1:350 HMS Pennywort

HMS Pennywort in 1:350 scale from Mirage Hobby

An injection-molded plastic kit of the British escort corvette HMS Pennywort, a Flower-class ship with the tactical number K111. For this box the manufacturer gives a plastic sprue and a decal sheet. It is issued by the Polish brand Mirage Hobby. Check the contents of the package on the box.

The real subject

The Flower-class corvettes were the most numerous escort ships of the Battle of the Atlantic. They were derived from a whaling ship design so that even small yards could build them, which meant they were produced quickly and in large numbers. They were small, slow and extremely uncomfortable on the open ocean, but they could hold a convoy together and drive off an attacking submarine. HMS Pennywort entered service at the beginning of 1942 and escorted convoys across the Atlantic. In March 1943 she picked up seventy sailors from two torpedoed merchant ships. She was broken up at the end of the 1940s.

Building and painting tips

Paint the hull and the deck before the superstructure is set in place, because afterwards a brush will not reach between them. Mask the dividing line between the underwater and the above-water parts with a strip of tape and spray it first. Railings in this scale look best made from thin stretched sprue or from photo-etched parts, which are bought separately for the ship. The model stands out on a base with a water surface, where a wave and the wake behind the ship can be suggested.

Who the model is for

• modelers of the Battle of the Atlantic and of escort vessels
• builders in 1:350 scale with patience for small parts
• anyone interested in particular ships with a documented service record
• collectors of the Flower-class corvette line

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.