Known for their accuracy and attention to detail, Aoshima's precision Waterline Series focuses on naval ship models, depicting the ship's structure from the waterline and above. Models in this series are designed to be seen as if floating on the water, highlighting the above-water structure, whilst also making for a more practical and space-efficient display on a flat surface.
HMS Victorious was the third of the Illustrious class; laid down in 1937, the ship's commissioning was delayed until 1941 due to the pressing need for escort ships for the Battle of the Atlantic that was raging at the time. Rather than relying on embarked aircraft for defense, the Illustrious class was designed to survive through a combination of powerful AA defenses, and an armored flight deck; this approach made them harder to destroy than many other carriers of the era - Victorious survived kamikaze hits on two separate occasions (and a near miss) with minimal damage.
1941 and 1942 saw Victorious involved in notable actions against the battleship Bismarck, several Arctic convoys, and Operation Pedestal. In 1943, she was loaned to the US Navy, and served in the south west Pacific as part of the Third Fleet. In 1944 HMS Victorious contributed to several attacks on the Tirpitz. Following the elimination of the German naval threat, she was redeployed first to the Eastern Fleet at Colombo, and then to the Pacific for the final actions of the war against Japan.
After the second world war, HMS Victorious spent periods in reserve, and in 1950-58 underwent a complete reconstruction and modernization - the most extensive of any RN carrier - adding a new superstructure, radar, associated computer equipment, an angled flight deck, and new boilders.
Victorious was eventually decommissioned in 1968, and scrapped the year after
Aoshima's precision Waterline Series model kit represents HMS Victorious as she was during the Second World War, with a range of Fleet Air Arm aircraft embarked.
- 1/700 scale precision model kit
- Waterline design
- Assembly required
- Glue, paint, and tools not included - available separately
- Not a toy: not intended for children under 15 years old
- Made in Japan
