From PeterD: 1:2400 British Naval & 1:1250 Aircraft (39 points)

Peter apparently shares the same writing style as myself in believing 'why use 10 words when 10,000 will do' ...

From Peter:

HMS Renown c1917.  These were part of the grab bag that I acquired from Sylvain.  Although CinC lists these as WW2 models, they in fact represent the Renown and Repulse as built in 1916-7!  Even in WW1 these two went into dock for upgrades so often that they were dubbed HMS Refit and Repair.  The fact that they were armoured on the same level as the I class battlecruisers that had blown up at Jutland didn't help their reputations either!  Between the wars they became very different ships - in fact they were far more valuable fleet units when 20 years old then when they were brand new.   The CinC casting is a complete failure for WW2 but works very well for WW1.  In fact I think they are the only 1:2400 models of these ships for WW1.

HMS Renown

In response to the air fleets launched from HMS Eagle, I've finished some elements from the Italian opposition.  Here we have a formation of 6 SM79 Sparvieros accompanied by two Macchi C200 Saetta.

The SM79 was likely the best Italian aircraft of WW2.  Originally designed as a passenger aircraft, it served in the Spanish Civil War, WW2 and into the 50s.  It was used as a medium bomber and as a torpedo bomber and was especially effective as a TB.  The MC200 Saetta was a fighter than was able to take on the British Hurricanes and P40s and served ever where that the Italians did in WW2.

These are all Cap Aero 1:1250 models mounted on florists wire (visible beneath one of the SM79s in the lower photo).  While the wire looks clunky in unpainted form, I find that you can acheive a disappearing act by painting it blue to match the bases. 

In these photos we see the Regia Aeronautica in action with elements of the RN's Mediterranean fleet (both of WW1 vintage but heavily modified for WW2).   We have HMS Warspite (a ship that should need no introduction) and the C class AA cruiser HMS Cairo.  The ships are of course GHQ 1:2400 models.

HMS Warspite

Finally we have two elements of the Regia Marina at sea, in the form of the Battleship RM Guilio Cesare and the cruiser RM Luigi Cadorna.  These two have been shadowed by two FAA Walruses (single bases) who have vectored in a flight of RAF Beaufort  torpedo bombers (reported piloted by Lts "Brutus" Smith and "Cassius" Jones). The ships are GHQ and the planes CAP Aero.

RM Guilio Cesare and RM Luigi Cadorna

The Cesare was a WW1 design that was upgraded (ok considerably rebuilt) in the 30s.  She served at the Battle of Calabria, where she set a record of sorts thanks to the long range hit that HMS Warspite scored on her.  She also sortied numerous times to intercept British convoys, notably the First Battle of Sirte.  After the war she was transferred to the USSR and served as the Novorossiysk before being sunk by ex-German mines, Italian frogmen or random gamma rays from Mars.  She had two sister, the Leonardo Da Vinci (sunk in WW1 by unstable ammo) and the Conte di Cavour (sunk at Taranto by FAA Swordfish).

The Luigi Cadorna was part of the second group of Condottieri cruisers.  She served in the Spanish Civil War and WW2 and was present at Calabria.  Being considered too weakly protected for fleet work she was assigned a range of more dangerous tasks!  These included minelaying and serving as a fast fuel and ammo transport.  She also took part in attempts to intercept RN convoys.  She served in the RM until the early 50s.  A sister the Armando Diaz was sunk by a RN submarine on the Libyan transport run.

(Falls sleeping from chair.) Right!  Oh, are we done? ;p  Seriously, great job on these Peter. I don't know if you need to rework any future flight stands with a pin vise etc. as these look brilliant to me. It's interesting how the difference in scale between the ships and aircraft really makes no difference in the overall aesthetic.

This group of ships and aircraft will give Peter 39 points. Nice work.