HMS Bermuda

HMS BERMUDA

(Fiji Class Light Cruiser, also called "Crown Colony" class)

The HMS BERMUDA is my current active cruiser (when I need a break from "broadside carnage" and want to captain something that can zip around fast and snipe a bit). It is going to be my replacement for HMS Ajax. It is also a 2.5 unit light cruiser so it will get the speed, but it is larger than Ajax so I hope that the weight (components should be the same) will not weigh it down so much and hence be a bit more forgiving in battle. I am also moving the quad x half-unit cannons that I had fitted into Ajax over to Bermuda (so still the only quad-stern cruiser in our hobby!)

There is an excellent fiberglass model of this class light cruiser available from Battler's Connection, but this hull is actually the hull of another (similar) light cruiser hull that was cut and trimmed to match the Fiji-class specifications (it was a gift from another captain in the hobby - and I decided it was about time I built this!).

Incredibly-detailed micro-scale model of as-built Fiji (used as a reference)

Model STATS (1:144 scale per Club Rules)

Length: 46.33" Beam: 5.17"

Weight: 8.26 lbs (11.36 lbs max)

Speed: 22 sec/100'

Props: 4 (3-blade 3/4" diam.) and 1 Rudder 1 (2.5 square inches)

One thing I worked into this design, was to have the quad magazines run up through the deck into the superstructure, and the second level of superstructure lifts off to gain easy access without ever opening up the stern deck

-- the batteries and CO2 are all in the bow, so hopefully I need not ever open the stern unless I had steering or pump issues the previous sortie that I need to look into.

The original HMS Bermuda

Laid Down: Nov 30, 1939

Launched: Sept 11, 1941

Commissioned: Aug 21, 1942

Length: 555 ft.

Beam: 62 ft.

Weight: 11,017 tons (full load)

Complement: 733

Armor:

3.25" main belt

3.5" deck

2" turrets

Armament:

primary: 12 x 6"/50cal BL Mark XXIII (in 4 turrets)

secondary: 8 x 4"/45cal QF HA MkXVI (4x2)

AA: 2 quadruple 40m Pom-Poms, 10 single 20mm Oerlikon

Torpedoes: 6 x 21" above water in 2 triple mounts

Aircraft:

2 Supermarine Walrus (1 catapult)

Engines/Power: 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers (80,000 shp)

Top Speed: 32.25 knots (max range 6250 Nm @ 13 knots)

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse