Calling all Italian Zara, Pola, Gorizia & Fiume fans

PetrOs · Post by **PetrOs** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 12:03 pm

Hey,

I think its unfair to have no thread for the italian CAs as they are beautiful!

Does anyone have the photos of them? Especially of Pola, as she's my next subject.

Ship Model Gallery · Post by **MartinJQuinn** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 1:37 pm

Petr,

Which kit of the Pola are you building? I've got the 1/400 Tauro Zara half done and shoved back in the box. White Ensign had announced they were going to do a dedicated photo-etch set for it, so I put it aside to wait for that set. I may be in for a long wait, I've heard nothing of that set since it was announced several years ago.

I've also started a 1/700 Delphis Trento which is partially painted and now masked and in need of further painting.

Steve Wiper's Italian Heavy Cruisers book is the best reference I've seen. Another book would be MJ Whitley's Cruisers of WW2.

Don Andrews · Post by **Don Andrews** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:00 pm

They may be a bit difficult to find (although they do pop up on eB** from time to time), but you simply can't beat the Orizzonte Mare series on Italian warships (each book is dedicated to a particular class of Italian warships). Volumes 4/II (info and some pics) and A4 (LOTS of images! - it's called Immagini) are specifically about Zara class cruisers.

If you need something specific, let me know offline - maybe I can help.

Don Andrews
The Andrews Shipyard
http://www.theandrewsshipyard.com

Ship Model Gallery · Post by **MartinJQuinn** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:28 pm

Don Andrews wrote:They may be a bit difficult to find (although they do pop up on eB** from time to time), but you simply can't beat the Orizzonte Mare series on Italian warships (each book is dedicated to a particular class of Italian warships). Volumes 4/II (info and some pics) and A4 (LOTS of images! - it's called Immagini) are specifically about Zara class cruisers.

If you need something specific, let me know offline - maybe I can help.

Don Andrews
The Andrews Shipyard
http://www.theandrewsshipyard.com

D'oh - how could I forget those...I spent a fortune on E-bay last year getting the battleship versions. I was outbid for the cruiser versions...but not after driving the price up!

They are quite good, I agree.

PetrOs · Post by **PetrOs** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 5:20 pm

MartinJQuinn wrote:Petr,

Which kit of the Pola are you building? I've got the 1/400 Tauro Zara half done and shoved back in the box. White Ensign had announced they were going to do a dedicated photo-etch set for it, so I put it aside to wait for that set. I may be in for a long wait, I've heard nothing of that set since it was announced several years ago.

I've also started a 1/700 Delphis Trento which is partially painted and now masked and in need of further painting.

Steve Wiper's Italian Heavy Cruisers book is the best reference I've seen. Another book would be MJ Whitley's Cruisers of WW2.

Im building a 1/350 plastic kit of Pola, from the russian manufacturer Modelist. It seems for me to be a clone of a MiniHobbyModels/Trumpy Pola kit. I still can not say if it is 100% right, but I havent found any serious flaws in it.

RNfanDan · Post by **RNfanDan** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:49 pm

PetrOs wrote:I think its unfair to have no thread for the italian CAs as they are beautiful!

I am surprised there was no Regia Marina section on any type of warship, and I'm glad to see this one get started!

I am involved in a scratchbuild of the battleship Veneto as this is written, and I have my eye on a few other RM ships, as well. I really appreciate the heavy cruisers in general, but there are some that don't appeal to me. Unfortunately, Pola is among these--I just can't get used to that ungainly-looking bridge!.

However, all four did have very interesting and graceful hull forms.

I do like the others in this group, especially Fiume, which will likely be my own choice among them to build. All make very good subjects to model, and their individual distinctions in appearance are reminiscent of the British County class. Another favorite of my eye is Trento, but I am not big on Bolzano.

Of course, I have the Classic Warships 23, but I'd like to see a similar volume done on the RM light cruisers outside the Orizzante books. I do have the magnificent Mimetizazzione book, and am soon ordering the "Le Navi Da Guerra Italiane 1940-1945" book. I hope to find several good subjects to build in the months ahead!

Dino Carancini · Post by **Dino Carancini** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 1:15 am

...I couldn't read here without to drop a line

Italian heavyes were graceful and powerful ships, with only one "bug": they missed the radar!

I have the two "orizzonte mare" regarding the Trento class, wich means Trento, Trieste and Bolzano, so I'm available to help who wants to start building one of them.

Dino

Dino Carancini · Post by **Dino Carancini** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 1:18 am

...forgot this:

http://www.modelli-navali.it/MM-Italian ... immag.html

Maybe you already know it, but this is a good photo reference site for italian warships.

PetrOs · Post by **PetrOs** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 5:06 am

Dino Carancini wrote:...forgot this:

http://www.modelli-navali.it/MM-Italian ... immag.html

Maybe you already know it, but this is a good photo reference site for italian warships.

Looks very good! Thank you for the link!

I found out that Bavarian State library has a lot of modeling books, including ALL Bagnasco books except Mimetazzione, which is "on order", italian heavy cruisers book, etc... I will surely pay a visit to them next week ;o)

Laurence Batchelor · Post by **Laurence Batchelor** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 5:19 am

This may help then:-

Aymeric · Post by **Aymeric** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 11:55 am

Hello, I'm very interested in italian navy too. I've built two heavy cruisers of the Regia Marina : the Bolzano and the Gorizia, both in 1/700. There are resin kit realised by the italian firm Delphis Models.

Willie · Post by **Willie** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 5:47 pm

IMHO, Italian Washington cruisers are -- along with German Hippers --among the most beautiful ones in WWII. If they had only had radar -- nothing to say if they had had a suitable air cover too -- their history would have been written in quite a different way.
I have just bought the RN Zara, Tauro 1/400.
Best regards,

Willie.

Laurence Batchelor · Post by **Laurence Batchelor** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 8:10 am

They are very good looking ships, better looking in my opinion than the Hipper's, though of course good looking doesn't equate to good in a battle

Trento

RNfanDan · Post by **RNfanDan** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 2:26 pm

Willie wrote:IMHO, Italian Washington cruisers are -- along with German Hippers --among the most beautiful ones in WWII.

I partly agree, although in my opinion, not all incrociatore designs were as elegant as the German cruisers. For example, the awkward lines of the Da Barbiano and Cadorna classes just don't seem to catch my eye like Prinz Eugen.

Even the handsome and graceful Zara class had its "ugly duckling" with the Pola, whose appearance was considerably degraded by that ungainly bridge structure, thankfully not shared by the rest of the group!

All in all however, Italian warship designs bore a certain style and pan�che, which translates well into interesting and visually appealing models.

Off-topic just a little, I'd like to mention the availability of some very fine and well-illustrated books dealing with RM ships. They are La Mimetizzazione Delle Navi Italiane 1940-1945, a recently published book with superb, full-color plates of RM camouflage worn by their ships; and Le Navi da Guerra Italiane 1940-1945, a great reference book on the RM in WW2.

It was these publications that really sparked my interest in modeling the RM, and I highly recommend both. I got mine from Tuttostoria in Italy, a very good military book distributor that offers a wide range of titles on nearly every military subject.

Again, it's great to see this thread, I hope more will follow on other RM subjects!

Ship Model Gallery · Post by **MartinJQuinn** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 2:44 pm

Thanks for the pictures, Laurence...they've been downloaded and saved in my folders! Personally, I think Bolzano was the best looking of the Italian Heavy Cruisers.

Laurence Batchelor · Post by **Laurence Batchelor** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:42 pm

I really need to sort my filing out, more just cropped up!

Willie · Post by **Willie** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 5:07 pm

Laurence Batchelor wrote:I really need to sort my filing out, more just cropped up!

Wow !!! Thanks a million, Lawrence. The pics are superb.
Have you got some more a bit more detailed for the structures or the litle details of the RN Zara or sister ships ???
I find it difficult to find anything clear enough, and bibliography is also extremely difficult to find where I live
I have been lucky enough to get my RN Zara two days ago, and I think I am going to start it right away, at the same time that I finish my HMS Campbeltown.
Thanks in advance, and best regards from Spain,

Willie.

Laurence Batchelor · Post by **Laurence Batchelor** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 5:16 pm

Willie wrote:
Laurence Batchelor wrote:I really need to sort my filing out, more just cropped up!
Wow !!! Thanks a million, Lawrence. The pics are superb.
Have you got some more a bit more detailed for the structures or the litle details of the RN Zara or sister ships ???
I find it difficult to find anything clear enough, and bibliography is also extremely difficult to find where I live
I have been lucky enough to get my RN Zara two days ago, and I think I am going to start it right away, at the same time that I finish my HMS Campbeltown.
Thanks in advance, and best regards from Spain,

Willie.

These cruisers seem very popular at the moment, I have lots and lots on these lovely cruisers, but I'd have to fire up the scanner once more and there's quite a que at the mo

but I'd much prefer to email rather than post more here, please email me at
Laurence@widdo.net with the specific ship and details

Dino Carancini · Post by **Dino Carancini** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 3:04 am

My favorite are Trento and Zara.

About Trento you can take a look here :

http://www.trentoincina.it

This site is about the cruiser Trento, but not only.

Here is the gallery :

http://www.trentoincina.it/mostraelench ... o=galleria

As for Royal Navy ships Regia Marina ships are at their best during the '30s

Stefano · Post by **Stefano** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:59 am

Great series of pictures here.

http://www.betasom.it/forum/index.php?s ... ntry154715

The Ship Model Forum

Calling all Italian Zara, Pola, Gorizia & Fiume fans

Calling all Italian Zara, Pola, Gorizia & Fiume fans

Italian Heavy Cruisers

Re: Italian Heavy Cruisers

Re: Calling all italian heavy cruiser fans