The Heroes of Battle for Lake Tanganyika

**wireandpaper** · #1 09-08-2020, 01:58 AM

Dear All:

I just completed the prototypes for the HMS Mimi and HMS Toutou the forgotten gunboats that enable the control of Lake Tanganyika by 1916. They were directed by the eccentric Captain Geoffrey Basil Spicer-Simson. Following the suggestion of Foute Man I am including in this depiction the crew, including the commanding officer with its (in)famous skirt, the tattoos were lost due to the scale. The figures are modified versions of troops from the Junior General site.
The model shows the captured Imperial German Navy ensign, the first to be claimed by the UK during WWI. Since Lake Tanganyika is very deep, these flotilla qualifies as blue water!

You may read a summary of the very interesting and exhausting trip and operations of the gunboats here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Mimi_and_HMS_Toutou

I hope to release the vessels in 1/200 soon.

ps: This prototype is in 1/100

**chicharrero** · #2 09-08-2020, 01:22 PM

Wow Pablo.
Very interesting data and models of these "forgotten campaign" in the WW I

**tigertony100** · #3 09-08-2020, 02:58 PM

Released at last!!! This WWI episode come to Paper Modeling. Very well done Sir!!!

**Madbrit** · #4 09-09-2020, 05:51 PM

The story of Captain Spicer-Simson's trek overland to bring his small force to the lake was the basis for C.S.Forester's "The African Queen"

Derek

**Don Boose** · #5 09-09-2020, 07:36 PM

Nice work, Pablo. This little model has a lot of character.

Don

**Wyvern** · #6 09-09-2020, 08:07 PM

I look forward to your release; the struggle for control of the lakes is one of the interesting side-stories of WW1 and I’m glad to see models of its vessels coming to light.

Wyvern

**wireandpaper** · #7 09-11-2020, 01:53 AM

Dear All:

You may find the model in 1/200 here:

Narrow seas, archipelagos, and coastal operations

I did a final touch adding a gunwale. In this model with pencil but digitally in the final version. I think it improves its look.

ps: The first draft was maned by Mchale's associates.

**FrancisMcN** · #8 09-11-2020, 06:13 AM

Good to see another Mimi. Mine is in 1/32 for radio control though.

I found that the crew for the 3pdr on the foredeck would have to be kneeling because the gun is to low to be standing. Also, none of the Imperial War Museum photos showed the crew in shorts so I put them in long trousers and puttees.

**wireandpaper** · #9 09-11-2020, 12:12 PM

Thank you very much Francis for your comments.

Oh well, some license regarding the crew and the height of the gun!
Both easily fixable. You may want to modify the following figures by Tulius Hostilius of the Junior General site:

https://juniorgeneral.org/index.php/...ryKhakiUniform

Nevertheless, Spicer-Simson was seen wearing the notorious skirt.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffr...cer-Simson.jpg

**Foute Man** · #10 09-13-2020, 04:03 AM

Another addition: these are sample pages (posted by the seller on ebay) of a set of plans to build the Graf von Goetzen.

I know Pablo is tempted by the idea of building her, but it doesn't fit in with his plans/ideas at the moment, so perhaps the drawings could be used by anyone who feels inspired to (scratch)build the Graf von Goetzen?

and in case you did not know, the Graf von Goetzen was raised in 1924 by a British salvage team and brought back in service as MV Liemba in 1927. And she still is in service

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Liemba

some pics from the wiki article: