Field Modifications to UB40

[Plynkes]

Following on from our discussion about the HLBSC U-Boat some time ago, I've finally got around to putting mine a bit nearer to how I always felt she should look.

Inspired by Helen's topic about a camel for the Kaiser, and wanting her to look her best for her next adventure, today I've been messing with good old UB40, star of at least two previous Plynkes battle reports (and her greatest hour of glory is still to come).


Here she is in the U-Boat pens at Schloss Plynkes.


I've got rid of the bogus "splash shield" that none of us could find any photographical evidence for, and added a guard rail made of pins (like in the Osprey book), and a wheel from the bits box.


The "splash shield" back where it belongs, as dive planes at the bow.

By tomorrow she should have some paint on the new parts, plus an alternative ensign in a new spot, for when I want her to be a "Sailor of Austria." More pics to follow then, then.

[Lowtardog]

Great work Polynikes, love the rust detail on her

[Plynkes]

Really? Thanks.

I think it looks a bit rubbish in the photos. Strangely enough it looks fine in real life, though. I always find that with my stuff. Always looks much better to the eye than when photographed.

I guess that must just mean I have bad eyesight!  

[Helen]

Poly, now you just need to look into Otto's airforce career with the Hasburg Empire:)

If you aren't aware there are four books on our interpid hero and all great reads too.  

Great work on the boat by the way.

[Prof.Witchheimer]

Do I see some Somalis on your desk? got them too, one of my next Africa projects.

The rust details dont look rubbisch at all  

[Plynkes]

Hi, Prof.

They're Foundry Baluchi mercenaries, actually. But they are the "Arabian Dress" sort that have the same hair cuts as the Somalis.

[Prof.Witchheimer]

yes, I see now, that nearly looks like Copplestone used his Baluchis for the Somalis sculpts

[Plynkes]

Done a bit more to her this morning. I think she's finished, but I'm still considering painting an eye on the bow.




The new position of the flag, which I think looks better (regular readers may remember it used to be down at the stern). Now it is removable, so you can display your team colours, depending on which Kaiser you are a fan of:

Option One: Kaiser Bill


Option Two: Kaiser Frankie Joe

And one more pic for Helen:

Poor old put-upon Matrose Grimm, now serving in the Austro-Hungarian Navy, it would seem. If Belgians making his life difficult isn't enough, now he has a camel to tangle with!

[Hammers]

Really? Thanks.

I think it looks a bit rubbish in the photos. Strangely enough it looks fine in real life, though. I always find that with my stuff. Always looks much better to the eye than when photographed.

I guess that must just mean I have bad eyesight!  

It's the same with me. I find that hilites which look OK in real life look strangely chalky on photographs

[Helen]

Poly that looks really cool - Thanks for the time you spent on this  

And now for the adventures of Matrose Grimm  

[bandit86]

like in Red Red wine ::  get it .. UB40, I kill myself ::

[TadPortly]

Plynkes this is looking really nice.  Particularly like the conning tower detail.

[Plynkes]

Since doing the first lot of modifications I've read "A Sailor of Austria", and upon discovering that Otto Prohaska fitted a 4.7cm gun to his U-Boat, I decided to add the option to do likewise. Actually, I'm not sure if mine is a 1pdr (37mm) or 3pdr (47mm), but they look kind of the same, so it don't really matter much.


Like the new flagpoles, I decided to make the replacement gun interchangeable with the old Maxim, to give me more options.


I took the opportunity to repaint the Maxim, as it was simply drybrushed grey before, like the rest of the boat.


Otto's nice shiny new gun.


Seeing as I was back working on the boat, I decided to completely scratch-build another version. So now, in case we need to in some future game, we can depict the boat in a submerged state. It took absolutely ages, and there is lots of lovingly-applied detail that I worked really hard on. Unfortunately it is all below the surface, so you can't see it in this photo.

(That isn't my usual water-cloth, by the way, just a handy bath-towel.)


And while we're about it, how about a couple of torps? Two is the full complement according to Osprey, but Otto says three. Not sure who to believe.

(I know torpedoes don't usually run on the surface like this, but I thought they'd make eye-catching markers to track the shots' progress during a game.)


So here we are, Otto's Glückliche Dreizehner. I've sort of decided she's finished, but the revelation that Habsburg U-Boats carried triangular sails to give the engines a little help and increase their meagre endurance has got me thinking there may be more mods to do yet. I don't really have any clue how a sail would be rigged on a U-Boat though. It would be great to find a picture. Also, I may well still paint the wavy camoflage common to Ocarina boats on her, and if I can figure out how to make them, print out some "13" transfers  for the conning tower.

Dunno, we'll see.

[fastolfrus]

Great pictures.
How did you do the torpedos ?

[Plynkes]

This kit...

...comes with a torpedo, despite the lack of one on the box art. I figured I didn't want it on the plane, and by the simple mathematical formula of:

1 plane-stowed torpedo = 2 waterline torpedoes

I suddenly had all I needed! I Just put them on a card base and added some hamfistedly-sculpted water made from Miliput.