Scratchbuilt 1/3000 Giuseppe Miraglia

 

Unification of Kingdom of Italy in 1861. created new player in the power game on Mediterranean and a new fleet, Regia Marina that was to face French to the west, British in the south and Habsburg in the east. Inheriting initially naval assets of its constituents, primarily of Kingdoms of Naples and Sardinia, Royal Italian Navy grew to impressive size and variety of vessels throughout its history, and was not late in experimenting with application of emerging air force. Beginning with protected cruiser Elba in 1907. and its Draken observation balloon later converted into seaplane tender all the advantages of such vessel were quickly noted, as well as all the deficiencies of a vessel not built for said purpose (small number of airplanes, lack of space for workshops and airplane fuel). 

In 1915. merchant steamer Manila was purchased by Italian Navy and converted into seaplane carrier named Europa that could carry, service, refuel and resupply 8 seaplanes and even submarines and had busy if not glorious career in World War 1 mostly supporting naval blockade of the Strait of Otranto. She was decommissioned in 1920. and in 1923. another conversion to seaplane carrier/tender began on train ferry Città di Messina acquired from Italian State Railway Company (chosen because it had large hangar spaces in its hull). Barring minor setbacks like capsizing in a storm in 1925., ship was completed by 1927. and renamed Giuseppe Miraglia in honor of WW1 pilot who died in a plane crash in 1915.

At 121,22 meters overall length and 5.400 t normal displacement ship was capable of 21 knots (39km/h)(compared to Europe's 12 knots (22 km/h)) and had crew of 196 plus aircraft crews. It was armed with 4 102/35 Schneider-Armstrong guns and 12 13.2 mm machine guns and carried two launch catapults, one on bow other on stern.

Its complement of aircraft began with 20 Macchi M.5/M-7/M.18 and Piaggio P.6 seaplanes (16 small and 4 large) in 1930. to be replaced with 17 Macchi M.18AR versions with folding wings. Allegedly CANT 25 was used from 1931. and from 1937. IMAM Ro.43 replaced M.18AR.

Ship took part in second Italo-Abyssinian War, Spanish Civil War and World War 2 where it was pressed into Royal Navy service after Armistice interment at Malta. It ended its days serving as a barrack ship and workshop at Taranto until was scraped in 1950.

And this ship I choose to scratch build in 1/3000 scale using whatever pieces of material I had at hand, wood, copper wire, plastic from sprues, paper..









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