Ships of the German Flag GB 2020

The history of the Tirpitz hasn't been something I've followed, FWIW.

I have read a bit about the X craft attacks, the Tall Boy bombs, and I've read about the Norwegian operation.

The germans did not do well, only really prevailed after the British became engaged on multiple fronts.

I would ask if some of this camouflage was nets, organic stuff etc.

If the DKM had concentrated resources on u boats as opposed to surface units, the war might have gone differently.

Good thing they didn't.

Bill

GM you bring up an interesting point. I had found some good shots at the Imperial War Museum online just recently. They had a couple showing how they camouflaged with local trees and foliage. I also read an interesting article about how they sprayed the area with a chemical to create fog and hide themselves. 70 years later they have been able to identify how it stopped the tree growth in the area. There are actually no rings in the trees for this time period. Crazy nasty *** they did in WWI & II. Here's the 2 good pics I found at IWM

I now have room on the workbench to start my entry into this groupbuild.  Here she is ICM SMS Kronprinz Battleship 1/350. 

I did purchase some upgrades such as P.E., brass barrels and brass mast and yardarms.

Marcus

I'm using the Eduard set.  The instructions show a piece, like a hatch or rail but there is no piece that I can find.  For now I'm crossing of the picctures that finish and circling the areas not done .

Chris, Yes I believe yocan thin MM and blend. I would do that with complex Italian and German AC when all I had as a large AB needle and could'nt get precise.

Bish, sorry for the late reply. Yes, I believe the Pontos kit comes with a wood deck. Belive it or not I've never worked with Pontos stuff.

Ikar, looking forward to that Spee. I have the same kit.

Bill, I didn't know anything about this phase of the Tirpitz either. Funny how hosting GB's make me learn more as I research something a member wants to build.

Marcus, excelent!

Steve, i haven't use any of their sets either, but then i don't build as many ships as some of you guys. But i have looked at some of their sets when considering what i should get for my kits.

Some very nice paint work on that Mongoose.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll get some pictures posted.  I have some sub assemblies ready to paint, then I'll start with the laders and mounting to the deck.

One thing I'm not sure about is the water line placement.  since the hull is seperated for a waterline project if wanted, I would think that the black line would go on the upper piece of the hull.

ikar01

Hopefully tomorrow I'll get some pictures posted.  I have some sub assemblies ready to paint, then I'll start with the laders and mounting to the deck.

One thing I'm not sure about is the water line placement.  since the hull is seperated for a waterline project if wanted, I would think that the black line would go on the upper piece of the hull.

 

on mine i checked period photos and found 1/2 tp 1/3 of the black boot stripe showing. 

I agree with Mongoose. The boot topping should be on both halfs. Possably 50/50. The Germans typically had wider stripes than the RN or USN. I don't know the exact measurements for the Spee.

Ok Admiral, i'd like to have a crack at this. My entries will be a Revell 1/72 U Boat and a 1/700?, (will have to check that), Revell SMS Emden.

Which U-Boat kit have you got Dodgy?

I got you down Dodgy. The Emden id a 1/350 I believe and like Bish said, which U-boat is that?

Forgot to ask, just how thick is the waterline stripe?  I looked at the instructions and there is nothing there about it that I could find.  It just maybe with my eye problems that i misssed it but who knows.

Here's a question, in the movie Sound of Music, Capt Von Trapp is given command of a ship.  Does anyone know what type of ship it would have been?

Well the movie has a lot of small inaccuracies, but he commanded submarines in the Austro-Hungarian Navy in WW1.

IIRC he's ordered to report to Bremerhaven. In reality I think it was more like an offer, as he was an Austrian citizen.

And the family took the train to Italy in plain view.

I don't read up on DKM. A boot topping in the USN would extend from unladen waterline to fully laden, and on a bigger ship like Spee it could be 2 meters tall.

By tall, that's the true vertical distance. The actual width of the stripe would vary according to the slope of the side of the ship.

Bill

Thanks for the information, I'll go with the 2 meter width.

In the movie when he received his telegram I think he said it was an order and he got the notice after the takeover.

My family is from Germany and Austria.  I'm not sure where in Germany but the last of the family left Austria after the assination.  After WWI the family land became part of Italy but still retains the family name, now called Monte Baldo and appears to cover a rather large area of tghe mountains.

He was a balding, round guy with glasses and a sweet personality. Maria was a classic, a big blonde the kind you'd have hand you a liter of bier.

She always said that they weren't in love, but she loved the kids and he loved her for that.

If you need any help marking the boot stripe I'd be glad to explain how I do it.

Bill

Just a quick update on SMS Kronprinz build.  As with any new ship build time was taken to clean up the hull and test fit the decks.

Add some detail to the hull and cut out openings for the torpedo tubes, 2 each on the port and starboard sides and one at the bow.

The plastic in this kit is very soft and there is no bracing for the hull to stiffen it also the decking is very flimsy so I braced the two main decks with sytrene I beams to stiffen up the hull and support the weight of the superstructures.

So after all of that I decided to give myself a treat so I assemble the main turrets enough to add the brass barrels.

Next step is paint the decks that are covered with planking and then the hull.  Until next time

Marcus

Sorry, you are absolutely correct on the Emden. I actually have two U Boats, both are Revell, although one is an Advent marked kit. The Advent kit is listed as U99. The Revell marked kit is U47 and is the cutaway version. Neither kit has a scale and both are advertised as being 21 inches long. Very old beasts, so will probably require some correctional work. I might build both at the same time as I will be using basicaly the same colours.

The old Revell kit out of the Ark. The U47 cutaway version.

Sounds like they are in the neighborhood of 1/144.

Gatos were about 100 ft longer, and at that scale are about 24 inches

Thanks Goldhammer, I haven't seen them in a few years and for some reason I thought they were 1/72. Don't know why. Put it down to old age and too many glue fumes............. Its good though, for the two builds I have commited to, I'm using whats in the stash. The wife is happy!

The U-99 kit is 125th, the Advent kit is a re-box of the Revell. I built that a few years back as a practice for the 72nd kit.

Good start on the Kornprinz Marcus.

Dodgy I have it down.

modelcrazy

Good start on the Kornprinz Marcus.

Modelcrazy,

Thank you and thanks for looking in.

Marcus

ikar01

My family is from Germany and Austria.  I'm not sure where in Germany but the last of the family left Austria after the assination.  After WWI the family land became part of Italy but still retains the family name, now called Monte Baldo and appears to cover a rather large area of tghe mountains.

Your ship, the Graf Spee, is named after the commander of the German East Asia Squadron, where the battle of Coronel was won but the Battle of the Falkland Islands three weeks later in December 1914 cost the squadron all of it's ships except Leipzig, and Spee and his two sons were KIA.

Bill

Cool history, you're a plethora of knowledge GM!

on my end the painting is all done. Detail work left and final gluing of weapons to go. Then I can get into some mild weathering and finishing up the base. Here's 2 test shots in my "Fjord" -

Does anyone have some pics of how they tied off to the mooring? I have some pics of the Tirpitz and in the one below it looks like there is something between the ship and piling. Not the clearest shot but pretty good for the time period. I know it's not a rubber bumper  lol

Sorry about the confusion Bish. Its been so long since I delved into the stash that I had for some reason thought that it was a much larger scale than it was. Was also surprised to find that I had two of them. Thats a fine looking model you built, is there a chance of posting more pics? I find pics of other peoples models a great source of stimulation for my own projects.

These are the only other 2 completed pics i have of the U-99. I built it for Steve's Sub warfare GB 3 years ago.

Mongoose,

Your camo work is wonderful, really bends in with the background.  Are you planning to camoflage the upper works also?

Marcus