discussion Depth charged, shot at, rammed and sunk!...a U.Boat's fate.

[spanner570]

Sorry for the lack of attendance, but I've been away for a few weeks where internet is unheard of...Heaven! Just arrived home yesterday.


However, all was not lost, as I was allowed to take a kit to build between drinking disgusting wine and shovelling peanuts and crisps down me - and watching the sunsets.... Hell I know, but someone has to do it!


I wanted to do something different with the model and came across an interesting combat involving two U boats and two convoy escorts during WW2.


On the 11th March 1943, whilst escorting convoy HX 228, HMS Harvester, a British H Class destroyer, located and depth charged a U boat (U444) forcing it to surface. The submarine was subjected to gun fire from the warship, which then succeeded in ramming the U boat and sinking it.


Harvester was badly damaged during the ramming and was left wallowing in the sea. Later on U.432 came across the damaged destroyer and sank her with torpedoes. The French Corvette 'Aconit' which was accompanying Harvester, then rammed and sank U 432'


The action lasted the day and over 200 lives were lost....


This was my challenge....


To build a U boat that had been subjected to the kind of assault described above...Depth charged, shot at, rammed and finally sunk. Finally for her to be found and photographed deep down in the Atlantic, where not much marine life would grow on the wreck.......


So here is the start of the build...It's the Revell 1/125, U 99.


I made the boat whole before I started to do any damage.


I used a pair of snips, pliers and a hot needle and just generally went my merry way stabbing, bending and tearing the model to shreds!


Here's the conning tower after depth charging and surface gun fire.... View attachment 108246



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I wanted to do the ramming damage around the engine room, rear torpedo room area which caused a massive explosion, ripping the hull and pressure hull clean open......


Here's my attempt at such damage. The engine block is scrap sprue, the pressure hull tin foil and the cables etc. is thin electric wiring. The deck cross ribs are thin plastic card.


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Because of the great depth the U boat lies in, it only needed a small amount of marine growth. Which is a bonus, because I wanted to keep some detail to the wreck.


This I did with sweepings from the drive. Then using some 'hit and miss' PVA applied to the hull, I threw the stuff at the model...Where it stuck it stuck!


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Here she is on the sea bed.


Like my previous U boat models and the British sub. HMS Trafalgar, I used my usual tile adhesive and bedded the hull into it.


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Next up I need to try and give the illusion of depth...Kind'a spooky like!


Thanks for looking and it's nice to be back.


Cheers all,


Ron


Now I can have a look at all the builds I've missed!!!

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[Richi72]

Nice one Ron great to have you back.


looks amazing, so authentic great job Ron.


Cheers Richi

 

[Alan 45]

That's excellent Ron very cool , did you thin the plastic to make the holes ?

 

[spanner570]

Thanks Richie, I glad you approve of it so far.


Alan, the shell holes in the conning tower I did with a very hot needle. The pushing through of the water displacement vents in the hull was done by heating a suitable size fine tip screw driver blade and melting through the slots. It was reasonably straight forward as the vents were nearly right through the hull sides anyway....Also, I wasn't bothered about neatness, as marine growth would be hiding my hamfistedness!


Thanks boys,


Ron

 

[eddiesolo]

Must have being a run on U-99 builds lately. Yours, which of course is superb, love the growth, I may just go and nick that idea My new wreck one, and then the superb 1/350 scale by Caledonia.


Love it Ron, you sunken master you.


Si

 

[Alan 45]

Thanks Richie, I glad you approve of it so far.
Alan, the shell holes in the conning tower I did with a very hot needle. The pushing through of the water displacement vents in the hull was done by heating a suitable size fine tip screw driver blade and melting through the slots. It was reasonably straight forward as the vents were nearly right through the hull sides anyway....Also, I wasn't bothered about neatness, as marine growth would be hiding my hamfistedness!


Thanks boys,


Ron

Looks good Ron I've been doing some damage by using a small grinding attachment on my drill and thinning the plastic It gives a good effect

 

[spanner570]

Thanks Si, sorry old lad I have a patent taken out on the method!


I have to smile.....


Why is it that us three musketeers can't build a nice neat 'boat' like Derek's excellent build?


All we seem to want to do is wreck a perfectly good kit!!

 

[spanner570]

For the final painting stage I needed that deep down, eerie sort of effect, with the wreck lit up by an even light rather than a spot light, so I would end up with a uniform colour...Blue was the obvious choice, so into the shed I goes and found a couple of old tins of white and blue emulsion paint.


I mixed these to the blue shade that looked something like, and with a 1" paint brush I closed my eyes, held my breath and s**t or bust, I painted the whole lot - top to bottom!


That's it really. The build and 'wrecking' didn't take long, primarily because I was able to throw the kit together, knowing the marine growth would hide any 'errors' in the model. The painting and growth didn't take long either. The secret with this sort of model is not to mess around. Just go for it and Dont Fiddle!


Here is the result. No fancy lighting, the paint has done it's job...and I'm chuffed how it's turned out.


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I've just taken some closer pictures of the wreck, so I'll post those asap.


Thanks for taking the time to have a look at this rather quick build thread.


Ron

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[Guest]

Wowsers that is way up there with your usual stuff, monstrously good.

 

[takeslousyphotos]

Cracking job Ron .......... good to see you back.

 

[eddiesolo]

Thanks Si, sorry old lad I have a patent taken out on the method!
I have to smile.....


Why is it that us three musketeers can't build a nice neat 'boat' like Derek's excellent build?


All we seem to want to do is wreck a perfectly good kit!!

Damn...looks like a trip to patent office to steal the plans is in offing.


Nice...what's that? We create something different and...er...knackered.

 

[bazers]

Great Work Ron

 

[Ian M]

Welcome back from the walk about. Hope you did not get to healthy with all that fresh air.


I'm sure copious amounts of Boddingtons so put paid to that lol.


What a super little build. Great work as per the norm.


Ian M

 

[monica]

welcome back,hope you did have an enjoyable time,


just superb,lov the whole look of it,


very well done with the shell damage and nice thinking using bit to add,


great build and dose look gloomy

 

[spanner570]

Thank you most kindly for the 'Welcome backs' It's good to be back amongst my cyber mates once more....


Your posts on my U Boat are very encouraging and humorous too. Great stuff.


Incidentally Ian, the model comes in at about 21", so it's a fair old size really.


Thanks again folks,


Ron

 

[Guest]

Wow, stunned with that work, the blue effect is amazing. Well Done mate

 

[Lee W]

Top quality as usual Ron!


Welcome back.


Lee

 

[flyjoe180]

Looks great Ron, very good work indeed on your return.

 

[colin m]

The silence..............after all that action and destruction, now there is just silence. That's what I 'see' when I look at the scene. Great job Ron,

 

[john i am]

Another piece of awesomeness from your good self Ron love the scene very chilling makes me think of my dad's uncle who lost his live on the HMS Penelope.