Sea Building for U-73

 I am using Styrofoam to build up the ocean. Here I am test fitting the sub in the cutout. 

 Two views of the second layer after cutting out and shaping the swells. Tooth picks are holding the Styrofoam pieces together while glue dries.

A little bit more of detailing the submarine model and then it will be ready for paint.

Cast details on Fletcher destroyer

 5 inch Gun mount base installed, structure detail added to the base of a gun mount and fair leads glued to aft deck.

 Forward fair leads glued in deck and anchor chain deck details added.

Forward 5 inch gun mounts.

Resin casting Fletcher details

The casting off the anchor is complete, so now I have the two anchors needed for the destroyer, two 5 inch gun mounts are complete with another ready to come out of the mold, and finally fair leads. All of the parts require cleanup after coming out of the mold. A couple of minutes with a jewelers file and sand paper and the parts will be ready to install.

U-73 Scale Comparison

 The U-73 in 1/125 scale next to the U-515 in 1/48 scale.

 A closeup of the deck gun and conning tower details. 1/125 scale is getting close to the smallest scale I think I can do details and such w/o going to magnifying glasses to build. I will build a 1/144 scale model in the near future but when you start getting too small it is no longer "fun" to build it becomes a frustration to me. When I was building armor and aircraft years ago I stayed away from any thing smaller that 1/72 scale.

2 cm gun with added detail. 

Scamp w Figures

I painted and added several sailors onto the Scamp model. Still searching for some good subjects for a group standing in the dry dock.

Moving along on U-73

 A few corrections in the conning tower, the model comes with the two periscopes, however the forward periscope is located improperly, the little bits of white plastic on the forward section are (L-R) Instrument, the scope foundation and voice tube base. Where the original scope base was I have added some bits for the UZO pedestal (Used to mount then large attack binoculars) and the attack periscope base has been extended to the correct height and hand grabs added (bits of brass wire). I have scribed some detail into the conning tower deck to simulate the perforations and panel lines. I am not sure if this will be visible after painting but we will see.

 Anti Spray Flaps added to the side of the main deck were the 8.8 cm deck gun is mounted, they need to be cut down as they are oversize now.

I have corrected the front of the bow by removing the bulge for the cable cutter that I am not installing and adding the tow cable port and fairing. 

Hold that U-Boat number

As I am building the 1/125 scale Revell U-boat I realized I had made a slight error! It is a Type VIIB not a Type VIIC. So it will have to be a different boat, the U-73. This submarine was a very successful boat sinking the British Carrier HMS Eagle.