Geleiträumboote Type R 301

[invisible officer]

In 1942 Oberingenieur Docter and Abeking & Rasmussen in Lemwerder proposed a Geleit Räumboot. With 41,04 m it had the same length of the R 130-R150 class by same builder.
Gun armament (1 x 37 mm and 6 20 mm )was identical but the escort boats got two 53,3 cm torpedo tubes. And stronger engines, instead of 19,98 kts they ran with 23,5 kts. That was below the expected 25 but still faster than any other R-Boot afloat.

Plans had been made for 100 Geleiträumboote and numbers R 301 – 400 allocated but post completing 12 the material for 313-320 went to normal R boat production.
The R 301 type had no Voith-Schneider propellers, so they could not turn on spot.

All the boats of that type went to 21. Räumbootflottille ( formed July 1943)that had its home base at Bergen / Norway.

R 301was sank 16.10.1944by aerial torpedo near Vardo. With a draught of just 11 cm more than an S-Boot that was bad luck.
R 304 ran on a mine near Egenoy 6.9.1944.

Shortest career was that of R 306. Ready 17.11.1943 it was sunk 13.12.44 at Kiel in a 600 bomber air raid by 8th US air force. It was raised in spring 44 but scrapped.

R 309 was damaged 25.9.44 by Soviet planes but repaired. The attack was part of a series of combined attacks (submarines, planes and MTB) on German convoys in polar region in September 44. The result of that campaign was amo steamer Wolsum exploded in Kirkenes and Seaplane carrier Friesland damaged. V 61o1 sunk. V 6105 and F 152 stranded post damage and V6110 and R 309 damaged. Soviet losses had been Submarine SC 402, two MTB and some planes. Submarine S 56 damaged.

In October 1944 R 311 was damaged in a fight with 10 Soviet MTB on convoy escort mission. Minensucher M 31 and M 303 are lost in that action. The Soviets very optimistic reported 10 German vessels sunk.

Most of the Geleiträumboote survived the war, all becoming part of the Soviet booty.

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[invisible officer]

The model is scratch built with balsa hull and bridge, some cardboard, plastic and wire. The two twin 20mm are left over from a Warlord model. The other guns are scratched.

The camo of that style was used on boats operating in daylight.

I guess Warlord will do a R 130 at some time. But a 301? So I decided to do one.

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[Mark]

Looks great. The railing adds much to the look of the model.

[elcee]

While the railing looks great, i don’t like them for wargaming models, they are just to fragile (on the other hand i dont use bases, so those might help). This is no critique on the model, its my opinion. For example when i build a 1/350 ship for cruel seas, i left of some photo etched parts (railings), because i don’t want those to fall off every other game.
This is especially true in this small scale but even with some Bolt Action models i had the problem, that some details were almost to fragile (not quite though).

But again the models IO showed us so far are excellent models.

[invisible officer]

Thank you.

Yes that is true but my models are not leaving the Apartment, my friends have own models. They are used to use delicate ones and the bases help a lot.

Normally we have not one damage in 10 games.

The 1/300 WW II are very sturdy compared to the 1/300 and 1/1200 models I did for other ages. Many many many…. 😉
Like these in both scales

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[Richard]

Nice work!

[Author]

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