Calling all Kriegsmarine U-boat Typ XIV 'Milchkuh' fans

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Hi everyone!

now that we have been getting many nice kits in 1:350 scale of various Typ VII and Typ IX subs, I'm getting more appetite for the more obscure types: the Type XIV 'Milk Cow' and Typ X mine layers. I consider building these from scratch, maybe using parts of other kits if possible.

Starting with the Typ XIV first, has anybody some good tech reference info, drawings and other? I already found general drawings on

http://www.heiszwolf.com/subs/plans/plans.html

Studying these drawings closely, and enlarging them using the yardstick, makes me wonder whether the length given as 67.1 m (220 ft) is really correct, although all sources repeat that. By study of the drawings and deducting the frame spaces it seems tjhat 65.1 m should be more correct. Can anyone shed light on this?

[peppe]

same images and data from various books, groener die deutchen kriegschiffe, roessiter u-boote, d. miller u-boats, bagnasco sommergibili della seconda guerra mondiale
ciao peppe

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Hi Peppe,

Thanks! Every piece of info helps, in this case in particular the ship's frames diagram 'Progetto'. Super!

It seems that the info about the lenght has come a long way, Groener generally was pretty accurate. However, I had spotted one or two errors in that authoritative work (on other ships that is), so I remain suspicious about that given length.

Hope if anyone else might add some insight. Olaf, maybe?

[peppe]

one more information from jurgen rower u-boote
one from breyer and some from russian sources
ciao peppe

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Hi Peppe and others,

In the meantime I've studied the XB type and others more closely, and I'm coming to the conclusion that the 67.1 m length figure doesn't seem to bad after all. Thanks again for all your references, they really did help!

It seems that the common submarine design practice in the German navy was to have a pressure hull with frames at 800 mm spacing (with some local exceptions) and the outer casing with frames at 500 mm (again with some exceptions). Thins means that at every fifth frame of the pressure hull aligns with every eighth frame of the casing.

Our drawings show only the pressure hull frames, but as there are some bulkheads of the casing shown too, this can be checked very well. The bulkhead between the E-motor room and the engine room seems to such a frame that aligns totally. When we work forward and rearward from there, it works out pretty well with the figures above.

Having scaled the drawing that it aligns with these assumed frame spaces then the 67.1 m figure must be very close, so I think I go for that.

Coming back to the Type XB: I have started to make a master for a 1:350 resin model kit of this type, and I will attempt to do that for the Type XIV as well. If people are interested in these kits you might let me know as well!

[krgf15]

I agree. I just wish all German types were available in 1/144. It is the perfect submarine size in my opinion. I would love to see the Type XIV and Type XB in 1/144. Type XVII would be nice too.

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Hi krgf15,

You must be right, 1:144 seems to be a pretty good scale when you're fully into submarines, only the really large SSBMs like the Ohio or the Typhoon will be too large though, and they're not available either.

However, for people also interested in comparison with surface ships (like me) 1:350 becomes an increasingly interesting scale, but admittedly most subs will be the smaller models then. I've made my masters (and hence an eveantual kit) in that scale, and will not do it in 1:144 once more.

Anyway, I found that research was the bigger problem to solve with these obscure types, but as I cracked the nut now building the subs from scratch is appearing rather simple. I would therefore happily cooperate with anybody wanting to do a similar scratchbuild project in 1:144, sharing all the info I have gathered. I'm even considering drawing up some rather accurate plans of these types, compiling all the snippets of info I have gathered so far.

[krgf15]

I do agree that the new offerings in 1/350 are addicting. I have shyed away from them though because I have so many off the 1/400 mirage hobbies u boats. I wonder if they are close enough in size to display together.....

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Hi guys,

sometimes it takes some time... but I finally managed to reconstruct the Type XIV's flood hole pattern. All drawings that show these are way off, and so are the few museum models I found.

But when I discovered that the frames are uniformly 50cm apart, this helped analyzing the photo's showing various parts of the pattern. When I was able to link these up with the position of the conning tower everything started to fall into place!

So now well advanced to create a basic resin kit of the type in 1:350. Will keep you posted!

Maarten

[krgf15]

I NEEEEEED ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! very nice!!

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Finally some news on this: I have sent the masters to be cast in resin, wait on this for further announcements.

Kind regards,
Maarten

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

And now I can even show the first casting! To me it looks pretty good...

When I can tell more about availabilty and price I'll let you know.

[Dan Banks]

Hello Maarten, any further progress to report on this, would be nice to have

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Hello Maarten, any further progress to report on this, would be nice to have

Hi Dan,

I ran a check with a German expert on these subs, he urged me to make it a complete kit including PE and decals. Also he had critique on the 'tower' or 'bridge', being not the correct version. As he's right, I will first make these improvements before issuing the kit.

Can you still wait for that?

Thanks for your eagerness!

Maarten

[Dan Banks]

Absolutely

[krgf15e]

Hello Maarten, any further progress to report on this, would be nice to have

Hi Dan,

I ran a check with a German expert on these subs, he urged me to make it a complete kit including PE and decals. Also he had critique on the 'tower' or 'bridge', being not the correct version. As he's right, I will first make these improvements before issuing the kit.

Can you still wait for that?

Thanks for your eagerness!

Maarten

Hello sir, Was there ever any progress on the type X or XIV kits?