Caldercraft 1/64 9000 HMS Diana Wooden Kit

Diana had a very long and active career in which most of her time was spent in patrol, convoy and blockade duties. The highlight of her career was in August 1795 when on patrol duty accompanied by her sister ship Seahorse and the frigate Unicorn, they captured the Dutch East Indiaman Cromhout, another merchant ship and her escort. From the Cromhout alone the ship shared nearly £47,000 prize money. On the 30th of May 1814 Britain and France signed a peace treaty. On the 7th of March 1815 after a large repair and re-coppering Diana was sold to the Dutch Navy for £36,796. On the 27th August 1816 Diana was one of 6 Frigates in the Dutch squadron that combined with the British fleet under Sir Edward Pellow (Lord Exmouth), himself a distinguished Frigate captain, and took part in the famous bombardment of Algiers. On the 16th of January 1839, after an incredible 45 year service, Diana was accidentally destroyed by fire in dry-dock at Willemsoord. The model kit of Diana is depicted not as built, but after her first refit at Portsmouth in June 1796 where she was given solid quarter deck bulwarks, carronades to replace the 9lb carriage guns and a dolphin striker on the bowsprit. Diana measured 173ft from figurehead to stern, her breadth was 39ft 3 1/2” and was almost 1000 tons. Main armament was twenty eight 18lb carriage guns on the gun deck, with secondary armament consisting of ten 9lb guns on the top deck along with eight 32lb carronades. There is no doubt that this configuration constantly changed throughout her career and at the end of her time in the British Navy she had fourteen carronades on her top deck.