Virtually all the builds of the Repulse I have seen, either on line or at model shows have depicted her in December 1941, the few that didn't were pre WW2. As the 75th anniversary of the Bismarck chase is coming up I felt it was time she was depicted in that fit. Yes I know she didn't fire a shot, but she did take part.

The kit and the and the aftermarket.



The kit does have a couple issues, one revolves around the after superstructure, which the Admiralty modelworks upgrade sorts, along with some nice boats and vents etc.

The other is a rather strange extention on the below water bulges, the below pictures show the upper hull with drawings / photos from Raven & Roberts British Battleships of WW2







Bit of work needed to correct that, but I am going to try, I have nothing on what the hull below the waterline looked like, so the plan is to blend it in what is there with minimum modification.

I will be at Southern Expo Saturday and Sunday doing some of the destruction.

Cheers

Si.

Ahoy Si

This looks like a very promising build indeed.

I cant wait to see you work your magic on it!

Cheers


Sean

Thanks Sean, I hope so. The corrections to the hull are going to be interesting.

Cheers

Si

Si,

that's a great new subject of yours - I'll be following with great interest and quite a few memories of that similar project - December '41 as you rightly mentioned, like the vast majority of Repulses around...

Will you do that for the Bismarck campaign now (you mentioned her participation in the chase) or is your contribution Bismarck with Pontos still on? I know you are frequently and very successfully handling more than one major build in parallel and I keep admiring you for this!!

Cheers and looking forward to your build!!

Jan

Superb choice, Simon! I'm working on my 1/200 Suffolk and Norfolk in honor of the Bismarck 75th. The more the merrier!

--Karl

Hi Jan,

I am doing Bismarck with Pontos for the Bismarck Campaign, alongside that I am going to build some of the other vessels that played a major, or minor role in the chase.

Hi Karl,

Thanks, good to have you along. The Bismarck story has always fascinated me, and now is a good time to remember and build some of the ships involved.

Cheers.

Si.

I couldn't put it better myself, Simon. It's also tremendously fun to work on two near-sister ships with such differences in detail.

--Karl

Hi Karl,

Your two builds will be interesting, (would love to see some Counties in 1/350th) would be great to have a Renown to go with the Repulse, and of course the soon to be released Ark Royal.

Cheers

Si

Depicting Cornwall and Dorsetshire together in 1:350 works well--1:200 is too large for their final scene.

I'm working on replicating that famous photo of Force H in echelon formation--while the Renown conversion in 1:350 is moderately challenging, turning the Belfast into Sheffield will be mostly a scratch-build, I fear!

--Karl

Si,

Cant wait to see this come to the workshop. Will be interesting to wach what modifications you make to date her to the period of time your looking for.

Ill be sitting by anxiously awaiting.

Dave

Hi Dave, you won't have long to wait.

Got most of the destruction done today sat on the ALM club stand at Southern Expo today.

Will post an update later, after I have uploaded the pics.

Cheers

Si.

Right,

Pictures downloaded.

In order to help the stiffness of the hull, the deck is going to be added before any destruction on the hull started.

First some work needed doing on the fo'c's'le deck components. On the fo'c's'le the hawse pipes were drilled out, and plastic tube used make the pipes themselves, and the raised mountings for the after superstructure remouved.



The fo's'c'sle deck form the right side, the moulded on chain detail has also been removed.



The decks fitted, and a test fit of the admiralty modelworks resin after superstructure.



Apologies for the cluttered pic, but one side of the strange bulge removed.



The other side is also off, but no pic as the show closed.

Some construction tomorrow ... I hope.

Cheers

Si

Si,

very nice work on the deck and the after superstructure. The Admiralty Modelworks correction kit looks great, I wish I had that back then. I know that the aft superstructure of my Repulse is a weaker part of the model, I built the one extra room for the Royal Family aft, but there are other things wrong there that I did not correct.

Your destruction work looks scary!! As you are doing all of your build full hull, I assume this one as well?? I really hope you'll be able to get the upper and lower hull to fit with the deck already installed!! I remember that I had to use massive force to get them fit, and that was applied from above. I have something on my old blog about that I believe!

Best of luck!!

Great build of yours, I am keeping my fingers crossed for your construction work!!

Cheers,
Jan

Hi Jan,

The destruction scared me too! I am building it full hull, couldn't leave that beautiful bow in the box.

Test fitting the upper and lower hull I was somewhat disconcerted by the fit, but decided to fit the deck to add a bit more rigidity prior to cutting out the bulges.

I will post an update on todays work tomorrow, the battery for my camera is now sat in it's charger, but the bow and stern sections of the upper hull fitted quite well with the lower hull.

Cheers

Si

Hi Si,

looking forward to your pictures!! Can't wait to see her coming back together after your destruction work

Maybe you're actually lucky with the fit - bow and stern were quite alright, but the bulge would not fit, one of the hull parts was a little broader than the other, I had to widen the upper hull with some wooden construction inside to get it flush. But that's the part you eliminated, so it may all work well!! Keeping my fingers crossed!!

Cheers,
Jan

Thanks Jan,

So far so good, I have the new plating in on one side and the support structure on the other.

Will post some pics when I get home this evening.

Si

Sunday's progress.

Upper and lower hull halves joined, but of a gap at the bow, but nothing that can't be fixed, some longitudinal stiffening has been added to upper hull as well.



Internal structure to support the new skin, and the first section on, no bravery in adding long strips.



One side skinned and the armoured belt squared off at the after end.



External belt added, better picture as I took it after I got home.



Structure added to the port side as well.



I have been studying all the drawings and photographs I have, and I have come to the conclusion the bulges did continue higher than the lower hull part, just not quite as depicted in the kit, what confused me was I hadn't accounted for how much the ship's draft had been increased by the 1936 refit. (Look at the third picture in my first post, there appears to be the top of a bulge angling downwards just above the waterline. Thank you Jan for pointing out to me).

The don't appear to follow quite the same shape as the ones I have removed, just a bit more reconstruction.

Hope to get some more work done over the Easter weekend.

Cheers

Si

Wow, that's great work Si, absolutely impressive!!

It looks so easy the way you are doing it But great job, no doubt!!

That gap at the bow - yep, that's there Almost have to check back home if you stole my kit, it looks so familiar
Did you correct something to the starboard side of y-turret as well?

Really looking forward to see her growing under your hands, mate!! This is going to be an exceptional Repulse for sure!!

Cheers,
Jan

Thanks Jan,

The cutting out and the reskinning are the easy bits, the clever bit is going to blending it all in, especially with the new bulges.

Stocked up on filler and sanding sticks at the weekend.

Cheers

Si

Great piece of scratch building there Si. I am also very impressed by your bravery to cut up a ship. I haven't got to that level yet
I will keep watching to see how this progresses.

cheers
Michael

Thanks Michael,

This is my first attempt at hacking into the hull.

Was a case of not being able to live with the error, Lost of work to do before she is ready for a coat paint, hope to take advantage of the long weekend.

Cheers.

Si

First section of the new angled bulge in place.



The Bulges have been done. That was the easy bit



The masking tape is to save time sanding by minimising the filler that needs removing.

The first layer of filler on.





Sanding time next.

Reckon it will need another go with the filler after that.

Si

Been sanding like a good un.

After the first sand down, a mist of primer shows up where more wok is needed.



Refilled and sanded.



Shafts and rudder in place.



another coat of primer, well anti fouling



Not 100% perfect, but very close.

Boot topping next.

Si

Just catching up on this one Si....Fine choice of builds and beautiful scratching! Hull look great and even better in a spot of primer! Enjoy the holiday bench time! Happy Easter!

Thanks Todd,

I think the hull is at least a bit more accurate now. Next job, the boot which will show how much deeper in the water the ship sat after the 1936 refit. Hope to get that and the 507b medium grey on today.

Cheers

Si