Hi all I got this last Xmas and although I don't get much modelling time these days I wanted to start it but as always with a difference I want to depict her during the battle as she's sinking and at the bottom of the sea, all at the same time.

I realise she didn't break up and apart from 35 meters of the stern is still in one piece on the bottom.

She landed practically on top of an undersea volcano which erupted and she slid down the side as the volcano erupted leaving her laying level on the seabed with her stern mostly covered.

My problem is do I play with the historical facts and cut her into 3 sections to depict what I want or is there a way of depicting the whole thing whist keeping her whole.

Hi all well I think I'm just going to go with the wreck dio ( will need a fair bit of scratch building but I'm up for it) 

As an interesting angle on size and shape look at this.





She was a tad bigger than the KGV but almost identical in shape.

Anyway made a start on painting her





Not going to go overboard with the painting as most of it won't be seen.

I must say I'm going to really enjoy this as I love doing rusty things (for those who don't know me i love doing cars and motorcycles, which I usually do with a fair bit of ware and tear)

As per this example.

Hi all before risking the actual ship to my first attempts at an underwater dio I tried an experiment does this look convincing took me ages (well 15 mins) I'm quite happy with it.

I'm trying to get it to look like this
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Bismarck+wreck+images&oq=Bismarck+wreck+images&aqs=chrome..69i57j0.18740j0j4&client=tablet-android-samsung&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgdii=pbRtbdQco7K-dM:&imgrc=BMkjTpW9uTYKDM:







I photographed the process encase anyone is interested.

Ken,

Looks to be in the right direction. Looking at those photos of the Bismark seems to me there is a lot more rust and rusticales then deterioration.

Mark

Hi Ken

watching with interest. Am curious to see how you go turning her into a wreck.

Personally I'd go for a more historical arrangement but then use artistic license in terms of how broken down by the elements she is.

Interesting to see both KGV Bismarck overlayed like that too. Would be interesting to see what KGV would have looked like had they not been restricted by treaty

I like your experimental result - it looks to be on the right track.

It is interesting to compare the Bismarck and KGV hulls -

They really were quite similar... but the eye is drawn to the longer, more delicate stern of the German vessel, which of course was a source of problems with many Kriegsmarine designs...

Hi all drilled out a couple of the big turrets bases and added the traversing gear to the inside of one of them (still got to deepen the shaft and add some internal detail)I'm only planing on making the base a little larger than the model, should I still add the missing turrets and other superstructure that came off even though they were found a long way from the wreck.





Encase anyone thinks I've stopped working on the KGV I've not it's just the part I'm working on now has 4 pompoms and the PE takes ages.

Looks great so far. Keep up the good work!!

Hi all I had to drill out the lower deck to allow for the details I have to add as the turrets won't be there.



And gave the decking it's first coat of paint





As you can see the traversing gear needs a bit of work 

Hi all started on the base 







I've tried to get the seabed undulations as like the photos as I can, still got some fine tweaking to do to it yet.

I've drawn some of the damage on the hull and decking I'm thinking of using a soldering iron to inflict it.

Hi Ken,

looking good so far, the seabed is great.

cheers

Si

I am looking forward to see how you depict the damage on the hull. Should be an interesting challenge.

cheers
Michael

Ken,

I must admit, I've been watching with perverse pleasure as you brutalize that beautiful kit!



Keep up the good work!

Hi all made a start on the damage, there is a load to add but I think it's an ok start.





I'm afraid no more modelling for a week as off on hols.

nice progress here Ken

that's a good looking Titanic you have in the background too!

Hi Russell not touched that in about 4 yrs, it sits there on the shelf of doom, every time i touch it something breaks.

sounds like something I'd do Ken

Hi all started on rusting her, still loads of crud to add but I think it's a good starting point.

yer, this is looking good! Lots of silt, crud and gunge!

Bring it on!

Hi all added some salt then a light grey wash to kill some of the colour, then knock some of the salt off add another thin sandy wash, knock some more salt off then a thin black wash. I feel it's getting there now.

Hi all can you guess what this will be.





Started on a background



Put a blue whale in it which I've drawn to scale just to show how big the wreck is, i realise it don't look that great but I'm going to put dirty blue wash over the background so that should make it fade out a bit.





I'm really enjoying this build. Looking forward to my birthday and my next project (not a ship)

Sweet, really liking the whale it gives every thing scale.

Mark

What Mark said,

Lots of depth in the paint job.

Cheers

Si

Hi all well I thought I could use this as the submersible used to light and film her, unfortunately it is totally out of scale so i will have to find something else, although I see that the effect will work quite well.

Ken, the submersible idea is great and if you get the right scale it will be a winner. Maybe you could have two of them floating around the kit.

cheers
Michael