Light cruiser HMS Penelope was built by shipyard Garland & Wolff (Belfast, Northern Ireland), and launched on 15 October 1935. HMS Penelope was commissioned 13 November 1936.
At the beginning of WWII she arrived at Malta on 2 September 1939.
The light cruiser HMS Penelope was one of four cruisers of Arethusa class. With the beginning of the Second World war, the cruiser was deployed to the Mediterranean sea for struggle with Italian escorts and protection of friendly transport vessels. The main base of the cruiser was the island Malta.
However, in 1940 the cruiser was returned back to the North Sea for operations against the German fleet near the coast of Norway, where she was included into a group of covering of an aircraft carrier VICTORIOUS.
In October 1941 the cruiser was again deployed on the Mediterranean sea. Working in a group of the ships, HMS Penelope attacks and hits the military and transport ships of Italy supplying enemy armies. So passed 1942 and 1943, years of continuous fights with enemy convoys and aviation.
By February 18, 1944 the cruiser HMS Penelope was sunk by a German submarine near the coast of Italy. The cruiser awfully was not lucky. She was torpedoed at a speed of 26 knots, which guaranteed safety to the ship. It is a unique case in sea history.
Мodel HMS Penelope
This model was assembled from the legendary magazine “Maly” more than 30 years ago.
I had met with this unlucky ship through my own bad luck. I went to the hospital for a month. I realized: time should be enough if I move quickly …
So this model was born.
