by Ralf Roggeveen
1/700 British K and M Class submarines (HP)
Large British submarines of the 1920s. The idea was to produce a 'submersible destroyer', a powerful submarine that could keep up with the battlefleet and wreak havoc amongst an unsuspecting enemy during a general engagement. The steam-powered K Class was ready before the end of the Great War, though they only managed to sink and damage friendly ships in collisions. On the surface they could make a fantastic 21 knots, but it took half an hour to pull the funnels in and go below water; far too long for practical use had they been available at a battle like Jutland. The three M Class subs were originally submersible monitors, each carrying an enormous 12 inch gun. In 1927 M2 was converted to an aircraft carrier role, the gun being replaced by a hangar into which they squeezed a specially-designed Parnell Peto twin-float seaplane. As the model shows, this could be launched from its catapult even when the mothership was moving. Tragically she sank with all 60 hands lost, including two members of the RAF, in 1932. This accident may have been caused by diving with the hangar doors still open. So, though impressive, neither type was a great success; but they helped to pave the way for large post-WW2 submarines. Many modern subs are, of course, steam-driven, but using a nuclear reactor, rather than coal-fired boilers, to generate power!
The scene in this diorama is imaginary because it would have to be after M2's carrier conversion in 1927, whereas K6 was actually scrapped in 1926. The two real boats do, however, appear together in photographs taken before M2's change of role when she was still a monitor. I wanted to show the K Boat making steam, leaving an enormous wake, and the fact that the aircraft could leave M2 even while she was in motion. HP Models are a superb range, but you do not get any photo-etch, so that must be scratchbuilt. I added White Ensign rails, Hawk Graphics decals and flags from HP's own range. (K6 should probably have identification on either side of the conning tower, as well as in front, but you need to save those precious 'K's for WW2 corvettes!). When I asked my wife what she thought of this little diorama she said that the boats are a bit 'submerged' and not very easy to make out. That is, of course, the general idea with submarines, proving that the real thing had a low profile and was well-camouflaged. The model of K6 is 6 inches (just over 15 cm) long - the real K6 was 338ft in length.
