excited to begin the PT. I am very fortunate that you and Tom have already done all of the hard work, and published the details online for others to benefit from. I am just standing on the shoulders of giants

 

I am fairly sure the image of the crew playing cards on the dayroom roof is from either yours or Tom dk’s threads on the PT boat forum. Though if not then I may have found it on one of the PT Facebook groups. I loath Facebook and the like, but the PT groups are very active and useful, with knowledgeable contributors outweighing the morons. The first colour image (of 514 passing an LST) was posted to Facebook for my benefit by the son of the original photographer (Ensign Russell E Schuster, USNR, Executive Officer, PT 503 Ron34), prior to that I had not seen that image published. The third colour image (of 506) came from the same series of images from the same photographer, but I have seen copies of that elsewhere.

 

Lewis

 

Edit: found the source of the image
https://www.facebook.com/groups/335730754290/permalink/10158342990994291/

Posted by Al Ross (Allied Coastal Forces co-author) is response to a query regarding Ron34 colours. Boat is 503.

[Arjan]

Thanks Lewis, Facebook probably. I don't like Facebook either, too much of a sensory overload .

 

Regards,

 

Arjan

[FlyingSpanner]

As the Vosper is taking up most/all of my model making space until I find it a proper home I thought I would start a small and manageable part of the PT.

 

There is a spare Bofors in the PT conversion set so it seemed like a good place to start with all the aftermarket etch parts. After all, if I screw it up irrecoverably then I have a spare 🙄

 

Two evenings of effort and there is not a great deal to show for it. 

 

 

I am really struggling with the Royal Model instructions, they are difficult to decipher and give little direction as to exactly where the parts are intended to go.
 

 

 

On the off chance my difficulty has been compounded by lack of equipment (rather than incompetence) I have ordered a PE bending tool and some acupuncture needles. Perhaps I just need more time and experience to get into the swing of it. I’ll persevere.

 

Just because I have this and it’s on topic, here is Harold Eller manning the Bofors aboard PT 520, probably in the States during the shakedown cruise judging by the attire

 

 

 

Lewis

[FlyingSpanner]

 

I was getting a bit despondent with the aftermarket PE kit, the effort and time it was taking, and then I had a word with myself. Surely that is the whole point! After that epiphany it’s all been a pleasure. Steep learning curve but very satisfying 

I largely gave up with the Royal Models instructions beside giving a general impression of where a part is intended to go, the Eduard instructions are far better (even for fitting the Royal parts), and studying images of the three surviving museum PTs got me the rest of the way.

 

The Bofors is more or less there. I have fitted all of the kit parts and aftermarket parts that I plan to, but cannot do much more until I scratch build the loading platform railing as this differs to the part supplied in the kit. At the moment this is mostly just dry fitted

 

 

I decided to cherry pick the PE parts to fit, ignoring those that offered no additional detail over some of the quite fine styrene moulding in the Italeri kit parts, or that would have been impractically delicate.

 

 

 

 

This cheap bending tool (cheapest UK seller on eBay) was a massive improvement over a straight edge and blade for the more tiny parts.

 

 

 

The acupuncture needles have helped in some areas with glue application, though I am still getting to grips with this technique and on the whole I think my CA use is heavy handed

 

Until the styrene rod and strip I have ordered shows up there’s not much more to be done with this subassembly so I’ll probably make a start on the rest of the armament, unless the outstanding parts for my Vosper build show up.

 

Cheers 

 

Lewis