by Robert Apfelzweig
1/350 SMS Emden (Revell of Germany)
Here are some photos of the German light cruiser Emden, from the Revell kit with Gold Medal Modelworks photoetch. This is a very inexpensive plastic kit (often available for less than $15), with the photoetch set being about twice that expensive. An easy and quick kit to build, though the detailing of the bridge wings and deck guns is not very good, and these could use replacement by brass or resin alternatives (if available). The Emden had a brief but impressive career early in World War I as a commerce raider in the Indian Ocean (capturing or sinking some thirty Allied ships) before she was caught and destoyed by the larger and more powerful Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney at the Battle of Cocos Island on Nov. 9, 1914. This engagement marked the first time an Australian warship defeated an enemy ship in combat.
