Completed 1/144 scale U23

[Guest]

Gonna call it done for now. I need to add the jumping wires. I don't feel like it. But pictures can fill in the meantime. Maybe when I get to that phase on U99 I will string up U23 at the same time. Again, a project I underestimated, and still managed to paint it wrong. I will work a little harder on U99 as that is the boat I have assigned to my character in my sub game.

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[flyjoe180]

Looks pretty good to me Steve. Jumping wires, are they the rigging lines?

[Guest]

Looks pretty good to me Steve. Jumping wires, are they the rigging lines?

I always assumed that's what they meant when dealing with submarines. Although I will be honest and say I am too lazy to check it out.

[monica]

I have always wonted to do some sub,s myself and i think it looks good to me,

i like the weathering, and scuffed up look, and you did a great job off the deck looks very good

just out of intest how long would one be at that scale, ? please

[Guest]

With due diligence and effort, I think U23 could probably have been completed inside of a week. But with all the errors and setbacks, I did not get much done (or even feel like it) for the last 6 weeks.

But at the very least, it's 2 more projects I can set aside...

[flyjoe180]

I always assumed that's what they meant when dealing with submarines. Although I will be honest and say I am too lazy to check it out.

You are quite right Steve, I had to look it up. They are called jumping wires, designed to allow the submarine to pass under marine defences such as nets by passing the defence safely over the top of the craft. Apparently no longer in use as they vibrate underwater and cause lots of noise.

[eddiesolo]

Nice work Steve, great weathering.

Si

[Guest]

Jumping wires. This is an interesting explanation.

Originally these wires were designed as \"jumping wires \"and used as anti-submarine net deflectors. If a U-boat ran into a net it had sharp cutters on top of the bow and below it in order to cut through the net ,then these wires would deflect the open net over the surface of the boats hull so as not to get snagged on the conning tower ,hand rails etc. The second use for these wires was to act as an antenna for the high frequency radio. The single front wire from bow to conning tower acted as the transmitting antenna and the two aft wires were the receiving antenna. Most WWI German U-boats used these wires as a net deflector only as they had tall,folding radio antenna masts. In WWII U-boats used these wires more as radio antennas as the net deflector proved to be impractical as nets were not used to the degree that they had been in WWI. Later in WWII as more U-boats were equiped with the telescopic rod antenna ( that tall bulge along the port side of late war conning towers) this replaced the net deflector jumper wires as the boats main radio antenna.

How this plays out on UK, Japanese anf USA subs I have no idea.

Laurie

[Guest]

Apologies Steve. Hit the publish button to soon.

Of interest is the history of U23. http://uboat.net/boats/u23.htm

Noted that early in his career before WW11 started that Otto Kretchmer, celebrated Captain, was commander of this U Boat.

Very nice model Steve. I think you should put on those wires to finish it off. Go on do it. Jsut will finish off a very nice model. As said before rigging on models, Submarine, air craft or ship gives an authenticity to a model.

Laurie

[downscale model art]

quite spooky looking at this one. its sister boat u22 was the one that killed my gramps and the entire crew of hms exmouth in jan 1940 by torpedo. it holds the sad record of the first warship of ww2 to be lost with all hands.