1:72 Scale German WW2 Heavy Battle Cruiser K.M.S. Scharnhorst 1943

Hello Horatio,

It's nice to know that other scale modellers around the globe use the same technic and materials.
With regards to the scale plans - I bought these way back in the early 80's from David McGregor UK. From what I David actually passed away a few years ago, but his collection of ship plans were passed on to John Lambert. He has his own website as well, so you can easily visit his site and order the scale plans you need. The complete set of the Scharnhorst is made up of four drawings, so you cannot go wrong. If I am not mistaken, he has the scale drawing of the Bismarck and the Graf Spee as well apart form other WW2 German Kriegsmarine vessels.
Horatio, please bear in mind one thing, the drawings are not enough, as these just give you an idea of the scale. But the real details are only found in books and wartime photographs. Some very interesting books which you surely need are as follows:

The German Battleship Scharnhorst, published by Schiffer Military History.
The German Battleships - Volume 1, published by Schiffer Military History.
The German Battleships - Volume 2, published by Schiffer Military History.
Scharnhorst 3D, published by Kagero publishing.
German Naval Guns - Volume 1, published by AJ-press.
German Naval Guns - Volume 2, published by AJ-press.
German Naval Guns - Volume 3, published by AJ-press.
German Naval Guns - Volume 4, pyblished by AJ-press.

The above books can be easily purchased from Amazon.com
Should you need any photos or informatoion regarding a particular section of the ship you are constructing, just tell me what you need, and see what I can find.

Is it possible to post some photos of the model you are constructing? This way I can even give you some hints as well.

As for the Commerce Raiding - Yes by all means let's all the hands on deck, commission the ships and prepare the battle fleet.

Convoy in sight. Man the guns.

Some intersting pictures.

A very rare photo of the 105mm ammunition travelling hoist, located amid ships, just behind the forecastle superstructure. The ammunition was used feed the anti-aircraft guns located around the funnel.


A photo showing one of the main turrets of the sister ship "Gneisenau" installed in Norway.

Pawl, int jaqaw hlift li tlestieh sa l exebition li jmiss???!!!! proset my friend, impressive!!

Love what you're doing mate! Keep them coming!

Dottore

Good morning guys,

Some photos of the work carried out by the fitters during the weekend.

Progress on the forecastle main structure is nearing completion. Note the bracing and the reinforcing struts.

The platform on the lower structure, on which the 20mm anti-aircraft will be mounted.

Another view of the platform.

Interior view of the main structure, displaying the aount of stiffeners and bracings. This is very important for large structures.

The platform to be placed on top of the forecastle.

The construction of the complex structure and raised flooring in progress.

Another view.

The whole assembly put in temporarily put in place.

A general view of how the whole assembly is building up.

A rear view including the ship's funnel.

Another view showing some of the figures placed at random. Of course, the figure's bases will be sliced off. In all the ship will be complimented with some 150 figures.

Front view showing the comparison between the gun turrets and the tower.

Another view of the forecastle assembly.

Impressive to say the least Paul, & those figures add so much dimension & life to the whole scene

Thanks Ray,

As I advised earlier, I would be needing some 150 of them, as a model having a length of 326cm will need that quantity to put some life into the model itself. The only difficulty is that I can only only use a limited number of different sets including the new 1:72nd scale kriegsmarine set produced by revell, and the good old Airfix Luftwaffe set. The good thing about the Luftwaffe set that I can place at least 30 figures around the hanger and the aircraft catapult, preparing the Arado 196 for take-off. Apart from that I will have to look into the Prieser range and some other 1:72scale sets to combine the amount I need for the Scharnhorst.

I will also be needing some good lessons from ou and Steve to get the figures right.

I will be posting more progress photos next Thursday morning.

Wow Paul how impressive , it's already takeing shape...


If you want some inf about the catapult , I now that you already have, but if you want more I think I can help you...

Thanks Guys,

I appreciate your help. Ray, as you know that I have never carried out any work on figures, and I know that with your help, and that of others, I will be able to produce some fine figures for the ship.

Marco, yes please. I have some information on the catapult, but more information helps to get the job done better. I am planning to leave the hanger open with two arado planes stacked in it. But to do so, I need some internal photos of the hanger itself. is it possibl;e to get hold of these pictures.

At the moment I am working on the armoured bridge, which was located on the forecastle. It is a bit complicated and on Thursday I will only be able to post progress done on the armoured bridge. but none the less I will post what I will have in hand.

Cheers guys and happy modelling.

Looking great pawl, what a fast progress ... I agree with Ray those mini men are essential, they give more a sense of dimension to this hulk!

Keep going mate!

Iv

Great work Paul, Prosit,.


Very impressive.


Cyril.

Paul Salomone wrote:Thanks Guys,

I appreciate your help. Ray, as you know that I have never carried out any work on figures, and I know that with your help, and that of others, I will be able to produce some fine figures for the ship.

Marco, yes please. I have some information on the catapult, but more information helps to get the job done better. I am planning to leave the hanger open with two arado planes stacked in it. But to do so, I need some internal photos of the hanger itself. is it possibl;e to get hold of these pictures.

At the moment I am working on the armoured bridge, which was located on the forecastle. It is a bit complicated and on Thursday I will only be able to post progress done on the armoured bridge. but none the less I will post what I will have in hand.

Cheers guys and happy modelling.

Paul I'm going to open a new tread about the Arado Ar196, in the Aircraft sec so everybody can find it usefull ... and of course I'm including the catapult

This is the Scharnhorst catapult lunch system...

And here are the aircraft that were aboard the Scharnhorst...

1-Arado-Ar-196A-2-1_BoFlGr-196-(T3+NH)-KMS-battleship-Scharnhorst-1940-02

really starting to take some shape!!!!!! Great work Paul...can't wait to see more of it being installed...

Keep up the great progress!

Dottore

Scharnhorst

Thanks Marco,

I have some of the picturs in hand as well, but I didn't have a copy of the section view of the hanger. As for the catapults, the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau, were the only ships to have two catapults installed on board, except for the Bismarck and the Tirpitz of course. But their configuraion still remains unique to this date, as while the main catapult was installed midships, the other was placed on top of "C" Ceaser turret. The Scharnhorst had three planes on board, one was always kept on the catapult, while the other two were stowed in the hanger. A very interesting caption from the operational life of the Gneisenau, was that the main hanger was modified in order to allow the installation of a catapult inside. The sides of the hanger were fitted with wide sliding doors, to allow the catapult to traverse and the personal to fold out the wings of the Arado aircraft. The system was tried out in friendly waters, but if I am not mistaken, it was never tried in open sea and in action.

Marco, if you can get your hand of any photos showing the internal detail of the hanger itself, especially, services installed in the hanger, this will be very helpfull.

See you this evening.

SOME PICTURES OF THE WORKS ON THE ARMOURED BRIDGE AND RANGE FINDER BASE FORMING PART OF THE FORECASTLE


The base of the armoured bridge.


The primary layer forming the sides.


Rear view exposing the sharp edge with which the structure ends.


General view showing the stiffeners. Again these are inportant to strengthen the whole assembly.


Close up view of the stiffeners.


The first part of the top fitted on the sides.


Another view, taken from the rear.


This weekend, I will finish off the armoured bridge, and hope to start the works on the upper bridge and the searchlight platform.

I had some trouble with the shipwrights, and I had to give them a raise in salary to continue with the progress, but that's life.

By the end of the month, I will be able to start the contruction of the midships superstructure, so thumbs up.

Will post some more photos next monday.