Pre-order - Trumpeter 05360 - 1:350 German Battleship Gneisenau

Pre-order item! Your order will be fulfilled once the manufacturer releases the model. Estimated availability: late September 2026. The delivery date is approximate and may change for reasons beyond our control.

Plastic Model Kit of the Battleship Gneisenau in 1:350 Scale

Trumpeter 05360 is a plastic model kit reproducing the battleship Gneisenau – the second Scharnhorst-class warship of the Kriegsmarine, launched on December 8, 1936, in Kiel. Together with her sister ship Scharnhorst, Gneisenau formed the backbone of the Kriegsmarine’s surface strike force and during the early years of World War II operated as a pair, tying down Allied naval forces and posing a constant threat to Atlantic supply routes.

In 1:350 scale, the completed model measures approximately 670 mm in length, offering an excellent balance between detail and display size. The kit contains around 900 parts, photo-etched detail sheets for railings, ladders, and antennas, as well as water-slide decals. The three triple 28 cm main battery turrets, complex superstructure, and secondary armament are all reproduced in fine detail.

Inside the box you will find:

• Plastic sprues with hull, superstructure, gun turrets, and deck equipment components
• Photo-etched parts (railings, ladders, antennas, radar components)
• Water-slide decal sheet
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Model technical details:

• Scale: 1:350
• Catalog number: 05360
• Manufacturer: Trumpeter
• Completed model length: approx. 670 mm
• Number of parts: approx. 900
• Difficulty level: advanced

Note: The kit does not include glue, paints, or modeling tools. The model requires assembly and painting.

Building the model:

A warship model of this class in 1:350 scale is a multi-stage project requiring modeling experience. Photo-etched components (railings, ladders, brackets) should be attached using cyanoacrylate glue and handled with precision tweezers. It is recommended to paint the hull, deck, and superstructure sections before final assembly. The main gun turrets are best assembled and painted separately to accurately reproduce the color differences between components.

Gneisenau carried several camouflage schemes during her service life – the most popular for scale models is the dark gray Dunkelgrau scheme (for example Tamiya XF-24 Dark Grey or equivalent) combined with a light beige wooden deck finish. An enamel wash applied over a glossy varnish coat effectively highlights rivet lines and hull plating details, while a final matte varnish finish enhances realism.

Essential tools:

• Model sprue cutters for removing parts from sprues
• Modeling knife or scalpel
• Files and sandpaper
• Plastic cement
• Cyanoacrylate glue for photo-etched parts
• Paint brushes in various sizes and precision tweezers
• Model paints and matte varnish
• Wash for highlighting details

About the ship – Battleship Gneisenau:

Gneisenau was the second Scharnhorst-class warship, launched on December 8, 1936, at the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel and commissioned on May 21, 1938. The ship was officially classified by the Germans as a battleship, although due to her smaller 28 cm guns (instead of the more typical 38 cm caliber), the Allies often referred to her as a battlecruiser. Gneisenau could reach speeds of approximately 31 knots, making her one of the fastest capital ships of her era.

Gneisenau and Scharnhorst operated together for most of the war. During the Norwegian campaign in 1940, they sank the British aircraft carrier HMS Glorious and two destroyers. Between December 1940 and March 1941, they conducted the daring Operation Berlin (Atlantic raid), during which they sank 22 Allied merchant ships. In February 1942, together with the cruiser Prinz Eugen, both ships carried out the famous Channel Dash (Operation Cerberus), sailing through the English Channel from Brest back to Germany. On February 26–27, 1942, during an RAF bombing raid on Kiel, Gneisenau suffered severe bomb damage and never returned to active combat service; on March 23, 1945, she was scuttled as a blockship in the port of Gdynia.

Technical data of the original vessel (Gneisenau, 1940):

• Combat displacement: approx. 38,900 tons
• Length: 235.4 m
• Beam: 30 m
• Draft: 9.9 m
• Crew: approx. 1,669 personnel
• Main armament: 9 × 28 cm SK C/34 guns (3 triple turrets)
• Secondary armament: 12 × 15 cm guns, 14 × 10.5 cm guns, 16 × 3.7 cm guns, numerous 2 cm AA guns, 6 × 53.3 cm torpedo tubes
• Propulsion: steam turbines, 160,000 hp, 3 propellers
• Maximum speed: approx. 31.5 knots
• Scuttled: March 23, 1945 (as a blockship in Gdynia harbor)

About the manufacturer – Trumpeter:

Trumpeter is a Chinese model manufacturer based in Zhongshan, specializing in large and highly detailed warship, aircraft, and military vehicle kits. In 1:350 scale, Trumpeter offers an extensive range of Kriegsmarine, US Navy, Royal Navy, and other naval subjects. Their kits are appreciated for detailed engineering and rich box contents (photo-etched parts, decals), although aftermarket accessories are often used by advanced modelers to achieve the highest level of realism. Trumpeter’s World War II warship series in 1:350 scale is one of the company’s flagship product lines and is highly popular among collectors worldwide.