by Brett Simmons
1/125 U-99 Type VIIB (Revell Germany)
I enjoyed this kit very much, it was a good build, not to complicated and most every piece fit well. I was glad to have chosen this one for my first U-boat, as well as my first model ship in almost a year. I am very proud of this model, it was the first time I really used weathering effects on a model. I tried to present the ship in the state she would have appeared upon returning from a patrol, since she was a U-boat the level of rust would have been much higher than the amount of rust present on a surface ship, which would have been minimal. In addition to the rust, I added rigging for the first time to a model, as well as drilled out the hull for added realism. Overall a good model, and a fun learning experience. As for U-99 she was an impressive U-boat with 8 successful patrols and over total of 313,000 Gross Registered Tonnage sunk, which included several warships. Her luck ran out in 1940 after an attack on an Allied Convoy, when she was hunted by numerous British Destroyers. Realizing the game was over, Captain Otto Kretschmer surfaced U-99 and the crew scuttled the ship before their capture. Three crewmen had been lost and one of the most successful U-boat Captains would spend the remainder of the war in an Allied POW Camp.
