1:350 German Zerstorer Z-43: 1944

German Zerstörer Z-43, 1944 (1:350, Trumpeter)

Injection-molded plastic kit of the German destroyer Z-43 in her 1944 state in 1:350 scale from Trumpeter. Z-43 belonged to Type 1936B, which went back from the older German destroyers to a main gun armament of 12.7 cm in single mountings. The hull is split, so the model can be built as a full-hull version on a stand as well as a waterline version; the box usually holds photo-etched parts for the railings and the fine details. The exact contents of the package and the parts count are not stated here.

The real subject

The Type 1936B destroyers were part of the wartime fleet of the Kriegsmarine in the closing stage of the Second World War. Compared with the preceding ships and their larger-caliber guns, they chose the smaller 12.7 cm caliber, which was lighter and more reliable. Z-43 entered service in 1944 and was used mainly in the area of the Baltic Sea and the coastal waters, where she took part in escort, gunnery and mining duties in the last months of the war.

Building and painting tips

Decide in advance on the full-hull or the waterline version. Paint the deck and the superstructures and pick them out before the final assembly, and glue the fine photo-etched railings, the antennas and the masts with cyanoacrylate. Unify the whole with a primer and spray with an airbrush in shades of German naval gray, pick the panel lines out with a dark wash and add weathering in keeping with the end of the war.

Who the model is for

• Collectors of Kriegsmarine ships and Second World War equipment
• Anyone interested in German destroyers and the war in the Baltic
• Modelers with experience of building ships in 1:350 scale
• Fans of naval subjects and of working with photo-etched parts

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.