Hi all,
I'm in the midst of building the Azimut S-100 kit and am looking for information/images/diagrams etc. regarding the 'guide' or attachment to the twin 20mm guns. The guide was attached to the top of the gun mount somehow, extended past the barrels and rubbed along the frames not allowing the gun to drop low enough to shoot up its own boat. The kit's gun does not include this feature and I really think it might be a good idea to add it. ;-)

Any help or direction you can provide is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Steve

[email protected]

Ahoy, Steve, and Welcome to Model Shipwrights, mate!
Here's a great photo reference for the S-Boot, if you haven't checked it already~
Schnellboot

How about sharing some photo's of your build with us, mate?
~Gunny

Steve,

If you can get/borrow a copy of the excellent book "S-BOOTE" German E-boats in action 1939-1945 by Jean-Philippe Dallies-Labourdette then you will I believe find all the information you require, page 145 I beleive shows the guide frame to which you enquire particulary well as does the picture on page 124/25.

The frame is in fact attached to the deck of the S-Boot and forms a complete circle around the forward 20mm gun pit ,for approximately 75 % of the circumference it remains at a set height above the deck , but at the rear it rises up to a greater height before leveling out again, this is to force the gun up as it is rotated towards the bridge and preventing the gunner having to explain why he has blown the heads off several important crew members.

If you can not get hold of a copy (I am sorry to say most people would not say the the book was cheap) and you still need assistance then please feel free to email directly and I will see what I can do.

I have just taken a look at the web site "Gunny" has directed you to and under the heading weapons you can find several photos showing sections of the gaurd, the one shot show the guard rail after the 20mm gun has been removed , I suspect after the wars end as the rail has been bent and beat to death but you can get the idea, I still believe the clearest photos are in the above mentioned book which is in my opinion excellent.

All the best

PeteV

Hi Pete,
Thanks for your input. I do have the book you mentioned...my bad. I wasn't clearer in my explanation. I was referring to the guide coming off of the dual/twin 20mm mounted midship, not the single 20mm mounted on the bow. An exanple of the piece I'm looking for can be seen on the upper left corner of page 164 of the book you mentioned. It looks like one long antenna/lightning rod extending past the length of the barrels.

Thanks and I hope the makes my search a bit clearer.

Steve
(engeee)

Thanks Gunny,

I'll hide as I say this...but i'm usually an armor and figure guy so this is uncharted water, but I'll try to snap a few in-progress as I go if you guys will be gentle...lol

Thanks,
Steve

Steve ,

It is me who should be saying sorry not you, your first mail clearly states twin 20mm, I will blame my recent eye operation for my error as I can only clearly see out of one eye I will claim I saw 20mm not twin 20mm, well half of 2 is 1, if you believe that , well would you be prepared to send me some money (LOL)

I now see the bit you are talking about, I will search my reference books to see if I can help. I will say that the guide is there to stop the gunners removing their mates heads or drilling the rafts with holes (funny but sailors get upset if you blow holes in all the life rafts/boats) and is clearly mounted between the barrels , so if you cannot get a photo I would respectfully recommend that you make up/invent a mounting plate for the guide , it should / must be constructed in such a manner as to allow the real gun to operate and I would further sugest that this process is the same as happened in real life.

If some one comes up with a photos, yopu can always go AH and remove it and replace it or say AH well that photo shows a boat after/before the guide (which kept failing due to weak mounting points ) was modified in the field so to speak

Enjoy your hobby

I will ask my German naval model making friends if they can help

All the best

PeteV

Pete,
I like this board already!

Thanks again....keep this up and you guys will convert me from armor yet.

Cheers,
Steve

I couldn't find any clear photos of the attachment but, after looking at some Lurssen drawings, I suspect it was a very simple, two-piece clamp over the tubes in the front of the receiver in which the barrels recoiled. Most cars have a similar device to separate parallel metal fuel, brake, or automatic transmissions lines. I suspect the rod was simply welded onto the top portion of the clamp along the centerline. Here's a rough sketch of what I suspect:



Al Ross

Al,
I wondered about something very similar. Did your reference lead you to feel it clamped around the guns? I ask only because I wondered about simply 'welding' in to the surface of the mount in the space between the guns. I like yours better I was just curious what made you think about the clamping. It would've gone completely by me.

Thanks!
Steve

Ahoy Steve,

Checked all my references and came up with a photo of the part.

The rod attaches to the left barrel at two points.
The first, an L shaped bracket, closer to the breech and the second , a rod,
with is further out at the base of the barrel. Both attachment points are bolted
to the rod and the barrel.

If you have the booklet, Squadron/Signal Publications
SCNELLBOOT IN ACTION NO: 18 ....check page 45 left bottom photo.

Hope this helps,
Have a nice day and happy modeling,

Joe

Joe,
That's perfect!
I can't begin to tell you how many times I musta' looked right past that image.

The construction now continues.

Thanks to one and all!
Steve

Because the guns have to be dismounted and field-stripped now and then, it seemed like a logical, easily removed mounting. However, Joe has cleared up the mystery and my guess was way off.

Al