Preview: Takom's three new kits for German ships of the sea & air in 700th scale
SMS Lützow 1916 (Full Hull)
From Takom
1/700th scale
Kit No 7036
Photo-etch included
Designed with Snowman Model
1 marking choice included in the box
The Subject: SMS Lützow
SMS Lützow was the second Derfflinger-class battlecruiser built by the German Kaiserliche Marine (English: Imperial Navy) before World War I. Ordered as a replacement for the old protected cruiser Kaiserin Augusta, Lützow was launched on 29 November 1913, but not completed until 1916. Lützow was a sister ship to Derfflinger from which she differed slightly in that she was armed with an additional pair of 15 cm (5.9 inch) secondary guns and had an additional watertight compartment in her hull. She was named in honour of the Prussian general Ludwig Adolf Wilhelm von Lützow who fought in the Napoleonic Wars.
Lützow was commissioned on 8 August 1915, but did not join I Scouting Group until 20 March due to engine damage during trials. This was after most of the major actions conducted by the German battlecruiser force had taken place. As a result, Lützow saw very little action during the war. She took part in only one bombardment operation: the Bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft on 24–25 April 1916, after which she became Admiral Franz von Hipper's flagship. One month later, the ship was heavily engaged during the Battle of Jutland, on 31 May–1 June. During the battle, Lützow sank the British battlecruiser HMS Invincible and is sometimes given credit for sinking the armoured cruiser HMS Defence. However, she was heavily damaged by an estimated 24 heavy-calibre shell hits. With her bow thoroughly flooded, the ship was unable to make the return voyage to Germany; her crew was evacuated and she was sunk by torpedoes fired by one of her escorts, the torpedo boat G38. (from Wikipedia).
SMS Derfflinger 1916 (Full Hull)
From Takom
1/700th scale
Kit No 7034
Photo-etch included
Designed with Snowman Model
1 marking choice included in the box
The Subject: SMS Derfflinger 1916.
SMS Derfflinger[a] was a battlecruiser of the German Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) built in the early 1910s during the Anglo-German naval arms race. She was the lead ship of her class of three ships; her sister ships were Lützow and Hindenburg. The Derfflinger-class battlecruisers were larger and featured significant improvements over the previous German battlecruisers, carrying larger guns in a more efficient iring arrangement. Derfflinger was armed with a main battery of eight 30.5 cm (12 in) guns, compared to the 28 cm (11 in) guns of earlier battlecruisers. She had a top speed of 26.5 knots (49.1 km/h; 30.5 mph) and carried heavy protection, including a 30-centimetre (11.8 in) thick armoured belt.
Derfflinger was completed shortly after the outbreak of World War I in 1914; after entering service, she joined the other German battlecruisers in I Scouting Group of the High Seas Fleet, where she served for the duration of the conflict. As part of this force, she took part in numerous operations in the North Sea, including the Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby in December 1914, the Battle of Dogger Bank in January 1915, and the Bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft in April 1916. These operations culminated in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916, where Derfflinger helped to sink the British battlecruisers HMS Queen Mary and Invincible. Derfflinger was seriously damaged in the action and was out of service for repairs for several months afterwards.
Derfflinger fires a broadside salvo
The ship rejoined the fleet in late 1916, though by this time the Germans had abandoned their strategy of raids with the surface fleet in favour of the U-boat campaign. As a result, Derfflinger and the rest of the High Seas Fleet saw little activity for the last two years of the war apart from patrol duty in the German Bight. The fleet conducted one final operation in April 1918 in an unsuccessful attempt to intercept a British convoy to Norway. After the end of the war in November 1918, the fleet was interned in Scapa Flow. On the order of Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, the interned ships were scuttled on 21 June 1919 to prevent them from being seized by the Allied powers. (from Wikipedia).
SMS Derfflinger 1916 & SMS Lützow 1916 & Zeppelin Q Class Limited Edition
(waterline edition)
From Takom
1/700th scale
Kit No SP7043
Photo-etch included
Includes metal barrels & 35th scale of Franz Ritter von Hipper
Designed with Snowman Model
5 marking choices included in the box
By late 1915, Zeppelin introduced the Q class, a true flying fortress capable of a greater operation ceiling. Its hull was lengthened by 15 m (49 ft), for an internal volume up to 35,800 cubic metres (1,264,100 cu ft) and soon, all existing P class airships were lengthened and bring to the Q-Class standard. L7 drawing
Specifications
Dimensions: Length: 518 ft 2 in (157.8m), Diameter: 48 ft 6 in (14.6 m), volume 794,500 sq ft
Weight: Empty 39,000 lb, Payload 18,500 lb
Propulsion: 3 Gondolas, Maybach C-X of 210 hp (630 hp total)
Performances: Max speed 52 mph (83 kph), Range 1366 miles (416 km), Ceiling 6560 ft (2000 m)
Dimensions: Length: 518 ft 2 in (157.8m), Diameter: 48 ft 6 in (14.6 m), volume 794,500 sq ft
Weight: Empty 39,000 lb, Payload 18,500 lb
Propulsion: 3 Gondolas, Maybach C-X of 210 hp (630 hp total)
Performances: Max speed 52 mph (83 kph), Range 1366 miles (416 km), Ceiling 6560 ft (2000 m)
this kit combines the new SMS Derfflinger 1916 & SMS Lützow 1916 (waterline editions) with the Zeppelin Q Class in a limited edition boxing of all three together.
That is all we know about these releases for now. You can see more about Takom's kits on their website or on their Facebook page
