Galleon "Roter Löwe" Ship Model Kit 1:55

Model ship Galeone Roter Löwe (Red Lion) - kit from manufacturer Mamoli

History of the original:

The Galeone Roter Löwe was built in the Netherlands in 1597 and was one of the first seagoing warships to be used on behalf of the Electors of Brandenburg. In 1601, the Königsberg City Council purchased the ship on behalf of Elector Georg Friedrich I of Brandenburg for around 5,000 guilders. With a tonnage of around 240 to 250 tonnes, a length of 28 metres and a width of eight metres, the ‘Red Lion’ was a compact but powerful ship. It was rigged with three masts, equipped as a full-rigged ship and had around 18 guns, including stone cannons that fired stone balls. The crew consisted of about 30 men.

From 1602 to 1605, the ‘Rote Löwe’ was stationed as a guard ship in the port of Pillau and was regularly dismantled in winter. During this time, Captain Peter Hintze was in command. The ship's flags were striking: at the stern, it flew the black and white flag of its home port of Königsberg, and at the mainmast, the red Brandenburg eagle. The galleon thus embodied both military strength and the representative claim of the Electorate of Brandenburg.

In 1608, the ‘Roter Löwe’ sailed under Captain Johann Fett with a cargo of wood to Lisbon, where it was sold together with its cargo. Nothing certain is known about its further fate. A dispatch from Genoa in 1651 mentions the arrival of a ship named Rothe Löw, but it remains unclear whether this was actually the Brandenburg galleon or another ship of the same name.

Even though its documented period of service was relatively short, the ‘Roter Löwe’ marks the beginning of Brandenburg's maritime and naval policy. As a symbol of a still small but ambitious maritime power, it stands at the beginning of the long history of the Brandenburg-Prussian navy.

Description of the kit:

The kit contains all the parts needed to build the model. The keel and frames are precision laser cut. All the wood and strips for the double planking are selected by hand. The cast metal and brass etched fittings are of good quality. Rigging material and distinctive flags are included in the kit and do not need to be purchased separately. A set of sails is not included. Some of the colourful decorations on the sides are already printed on the wood. A metal-cast lettering with the name of the ship is included. Large construction plans and multilingual instructions guide you safely through the entire construction process.

Who is the kit suitable for?

The kit is suitable for model builders with extensive experience in historical ship modelling.

What else is needed?

Paints, adhesives and tools are required and can be found in our range.

What do the building instructions look like?

The kit contains 5 large-format construction plans with drawings and sketches that describe the construction process. Technical understanding is required here. The instructions assume basic knowledge of ship model building. Rigging is explained, but is not easy for model builders with little experience.

Languages: German, English, Italian

The building instructions are not available for download.

Technical data:

Scale 1:55
Length 720 mm
Height 540 mm