HMS Glowworm, White Ensign Models scale 1/350
 
To my point of view the Royal Navy A-I class destroyers are nice looking and interesting ships. Build in the 1930s the boats took part in the heavy destroyer battles at the beginning of WWII. Many ships were lost to enemy action like HMS Glowworm. Glowworm took part in the Norway campaign and on 8th April 1940 the boat encountered the German Heavy Cruiser Admiral Hipper in the North Sea. Outclassed by Hipper's guns Lt. Cdr. Roope decide to engage the cruiser with torpedoes. Glowworm fired 10 torpedoes but all missed. The boat took several hits by 20.3cm shells. Roope's ordered to ram the cruiser but with only minor damage to Hipper. Now Glowworm start to sink and Roope ordered abandon the ship. Despite Captain Heyes, Hipper's commander, quick order to stop the cruiser and to start rescuing the brave crew only 31 of Glowworms 149 complement survived in the cold water. Due to Captain Heyes action report Lt. Cdr. Roope posthumously received the Victory Cross.
I build WEMs nice Glowworm kit in 2010 and added a lot of separate scratch build parts to get a most as possible detailed model of the brave little ship. Except the photos taken during the engagement with Hipper there are no detailed photos of the boat in early 1940. According to this photos my interpretation of the boats colour are dark hull and light upper works. A common scheme in the 1940s during the Norwegian campaign.
The small display shows Glowworm during the 5th April 1940 at her moorings in Scapa Flow prior to her sailing to her fate.
 
Christian Bruer