1/150 Helgoland Class 30.5cm (12") SK L/50 Guns x6

1/150 Scale Imperial German Navy 30.5cm/50 (12") SK L/50 Guns x6. Highly detailed parts, created from plans and many reference photos. Parts have been printed to minimise wax support contact and maximise detail. This configuration Was used on Helgoland Class Battleships. Please contact me for other pricing alternatives.


Details include:

• Set Contains 6 Turrets and 12 separately printed Barrels that can be elevated as desired
• 2x Turrets have Sighting Port on alternate side of Turret roof
• Rivets, Hex Bolts, Vents, Sighting Ports, Blast Bag Fasteners

Historical Data
These guns were fitted to many battleships and battlecruisers completed just before and after the start of World War I. When compared to contemporary British guns in terms of penetrating power, they were superior to the 12"/45 (30.5 cm) and 12"/50 (30.5 cm) guns, and only slightly less powerful than the 13.5" (34.3 cm) guns. They were, of course, completely outclassed by the 15"/42 (38.1 cm) guns used on the Queen Elizabeth class.

The battlecruisers Derfflinger and Lützow used these weapons at the Battle of Jutland (Skagerrak) to sink the British battlecruisers HMS Queen Mary and HMS Invincible.

The World War I Coastal Defense Battery Kaiser Wilhelm II located near Knocke in Belgium was equipped with four of these guns.

The mountings for these guns used electric pumps to drive hydraulic elevation gear while the training was all electric. These guns also had hydraulically worked rammers and breeches, the first fitted to German large-caliber guns. These changes increased the rate of fire, with most ships having a ROF of 20 seconds while the Kaiser class were reported to have had an overall ammunition supply speed of three rounds in 48 seconds, including all transfers.

In World War II these guns were used only as coastal artillery. They were then supplied with a more streamlined shell and used a larger propellant charge, giving them increased range. The best known battery was the six-gun Friedrich August at Wangerooge. Later, three of these guns on BSG mountings were moved to near Wimille on the Channel Coast.

Constructed from shrunk on tubes and hoops and used the Krupp horizontal sliding wedge breech block.

Actual bore diameter was 30.50 cm (12.008").

Cleaning Information
Some part cleanup will be necessary. The 3D printing process uses a waxy substance to support certain part features during the printing process. Although the parts are cleaned by Shapeways, some waxy residue may remain.  It can be safely removed with water and a mild aqueous detergent like "Simple Green" using an old, soft toothbrush, Q-tips or pipe cleaners. During the printing process, liquid resin is cured by ultraviolet light. Microscopic bits of resin may remain uncured.

Let your parts sit in direct sunlight for a few hours to fully cure the resin.  
Water-based acrylic paints meant for plastics is strongly recommended. Other paints, especially enamels, may not cure on Frosted Detail 3D-printed plastics.
Use dedicated model sprue cutters to remove parts to minimise the risk of damage to parts.
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