The decals for the hull number are from my spares file as Airfix only provide numbers for 385-389 and I wanted to model 380 as that boat took part in the final MTB 'short action' in late April 1945. Weathering is limited as 380 was commissioned in late 1944 and disposed of in 1946, not much time to get overly worn. The MTBs tended to operate at night, cruising slowly to avoid causing a luminescent wake as they hunted enemy boats, then crash starting their main engines to launch an attack before escaping after lanching their torpedos or shooting up the enemy with automatic fire. This little vignette goes by the title 'Let us Prey'.
Scratch built bits include the ropes and anchor chain, rigging, HF aerial, the upper section of the mast and the other antennas. Antennas are made from various gauges of wire and pieces of paint brush bristles, the upper section of the mast from brass tube. Bridge transparencies are from acetate sheet and other transparencies are from Micro Krystal Klear. The Carly floats have been re-worked with thread and fine plastic card strips and I have also re-worked the smoke generator with fine wire.
The twin Oerlikon is a 3D print from Metallic Details and the mount and 'bandstand' base are white metal from Great Little Ships. Three of the ready ammo boxes are photo etch, but as only three are provided in the set I have scratch built the fourth from thin plastic card. The 2" flare launchers and the two twin Vickers machine guns are also from Great Little Ships. The three duffel coated figures are from Gunthwaite and the boat's cat is from a resin set of cats and dogs from a 00 scale railway set.
The base is painted 5mm foam board with AK Interactive 'Atlantic Water' and 'Water Effects' acrylic gels. The Atlantic Water had been on the board for about two weeks now, and is still not fully dry even though it is a fairly thin layer.
The Gunthwaite white metal figures are absolutely superb...
Not forgetting the boat's cat, 'Stan'...
I'm definitely not a maritime modeller, so the Airfix Rescue Launch and Revell's PT Boat are unlikely to make it out of the stash.
