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by **Maarten Sch�nfeld** » Sat Jun 06, 2026 3:53 pm

Still not satisfied:

The deckhouse C you suggested is right behind the SB searchlight tower, definitely not on the centerline behind the funnel. I included this deckhouse already on my model.

The large cowl vent is forward of the SB gun tub, the one with the 40mm gun, so neither on the centerline. I made this cowl as well. And the two (possible) smaller vents (I made only one) are behind the larger one, so also: not on the centerline.

So the area on the centerline I'm searching for is hardly visible in that overhead oblique picture from 1945 you're referring to.

When I'm oogling the pictures from port (1943) I think I'm looking at something that looks like a gun tub, but I'm certainly not sure.

Th search goes on!

by **dick** » Sat Jun 06, 2026 10:32 am

Maarten Sch�nfeld wrote: Sat Jun 06, 2026 9:55 am

Still very odd to have such different weapons side-by-side. Do you know any other example of this in ship's armament?

And it still leaves me what 'thingy' to make in the position of that 'third tub' I really cannot make out that 'rectangular deck office'.

Well, the obvious example is Erebus herself again but three years earlier with a UP launcher to port and the single 40mm to starboard:

: Erebus c.jpg (49.93 KiB) Viewed 261 times

(But I will look out for this sort of thing on another ship.)

I also fancy that you can just see the top of a 2pdr's shield above the rim of the tub in the photo I included in my previous post, the shield distinctively higher to the left of the gun than to the right:

Definite ventilation cowl at A, two more smaller ones possibly at B and the deckhouse at which C I have edged in blue:

If you go back to the 1944 starboard view in the YouTube video in FFG-7's earlier post you see the deckhouse from the side.

by **Maarten Sch�nfeld** » Sat Jun 06, 2026 9:55 am

Hmmm, the argument of the different safety rails makes sense indeed. Good thinking, Watson!

Still very odd to have such different weapons side-by-side. Do you know any other example of this in ship's armament?

And it still leaves me what 'thingy' to make in the position of that 'third tub' I really cannot make out that 'rectangular deck office'.

Keep up the brain working, please! You have been the greatest help so far!

by **dick** » Sat Jun 06, 2026 9:41 am

Maarten Sch�nfeld wrote: Sat Jun 06, 2026 5:07 am

My best guess now is there really was a third tub, same diameter (16 feet) as the other two, but positioned about three feet lower. After the two rear tubs were both equipped with single Bofors 40mm guns (the SB one about 1941/42, the Port one in 1943/44), the front tub got the remaining single 2 pdr gun.

As I mentioned, the armament return for the time in question lists just one single 40mm and one single 2pdr. This photo shows the single 40mm in the starboard tub. Above it you can see its safety firing rail which is quite tall because of the (long) length of the 40mm barrel. The safety firing rail above the port tub is different implying a different weapon there. It is lower as it would need to be for the shorter barrel of a single 2pdr:

This is an aerial view showing the area aft of the funnel where you think there was third tub. All I can see there are ventilation cowels and a small rectangular deck office of some sort:

by **Maarten Sch�nfeld** » Sat Jun 06, 2026 9:33 am

dick wrote: Sat Apr 11, 2026 2:12 am In case it helps this what the official armament return lists for her lt AA armament at this time:

12 x 2 pdr pom poms in quad mountings (ie 3 mountings)
1 x 2 pdr pom pom single
1 x 40mm Bofors single
8 x 20mm Oerlikon in twin power mountings (ie 4 mountings)
7 x 20mm Oerlikon single

It is a pity that there seems to be no clear photo of the port side at this time. However from what I see in the starboard photos, the single 2pdr was in the port (left) position across from the single 40mm Bofors. There was no third tub behind the funnel.IMG_1639 reduced.jpg

Hi Dick,
I agree that the official armament disposition tells so. Thank you for summing it up, it's also in the Buxton book.

But it doesn't satisfy me, as a single 2pdr on port and a 40mm on stbd simply don't match up: the two weapons have too different properties. Also, what may be glanced from the stbd photo could equally well be the muzzle of a 40mm in my view.

And your simple denial 'there was no third tub behind the funnel', leaves me with the original question: what then was exactly there? There was definitely 'something', but what else could it be?

Anyway, lots of thanks for your attempt to help on my quest!

by **Maarten Sch�nfeld** » Sat Jun 06, 2026 5:07 am

Thank you very much, Palco!

This image of Erebus 1940 is new to me. On this the two UP-launchers in the two aft tubs are clearly visible.

My concern is the third 'tub', just in front of those two easily visible ones. I'm not even certain it really is a tub, and what armament -or other equipment- is associated with it.

My best guess now is there really was a third tub, same diameter (16 feet) as the other two, but positioned about three feet lower. After the two rear tubs were both equipped with single Bofors 40mm guns (the SB one about 1941/42, the Port one in 1943/44), the front tub got the remaining single 2 pdr gun.

But anyone who can prove otherwise is more than welcome!

by **palco** » Sat Jun 06, 2026 4:08 am

HMS Erebus 1940

by **dick** » Sat Apr 11, 2026 2:12 am

In case it helps this what the official armament return lists for her lt AA armament at this time:

12 x 2 pdr pom poms in quad mountings (ie 3 mountings)
1 x 2 pdr pom pom single
1 x 40mm Bofors single
8 x 20mm Oerlikon in twin power mountings (ie 4 mountings)
7 x 20mm Oerlikon single

It is a pity that there seems to be no clear photo of the port side at this time. However from what I see in the starboard photos, the single 2pdr was in the port (left) position across from the single 40mm Bofors. There was no third tub behind the funnel.

: IMG_1639 reduced.jpg (70.02 KiB) Viewed 2225 times

by **Maarten Sch�nfeld** » Fri Apr 10, 2026 10:44 am

Time for an update: my model has progressed considerably, thanks to input from several of you. Thanks for all the suggestions and info! All the secondary armament, Carley Floats and boats still need to be added, as is the aft lattice mast.

Please keep posting suggestions for improvements!

You will note the two aft gun tubs are dissimilar, as the result of the staged abolition of the IP launchers. These will both get a single 40mm Bofors.
The single gun tub in front, behind the funnel will get a single 2-pdr gun. Note the hodgepodge collection of AA-guns, but I guess they used what they could get at that time.

by **Maarten Sch�nfeld** » Sat Apr 04, 2026 1:51 am

Well, we're getting more and more into a discussion about dates and color schemes.

Below the only picture I have from the Port side, in August 1944 at Normandie. Note the color scheme.

: HMS Erebus off River Orne 8-1944-cutout.JPG (9.29 KiB) Viewed 2328 times

But what can we make of this? When I compare it to the other images, I would still think I'd see a UP launcher. But we know it was removed already after 1941! So please help me identify the elements we can see on this picture.

by **dick** » Fri Apr 03, 2026 11:43 am

Maarten Sch�nfeld wrote: Sat Mar 21, 2026 2:38 am To become more specific: can someone identify the structure in the blue circle?
What's this object.jpg

The upper photo attached shows (circled in red) the location of the UP launcher in this area was when it was fitted. You can see its distinctive silhouette. Your blue circle is further forward and lower down.

I estimate your photo of Erebus to have been taken sometime August-October 1942. She had ditched the 1941 camouflage by then. A contemporary sketch labels the deckhouse at A as being "Radio Location Gear?". At B is a single shielded 20mm Oerlikon.

by **palco** » Fri Apr 03, 2026 6:23 am

Despite this, the photos of the first version of the 1941-42 camouflage still show the rocket launchers.

by **palco** » Fri Apr 03, 2026 6:19 am

From what I know, rocket launchers were removed from the decks of RN ships in 1941.

by **palco** » Fri Apr 03, 2026 6:18 am

the photo must have been taken at the beginning of the war around 1940 because it had camouflage from 1941-42 and was changed to a different type in 1943-44

by **Maarten Sch�nfeld** » Fri Apr 03, 2026 2:29 am

Thank you very much, Palco!

The reply makes sense, only: were these unguided rocket launchers (or UP launchers) not removed before 1943, when that photo was taken? I recall these had proven to be completely ineffective.

I'm starting to come to the conclusion that platform remained there indeed but stayed empty, the two similar platforms a little further aft received single 40mm guns.

by **palco** » Thu Apr 02, 2026 7:22 am

What you marked in blue is an unguided rocket launcher used at the beginning of the war on many RN ships. It was on the port side, on the starboard side there was a single 40 mm Bofors. After modernization in 1944 there were single 40 mm Bofors on both sides.

by **FFG-7** » Sat Mar 21, 2026 6:39 pm

Eberhard, the British was ahead of the Germans during ww2 not behind.

by **Maarten Sch�nfeld** » Sat Mar 21, 2026 4:26 pm

As you see in my picture (first post) I have added the 15 inch gun turret from scratch, complete with the hoods covering the raised trunnions of this version, allowing a gun elevation of 30°, as opposed to the standard 20° in the battleships. I modified the turret of the WEM Roberts model similarly, WEM obviously missed it as they include a simple copy of the Academy Warspite with its conical (not faceted) front shield.

All the secondary armament will be provided by Black Cat Models from Normandie (Benjamin Druel), I just placed an order for those 3D hardware

With hindsight I could have used a 15 inch Mk. I turret from Micromaster instead, but also modified for the elevated gun trunnions. These were particular for the monitors,

by **Maarten Sch�nfeld** » Sat Mar 21, 2026 4:12 pm

Hi Eberhard,

Thanks for your reply! As far as I know now it could be anything. But I'm not aware af any radar-related shed or so that looks like that, neither do I think Erebus was used in any experiments that might justify such a shed.

So it's a clever idea, but difficult to confirm now.

by **wefalck** » Sat Mar 21, 2026 5:01 am

WW2 is not something I am very knowledgeable about, but didn't the British catch up to some extent with the German radar developments? Could it be a protective structure around an antenna?

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