HMS Exeter - Neptun 1:1250


I have always had a soft spot for HMS Exeter, both for its vital role in the Battle of the River Plate and for its general appearance so I'd been keeping an eye out for a while for an acceptably priced model. I guess it must be popular a popular ship with other people too as all the ones that came up on Ebay went for top prices until I saw a rather sad and battered example.

 Unfortunately I failed to get any pictures in its original state but the masts were mangled as were the davits on the starboard side with lesser damage to the boats. One of the 4" guns had lost its barrel and there was various other damage. Nothing too serious though.

 I stripped off the paint completely so I could see the damage then cut away the damaged parts before fabricating replacements from brass rod and filling the various gouges and broken edges with Milliput.

"

 I primed it with Halfords white from a rattle can. The colour scheme is from Malcolm Wright’s invaluable “British and Commonwealth Warship Camouflage of WW2", vol 3, chosen to represent the ship at the time of the Battle of the River Plate. Airbrushed overall with my 507C Vallejo mix of 1 part 990 light grey to 3 parts 919 foundation white, with the decks brush painted with Iraqi Sand for the wood and 900 French Mirage Blue for the painted metal.








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