1/700 Russian cruiser Zhemchug (Combrig)
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by Jim Baumann |
1/700 Russian cruiser Zhemchug (Combrig)
Russian cruiser Zhemchug as at the Reval Fleet
review 1904
Zhemchug was a protected cruiser buit at Russia’s Nevsky shipyard. She was a Russian built copy of the Schichau built NOVIK . Externally similar to the German built ship, Zhemchug featured an additional pair of 4.7 in guns and two additional masts which lent her a stately profile.
At 3153 tons and 364 feet her 3 shafts could propel the ship at a respectable 24.5 knots
Commissioned on August 29 1904 she partook in the Reval ( now Talinn) Naval review, attended by the Tsar ; before heading East to join the Second Pacific Squadron . Unlike the rest of the fleet she sailed through the Mediterranean and via the Suez canal to the Indian Ocean , rejoining the other ships off Madagascar . On 28 May 1905 she was one of the first ships to engage the Japanese fleet at the battle of Tsushima
She sustained and survived 17 hits whereon she escaped with the cruisers Aurora and Oleg to Manila –where all three vessels were interned until the cessation of hostilities.
At wars end and after repairs in October 1905 she returned to active service.
Based at Vladivostok 1905-1910 she was not in good condition and only ventured from port for occasional short visits to Korean, Chinese and Japanese ports Placed into reserve status in 1912 and acted as guard-ship in Shanghai and Yangtze river protecting Russian interest. At the beginning of WW1 Zhemchug was part of the Anglo-French and Japanese task force operating in pursuit of Admiral Von Spee’s German East Asia Squadron.
October 29 saw her moored at Penang for repairs and boiler cleaning. With most of her crew on shore leave and only a skeleton crew remaining onboard, she was easy prey for the German cruiser SMS Emden, which had arrived, at Penang disguised as a British warship…(!)
After raising the German Naval Ensign, the Emden sank the anchored French destroyer ‘Mousquet’ and then opened fire on Zhemchug at point-blank range using guns as well a torpedoes, one of which hit and destroyed the stern quarter.
To their credit ‘Zhemchugs’ crew managed to load and return fire with the forward guns, unfortunately they missed the German raider, striking a merchant ship in the harbour instead. ‘Emdens’ second torpedo struck Zhemchug at the conning tower, which broke the ship in two. The explosion killed 89 crewmen, 143 wounded and the battered hulk slipped under the surface.
My model of Zhemchug
After completing a 1/700 model of Novik, I was enthused about her 3-masted siblings, and wanted to add a model thereof to my collection.
The Combrig resin kit is an earlier release, and despite having some clunky detailing in places was fundamentally the right shape as a starting point. The solid cast funnels and vents were at least approximately the correct outline with gentle shaping and hollowing out they were perfectly usable.
A new pilothouse was scratch built as well as all new platforms, searchlight towers and much extra detailing. A full account of the work carried out can be read here.
Using two of the excellent North -Star Models PE intended
for Novik the model made swift progress, the longest time being spent
on the rigging of the three very tall and slender masts. A satisfying
build of an elegant protected cruiser that fought bravely during her brief
career.
