Clearwater Models: HMS SHEFFIELD - DESTROYED 1982 (Dragon)

This is the Dragon 1:700 scale model of the Royal Naval destroyer HMS Sheffield, which was hit and destroyed by an Argentine Exocet anti-ship missile near the Falklands/Malvinas on 04 May 1982, thus becoming the first RN ship in almost four decades sunk in action.

HMS Sheffield was a Type 42 Batch 1 guided missile destroyer laid down at Barrow-in-Furness in 1970, commissioned in 1975, and entering operations in 1980.

HMS Sheffield was part of Task Force 317 sent into battle during the Argentina-United Kingdom war in the South Atlantic. She was struck by an AM-39 EXOCET air-launched anti-ship missile from the Argentine Naval Air Service's Super Entendard aircraft on 4 May and foundered on 10 May. The second Exocet missile crashed into the sea only 400 m from the ship.

Aircraft 3-A-202 piloted by Augusto Bedacarratz; and 3-A-203 piloted by Armando Mayora, both fired on the Sheffield at the same time. Five seconds after being spotted, one Exocet hit amidships about 2.4 m above the waterline, opening the hull. It penetrated as far as the galley and exploded causing the death of eight cooks. Fire erupted immediately and the ship filled with smoke. The Sheffield had taken no defensive actions as its electronic detection systems never saw the missiles or aircraft approaching. It was thought at the time the warhead had not exploded. Recent RN research proved the warhead did in fact detonate.

This is my first warship with photo-etch railings and electronics/antenna. It was a steep learning curve. The hull was thinned and opened up. Smoke is cotton wool with soot powder. The model kit came from the Bill Wilson collection.