DKM Graf Spee
Commander: Peter Hawkins, Midway (Wagga Wagga) Battle Squadron.
DKM Graf SpeeA purpose build raider and the third ship of her class, Graf Spee was armed with six 11 inch guns but clad in just 3 inches of armour. The most famous of the class, she was used as a raider in the South Atlantic until she was damaged by the cruisers Ajax, Achilles and Exeter on 13/12/1939. She knocked out the Exeter, heavily damaged the Ajax and lightly damaged the Achilles. She took refuge in the neutral Argentine port of Montevideo but came out to scuttle herself on 17/12/39.Peter's Graf Spee was 'launched' January 2000 in Adelaide and was built with a number of 'new' and untried construction techniques in order to reduce topside weight (polycarbonate decks and superstructure which was foam filled, No cap rail, ESC, geared dual motors driving scale props (20mm) and 2x7.2v nicads). Due to some flaws in the fibreglass hull the quarterdeck had to be raised and levelled off by about 1cm while a 'bend' of about 2.5cm along the long axis of the ship had to be delt with. Needless to say she was very much untried prior to her first battle (like the Panthers at Kursk!) and suffered accordingly. A major failing was too thin blast shields which allowed shots to go clean through her She was refitted with 'fuel line' direct drive, her rudder increased to 125% (instead of scale), new polycarbonate blast shields, mechanical speed control, new motors added and a 7Ah 6V SLA battery. Again this was all done as last minute and she was only partially operational for January 2001. She lost a set of barrels overboard due to trying "lock ties" to fasten them on Her 2nd refit saw redone stuffing tubes increasing the shaft diameter from 1.5mm to 4mm, new brass props at 50% oversize (30mm diameter), new 385 motors, bilge keels added, water channel added, automatic water sensor for pump, new mounting system for firing valves/servo(reduced to one)/gas bottle, reduced front magazine size from 4" to 3" and redone float. She was much better equipped this time. But due to a problem with a blockage within the low pressure feed line to the front accumulator she had only her rear cannon for half the day during the October 2001 battle at Bowning. Currently she is undergoing her 3rd refit which sees the polycarbonate deck replaced with 1.5mm ply, new deck mounting system, a lightening of her foam filled superstructure, more detail added, a full cap rail installed, new float, redo of her firing valve/servo bracket, redone depression servo mountings and turret covers added. Still in the planning stages is rewiring the servos to take their power directly from the battery and not via the receiver, smaller 4Ah 6V SLA or lithium ion batteries (camcorder batteries), cutdown servos and perhaps servos instead of sailwinches for rotation. Type
Status
National Battle Honours
January 2001 AusBG National Meet, Bowning NSW October 2001 AusBG Meet, Bowning NSW Rule Exemptions granted by the Techical Officer to this vessel
Statistics
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