Colonial gunboats in 28mm

[penguin57]

At Phalanx today was discussing after the success of out 28mm Clyde Puffer what to do next. One idea we quite fancy is to do a Nile gunboat, the type built in sections in Britain and then shipped out to egypt etc for use on the Nile. Is this something of interest or are there already ones available?

[Gluteus Maximus]

At Phalanx today was discussing after the success of out 28mm Clyde Puffer what to do next. One idea we quite fancy is to do a Nile gunboat, the type built in sections in Britain and then shipped out to egypt etc for use on the Nile. Is this something of interest or are there already ones available?

I'm sure there would be a lot of interest, both for Sudan and generic Colonial/VSF gaming. I'd love one, but almost certainly won't be able to afford it 

Any chances of posting pics of the Clyde Puffer?

[penguin57]

Here's the Clyde Puffer, it's 14 inches long and 4 inches wide and is £20.



I'd like to aim to do the gunboats for about £30.

[argsilverson]

there is a colonial gunboat by redoubt enterprises

[traveller]

Why not make a smaller type WW1/WW2 submarine?

[argsilverson]

Why not make a smaller type WW1/WW2 submarine?

good idea!

[Gluteus Maximus]

Ah, of course, I've seen that before!  She's a lovely vessel and good value at £20.00. 

£30.00 sounds very reasonable for a gunboat of similar quality to the Puffer.

[Geudens]

I'm looking forward to my puffer...

Boats are a weakness of mine (for my draft (in '69..) I wanted to join the Belgian Navy, but ended up a medic NCO  ).  All for the best: I become seasick when looking at a glass of water (don't have this problem with beer, though).  I'm always in for another colonial boat!

Rudi

[Vonkluge]

I to have a weakness for boats! Something about them... one can never have enough! I tend to like scratch building them (mostly because I can’t find good ones!) Here is one I scratch built based on the British "Safiah" The top opens up into a cabin below. She has had British, American, German, and as you see here Belgian flags flown from her mast! And saved the day in many a “Darkest Africa” game!

Bill

PS one of these days I'll finish putting the anchor and chain on!

[Geudens]

as you see here Belgian flags flown from her mast! And saved the day in many a “Darkest Africa” game!
Bill
PS one of these days I'll finish putting the anchor and chain on!

Lovely, the Belgian flag is (without doubt...) a must! 

Rudi - fellow Bengali

[Ray Rivers]

I'm definately interested.

The problem is packing lots of space on a not too big gunboat.  The Redoubt gunboat is a beauty but way too big.

Vonkluge has the size just about perfect... nice gunboat BTW mate!

[argsilverson]

Its a lovely model!

I have just a question: in some sites I have seen that there is a special naval ensign for belgium. Does it mean that vessels should carry this marine/naval ensign?

[Plynkes]

I have just a question: in some sites I have seen that there is a special naval ensign for belgium. Does it mean that vessels should carry this marine/naval ensign?

I have used the Belgian St. Andrews cross-style naval ensign on my boats (I downloaded it from Warflag). But I believe Warflag have posted that in their colonial section without checking the facts (and I downloaded it without checking them too!). The design on their website dates I believe from the 1950s and is the current ensign.

Belgium had a Royal Navy until the 1860s, when they got rid of it in a cost-cutting measure. They still didn't have one at the outbreak of the Great War. I think around 1917 they belatedly decided it might be a good idea to have one after all, and started afresh. So any gunboat in Africa in the colonial period is likely then to belong to the Force Publique I would imagine, and so would perhaps fly the flag of that organisation (yellow star on blue field) instead of the Belgian tricolour. Not sure. Did the Force Publique use the tricolour at all? I fancy I've seen illustrations of them doing so, but they might be erroneous.

But that fancy Naval Ensign would certainly be out. Up until the 50s the naval ensign was the same as the state flag (i.e. black-yellow-red tricolour).

[argsilverson]

A very good explanation Plynkes!

I did use the naval ensign from warflag for a Belgian colonian naval landing party. It seems I need to change it now!

[Gluteus Maximus]

But that fancy Naval Ensign would certainly be out. Up until the 50s the naval ensign was the same as the state flag (i.e. black-yellow-red tricolour).

Shame! Nothing wrong with the tricouleur design of course, but I love snazzy flags and that ensign is a beauty