by Joe Passaseo
1/125 U-96 Type VII-C (Revell)
The conning tower was completely modified and detailed to represent a type VII-C. The outer hull was scribed to represent major panels and weld seams. Flooding slots were drilled out and detailed as the kit hull is quite bland. I built a complete innner pressure hull to avoid a see thru effect when the model is viewed up close. The starboard torpedo doors were opened and scratchbuilt the torpedo. The 8.8cm deck gun was extensively detailed and the 2cm flak was scratchbuilt and detailed. Periscopes were corrected in shape, UZO added, compass and bridge repeater added. The original tower hatch was way too big and opened in the wrong direction; this was corrected. A keel was added and the main intakes were represented. The netcutter was removed to represent the boat as it would have been seen mid-war. This U-boat is now a better representation of the type VII-C (although not perfect) and I am quite satisfied with the model. I am now looking forward to building the Revell Germany 1/72 version as it is an amazing kit for its details but will require some corrections. Painted with Tamiya acrylics, washed with oils and weathered with pastels. I chose to model the U-96 because this U-boat had quite an extensive war career. It was also one of the U-boats that brought the war to North American waters.
