"Zwarte Zee" - the Dutch sea tug - rescue ship

The tugboat "Zwarte Zee" (Black Sea) was launched in 1933 on July 2 and built in the Dutch city Kinderdijk shipyard "L. Smit & Co's Internationale Sleepdienst". He joined the service under the flag of this company in 1933 October 3. At that time Holland practically had a monopoly in the construction of sea tugs - rescuers and built increasingly larger and more powerful ships. The “Zwarte Zee” was the world's largest towing tug until 1957, and its prestige was further enhanced by the fact, that Duchess Juliana, who later became Queen of Holland, sailed on her maiden voyage. When the Germans invaded Holland on April 10, 1940, the "Zwarte Zee" took "on tug" the hull of the unfinished destroyer (later named "Isaac Sweers") and evacuated to Great Britain. There, on August 20, during a German air raid, it capsized and sank due to a bomb exploding nearby. But the ship was raised and repaired and from February 1941 she served in the Salvage Tug Section and was designated W 163. During her service, she crossed the Atlantic many times and visited many ports on the east coast of the United States. In 1946 the tugboat returned to its country, in 1948 it was rebuilt, changing the shape of the end. In 1953 the “Zwarte Zee” made a significant contribution to the Dutch rescue efforts during severe floods. Sold for cutting in 1966.

Not too complicated, beautiful and well detailed model represents the tugboat, as it was in 1948. When working under the supervision of a more experienced modeler, this small ship model will be excellent even for a modeler with little experience. By the way, it is possible to glue the model without the underwater part. Railings are printed on transparent thin plastic.