Type II U-Boat

 My Type II U-Boat U20 is now complete. 

U20 was commissioned in February 1936 saw service first in the North Sea prior to being transferred to the Black Sea. In an attempt to avoid an overwhelming British presence around Gibraltar and throughout the Mediterranean U20 was broken into sections to be transported along the Danube to the Romanian port of Galați. She was then re-assembled at the Galați shipyard and sent to her new home in the Black Sea to serve with the 30th U-boat Flotilla against Russian shipping. 

She met her end, scuttled on 10 September 1944, in the Black Sea off the coast of Turkey. 

This 1:144 scale Type II is my second Revell U-Boat, the first being the 1:350 scale Type VII, both of which have been really nice to build, with what I think is some quality moulding and detail. I’m looking to use this in a B-24 Liberator diorama, so I’ve added a bit of poetic licence in applying an Atlantic colour scheme.

Type VII C U-Boat

My Type VII C U-Boat is now complete. This is U-96 as it was when it fought in the Atlantic between 1940-43. It met its end when it was sunk on 30 March 1945 at Wilhelmshaven by bombs during US air raid. 

During autumn 1941, war correspondent Lothar-Günther Buchheim joined U-96 for her seventh patrol. This experience was the basis for his 1973 bestselling novel Das Boot, which was adapted into the 1981 Oscar-nominated film.

The kit is Revell’s 1:350 scale which has some lovely detail considering its small size. I now need to decide if to use this or its 1:144 scale cousin in my B-24 Liberator diorama.

B24 J Liberator

 Just completed the first of a series of B-24 Liberators which flew from Dunkeswell, Devon, during WW2. 

This is US Navy B24 J Liberator B-6 “T” of VB-105, 1944-45. 

B-6 “T” was one of a few J-model Navy Liberators to retain the Emerson nose turret and a “high hat” upper turret. Note also the sea-blue replacement rudders. This aircraft was flown back to the US after the war. 

The model kit used in this build is the 1975 release of Airfix’s 1:72 B-24J Liberator with  generic decals from my stash. I scratch built the radar bubble replacing the belly gun turret and used Vallejo Air paints of White and US Navy Sea Blue to create, I hope, a passable likeness.

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The Kit

Brand:  Airfix
Title:   B-24J Liberator
Number:  05006-3
Scale:  1:72
Type:  Full kit
Released:  1975 | Rebox (Changed decals)