Hi there,

My first post here, hopefully you can all help!

My friend is a Scuba Diver and has dived the U-260 off the coast of Cork a few times. I'd like to build a model of it, and was looking at the Revell 1:144 Type VII C model ( [www.revell-monogram.com] ).

That model gives a few options, mainly listed as 'Early' and Late'. From what I can see, the obvious differences involve a Net Cutter and the cables running from the front of the U-Boat to the Conning Tower have a triangular support structure on the early versions ( the pdf of the Revell Instructions show this on Pages 6, 8, and 9 : [manuals.hobbico.com] ). There are some differences with the Conning Tower as well.

So basically I'm trying to figure out if I should build the 'early' or 'late' model. U-260 was built in March 1942, I don't know if that was early or late, and was upgraded with a Schnorkel in 1944, but I don't know if other work would have been done as well.

I've been lucky enough to find some pictures of it ( [www.iol.ie] ) but they don't show the cables coming from the front of the U-boat, and in fact really just point out the differences between the Revell Kit ( which has a round Coning Tower and 1 AA Gun on the Tower ) and the real U-260 ( much squarer Tower and 2 AA Guns ). While it's a shame to see how incorrect the model will be, I'll make do with what I can get.

I plan to cut up the decals that come with the Model to make up 'U-260' ( thankfully there is a 2, 6, and 0 in the decals ). I'm not sure which paint scheme to do either, 4 or 5 are listed at the end of the Instructions, but I don't know which would be appropriate.

So, any suggestions or advice at all would be appreciated, thanks!

Jason.