Model Boat Mayhem

The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Navy - Military - Battleships: => Topic started by: Tomcat007 on August 18, 2010, 08:09:53 am

Title: Bismarck Drones
Post by: Tomcat007 on August 18, 2010, 08:09:53 am

Hi all,

I am new to this site and look forward to making some friends on here for the love of modelling, (Wife doesn't understand :-))

I am asking if any one nows if the drones around the superstructure would be painted in camo colours if they fall within the the stripe are as it is sometimes a bit hard to make it out what colour info there is and the Hachette painting portal doesnt say.

I hope that people are not to fed up with the Hachette Partworks saga by now.

Look forward to hearing from any one in due course.

Title: Re: Bismarck Drones
Post by: Bunkerbarge on August 18, 2010, 11:35:27 am

You basically have to decide at what point in the Bismarck's short career you want to model her.  She left the yard all over grey but the black and white stripes and the dark grey extremities were added at differnt stages during Operation Rhienebung.  Without my books in front of me I couldn't say exactly when but I know that at one point she only had the stripes on the hull but at another point she had the stripes across her entire superstructure.  There was also a point where the hull markings were painted over again but they could still be seen faintly through the grey topcoat.

If you decide to paint the black and white stripes across the whole ship they they did cover the entire superstructure and all the relevent fittings.  There is also debate as to whether the tops of the turrets were painted dark red at the time she was sunk just to complicate the issue.  Yiou need to read up on what she was marked with at what point and decide on how much you want to put into the paint job.  Obviously the stripes across the hull would be much more difficult to achieve but more rewarding at the end of the day and not many modellers go for it.

By the way what are the drones?  Do you mean domes?  If that is the case they housed radar.

Have a look at this site, particularly the drawings of the ship in her various schemes and at what times they were painted.

http://www.kbismarck.com/

Title: Re: Bismarck Drones
Post by: Bunkerbarge on August 18, 2010, 11:41:33 am

This gives you the full story:

http://www.kbismarck.com/drawings.html

Title: Re: Bismarck Drones
Post by: Tomcat007 on August 18, 2010, 12:59:01 pm

Hi bunkerbarge,

thanks for the info, drones, i meant the towed sonar array things that are mounted on the side of the superstructure. I was thinking along the rc plane mode. must get out of that mode when doing boats/ships.

Cheers for the links, will have a good squiz at them later.

Title: Re: Bismarck Drones
Post by: rsm on August 18, 2010, 03:04:38 pm

I think you may be referring to the paravanes. I'm pretty sure they were painted hull grey and not mounted within the area of the zig-zag stripes. Hope this helps.

Title: Re: Bismarck Drones
Post by: Tomcat007 on August 20, 2010, 01:52:57 pm

Hi RSM,

Thanks for the help and advice.

Regards

Title: Re: Bismarck Drones
Post by: swordfish fairey on August 20, 2010, 04:29:38 pm

Hi Tomcat007, I know it is in b&w, but it gives you a good idea against the surrounding paintwork. This is from the Museumsciffe book by Josef Kaiser and there are more pictures that are similar....cheers....Smudge