1/600 Gripsholm 1924 (Scratchbuilt)
|
by Patrick Camilleri |
1/600 Gripsholm 1924 (Scratchbuilt)
The Gripsholm was built by Armstrong Whitworth & Co for the Swedish American Line for the Gothenburg-New York run and was the first diesel powered motor vessel built for the transatlantic service. From 1942 to 1946 she was taken over by the United States Department of State as an exchange and repatriation ship. She carried German and Japanese nationals to exchange points where she picked up American and Canadian citizens to repatriate to the US and Canada. She sailed under the auspices of the International Red Cross. She was painted white with Swedish colours on the hull and the words DIPLOMAT and GRIPSHOLM SVERIGE in large letters on her sides to clearly identify her. She was ordered to sail with all her lights blazing at night to ensure easy identification in an effort to avoid accidental attacks. She survived the war and was finally scrapped in 1966.The model was constructed using varying thicknesses of plastic card and plastic rod. The boats were cast in resin. PE was by Tom's Model Works.
