Type IIB U-Boat

The type II U-boat was a series of small coastal U-boats that has its origin in a Clandestine Dutch engineering & design company set up by the Germans after World War one. This allowed them to circumnavigate the restrictions of the Versailles Treaty.

The prototype was the Vesikko built for the Finnish government which is now a museum ship.

When Hitler tore up the imposed restrictions Germany was then set to build their own U-boats with all the development and testing done. This resulted in the Type IIA through IID series of U-boats.

As a result of about 10 years of constant importuning by my good friend and one of our first clients Jeff LaRue with the added incentive for us of a finished photo etched deck and tower floor we started on the masters about 18 months ago. The result is our new type IIB kit.

The OTW model is a scale representation of the Type IIB series ( U-7 through U-24 and U-120 – U-121 ) in 1/32nd scale. The model is 53 inches long with a 5 inch beam.

The kit includes detailed hull, casement and tower in glass fibre, photo-etch brass main and tower decks, net cutters compass housing fittings and hydrophones. Also included are resin cast front and rear dive planes, rudder and stern dive plane / skeg support.

The dive planes come with pivot rods installed, The rudder is supplied with the stainless rod. Bearings for the dive planes and rudder are all included.

The front dive plane guards and the rear bushed propeller shaft support frame are all cast in brass alloy as are the LH / RH propellers. Additional parts included are:

• Anchor
• RDF loop aerial
• Tower wheel hatch
• 2 life preservers
• Periscope
• 20 mm deck gun
• Propeller shafts and bearings
• L/H and R/H brass alloy propellers
• Open closed fair leads
• Tower hand rail fittings
• Cloth Kriegsmarine  flag

A set of stainless steel templates to help cutting the hull and casing slots is also included. A full sized arrangement drawing is provided to aid the modeller in the construction.

There will be an illustrated construction article available shortly.

We will also have a bespoke dive system for this model if required.