Amphibious operations are something I have an interest in, and an often important aspect of these operations is Naval Gunfire Support (NGS). Naturally since I have acquired a number of suitable hulls for use as amphibious warfare platforms (click
here for more details), I have also been on the lookout for something with a little more bang.
 |
| A little more bang...... |
I have been aware of the existence of large toy battleships for some time, but I hadn't seen any for sale here in NZ, and the cost of getting one shipped here seemed excessive (around NZ$100). Then one turned up on NZ's favourite local auction site for NZ$25 plus shipping, so I had to grab it...
 |
| A view from the rear. |
 |
| Rear turret and helipad.... |
 |
| Side view. |
The battleship seems to be based on the US Iowa class, but with the length and lines becoming less sleek, and rather more caricatured. Given that this is idea for letting big items appear on a tabletop, I certainly won't complain.
 |
| And complete with storage drawer.... |
This battlewagon came with some metal planes and two HO scale tanks (a Churchill and a Sherman - I have another Sherman for you Ion, if you are interested), but I have seen it offered with a variety of different toy army items, some more useful than others.
 |
| The tape gives an idea of the length of this beast. |
Ideally, I would like to obtain at least another one of these, or a similar type of ship, but even having one is very useful.
