GPM 1/100 ORP Warszawa

[RAFleischman]

I thought this would be an "instant gratification" project after working 18 months on Salt Lake City. Well, 2 months later and I'm still working on it!!

The kit is very nice and the fit is excellent. No problems at all.

russ...

[Michael Mash]

Neat project Russ, with an interesting configuration.
I had to look up some information about her on the web.
One can see the time you have spent on it in the images. Beautiful work!
Mike

[RAFleischman]

I got hung up on the "crow's nest" and put this guy aside...for a year!! I need some space on my workbench, so it's back under contruction.

Getting close to finishing it now, I just have the boats (ugh!), the navigation lights and the rigging. Nice kit, everything fits together well. The kit has 3 options for contruction: 1920 (as built), 1930 and 1939. I built the 1920 version.

russ...

Here's some history from Wikipedia:

Construction


Warszawa was built in 1920 in the Free City of Danzig for the Polish Navy. Initially she was armed with two 105 mm guns and five machine guns, and by the late 1930s she carried three 75 mm guns and four machine guns.

Invasion of Poland

Like all of the ships of the Riverine Flotilla of the Polish Navy in Pinsk, she was not used in combat during the German Invasion of Poland. After the Soviet invasion of Poland, she was scuttled on the Pripyat River on 18 September 1939, because of the impossibility of withdrawal.



Inside the turret of a Polish river monitor


Soviet service

She was raised on 11 October 1939 by the Soviets, towed to Factory No 300 in Kiev, repaired and commissioned as Vitebsk (Витебск). She served in the Dnepr Flotilla, then the Pinsk Flotilla. From July 1941 she fought against the Germans on the Berezina, Desna and Dnieper Rivers, in the defence of Kiev. Because of the Soviet retreat, she was scuttled on 18 September 1941 near Kiev.

Fate

The wreck was raised in August 1944 by the Soviets, and then scrapped at Kiev.

[elliott]

She looks very good Russ. Glad to see that you have resumed work on her.

[Don Boose]

Russ - Don't know how I missed this thread. I am always on the lookout for your posts, but somehow overlooked this back in October of 2014. Glad I found it now.

Looks like your usual meticulous craftsmanship, research skill, and understanding of naval history.

Incidentally, I received the two volumes of Ian Toll's history of the Pacific War and the Kagero publication on Soryu and Hiryu for Christmas. Lil tells me that Jordan and Moulin's French Destroyers 1922-1956 is on the way.

Happy New Year and may fair winds and following seas guide your hand on this build.

Don

[RAFleischman]

Don,

Looks like you scored on books for Christmas (you must have been a really good boy this year!). I will be interested in what you think of Toll's books.

I'm hoping that 2016 will be the year that I can make it down to the Carlisle open house.

Happiest of New Year's to everyone on the forum...let's have some peace for 2016!

russ

[RAFleischman]

I finished up everything forward of the bridge. I just have to get the boat davits mounted and rigged and my "instant gratification" project will be done!!

russ...

[Michael Mash]

Very nice Russ.
It looks so "19th" century, despite being used in WWII.
Mike

[Don Boose]

Just beautiful, Russ!

You really have the eye and the hand for this.

Mike's assessment is on target.

Don