Manufacturer: IBG
Scale: 1/700
Additional parts: PE crew, spare part box
Model build: Jan - Jun 2026

Manufacturer: IBG
Scale: 1/700
Additional parts: PE crew, spare part box
Model build: Jan - Jun 2026
HMS Middleton (L74) was a Type II Hunt-class escort destroyer that served the British Royal Navy with great distinction during World War II. Commissioned in January 1942, the ship was specialized for convoy defense, swapping traditional torpedo tubes for an upgraded anti-aircraft and anti-submarine layout, including six 4-inch dual-purpose guns.
Over a grueling four-year operational career, Middleton earned six battle honours across major theaters. She braved freezing conditions to protect vital Arctic convoys to North Russia, guarded reinforcement operations to besieged Malta in the Mediterranean, and provided crucial direct gunfire support for troops landing on Sword Beach during the D-Day invasions on June 6, 1944.
After spending the final months of the war securing the English Channel against German coastal threats, Middleton was placed in reserve in late 1945 and was eventually sold for scrap in 1958.

This 1/700 scale model of a Hunt-class destroyer escort was my first kit from IBG. Despite its small size, it is packed with photo-etched parts, which is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, the PE parts add an impressive level of detail. On the other hand, they are extremely small and fragile, making construction quite challenging. Even my ship's engineer seemed a little overwhelmed at times.
During the build, several parts disappeared into the depths of the dreaded "carpet monster," forcing me to improvise replacements. Fortunately, the spare parts box came to the rescue, providing suitable substitutes for some of the lost gun components.
In the end, I added a photo-etched crew to bring the model to life and painted it using Revell Aqua Color paints. Despite the challenges, the finished model turned out to be an enjoyable and rewarding project.