This was Ralph Coles first combat model, with a quite overscale superstructure. In 1996 the Nelson Class was very handicapped by BB cannon installation rules. I believe Ralph built it with a single sidemount, a stern gun and 3 BB cannons in A turret. The triple BB cannons were ineffective because they couldn't be depressed below horizontal (they must have been above horizontal to clear the bow; I remember Ralph firing at Curt's Bismarck and shredding leaves on bushes above and beyond it). This version of Nelson battled twice in 1997. In the first battle with Bismarck it didn't score a hit though the shubbery on shore suffered. The second was in very windy conditions that caught the big superstructure and almost capsized the Nelson. Again Bismarck was the victor by a wide margin. This model of Nelson was soon scrapped. The IRCWCC rules for some years thereafter didn't allow full use of themodel's 6.0 combat units. Bow guns were useless because of the rising bow and its distance from the turrets. Dual sidemounts were allowed in only one turret, a single sidemount in another, and a stern cannon could be put in an aft 6" secondary turret. The only use for the remaining two units was as a pair of pumps. After much lobbying NABS members were influential in changing the rules so Nelson could have dual sidemounts to port and starboard and use it's 6 units to full offensive potential. After that another and much more effective Nelson joined the NABS fleet. I'm slowly working away at HMS Rodney as a replacement for HMS Warspite.
