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1/350 DKM Bismark with WEM PE Set

The forward hangers were assembled using WEM’s instructions. The only problem I found is with the hanger doors. The inner, lower corner of each door is angled. This angle, on the real Bismarck, fit the curve of the lower funnel. Tamiya’s kit’s funnel goes straight into the deck. Once all the P.E. details are added this becomes an almost invisible discrepancy.

In order to use WEM’s P.E. boat racks for the aft hanger the kit’s hanger needs to be modified with a notch cut out of the roof/side and plastic sheet used to close it off. To me it was a simple matter of marking the cuts with a straight edge and X-Acto and sawing them through with a hobby saw. Once that was done the space was boxed in with sheet plastic then trimmed and sanded to shape. Details for the aft hanger include doors and aft boat platforms.

At this time each superstructure level was detailed with the appropriate railing then joined together to form the forward and aft superstructure assemblies. While they dried I built the armament. The main and secondary guns were assembled following the kit instructions with the exception that the guns were glued in place not allowed to elevate. WEM provides P.E. vision blocks and rangefinder covers. The blast bags were made up from acrylic gel medium sculpted to shape with a toothpick and fine brush. Once dry the main turrets were painted RLM 65 with charcoal gray barrel “root” sections and black gray tops and barrel ends. The blast bags were hand painted white. The secondary guns were painted the same with the exception that the entire barrels were painted black gray. These two black colors were mixed using black and white paints. The AA guns are from WEM’s Kriegsmarine AA weapons P.E. set. The quad 2cm flakvierling were the most difficult to assemble, each consisting of 7 tiny P.E. parts they tested my patients and building ability but I won in the end and they look 100% better than the kit’s offerings.