Francis deWeck

Lovely, a beautiful job. Very far from my first 'Tribal', being the 1/600 Airfix 'HMS Cossack'. However, I've got two Trumpeter 'Tribal Class kits to make up for it, when I get a bit of time from the Railway and Dog Walking and so on. Somewhat O/T, it is cheering to see discussion about the Grey Funnel Line, which you would think was practically invisible these days (exception being these two new carriers [which won't have enough escort ships for practicable purposes]). The poor old Hood, sent two fight a juvenile opponent, name wouldn't be allocated to any new build as I think the Admiralty's nose was severely disjointed from that action. Her companion ship, the Prince of Wales, did for the Bismarck, though gets precious little praise for her actions which were brave for a ship not fully worked up with civilians aboard. Still, that's they way things happened.

Yes, Even 'Pen and Sword Publications' appear to be ramping up their interest in railway titles.

Ah-ha! HMSs Naiad, Dido and Carlisle, Kent and Cornwall, to start with............originating from a certain TRUMPeter. Nevermind the modern CVs and CGs.

How cruel; let's hope life doesn't imitate art!

On watching a TV program about containers and their off-loading at ports, it seems that a container ship has a limited time in the port according to their schedule and the container may actually be unloaded at the next convenient port if it wasn't unloaded within the time constraints for that ships port visit. It follows that if the container is unloaded at a different port from that which was expected it would require further arrangements for transportation to the intended destination.

I'm wondering if the new tooling extends to a trailing bogie which works, or is it the continuation of one concept fits all, as found in the Brits, Clans, WC/BoB (rebuilds) and Duchesses. Any ideas anybody?

What a thought; my EM1/2s, or ALs run under Viessmann wires, which of course can be powered although mine are not, for obvious reasons. I put the thought of a new catenary system to an operative at the Bachmann Members Area at Warley with the response that there was no, repeat no, chance of Bachmann producing catenary systems. Leave it to the others said this fellow!

I believe you are correct there; however, there was a WWII camouflage which was pink...or more correctly designated as 'Mountbatten Pink'. I have a Mirage Hobbies Model of a Flower Class corvette 'HMS Anchusa' which is depicted as painted in this scheme. Some brief reading: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=CEauCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA17&lpg=PA17&dq=mountbatten+pink+camouflage&source=bl&ots=_WjDgp_q6-&sig=GnR9-QO3wmadXqUUdwpgIBKgIC8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj2x4edzKvfAhXB26QKHbTtDtQ4FBDoATABegQICBAB#v=onepage&q=mountbatten%20pink%20camouflage&f=false

Hmm, IJN had green warships?

Hmm, Chain Home to which you refer, which was attacked as well as the airfields, before the cities/towns. However, the He111s would normally be sorted out by the Hurricanes, Bf109s by the Spitfires, would they not? and to be pedantic, 'Y' stations would have picked up Luftwaffe signals which gave orders to outposts in advance so Bletchley would have a good suggestion as to what was expected. Precis of this Sigint would be forwarded as was relevant. Generally speaking, Goering and Co were entranced by the use of C2 by radio, and lacked the C3 aspect. We were lucky in that respect. A notable point of reference to this use of Sigint was when a Luftwaffe officer requested the Kriegsmarine about how the Battleship Bismarck was getting on to be told that the ship was heading for France. This was replied to the Luftwaffe officer in the Luftwaffe Enigma code which had been read for a long time. When this was taken together with a long signal from the Bismarck assisted the RN in directing ships to prevent her getting to France. 'Scuse the precis of the events, but it is just a precis in itself.

A retooled A3, you mean one that has a working trailing bogie? Now that would open my wallet. Still, when I presented my modified Brit with said trailing bogie to SK he said very nice (!) and that was that.

Hmm, I thought that we might be viewing a patrol of Hawker Hurricanes protecting our shores in the 1940s; alternatively, a Geschwader of Bf109s preceeding a Heinkel 111 gruppe...

I believe that the bombing of Dresden has been reported very one-sidedly, insofar as it was an important city in the Nazi war machine. The trouble is that this bombing was a case of reaping the whirlwind. The death of so many German citizens was turned into a propagandist event, but the airmen who were tasked to carry out the mission were cast as 'perpetrators' of something approaching a war crime. Not so for the Luftwaffe, who bombed London, et al. It is noticeable that RAF bombers were referred to as 'Terror' bombers by the German people; a case of blindness as to what Hitler and Co. had unleashed on the World. Nevertheless, it is heart-warming to see that there is this relationship between the two cities, and that despite the past things are moving on.

Re the EM1s - If you don't mind, leave the odd one or two for myself.

My sentiments as well, but as we have watched the Balkans revisited when we sent a toothless NATO force in, nations just don't seem to learn from history. However, for those who wish to learn or remind themselves about the story of the German Army they would do well to read 'The Nemesis of Power - The German Army in Politics 1918-1945', by J.W.Wheeler-Bennett. There is a telling quotation in the frontispiece of this book: The German Nation is sick of principles and doctrines, literary existence and theoretical greatness. What it wants is Power, Power, Power! And whoever gives it power, to him will it give him honour, more honour than he can ever imagine. Julius Froebel, in 1859. Quoted by Heinrich, Ritter von Srbik in Deutsch Einheit, III, p.5. It must be borne in mind that the German General Staff were schooled by such thoughts and acted accordingly. Furthermore, the German General Staff, as can be seen in Wheeler-Bennett's tome, thought they could use Herr Hitler for their own ends, but they were naive and found that they were the tool wielded by the former Corporal and his Gangster colleagues. I must say that I find myself way off track here and somewhat surprised at the length and breadth of the discussion, as well as the general forbearance of readers herein.

www.iwmshop.org.uk/c/1614/Models Unlike the site, which is one of my favourites, the shop doesn't have a lot to offer in the way of models. My memories are of 5 Spitfires taking off simultaneously, a Catalina in flight. Superb place.

Re Post 28: The French, on the other had, seem to have been very co-operative. It was the French police, not the occupying forces, that implemented the rounding up and deportation of the Jews. See: https://www.amazon.c...t/dp/1566632498. Though easy for a Brit to say, given that we were never occupied, I have long thought that the extent of resistance in France has been rather overstated and the idea that it liberated itself a downright myth. An observation - the Channel Islands were occupied and there were, from what I remember, deportations as well as the use of slave labour to construct 'defence' installations. The French, apart from not liberating themselves [Remember D-Day], also supplied labour in the ports and dockyards for the Kriegsmarine, though how free of pressure I have yet to be sure. Perhaps the most generous view of the French Resistance's participation would be to acknowledge the uprising on the advent of D-Day (we cannot forget a result of this - Ouradour-sur-Glane) and the escape lines throughout the war. In respect of the Escape Lines, there is a very good depiction and telling in a display in a Nissen hut found within East Kirkby Airfield. Detailed account of the internal fight against the Nazis, warts and all, can be found in M.R.D Foot's S.O.E in France part of the HMSO History of the Second World War. There is also an important account of the Communist fight against the Nazis from one Leopold Trepper, leader of the 'Red Orchestra' (Rote Kapelle).

There would be no surprise at this, the Swedish State allowed German troop trains to travel to the Norwegian border when they invaded in April, 1940. The pressure applied on the neighbours of Nazi Germany must have been quite intense, notwithstanding some sympathy for the Nazi cause in those countries. It would appear that Switzerland was used as a financial channel by the Nazis when they robbed the conquered countries of their wealth (such as it was). Nazi Germany was basically bankrupt en-route to war, hence the slave camps, etc., I could go on, but I am going a long way off topic. My apologies for this.

Yes it was hard work there. I spoke briefly to Kim (I'm sure it was he) who was packing an 'O' gauge Western for a purchaser and made his conversation as brief as possible. The subject was the Beyer-Garratt, regarding its pricing and the nature of its modifications/upgrading.

You are nearly creaming off the jokes here, heini.

Hi, I bought two recently - from Hattons. They both failed, one running very hot and one a smoker, no less. Returned both and got two good uns in return. Your best bet is to return them to suppliers. I can't see that Heljan have changed anything.

Fine sensible advice....

Ha the frothing starts early! Well, A 4-COR? A new tool Stanier 8F A New tool 08 WD 2-10-0 Fowler/Stanier 3MT 2-6-2Ts or even EMUs 'nuff to be going on with. Blame it all on Rob, cheers!

Rule No. 1...your railway, but notwithstanding that: I was sat in a carriage in Derby Station in the 60's when I heard the sound of a Hymek on a through line. Sure enough one came through, though I wasn't in a position to record its running number, but I saw the sides of said loco go past. So, it was not impossible for a NBL Warship to be north of Watford. I would be interested if somebody did witness an NBL Warship on unusual metals, i.e. Yorkshire/Notts.

PM Sent