Calling all Kriegsmarine Prinz Eugen, Admiral Hipper & Blücher fans

[Antonio Bonomi]

Ciao all,

I am sure many would like to see those drawings :

http://forum-marinearchiv.de/smf/index.php?topic=4305

soon I wil post them on a complete way,.with the complete air recognition marks, ..as on German websites you cannot post them.

Many congratulations to Abram Joslin for his nice and very hard work ,.. SUPER BRAVO ! .

Ciao Antonio

[Schnellboot]

Hello,

drawings are very nice but there is just one drawing for which I can't agree with you...

Admiral Hipper january/february 1941...

http://gallery.wo2.nl/details.php?image_id=613

On the photo we can see that swastikas on aft and bow are painted over... yes I know that nearly in that period they were on the ship cosidering photos from Profile Morskie 50: Admiral Hipper, but still I think that in january or february there were no swastikas as shown from photo above... (while ship was drydocked at Brest)

Any comments?

[ArizonaBB39]

The Swatstika is indeed there, Antonio provided me with very good pictures that clearly show it. I don't know if he wants me to post them or not, but I have them.

The picture I am referring to is a very good close up of the forward half of the ship while in drydock. And the large white circle is there, you can tell they are re-painting it or uncovering it, as it looks like there are canvas covers over the top of it. Antonio sent me many pictures, and as you get further away from the ship or at certain angles the less and less visible it becomes, it is quite interesting.

I will post the photo later after asking Antonio if it is ok(or Antonio may himself).

[Schnellboot]

OK... but I'm little bit confused... on those three drawings it is written that they represent Admiral Hipper as in January 1941., and as far is I know Hipper was, as the first drawing refers "Leaving Brest" on 1.February 1941. , was on the atlantic between 1. and 14. February 1941. in search for convoy HG53 (finding SLS64)... and it came back to germany in 28.3.1941... So I think that those things, or better to say months would be good to change on drawings...

I hope that I had understand right that scheme "on atlantic" is for mentioned convoy search. Or isn't?

I know that hipper was painted as shown and with swastikas while in Brest and while leaving Brest in search for convoy HG53... but I must take on notice that on photo shown earlyer, while drydocked, what was most probably in february after attack on convoy SLS64, swastikas were covered or overpainted... and at last when Hipper was coming back to Germany swastikas were painted again... So... when were swastikas covered with canvas/overpainted?

[ArizonaBB39]

Swatstikas were painted/covered and turret colors were removed whenever the ship would leave the Luftwaffe air cover, again to be re-painted/uncovered upon entering Liftwaffe air cover.

So whenever the ship was outside air cover range the air recognition markings were hidden/removed. So they were hidden/removed when searching for convoys, and when the ship sailed to Germany. they were probably uncovered/re-painted whenever the ship was within air cover range.

I hope that makes some sense, Antonio knows much more than I do, but we'll have to wait until the morning for him, as it is already 11PM in Italy!!

[Antonio Bonomi]

Ciao Schnellboot, Abram and all,

@ Schnellboot,

well I think Abram as already answered to you quite well,.. as he is fast on learning and we talked quite a bit about this interesting aspect of the Admiral Hipper life as well as the KM warships way to do those things, .. which is part of the fun of working together with such a clever guy, .... I am sure you understand.

In addittion to what Abram correctly wrote about Luftwaffe air coverage expectation from the KM ships ,.. jointly agreed with Kriegsmarine after Op. Wikinger disaster ( Z1 and Z3 sunk by HE 111 bombers on Heligoland on February 1940,.. and curious to know that the ' agreement ' was signed on board Adm Hipper on February 22, 1940,... were the board of inquiry for that '' incident '' took place .. ) we have to think about Brest harbour docking precautions too.

So it is obvious that they did not wanted to be a ''better '' target for RAF bombers while under their coverage in Brest dry dock's.

Consequently the ship air recognition marks were covered-hidden with canvas as Abram correctly saw on the photos I sent him,... to be removed when the ship was sailing into Luftwaffe range, .. either starting the search for convoys on her Atlantic missions,..as well as during some trials she had on the close harbour area but still under Luftwaffe air range,..many photos do exist and you see the top turrets colous visible as well as the swastika banners.

Than when the ship was docked again,..immediately they covered the top turrets with canvas as well as the swastika banners. ....... and put nets on the ship too, trying to hide her on the bassin ( dry dock ) she was into.

When the mission required long time out of lLuftwaffe range usually they painted over everything to re-paint it coming under Luftwaffe air coverage again,.. maybe with different top turrets colour code,... for precaution.

Hope my explanation is clear enough.


@ Abram,

I have no problems to post infos,.. but I have to care about books photo copyright.

That is why I am sending you on a private mail a version of the photos you can post, .. from Italian books,... so it will be no problems for anybody.

We will show Admiral Hipper into Laninon bassin nr 9 in Brest ( the one Schnellboot showed too ) usually the one were Gneisenau was.

But Adm Hipper was not only on that bassin, ....

http://www.kbismarck.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1209

Ciao Antonio

[ArizonaBB39]

To Schnellboot

Here is the picture I was referring to:

Admiral Hipper at Brest

And here is another one Antonio sent me that shows more clearly the canvas over the air recognition marks.

Admiral Hipper at Brest 2

I hope these help!

[ArizonaBB39]

If the above links dont work try these:

Admiral Hipper 1
Admiral Hipper 2

Picture #2 is the one I was referencing earlier.

[Antonio Bonomi]

Ciao all,

here in you can find the non-censored versions :

http://www.kbismarck.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1221


special thanks to Abram .... a very hard work ...


Ciao Antonio

[Schnellboot]

One question: are there any plans of hull plating of Admiral Hipper class cruisers?

[Joseph R]

Hate to answer a question with a question, but what scale are you building her in, to need to detail the hull plating?!

I only wonder this, because large German warships tended to have much softer, more subtle straking/plating patterns than did British ones.

You must be building a pretty massive model???

[Schnellboot]

Well it is in scale 1/200... that is 1 meter in length...

http://www.shipmodels.info/mwphpBB2/vie ... hp?t=12586

[nboyd383]

I am absolutely in love with the prinz eugen it amazes me such beauty such style such grace and destructive power to boot I am sure it will be my first scratchbuild and then my second cause my first wont do it justice

[Olaf Held]

And another Prinz...

This is my Tamiya kit in progress:


Cheers ~ Olaf

[Dan K]

Looks like a very nice build to me, Olaf.

[MartinJQuinn]

Looks like a very nice build to me, Olaf.

I'm with Dan. More pictures, please!

[haloeight]

When im not working on the Scharnhorst, i finally managed to get a tamiya prinz eugen (they are extremely hard to get here).

Anyway, for some reason i decided to start with the funnel on this one, and this is the result of 3 nights work (slowly). I still need to clear up some glue blobs and get it perfect. I decided not to do the handrails using cut down rails as i think they look a little over scale.

I am aiming for a 1944-1945 fit of the ship (the kit aims for a 1941-1942ish), which involved some changes to the funnel. Primarily the searchlights were removed and replaced with 20mm C/30 Flakvierling (Quads)

Ive got the white ensign P/E AA guns, they are a "challenge" to build.

[V-103]

Brilliant detail work! It's definately an improvement on the kit's funnel. Funnels are my bane in terms of detailing, especially IJN ones.

[Olaf Held]

Sorry for the late reply...

My PG had an ... ehhh... accident recently (the problem occurred somewhere between my ears) and I had to buy another kit to start a second attempt. The f'c'sle and hull needed to be re-built while the first superstructure deck and the main turrets could be used from the first shy try...

Here's what HE looks like:





Yesterday I added the cable stoppers and put some attention to the hull portholes. Snaps soon to follow...

@ haloeight ~ interesting funnel. Wich time frame will your PG be? Happy modelling!

Cheers ~ Olaf

EDIT: PG now in the water... waves and wakes yet to be added ... model is 'dry-stacked'... (looks more cruiser-ish...I hope it distracts a bit from the fact that the colour for the water hasn't dried completely at the time of taking the snap...)


Olaf!

[cruiserman]

G'day, all. Well, I am certainly into Germany's Heavy cruiser the Prinz Eugen. I haven't yet started, however, I do have a hull and accessories of a 1/100 Prinz Eugen. I can tell you that I am so much looking forward in starting the big job at hand in working with Prinz Eugen.
My idea in building this wonderful ship, and I must agree with one of the comments that I read that she is the "Lucky Ship" and she is an absolute beautiful ship.
I have so many drawing plans in 1/100 of Prinz Eugen, the era I am going to build Prinz Eugen is when she had accompanied her big giant sister Bismarck during the Baltic Sea Campaign Trials. Prinz Eugen will be no doubt be painted in the famous black and white stripes on the date of May 19th, 1941.
The drawings aren't giving me what I need and that is the deck planking, the drawings are just showing continuous lines all the way along the drawings. Has anyone have any ideas what the 1:1 scale of Prinz Eugen's deck planks were? I need and idea what the actual lengths of the planks so that I can measure from the 1:1 to 1:100 scale.
My planning of Prinz Eugen's deck planking will be heavily stained and dirty, as I can never see ship decks plain and clean.
Another question for any Prinz Eugen/Admiral Hipper fan. Does anyone know what kind of depth charge gun Prinz Eugen had on board at the aft end of the ship.
I know what kind of question is this, Prinz Eugen having depth charges? My model of Prinz Eugen in the 1/100 will be fitted with the depth charges as she was fitted during the Baltic Sea Campaign, however, I need to know what kind of depth charge gun she carried when she had used it during the Battle of the Denmark Strait Campaign. Apparently, her charges were fired into the air, then exploded once in the water at a depth.
If anyone knows about what kind of depth charge gun she had much appreciated.
Hint of information; During the Battle of the Denmark Strait, with the Bismarck, Hood and Prince Of Wales, Prinz Eugen was I believe either she was 50 or 100 miles in front of Bismarck's wake. During the battle of Bismarck, Hood and Prince Of Wales, Prinz Eugen fired depth charges at the stern causing water sprays to confuse and put of the British Fleet. There is some very interesting peace of information.
If anyone can answer those questions above or can help out with those questions, much appreciated.


Thank You
Peter