AFV Club 1/350 Type VIIC U-Boat Kit First Look

By Cookie Sewell

First Look

Following on the heels of their very nice Typ VII B U-boot, AFV Club has now joined it with an equally nice Typ VII C. The most common of all of the U-boots built during WWII, this kit has some small differences from the B and twice the etched brass (from 7 to 15 parts).

Like the B this kit is tiny at less than 19 centimeters long when complete. The molded detail on this submarine is amazing – it shares the B sprue with the VII B kit – and it offers the ability to open up the completed hull and view the pressure hull and conning tower protrusion once finished.

But this kit only comes with one conning tower and no optional “Wintergarten” fits for the antiaircraft suite.

The model provides a wealth of tiny details in the form of most of the braces, brackets and guards found on the original and even provides for rotation of the deck gun on the finished model. All parts appear to be nearly scale, which causes a normal problem with AFV Club kits of very fragile and tiny parts requiring extreme care in handling them. Four torpedoes are provided for diorama fans wanting port details to go with the model.

This kit offers finishing options for either U-96 with the happy swordfish insignia in grey (I have only seen it in red, but that may be due to the artwork and not accuracy – U-boot markings are not my forte), U-201 and U-558. The etched brass provides many of the details seen on the VII C type and in this case includes radio antenna cables, handrails on the conning tower, and sinking pennants. AA fit on this kit is one 8.8 cm deck gun and two 2 cm guns on the conning tower.

Overall this is again a neat little model and one that will help anyone wishing to model his own “wolfpack” or “Enemy Below” diorama with the Buckley class DE ramming the sub.

Sprue Layout:

• A 12 Lower hull, pressure hull,
• B 45 Base, deck guns, hull details
• C 6 Type VII C upper hull, details, conning towers
• MA 15 Etched brass