Above, from the 16 pages of instructions, Warspite in her 1942 disruptive pattern with colour notes and paint references included (click on them for a closer look).

Belli Dura Despicio

Her successor, HMS Warspite, the post-war submarine, was adopted by Hereford City, WEM's home town, Warspite being an old English name for Woodpecker, linked with the woodpeckers found in the cider orchards of Herefordshire.

Between the wars, Warspite received two major refits, which resulted her entering the Second World War looking very different from her original form (model them both by buying the White Ensign kit of Warspite in 1916 fit!). On 13th April 1940 the "Old Lady" was back in action during the Second Battle of Narvik. Eight German destroyers remained in Narvik Fjord following the first battle, and in an audacious move the venerable battleship and nine destroyers sailed up the confined waters of the fjord to fight an action that resulted in the sinking of all eight enemy vessels, plus U64, sunk by Warspite's Swordfish aircraft. After Norway she returned to the Mediterranean, where she took part in the Battle of Punto Stilo, a number of bombardment and convoy escort duties, and in March 1941, the Battle of Matapan, where Warspite and her two sisters, Valiant and Barham, together with cruisers and destroyers, sunk three Italian cruisers and two destroyers in a night action. On 22nd May she was hit by a 500 lb bomb which, together with a later near miss, necessitated repairs in the U.S. The repairs were followed by a spell with the Eastern Fleet, before returning to the Med in June 1943, where she was employed in bombardment duties in support of the Italian campaign. After such a mission at Salerno, she was hit by a German FX1400 guided bomb, and near missed by another, leaving her severely damaged and dead in the water. She was repaired in Gibraltar and Rosyth until April 1944, when she was pressed back into service to work up for bombardment duties for the forthcoming D-Day landings, still with "X" turret and one boiler room unrepaired. After her fire support missions during the landings, the battered ship triggered a mine off Harwich on 13th June, resulting in further severe hull damage and the loss of the port shafts. She was hurriedly repaired in order to return to bombardment duties, and limped back into service on 24th August, still with the previous defects unresolved and now one of her port shafts encased in concrete to make it watertight, and a top speed of 15 1/2 knots. Her last operation was the bombardment of Walcheren on 1st November 1944, before being paid off in February 1945, and sold for scrap the following year. Even then she refused to go without a fight, breaking her tow en route to the scrap yard and running aground in Prussia Cove, Cornwall, where she had to be broken up in situ.

Displacement: 31,315 tons standard, 36,450 tons deep load.

Dimensions (feet): 600' pp, 644' 7" oa x 104' x 33' (max).

Machinery: 4 shaft Parsons turbines. 24 Yarrow boilers. 75,000 shp, giving 24 knots.

Armour: 13" - 6" main belt. 1" minimum on plated decks.

Armament: 8 x 15" BL Mk. 42 on Mk. 1 twin mounts . 8 x 6" Mk. XII. 8 x 4" Mk. XVI on Mk. XIX twin mounts. 32 x 2 pdr. Mk. VIII in Mk. VI 8 barrelled mounts, 19 x 20mm Oerlikon in single mounts.

Complement: 1184

We have chosen the Mediterranean era to model her, during her most active period. She carried an attractive camouflage scheme at this time, and, as is usual, we provide full colour port and starboard schemes in the instructions.

The kit was mastered by Simon Rush and cast by Brian Fawcett, one of Britain's finest teams.  They have also produced HMS Queen Elizabeth 1918 (WEM K 721), and we eventually hope to add HMS Barham 1941, representing her at the time of her sinking, and HMS Warspite 1916, the only accurate representation of her at Jutland.

The photoetched brass fret above contains the following parts:

Rails with stanchion supports (a unique WEM innovation!), Sternwalk Canopy, Upper foremast Lower Mounting, Sternwalk and Supports, Sternwalk Railing, Admirals Toplight, Anenometer, Bridge DF Aerial, Funnel Cap Grill, Single 20mm Oerlikons and Shields, Old style doors, Oerlikon platform Safety Nets, Crane booms and rigging, Crane boom stowage platforms, Anchors, Midships accommodation ladder, Aft accommodation ladder, Foremast starfish, Type 75 RDF Platform and Aerial, Pom-Pom directors and Yagis, Type 650 Jammer Aerial, Aft Superstructure Stove Pipe, Type 281 Radar Aerials, Saluting cannons, 8-Barrelled Pom-Poms, Night Lifebuoys, Whaler Harbour Davits, Mast Top Platforms, HACs Director Yagis, Catapult Ramps x3, Funnel SL Platform Davits, Type 91 TBS and MM Yard, Fo'c'sle Davits, Funnel SL Platform, Siren Platform, Funnel Lower Platform, Large Stream Anchors, Carley Raft Racks, Jack and Ensign Staffs, Cutter Davits, Walrus "Bits" !, Fore and Aft Superstructure Derrick Posts, Paravane Streaming Derricks, Whaler Oars and Rudders, 684 Gunnery Radar Scanners, "Waffle" Pattern Doors, 45ft Motor Boat Cradles, 45ft Motor Launch Cradles, 27ft Whaler Cradles, 30ft Fast Motor Boat Cradles, 35ft Motor Boat Cradles, Sundry Hatches.

Actual Production Castings Below. Click the small pictures for enlargements. Notice the in-scale planking on the 17th picture down. Each plank is only 0.25mm wide!

Finally, your kit comes with a full colour plan and profile, and a superb and fully illustrated set of step-by-step instructions that won't leave you struggling for impossible-to-find references.

If you DO require further information we can recommend the following:

Conway's "Anatomy of the Ship HMS Warspite", by Ross Watton.

Also, "British Battleships of WW2" by Raven and Roberts (Arms and Armour Press), (long out of print and costing a fortune I'm afraid)

"British Battleships 1919-1939" Ray Burt (even more difficult to find!)

And some plans/drawings are available

Sambrook Marine HMS Warspite QUEEN ELIZABETH class 1942/43, 1/192 scale.  2 sheets available,  Plan & Profile, and Lines, Decks & Further Details.