Lego was my childhood. Around 1992/3, or around 7 years old, I built a 30cm Das Boot U-96 model in black and grey bricks, may have a picture somewhere..
Some years later I built a 60cm long model of the pocket battleship Graf Spee. I had just read "The Hunt for Altmark", wherein the operations including the Graf Spee was detailed. Of course there was no such thing as uniform bricks to be bought in stores here, so it was all in rainbow colors. Turrets that turned, individual barrels could be lifted, AA, etc.
Also built a small Bismarck one time.
One thing I remember vividly was the day Estonia sank. It made a big impression on me. Alone in my room, I started building a model of it, in memory of the people and the ship lost. Model in white and blue.