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[bobk]

I am hoping one of our resident experts can help on this question, before I risk a gaffe.  This is for warships, specifically WW1.

I believe the ships name only appeared permanently on the stern, probably as crew/equipment transfer boats would normally approach from this end of the ship.  However, where there is an external transom mounted rudder would the lettering be just to one side of this, or spaced evenly each side to keep them central?

Additional ship nameplates, usually in gold on a wood plaque, are often seen.  Are these only used whilst in port, and what is the convention on where to mount them.  ie:  Near or close to bridge, or so as to be visible from gangplank or crew access ladder?

I have 3mm gold vinyl letters for the stern, and fancy making up nameplates using gold printer paper with ‘white’ lettering over a brown rectangle, which will allow the gold to show through the ‘white’. 

[raflaunches]

Hi Bob K

Not too sure about the name on the stern, I need to do some research from my books to confirm the location, layout etc...
The wooden plaque with gold lettering I believe is only worn when in harbour and is removed when at sea, there are also name plates made from brass which usually decorate each boarding gangway ladder where it joins the deck but I think these were also removed when at sea, presumably because they are expensive? and liable to corrode or simply fall off in rough conditions. The wooden plaques from the pictures I have seen usually decorate the centre or rear most superstructures just above head height.

Nick B

[raflaunches]

Hi Bob K

I have just looked through Norman Friedman's book British destroyers from earliest days to the second world war, guessing that it's for your HMS Amazon build  I have found some pictures of a sister ship with the name on the rearmost part of the hull sides, not on the stern.  Presumably this would be ideal for you not having to put the name on the stern around the rudder.
I'll see if I can upload the picture for you tomorrow. 

Nick B

[bobk]

Thanks Nick.  I was not sure if the the brass lettered name plates were only used when in port.  Perhaps one of those like flying a Union flag at the bow Jackstaff, if the ship is usually sailing (at the lake) I should leave it off the model.  A potential gaffe.

Whilst asking this question I added the stern lettering query.  Yes, you are correct it is for my HMS Amazon.

I would much appreciated any info you can glean on this. 

[raflaunches]

Hi Bob

Sorry that its taken me this long to reply but problems within the club I belong to has taken over as the primary task this week.
The pictures I have found to illustrate the name plates, etc, can be seen in the first picture.  The second picture did show alot clearer in the book but my scan seems to have blurred it up alot so I have circled it it red.  The picture is of HMS Nubian a sistership to Amazon (tribal class) but I can see something on the hull side which is not a porthole!
 




Hope this helps, if you have the book or can find a copy its called British Destroyers Early days to WW2 by Norman Friedman, it shows all the early TBDs to the Tribal class Fleet destroyers made famous in WW2.
Your Amazon looks amazing, I am following your thread with extreme interest, look forward to seeing it complete

Regards

Nick B

[bobk]

Thank you Nick for those photo's, they certainly help.  It appears then that if you cannot write the ships name centre stern then ofsetting to the right may be an allowable convention.  I will have to order a copy of that book you recommended, but enlaging and sharpening that image looks as if that is the name.  I have managed to print some 15 x 3 mm name boards using Publisher on Kodak photo paper.  Although strictly these are probably only 'hung' whilst in port I intend to fit them on the rails alongside the wheelhouse.  I have fitted a 4mm ships crest to the front of the bridge using the same method.

Thanks also for the kind words.  She could be on sea trials in a week or so.  Exciting !

[Rottweiler]

  Hi ya,
 are not the nameplates on modern ships,in much the same place as WW2 warships? As others have said, certainly they were named on the hull at the stern, and also had a nameboard on each side of the superstructure.The smaller ships had the names mounted on a wooden board,teak I think,one board on each side on the superstructure,location varied according to the class of ship. With Battleships however, the names were usually individual letters, permanently mounted toward the stern on the superstructure near the quarterdeck. Again, these letters I think were in burnished,bronze,rather than brass, but I am not sure about this. I did not know that the ships crest was removed at sea,I thought it was a permanent fixture? Obviously the ornate Tompions with the ships crest on, were removed, and only used in port.At sea they were replaced with much simpler ones  at sea. A ceremonial Tompion for a 15 inch gun barrel weighed in excess of 100 pounds!
  Good luck with your build,
Cheers,
Mick

[bobk]

Thank you Mick.  I had assumed that the ships crest was a permanent fixture, but I brought this overall question up as I was not sure about warships of this era.  Raised burnished letters on the sterns of larger warships appeared the norm, but on early TBD's?  To complicate matters mine had a external transom mounted rudder.  I had seen name plate boards on ships of this time, but was unsure if they were permantent or just for harbour gangplank identification.

[Rottweiler]

Hi Bob,
just been having a look through my library of warship books, and unfortunately cant find anything as old as your Amazon,as mine are almost all WW2. Photos I do have of Destroyers, very few show a sternview, but those that do, show NO name. I assume this was because it was wartime. Interestingly (to me anyway!) I have found one of my photos of Ramillies, with the main nameplate, seemingly mounted on a timber backboard! Ah well the era of my model 1944 she had separate letters so I will stick to that when the time comes !
Cheers,
Mick

[bobk]

That's interesting Mick.  Maybe I should leave the stern lettering off for the time being.  I do have 15mm long name boards on the side railings near the bridge.  Easy to remove / change if new information comes to light.

[farrow]

Hi Bob, I was given about 170+ photos of destroyers pre ww2, it appears all the A to I class had names on their quarters like modern ships , black on Med light grey and white on home fleet mid grey, they carried their names in wartime as well appears to be metal letters riveted on. On the V and W's I found one with name on the quarter, one with a wooden name board on the aft deck housing and several with no obvious names. All my WW1 pics show the boats side or bow on so I cannot see, but I do have the TBD Brisk with her name on the stern , white letters on black hull should imagine about 6inch's high. Also I have 3 pics of Tribals, 2 showing a large letter F on the forward deck housing, not sure if it is a board setup or painted on the side of the wheelhouse. But I found a nice picture of viking painted black hull and mid grey upperworks, as they all operated as one flotilla I might use this scheme to make my model different from everyone else. That is if I can shake of this winter malaise towards modeling, plus another problem I have is the only place to float models is a salt water pond. which has its associated problems. So if you want to put a name on her stern why not, no way of proving one way or another, though I strongly suspect that all the pre WW1 built boats had their names on the stern.

[bobk]

Thanks Dodes:  As you know photos from this era are difficult, mostly lo-res grainy distant views from abeam.  Any lettering on the stern would have to go to one side of the external transom mounted rudder.

[farrow]

Hi Bob, afraid I got the pic wrong, it is actually the Brisk of 1910, she was one of the following H class, I cannot find any earlier photo's showing a stern name, as yiu can see it is on both quarters. It seems looking at photo's this period of time ships names on the hull was not a standard thing, including pennant numbers, but then there are very few if any stern photos. I have included the pic of the Viking because it shows the letter F on its fore part, much the same as the photo I have of Amazon when she was painted black and buff, plus it has an alternative paint system for those who may wish something different if they are contempating this model. I have also included the pic of the Brisk for your interest.

HMS Brisk .


HMS Viking