The build of HMS Exeter (1939)

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

This is my build of HMS Exeter which has been ongoing for a number of years; this is because the original (first attempt of building her – was a complete and utter flop in the 1980s) this was due to lack of experience and lack of plans. Since then though I have purchased plans from Russia, and also from Maritime Museum in London UK and the closest plan I can get to Exeter as she was built is a rigging drawing from Maritime Museum along with the hull line drawings which give the correct width of this vessel. The rest of the plans from the Maritime Museum for Exeter show her as she was going to be built along the same lines as the Dorchester class 3 funnels and catapult mounted on the forward turret – so therefore the plans were only useful for me for constructing the hull – and the rigging drawing give us approx shape and sizes of the superstructure drawings. The rest of the information had to be sourced from photographs – a lot from the web some were sent to me by various people – and these are personal photographs.

Anyway, so far my build has taken me about 17 months so far – with gaps for other hobbies etc., and now I am back doing the most tedious part which is the rigging of the boats. As with most grey ships, HMS Exeter went through various refits before the Battle of The River Plate.

The main modification was shortly after she was launched and she had sideplating added on her lower decks beside her torpedo tubes and the next alteration with the superstructure on her rear searchlight platform and radio and galleyroom – this was enlarged.

Couple of pics of the build so far …..

aye

john

 

Edited By bluebird on 27/10/2013 19:05:55

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

hi, the hull is plank on frame covered with tissue and resin and then there is shell plating of styrene card added.

The deck is made up of individual planks 1.5 mm wide x 0.5 mm thick x 58 mm long planks and hey there were loads of em….. … she was originally going to be a static model – but I was persuaded to making a working model …. so the props are from Prop shop; the prop tubes and shafts + A brackets I have made myself. She has 4 Graupner 500 Es in her; along with an ACTion P94 rudder mixer and at the present time the guns are all wired up with servos from traversing and barrels elevating. I have yet to decide on the electronics for controlling them though.

As you can see from the photographs I can just fit this model onto my workbench – why I didnt I make a smaller model ????

aye, John

Edited By bluebird on 27/10/2013 19:15:17

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

John,

This is an excellent looking model and as can be seen in the last photograph a very large model. Out of curiosity, what are the approx. dimensions?

Thanks for showing.

Tony

Edited By Tony Hadley on 27/10/2013 19:32:42

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

hi ya Tony, model is 1:96 scale so its length is 72 inches and the beam is 7 1/4 inches. Me work bench is 82 inches long so there is just enough room – everytime I have to work on the opposide side of the model I have to take it onto the landing and turn it round there and bring it back into the room oh, the joys of modelling eh. Thank you for the compliments

aye, John

 

Edited By bluebird on 27/10/2013 19:37:01

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

John,

A great model of an iconic ship. My Dad took me to see the film of the Battle of the River Plate when it was first released and the bravery of HMS Exeter made a lasting impression. There is an excellent model of the ship in the Chatham Naval Museum.

The original design was quite interesting as Exeter and near sister York were intended to be cheaper versions of the County class treaty cruisers. This didn't altogether work out as their steaming radius was smaller and of course they had two less 8 inch guns but they were better armoured in compensation and the 'tower' bridge of Exeter became a model for later cruisers.

Exeter's end after the battle of the Java Sea upheld all the best traditions of the Royal Navy, she went down following unequal odds against Japanese cruisers with her fire direction equipment largely out of action.

Colin

[Jimmie HawkinsParticipant @jimmiehawkins82895]

Hello Bluebird, can you tell me where you got the plans from, i would like to build the Exeter in 1/96 scale but plans are no where to be found in the U. S. Thanks for any help you can give me. [email protected]

[Jimmie HawkinsParticipant @jimmiehawkins82895]

Does anyone in the UK make a glas fiber hull of the York Class HMS Exeter in 1/96 scale?

[Jimmie HawkinsParticipant @jimmiehawkins82895]

Posted by Jimmie Hawkins on 17/11/2014 16:53:11:

Hello Bluebird, can you tell me where you got the plans from, i would like to build the Exeter in 1/96 scale but plans are no where to be found in the U. S. Thanks for any help you can give me. jimmie.hawkinsatyahoo.com

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Jimmie,

Bluebird has built his model to museum standard and to a specific date. He has used the sources mentioned in his first post Depending on what your own intentions are, MyHobbyStore sell a 1:192 plan of Exeter by David Metcalfe that could be doubled up. **LINK**

Bluebird has posted a more detailed build log on the ModeBoatMayhem website here: **LINK**

I'm afraid I don't know of any 1:96 scale hulls that might be available.

Colin

[Francis MacnaughtonParticipant @francismacnaughton39461]

Hi jimmie,

I suspect the options for plans for Exeter are the old MAP plan in 1/192 ( I think) still available at **LINK**

otherwise buying from the National Maritime Museum at 1/48th and very expensive!

I don't think anyone does a GF hull but ready to be corrected by anyone who knows better.

[charles grahamParticipant @charlesgraham65479]

Hello John

I picked up on your Exeter model – incredible. I was wondering what became of the model? Do you still have it – do you ever display it? My grandfather served on Exeter (Batlle of The River Plate) and i would love to see your model if it is possible.

Regards

Charles Graham

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

Hi there Charles

thank you for your kind words about my model of HMS Exeter. It is nice to hear from someone who is related to the crew of this ship. Do you know whether your grandfather was still a crew member during her final battle in the Java sea? When I built my model it was over a period of approximately 10 years – 70% of that time was spent researching the vessel & etc., as there is a story, like everything, relating to the plans for this real ship. The plans which are held by the Maritime Museum are, all but one, as to how she was going to be built (i.e. 3 funnels & a lot like HMS York was). So, the only plan that was only like her built state was were the rigging plans which only gives a top/side profile. Anyway, I ended up using a lot of images from various places and people/a good deal of written information.

I do still have my model – on the top shelf in my work room – she needs a dusting . My heavy lift manager, who organises the moving etc., and transportation is my son, Andrew. He dislikes moving this model – a bit apprehensive in case he does any damage to the detail . I have sailed this model once though.

Do you live anywhere near North East England?

John

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

[charles grahamParticipant @charlesgraham65479]

Hi John

Thank you for your reply.

My Grandfather Cmdr Robert Rule Graham DSO Deceased was seconded to a french destroyer (The Bison) after the Battle of The River Plate. the Bison was attacked of Tromso (Norway) in May 1940 by a stuka which managed to put a bomb into the main magazine – you can probably imagine the rest. There was no body so no pension for my grandmother with two small boys to raise so no he wasnt on board in Java.

I have a couple of photos I would like to share with you _ I think you may find them interesting. Ill try to figure out if I can put them on here.

I travel all over – it may be a while but I would love to see your model so if im coming up that way i will book in with you if I may.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

It is so sad that the wreck, discovered largely intact in 2007 and designated as a war grave, has been plundered for scrap metal to the extent that there is virtually nothing left.

**LINK**

Commemorative video:

**LINK**

Colin

Edited By Colin Bishop on 24/04/2023 16:58:42

[charles grahamParticipant @charlesgraham65479]

Here you go John. this is Exeter after the Battle of the River Plate. She had no guns working so the Senior management team radio'd the admiralty for permission to ram the Graf Spee. This was refused. the rest of the story of the battle you probably know. what you may not know is that she made for the Falklands once Graf Spee was scuttled to undertake repairs. None of her armaments could be fixed. I had never really appreciated what a hostile environment this would be until I saw this photo. Bobby had 30 pieces of shrapnel in his body Hitler was furious and decreed that Exeter would not make it back to Plymouth. In order to deter any german ships thinking of taking her on as she made her way back across the Atlantic they built fake turrets and guns out of plywood. As you can see from the other photo they made it. Winston was so proud he came down to Plymouth to welcome her back. the barrel in the background is a fake. Captain Bell in the middle and my Grandfather on the right. I have just learnt that the DSO is second only to the VC so very proud. Best cg

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

What a small world this is – what really sparked my interest with HMS Exeter was that an Uncle of mine was prisoner of war from the SS Ashleigh. William Talbot, Mess Room Boy – it conjures all sorts into the imagination – he would very rarely talk of it all. The only thing he ever told me was that the Captain (Captain Hans Langsdorff) was a very honourable person of true Naval discipline. Everyone (including the Prisoners of War) were treat with great respect. It was only until the prisoners were transferred to the Altmark that things began to turn bad.

Times such as this, we long to talk to our long lost relatives, who seemed to take life as it came in their stride.

Thank you for the pictures – now we are off to do some research on your Grandfather and the ship, The Bison.

This is how things start with me – … John

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Many thanks for sharing this with us Charles. Some very interesting personal detail. There is a reference to your Grandfather in the National Archives:

**LINK**

My Dad took me to see the Battle of the River Plate film when it came out in 1956 and it made an indelible impression on me. Particularly the heroic fight by Exeter.

Did you know that there is a set of models of the River Plate action owned by Chatham Historic Dockyard? I don't know if they are still on display but I will post some photos I took in 2008.

Colin

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Some photos of Chatham models. Click on image for larger view.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited By Colin Bishop on 24/04/2023 18:40:22

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

hi there

Here are a couple of images which I used when building my model of HMS Exeter and some of them came from personal sources like yourselves.

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

[charles grahamParticipant @charlesgraham65479]

well this is grand. thank you for sharing these and Colin for letting me post – which I understand may not have been entirely relevant.

to bring us back on point I attach a slightly sad photo of a balsa wood model of Exeter (when compared to your model John) but a valliant effort nonetheless made by a youngster in the family just after the war.

My passion is MTB's of which I have a modest collection and ill post some on here at some point.

Have a good evening gentlemen

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