The Ship Model Forum

Hi all,

From fellow member Neptune I got a link to drawings of the first German Dreadnougts, the Nassau class. This triggered a plan to attempt converting the ICM König kit into this considerably different class. As I had already started converting the kit into models of SMS Baden and SMS Friedrich der Große, I was already prepared what to expect. Nevertheless, this conversion goes much further in gross surgery of the hull.

Having resized the drawings to 1:350, using the hull frames as the pattern (knowing these are 1200 mm apart in reality) I started with cutting out a center section of the hull of 88 mm, and a 2mm sliver out of the ships' bottom. Wits some strips and a thick 2 mm bottom reinforcement plate I secured sufficient stability for the hull. I added the submerged torpedo apertures at this stage as well.

Next I added the lower battery deck from plasticard, to make sure all visible small deck parts for and aft will be well aligned. I removed the hull sidewalls above this deck as they proved useless for the further build up. I only left the curved part near the bows. I also modified the bow and the stern portion of the hull.

The next step was scratch building the main deck, and adding all the sidewalls below it, including the 15cm casemate guns (6 each side) in the process. I marked all the deck appliances (locations for the superstructures, coal scuttles, bollards, anchor cable chafing plates etcetera). I added the coal scuttles using brass tacks, suitably countersunk into the deck.

While measuring the drawings closely I had to conclude the turrets of the 28cm main guns were very similar, but slightly smaller than the kits' 30.5cm guns. The difference is too large to cheat, so I modified one kit turret, and asked a friend to cast six copies from resin.

Well, and that is the current status now. I will have to add the 8.8cm gun casemates to the hull now first, and then I will sail into the most difficult part of this conversion: the superstructures, funnels and masts. The drawings I have now are very vague and incomplete at this point, so I will have to study photographs a lot. I anyone does have detailed drawings of these parts, your help is very welcome!

(PS: placing the pictures inline doesn't seem to work for me, sorry...)

Great conversion work there! Any idea on how accurate the hull is compared to the plans, regarding midship shape etc. ?

Turrets came out nice as well, good luck with the superstructures! I'll be watching closely (damn still no smilies)

_________________
The merchant shipyard

Hi Neptune,

Thanks for the compliment! And yes, you kicked off for me a very interesting project indeed...

As regarding the accuracy of the hull: the ICM kit hull in fact has somewhat too much 'bulge', for a König as well. It is possible to correct that, it involves filing off material from the ship's sides. As it doesn't show very much on a completed model, I don't think many modelers will care about that.

The nice 'bonus' from this conversion to a Nassau seems that the hull center section (with the most pronounced bulge) is actually removed completely, and to fair in the front and rear part of the hull with eachother requires some filing anyhow. I did that, and the midship hull appears as good as perfect for a Nassau class ship. Not too much bulge anyway! There remains a little bit of 'tumblehome' though up to the battery deck, which is quite correct.

The only offending error on the ICM hull, which needs correction for any model, are ugly 'bumps' right at the place of the rear torpedo apertures. These definitely need filing/sanding down, not difficult as there is sufficient material available.

However, if one needs a scientifically correct hull shape, building from the official hull line plans (do you have them for the Nassau?) is the only option. For me however the criterion is, that the hull should be correct in elevation and plan view, that the decks with their structures match up to the hull and that there are no eye catching deviations from the smooth lines. I believe this criterion is very well met in this case. And the model is not supposed to meet its performance targets in the proving tank!

The layout and detailing of the superstructures will be quite a challenge though with this model...

Until later!

_________________
"I've heard there's a wicked war a-blazing, and the taste of war I know so very well
Even now I see the foreign flag a-raising, their guns on fire as we sail into hell"
Roger Whittaker +9/13/2023

What a great project,Maarten! She is an interesting ship,hex turret arrangement,goose-neck cranes,etc,plus her historical significance as Germany's first Dreadnought.I'll be watching for your next update....
Mike

Hi Maarten,
any additional info or progress on your model? It appeared back on my radar for the next project for a while, but I postponed it again. Perhaps after the next one, I first have to learn a couple new skills before I'll attempt a Nassau.

_________________
The merchant shipyard

Hi Neptune,

Not any real progress on the Nassau (Westfalen) since that posting, didn't have much time lately. However, I've been studying the various plans closely and the details of the superstructure are becoming more clear gradually - thanks to all the sections!

But I will complete the 8.8 cm casemates in the hull first.

Cheers, Maarten

_________________
"I've heard there's a wicked war a-blazing, and the taste of war I know so very well
Even now I see the foreign flag a-raising, their guns on fire as we sail into hell"
Roger Whittaker +9/13/2023

Any progress now Maarten?
I'm kind of surprised there are so few people interested in these handsome ships. Reference material seems to be scarce on this class as well.

_________________
The merchant shipyard

I can report some progress on my SMS Nassau/Westfalen now!

It took me quite some time to pick up the courage to work out what the superstructures should look like. The problem is: I have no side view of this, only one deck plan showing all the superstructure decks at once, and a couple of transverse cross sections. I had to work out the scale of these, fortunately it appeared they were all at the same scale.

Finally I ran into a problem regarding the height of the funnels: the forward one appeared to be too high on the cross section, even after careful checking with many photographs. I figure the draughtsman took the same height ast the aft funnel, but forgetting the base was positioned one deck higher. When I subtracted that everything was ok again.
Now on to the detailing work. Not easy, as there seem to be very few on board photographs of these ships.

Maarten

_________________
"I've heard there's a wicked war a-blazing, and the taste of war I know so very well
Even now I see the foreign flag a-raising, their guns on fire as we sail into hell"
Roger Whittaker +9/13/2023

Hello Maarten,

great job, you didn't only make a plan, you also constructed these parts. Good progress on this one. I do have a couple of onboard pictures, but nothing really useful up till now.

The forward funnel looks like a kit part? Is that from the König kit? And how did you produce the aft funnel? Scratch built?

_________________
The merchant shipyard

Hi Neptune,

Thanks, mate! Good to get your encouragement.

You saw it well: the forward funnel was adapted from a ICM König kit rear funnel, removing the center part of some 8mm width, and bringing it to the right height. Mainly because the complex rim I preferred the kit part here (ventilation of the liner right up to the top.)

The rear funnel is a different thing: I could have used a kit funnel too, but the ventilation liner is on the outside here and only one third up. This should be made from tube anyway, and I decided to scratch the whole thing.

The forward conning tower is also straight from the kit, I will only add the sighting slits. In this ship the sides of the conning tower are flattened as in the kit, unlike the larger version (more circular) which was used on the later flagships (FdG, König, Baden to name a few). The rear conning tower is from scratch too: the kit part has a too small diameter for any ship, and scratching it is simple.

Today I started adding the various searchlight platforms and their supports, opening portholes, adding ventilator shafts etcetera.

_________________
"I've heard there's a wicked war a-blazing, and the taste of war I know so very well
Even now I see the foreign flag a-raising, their guns on fire as we sail into hell"
Roger Whittaker +9/13/2023

It would be interesting to compare your conversion to the HMV Paper Card release of the Nassau, rescaled to 1/350.

Bill