ICM KFK Kriegsfischkutter (S.018) 1:350

[Mike]

KFK Kriegsfischkutter (S.018)

1:350 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd

 

 

During WWII the German Kriegsmarine realised the potential of a low-technology small patrol boat to aid in their operations, and made an order for just over 1,000 examples, fitted out with equipment and armament to suit the task to which they were suited.  The hull was of wooden construction that was cheap to make using existing facilities that used up little in the way of strategic materials other than for the frames, with propulsion provided by a diesel engine.  It was intended that after the war, they could be converted back to civilian use as a trawler, but the majority used after the war were from post-war production and had never seen action.   Production began in 1942, and was undertaken within Germany, but also at other occupied locations, including the Ukraine, for operation on the Black Sea.  Many of the type were used as small guard boats or for security patrols, fitted with two circular gun platforms, one on the fore deck, the other set high behind the wheelhouse, offering a better view of larger vessels for the gunner.  The war ended before the full contract was completed, with over 600 built in total, some as patrol boats, training vessels, mine sweeping, and for basic anti-submarine warfare.  Measuring only 24m long with a displacement of 110 tonnes, the 220hp diesel motor could only propel it to around 9 knots, so it was hardly a fast patrol boat, barely able to keep up with a standard trawler, but it still saw service in every sea where the Nazis fought during WWII.

 

 

The Kit

This is a brand-new tool from ICM, and it’s plain to see where the motivation for it came from, as some vessels were built in ICM’s home country of Ukraine.  The kit arrives in a small top-opening box with captive top flap on the lower tray, and inside is a single sprue of grey styrene and the instruction booklet in colour, with painting profiles on the rear pages.  Detail is good for the diminutive size of the model in this scale, and as well as having the option of full-hull or waterline models, you also get a simple stand to pose your completed model on if you opt for full-hull.

 

 

Construction is straight forward and begins with creating the keel up to water level from two halves, then the rest of the hull is made from two more halves plus a deck panel that has planking and some of the deck furniture moulded into the top.  Gluing the keel to the upper hull is optional, and a flat blanking plate is also supplied for the waterline modeller to give it some structural rigidity.  The wheel house has the stepped rear made up from three parts, plus the vertical front, which also includes the railings for the small (barely) flying bridges to the sides of the enclosed bridge.  The two deck gun emplacement bases are situated on the fore deck and behind the wheel house, adding the screw in front of the moulded-in rudder if you have glued the lower hull to your model, and a life ring that straps to the railings on the bridge.  The wheel house has a heavy weather-resistant roof added, and a life raft is attached to the front on two pegs, while the single mast is made up out of three parts and inserted into its socket at the rear of the aft gun emplacement.  The emplacements each have two-part circular railings that extend to most of the perimeter, which are butt-joints, so make sure you give them adequate time for the glue to cure before carefully putting them into position.  The guns are moulded into their conical bases in the idle position, pointing at the sky, and they fit into the centre recess on each emplacement, with the model finished off by adding the anchor in the bow, and another life ring to the other flying bridge.  If you wanted to go the extra mile and some more detail to your model, there are vertical posts moulded into the hull sides for the handrails, and you could easily (easy for me to say!) add the horizontals to give it some more realism.

 

The display base is a single part with the shape of the keel moulded into its top, and a concave conical profile that would only take a gloss coat of brass to do a creditable impression of a more expensive metallic base.

 

 

Markings

There are no decals in the box as they aren’t required, but there are two suggested schemes in the back of the instruction booklet, as follows:

 

• Multi-purpose boat KFK Kriegsfischkutter, 1944
• Multi-purpose boat KFK Kriegsfischkutter with camouflage paint applied, 1944

 

 

Paint colours are called out with letters in red boxes that correspond to a table on the front of the booklet that gives you Ukrainian and English names, plus ICM, Revell and Tamiya paint codes that should permit most modellers to choose colours from their preferred range.

 

 

Conclusion

It’s a tiny little model measuring barely 7cm or 3” from stem to stern, but there’s quite a bit of detail included, and it’s another unusual subject that some folks (self-included) might not have heard of.

 

Highly recommended.

 

Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd.

 

Review sample courtesy of

 

[Faraway]

Thanks for bringing this to my notice, I do like an unusual kit.

Jon

[psdavidson]

Thanks. Looks like a nice little kit

I already had it on pre-order based on the ICM Youtube video. It's waiting to, errrr.... ship

Edited January 4, 2023 by psdavidson
speeling

[beefy66]

Just got three of these at the Scottish National show in Perth for a bit of fun I timed myself build one of these 28 minutes 40 seconds and builds up rather nicely. Even if very small.  

 

 

Stay Safe

beefy