Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: Neil on September 02, 2018, 06:33:47 pm
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I have often wondered when watching this great film time and time again.....
were HDML's so in abundance in 1960/61 that the directors could just blow one up into atoms, in one scene {:-{ or were the explosions on the superstructure just a mock up in the "studio"?
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They did build over 450 of them which served in 20 different navies and 5 Police and Coast Guards. The usual routing for props like this would to be find one in the knackers yard or but it really cheap and do it up cosmetically then blow it up. A perfect example would be HMS Amethyst which was dragged out of the breakers yard to portray herself in The Yangtse Incident (or Battle Hell, as it was known in America. ????) By the time the film maker got to her the engines had been removed so HMS Magpie stood in for her when required to move.
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If it’s anything to go by then look at the fate of the
Fairmile B and Ds given to sea cadet units to use and trash...
Also I know of army training ranges where they just drove tanks
On to it parked them, drained any fuel/oil
And then started shooting at them they are still there with their meteor
Engines intact....
How Much could you get for all this
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The story that I read was that it was borrowed from the Greek Navy. Due to a misunderstanding, it wasn't a special effects "blow up the boat", but a real one.
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The Royal Hellenic Navy operated 3 Harbour Defence Motor Launches between 1945–1962
ML 1051
ML 1149
ML 1221
It's probably safe to assume that they were already slated for de-commissioning at the time of shooting for TGON (1960) The fee they received for allowing the use of the HDML was probably more that the boat was worth for scrap. (wooden construction) .