German miniature submarine U-Boat Type XXVIIB Seehund (late version) 1:72 ICM S007

Plastic model kit: German miniature submarine U-Boat Type XXVIIB Seehund (late version) 1:72 ICM S007

The plastic model kit: German miniature submarine U-Boat Type XXVIIB Seehund (late version) in 1:72 scale from ICM is a unique offering for enthusiasts of World War II history and modeling.

Model details:

• Catalog number: S.007
• Scale: 1:72
• Number of parts: 42
• Model dimensions: length 165 mm, height 54 mm
• Historical period: World War II
• Markings: U-Boat Type XXVIIB Seehund, Kiel, May 1945; U-5365, Baltic Sea, May 1945

History and significance of U-Boat Type XXVIIB Seehund:

Seehund, which means "seal" in German, was a miniature submarine designed in 1944 and used by the Kriegsmarine (Navy of the Third Reich) during the last months of World War II. This vessel was operated by a two-man crew and was distinguished by its effectiveness and difficulty in being detected by Allied sonar systems.

The XXVIIB design was developed in the spring of 1944, and serial production took place at the Schichau Werk in Elbląg and Germania Werft in Kiel. By the end of the war, 285 units of this type had been built. Seehunds were primarily used in the area of the German coast and in the English Channel, where they conducted 142 combat missions, sinking 9 Allied ships and damaging three others. Their small size and quiet operation at low speeds made them nearly undetectable by the detection technologies of the time.

The first operation of the Seehunds took place on December 31, 1944, but ended in failure due to poor weather conditions. The first sinking by a Seehund occurred in February 1945, when a freighter was sunk near Great Yarmouth. The last missions of the Seehunds took place in late April and early May 1945, when special supply missions were conducted for the besieged German garrison in Dunkirk.

Assembly and painting kit. Does not include paints or glue. For assembly, separately sold modeling tools are needed (including cutters, files, tweezers), paints, brushes, and plastic model glue (e.g., Tamiya Extra Thin Cement). The photo shows a professionally assembled and painted model.