I read The Cruel Sea so many times, my copy, bought in 1977, used, is beat up and well read. Just like an old friend, the book stuck with me through thick and thin. Of all my favorite war movies, "The Cruel Sea" is the only one filmed faithfully to the novel. I love them both. Very nice model, by the way. Weathering nicely done and so is the build. The layout will be very impressive! The fictional HMS Compass Rose (K49) has the perfect name for a Flower Class corvette. Could you imagine being assigned to duty on HMS Buttercup or Honeysuckle?! The real corvette shown in the film was HMS Coreopsis (K32). She had her fair share of convoy duty and also participated in the invasion of Normandy in 1944. Her last honor was to play the starring role as HMS Compass Rose (K49) in The Cruel Sea in 1952 (my birth year) before being scrapped. I am currently building a scratchbuilt short focs'le Flower Class (full hull) model using plans obtained from the Canadian National Archives reduced from 1/4"=1' scale down to 1/16"=1' (1/192nd scale) for the model using a molded fiberglass hull from an original wood mold. So far, I am thoroughly enjoying the build, very relaxing. Not sure which Canadian corvette she will depict just yet, but it will likely be the HMCS Agassiz (K129) as I like the as-built all gray color scheme. Best of luck with your project!
I was commissioned as a US Naval reserve officer in 1978. I was ordered to active duty after various reserve training courses over the previous year in Aug 1979. As an Ensign I had never been to sea for more than 2 weeks at a time before my "call-up" for 4 years of active duty. My last night as a civilian was spent in a hotel just outside Newport , RI. I watched "The Cruel Sea" alone in my hotel, that last night. The screams of the men trapped below deck as the Captain's first ship was sunk were burned into my brain. I wondered what type of ship I would be assigned and I actually wanted a DD. I got an LPH. But when I bought my first small sailboat, a 26 ft sloop, I named her "Compass Rose".
What a great story. I bet being on a Helo ship was an interesting assignment? The Cruel Sea is definitely one of those tales that stays with you in all of its details! I hope your sloop fared better than the Corvette! Thank you for watching. Regards, Jason
I deployed out on the Okinawa and the Tripoli. Beasts rolled about sort of like what the Corvettes are reputed to have been. The LHAs (Deployed on Tarawa's maiden WESTPAC) were a big 'quality of life' improvement. My dad was a merchant service officer during WWII.
@@jasonpierce-newmodelbarmy3394 Very cool to read that. I'm assuming that that title was unique to 'youse across the pond. Private company contracted these officers onto merchant vessels to ensure standards of communications? When I was on a merchant tanker as a kid about 1970, the ship had a Radio Operator. I thought that the Radio Room was the coolest, as most all the gear was "steam-punky" from 1942, when the ship was launched as a T-2.
Lovely model and a great film. I'm retired now, but I remember we read the book in class at school back in the1960's. Along with 'In Which We Serve', 'The Cruel Sea' is one of the classic British films.
Read the book several times. Watched the movie many times as well. Kenneth Moor was perfect as the captain. One of my top three war movies and books. Very fine job on the model. Thinking I might have to get one for myself. Thank you.
Thank you for watching. Capt Ericson was actually played by Jack Hawkins but I’m sure Kenneth Moore would have been on their shortlist…..he was excellent as Douglas Bader in reach for the sky. If you buy this kit don’t give yourself a deadline😉😂
He served on HMS Godetia which only lasted a couple of months in 1940. It was sunk when one of the convoy ships it was escorting accidently rammed it during the night!
A very nice build - thanks for sharing. You've done a great job with the crew, and what a shame that the manufacturers didn't think to include any. I had the same problem when building model vehicles many years ago, and that was before you could buy extras on eBay. Also a great job waterlining: I recall happy days waterlining 1/600 warships using a similar method, until one enlightened day, Airfix (and I think it was the Belfast kit) provided an internal groove in the hull sides that you could use to cut an accurate waterline. Am surprised the Revell kit didn't have this.
Amazing job 👏 this gives me ideas for either a diorama or a scene on my oo scale layout, although I'd have to build part or the full model of a liberty ship or a LST (based in spring 1944 just before D-Day...
I'm building the 1:72 version for RC, four part hull and that's a chore, plus the decks are wrong. Due to time, health, inclination it's stalled. I love the film, the Cruel Sea too. You've done a cracking job btw👍✌️💜😊
Thank you. I started the old Matchbox 1/72 kit years ago, my dad bought it for me to build him the Compass Rose……I never finished it so I owed him this one!
@@jasonpierce-newmodelbarmy3394 Bless you - like you I've been model making a long time and apart from a very bad 1:72 Herc, it's one of the worst kits I've encountered (although I stalled on a lovely Mustang kit after a house move). The 1:72 Corvette kit is a challenge, but not in a good way, mine has lots of sink/gas marks and ill fitting superstructure parts, so it's a slog - I was debating using some some of Parkins' parts, we'll see. I've gained a nice MTB kit that is easier to build and RC. But I love Covettes and the Cruel Sea so......🤔🤔🙄💔🤔
That is awesome, the detail is amazing, based on a classic film. well done! looking forward to seeing more of this ship. Just a random thought I had whilst watching,, it would look cool with a smoke generator installed to come from the funnel.
That's a great idea, however the layout is going to be fully enclosed with just an opening like a single film frame to view the scene....so it would fill with smoke pretty quickly.....I like where you were going with it though.
Glad you had the opportunity to see it finished in person........I've got a long layout build ahead of me though!!........it might be finished in time for your next visit lol.
Looks great. It inspires me to build my Revell model of the U.S.S. Ward (The first U.S. Ship to fire upon the enemy, just prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. it sank an enemy sub).
PS - The only other Ship-Model I ever tried to build was the U.S.S. Forrestal, a ship I had served on back when I was a teenager in the Navy. The build was going just fine, until I found out that the bridge of the ship was missing from the brand new from a hobby shop model, and that was the part of the ship I worked on (What are the odds of That Happening? 😀). I haven't built another model since. Maybe it's time to give it another shot.
Hi, just found and watched your video....excellent job on the kit! I have the 1/72 Platinum Edition in the stash and had always intended to build it as Compass Rose, given that The Cruel Sea has always been one of my all-time favourite films. I've been scouring the internet for some time to try and find out the differences between HMS Snowberry, as Revell released the kit, and Compass Rose as seen in the film. You mentioned the lack of Oerlikons on the Bridge of Compas Rose, which I'd already picked up, and obviously the nameplate and hull lettering, but do you know if there are any other differences at all that I should reflect in my 1/72 version of Compass Rose please?
@@davidallen1213 Hi David, I’m glad that you enjoyed the video. The only other really obvious difference that I spotted was the arrangement of the Carley float life-rafts. I opted to stick with the kit but adapting your model to be more faithful to the film should be pretty straightforward. Good luck with your build. Best regards, Jason.
@@davidallen1213 Compass Rose had two floats stacked one on top of the other on just one mount both port and stbd. The kit has single floats on two mounts both port and stbd.
I have 3 of them to build for my layout, but I'm converting them to short forecastle early versions so I have a lit if work to do. What's the manufacturer of your Navy figures, I'd like to order some fir ny small flotilla.
Wow, three of them is a huge undertaking! Good luck with your build. The RN personnel were sourced on eBay, they are very good resin printed figures they also do a gun crew and deck swabbing party.
@@jasonpierce-newmodelbarmy3394 Just found them and will be ordering a few sets. The 3 Corvettes are just some of the ship models I have to build for my Model Railway as it's based around a dock railway. I also have 3 1/150 scale Heller ships, Cape Horn and 2 Passat's, I also have 7 of the Revel trawlers for conversion into 1930s costal freighters and I've got teh German version of the Fletcher Class Destroyer I'm going to modify to look like a a British Escort Destroyer, I've also been using two Revell LSTs hulls cut and shunted into a kind of mock up of a Liberty Type freighter, using the super structure from yet another Corvette ( I think I've had around 10 corvette models since Amazon have been selling them at £36, back up to £40 now but still cheap enough for doner ships)
