Net cutter

[Piet]

Winter is coming so i have time to start modelbuilding again [/size]I am scratch building  a 1/35 scale type II water line model.Looking for some good detail pictures or drawings for the net cutter on the Type II U  Boot,and where they at some point removed during the war ? (date / year)Thanks in advanceMaarten.[/color]

[dougie47]

Hi Maarten,

The net cutter on Type IIs had different configuartions which you can see below -



The style numbers are numbers I have assigned and are not in any way official. They are not chronological either. Note the drawings above are just intended to show the changes and are not accurate in regard to the features. For example, there was a bend in the rearmost bar that is not shown above

The U-bootwaffe changed their minds on whether they were required a few times. We know that they were fitted in the early war years but after March 1941 they were removed. The pre-war photos tend not to have dates on them and that makes it hard to determine when they were present and when they were fitted during the pre-war years. It does look like boats had them at the start of 1939, that they were removed early in 1939, and then refitted around the summer of 1939 or so. I've also seen boats during the Spanish Civil War without the net cutter so this provides a time period when they were absent (at least on some boats).

Do you know when you are depicting your boat and which boat you want?

If you send me a PM with your email address I can send some photos.

Cheers,

Dougie

[Piet]

Hi Doug,


Thanks for the information .......this wil help alot .


Going for U-18 before the larger wintergarden was added , i like the  conning tower art and three tone camouflage .


Any information on the layout of the gun platform/wintergarden would also be highly appreciated
I might do the later version than .


Regards,
Maarten

[dougie47]

Hello Maarten,

A nice choice as the camo scheme will look great.

In regard to the net cutter I think you are doing U 18 after March 41 so it would have been removed. Style 6 (with no cutter and the wire connected near the bow) is the one you would want.

Those two photos you posted show U 18 without the wintergarten and with the camo scheme. Note the weapon on the foredeck is the waterproof cylindrical container.

After the wintergarten was added U 18 retained the three tone camo scheme. One difference at this later time is that the waterproof cylindrical container was removed and a 20mm upon a conical shaped mount was added to the foredeck. The following shows U 18 at this time -



I have uploaded the free-flooding pattern I have for U 18 during the wartime years. It is below This would have been present when the three-tone camo scheme was employed. Note the paired holes near the bow and the extra holes below.



Cheers,

Dougie

[Piet]

Thanks  Dougie !


Maarten.

[Piet]

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