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Hello from the low-countries (Flanders in Belgium)

Hagar

Hagar

Joined
Dec 18, 2025
Messages
12
Points
48

Location
West-Flanders
Thanks for accepting me in this forum of model ships builders enthusiasts !

I am almost 64 years old and retired almost 5 years. I have been 28 years in the Navy as Ordnance PO on different ships, mostly minesweepers.

I started as Young boy making Tamiya dioramas before transfering my interests towards wooden ships.
My first build was the H.M.S. Victory cross section by Corel, my second build was the Dutch VOC ship by DeAgostini.

IMG_4635.jpeg

A few years past and I am currently building the Dutch gunboat from Mantua. This project is taking more time, because of gadering information about this type of ship. The model of Mantua is not accurate.
I have been collecting technical plans and literature on the subject from different sources. So I am making adjustments to the original Mantua design. I also replacing the visible plywood pieces by handmade solid wood ones. More to come ….

IMG_4521.jpeg
 
Hagar said:
Thanks for accepting me in this forum of model ships builders enthusiasts !

I am almost 64 years old and retired almost 5 years. I have been 28 years in the Navy as Ordnance PO on different ships, mostly minesweepers.

I started as Young boy making Tamiya dioramas before transfering my interests towards wooden ships.
My first build was the H.M.S. Victory cross section by Corel, my second build was the Dutch VOC ship by DeAgostini.

A few years past and I am currently building the Dutch gunboat from Mantua. This project is taking more time, because of gadering information about this type of ship. The model of Mantua is not accurate.
I have been collecting technical plans and literature on the subject from different sources. So I am making adjustments to the original Mantua design. I also replacing the visible plywood pieces by handmade solid wood ones. More to come ….
Click to expand...
Welcome to the group! You come from the land of my ancestors... my mother's maiden name was Fleming, and I have documented family history in the Flanders region going back to the early 1600's. So I was very pleased to have the opportunity to spend a few weeks there this past fall. Lovely country, and great people (though I might have a personal bias in that declaration).
:)

Again, welcome aboard! You'll find this is a great community with lots of folks ready to advise and assist when we need a helping hand.
 
seadeep said:
Welcome to the group! You come from the land of my ancestors... my mother's maiden name was Fleming, and I have documented family history in the Flanders region going back to the early 1600's. So I was very pleased to have the opportunity to spend a few weeks there this past fall. Lovely country, and great people (though I might have a personal bias in that declaration).
:)

Again, welcome aboard! You'll find this is a great community with lots of folks ready to advise and assist when we need a helping hand.
Click to expand...
Good evening, from which region are your ancestors? I have been years busy with my ancestral tree.
 
Welcome to MSW!

The little photo above your forum name looks like a ship similar to a US Navy Ocean Minesweeper (MSO). I spent a summer midshipman cruise aboard one in the Western Pacific during the summer of 1964. Can you tell us about the vessels that you served on.

Roger
 
Roger Pellett said:
Welcome to MSW!

The little photo above your forum name looks like a ship similar to a US Navy Ocean Minesweeper (MSO). I spent a summer midshipman cruise aboard one in the Western Pacific during the summer of 1964. Can you tell us about the vessels that you served on.

Roger
Click to expand...
Good morning Roger,

This is correct, it’s the M909 Bovesse ex USN MSO-516. With this ship I made a tour of nine months in the first Gulfwar. The Belgian ships were modified in the seventies… they kept they sweeping capabilities but the installed also sonar for mine hunting, anti mine submersibles for destroying mines on the seabed and the 40mm Bofor gun was replaced by double mounted .50 Browning MG. And airco was fitted for the Gulf on the M909 and M906.
I also served on the M902 Van Haverbeke ex USN MSO-522; M906 Breydel ex USN MSO-504 and M908 Truffaut ex USN MSO-515.

Belgian MSO-type mine dredgers are Aggressive Class mine dredgers built by various American shipyards between 1953 and 1958.

Seven units were transferred between 1956 and 1966 to the Belgian Naval Force.

All this ships are out of service and replaced by new type of ships, made in Europe. Last MSO was scrapped in 2007.
 
Being non-magnetic with all that wood, much of it bright finished mahogany, it felt like being aboard a yacht. I was aboard USS Loyalty (MSO 457) sailing the coastal waters of Japan. We did spend a week working with the Japanese Navy sweeping practice mines in Northern Japanese waters: contact and magnetic. At that time these MSO’s still had open bridges.

Roger
 
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