|
|||||||||||||||||
|
May 2024 |
|||||||||||||||||
| HISTORY | |||||||||||||||||
| In 1939, the Admiralty developed a design for a 72-foot, wooden hulled armed motor launch that would be used to protect harbors and estuaries from enemy submarines. The HDML was typically armed with eight depth charges, a 2-pounder Mark IX mounting forward and a pair of twin .303-inch Lewis machine guns aft of the bridge. Later on, a single 20mm Oerlikon was fitted aft. As the war progressed, the armament varied and, on some boats, the forward 2-pounder replaced with another 20mm Oerlikon or a 3-pounder gun. The HDMLs were fitted with asdic to detect submarines. The Admiralty requirement for a length of 72-feet would allow boats to be shipped as deck cargo to operational areas as needed. The HDMLs were fitted with large twin rudders, two propellers and a keel ending 13-feet short of the stern, which gave these vessels the capability of turning inside the turning circle of a submerged submarine. HMDLs served in a variety of tasks, including escorting convoys off the west coast of Africa, anti-submarine patrols off Iceland and clandestine activities in the Mediterranean. HDMLs played an important role in D-Day operations, acting as navigational leaders for landing craft to help them locate their correct beach landing area. Some D-Day HMDLs were fitted with equipment to conduct inshore minesweeping off of the invasion beaches. A total of 486 were built in both the UK as well as in a number of Allied countries. Many remained active into the 1970s and a handful remain today, some until recently in private hands. HDML ML1387, renamed HMS Medusa, is a museum ship near Portsmouth, England. There are efforts underway to try to restore some of the formerly privately owned units into museum ships. | |||||||||||||||||
| Black Cat Models HDML | |||||||||||||||||
| The Black Cat Models HDML is comprised of a 3D printed hull and smaller parts, photoetch railings, brass wire and a decal sheet. There is also a fully 3D printed version available, without photoetch railings. The contents come in a sturdy flip-top box, with the 3D printed parts inside a clear plastic clamshell case and the PE, decals and brass wire inside a zip-lock sleeve. The 3D printing rafts are attached to the case with very sticky two-sided tape. All of the contents are encased within bubble-wrap to further protect them. Assembly instructions are available online only. I must at this point disclose that I assisted Ben Druel by providing the encapsulated history contained in the assembly instructions. | |||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||
| The Hull | |||||||||||||||||
|
The 3D printed hull is very
nicely done and sits on a printing raft along with the mast and dinghy.
During shipping, the hull broke off the thin attachment points holding
it to the raft but there was no damage to the hull or any of the other
parts. The hull has just about everything included on it, such as the bridge
and superstructure, hatches, footings around the forward and aft gun positions,
small cowl vents and chocks. Underneath, you will see twin rudders and
propellers and shafts. The hull is tiny in 1:350 scale, measure just shy
of 2.5 inches, which is spot on in scale. The one downside is that the
print lines appear to be somewhat prominent but with primer and paint they
should become hidden or at least less visible.
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
| Small 3D Printed Parts | |||||||||||||||||
|
As I mentioned above, the print
raft with the hull also has two dinghies and three masts. The model only
needs one of each, so the additional ones as extras. Some of the parts
came off the print raft when I removed it from the double-sided tape.
The other print raft has all of the remaining parts and includes the 2-pounder gun, two 20mm Oerlikons, twin Lewis guns, eight depth charges, several lockers in different sizes, Carley rafts, life rings, ship’s wheel and splinter mats for the aft 20mm Oerlikon positions. These parts are very nicely done and of the quality expected from Black Cat Models. The extra 20mm Oerlikon could be a spare or used to fit forward in place of the 2-pounder gun as done on some later war HDMLs. All of the parts have thin attachment points. |
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
| Photo-Etch and Brass Parts | |||||||||||||||||
|
A single small photoetch fret
with main deck and aft 20m Oerlikon position railings is provided. Also
included are the jack and ensign staffs, which appear a little stubby and
should to have a bit of wire added to make them a little taller. The PE
has the part numbers etched into the fret.
Two pieces of brass wire in two different lengths are provided but they are not addressed in the instructions. My guess is that they are provided to make a sturdier mast and yardarm, as the lengths appear to match the 3D printed mast. |
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
| Decals | |||||||||||||||||
|
A small decal sheet is included
which provides pennant number markings in black and white. You get several
ML prefixes with different iterations of the first two digits and many
single digits. I do realize it is difficult to see the white markings in
the photo, but what you see in black you also get in white. You will need
to trim each ML combo and digit as they are not individual decals.
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
| CONCLUSIONS | |||||||||||||||||
| Overall, this is a very nice little (and I stress little) kit of a typical HDML. The kit compares favorably with drawings in Volume One of Allied Coastal Forces of World War II by Lambert and Ross. The kit is very well detailed and highly recommended and would be a good first 3D printed model. It would make a good companion for the Atlantic Models Narrow Seas range of coastal forces vessels. This kit is available directly from Black Cat Models or one of the retailers that sell their products. |
 |
||||||||||||||||
