ccoyle

Welcome! Are you building the current solid-hull version of the kit, or the older POB version?

Hi, Barbara. A good way to find such information is to use our search function. You can enter a string of search terms, such as "pride of baltimore finished", then select the "more options" button, followed by the "topics" option and "titles only." I did so and got two hits for completed build logs, which you can see here. Enjoy!

Dmitriy, I have always liked the appearance of the pre-Dreadnoughts, and of course the Russians had many of them. At one time I had a number of the card model versions from Orel (they have an extensive product line), but I decided that they were beyond my ability to build nicely, so I sold them.

Jim, we missed your regular painting updates! Armed trawlers on the North Atlantic convoy routes figured prominently in the latest book I just finished reading.

Clever -- and outstanding job on the figures, too!

Well, I don't know anything about resistance soldering, but it was fun to see & hear one of our members!

That's a nice kit, and I have built it myself, but its instructions aren't the greatest either. That won't be a problem if you make good use of the resources available here, though. There's also multiple build logs of finished examples to use as guides, too. Cheers!

The chief knock I've seen against Billings is their somewhat meager instructions, but we have some members who love them and have built fantastic models from them. Mastini's book is based on the Artesania Latina version, which is similar. But -- you should build something that will hold your interest, so if a small man o' war is what interests you, then have a look at a cutter or armed schooner. Lots of examples out there.

PVC pipe and water is the method I have used for 20 years now. 😉 But I don't use hot water -- cold water and a plank bending tool works for me.

Like a lot of people in this neck of the woods, I'm not actually from these parts -- transplanted California native. 😉

Hello, Cristik! I edited your build log title to show the more usual English translation of Panart's Italian name for this kit. If you need some guidance during your project, we have at least one finished battle station in the build logs, which you can find by searching for "battle station." Bbucurați-vă de noul dvs. proiect!

Far from it! Personally, I love smallcraft models and am always happy to see one being featured here. Cheers!

Congratulations on completing your model, and good luck with the next one!

Smart! And it looks like you are off to a great start, too. I did model rocketry as a kid -- still have vivid memories of most of my rockets, probably due to the fact that they usually came to some sad but spectacular end!

From Hunter to Hunted: The U-Boat War in the Atlantic 1939-43 Bernard Edwards Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword Maritime, 2020 16 x 24 cm format, hardback, 200 pages 16 B&W illustrations, bibliography, index MSRP £19.99 ISBN: 978 1 52676 359 4 "It had been a busy morning in the Dolius' engine room, with a squad of Chinese day workers carrying out essential maintenance under the critical eye of Second Engineer Bob Hutchinson. At precisely 1030, following the time-honoured practice in British merchant ships, the day workers had downed tools and trooped up on deck for their morning mug of tea and a cigarette. Left below were only the men of the watch, Fourth Engineer Samuel Parr, Junior Engineer Donald McGillivray and Greaser Lau Hing. All three died when Oskar Staudinger's torpedo slammed into the ship's side and the sea came cascading into the engine room." - From Hunter to Hunted, p. 161 That little snippet from Bernard Edwards' latest, Hunter to Hunted, should give you an idea of the kind of taut writing that fills its 188-page narrative. Contrary to the impression you might get from the title, the book is not a detailed examination of all things War in the Atlantic over the first four years of the war. Instead, the book is divided into two parts. Book I is really a series of vignettes; and each can be read as a stand-alone story. Each chapter focuses on a particular ship or convoy from the war's early years. Edwards is an excellent story-teller, and we are given a good look at the backstories of the characters on both sides of the conflict, both ships and men. Through these select few snapshots of the U-boat war, the reader is given a taste of what the fight was like. It was perilous work for both the merchantmen and the U-boats that stalked them. Book II is also a stand-alone narrative, focused on one particular running convoy battle -- that of ONS-5, a slow, west-bound convoy headed for Halifax, Nova Scotia. Fought in late April and early May of 1943, the Battle of Convoy ONS-5 kicked off what came to be known as "Black May" in the Kriegsmarine. As such, the events surrounding ONS-5 are considered by some historians to mark the decisive turning point in the War of the Atlantic. ONS-5 was not a huge convoy, only 42 ships and seven escorts, but the skillful and determined defense by the British and Canadian escorts, well-versed in the use of ASDIC, Huff-Duff, and radar, exacted a fearsome toll in exchange for thirteen ships sunk: of the over 40 U-boats that were vectored to intercept ONS-5, six were sunk and seven damaged -- a loss rate that the DKM could not sustain. Edwards chronicles the agonizing passage of ONS-5 from its assembly until it reaches land-based air cover on the other side of the Atlantic, and the story is a fascinating one. Basing his account on reports and descriptions from both sides of the conflict, Edwards weaves in plot strands representing all the major players, i.e. the merchantmen, the escorts, and the U-boats. Everybody gets their share of ink, but the central figures are undoubtedly the merchantmen and their crews. Edwards paints a very moving picture of their professionalism, steady courage in the face of lurking and unseen danger, and even their occasional (and not always fruitless) efforts to strike back at their tormentors. Edwards' writing style is engaging and easy to read; his descriptions cause the reader to genuinely care about the fates of the players, and this in turn makes From Hunter to Hunted a book that the reader consistently wants to read just a little more of to see where the story is headed. In other words, it's a page turner -- and one that I think any naval history fan would enjoy. Recommended! Thanks go to Pen & Sword for providing this copy for review. To purchase or for more details, click here. CDC

It's obvious that you are taking your time to get this project just right, and the result is extremely pleasing to the eye so far. Can't wait to see the finished product!

Looking great, Kevin!

Just catching up on this log -- all I can say is 😲!

Other stores to check for strip stock include craft suppliers and model railroad stores, if you have any such near you.

That is some exceptional craftsmanship, Daniel!

Absolutely fantastic result! Congratulations!

We have one (Mike Draper) in Whitehorse -- that's only 1880 km away. 😮

It's "mad dog". 😂 Took me a second or two to figure out what was meant by "wonder dog."

I created this reply by using the click-and-highlight function. Just as I did in this instance.

I created this post using the lower-left quote button.