Germany produced a total of 15 Zerstörer 1936A-class destroyers, which the Allies referred to as the Narvik class. They were actually closer in size to a light cruiser than a destroyer, and they were known only by their hull numbers and didn’t receive any name. They sported powerful 5.9-inch guns, with the last three destroyers constructed by F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG in Kiel. Z38 was the penultimate destroyer of the class after being commissioned on 20 March 1943. One of its first combat missions was to escort the Scharnhorst battleship, and near the end of the war it operated in the Baltic Sea as German forces retreated. Z38 had a combat displacement of 3,691 tons and required a crew of 330 sailors. After WWII it was seized by the UK and used as a test ship under the name Nonsuch before being scrapped in 1950.

Dragon has earlier offered 1/350 scale kits of the Z31 and Z39 destroyers, and they’re now being joined by their sister Z38. This new kit comes with a brand new bridge and aft platform created by slide mold. As with Dragon’s earlier destroyers, this kit is produced with the highest levels of engineering and molding excellence. The destroyer can be assembled as a full-hull or waterline-hull kit, while a comprehensive selection of photo-etched parts are available to upgrade the sophisticated plastic components. To finish off the kit, there are even some miniature figures that can be added. This is a stunning kit, and when the Z31, Z38 and Z39 trio is alongside, they allow modelers to discern the development process of this important class of Kriegsmarine warship.