SWANSEA
Triang 1/1200th Waterline Warships.
Encountered by Rob Morgan.
I suppose it must be around forty years ago, longer perhaps, when I first encountered the Triang ‘Minic’ ship range. Solid metal with a few soft plastic additions, masts, etc, and useful wargames models in a world where waterline warships were scarce.
The range seems to be experiencing a resurgence. I’ve come upon a number of their re-issued models and accessories of late, the old harbour breakwater set, with cranes, sheds and warehouses for instance. The breakwater is tremendously useful for any post-1860 naval or ‘combined-ops’ wargame of course, since these structures were intended to deflect the invidious torpedo boat from anchored targets. Easily ‘armed’ and relocated to WWI or WWII.
The warships are very good value indeed, in wargames terms, compared to the extremely expensive, almost collector’s price models so often encountered. Where else for example could you buy a 1/1200th scale ‘Nimitz’ CVN for £17.95, in metal? The range includes a number of USN warships,’Bunker Hill’CG, ‘Spruance’,’Winston Churchill’, the FFG ‘Boone’ the latter at £4.95. Far from ‘super-detailed’ of course, but for the occasional naval wargamer, who finds himself ‘all-at-sea’ needing a rapid, and less than bank-breaking fleet, this is it. I admit I have always liked the range, but the new issues are greatly improved and valuable additions to the late twentieth or twenty-first century naval scene. All strongly finished, and well painted for immediate use, or each warship model can be improved by the addition of scale deck detail. You can use them straight from the pack.
My favourites in the USN series are pack S860, two all metal minesweepers, with hard plastic mast structures. ’USS Avenger’ the ocean-going minehunter class , which carries an armament decent enough for an escort is 7cm long, and bears the pennant 5, she’s accompanied by a smaller 4.5cm long ‘USS Acme’ minesweeper, pennant 508, and finished overall sea grey, with minor colour details for sweeps, etc. The paint job’s semi-gloss in both cases, so you might want to change it. The incredible thing about this pack of two is the price, £3.50, an unbelievable price for these small warships, and extremely good value.
Now I’m a sucker for submarines, and when I saw ‘Minic’ pack S890 a USN Submarine set, at the same price of £3.95, I bought it without hesitation. The SSBN USS Ohio, of which I think there are now a dozen in the Class, is a sleek all-black 14cm long well-detailed hull with sail, and ‘scopes, along with this delightful model comes the SSN ‘USS Los Angeles’ one of the largest classes of nuclear sub ever built, with 25 or so in it’s ranks. She’s 9cm long, again in semi-gloss black, and with a very detailed hull and sail. These two models are awesome to behold, even in this scale, and do compare the price with other ranges around!
This submarine set represents incredible value for the naval wargamer, and I can’t recommend it too highly.
The range lists eight Royal Navy packs too, an ‘HMS Invincible’, ‘HMS Albion’ LSD, a Type 22 frigate, a Type 23, and 2nd and 3rd batch examples of the Type 42 Destroyer. I’ve not yet seen S760 the RN minesweeping set, or the RN Sub. Pack ( S770) and supplies of them seem to be coming through in dribs and drabs, but by the time you read this all of them may be in the shops, or take a look at the web-site www for details.
My packs came from Antics based in Cardiff and the West Country.
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