Merchant Convoy
Produktinformationen "Merchant Convoy"
Preventing attacks on defenceless merchant ships is the other main role of the navy, and it was here that the war was fought, day in and day out, by the humble corvette, frigate and destroyer escort, and later by escort carriers. Commerce raiding formed a critical part of the strategy for several nations – Germany’s Kriegsmarine almost brought Britain to her knees whilst the US Navy similarly strangled Japan’s movement of industrial goods, materials, troops and supplies.
Grouping ships into convoys meant there was more expanse of empty ocean out there – hopefully raiders would not even find the convoy. It also made escorts more effective, but in the event a convoy was hit by a surface raider, such as a heavy cruiser or battlecruiser, the target would be devastated in short order. Nevertheless, the convoy system helped a great deal. It would fall to the escorting ships to defend them until either a heavy covering force could come up in support or the merchants could make their escape. Some of the most heroic, and worst mismatched, actions of the war took place in defence of merchants convoys or troop ships.
Box contains:
- 3 x Liberty Merchant Ship
- 3 x Victory Merchant Ship
- 1 x SS Ohio Tanker Ship
- Ship Cards and Damage Sliders
Models supplied unassembled and unpainted
Vorgeschlagene Produkte
Akagi
Originally laid down as an Amagi-class battlecruiser, the stipulations of the Washington Treaty resulted in her conversion to an aircraft carrier. As a result, Akagi (赤城, "Red Castle") was one of Japan’s first large aircraft carriers. Akagi and her near-sister Kaga straddled the line between carrier and dreadnought. To keep both options open, the ships were designed to be quickly converted to capital ships. They carried turret barbettes, magazines and other equipment to support big gun turrets, and the wooden flight deck and hangar deck were designed to be quickly stripped off, making room for turrets to be mounted. However, by the mid-1930s, the admirals believed the aircraft carrier to be the equal of the capital ship and Akagi was extensively rebuilt to improve aircraft handling capacity, ending any possibility of later converting it to a capital ship.Her aircraft served in the Second Sino-Japanese War in the late 1930s. With the formation of the First Air Fleet in 1941, she became its flagship, and remained so until her sinking. Notable actions include the attack on Pearl Harbor, the invasion of Rabaul, bombing Darwin, Australia and the Indian Ocean Raid.In June 1942, she participated in the Battle of Midway, her aircraft bombarding the American-held atoll. However, US aircraft originating from Midway, and the US carriers Enterprise, Hornet and Yorktown attacked Akagi and three other Japanese fleet carriers. Dive bombers from USS Enterprise severely damaged Akagi, forcing friendly escorting destroyers to scuttle her to avoid her falling into US hands. The loss of four Japanese carriers at this engagement, including Akagi, was a key defeat for Japan, decisively shifting the balance of power in the Pacific theatre.Models supplied unassembled and unpainted
24,50 €*
Bismarck
Two Bismarck-class battleships were built for the Kriegsmarine. Bismarck was the first, named for the Chancellor (Otto von Bismarck). The battleship was laid down in July 1936 and launched February 1939. She and her sister ship, Tirpitz, were two of the largest battleships built by any European power, and certainly the largest built by Germany. Whilst the physical power they held was tremendous, they also wreaked psychological havoc amongst the allies. Churchill was determined that the two battleships not be let loose upon the Atlantic.Bismarck's career, however, was woefully short, spanning just eight months under a single Captain, Ernst Lindeman. During this time, she only took part in a single offensive action that lasted just eight days in May 1941. This operation, codenamed Rheinübung, was to attempt what the Allies feared, a breakthrough to the Atlantic and raid allied shipping efforts between Britain and North America (along with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen).The two vessels were detected multiple times off Scandinavia, prompting Britain to initiate naval blocking maneuvers. The resultant battle, the Battle of the Denmark Strait, saw the British vessels HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales engage the two vessels. Hood was destroyed for her efforts and Prince of Wales suffered damage, forcing a retreat. However, Bismarck had suffered damage significant enough to put an end to her raiding mission.Limping for occupied France for repairs, Bismarck was pursued by a Royal Navy set on retribution for the sinking of HMS Hood. She was attacked by 16 Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers deployed by HMS Ark Royal. A direct hit rendered Bismarck's steering gear inoperable. The following morning, she suffered crippling damage in a battle against two British battleships and two cruisers. She was subsequently, on 27 May 1941, scuttled by her crew and sank with many lives lost.Contains one ship in Resin and Warlord ResinModels supplied unassembled and unpainted
21,00 €*
Cruisers - Admiral Graf Spee & Admiral Scheer
The Deutschland-class of warships were relatively small, by battleship standards, but were well armoured and carried the type of armament traditionally seen only on battleships. This led to them being nicknamed ‘pocket battleships’. Superb commerce raiders, the Admiral Scheer successfully plied the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, disrupting merchant shipping wherever it went, whilst the Admiral Graf Spee was famously cornered during the Battle of the River Plate and scuttled herself soon after.Models supplied unassembled and unpainted
28,00 €*
HMS Ark Royal
One of the most famous carriers of the war, the HMS Ark Royal received many battle honours in its service. The first enemy aircraft shot down by the Fleet Air Arm was with one of her Blackburn Skuas, while her bombers sank the German cruiser Königsberg, the first example of a capital ship being sunk by an attack from the air. Better remembered is the Ark Royal’s role in the sinking of the Bismarck, where her Fairey Swordfish launched a torpedo attack that damaged its rudder, leaving it vulnerable to the rest of the fleet.Other notable actions included convoys to Malta, the Norwegian campaign and involvement in the first U-boat kill of the war.In 1941 she was struck by a torpedo and sank while under tow.Models supplied unassembled and unpainted
21,00 €*
HMS Hood
At one time, the HMS Hood was the largest and possibly most famous ship in the world, representing the supremacy of British sea power. Though attached to Home Fleet, the Hood took part in the sinking of the French fleet at Oran. She was sunk by the Bismarck in 1941 after accurate shelling from the German ship caused a massive explosion on the Hood which sank within minutes, leaving only three survivors – certainly one of the more spectacular deaths of any capital ship.Models supplied unassembled and unpainted
21,00 €*
HMS Warspite
HMS Warspite was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship of the Royal Navy. Built during the early 1910s, she served in the First World War, including at the Battle of Jutland. Modernized in the 1930s, she went on to serve in the Second World War.Warspite was part of the Norwegian campaign of 1940 and subsequently was transferred to the Mediterranean, squaring off in fleet actions against the Italian Regia Marina. During the Battle of Crete in mid-1941 she suffered damage from enemy German aircraft and spent 6 months under repair in the US. These repairs were completed shortly after US entry into the war, and she set sail across the Pacific to join the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean in early 1942.She returned home in 1943 to provide gunfire support as part of Force H in the Italian campaign. She again suffered damage, this time at the hand of radio-controlled glider bombs, during the landings at Salerno. She spent almost another year under repair as a result.Before her repairs were fully completed, she was back at sea, providing fire support the next year, supporting the Normandy landings and on Walcheren Island in 1944. These actions earned her the recognition of being the ship with the most battle honours in the history of the Royal Navy, and also accorded her the affectionate nickname, the "Grand Old Lady".At the conclusion of war, she was decommissioned, and ran aground under tow in 1947. She was broken up shortly after.Contains one ship in Resin and Warlord ResinModels supplied unassembled and unpainted
21,00 €*
KJM Aircraft
Witnessing massed airpower at the Battle of Taranto, the Japanese were quick to master the tactic, as seen in their infamous attack on Pearl Harbor. Later in the war, having suffered from terrible attrition and facing defeat, the Japanese turned desperately to kamikaze attacks.Kawanishi N1K1 George: Known to the allies as ‘George,’ the N1K1 entered service in 1943. Designed as a land-based derivative of the Kyōfū single-seat fighter, the George impressed the Imperial Japanese Navy sufficiently that they adopted it. Armed with two .303 machineguns and four 20mm cannon, the George outmatched the Hellcat and could compete with aircraft such as the Mustang and Corsair.Nakajima B5N Kate: The standard Japanese torpedo bomber and one of the main causes of damage at Pearl Harbor, the Kate was a rugged and dependable aircraft, easily superior to its American counterparts.Mitsubishi G3M Nell: Developed to meet a requirement for a maritime reconnaissance and strike platform, the G3M Nell was capable of fulfilling the tactical bomber or torpedo-strike roles and did so with distinction despite being regarded as obsolete by the outbreak of war. G3Ms took part in attacks on HMS Repulse and Prince of Wales in December 1941, the first sinking of capital ships under way by aircraft.Box contains these aircraft flights (in Warlord Resin):4 x Kawanishi N1K1 George flights4 x Nakajima B5N Kate flights1 x Mitsubishi G3M Nell flightModels supplied unassembled and unpainted
34,00 €*
KJM fleet
For centuries, Japan's policy of seclusion (sakoku) saw it concentrate on coastal defences in order to repel foreign vessels. However, with the advances other maritime nations were making, it eventually became obvious that no longer would Japan be able to ignore the rest of the world. As an island power, it needed a modern navy. Turning to Britain for assistance, Japan quickly created a powerful modern fleet. It was this capable and confident navy that came out to fight the American Pacific Fleet.The Japanese understood the potential of air power early and created an effective carrier arm. In addition to the carriers, the Imperial Japanese Navy possessed a powerful battleship force, which included the largest and most powerful battleships in the world, the Yamato and the Musashi. The Imperial Japanese Navy's potential was demonstrated in the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Using armour-piercing bombs and torpedoes, Japanese aircraft inflicted tremendous damage on the American Pacific fleet as it lay at anchor.Midway was the turning point of naval war in the Pacific and, from then on, the Imperial Japanese Navy was unable to make any headway against the increasing carrier strength of the US Navy. With the victorious Allies pushing towards the Japanese islands, the Imperial Japanese Navy fought desperately to keep them at bay. Kamikaze aircraft and other suicide weapons were deployed, and eventually warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy made death-rides against US forces.Contents:Kongō -class Battleship Kongō 1941Shōkaku-class Carrier - ZuikakuMogami-class Cruiser - Suzuya 1944Mogami-class Cruiser - Mikuma 1942Agano-class Cruiser - Yahagi 1943Kagero-class Destroyer 1941 x3Fighter Aircraft - Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero x 4 flightsShip Cards and Damage SlidersAssembly InstructionsShips are in Resin and Warlord ResinModels supplied unassembled and unpainted
112,00 €*
KJM Submarines & MTB sections
Submarines: The Kaidai-7-class, or KD-7, was developed in the late 1930s, following on from the preceding KD-6 class. With a surface range of 8,000nm at 16kts, and a submerged endurance of 50nm at 5kts, they possessed a slightly better underwater performance to the late-model KD-6s and better surface speed (though not range) than the earlier members of that class. All members of the class were lost by mid-1944. Another ocean-going submersible using 533mm forward and aft torpedo tubes, it served in the South Pacific as well as the waters off Australia. I-177 sunk the hospital ship AHS Centaur off Stradbroke Island. It was presumed lost with all hands on 18 November 1944, while the I-176 was lost six months earlier off of the Solomon’s. There were 10 KD-7 submarines built overall.MTBs: Designed as a suicide craft, the Shin’yō either carried a powerful explosive or two depth charges. The depth charges were intended to be planted by the pilot of the boat, after which he would then make his escape. Although nearly 10,000 were built, they accounted for the sinking of only 5 ships, mainly landing craft.The Imperial Japanese Navy fielded a number of variants on a standard torpedo boat design, differing mainly in machinery fit which affected displacement, giving the illusion of more variety than existed in practice. 238 boats were built within these designations, all armed with two 18-inch torpedoes and 25mm or 13.2mm guns.Box contains:Kaidai-7-class Submarines x 3Shin’yo Kamikaze boat sections x 2T-14 MTB sections x2Ship CardsModels supplied unassembled and unpainted
35,00 €*
Kriegsmarine U-Boats & MTB sections
Submarines: A long-ranged submersible, the Type IX was the most successful U-boat of the war, with each vessel averaging over 100,000 tons of shipping sunk. One Type IX, U-107, made the most successful convoy mission of the war, with nearly 100,000 tons of shipping sunk out of Freetown in Africa. The latest variants of this design were capable of ranges of more than 23,000 miles, allowing them to rove far in search of convoys, while their heavy load of torpedoes allowed them to keep pace with a convoy, attacking night after night.MTBs: The R1-class of R-Boat (from the German Räumboot, meaning minesweeper) was intended to be used as a shallow water minesweeper but, as the war went on, it became a multi-role craft. Its duties expanded to include patrol, antisubmarine, convoy escort, minelaying, and rescue operations. Some classes of R-Boat, such as the R310, were fitted with torpedo tubes, though performance was very modest compared to craft specifically designed for the role.The ultimate S-Boat to be operational in significant numbers was the S-100-class, which was produced from 1943 and was said to be the best fast patrol boat of its time. The S-100-class was nicknamed the Calotte, as it featured a rounded armoured bridge. It was powered by three Daimler-Benz engines giving it an overall capacity of around 7,500 hp and developing an outstanding top speed of 48 knots.Box contains:Type IX U-Boats x 3S-100 S-Boat sections x2R-Boat sections x2Ship CardsModels supplied unassembled and unpainted
35,00 €*
Merchant Convoy
Preventing attacks on defenceless merchant ships is the other main role of the navy, and it was here that the war was fought, day in and day out, by the humble corvette, frigate and destroyer escort, and later by escort carriers. Commerce raiding formed a critical part of the strategy for several nations – Germany’s Kriegsmarine almost brought Britain to her knees whilst the US Navy similarly strangled Japan’s movement of industrial goods, materials, troops and supplies.Grouping ships into convoys meant there was more expanse of empty ocean out there – hopefully raiders would not even find the convoy. It also made escorts more effective, but in the event a convoy was hit by a surface raider, such as a heavy cruiser or battlecruiser, the target would be devastated in short order. Nevertheless, the convoy system helped a great deal. It would fall to the escorting ships to defend them until either a heavy covering force could come up in support or the merchants could make their escape. Some of the most heroic, and worst mismatched, actions of the war took place in defence of merchants convoys or troop ships.Box contains:3 x Liberty Merchant Ship3 x Victory Merchant Ship1 x SS Ohio Tanker ShipShip Cards and Damage SlidersModels supplied unassembled and unpainted
70,00 €*
Regia Marina fleet box
At the time of Italy’s entry into World War Two, she possessed a modern and – on paper at least – highly effective fleet. Four battleships and eight heavy cruisers were available, with three more battleships being fitted out. However, there were no aircraft carriers (initially), not least because the Regia Marina was intended to operate near to friendly air bases in Italy and Africa.As might be expected from a force operating among the islands of the Mediterranean, light forces were quite numerous, including 14 light cruisers, 128 destroyers and 62 motor torpedo boats, which was a weapon favoured by the Italians and well suited to local conditions. No less than 115 submarines were available. The main Italian naval base was at Taranto, home of the battleship force. Lighter groups were based out of ports on the Italian mainland, Sicily and the Red Sea.The Regia Marina was primarily tasked with interrupting British logistics and trade through the Mediterranean, and with keeping the Axis nations’ links to North Africa open. Major actions with the Royal Navy were not desirable nor really necessary for this mission to be carried out.Contents:Aquila-class Carrier - AquilaConte di Cavour-class Battleship – Conte di Cavour 1940Etna-class cruiser – Etna 1942Zara-class cruiser – Pola 1940Luigi Cadorna-class cruiser – Luigi Cadorna 1940Navigatori-class Destroyer x3Torpedo-Bomber Aircraft – Reggiane RE.2001 Falco II x4 flightsShip Cards and Damage SlidersAssembly InstructionsModels supplied unassembled and unpainted
112,00 €*