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Type VII C U-boat

One of the great struggles of W.W.II was that of the German U-boat against the Allied merchant and military navies.The type VII was the most numerous of all German boats and was used throughout the war.The release by Revell of 1:72 scale kit was a chance to build one of these WW II icons.The specific boat modelled was U-81, commissioned in 1941 and sunk in 1944 in Pola. The decals were given to me by Rob van Oosterzee, a fellow member of IPMS Netherland.

 

Subject Type VIIc U-boat
Scale 1:72
Sort of build SOTB
Specific craft U-81 (see link)
Kit Revell 05015 German Submarine VII C "Wolf Pack"
Remarks Ulad decals 7202

 

 

The conning tower shows the camouflage scheme and the "Jaffa" cartoon artwork to good effect. This is apparently a reference to the shelling by U-81 of a radio station in Palestine. View from along the port side. The deck was a perfect fit with little or no filler needed,in fact the entire kit was a perfect fit. Note all the drainage holes have been drilled out. The deckgun has been dressed up a little with a lanyard (copperwire). A simple touch which does enhance the look of the kit. Other improvements include the addition of wire on the periscope.
The model was mounted on a wooden board. The U-boat servicebadge is a facsimile of the original bought on the Internet and the nameplate was made up by the local shoemaker. The U81 had a interesting camouflage scheme along the length of the hull which was why I chose this particular subject. The boat required quiet allot of work to achieve the colour scheme and weathering. The size of the model (nearly 1m long) makes it a difficult subject to photograph well. These photos give some idea of the size of the craftThis was a quick and easy build and I recommend to anyone with the room !!!.

 

References:

U boat Net :

For a complete on-line resource pertaining to all things submersible and German.

 

 

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