Heavy cruiser HMAS Australia at the time of the Battle of Savo Island, August 9, 1942

by: Vladimir Karen

Evaluation
Model Nr: 1
Class: Ships
Skill: Advanced
Optional Criteria: Weathering
Type: Injection Moulded
Manufacturer: Aoshima
Scale: 1/700
Description: It´s 0115, August 9th, 1942. The first Marines waded ashore on Guadalcanal only 40 hours ago. RAdm Sir Victor Crutchley, commanding officer of Task Force 44, returns onboard HMAS Australia from a conference with CTF 62 RAdm Richmond K. Turner and Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift on USS McCawley stationed off Guadalcanal. Twenty-eight minutes later and 15 miles away, the night in Savo Sound will be shattered by the first salvo of Japanese heavy cruiser Chokai aimed at Australia´s sister ship HMAS Canberra. This surprise attack will later be called the Battle of Savo Island by the Allies and the First Battle of Savo Island by their opponents. It brought heavy loss of life and ships to the Allies and marked the worst defeat of U.S. Navy at sea.

My model depicts Australia exactly at the above moment. RAdm Sir Victor Crutchley can be seen climbing the port accommodation ladder while his motor boat leaves to be hoisted onboard and Vice-Admiral´s ensign is just being raised to the foremast. The ship is in the Second Degree of Readiness, with a reduced watch and only half of the guns manned.

My build is based on researching around 300 pre-war, wartime and post-war photographs of HMAS Australia (plus more of HMAS Canberra and other Kent class members) from various online sources incl. NHSA, AWM, IWM, NHHC, FB groups, many of them kindly provided by Brett. Also on HMS Kent plan from British Warships of the Second World War by John Roberts, RAN Kent Class Cruiser plan NHSA A015439, information in the Calling All RN Kent class fans! thread at Modelwarships.com and other resources.

Parts from the Aoshima 1/700 kit HMS Kent were used for the hull, forecastle and aft superstructure. Almost everything else are either photo-etched parts I designed myself or 3D printed parts by Micro Master and some by Shelf Oddity. Supermarine Walrus comes from Flyhawk and a few figures have been used also from sets by ION and Triumph Models. The model was airbrushed with LifeColor paints and weathered using artistic oil paints.

The Battle of Savo Island has been the main focus of my modelling activities for the past 10+ years. My initial goal of building one ship per each ship class participating in the battle evolved into researching and superdetailing of my 1/700 models in collaboration with leading experts and collectors of resource materials around the globe. This project would have never happened without the great help from Brett Morrow, a leading RAN expert and enthusiast, and Simon Percival, the owner of Micro Master. Big thanks to both!

I hope you enjoy my build. More detailed information is available in my WIP backlog at http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=386494. Additional photos of the finished model can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/vladi_k/albums/72177720319398736