Tax Boat 29

[zenrat]

Gunboat 29.  "Miss Carrie".  British Power Boat Company 63' High Speed Gunboat – People's Democratic Republic of Victoria Revenue Protection Flotilla, Mornington Archipelago, September 1954.

The greening of Australia's Red Centre that followed the sea level rise caused by the 1946 South Polar bomb, and the impracticalities of shipping food through the Darwin Fallout Zone led, by the early 1950's, to a huge increase in international shipping passing the South East corner of Australia.
The People's Democratic Republic of Victoria and the independent nation state of Tasmania, recognising passage through the Bass Strait was an advantage that should be paid for, instigated tolls, levies and tariffs against shipping.
But taxes need to be collected and sometimes the taxed resist the collectors requiring them to use force.
PDRV revenue protection squadrons patrolled the region by air but if warning shots were ignored they could do little from above other than attack the target vessel or follow it reporting it's position.  While sinking vessels caught running the Straits worked "pour encourager les autres" it didn't raise any revenue and the diplomatic repercussions got rather tiresome.
Thus there was a requirement for a flotilla of surface vessels to be stationed amongst the islands of the Mornington Archipelago.  Initially this consisted of an Akizuki class destroyer taken as war reparations from the Japanese, a pair of armed 1920's coastal steamers and assorted former pleasure craft but as time went by these were refitted, updated, replaced or added to with seized or new vessels and by 1950 the Revenue Protection Flotilla was thoroughly modern and efficient.
The vessel of choice for interdicting quicker ships and running down fast smugglers vessels was the 63' High Speed Gunboat.  Built at Mordiallic People's Boatyards between 1947 and 1952 under licence from the British Powerboat Company these were based on the High Speed Launches used by the Royal Air Force as Air-Sea Rescue boats during WW2.  The Gunboat design differed from the HSLs in having a taller wheelhouse (extended rearwards on later versions to incorporate a radar room), strengthened foredeck to take a gun mount and three Mikulin AM-38F V12 engines.  Weapons fit varied between vessels and included anti-aircraft guns, anti-tank guns, gatling guns, rockets, missiles, torpedoes, napalm projectors, anti ship missiles and, on a trial basis in one case a 120mm mortar.
Tax Boat 1 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The gunboat pictured is PGB29 Miss Carrie.  Commissioned in 1950 she was the penultimate build in the second group of what was ultimately 36 vessels.  One of a limited number (sources vary from 3 to 13) powered by the more powerful AM-47F engine (3000hp compared to the 38Fs 1800) she was a lively performer and thus was mainly employed running down smugglers attempting to move Greater Eastern Australia grown herbal cannabis to the three Independent Southern States.
Tax Boat 6 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
With a Nhill Power Radar MR8S Bushrat marine radar mounted on the mast Miss Carrie carried a 40mm Bofors on the foredeck and a 20mm Oerlikon on the aft.  A quad 7.62mm turret mounted on the deck house was primarily for clearing the decks of craft about to be boarded but also proved, when firing tracer across the bows of a smugglers boat out of the dark of a moonless night, to be a wonderful incentive to heave to.
PGB29 served with distinction in the Revenue Protection Flotilla until 1957 at which time she was transferred to the Secret State Police and records cease.
Tax Boat 4 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The Model.
Airfix 1/72 RAF Air Sea Rescue Launch with new wheelhouse combining kit parts and scratchbuilding.
Airfix Bofors Gun from the 1/76 Morris & Bofors Gun kit.
Revell 1/72 Avro Lancaster BI/III rear turret.
Radar scratchbuilt from 1/25 car wheel backing.
Bofors crew from the Airfix Bofors & Morris truck set.
Oerlikon guner from the original kit.
Captain Jasmine from Elheim Figures

[Old Wombat]

Pah! Pitiful weaponry!

Nice build, though!


... & I'm pretty sure "records cease" for everything (& everyone) "transferred" to the PDRV Secret State Police.

[NARSES2]

Me likey 

[PR19_Kit]

The greening of Australia's Red Centre that followed the sea level rise caused by the 1946 South Polar bomb.....

The WHAT??? 

[scooter]

The greening of Australia's Red Centre that followed the sea level rise caused by the 1946 South Polar bomb.....

The WHAT??? 

Well now.  That's a bit of backstory we need to hear about.

[zenrat]

I was channelling Iain M Banks when I wrote that back story.

I must get round to writing the next stage of the History of the PDRV.

I have draft notes though;
WW2 ended with two nuclear bombs being detonated.  The first was dropped by an FAA Sea Lincoln from a RN Habakkuk class carrier onto Japan's secret Antarctic base.  The second was dropped shortly afterwards onto the Japanese fleet as it was assembled off Darwin to surrender.  The aircraft which dropped the second bomb has never been officially identified although it has been claimed it had a Z on its tail...

[PR19_Kit]

The mind BOGGLES at the thought of a 'Sea Lincoln'! 

[tigercat]

I'm sure I've seen a float Lincoln or Lancaster on here . I imagine a Habbakauk class could probably fit a  zwilling Sea Lincoln though

[PR19_Kit]

I'm sure I've seen a float Lincoln or Lancaster on here . I imagine a Habbakauk class could probably fit a  zwilling Sea Lincoln though

Yes, I think Robert in Canada did one, with GINORMOUS floats!

[JoeP]

Fascinating alternate history idea.
Nice build ! 

[Dork the kit slayer]

  :thumbsup:Niiiice

[zenrat]

Thanks Joe, Dork.

[Captain Canada]

Gorgeous ! Love the colour scheme on her. It's funny to see how tiny that turret looks next to the 20s !

[zenrat]

Thanks Cap'n.

[chrisonord]

Only just seen this, very nice build, and yeah, needs more guns 
Chris