Dragon Model Ships 1/350 USS Benson DD421 Destroyer 1945 Kit

Commissioned on July 25 1940, the USS Benson was in time to see extended combat during WWII. The USS Benson (DD-421), the only ship of this name in the U.S. Navy thus far, was the lead ship in a class of destroyers. Before the USA entered the war, the vessel was escorting convoys to and from Iceland. Subsequent to the events of Pearl Harbor, it was again escorting convoys, this time to the UK. An at-sea collision prevented its participation in the landings in North Africa, although it did support the later invasion of Sicily and the landings at Salerno. In 1944 it was fully engaged in convoy duties in the Mediterranean, and succeeded in shooting down several German aircraft. It also supported the invasion of southern France. The final weeks of WWII were spent in the Pacific. Its valorous WWII service earned the ship four battle stars. The kit depicts the destroyer as it appeared in 1945 towards the close of the war. As such it features a brand new aft deck house and a new director rad