NEXT RELEASE ORDERS NOW BEING TAKEN FOR FIRST RUN KITS AT ?395..00 (FIRST RUN ONLY)
Model will be on display at Doncaster show 7+8th june
ST. OLAF - THE MODEL
Length 1.4m Beam 385mm Scale 1/96
This attractive model with a length of 1.4m, beam of 385mm makes into a super detailed replica of the ship, with all of its cluttered appearance.
It has lots of carrying capacity for the largest nicads to please those who like a long sail together with plenty of room inside for adding smoke, sound, and if ever a model would show of her lights, this has got to be the one.
Three trays of fittings come with the kit to add all the detail including cast metal fittings for fine details as, bollards, fairleads Anchor windlass and deck fittings, Cast resine fittings for the huge number of Carley floats. Cowl vents and large detail parts.
A large brass etch sheet with over 1000 parts supplies all the extra fine details such as vents, stanchions, ladders,companionways. Ladders etc.
The complete assembly from the main deck to the top of the bridge is all laser cut, and Laser engraved, from 5 sheets of 1.5mm, 1mm, and .5mm Hi impact styrene sheet for rapid assembly of this complex model.
The funnel and the 16 lifeboats are in Vac formed styrene, with laser cut seats and laser engraved detailed foot boards
All this is on our standard plated and detailed glassfibre hull. Running gear includes a scale prop, propshaft with fitted oiler, a comprehensive set of instructions and a FULL SIZE PLAN included in the package is a build C/D of the original prototype models with hundreds of pictures plus pre-cut cast vinyl green line and red crosses.
St. OLAF HOSPITAL SHIP - history
During WWII the Army Transport Service operated a total of 24 hospital ships, which were manned by civilian crews, employees of the Army Transport Service. The medical staffs were Army personnel.
The hospital ships were operated under the provisions of the Hague Convention X of 1907, which specified identifying markings. These proved inadequate, so large illuminated red crosses on deck were added for aerial visibility at night. Hospital ships were allowed to carry medical supplies as cargo for the battlefield. Most of the hospital ships were former passenger liners or troopships, which were disarmed, repainted and re-arranged for hospital use. Six Liberty ships were converted for hospital use, the St. Olaf being one of them. Patients on hospital ships were carried not more than two decks below the one on which the lifeboats were situated.
The following details applied to all the Liberty ships converted into hospital ships - All the cargo-handling gear (derricks, winches etc.) were removed and the vessel ballasted down for the removal of superstructure, bulkheads, piping and insulation, until little but the bare shell remained. Some of the double-bottom fuel tanks were converted to fresh-water tanks and additional ones added to No's 4 and 5 holds.
Thereafter a 'lower deck' was erected within the hull and the vessel strengthened by the addition of a steel deck. Steel girders were installed at points of stress and further strength was gained by the erection of steel bulkheads and partitions: work then commenced on the new decks required for a ship of this type.
Hatch openings on the second and main decks - the only original ones - were closed, and then a third deck, superstructure and bridge, bridge deck and a special top deck were added.
All this work completely transformed both the internal and external appearance of the ship, for she now had more than three hundred separate areas of rooms, corridors, wards, clinics and laboratories. Five miles of insulation, from both heat and cold, was fitted, as was distilling equipment to supply a daily 160 tons of fresh water. Other equipment included sterilizing units, over 400 radiators, twenty eight separate ventilating units and eight refrigerated spaces totaling over 15,000 cu ft.
The plans called for the ship to handle nearly 600 patients, and for this a total of forty-four wards were built, these handling from two to 108 beds. Thirty five rooms were built for the medical staff and forty one for the crew of the ship. Others were morgue, autopsy, biological and X-ray rooms and operating theatres.
Special attention was given to wards designated for mental patients and cells were provided for violent cases. After completion of the superstructure the ship was given new 75 ft high masts and a new funnel wide enough to display the 12 ft Red Cross symbols fitted. Similar signs were displayed on the upper deck and on the hull.
The medical staff consisted of seventeen officers, thirty-nine nurses and 159 attendants. In addition the ship carried chaplains, signal corpsmen and a crew of 123.
St. Olaf was commissioned as a US Navy hospital ship in 1942 and was originally assigned the name of JASMINE but this was not used. In 1945 she was re-assigned for use as a troops and dependants transport ship but was later laid up. She was scrapped in 1963 at Portland, Oregon.
