This week’s focus has been on completing the second batch of Kriegsmarine destroyers: specifically, six ships of the Type 1934 and Type 1934A classes. For regular readers there will be no surprise that these models are in 1/3000th scale.

As is normal with my posts, I feel a little background is useful for placing the models into context. Under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was forbidden from building true destroyers and was restricted to lightweight torpedo boats. However, when the German Admiralty began planning the Type 1934, it opted for individually superior ships. These vessels are sometimes described as small cruisers with what was considered overwhelming firepower. While there is some merit to this description, it can be misleading; though they carried a heavier armament and had a greater displacement, they did not come close to being true light cruisers. With the Anglo-German Naval Agreement effectively legalising the class, the Type 1934 ultimately comprised four ships (Z1 to Z4). The subsequent Type 1934A class – which was generally similar, excluding minor modifications to the bow and keel to improve seakeeping – comprised a further twelve vessels (Z5 to Z16).

The ships had an overall length of 119 metres, making them significantly longer and wider than the German torpedo boats that preceded them. They had a standard displacement of just over 2,200 tons and an official top speed of 36 knots. The designs were, however, rushed, and the class suffered from poor stability and unreliable engines. They were intended to manage a range of 4,400 nautical miles at 19 knots, but they proved so top-heavy in service that significant portions of their fuel capacity had to be retained as ballast, drastically reducing their operational reach. The first ship of the class was commissioned in January 1937, while the last entered service in March 1939.

Their armament comprised five 12.7cm (5-inch) guns in single mounts each with a gun shield. Two of these guns were positioned forward, one mid-ships, and the remaining two aft. They initially carried four 3.7cm and six 2cm anti-aircraft guns, supplemented by eight torpedo tubes arranged on the centreline in two quad mounts. Several ships were lost early in the war, but those that survived had their anti-aircraft arrays drastically increased; some sources indicate this could be in the region of fourteen 3.7cm and ten 2cm guns by the war’s end. To achieve this one 12.7cm gun was removed. Finally, up to 60 mines could be carried.

My models are by Navwar (N3504) and come two per pack. The models were particularly crisp castings with only limited mould lines, requiring very little cleaning before painting. Detail is sharp, and the guns in their mounts are clearly visible. Mine are mounted on plasticard bases measuring 60mm x 20mm, with a base thickness of 1.5mm. I have explained my painting technique before, so I won’t describe it again. What is perhaps worth noting is that after they receive a watered-down wash of diluted Citidel Badab Black, they are highlighted and sealed with a matt varnish. It is only at this stage that the final ship wake and sea wash are applied; doing this earlier would mean the Badab Black wash would bleed into and darken the white water where the ship cuts through the sea.

All ships of the class were given a name and a hull classification number ranging from Z1 to Z16, with the “Z” standing for Zerstörer. Of these, the Type 1934 vessels were designated Z1 to Z4, while the Type 1934A class held hull numbers Z5 to Z16. My own models have been finished to represent Georg Thiele (Z2), Richard Beitzen (Z4), Wolfgang Zenker (Z9), Bernd von Arnim (Z11), Erich Giese (Z12), and Erich Koellner (Z13). All these ships carried the names of World War I officers or commanders killed in action. Five of these six destroyers would serve and be lost during the chaotic battles around Narvik.

A brief summary of their actions highlights their generally short yet turbulent careers. With war imminent, all but Erich Giese (Z12) were deployed to the Baltic for operations against the Polish Navy. Of these, Wolfgang Zenker (Z9) – alongside the destroyer Leberecht Maass (Z1) – probed the defences around Hela on the 3rd of September. Here, they engaged the large Polish minelayer Gryf and the destroyer Wicher, who returned heavy fire supported by coastal defence guns. The German destroyers were forced to disengage under cover of a smoke screen, with both Gryf and Leberecht Maass suffering damage.

Following their Baltic deployment, the ships were allocated to offensive minelaying operations along the English coast. However, when operating with the 1st Destroyer Flotilla on 22nd February 1940 (Operation Wikinger), Richard Beitzen (Z4) and Erich Koellner (Z13), along with four other destroyers, were involved in a disastrous friendly fire incident. Due to a severe breakdown in inter-service communication, the ships were mistaken for enemy vessels and attacked by a lone German Heinkel He 111 bomber. In the ensuing chaos, Leberecht Maass (Z1) was broken in two by bombs, and Max Schultz (Z3) accidentally struck a mine while attempting a rescue, resulting in the loss of both destroyers.

Their most famous deployment, however, was their allocation to the invasion of Norway (Operation Weserübung). The Type 1934 and 1934A destroyers involved were Georg Thiele (Z2), Wolfgang Zenker (Z9), Bernd von Arnim (Z11), Erich Giese (Z12), and Erich Koellner (Z13). Of these, all but Georg Thiele belonged to Zerstörer-Flottille 4 under the command of Erich Bey, who flew his flag from Z9. Georg Thiele (Z2) served as the sole representative from Zerstörer-Flottille 1. Meanwhile, Zerstörer-Flottille 3 comprised the newer Type 1936 vessels, which I covered in my previous article. Ultimately, all ten German destroyers deployed to the fjord were lost during the chaotic battles around Narvik.

Of the six models I have built, only one survived the war: Richard Beitzen (Z4). She was held in reserve during the Norwegian invasion and was not involved. By October 1940, she had transferred to Brest, France, where she engaged in operations along the south coast of Britain. It was during this deployment, on the night of 29th November 1940, that Richard Beitzen and two sister ships clashed with the British 5th Destroyer Flotilla. The British force was commanded by none other than Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten (later Mountbatten of Burma), flying his flag from HMS Javelin. In a chaotic night engagement, the German destroyers out-manoeuvred the British, launching a devastating torpedo spread that blew the bow and stern clean off Mountbatten’s flagship. Remarkably, Javelin survived, as did Mountbatten.

By July 1941, Richard Beitzen was operating in Norwegian waters, yet by 1942, she returned to France to participate in the famous “Channel Dash”. She was then reallocated to Arctic operations from Norway, including limited involvement with Operation Wunderland – the Arctic breakout into the Kara Sea by the heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer – and Operation Regenbogen, where she supported the cruisers Admiral Hipper and Lützow. She survived the war in a heavily damaged state, was surrendered to the Royal Navy, and was finally broken up in 1949.

Ultimately, these are six useful early-war destroyer additions to my 1/3000th scale Kriegsmarine project, even if all but Richard Beitzen met their end at Narvik. I do need to complete more Type 1934A destroyers eventually, but that is a project for another day.

This week, my focus has returned to the Kriegsmarine Project in 1/3000th scale, specifically two German light cruisers of the Königsberg class. These vessels are often criticised, and two of the three had a short wartime history. Despite this, they have always intrigued me, partly due to the unique layout of their main guns. Given this fascination, it seemed fitting to represent them in miniature.

The class comprised three vessels – Königsberg, Karlsruhe, and Köln – all of which were laid down in 1926. Two were commissioned in 1929 and the third in early 1930. They represented the dawn of modern German cruiser design, whereas the earlier light cruiser Emden had been based on a World War I blueprint.

The ships had a length of 174m and a beam of 15.3m. They displaced 6,100 standard tons and had a speed of 32 knots. For comparison, the earlier US Omaha class displaced 7,160 standard tons, while the later British Leander class displaced 7,400 standard tons. The Königsberg class’s light weight was a constraint of the Treaty of Versailles, achieved through the use of welding rather than riveting and a reduction in armour thickness.

The main armament comprised three turrets each mounting three 15cm (5.9″) guns. One turret was mounted forward, while two were mounted aft. Furthermore, the aft turrets, while superfiring, were offset to increase their arc of fire. Initially, they carried two single 88mm anti-aircraft guns. These were later upgraded to twin mounts before a third twin mount was added. By the mid-1930s, eight 3.7cm and eight 2cm anti-aircraft guns had been appended.

Four triple torpedo tube mounts were positioned amidships, with two mounts to port and two to starboard. In the 1930s, a floatplane was added, which could be launched by catapult; a second floatplane was provided but was not allocated a catapult being partly disassembled. Finally, the ships could carry up to 120 mines.

The models are from Navwar (N3310) and come three to a pack. Unfortunately, one of my castings was poorly formed and unusable. I suspect this was a casting error rather than a mould issue. There was some minor flash on the models, but this was easily removed.

The model detail is generally crisp, though the main gun barrels are not as clearly defined as those on other models. Consequently, the wash I apply during painting process does not define the individual barrels as clearly as it normally would. I feel this is a minor issue; overall, the models are crisp and look the part.

You will note the difference in deck colours: Köln has a tan deck (as did Karlsruhe), while Königsberg sports a grey one.

All three ships conducted intervention patrols during the Spanish Civil War. Just prior to the German invasion of Poland, Königsberg and her escorting destroyer, Friedrich Ihn (Type 1934A), spotted three Polish destroyers escaping the Baltic for Britain. As war had not yet been declared, no engagement took place. However, immediately following the outbreak of hostilities on 1st of September, the cruisers were deployed to the western Baltic to enforce a strict naval blockade. This effort proved largely redundant, as the primary Polish surface assets had already escaped.

Consequently, as Britain and France entered the conflict, Köln and Königsberg were swiftly reassigned to the North Sea, joining Karlsruhe in intensive minelaying operations to secure Germany’s western approaches against the Royal Navy.

All three cruisers later took part in Operation Weserübung, the invasion of Norway. Karlsruhe, along with three torpedo boats and auxiliary vessels, was tasked with landing a small force at Kristiansand and Arendal in southern Norway; here, she was struck by a torpedo from a British submarine and subsequently scuttled. Königsberg and Köln, with two torpedo boats and several smaller craft, transported the invasion force earmarked for Bergen. While moving into the fjord, Königsberg was badly damaged by Norwegian coastal artillery. Unable to return to Germany for repairs, she was trapped and subsequently destroyed by a British air attack while moored.

Köln was the only member of her class to survive the Norwegian campaign. Following modifications and trials, she operated with the Baltic Fleet, most notably sortieing in September 1941 alongside Tirpitz, the heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer, and the light cruiser Nürnberg.

July 1942 found her joining the growing naval forces in Norway, but by early 1943, she had returned to Germany alongside the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper. In March 1945, she was finally sunk by Allied bombers while in port at Wilhelmshaven.

I am pleased to have what will be a useful pair of light cruisers joining my collection. While two of the vessels had short wartime careers, they will undoubtedly still provide a valuable reinforcement to my growing Kriegsmarine fleet.