History

The 17 Pounder was the largest of three anti-tank guns used by the British Army in the Second World War. Design work on the 17 Pounder began in April 1941 with the aim of replacing existing anti-tank guns. First deliveries of the new gun were made to Royal Artillery units in August 1942 and this type first saw action at the Battle of Medenine, North Africa, on 6 March 1943. The 17 Pounder was widely used in Italy and northern Europe and continued into post-war service for many years. Its use extended to being employed as a field gun, its high explosive shell proving a particularly useful charge in this role.

Construction

The kit is produced by Airfix, a well-known maker of scale model kits. The kit arrives in the usual red box with artwork of the gun crew firing the 17 pounder. There are some photos displayed on the side of the box showing close up detail of the gun and crew.

To most readers of a certain age, the Falklands Conflict was a watershed event which tested the resolve, capabilities, and persistence of the Royal Navy and the Nation. It was a bloody affair at sea; the Royal Navy suffered immensely and yet still prevailed. The loss of the Type 42 HMS Sheffield to Exocet missiles shocked naval professionals and called into serious question Royal Navy air defense capabilities. Other air defense ships suffered as well. The County Class ships – HMS Antrim and HMS Glamorgan (which survived an Exocet hit) were damaged and another Type 42, HMS Coventry, was lost. The conflict also highlighted inherent design issues with the Type 42 and Royal Navy damage control readiness.

Ray Rimell is releasing a limited edition volume (1,000 individually numbered and signed copies) of the ‘true story of the Potters Bar Zeppelin’. A companion volume on ‘The Last Flight of the L31’ is being released simultaneously. The cover features a painting by Ray Rimell depicting 2/Lt. Wulstan Joseph Tempest firing into the hull of L31 on the night of October 1, 1916. Ronny Bar contributes a large color side profile of Tempest’s RAF Be2c 4577. I counted 56 photographs (including eleven in color) and a scale drawing of a ‘R’ Class Zeppelin 1916 of which L31 was the second example.