A FINELY DETAILED AND WELL-PRESENTED 1:80 SCALE BUILDER'S ST...

Estimate

£8,000 - £10,000

A FINELY DETAILED AND WELL-PRESENTED 1:80 SCALE BUILDER'S STYLE MODEL FOR THE ARMOURED CRUISER H.M.S. GOOD HOPE [1901]

the 78in. laminated and carved hull with sponson guns, bilge keels, oxidised brass anchors and chain, Admiral's stern balcony, gold-plated brass propellers, planked decks replete with detailed metal, wood and composite fittings as appropriate including main and secondary armament, glazed bridge with binnacle over, searchlights, stage funnels with safety valve extension pipes, numerous fully fitted boats and davits, masts with yards and radio aerials and signal lanyards, and much other fine detail, mounted on shaped wooden display base with nameplate with glass cover -- 31 x 90 x 18in. (79 x 228.5 x 45.5cm.)

Good Hope was a 14,000 ton 'Drake' Class armoured cruiser launched by Fairfield SB in 1901. By World War I she was obsolete, but recommissioned from reserve as flagship for Rear Admiral Christopher Craddock's 4th Cruiser Squadron. Steaming off South America looking for German commerce raiders on 1st November, 1914, they encountered a modern squadron led by Admiral Graf Spee. Hopelessly outclassed, Craddock threw everything he had at the Germans, and closed at speed, hoping to at least ram Scharnhorst, Graf Spee's flagship. In the event, he lost power and his magazine blew up sending all 926 officers and crew to their deaths. Graf Spee thought Scharnhorst had scored about 35 hits, whereas Good Hope had only managed two, with minimal damage and no injury. The Battle of Coronel provoked Churchill to issue a 'hunt and kill' order on Graf Spee which resulted in his demise at the Battle of the Falkland Islands on 8th December that same year.

fine overall condition