This is the Tri-ang Minic Ships model of HMS Vanguard, the last and most powerful British battleship ever built, which was laid down during the Second World War but was not completed and commissioned until 1946.

HMS Vanguard's main armament comprised eight 15 inch guns in four turrets, two forward and two aft, which were left over from HMS Glorious and HMS Courageous after they were both converted to aircraft carriers during construction.

She was unique in being the only British battleship fitted with remote control for both main and secondary guns as well as being the only British battleship never to fire her guns in anger.

The Hong Kong model produced by Hornby under the Minic Ships name has a red plastic bottom fitted with two plastic rollers in common with all the Hong Kong models.

Builder:

John Brown, Clydebank

Laid Down:

2^nd October 1941

Launched:

30^th November 1944

Commissioned:

9^th August 1946

Displacement:

48500 tons Full Load

Length (OA):

814 ft 6 in ( 249.0 m )

Beam:

107 ft 7 in ( 32.8 m )

Draft:

30 ft 6 in ( 9.3 m )

Armament:

8 x 15" main guns in four turrets - 2 foreward & 2 aft

16 x 5.25" dual purpose guns in eight turrets - 4 port & 4 starboard

73 x 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns

Protection (Armour):

13" - 14" armour belt, 4" - 12" bulkheads, 5" - 6" deck, 6" - 13" turrets, 11" - 13" barbettes

Propulsion:

8 Admiralty 3 drum boilers, 4 Parsons single reduction geared turbines, 4 shafts, 130,000 shp

Maximum Speed:

29.75 knots

Complement:

1590 - 2000

Disposal:

9^th August 1960 scrapped at Faslane

Further details of the actual ship can be obtained from the following links -

The Haze Grey & Underway Web Site

http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/battleships/rn_dr.htm

HMS Vanguard Web Site by Mr Shirley North

http://battleshiphmsvanguard.homestead.com