I snatched an hour or so this evening to add a tug, two coal lighters and an 800 ton coaster to the merchant fleet. The tug will represent HMT Growler, although it isn't a perfect match for the real thing. I only had two coal lighters in the bits box, so I think I may order a few more to make up a full string of barges. I wonder how they turn when under tow and what happens when one of them gets hit by a torpedo or sunk by gunfire? I'll have to check the rules. The coaster is also a very simple model, which has started me thinking about the potential for scratch-building something similar?
The lighters look a pretty basic shape, and should be easy to scratch-build from plastic card or bass wood. I think they may be of too shallow a draught to be hit by a torpedo. I recall reading a book (I just wish I could recall the title) written by the commander of an MTB who spoke of that problem when attacking German F-lighters off the Dutch coast.
ReplyDeleteGood point about the torps under the barges - was that Peter Dickens?
ReplyDeleteI believe it was Dickens.
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