1/700 DKM Graf Spee Nov 39 (Trumpeter)

Here is my take on the heavy cruiser Graf Spee, ca late November / early December 1939. The model was completed in 2019 and took about 3 months to build over long weekends.

I chose to model the infamous raider in a guise what I feel is appropriate for its service: with dummy funnel and third turret which she sported at some point, allegedly disguising herself as a British cruiser. I like this look, it tells a bit of a story and is a less common way to display the ship.

As always a dedicated PE set was used, with some scratch building from foil and stretched sprue for the dummy turret and funnel.

Rigging using Modelkasten tungsten wire 0.06 gauge, insulators from CA glue, with masts from brass rod; the flag is made using the excellent decal-on-foil method, and then weathered a bit to bring down the brightness; hull had been detailed with some hull-plating using primer.

Rather heavily weathered, especially along the waterline as ship was not docked for a while during campaign; there is wear on the boot topping, and its application is a bit uneven - I recall real photos showed that unevenness and felt it needed to be copied, as if it was touched up insitu (but I could be wrong as always, then call it artistic license!).

Painting custom mix of Tamiya, airbrush mostly, except the intricate camouflage which was done using hand brush; "Stop Wireless or I Open Fire" banner on the superstructure is just paper, that was sanded down for thinness.

The base is a usual standard plastic affair (with acrylic glass on top) but dressed up to look like the floor of a dry dock (I went for something southern-looking), a style I really like using on my builds for a while and this was actually the first one I tried it on. Keel blocks using square plastic rod, cut to size.

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Gallery updated 8/28/2022

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