BUILT WITH EXACTING DETAIL AND OF A PERFORMANCE AND MATERIAL QUALITY WHICH RIVALS THE FINEST DOCKYARD MODELS EVER BUILT, THE "POCKET BATTLESHIP" DEUTSCHLAND IS AN IMPORTANT BUILDERS' MODEL. THE KRIEGSMARINE PANZERSCHIFF, OR GERMAN ARMORED CRUISER, WAS CONCEIVED TO CIRCUMVENT THE TERMS OF THE 1919 TREATY OF VERSAILLES, WHICH ATTEMPTED TO LIMIT A NAVAL ARMS RACE AND FORBID THE DEFEATED REICH FROM BUILDING WARSHIPS FOR OTHER THAN COASTAL DEFENSE, NONE OF WHICH WERE TO HAVE A DISPLACEMENT GREATER THAN 10,000 TONS. DEUTSCHLAND'S KEEL WAS LAID ON FEB. 5, 1929 AND SHE LAUNCHED ON MAY 19, 1931. THE FIRST OF THREE SUCH SHIPS, FOLLOWED BY ADMIRAL SCHEER AND ADMIRAL GRAF SPREE, SHE WAS COMPLETED FITTED BY 1933, WHEN THIS MODEL WAS BUILT BY THE DEUTSCHE WORKS YARD AT KIEL.
THE 100:1 SCALE MODEL IS COMPLETE IN EVERY WAY. HER HULL IS OF GRAY COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION AND IS PAINTED WITH HIGHLIGHTS OF RED AND GRAY, AND IT HAS A SIMULATED PLANKED DECK OF SYCAMORE. EVEN THE INTERIOR OF DECK BOXES ARE FITTED OUT WITH HARDWOOD. PAINSTAKINGLY COMPLETE AND ARTISAN CRAFTED, A MAJORITY OF THE MODEL'S PARTS ARE HELD TOGETHER WITH METAL PINS AND PRECISION HOLES. THE MODEL INCLUDES SEVEN VARIOUS SMALL LAUNCHES AND BOATS ONBOARD. STILL, IT IS THE TECHNICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH THE FITTINGS OF BRASS AND WEAPONRY WHICH SHINE WITH THEIR DEADLY PRESENCE. THE GUNS ARE FULLY ARTICULATE AND SEVERAL ARE SIGNED BENEATH WITH GERMAN SCRIPT ANNOTATIONS OR SIGNATURES OF THE MODELERS. THE CRUISER WAS THE FIRST TO CARRY BATTLESHIP-SIZED MAIN ARMAMENTS, HER SIX 11-INCH GUNS IN TRIPLE TURRETS, FORE AND AFT. HER PRIMARY BATTERIES USED PROVED TO ACTUALLY BE HER EIGHT SINGLE BARREL 150MM PORT AND STARBOARD GUNS. ALTHOUGH THE GERMANS WERE SOMEWHAT BEHIND IN SEABORNE RADAR TECHNOLOGY, THEY WERE THE FIRST TO USE GUNNERY RADAR FROM THE CONTROL TOWER IN ACTION. THE ADMIRAL'S CABIN WOULD BE IN THE TOWER AS WELL.
IT IS OF INTEREST TO NOTE THAT THE TWO HEINKEL HE60 FLOATPLANES ARE THE ONLY PIECES NOT TO EXACT SCALE, BEING A BIT TOO LARGE. WHEN CONSTRUCTED, DEUTSCHLAND WAS NOT INTENDED TO ORIGINALLY OUTFIT WITH THE PLANES; THEY WERE ADDED AS AN AFTERWARD ALTERATION. THE FORWARD PLANE IS ON THE CATAPULT LAUNCHER.
DEUTSCHLAND'S CONSTRUCTION WAS TOP SECRET; NO ONE OUTSIDE OF THE GERMAN ADMIRALTY AND KIEL YARD HAD ACCESS TO HER PLANS. WHEN LAUNCHED SHE WAS ESSENTIALLY STRONGER THAN ANY FASTER SHIP, AND FASTER THEN ANY STRONGER SHIP, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE BRITISH ROYAL NAVY'S "BIG THREE": THE BATTLECRUISERS HOOD, RENOWN AND REPULSE. IF ALL EIGHT INTENDED PANZERSCHIFF HAD BEEN BUILT, INSTEAD OF THREE, THE BATTLE FOR DOMINION OF THE SEA WOULD HAVE BEEN A DAUNTINGLY MORE DIFFICULT TASK FOR THE ALLIES.
WHEN THE WAR BEGAN ON SEPT. 3, 1939, SHE WAS AFLOAT IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC, AND SOON HAD STRUCK BRITISH, NORWEGIAN AND AMERICAN MERCHANT SHIPS. RECALLED TO THE BALTIC, THE DEUTSCHLAND WAS RENAMED L InchesTZOW, AS IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE GERMAN COMMAND DID NOT WANT A SHIP NAMED FOR THE COUNTRY ITSELF BEING SUNK IN BATTLE. SHE WAS HIT BY A TORPEDO FROM THE BRITISH SUBMARINE SPEARFISH AND DAMAGED, WHICH RESULTED IN HER RETURN TO THE KIEL YARD AND PROTRACTED REPAIRS UNTIL MID-1941. ONCE RELAUNCHED, SHE SERVED NEARLY FOUR YEARS BEFORE THE BRITISH R.A.F. FOUND HER OFF THE COAST OF POLAND AND STRUCK HER WITH THREE 5.2 TON BOMBS. WRECKED AND DRIVEN ASHORE, SHE BRIEFLY SERVED AS A FIXED BATTERY BEFORE BEING BLOWN UP TO PREVENT HER FROM FALLING INTO RUSSIAN HANDS. U.S.S.R FORCES RAISED HER AND BROKE HER UP IN THE LATE 1940s.
PROVENANCE:DEUTSCHE WERKE, KIEL, GERMANY, CIRCA 1933WILHELMSHAVEN SHIPYARD, 1933-1945 BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN REMOVED BY OFFICERS & MEN OF BRITISH ARMY 7TH MIDDLESEX, STATIONED IN BREMERHAVEN; TO REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS AT HORNSEY, 1945-1964GLENBOW MUSEUM, CALGARY, CANADA, 1964-1996MARK JARROLD GERMAN NAVAL MUSEUM & ARCHIVE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1996-2001WITH SHIP'S NOTEPAPER LETTER SIGNED BY KOMMONDANT & DATED 22.XII.33,ALBUM OF PHOTOGRAPHS, VIDEO CASSETTE & CAP TALLEY
ELM BASE & GLASS CASE DIMENSIONS: 80 ⅝ L x 17 ⅝ W x 27 ⅜ H INCHES, ON ORIGINAL TURNED STEEL, PLATED & TAPERED COLUMNS
