Bismarck....Blast bags or not?

Modeling Subjects Ships
1

I will be ready to start my 2nd build of the Tamiya 1/350 Bismarck with all PE, metal barrels, etc (2nd build since my cat ate the first one…and yes she still lives)! I know a lot of modellers put blast bags on the main guns but I have seen several photos of Bismarck without them and would like to know were they only installed for combat or perhaps the photos I have seen are pre-launch or during maintenance.

I just want to do her as accurately as I can and would appreciate any input on this question.

Thanks

Steve B.

2

Hi Steve, I have been wondering about adding blast bags on my Tirpitz build and I still haven’t decided what I am going to do. As you say there are lots of reference photo’s with and without the blast bags fitted. The best references with the most photo’s I have been able to get hold of are Polish books:

AJ-Press Monografie Morskie [18] Bismark Tirpitz cz. 4, isbn: 83-7237-077-X

AJ-Press Monografie Morskie [19] Bismark Tirpitz cz.5, isbn: 83-7237-078-8

Unfortunately most of the text is Polish with an English translation only added for the reference photos so I have no explanation for the appearence and disappearence of the blast bags.

How do you plan to make blast bags if you do decide to fit them? I have bought the grey/yellow Milliput to brew up something. Most photos of the blast bags show them to be very short though. The bags on the secondary armament seem bigger.

Cheers,

Julian

3

Hi Julian.

I had only thought of putting them on the main armament and not the secondary but will give that some thought. From what I have read online the two main courses of creating them is either with very fine tissue or modelling with milliput or a similar product. If I do go with it then I believe that milliput would look better.

With all the add-ons out there I am surprised that no-one has molded or vacuformed these for the larger vessels available. Could be a possible market.

But of course the magic question still remains. I am building her just prior to her final battle and would like to make her as realistic as possible without going overboard…no pun intended.

Thank you for your help and hopefully someone will steer us in one direction or the other.

Take care,

Steve

4

Have you checked these websites?

First link shows photo of Hitler inspecting KMS Bismarck 5, May 1941

http://www.kbismarck.com/photo018.html[](http://buildingyamato.blogspot.com/2008/03/blu-tack-blast-bags.html)

Second shows making blast bags on model IMS Yamato

http://buildingyamato.blogspot.com/2008/03/blu-tack-blast-bags.html

5

Thank you for the 2 sites you recommended. The blue tack option that the Yamato site showed looks very promising. I will be giving it a try. Thank you very much for the links.

Steve B.

6

Stevedb227: Best of luck on your project.

I’d like to buy and build one of the new Revell Bismarck kits but I’m already up to my eyeballs in projects.

Post some photos when you have the chance.

7

Greetings:

Have anyone of you tried sculpting blast bags out of modeling clay? I used some on my 1/200 scale Yamato and they came out quite nice. The clay doesn’t shrink and can be painted. The best part is if you screw up you can easily get it off and try again.

Michael Lacey

8

Many of the pictures of her without blast bags are during her sea trials, the majority thereafter show them fitted.

I would imagine that the blast bags were fitted during all gunnery trials & combat outings?

9

Nice link Steve, looks like a painless way to fit blast bags. I’ll give that one a try !

cheers,

Julian

10

Thanks to all…some good suggestions!

11

Thankee much. I’m just starting Fujimi’s 700 scale Kirishima and was going to query the group about making blast bags for the main guns. The blue stick works very well indeed. It’s also got me thinking about maybe using it or something like it to scratch build small and oddly shaped parts - the kind I’m expert at losing.

Eric