HMS Prince of Wales (GPM, 1:200)

Andrew Austin

New Member
Hi,

I present to the forum, my next project, the HMS Prince of Wales. This is my first attempt at a 1:200 scale model.

Historical background:

The HMS Prince of Wales was laid in 1937, launched in 1939 and commissioned in 1941. The Prince of Wales' first engagement was against the Bismarck in the North Atlantic, during which the HMS Hood was sunk. It was then sent as part of Z-force, (along with the HMS Repulse) to the Pacific in late 1941, as an attempt to counter the Japanese invasion of Singapore.

The HMS Prince of Wales was sunk on December 10 1941, 334 days after commission, with the loss of at least 300 lives.


Model Information:

Publisher: GPM (Poland)
Scale: 1:200
Finished length: 115 cm (3' 9")
Pages: 6 diagrams, 16 parts (A3 size)

Photograph 4 gives an impression of the scale - that is a 30 cm (12") ruler!

Regards,


Andrew
 

Andrew Austin

New Member
Hi,

I present to the forum, my next project, the HMS Prince of Wales. This is my first attempt at a 1:200 scale model.

Historical background:

The HMS Prince of Wales was laid in 1937, launched in 1939 and commissioned in 1941. The Prince of Wales' first engagement was against the Bismarck in the North Atlantic, during which the HMS Hood was sunk. It was then sent as part of Z-force, (along with the HMS Repulse) to the Pacific in late 1941, as an attempt to counter the Japanese invasion of Singapore.

The HMS Prince of Wales was sunk on December 10 1941, 334 days after commission, with the loss of at least 300 lives.


Model Information:

Publisher: GPM (Poland)
Scale: 1:200
Finished length: 115 cm (3' 9")
Pages: 6 diagrams, 16 parts (A3 size)

Photograph 4 gives an impression of the scale - that is a 30 cm (12") ruler!

Regards,


Andrew
 

beejay

New Member
Hello Andrew,
Excellent! The keel of another RN vessel laid in this forum. I wish you all the very best of success in her build.
Dont forget that she also participated in another very important chapter of history in that Winston Churchill took passage in her to Newfoundland to meet President Roosevelt in August 1941. This meeting resulted in the drawing up of the Atlantic Charter.
On a poignant note, out of a crew of 1,612, 20 Officers, (including C-in-C of the Eastern Fleet , Admiral Sir Tom Philips and her Commanding Officer, Capt J.C.Leach) 280 Ratings and 27 Marines were lost when she was sunk. Her wreck still flies the White Ensign as one is still flown from one screw, being replaced at regular intervals. The same ceremony is also accorded to the wreck of HMS Repulse.
VBR
beejay
 

beejay

New Member
Hello Andrew,
Excellent! The keel of another RN vessel laid in this forum. I wish you all the very best of success in her build.
Dont forget that she also participated in another very important chapter of history in that Winston Churchill took passage in her to Newfoundland to meet President Roosevelt in August 1941. This meeting resulted in the drawing up of the Atlantic Charter.
On a poignant note, out of a crew of 1,612, 20 Officers, (including C-in-C of the Eastern Fleet , Admiral Sir Tom Philips and her Commanding Officer, Capt J.C.Leach) 280 Ratings and 27 Marines were lost when she was sunk. Her wreck still flies the White Ensign as one is still flown from one screw, being replaced at regular intervals. The same ceremony is also accorded to the wreck of HMS Repulse.
VBR
beejay
 

Teamski

Member
Cool! I just bought this kit from another modeler. I eagerly await your reports! Nice clean job on the framing, mate!

-Ski
 

Teamski

Member
Cool! I just bought this kit from another modeler. I eagerly await your reports! Nice clean job on the framing, mate!

-Ski
 

Andrew Austin

New Member
Update

It has been a while since I did some work on HMS Prince of Wales.

Since then I have attached the underwater hull; I decided not to sand, gapfill and paint the hull, as I don't think it has come up too badly in paper.

Any comments would be appreciated; as would any helpful hints!

Regards,

Andrew
 

shoki2000

Active Member
Hi Andrew,
Prince looks very good.
Underwater hull is the bane of so many modelers that most decides to fill them with styrofoam/foam, use putty and paint.
You are proving that it is possible to build even such a huge hull using only parts supplied in the kit! Congratulations!

On another note...
One of the barbettes (I think for the B turret) is to short - you should be able to see that on the photos in the model. GPM had a replacement in Kartonowka and a PDF version on their site. I think it's gone from their page and the Kartonowka isout of print but maybe somebody in possesion of the part can help out..
 

Andrew Austin

New Member
Portholes

Unfortuately I cannot claim this idea as my own! I saw it on the Kartonbau forum and decided to try it out on my model.

Basically, I punch out the portholes using a sharpened brass cylinder; I wrap copper wire around a brass rod and cut along the edge to produce small cirles which I glue into the portholes. Photo 8 shows the final result.

Regards,

Andrew
 

Andrew Austin

New Member
Current Progress

Hi everyone,

I thought I would share some photographs of my recent progress. I have attached the sides and hull.

Unfortuately I cannot uplaod my photos to the gallery, so it will be have to be a list of links :(

As always, any comments would be appreciated.

Regards,

Andrew
 

Andrew Austin

New Member
Thanks Ski and Carl for your comments. I enjoy reading/looking at your excellent build reports as well.

It has the Walrus planes! I am looking forward to building those.


Andrew
 
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