1:32 German WWII Naval Troops

The sailor who fought ashore

The Kriegsmarine had far wider tasks in the Second World War than service on board. Its people manned artillery batteries along the coast from Norway to the Bay of Biscay, held harbor fortifications, served on patrol boats and in the last months of the war were sent into ground fighting as infantry. The set therefore covers more settings than the name would suggest.

Distinguishing features

The most conspicuous thing is the coloring: dark blue for walking-out and deck clothing, with a peakless cap with a tally or a side cap to go with it, and, on the gun crews, often a work smock and a helmet. The coat tends to be double-breasted with prominent buttons and the collar has its typical rectangular cut. Figures in working dress differ from a ground soldier mainly in the cut of the trousers and in the absence of heavy field equipment.

Where to set the figures

A concrete position with a gun above the sea, a mole with a boat tied up or the deck of a patrol vessel all suggest themselves. The contrast of two groups in one scene is interesting too, with a man in walking-out dress standing next to an oil-stained gun crew.

Notes on the build

The 1:32 ratio suits the painting of dark cloth, where the edges have to be lightened so that the figure does not come across as a silhouette. The number of pieces is missing from the name and the castings are supplied unpainted. Neither the particular unit nor the year can be read from the name. The scene can be completed with ammunition crates, a coiled rope or a life ring, that is with the small things that establish the setting better than the figure itself.