Kriegsmarine Escort Vessel "Friedrich Trump", November 1940

[nönöbär]

Kriegsmarine Escort Vessel "Friedrich Trump", November 1940

The ship

In the later 1930s, Germany started with its fleet building program, the "Plan-Z". Part of this plan was a group of six colonial gunboats which should be used in over-seas territories. The final design for the "Kolonialkanonenboot" was completed in 1938 and shortly after, the first of the ships was laid down at the Stülcken shipyard in Hamburg.

Despite the outbreak of the war, construction of the " Kolonialkanonenboot I" continued, it seems that it was simply forgotten to stop the construction. Therefore, in early 1940, the ship was completed, and the Kriegsmarine wondered what to do with this ship as there were no colonies.

Named "Friedrich Trump", the ship was put into service in April 1st, 1940 as an escort vessel under command of Kapiän zur See Karl D. Potus. Who was a very unique commander of the German Kriegsmarine and the fate of the "Friedrich Trump" is directly connected with him.

The captain

Kaptiän zur See Potus – who said about himself that the was the best Captain, the Kriegsmarine ever had - wanted to introduce a more direct contact to his crew. Therefore at least every morning he pinned some short text messages on a pin board in the ships mess. Surprisingly, none of those messages was longer than 280 characters. One of his favorite saying while doing this was "Ein Kleiner Vogel hat mir dies gezwitschert" – "A little bird has twittered this to me". 

On some days, he posted dozens of those text messages on the pin board running form the command bridge to the mess and back the whole day. Which caused a bit of confusion among his officers.

The sinking

Unfortunately, he did not listen to the advises of his officers quite often, especially his technical personal. On November 11th 1940, the "Friedrich Trump" was on its way through the North Sea to pic up a group of S-Boats coming back from an operation close to the British Coast. Just before 3pm, the ship received a warning that British mines could be in its are of operation. Kaptiän zur See Potus got furious and telling that this message were "Fälschungen" - "Fake News" - as he knew it better. His brother-in-law had some secret connections to Britain and therefore the ship should proceed with full speed of 24kn.
He went to the mess to pin a new message when the ship hit a mine. 12 sailors were killed directly and despite all measures, the ship began to sink.
Luckily, the S-boats that should be picked up by the "Friedrich Trump" were close, so they could pick up the crew. While all crew members could be saved, Kapiän zur See Karl D. Potus was missing. He was last seen standing at the pin board murmuring "Die Vögelein, die Vögelein, warum zwitschern sie nicht?" ("the little birds, the little birds, why don't they tweet?").

The model shows the "Friedrich Trump" on Nov, 11th, 1940 after the mine hit.









The model

I wanted to build a "sinking ship" for quite a while and the 3D printer made it easier. The ship is printed from the 3D model of the cruiser "Hermelin" taken from  World of Warships (German tier 1 cruiser). While this ship never existed, it is modeled after the "Kolonialkanonenboot" design, which did exist but was never build.

The model was rotated and cut to the correct position, then printed in 1/700 scale with an Anycubic Photon SLA printer. The water is a modified landscape tile where the hight was much reduced to let it look like waves. This one was printed in PLA with an Anycubic Mega printer.

The model is painted with Revel Aqua Color, additional PE crew was used. The boats and rafts were taken form the spare part box.

[PR19_Kit]

Magnificent modelling and a hilarious backstory. 

[NARSES2]

Magnificent modelling and a hilarious backstory. 

It is indeed 

[Rheged]

Very high quality modelling, and a most entertaining backstory.

[The Wooksta!]

Magnificent modelling and a hilarious backstory. 

Just drying my eyes....

[comrade harps]

 

[zenrat]

The build is marvellous.  Another example of how 3d modelling is changing our hobby.

[nönöbär]

I think it's unfortunate that you decided to bring this political crap to this forum.  You should really look to the crap going on in your country before looking abroad.

If the mods think this is good for the board, they should remember that this forum also has US members that might take offense to the no so subtle political crap of the original poster.

I for one do not find it humorous at all.

Sorry if I have offended you , this was definitely not my intention. Some of my WhatIf models have not-so-serious background stories and of course there is no second thought behind it. What sounds funny to me might not sound funny to you - and what is funny to you might not be funny to me.

And in the end, this is just scale modeling here, nothing that should be taken to serious at all. 

[TomZ]

I think the back story is hilarious.
Everyone should be able to have a laugh at themselves, whatever your politics.

TomZ

[Joe C-P]

    

Nice work on the water!

[Caveman]

Love the opportunities that 3d modelling and printing allow for modellers. Another tool in the toolbox to be explored and flexed. Kudos

We can talk about one of your former leaders.

Awesome, feel free. No political figure is above satire.

[The Wooksta!]

TBH, some are simply beyond satire...

[nönöbär]

   

Nice work on the water!

Well, it was my first attempt to do some "water". Anyway, has anyone some experience with acrylic water like this one here: https://www.migjimenez.com/en/115-acrylic-water ?
To add some "waves" where the water hits the sinking ship.

[jcf]

TBH, some are simply beyond satire...

This was not satire.  It was a deliberate attempt to try and make a political point.  Go satire your own leaders if you are allowed to in the EU or other country.

Oh grow up, of course they're "allowed" to satirize their own politicians, and anybody else's politicians,
just like in the US. Oh wait, I forgot that as far as you and the rest of your humourless ilk are concerned
no one is allowed to make fun of iDJT, in or out of the Benighted States of Mary Kay.

BTW saltie old boy, very often the best satire is political, which is exactly the point.


p.s. you are the one who introduced politics into this topic, not nönöbär.

[TomZ]

Oh grow up, of course they're "allowed" to satirize their own politicians, and anybody else's politicians,
just like in the US. Oh wait, I forgot that as far as you and the rest of your humourless ilk are concerned
no one is allowed to make fun of iDJT, in or out of the Benighted States of Mary Kay.

BTW saltie old boy, very often the best satire is political, which is exactly the point.


p.s. you are the one who introduced politics into this topic, not nönöbär.

Couldn't agree more.

TomZ