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Loving my 1/350 scale U-boats at the moment, finally found a weathering style that I like. From Left to right, Hobbyboss Type VIIA, Revell Type VIIC, Revell Type VIID, Micromir HMS Meteorite and Atlas Type XXI. These have been fun filling the gap while I wait on some OKB 1/700 subs now and the Micromir K-class come on Royal Mail!!!

This kit wasn't quite at the same standard as the other Revell kits i've had the pleasure of building. The hull seemed a bit bare and some parts seemed a little out of proportion. However after etching some of the major hull plates on I am happy with the result. The German submarine U-47 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.[2]She was laid down on 25 February 1937 at Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel as yard number 582 and went into service on 17 December 1938 under the command of Günther Prien. During U-47‍ '​s career, she sank a total of 31 enemy vessels and damaged eight more.[5] She is also noted for the sinking of the British battleship HMS Royal Oak on 14 October 1939. U-47 ranks as one of the most successful German U-boats of World War II.

Gorgeous kit oozes quality and the detail is excellent. Tempted to fork out for their Gato class or do a Guppy build. Still not very good with photo etch but getting there slowly

My internet has been down for the last 3 weeks so i've had to wait to post pictures of one of the most fun builds i've ever made. This kit is fantastic, the detail is great and the flash minimal. Everything in the kit was quality and I thoroughly enjoyed building it. Painted with humbrol acrylic spray and revell acrylics.

Type IX U-Boat Interior Sections Part 2 1:72 CMK Having recently reviewed five interior sections for the Revell 1:72 Type IX submarine, we have just received another two. As with the previous sets these two are moulded in grey resin and come complete with some etched parts and a micro saw for cutting the model sides open. Whilst the resin parts are beautifully moulded, there is quite a bit of cleaning up to do, especially from the moulding blocks for the larger parts. There are a lot of parts that make up each section and will make for some really well detailed sections, particularly with some care detail painting. The sections will need to be carefully marked out on the kit hull before cutting out, fortunately CMK have thought about this, and rather than just giving a set of measurements they have provided a template for each section that is cut out and laid over the hull. N720112 – Rear Torpedo Section and Crew Bunks. Although quite large this appears to have one of the smaller part counts of the series, containing just 23 parts. As with the forward torpedo area the set is provided with the rear sections of the torpedo tubes, although in this case there are only two tubes to assemble. Each tube is provided with a selection of ancillary equipment, such as the pipework, valves, air accumulators, along with PE hand wheels, firing levers and locking wheels of the tube doors. Unlike the forward torpedo section this one does not come with a torpedo, although one can be bought separately should you really need one. The port side wall of the torpedo handling area is also where some of the crew are accommodated on four bunks which require the modeller to make up the bunk supports with wire. Etched parts are included for the addition of various hand wheels, light fittings, valves and controls to the hull side and aft bulkhead. On the ceiling there is a single torpedo handling rail and its respective supports for the moving and loading of the torpedoes, but there aren’t and chain winches, which will need to be scratch built. The aft bulkhead, if the section is to be used on its own, should have its access hatch closed, but if used with the next section along it is possible to have it posed open. If you’re going to be using the torpedo loading kit that is available, then the hatch in the ceiling of the torpedo handling section can also be posed in the open position, giving the opportunity for a rather cool diorama scene. With all the sections and bulkheads assembled it makes for a strong rigid structure which will help with strengthening the cutaway hull. N72017 – Diesel Engine Section. This rather large set is for the main engine room, and whilst the basic construction of the port wall/deckhead, floor and two bulkheads mirrors the other compartments the amount of detail in this section is quite considerable. There are quite a few ancillary equipment parts fitted to the side wall/deckhead. These include control boxes, electrical boxes, pumps, light fittings and control hand wheels, in both resin and PE. The engine room floor is dominated by the single 9 cylinder diesel engine, which is a lovely moulding in itself, but is further enhanced by the fitter of the turbo supercharger unit, intake manifold, exhaust manifold, cooling jacket, and instrument panel, RPM gauge and numerous sections of pipework. Forward of the engine are further accessories, such as air accumulators, pumps, and more pipework. In fact there are two sets of these fittings, one for each engine, oh, and if you’re wondering what happened to the second engine, this is available separately as CMK felt that it would obscure too much of the other detail should both be provided in the one set. Conclusion If you’ve bought the other sections that are available then these two are a must have. The details included are superb as per the previously reviewed items, but I am a little disappointed in that at least one torpedo could have been included in the rear section and the second engine included for the engine room, rather than having to spend even more money to add them. There is still one or two more interior sections that are to be released which will enable the modeller to open up the whole kit which will look really quite impressive. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

Type IX U-Boat Interior Sections 1:72 CMK Soon after Revell released their 1:72 kit of the Type VIIc U-Boat, CMK produced several interior sections for it so that modellers could build a cutaway model, adding quite a bit of interest to the finished article. Well, now they’ve done the same for the 1:72 Type IX U-Boat kit. The five sections we have been sent, (there are others), are all moulded in grey resin and come complete with some etched parts and a micro saw for cutting the model sides open. Whilst the resin parts are beautifully moulded, there is quite a bit of cleaning up to do, especially from the moulding blocks for the larger parts. There are a lot of parts that go up to make up each section, yet the modeller is still required to provide some wire or plastic rod to finish them off. All sections will need to be carefully marked out on the kit hull before cutting out, fortunately CMK have thought about this, and rather than just giving a set of measurements they have provided a template for each section that is cut out and laid over the hull. N72011 – Front Torpedo Section. Containing over 32 parts this is the biggest of all the sets and comprises basically three areas/zones. The torpedo loading area, showing the foreward bulkhead, the rear of four torpedo tubes, complete with all the ancillary pipework, air bottles and fittings. The floor of the torpedo handling area with a torpedo made up of two resin parts and completed with etched fins and propellers lying in a recess. The port side wall of the torpedo handling area is also where some of the crew are accommodated on six bunks which requires the modeller to make up the bunk supports with wire. Etched parts are included for the addition of various hand wheels, light fittings, valves and controls to the hull side and aft bulkhead. On the ceiling there are two rails and their respective supports for the moving and loading of the torpedoes, but there aren’t and chain winches, which will need to be scratch built. The aft bulkhead, if the section is to be used on its own, should have its access hatch closed, but if used with the next section along it is possible to have it posed open. If you’re going to be using the torpedo loading kit that is available, then the hatch in the ceiling of the torpedo handling section can also be posed in the open position, giving the opportunity for a rather cool diorama scene. With all the sections and bulkheads assembled it makes for a strong rigid structure which will help with strengthening the cutaway hull. N72014 – Command Section. The heart of any submarine is the command and control section and this is represented here by a single section between the two provided bulkheads. The centre floor section is quite sparse with only the periscope housing and access ladder to the control tower fitted. On the hull side however, it’s a different matter, with a plethora of hand wheels, pipework, control boxes, lights, valves and claxon horns fitted. The floor adjacent to the rear bulkhead and side wall is slightly recessed. This is filled with more pipework and what looks like an air accumulator which is attached to a valve by a piece of wire provided by the modeller. The two bulkheads are fitted out with further hand wheels, valves and their access hatches, which as per the section above can be left open if two sections are joined together. N72015 – Foreward Crew Quarters. This is a very simple module, with on the floor, side wall, two bulkheads, and a couple of stacked lockers. One bulkhead is fitted with a hatch, whilst the other is fitted with a door, whilst the other details include more hand wheels, claxon horns, lights and a couple of pipes. N72016 – Captain’s & Officers’ Ward Room. Although stating that this is the wardroom it is also fitted with the enigma code room and radio room, both of which are normally enclosed with a curtain, which will need to be scratch built by the modeller. Within the floor, ceiling/sidewall and main bulkhead structure, you have bunks, stacked lockers, internal bulkhead, radio stack, enigma machine, stools, light fittings and claxon horns fitted. N72022 – Galley. This is naturally the smallest of all the compartments reviewed here, but it is full of equipment, showing how cramped the galley was and a wonder how they cooked anything for the crew of up to 56 men. Between the two bulkheads the floor is fitted with hotplates, ovens, sinks, and a host of associated pipework, hand wheels and fittings. On the ceiling/sidewall there are more hand wheels, air filter, tannoy speaker, and an unidentifiable fan housing like fixture. Conclusion The Revell 1:72 Type IX U-Boat was a very welcome release and there have been some fantastic builds seen on the internet and at shows, but these sets will allow the modeller to take it to the next level. If you have the courage to cut your kit open then these sets will make for an amazing looking model. You could go even further and enhance the sets with appropriate lighting and others in the series such as the torpedo loading and external sets. You will have some careful painting to carry out, but anyone who has the ability to use these sets shouldn’t have a problem with that. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

This was a tricky build for me, you may notice some pieces of railing missing after multiple fumbles and drops of the model. I experimented with a staged painting/building process so those parts were glued after a base coat had been painted. This did not work out well and in the end i went back to using acrylics, washes and drybrushing. On the lookout for 1/700 and 1/350 scale Royal Navy subs if anyone knows of any good kits. Cheers for looking. Alex

Hi, here is my first Topic in Britmodellers "Naval department" Its a Type VIID Submarine from Revell in 1/144 scale, started many years back and stalled for some reason. It went back on my bench some weeks ago. Its more or less out of the box, i added some details on the main gun with stretched sprues and copper wires, the barrel is painted dark gray on the topside and light gray on the upper side. There is a compare picture with a 8,8cm gun right out of the box. The barrel of the 20mm gun was replaced with a steel needle. The antennas were made from stretched sprues and Ez line The isolators on the antennas were drops of wood glue. Weathering was done with a black wash from acrylic color and a lot of drybrushing and some slight barely visible rust shades on the underwater part of the hull. I hope you like it and i wish all Britmodellers and their families a happy new year. Cheers Bernd

The WIP thread went a bit quiet as I was having difficulties taking pictures, so here's the time-lapse jump to the completed product! CMK resin waterline Type VIIC U-Boat in 1/72. I built it to represent U-96 returning to St. Nazaire after Kapitanleutnant Lehman-Willenbrock's Knight's Cross-winning patrol of 30 Jan-28 Feb 1941. Resin figures from CMK. Others from Revell. Sea base made from MDF board, plaster of paris water, acrylic paint and gloss gel finish. Flags are excellent quality cloth types by AMP Running wires and lines with insulating blocks scratchbuilt from Milliput This is the pick of the shots I managed so far! Comments and questions welcome!

Hi I've finally got my mojo back after a disastrous time with a 1/32 Su-27 which ended up in the bin. Decided to start last year's Christmas present, the CMK waterlined Type VIIC U-Boat in 1/72. I have a very useful reference book, plus some very informative PDFs from AMP This fantastic book was a snip at just £18 from the antiques cabinet at the Royal Navy Museum in Portsmouth! It's some very substantial lumps of resin - I've glued the two hull halves together with Devcon 5-minute epoxy, filled, sanded and primed. Some of the weld lines and rivet groups disappeared in the process, Archer Transfers will rectify that! The conning tower fittings cleaned up and primed. All the castings are near-perfect, just flash and cleanup required. The only assembled pieces so far - deck gun and 20mm C/30 AA gun. Both barrels needed straightening with a hot bath and pliers. Great casting detail - this whole tower is one complete piece. Dunno how they do it! The following pics show the crispest of detail on the hull pieces: All I've done so far is attach the torpedo loading hatches, which are separate to facilitate a dockside diorama. I'll be posing this with crewmen on deck as a "returning from patrol" diorama. The sea base is 100x20cm! Handling the completed hull is like trying to paint a javelin (as in spear!) it's a long, thin and heavy lump at the moment. Going well so far, hope I can manage not to mess this one up, even though I got it half price from Hannants sale last year, it was still a very expensive kit.

U-Boat Crews 1:72 CMK With the release of Revells Type IX U-Boat last year and the re-release of their Type VIIc there has been the need to man them which CMK have released a fair number of crew sets to fulfill this requirement. These two sets add to the range and each provide three figures each of which is very well moulded in grey resin. The first set is titled “The Crew Returning”, and are posed as if returning from a cruise. Each figure will need to be removed from their moulding blocks and the flash in the area between their legs removed. Two of the figures are provided with separate hands whilst all three have separate heads, all with prominent beards, one with an officers cap, the other two having crew brevet style caps. The third figure has his hands in his pockets so that’ll take a bit of pressure when painting. The second set, entitled “Crew In Raincoats” says it all really. The poses are very similar to the first set in their distinctive long oilskin style raincoats, whilst the third is in a shorter coat with a live vest over the top. Again two figures have separate hands, with the third having his hands in his pockets. They also have the separate heads, this time two with large rainproof hats and the third with a cap. Conclusion Both of these sets are very nicely produced, and when combined with the other sets on offer they will make an interesting an interesting tableau that will compliment the U-Boat model. I hope CMK will continue to expand their range, particularly as they could be used with the amazing internal sections they produce for both types of Revell U-Boats. Highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

Started in 2011, it's the first model I've completed in 2014! My personal KUTA campaign is continuing.... The Revell kit built from the box with no additions apart from rigging. It's a great kit to build and really enforces Revell's recent resurgence as a quality ship kit producer. Painted in WEM Colourcoats over Halfords primer. Weathering done with oil paint, Tamiya Weathering powders and pastel chalk. The sharp-eyed will notice no naval ensign and no propellers in the home made photos. Both were added later when the top two pics were taken at our club by Mr C Bradley! I decided to weather this one having seen the fantastic models of submarines posted in recent weeks. Not to draw comparisons, but it was worth the effort to get the look of the finished article. I chickened out of weathering the wood deck and just left it in the Schlickgrau base colour. The bad pictures were taken with mobile phone as ever. Happy to answer any questions about this one.

German Type 212A Revell 1:144 The Type 212 class were designed for use in the Baltic Sea and Mediterranean Sea. The class has been very successful and is in use with both the German and Italian navies. The unusual aspect of these boats is in their engine room where they are powered by an air independent system based on the work carried out by Professor Walther in the 1940s. The Hydrogen-Air fuel cells are stored in tank between the outer and pressure hulls. The boats still have diesel engines for use in transiting to and from a patrol area then switch to the Walther system when on patrol, making these very quiet boats difficult to detect. They are also able to operate in very shallow waters, as little as 17m. They are currently armed with Seashark and Blackshark fibre optically guided torpedoes, but these will be augmented with the introduction of cruise missiles in the future. In 2013, Poland also expressed an interest in buying and operating two boats of the class, but nothing formal has taken place to date. The Model The kit is a re-release from Revell of their kit from 2005, and comes in the rather feeble end opening box that is giving Revell a bit of a reputation. The box art showing one of the class at sea on the surface is quite dramatic and should draw modellers new to maritime modelling to give it a go. Inside, there are just two, quite large sprues of black styrene, a small sprue of clear and the decal sheet. The moulding is nice and crisp with some fine details, although some of the smaller parts do have some flash around them that will need some care to remove. As with most submarine kits the build is relatively simple. It begins with the fitting of the clear windows to one half of the tower, along with the navigation lights just aft of them. The propeller is assembled from the single prop, boss and shaft piece which slots into the rear of the hull. With the prop and windows in place the hull halves are joined together. The fore and aft upper deck sections are then attached, having had the required holes drilled out if the modeller wishes to have the stanchions, bollards and railings raised. The bow section with nicely recessed torpedo tube doors is then attached. The X shaped rear diveplanes are each provided in upper and lower halves, which, when assembled are attached around the rear hull foreward of the propeller. The four cross bars that attached to the foreward tip of each fin are fitted, although this may be best left till after painting as they have a tendency to be knocked off as the build progresses. Revell provide optional tower tops allowing the kit to be made with periscopes/sensor masts shown raised or lowered. In both case though the crew hand rails are fitted either side of the lookout well. If raised the periscopes, sensor masts and splash screen are fitted to their respective wells, after which the top is fitted to the tower as are the foreward dive planes. The crew access door on the front of the tower can also be posed open, but there is no internal detail so it may be best to fit it in the closed position, the same of which can be said for the door on the port side rear of the tower. The last parts to be fitted are the various bollards, cleats and railing masts fore and aft, plus a pair sensor posts fitted one per side on the bow. The railings themselves will need to be provided by the modeller using stretched sprue or whatever their preferred medium is. Decals The decal sheet is very well printed in Italy, probably by Cartograf with good opacity and colour, in register and only a small amount of carrier film between the identification numbers for each boat option. The sheet also provides the depth markers, various crests for each German boat, plus German and Italian ensigns. The stand provided in the kit is decorated with a pair of decal plaques, one for each side. Conclusion This is a very nice and welcome re-release of an interesting modern boat. From building the previous release I recall the fit being very good with the exception of the front tower door which required a bit of filler and some care to prevent it falling into the hull. The introduction of the Italian option brings with it an interesting colour scheme possibilities as they have been experimenting with various blues and greens which will certainly make it stand out from the crowd. Thanks to Dave Wardle for helping with this review. Very highly recommended Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit or

German Type IX U-Boat 1:72 Etch sets There was with much excitement when Revell announced the release of their latest in 1:72 U-Boats, the Type IX. Since then the guys and gals at Eduard have been beavering away to produce these three packs of etched brass to really enhance the detail already in the kit and add extra that Revell missed out. There is quite a bit of surgery to be done to the kits before adding the brass, so if you’re of a slightly nervous disposition then you might want to check out the instructions on the Eduard website before committing yourself. 53106 – Set 1: Comes in a zip lock bag with one sheet of etched brass. The sheet contains a series of inner skin panels onto which the hull flood vents are attached; each vent has to be folded to shape before fitting. The kit holes need to be carefully cut out and the vents panels fitted from the inside of the hull parts. On the outside the etched grilles are attached giving a much better representations of the real thing. The set also include replacement parts for the bow torpedo tubes and the decks between them. The inner and outer doors are also replaced and there is an option for open or closed doors. The kits air outlet vents also need to be opened up and covered with etched grilles and plates. The decks receive new bollards, cleats and aerial tie down points, whilst the deck hatched are fitted with new handles. The island also receives new hand holds, coaming plates, brackets, deck fittings and hatches. The main entrance hatch is also fitted with new hinges, and locking wheels. There is a complete replacement radar, railing deck plates, and periscope fittings. 53107 – Set 2: Is quite a bit smaller and come in the standard Eduard packet with stuck down flap. This set provides the modeller with a whole series of deck plates, deck hatches and perforated walkways that cover the upper deck of the submarine. The set also includes extra details for the twin 20mm guns and their mounts along with a new shield, breech fittings, and hand wheels for the 37mm cannon. 53108 Set 3: Is the smallest of the three sets and strangely in one of the larger zip lock packets. This sheet contains a series of external plates that enhance the look of the flooding holes fore and aft and around the bow tube openings. Conclusion Whilst the Type IX is an excellent kit there are some things that really can’t be moulded using standard techniques and it this is where the etched brass comes in. The finesse it provides to a finished model can really make it shine. These sets can, when used correctly will do just that for the Type IX, just be careful with the cutting out of the kit parts. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

A little Airfix pressie arrived for me at Christmas: Das Boot a great film so I've made a start as soon as I could. I've never tackled a maritime subject let alone a sub but there a some great u-boat builds in WIP at the moment that I can study. The kits OK, the moulding is fairly crisp but some of the detail's a little chunky so I may replace some parts with some scratch built items. The hull parts are smooth and don't show any of the panels so I've scribed some on there not 100% accurate (and not very well done) but I think it looks a bit better. I probably preshade some additional ones on. I've also attacked the saddle tanks and added some oil-canning to them (shown on the upper half of the hull) More to follow. . .

A long-shelved build resurrected as part of my personal KUTA campaign of 2013-14. This vessel more than any typifies the Battle of the Atlantic - the Kriegsmarine workhorse, which accounted for 568 out of the total 1150 U-Boats commissioned during the war. This Revell kit is simply lovely. Whoever has been producing Revell's ships in the past 5 years is doing a cracking job! Nice box art: Decent sized kit, hull parts are approx. 18in long The moulded detail on the kit is excellent: The kit also offers "early" and "late" options with slightly different tower ducting and optional net-cutters. Unfortunately there is no provision for some of the more substantial flak installations seen from mid-1942 onwards, they appear in the "Atlantic Version" release. There are 5 U-Boat options, and I am doing the one featured in the box art, Adalbert Schnee's U-201. Schnee was one of the longest-serving "aces" who commanded U-201 to an impressive total of 19 ships and almost 100,000 tons, earning the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. He later joined the BdU staff of Admiral Doenitz, and commanded one of the two Type XXI Elektroboote which actually made combat patrols. He was a rare survivor of the U-Boat campaign by this stage. This may take a while - my shed is so freezing there's not a chance of being able to do any spraying, and a project this size really needs to be sprayed! But I have loads of time off in january so it should be fast progress I hope! Al

German Type IXc U-Boat 1:72 Revell History The Type IX U-boat was designed by Germany in 1935 and 1936 as a large ocean-going submarine for sustained operations far from the home support facilities. Type IX boats were briefly used for patrols off the eastern United States in an attempt to disrupt the stream of troops and supplies bound for Europe. The extended range came at the cost of longer dive times and decreased manoeuvrability, which is why the smaller Type VII was produced in greater numbers and used for the bulk of operations. Type IXs had six torpedo tubes; four at the bow and two at the stern. They carried six reloads internally and had five external torpedo containers (three at the stern and two at the bow) which stored ten additional torpedoes. The total of 22 torpedoes allowed U-boat commanders to follow a convoy and strike night after night. Secondary armament was provided by one large Utof 105/45 gun with about 110 rounds. Anti-aircraft armament differed throughout the war. The Type IXc was a further refinement of the class with storage for an additional 43 tonnes of fuel, increasing the boat's range. This IXc also had the control room periscope omitted leaving the boats with two tower scopes. The 105mm gun was also removed after 1943 as it was deemed unnecessary for the operations then being carried out. As mine-layers they could carry 44 TMA or 66 TMB mines, though U-162 through U-170 and U-505 through U-550 (35 boats), were not fitted for mine operations. One IXc carries the distinction of being the only U-boat sunk in the Gulf of Mexico, U-166. U-505 survives at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and as of 2005 has been completely renovated. The Model As with Revells earlier kits of the Type VIIc and Type VIIc/41 this kit comes in a large, sturdy top opening box with and artists impression of U-505 on the surface with a Grumman Avenger circling in the background, showing the moment when the submarine surrendered to the US Navy. Inside, under a cardboard shelf there are the four parts that make up the hull and a poly bag containing 10 sprues of light grey styrene and 3 deck pieces. There is also a small decal sheet, a paper sheet of flags and a reel of black cotton included. The moulding of all parts is very clean, with no sign of flash and only a few moulding pips. Detail looks to be very well done with the associated hull openings shown as quite deep indentations and plenty of rivets for even the most fastidious modeller to count. It is a shame that the flood vents and openings in the hull havent been moulded open and a representative pressure hull included, but this may be due to the fact that the kit isnt aimed at just the professional modeller, but all levels, thus some shortcuts have been taken. That said Im sure that the aftermarket companies will come up with something that will really enhance the finished model and for the more experienced to go to town on it. That said, the details on all the parts does look really good and with some careful painting and weathering it should be made into a great and certainly impressively large model. The only real difficulty to be seen is the attachment of the stern section to the main hull section as the break isnt on a natural hull line, although the dry fitting does show that it shouldnt require too much filler, just be careful not to remove the rivets and plate lines when sanding. Construction begins with the assembly of the foreward tubes out of eh main bulkhead with the tube openings, three sub-decks and two longitudinal bulkheads. The aft tubes are constructed from the tube bulkhead, a two part internal bulkhead and the deckhead. The foreward tubes are then sandwiched between the main hull halves along with two strengthening bulkheads about one third and two thirds of the length. The aft tubes are then fitted between the two aft hull parts with a bulkhead near the hull joint position. The two hull sections are then joined together and the seam carefully filled and sanded. There is a long stand which can be assembled at this point to help with the rest of the build. With the hull turned upside down the three piece sonar dome is attached to the front of the keel whilst the two piece foreplanes, bow doors, which can be posed either open or closed and the boats anchor are fitted. Moving aft, a pair of two piece prop shaft fairings are fitted, one per side adjacent to the rear of the keel, followed by the prop shafts, A frame supports and props. The stern torpedo doors can then be attached, again either open or closed. The two piece stern planes are then attached, with the two rudders and their support frame being the last to be fitted. With the hull upright the three deck sections are fitted and the joins carefully filled and sanded to prevent any loss of detail, although they are fitted at natural joins this time so there shouldnt be too much to do. The two 20mm cannon mounts are then assembled out of the base, two part pedestal and traversing hand wheel. The cannon themselves are then built up with the twin barrels, ammunition cartridges, gun mount, elevating mount, shoulder rests and pintle attached. Next in the sequence is the assembly of the single 37mm mounting. This consists of the barrel, two piece pedestal/base, splinter shield and associated mounting beams, two seat mounts, seats and two pairs of hand wheels, making up a nicely detailed unit. The build then moves onto the large tower. The upper tower halves are joined together and a panel fitted to the starboard side. The command deck and 37mm mounting deck are fitted to the two piece lower tower section. The upper tower can then be fitted to the lower and the upper and lower winter garden deck attached. There are a number of panels to be fitted to the inside of the forward upper tower, including the radar stowage and compass shelf. Further details such as the conning tower hatch, with locking wheel and the voice tubes and spray coaming are added forward whilst the rear deck supports are added aft. Staying aft of the tower there are three racks fitted each containing a life raft, along with two access ladders and the individual ladder rungs up the starboard side of the tower. Six sections of handrail are attached around the tower and five sections of guardrail are fitted around the towers gun decks, with the flag staff in the centre of the upper tower railing. The tower is completed with the fitting of the two piece periscope housing, into which the two periscopes are slotted and between which there is a two piece lookout rail. The radar, with individual di-poles is fitted to the housing on the port side, a number of smaller items and finally, the three gun mounts assembled earlier in the build. The whole assembly is then affixed into position on the main deck. Construction of the sub is completed with the fitting of the hand rails around the tower on the main deck, the fore and aft deck hatches, bollards and rear aerial supports. The aerials are to made out of the cotton provided, but it may be better to use something that doesnt look quite so furry. Fortunately in this kit Revell have provided the isolation fixings for the aerials foreward where it splits from one to three. Decals The single smallish decal sheet has markings for U-505 from before she was captured and after, once the US Navy ratings had added their own slogan on the front of the tower. There are also identification decals for the stand which fit into their respective indentations. The decals look like they have been printed in house and are quite thick, with a fair amount of carrier film between the letters, but should sit well once your favourite softening and setting solutions have been used. The paper flags include two sizes of US Stars and Stripes, plus several signal pennants, and the German Naval Ensign, without swastika of course, but these can easily be acquired. Conclusion This is a great looking kit and will build into an impressively sized model. OOB and patient painting and weathering it will look fantastic, but with more effort it could be built into a masterpiece with, say the flood holes opened up and a representative pressure hull scratch built and maybe the addition of some crew. Also it could be the basis of a number of conversions. If the tower was swapped with that of the Type VIIc you could build a Type IX or Type IXb and fit a 105mm gun on the moulded mounting point in front of the tower, whilst making the Type VIIc a late war version. You could even fix a rack of five Stuka Zu Fuss rockets on the aft casing for the Peenemunde trials. Whatever you doing it you wont regret building one, well apart from the storage or display issues. Highly recommended. My thanks goes to Dave, (Panzer Vor!!!), for his research and guidance in finding the more specialist information. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit

Hi Everyone, and a Happy New Year! This is a really quick build as i build up to starting a big 1/72 U-Boat in the next month or so. It's a Mirage Hobby 1/400 Type IXC U-Boat, done as U-176 from the box with some railings borrowed from an old WEM 1/400 set. Not exactly dramatic, but goes together really nicely for such a small kit. Decided to do it as a display model with no weathering. Doesn't take up much shelf space either! I'm treating it as a little hors d'oeuvre - the Revell 1/144 scale Type VIIC I'm finishing off is part two, followed by something a lot bigger as the main dish! Cheers, Al

Type II U-Boat Kagero Super Drawings in 3D First launched in June 1935, the Type II were the first U-boats commissioned in German yards after the repudiation of the Versailles Treaty. Unknown to other nations at that time, Germany had already begun construction for 12 new Type II U-boats as early as 1934. It was not until the signing of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement in February 1935 that construction began to be undertaken publicly. By June 15 1935, the first class of the Type II was launched. Small and cramped, the Type IIs were coastal boats intended principally for training, but because of the shortage of available boats, they were later relegated to war duties. With a crew of 25, the boats had limited range and carried enough provisions for three to four weeks, but frequently returned to port after expending their supply of torpedoes. Due to their small size and heavy rolling on the sea, the Type IIs quickly earned the nickname “Dugout Canoes”. Although of limited use in the open ocean, some remarkable successes were accomplished early in the war by U-boat aces such as Otto Kretschmer. The Type II also earned the respect and admiration of the crew due to its high manoeuvrability, rapid diving time and durability. Later in the war, due to the ever increasing need for training new crews, all Type II U-boats were withdrawn from combat duties and assigned to full-time training. A total of 50 Type II U-boats were built during the war. There are four variants, Type IIA, IIB, IIC and IID. Another in the great series of 3D format books from Kagero with only the first two pages dedicated to the history of construction, and mention of the four types of Type II submarines produced. The remaining pages are full of 3D drawings. The drawings and artwork are very clear and would be easy to work from. Each Type II sub-mark, (A to D), is given its own section covering what seems like every external part of the boats, each and every fitting on them. There are also larger close up drawings of items such as the weapons and their differing style of mounting. The rigging and wiring is particularly useful. Also included is a double sided A2 sheet of line drawings in 1:144 scale, making them perfect for using with the Revell/ICM kits and seeing where and how they need to be modified to produce an accurate model. Conclusion This is a superb and very useful book for those of us who have the kits in the stash or are wishing to buy one, knowing that it should be possible to recreate an accurate rendition. The line drawings are the icing on the cake of beautifully rendered 3D offerings.

Type VIIc U-Boat Jasmine Models 1:350 It is very nice to see a new company releasing some interesting models and etched update sets. So it is with Jasmine Models, having already released an etched update set for the Kitty Hawk F-35B they have now released their first kit. But this one is with a twist, a 1:350 scale Type VIIc U-Boat, entirely in etched brass, producing a 3D skeletal model. The kit comes on two sheets of relief etched brass, both secured on a sheet of card and covered in a protective film. The instructions are in pictorial form which, whilst the photographs are clear, time will need to be taken to read carefully to ensure the correct parts are fitted in the right order as this isn’t made entirely clear. The build begins with the construction of the keel and the propeller guards/rudder supports bent into shape. The rear torpedo deck and generator are fixed into place followed by three bulkheads. The main engine is then folded to shape, giving it a 3D look, and fixed to the deck plate. This assembly is then added to the keel along with two more bulkheads. Two more bulkheads are then added followed by a crew bunk area, with four two tier bunks. Moving forward, two more bulkheads are fitted along with the valve control area, two more bulkheads, another crew bunk area, with five two tier bunks and two more bulkheads. The stand support plates are added to their respective positions along with the name plate. Another crew bunk are is then folded into shape, this one has six two tier bunks in what is possibly the aft end of the forward torpedo space as the next two bulkheads have the torpedo handling equipment and internal parts of the torpedo tubes. Forward of these are the bow planes and bow bulkhead, with tube openings. The lower bow, with saw tooth cable cutter, is then attached to the keel and fitted with the anchor and chain. The build then moves to the upper longitudinal spine, on which the tower is fitted, this includes the periscopes, periscope retraction tube, hatches and AA gun. The rear dive planes, rudders and props are attached to their respective positions. The foredeck is then added followed by the aft deck section which has the upper part of the tower attached, along with the DF loop, all this will need to be folded into the correct shape. The tower bandstand is then folded and glued together, this needs to be carefully slid over the AA gun before being attached to the rear of the tower. Lastly the foredeck gun is fitted to the deck plate and the handrails fitted each side of the tower. Conclusion This model is really so left field I was surprised to it being released. The size and construction will take some patience and care in the folding and positioning of each part. The modeller will also need to be very sparing with the glue as it will be noticeable if too much is used. I’d recommend using GS Hypo glue as it’s clear, controllable and quite strong enough once the model structure is complete. I cannot recommend this for anyone other than those modellers with a fair bit of experience of etched brass. But it will certainly be a stunning little model when finished. Review sample courtesy of

Type IIB D-Boat Revell 1:144 Small and cramped, the Type II were coastal boats intended principally for training, but because of the shortage of available boats, they were later relegated to war duties. With a crew of 25, the boats had limited range and carried enough provisions for three to four weeks, but frequently returned to port after expending their supply of torpedoes. Due to their small size and heavy rolling on the sea, the Type IIs quickly earned the nickname "Dugout Canoes". Although of limited use in the open ocean, some remarkable successes were accomplished early in the war by U-boat aces such as Otto Kretschmer. The Type II also earned the respect and admiration of the crew due to its high maneuverability, rapid diving time and durability. Later in the war, due to the ever increasing need for training new crews, all Type II U-boats were withdrawn from combat duties and assigned to full-time training. The Model The model comes in the standard Revell end opening box with a picture of a Type IIB at sea on the front. Inside there is one large sprue, one small sprue and the two hull halves, all in a medium grey styrene. The moulding on all parts is nicely done, with the vent holes and other detail on the hulls looking really nice, with the exception of the torpedo outer doors being quite indistinct. In fact, it looks like they've not been moulded properly at all. Not having another example to look at, it could just be this particular sample with this problem. Being a submarine, construction is pretty simple as can be seen by the number of sprues. The build starts with the two hull halves being joined together with two bulkheads to give some structural integrity. Onto the completed hull the deck is added along with the rear hatch and the fore and aft bitts plus the anchor on the port side bow. The modeller has the choice of either an early or later tower/sail, depending on which submarine is being modelled. The later style has an ADF aerial support fitted to the front whereas the earlier one is flush fronted with the ADF aerial in the interior of the tower. Between each half of the tower the deck and shelf areas are sandwiched. Onto the deck the two periscopes are fitted and on the outside of the tower handrails, life rings, bullhorn, rear rail, and flagstaff are fitted. The only weapon these boats were fitted with was the 20mm Oerlikon fitted to the deck in front of the tower. Whilst the gun and shoulder harness are the same, there is a choice of either a conical or barrel shaped mounting. At the bow the cable cutter and diveplanes are then fitted along with the centre torpedo outer door. Moving aft, the combined propshafts prop guards and diveplanes are attached to the rear hull along with the propellers, rudder support and rudder are fitted. The final parts of the build is to add the tower to the deck along with the guard rails, deck gun and the fore and aft flagstaffs. The kit also provides two pedestals onto which the model can be affixed to the base. There is also a coil of black thread included for the rigging, but it may look a bit out of scale and "furry". Decals The single sheet of decals provides items for either U-9 from 1939, U-20 from 1940 or U-23 from 1939. The decals are nicely produced win good register and slightly matt. Conclusion This is a very nice model of an early U-Boat from a time when Germany was rebuilding her forces and devising new tactics. Even in 1:144 this builds into quite a small model at just under 300mm long, so wouldn’t take up too much display space. Recommended. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit