The Ship Model Forum

I just got this new kit in the mail today. Figured a small build would hold me over while I wait for more upgrade parts for my Arizona to come. I also like weird boats and there are few boats weirder than two bridge pontoons stuck together and flak guns mounted all over them to cross the English Channel as landing ships (because of course the Germans couldn't be happy with a normal landcraft...).
I've never bought from Seed Hobby before so I wasn't sure what to expect. The detail on the resin parts and PE is actually quiet good despite some of them being incredibly small. I will have to wait until I can get a much better camera before I attempt close up photos of the parts. However, as you will see, the instructions could be a bit clearer. They tell you were what goes but not how to bend the parts or order they should go on. Also, be prepared to provide your own parts for the kit. It does not include barrels for the 8.8cm Flak guns. It does tell you the dimensions to cut your barrels from brass pipe, but it's kind of cheap on their part not to give you some in the kit, even if it was just cheaply molded resin or plastic ones. Maybe they spent all the barrel budget on the 22 flag decals that come in the kit.... not joking. The decal sheet has 22 Reichskriegsflagge and a single Seed Hobby logo on it.
Due to how small it is, I will probably just do one big build post once its finished since it shouldn't take me long to build it once I get it started.

Just what could the Siebelfahre carry? Judging from the size of the 88's there is no room to load a truck, let alone any size tank!

From what I've read, they had multiple variations of the Siebelfahre since they were rush constructed for Sea Lion. The "flak barge", as I like to call this one, appears to have basicly just had a bunch of infantry and or engineers on it. There is another variation of the flak barge with only 2cm flakvierlings and then some that just look like a flat barges with a single small wheel house for carrying vehicles.
They also had some variants propelled by aircraft engines straped to the upper deck with airscrew propellers, which just seems like a "fantastic" idea for a small craft, crossing the English Channel, in rough seas, with infantry and equipment on board into be chucked into the spinning aircraft props by large waves. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f3/bb/19 ... b27876.jpg

Nice...no safety cages around the props!

Oh!

They had “Safety Cages” around the Props, but the image only shows the framing.

It was basically chain-link fence stretched around 3 sides of that frame, which you can see only covers about 4/9 of the Prop’s Diameter.

And it was attached with Bailing-wire. Basically a large Twist-Tie.

The photo also has the Wheel-house in the Wrong Place.

The Wheel-House was only on one barge (supposedly, usually the Right), and the controls went to the other barge via pushrods and pulleys, akin to an aircraft rudder system.

They also had these three-wide and two-deep; three-wide and three-deep; and four-wide, two-deep/three-deep/four-deep, which were needed to carry the bigger cats (where the two-barge system would basically submerge if you tried to put anything bigger than a Pz.III or IV on it).

It is amazing how much the Axis shot itself in the face with its love of weird, gimmicky things. The Japanese wouldn’t improve the Daihatsu because none of the suggestions were “innovative” enough (when they would have been better served by just copying a damned Higgs Boat LCM, which was basically an improved Daihatsu Landing-Craft Barge — Lighter, faster, more maneuverable, shallower draft, even if by just a bit of a foot)…

MB

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USS San Francisco
USS Helena
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HIJMS Sub-Chasers No. 4 - 7
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Interesting model.....

do post a few interim images and your findings when building

regards
Jim B

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