Subject: SMML VOL 2985 Date: Sun, 06 Nov 2005 03:19:07 +1100 The Ship Modelling Mailing List (SMML) is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http//sandlehobbies.com For infomation on how to Post to SMML and Unsubscribe from SMML http//smmlonline.com/aboutsmml/rules.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1 Re U-boat questions 2 Re Looking for Heller Vanguard 3 HMS REPULSE - Radar (RDF) fit 4 American S-Boat Submarine Colors? 5 Sub Hunters (model mini-review) 6 Re U-Boat Questions 7 Re U-boat questions 8 Re U-boat questions 9 Re MAC ships ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From Sab1156@aol.com Subject Re U-boat questions Hi Dennis, The Kriegsmarine used both,german and captured vehicles! All navy vehicles had on their licence Plates the letters "WM" (Wehrmacht Marine),the army the letters "WH" and the airforce the letters "WL". In North Africa and southern Europe the vehicles were painted sand yellow,in all other places dark grey. regards Detlef ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From SteveWiper@aol.com Subject Re Looking for Heller Vanguard I think you are looking for the Hasegawa 1/450 scale Vanguard, which is a little hard to find. The kit is not that good and needs a lot of work to make it correct. Steve Wiper www.classicwarships.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From Tim Stoneman Subject HMS REPULSE - Radar (RDF) fit The November/December 2005 edition of the magazine "Warship World" includes an interesting article on the battlecruiser HMS REPULSE during late 1941 by the ship's Radar Officer, Ken Armstrong. In it he writes that he and his team fitted a Type 286 Warning Radar set in September 1941 en route from Scapa Flow to Freetown (fitting the aerial had to wait until the ship arrived at Freetown). The aerial was fitted "..to a short mast at the top of the foremast and above the A.D.P. ....Aerial height of 130 feet..." Does anyone know if the set had the original bedstead-like aerial, or the later 'X' shaped one? Was the 'short mast' abaft the HA.DCT on the foretop, or in front of it (logic suggests the former, to avoid 'wooding' the DCT on forward bearings - but logic and hurried fittings don't always go together)? Tim Stoneman ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From Ned Barnett Subject American S-Boat Submarine Colors? Does anybody know what the color scheme was for the USN S-class submarines based in the Philippines at the start of WW-II? I've got the Floating Drydock camo book (I think Measure 9 is the submarine all-black scheme) but I don't know if that scheme applied to the PI-based boats. Ned Barnett ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From Ned Barnett Subject Sub Hunters (model mini-review) The Focke Wulf Kondor - which, among other things, was a scout for U-Boats operating out of the Bay of Biscay (it also was an effective maritime strike aircraft in it's own right) - is now out in model form, and the Trumpeter 1/48 scale model is one of the most complete I've ever seen. The plane was (apparently) a flying gas tank, and all the fuselage gas tanks are there, even though you can't hardly see them. Trumpeter seems to do this a lot - give you modeling details that nobody can see unless you do a cut-away - and apparently that's catching on - but it makes as much sense to me as modeling the interior of a submarine itself ... (kind of like peeing yourself while wearing a dark navy-blue suit - you get a warm feeling, but nobody notices). Still, the model looks great, matches well to Green's specs, and a dry-fit suggests that it will be a joy to build (rather than a nightmare). Of course, the finished model is BIG, but I think that's part of the point. With all the detail inside and out, I'm not sure there will be a big after-market for PE or Resin (unless you want to convert to a different model or mark - there were a bunch of them), but then again, you don't really need extras with all the details found here. Ned Barnett ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From Ned Barnett Subject Re U-Boat Questions Dennis - great questions, but way too broad for generalized answers. There's a book out on U-Boat bunkers, then and now, that might answer some of them (torpedo loading from overhead cranes, for instance), and lots of books on Wehrmacht soft-skin camo colors (for the trucks - and yes, the Germans used everything they captured), but the colors changed based on paint stocks, date, etc. It was not static, and it was not uniform. As for the best scale, 1/72 or 1/700 are likely the best, just because of the availability of accessories. If you can find one in 1/144 - 1/150th scale, you can adapt N-Gauge model railroad stuff for the dockside equipment. If it was me, I'd go 1/72, because of the availability of trucks, bowsers, etc. For other questions, see below Ned ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From "David N. Lombard" Subject Re U-boat questions From Dennis getz >> I am planning to model a U-Boat under going a load out prior to going to sea and I have several questions. What scale would be the best? I have a feeling that 1/72 would be too damn big? << CMK has a bunch of current and upcoming 1/72 figures and details pieces that would be very relevant to this subject. David N. Lombard Rossmoor, Orange County, CA http//www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/uncgi/Earth?imgsize=320&opt=-z&lat=33.8&ns=North&lon=118.08&ew=West&alt=7&img=learth.evif ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From "Gary Mansfield" Subject Re U-boat questions Ref u-boats questions, go to www.u-boat.net ? A very good site all about u-boats! They will answer your questions, 172 will mean you can get WEM detail sets, "fish" vehicles, cranes, figures etc. Loads of books out there ask the local library. Kind regards Gary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From "Nuno Rubim" Subject Re MAC ships Mike McCabe wrote >> There are no kits of MAC ships that I know of, I have been doing some research with the aim of scratch building Empire Maccabe, there are plans available from the National Maritime Museum in London, although expensive. Were you interested in any particular ship? << Thanks for the reply. I'm not interested in any particular ship and as there are no kits, at least I would like to obtain the plans an oil and a grain bulk carriers. As you said NMM plans are very expensive. I'm trying to get a copy of the book "Selected Papers on British Warship Design in WW II", published by Conway. There is an article on MACs. Another interesting related issue is the fact that some Fairey Swordfish based on MACs carried "Merchant Navy" instead of "Royal Navy", but I never found any photo of it. Nuno Rubim ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the SMML site for the List Rules, Reviews, Articles, Backissues, Member's models & Reference Pictures at http//smmlonline.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume