EOW 18 - Pancerniki Typu Bismarck cz. 4 - Bismarck/Tirpitz is the fourth book in a series of five about the Bismarck Class battleships. The book is wrapped in plastic and comes with three folded 2-sided sheets. The book mainly deal with hull issues of the Bismarck and Tirpitz.

Book contents:

o Format is A4 size

o 64 pages + cover.

o 83 B/W pictures, with Polish/English captions

o 3 drawings

o 2 colour plates (paint schemes) by Zbigniew Kolacha

o 4 sheets of A1 size plans (by Miroslaw Skwiot and based on information from shipyard drawings)

o 2 sheets of A1 size 3D drawings (by Miroslaw Skwiot and Adam Jarski)

Sheet I/II: 1:200 line-drawings of Bismarck by Miroslaw Skwiot, 2-sided sheet 58,5 cm x 83,0 cm

o Superstructure details

Sheet III/IV: 1:200 line-drawings of Tirpitz by Miroslaw Skwiot, 2-sided sheet 58,5 cm x 83,0 cm

o Frames -, interior - and side view drawings of Tirpitz based on original ship yard drawings

Sheet V/VI: 3D drawings by Witold Hazuka, Miroslaw Skwiot and Adam Jarski

o 3D drawings of Bismarck's superstructure

Except the English captions the text in the book is entirely written in Polish which I sadly don't understand. But the book focus on the hull of Bismarck and Tirpitz.

The book is, as always, richly illustrated with many photos of high quality, drawings, and schemes.

Two pages shows excellent camouflage schemes of Tirpitz. The paint schemes are quite accurate and excellent, as usual. AJ-Press really should be recognised for all the efforts they put into making these paint schemes.

As usual, the buyer will get a very good book. On top of that are the excellent sheets with drawings and amazing 3D drawings. These drawings are well worth the book-price alone. Poland have some very highly skilled 3D artists and they are among the best I have ever seen. Here you really have a chance to enjoy their work.

Conclusion:

I can only highly recommend this book for ship modellers and Bismarck and Tirpitz enthusiasts. It is an excellent and very useful book.

John Asmussen