Search the Community

German 88mm and 105mm Guns 1:72 Eduard Brassin The resin aftermarket parts for the big Revell 1:72 submarines seems to have been fairly monopolised by CMK but now Eduard-Brassin have started to release some. The two sets we have been sent are for the submarines main guns, the 88mm for the Type VIIc and the 105mm for early Type IXs. Both sets are contained in the standard blister packs used by Brassin, with the parts well protected by foam inserts. The guns even in this scale are quite small, but are really well detailed with plenty of small fragile parts, so take care when removing from the moulding blocks and cleaning them up. 88mm [672 034]. Unlike some sets where only the barrel of a gun is changed, this pack contains not only the barrel, but the whole mounting. The resin parts include the pedestal, mount, breech bock, barrel mounted rangefinder and optical sights, elevation quadrant, elevation and turning wheel fittings, and the prominent crew waist supports. The small etched sheet contains the elevation and traversing wheels, fittings for the rangefinder, and the waist support mountings. There is a tampion and clamp to be fitted to the muzzle, which is missing the cable that could be seen attached to the tampion and wrapped around the barrel and connected to the gun mounting. 105mm [672 053]. The 105mm is very similar to the 88mm gun, which is natural, seeing as it’s the smaller weapons big brother. The parts are very similar too, providing as it does, the barrel, breech block, sights, waist supports, pintle, rangefinder plus accessories, and the gun mount/trunnion. The etched parts are also similar with the inclusion of all the traversing and elevation wheels, waist support mountings, and tampion. Again, the wire from the tampion to the mounting is missing, but at least the length and gauge of wire required is given. As always, check your references as from June 1943 the Atlantic-boats had landed the deck gun. Only in the Mediterranean and the Northern Sea boats kept their guns for a few months longer. In July 1944 some of the VIIc boats from the 8th Flotilla in Konigsberg got their guns back for the patrols in the Baltic Sea against the Russians. A number of Captains were also allowed to re-fit the deck gun when operating in the Indian Ocean. Conclusion It’s great to this pair of deck guns being released as not only does it give modellers the chance to improve on the kit details, but also backdate the Type IX to an earlier boat when they had deck guns fitted. These are superbly moulded with some very fine detail and will look great mounted on their respective submarines. Very highly recommended Review sample courtesy of