Calling all Bismarck and Tirpitz fans

[Olaf Held]

Some conversion charts suggest XF-53 for the light grey superstructure. I don't know this colour, just take the lightest grey you can find on the shelf. Or take white and mix some grey into it.

For the hull, I don't know a Tamiya match. It should be medium grey with a very slight hint of blue in it.

The dark bow and stern panels, grey turret tops etc. could be painted XF-63, at least conversion charts suggest this paint. It should be quite dark but not as dark as the paint used for the steel decks and boot topping. You may want to get one of the darker shades from the shelf and lighten it up in order to have both colours available.

For a Bismarck (or other DKM ship) in Baltic colours, you would need four different shades of grey, six if you account for scale effect by making the black/white stripes dark grey/light grey. The four grey are, from light to dark:

superstructure
hull
camouflage (bow, stern, turret tops, etc)
steel decks and boot topping

The underwater hull ... Tamiya always suggest Hull Red, not matter if for USN, RN, IJN or KM ships. For the latter this is way to dark. I once red a tip of mixing XF-7 and XF-3 in a 50/50 ratio to get at least the look of the KM paint right.

Teak decks ~ Their deck tan is quite nice but way to dark for my liking. I mix 1 drop of it into 5 drops of white (at least in 1:700).

Happy painting ~ Olaf!

[Thomas E. Johnson]

Thanks Olaf!

I'm going to be doing the 1/350 Revell kit. XF-53 is on the medium to dark side. Sounds like either it, or some dark sea grey would work for the hull, with XF-19 Sky Grey for the super structure. Incidentally XF-19 is the color I intend to use for modern U.S. Navy Haze Grey from now on. Tamiya Hull Red may be to dark, but I like the look of a darker red anti-fouling paint, so I will be using it anyway, on all my warships.

[Kiwimedic]

Attention All Bismarck Fans!

It appears that the shafts between the "A" frames and the Hull on the outer shafts were covered by a tube.
Does anyone think any different?
I have attached a photo!

Regards
Philip

[Thomas E. Johnson]

Anyone use the molded plastic railings that come with the Revell 1/350 kit? I'm debating whether or not to use PE railings, or the already shaped plastic railings.

[Olaf Held]

Hi Phil ~ I've read somewhere that this is just a pre-launch protection cover, or a protection cover before the final shaft and propeller is to be installed.

The final shaft, the part between hull and A-frame, was covered with rubber plus some kind of canvas plus thin steel sheet, and everything held in place with thin galvanized wire rope. Tirpitz wreck photos do show this quite well, what appears to be algae is in fact this frazzled multi-layer protection.

How's your gigantic model going?

Happy modelling ~ Olaf!

[Charlestonguy]

I thought I would share this with everyone. I emailed Blohm & Voss about two months ago looking for a rigging diagram for Bismarck.
I have the original full size PDF file if anyone would like it emailed to them.

MODERATOR NOTE: If you'd like a copy, please contact El Guapo in the following manner: PM is good, or email me and DMGNF2008@gmail.com

Are these drawing still available? I sent a PM but no answer.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

I'm going to go by the painting diagrams from this site to tell what area should be painted what color:

http://www.kbismarck.com/

I'm painting her as she looked on May 24th when she sank the Hood.

[karl]

I'm going to go by the painting diagrams from this site to tell what area should be painted what color:

http://www.kbismarck.com/

I'm painting her as she looked on May 24th when she sank the Hood.

I used model master acrylics on my Revell Bismarck, you can still get the correct colors even though they have been discontinued. I have been able to get them from Tower hobbies.

[img]download/file.php?id=14511&t=1[/img]

[Thomas E. Johnson]

I'm going to go by the painting diagrams from this site to tell what area should be painted what color:

http://www.kbismarck.com/

I'm painting her as she looked on May 24th when she sank the Hood.

I used model master acrylics on my Revell Bismarck, you can still get the correct colors even though they have been discontinued. I have been able to get them from Tower hobbies.

[img]download/file.php?id=14511&t=1[/img]

I'm using Tamiya acrylics, mainly going by the info Olaf gave me for the colors. I'm using the diagrams on the above site as referenced as to what parts of the ship were painted with what colors. I choose her appearance when she sank the Hood because of the historical significance of the that event, as well as because I don't want to get involved in trying to get the black and white stripes on the hull and super structure to line up correctly on this build, and on the 27th of May she had yellow turret tops, which I think is ugly.

Please post some more pics of your build!!!

[karl]

Here is the thread from works in progress, my camera sucks so the pictures aren't all that good

viewtopic.php?f=59&t=43636

[Thomas E. Johnson]

Looks really nice Karl!

[Thomas E. Johnson]

According to the paint diagrams on http://www.kbismarck.com/ the Bismarck did not have her turret tops painted dark grey at the time she engaged the Hood on the 24th. I hope that is correct because thats what I followed!

[Olaf Held]

Footage/photos taken on PG showing dark main turret tops on the cruiser while BS is leading into DS. The general assumption is, when these two ships were cruising in company, they should have worn more or less the same paint livery. On the morning of May 22nd, PG received a radio message from "fleet" (L�tjens on BS) ordering the air recognition signs (yellow turret tops) and national symbols (swasticas on bow and stern) to be painted over. If I remember correctly, a specific colour is not given, however, on PG photos we see the dark grey turret tops plus dark grey bridge roof plus dark grey roof of the forward rangefinder hood. On earlier photos (BS) we see other "horizontal" surfaces in dark grey: the two hangars on either side of the funnel and the larger main hangar appears to be dark grey on wreck photos. And if I'm not mistaken, the secondary turrets on the wreck have dark grey tops as well (plus the "roof" of the large part of the superstructure directly behind main turret "Bruno"). All of this makes me thinking that the main turret tops, as being large horizontal surfaces, were indeed dark grey. Even the horizontal visible parts of the main turret barbettes (and other horizontal surfaces) appear dark grey in the Norway photos.

The illustration you are referring to is nice but not without flaws. Most decks of the forward superstructure have the wrong colour (combination). The aft superstructure has a little mistake, as well as the searchlight and main mast platforms ...

The dark grey of the steel decks (and boot-topping) should be darker than the dark grey turret tops/horizontal surfaces.

Happy painting ~ Olaf

[Thomas E. Johnson]

After looking over some pictures, I decided to follow Revell's painting instruction (I assume they did some research on them since they did such a nice job on the model overall) and repainted my turret tops dark grey, and added the dark grey bow ahead of the false wave. My bridge base (area behind Bruno) and hanger roofs will remain the light grey (Tamiya Sky Grey XF-19) that I painted the rest of the super structure in. Even if she had yellow turret tops as seems to be indicated by several sources now (on her last 2 days on the surface) including Steve Backer's Ship Craft series book on the Bismarck & Tirpitz, I don't think they were yellow on the 24th. One of the pics in Steve's book is that famous photo taken just after the Denmark Straight Battle from PE showing Bismarck slightly down at the bow due to flooding damage. The middle secondary turret (the one with the forward slanted roof) is aimed towards PE, and the turret roof looks very dark, like still painted dark grey. I'm gonna guess that if the yellow was ever painted on the tops, it was done after the 24th. I don't thik there will ever be a conclusive conclusion as to her full appearance on the 24th when she sank the Hood, so a little artistic interpretation seems to be needed.

[Olaf Held]

If you want represent the ship as it appeared on the 24th, the dark bow wasn't there anymore (a typical Revell blooper). The white false bow wave is believed to have been slightly extended forward - with the dark bow in place, the forward edge of the false bow wave was shaped like the stem, after they overpainted the dark bow, the forward edge of the false wave "curved down" to the boot-topping (which itself was only half of its normal width, because of the former dark bow panel).

I'll prepare a small image to show you what I mean ...

Happy painting ~ Olaf!

EDIT: Here it is, the length of the hull is not quite in scale ...
BAD LINK - REMOVED BY MODERATOR
All four false waves had a different shape (Revell is correct this time!). There was no stem anchor during the sortie ...

Happy painting ~ Olaf!

[Thomas E. Johnson]

Well, I painted the dark grey bow on and applied the wave decals before I got to read your last reply Olaf. Its to late now and I'm not going to change it again. I will live with the slight error in accuracy, as I see many modelers choose to do regarding this ship during her short life span. I know the bow anchor was absent during the mission like you mentioned. My model is almost complete. Just the rigging, ships boats, aircraft left to do, as well as a final coat of some flat clear finish.

[Olaf Held]

Thomas, Im looking fwd to seeing photos of your model soon!

One thing you could do, is to represent the ship as it appeared DURING the painting-over of the Baltic camouflage, May 21st instead of may 24th ...
There are photos somewhere on the web showing both the dark bow and stern plus the waves in place but without the strips on hull and superstructure (plus dark grey turret tops).

Happy modelling ~ Olaf

[Thomas E. Johnson]

Thomas, Im looking fwd to seeing photos of your model soon!

One thing you could do, is to represent the ship as it appeared DURING the painting-over of the Baltic camouflage, May 21st instead of may 24th ...
There are photos somewhere on the web showing both the dark bow and stern plus the waves in place but without the strips on hull and superstructure (plus dark grey turret tops).

Happy modelling ~ Olaf

I did think of that, but I decided to keep it to the 24th, since I will build the Trumpeter Hood to the same date. I can accept a little artistic licence with the Bismarck's color scheme, since photos of the ship leave a few things open to interpretation. I'm debating whether or not to give the ship a thin black wash to high light the details before I dull the whole thing.

Did she have any boats stowed on the main deck during the sortie? I seem to recall reading some where that they were removed prior to departure.

Down the road I may build another version of the ship representing her earlier in May of that year.

[EJFoeth]

All of the boats were present during her sortie, but slightly shuffled compared to most models. Details here, showing what goes where.

Even when a ship is repainted or brand new, I would add a wash anyway for the scale effect of the light on the model.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

Well, I did the very thin black wash, using some artist acrylic paint, heavily thinned with water and a few drops of dish washing liquid. I used my Iwata airbrush to blast the mix onto the model, let it dry for about ten minutes, the blasted what was left off with some warm water. Then I touched up areas wear the wash was darker than I liked with the base grey and a small brush, then I dulled the whole thing. Now its onto the rigging, the float plane, and the ships boats. Eventually I'd like to add some crew to her, and I probably should place some PE personal floatation devices around on the bulkheads as well.

I'm thinking about finishing the upper wooden portions of the ships boats in a semi-gloss finish, since I'm sure the wood was well cared for on these launches. Any thoughts?