by Nye Nava
1/700 HTMS Maeklong, 1995 (S&S)
In peacetime, HTMS Maeklong served as a training ship for both the naval cadet school and naval rating schools throughout her 58 years of service. Almost all Commander-in-Chiefs of The Royal Thai Navy after the 1970's passed many training courses in this "Great Tutor Ship" when they were cadets. By this time, her superstructure was enlarged and armament was changed. The last figures were 4 x 76/50mm DP guns, 3 x 40/60mm AA guns and 3 x 20/70mm machine guns.
HTMS Maeklong's final voyage was set on 19.03.1995 from the mouth of Maeklong River where she visited and joined a farewell ceremony to Phrachunlachomklao Naval Dockyard where she was put in a drydock and dressed up for her final task, a museum ship. Her original armaments were re-installed. She was towed to Phrachunlachomklao Fort, at the mouth of the Chaophraya River and finally sat on a landlocked display on 18.07.1996
I modified this kit by enlarging the navigation bridge and observation bridges. The US made armaments came from Pit-Road.
