Troopers & Hospital Ships

Monowai had been earmarked for military service before WW2 and guns were stored at Devonport, Aukland, New Zealand for her to be converted to an Armed Merchant Cruiser. She was requesitioned by the New Zealand Government in October 1939 and entered service in August 1940. By 1943, more regular warships were available for escort duties and Monowai was handed over to the British Ministry of War Transport for conversion to a Landing Ship. She was refitted in Glasgow to carry 1800 fully equipped soldiers and had 20 large LCA under davits to get the troops with assault equipment ashore quickly. Conversion was completed in February 1944 and she was deployed in the invasion of Normandy in June 1944.

Wilhelm Gustloffbecame a hospital ship in August 1939. Modelled here in 1/1250 scale and waterline form by Coastlines Models, CL-M528AS fully assembled and painted with wood-effect decks.

Robert Ley is modelled as a German Accommodation ship and transport from 1941-45 in overall grey by Coastlines models, CL-M529.

Robert Ley was converted to a Hospital ship from a cruise ship in August 1939 to support the German invasion of Poland. This model is a 1/1250 scale waterline resin model by Coastlines Models, CL-M529HS.

The Cunard liner, Aquitania proved to be a most useful ship in wartime. During WW1 she was used as a troop transport and a hospital ship (as modelled here) and she was used as a troop transport again in WW2. Antics also stock the dazzle camouflaged WW1 troop transport and Aquitania. in Cunard livery.

A 1/1250 scale metal model of the Italian liner Conte Verde in use as a diplomat exchange ship in 1942 by CM Miniaturen CM423.

This Wilhelm Gustloff is a hospital ship version of the former German cruise ship after she had been requisitioned for war service in August 1939. The model was bought new in the International Maritime Museum im Hamburg and professionally re-fitted with painted wood effect decks and new insignia and green stripe fitted for display purposes. The original metal waterline model was finely cast by CM Miniaturen, CM-P61 and is in 1/1250 scale, see large photograph.

The small image shows a model in ex-works condition.

Ceramic the White Star liner as a troop transport at the start if WW1 bringing troops from the British Empire to fight on the Western Front by CM Miniaturen CM-P37

A 1/1250 scale model of Drottningholm 1n 1944 on diplomatic and repatriation duties by Albatros SM AL71S.

This is a limited edition model of the elderly liner Drottningholm sailing between ports of belligerent nations to re-patriate prisoners of war and diplomats late in WW2.

A 1/1250 scale model of HMHS Aquitania as a hospital ship. The model is cast in metal, assembled and painted and fully finished in hospital ship livery (white with buff funnels, green hull stripe and red crosses on the hull).

Albatros has announced a new production run for this model in his latest newsletter. Delivery is expected in June 2025 and advance orders are invited. Price to be advised.

Lady Rodney was a Canadian ferry that was requesitioned by the Canadian Government early in WW2 to transport troops to defend the British Empire. Sister-ships were used as Armed Merchant Cruisers, AA ships and Hospital Ships during WW2 and all these variants have been made by Albatros in the past.

This new production is expected to arrive in June 2025. Price to be advised.

A 1/1250 scale model of the troopship Strathaird during WW2 by Albatros Alk125.

Overall length of model is 16.3cm

This model is being given a new production run by Albatros and delivery is expected in June 2025. Price to be advised.

HMT Euripides is a 1/1250 scale waterline resin model of a combi-liner in service as a troopship in 1918 whenshe was wearing dazzle camouflage by Coastlines Models, CL-LJL06.

Akaroa, ex-Euripides, is a waterline resin model of a liner for passengers and refigerated freight and general good employed on the UK to New Zealand route. In WW1 she had been employed as a troopship but in WW2 she continued in Merchant service to New Zealand and Australia. On a couple of occasions she did deliver goods and military and diplomatic passengers to places not far  from her normal route but always while carriying her normal paying passengers and freight to her usual destinations! During the second half of WW2, she would have been painted in MOWT grey as modelled here.

USAT Mount Vernon is a 1/1250 scale, waterline resin model of the American troopship as she was in 1920. The model is made and hand-painted by Coaslines Models, CL-M416f

Wilhelm Gustloff, troop transport is a waterline, 1/1250 scale model of the former cruise ship in service with the Kriegsmarine from December 1940 to January 1945. This model is cast in Easyflo 60 polyurethane resin to make finer, more stable castings and has been given wood-effect painted decks and additional details by Coastlines Models CL-M524S, see photograph.

A cheaper, all grey model of this ship is also available, see CL-M528.

Cunard Line's Aquitania was designed for the Southampton to New York service to work in rotation with Lusitania & Mauretania. Not as fast as the other two but bigger & more luxurious than Olympic, she was an excellent choice for the service.  Not having been designed as an auxiliary cruiser, she was employed as a troopship & hospital ship throughout WW1. here she is depicted as a troopship in a WW1 dazzle camouflage scheme.

In 36 years of service, Aquitania survived military duty in two world wars and returned to passenger service after each. Aquitania's record for the longest service career of any 20th-century express liner stood until broken in 2004 by the Queen Elizabeth 2, which extended the mark to 40 years.

A 1/1250 scale metal model of Mauretania as a troopship during WW2. Although pressed into service as a troopship early in the war, this model has all the fittings, AA guns, de-gaussing cable for protection against magnetic influence mines & carley floats and life-rafts, that were added by 1942.

A 1250 scale metal model of Justica in dazzle camouflage. Justica was the former Statendam building in the UK but taken over and put under the management of White Star as a troopship. She sank after being hit by 6 torpedoes from 2 different U-boats between Skerryvore & Lough Swilly.

A 1/1250 scale metal model of Olympic in WW1 dazzle camouflage when the transatlantic liner was a troopship.

Von Steuben, ex-Kronprinz Wilhelm was requesitioned from internment in US waters when America joined the Allies during WW1. The ship was converted to a troopship and sent to France filled with US troops being sent to the Western front. Initially, she was painted in medium grey overall but was quickly given a camouflage pattern to ensure that German submarines would be deterred from attacking. The camouflage takes the form of painting a destroyer overtaking the troopship in the hope that the submarine would delay firing until the warship had moved on and allowed a clear shot at the more valuable troopship. By the time that the submarine realised the deception, the opportunity to fire a torpedo would have been missed (see photograph).

This model is made in Germany by CM Miniaturen, CM-P57

Warehouse delivery is expected in mid-November. Price to be advised and pre-orders will be notified of price once the models have arrived at the Antics Warehouse.

A 1/1250 scale metal model of the Italian hospital ship, Sicilia, during WW2.

This model is the Union Castle liner in wartime grey. GLR models are finely cast and are comparable with Navis Neptun models.