Model Fleet

-- Originally Posted 2/14/2010 --

Though not yet ready to start a build of DKM Tirpitz, my research for upcoming Lancaster/TallBoy and Halifax builds have of course encountered much history and references on this epic ship, whose simple existence "in being" was - much like the Italian fleet, in the Mediterranean - a sufficient threat to force the British to waste substantial naval reserves - waiting, on constant alert - to counter whatever move she might decide to make. A fact of which the British were keenly aware - and itching to eliminate - and would accordingly attack her by practically every means imagineable, until finally effecting her destruction.

But not before the Germans, equally aware of Tirpitz' value and efficacy, would cunningly protect and maintain her, in Norwegian fjord lairs, during WWII for years:

Click on Image to Enlarge These two pics - from among all those I've found - best depict her moniker "Lone Queen of The North", showing Tirpitz exactly as she spent practically the entirety of WWII: operating in Norwegian waters - or more precisely, stationed heavily defended within protective fjords, as at right. Note both pics show her wearing a simple, disruptive camo scheme, composed of a relatively few, very dark shapes over a light gray or - particularly at right - a white hull. Note how much darker is the fully-illuminated deck (right) than the white fantail - if the former was not stained (gray?), then its natural wood color was indeed quite dark. Note also that the superstructure does not appear quite white, in any place(s), but a light gray - with each aft turret-top appearing to have a different, identification color on it - though both look rather dark (at least, on the film used).

I even found an exceedingly rare color reference:

Enlarged and sharpened as much as I could, this pic shows Tirpitz on May 25, 1943, locating her in Norway's "AltaFjord". Note again the simple disruptive scheme, including prominent false bow - the whole forward third of the ship creating the distinct illusion of a trawler, IMHO - painted over what is clearly a white hull. Note the upperworks blend almost perfectly into the shoreline background, due to shadowing on their apparently all-gray surfaces - just as seen in the prior pics, above - and that the hull camo ends in a white fantail - again, as in the prior pic of the stern, which may well date from precisely this same circa-1943 time period.

Indeed, Tirpitz' camouflage appears to have changed at least annually during WWII:

Click on Image to Enlarge This pic dates from the summer of 1942 - almost exactly a year before the color shot above, and depicts a much simpler pattern comprising only a large, dark bar surrounding the fantail - and possibly another dark feature, up forward - on the port side. The rest of the hull and upperworks are a medium-light gray, but the wood decks are now substantially lighter than the (lightest) gray. Other pics (not shown) from very early in WWII - or perhaps immediately pre-war - depict Tirpitz in uniform gray overall.

So it would appear her camo was evolving over time, from simpler to more complex:

Accordingly, we could very reasonably conclude that this undated pic of a disruptive scheme - the "classic" Tirpitz camo, and that in which she is most beautifully modelled, IMHO - must date from rather later than the mid-'43 pic, shown earlier. Note the pattern has elaborated not only more shapes, but into a bona-fide, dazzle pattern extending over all of the superstructure - and quite possibly the decks as well. Indeed it is hard to imagine how Tirpitz' camo could have become any more complex than this, before her final ordeal at the hands of Lancasters, and their gigantic TallBoy bombs, from 9/15/44 to 11/12/44.

On which latter date Tirpitz was finally destroyed off Tromso:

Click on Image to Enlarge This pic - really telling the whole final chapter, in a nutshell - was found undated, but apparently depicts the start of scrapping the capsized hulk (at top), very soon post-WWII. In any case, the huge TallBoy crater in the foreground still looks like it was blasted out yesterday.

Apparently, this same crater has since been preserved - undoubtedly as part of a war memorial - right up to this day:

Click on Image to Enlarge On this modern-day airphoto of the sinking site (box w/coordinates), I have taken the liberty of annotating the above crater as "1", followed by 9 more (among many, many other) circular features noted - presumed traces, remaining after 66 years both ashore and in shallow water, of impacts by mammoth TallBoy bombs - out of 77 all told, released against Tirpitz (though not all of them at this location). Immediately to the right of Crater "1" note a tiny, rounded object - probably a small kiosk, or perhaps even just a large boulder - no doubt mounting a commemorative plaque.

Indeed. Tirpitz was a historic ship - magnificent in appearance, particularly in her final, dazzle-camo - with a truly epic story, encompassing her life and constant tribulations through to her spectacular, final end.

A build of Tirpitz really should accompany any build of the TallBoy Lancaster(s) - not to mention any of the numerous prior RAF aircraft, RN aircraft, their carriers and/or even the secret mini-subs - all ranged against Tirpitz, The Lone Queen, before her time was up.

Cheers,

-Matty

When one considers and examines the Royal Navy and RAF expenditures in just spying on Tirpitz, it was staggering. As the British Empire started to bankrupt itself with war costs, the raids and recce missions over Norway would prove as costly as a cruiser sinking.

Realistically the British ignored their own knowledge. They forgot the ease with which they hunted/killed her sister. Ludovick Kennedy in "Pursuit" mentions the shock that the Empire suffered as a result of Hood's loss. We know now that in all likelihood it was probably Prince Eugen that fired the fatal blow, but at the time, the Empire spin doctors would not allow Hood's death to be at the hands of anything less than the best/most feared battleship in the world.

As all Royal Navy sailors worshipped Hood and her invincible myth, the fact that Bismarck had a sister was just as frightening. The Brits allowed themselves to be cowed into fearing Tirpitz. Had she broken out of her fjord, where would/could she have gone? By mid 42 the RAF had air superiority over the Channel. Any "dash" by Tirpitz could not possibly be supported. The Kriegsmarine just didn't possess the ships anymore.

I continue to be amazed that this went on for as long as it did. Had I been Sir John Tovey I'd have written Tirpitz off long ago.

Cheers,

Don

great read...cool photos...I enjoyed the thread. john

Matt -

Your research-fu is indeed strong! I can honestly say I've never seen any of the Tirpitz pics you posted, and whatever you build her in is going to be impressive. Have you given any thought as to what kit you might use when it comes round to that? I'm told the new Revell 1/350 Bismarck is quite good, but my understanding is that there's actually quite a bit of detail work to be done to turn her into Tirpitz.

Mike

Mikey, you didn't pay attention -like I said, I'm not ready to build a Tirpitz yet! But of course, when did that ever stop us from talking about it, eh?

Even so, however, you should know by now that I would never - ever - turn to a 1/350 kit for a Tirpitz build. For one thing, my tiny diggs are packed with 1/500-ish kits and not only do I have to consume them, to make some room to live in here, but I wouldn't have space for a 1/350 BB anyway - as a matter of survival!

No, for me - at least, as long as I live in this tiny pad - 350-scale is for subs, DDs and DEs only!

Meantime, I've got several Bismark-class kits already staring me in the face:

Click on Image to Enlarge There is of course the classic Revell Bismark and Tirpitz (top pair) - and yes, "Revell Models are Fun" - however the only thing more fun about the Revell Tirpitz is its classic Norwegian fjord box-art - though I think the camo, cloned from Bismark, is inaccurate for Tirpitz - as I know the Bismark-cloned parts are, for some of Tirpitz' superstructure. I have a later release, at bottom - again, with exactly the same contents - whose hull is not 1:570 - not by overall length (LOA), nor by the beam, either - which measure 16.5" long and 2.33" wide (max.), scaling out to 1/594.2 and 1/607.7, respectively, which average to 1/601.0 - a true 1/600 scale kit!

As is the ancient Airfix Bismark:

Click on Image to Enlarge Note the very similar box art to the earlier Revells, but the contents have one significant drawback: they don't resemble Bismark!

Or at least, the hull sure doesn't - with a 'way-too-high freeboard, and dubious treatment of the armor belts as well, it rather resembles some of the modernized (blistered) Japanese battleships more than it does a Bismark! But the inaccuracy is all in the shape - as the overall dimensions of 16.4" LOA and 2.35" (max.) beam scale out to 1/597.8 and 1/602.6 - averaging exactly 1/600.2. So, if the hull could be fixed or replaced with something better, perhaps many of the detail parts of the kit could be useable, to good advantage.

Another classic kit - only released as Tirpitz, AFAIK, and also with pretty cool box art - is the Mongram Tirpitz:

Click on Image to Enlarge Note this box art appears to be highly accurate - right down to the "trawler" camo shape on Tirpitz' starboard-bow, as noted originally. Someone had told me the kit was actually closer to 1/700 scale - or maybe I'm confusing what I heard about the Monogram New Jersey - but, while I had my ruler out making measurements, I discovered this hull to have an overall length of 15.9" and maximum beam of 2.15" - scaling out to 1/616.6 and 1/658.6, resepctively, or an average of 1/637.6. And this hull looks the best for a Bismark, IMHO, of any of the above - though a direct comparison against an accurate drawing is definitely in order.

I, of course - if deciding to use this hull - would bulge its sides out to 1/617, matching its length, and then would cannibalize the Airfix and Revell kits - and, even better, the excellent Airfix Prinz Eugen (of which I have at least one in my boneyard) - for the very best of their 1/600 parts, which would be only 2.8% (i.e., completely unnoticeably) oversized.

And that's the answer - my whole answer - to your question, Mikey!

Cheers,

-Matty

I've never seen the kit close-up but have seen the box on the hobby shop shelf. It cost somewhere around $80-$90 range. I have heard that it covers the differences between Bismarck and Tirpitz. Hope this helps. Jon