1:350 Gneisenau, Op Weser�bung Apr 9th 1940

[Guest]

Thanks for nice comments Chris, Jaguar and Kevin! It�s always an inspiration to get this kind of feedback.
But also to G: I really appreciate your critical comments. It makes me try to check and check again. So far I think you have improved my work quite considerably!

Dear stein, I'm glad if I've been of any help, you are doing a terrific job!!

[Stein Gildberg]

Thanks for feedback guys!
Dirk: Thanks for the pictures. Except for two of them, I don't think I've seen the rest before. Nice!

The hangar/catapult:

During its operational time, Gneisenau had at least four (depends how you count�) different hangars/catapult solutions.
The ship was originally built with a large hangar, but this was removed after only 3-4 months. The high catapult tower with its catapult on top remained; but without a real hangar, only a small bay.

Then a larger hangar (but different from the one in SCH) was raised - and again removed before returning to the configuration with the small bay, as the ship had during Op. Weser�bung / April 9th 1940.

The final configuration consisted of a hangar with a rotating catapult inside with sliding doors securing that the aircraft was kept dry in a position that would allow maintenance personnel to get to it. This final hangar was built in Brest and was ready for the Channel Dash in 1942.

My Gneisenau will have the catapult/small bay configuration as the ship had in April 1940.
No plastic part exists in the kit, so I had to build up the whole assembly from plastic pieces and sheets. One third of the Scharnhorst hangar was used, but even this had to be extended in height and have plastic details removed while other areas had to be filled in.

In addition to the nice drawing supplied by Kagero, lots of pictures shows this hangar/catapult, so references is not a problem.
The trickier thing is that the �tower� underneath the catapult is a kind of �semi-round�.
I solved this challenge by cutting out a base-plate and a top plate in thick plastic sheet. 4 1.5mmx1.5mm rods were glued between the base-and top plate before a 0.15mm plastic sheet was wrapped around the construction. I was quite happy with the result and needed only a tiny amount of filler to complete the job.

The search-light on both sides are installed on elevators/lifts to allow them to be lowered when the catapult is swung out to launch an aircraft. These platforms/lifts are built up by a truly web of a supporting construction. All the parts were cut from plastic sheets and H-beams. When finished the platforms could actually be elevated, built in order to make them rest in the position I wanted, I glued them in fixed positions: one up, one down.

[Hallis]

I don't think i'll ever have the patience + skill to OCD details that perfect.

[Stein Gildberg]

Catapult and rear superstructure almost complete!
I�m satisfied with the result: The vents at the rear of the subassembly are not 100% correct, but the rest seems to be right, although not quite finished yet.
The color looks a bit light due to the photos being taken through a magifier.

I have also started with the 37mm-and 20mm AA. As the pictures shows this is a time-consuming task. For comparison, a 1:100 scale 37mm SK C30 is positioned among simillar 1:350 items.
And while this 1:100 item (Modellbau A Lassek, Zerst�rer Z9-13) consists of ca 80 parts � many self-made, while the 1:350 items consists of about 20 each - when finished.

[PetrolGator]

Brilliant work, Stein. Did you use some copper wire to simulate the cable?

[LE BOSCO]

nice job stein it "smells" the masterpiece in progress
cheers
nicolas

[MartinJQuinn]

Masterful work

[KevinYoung]

^^ No doubt.

[Stein Gildberg]

Thanks for inspiring comments to you all!
Petrol: I did not use copper thread � simply dark grey thread. But if I had copper thread in the right dimension available, it would be my preferred choice as normal thread is flossy (needs to be lightly waxed) and is not so easy to form to the right shape.

AA 37mm and 20 mm are now finished. The 20mm C38s looks a bit like tiny mosquitoes�
Also shown are some of these guns installed.

Next picture show some of the modifications made (marked with green, pink and red):
Boat cradles: Scratch
Crane: Still without arm and not glued: Scratch
Drill / ex guns: Part of the kit, but in different position compared to Scharnhorst

Hatches (2 each side PINK) main deck: These are not shown in Kagero�s drawing. Original photo prove that they were there. I first cut out wood to conceal the hatches before acknowledging the error. This cutting had made be destroy the original wooden deck, so I made new decks from similar wood/supplier (both sides). I had to make an extension somewhere- and that extension is marked by a RED dot: A wave breaker (that was never there..).

Small crane arm on the funnel platform: Scratch
Ventilation tower on main deck: Scratch

And while I hate the �extension�, I am very much pleased with the scratch built ventilation towers on the AA / battery deck!

Last picture show the rear superstructure and crane in place. Also shown are the two last ventilation towers (scratch) on the battery deck.
Regarding rafts: I don�t have anything to prove that there were ant rafts installed during Weser�bung, but I know that other Kriegsmarine ships had such extra rafts installed prior to this operation (Bl�cher and more). So rafts in front of the hangar bay is a qualified guess.

[Hallis]

Those AA guns are impossibly tiny!

[Stein Gildberg]

Ships supports in place, followed by the boats themselves. Boats are tied to the supports by tan thread.

The rangefinder in A-turret was in place in 1940, but the Dragon kit shows Scharnhorst�s A-turret after 1942 without rangefinder. So I made rangefinders from a Revell kit and modified it to resemble the ones in Gneisenau.
The second wave breakers (both sides) are �full length� in Scharnhorst, while in Gneisenau they only include the position for the 37mm AA.
Also, some other differences made are marked by green dots.

A shorter wave breaker, no cutters (boats) and no ventilation towers attached to A-turret leaves me with holes in the wooden deck. These I have tried to conceal the best I could by cut-outs from wood and positioning of cable reels (that belong in the area) on top of some of the cut-outs. Not 100%, but I think the best I'm able to make unless I had made a complete new deck from scratch.

[PetrolGator]

Stein,

If I saw this in person, I'd assume Dragon finally got their together and made a Gneisenau. Your conversion is so absolutely clean...

[mick]

excellent work

[LE BOSCO]

even praises, that everyone Stein this is a very great job
cheers
nicolas

[Stein Gildberg]

During the build, I recognized that the dividing and the points of entry for the �pockets� in which is positioned instruments for directing searchlights, night targeting and binoculars are quite different between SCH and Gneisenau. After some hesitation I picked a new blade for the scalpel and went to work. Quite delicate since the area is crowded with finished items, but luck was on my side so I succeeded without damaging anything that a paintbrush could not repair.

Also, most 20mm AA is now in place. Quite delicate items that must be handled with pincers only!
All stash on the funnel platform is different from the origina Scharnhorst kit: shape of rear part of the platform is different, AA � type and position, lockers, HP-antenna channel etc.
At the utmost rear is a round device with a cross in the centre: This is the ruder indicator for night time use. As the ship alters course � and position of the rudders � lights will light up around the circle to inform ships following in line of the new course.
(In daytime, the same information is told by two cones � one pointing up, the other pointing down, by hoisting / lowering them in the main mast. Not yet in place).

[LE BOSCO]

hello stein

an exceptional model is being born right before our eyes
just one word ,superb!
Cheers
Nicolas

[Channell]

Really beautiful, clean work!

[sirpaul]

I am more than impressed with you work on this build. Keep it coming. What yellow did you use for the turret tops? It looks to be very dull,dirty, and correct.

[Stein Gildberg]

SirPaul: The type of yellow color for the turret tops were not specified in the Weser�bung Directive. This directive simply stated that gun turret tops and gun shields should be painted yellow.

There is a German Kriegsmarine �standard� however, named Deckfarbe Gelb 13, and according to RAL, this color is similar to RAL 1003, Signalgelb (Signal Yellow), so it is a qualified guess that this is the color that was used. (I personally would not call the color �Signal�� See enclosed example).

I do not have any RAL 1003 in my paint box, but a couple of years ago, I came across the Valejo color 70856 Ochre which a friend told me to be a good match.
I normally use enamel paint, so I was a bit skeptic (too conservative�). I tried the stuff, and it met all my expectations. Good color match, coverage and easy to spray or brush! Less toxic too!

�Standard� is put in brackets due to the fact that the spread in color from lot to lot, producer to producer most probably was much larger than we are expecting from quality standards of today.

By the way: The yellow color was only used up and including the day of the invasion. Color was changed to red already April 10th to confuse the enemy!

[Bigboss92]

Nice work