Airfix 1/600 HMS Hood Battleship WW2 (04202)
Probably Britain's most famous battlecruiser the Hood was destroyed during the major operation to sink the German battleship Bismark, sinking with the loss of all but three personnel. Requires polystyrene cement and Humbrol paint nos. 11, 27, 33, 34, 55, 70, 103, 117 to complete. The model is 430mm (16.9") long
H.M.S. Hood was laid down in 1915 and launched on the 22nd August, 1918, three months before the end of the first World War and too late to see action. As a battle-cruiser she started life as a compromise, designed to have the speed necessary to cope with enemy cruisers, together with the 15 "guns to be found in battleships of the era, but she was relatively lightly armoured. Designed before the Battle of Jutland, the Hood did not incorporate the upper deck armour proved essential in modern warfare.
In May 1920, the Hood was commissioned, having cost £6,250,000 more than twice the cost of a contemporary battleship. Early in 1939 Hood went into dock for a long overdue refit and rearming, but there was time only to carry out a part of the work before Hood again put to sea, this time to join the Home Fleet. By now her weight had risen alarmingly and even in a moderate sea, waves swept the quarter deck, even damaging the ship's boats; her speed also had fallen by almost five knots. During April and May of 1940 she was further refitted, additional anti-aircraft armament being installed, before sailing for the Mediterranean to join the Ark Royal, Valiant and Resolution and a force of cruisers and destroyers. In July this force sailed for Oran, where they carried out the unhappy task of destroying the French Fleet, to prevent it falling into German hands. Hood remained in the Mediterranean until August when she rejoined the Home Fleet; in March 1941, she was again refitted, this time radar being amongst the innovations added. At midnight on 21st May 1941, Hood left her base at Scapa Flow, together with the Prince of Wales and six destroyers, to try and intercept the German battleship Bismarck, which had been observed leaving Bergen. The Bismarck was not spotted again until the evening of the 23rd, when H.M.S. Suffolk made contact. Hood and her escort turned to intercept the enemy and at 5.35 a.m., on the 24th the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen were spotted, 17 miles away. At 5.52 a.m. the Hood and the Prince of Wales opened fire, the Bismarck replying immediately with her third salvo hitting the Hood amidships, close to the mainmast. The fifth salvo from the Bismarck struck the Hood in about the same place and there was an immediate explosion that blew complete turrets overboard and sent a pillar of fire 1,000 ft into the air. Within two minutes the Hood's back broke and she had sunk, leaving only three survivors from her crew of some 1,500 officers and men.
H.M.S. Hood had a length of 860 ft, a beam of 105 ft and a draught of 28.5 ft. Her armament at the outbreak of war consisted of eight 15in, twelve 5.5in, four 4in and two 2-pounderguns. She was also equipped with six 21in torpedo tubes. Her peace time complement was 1,169, increased to 1,500 in war. Maximum speed was originally 33 knots, fallen to 29 knots by 1941.
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