Published by the Polish publisher, JSC, the kit builds a 1:400 scale waterline model of the WW2 cruiser HMS Ajax. As an option, the kit contains parts to build her sister ship, HMNZS Achilles, instead.

The Leander-class cruisers, HMS Ajax and HMNZS Achilles, were completed in 1935 and 1933 respectively.  They formed part of Force G at the outbreak of WW2, patrolling off the East Coast of South America.  It was here on 15^th. December 1939 that, in company with HMS Exeter, they met the pocket battleship, Graf Spee, in the Battle of the River Plate. After an engagement lasting about 90 minutes, the Graf Spee broke off and headed for the neutral port of Montevideo. The subsequent propaganda campaign, directed at convincing the Germans that powerful British naval forces were waiting outside the harbour, convinced the Germans to scuttle the pocket battleship.

HMS Ajax was scrapped in 1949.  HMNZS Achilles was sold to India and commissioned on 5^th. July 1947 as HMIS Delhi.  In 1955, she starred in the feature film, “Battle of the River Plate” where she played herself. 

The kit, which makes a model about 17 inches long, has good diagrams and full English instructions. The parts are printed on 6 sheets of A4 card. 

The modeller cuts out the pieces, scores, bends, folds and curves them into the right shape before gluing them together. The result is a proper 3-D scale model. 

I am happy to reduce the postage costs on the purchase of more than one item.