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1:1200 Northampton (SSModel) by Leonidas Bieri |
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First, the assembly of the USS Northampton was meant only as a test model to gain some experience with SSModel-material. The Northampton itself is not especially beautiful or remarkable per se.
The fact that during the battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on 26 October, she went to the aid of the carrier USS Hornet (famous for the Doolittle Raid), heightened her profile.
My ambition was to depict her in that crucial moment. However, the rescue attempt to tow the kamikaze stricken carrier failed and the heavy cruiser itself was sunk only one month later during the Battle of Tassafaronga on 30 November 1942. Luckily, only a few victims were mourned.
