H.M.S. Sheffield Type 42 Destroyer (Falklands War)

A total of 14 Type 42 vessels were built for the RN, and ironically, two were also constructed for the Argentinian Navy. Commissioned on 16 February 1975, HMS Sheffield was the first of class, and it is best known as being one of the ships sunk during the Falklands War.

Sheffield's demise came about on 4 May 1982 when she was struck amidships by an AM39 Exocet sea-skimming anti-ship missile. Caught totally off-guard by the attack, the Exocet had been launched more than 30km away from a Super Etendard aircraft from the Argentine Navy. Even though the missile failed to detonate, its impact holed the hull and severed fire mains, which meant the crew could not extinguish the resulting fires. HMS Sheffield eventually foundered on 10 May.

Features:

• Photo-etched handrails add extra refinement
• Optional photo-etched rotor blades for on-board helicopter
• Antenna and radar reproduced with photo-etched parts
• 4.5-inch L/45 Vickers Mark 8 gun