Dear all,
so here comes my next build log, back to the roots in many ways and new in about as many ways at the same time:
Battleship Gneisenau in 1/350 scale
So I’m back to my favorite scale - and it feels like coming home, cutting the first styrene, after my 1/700 experience. I’m back to full hull WW II ships.
But this is going to be a transformation from the Dragon 1/350 Scharnhorst 1943 kit into a Gneisenau, and I’m still not entirely sure about the time. So when Dragon brought out the Scharnhorst 1943 I could not resist. But when they brought out their Scharnhorst 1941, I liked that even better, so I had to get that kit, too. So there was the consideration to use the 1943 kit to build it into a Gneisenau, and to build the 1941 Scharnhorst as intended by Dragon. It will (sometime in the future) be the “returning from Operation Berlin” fit, with yellow turret tops and some remnants of the baltic stripes.
So there is the consideration as to build Gneisenau in the same situation, looking pretty much alike paint wise -no remnants, but same yellow turret tops, or go for an earlier 1940 version. I tend to do that, apparently during the Norway operations (Weserübung) when providing distant cover during her encounter with HMS Renown, she hat bright red turret tops - that would make her stand out. I definitely want to do her with those fancy air recognition painting, both Scharnhorst and Gneisenau actually, since I think this adds a lot to the model. However, for reasons, I will omit the swastikas.
So even if I said “I tend to the 1940 version”, decision is not made yet and I’d love to hear your opinions.
So here’s the setup:
Quite a lot of add-ons, I am not sure yet which of those I will be using. Time will show.
And there may be more stuff added over time as well.
The most obvious alterations that need to be done:
- bridge/forward superstructure: 3D printed replacement
- hangar/catapult: 3D printed replacement
- 11" turrets, 10m rangefinders: 3D printed replacement
- main mast: well…will have to build one…
- teak deck on the 4.1" AA “platform”: will have to scratch build
And many more small and bigger details, changes to the main deck, forecastle, … this will be fun!
However, I will try to build a clearly recognizable Gneisenau, clearly distinguishable from Scharnhorst (how awkward were those “one kit builds both” offers…), but I will not be going down nut counting. Both ships have very distinct features, but have been constantly changed over their careers, so it’s close to impossible to exactly say how they looked at a given time.
So here we go!
First changes indicated - Gneisenau did not have a second row of portholes above the armored belt forward, and just four or six - still checking and interpreting pictures - aft. And some obvious portholes were located differently. The green marked porthole will have to go.
But I am not going to check each and every porthole along the hull, as long as it looks reasonable, it will stay.
Overall fit of the hull is really good. Of course there will be some filling band sanding necessary, but not too much.
However, one flaw - there’s a gap at the stern
and test fitting shows that the wooden deck most likely will not cover it, as it fits snuggly with the deck and not the hull. But that should not be too much of a challenge.
Gneisenau had a steel tip of the forecastle, whereas Scharnhorst had her wooden deck extended further forward. So have to sand this down and cut the wooden deck. I still have to check and verify the dimensions, but it will be somewhere along those marker lines.
So that’s it for today. First entry in my first build log in the new forum, and I can say that, at least for me, writing a build log here, with the preview, the way you can drag and drop pictures, seems a lot more comfortable already as the old forum, were it alway came a little bit as a surprise woh your entry looked after saving. First experience, and I have to say, I like it very much!
Now this here is mostly a familiar audience, so you know what you are up to - a rather slow, even glacier speed build. That won’t change, since real life is really busy for me, particularly with my 1:1 frigate that demands lots of time. I hope you are bearing with me, and I hope to make this a interesting and fun build log - and as there are many “firsts” in here for me, I don’t really have a plan in place for what will come. But I’m confident that I’ll find ways.
Thank you all for looking in, as always, all comments highly appreciated!
Chees
Jan
…
, ready to go.
