SEA > TYPE VII
U-45 WIP - Completed October 2019
Mr. Bill:
Greetings,
After many delays and interruptions, I have finally found the time to start a work in progress topic on U-45. This is sort of a continuation of the earlier topic about the early Type VIIB decks, but I thought it better to start fresh. I wanted to build an early Type VIIB and selected U-45 because of the excellent Bundesarchive photos taken on the commissioning day of U-45 on 25 June 1938. This project will include parts from the Revell Type VIIC kit and the Amati U-47 kit, both in 1/72 scale. Based on test fit, the Amati brass deck fits very nicely into the Revell hull with just a few areas requiring attention. The flooding vent arrangements on the Revell hull and conning tower will be modified to an early VIIB configuration using the excellent material prepared by Dougie. The Amati brass deck will be modified to match the early VIIB hatch arrangement. Other details will be scratch built or adapted from spare parts.
U-45 was the first of the Type VIIB's and appeared as follows in June 1938:
A comparison of conning towers - Amati U-47, Revell VIIC, and U-45 (modified Revell tower):
The early Type VIIB tower is smaller in length and width compared to the Type VIIC:
The pre-war U-boats carried a bronze eagle on the front of the tower. I tried to scratch build this item, but I am not entirely satisfied with the result. I might to try to get one from the Special Navy Type IIA kit:
Here the eagle is dry fitted to the tower:
Based on photos, the pre-war early VIIB's had a differently shaped housing for the attack periscope. My attempt at scratch building this item:
A clear plastic doll eye with a scratch built photo etch handle was used to replicate the scope cover.
The circular flood vents on the conning tower sides of the early VIIB's have a unique pattern and arrangement. The part from the Amati kit was not very accurate and I had a very difficult time trying to come up with a solution until I found some old photo etch railroad grating that was an almost perfect match for size, pattern and arrangement. I had to use stretched sprue to fill in the holes along the edge of the open holes to match the configuration of U-45 in June 1938:
A close up of the tower showing the "flexible voice tube" equipment. Please note that many smaller details are missing at this point. Things like the hatch latch, life belt attachments, flexible hose, hand grips, ladder rungs, and other items all need to be added:
Some more views of the conning tower. Much is only dry fitted at this point which results in some odd alignment which will be corrected when the items are permanently attached:
And the last photo for this session showing the modified Revell tower on the Amati brass deck"
My plan is to complete the remaining small details on the conning tower and then progress to the hull. I am mainly using photos of U-45 and other early VIIB's as my references along with the usual publications. I can't find anything so far that shows if a compass was attached to front of the periscope housing like the VIIC boats - does anyone know about this?
Many thanks to everyone that has helped me so far with this project. Please don't hesitate to ask questions or point out problems - your comments are always welcome. More to come.
Regards,
Bill
Siara:
Im so f***** excited about this project!
Good start Bill.
Im sitting in the front row, and watching with big bag of popcorn in my hand.
That is going to be fantastic project. ;)
Rokket:
Bill, really, really nice work, research, detail and execution! Oh, and like what Siara said!
rabapla:
simply great!
and so different!!!
dougie47:
Hi Bill,
Fantastic work! All the details are excellent, particularly the attack periscope housing.
On the subject of the compass repeater attached to the attack periscope housing, I can't say for sure that U 45 would have had one in June 38 during commissioning. If I had to guess I'd say U 45 probably had one in June 1938. There are pre-war shots of U 46 with this repeater, and U 49 did have the repeater during her commissioning in August 1939.
Keep up the great work.
Cheers,
Dougie
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