This is a brief addition as I wait for paint to dry before application of Gloss Acrylic to the Ocean. I find that it may be confusing trying to create an accurate depiction of the movie vessel combatants. I have already explained my modifications to the Type VII C U-Boat to make it appear more like a Type B, although there are other things I would have to remove from the the sub to make it more "movie" accurate.
My discussion today is focused on the Destroyer Escort. It is a Buckley Class DE, the USS England. The movie was filmed using the Buckley Class DE, Whitehurst. While very similar, it is the 1957 Whitehurst and not the WWII Whitehurst as is the USS England. This has presented many challenges in terms of trying to accurately reproduce the movie scene while trying to depict the fictitious USS Haynes, a WWII Buckley Class Destroyer Escort. I have used many views in the movie (the Whitehurst) for depiction of the the deck and platform railings, and the 26ft. Motor Whaleboat. But there are components of the model kit, the WWII USS England, that don't conform to the 1957 USS Whitehurst. A glaring example is the more modern radar that is shown rotating in several movie scenes. No such equipment is on a WWII DE. The England also has torpedo tubes amidship, which the Whitehurst most likely had but were removed in favor of additional equipment and life rafts. The Buckley has the Hedgehog Projector which, if used, may have sunk the U-Boat, but that would ruin the story! Even the movie dialog refers to this fact during the identification scene - " American escort destroyer, 3 inch guns fore and aft, anti-air craft amidships, one Stack, no tubes - Buckley Klasse Destroyer Escort, depth charges and k guns, able to lunch 17 patterns, latest under water detection gear,".
There are other dissimilarities such as my installation of the Twin Bofors, which the Navsource site lists as part of the USS England armament. When the USS Haynes goes to battle stations you see the 1957 Whitehurst quad Bofors mount!
Following the paraphrased dialog noted above (no tubes) the opening scenes have the kitchen waste being dumped over the fantail where the USS England has rear firing torpedo tubes.
Ah, well, we do what we can and go with it.
Now I have to run out and buy Gloss Acrylic!!!
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