Heller Ships 1/400 Dunkerque French Battleship Kit
Put on the slipway in Brest on 24 December 1932 and launched on 2 October 1935, the Dunkerque was, like its sister ship, the Strasbourg, difficult to classify. In fact slower but better protected than a battle cruiser, its armor was less than that of a battleship, but on the other hand, it had a higher speed. Maritime historians most often classify them as battle cruisers.
After having completed its testing, the Dunkerque was allowed to enter into service on May 1, 1937. In April 1940 it joined the "Force de Raid" based at Mers-el-Kebir in anticipation of possible war in Italy. The Dunkerque is the flagship of the force.
On July 3, 1940, when the British attacked the base, the Dunkerque received four powerful shells of 380 mm, and ran aground in the harbor. Three days later, the ship was again severely damaged.
After brief repairs, it was finally returned to Toulon in February 1942. On November 27, when German troops tried to get their hands on the French ships present in the arsenal of Toulon, the Dunkerque was scuttled along with nearly 90 ships of the French Navy. What remained of the Dunkerque was refloated in 1945 and finally demolished in 1958.
- Parts for 1 model
- 1 decal sheet
- Instructions