The above image shows HMS Hood shortly after her construction with both types of winch clearly visible. There are two VSWs between the forward and aft turret pairs plus two more on the starboard quarterdeck . Two EWs are placed at B-barbette, two on either side on the conning tower, two near the boat derricks, and two against the quarterdeck bulkhead. The winches near the turrets aren’t positioned symmetrically, so not all winches are shown on the above photograph.

If you look very closely, you’ll notice that the rigging of the boat cranes was changes at the end of Hoods career. Two winches were placed on the structure between the funnels as indicated above (reconstructed winch shown). All (most?) references indicate these winches are the same winches as previously placed on deck level but changed position. But then there would be no winch to drive the derrick, only the hook, and the rigging scheme no longer makes sense: these have to be new winches to operate the derricks. Images showing both in a single shot weren’t found.

The evidence is really staring you in the face if you look closely at the above photograph from the official HMS Hood site of these two sailors posing in front of the boat derrick’s EW. The 16″dinghy stowed to the bulkhead and the 25″ fast motor boat indicate this picture was taken after the winches were placed between the funnels and yet a winch remains visible. So, the number of EWs was increased to ten, though only eight models are required.

The left half of the image shows how the rigging of the boat derricks was lead to these new winches. The right half of the image shows that the two EWs on the quarterdeck were later moved inside and only the drums remain visible. No small wonder, considering that Hoods quarterdeck was always flooded when underway. Having the winches inside isn’t new, all the Queen Elizabeth battleships have their winches inside.

After having done a thorough head counter the two types of winches were traced using a CAD program. Some perspective is always present but they should be reasonably accurate. The VSWs still remain a bit of a guess though.

The main difficulty in making the winches are the drums. I spent many hours trying the get the lathe to do what I wanted and made many failed attempts. The drum was made from brass stock. made flush and the center was marked. A 1.0mm hole was drilled in next. The lathe was set to make a tube with a wall thickness of 0.1mm. The lathe was set at its maximum rpm.

The tube was parted from the stock brass using a parting tool bought from MicroMark and ground to a 0.4mm width as visible top left. Note I use the drill to support to tube while parting. Although I broke a few drills while experimenting (parting tool not set at the correct height), there really was no way to get a good tube without supporting it, otherwise the lathe tears the tube from the rod. This exercise was repeated for the styrene insert, drilled in with a 0.4mm drill, cut to size and fitted with stock styrene rod.

The next part proved to be very troublesome: I wanted to have 5 holes in the drum, spaced out at 72 degrees. I initially glued the brass tube to stock styrene by Plastruct, but small deviations in its roundness made this a futile effort. The rod was simply not accurate enough and I spent many hours and breaking many drills getting the part right. When using rod made to size with the lathe, I had no such problems and the five holes could be drilled in. I set the drill press to a high rpm and mounted the drum on the divider (Proxxon). You have to be really careful here, as the drill can occasionally push the styrene our and you can also crush the drum with ease in the chuck. Of course, this happened a few times.

Eight drums are now sitting comfortably in the EWs. The winches are built from mainly lathed parts.

Here you can see the completed EWs, with the etched parts for the control box and the some hand wheels. A nice exercise in getting to know the lathe better.

The Mk V gun is the prewar version (then called the Mk M, M for multiple) first fitted to HMSs Valiant, Nelson, Rodney, Hood, Furious, Royal Sovereign and Renown. The Mk VI, fitted in 1934 and onward, is nearly the same with minor differences in the platform and gun cradle (central weapon housing). Several capital ships were fitted with one or two of either type, although a shortage of the guns meant that Renown and Valiant initially received only one. Both types were later updated to automated fire resulting in the Mk VA and Mk VIA. Guns designated with a * behind their Mark denote a weapon fitted with guns firing a shell at a higher muzzle velocity. Later versions were remote powered denoted RP10, RP11 and RP50. Most ships were fitted with a mix of versions of both Mks or remote power units. The Mk VII is the quadruple version with again many variants, e.g., the Mk VIII*P being the high muzzle-velocity self-contained power mounting. The late war version of both the octuple (Mk VIA* rpxx with the aft part of the mount fully enclosed by shielding) and quad guns (Mk VII P*) are much more complicated to make and are a completely different weapon to model. Of course, John Lambert drawings has all of them but you have to stop somewhere. The differences between the Mk V and Mk VI are slight but as HMS Hood has two Mk Vs and one Mk VI (on the bandstand just behind X-turret) I wanted to have both correctly modeled. I currently do not know for sure how to distinguish between the normal and automatic (A) fire guns or high-velocity versions, but I suspect that the (conical) flash suppressor is typical for the automatic version? Most ships were upgraded to these types of barrel at some point in their life.

I have prepared a few images showing the early/mid war versions of the weapon and how to recognize them.

This is an excellent image of a Mk M or Mk V aboard HMS Rodney, taken from Man O’War 3 (1979) by Raven & Roberts. Note the small ‘hatch’ on top of the gun cradle. This is typical for the Mk V. No flash suppressors are seen on this weapon. It appears that the gun sites are already the more modern version than those on the Mk M. Note the two sailors loading the ammunition.

The Mk VIA* is the gun you’ll see on most ships, here aboard HMS Prince of Wales taken from Ensign 1 (1972) by Raven. Note the structure on top of the gun cradle is different and two ridges are visible. This weapon was fitted with flash suppressors at the end of the gun barrels. The early ships of the King George V class were delivered with these weapons, later expanded to as much as eight octuple mountings. Note that the gun sights are the sights in most photo-etch detail sets, but that these sights do not appear on early versions of the pompoms.

This is an image of a pompom Mk VA* aboard HMS Nelson or Rodney (forgot source). Note the small hatch on the gun cradle in combination of the flash suppressors at the end of the gun barrels, so we can be sure this is a Mk V, not a Mk VI. After both Rodney and Nelson where fitted with more pompoms near their secondary battery, quarterdeck and B-turret (Mk VIA), it appears that the older Mk V weapons received new guns. Pictures of either vessel (and many others ships) after fitting the additional modern pom poms do no longer show the barrels without the flash suppressors.

This image shows Mk VIs prior to 1939 without the flash suppressors. Images of this version are a bit harder to find. Note the ridges on top of the gun cradle. The top of the image is part of a photograph taken on board HMS Ark Royal from British Battleships of World War Two (1976) by Raven & Roberts; the two lower images were taken aboard HMS Hood with permission from the official HMS Hood site. Again, the ridge on top of the gun cradle is visible. Note that the weapon was not fitted with flash suppressors at the end of the gun barrels, so those suppressors clearly do not give away the type of mounting version.

This pom pom has water cooling jackets around the barrels, indicative of it being an RSP mount. Note the splinter shielding on the aft platform of the weapon. HMSs Howe and Anson were fitted with these modern variants. This image is reproduced with permission from Maritime Quest.

I made a small list of what battleship was fitted with what type of weapon and if they were fitted with or without the flash suppressors (new barrels) so you know what gun to place on what ship. This list is based mostly on Raven & Roberts British Battleships of World War Two, one of the few references that state what weapon was fitted, though not in full detail for each ship. The list is complemented and corrected by observation of what pics I could find that clearly show the type of barrel and/or type. It’s not always clear if, for example, HMS Valiant or HMS Queen Elizabeth retained their older pompoms after their refit, as with HMS Rodney and HMS Nelson, or received all-new units as with HMS Renown. I’ll try to keep this list updated when necessary.

LIST OF GUNS
Last update: June 2010.

HMS Queen Elizabeth
1936 2x Mk VI
1941 4 x Mk VI*A (new barrels)
HMS Valiant
1930 1 x Mk V (starboard only)
1932 2 x Mk V
1941 4 x Mk VI*A (new barrels)
HMS Barham
1934 2 x Mk VI
1941 4 x Mk VI (new barrels)
HMS Warspite
1934-36 1 x Mk V , 1 x Mk VI
1937 1 x Mk V , 3 x Mk VI (4 x Mk VI?, new barrels)
Images taken in 1937 show old barrels, but new barrels in 1943. Replaced during the refit in 1942? All units replaced?
1941 1 x Mk V , 3 x Mk VI (new barrels?)
HMS Malaya
??? 1 x Mk V, 1 x Mk VI
1941 1 x Mk V, 3 x Mk VI (new barrels)

HMS Hood
1931 2 x Mk M
1938 2 x Mk M, 1 x Mk VI

HMS Renown
1932 1 x Mk V (port side not fitted)
1936 1 x Mk V, 1 x Mk VI
1939 3 x Mk VI*A (all replaced, new barrels)
HMS Repulse
1932 2 x Mk V
1940 2 x Mk V, 1 x Mk VI

HMS Rodney
1932/33 2 x Mk V Abreast forward side funnel
1938 2 x Mk V, 1 Mk VI*A (aft deck)

This image taken in October 1940 shows the new type of barrel aboard HMS Rodney. Image from the Imperial War Museum Collections Online Database.
1941 2 x Mk V, 3x Mk VI (one on aft deck) 1 Mk VII on B-turret (all new barrels?)

HMS Nelson
1934 2 x Mk V Abreast forward side funnel
1940 3 x Mk V (one on Q-deck), + 2 x Mk VI (in place of secondary director-control tower)
1941-1942 3 x Mk V, 2 x Mk VI + 1 Mk VI on B-turret (6) (new barrels)

HMS Resolution
1936 2 x Mk V/VI?
1941 2 x Mk V/VI? , 2 x Mk VII (B-turret, Q-deck, new barrels)

This image of HMS Resolution from the HMS Resolution association shows new barrels for the octuple pompoms.
HMS Revenge
1931 1 x Mk V (starboard only)
1939 1 x Mk V, 1 x Mk V/VI (type not know, probably Mk VI)
1941 1 x Mk V, 1 x Mk V/VI?, 2 x Mk VII (B-turret, X-turret, new barrels)
HMS Royal Oak
1934 2 x Mk VI
HMS Royal Sovereign
1932 2 x Mk V
1942 2 x Mk V, 2 x Mk VII (B-turret, X-turret, new barrels)
HMS Ramillies
1934 2 x Mk VI
1941 2 x Mk VI, 2 x Mk VII (B-turret, X-turret, new barrels)

This image from 1944 is reproduced with permission by Mick French & the HMS Ramillies Association, showing new barrels on the quad pompoms. The octuple mounts show flash suppressors.

King George V class
All ships had the Mk VI or later with the new barrel
HMS King George V
1940 4 x Mk VI
1941 5 x Mk VI, 1 x Mk VII (Y-turret)
1944 8 x Mk VI
HMS Prince of Wales
1941 March 4 x Mk VI
1941 July 5 x Mk VI, 1 x Mk VII

This image from the Imperial War Museum Collections Online Database clearly shows that a quad pompom was fitted to HMS Prince of Wales, still present on images taken as late as December 1941; she never carried an octuple pompom on her Y-turret.

HMS Duke of York
6 x Mk VI
1946 8 x Mk VI, 6 x Mk VII
HMS Anson
1942 6 x Mk VI RSP?
1944 8 x Mk VI RSP?, 4 x MK VII
HMS Howe
1942 6 x Mk VI RSP?
1944 8 x Mk VI RSP?,
1945 8 x Mk VI RSP?, 6 x Mk VII

The lantern is mostly made up from etched parts with one large to-be-rolled strip and some additional detail parts.

The rolling took some testing (made a few test lanterns first), but worked out well in the end. A stepped end cap was made with the lathe later sanded down to give the lantern its curved back.

The top detail has a small positioning block for the exact positioning (see top image, center, repeated on the rear surface of the detail part), the side parts are aligned on the lantern’s inclination axis. A small jig was made to hold the lantern in place while gluing the front detail into position.

The parts on the side really add a lot of wonderful detail. The parts were first rolled into shape and then added.

And here are the completed parts. Some brass wire (0.1) is added to the lantern top. The searchlight can still rotate for ease of painting. I doubt the inclination axis (i.e., small brass wire) will be visible after painting as a) the searchlights were usually set looking downward and b) I think I’ll add some glazing material to the PE front.

I used a drawing from the Grand Prix Shuppan series as a starting point for the design of the etched parts. Most early Japanese warships had Royal Navy style equipment on board and this drawing is an excellent match.

Note that the paravanes are not stored flat to the bulkhead, but at an angle. There’s a lifting eye on the superstructure and a hoist on the paravane that is off center so this was probably the easiest way to store it.

The part itself is made up from a tapered tube (lathe) and a series of etched parts. The cradles are already fixed to the models. The hoists aren’t in the same spot, but these parts are very very small and also not well visible when fixed to the model.

There isn’t really much else to say, except that they are very small and took about five hours to assemble.

The model did start out as the model by White Ensign. I first bought the model by Iron Shipwright but was so disappointed by the quality I sent it back. The WEM model was much better but still… a few changes here and there…. Already the quarterdeck was leveled and replaced by grooved styrene.

The bridge was partly replaced based on the drawings also sold at WEM’s. Still, didn’t feel quite right.

Much better! All possible sources of error removed. All WEM parts were trashed and even the etch set was declared obsolete (but found a good home). By this time you might be thinking: wasn’t that a really expensive model? Yes, it was. Nowhere near as expensive as it is now, mind you, so water under the bridge.

The forecastle and quarterdeck hatches were to be modeled as open, so the rooms below decks were made to scale. I now want to have HMS Hood modeled underway to intercept Bismarck with all ladders stowed, so I guess I have to close both hatches.

These two pics show the new grooved styrene in place. The new hull plating is visible. This was a major disaster and took a lot of time to correct. Looks alright now, but it’s still a good argument to make a waterline model!

This is one of the earlier attempts at making the superstructure. It was reasonably well on its way but was later scrapped. The plating was too thin and the part is not solid enough. Nor is the current part but it doesn’t deform as much as this one. Note: this is a bad way for making a superstructure.

Same for this little part. In fact, the entire bridge, superstructure, funnels and aft searchlight platform were made at least once and later thrown away. No wonder the model isn’t done.

Turrets, Mk I. No, still not good enough. Who would have thought I would be sending new turrets back to WEM?

So, not counting the hull, I could have had at least two almost complete HMS Hood models done by now. But I kept the hull and that is a constant source of worry; the decks are glued in place with superglue and the thought of the failure of that bond alone… But so much work was done on the hull that I had to keep it; all the latest parts fit so nice to the old hull that I won’t risk a new one. All the armor plating was completely replaced too, so there’s a bit of resin hull in there but not on the outside. The deck problem is also fixed; the superstructure will be directly fixed into the resin with very small M1 screws (I’ll have another post on that subject later). Should have known earlier that that was a good idea, but I suppose that is part of the learning process too? For me, modeling is about recreating the parts and having fun and not about actually finishing the model. Still, I’m set of finishing it within one or two years now. That’s quite soon, isn’t it?

I had three copies made. I decided to spread around the parts so that I would need at least two sets with one for backup. This was probably a good decision; the parts are already falling out of the set as the material holding them in place was designed a bit too thin. An overview with most of the parts is below. The color is a bit off; the material is silvery in appearance.

All stairs from the previous set were repeated; I made a design error and couldn’t fold the steps without breaking them. This is now solved. Each deck has stairs etched to size to account for the different deck heights. The spacing between the steps was changed accordingly, so you shouldn’t be able to notice the slight variations in height and span. The model will depict HMS Hood just under way, so the accommodation ladders and stairs on the quarterdeck will be stored.

1 Shelter deck of signal platform
2 Signal platform to conning tower platform
3 Conning tower platform to Admiral’s bridge (large)
4 Behind torpedo control position
5 Admiral’s bridge to fore bridge (direct)
6 Admiral’s bridge to fore bridge (via upper plotting position)
7 Forecastle deck to shelterdeck (wide, outboard)
8 Forecastle deck to shelterdeck (narrow, on centerline)
9 Conning tower platform to Admiral’s bridge (small)
10 Air defense platform to roof torpedo control position
11 Accommodation ladder, shelterdeck
12 Admiral’s accommodation ladder, quarterdeck
13 Fore bridge to compass platform
14 Forecastle deck to shelterdeck (forward)
15 Quarterdeck to shelterdeck
16 Quarterdeck stair platform (stowed version)
17 Foot plates with “Hood”, (Checkered foot plates around 12)
18 Flag lockers, grid plus cabinet

A large selection of cordage reels is included. I found 5 different types and designed them based on photographs on board HMS Hood, and various museum ships.

1 New Quarterdeck hatch aft of Y-turret
2 Hatches for cabinet on main starfish
3 Small cordage reels
4 Medium cordage reeks
5 Very large cordage reels
6 Large cordage reels (two styles)
(Very small cordage reels places elsewhere)
7 Detail for X-turret and 20″ signal light detail
8 Night life buoy (repeat)
9 UP ammo locker hatches (repeat)
10 Assorted detail for electrical winches
11 Semaphores
12 Rigging detail (repeat)
13 Funnel walkways
14 Type 279 radar aerial

1 Detail for main derrick
2 Assorted eyelets for all derricks
3 Main derrick pulley frames
4 Crane hook main derrick
5 Crane hook small derrick
6 Assorted detail paravanes
7 Assorted detail Pompom director Mk II
8 Escape manhole hatch (omitted in previous set)
9 Assorted detail 4″ gun fuse setters
10 Searchlight lanterns
11 Carley float type 17, 8×12 ft
12 Carley float type 20, 5×10 ft
13 Carley float type 19, 5×8 ft
14 Davit detail

1 Checkered foot plates
2 Small outboard platform of forecastle deck
3 Flag lockers, grid plus cabinet
4 New torpedo hatch (near forward breakwater)
5 Very small cordage reels (not fixed properly)
6 Very small mushroom vents grid
7 Assorted eyelets
8 Awning detail (perhaps too small)
9 Railing around staircases, one end open
10 Railing around staircases, both ends open
11 Torpedo head hatch hinge (on the side of the hull)
12 Hatches ammo storage on shelterdeck
13 Railing around searchlight positions
14 Railing for funnel walkway
15 Railing superstructure (chain)

1 Assorted detail octuple Pompom Mk V
2 Assorted detail octuple Pompom Mk VI

1 Assorted detail searchlight director
2 Assorted detail air-lookout position
3 Assorted detail air-defense officer’s sight
4 Assorted detail Pompom director Mk I
5 New hatch capstan engine room (near anchors)
6 Aerials MF/DF office
7 Hatch
8 Vickers quad machine gun (repeat)
9 35ft fast motor boat ladders (accidentally added twice)
10 Main mast stays
11 Hatch cover frame
12 Hawse pipe cover
13 Hatches
14 Quad Pompom

I decided not to use any commercial railing, as HMS Hood has five styles I wanted to have correctly modeled (one being for the funnel walkway). Note that the railing style on the main deck is a wide three-bar , while it has a shorter spacing between stanchions on the shelterdeck. The rest of the railing on HMS Hood is all two-bar except for the funnel walkway. Having two-bar railing above the shelterdeck is a detail missed by most modelers.

1 Railing quarterdeck and forecastle deck
2 Railing shelterdeck
3 Railing superstructure (chain)
3 Railing superstructure (bar)

Pictures of HMS Hood taken weeks before her loss do not show the aerial clearly. But, at least there is ‘something’ visible. Unfortunately, the Type 279M radar is usual a ‘something’ on a picture, showing itself barely visible high up in the masts of battleships and cruisers. One must also be careful, as the radar aerial Type 281 (fitted with a Type 240 IFF antenna) looks a lot like the Type 279 (fitted with a Type 243 IFF antenna).

All these antenna do show to have a small service platform that seems to be standard on all vessels and Raven & Roberts “Battleships of WWII” & “Cruisers of WWII” show the same platform drawn on the masts. I assume that platform is of the same dimensions for both the Type 279 and the Type 281. The measurements of the aerial themselves are known, as the span of the dipole array is half the wave length of the system, and dipoles are a quarter wave length apart. The wave length was 7.5 m for the Type 279 radar

The left image is a drawing from Roger Hayward’s “Cruisers in camera” of the Type 279. At right, a picture is shown from Ross Watton’s “Anatomy of the ship: the cruiser HMS Belfast”, showing the Type 281. This was my best starting point for the Type 279M dimensions.

The best picture is from Roberts & Raven “BB’s of WWII”, page 387, showing the topmast of HMS Queen Elizabeth in 1941 and is the only good (if not excellent) photograph of the aerial. It also shows the gaff from the aft of the service platform that was present on HMS Hood as well. In order to access the platform, the ladder had to be on the front of the mast and this is visible on some pictures. The right half of the pictures shows the Type 279 (top row) and Type 281 (bottom row). Except for the differences in the aerials themselves, it appears that the Type 279 has one less masthead insulator and the platform support bracket near the mast is angled for the Type 279 and straight for the Type 281.

The mast of HMS Hood is seen “clearly” at left . Some cabinet is still present on the aft star fish. The right picture is reproduced from the Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum with permission, showing HMS Hood in May or April 1941. The gaff is a clear indicator the radar platform was fitted and the platform and radar mast are visible, although just barely.

This image I found at the Royal Navy’s Museum of Radar and Communication. This picture (reproduced with permission) is absolutely fabulous, showing the Type 279 radar with the 243 IFF antenna in great detail, found here on the site of the museum (page 81/82).

Having now spent a few days flipping through my books and seriously searching the net, I think I can now make a cute mini 279 aerial.

Here is a unique image of the ADP of HMS Hood. Some equipment is visible and was an unknown to me before starting doing some research. If you want to learn more about how and why the bridge of a British warship was equipped, I suggest reading The British High Angle Control System (HACS) by Tony Tony DiGiulian at the navweps website or the High Angle Firing chapter in the Gunnery Pocket Book at the Historical Naval Ships Association.

The ADP has a control team consisted of the Air Defense Officer (ADO) and his assistant. He has a special ADO sight that can indicate the to-be-engaged aircraft by relaying a target bearing. Such an ADO sight is thus an aircraft bearing indicator but this sight also functions as a star shell sight at night. The other ADO sight is manned by his assistant, so two of these sights are present. There are six so-called Air-Lookouts (ALOs), three on each side of the ship’s bridge. Each ALO continuously observes an arc of the sky around the ship, watching for aircraft to appear. The ALO uses a position with a pair of binoculars. Once an aircraft is spotted and marked by the ADO, the High-Angle Control System (HACS) will determine the target’s speed and bearing so that it can be engaged by the heavy anti-aircraft artillery. Each large capital ship was typically fitted with three or four of such HACS directors. The model of the HACS is described here. Next to the HACS directors, a series of close-range pompom directors are fitted. HMS Hood was fitted with one such director for each pom pom gun, one Mark I and two mark IIs ). The pom pom and HACS directors in the Royal Navy were all fitted with the Yagi radar aerials later, but HMS Hood was sunk before those radars were fitted. One piece of equipment present on other ships that probably would have been fitted to HMS Hood was the Auto-Barrage Unit (ABU) that determined the range of the enemy aircraft, in order for all anti-air guns to fire a single barrage.

Several directors for the searchlights were also present next to these air-defence positions. There is a single searchlight sight per searchlight, but as the two ADO sights can also act as a searchlight bearing indicators, HMS Hood was fitted with four additional searchlight sights.

The captain himself also has a bearing indicator that was placed on HMS Hood, but not on the inside of the bridge probably due to space constrains. On the King George V class, these sights were placed inside. A final sight, according to John Roberts, is a UP sight placed near the upper ADP of HMS Hood. No information was found on this particular sight.

So, the typical equipment found on RN warships is one pair of captain sights, a pair of ADO sights, two pair of searchlight sights (depending on the number of searchlights), three pairs of ALO sights, a pompom director per gun and a number HACS directors. The latter is the only one that is clearly visible on warships.

This image of HMS Prince of Wales’ bridge shows the ADP most clearly. From this picture follows that the sight on HMS Hood’s ADP is the same. The three ALOs are seen clustered together with the pom pom directors fitted a level lower. The searchlight sight (SLS) is just out of view.

A clear top view of the bridge of HMS Duke of York. The three ALOs are well visible. HMS Prince of Wales and HMS King George V have their ALOs clustered together in a single position, but one of the ALOs aboard HMS Duke of York appears to be placed a but further aft. The searchlight sights (SLS) are seen at left below the main fire control director and are wrapped in covers, as are the pom pom directors (PPD). The captains sight is inside the fore bridge and is not visible.

An excellent top view of HMS Queen Elizabeth, clearly showing the six ALO positions and searchlight sights (SLS). The ADO is not visible, but might be located in the fore bridge, as with HMS Warspite (slightly different bridge layout). The ABU is visible bottom right.

A very clear front view of HMS Queen Elizabeth showing the searchlight sights (SLS) and the ABU.

This schematic of the bridge of HMS Victorious shows the same equipment as on the battleships. Even with everything clearly in the open, I haven’t been able to find a good picture of the bridge of a carrier.

Now that I know what to look for, this equipment is visible on most other larger ships and even on monitors such as the layout above indicates, but the quality of most of these images is poor. If you flip through Raven and Roberts Battleships and Cruisers volumes, you’ll notice many (unannotated) positions of the ADP equipment corresponding to the number of directors I now expect on board these vessels.

So, here’s a clear image of HMS Hood showing the location the Captain’s Sight (CS) and UP sight (UPS) as well. This clear image indicates that it is impossible to see any of the items on photographs as described above and the first image in this post of the ADP is the best there is as far as HMS Hood is concerned.

Part II of this post will show the individual units in detail.

Here’s a view of the forward superstructure where the Vickers quad machine guns were placed. As you can see, the structure near these guns is open and show some signs of rearranging the bridge to get them open. A support pillar is almost certainly present, as is the case with the aft Vickers machine guns. I used my newly acquired drill press to drill in the bridge part and added the pedestal to the gun. It can be added fully painted without having to worry too much about masking. It also gives the gun a small handle while paining them. Two ammo lockers are present per gun, although I have no photographic confirmation.

Photographs of the aft Vickers emplacements show that only a single ammo locker was added to the gun platform, so adding two is definitely wrong. This is confirmed by images of wreck debris where one pedestal was found upside down with only one ammo locker. Note in the right half that a small ladder is present and that only a very low single-bar railing is present. So, where is the second locker?

I think—judging from these two photographs from the offical HMS Hood site—the second locker is simply stored on deck.

The emplacements were made using lathe, as the pedestals are small tubes that hold both the guns and fit nicely onto the deck part (The gun is not glued into position). Of course, while writing this blog post I noticed that the locker on deck level for the port side gun was not fitted snugly against the pedestal as on the starboard mount, but some distance to toward the ship center. Ah well.