It is good to see these smaller eccentric submersibles being provided in a scale large enough to make them look good. No information is provided about the options. There are four options with two solid grey ones, and two with multi grey camo. There is one small sheet which proves a shark mouth for one of the painting options. Once complete they are added to the hull. These are each in two halves with the drive propellers to be added. The rear drive is then added along with the main hatch and the stern control surfaces. once these are in the main hull can be closed up. How much will be seen especially if you fit the main hatch will be debatable? The entry hatch and periscope are also fitted into the main hull along with a stern part.
German molch mini submarine full#
A seat and full controls are provided for the compartment which fits into the main hull. Construction starts with the cockpit, not really in the aeroplane style but the small compartment which contained the operator. The kit is a fairly basic one and arrives on three main sprues, a clear sprue, a small sheet of PE and a small decal sheet.
Built in 1944, it was the first mini-submarine of Nazi Germanys Kriegsmarine, but was not successful in combat operations and suffered heavy losses.
German molch mini submarine series#
The Molch was quickly relegated to a training role for other small submarines. Molch (German language: 'newt' or 'salamander') was an unsuccessful series of one-man midget submarines created during World War II. Out of 102 sorties in early 1945 70 boats were lost for only 7 small ships being sunk. Other operations would also result in little or no victories. Initially 10 of the 12 boats were lots, quickly followed by the last two being sunk by allied warships. In their first outing in the Med in 1944 a flotilla set out to attack allied battleships taking part in the invasion of Southern France. The combat record of the 393 boats built was less than spectacular.
A complicated system of trimming tanks made the boat hard to control which did not help operations. Designed for coastal operations it was totally electric in nature with a large battery providing a range of approx 60kms at 5 knots speed. The submarine was ultimately based on torpedo technology given its size. This was the first designed for the German Navy, however it was to prove unsuccessful in combat and suffer heavy losses. This wouldn't be a bad model for the fledgling resin modeler (with experience in other mediums) though care will be required due to some of the small edges that will require cyano adhesives to build.The Molch or Newt/salamander in German were designed as one man submarines or mini submarines. This is a very nicely done model and won't be a difficult build for the experienced resin modeler. While the Molch didn't carry any markings and they were painted overall gray, you can really turn this into an eye-catching model with the proper weathering and drybrushing techniques.
The kit also includes a vacuformed shape for the operators hatch fairing and obervation ports. Care should be taken with the smaller bits, as it will be all-too-easy to knock off a snorkel or lift rings while you're painting the boat. Assembly is done using cyano-type adhesives as usual for resin-based kits and conversions. Assembly will be quick and straightforward once the resin parts are removed from their casting blocks and cleaned up. The detailing cast into these parts is very nicely done. The kit consists of 27 finely cast resin parts which consist of resin hull halves, two torpedoes, stern planes, rudder, dive plane, propeller, snorkel,and other details. This is an all-resin 1/72 scale kit of the Molch midget submarine. The German Navy used the remaining craft as training vessels for improved midget submarines. Later attempts to employ the Mulch in combat resulted in minimal results with high attrition. Of the 12 Molch submarines deployed, 10 were lost and the remaining two were subsequently sunk by allied bombardment. The Molch was first used in combat in September 1944 in the Mediterranean against a group of allied battleships. While the design of the craft looked good on paper, the Molch was apparently a handful to operate in combat as the boat required the operator to manage a series of complicated ballast tanks in order to keep the submerged vessel under control. Designed as an all-electric one-man attack submarine, the Molch had a range of about 40 miles and was armed with a pair of G7e torpedoes that were externally mounted. The Molch (German for salamander or newt) was the first combat midget submarine developed by the German Navy during World War 2.
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