Dragon 1037 1/350 German Z-39 Class Destroyer Plastic Model Kit

 

The Z-39 was a Type 1936A (Mob) destroyer that was commissioned in August 1943 and became operational in January 1944. After working up, she was transferred to Reval on the Gulf of Finland and took part in mining operations in company with Z-25 and Z-35. Later while in route to Baltisch Port in Estonia on June 23, 1944 she came under air attack and was damaged by bombs. Escorted by Z-28 she headed for Swinemunde by way of Libau. Further repairs were planned in Copenhagen, but without sufficient fuel, Z-39 repairs were instead made in Swinemunde and were completed in late March 1945.

 

Z-39 was back in action escorting transports to Bay of Danzig and providing gun support for the German forces ashore. She was lightly damaged by air attack again while escorting Z-43 to Warrnemunde. In early May she joined the old German Battleship Schlesien in bombarding Soviet units and covering the bridge over Peene River. Z-39 was called upon to tow the Schlesien to safety when that ship struck a mine. They made it all the way to Swinemunde where the old battleship was left grounded in a position where the guns could cover the roads leading into the city. Z-39 resumed bombardment until German forces were forced to withdraw from the area. From the Z-39 along with Z-38, torpedo boat T-33, and tender Jagd escorted five steamers loaded with 35,000 refugees and wounded soldiers. Z-39 made another rescue trip before sailing to Kiel where she was decommissioned on May 10th.

 

After the war Z-39 was sailed to Plymouth in the UK and on to Boston Navy Yard where she was turned over to the US Navy as a war prize. In September her Anglo-German crew was demobilized and Z-39 was commissioned into the US Navy as DD-939. After extensive study of the German design, Z-39 was turned over to the French Navy in 1947, where she was eventually cannibalized for spare parts. Plans to upgrade her were never acted on and in 1953 she was broken up for scrap.

 

Dragon has continued their Smart Kit line with this important German Destroyer. A nice followup to their Scharnhorst kit. This kit is typical of later Type 1936A (Mob) destroyers with the forward twin turret replacing the two single 5" gun houses. No two ships of this class were exactly alike, but it would be pretty easy to modify this kit into the other ships in this group which include Z31, Z 32, Z 33, Z 34, Z 37, and Z 38. The ship is in her final German fit and can also be built to represent DD-939 in US service.