RogerChesneau

SHIPCRAFT 1

GERMAN Design
Pocket Battleships'.

HE establishment of a provisional
Contents
• Admiral Graf Spee
at Kiel, just prior to the
outbreak of the Second
T Reichsmanne in April 1919 pro-
vided the framework for a revived Ger-
after the Armistice, and was fanned
by the harsh terms of the Treaty. The
result was catastrophic for a once-
World War.
Design 1 man Navy after the traumas of the proud service: its major ships had
First World War. The Treaty of Ver- been either confiscated or were lying
Careers 7 sailles, the terms of which were pub- at the bottom of Scapa Flow, its hier-
lished in May 1919 (and to which the archy was in chaos, and its personn 1
Model Products 19 German signature was app nded the were totally disillusioned.
following month) had an immediate In terms of assets, th Reich-
and violent effect with the ordering by mannewas but a shadow ofits form r
Modelmakers' Showcase 29 Vizeadmiral Ludwig von Reuter that self. Its largest front-line vess ls w r
the High Seas Fleet-the bulk of which now six obsolete pre-dreadnoughts
Schemes 38 was lying interned in foreign waters- each equipped with four 28cm guns,
be scuttled in order to avoid the ignom- and half a dozen light cruisers whose
Ships' Aircraft 48 iny associated with reparations. design dated back to the nineteenth
Unrest and political turmoil, sim- century. However, the limits placed on
Appearance 49 mering at the close of hostilities (part- the establishment meant that, in any
icularly in the Navy, which since Jut- case, only a small fraction of the avail-
Plans 56 land had been for the most part idling able ships could be in commission at
its time away in port), spread quickly anyone time: with no more than
Selected References 64

ShipCraft 1: German Pocket Battleships All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
Copyright l Chatham Publishing 2004 means, electronic or mechanical, including photo-
copying, recording, or any information storage and
retrieval ystem, without either prior permission in
Ship plans and camounag schemes writing from the publisher or a licence permitting
copyright l AJ-Pre s 1997 99 restricted copying.

First published in Great Bri ain in 2004 by hatham
Publishing, Lionel Leventhal Limited, Park Hou e,
I Russell Gardens, London NWll 9
and
Stackpole Books, 5067 Rill r Road, Mechanicsburg,
PA 17055, USA
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data:
A catalogue record for this book i available from the
British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
available
ISBN 1861762097
Written, typeset and designed by Roger Chesneau,
www.rogercheneau.com
Printed and bound in China through Printworks Inter-
national Ltd
Acknowledgements
The author and publisher would like to extend pecial
thartks to Gerhard Koop, who very kindly placed his
impressive historic picture archive at their disposal; to
the National Maritime Mu eum, Greenwich, for per-
mission to reprodu e the photograph at the foot of
page 29; and to all the model makers and companies
(mentioned in the text) who participated in this proje t
by supplying information about, and photographs of,
their work.
 I t 1 rrmtl d. th r
I t nou h bl b di s
t r m in d. Th r stric-
tI n 1m by th Tr aty, moreover,
pr v n d r pIa ments being brought
into s rvic for some years, and limited
what could be built at that time to a
displacement of 10,000 tons: the
theory was that even a revitalised
German Navy would not be able to
commission anything bigger than a
coast-defence battleship.
In the meantime, the Washington
Treaty of 1922 had imposed building
restrictions on the five major navies
of the world (and therefor , by default,
on every other navy too). As regards
capital ships, the limits place on gun
calibre (16in) hardly affected Germany,
since her displacement limits were in
force. However, in the matter of crui-
sers, there was more room for man-
oeuvre. The Treaty stipulated a maxi-
mum displacement of 10,000 tons-
i.e., the same as that imposed on
Germany for all her ships-and a
maximum calibre of 8in. The Treaty
was, it must be stressed, only of in-
cidental interest to German naval
architects since they had their own
constraints within which to work;
moreover, Germany was not a signa-
tory to the Washington agreement, and
th refore, even if it had had practical
application, would not have been
bound by it.
Panzerschiffe
Naval architects always have to work
within constraints-physical and fin-
Panzerschiffe: Preliminary Designs, March 1927
Design Displace- Armament
ment (tons)
A 10,000 4 x 38cm
B1 10,000 6 x 30.5cm
B2 10,000 6 x 30.5cm
C 10,000 6 x 28cm
ancial-and their task is to arrive at
the best possible compromise solution
that will fulfil the role or roles in-
tended. The restrictions placed on Ger-
man naval construction were of course
very great, and as well as posing prob-
lems they offered scope for ingenuity.
The 'big ships' that did appear were
unique: they were neither battleships
nor cruisers, yet at the same time they
incorporated traditional features of
both types.
Light cruisers and torpedo-boats
took priority in the new Reichsmanne.
they represented the most effective use
of the resources and personnel avail-
able and, moreover, were the types in
most urgent need of replacement, were
less costly than heavier units and
could be taken into service fairly rap-
idly. The dilemma facing the designers
of the replacement ships for the pre-
dreadnoughts was severe. On a dis-
placement of only 10,000 tons, it was
not at all obvious whether any sort of
battleship-type gun calibre could be
installed.
A large number of sketch designs
were produced, culminating in 1927
Armour Speed
(mm) (kt)
250 18
250 18
200 21
100 26-27
• Deutschland on • Deutschland, in a formal submission to the C-in-C
trials, early 1933, probably in the spring Naval Command, Admiral Zenker (see
bereft of a great deal of 1936.
of her equipment.
accompanying table). The classic
trade-offs were there, writ large: maxi-
mum calibre, maximum armour or
maximum speed? Zenker decided in
favour of speed, with the result that
armament and armour were sacrifced.
The design went further: it was to in-
corporate di sel machinery, not merely
for cruising as had been the case in
the 'K' class cruisers, but as the main
power source. The risks inh rent in
relying on this relatively novel form of
propulsion were accepted in the inter-
ests of the great range it would confer
on the new vessels. The 28cm gun was
adopted primarily becaus it had a
good track record in German service,
its characteristics were known, and its
ammunition was of proven capability.
Design Details
The hull was built on the normallongi-
tudinal bulkhead and transverse
Panzerschiffe: Outline Legend, April 1928
Displacement: 10,000 tons
Dimensions: Length 185.7m overall, 181.7m waterline;
beam 20.5m maximum, 20.0m waterline;
draught 5.77m
Armament: 6 x 28cm Ll50 (2 x 3); 8 x 15cm Ll55 (8
x 1); 3 x 8.8cm Ll75 (3 x 1); 4 x 3.7cm Ll83
(2 x 2); 6 x 53.3cm torpedo tubes (2 x 3)
Machinery: Diesel, two shafts (54,OOObhp per shaft)
Speed: 26kt
Range: 17,500nm at 13kt, 16,500nm at 14kt,
10,OOOnm at 20kt
frame principle, with welded seams,
the latter having proved satisfactory
during the First World War and also
offering a marked saving in w igh -
some 15 per cent-over th mor usual
rivetted construction. Th armour b It
was inclined, and designed to d ~ t
projectiles fired from cruis rs; it was
80mm amidships at its maximum,
with a 50mm strake at the base, below
the waterline, tapering to 60mm and
then 50-30mm aft and lOmm forward,
and supplemented by a 45mm (max-
imum) torpedo bulkhead inboard of
the main belt and 40mm armoured
bulkheads inboard between the arm-
oured deck and the upper d ck. Hori-
zontal protection comprised the 30mm
armoured d ck inboard a ross the
citadel, thickening to 45mm outboard
although the latter extend d only as
far as the inboard inclined bulkhead.
The main armament was disposed
in two triple turrets-the first time this
arrangement had been seriously con-
sidered for the German Navy. The
choice of triples cut down ship length
and thus saved weight, and two triples
were in themselves less weighty than
three twins. The calibre of the guns
was actually 28.3cm, and the barrels,
although developed from the First
World War design as shipped aboard
the battlecruisers Moltkeand Seydlitz,
were radically different from, and con-
siderably lighter than, their pr dec-
essors of twenty years before.
The 15cm gun was a relatively n w
weapon, developed from th C 16
3
GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIPS DESIG

Panzerschiffe: Armament Details, as designed Deutschland Class

Main Sec HeavyAA LightAA Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Cost
(RM)
Calibre (cm) 28 15 8.8' 3.7
Mounting type C28 C28 C13 C30 Deutsch/and Deutsche Werke, Kiel 5Feb1929 19 May 1931 1 Apr 1933 80.0
Barrel length (cal) 52.35 55 76 83 Admiral Scheer Marinewerft, Wilhelmshaven 25 Jun 1931 1 Apr 1933 12 Nov 1934 90.0
Muzzle velocity (m/s) 910 875 790 1,000 Admiral Graf Spee Marinewerft, Wilhelmshaven 1 Oct 1932 30 Jun 1934 6 Jan 1936 82.0
Maximum range (km) 36.5 22.0 15.5 85t
Elevation/depression (0) +40/-10 +35/-10 +70/-10 +85/-10
Rate of fire (rds/min) 2 10 n/a 160t their envisaged role as commerce detail differences, not surprisingly in
Weight of projectile (kg) 300 45.3 9 0.74 raiders. view of the substantial gaps between
Supply (rds/gun) 105-120 100-150 n/a n/a
their keel-laying dates. The most
• This particular model was only fitted in Deutschland. Design Differences obvious difference concerned the
t In surface mode. The three ships of the class-named design of the forward superstructur .
t Theoretical; in practice, the rate of fire was less than half this figure.
Deutschland class after the first to be The original layout compris d
launched-exhibited considerable tubular, pole-like Turmma t ('tow r

model of the First World War; it had
already been fitted to the 'K' class light
cruisers and would go on to equip the
Schamhorstand Bismarckclass battle-
ships. The 8.8cm was primarily an
anti-aircraft weapon but was ex-
tremely useful against surface targets
too. The C13 model was an ancient
weapon and was swiftly replaced in
service by th later C32; indeed, only
the first ship of the class ever carried
it. Eight semi-automatic C30 3.7cm
light AA weapons were stipulated, dis-
posed in twin mountings abreast the
forward and after superstructure.
Eight torpedo tubes were mounted
in quadruple banks either side of the
quarterdeck, close to the deck-edge
and well forward. The original design
included 50cm tubes, but only the first
ship was so fitted, and these were
swiftly reliquished in favour of the
standard 53.3cm model.
From the start, the class was de-
signed to operate spotter aircraft, two
of which would be carried, with a turn-
table catapult amidships.
Fire control for the main armament
was regulated by means of two 10. 5m
rangefinders, one at the foretop and
one on the after superstructur , with
10.5m rangefinders for local control at
each turret; a 7m rangefinder forward
of the bridge for 15cm control; and two
3m rangefinders for AA control, one
forward and one aft.
The diesel propulsion system for - Two views of
the class was something of a novelty, Admiral Graf Spee
fitting out at Wilhelms-
and the choice was not without risk. haven, 1935.
Development of marine diesels started
in Germany before the First World
War, and there were plans to fit some
of the Reichsmarim!s capital ships
with centre-shaft diesels, comple-
menting the turbines used for the
outer shafts. These came to naught,
but development continued, and in the
mid-1920s suitable powerplants were
available for installation in German
light cruisers-albeit only as auxiliary
propulsion. By 1927 development had
reached the point where reliability
suitable for primary installation was
acceptable, coinciding with the design
phase of the German Panzerschiffe.
The arrangement comprised eight
MAN M9Z42/58 9-cylinder, double-
acting two-stroke engines disposed as
two sets, each driving a 4m propeller,
each motor producing some 7,OOObhp
for a maximum shaft speed of250rpm.
The advantages of diesel propul-
sion were many: power for the ship was
immediately available when required;
the absence of any necessity for boil-
ers, and the savings in personnel and
space that this conferred; more com-
pact, if heavy, machinery units; and,
above all, fuel economy, offering, if
required, great range. There can be no
doubt that the principal reason for the
choice of diesels for these ships was

4 5

I
 GERMAN PO KET BATTLE IIIP

- Deutschland just
prior to her commiss-
ioning, 1 April 1933.
The torpedo tubes are
lacking their protective
shields .
• Scheer making
Careers
gentle way, 1936. The
original design of the
Turmmast, which
differed radically from
that fitted aboard
Deutschland, is clearly
seen.

mast'), but only Deutschlandretained Deutschland but abaft the funnel in

this; by the time the two later ships
appeared it had been replaced by a
more substantial, tapered structure
with enclosed decks. Less obviously,
it should be noted that Deutschlands
bridge structure and funnel were posi-
tioned marginally further forward than
on her two sisters.
The armament specifications
differed amongst the ships: Deutsch-
land commissioned with the C 13
model8.8cm (single mounting) where-
as Scheer received the improved C25
model (twin); Gra.fSpeecommissioned
with 10.5cm AA in place of the 8.8cm
(three twin mountings, virtually identi-
cal to those for the C13 8.8cm). The
aircraft catapult eventually fitted was
sited between foremast and funnel in
T HE appearance of these hybrid
vessels took the world by surprise,
and initial reactions were mixed. They
her sister-ships, and the name-ship did not fall neatly into any existing
also completed without a mainmast, category of fighting ship, and much
whereas Scheerand Gra.fSpee featured Press comment of the day was deri-
a light pole affixed to the after contours sory: with a displacement of 'only'
of the funnel, with an associated plat- 10,000 tons and an armament of 'only'
form at approximately three-quarters six 28cm (l1in) guns, they were ridi-
the height of the funnel. The design of culed by some British journalists, who
the handling derricks abreast and immediately nicknamed them 'pocket
immediately abaft th funnel also battleships'. Wiser heads were more
differed. Upon commissioning, GraJ cautious. It was known that they had
Spee could be readily distinguished diesel powerplants (the details were,
from Scheer in having her foremast however, closely guarded), conferring
braced at a distance from the Turm- great range: clearly, the ships were in
mast rather than adjacent to it, and reality cruisers, and very powerfully
she also sported light tripod legs to her armed at that. The message was ob-
mainmast. For a short time after the vious: in time of war, they could, if
ship's commissioning, Deutschlands allowed to break out, wreak havoc
torpedo tubes lacked their armoured amongst the merchant shipping
shielding. routes.
So concerned were the Admiralty
in Britain and the Ministere de la
Marine in France that ways in whi h
a response could be mad w r th
subject of high-level talk b tw n h
two national governm nt . Th I
faster and more h avil m hi
on either's inv ntory w r h r
British battl cruis r Hood R'lJul
and Renown:, th Fr n h h d n hi g
that could ou trun th m p m h
more lightly armed rui r. I i
generally held that th Fr nch, till
fearful of a resurgent Germany, laid
down her two Dunkerque class battle-
ships as a response to the Deutsch-
lands, Britain, having just commis-
sioned the two Nelsons-a good 6
knots slower than the Panzerschif/e-
had no tonnage available to build new
capital ships owing to the constraints
of the Washington Treaty.

- Deutschland at
Hamburg, 28 May
1934.

7
CEI?MAN POCKET BATTLESHIPS
DEUTSCHLAND
The first operational commitment for
all three ships arose out of the Span-
ish Civil War, wherein a number of
European navies maintained 'neutral-
ity patrols' and assisted in the evacu-
ation of nationals and refugees after
hostilities broke out on 17 July 1936.
Deutschlandmade five such tours
of duty: July-August and October-
November 1936, January-March and
May-June 1937, and October 1937-
February 1938. The ship saw action
for the first time during the fourth tour,
when in the evening of 29 May, off
Ibiza, she was approached by a force
of Spanish Republican cruisers and
destroyers, which immediately took
steps to engage, while at the same time
two Republican aircraft attacked from
the north-west. The shells fell short,
but the aircraft were more successful,
two bombs striking the ship. The first
landed on the starboard side
amidships, close to one of the 15cm
mountings, setting off a petrol fire
which destroyed the ship's aircraft and
consumed one of the ship's boats. The
second hit was much more serious. It
penetrated the upper deck in the
region of 'A' turret, the subsequent ex-
plosion and fire killing or injuring the
entire turret crew and venting through
the Turmmast. In all, Deutschland
suffered 141 casualties, 31 fatal, and
was compelled to return to Wilhelms-
haven.
8 9
CAREERS
First Shots-and a New Name
On 24 August 1939 Deutschlandtook
on ammunition, left Wilhelmshav n
and, six days later, met up with h r
assigned tanker, Westerwald, off Cap
Farewell at the southern tip of Gr n-
land. On 27 September she receiv d
authorisation to begin anti-comm r
operations, and by the 30th sh wa
hunting for victims plying the rout
between Bermuda and the Azores.
Her first success was scored,
against the 5,000-ton Stonegate, on 5
October, whereupon the ship moved
north and on the 9th, off Newfound-
land, came upon the the US freighter
City ofFlint, which, suspected of carry-
ing contraband, was promptly seized.
In a bizarre series of twists, the Ameri-
can ship, with the Stonegatf!s crew on
board, was taken to Norway by a prize
captain put aboard by Deutschland,
but the German prize crew were arrest- • Deutschland on her loss of a ship bearing the name of the shells and also struck by smaller-
ed by the Norwegian authorities and return to Germany for Fatherland is not without foundation, calibre fire, but managed to extricate
repairs, June 1937.
the freighter returned to US custody. Neutrality stripes (red,
but a more compelling reason is that herself without major damage. 'A'
The Norwegian freighter Lorentz W white and black; red GrossadmiralRaeder, the C-in-C ofthe turret was hit and put out of action
Hansen was sunk off Newfoundland forward) are painted Navy wished to confuse enemy intelli- for half an hour; the second pierced
across 'A' turret. gence, especially as the sale of Hipper
on 14 October, but within a couple of the hull (via a scuttle) and caused
weeks bad weather forced an early class heavy cruiser named Lutzowwas damage and injuries in the ship's sick
return to Germany to repair storm the subject of negotiations with the bay; and the third struck home on the
damage, and on 16 November Deutsch- Soviet Union at that time. A public port side abreast the funnel, causing
land arrived in Gotenhafen. By this announcement was made on 15 Feb- the port crane and spotter aircraft
time it had become known aboard that ruary 1940, when it was also revealed abaft the funnel to be put out of action
the ship was to be given a new name- that the Panzerschiffe had officially and casualties amongst the port after
Lutzow. The widely published story been reclassified as heavy cruisers. 15cm gun crews.
that Hitler, whose faith in the Kriegs- Worse was to follow, however. On
marine was never entirely whole- Norwegian Watch 11 April, en route for Kiel, Lutzowwas
hearted, could not countenance the The German invasion of Norway got torpedoed by the British submarine
under way on 7 April 1940, and Lut- Speaifzsh, and almost lost her stern
- The effect of the a zow(as she was now named) was ass- as a result. She was towed into port
Republican bomb
igned to Gruppe 5, bound for Oslo, in three days later, and the extent of the
dropped on Deutsch-
land, 29 May 1937, company with the ill-fated heavy repairs required put her out of comm-
which burnt out the cruiser Blucher, the light cruiser Em- ission for almost a year.
ship's Heinkel He 60 den, three torpedo boats and assorted LutzouJs second foray in to the
spotter aircraft.
minesweepers and smaller vessels. On Atlantic shipping lanes had long been
board were 450 troops of the German planned, and the successes scored by
occupation forces. Entering the Dro- Scharnhorst and Gneisenau earlier in
bak Narrows, Oslofjord, in the evening the year gave further encouragement
of 8 April, with Blucher leading, the to the Seekriegsleitung. However,
German force quickly came under con- following the loss of the battleship Bis-
centrated fire from Norwegian shore marck on 27 May 1941, the policy of
batteries. Blucher was hit repeatedly sending surface raiders out on such
and succumbed the following morning; sorties came under close scrutiny.
Lutzow was hit three times by 15cm Nevertheless, it was decided to send
GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIPS
Ltltzowout, and on 12 June she moved
from Kiel to Norway for Operation
'Sommerreise'. She got no further: at
about midnight she was attacked by
a Beaufort torpedo-bomber of No 42
Squadron RAF. The weapon hit the
cruiser amidships on the port side,
knocking out her engines and elec-
trical power and flooding several com-
partments.
Once again, the damage was ser-
ious, but the ship managed to return
to Kiel under her own power. Repairs
would take until January 1942 to com-
plete. Thus far, Deutschland/ LtltzouJs
war career had been far from glowing.
In two and a half years of conflict, she
had spent all but about six months
undergoing repairs as a result of en-
10
emy action, and her sole successes
had been been two merchant ships
sunk. She moved to Norway in May
1942, but achieved very little of prac-
tical significance and returned to Kiel
for minor repairs in August. In Nov-
ember she returned to Norway once
more, surviving air attacks en route
to Altafjord, where she made fast.
In Operation 'Regenbogen', a Ger-
man attack on the Allied Arctic convoy
JW. 51 B involving the heavy cruisers
Admiral Hipper and Ltltzowand des-
troyers, she managed to make contact
on 31 December and inflict severe
damage on the destroyer HMS Obdur-
ate, one of the escorts. Despite this,
the operation was swiftly called off by
the German commander of the ta k
CAREERS
t Liitzow back in group following orders from Command 1943, went into refit, and did not
Baltic waters, winter
1944/45, with a pristine
Headquarters ashore not to expose his emerge until the following February.
paint scheme, 15cm ships to unnecessary risk-whatever
guns trained abeam that might have meant. Baltic Finale
and additional light AA
weapons installed
Following this fiasco, Hitler issued Ltltzow spent the rest of her career in
(note, for example, the his famous Ftlhrerordnung requiring the Baltic, supporting the retreating
2cm single mounting the decommissioning of all the Knegs- German forces as they were pushed
on the forepeak). mannr:!s heavy ships. Raeder resigned
• Liitzow's final days
back ever further by the Soviet on-
at Swinemunde. in protest, his place being taken by slaught from the east. She was in place
Grossadmiral Karl D6nitz, erstwhile to support Operation 'Tanne West', the
head of the U-Boat Arm. D6nitz's German occupation of the Aaland
powers of persuasion resulted in some Islands, in June 1944, but this under-
relaxing of the decommissioning order, taking proved abortive. In October,
but Ltltzowcontinued to languish use- together with the heavy cruiser Pnnz
lessly in the Norwegian fjords for an- Eugen and destroyers, she covered the
other eight months. She returned to evacuation of Estonia, and later that
Germany unscathed in September month she bombarded Soviet positions
t t Liitzow (ex
Deutschland) down at
the stern after being
torpedoed in the
Skagerrak on her way
home from 'Weser-
ubung', the German
invasion of Norway.
Note the two Arado
196 floatplanes, that
forward sitting atop the
catapult.
t Liitzow in April 1941
in her striking black-
and-white dazzle
camouflage scheme.
GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIPS CAREERS

around Memel in Lithuania in the face the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, , Admiral Scheer
of severe air attacks. February and both ships laving Wilhelmshaven on dressed overall, 1936.

March saw Liitzow off East Prussia,
supporting the German Fourth Army
as it tried to stem the inexorable Soviet
advance.
Her final voyage ended on 8 April
1945, when, as she had done period-
ically, she put into Swinemunde to re-
plenish ammunition. Eight days later,
during an RAF raid, she had her hull
gashed by a near-miss from a 1O,000lb
bomb, quickly took on water and
listed. However, her fighting days were
not quite over. 'A' turret and some of
her secondary battery were pumped
out, power was restored, and Liitzow
resumed her shelling of the approach-
ing Soviet forces. Eventually her amm-
unition was exhausted, and, together
with the old battleship Schleswig-
Holstein and other vessels at the port,
she was blown up. The fate of her
wreck is not known.
ADMIRAL SCHEER
Admiral Scheerjoined her sister-ship
Deutschlandfor a tour of duty following
24 July 1936, but both this and the
second and third tours (2 October-3
December 1936 and 15 March-7 April
1937) proved uneventful.
The ship's first taste of action came
on the next occasion she was des-
patched to Spanish waters (9 May-l
July 1937): in response to the Repub-
lican bombing attack on Deutschland
(q.v.), she opened fire with all three
calibres on shore installations at Al-
meria on 31 May and caused extensive
damage and casualties.
Three more tours of duty were
completed (30 July-II October 1937, • Admiral Scheer in sioning on 31 July much altered in ishing her bunkers and sinking an-
1939, now with new
12 February-14 March 1938 and 19 appearance. other ship before moving to the area
platforms either side of
March-29 June 1938), but, other than the Turmmast and with After working up, she left Goten- of the Canaries, where the Tnbesman
the usual exercises, war watches and gaffs added to the hafen on 23 October that year, met up succumbed. The remainder of the
patrols, very little of significance mainmast. with her oiler Nordmarkand eight days cruise took her into the Indian Ocean,
occurred. later, having eluded detection by Brit- north of Madagascar, where she found
ish forces, made her way through the further trade. She somehow managed
Ocean Raider Denmark Strait and into the North At- to elude the Royal Navy throughout
Admiral Scheerspent the first months lantic, where she encountered the her voyage, and she returned through
of the Second World War at Wilhelms- eastbound convoy HX.24 and pro- the Denmark Strait once more to a
haven and exercising in the Baltic, but ceeded to wreak havoc. Nine mer- triumphant welcome in Kiel.
on 1 February 1940 she was taken in chantmen fell victim, six of them, By the time she had been made
hand for a thorough refit, recommis- including the armed merchant cruiser ready for a second foray into the trade
Jervis Bay, sinking as a result. She rou tes in the summer of 1941, the
then moved to the West Indies, replen- policy of sending heavy surface war-

Admiral Scheer: Merchantmen sunk and captured, 1940-41

Date Ship Tonnage Nationality Remarks

5 Nov 1940 Mopan 5,389 British Sunk

5 Nov 1940 Jervis Bay 14,6164 British Convoy HX.84; sunk
5 Nov 1940 Maidan 7,908 British Convoy HX.84; sunk
5 Nov 1940 Trewe/lard 5,201 British Convoy HX.84; sunk
5 Nov 1940 Beaverford 10,042 British Convoy HX.84; sunk
5 Nov 1940 Kanbane Head 5,225 British Convoy HX.84; sunk
5 Nov 1940 Fresno City 4,955 British Convoy HX.84; sunk
24 Nov 1940 Port Hobart 7,448 British Sunk
1 Dec 1940 Tribesman 6,242 British Sunk
18 Dec 1940 Duquesa 8,561 British Prize
18 Jan 1941 Sandefjord 10,000 British Prize
19 Jan 1941 Barneveld 5,200 Dutch Prize
19 Jan 1941 Stanpark 5,600 British Sunk
20 Feb 1941 British Advocate 6,994 British Prize
21 Feb 1941 Gregorios C /I 2,546 Greek Sunk
21 Feb 1941 Canadian Cruiser 7,178 Canadian Sunk
22 Feb 1941 Rantaupandjang 2,542 Dutch Sunk

Mopan and the victims of HX-84 were despatched in the North Atlantic, Port Hobart and Tribesman in the
Central Atlantic, the next four in the South Atlantic and the final four in the southern Indian Ocean. As well as
the sinkings, three ships from HX.84 were damaged.

12 13
GERMAN POCKET BAJrLESf-IlPS
ships into the Atlantic was being re-
assessed in the light of the Bismarck
disaster, and, apart from a brief visit
to Oslo, where she managed to dodge
the attentions of RAF bomber crews,
she spent the next six months either
at Kiel or in the Baltic, keeping a
watchful eye on the Russian fleet while
'Barbarossa', Hitler's invasion of the
Soviet Union, developed.
'Rosselsprung', 'Wunderland'
Seeing little possibility of further suc-
cess on the Atlantic trade routes, the
Seekn'egsleitungcast around for ways
in which the heavy ships of the Ger-
man Navy could be most usefully em-
ployed. The obvious place to which
they could best be deployed was Nor-
way: here there were scores of natural
anchorages, well protected from prying
eyes by the steep slopes of the moun-
tains surrounding the fjords, and close
to the growing Arctic convoy traffic
taking essential supplies and war mat-
erials to the Soviet Union. Further-
more, the threat alone under which the
convoys would be placed would be
such as to prompt a considerable de-
14
CAREERS
ployment of British resources which breaker Alexander Sibiryakov was attempt to relieve the pressure on the
otherwise could be directed at Ger- spotted and sunk, whereupon Scheer retreating German land forces, and in
many elsewhere. sailed for Port Dickson and bombarded February and March the following year
Scheer and her sister-ship Lii.tzow, the harbour there. She arrived back she was off East Prussia doing much
along with the battleship Tirpitz, the in Narvik on 30 August. the same job. By 18 March 1945 she
heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper and By the end of the year the ship was was back at Kiel for re-ammunitioning.
numerous smaller combatants, now at Wilhelmshaven for refit, during Her end was near. On 9 April there
formed a battle group based in Nor- which she received some splinter dam- was a devastatingly heavy air raid on
way, the two former pocket-battleships age during an air raid on 26 February Kiel, and Scheer was hit and near-
making up Force II based at Narvik. 1943. missed by a rain of bombs. The order
Her first hostile sortie-as part of was given to abandon ship, and she
Operation 'Rbsselsprung', an all-out The Final Years quickly capsized, trapping several
attack on convoy PQ. 17 sailing from Admiral Scheer's last two years of ser- crewmen below decks.
Reykjavik to northern Russia-proved vice complemented that of her one re- Later that summer, after the capit-
a total fiasco as all the heavy ships maining sister-ship: with Allied sup- ulation, the wreck was ordered to be
were recalled to base before they could remacy established in the west and broken up by the British authorities
get among the merchantmen, the risk with the relentless Soviet advance get- and the hulk was abandoned.
of being engaged by Allied warships ting under way in the east, and with
being judged too great. Meanwhile the shortages of fuel and ammunition
ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE
Luftwaffe and the U-boat arm had beginning to take effect, Germany's
great success, sinking two dozen ships surface fleet was all but bottled up in Of the three pocket battleships oper-
with equal honours. the Baltic. There was little opportunity ated by the Knegsmanne, Admiral Graf
One further operation took place for aggressive operations, and a good Spee is the best known and also had
in 1942 when in August Scheerround- deal of time was spent schooling the shortest career: hardly had the
ed the North Cape, sailed into the Bar- cadets, batches of 500 at a time being Second World War broken out than
ents Sea, passed Cape Zhelaniye and embarked for seamanship training. she was at large, sinking ships in the
continued into the Kara Sea with a On 22 November 1944 the cruiser Atlantic, but before 1939 was out she
view to disrupting shipping and sailed for the Sworbe peninsula to had been brought to action, and had
attacking shore installations. The ice- bombard Soviet positions in an gone down in an inglorious finale. At
-Admiral Scheer in
Bogen Bay, near Nar-
vik, during the ship's
long sojourn in Nor-
wegian waters The air
recognition swastika
on the foredeck has
been covered.
- Scheer close up
amidships in late 1944,
showing the single
FuMO 26 antenna at
the foretop and the
second funnel modifi-
cation-a further
increase to the rake to
the cap The twin
1a.Scm mounting
abreast the funnel has
been draped over.
15
GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIPS CAREERS

the start of the war, she was already

well known to the British public, hav-
ing received considerable Press cover-
age during her symbolic attendance at
the Naval Review to mark the coro-
nation of King George VI.

Deployment
Graf Spee made five deployments to
Spanish waters during the time of the
Spanish Civil War (20 August-9
October 1936,13 December 1936-14
February 1937, 2 March-6 May and
23 June-7 August 1937, and 7-18
February 1938), but she saw no hostile
action and came through her exper-
iences unscathed.
When the Second World War broke
out on 1 September 1939, GrafSpee)
like her sister-ship Deutschland, was
already in the Atlantic, fully pro-
visioned, fuelled and armed for anti-
commerce operations. The fleet tanker more ships were accounted for over the • A prewar view of • Graf Spee was ating off Madagascar. Battleships, split into two groups, Exeterapproach-
Graf Spee's stern similar in appearance
Altmark, Graf Speds replenishment next eleven weeks. battlecruisers, aircraft carriers, heavy ing from the south on her own while
showing the anchor to Scheer, but her
ship, had earlier filled her bunkers in From 5 October, British and and emblem. foremast was deeper
and light cruisers and smaller war- the two 6in-gun cruisers sped east-
the United States and joined her. The French forces were assembled in con- • Another prewar and the mainmast ships were all involved, so great was ward in an attempt to circle GrafSpee
siderable strength in an effort to bring photograph of Graf sported tripod legs. the fear of what this potent surface from the north, and thus the German
two vessels would meet up on several
Spee, with He 60
occasions over the next four months Graf Spee to bay, individual hunting spotter plane atop the
raider might achieve while still at large. vessel was from the start forced to
as GrafSpeeconducted her campaign groups being established in the West catapult. She was discovered on 13 Decem- divide her fire. Nevertheless, excellent
in the mid-Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Indies, the Bay of Biscay, the Cape ber offthe coast of Uruguay by a group gunnery inflicted severe damage on
The go-ahead for operations was Town area, off West Africa, off the coast comprising the heavy cruiser Exeter two of the enemy, Exeterbeing all but
given on 26 September, and within of South America and in the Indian and the light cruisers Ajax and knocked out of action and only Achzlles
four days the first success had been Ocean, the last drawing in additional Achzlles--the last a New Zealand vessel escaping with light damage and
achieved when the merchantman forces when news broke in mid- with the group commander, Commo- casualties. However, Graf Spee had
Clement was sunk off Brazil. Eight November that the enemy was oper- dore Harwood, on board-and what herself suffered, and although her
would prove to be one of the classic armament was unaffected she was low
naval actions of the Second World War on 28cm ammunition and much of her
quickly developed. The three cruisers plant needed repair.

Admiral Graf Spee: Merchantmen sunk and captured, 1939

Date Ship Tonnage Nationality Remarks

30 Sep 1939 Clement 5,051 British Sunk

5 Oct 1939 Newton Beech 4,651 British Prize, then sunk
7 Oct 1939 Ashlea 4,222 British Sunk
9 Oct 1939 Huntsman 8,196 British Prize, then sunk
22 Oct 1939 Trevanion 5,299 British Sunk
15 Nov 1939 Africa Shell 706 British Sunk
2 Dec 1939 Doric Star 10,086 British Sunk
2 Dec 1939 Tairoa 7,983 British Sunk
7 Dec 1939 Streonshalh 3,895 British Sunk
All were sunk in the Central Atlantic except African Shell, which fell victim off Mozambique.

16 17
GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIPS

- The main action at

0730
the Battle of the River
Plate, 13 December
1939.
• The end: smoke
billows as Graf Spee
takes fire after scuttling
Model Products
charges have been
detonated.
0800
To Plate estuary

10

nterest in German military oper-

NAUTICAL MILES
To Falkland
Islands
Her captain, Kapitan zur See
Langsdorff, decided to make for the
neutral port of Montevideo in order to
make his ship seaworthy, but under
international law he could remain
there for three days only, Uruguay
being a neutral and Germany a belli-
gerent state. His hosts might possibly
be persuaded to allow him the extra
time he so sorely needed, but by the
time he finished there could be little
I
--Clydeside Models
Admiral Graf Spee, to ations during the Second World War
1/1200 scale.
continues even sixty years after the
events took place, and this, together
with the fact that the weapons of war
used in these operations are very well
documented, ensures that models rel-
ating to the period remain very popular
doubt that further British forces would indeed. The plastic kit manufacturers
have been brought up, awaiting his recognise a profitable investment when
departure. He therefore decided to they see one, and the result is that
scuttle the ship, and at 1830 on 17 the Kriegsmarine is extremely well
December Graf Spee made her last, represented. Apart from, perhaps, the
six-mile voyage out into the River Plate light cruisers, virtually all the major
and the skeleton crew set off their German warships that participated in
scuttling charges. Violent explosions the conflict can be found in their cata-
and huge clouds of smoke followed, logues-few lack a Bismarck or a
and at about 2100 the most famous Scharnhorst-while U-boats are also
of the three pocket-battleships sank. well represented, and there are some
excellent large-scale models of S-
boats.
The pocket-battleships are there in
strength, ranging in scale from 1/400
down to 1/700 together with a selec-
tion of offerings in smaller scales to
cater for the wargamer. The most
salesworthy is of course Admiral Graf
Spee-one of the half-dozen or so war-
ship names from the Second World
War with which almost everyone will
be familiar-but there are kits for her
two sister-ships too; moreover, al-
though the class members differed
significantly in appearance from one
another, the degree of commonality
was such that anyone of them can
fairly readily be modelled from a kit
representing either of the others. The
exact close-range weapons fits of the
two survivors in the last desperate
months of the war are the subject of
continuing discussion, but the class
as a whole offers not only interesting
possibilities for the creative model-
maker who likes to stamp his own im-
print on his work, but also a variety of
different liveries and camouflage
schemes for those whose talents lie
instead, or also, with the paintbrush.
The 'after-market' accessory man-
ufacturers also offer a variety of fix-
tures and fittings to enable the model-
maker to enhance his work, although,
in general, class-specific packages are
not on offer: recourse will have to be
had to brass-etched sheets applicable
to the Knegsmanne as a whole or to
other named Kn'egsmanne ships fea-
turing similar fittings.
The brief reviews which follow are
not intended to be exhaustive, and nei-
ther is it claimed that all kits and
models of pocket battleships are given
mention.
Plastic kits
Italeri: Deutschland (1/720)
New warship kits from Italeri (formerly
known as Aliplast, then Italaerei, and
then re-spelt) appear only inter-

18 19
GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIPS
mittently, and this is something to be
regretted from the modeller's point of
view because those few released to
date have been excellent products. The
mouldings are generally sharply de-
fined, the scale effect is very good for
injection-moulded kits, and the over-
all accuracy of the finished models is
high. As with all kits from this manu-
facturer, good eyesight and nimble fin-
gers are called for, since some of the
component parts are minuscule in the
extreme-bridge instruments, AA
mountings etc.
Italeri take a unique line in pre-
senting their hull mouldings, at least
as far as these kits are concerned: they
are moulded as a single unit, but the
above-water and below-water parts are
separated by means of small gates
which have to be sliced through and
cleaned up with abrasive material.
Three- or four-way moulds are not
used, so the weather decks are sep-
arate units, not integral with the hull
as in the Japanese Waterline kits. This
system saves the modeller the time
and trouble involved in sawing away
lower hulls if waterline models are
required.
The Deutschland kit depicts the
ship in pre-1938 guise, with flat funnel
top and He 60 spotter aircraft (sep-
arate floats and propeller!). However,
the main turrets are a shade undersize
and close-range armament fit is con-
fused: there may well have been ex-
20
MODEL PRODUCTS
- - Parts for ltaleri's 1/ --Components for The period depicted is post-1938,
720 scale kit of the 11700 scale with the single searchlight on the for-
Deutschland. Notice Deutschland by Fujimi.
how the hull halves are Disappointingly, there
ward face ofthe Tunnmastand with a
moulded in such a way is no light AA battery representative AA battery (though also
as to facilitate separ- amongst them. with a miniature He 60, not an Ar 196
ation for a waterline
model if required.
spotter plane). With little effort-a
Parts for the Italeri change of aircraft, the addition of radar
Admiral Graf Spee, to etc-and a modification of the sugg-
the same scale. Both
these kits make
ested overall grey paintwork, a model
excellent starting of the ship as she appeared at the
points for accurate Battle of the River Plate can easily be
miniature replicas. constructed. Again, the masts, yards
and jack and ensign staffs are better
replaced by thinner components.
In terms of models from plastic
kits, one could not really ask for much
more than is provided in the two
tempore AA fits at the time ofthe Span- pocket battleships marketed by Italeri, ing, initially, Imperial Japanese Navy
ish Civil War, but there appears to be whose releases are also, at least in the ships of the Second World War. With
no evidence that, for example, 20mm Western Hemisphere, very reasonably the well-known names from the IJN
singles were mounted on the forecastle priced. virtually exhausted, the consortium
at that time. The suggested paint turned its attention to European and
scheme is basic, but for those with a Fujimi: Deutschland (1/700) American warships, and the pocket
steady hand and masking skills can battleships were among the early
of course be enlivened by the addition releases.
of neutrality stripes. The huH is a one-piece moulding
This kit makes up into a convin- in keeping with the rest of the kits in
cing little model, and if masts and ,·r,·..1WI!" M()f)/o."L lr..a~"" DEUTSCHWlD ~ the Waterline Series, although the
yards are replaced by finer compon- This kit and its sisters from the same foredeck and the after half of the
ents it will look even better. company make a very interesting com- quarterdeck are separate components.
parison with the two pocket-battleship This is not a feature of most of the
Italeri: Admiral Graf Spee (1/720) kits of Italian origin: the sets of earlier kits, and requires some explan-
mouldings are within a whisker of ation because it leaves difficult joints
being to an identical scale. Fujimi is in the model's weather decks which
one member of the consortium of the kit builder has somehow to dis-
Japanese manufacturers who got guise. Most plastic kit components are
together in the 1970s to produce the produced on a two-way tool-i.e., a
The 1970s and 1980s saw the begin- 1/700 scale Waterline Series depict- 'top' and a 'bottom'-but the hulls in
nings of some cross-fertilisation
amongst the larger kit manufacturers, Deutschland class: Kits and models
and this kit was one of the first pro-
ducts to appear under the joint Revell/ Manufacturer Scale Hull Remarks
Italeri label. It is however, an Italeri-
engineered kit, distinct in style from Admiral Graf Spee Clydeside 1/1250 Waterline Well-detailed wargaming model
the warship kits of the big American Deutschiand Italeri 1/720 Optional
Admiral Graf Spee Italeri 1/720 Optional
manufacturer.
Deutschland Fujimi 1/700 Waterline
It is, unsurprisingly, the twin of the Admiral Graf Spee Fujimi 1/700 Waterline
Deutschland kit, sharing a common Admiral Scheer Fujimi 11700 Waterline Pre-reconstruction configuration
hull moulding and many components Admiral Graf Spee Aurora 1/600 Full hull Long out of production; collectors' item
with that product. However, the config- Admiral Graf Spee Airfix 1/600 Full hull
uration has been well researched, and Admiral Graf Spee Heller 1/400 Full hull
Lutzow Heller 1/400 Full hull
the essential characteristics of the
Admiral Scheer Heller 1/400 Full hull Post-reconstruction configuration
most famous ofthe pocket battleships Admiral Graf Spee Iron Shipwrights 1/350 Full hull Resin kit with etched detail parts
are accurately conveyed.
21
GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIPS
the Waterline Series generally utilise
four-way tools, which are of course
much more complex (and expensive)
to design and operate; these enable
detail to be reproduced on the 'sides'
of plastic kit parts instead of just the
'top' and 'bottom'. The advantages are
obvious: difficult hull-to-deck joints
are eliminated, while the option of
moulding deck fittings and scuttles
and hawseholes on the same compon-
ent is preserved. However, a problem
arises where the hull is flared, as it
will generally be at the bows. Draw
angles for the tools have to be less than
90 degrees in order to achieve release,
but this means that flared areas of the
hull have to be excessively thick to-
wards the weather decks, and excess-
ively thick plastic components are very
vulnerable to shrinkage during cool-
ing, producing the well-known 'sink
hole' phenomenon which, if on a visible
surface, will look disfiguring. The only
certain way that this can be avoided
is to arrange for the tool to withdraw
from the 'top', where the draw angle
can be generous. Modelmakers who
22
have built early kits from the Waterline
Series, with the complete weather deck
moulded integrally with the hull, will
almost certainly have been faced with
irritating sink marks at the bows-
often disfiguring the moulded-in haw-
sers.
This apart, there some other differ-
ences of approach between the Japan-
ese and Italian kits. For example, the
lower superstructure components in
the Fujimi kit are one-piece mouldings
and, as a result, the vertical screens
lack all but the most basic surface de-
tail; in the Italeri product the screens
are separate and fully detailed. The
bridge wings in the Fujimi kit have
their protective canvas screens mould-
ed in situ (and have the appearance of
protective plating), whereas the Italeri
kit shows simple platforms. There are
a host of other minor differences.
As to accuracy, it has to be said
that the kit is a little deficient. The per-
iod chosen seems to be circa 1939-
40, with the new funnel searchlight
platform, raked funnel cap (a little
understated) and Arado seaplane;
- Spread of parts for
Fujimi's 1/700 scale
Admiral Scheer. All
three pocket battle-
ships are kitted by this
manufacturer as part of
the huge Waterline
Series.
• Two views of the
Fujimi Deutschland,
assembled, painted
and detailed by Tony
Mollica.
however, there is no light AA battery,
which is a glaring omission, and there
is no suggestion of any radar equip-
ment. The manufacturers seem to
have steered a middle course with
regard to bow shape, since it is rather
too raked for a pre-reconstruction pro-
file and not raked enough to match
the shape following the major repair.
The hawsers are moulded in with
rubbing plates on the foredeck which
the pocket battleships certainly did not
possess and the mainmast is
incomplete.
On a none-too-distinct profile
drawing, the instruction sheet shows
a paint scheme with the angled 'dazzle'
stripes that the ship wore after her
reconstruction, so there is some
modification work in store for the kit
builder if this scheme is to be applied
to an accurate base; the kit's configur-
ation is much more appropriate to
'Weserubung', her first Norwegian
deployment.
Fujimi: Admiral Scheer (1/700)
Utilising the same hull tools as the
foregoing, this kit represents Scheerin
her pre-1940 state, i.e., prior to recon-
struction, but, again, the configuration
is a little confused. For example, the
MODEL PRODUCTS
correct-style foremast is there (if set
somewhat at a distance from the
Turmmast structure), but there is a
rogue searchlight platform (d la Spee)
in the front face (which also, to pick
nits, has an incorrect arrangement of
vision ports) and Scheers distinctive
starboard handling crane immediately
abaft and abreast the bridge super-
structure-clearly shown in the box-
top painting-is ignored in favour of
a heavier unit mirroring the port crane
abreast the funnel. The funnel cap is
flat, but an Arado floatplane is pro-
vided: it is not at all clear that Scheer
embarked an Ar 196 operationally
prior to the ship's major refit which
began in February 1940. The reasons
for these hiccoughs become apparent
when it is realised that the two
moulding frames are identical to those
in the Graf Spee kit from the same
manufacturer, except for a minor
modification to one of them so as to
include some extra parts for the main-
mast structure.
On the credit side, the screens for
the forward superstructure (though
not those for the after superstructure)
are separate from the adjacent deck-
ing, enabling detailing to be shown,
and, in contrast to the Deutschlandkit,
some light AA gun mouldings are
provided.
Fujimi: Admiral Graf Spee (1/700)
I 700 G£IIIAK C!:li::I
: . "
Like the Italeri offering of the same
subject, this kit shows-or purports
to show-the ship post-1938 refit, and
although from the point of view of
accuracy it is the best of the three
pocket battleship kits from Fujimi, it
is nevertheless not flawless.
Directly comparing the two
products, it will be found that the taper
of the Turmmast in the Italian kit is
more pronounced (and more in keep-
ing with the real ship, despite the over-
scale raised detailing); the foredeck is
23
GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIPS MODEL PRODUCTS

rather more full (and in fact more

accurately portrayed) in the Fujimi kit,
which also has the correct shape, in
plan view, of the breakwater; Fujimi
include an Ar 196 floatplane, though
provide only two 20mm mountings (on
the funnel platform); and Italeri have
the ship's anchors moulded on to the
hull while Fujimi furnish them as
separate parts. There are other con-
trasts.
For its kit, Fujimi offer two paint
schemes, the prewar overall grey and
the camouflage scheme (to a some-
what fanciful pattern, it has to be said)
for GmfSpees wartime career.
Neat, tidy and, by and large, visu-
ally accurate, this kit-bearing in mind
the points made in the two previous
reviews-does justice to a famous sub-
ject, and with minor corrective work
will certainly look the part.
Airfix: Admiral Graf Spee (1/600)
This is one of AirfIx's 'mid-term' kits:
it is not as aged or basic as the com-
• - Three views of
Alan Chung's model of
Graf Spee by Fujimi,
with guardrail and
other detail added.
pany's Cossack or Victonous, yet not • Admiral Graf Spee
quite as refIned or as sharply tooled parts. These assemble
into the most accurate
as its Repulse or King George V. It is of the three 11700
well designed and has general fIdelity, scale pocket battle-
although there a number of features ships from Fujimi.
which will require correction if the
fInished model is to look convincing.
In customary AirfIx fashion, the
hull is full and comes in port and
starboard halves, with the weather
decks provided as separate compon-
ents and having the screens of the
superstructure decks moulded on to
them. The screens thus have no detail;

-Admiral Graf Spee is

the most popular of the
three pocket battle-
ships as a model sub-
ject. This is Fujimi's
version, built by Tony
Mollica.

indeed, with the exception of the hull
scuttles and some raised linework on
the forward face of the Turmmast, the
kit is bereft of fIne detail in the vertical
plane.
Most of the deck fIttings are mould-
ed rather than separate features,
therein providing the kit modeller with
the usual painting challenge (and, as
always, one which really must be tack-
led before the ship's superstructure is
built up). An Arado aircraft is provided,
and the manufacturers have recog-
nised that the ship was fitted with
radar during the period depicted, but
there is a scarcity of 20mm weapons.
Three other characteristics of the
kit will need to be tackled by the

24 25
GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIPS
fastidious modeller: the exaggerated
28cm gun barrel jackets will have to
be reduced in impact; the odd chan-
nels in which the anchor cables are
moulded should really be removed (on
the actual ship, the cable deck was
flush-planked, except for the fore-
peak); and the stem needs straighten-
ing.
Heller: Liitzow (1/400)
Warship kits from the old-established
French company Heller have always
evoked interest, in former days be-
cause of the manufacturer's single-
minded concentration on vessels ofthe
French Navy-though this has soft-
ened in recent years-and also be-
cause of its adherence to 1/400, which
is still its preferred scale despite the
choices made by rival companies. All
three pocket battleships are repre-
sented in the Heller catalogue.
The choice of Liitzow rather than
Deutschlandindicates a welcome spirit
of adventure on the part of the manu-
facturer, since kits showing the ship
later in her career are not common.
The date chosen is not indicated, but
it is post-reconstruction of course,
26
with the final shape of the funnel cap
evident, dating it as 1942 or later.
However, since the medium and light
flak armament is limited to two 3.7cm
twins and four 20mm singles, and
because only one radar aerial is dis-
played at the foretop, it is difficult to
say what state has been selected. The
overall grey colour scheme suggests
Norway in mid-1942.
The general layout of the kit is
good, and the little Arado seaplane and
the ship's boats are neat affairs (Heller
have always been good at ship's boats).
The tubular foremast is too slim, how-
ever, and there is rather too much
angle to the faces of the main turrets.
The little alterations that are neces-
sary can all be accommodated; much
more of a problem is the shape of the
bows, which are too short, show a stem
raked rather aggressively and, most
seriously of all, have far too little flare,
resulting in a foredeck which is much
too slim and pointed.
Heller: Admiral Scheer (1/400)
OMIRAL. HHR
This differs from the Liitzowkit in hav-
ing a totally new pair of hull
mouldings-the finished model is in
MODEL PRODUCTS
• -Admiral Scheer is early post-reconstruction configur- which, as usual, the Nazi emblem has
depicted by Heller with ation-and two out of three moulding been excised.
the revised bow and
Turmmast.
frames changed to incorporate parts
• - Spread of parts for applicable to Scheer, the ship's boats, Heller: Admiral Graf Spee (1/400)
Heller's 1/400 scale gun mountings, torpedo tube racks,
Admiral Graf Spee. (if? F ,() SPf.F.
spotter plane, etc are identical to those
Note the brass anchor
cable-standard issue in the other two kits in the series. It
with all 1/400 Heller also has a weather deck split amid-
kits of surface ships into two halves. This time Heller
warships-and the
decal sheet for flags
have captured the bow form rather
etc. better: the curve of the stem is about
right, and the foredeck better propor-
tioned if still perhaps a touch sharp. This has much the same ingredients
The fastidious will wish to relocate the as the two previous kits, but this time
15cm gun positions: the forward pair with an almost perfect bow and fore-
on either side are rather too far forward deck shape, making the hull well
• - Parts for the Airfix and the after pair too far aft; further- worth utilising if the modelmaker is
kit of Admiral Graf more, the spacing between the after considering building miniature repli-
Spee in 11600 scale.
• -Heller offer all
pair on either side is too great, the cas of Deutschland and Scheerin early
three pocket battle- arrangement being quite symmetrical guise. Setting aside the general com-
ships in their standard which Heller's is not-a flaw evident ments made earlier, the fidelity ofthis
1/400 scale, two of
in all three kits of the class. kit is good, and a convincing model
them in post-
reconstruction con- For the rest, the kit is to the usual will result with minimal modification.
figuration. These are Heller standard-good basic material GrafSpeewas, of course, little altered
some of the parts for which with thinning, shaping and during her short career, so a pre-war
LOtzow.
detailing to taste, can result in a fine or wartime finish is easily depicted,
model. The standard inclusions with and those requiring something a little
ship kits from this manufacurer-neat different can reproduce in miniature
metallic anchor cable, and extremely the Graf Spees crewmen's work and
sturdy injection-moulded guard rail- fabricate a dummy after funnel and
are there of course. third main turret.
The instruction sheet suggests an This is probably the best of the
all-grey finish rather than the camou- three Heller 1/400 scale pocket battle-
flage scheme the ship wore during her ships.
sojourn in Norwegian waters, while a
neat decal sheet is of limited value in
Accessory Packs
that it furnishes the bow shield sport-
ed by the ship prior to her reconstruc- The manufacture of 'after-market' acc-
tion and a Reich battle ensign from essories for mode1makers continues to
27
GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIPS

be a growth industry, and while, at the

time of writing, there is relatively little German Pocket Battleships: Accessories
available pertaining directly to pocket
battleships, there is a good range of At the time of writing, it is believed that there are no accessory sets produced

etched-metal frets covering the Kn'egs-

specifically for models of the pocket battleships. The list below therefore
gives an indication of the more general sets relevant to the three ships.
Modelrn.akers' Showcase
manneas a whole; for those requiring
a little extra, the Scharnhorst class Manufacturer Scale Remarks

battleships and Admiral Hipper class Eduard 11700
cruisers are given extensive treatment Eduard 1/700
by one of the manufacturers, and White Ensign Models 11700
much of the metalwork included on White Ensign Models 11700
White Ensign Models 11700
these is applicable also to the Deutsch-
Gold Medal Models 11700
land class.
It must be appreciated that such
etched items as deck rail-even that
White Ensign Models
White Ensign Models
1/600
1/600
Gold Medal Models 1/600
provided in the class-specific sets-is Eduard 1/450
unavoidably arbitrary in nature, and White Ensign Models 1/400
White Ensign Models 1/400
will generally be used by the mode1-
Gold Medal Models 1/400
maker for effect only. The brass rail Eduard 1/350
provided by the specialist manufact- Eduard 1/350
urers is 'regular' in concept: distances In addition to above, WEM and GMM produce deck rail, ladders, walkways
between stanchions vary, especially etc in 1/700, 1/600, 1/400 and 1/350 scales; and L'ArsE'mal manufactures
around smaller platforms and curved 20mm weapons and deck rail in 1/400 scale. GMM and Dunagain also issue
general decal sheets in 1/700 and 1/350 scale containing such items as flags
decking, and, moreover, different and pennants, while GMM produces 1/700 and 1/350 scale naval figures,
manufacturers have a different spac- WEM 1/350 scale naval figures and Tom's Modelworks 1/600 scale figures.
ing policy. A good deal of compromise
will be required on the part of the
mode1maker who uses proprietory
deck rail in order to ensure that fair-
leads, bollards, etc are cleared correct-
ly; except in extremely rare instances
where fully comprehensive photo-
graphic coverage of a subject vessel
may be available, a good deal of guess-
work will have to be employed when
fitting the rail around the more in-
accessible platforms; and even the
finest etched deck rail will be a little
oversca1e-the more so when a coat of
paint is applied. The other point is
that, ignoring the gauge of the brass,
etched frets are two-dimensional
('flat'), unlike the real thing. But there
is a limit to what can be achieved, even
in larger scales: all is a compromise!
Acknowledgement
Acknowledgement is made of the
following companies, who kindly pro-
vided samples for the purposes of
these reviews: Heller SA, White Ensign
Models, Tom's Mode1works.
Kriegsmarine deck rail
Scharnhorst fittings
Kriegsmarine Generic Fittings
WW2 German AA Weapons
Ladders and Walkways
German Warship Fittings
HAT is a model for? Why create a will say that the creation of a model
Kriegsmarine Generic Fittings
WW2 German AA Weapons
• Two views of
Heller's Graf Spee,
constructed by Michael
W rep1ica-in-miniature of anything?
It depends. Some modellers argue that
provides a relaxing pastime, enabling
them to forget the stresses and strains
German Warship Fittings A. Taylor of Taylor
Kriegsmarine deck rail Made Miniatures-as a the creation of a model gives them an of everyday life. Others see model-
Scharnhorst and Gneisenau diversion from his insight into a piece of engineering and making as a means to an end: their
Prinz Eugen and Admiral Hipper more serious work!
The photo-etch details
therefore is educative; or perhaps the real hobby is wargaming, and models
German Warship Fittings
Bismarck fittings are from Gold Medal research involved in the production of enable them to re-enact pieces of his-
Kriegsmarine deck rail
Models. a model is the primary concern. Others tory; or perhaps the main interest is
sailing model boats and ships, and the
model is the tool which enables them
to indulge in their hobby.
Whatever the motivation, the
pursuit of excellence is, by and large,
the common theme amongst mode1-
makers. Plastic kits provide a short-
--Gold Medal cut to the objective; building a plastic
Models' 1/700 scale model and modifying and detailing it
German warship
to make it appear more realistic is a
fittings.
further stage; and models created
entirely from scratch, using basic ref-
erence tools, is a third approach. All
three interests are evident in the fol-
lowing pages, but the end result is the
same-an object to admire.
--White Ensign • The large-scale model of Admiral Scheer on
Models' Kriegsmarine display at the National Maritime Museum in Green-
wich, London.
fittings-one of three
'Ultimate' sets
available from this
manufacturer in 1/600
scale.
--Tom's Modelworks'
1/600 scale naval
figures and Eduard's
11700 scale Kriegs-
marine guardrail..

28 29
GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIPS MODELMAKERS'SHOWCASE

ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE 1/ 100 scale Peter Behmuller
There is a tendency for modelmakers
to fall into one of two categories: the
'static' modeller, whose interest lies in
the pursuit of accuracy and minute
detail, and the model boat enthusiast,
whose joy is to create a working model
(preferably a really large one) which
can be put through its paces at the
local lake. The one cannot withstand
Peter BehmOlier's
1/1 00 scale model of
Admiral Graf Spee
rough handling; the other has to cope utilises kit parts for the
with the rigours of regular transport- hull and the 15cm,
ation, wind and weather, and the occ- 3.7cm and 2cm arma-
ment but the remain-
asional damaging blow. Rare indeed
der is scratchbuilt. The
is the modelmaker who succeeds in main propulsion
combining the two interests, but Peter system is powered by
Behmuller is one, and his working two 12V batteries and
the model has a sailing
model of GrafSpeestands comparison endurance of over
with the best of the static models. three hours.

30 31
GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIPS MODELMAKERS'SHOWCASE

In addition to its main propul-

sion drive, the model features
over 30 'extras', including
main turret rotation and gun
elevation; secondary turret
rotation; an onboard smoke
generator discharging through
the funnel; a foghorn; and a
sound system which plays
martial music. The model is
finished in RAL 7001/FS36620
grey, with the underwater hull
in red oxide (RAL 3009). The
deck is teak planked. Plans
from Vth Verlag in Baden-
Baden were used as the main
reference source, with addi-
tional details checked from
photographs etc.

32 33
 MODELMAKERS'SHOWCASE

ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE 1/350 scale Dave Judy

Dave Judy's model of Admiral Graf
Speeis built from the Iron Shipwrights
kit, which comprises resin compon-
ents for the major structures, white
metal for smaller parts, brass rod for
masts etc, brass chain for the anchor
cables and etched brass for fine details
such as guardrail.
Although their labour-intensive
production processes and short mould
life makes them relatively expensive
to produce, resin kits have increased
in popularity enormously over recent
years, and the level of detail achievable
in resin castings can surpass that of
the best injection-moulded kits. Care-
ful preparation of the parts is essen-
tial, filling any voids that may have
been produced by air bubbles in the
casting process and sanding off 'pour
plugs'. Gluing is best carried out using
cyanoacrylate glue ('superglue'), and
cleaning the parts thoroughly prior to
painting them is required because of
release agents and the amount of dust
created during preparation.

- Dave Judy's
completed model of
the Iron Shipwrights
Admiral Graf Spee,
presented here on a
custom-built base, is a
good example of the
high standards that
can be achieved using
resin kits. Low
production runs and
labour-intensive
tooling inevitably
results in high retail
prices: this kit currently
(2002) sells for about
$240-250 (£150-160);
a comparable
injection-moulded kit
might cost $30-40
(£20-25) plus 'after
market' accessories.

35
GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIPS MODELMAKERS'SHOWCASE

Dave Judy's model is

built with little modifi-
cation: the kit contains
everything needed to
produce a finely
detailed showpiece.
Assembling a resin kit
calls for vigilance and
patience because
procedures are slower
and more intricate than
with injection-moulded
kits, one reason being
the need to shape
parts where the pour
plugs-equivalent to
moulding gates in plas-
tic kits-are present.

36 37
 SCHEMES

Schemes
\ .,

DEUTSCHLAND 1933

I
~

LUTZOW Baltic, 1941

I
1-.:. 1'•
••• 4

LUTZOW Norway, late 1942

38 39
GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIPS SCHEMES

ADMIRAL SCHEER 1939

. ...
OJ ° • Bow shield, 1937-40

Port Starboard

ADMIRAL SCHEER 1940

ADMIRAL SCHEER 1942

ADMIRAL SCHEER 1943

....

40 41
GERMAN POCKET BATTLESI-f/PS SCl-fEMES

ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE

"

ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE 1939

With dummy turret and funnel

. . . . . .. ~ . . ..
.,--..,,-~---- .

Scrap views showing camouflage pattern on Turmmast

Heinkel He 60 floatplane
operated by Admiral
Scheer 1938

Arado Ar 196A floatplane

operated by Admiral
Scheer 1941

42 43
GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIPS MODELMAKERS'SHOWCASE

ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE 1/100 scale Neptune Ship Modelling Club

Based in Makeyevka, in the Ukraine,
the Neptune Ship Modelling Club is
an unusual association encompassing
both professional and amateur model-
makers. Its work has evolved from
modelling for fun and relaxation into
the commercial production of highly
detailed, large-scale models of ships
of all eras for individual clients.

• The 111 00 scale

model of Admiral Graf
Spee, a collective
building project under-
taken by the members
of the Neptune Club.
The model is approx-
imately 6ft 1\>2in
(187cm) long. Note
that the heraldic device
on the bow has yet to
be added.
-The superstructure,
main turrets and
10.5cm mountings are
detachable. Various
metals, plastics and
leaf brass were used in
the manufacture of
these components.

- A close-in view of
the funnel, catapult
and ship's boats,
showing the superb
craftsmanship which
has been applied to
this model, Note, in
particular, the carefully
prepared guardrail, the
intricate davits, the
funnel cap detail and
the realistic search-
lights. The Arado 196
even has a pilot!
- - More skilled work-
manship is evident
around the Turmmast:
note, amongst a pleth-
ora of fine detail, the
neatly executed con-
tours of the protective
plating. The model
represents the ship
post-1938, with the
new searchlight plat-
form facing forward.

44 45
Ship's Aircraft
Appearance
1:200 scale HEINKEL He 60
Span 42ft 4Y2.in (13.5m); length 37ft 8'in (11.5m); height 16ft 2'in (5.3m). One
BMW VI 6.0 ZU 12-cylliquid-cooled engine (660hp). Speed 140mph max,
118mph cruise. Range 478 miles max.
LTHOUGH these three ships were
A built to a common design, there
were, as noted earlier, significant diff-
erences in appearance, even as built.
Admiral GrafSpee, the last of the trio
to be completed, was an early war loss
and did not undergo major modifi-
cation during her service, but both
Deutschland (Ll1tzou.1 and Admiral
Scheer, in addition to receiving periodic
upgrades, were substantially recon-
structed during the war.
DEUTSCHLAND(LUTZO~
When she commissioned on 1 April
ARADO Ar196 1933, Deutschland was hardly the
Span 40ft 9'in (12.4m); length 35ft 11"in (10.2m); height 14ft 7in (5.0m). One finished article. She had no aircraft
BMW 132K 9-cyl radial air-cooled engine (960hp). Speed 194mph max, catapult, neither her 3.7cm nor her
166mph cruise. Range 497 miles max.
1:200 scale
Appearance details: Deutschland as built, 1935
Funnel detail from aft (left) and forward
Port bow
detail
Wing fold detail
48
2cm AA weapons (nor the associated
fire control facilities) were installed,
she shipped ancient 8.8cm heavy AA
guns in single mountings and her tor-
pedo tubes were of an interim design.
Thus her first 'refit', in 1934-35, was
in effect a completion of the fitting-out
process, bringing her equipment into
line with the specifications of the final
design.
After her stern was wrecked by the
British submarine Spew/ish on 11
April 1940, the opportunity was taken
to modify the bows, and Ll1tzow (as
Deutschland was now renamed) em-
erged 1.9m longer and with a raked
stem. (The extremely pronounced flare
just beneath the weatherdeck gives the
impression in some photographs that
1:700 scale
Turmmast
detail from aft
Scrap view amidships,
starboard
49
GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIP

Refit Summary: DeutschlandlLiitzow

D tes Location Details

D c 193 Feb 1935 Wilhelmshaven Platform added to foretop; after main rangefinder modified; port derrick
replaced by crane; mainmast added to funnel; 3 x 1 8.8cm replaced by 3 x 2
8.8cm; 4 x 2 3.7cm, 6 x 2 2cm added; SL 2 AA fire control added; 50cm
torpedo tubes replaced by 53.3cm; catapult added and aircraft embarked
1937 Wilhelmshaven Derrick and crane renewed; FuMG 39 radar added
Early 1938 Wilhelmshaven Raked funnel cap added
Summer 1939 Wilhelmshaven FuMG 39 radar replaced by FuMO 22; He 60 aircraft replaced by Ar 196
Aug-Dec 1940 Kiel Hull lengthened by 2m to incorporate semi-clipper bow and after port main
hawser deleted; stern repaired; 3 x 2 8.8cm replaced by 3 x 10.5cm;
numerous 2cm added
Aug-Oct 1942 Kiel FuMO 22 radar replaced by 2 x FuMO 26, FuMB 4 added; funnel cap
renewed
Nov 1943-Feb 1944 Libau 1 x FuMO 26 deleted; 6 x 1 4cm added and 2cm weapons increased to
3 x 4, 6 x 2 and 2 x 1
Early 1945 Short-range AA armament increased to ten 3.7cm and twenty-eight 2cm

the bow was of 'clipper' shape, but this struct the class were drawn up well - Views of Deutsch-
land (clockwise from
was not the case.) Prewar Atlantic before the Second World War broke top left): fitting out
voyages had demonstrated that the out, but were put into effect only in 'Anton' turret, 1932;
pocket-battleships were not partic- 1940-and then only in a limited way fitting out the foward
superstructure, 1932;
ularly good sea boats, being very wet (for example, the drastic step of widen-
amidships from star-
forward and aft and having poor rolling ing the beam was quickly abandoned board, 1936; and port
qualiti -th former problem afflict- when hostilities began). Interference Nos 1 and 2 15cm
ing th battl ships Scharnhorst and from funnel smoke was also a constant turrets, with the port
8.8cm beyond, 1937.
Gn i nau as well. Plans to recon- problem: a gently raked funnel cap

Appearance changes: Deutschland/Liitzow 1935-1939 Appearance changes: Deutschland/Liitzow 1940-1942

1:700 scale

1:700 scale
Funnel, derricks and
mainmast, 1935 g:::-
}
7iI171Tnal3t,
1935 -----_._---} FuMB 4
installation, 1942
Bow, 1940 onwards

Funnel, derricks and

mainmast, 1938

After superstructure and 'B' turret, Forward superstructure and 'A'

Norway, 1942 turret, Norway, 1942

FuMG 39
installation, 1939

50 51
 APPEARANCE

- Deutschland with a • Liitlow in disruptive

coating of frost on 'A' camouflage, probably Appearance changes: Liitzow 1942-1944
turret during a North late 1942 or early
European winter, and 1943, and with FuMB 4
with Spanish Civil War Samos and FuMO 26
neutrality stripes prom- radar antennas at the
inent. foretop.

10m rangefinder.
(1 :350 scale)

Midships detail. 1942

1:700 scale

was added in 1938, but it proved to ception of the tip of the forecastle, were
be inadequate to the task and a much left in natural wood, and the super-
After superstructure detail. 1944
taller and more sharply raked cap was structure platforms were probably fin-
introduced in the 1942 refit. ished in the same grey as the vertical
In common with all major war- surfaces. From 1936 until 1938-dur-
hip ,th anti-aircraft battery was ing the time ofthe Spanish Civil War- white and back, black towards amid- or April, she had black and white
pro siv ly trengthened as the con- both main turrets sported three ath- ships in each instance. 'dazzle' bands applied to hull and
ill t w r on and the incidence of aerial wartships stripes, approximately 1m The ship continued in this general superstructure and dark grey to the
t k b cam more frequent and wide, in the national colours of red, scheme until 1941, when, in March stem and stern-the so-called 'Baltic
w pon-aiming more accurate. A good
d al of maintenance and modification - Deutschland's
Turmmast, showing
were also necessary with regard to the the 10.5cm range-
Panzerschijfe diesel machinery, al- finder at the foretop,
though the impact of this work on the the searchlight plat-
form beneath the
vessel's external appearance was mini- gunnery control plat-
mal. form and, to the port
Prior to 1939 the ship was painted side, one of the SL 2
AA directors.
in Knegsmanne light grey overall; most
pre-war and early-war broadside
photographs of pocket-battleships give
the impression that the hull may have
been painted in a distinctly darker
shade of grey than the upperworks,
but this is a trick of the light produced
by the marked flare of the ships' hulls
throughout their length. However,
from a very early date (certainly from
1934 onwards) the horizontal surfaces
of Deutschland's main and secondary
gun houses were fmished in dark grey,
that on 'A' turret having in addition a
1m wide circular band painted in white
as an aerial recognition symbol. The
principal weather decks, with the ex-

52 53
 A PPEAIUNCE

amouflag s heme' in vogue at that

tim. ft r th refit of 1942 she wore
Appearance changes: Admiral Scheer 1939-40
n v rall dark gr y, but while in
rw gi n wat rs in 1942 she was
pain d up in di ruptive camouflage: L
th triking ontrast between the two
I ur ugg t that the latter were
.
1111 II (I C
",~
,,~~
dark and light gr y. It is unclear how
long this schem was in place: it was
apparently still evident during 1943,
but by 1944 there had been a return Bows, 1939-40

to overall grey. Information concerning

colours for this last year of the war is
sketchy, but it would appear that light
grey paintwork was carried for a
period, while during the final months
a return to a much darker hue was
made.
Bows. showing armorial shield (removed in mid-1939). and foredeck

ADMIRAL SCHEER

Although Admiral Scheer was the

sister-ship of the earlier Deutschland,
she was by no means an identical - - 'Admiral Scheer, doned in favour of a more substantial, mast was sited some 2.5m further aft,
copy. Most obviously, the tubular port side amidships, tapering tower (although ironically, and her funnel about 1.5m further
with a pinnace being
for rna t/bridge structure was aban- hoisted.
with topweight a serious problem, forward, than her classmate's; and, as
1:700 scale • -One of Scheer's Scheerreverted to a tubular structure a result, the aircraft catapult and
15cm turrets, showing later in her career). More su bUy, stowage facilities were sited abaft
frontal detail. rather than forward of the funnel.
Scheer was almost 1m beamier than
... Forepeak, about
1935, showing Deutschland, had an anti-roll stabili- Scheerunderwent a major refit in
armorial shield. sation system fitted (it was later dis- the first half of 1940. The hull was
carded), and had a slightly different lengthened in the same manner as
armour scheme; moreover, her Turm- would Deutschlands later that year,

Refit Summary: Admiral Scheer

Dates Location Details

e 6 e 6 6 C II II 6 II 6666 6 e 66 Be
1935-1936 Catapult and aircraft handling crane added and aircraft embarked
e e e II II 1I II II " II C II II ee
Oct 1937 Wilhelmshaven Admiral's bridge added to forward superstructure; gaffs added to foretop and
mainmast
1939 Wilhelmshaven Handling crane abreast funnel replaced; FuMO 22 cupola added to foretop;
He 60 spotter aircraft replaced by Ar 196
1 Feb-31 July 1940 Wilhelmshaven Turmmast removed and replaced by tubular bridge structure; bows
Amidships lengthened by 1.9m and remodelled to incorporate raked stem; hawseholes
repositioned; new raked funnel cap added and funnel platform enlarged; new
mainmast fitled; 3 x 3 8.8cm heavy AA replaced by 3 x 2 10.5cm; light AA
augmented; handling crane renewed
1941 FuMO 26 radar added to after control platform
Dec 1942-mid 1943 Wilhelmshavenl Bridge and foretop modified; raked cap added to funnel and one searchlight
Swinemunde deleted from funnel platform; FuMO 22 replaced by FuMO 26 (2 aerials); 1 x
Timor and 4 x Sumatra aerials added
1944 Gotenhafen 1 x FuMO 26 deleted; close-range AA increased to 6 x 1 4cm, 2 x 2 3.7cm
and 3 x 4, 6 x 2 and 2 x 1 2cm
1945 2 x 2 3.7cm, seven (7 x 17) 20mm added

54 55
 PLANS

Plans

ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE 1939

• OD

~ II' B .. II' .. e.. e • • "2

1:700 scale

Station 2S'
Station 36 Station 5S'

Station 97'
Station 11S'

Stalion 67 Station 45

Station 123' Forward race of Turmmast

Station 127

..
Station S9
r
~L'
Station 75 Station S9 Station 134 Station 156' Station 14S

56 57
POCKET BAHLE HIPS PLANS

Funnel cap Turmmast ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE 1939 (continued)

platforms

J-
r t-=

B
®
A

c
After shelter deck, showing
aircraft catapult

After control platform Funnel platform

Forecastfe deck, amidships

Funnel and Turmmast after 1938 refit

Forward shelter deck
;..

B
Foretop platforms
c

o Forecastle deck,
adjacent to Turmmast

"<--
After shelter deck, showing AA
armament layout

0, C,
pre-relit pre-refit

~
Turmmasl platforms

Cd
o Turmmast prior to 1938 relit

0,
post-refit Bow, port side, showing anchor
and shield details Details of aircraft landing
1:700 scale mat (this was jettisoned
during Ihe 1939 South
Atlantic raiding cruise)

After 1938 refit

Funnel details
Amidships profile,
after 1938 refit

Prior to
1938 refit

Turmmast after1938 refit

(} G

58 59
 • New bow, new
Turmmast, new funnel
Appearance changes: Admiral Scheer 1942-43 cap and new main-
mast-the four striking
outward modifications
following Admiral
Scheer's reconstruc-
tion in 1940.

=
Turmmast, 1940

• -Scheer at Kiel, and also incorporated a raked stem, was finished in the standard Knegs-
after her successful but the new forward superstructure, manne light grey with dark grey turret
Funnel and calapull, 1940 commerce-raiding
expedition, April 1941.
though essentially a tubular Turm- tops as in her sister-ship, relieved
The roof of 'A' turret is mast, was of a quite different config- during the time of the Spanish Civil
painted red, and uration from that which was a feature War by neutrality bands around the
dapple camouflage
of Deutschland from the start. main turrets. Following her major refit
adorns the bridge
structure. As the war ground on, additional in 1940, she retained the standard
• - A contrasting anti-aircraft guns were installed grey hull, but her upperworks were
III :;: III (I' tI:= II III l!I eo " " e " II III "Ill e 0' III II Il II III ~ scheme for Norwegian aboard, and radar was upgraded. dappled in camouflage paint (probably
"Ill" I I 1:700 scale waters, 1942.
(l !l

• Another 1942 view.

Scheer wore four distinct paint
schemes during the course of her
career. From the time of commis-
sioning until the outbreak of war she
Bows, 1941
olive green) and her main turret tops
were painted red. In 1942, for her
service in Norway, she was repainted
with angular areas of dark grey over
all vertical surfaces in an attempt to
break up the outline of the ship. (It
would appear that this scheme was re-
applied at least once, the second time
with a different pattern.) Finally, dur-
ing her last months in the Baltic, she
reverted to overall grey.

ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE

The last ship of the class to be com-

-==== pleted also had the shortest career,
Funnel and calapull, 1943 surviving the outbreak of war by only
3' months, though not before she had
= managed to wreak some havoc in the
Turmmast, 1942
shipping lanes of the Atlantic and
Indian Oceans.

60 61
 Refit Summary: Admiral Graf Spee

Date Location Details

S p-Oct1938 Modifications to foretop and searchlight platforms on Turmmast; 6 x 2 88cm

replaced by 6 x 10.5cm; FuMO 22 radar system added

• Graf Spee during canvas, though these subterfuges had
her raiding cruise, been discarded by the time of the River
showing the fake after
Plate action.
funnel and fake main
turret rigged to For her Spanish Civil War deploy-
deceive. ments, Graf Spee retained the stan-
• A battle-scarred Graf
dard grey finish, with neutrality bands
Spee at Montevideo.
Temporary repairs in red, white and black athwartships
have been effected. across the main turrets; these were
applied in the same way those painted
on her sister-ships, although for one
deployment at least they took the form
of two sets of stripes (with black fur-
thest from the centre in each case)
either side of the rangefinder. Some
time before 21 August 1939 she had
disruptive camouflage applied to her
upperworks, with large irregular
bands of dark grey interspersed with
a smaller-scale pattern of either med-
ium grey or medium green (the matter
is contentious), and fake bow and
secondary waves were applied in white
to the hull. This scheme was main-
tained until the ship's loss.

• A prewar view of Graf Spee's forward super-

structure. The legend on the face of the Turm-
mast-'Coronel'-commemorates Vizeadmiral
Maximilian Graf von Spee's victory over the British
cruisers Good Hope and Monmouth in November
1914 off the coast of Chile.
• - Close-in view of the Turmmast, port side, after
the River Plate engagement. The hole below the
foretop platform was made by an Bin shell from
Exeter.

In configuration, GrafSpeeclosely
resembled Scheer but, again, differed
in detail. She had a pagoda-like Turm-
mast very similar to that installed
aboard Scheer, but the arrangement
of the platforms and the location of the
foremast were distinguishing features,
as was the design of the funnel plat-
form. During her one and only raiding
cruise an attempt to disguise the
appearance of the ship was made by
crew members, a second 'funnel' and
a superfiring 'turret' forward of the
bridge being fashioned from wood and

62
 ....
4.' .\.1",. ".
....• ....
Selected References
BOOKS
Beisheim, P ter ( cl.), Building Model
Warships oj" the [ron and Steel Eras,
Chatham Publi hing (London, 2002)
Bidlingmaier, G rhard, Kriegsmarine
Admiral GrajSpee, (Warship Profile 4'),
Profile Publications (Windsor, 1971)
Breyer, Siegfried, Battleships and
BattLecruisers, 1905-1970, Macdonald
(London, 1973)
Bro\>lI1. David, Warship Losses oj" World
War Two, Arms and Armour Press
(London. 1990)
Che neau, Roger (ed.), Conway's ALl the
World' F'ighting Ships, 1922-1946,
nw Maritime Press (London. 1980)
ni I wi z, Wald mar, and Skwiot.
ir I \ , D ut hland/Lutzow
(' n r n M r k.i 7'), AJ Pre s
( ni, J 7)
- - , Admiral raj pee, Admiral Sclleer
('M n r n M r k.i '), AJ Press
(G Ian k, 199 )
Danielewicz, Waldemar, and Skwiot,
Tadeusz, Deutschland/ Lutzow, Admiral
Graj" Spee, Admiral Scheer ('Monografie
Morsk.ie 9'), AJ Press (Gdansk, 1999)
Groner, German Warships 1815-1945.
Vol 1: Major Surface Vessels, Conway
Maritime Press (London, 1990)
Hodges, Peter, The Big Gun, Conway
Maritime Press (London, 1981)
Koop, Gerhard, and Schmolke, KJau
Peter, Pocket Battleships oj the Deutsch-
land Class. Gre nhill Books (London,
2000)
- - , Panzerschijfe der Deutschland-
Klasse: Eine BiLd- und Plandokument-
ation, Bernard und Graefe (Bonn, 1993)
Gre nhill Book (London, 2000)
Pope, Dudley, The Battle oj the River Plate,
Chatham Publi hing (London, 1999)
Ro kill, Capt S. W., The War at Sea (3
vols), HMSO (London, 1954-61)
Rohwer, J., and Hummelchen, G.,
Chronology oj the War at Sea: The Naval
History oj World War Two, Greenhill
Books (London, 1992)
Whitley, M. J., German Capital Ships oj
World War Two, Anns and Armour
Press (London, 1997)
64
The aim of this innovative series is to provide modelmakers and warShip enthusiasts with a
new standard of primarily visual reference to both the full-size ships and their models, using
detailed line drawings, plans and photographs, many in fUll colour.
Each book is devoted to a famous class or type-chosen for its popularity as a modelling
SUbject-but will range from aircraft carriers to small craft from all the major fighting navies.
PLANS ALSO PUBLISHED
Vth Verlag fUr Technik und Handwerk The second in the series covers the King George v class. These five vessels were the most
GmbH, Robert-Bosch-Str. 4, 0-76532 modern battlesllips to serve the Royal Navy during the Second World war, and saw much
Baden- Baden, Germany
hard service. Two of them, the name-ship of the class and prince of Wales, were instru-
mental in the destruction of the German battlesllip Bismarck, while Duke of York sank
VIDEOS Scharnhorst. On the negative side, Prince of Wales became the first modern capital ship to
be sunk at sea by air power alone When, three days after pearl Harbor, Japanese Navy
DO Videos: DO 993 Victory at Sea, VoL 2.
Includes footage relating to Admiral bombers caught her and the battlecruiser Repulse without fighter cover.
GrajSpee.
DO Videos: DO 3188 The German [mper- Handsome ships which underwent a great variety of minor alterations and additions, this
ial avy 1919-1935. The rebuilding of
class makes an appealing and challenging subject for modellers-as illustrated in this book
the German Navy between the wars.
by some superb models, both scratch built and from the range of excellent kits.
WEBSITES (Specialist)
http://aumodelisme.hyp rmart.net/P/ KingGeor eV
RALTABLE.HTM (for colour chip CLASS BATTLESHIPS
comparisons)
http://www.grafspee.com
http://www.warshipsl.com (photo-
graph and specifications of all three
Panzerschijfe)
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/
Quarters/5768/ ex_dtschl1. html
(DelLtschland/ Lutzow)
http://ww.W.geocities.com/Pentagon/
Roger Chesneau
Quarters/5768/sch rl.htmJ (Admiral
Scheer)
http://wvlw.geocities.com/Pentagon/
Quarter /5768/ peel.html (Admiral
GrajSpee) FUTURE TITLES
http://www.waffenhq.de/chiffe/ Among the planned subjects for SHIPCRAFT are:
deu tschlandkJasse. html
http://www.deutschemarine.de/made/
.:. US Yorktown class aircraft carriers The victors of Midway, where Yorktown was lost,
dmbas.nsf/Doc am /themen_marine_ these ships bore the brunt of the Pacific War in the early days. Hornet launched the
ge chichte_Reich Kriegsmarine_ famous Doolittle Raid, and Enterprise became the most decorated USN ship of the whole
PanzerschiffA.htm (Deutschland) conflict.
http://wwvI.deutsche-kriegs chiffe.d
.:. Japanese heavy cruisers Th I rgest and most powerful ships of their type, they were
(pages for all three ships)
involved in almost every n v lop r ion from pearl Harbor to the end of the war.
.:. Cerman Type VII U-boats ull In 11Ug numbers for most of the war years, in a variety
WEBSITES (General/modelling) of versions, they w r h k on of Dbnitz's wolfpacks.
http://www.shipcamouOag.com .:. 'Flower' class corvettes A I h S 0 - p escort based on a whalecatcher design,
http://www.internetmodeler.com circumstances for 11 0 I Y m Jor role in the Battle of the Atlantic in the service
http://www.modelwarhips.com of Britisll, Can dl n, I II n h, n v n US Navies.
http://warhip.implenet.com
http://smmlonlin .com
SHIPCRAFT 1

GERMAN
Pocket Battleships
• Summary of design history and careers

• Full details of class variations and modifications

• Colour reference for paint schemes

• Gallery of photographs of outstanding models

• Critical reviews of available kits, and sources of information from books to websites

This is the first volume in a new

series providing ship modellers
with all they need to know about
a famous class of warship and
associated model kits.
In this volume, the author has
chosen the German 'pocket
battleships' ofWW2, the best-
Oeutschlond/Liitzow

known of which was the Admiral

GratSpee, scuttled after the
battle of the River Plate in 1939.
This innovative and infamous
class of surface raiders has long
been a popular subject for ship
modellers, many manufacturers
producing kits of the GratSpee
and Admiral Scheer and the
rather different Deutschland. This
book shows model shipwrights
how to turn their kits into
something really special, while
its unparalleled level of visual
information is a superb source for
the general warship enthusiast.

ISBN 1-86176-209-7
90000

9 781861 762092
Stackpole Books