During World War II, the River Class frigates were equipped for the purpose for which they were built, namely convoy escort in the Atlantic, which meant anti-submarine warfare and defense against air strikes. But as in all warships with more than 20 years of service, the armament was over the years adapted to technological developments, the international political environment and thus changing tasks.
This was also the case with NIELS EBBESEN, which under the Danish flag solved tasks such as training ship, fisheries inspection vessel as well as an operational unit in the national defense force during the Cold War. Towards the end of the ship’s service in the navy (1963), the armament was scaled down.
On
the model I have chosen to show
how the ship was equipped
1954-1960, which was probably the period
when the armament on NIELS EBBESEN was most complete.
Two long depth charge rails were placed aft and four depth charge
throwers with associated magazines were also placed on the aft deck. A
hedgehog thrower just in front of the deckhouse and behind the
breakwater on the forecastle completed the anti-submarine weapons.
Two 127 mm guns, C/34 L/45, were located fore and aft respectively. These were German-made guns from German WW2 shore batteries in Denmark and they replaced in 1948 the original English 102 mm guns as they were considered more efficient and of a better quality. The same types of guns had been widely used on the German "Zerstoerer" ships during the war.
The four 40 mm Bofors guns, M/48 LvSa,
replaced after 1954 air defence artillery of the same calibre. One was
placed one in front of the wheelhouse and three aft in "nests".
An Oerlikon 20 mm gun was mounted in each bridge wing, and finally two 57 mm PK salute guns, one on each side of the main deck slightly in front of midships, completed the ship’s artillery.
A 4-metre
rangefinder/ fire control system made by Hazemeyer was located
at the top above the bridge deck.
On the model, the depth charge rails, the four throwers as well as
magazines for extra depth charges are made from brass. The depth charges
of a styrene tube with a wood core.
As can be seen from the picture galleries, I have to a large extent mixed the use of wood, brass and styrene for the production of guns, hedgehog and rangefinder/fire control system.
The gun shields are made of styrene.