Revell 1/700 Bismarck.

BattleshipBob

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Following is from what is considered the best book, over 50 yrs of research
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In Norway, the dark paint on the stern along with Baltic stripes were painted over with grey paint, bow wave left
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The swastikas covered with tarpaulin and turret tops which were red painted now in dark grey
20220416_125438.jpg

Hope this helps

Bob
 

spanner570

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Terrific stuff Bob!
Thanks for taking the time to post your most useful information.

I tell you what, I took a look at a Bismarck 'Specialist' site a short time ago. What started off as a simple question - 'Did Bismarck have her deck swastikas showing during her final battle?' ended up a big squabble and some seriously insulting comments flying about. What is the matter with folks?

Thanks to level headed people like your good self, the answers are as straight forward as they ever will be. Good enough for the likes of me, anyway!

Just one final point. Did the crew of Bismarck actually paint out the swastikas before attempting the breakout?. The end of the page above shows or suggests they used tarpaulins whilst waiting for Lutjen's orders to use paint. It would seem to me that using tarpaulins instead of paint would be useless, as the first big sea would trash them.....

Ron
 
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BattleshipBob

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My pleasure Ron, glad to help in some small way. The book is not 100% says paint or tarpaulin? Looking at the condition of the bow swastika, I would have thought there would have been evidence of some covering paint remaining?

I have a good few Bismarck stuff and no mention of the swastikas!

Know what you mean about some heated discussions, get a life I say, there's been some heated debates about the new 1 16 StuG's, me keep head below parapet lol
 

spanner570

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Thanks Bob. Seems the question will never be answered with 100% certainty.
I just can't see Bismarck going to sea with a tarp. fastened over the swastikas. They would blow off in nothing flat, so.....

Right or wrong, I'm playing safe and painted the areas in grey. Let's pretend the grey was inferior paint and it all peeled off after all those years under water. ;)
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P1320883.JPG

Thanks again for your invaluable contribution. Much appreciated.:thumb2:

Cheers.
Ron
 
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Ian M

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Thanks for all your encouraging post boys...:thumb2:


For once in my miserable life I have decided to do some modelling research to find out what camouflage, if any, Bismarck wore during her last few days)

There seems to be no definitive answer {Plenty of arguments!) It seems no one knows for sure. What I do know is that before her attempted breakout into the Atlantic, she had her 'stripes' painted out to an overall grey colour whilst in the Norwegian Fjords and her bow and stern swasty tickers were painted over in grey on May 22....

Does anyone have,100% for certain, any more info.?

Cheers.
Ron
Just because it's you Ron.
They normally have their ship in order (lol I made a funny).
 

Allen Dewire

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You see Ron, poor Mick got so excited to see that you're doing such a bang up job on this puppy, he posted his comment twice. You gotta be doing something right here Sir!!!........

Prost
Allen
 
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spanner570

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All good stuff chaps and thanks to Ian for the link. :thumb2:

Allen, Matron is on her way to Mick as I type.....She is taking him an Easter egg. It's really a chocolate coated hand grenade!

Folks, re. the yellow turret tops, I read an account from a Bismarck survivor in which he stated the crew did attempt to paint them whilst at sea, but the metal was constantly getting wet and the paint didn't stay on long before getting washed away. Eventually they gave up.

However, some paint might have stayed on. (My thinking)

Where the turrets yellow at the time of her sinking? This question might well never be answered for certain as all the Main gun turrets are upside down on the sea bed and the remaining secondary guns show no visible yellow.....

For heaven's sake Ron, it's only a 14" long bit of plastic. So for the sake of my own sanity, I think for the actual model of the ship sinking, I'll paint on the yellow kind'a wishy washy, hit and miss. That will confuse the b*****s!

I need a drink!

Arado aircraft in place and all the A.A. stuff too.
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Just some pictures of the masts and some general ones of the ship to go, then apart from the rigging and a sea scape, she's done.

Cheers.
Kenneth More and Dana Wynter
 
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Jim R

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Hi Ron
Yellow turret tops - to paint or not to paint, that is the question :hungry: On a serious note though, every time I look at your photos I'm amazed at the detail in a "14in piece of plastic".
Jim
 
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spanner570

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Thanks Jim.
Yes, indeed "To paint or not to paint" I think if I just show a 'suggestion' of the colour on the sinking version, that should be a nice halfway solution.

This one, I'll leave alone and state it was the version just before the lads got the yellow paint out of the locker....

...and yes, it's certainly getting a bit crowded on board now, that's for sure.


So you're gonna demolish a kit that cost £10 instead of one that cost £8.50? I know I'm just an old skinflint, but I can't see any sense in that! I have missed our Cosford bashes so maybe it is time I got some therapy.:upside:
Dave, on the face of it, it is bonkers.
The trouble is, or was, I became so wrapped up in what a nice kit it turned out to be, that before I realised what I was doing, I'd committed myself to try and do justice to it.

So there was no turning back to any thoughts of wrecking it. That is when I searched, and found one cheap enough to destroy.

I hope the above serves to explain my apparent loss of normal faculties.

10/4
 
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spanner570

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Thanks for the link Pete.

That's twice what I paid for the kit!
Sometimes I think this P.E. lark is a big con. - and this is a prime example why I avoid the stuff.

To each his own though, eh?

Ron
 
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Gern

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Thanks Jim.
Yes, indeed "To paint or not to paint" I think if I just show a 'suggestion' of the colour on the sinking version, that should be a nice halfway solution.

This one, I'll leave alone and state it was the version just before the lads got the yellow paint out of the locker....

...and yes, it's certainly getting a bit crowded on board now, that's for sure.



Dave, on the face of it, it is bonkers.
The trouble is, or was, I became so wrapped up in what a nice kit it turned out to be, that before I realised what I was doing, I'd committed myself to try and do justice to it.

So there was no turning back to any thoughts of wrecking it. That is when I searched, and found one cheap enough to destroy.

I hope the above serves to explain my apparent loss of normal faculties.

10/4

Actually I was thinking more along the lines of just swapping the boxes. Then you could tell everyone you were demolishing the cheap one and doing a 'proper' job of the expensive one! :smiling3: :smiling3:

Whatever way you work it, I'm looking forward to the results.
 

BattleshipBob

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Ron my apologies :rolling:

Been spending a while going further through the book, its big lol

There is a mention that the main turrets were painted yellow, they gave up on the secondary as the very poor sea state both washed the yellow paint off and threatened the lives of the crew.

So grey leaving Norway and Denmark strait, yellow main turrets after the split from Prinz Eugen

Should have looked more, sorry to confuse you

Bob
 

spanner570

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Good thinking young David....:thumb2:

Top work Bob and certainly no need to apologize. You latest post clears it up nicely. So thanks to the diligent work from both you and the others who chipped in with suggestions and links (IanM) I can safely, and with a clear conscience, leave this version in grey, whilst she was in the Denmark Straits, but add the yellow to the main turrets only on the model of the sinking ship. Spot on and thanks again. Now you can get back to scoffing your Easter Egg!


Here are the masts.

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Apart from the rigging and a bit of touching up, :flushed: she is more or less complete and ready for the breakout into the North Atlantic.

"Do you know boys, I think she would look pretty with yellow on her gun turret tops." blurted Admiral Lutjens upon returning to Bismarck after a night out at a local Norwegian 'Hostelry'

Cheers and thanks again.

Ron
 
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