Ahoy Shipmates

As you know the news desk is always hunting out the latest news from around the world for you.

So here is the latest and greatest details on the new 2009 release from Trumpeter.

You just have to check it out!


Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Sean

This looks like a really nice kit. How does the Academy kit look in comparison?

And with Prinz Eugen still on the way, all that is needed now is Scharnhorst/Gneisenau to have all the major German heavy classes as new tool model kits in 1/350.

Top News!

So when can I get one?

Looks like there might be a chance for Admiral Scheer & Deutschland too.

Good news,but,I do wish they had done the Admiral Scheer,and left the Spee to Academy.
Phil

Well, that is certianly wonderful news.

I can say my bank account is going to shutter this coming summer.

Nice.. Graff Spee and Prinz Eguen, have to buy them both..

My only question...are they going to chaarge BB or HC price on this one. Afterall, it an't a BB by any stretch with only 6 11" and light armor. It does exceede HC though with the 11" but most of those had 8 to 9 of those. But what a beauty. Glad they did this one ovr one of the sisters, I like the solid bridge rather than those small skinny ones on pole.

It is going to be one heck of a summer, with Myoko due out, Repulse and Eugen and Spee as well. At least I've gotsome recovfery time as I just got SHokaku and Mikuma. I am wondering where I am going to put all these when I complete them. Looks like I'll be purging more planes and cars from the built collection and taking all the 48th armor from way back when and boxing it up

While I obviously don't know which price Trumpeter is going to set for this, the Kriegsmarine officially called the pocket battleships "Heavy Cruisers" from 1940 on. Until then they were known as "Armored Ships". Graf Spee in the depicted configuration therefore is an Armored Ship.

At any rate, heavy cruiser hits the nail on the head. They just have a different balance of firepower and speed than most other ships of that size/designation.

Hi All,
I was reading M. J. Whitley's German Capital Ships last week, and looking at the photos it appears Scheer and Spee were quite similar before Scheer was refitted with the pole type bridge structure and had her bows rebuilt at the start of the war. (there's a photo of Scheer's bridge on page 27 which at first glance I took as Spee's until I checked the various platform spacings and sizes comparison photo available onpage 88)
They were both built to virtually the same design except Spee got thicker deck and side armour and completed with 10.5cm secondary guns instead of 8.8cm
TTFN
Tom

EDIT:
How hard would it be to lengthen the bows and alter the bridge for a later Scheer does anyone think?

Now for a 1:350 Exeter and Ajax/Achilles!

--Karl

The secondaries were 15cm, the 8.8/10.5 are AAA. But there's a bit more to it, Spee was somewhat wider than Scheer, also the positions of the masts, cranes and, as you mentioned, the platforms were a bit different. The Spee also had a FuMo 22 radar installed, the Scheer did not.

I think the different beams would make a Scheer Speed interchange quite difficult, the rest is still a lot of work.

Sorry, I should have said 'heavy AA' not 'secondary' but would the difference in beam (300mm) scaled down be visible at 1/350?
Tom

Well, maybe.

I think they also had a slightly differently shaped hull cross section (more than just a few cm of beam, for instance bulges). It is notable that on Scheer the armor belt was not very visible, but on Spee it was. There are many details that are different. It depends on the individual if they are important, or not. Personally I consider them important enough. Sure enough, I'd be happy to have all three of the class in 1/350 and for this, I'd like them to look as different and as original as possible.

There are some good pictures of these ships on the web, just start at wiki and follow the links.

Great news With the PE and Graf Spee I'll have to get 2 of these and modify one to the Scheer now someone needs to produce the twins in 350 I have the commanders series resin 350 Scharnhost but it would be nice in plastic.

I too would like to kit-bash the Scheer, but I'd like a later war depiction, and, frankly I don't think my scratching skills are up to altering the bows! cranes and boat positions etc. I think I could cope with...But the bows
TTFN
Tom

Looks like the kit is for real.

It's now appeared on their website as kit no 05316.
She'll be done as she appeared in 1939.
Some CAD photos too.

No release date though.

Thanks Dave.

Yip Dave she is for real and it has already taken the ship kitset world by storm cant wait for its release.

Cheers

Sean