Calling all Bismarck and Tirpitz fans

[PCB5656]

From what I understand the smoke generator storage tanks were located right under the barrels of turret Dora. They show in the same photo that we were original discussing. I have attached a better version of that photo that shows them a little more clearly, along with a better view of the depth charge racks. In other photos you can actually see the piping hooking them all together. Whether this was meant to be a permanent location, I don't know (remember this photo is 2 weeks before Bismarck departed on the mission). The discharge points for the smoke are the two small holes right above the waterline at the extreme stern of the ship.

[DarrenH]

If your interested in seeing the Fkyhawk 1/700 Bismarck built this vid is pretty cool.

https://youtu.be/HO9hika-hoo

Any comments on the 350 Revell Tirpitz Technic/Platinum kit?
Primarily Accuracy, ease of build etc of the base kit...if the etch and brass is similar to Bismarck it shoul be nice.

[G Shoda]

Dear DarrenH, thanks for the link to the Flyhawk Bismark build. The builder just posted the video on 2/21/19 but there are already 820 comments on the video. Really jaw breaking stuff. Imagine building and videotaping at the same time such a complicated project. The kit looks too difficult for me.

[Dennis78]

I picked up the new edition of the Anatomy of the Bismarck by Stefan Draminski.

Its a great book and totally worth the �22 on amazon it but I also had some queries I hope someone here might be able to answer.

Did the Bismarck have a Degaussung Cable asStefan Draminski has shown, I have never seen it referenced before.

Also the stem has a notch for the "Active Sonar", again is this correct?

I'm not criticising, I again highly recommend the book but I was wondering.

Thanks

[Thomas E. Johnson]

What are the opinions of the MENG 1/700 Bismarck?

[Dennis78]

if the notch is on the port stern then that is the stern anchor.
http://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/g ... rials.html

Thanks David but its the other end of the ship,

The designer has made a you tube clip which is well worth a look:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzGJXGfGrxM

Thanks again

[Dan K]

What are the opinions of the MENG 1/700 Bismarck?

I bought it on the cheap last year to build with my son. The experts can speak to specifics better than I, but I will say that it is dimensionally accurate and has more detail than I would have expected. It's a snap-together kit with colored parts. Fit is pretty good for the larger pieces, has a one piece main deck, looks like Bismarck.

Of course, because it is a snap fit type kit, there are a lot of seams, the small parts and weapons are bulky and not as nice as typical parts, and all require some carefully cutting off the tree. Worst piece fit has to be the rangefinder hoods that are to be inserted into the main turrets. That was far more work than expected to get them to look right. Though it comes as either a full hull or waterline hull, it's hard to display as a true waterline hull due to the nature of the hull's construction. There's a thick horizontal section that acts as a base layer under the waterline section. Looks like a super thick boot line. It was fine for my purposes, which was to build it out of the box.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

I bought it on the cheap last year to build with my son. The experts can speak to specifics better than I, but I will say that it is dimensionally accurate and has more detail than I would have expected. It's a snap-together kit with colored parts. Fit is pretty good for the larger pieces, has a one piece main deck, looks like Bismarck.

Of course, because it is a snap fit type kit, there are a lot of seams, the small parts and weapons are bulky and not as nice as typical parts, and all require some carefully cutting off the tree. Worst piece fit has to be the rangefinder hoods that are to be inserted into the main turrets. That was far more work than expected to get them to look right. Though it comes as either a full hull or waterline hull, it's hard to display as a true waterline hull due to the nature of the hull's construction. There's a thick horizontal section that acts as a base layer under the waterline section. Looks like a super thick boot line. It was fine for my purposes, which was to build it out of the box.

It doesn�t look as detailed as their 1/700 Missouri kit. I�ll have to look into the 1/700 offering from Flyhawk.

[Dan K]

I�ll have to look into the 1/700 offering from Flyhawk.

I can't speak to fit, but vastly superior in terms of detailing.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

I�ll have to look into the 1/700 offering from Flyhawk.

I can't speak to fit, but vastly superior in terms of detailing.

I expect a good fit. That�s probably the one I�ll go with.

[Herr Nilsson]

Did the Bismarck have a Degaussung Cable asStefan Draminski has shown, I have never seen it referenced before.

Yes, but its position seems to be slightly too high.

Also the stem has a notch for the "Active Sonar", again is this correct?

Yes.

[Dennis78]

Did the Bismarck have a Degaussung Cable asStefan Draminski has shown, I have never seen it referenced before.

Yes, but its position seems to be slightly too high.

Also the stem has a notch for the "Active Sonar", again is this correct?

Yes.

Thanks Herr Nilsson!

[Dan Banks]

The notch in the stem is correct for Tirpitz, but not Bismark. She had a different type of array that was a series of nodes in a half circle port and starboard below anchors roughly.

[Dan Banks]

Thought I should clarify, as I don�t want to be a purveyor of misinformation. The listening device on Bismark was a Gruppenhorchgerat, GHG type AN301 that had a group of Chrystal nodes set in a horseshoe pattern on the port and starboard side below the gun barrels of A turret at the lower level of the hull before it makes the turn to become the hull bottom. Most of the current publications show this. The new Anatomy of a Ship series on Bismark shows the notch style at the bow. This is the only book I have seen this in, and I think the author has assumed this because it was this way in Tirpitz. There are no photographs or drawings showing this on Bismark that I have seen. This is hard to confirm, as any closeup of this area will be difficult to differentiate Bs from Tpz.

[James M]

Might want to check with 109, he has a lot of accurate information regarding Bismarck.

Check his 1/100 build of her
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=57213&start=460

James

[Herr Nilsson]

Thought I should clarify, as I don�t want to be a purveyor of misinformation. The listening device on Bismark was a Gruppenhorchgerat, GHG type AN301 that had a group of Chrystal nodes set in a horseshoe pattern on the port and starboard side below the gun barrels of A turret at the lower level of the hull before it makes the turn to become the hull bottom. Most of the current publications show this. The new Anatomy of a Ship series on Bismark shows the notch style at the bow. This is the only book I have seen this in, and I think the author has assumed this because it was this way in Tirpitz. There are no photographs or drawings showing this on Bismark that I have seen. This is hard to confirm, as any closeup of this area will be difficult to differentiate Bs from Tpz.

The notch is for the S-Ger�t and not the GHG...and there is one drawing showing the notch on Bismarck.

[Stein Gildberg]

This is one of the last pictures of Bismarck leaving the Grimstadfjord in Norway, on his way to meet up with Prinz Eugen for their Atlantic operation, taken in the afternoon of May 21th. 1941.
Source: Facebook Norway.

For modellers, it should be noted:
No bow anchor?
The dark? upper tip of the smoke-stack (could perhaps be glare from the sun, but compared to other photos, it seems there is a portion of oily, black deposits of burnt fuel?).
The fresh paint covering the bl/wh stripes
The shape and deptht of the false bow-wawe as well of the depth of the hull itself.
The seemingly quite low contrast between the dark bow and the rest of the hull (possible influence of photographic work).
Etc

[just some dude]

The seemingly quite low contrast between the dark bow and the rest of the hull (possible influence of photographic work).

The vast majority of sources I have seen (with the very notable exception of the recent AOTS) have indicated that the dark gray bow and stern were painted over in Norway.

[Stein Gildberg]

Agreed! It was painted over. What this photo show is that there is a dull contrast between the hull color and the bow. Just as there is a contrast between the hull color and the over-painted b/w stripes.
So, it could be an idea to take this into account if you are modelling Bismarck at sea after the visit in Norway.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

So what�s the best 1/700 Bismarck and Tirpitz kits?