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Thursday, May 13, 2010

U-Boat


To continue building my U-Boat fleet, I am constructing two Type VIIC / Atlantic boats. Here you can see the two hulls that are being waterlined.


The periscopes are too long when the hulls are cut down. So the periscopes have to be cut down too.


The model is designed so the scopes can be moved up and down but I won't do that with mine.


The hulls have had their initial cut, but still need to be cleaned up, glued together and have the hull top and bottoms put on them.



Upside down the hull bow looks like the hull of a WWI Destroyer. Pretty interesting.
Why all the U-Boats you ask? There is significant wargame potential with U-Boats. Several U-Boats dropped off spies and saboteurs here in the USA during WWII. Many times U-Boats dropped off weather stations in Greenland, and even northern Canada. These automated stations would send back information so the Germans could predict the weather better than the Allies.
U-Boats also supplied soldiers, and sailors for manned weather stations in Norway and Russia; some of these stations actually had limited combat against British Commandos and other forces. U-Boats operated as far from Germany as Japan. They took passengers and supplies and plans back and forth between those nations almost to the end of the war; in Europe anyway. U-Boats attacked and captured Allied ships and even visited Antactica to replenish their fresh water and explore.
Any of these scenarios would be pretty good wargame fodder. Of course, you could also build a U-Boat pen at attack with from the air or ground as well.



4 comments:

Bob G. said...

Bunkermeister:
I'll say one thing...If I were 30 years younger, I'd make SURE to open up a really GOOD hobby shop near you.
I'd be able to retire a lot sooner with you as a customer...LOL.

There is nothing like having a hobby shop with people you KNOW and trust to help you...
And nothing like having a hobby you enjoy so much.
Al's Hobby Shop in Philly was my haunt.
Never too busy to answer any question you had with ordering things, or with assembly and painting.
Folks like that a rare breed these days.

Happy Modeling!

Mike Bunkermeister Creek said...

Fidelis Models is my shop of choice. The owner is a good friend and partner too.

Karcuss said...

ditto

if Bunker was to order by Mail from DOWNUNDER! like the work going on. Mind you I have a lot of years to go. If i can still paint 1/300 and make a few bucks!!!

Found a couple of $5 - $6 books in my local Op shop SS-GB a novel by Len Dieghton,
and three big mid 80s books

Great Naval Battles which has Nelson and Jutland and the original Falklands Isles in 1915.
But got it for Coral Sea Midway and the last one Leyte.

Signal Magazine Vol 3 Years of retreat which is to be sold on for profit (more projects)

And a WW1 photo album which is veru extensive.

the point being there is a tonne of Naval photo's and a the Battle of the Dogger Bank which is a Naval action i had not Known of.
But the phot that got me were of WW1 U-boats and how small they were
and one sunk 230+ ships. which is amazing. and also the first aircraft carrier and mention of the first carrier launhced bombing raid etc

cheers Karcuss

Karcuss said...

was meaning good work (i like the work going on) in the photo's Bunker, and that i have a long way till retirement!!

Please insert in first paragraph

Karcuss