This is my backdating of the Italeri PT596 model kit to the Earlier PT174. I decided years ago that I wanted to build a model of a Zebra striped boat after seeing a couple of photo's in an old book that I had, But until the Italeri kit came about this idea was put on hold as I just didn't want to build it in a smaller scale than 1/35th.

When the kit came out I started researching on the internet about PT Boats and found that there were only a few boats painted in this pattern, they all were of an earlier version of the PT boat. So the next thing I had to do was find out what was required to backdate the model kit. I managed to find a set of plans in 1/35th scale from Coastal Force Plans in the United States. These paid for over the internet were with me in a week. I also managed to find so very interesting wartime photographs which I printed off so that I could use as well as the plans. Then I had to start going through the instructions that came with the model making notes & alterations as required so that when the build started Hopefully I wouldn't go to wrong.

I decided that I wanted to build something that was also a little different from the other earlier boats by doing the PT174 as this boat was supposed to be the only known example of one being fitted with a 40mm Bofor’s gun on the Bow of the boat.
 

Click to expand the changes listChanges made in backdating the Italeri PT596 kit.
This is the original idea for the model this is of PT174 back in the States before she was shipped off to the Pacific.
This shows the new Bulk Head Air vents & the extension to the Tow Rail. Also the Cabin has been cut down ready for the new plexiglas windscreen.
The new Forward Gun Tub is now in position, made from an empty deodorant can the kit mounting fixing fitted this perfectly.
This picture shows the near curved Armoured shields that go behind the cabin & the older style of Engine Room hatch. Plus the Rear Gun Tub has been placed in location.
Photo 5 Shows the new Engine room hatch in place.
Photo 6 The new Armoured shields for behind the engine room have been made. The new Floor Mounting Plate for the Oerlikon 20mm gun is place as well.
New Locker behind Cabin Armoured wall. Plus new Cockpit Instruments.
Parts for the Torpedo Tubes.
The new Armoured shield for the 40mm Bofor’s gun has been started checking fit before adding the ribs & rails to the inside.
Ribs added. These were used to hook the Ammo on.
Torpedo tubes nearly finished.
Hull sprayed with White Ensign’s Anti Fouling Red Paint.
Test fitting of the Deck fittings vefore priming.
Hull on the wooden ramp.
Ramp & Jetty area ready waiting to be painted.
Upper Hull masked ready for painting.
Stripes after spraying the Blackish Grey colour.
Palm Tree leaves made from tin foil.
Painting

I started the painting as I would with any build, a good wash to remove any grease etc, then it was primed with car primer.

I then sprayed almost the whole of the boat with White paint ready for the stripes.

The Hull was painted by hand with White Ensign model’s Anti Fouling Red paint.

The stripes were masked off using a set that was adapted from the masks made by Gator’s masks in the United states.

Once these were applied ( about 3 day’s ) I sprayed over them with a mixture of Black & Smoke Grey to give a faded black. This was left for a day before removing
the masking. Had a little bleeding of paint underneath some of the masking but that was soon sorted. Some of the stripes were then repainted in either the Medium Grey of the Counter shading or in the Bright Jungle Green ( white stripe were repainted green when the boat arrived in the Pacific).

I them hand painted the deck in a Dark Sea Blue from the Vallejo range . With the hand painting of the deck it gave the deck a varied colour effect similar to what would of happened from the sun fading the paint.

Once everything had dried for a couple of days I sealed it with a couple of coats of Varnish ready for the weathering process.

I used a mixture of Enamel & Oil paints for the weathering. With a light dusting with a sand coloured oil pastel to finish.
The Diorama

The diorama idea came about because I wanted to show the whole of the boat & I wanted to show the boat being repainted. The idea for the ramp came from the film “They Were Expendable” staring John Wayne.
The ramp was completely scratch built using real wood as was the jetty area.

The Sand comes from crushed rock. The palm tree was made using a piece of wire covered in garden twine , the leaves are cut from old takeaway meal containers.
Finished Diorama.
The Crew

The Crew is made up from a wide variety of suppliers. There are Tamiya, Verlinden, ADV, U-Models & Dragon.
Most were altered so that there poses suited what I wanted better. Most had there heads changed with heads from the Hornet range.

I painted them in Oil paints.
 
References
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