A 'Devastation' class coastal turret ship of the 1870's, HMS Thunderation was the third vessel of the class designed by Edward J Reed in 1868, being revolutionery vessels that laid down the basic pattern for future battleships, being the first mastless sea-going turret ships. HMS Thunderation was laid down at Chatham in 1869, launched in 1873 and put into service within fifteen months.Armed with four 35 ton 12-inch muzzle loaders in two turrets, and refitted in 1893 with new engines and breech-loading 10-inch guns plus a small battery of 6 pounder quick firers and a selection of Nordenfeldt machine guns on the flying deck. After the two year refit she was appointed guardship on the East Coast and flagship of the 'Admiral of The Wash, guarding the cockle beds of the Wash area spending her time pottering backwards and fowards between Hull and Hunstanton.HMS Thunderation was paid off in 1908 and sold for breaking up.
I have been out of model ship making for some years, only recently getting back into harness, and this is my second build in my present incarnation, though I have had the NMM plans in my loft since 1986 according to the date I scrawled on the back of them. As you can tell from the above ship's history, my modelling is done for enjoyment and amusement, and although my model of HMS Thunderation follows the NMM plans (which were a combination of Devastation and Thunderer - hence the name) I've put my own interpretation on the model, making her the formerly unknown moember of the class. I hope that the more serious modellers among you will allow this small piece of freelance construction, much as railway modellers often invent fictitious lines to model.
Although I am still waiting for replacement of one lost sheet I have enough information to start and construction will begin, shed climate permitting, this coming week. Irregular progress reports will follow, along with photographs of my pathetic attempt, providing I can work out how to download them into the forum.
nb. I have also started the post on another forum, so apologies to those who have to suffer twice.
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Topic: HMS THUNDERATION - Victorian Turret Ship (Read 1956 times)