KM Blucher (1/720) Assembled

Bit by bit she finally came together ... that's the way I seem to work with ships over a long and protracted time scale ... no point rushing it ;)

Plane and hanger added (see below):

Secondary AA guns (see below):

Little bits of superstructure at the back (see below):

Finally the radio masts (see below):

Painting may take some time as I seem to have a plastic mountain queuing up on the painting tray ;)

HMS Kipling's "missing part" comes through the post.

HMS Kipling's spare parts have arrived from Revell Germany (see below):

Which means the "assembly" phase of HMS Kipling is finally over (see below):

Nice little kit and plenty of scope to buy more kits in the HMS Kelly variant or another HMS Kipling style as the J-K class was a popular RN breed of destroyer. 

KM Blucher (Cont) "Moving Towards the Stern"

With the "bow" and "amidships" done it is time to move towards the "stern" of the ship, please note the obligatory cup of shipyard "tea" (see below):

All the gaps are now covered over (see below):

Just a case of building up the "pointy bits" at the back (see below):

Note: The KM Blucher had a brief combat life (1939-40), but her sister the KM Admiral Hipper lived through to 1945 (even venturing forth into the North Atlantic and fighting in the Battle of the Barents Sea) as did her infamous big sister KM Prinz Eugen (same armament but a bit longer and more sea worthy, Battle of the Denmark Strait and the Channel Dash).

KM Blucher (Continued) : Front bit done ...

The main mast and associated tricky bits have all gone onto the front (bow) end of the ship.The construction, moving as per the instructions, moves down the middle sides fitting in the various things that poke up here and there, stop me if I get too technical (see below): )

All-in-all it's coming together nicely!

Note: Please see the upgraded canteen facilities this week of "cup of tea and mini muffin" ;)

KM Blucher's "Upper Works" Started

The front upper works of the KM Blucher have started to take on some of its sinister shape (see below): 

The only concern here is to avoid the "leaning tower" look, by allowing the plastic once glued to dry solidly into place. The temptation is to 'rush' however the model is showing its age. Not fitting together with "clinical precision' meant that there were a few moments of glue and hold while sipping mouthfuls of tea. Eventually I got there. Almost two thirds of the way there I think (to an unpainted model).   

WWII Naval KM Blucher (Cont): "The Main Armament"

Construction continues apace in the German Naval yards (see below):

Assisted by the strong cup of tea (the absolute vital ingredient to a Sunday afternoon modelling stint while the kids watch TV at Granddads) the KM Blucher gets her main 8" armament in place (see below):

Just a question of catching up with the superstructure now!

1/720-1/600 WWII Naval Arms Race

The German WWII Naval response to the latest RN Destroyer acquisition (aka HMS Kipling) is the KM Blucher (sister ship to the KM Admiral Hipper). A ship with an interesting demise in Norwegian waters in 1940, as to be the only ship I know of (and that knowledge is not necessarily encyclopaedic) to be sunk by land based torpedoes (built ironically by Krupps of Germany)! Serves you right for invading a foreign country I guess (see below):

This one could be a very 'slow build' as it has been strategically placed at my fathers and gets some Sunday attention while the children are playing in the garden (or more likely watching Cartoon Network on the TV) and I quietly slip upstairs to the back room with a cup of tea ;)

What rules I hear you ask? Fletcher Pratt on a very large grass lawn methinks!