Calling all Bismarck and Tirpitz fans

[Antonio Bonomi]

Hello everybody,

you got it Olaf ! ... I wanted to check how many are carefully reading the Tirpitz first book by now ...

http://bismarck-tirpitz.com/

Both the model and the drawing can be easily modified now ...

No one yet noticed the 105 mm fwd ... that should NOT be there ...

Let see if anybody knows why ???

Bye Antonio

[andyqbutler]

Thought I'd come in and say Hi.
I'm new to ships but not to other genres - been building models for as long as I remember but mailny aircraft although I've always had a hankering to do one of the 'big' ships and the Biscmarck has always been my favourite. I have the Revell 1/350 Bismarck and the Big Ed PE set and I'm really looking forward to starting the build. I've used PE before many times but will be trying a couple of new techniques gleaned from this forum so thanks to you guys for the tips.
I was looking at the wooden decking laid by hand at the beginning of this section - OMG! Now I don't have a problem with being impatient but it would take me forever to get that looking anywhere near as good. Maybe I'll save that for the next one if the bug really bites.
Anyhow I'll let you know how it goes. One question though - metal gun barrels - are they worth it and where is a good source (considering I'm in the UK)?

[Antonio Bonomi]

Hello everybody,

among modelers there must be always support and help .

Well, I am honored to introduce the " Trygve Tirpitz Project ".

http://www.bjerkvik.gs.nl.no/tirpitz.htm

http://www.bjerkvik.gs.nl.no/trygve.htm

It is all about finishing a scale 1 : 100 Tirpitz model ( 2,51 meters ) for a friend that cannot finish it up himself.

The Associazione Modellisti Milano, which made the Bismarck on scale 1 : 72 will help me out on this, and we will complete it for Trygve Lambertsen.

The model will come from Norway to Milano ( Italy ) and than back to the owner in Narvik ( Norway ) which will donate it to the Tirpitz Alta Museum in KaaFjord-Alta ( Norway ), were it will be available to be seen forever.

I will keep you posted on the evolution ...

Bye Antonio

[Mutsuo Sasaki]

hi, Antonio,
You made a nice introduction of the build on progress and it�s modeler,this aging Norwegian gent,not only of your breathtaking simultaneous build of 7 Tirpitz models!
I presume he (from Norway) may be the person who lives in Narvik. I remember back there�s a city museum displaying artifacts and other related things of Tirpitz in Narvik City. Shells from BB Warspite,too etc.

Then according to your comment about his model of Tirpitz which is to go to the Tirpitz Museum in Alta fjord. Thank you for the info.

BR
Mutsuo Sasaki,

[Channell]

I just got a Pontos advanced detail set for the 1/200 kit and I see there's a trailer?! with no wheels to be put on the bulkhead by the hangars. I can't find evidence of the thing in historic photos; does anyone know where it comes from and what it was used for? Shouldn't it have wheels too?

[Olaf Held]

Great, that they have it in their set. Not so great that this information leaked through ...
It is visible in a few photos. The most prominent of the photos so far published is the famous one of the Hitler visit. He's in the foreground, we look at his back and his arm ist raised.

Click here

Just above Hitler's head is a dark V-shaped object visible, right under the searchlight platform. This upside-down "V" is the trailer without the wheels. It is believed that the trailer was a "Sd.Ah 51" (Sonderanh�nger 51 ==> lit: trailer for special purposes) used for the 2cm Flak 30 and 38 (Heeresflak ==> Army AA Gun ).

The weapons had been mounted on three small posts each on either side aft of the aft artillery director station (visible in that Hitler photo as well). The three posts for each weapon are still present on the wreck.

I have no idea where they put the wheels. It appears to me that they had to be removed from the trailer as they may have been simply in the way for fastening the trailers to the bulkheads.

The reasons for the trailers being on board are quite speculative, but I think it had to do with handling procedures for the weapons. If you move the weapon to another destination, don't leave the trailer behind. Perhaps is was planned to take them down from the ship in France, and then you need the trailers for shifting them around...

Happy guessing ~ Olaf!

[Channell]

Interesting, thanks for the info Olaf!

[pvk308]

Guys please accept my apologies if this has been discussed before... whilst doing some research into the cutters / life boats etc that were on the Bismarck through out its career Anatomy of the Bismarck identifies two types of 8m boat........ one is classed as an 8m long boat with 5 oar brackets and is able to carry sails, this is the one modelled by Pontos in there new advanced set that they have just brought out. The second is an 8m cutter with 6 oar brackets and I have identified this is the one that CMK have modelled....... I am wondering how many of each boat were on Bismarck and where they were stationed...... It appears that the 6m boats modelled by both Pontos and CMK are the same and I am wondering again how many were on Bismarck and where stationed...... Alas no one has modelled the dingys but feel there were four on Bismarck happy to be corrected here..... Can anyone tell me if I am wrong and shed more light on the issue

[Channell]

Guys please accept my apologies if this has been discussed before... whilst doing some research into the cutters / life boats etc that were on the Bismarck through out its career Anatomy of the Bismarck identifies two types of 8m boat........ one is classed as an 8m long boat with 5 oar brackets and is able to carry sails, this is the one modelled by Pontos in there new advanced set that they have just brought out. The second is an 8m cutter with 6 oar brackets and I have identified this is the one that CMK have modelled....... I am wondering how many of each boat were on Bismarck and where they were stationed...... It appears that the 6m boats modelled by both Pontos and CMK are the same and I am wondering again how many were on Bismarck and where stationed...... Alas no one has modelled the dingys but feel there were four on Bismarck happy to be corrected here..... Can anyone tell me if I am wrong and shed more light on the issue

Going from memory here but I believe there should be 4 on the maindeck more or less amidships and three on the roof of the port forward Arado garage (the smaller boat nested in the larger on the innermost rack). I'm not sure which size was where on the maindeck, but there are tons of good pics on Bundersarchiv that should make it fairly easy to figure out.

[pvk308]

Channell I am guessing that would also depend on what time the ship was photographed as well ...... I want to do Bismarck at the time around December going in to January 40-41.... I like the photo of the boat in Kiel harbour when she has the rear and top of super structure range finders on board with fumo radar.... I also think the 105 on the rear deck structure near the rear aircraft and boat hangers were added at this time....... I also think the 20 mm flak guns were not added above the admirals bridge and the boat still retained the rangefinders on ANTON turret does this sound feesible guys

[Channell]

Bismarck should have all her motor launches and cutters at that time, plus a new Baltic camo job. She had her rangefinders and radars installed, minus the unit on top of the forward conning tower. I can't remember if the Anton rangefinders had been deleted yet or if the splash shields above the forward secondary guns had been raised yet... I think that was done in march 41 but I'm not sure.

[pvk308]

the photos I have seen around December 40 to January 41 show the range finders on anton then there are no more photos that I can find until she is seen heading out for the first sorte could be wrong though

[pvk308]

This is the photo of Bismarck that I wish to model


http://www.johannes-heyen.de/Grafik/bism_fb.jpg

[Dan Banks]

This is also one of my favorite photo's, most of her equipment on board, no camo, just the standard KM paint scheme against a great sky background. Hood, Yamato, Richaleiu, or any American battleship can't touch Bismark for just plain looks. Maybe Littorio is close. Sorry for the mis-spelling, just lazy not stupid. This is the Bismark I would like to see in 1/200!

[pvk308]

I agree with you mate

[Channell]

Gotta agree and that's what I was aiming for on my own build.

[kawubke]

I see there's a trailer?! with no wheels to be put on the bulkhead by the hangars.

here you can see the Trailer on ist stored Position. And ist painted green or dark gray (Wehrmachtsgrau).

This Trailer is indeed a Sd.Ah 51. It belongs to the 2 x 2cm Flak 30 in Heereslafette. These 2 "Heeresflak" were borrowed Army Anti Aircraft Guns. And because we are "Germans" the Trailer belongs to that Gun, and we have to carry it with us. Even if its not nessesary. Thats German bureaucracy at its best. The Wheels were stored somewere else, because there would not fit on the Position of the Trailer.

http://www.schlachtschiff.com/kriegsmar ... /flak.html

I like this Paintsheme more than the plain Grey on...

Greetings from Germany
Thomas

[pvk308]

Ah yes with just the 3 stripes on the hull yes that one is nice

[Chic Sky]

Just wondering, on Bismarck, what position would the cranes be to launch a plane from the catapult so that the wings don't clip a cable or part of a crane itself?

[kawubke]

Just wondering, on Bismarck, what position would the cranes be to launch a plane from the catapult so that the wings don't clip a cable or part of a crane itself?

The Cranes were still in there storing Position. There was a mechanism to push down the cables so that the Planes can take off. I marked it with a red arrow...

The whole back was lowered and the cables were pushed down. I made a pic to clarify it for you...

Regards from Germany
Thomas