John's Model Shipyard 1/1200 MV302 Fort Lake type fast freighter from WW2,in kit form
The Fort/Lake type of freighters of WW2 can be built in 1/1200 scale from this waterline 3D printed kit from John's Model Shipyard, catalogue number MV302.
The large photograph shows a finished and painted model with added Plastruct aerials and derricks. The ship is in medium grey with darker decks and very dark hatch covers. There is no contrasting boot topping, as recommended by the camouflage experts from 1942 to the end of the war.
Perhaps the most infamous member of this class was Fort Stikine. She was unloading in Bombay Harbour in 1944 when smoke was seen to be rising in Number 2 hold. Her engine was stripped down for repair and there was no suitable tugs to move the ship out of the harbou. The fire could not be brought under control and her cargo of munitions exploded sinking or badly damaging 12 other ships in the harbour. There was no bow gun on Fort Stikine because the Allies realised that most dive bombers attacked from astern and the later ships had the 20mm guns in a mount above and behind the main deck gun at the stern. Machine guns were mounted in the bridge wings on both types