The
Airfix 1/72 Vosper Motor Torpedo Boat plastic model kit accurately recreates the real life attack vessel. This plastic ship kit requires paint and glue to complete.
The smallest and fastest of operational Royal Navy craft during the Second World War, the motor torpedo boat with the advantage of shallow draught and speed contributed greatly to the successes attributed to the Navy for enemy ships sunk from 1939-45. By the end of the war a fleet of more than 1,500 small boats was operated under the British flag.
Methods of torpedo attack varied with circumstances. Darkness was preferred, and due to the fluorescent nature of the wake created at speed, MTBs usually lay in wait with their engines stopped, in the path of a convoy, then with silent running on the auxiliary engines, launched their torpedoes, crash-started the main engines and retired before a counter-attack could be mounted.
Mine-laying was another task of the MTB while a further duty was the delivery and collection of secret agents and commandos on the enemy-occupied coasts. In the seas around Britain a total of 269 ships were sunk for the loss of 76 of this type of vessel. A crew of 13 was carried and three Packard engines 3,600/4,500bhp gave a speed of 30-40 knots. Armament comprised one twin 20mm cannon forward, two .5in guns and two twin .303in machine guns. Length 73ft and beam 19ft 6in.
The kit represents a Vosper 73ft (third series) MTB which was developed from the company's earlier 70ft (first series) and 72.5 ft (second series) boats and differed externally in having four 18in torpedo tubes on a flush deck as opposed to the earlier two-tube boats. This third series 73ft craft entered service in 1944.
Manufacturer:
Airfix Model:
05280 Vosper Motor Torpedo BoatScale: 1/72
