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U-Blitzen? Revell 1:144 Type II-B U-Boat


Valkyrie

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Here is my Blitzen Build entry. In Scotland when you are drunk you are blitzed..

U-33 was sunk not more than 10 miles from here and it’s where the first enigma rotors were recovered in February 1940. That was a type II-A but behind the inspiration for the U-boats. AND....I’ve got the full 6 hours of Das Boot lined up to watch over the holidays 

 

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Bit of a fight but already looks like a u-boat. The model is actually ICM’s on the sprue so must be a re-boxing. The instructions are incorrect as the 2 bulkhead keepers are in the opposite ends. A dry fit quickly showed that up....always worth it.

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I knew all the u-boat research books would be handy for this build. The kit is pretty warped and the deck was up and down like the Loch Ness monster. It’s a really snug snap tight fight so that should help it bed in nice and flat with that weight on top for a bit. Will maybe need a bit of tidying up but 30 mins in and we have the hull and now on to the conning tower.

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Quick bit of Christmas quiz knowledge.....this is U-20, although no decals came with this kit unfortunately it would usually sport the Olympic Rings on its conning tower or later in the war a large crocodile like on the box art. Definitely nothing in the stash that I could use to replicate. U-20 had quite a prolific career recently discovered it now lies in very good condition off the coast of Turkey having been scuttled in 44.

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2 minutes ago, JeroenS said:

Now you've made me want to watch Das Boot again... 

Jeroen, I recently bought the actual 80s mini series which is 6 hours long and was shown on TV in the UK when I was a wee boy. Ever since then I have been really interested in U-boats. But I think any version of the movie is great! And if Die Hard is a Christmas film, so is this as their patrol runs into Christmas.

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Breakfast brunch roll....I should have had a sub roll...Scottish morning roll with square sausage, potato scone and local black pudding. 
I see another grey wolf has sneaked onto the bench, I wonder seen as it Christmas should I just go for a wolf pack, the 1;350 is being built in the MTO GB so makes sense to just start another 

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2 minutes ago, Valkyrie said:

 

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Great to see the famous healthy Scottish breakfast on show !

Just the one ?

Probably leaving room for all those post Christmas Caramel Wafers....

 

Best of luck with this one...

 

That's the U boat, I imagine the roll was sunk a while ago  !

 

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2 minutes ago, JOCKNEY said:

Great to see a U boat being built especially one with local history. 

 

Where can I read up on U33 ?

 

Cheers Pat 

Any of the books about the Enigma will likely mention U-33. The two middle books in my pic have about 10 pages each and I’ve got Seizing the Enigma by David Khan still to read which has a full account of Chief Engineer Schiller who was one of 17 of 42 who survived. I tried to look him up about 11 years ago to speak to him, he lived not too far from here. The Greenock Telegraph has archive accounts online I think too.

U-33 was sent on Hitler’s orders to lay mines in the firth of Clyde and was seen off my Dönitz himself. They also threw a grand dinner for the crew as basically it was almost a suicide mission. They were detected by HMS Gleaner and depth charged to the surface where Kapitän von Dresky ordered the crew to rig charges and abandon 33. The enigma rotors were distributed among the crew for distribution into the sea. The water was so cold that one of the crew with 3 rotors forgot. There is conflicting evidence but it’s thought a RN man found them in a wet jacket while attending to the crewman. The crew are buried at Cannock-chase in England. It’s quite a story!

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