Cruel Seas: Modelling Drache - The First Helicopter Carrier

Drache

It's the 26th September, 1943. You are looking through the gun-camera of a Bristol Beaufighter at a ship called the Drache - and she's taking a straffing from the Beau's four 20mm cannon and six .303 machine guns.

This time, she survived.

Drache is a very special ship because she was the very first to carry a helicopter on a flight deck.

Zmaj Sea Plane Tender

In 1928, The Royal Yugoslavian Navy decided it needed a  tender to support its seaplanes operating along the Dalmatian coast so commissioned an 83 M vessel from Hamburg that they named Zmaj - Dragon. The above drawing shows the ship as built with a central crane and two 3.29" Skoda AA guns plus two twin 40mm. The Zmaj carried a De Haviland Moth.

Minelayer

In 1937, the RYN converted Zmaj to a minelayer and used in that role during the German invasion. She was credited - and I use the word advisedly - with the sinking of of some Yugoslav civilian ships.

Zmaj was captured by the Germans on the 17th September, 1941 and renamed Drache - Dragon.

The Kriegsmarine re-designated her as a Flugzeugbergungsschiff (wonderfully expressive language - German), an aircraft rescue ship - pretty much changing the ship back to her original role

Schiff, Showing 4.1" Gun

At the end of 1942, Drache was moved to the Aegean and underwent a refit back to being a minelayer in the spring or summer of 1942. She was re-equipped with two 105 mm (4.1") guns, five 37 mm and six 20 mm cannon.

Stern 

Minedeck

A rear platform was added with space for 240 mines on four rails.

The Germans also renamed her Schiff, but she is better known as Drache so I use that name here. Drache was successful as a mine layer, laying fields sinking two allied destroyers and blowing the bows off a third.

Brandenburg Marine Commando Boarding

She took part in the Aegean campaign, serving mainly as a troop transport; a task for which she was well suited due to the large uncluttered rear upper deck.

Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri ("Hummingbird")

The same deck made Drache ideal for trials as an experimental helicopter carrier. The chopper was unarmed and intended to be used as a spotter - submarines being visible at some depth in the clear, impoverished Mediterranean.

Drache - Final Appearance

On the 22nd September, 1944, Drache was anchored in Vathy Harbour on the island of Samos when the Beaufighters finally got her. Despite her heavy AA, the planes set her alight, killing her captain and many of the crew. She exploded and sank two hours later.

Model

I made the Drache using the resin hull from a Warlord Games German minelayer as a base. This entailed changing the bridge, extending the raised fo'c'sle, flattening the rear, and laying a top deck. I should have moved the 'funnel' aft but it is an integral part of the resin hull and I confess that i just couldn't be bothered to chop it off and make a new one.

Landing Deck

The Flettner is a 1:300 metal model from Heroics & Ross. The chopper is manned and the deck crew are giving the go ahead to launch (more H&R German infantry models).

Successful Launch

The Flettner is up, up and away!

Action Stations

But what's this! After recovery of the aircraft a sneaky Beaufighter attacks at low level.

Kaboom

And straddles the Drache with a stick of bombs, setting the aircraft fuel alight.

Lucky Escape

A Spitfire makes a pass at a Warlord Games Stuka over Bomb Alley in 1940.

I have to say that these Warlord 1:300 planes are amazing. They are so detailed with recessed panels. Old 1:72 kits rarely managed recessed panels. Apparently, it's because of the modern use of CADCAM techniques.

The old unbranded Spitfire model from my collections is nice but it can't compare.