FeaturesThe corvettes of the Flower Class will be associated for ever with the Battle of the North Atlantic, even though they were used in all theatres during the Second World War. Alongside other escort vessels they bore the main brunt of the battle against German submarines. These escort vessels derived from the cooperation between the Royal Navy and the Smiths Dock Company, who in 1938 had at their disposal a successful design for a commercial whaling ship called Southern Pride. The main feature of this design was that it followed merchant shipping practice, could easily be built by many small shipyards and the engines could behandled by civil shipyards. 60 corvettes of the Flower Class had been ordered before war broke out and a further 81 by the end of 1940. The first ship was completed 5½ months later on 24.01.1940. All the others could be built within 23 days. After the decision had been taken to use the corvettes not just as coastal escorts but on the high seas, numerous alterations were needed. Thus the ships received a modified hull with a longer foreship giving them better thrust and overhang to protect them against the rough Atlantic seas. During the war the corvettes were equipped with other things such as radar, improved and more powerful anti-aircraft guns (Fla-MG or 20 mm Oerlikon guns), more depth charges and from the end of 1941 with Hedgehog anti-submarine weapons. During this period numerous alterations were also made to the bridge, in order to accommodate new electronic equipment and protections. In the meantime the Flower Class proved to be thoroughly seaworthy, so that it was used by almost all Allied navies (total 265). In the spring of 1942, when the German submarines transferred their sphere of operations to the American coast, the US Navy found itself obliged to make up its shortage of suitable escort vessels with British corvettes. 10 corvettes were given to America, with a further 8 from Canada. Model details: Including photo-etched parts; Including metal tubes; Including self-adhesive wooden deck; Metal anchor chain; Detailed hull; Detailed screw; Detailed deck superstructures; Cowls; Movable Lewis MG on mount; Deck equipment with stowage lockers; MG emplacements; Search lights; Cable winches; Bridge with splinter-proof walls; Detailed radar tower; Movable windlass; Movable 102 mm gun with protective wall; Separate grenades; Detailed funnel; Lifeboats and rubber dinghies; Depth charge release systems; Separate depth charges; Display stand; and Decals for versions HMCS Snowberry and HMS Campanula. Paint colors needed: Matte Anthracite Gray, Matte Earth Brown, Silky-Matte Grayish Green, Silky-Matte Light Gray, Matte Stone Gray, Matte Grayish Blue, Silky-Matte Purple Red, Silky-Matte Black, Metallic Bronze, Matte Granite Gray, Silky-Matte White, Matte Sea Green, Metallic Brass, Silky-Matte Luthansa Blue, Matte Olive Brown, Matte Black, Metallic Steel, Matte Carmine Red, Matte Blue, Matte Flesh, Matte Ochre Brown, and Gloss Blue.
 | This plastic model kit requires plastic cement and paint for assembly, and they are sold separately. |
