Bismarck by hof00 - FINISHED - Amati - 1/200 - Partworks

[hof00]

Hi All,

Small update: 

 

Soldiering on....  Stuff of note:

 

Installed Aircraft Cranes and Crane Deck, (Built some time ago), on the Funnel, added a couple of Ladders form the Searchlight Housings to the Searchlight Deck. (So I don't miss these later and much easier to install now.... 🙂)

 

The Aircraft Cranes "Articulate" but I my fix in position as they will probably only gat in the way....

 

More Main Deck stuff, "Bitts."

10 Large, 8 Medium and 12 Small.... I was not looking forward to these as they go "Ping" quite easily, in the end, only one small one did this but I was lucky enough to have been given a spare!!

 

Still finishing up some tiny Quad AA guns.

 

The remainder of this installment revolves around further preparing sub-assemblies, Anchors an a few other Detail things.

 

Cheers....HOF.

 

Photos:

 

 

[CDW]

Turning out such a beautiful model, Harry. Hope you have a place of honor for her when you're finished.

Your sub-assemblies keep getting better and better.

[hof00]

4 minutes ago, CDW said:

Turning out such a beautiful model, Harry. Hope you have a place of honor for her when you're finished.

Your sub-assemblies keep getting better and better.

Thank you Sir!!

I don't yet know where I'll put the "Beastie" and at 1.5 m long..... It will need a cabinet of some description to prevent the Abyssinian boys breaking stuff.... (There have already been a couple of close calls.... 🙂)

 

It is quite goon to have allot of sub-assemblies, it should progress things a little more smoothly. (Hopefully)

 

Cheers and Regards,

 

Harry.

[Kevin]

she is looking fantastic

[hof00]

2 hours ago, Kevin said:

she is looking fantastic

Thanks Kevin.

 

Much appreciated.... 🙂

Quite a bit to go.... Getting there, I think....

 

Cheers and Regards,

 

Harry.

[hof00]

A question for the forum:

Would anyone know what the Black rectangles represent?

 

Any insight appreciated.

 

Cheers....HOF.

 

[Joe100]

That is the stowed Priority Passage day signal. It’s often seen in photos when the ship is operating slowly and draught constrained. It essentially tells all other vessels around that “I have the right of way, regardless”. It was a 3d rectangle shaped like a “+” with a mesh center. Here are some photos:

 

 

 

 

And another photo which is a nice one of Deutschland showing the Priority Passage signal hoisted:

 

[hof00]

2 hours ago, Joe100 said:

That is the stowed Priority Passage day signal. It’s often seen in photos when the ship is operating slowly and draught constrained. It essentially tells all other vessels around that “I have the right of way, regardless”. It was a 3d rectangle shaped like a “+” with a mesh center. Here are some photos:

 

 

 

 

And another photo which is a nice one of Deutschland showing the Priority Passage signal hoisted:

 

Awesome!!

Thank you kindly.

 

The pieces are PR and have a vey delicate mesh, I'll install them.... 🙂

 

Cheers and Regards,

 

Harry.

[hof00]

Hi All,

Small update:

 

So, carrying on with detail stuff, I feel there are less sub-assemblies to construct now and more to actually install.

It's a good feeling.... 🙂

 

Things of note:

 

• Main, Bow and Stern Anchors installed
• Secondary Barbettes attached and Turrets test fitted (I prepared the Turrets some time ago.... 🙂)

 

(The turrets traverse nicely so I must have done something right....🙂)

 

((It sort of feels like things are starting to shape-up a little....)

 

Cheers....HOF.

 

Photos:

 

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by hof00

[Joe100]

26 minutes ago, hof00 said:

Awesome!!

Thank you kindly.

 

The pieces are PR and have a vey delicate mesh, I'll install them.... 🙂

 

Cheers and Regards,

 

Harry.

No worries. This signal can be seen whipping awkwardly in the wind in some of the films of Bismarck. The explanation of these large day shapes doesn’t appear in Knights Seamanship, so they were for local use. The full rules for their use are in the German seamanship books of the time. 
 

The other one you’ll see is circular in shape, however I don’t recall seeing it in use on SH, GU, TP or BS. However it can occasionally be seen on the Panzerschiffen.

 

[BobG]

She's really looking good, Harry. Great work on all the tiny details!

[hof00]

4 hours ago, BobG said:

She's really looking good, Harry. Great work on all the tiny details!

Thanks Bob,

Just getting ready for the next round!! 🙂

 

Cheers and Regards,

 

Harry.

[hof00]

Hi All,

Small update:

(I think that all my updates are "Small." Maybe I'll just say "Update." Semantics....)

 

Anyway.... I have been having fun over the past couple of days.

 

Of note, Conning Tower attached, Inc. Quad AA Guns and Searchlight..

It was nice to have the Sub-assemblies ready to go and was a case of carefully positioning on the upper Superstructure.

One issue that I noticed last night was the Searchlight Platform Spreaders looked wrong on the Port side.

(Just noticed in the photos it looks like the Conning Tower is leaning forward, I am pleased to advise that it not!!)

 

Before adjusting anything I performed some diagnostics.... The Spreaders were at the correct angle and distance, referencing the Platform.

I discovered the Platform was about 1.5' out of alignment which made the spreader angle out.

I slept on it and gave the Spreader a "Tweak", problem solved and its difficult to notice the Platform 1.5" out of alignment. (I was certainly not going to remove and re-attach the Platform!! 🙂)

 

I "Shoehorned" in the Conning Tower Cabinets into place, I thought this might be next to impossible but proved relatively easy. (Small blessings....)

The top tier of then Superstructure that the conning Tower is fixed to is not yet fixed to the underlying Superstructure, this will make thing much easier to add Cabinets/Hatches/Etc. 

 

For the same reason, Fore and Aft Superstructures are not affixed either. (I think that this procedure will come close to completion. Trying to think ahead. 🙂 Another reason is that movement of my right arm is still restricted, even after a year post Rotator Cuff surgery. (1.5 arms.... 🙂)

 

Tomorrow, (And the next few days), I will be installing Hatches/Cabinets/Skylights, Splinter Shields and a whole host of other details....

 

Cheers....HOF.

 

Photos:

 

 

 

 

Edited August 3, 2022 by hof00

[GrandpaPhil]

Very impressive build!

[rvchima]

On 7/30/2022 at 10:18 PM, Joe100 said:

That is the stowed Priority Passage day signal. It’s often seen in photos when the ship is operating slowly and draught constrained. It essentially tells all other vessels around that “I have the right of way, regardless”. It was a 3d rectangle shaped like a “+” with a mesh center. Here are some photos:

When you don't have any idea what something is, don't you just love how someone on this site has the answer and photos to prove it? Thank you to Joe100, and beautiful work as always Harrry.

[Joe100]

3 hours ago, rvchima said:

When you don't have any idea what something is, don't you just love how someone on this site has the answer and photos to prove it? Thank you to Joe100, and beautiful work as always Harrry.

Exactly! I’m amazed at the depth of knowledge here, it’s a treasure. 

Glad I could be of assistance 

 

[hof00]

7 hours ago, rvchima said:

When you don't have any idea what something is, don't you just love how someone on this site has the answer and photos to prove it? Thank you to Joe100, and beautiful work as always Harrry.

 

3 hours ago, Joe100 said:

Exactly! I’m amazed at the depth of knowledge here, it’s a treasure. 

Glad I could be of assistance 

 

Thank you Rod!!

(And thank you once again Joe....🙂)

I finally received my ABER PE Chain Link Rails that will be placed around the perimeter of the Deck, vey nice but fragile.(I expected the fragility.)

I also received the "Infini" 110 Denier Lycra Rigging material. This is 0.12mm same as the kit supplied stuff.

 

Two and a bit issues to go.... I get the feeling it's all going to come rather quickly. ("Quickly" is a relative term here....)

I have been busy adding heaps of detail bits.

It's so nice to be doing something  different other than "sub-assemblies!!

 

I'll get some photos up tomorrow hopefully.

 

Cheers and Regards,

 

Harry.

[Joe100]

No worries, if you need any help with the rigging please let me know. I recently made a diagram for another forum showing what all those wires were for, so I can definitely be of assistance if you need it. 

[hof00]

1 hour ago, Joe100 said:

No worries, if you need any help with the rigging please let me know. I recently made a diagram for another forum showing what all those wires were for, so I can definitely be of assistance if you need it. 

Thank you very much Sir,

I have been studying the instructions, just to see what's coming up....

 

It would be great to see something better than my instructions.... Could it be PM'd?

(I am certainly not one to refuse assistance!! 🙂)

 

Cheers and Regards,

 

Harry.

 

 

[Joe100]

Certainly, I’m sure I can send the diagrams to you. The rigging is actually quite complex, and I’ve never seen it replicated 1:1. In this scale, with time, you could certainly do it.

 

Below is a 2d sketch I did of what does what, simplified of course. Just for some general interest. So often we model items on a ship but have no idea what they’re about. Maybe this little drawing will flesh out what all those cables are doing. Doubly important when we realize that the loss of the ship is directly linked to a message sent from those antennae!

 

 

When it comes to the rigging, remember the antenna cables themselves were not stretched tight. There should be a natural catenary to them. The only rigging that was arrow-straight are the stays holding up the masts, the rest should be a bit loose. The cables hang from the masts vertically, not pulled right horizontally. You can see this detail in many photos. 
 

Also, it’s worth mentioning that Bismarck did sail with several items not yet installed. One relating to the rigging is the night signal system. This was a series of challenge lights hung vertically near the admiral’s bridge, they were used as a visual form of IFF. Bismarck *seems* to have had the old system installed in addition to the new, one-off system you see above the admiral’s bridge and to either side. I’ve made a little diagram for you below. Often the items noted in burgundy are labeled as “radar detectors”, which they certainly weren’t. The only system available to Bismarck in 1941 was METOX, and METOX didn’t use an antenna like that at all, it was a pyramid shape, and not very big. It’s disputed if METOX was installed aboard Bismarck, anyway. What we see here has blinders, so night signal system it is. I think both were installed aboard Bismarck, the vertical lights, and the horizontal lights. I’m not sure if both systems were used together or if the horizontal system wasn’t in service yet. Just make sure you model the vertical lights since they were definitely there. 

 

 

 

[hof00]

3 hours ago, Joe100 said:

Certainly, I’m sure I can send the diagrams to you. The rigging is actually quite complex, and I’ve never seen it replicated 1:1. In this scale, with time, you could certainly do it.

 

Below is a 2d sketch I did of what does what, simplified of course. Just for some general interest. So often we model items on a ship but have no idea what they’re about. Maybe this little drawing will flesh out what all those cables are doing. Doubly important when we realize that the loss of the ship is directly linked to a message sent from those antennae!

 

 

When it comes to the rigging, remember the antenna cables themselves were not stretched tight. There should be a natural catenary to them. The only rigging that was arrow-straight are the stays holding up the masts, the rest should be a bit loose. The cables hang from the masts vertically, not pulled right horizontally. You can see this detail in many photos. 
 

Also, it’s worth mentioning that Bismarck did sail with several items not yet installed. One relating to the rigging is the night signal system. This was a series of challenge lights hung vertically near the admiral’s bridge, they were used as a visual form of IFF. Bismarck *seems* to have had the old system installed in addition to the new, one-off system you see above the admiral’s bridge and to either side. I’ve made a little diagram for you below. Often the items noted in burgundy are labeled as “radar detectors”, which they certainly weren’t. The only system available to Bismarck in 1941 was METOX, and METOX didn’t use an antenna like that at all, it was a pyramid shape, and not very big. It’s disputed if METOX was installed aboard Bismarck, anyway. What we see here has blinders, so night signal system it is. I think both were installed aboard Bismarck, the vertical lights, and the horizontal lights. I’m not sure if both systems were used together or if the horizontal system wasn’t in service yet. Just make sure you model the vertical lights since they were definitely there. 

 

 

 

Hi Joe,

Thank you for the diagram and information!!

 

Awesome!! 🙂

 

I'll certainly refence this information in the next two or three weeks and I'll come back to you if I have further questions.

 

Cheers and Regards,

 

Harry.

[Joe100]

Glad you like. The more detail, the better. 
 

This isn’t the main rigging diagrams, those I’ll send you later once you’re at that stage, this little drawing I did was more for fun, to show what it all did. Don’t use it as a reference for your rigging on the model, as I hand-drew it. I have infinitely better resources for you. 
 

With regards to the METOX antenna rigging, I’m not sure she carried it. It was noted that Group West did have an experimental unit ready around the time of Rhine Exercise, but it’s not known for certain if she carried it. The antenna was very small, and I’ve posted a diagram below. Maybe 18” at the widest. It is unknown if it was aboard, where they would have set it up. Sadly detailed photos don’t exist showing anything like it. It might seem like a small point, but the entire second half of the Bismarck saga rests on the method they were using to pickup British radar pulses, as it does seem they were. If someday it can be determined, it would be an important detail to model. Few aspects of her rigging are unknown, and this one is the most contested, and the most important. Sadly, the antenna wires could have just been run up the sides of the foremast or one of the splinter shields, all but hiding it. 

 

Interesting stuff (at least to me! Haha)

 

 

 

 

Edited August 6, 2022 by Joe100

[hof00]

1 hour ago, Joe100 said:

Glad you like. The more detail, the better. 
 

This isn’t the main rigging diagrams, those I’ll send you later once you’re at that stage, this little drawing I did was more for fun, to show what it all did. Don’t use it as a reference for your rigging on the model, as I hand-drew it. I have infinitely better resources for you. 
 

With regards to the METOX antenna rigging, I’m not sure she carried it. It was noted that Group West did have an experimental unit ready around the time of Rhine Exercise, but it’s not known for certain if she carried it. The antenna was very small, and I’ve posted a diagram below. Maybe 18” at the widest. It is unknown if it was aboard, where they would have set it up. Sadly detailed photos don’t exist showing anything like it. It might seem like a small point, but the entire second half of the Bismarck saga rests on the method they were using to pickup British radar pulses, as it does seem they were. If someday it can be determined, it would be an important detail to model. Few aspects of her rigging are unknown, and this one is the most contested, and the most important. Sadly, the antenna wires could have just been run up the sides of the foremast or one of the splinter shields, all but hiding it. 

 

Interesting stuff (at least to me! Haha)

 

 

 

 

Thanks Joe,

I'll PM you my E-Mail to enable you to send some Rigging diagrams when you get a moment.

(It would be good to see so that I can plan ahead a little.... 🙂)

 

Cheers and Regards,

 

Harry.

[mtaylor]

Is it possible that she had the Metox radar and they took the antenna down when coming into port and/or when photos were made?  Too many eyes in a harbor area for tight security I would think.

[Joe100]

40 minutes ago, mtaylor said:

Is it possible that she had the Metox radar and they took the antenna down when coming into port and/or when photos were made?  Too many eyes in a harbor area for tight security I would think.

Sadly it’s all just theory. She may have had an experimental METOX aboard, and if she did, the antenna could have been anywhere, and it didn’t have to look like this. Later on when METOX was in service, the Uboats would sometimes run the wires elsewhere without the wood frame. If Bismarck had Metox, it was last minute and the wires could have been anywhere. And like you said, maybe they didn’t set it up until after they left Poland? Norway? 
 

The important issue is that we’re fairly certain that Lütjens was interpreting British radar somehow, someway. What is vexing is that Brinkmann of PG stated later after Rhine, along the lines that the KM needed to come up with a way to track British radar. If Bismarck had Metox, as the third most senior man present, he should have known about it. So that leaves us with a few other options. If Bismarck was using her other sensors to back-door the pulses, we run into another issue of wavelength. RN radars we’re using a band the Germans didn’t, and the technical specs of the other equipment on board shouldn’t have been able to pick up the RN radar. So, how were they doing it, and were they doing it at all? Did some bright spark figure it out on the fly using her known systems. The Lorenz equipment is a prime suspect, but problems exist here too. So a very complex topic boils down to either a field test Metox, Bismarck’s other sensors picking up the radar, or they were listening to the pulses on radio, which I am told is not impossible, but not likely. What we do know is that once Bismarck made her detachment maneuver with PG, the RN lost contact. The RN sent out a signal saying they’d lost contact, Group West also intercepted signals saying the RN lost contact, and Bismarck’s own B-Dienst unit decoded the RN cypher saying they’d lost contact and delivered it to Lütjens. However, after a number of hours, SOMETHING happened which lead Lütjens to believe he was still being followed, and sent out a message that would lead to his destruction. That “Something” has been interpreted as picking up British radar, or it at least playing a part. The “Long Signal” as it is known, was an extremely long radio signal sent back to Group West, informing them of nothing they didn’t already know. (we have to remember Group West knew most intel before BS and PG did!). The Long Signal lasted so long, that any idiot with a DF loop and a pencil could have pinpointed her location. It was one of the greatest blunders in naval history, and Lütjens holds the distinction of making 2 massive historic miscalculations on the same mission! Radio silence should have been maintained, not only out of an abundance of caution, but common sense too. Something though, made Lütjens miscalculate. Massively.

There is a document that details British radar tracking Bismarck. It was a top secret document created by Raeder’s chief of staff, Vice Adm. Kurt Fricke, titled “Feindliche Ortung” or Enemy Tracking. It makes no mention of METOX aboard Bismarck, as a deployed unit or prototype. One of the great unanswered questions of the Bismarck saga, and probably the most important.

[mtaylor]

Too many questions on this and too few answers of which some may be the cloud the war.  Possibly even things still be classified as "secret" or higher.  It's possible that the Brit signals about losing contact were a ruse.  But then that raises questions as to "why?" and "who ordered it?".  

[Joe100]

1 hour ago, mtaylor said:

Too many questions on this and too few answers of which some may be the cloud the war.  Possibly even things still be classified as "secret" or higher.  It's possible that the Brit signals about losing contact were a ruse.  But then that raises questions as to "why?" and "who ordered it?".  

Sadly we will probably never know. I’m leaving out a VAST amount of detail on this discussion as not to fully hijack this wonderful thread that I’m thoroughly enjoying. Primary source documents exist, memos, etc. which I have read. They’re either inconclusive, or refer to systems in development. Other secondhand sources from The Baron, Kennedy, and radar experts like Geißler are speculative, and they state so themselves. Vexing isn’t it?
 

The British signal that they’d lost contact wasn’t a ruse though, they really did lose contact when BS detached PG. It was a combination of a rare tactical good idea from Lütjens, and fatigue aboard HMS Norfolk. The RN ships had been at stations for so long that things were beginning to slip, and losing contact with BS was one of them. The RN also didn’t realize the Germans were reading their mail either. B-Dienst aboard Bismarck was a larger department than aboard PG, however between the two of them they were able to decrypt a fair bit of the traffic. 
 

Sadly, I don’t think we’ll ever know why Lütjens felt he was clear to send his Long Signal, all 4 parts of it… With it, he signed his, and his men’s death certificate. 
 

Also, I’ve been using the internal codes for the KM ships, which is just old habit. The Germans used a two letter code for all of their ships with BS being Bismarck, TP for Tirpitz, GU for Gneisenau, SH for Scharnhorst etc. they were pronounced with the German phonetic alphabet, so Tirpitz was widely known as Toni Paula, with her crew referring to her as Toni often. Bismarck was no exception, as Bruno Sophie. Fun facts to know and tell.

[hof00]

On 8/8/2022 at 8:01 AM, Joe100 said:

Sadly we will probably never know. I’m leaving out a VAST amount of detail on this discussion as not to fully hijack this wonderful thread that I’m thoroughly enjoying. Primary source documents exist, memos, etc. which I have read. They’re either inconclusive, or refer to systems in development. Other secondhand sources from The Baron, Kennedy, and radar experts like Geißler are speculative, and they state so themselves. Vexing isn’t it?
 

The British signal that they’d lost contact wasn’t a ruse though, they really did lose contact when BS detached PG. It was a combination of a rare tactical good idea from Lütjens, and fatigue aboard HMS Norfolk. The RN ships had been at stations for so long that things were beginning to slip, and losing contact with BS was one of them. The RN also didn’t realize the Germans were reading their mail either. B-Dienst aboard Bismarck was a larger department than aboard PG, however between the two of them they were able to decrypt a fair bit of the traffic. 
 

Sadly, I don’t think we’ll ever know why Lütjens felt he was clear to send his Long Signal, all 4 parts of it… With it, he signed his, and his men’s death certificate. 
 

Also, I’ve been using the internal codes for the KM ships, which is just old habit. The Germans used a two letter code for all of their ships with BS being Bismarck, TP for Tirpitz, GU for Gneisenau, SH for Scharnhorst etc. they were pronounced with the German phonetic alphabet, so Tirpitz was widely known as Toni Paula, with her crew referring to her as Toni often. Bismarck was no exception, as Bruno Sophie. Fun facts to know and tell.

Hi Joe,

Please feel free to "Hijack" If's all relevant and great information for all on the forum who share the interest.

I for one, have increased my knowledge on the subject hugely! (From just building a model with a limited amount of information tp a much better understanding of the subject and history.)

 

Good also in the quiet times when I have not updated or taken photos.

 

Keep it up all and thank you Joe. 🙂

 

Cheers and Regards,

 

Harry.

Edited August 9, 2022 by hof00

[Dave_E]

Fascinating reading gents. History. 👌

[Joe100]

Some random Bismarck minutia, and some photos you’ve probably never seen. 

Bismarck’s builder’s plate:

 

Smoke Screen Generators, and depth charge racks. Yes Bismarck had depth charges and the ability to lay a large smoke screen. 
 

Smoke screen canisters and depth charges were stored on deck for obvious reasons. 

Smoke screen canister hatches.

Smoke screen discharge nozzles. 
 

Below are the huge oil stains caused when the fuel hose exploded in Poland during her final refueling. The starboard side is where the hose exploded, the port side was just bad housekeeping. 
 

Sundry random photos of Bismarck that you’ve probably never seen:

 

Are rare photo of Bismarck with her mainmast retracted.

 

Very rare photo of BS with an short lived experimental paint scheme. She was only in this scheme for days, maybe weeks, early October 1940. It was an attempt to make the ship appear shorter at a distance. This photo also shows her bright aluminum funnel cap, that she had until the end.