Strasbourg 1942 by RGL - FINISHED - HobbyBoss - 1/350 - PLASTIC - French battleship

[RGL]

A lot of metal that didn’t have to fight; it really could have gone either way, had the Germans got their hands on them might have made interesting commerce raiders. 

[shipman]

Yup, I have the Heller Richelieu in the stash somewhere. As with all the pre-war battleships, when they fired the big guns the shock destroyed their own radar and most radio and electrical equipment. Still, when they got the chance, they could make a decent account of themselves. It wasn't until much later in the war when aircraft had such an overwhelming effect.

[RGL]

I’ve added the superstructures now, boats cranes, davits, now I can start on the railings. 

[BANYAN]

Looks good Greg.  These are becoming too easy for you I think as you are building them so quickly - you should to return to wood for a challenge

 

cheers

 

Pat

[RGL]

The amount of hair I have to clean up from 2 Labrador’s is enough yet alone saw dust! Hope you’re safe down there. 

[RGL]

Ships small boats started 

[lmagna]

Your ability to apparently just cruise through all of that PE as if it was nothing, never fails to astound me. Everything looks so amazing even in the close up pictures! I'm jealous!

 

By the way I recieved my 8"/55 turrets from Micro Master and they are just as nice as your 11" turrets. At this point I think this company may have the best 3D stuff on the market. Shipping to the US is horrendous though, and almost made me reconsider. The same turrets from Model Monkey would have cost less than half as much after shipping!

[RGL]

Photos! 

[RGL]

The Loire 130, aa guns and paravanes 

[RGL]

If you go to Micromaster and look at their 3D printed ships boats they are amazing. I’m crap at them, the PE is great but I’d still like to cover them in canvas. 

[shipman]

Very convincing canvas, especially at that scale. How, please?

[RGL]

Shipman, simple kitchen tin foil folded over about 3 times and cut to size. Idiot simple! 

[RGL]

Ships AA guns and paravanes 

[cog]

Very, very nice. Although, I don't think the captain will like the sloppy canvas ...

[RGL]

You do know he was a drunk?

[cog]

So am I

[RGL]

No real updates, I’ve  started rigging but found these photos 

 

Senior officers mess

 

Chief’s Mess

an officers cabin 

[Canute]

Pretty posh; looks like a hotel room.

[Old Collingwood]

Didn't know you had started a 1/200 scale build Greg😮

 

OC.

[cog]

That makes one wonder how the people slept ...

[RGL]

Railings, signal lanyards the ship’s Loire 130s

[mtaylor]

Very impressive especially with the planes be recovered and readied for launch.

[RGL]

The quad 130mm guns, as I’m awaiting the 3D printed guns from NZ I did up the kit provided guns, the one in the left is the little bit of PE provided with the kit, then the upgrades from Big Blue Boy. 

[RGL]

Bit of paint including the armistice flags, the kit has decals but I think painting them Is always going to look more realistic 

[RGL]

[RGL]

Oh, forgot to add the training guns 

 

[Lt. Biggles]

Looks awesome!

What’s the story behind having armistice flags? identification? Or were they painted on once France surrendered?

[RGL]

I believe it was required after they surrendered 

[JPBWEB]

5 hours ago, RGL said:

I believe it was required after they surrendered 

The so-called Armistice markings of the Vichy period were in fact Neutrality markings, France technically having withdrawn from the war. Navy and civilian ships if other neutral nations wore those too, as did the ships of various European navies during the Spanish civil war.

In the case of Strasbourg, the tricolor bands on B turret and on the top quad secondary turrets were complemented with white blast bags with black lines, and the tail of the Loire 130 float planes sported horizontal yellow and red bands on the fixed surfaces, retaining the national tricolor on the rudder. Other planes of the Vichy period also had those yellow and red bands on the cowls of their engines, but that does not seem to have been the case with Loire 130 aircraft attached to battleships and cruisers.

[RGL]

Yes, I’ve noticed the stripes in the blast bags, there is no way I could replicate them without it looking like crap. The lines on the aircraft would be a bit beyond my skill set too!