Fellow Graf Spee students,
I have the 1/350 Academy model. For me, I have a radical plan for it--put it on a water base with shell splashes if possible, and show damage to it from known gunfire hits. I have the Kagero book plus German Pocket Battleships 1939-45 and Pocket Battleships of the Deutschland class.
For anyone else with an interest in the hits she took, please see photos to follow shortly
(edit - photos added below). One set of 2 shows an entry and exit wound on each side of the tower. The port side tower also has shell holes on the Admiral bridge cowling and possibly on the rangefinder bulkhead. The starboard rangefinder bulkhead for sure has a hole in it.
Marco, whose incredible model you can see here--
viewtopic.php?t=167037has graciously shared a few more with me that are self explanatory.
The other books mention a "midships fire" and a hit to the base of the stack that took out the desalination and oil purification plants. No photo seems to reveal that hit. Page 44 of the Kagero book shows what looks like a machine with air vents just forward of the SL 4 director at the base of the stack. The other side has a similar device but the director shields it. My guess, which I will probably never prove, is that this machine was the one critical to the plants above.
Pages 91/144 of the Deutschland book show the deck railings on the deck when the guns are fired. I was not aware of that before. Any of you who would like those photos please contact me.
I have a few questions if any of you can help me. If you have a plan showing where the galleys, fire control room, ward room were I would appreciate a copy. Apparently Graf Spee laid white smoke several times during her final battle. From where? The stack which shows dark smoke? From the round device visible on the port stern in a few pre and post battle photos?
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