When the Deans marine its of M33 and M15 came out I was quite excited because I was an avid reader of the Ian Buxton book and hoped that a few of the vessels would be produced in it form.
I bought the M15 kit as I like big guns, and the 'plonking' of a big turret on a small hull adds to the hastily designed look of the early monitor fleet. They were simple, expendable and designed for one purpose, namely, lobbing shells at enemy targets ashore.
Reading the book informed me that there were two marks of 9.2inch guns made available for the M15 class; the Mk VI and the Mk X. The latter gun is that provided in the kit and seen on other models published in magazines, so when I found the former weapon and its more interesting turret, I had to create a model of this type.
I chose M19. Why? I cannot say, but often our decisions are fortutious and hopefully this build log will show how.
I like making fiddly bits and parts, so I started on the superstructure and weapons.
The superstructure was made as per the instructions with kit water tight doors fitted and scratch built access doors to non water tight areas such as the galley. These doors need their hinges and handle added.
The wheelhouse and Bridge is smaller than on some Small Monitors, indeed being quite cramped! I asked you chaps for ideas on where the chart tabe would be situated on such a wee bridge and as expected, recieved much considered and good suggestions, for which I thanks you. As it turned out, moving a piece of paper used as a bookmark uncovered a caption for a photo showing several monitors moored abreast, and it turns out that it protruded out the side on braces! It had the little sloping roof as seen in other photos of Monitor bridges.
Port holes were added by turning a porthole hub and adding a section of turned disk to create the rigol. I then moulded and cast a number in pewter. I got the idea from somewhere but for the life of me cannot remember where.
Weapons for self defence included a 12pounder and a 6pounder on an extemporised high angle mounting. I modified the low angle kit provided using a block of obeche clad with styrene. The existign model was fitted to the top and the whole lot was mounted onto the pintle.
The 12pounder was built as per the kit and just painted. Both are lovely kits though the location of some parts was by a little bit of guess work.
Initially the turret was going to be a problem to build because I had little but small photos to work from in the Buxton book, but by chance I was reading a book called 'Naval Guns' by IV. Hogg which has a few side views and cutaways of weapons platforms. Luckily, there is a side plan of the original turret mounting the 9.2inch Mk VI on Endymion class Armoured Cruisers.
From this I was able to scale dimentions making doubly sure of the formula this time so as not to repeat my M class debacle
There are some vagaries with dimentions because the gun mount was modified to increase the range of the gun by raising the height of the trunnions. Also, the heavy armoured gun house was replaced with a sheet steel shield. Looking at the photos, the turret looks taller suggesting it was made so to accomodate the taller mounting which, by the way, was an old Vavasseur inclinded slide type.
First off the gun barrel was turned in Chemiwood. Then moulded and cast in resin.
The complex breech was designed in styrene plastic and cast in pewter from a silicone spin casting mould.
The gun house was built in a similar manner to that provided for the kit's MkX gun except that the mounting is radically different and so needed representing as such. The floor was cut out and the slides incorporating the brackets to hold the armour plate fitted.
A structural frame was then made and fitted to the floor, and again this was to support the armour plate, but not so as to look out of place.
Finally this session, the recoil cylinders with the trunnions were made from styrene rod and sheet. The breech detail was fitted at this time.
More soon!