The periodical U-Boot im Focus has just reached its 20th edition, and there’s a feast of reference and history for modellers planning German U-boat builds.
While some might consider World War Two German Navy U-boats a niche subject, they have a hardcore following of maritime modellers, keen for information on their chosen build subjects.
German publisher Luftfahrtverlag-START has been the motherlode for such content, with its popular U-Boot im Focus softback periodicals. Published in A4 portrait format, each has provided absolutely fascinating studies of all things U-boat, from conning tower décor and dedicated missions, to examinations of individual commanders.
For a look at UIF No.18, see here.
This 51-page instalment, No.20, kicks off with a look at U-98 ‘boss’ Robert Gysae, with two very different photos of the same man, before offering comparative images of the Type VII C boat U-592, showing manipulation of conning tower motifs, and giving the entire back story with extensive text, a two-page map and document scans. The vessel U-450 is also examined in this Photos with a story article, which has a superb colour illustration of the U-592 conning tower.
Another in-depth feature delves into the life of the ship’s cook on a U-boat, and this is particularly interesting as it offers photographs of foodstuff supplies on a dockside (with narrative about the actual brands), and stores being loaded… ideal reference for a dockside diorama. There are also various photos of cooks at work in U-boat galleys.
The Technical Equipment pages focus on a report about the 280 S rotating direction-finding gear, as fitted to various types of U-boat… a colour view of the Type II B boat U-10 is particularly impressive and useful in terms of exterior detail, but other black and white photos of other boats, including the Type IX C U-130, are just as revealing.
This is another great edition of what is a consistently classy series, which will please those building U-boats who revel in back stories as much as structural detail of the actual craft. It costs 22 €, direct from: www.luftfahrtverlag-start.com
To see an in-box review of Special Navy's 1/72 CV-707 Vesikko submarine kit, see here
