AiP Adventures in Plastic

HMS Belfast 1942 Royal Navy Cruiser (1/350)

HMS Belfast, an improved Southampton class cruiser, was ordered from Harland & Wolff in 1936, laid down in December that year, and launched on St Patrick’s Day 1938. Commissioned into the Royal Navy on 5 August 1939, she served for 24 years in both major conflicts and peacetime duties. In November 1939, shortly after joining the fleet, HMS Belfast struck a German magnetic mine, causing significant damage and keeping her out of service for three years.

Returning to service in 1942 as the Royal Navy’s largest cruiser, she protected Arctic convoys to Russia and took part in the sinking of the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst in 1943. In 1944, as flagship of Bombardment Force E, she supported the D Day landings. Post war, HMS Belfast saw action in the Korean War from 1950 to 1952 before being decommissioned in 1963.

Saved from scrapping by a campaign led by Rear Admiral Sir Morgan Morgan Giles, HMS Belfast became a museum ship and opened to the public on 21 October 1971. Moored on the River Thames, she is part of the Imperial War Museum and is the last surviving vessel of her type. Since 1994 she has worn Admiralty Disruptive Pattern Camouflage, representing her WW2 appearance from late 1942 to mid 1944.

• 11 sprues and decks.
• Metal chain and photo etch details.
• Two piece hull construction.
• Two Walrus seaplanes included.
• Display stand provided.
• Length, 534.3 mm.
• Width, 60 mm.
• Total parts, 520+.

Scale, 1/350.

Note, requires paint and glue, not included.