Bismarck Action ships in 1/700

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paulcadogan
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Bismarck Action ships in 1/700

Post by paulcadogan »

Hi all,

Since the early 2000's I have built scores of 1/700 scale ship models - pretty much out of the box, sometimes with modifications to create a related ship, rather than the one boxed, paying as close attention as I can to appropriate paint schemes for the fit/year of the ship, etc.

One of my goals was to collect all the major ships involved the Bismarck Action, and even those peripherally involved in the search. I now have all the majors. Most are in plastic, but there are a couple resin kits.

With the advent of Aoshima's 1/700 Dorsetshire and Cornwall kits, I have been able to complete my collection of major players by converting a Dorsetshire to a 1941 Norfolk, and - a more challenging effort - a Cornwall to a 1941 Suffolk.

Of course, many destroyers were at sea –such as those escorting Hood and PoW, Tovey’s force and Rodney and then of course Vian’s 4the Destroyer Flotilla. There are many of those that I have not been able to do – not sure I ever will! But as new plastic kits are released, who knows?

So…the following picture series shows my collection as it stands. Note that not all of them are depicted as they appeared during the Bismarck operation, and we know Bismarck’s appearance itself changed a bit during different phases.

The Hood model is the Trumpeter version, but I’m currently working on the amazing new Flyhawk kit which I will add here when completed.

Hope you enjoy seeing them all together in series!

Paul
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Re: Bismarck Action ships in 1/700

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Here are Bismarck and Prinz Eugen along with Friedrich Eckoldt (Z16), one of their escorts on the way to Norway.

Bismarck & Friedrich Eckoldt: Trumpeter
Prinz Eugen: Tamiya
Missing: Hans Lody (Z10) and Z23
En Route to Norway.jpg
En Route to Norway.jpg (65.79 KiB) Viewed 34316 times
Bismarck & Prinz Eugen
Bismarck & Prinz Eugen.jpg
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Re: Bismarck Action ships in 1/700

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British Cruiser Patrols

1) The Denmark Strait - HMS Norfolk & Suffolk (Aoshima)

Norfolk was built in DS fit by modifying a Dorsetshire kit. This was done before Aoshima released Norfolk in North Cape fit, which has significant differences.

Suffolk was much more challenging, built by modifying a Cornwall kit. Had to cut down the stern, modify the shelter deck to relocate the 4-inch guns and fix the cranes to the forecastle deck rather than the shelter deck, add the 4-inch crew shelters between the 4-inch mounts (spares from a Flyhawk Aurora kit), put tripod supports on the masts, plus the masthead radar aerials and modify the bridge among a few other things.
The CS1 Patrol - Norfolk & Suffolk (1).jpg
The CS1 Patrol - Norfolk & Suffolk (1).jpg (64.03 KiB) Viewed 34313 times
The CS1 Patrol - Norfolk & Suffolk (2).jpg
The CS1 Patrol - Norfolk & Suffolk (2).jpg (54.69 KiB) Viewed 34313 times
2) The Iceland-Faeroes Gap - HMS Manchester & Arethusa (missing: HMS Birmingham)

Arethusa is depicted in her 1942 camo scheme (I used MS1, MS4, MS4a and B5), built with various modifications from a Flyhawk Aurora kit
Manchester is in depicted between the Bismarck operation anf her loss in the Med. (Mountbatten pink), built with appropriate modifications from a L'Arsenal Sheffield (resin) kit I got on sale!
Iceland-Faeroes patrol - HMS Arethusa & Manchester.jpg
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Re: Bismarck Action ships in 1/700

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Manchester & Arethusa 2.jpg
Manchester & Arethusa 2.jpg (98.48 KiB) Viewed 34311 times
Doing Birmingham is a possibility but might be problematic as her bow section was different to other Towns. She didn't have a knuckle, but rather had a smooth downward taper. Getting that right and symmetrical might be challenging - especially with an expensive (and complex!) resin kit like the L'Arsenal Sheffield!
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Re: Bismarck Action ships in 1/700

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Holland's Force (BC1) - Hood, Prince of Wales and escorting destroyers Electra, Echo and Icarus. (Missing Achates, Antelope, Anthony)

Hood: Trumpeter
Prince of Wales, Electra & Echo: Tamiya
Icarus: IBG

No plastic A-class kits available. Resin kits pricey!
BC1 May 22-23.jpg
BC1 May 22-23.jpg (87.66 KiB) Viewed 34310 times
On left, front to back: Icarus, Electra, Echo

Hood & Prince of Wales.jpg
Hood & Prince of Wales.jpg (90.15 KiB) Viewed 34310 times
Hood & Prince of Wales 2.jpg
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Re: Bismarck Action ships in 1/700

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Tovey's Force: King George V, Repulse, Victorious with CS2 - Galatea, Aurora, Hermione (missing Kenya) with destroyers Legion and Lance (missing Active. Punjabi, Nestor, Windsor, Inglefield, Intrepid, HMCS Saguenay, Assiniboine).

KGV (1945 fit) and Repulse: Tamiya
Victorious (Aoshima)
Galatea, Aurora (1945 fit), Hermione, Legion and Lance: Flyhawk (Galatea conversion from Aurora kit - prior to Flyhawk's Galatea release, Hermione from a Naiad kit)
Tovey's Force 1.jpg
Tovey's Force 1.jpg (89.39 KiB) Viewed 34309 times
Destroyers: Legion at front, Lance at back. Cruisers: Aurora in foreground, Galatea in middle ahead, Hermione at back
Tovey's Force 2.jpg
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Re: Bismarck Action ships in 1/700

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After the DS Battle: Norfolk,Suffolk & Prince of Wales
The Chase - Suffolk, Prince of Wales, Norfolk (1).jpg
The Chase - Suffolk, Prince of Wales, Norfolk (1).jpg (59.72 KiB) Viewed 34308 times
The Chase - Suffolk, Prince of Wales, Norfolk (2).jpg
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Re: Bismarck Action ships in 1/700

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Rodney and her escorts: (Missing: Britannic)

Rodney: Tamiya
Eskimo, Tartar, Mashona: Trumpeter
Rodney & escort 1.jpg
Rodney & escort 1.jpg (58.88 KiB) Viewed 34307 times
Eskimo (Western Approaches scheme)leading, Mashona foreground, Tartar (late war fit) behind.

Rodney joins King George V with destroyers (Tartar, Mashona - Eskimo remained with Britannic)
KGV, Rodney, Tartar, Mashona.jpg
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Re: Bismarck Action ships in 1/700

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Bismarck and Catalina
Bismarck & Catalina.jpg
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Re: Bismarck Action ships in 1/700

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Force H - Renown, Ark Royal, Sheffield

Renown (1942 fit), Ark Royal: Trumpeter
Sheffield: White Ensign Models
Force H 1.jpg
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Attachments
Force H 2.jpg
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Re: Bismarck Action ships in 1/700

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4th Destroyer Flotilla: Cossack, Maori, Zulu, Sikh, ORP Piorun

Cossack, Maori: Revell (upgraded with Trumpeter parts)
Zulu, Sikh: Trumpeter
Piorun: built from Flyhawk Jupiter kit (JKN class)
4th Destroyer Flotilla (2).jpg
4th Destroyer Flotilla (2).jpg (76.11 KiB) Viewed 34305 times
L-R Cossack, Maori, Zulu, Sikh, Piorun
4th Destroyer Flotilla (1).jpg
4th Destroyer Flotilla (1).jpg (51.11 KiB) Viewed 34305 times
Front to back: Piorun, Sikh, Zulu, Maori, Cossack
4th Destroyer Flotilla (3).jpg
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Re: Bismarck Action ships in 1/700

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British forces - the Final Battle: King George V, Rodney, Norfolk, Dorsetshire, Tartar, Mashona
Final battle - British forces.jpg
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Re: Bismarck Action ships in 1/700

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Other Vessels
Missing: Swedish cruiser Gotland, HMS Ramillies, Edinburgh, London, USCGC Modoc

HMS Exeter (Matchbox, 1939 fit) - heaviest escort of Convoy WS8B after it was stripped of Victorious & Repulse. Captain Bell had planned to try to ram Bismarck if she attacked the convoy.
HMS Exeter.jpg
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USS New York (Trumpeter late war fit) - America's other "involved" warship. Was at sea, and tasked with reporting Bismarck if encountered. It is alleged that Churchill hoped that if that happened, Bismarck would fire on her and help draw the US into the war.
USS New York.jpg
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Re: Bismarck Action ships in 1/700

Post by José M. Rico »

Paul, that is an amazing collection.
Thanks for sharing with us! :ok:
I think the U556 would be a nice addition. Spotted Renown and Ark Royal in the evening of the 26th and was within torpedo range, but had no "fishes" left.
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Re: Bismarck Action ships in 1/700

Post by wadinga »

Hi Paul,

Yes indeed a superb collection with some very nice modifications to get unusual vessels eg Suffolk with the cut down stern.

I might suggest Kentrat's U-74 needs to be included, since he got some periscope glimpses of the British ships shortly after the final battle through mountainous seas and picked up some Bismarck survivors, Georg Herzog, Otto Höntzsch and Herbert Manthey.

It makes an interesting contrast in design to see USS New York included, and I can (kind of) understand why you have added her. Bercuson and Herwig in their book desperately try to magnify the miniscule US involvement in the Bismarck Chase for their own unfathomable reasons, but by their own admission NY's maximum eastward location was 100 miles west of Bismarck's most westward track and then only four days after she had actually passed by. USCGC Modoc would be a much worthy candidate for inclusion, but that would be a serious scratch building project! However, as she is no "oil-painting" in terms of good looks, and dwarfed by most of the others, you might want to keep her at the back in the photographs :lol:

I fondly remember the Eaglewall 1/1200 scale plastic kits of 50 plus years ago on sale in the UK with Bismarck Chase, Narvik, Altmark incident and Battle of the Atlantic sets which is where my pocket money went back in the day. I still possess some survivors.

All the best

wadinga
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