1/700 British Battleship M2 (Scratchbuilt)
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by Ian Johnston |
1/700 British Battleship M2 (Scratchbuilt)
This model was intended as a rough Œsketch¹ with enough structure
in place in preparation for a more detailed model at 1:350. It shows the
design known by its prefix M2, one of many produced in 1921 when it looked
as if Britain would join the US and Japan in building very large battleships
and battlecruisers. The final battleship design selected was N3 with
triple 18-inch turrets unlike the twins on M2 . The signing of the Washington
Treaty in 1923 put an end to all battleship building programmes. The M2
battleship design like the G3 battlecruiser incorporated all of the experience
gained in WW1 resulting in ships that were almost brutally functional and
not at all like the elegant Hood that preceded her. The four 18-inch turrets
are grouped closely around the bridge structure to make the shortest armoured
citadel while propulsion systems were placed right aft. Basic details were
- 8 x 18-inch; 16 x 6-inch; side armour 15 inches and 8 inch decks on a
hull 815 feet long displacing 48,750 tons at 23 knots. The model was mostly
scratch built with some of the superstructure and secondary armament from
Tamiya¹s Nelson. With only a very simple line drawing to go
on, much of the superstructure and layout is speculative.
