The Ship Model Forum

Yes - the Heller 1-400 kriegsmarine contained 17 sea going craft the S-100 fast boat making up the bulk, being such a small sized model would have made it difficult to display in my cabinet, however for a scale dry-dock this size is nothing less then first class, I have 2 side by side in dry dock, a couple of crains, a few ladders, although I must admit I am excited due to having all 17 from one set, something I have never seen I dare say, I will get slaughtered as being so unrealistic to the point of someone having a laugh. But considering the length of the shelf, just over 27" by 4" mountains, 5" gun mount, sea (still not dried out) harbour wall, search light towers etc etc etc and all made for nothing, I'd already brought the Heller kit, so the diorama as good for a first effort or bad, doesn't honestly phase me. I can't remember his name, but on this site someone was up in arms saying anyone can scratch build, no they can't I thought because it looked complex and special skill required. No it don't, he was right anyone can scratch build, it doesn't have to be the 1-100 Bismark, a smiple dry dock with a surround. And yes I would urge anyone to give it a go.

Sorry - didn't realise you'd already built your harbour diorama! Looking forward to seeing it in the gallery.
Were all the 17 ships in a single Heller/Airfix Kriegsmarine boxed set, or did you buy some extra?

I'd like to try building a small 1/400 or 1/350 harbour diorama myself, using the inexpensive Mirage set, but am put off by the need to waterline the models. All my collection in this scale is full-hull.

12 S-100's 2 minesweepers, 1 U-boat 1 destroyer and 1 not quite sure what it is, on the original box I actually thought there was 5 models in total, but there's actually 17 of them the fastboot S-100 making up the bulk, and simply too small to be dispayed by themselves, I decided as unrealistic as it is, display the whole lot. Having said all this, its a shame I'll have to wait so long to see them in the gallery. Never ever done anything like this before, I built the dry-dock containing 2 S-100's cranes, large sea doors, rails, 3 high towers with search light, a long harbour wall, just remember when I was building this, I kept thinking this is actually a first, I have never seen 17 ships from one kit displayed in one diorama, and if I am not the first, yep I'll be gutted.

Mirage (Polish manufacturer) produce at least one 1/400 diorama set, representing a 1920s Polish harbour along with a couple of their 1/400 ship kits, a tug boat and seaplane. Here's the 1925 one on a UK retailer's site: [url=http://www.modelsforsale.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=37082]link[/url] - I'm sure I remember seeing a 1930s version as well, but I could be wrong.

This could definitely be adapted for a small WW2 Kriegsmarine diorama, using some of the kits from the Airfix set; you won't be able to get them all on there, but I'd imagine it'd look good with a few S-boats, the U-boat, and a couple of the larger ships. As a guide to size, the two ships included in the Mirage set (ORP Mazur and Kaszub, ex-WW1 German TBDs) are about the size of the minesweepers in the Airfix Kriegsmarine set.

Mirage also produce a 1/400 U-boat bunker diorama, but this is rather pricey (about �65 in the UK) as it is resin, not injection plastic.

[quote="ingura"]Did I get this right? Seventeen 1/400 ships displayed on 10 x 70 cm? :scratch:[/quote]

This isn't as impractical as it sounds - the largest ship in the Kriegsmarine set is the destroyer Z-31, and six of them are Schnellboots! It includes Z-31, T-23, two minesweepers, a Type VII U-boat and six S-boats.

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He probably means 4ft by 27ft.

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I guess the first thing to do would be to get hold of some German harbour and dock photographs showing the sort of thing you want, then draw up a plan tofit your plank. I'd make a low-relief background, a narrow(ish) quayside and some dirty harbour water!

Rick

I have never built from scratch, I have an idea of what I want but don't know where to start, I have completed 17 1-400 Heller kriegsmarine ships, and would like dry dock with doors, open sea, and harbour walls all on a plank 4" by 27" displaying most if not all 17 craft from this kit, where do I begin ? Any (good) information would be great.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3179/3075414542_dff7ebd7bf_b.jpg
Sorry this took so long to do.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3242/3074883081_031b8f7c5f_b.jpg
And while I was waiting I also had a second go at something a little different.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3141/3083055680_6b5f5f14bf.jpg
Please feel free at let me know what your thoughts are, just remember this is a very first time I have scratch built anything.