1:350 HMS M3

The British submarine HMS M3 in 1:350 scale

The set represents one of the British M class submarines. These boats are among the strangest vessels of their time, and in a small scale they make an unassuming but highly unusual piece for a collection. The model is published by ROP o.s.

The real subject

The M class grew out of a First World War idea of combining a submarine with a heavy gun, so that it could shell targets immediately after surfacing, or even with the barrel projecting above the water. The idea did not prove itself in practice: loading was slow and aiming inaccurate. The individual boats of this trio were therefore gradually given other tasks, and M3 was later converted into a minelayer in which the mines were stowed in a space on deck under a cover. She was withdrawn even before the Second World War.

Building and painting tips

The smooth hull of a submarine hides nothing, so take the time to sand the seams down and to check the shape of the stern against the light. Create the boundary between the dark upper hull and the lower hull with thin masking tape laid in a single line. Finally, unify the surface with a semi-matte varnish and suggest the deposit at the waterline only lightly, so that the model does not look neglected.

Who the model is for

• collectors of British submarines
• anyone interested in unusual First World War designs
• modelers who want the whole trio of sister boats
• builders of smaller display-case scenes on a submarine theme

The model is unassembled, without a finish and without glue; add those according to your own habits.