If I was a chef Naval ships would without doubt be my signature dish, some of you may have seen Project Jutland a couple of years back where I painted all 250 ships of that famous Battle in 1/2400 scale. There were a few ships not present at the action which are still worth having in any WW1 collection and these two are a must in a German Fleet.
The ships in this scale meaning they are just over three inches long (the bases are 120mm x 40mm), made by GHQ they are incredibly detailed as you can see from the deck close ups. The bases are MDF and I build the model on the base (usually 8 to 10 parts) and then create a "seascape" or water feature on the flat base using DIY filler and then paint from there.
I did a tutorial on the method years ago and it remains one of my most popular posts ever,
https://yarkshiregamer.blogspot.com/2015/11/12400-ww1-wtj-naval-from-box-to-table.html
The two ships were classed as Super Dreadnoughts and the German answer to the 15" gunned Queen Elizabeth ships of the British Navy. Commissioned too late for the Battle of Jutland they did see some action in the later stages of the 1st World War before ending up being interned at Scapa Flow at the end of the conflict.
The pair were very powerful ships, armed with 8 x 15 inch guns and protected by nearly 14 inches of Armour they would have been a real match for anything the British could throw at them. These will take pride of place at the head of my German Fleets. We are going all WW1 Naval for our annual Naval Campaign this year so I might give them a run out before hand.
I really love these GHQ ships, the detail and they way they paint up is just awesome, I still have maybe 10 or so more to do before I will have everything from the British and German Navies of WW1 and that will be a sad day !
I certainly enjoyed getting back into my Naval comfort zone and even managed to knock off a small 1/2400 Italian Pre Dreadnoughts at the same time. Back to the grind with the Italian Wars next.
Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteThanks AJ 👍
Deletethen you can do "some" WW2
ReplyDeleteSorry, already got WW2 Fleets for UK, Germany, Italy, Russia, Dutch, US and Japan 😁
DeleteI do like your basing..and the ships look splendid too of course!
ReplyDeleteThanks very much, I have had quite a bit of practice with the basing 😉
DeleteLovely bases!
ReplyDeleteBravo
Lovely bases!
ReplyDeleteBravo
Many thanks, again 😂
DeleteBeautiful work!
ReplyDeleteCheers 👍
DeleteHow difficult is the assembly of these GHQ models for a first timer? I am just looking to assemble and eventually paint (no bases).
ReplyDeleteAny recommendations for the tools and glue I'll need?
Hi Ken, there aren't that many parts on each ship, the main problem is their size. Typically each pack will have a hull, superstructure in one or two pieces, turrets and cranes.
DeleteI use good quality super glue. The only tools I use are a sprue snip and a pair of tweezers. They are quite easy to put together just fiddly. Getting the gun barrels straight tends to be my biggest issue.
Regards Ken
Thanks Ken!
DeleteYeah I noticed from some of the pictures of the kits that some of the gun barrels were slightly twisted or slanted in an unnatural position. I am quite nervous about that since I am worried about breaking parts. Do they tend to break easily? Any advice on getting them straight?
The larger calibre guns aren't too bad, if you look at Baden above those 15 inch barrels are pretty thick. In the packs you always get extra turrets so pick the best and your good to go.
DeleteThe metal used is quite flexible, I have never had one break and they can simply be bent back into shape.
My ships are used for gaming and no matter how careful the players are masts and guns get bent during play. If you look back over my posts on 1/2400 WW1 Naval you will see bent barrels here and there. A lot of this has to do with how close up the photos are, it shows everything. A couple of feet away you can't tell.
Regards Ken