This is the Tri-ang Minic Ships model of HMS Alamein one of the Royal Navy's "Battle" Class destroyers all of which were named after famous historical battles.
The "Battle" Class destroyers comprised two distinct groups the eighteen "Group 1" ships, including the two Royal Australian Navy ships HMAS Anzac and HMAS Tobruk, being ordered in 1942 and the twenty six "Group 2" ships being ordered in 1943. Sixteen of the "Group 2" ships were cancelled at the end of the Second World War with the remaining ten ships being commissioned between 1946 and 1947.
The "Battle" Class ships were originally designed with a view to operations in the Pacific during the Second World War and were unusual in being the first destroyers to have all of their main armament mounted forward. They were also the first destroyers to be fitted with stabilizers and were considered to have good handling and sea keeping qualities.
Tri-ang Minic produced identical models of the two Group 2 "Battle" Class destroyers HMS Alamein and HMS Jutland which were distinguished only by the model number and name marked on the underside.
The company also produced models of the two Australian "Battle" Class ships HMAS Anzac and HMAS Tobruk which differed from the models of the British ships in the shape of the "director" tower at the rear of the bridge and in the number of anti-aircraft weapons on the models.
| Builder: | R & W Hawthorn, Leslie & Co Ltd, Hebburn, Tyne |
| Laid Down: | 29th xxxxx 1944 |
| Launched: | 25th May 1945 |
| Commissioned: | 8th xxxxx 1947 |
| Displacement: | 3,430 tons Full Load |
| Length (OA): | 379 ft ( 115.5 m ) |
| Beam: | 40 ft 6 in ( 12.3 m ) |
| Draft: | 12 ft 9 in ( 3.9 m ) |
| Armament: |
4 x 4.5" main guns in two twin turrets forward 9 x 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns in 3 twin and 3 single mounts |
| Protection (Armour): | |
| Propulsion: | 2 Admiralty 3 drum type boilers, 2 Parsons geared turbines, 2 shafts, 50,000 shp |
| Maximum Speed: | 30.5 knots |
|
Complement: |
232 - 268 |
| Disposal: | 1st December 1964 scrapped by Hughes Bolckow, Blyth |
| Further details of the actual ship can be obtained from the following links - | |
| The Royal Navy Postwar Web Site | http://www.btinternet.com/~warship/Postwar/Destroyers/battle.htm |
| HMS Solebay Association Web Site | http://www.tosd.demon.co.uk/class.htm |