HMS Rupert Captain Class Frigate 1/350

[neilh]

After a long delay due to a house move, I've finally started my model of HMS Rupert. Already I have to thank several kind folks here on Britmodeller who have given advice and guidance on this topic.  My Grandad joined the Royal Navy as a boy before WWI and was on active service through both World Wars, and was assigned to Rupert from her commissioning until the end of WWII.  He passed away when I was under 2 years old, so I never heard first hand of his service,  but I recently managed to get his Artic Star medal to be approved and to be displayed alongside all his other campaign medals in a framed photo for my Dad.  I want to build this model to give to my Dad who is very proud of his own Dad (as am I).  I've been building 1/48th aircraft models and the odd car for many years now, but last built a ship ( Airfix HMS Ajax)  in the early 1970's so this will be a challenge.  I'm using the amazing build off HMS Conn by @Stephen Allen as a good reference source, plus "Anatomy of a ship" and Donald Collingwoods " Captain Class Frigates". 

 

So to begin, I'm starting with the Trumpeter kit of USS England.  Main changes to make to convert to Rupert are removal of the torpedo tubes , multi barrel AA gun, 4 of the K Guns and the rear Oerlikon tub, and addition of storage for 200 depth charges in racks on the deck and additional Carley floats. Rupert doesn't seem to have either the Director tower added to Conn, or the tent aft for the gun crews, and only B turret had a shield  -  Lucky Grandad- that was "his" gun. Photo references are poor and grainy however so I am going to have to make some assumptions. 

The subject:

 

The kit: 

 

The WEM fret:

 

The bucket load of Black Cat detail sets ( some of which later needed to be replaced by Swordfish Models sets as research indicated differing depth charge fits! )

 

I have crew to add and the model will be waterline so I have been reading with interest the threads on painting figures in this scale, making realistic seascapes and correct wakes. No doubt I will be asking a lot of newbie questions, but in the meantime, I have cleaned up a lot of parts and started to add photoetch to the plastic. 

 

I built up the funnel and the mast. I snapped the mast cleaning up the mould seams so replaced the lower section with brass rod. I since found a better photo of a Captains funnel that shows only the one siren and a whistle on the other side so clipped one off and have added a bent tube using Albion Alloys aluminium tubing.

 

The mast has the USA radar replaced by the UK system - I still need to add a very delicate X shaped piece on the yard arm and straighten that rod it sits on- will leave that to the end I think.

 

other changes are that the kit splinter shield are very thin as moulded but the searchlight platforms have railings covered with canvas so I chopped off the plastic and added etched railings, to be covered with white glue soaked tissue.  I also added some " gubbins" to the front of the bridge to represent the controls in this area as it was otherwise just a blank flat face.

 

The hull took some clamping but cleaned up well and I've filled inset areas that will be replaced with etched or 3D details

[Andy H]

Off to a great start! I'll be looking in regularly on this one. 😎👍

[ArnoldAmbrose]

       Gidday @neilh, as Andy says above, you're off to a great start. As you're converting this ship from USN to RN, do you know if the American-style flag bins were replaced by British-style flag lockers on the flag deck? I think that's them that look like vents on the aft edge of the left hand piece, three photos up. If you do have to change them it might be easier before the piece gets glued on to the model.       I did USS England in 1/700 a couple of years ago.

       Regards, Jeff.

[Stephen Allen]

Generally speaking, the Captains retained the USN style flag bags. They are clearly visible in some photos, less so in others because of where they sit, distance of the photo and background clutter. Other Captains in the 21st Escort Group clearly retained them, so the likelihood is Rupert retained them as well.

 

Steve

[neilh]

I did wonder what their function was. At first I thought they might be vents of some kind but the vents are more like mushroom shapes on a lower deck, and are missing from the kit so need to be fabricated from rod.  I suspect if I look up the right page in anatomy of a ship they will be clearly labelled but I am away  from home for a week. As flag lockers, do they need a cover to be added?  Looks like you have added a soft canvas cover on your build @Stephen Allen?  In both the pictures I have of Rupert, the shots are so small and blurry I cannot make out that level of detail so will assume that if others in the same group didn't have them amended, Rupert would not either.  Here is the only other shot I can find, this is of Rupert standing by with Redmill which had been torpedoed by a U Boat.  Of interest in this one is the non standard panel of B55 on the hull. It starts much further back from the bow than the Admiralty instructions would suggest to me.

 

Before I left for a week in Pembrokeshire, I stated painting up some of the detail parts such as the net bins, Oerlikons and the depth charge guns and racks. I bought some extended racks from Swordfish as the ones I bought from Blackcat turned out to be the incorrect type. I have also been cutting dozens of little 2mm slices from plastic rod to load into the extra storage racks which I have folded up from the etched parts. Frankly these are stunning. I have the 3 inch guns, searchlights, gunnery directors, look out chairs and Carley floats too, and the detail is simply amazing and should really improve the final look of the model.

[Stephen Allen]

Great work already Neil!

 

yep, the flag bags could be covered with a canvas dodger to protect the signal flags from the weather. These were rolled to the rear of the bags when not in use.

 

cheers

 

Steve

[bissyboat]

Interesting boat project. I haven´t seen this frigate before, but I´ll be watching closely. ⚓👍

[neilh]

Very slow progress at the moment mainly due to Dad still being in hospital for post stroke care so daily visits, and I am now decorating his house whilst he is absent. I have however finished the hull with the B55 panel and am ready top add the few decals for Rupert which are K 561.  Unfortunately the RN decals I have from Atlantic models are incorrect as the Captains has US style numerals with straight sections and cut off corners.   The RN style decals are rounded so cannot really be amended by careful cutting.  Atlantic don't do US style numerals and Hannants only have a sheet with the white " outline " style numbers.  Does anyone know of a source for these please?

Whilst I am trying to fix that I thought I would commence some weathering. The ship is largely in off white with a dark grey deck, so what would you suggest as a colour for pin washes or filters?  For aircraft I tend to use Burnt Umber or Paynes Grey oils.  Not sure if they would be too strong on an off white scheme?

I have however made 16 paddles  for the Carley floats and 4 oars for the whaler. Tested my patience.......

[neilh]

Life getting in the way a bit but a little more progress made. I went on a "Jolly Boys Outing" to IWM Duxford with IPMS Avon last weekend and we exhibited at the Peterborough show on the return trip on Sunday at which I managed to find some Xtradecal 1/48th RAF/RN serial numbers that are the correct type and size for the Captains. Rupert seems to have has a smaller " K" compared to the 561 hull number after the repaint to the white scheme. I cut down the K at the top and bottom to replicate this.  The superstructure is just test fitted at this point. Everything is glossed as I plan to weather the hull once these parts are properly attached.

 

As you might be able to see I have been painting the smaller detail like the depth charge carriers, and have applied a light great pin wash.  The etched doors didn't take the wash as well as the original moulded plastic ones would have so a lesson learned.

Not sure about the outcome of the covered railings on the searchlight deck. They do however look much less ragged to the naked eye. I used a single ply thickness of tissue paper fixed with diluted white glue. I also made the flag locker covers the same way. I also added some etched mesh to the bridge deck. It looks a little large in a digital shot but again better to the naked eye and at least looks more like the wooden decking than the flat plastic. 

Now I have all these detail parts painted up to start fitting....plus 20 + oars for the Carley floats made from plastic rod, squashed at one end. I had to fit the ammo lockers for B gun and the 2 Oerlikons on that level as they would be masked by the deck level above.

 

As a newbie to ship modelling, one thing I am learning is how ships can change over time.  The kit has several vertical ladders that are just curved " rungs" fitted directly to the vertical surfaces, with no handrails. Anatomy of the ship for the USS England also shows these in the plans. The upgrade set marketed by Swordfish has these as the usual " ladder". When at IWM Duxford this past weekend I came across this very sharp photo of HMS Inman blown up to a huge size on the wall of a hanger.  Apart from being one of the clearest pictures I have seen of a Captain class frigate, it also seems to show traditional style ladders being fitted to the outside of the superstructure.  Since there are no pictures of Rupert as detailed as this that I can find, still deliberating if I should add these before I glue the superstructure together. I did also spot however that there seems to be only a single position for an Oerlikon above B gun rather than the 2 on Rupert.

Edited March 8 by neilh

[robgizlu]

Nice work Neil - she is already looking very neat.

As to the ladders and changes over time - I agree - Nightmare.

There again - I think we are all allowed small indiscretions - given as most people wont know or care. 

Stating some deviations from the original at least warns people not to slavishly follow and copy -  perpetuating inaccuracies onwards

Keep it coming

Rob

 

[Stephen Allen]

Neil

 

Although Inman is, in Royal Navy terms, a Captain class frigate, she is derived from the Evarts class DE, rather than the Buckley. Shorter hull, different superstructure arrangement, including mounting of the oerlikons, different engines (diesel rather than steam), different arrangement of the hawsepipes, and with Inman, a different building yard; Boston Navy Yard, not Bethlehem Hingham (where Rupert was built). 

 

One thing I observed while building Conn was that while there were a number of variations within the same class dependent on where they were built - in some cases even the layout of the steam pipes on the funnels varied - ships built within each mass production yard varied very little from each other. I would suggest that for Rupert you should look mostly to Buckley-derived Frigates from Bethlehem Hingham for basic features like ladder configurations and types. All the RN ‘Buckleys’ came from Hingham.

 

cheers

 

Steve

[neilh]

3 hours ago, Stephen Allen said:

Neil

 

Although Inman is, in Royal Navy terms, a Captain class frigate, she is derived from the Evarts class DE, rather than the Buckley. Shorter hull, different superstructure arrangement, including mounting of the oerlikons, different engines (diesel rather than steam), different arrangement of the hawsepipes, and with Inman, a different building yard; Boston Navy Yard, not Bethlehem Hingham (where Rupert was built). 

 

One thing I observed while building Conn was that while there were a number of variations within the same class dependent on where they were built - in some cases even the layout of the steam pipes on the funnels varied - ships built within each mass production yard varied very little from each other. I would suggest that for Rupert you should look mostly to Buckley-derived Frigates from Bethlehem Hingham for basic features like ladder configurations and types. All the RN ‘Buckleys’ came from Hingham.

 

cheers

 

Steve

Hi Steve, Should have thought of that. The differences in the various Captains are discussed in the reference books I am ( supposed) to be using!

[neilh]

Bit more progress. I've started the assembly from the centre of the ship outwards. The bridge is just test fitted as I will need to fit this at the same time as I add the mast so planning to leave that right to the end before I rig.  Added a representation of some vents and extra ammo lockers. The etched supports for the gun tubs were fun ( not!). I've been touching up paint as I go so currently a mix of gloss and matt finishes. I hope a matt coat post weathering will bring the finish together.  Of note are the colourful floats.  Like the unusual B55 panel, another feature of the ships in 21 Escort Group. Thanks to @Stephen Allen for the helpful diagram of these. I think the next job will be the railings around the upper decks and those around the guns, after which I can then add the guns and depth charge racks and throwers.

[neilh]

A quick update before an extended Easter break so away from home for 2 weeks.  I have started adding the railings from the inside of the ship to the outside.  I think it went OK for a first attempt with etched railings. I will fill any small gaps with white glue and touch up when dry.  They look much tidier to the naked eye than in large digital photos. I also added two more doors to the upper bridge and since I had no more etched " close" doors, decided to open one up. I also added a missing ladder to the rear. The upper bridge is temporarily fitted. I had hoped to add the depth charge storage racks and sort out the boats today before moving on to the outer railings on the deck edge after the holiday but circumstances prevented that so it'll have to wait.   I did lose one of the inclined ladders for 4 days. I looked and looked and eventually had to clear the entire workbench and found it hidden in the rear corner of my desk under an overhang of the lid. I'm learning that when you hold your breath to add a railing and then exhale, tiny etched pieces can suddenly fly away, completely unknown to me at the time!  I also cut out and bent to shape the ridiculously tiny depression bars that prevent the gunners shooting at the ship. I will fit them just before I add the guns.

Once the outer railings are on, its then a case of adding all pre painted armament, searchlights etc , the mast and the boats and then weathering and rigging. 

 

 

[Modelholic]

Very nice.

What are the grey things around the after gun position and superstructure?

Tom

[neilh]

Thanks Modelholic. Those are the spare depth charge holders - think they are called arbors (?) for the deck mounted K Guns ( yet to be fitted) . They are moulded on the kit parts and are probably a bit overscale but I really didn't fancy cutting them all off and trying to build them from scratch or trying to fold them all up from an etched brass set!

[robgizlu]

Neat work on the railings - they always transform a model.

I like the yellow/red raft as well.

Have a good Easter break

Rob

[neilh]

Just a small update on this one. Sadly I have to report that my Dad, the intended recipient of this model contracted pneumonia and sadly passed away at the hospital in Bristol. I was a bit unsure if I wanted to continue with Rupert, but Dad did enjoy seeing the WIP photos so I have decided to crack on.  The bridge and mast are temporarily fitted for now. I finished the railings for the upper decks. One section took 3 lots of railings and at least 6 attempts to get right ( very very frustrating!).  I added the boats, amending the etched davits to better represent the Quadrantal davits used for the whaler, and I reversed the kit davits for the motor boat as all the photos I found seem to show them facing inboard. Doing so put the motor boat right on top of the length of railing that took me 6 attempts to fit!  The motor boat is held from the davits by thin wire. I made up some oars for the whaler but think it was likely to have been covered in reality. I fitted the extra stowage for the depth charges which meant I needed to relocate the rear Carley float stowage. The photos of this area on Rupert  ( the one with Redmill) are very blurred but I think they are now about right. 

Next step will be adding the railings around the edge of the lower deck, after which I can then add the weathering and then add all the final detail parts.

[Stephen Allen]

Neil

 

My deepest condolences to you and your family on the loss of your father. When finished your build will be a worthy reminder of and tribute to your Dad and to your Grandfather.

 

kind wishes

 

Steve

[ArnoldAmbrose]

G'day @neilh, I'm sorry that your father has passed away. Your decision of course but I think you're right to continue.

 

3 hours ago, Stephen Allen said:

When finished your build will be a worthy reminder of and tribute to your Dad and to your Grandfather.

Agreed.

       Regards, Jeff.

[robgizlu]

5 hours ago, ArnoldAmbrose said:

G'day @neilh, I'm sorry that your father has passed away. Your decision of course but I think you're right to continue.

 

Agreed.

       Regards, Jeff.

My thoughts too, sincere condolences

Rob

[neilh]

Thanks for your kind words Gents. I'll be busy with funeral arrangements and as Executor there will be lots to do there as well but I hope to find some time to keep Rupert progressing.

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

Likewise please accept my condolences Neil.

[javlin]

Sorry to hear about your Father's passing but agree work must go forward in memorandum of the two call it Family legacy. 

[beefy66]

Sincere Condolences I know what your going through having recently lost my farther but your build of this ship will be a very fitting tribute to him.

 

Stay Safe

beefy