02/2021

• Page 1

  Vol 20, February 2021

  ISSUE 132

  INFO

• Page 2

  INFO

  EDUARD

  ISSUE 132

  © Eduard - Model Accessories, 2021

  FREE FOR DOWNLOAD, FREE FOR DISTRIBUTION!

  This material may only be used for personal use. No part of the text

  or graphic presentations can be used in another publication in any other media form

  or otherwise distributed without the prior written

  permission of Eduard - Model Accessories and authors involved.

  Editorial and Graphics - Marketing department, Eduard - Model Accessories, Ltd.

• Page 3

  eduard

  EDITORIAL

  4

  FEBRUARY 2021

  KITS

  HISTORY

  BRASSIN

  PHOTO-ETCHED SETS

  BIGED

  RELEASE

  BUILT

  ON APPROACH

  February 2021

  March 2021

  58

  62

  32

  6

  48

  65

  66

  76

  Spitre Mk.IIa ProPACK 1/48

  Kampfstift Limited edition 1/48

  Nieuport Ni-17 Weekend edition 1/72

  Spitre Mk.IIa 1/48

  F-6D/K 1/48

  Bf 109G-10 1/48

  Du doch nicht!! 1/48

  F-6D/K 1/48

  IL Magnico 1/48

  CONTENT

  The ying element: Willi Gabriel

  STARDUST

  FROM DORNIER TO U-BOAT

  91

  TAIL END CHARLIE

  Issued by Eduard-Model Accessories, spol. s.r.o.

  Mírová 170, Obrnice 435 21

  support@eduard.com www.eduard.com

• Page 4

  Dear Friends and Modellers,

  Under normal circumstances, today would be the

  day that I inform you of the goings-on at our press

  conference at the Nuremberg Toy Fair. But as we

  all know, the term ‘normal circumstances’ simply

  does not currently apply, and any expansion of the

  tradion that is the press conference is being torn

  apart by the cancellaon of the fair. I must admit to

  a certain sense of, perhaps, not so much as harm

  from all this, but a bit of a relief. I don’t even know

  what became of the plans to move the fair to the

  summer months. But even that is a moot point,

  because if the fair were to be held in the summer,

  we sll would not be in aendance. In the summer,

  we are expecng to have other pressing maers

  to aend to. The pandemic situaon is sll a very

  dramac aair, and the vaccinaon programs are

  falling behind schedule. This, in such a behemoth

  endeavor, is to be expected and should surprise no

  one. I expect the systems in place will be ne-tuned

  within a few weeks, and the program will begin to

  run smoothly. And maybe even here, in the Czech

  Republic! And with that, what I am trying to say is

  that I expect there to be an increasing relaxaon

  of the restricons through the course of the sum-

  mer. That rst event that modellers will be able to

  aend, that will be one for the history books!

  NOBODY’S PERFECT

  I will begin my monthly descripon of events and

  new products by addressing a mistake, which was

  made in January. Consequently, the addion of

  the SPACE sample in purchased P-51D-5 kits had to

  be cancelled. I don’t want to blame everything on

  December’s re, but of course, it is a factor. Every-

  thing came together thusly: Aer the re, we had

  no P-51D-5 kits in our inventory. No Weekend kits,

  no ProPACK kits. Aer the reopening of the retail

  department on January 11th, it appeared as though

  we would not be able to sell any of them. Produc-

  on then pulled all the SPACE sets that were ready

  to be included in orders that contained P-51D-5 kits,

  and immediately began selling them on their own.

  We then decided that we would take the salvagea-

  ble Overtrees P-51s, and turn them into Weekend

  Edion kits. The repackaging along this line went

  quickly, and some 82 P-51D-5 Weekend kits were

  put up for sale. Unfortunately, no one realized that

  the SPACE sets, by then down to almost nothing in

  inventory, were not being replenished, and by the

  me the realizaon kicked in, most of the Weekend

  P-51D-5s were sold. And all this took place over the

  course of a day, just so you don’t get the idea that

  we are somewhat slow over here. In this situaon,

  it seemed pointless to change the terms of sale.

  Unfortunately, during this hecc and complicated

  period surrounding the resumpon of sales acvi-

  es, there was also a communicaon breakdown

  that led to customers not being informed about the

  Mustangs being sent out without the SPACE sets,

  because the markeng department received the

  informaon too late. I truly do apologize for the

  mess. It came about as the result of everyone de-

  aling with too many things at once, and the sale of

  one item was not our main goal. And how will this

  situaon evolve? The Mustang should go back into

  stock in middle of February Not just the P-51D-5

  Weekend kit, but other versions as well, such as the

  F-6D. Once the Weekend D-5 again becomes avai-

  lable, we will reignite the oer of the addion of

  the SPACE set samples for inclusion. Those, that got

  their kit in January, have been sent an email about

  further procedures. That will be that anyone who

  will put in an order will receive a SPACE sample with

  said order, and who doesn’t, will receive it separa-

  tely. I hope that this will sele this issue to everyo-

  ne’s sasfacon.

  SPRUES, SPRUES, SPRUES

  The retail department was reopened aer the re

  on January 11th, and resumed operaon. It needs

  to be taken into account that this was done under

  some very dicult condions. Just during the rst

  week, residual water inltrated down into the res-

  tored warehouse secon on three separate occasi-

  ons. The overall condions in the warehouse were,

  and connue to be, somewhat unpleasant. We have

  had to bale not just that rst week, but through all

  of January, with various lile surprises and pialls

  associated with the return to operaonal condi-

  ons. The biggest issue faced, and really was pre-

  dictable, was the lack of plasc for the compleon

  of kits. This was expected to be the main issue into

  February, and the lack was also ancipated to be

  increasingly apparent in our endeavors. The majo-

  rity of items were sold out already through January,

  and others will follow suit in February. When you

  have almost a million plasc sprues go up in smoke,

  it’s gonna get noced somewhere! Of course, we

  started molding plasc immediately with the begi-

  nning of January. Priority is given to new releases,

  and that is how it will stay, so the beginning of the

  molding acvity was dedicated to February’s new

  releases, and right now that has shied to those

  for March. Those have to be ready to be shipped

  by mid-February. This includes the buildup of stock

  of all the associated accessory items, too. So, as

  an example, for the Spiire Mk.II, this means not

  only geng ready the ProPACK kit of the model,

  but also Spiire Story: Tally Ho and Spiire Story:

  The Few. Then, there’s the Spiire Mk.Ia ProPACK.

  This is a paern that will connue. March’s new

  Fw 190A-5 will see with it the addion of another

  six Fw 190A versions. For some items, this will likely

  mean some length of me when they will be dela-

  yed, but I am convinced that this systemac reple-

  nishing of our catalog will be the most eecve, and

  by the middle of the year, our catalog of available

  items will be more than sasfactory. With respect

  to pressing plasc, we are not alone, and already

  in January, we have had Special Hobby working

  closely with us, and more molding equipment has

  just been added to the mix. Our ability to put such

  an arrangement into moon has been dependent

  on preparing the molds along technical lines such

  that rms outside of our specic eld can eec-

  vely work with them with lile to no risk of any

  damage. So far, all seems to be working smoothly,

  and I am hopeful that molding will be running along

  at a good clip through February. We are truly doing

  what we can. Unfortunately, what has fallen behind

  is the development of the new molds intended for

  this year’s new releases. The machinists are busy

  with preparing the molds for producon, and the

  development of the new ones are suering from a

  serious lack of me. But even here, I see reason for

  opmism with regards to bringing this up to snu-

   through February, or by March, anyway. As if all

  these complicaons weren’t enough, in January,

  covid was not to be outdone by some dumb re.

  Four of our press operators were sidelined for that

  very reason, which amounts to one enre shi. To

  compensate and to try and maintain the required

  press tempo, machinists, including their supervisor,

  took turns in that department, besides their regular

  dues. Here, as with other companies who are fa-

  cing adversity, everyone has to roll up their sleeves.

  FEBRUARY NEW RELEASES/ACCESSORIES

  So, let’s turn our aenon to the new items coming

  out in February. We’ll start o with accessories.

  I would like to point out the six new EDUARD SPACE

  sets. These are designed for various versions of the

  Spiire Mk.I and Mk.II in 1:48th scale, two are for

  the MiG-21, PF and PFM in 1:72nd, and one is for

  the P-51D-5 Mustang in 48th. That was the set that

  was intended for inclusion with Mustang kits pur-

  chased in January, and will now happen in Februa-

  ry. Because this was part of the process of pung

  these new items in producon for February, it will

  now gure as a part of the normal release schedule

  of new items as well. If you intend to take advan-

  tage of the oer of these with the kit, then you can

  simply ignore it as a new item o of our e-shop.

  I must point out that the oer is only valid from our

  e-shop. Retailers are not making this oer to you,

  and for P-51D-5 kits bought outside of our e-shop,

  the oer does not apply. We also have three new

  LookPlus sets being released, including for the Mi-

  -24V and the Do 17Z in 1:48th scale. In the classic

  Brassin range, you’ll nd a list of smaller sets, most

  notably of weapon sets. Here, I would also like to

  single out one item, and that is the set for the Spray

  Booms in 1:72nd scale for the Z-37A. This is Set No.

  672253. This set is a sort of a window into the futu-

  re. A part of the set is not in cast resin, but a direct

  3D print. This is a road we’d like to go down, and

  take full advantage of the potenal oered by this

  technology. Our goal is to produce a good part of

  resin accessory sets as straight 3D prints by the se-

  cond half of the year.

  Photoetched and mask sets oer several collecons

  of items designed for interesng models that have

  recently been released, such as the 1:32nd scale

  Tornado GR.4 (Italeri, 1:32nd), F-104DJ (Kinec,

  1:48th), Il-2 (Zvezda (1:48th), F-4EJ Kai (Fine Molds,

  1:72nd) and the Merkava Mk.2D (Takom, 1:35th).

  Also, please not the extensive releases of masks

  and the six new BigEd sets. In February, we also

  have four new decal sets coming out. These include

  to sheets of stencil data for the P-38 and the Harrier

  GR.7/9, both in 1:48th scale. The other two sets

  are classic marking sets covering the Fokker Dr.I in

  1:32nd. This is for the MENG kit, originally to be re-

  leased by WNW. The rst sheet is dubbed ‘Die alten

  Kanonen’, and is dedicated to the aces in general,

  with the second sheet focused on Dreideckers from

  Richthofen’s JG 1, called ‘Flying Circus / JG 1’.

  FEBRUARY NEW RELEASES / KITS

  The new kit releases for February are adversely

  aected by the re and its aermath. It only aects

  the release of new kits, fortunately. The number

  of new kits has been reduced to three, and the

  MiG-21bis in the Weekend Edion has been post-

  poned from the original release plan due to a shor-

  tage of plasc. The MiG will likely be released in the

  second half of the year. For the same reason, there

  is a postponement of the release of the 1:72nd sca-

  le ProPACK MiG-21MF Fighter Bomber. So, in the

  Weekend line, there remains only one release, and

  that is the Nieuport 17 in 1:72nd. This is, in my opi-

  nion, one of the nicest kits we have ever produced

  which remains, unfortunately, a bit of an outsider

  in terms of general popularity as a subject. It was

  created out of some rather unlikely circumstances.

  We prepared this item in, for us, the record me

  EDITORIAL

  eduard

  4

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 5

  of six months to make the premiere of the movie

  ‘Flyboys’. Today, the whole thing is really just a va-

  gue memory. Really, the movie was not much to

  write home about, and all of us who know some-

  thing about aircra, and their military applicaons,

  greeted the movie with a certain level of disappo-

  intment. Truth be told, despite having a few good

  things about it, it received a generally failing grade.

  But come to think of it, the only good thing about

  the lm that I can think of, at the moment, is that it

  did yield one very nice model. And it gets another

  chance to shine as a new Weekend Edion release.

  Last week, I had a good look at the decal sheet for

  this kit, and it, in and of itself, is a thing of beauty.

  We picked out four Frenchmen, and each is a sto-

  ry t for lm on their own. We have Charles Nun-

  gesser, Paul Tarascon, Georges Maon, Mathieu

  Tennant de la Tour. Foreign own machines, no less

  well-known or colourful, will be subjects for later

  releases.

  For February, we have the expected Spiire Mk.IIa

  in the ProPACK line. This boxing is the rst of the

  new graphic design type. Please note, that the

  ‘brass’ coloured porons of the box represent

  just that…brass, and not wood. That is not really,

  apparently, sinking in, and reacons so far have

  been posive, except that comments about the

  ‘wood’ elds are leading ‘brass’ 72 to zip. But, we

  will redouble our eorts and clear this up in favor

  of the brass. Either way, though, it seems that the

  change has been well received, something like the

  new guise of the Weekend Edion boxes. We are

  grateful for that. The assortment of opons for the

  Spiire Mk.IIa can be seen in the Gallery. I would

  like to point out one thing that you would surely

  miss without a hint. It concerns the background,

  and the shoreline below the aircra. Piotr painted

  the planes over the Normandy shores at Etretat.

  If you don’t know about this spot, don’t sweat it.

  Up unl recently, I never knew it existed. In the

  summer of 2019, when no one had any idea that

  a year later we’d all be running around with mas-

  ks on like a bunch of bandits, a part of our family

  and some friends went on a vacaon in Norman-

  dy. During the rst week, we stayed at Ouistreham,

  and I was completely sased there. Immediately,

  I became a regular at the Le Bistrot D-Day (in Ouis-

  treham, everything carries with it a D-Day referen-

  ce). The idea that I would rather drag myself two

  hours one way to stare at some clis somewhere

  named Etretat instead of staying put drinking co-

  ee and then switching over to beer, would not

  have appealed to me at all. In the end, my loyalty

  to my family and friends prevailed, and so I tagged

  along. As it so oen is in life, you nd great pleasu-

  re where you least expect it. Etretat not only put a

  spell over me with its scenery and atmosphere, but

  the story that I came across at the top of that hill.

  Or, at least, it reminded me of the story. There is

  a memorial there dedicated to Nungesser and Coli,

  because this was the last place where their aircra,

  L’Oiseau Blanc, had been seen during their now-

  -famous, tragic and secret ight from Paris to New

  York. From the moment I saw the memorial, Char-

  les Nungesser has captured my imaginaon. It’s not

  that I hadn’t heard of him before, but I took him as

  one of many yers, one of many aces of the Great

  War, and I never thought much more about the ma-

  er. That shouldn’t be taken as disrespect to hero-

  es, it’s just the way that it is. There are many yers

  that have aained hero status. But, once I dove into

  his warme and postwar exploits, and uncovered

  many mysterious facts and secrets connected with

  his disappearance, I began to realize that this indivi-

  dual was one helluva a badass. Even back when we

  were coming out with our 1:48th scale ProPACK

  Nieuport 17, I wanted to write an arcle about the

  man, but other things just kept geng in the way,

  and I never got around to it. Around the middle of

  January, as my brain was ring on all cylinders from

  all the previous acvity, I gured I would take the

  weekend and put it all aside, and as a sort of thera-

  py, I would write an essay about Nungesser. I didn’t

  write much, because I got stuck right on the story

  of his rst warme adventure. I was so suspicious

  of its truthfulness that I began to research the ma-

  er in greater detail, and that’s what I am sll doing

  now. However, my reward has been a gaining of in-

  sight into the histories of Mors and Citroen, and the

  mounted regiments of the German Imperial Army.

  And that, I am sure you will understand, is well

  worth it! So, at the moment, I don’t have my ar-

  cle. You may be wondering why I am explaining all

  this, and the reason is that there is an interesng,

  if unlikely, connecon between the Spiire (and its

  boxart), the Nieuport, and the town of Etretat.

  The third February release among kits is ‘Kampfs-

  ’, which is the Do 17Z, based around the ICM kit,

  in the Limited Edion line. This also has a connec-

  on to the Spiire, just as the Bf 109E and the Bf

  110C/D in the Adlerangri and Adlertag kits did be-

  fore, as Spiire foes. Contrary to the Bf 109E and Bf

  110C/D kits, we expanded the decal opons in this

  kit to cover a wider me span, approximately from

  the end of 1939 to the winter of 1942. That covers

  the beginning of the war, the invasion of Poland,

  the Bale of France and Britain, the Balkans con-

  ict, North Africa, across the Soviet planes and into

  Finland. It’s a sort of a ‘Tour de Europe 1939-1942’.

  HISTORICAL ARTICLES

  There are two arcles to go along with the Do 17.

  The rst is wrien by Jan Bobek, and is dedica-

  ted to the fate of the crew of Do 17Z 7T+HH from

  KGr.606. It is included in this newsleer, and believe

  me when I tell you that it is some story, where the

  commander of a Dornier becomes the commander

  of a submarine. First, he was sunk by the Brish,

  and the second me around, the Americans tried

  to send him to the boom. Then, the Brish tried

  again. Ulmately, it was the French that got him.

  At Dakar.

  The second, no less interesng arcle, is a study of

  the Do 17Z from Mira Baric and will come out in the

  March issue, and will be dedicated to the aircra

  coded 5K+AR from 7./KG 3. The arcle will describe

  not only the combat career and nal ight of this

  aircra, but also the story around the discovery and

  salvage of its wreck and subsequent restoraon.

  This literary works are the base of our otherwise

  a lile unevenul adversing material and also are

  one of the reasons why our newsleers are, and

  have been for quite some me now, a much an-

  cipated event among modellers. In this newsleer,

  there are three such arcles. Besides the afore-

  menoned arcles, there’s an arcle by Jan Zdiar-

  sky about Lt. Col. John C. Meyer and a borrowed

  Mustang named ‘Stardust’, with which Meyer had

  the most successful day of his combat career. The

  fact that the date of the events was September

  11th, 1944, will not surprise anyone familiar with

  Jan’s eld of interest, and just serves to conrm

  the importance of that date, a date that was made

  possible by some very extraordinary men. Besides

  focusing on Lt. Col. Meyer, the arcle describes

  a day in the life of the 352nd FG and the missions

  of the 8th USAAF.

  The third arcle was wrien by Richard Plos. It’s

  also a descripon of an event that, if it got into the

  hands of a lm script writer, it would be rejected on

  the basis that it is too dicult to believe. Although,

  geng back to the movie ‘Flyboys’, it could easily

  also be the other way around. The arcle describes

  the story of German ghter ace Willi Gabriel and

  has a connecon with not just at least two of our

  kits, but also to historical research surrounding the

  German ghter force during World War One. The

  two kits in queson are the 72nd scale Limited Edi-

  on kit Fokker Fokker! released this year in January

  and the 48th scale ProPACK kit of the Fokker D.VII(-

  Fok). Fokker Fokker! Is one of the kits that survived

  the blaze and is available through to now. And even

  that suggests something about the type in and of

  itself!

  And that’s it from me for now. I hope you nd some

  inspiraon within the pages of the historical ar-

  cles, and that you nd the rest of the informaon

  worthy of a close look.

  Happy Modelling!

  Vladimir Sulc.

  eduard

  5

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 6

  Collection of Bartłomiej Belcarz via Michal Ovčáčík

  Alex Imrie via Greg VanWyngarden

  HISTORY

  Although the name Willi Gabriel does not gure as a part of the shortlist of

  the most famous ghter aces of the Great War, his spectacularly decorated

  Fokker D.VII keeps him in the “lights” and general awareness. The aircraft

  with blue and orange stripes on the fuselage and elevator is still popular

  with plastic model producers, artists or even with ying replicas builders.

  For example, the replica built in 2010 by Engels Aeroplanbau for the TVAL

  company (founded by Peter Jackson) runs across the New Zealand´s skies

  in Gabriel´s marking and back in the time, the replica built by famous Cole

  Palen was performing spectacularly during Aviation Days at Old Rhinebeck

  Aerodrome (USA) in 1960´s. Willi Gabriel's pilot escapades are no less interes-

  ting and colourful than his mount. He was through periods of good fortune,

  as well as painful losses in his life and he also credited himself with one quite

  important credit.

  Flying brothers

  At the time, the territory of Poland was part of Prussia, the Bromberg town

  was what is known as Bydgoszcz today. There, at the very end of the 1893

  (December 31), twin brothers Willi and Walter were born in the family of the

  furniture manufacturer Eduard Gabriel. The two guys were very close each

  other for most of their lives. Not only because of their relationship, but also

  thanks to shared interests. As high school students, they liked to drill into va-

  rious machines, especially in internal combustion engines. Both have learned

  to drive very early as well, starting with motor racing once they managed to

  acquire their own car. Also, aviation was drawing attention of technically and

  adventurously minded young men.

  As they had enough wood, glue, and tools on hand thanks to father's factory,

  the desire to build their own aircraft was no surprise. At the age of eigh-

  teen, Gabriels started to build their own replica of Blériot based on plans in

  Flugsport magazine. Brothers managed to nish the plane, but it never ew,

  as no suitable engine was available to them. Therefore, they tried their luck

  with their own design, but it did not turn out any better. They have felt more

  aircraft design information would be helpful, so they made a trip to Johannis-

  thal, where Fokker Spin caught their attention. Upon return home, they have

  bought an Anzani aircraft engine developing some 30 hp and began to build

  a replica of the Fokker´s successful design. They also invented some improve-

  ments, and on August 16, 1912, Walter took o for the rst short hop. After that,

  both brothers continued to hone their piloting skills, as well as the aircraft´s

  design. Thanks to their eorts and commitment, both become good pilots, al-

  beit without an ocial pilot's license as it was quite expensive for them to invite

  representatives of the Deutschland Aero Club from Berlin for examinations. Willi

  later admitted, his brother was initially better pilot than him.

  THE FLYING ELEMENT

  WILLI GABRIEL

  Autor: Richard Plos

  Eleven aerial victories would hardly put Willi

  Gabriel to the pedestal of the Great War ghter

  aces. This achievement makes him just some-

  thing like a „second rate“ in the rst sight, but

  it must not be forgotten his ghter career was

  quite short. It lasted just some four months…

  First airworthy aircraft of Gabriel brothers was a copy of Fokker Spin.

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  Alex Imrie via Greg VanWyngarden

  Alex Imrie via Greg VanWyngarden

  HISTORY

  They were also constantly repairing and improving their aircraft, with the

  old Anzani engine being the biggest problem. Maybe that's why they tried to

  build gliders as well. Information about these is sporadic, they were supposed

  to be four designs called Gabriel P-I to P-IV and probably built during 1913.

  From West to East and back

  The outbreak of the World War I thwarted plans of many people. Gabriel

  brothers were no exception, as they were called for military service. Their

  pre-war aviation activities were no secret for the military authorities, so they

  were assigned to the German Air Troops (Fliegertruppen). Both brothers com-

  pleted basic military pilot training at the Aviation Training Unit No. 1 (Flieger

  Ersatz Abteilung1) in Döberitz, followed by advanced training in Müncheberg

  at the Rumpler training centre.

  The twins were lucky, as they were assigned to the same FFA 34 (Feldieger-

  -Abteilung) unit after the training completion. The unit was operating from

  the Cunel base near Verdun, and commanded by Hauptmann (Captain) Hugo

  Geyer. Pilots ew their missions with unarmed two-seaters Aviatik B.I and B.II.

  The unit stayed defenceless in the air until the mid-1915, when Aviatik C.I

  and Albatros C.I with a defensive machine gun operated by observer arrived.

  In the spring of 1916, both brothers packed their bags and set out on a long

  journey, as they were transferred to FFA 21, the unit operating on the Eas-

  tern Front in the area of Bialystok. There they experienced quite dierent

  missions to what they were accustomed to on the western side of the con-

  ict. Pilots ew quite a long observation ights there with their Albatros

  C.Is, penetrating the enemy territory much deeper than it was usual on the

  Western Front. Such a practice was possible thanks to low threat from Russi-

  an ghters. Flights of up to 100 km deep in enemy territory were commonly

  used to map the situation and trac on the main railway lines. During each

  ight, about 93mi (150 km) of the railway was observed, so total length of the

  mission was about 350 km. Brothers joined the operations of the unit, but,

  after some time, their ways parted, because Willi was transferred to FFA 44

  operating on the Western Front in the Verdun area.

  New engagement with Schutzstael 15

  During their service with FFA 34 Gabriel brothers had been witnessing arrival

  of rst Fokker Eindeckers and both were attracted by these aircraft with

  Walter being initially more captivated than Willi. So it was no wonder he

  applied for transition to one of the Kampfseinsitzer Komando (one-seaters

  ghting group). His desire materialised only after he has returned to the

  western area of the war in the spring of 1917. He was assigned to the Jasta

  19 (the KEKs were gradually converted to the Jagdstaeln about this time),

  but his spell with ghters was quite short as he reported to the commander

  of Flieger-Abteilung (Artillerie) 250 (Artillery-observing aviation unit) shortly

  afterwards. There he ew long-range reconnaissance ights with Rumpler

  C.IV capitalising on his Eastern Front experience.

  Willi was in a similar situation, ying at FA (A) 207 at the time. But, as the

  more dynamic and impulsive person of them both, he was gradually getting

  more and more bored with the monotonous observation ights. When the

  Schutzstaeln (protective squadrons) began to form in 1917 as the protection

  force of the observation aircraft, he did not waver to request reassignment.

  His request was approved and Willi became part of the Schusta 15, ying

  Halberstadt CL.IIs. These successful airplanes were armed with two machi-

  ne guns (one moveable for rear gunner and one forward ring synchronized

  one) and performed tasks focused primarily on the protection of observation

  planes. Although not thoroughbred pursuit aircraft, the CL.II oered Willi

  signicantly more combat opportunities. He was not scoring any victories ho-

  wever, despite number of combats. Instead, he learned, that his brother had

  not returned from a ight over England in August 1917. The Britons reported

  downing of the Rumpler C.VII ying at an altitude of about 18,000 ft (5,500

  m) that day. According to the report, the hit of anti-aircraft re destroyed the

  tail of the aircraft, causing it to fall in spiral and crash. Willi was downcast

  with the news as he had no hopes his brother might survive. What a relief for

  him, when a British plane dropped a mail bag over German territory with an

  up-to-date list of prisoners of war and the name Walter Gabriel was there!

  Fighter pilot made “easily"

  At the beginning of 1918, the protection of observation aircraft was alrea-

  dy fully provided by Jagdstaeln (ghter squadrons), while Schutzstaeln

  were increasingly used for ground attack tasks. Therefore, their designati-

  on was changed to Schlachtstael, abbreviated Schlasta (attack squadron).

  At this time Willi already had a reputation for being an extremely "wild" pilot,

  frightening not only the enemy but also his own gunners with violent mano-

  euvrers. It was more and more evident, the ghter instincts were inherent

  to Willi´s personality. But, despite his undeniable piloting skills and courage,

  there were still zero kills on his account. He had to wait until March 22, 1918.

  That day he nally shot down the French SPAD and his desire to become

  a ghter grew to another height. He had been considering application for

  transition to ghter unit for some time, but hesitated. The reason was quite

  simple and telling: In case of approval, he would have to complete ghter

  course with a training unit with rigid discipline. Something Willi was not a fan

  of… Now, he was one of the most experienced pilots of two-seaters, he had

  a number of ghts on his account and he also had problems nding a perma-

  nent gunner, as each of them preferred to y with anybody but him. He the-

  refore took advantage of situation, when his unit shared the air base at Cappy

  with the entire Jagdgeschwader I (Fighter Wing No. 1). He went on his own to

  the tents on the other side of the aireld and asked for a hearing directly with

  Manfred von Richthofen, leader of JG I. Famous ace heard the Schlasta pilot

  out, and since he had heard already about him, he agreed to request for his

  transfer to JG I. Gabriel informed his commanding ocer subsequently about

  his visit at JG I, but it was a mistake. His commandant felt like he should not

  loose him and so he sent a "counter-request" to the headquarters to keep Ga-

  briel with Schlasta 15. Therefore Willi's rst attempt to become ghter pilot

  failed. Instead, he earned the Iron Cross of the 1st degree, which he received

  in March 1918 for his bravery and achievements.

  After von Richthofen's death, Wilhelm Reinhard took command of JG I and

  Gabriel decided to repeat his attempt. The story was similar, Reinhard agreed

  to his transfer as well. And as Gabriel's commandant have given up further

  eorts to keep him with the unit, Willi reported himself with the JG I leader

  on May 19, 1918, becoming a member of the famous Jasta 11. However, he

  had not won yet.

  Reinhard's ultimatum

  Reinhard made it clear to Gabriel during the rst report, that he knew of his

  piloting skills, but his unit was no place for training newcomers or resting on

  laurels. That said, Willi had been tasked to achieve at least one victory in

  the next four weeks. If case of fail, he would return to where he came from.

  It was quite hard requirement, given that Gabriel had not own single-seat

  ghters and had not undergone ghter training until then. He therefore did

  not waste time, conducted two training ights with the Dr.I to familiarise

  himself with the nimble ghter powered by rotary engine and asked Reinhard

  for the place in the evening patrol the same day he had joined the JG I.

  Reinhard agreed on condition the newcomer would stay close to him, turning

  tail in the event of a clash with the enemy. Well, that was not what Willi had

  in mind! When the patrol encountered a formation of DH-9 bombers before

  eight o'clock in the evening, Reinhard began to climb and manoeuvre to get

  the best position for his men to attack. For all bar Gabriel, who separated

  from the formation attacking the rearmost DH-9, shooting it down. Delighted

  at his success, he spiralled with his prey watching it to hit the ground and

  Gabriel brothers as military pilots. Willi on the left.

  Willi Gabriel in front of Halberstadt CL.II together with his gunner

  and observer Vzfw. Hilsbein during the service with Schusta 15.

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  Alex Imrie via Greg VanWyngarden

  HISTORY

  when he “awakened” and looked back and over he saw the rest of the squad-

  ron circling above him. If it were not his comrades defended him, he would

  be done, as the French Spads were above the German patrol to protect the

  bombers… However, he achieved his mandatory victory on the rst day at the

  JG I and so he could unpack denitely…

  1)

  Two aces by one combat

  Willi didn't do much ying with Triplane, as Jasta 11 replaced these aircraft

  with new Fokker D.VIIs during the second half of May. One of them, the exam-

  ple of the early production from the Schwerin factory, was assigned to Gabri-

  el. It was a well-known 286/18 with a Mercedes D.IIIa engine. This aircraft got

  the marking of the unit (red nose) and personal marking, consisting of orange

  and light blue stripes on the fuselage and elevator added gradually.

  Jagdgeschwader I was an elite unit under command of famous Manfred von

  Richthofen. After his death on April 21, 1918, Reinhard respected the legacy

  of the “Red Baron” and led the unit in similar way as von Richthofen did, gi-

  ving his pilots relatively large degree of freedom, including the possibility to

  y "free hunts." That was a blessing for the indomitable Gabriel, as indepen-

  dent ights suited him much more than disciplined group operations. But the

  “free hunts” were also dangerous adventures, as Willi learned soon.

  He took o for lone hunt on June 13, hoping to achieve his fth victory, which

  would grant him the status of an ace. After spotting formation of Spads, he

  sneaked up from behind and gave the rearmost plane of the formation burst

  of his machine guns. The victim fell and remaining eight enemy pilots poun-

  ced on him wildly. Gabriel not only had to use all his strength and skill, but

  also had to hope for luck. He zigzagged at the height of the treetops, while

  number of hits increased, luckily with no bullet hitting him or anything impor-

  tant on the plane. The hope of getting out of the mess was diminishing, but

  then one of the pilots of overying formation of Jasta 41 Albatroses spotted

  his “dance of death” and rushed to help. All but one of the Spad pilots deci-

  ded to call it a day than and Gabriel managed to shoot down the importunate

  opponent. The Spad pilot made an emergency landing at the German territo-

  ry and Willi together with his saviour headed to the base. After landing, Willi

  found it was Josef Schwendemann, who, like Gabriel, had four victories on his

  account so far. Grateful for his rescue, Willi oered one of his two victories

  of the day to Schwendemann and adjusted his report accordingly. Both pilots

  became aces that day…

  2)

  Involuntary renunciation

  Leaving one victory to another pilot was not anything new to Gabriel, but

  it was for the rst time he did so voluntarily. He has been “forced” to do it

  not once, but two times before. The day before his abovementioned ght he

  claimed the same victory as Reinhard. It would be twentieth victory for his

  commander, meaning he would reach the limit for the Pour le Mérite award.

  In rather unusual manner adjutant of JG I, Lieutenant Bodenschatz, approa-

  ched Gabriel with request to waive his claim. But Gabriel refused, because

  a few days earlier he had been dealing with the same situation occurring with

  another pilot. In that case he agreed on condition he would be awarded the

  next disputed victory.

  3)

  More to it, in the case of the dispute with Reinhard,

  Gabriel was striving for his fth victory, and thus the ace status. No wonder

  he insisted on the victory. However, Reinhard was scheduled to test the new

  Zeppelin-Lindau D.I ghter at Adlershof Airport near Berlin in a few days and

  would like to leave his unit with the valuable award virtually "in his pocket".

  Bodenschatz therefore asked Gabriel again and oered that not one, but two

  subsequent disputed victories would be automatically awarded to Gabriel.

  Considering it fair, Willi nally agreed. No one could have guessed that there

  would be no more disputes with Reinhard…

  During the tests at Adlershof on July 3, Hermann Göring tried out the new

  type rst, followed by Reinhard. During the dive one of the wing struts tore

  o and Reinhard was killed in the subsequent crash.

  4)

  Gabriel recorded his seventh victory three days before Reinhard´s death.

  His victim was Sopwith Dolphin, and it was a special event, as it was also

  the 300th victory of Jasta 11. Willi therefore went to celebrate with his old

  comrades-in-arms from Schlasta 15, using his new D.VII F for the trip. It was

  BMW IIIa powered aircraft and so very valuable, as it was more powerful and

  better performing than Daimler-powered ones.

  The party at Schlasta 15 was a bit longer, than expected. Because it was

  a clear and “light” summer night, Gabriel decided to y back home short-

  ly after midnight, but from the air the ground looked much darker, and he

  Walter Gabriel from the time of his service with FFA 21 on the Eastern Front.

  Fokker D.VII Early, 286/18, Vzfw. Willi Gabriel,

  Jasta 11, Cappy, France, May 1918

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  Alex Imrie via Greg VanWyngarden Alex Imrie via Greg VanWyngarden

  Alex Imrie via Greg VanWyngarden

  HISTORY

  found no airport after more than an hour of ying. Willi eventually landed on

  a pasture near Valenciennes, but the chassis struck the fence, the aircraft

  lost its lower wing therefore and nally ended up with its tail pointing hel-

  plessly to the sky.

  The warning

  After Reinhard's death, the JG I was without lead again, and the pick of the

  headquarters for the position was probably the worst possible choice from

  Gabriel's point of view. To the great disappointment of the JG I pilots, none

  of their ranks was chosen to command the unit. Experienced pilots in ocer

  ranks, such as Udet or Loewenhardt, were not professional ocers and so

  disqualied to lead such a large unit as the Jagdgeschwader was. It had to be

  professional soldier. Somebody like Hermann Göring, then commander of Jas-

  ta 27 and an ace with 21 victories... Immediately after his arrival on July 14,

  he gathered all the pilots and informed them about the changes that would

  take place under his leadership. He asked for better discipline and morale in

  the air with commanders of the formations giving the signal to attack with

  a signal pistol. The most important change was quite painful, as it was forbi-

  dden to carry out “lone hunts” with immediate eect. Most of the members

  of JG I did not like the new order, most of them also hoped that it was just

  a kind of mandatory process for Göring to demonstrate his determination,

  and soon everything would return to the old tracks. But they were mistaken…

  On July 18, Willi took part in formation led by Göring. The ight did not last

  long, and although there was a combat with the French Spad squad, none of

  the pilots, according to Gabriel, achieved any victory.

  As the Fokker formation approached the home base, Gabriel felt there is still

  “something in the air” for him. He had still enough fuel, so he left the forma-

  tion and headed back to the front. Soon he spotted another Spad formation,

  approached from behind and pounced up for the rearmost one. The victim

  went down, and the situation already described repeated, as eight Spads

  were hunting lone Gabriel again. Willi had to manoeuvre furiously to save

  his life, but he managed to shoot down another Spad and the rest eventua-

  lly gave up the ght, thus pleasing sweaty Gabriel. Approaching the base at

  Beugneux, already on the landing nale, he noticed three Bréguet bombers

  overying at an altitude of about 10 000 ft (3050 m), heading for Neuilly. He

  did not hesitate, opened the throttle of the BMW engine, pulled his Fokker

  into climb, and headed towards the enemy formation. He also noticed ano-

  ther D.VII climbing, with Richard Wenzl of Jasta 6 in the cockpit. Flying D.VII

  with more powerful BMW engine compared to Wenzl´s Daimler version, Willi

  outclimbed him easily and set for attack. He ran in and red on the starboard

  Bréguet repeatedly. When closing in for the third time, he noticed both pilot

  and observer collapsed in the cockpit and after another burst also the engi-

  ne stopped. Gabriel ran out of ammo, but Bréguet was done and went into

  a spiral, hitting the ground a mile away from the airport.

  He was receiving congratulations from his comrades after landing, but Wenzl

  saw the situation dierently: "We cut o a French bombing squadron that

  was approaching Neuilly, intending to bomb Fére en Tardenois. I cut one of

  them out and really went to work hard on him. At rst the observer was still

  ring, but then he was quiet. He´d had enough. My opponent crossed the

  lines, stinking and smoking, with his engine shot in pieces. I was convinced,

  he was done. I broke o and watched the outcome of the operation. One of

  my comrades (Gabriel) suddenly thought that he should intervene and pum-

  ped another series of rounds into the Bréguet, which didn´t even moved but

  continued quietly on. lt went into the ground near lgny and bumed. When

  we got back, I got involved rather undiplomatically in throwing the dice into

  it – and lost my victory, naturally."

  5)

  For Gabriel there was a bigger problem waiting than dispute with Wenzl, as

  he had to hear annoyed Göring out. The JG I commander clearly expressed

  his thoughts and warned him, that anything like going o on his own must not

  happen again. Göring then asked him to conrm his victory over the Spad, but

  Gabriel refused because he did not observe any combat between Göring and

  French airplane. He certainly did not improve his situation by this…

  Too “expensive” trip

  An afternoon patrol followed the same day and Willi, who thought the best

  way to prove Göring is wrong on banning pilots from the lone hunts, went o

  on his own again. Leaving the formation, he overew the front at very low

  altitude to avoid the British anti-aircraft “Archies” and spotted a two-seater

  (probably Spad XVI) guarded by two Spad ghters. Willi concentrated on the

  two-seater, as observer was ring at the trenches, losing his vigilance a bit.

  Gabriel sent his victim down by rst burst, frightening probably the escort

  ghters, as they turned sharply and disappeared in the haze.

  After landing, Gabriel met furious Göring, for whom four victories Willi had

  achieved that day were no excuse for disobeying the rules. He ordered him

  four weeks leave to get rid of him, at least for a while. Before departure,

  First of Gabriel´s Fokker D.VIIs was the aircraft with military number 286/18.

  The orange stripes were not painted on the fuselage at that time.

  Intimidating pose of Willi Gabriel. It is quite common on the photos of him…

  A mood before take-off to the operational ight. Willi Gabriel (in the middle of the group on the left side) is just putting on his ying suit. His D.VII stands on the left of

  a row and sports complete paintwork with orange fuselage stripes.

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  archiv autora Alex Imrie via Greg VanWyngarden

  HISTORY

  Gabriel was ordered to deliver an Albartos D.Va to the airport in Metz, where

  the air assembly base (Flugpark) was located. During the ight, however, Willi

  decided that as he is already on vacation, he could y it all the way home.

  And home meant some 620 miles (1000 km) of distance to Bromberg! He

  had to make several landings en-route to ll the fuel tank but, surprisingly,

  nobody asked him for a ight authorisation. His aliation with the famous

  JG I was a sucient "authorisation" for everyone, except for the commander

  of the base in the Bromberg, who did not let himself be outwitted.

  Whole the matter was getting through the ocial military channels and the

  nal blame was on Göring. As soon as Gabriel returned to the unit, he was

  informed by his angry commander, there was no place for somebody like him.

  Gabriel was sent him to the Army Flug Park II in Montmédy, where he was

  tasked with test-ying the airplanes assembled after rail transport to the

  front. As he said later, after serving with the elite Jasta 11, he no longer wan-

  ted to join any other unit, so he endured the war there and returned home

  immediately after armistice.

  Home again

  Returning home, he found his hometown changed the name. It was no longer

  Bromberg, but Bydgoszcz, as Gabriel's birthplace became part of the new

  Poland. German citizens could stay, but on condition they accept Polish na-

  mes. And so, Willi became Jan and Walter, who returned from the captivity,

  became Pawel… But the change was only an eye candy to satisfy the Polish

  authorities.

  To the advantage of the aviation-bound brothers, there was no ban on aircraft

  production in Poland, as was the case in post-war Germany. And, although the

  brothers joined the family furniture company (later took over it complete-

  ly), they also founded their own company called Aeroplan Gebrüder Gabriel

  (Aircraft Brothers Gabriel) where they started building their own sports air-

  craft. Their eorts materialised in 1920 in form of the Gabriel P-V parasol

  6)

  ,

  the rst independent Polish aircraft. The Gabriel P-V was powered by Haacke

  HFM-2 engine with an output of 22 kW, enough for small and light (just 297lb;

  135 kg) aircraft. Its shape resembled scaled-down Fokker D.VIII with one inte-

  resting improvement, swivel wing for easier ground transport.

  The aircraft was performing well and after a series of various improvements,

  the brothers decided to present it at the Poznan Industrial Fair in 1924. Willi

  was to y it over, while Walter took a train. However, the April weather with

  very low clouds, rain and fog made ying nearly impossible. Willi did not give

  up and took o, not worried by the fact the plane didn't even had a compass!

  He believed that following the rails, he would nd the way. But he lost his

  orientation and had to land in order to ask where he was. To his amazement,

  he learned he was in Germany and so took o quickly before the police might

  arrive. The subsequent ight lasted only a few minutes, as the crankshaft

  broke and sudden stop of the engine torn the propeller to pieces. One of

  them cut through the wing damaging its inner structure. Willi landed quickly

  and found that he was still in Germany, near Woldenberg...

  The plane was conscated, Willi was imprisoned, and the whole issue rece-

  ived considerable publicity to little liking of the Polish government. As part

  of the subsequent trial held in 1926, both brothers were banned from ying

  in Poland. Another blow to their dreams of aircraft company was the order

  cancellation for 50 Farmans yet to be built for the Polish Air Force. That was

  too much for brothers. Willi decided to quit ying for good to continue with

  the family furniture business

  7)

  while livelier Willi, who could not imagine his

  life without ying, decided to move to Germany.

  A two-time pilot jobs

  Shortly after his relocation, Willi Gabriel founded the small company Gab-

  riel-Flugzeugbau in Johannisthal and continued with his eorts to become

  an aircraft manufacturer. At the same time, he worked as a ight instructor

  and was frequently hired for various demonstration or advertising ights.

  With the reputation of a Great War ace and former member of the JG I, his

  things were a little bit easier at least. In the late 1920s, he introduced his

  last aircraft design, a two-seater biplane with folding wings, called the Wespe

  (wasp). It turned out to be his most successful, fully aerobatic plane. Willi

  took part in aerobatic competitions with it, competing also with Ernst Udet,

  his more famous colleague from JG I.

  Willi was still very “dynamic” pilot and during one advertising ight for the

  movie company, he decided to increase the attractiveness of his performan-

  ce with reversed ying. But as he rolled back to normal position, the loose

  seatbelts and the upholstery of the unoccupied front seat stuck the control

  stick in the pulled position. The aircraft raised its nose, lost speed, and went

  into the spin. Willi was unable to control the plane, so he crashed into the

  roof of the factory. Apart from the substantial property damage the death of

  one female worker was much worse consequence… Willi himself remained un-

  harmed miraculously but was temporarily banned from ying until the court

  acquitted him.

  At the beginning of the 1930s, the Luftwae, German Air Force, was secretly

  getting its future shape, ocially introduced to the world in 1935. Number of

  “old hands" were recalled for military reserve pilot training and Willi arrived

  at Döberitz Airport, where he ew He-51s. During the course, which also

  included air-to-ground ring, interesting oer emerged for him. At the time,

  Ernst Udet was performing popular performances on air shows called the

  “Flying Professor". As his new duties with the Luftwae prevented him to car-

  ry on, he remembered Willi, who was more than keen to take over the famous

  act. After Udet rst have seen him in this role, he allegedly declared, "Willi,

  you're even more crazy than me!" Gabriel then ew these performances until

  the beginning of the war. He also earned the attention of moviemakers who

  needed a pilot for an aerial movie with the meaningful title "Pour le Mérite".

  One old Fokker Dr.I was overhauled to the ying condition for the lming

  purposes, getting a Clerget engine instead of original Oberursel one. Also,

  one D.VII was prepared. Willi took over Dreidecker while his old colleague

  from Jasta 11 Alfred Niemz ew with D.VII. The Clerget engine had been

  resting for some twenty years and so not in the best condition. During the

  ight to the lming location in Rechlin, one cylinder of the engine exploded.

  Without power and with destroyed engine cover, Gabriel managed to save

  the plane with an emergency landing at Berlin-Staaken Airport. He caused

  a considerable upheaval there. The old Dreidecker has been repaired and

  Willi ew it during all the shooting sequences of the movie, which, by the

  way, is available on Youtube, albeit in very poor quality.

  Gabriel worked as a movie pilot for the second time in 1941, i.e., during the

  war, when he was temporarily released of his duties as a pilot instructor. He

  had been working on two movies at the time. He ew his “good old friend”,

  the Dr.I used during the shooting of Pour le Mérite for the purposes of propa-

  gandistic movie "D.III 88" (it is probably not necessary to explain the meaning

  of the number 88), while another overhauled Dreidecker was in the hands of

  a test pilot from Rechlin. Willi´s Dr.I was at this time powered by the Oberur-

  sel engine, but it did not mean the end of the engine problems. Moreover, as

  he later recalled, due to the demanding requirements of moviemakers, ying

  for them was perhaps more dangerous than the war ying!

  Another movie he was cooperating on during the war was the comedy "Quax,

  Der Bruch Pilot" (Quax, the crash pilot), where he allegedly used his own

  plane (matriculation D-EMAZ). According to Willi's memories, it was a Klemm

  plane, but Udet Flamingo with matriculation D-EMMA ies in the movie…

  Second time in the war

  Willi Gabriel was promoted to Hauptmann der Reserve (Captain in reserve)

  in October 1937 (he ended the Great War as Wizefeldwebel, i.e., Sergeant

  1st Class). A year later, at the age of 45, he took a training for reserve ghter

  pilots in Döberitz and became an instructor. From 1939 he provided retraining

  of pilots at the Jüterborg-Damm base, during 1943 he was ying as an instruc-

  tor with the JG 104 training unit at the base Kiel-Holtenau. Here he trained

  new pilots also on two-seater Bf 109G-12. According to unveried data, he

  The consequence of the night ight home from the celebration. The aircraft was

  damaged badly, but the valuable BMW engine stayed unharmed.

  Gabriel brothers in front of their G-V design. Willi made emergency landing with

  it in Germany.

  eduard

  10

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 11

  Alex Imrie via Greg VanWyngardenAlex Imrie via Greg VanWyngarden

  HISTORY

  trained 800 pilots during his instructor career, and, at the end of the war,

  52-year-old Willi even ew the Ju 88 and Me 210 night ghters.

  It is interesting that Gabriel came into conict with the authorities including

  the SS several times during the war years. The reason was not ideological,

  but rather materialistic, as he reportedly sent several Ju-52s to Germany

  with unspecied contraband. It was very close several times and even the

  mighty Hermann Göring himself had to save Willi from bigger troubles. Yes, it

  was the same Göring who red him from JG I, and who didn't get to like him

  any more later. But the unwritten law of the old guard of JG I ordered them

  to keep together and was superior to everything else. Göring may have also

  intervened earlier, in 1936, when Willi was accused of attack on the state and

  the party. The accusation was based on denunciation from four of his colle-

  agues and the reason was supposed to be an unspecied conversation about

  Leni Riefenstahl and her relationship with Adolf Hitler.

  At the end of second world war, Willi Gabriel fell into British captivity, and

  the Britons asked him for help with the training of RAF pilots to convert on

  captured German aircraft. Willi refused this "honor" and so he was released

  on August 25, 1945. He returned home to Berlin but only to mourn. His bro-

  ther Walter died during the Russian shelling of Genthin, where he escaped

  from his native Bromberg to avoid the progressing Red Army. Even worse loss

  for Willi was the death of his son Manfred.

  8)

  He shot himself in Berlin in front

  of approaching Russian soldiers on May 1, 1945. His body was found on Gas-

  teiner straße. Two weeks later, Manfred would turn 19. By the way, the guy

  was able to y with the aircraft at the age of twelve…

  Valuable helper

  Shortly after returning home, Willi volunteered as a pilot for the air bridge

  supplying West Berlin, but his oer was turned down. Luftwae pilots were

  not sought after… Coincidentally, he met someone who was ying the air

  bridge, the British pilot Alex Imrie, who became one of the founders of post-

  -war aerial research focused on the First World War. Willi and Alex became

  friends, and, as Bruno Schmäling writes in his book Jasta Colors, Willi was

  so close friend, Alex invited him to his wedding. In 1962, Cross & Cockade

  magazine published an extensive article, which Alex wrote based on Willi's

  narration. This article also draws on it.

  Willi Gabriel opened many doors to Alex in his eorts to contact former Ger-

  man First World War pilots, helping to preserve valuable information, photo-

  graphs, and documents. After the imperial military archive in Potsdam was

  destroyed during one of the bombing raids, private albums and memories

  were the only thing left… Alex Imrie

  9)

  then passed on his knowledge and

  …and during the work on the D.III 88. It is the same Fokker Dr.I.

  Výhružná póza i grimasa. Gabriel se snažil působit na fotograích nebezpečně…

  A rest during the movie making of the Pour le Mérite…

  eduard

  11

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 12

  Alex Imrie via Greg VanWyngarden

  HISTORY

  contacts to a new generation of researchers like Bruno Schmäling, Greg

  Van Wyngarden or Eduard's collaborator Jörn Leckscheid.

  Getting old, Willi gladly accepted invitations to various commemorative

  events. As long as it was possible, occasional meetings of former members

  of JG I were organized, but the meetings of Alte Adler (The Old Eagle) were

  more frequent. This organization was found in 1927 and after World War II,

  it brought together only notable people who worked in aviation before 1919.

  Now, of course, this rule is already gone, and membership is decided by the

  executive committee.

  At a meeting of JG I members in 1960 in Braunschwig, Willi managed to get

  the seat of the co-pilot of the Beechcraft Twin Bonanza and was given chance

  to pilot it. According to witnesses, he did such a violent ying that his former

  colleagues, who were riding as passengers, got sick!

  Willi Gabriel was an impulsive, uncontrollable "element" who did not have

  too much understanding for tough discipline. He was an individualist and,

  according to witnesses, also entertaining companion. He died on July 1, 1968

  at the age of 75. It would be interesting to nd out how many victories he

  would eventually achieve if he was allowed to y his solo missions. And who

  knows if he would survive another ght of one against eight, which he might

  get into again. Maybe Göring saved his life when he red him from the JG I…

  Willi looks quite tired on the photography taken during the WWII years…

  Register entry of the death of Willi´s son Manfred.

  Notes

  1) Many sources state that Gabriel did not achieve his rst victory until a month after his arrival

  at Jasta 11, and so he did not meet Reinhard's original deadline. This mistake is due to the

  erroneous dating of Gabriel's arrival at Jasta 11 on April 15. However, the "Red Baron" died on

  April 21, and Reinhard took command of JG I on April 25.

  2) Josef Schwendemann achieved a total of seventeen victories.

  3) Disputes over victories were nothing special. Concurrent claims occurred relatively frequently.

  In the erce air battles in a relatively small area, several pilots often red at one target and

  it was not easy to determine whose shot was the fateful in the end. It was mostly up to who

  secured a better testimony.

  4) The motif of Reinhard's fatal crash during rehearsals of a new type appeared in a modied

  form in the movies Pour le Mérite from 1938 and also in the better-known The Blue Max (1966).

  5) Richthofen´s Circus; Hunting Squadron I; Greg VanWyngarden, Osprey Publishing Limited 2004

  6) The Gabriel brothers also designed P-VI (two-seater biplane training aircraft), P-VII (sports

  two-seater parasol aircraft) and sporting aircraft P-VIII. The P-IX project remained only on paper,

  and none of the projects was produced.

  7) The Mebli Gabriel factory was nationalized on August 16, 1950 by order of the Council of

  Ministers. It was located at Aleja 1 Maja 138, Bydgoszcz.

  8) Gabriel brothers named their sons after von Richthofen brothers. Walter´s son was Lothar,

  Willi´s was Manfred.

  9) Alex Imrie; April 29, 1926 – June 4, 2011

  Sources

  Cross & Cockade 1962; Alex Imrie; Die Gebrüder Gabriel

  Richthofen´s Circus, Jagdgeschwader I; Greg VanWyngarden, Osprey Publishing Limited 2004

  Above the Lines, Norman L. R. Franks, Frank W. Bailey, Russel Guest, Grub Street London, 1993

  www.theaerodrome.com; www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de; www.bwfsg.de

  Registers of the Berlin and Bydgoszcz

  Author would like to thank to Greg VanWyngarden for providing

  the valuable photos and additional informations.

  The rst volume in a landmark series of the

  Great War aviation books with detailed

  markings of German ghter planes is out!

  The rst volume of a series of books dealing with the

  colours of German WW I ghter aeroplanes oers an

  insight into the research process of looking for the

  true colours of the Fliegertruppe ghter aircraft.

  A detailed presentation covering the author´s long

  term research, conducted mainly in the 1970s and

  80s, sheds light on the process of uncovering long

  lost documentation revealing the true colours of

  the aircraft and recounting the adventures of their

  pilots. The book contains 58 colour proles, many

  of these not seen before, while others correct

  previous misinterpretations of markings. Moreover,

  some 223 photographs and 61 reproductions

  of documents are published here.

  Renowned historian and author Bruno Schmäling

  completed this book with the cooperation of fellow

  researcher Jörn Leckscheid, a long-time friend

  of Eduard.

  The book has been published by

  Aeronaut Boooks (USA) and

  is availabe worldwide from the

  Amazon.com and its local

  representations.

  More about publisher at:

  www.aeronautbooks.com

  eduard

  12

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 13

  The rst volume in a landmark series of the

  Great War aviation books with detailed

  markings of German ghter planes is out!

  The rst volume of a series of books dealing with the

  colours of German WW I ghter aeroplanes oers an

  insight into the research process of looking for the

  true colours of the Fliegertruppe ghter aircraft.

  A detailed presentation covering the author´s long

  term research, conducted mainly in the 1970s and

  80s, sheds light on the process of uncovering long

  lost documentation revealing the true colours of

  the aircraft and recounting the adventures of their

  pilots. The book contains 58 colour proles, many

  of these not seen before, while others correct

  previous misinterpretations of markings. Moreover,

  some 223 photographs and 61 reproductions

  of documents are published here.

  Renowned historian and author Bruno Schmäling

  completed this book with the cooperation of fellow

  researcher Jörn Leckscheid, a long-time friend

  of Eduard.

  The book has been published by

  Aeronaut Boooks (USA) and

  is availabe worldwide from the

  Amazon.com and its local

  representations.

  More about publisher at:

  www.aeronautbooks.com

• Page 14

  We have made references to the date of September 11th, 1944, several times now within the pages of our Eduard newsletter.

  It’s not only thanks to the obsession with the date that is held by the author, but also the fact that this date holds many

  diverse and fascinating aspects that are attached to it. The recounted stories that have been documented here have thus

  far been tied to the specic conict between the 13th Combat Wing, notably the 100th Bomb Group, and Jagdgeschwader 4,

  that has come to be known as the Air Battle over the Ore Mountains.

  This time around, we’ll take another gander at about

  the same time window – approximately 1145h to 1215h

  – but about 250km further to the west. The centre of

  interest will continue to be the stream of bombers from

  the 3rd Bomb Division, but we will move from its leading

  edge, specically the rst three combat boxes headed

  towards Hyrierwerke Brabag in Ruhland, and shift our

  attention to the rear of the bomber group, to its ghter

  escort. The next to last grouping of the 3rd Bomb Divi-

  sion stream was a pair of combat boxes from the 490th

  and 493rd Bomb Group heading towards the Sudetenlan-

  dische Treibstowerke AG Brux (this is currently a major

  chemical production facility called Zaluzi just outside

  of Most in the northwestern part of the Czech Republic

  and is visible from the main Eduard building in Obrnice.

  It is also rmly connected to the history of the compa-

  ny.) Two boxes designated 93A and 93B Combat Wing,

  located in positions 7 and 8 within the 3rd Bomb Divisi-

  on formation, were under the protection of the 352nd

  Fighter Group, commanded by Lt. Col. James D. Mayden.

  The bomber protection duties included close air support

  as well as clearing the air en route for the bombers as

  withdrawal support.

  The 352nd Fighter Group was composed of three

  squadrons – the 328th (that day led by Lt. Col. Meyden),

  the 486th (Capt. Franklyn N. Greene), and the 487th

  (Lt.Col. John C. Meyer). Each squadron for this mission

  consisted of sixteen to eighteen ghters and was divided

  into White, Blue, Red and Yellow Flights, where each

  ight was made up of four aircraft.

  By the time all three squadrons of the 352nd FG and

  their 53 Mustangs formed up and turned eastwards

  Commanding Ocer of 487th FS Lt.Col. John C. Meyer

  in the cockpit of P-51D ‘Petie 2nd’, s/n 44-14151

  at Bodney, Great Britain.

• Page 15

  We have made references to the date of September 11th, 1944, several times now within the pages of our Eduard newsletter.

  It’s not only thanks to the obsession with the date that is held by the author, but also the fact that this date holds many

  diverse and fascinating aspects that are attached to it. The recounted stories that have been documented here have thus

  far been tied to the specic conict between the 13th Combat Wing, notably the 100th Bomb Group, and Jagdgeschwader 4,

  that has come to be known as the Air Battle over the Ore Mountains.

  This time around, we’ll take another gander at about

  the same time window – approximately 1145h to 1215h

  – but about 250km further to the west. The centre of

  interest will continue to be the stream of bombers from

  the 3rd Bomb Division, but we will move from its leading

  edge, specically the rst three combat boxes headed

  towards Hyrierwerke Brabag in Ruhland, and shift our

  attention to the rear of the bomber group, to its ghter

  escort. The next to last grouping of the 3rd Bomb Divi-

  sion stream was a pair of combat boxes from the 490th

  and 493rd Bomb Group heading towards the Sudetenlan-

  dische Treibstowerke AG Brux (this is currently a major

  chemical production facility called Zaluzi just outside

  of Most in the northwestern part of the Czech Republic

  and is visible from the main Eduard building in Obrnice.

  It is also rmly connected to the history of the compa-

  ny.) Two boxes designated 93A and 93B Combat Wing,

  located in positions 7 and 8 within the 3rd Bomb Divisi-

  on formation, were under the protection of the 352nd

  Fighter Group, commanded by Lt. Col. James D. Mayden.

  The bomber protection duties included close air support

  as well as clearing the air en route for the bombers as

  withdrawal support.

  The 352nd Fighter Group was composed of three

  squadrons – the 328th (that day led by Lt. Col. Meyden),

  the 486th (Capt. Franklyn N. Greene), and the 487th

  (Lt.Col. John C. Meyer). Each squadron for this mission

  consisted of sixteen to eighteen ghters and was divided

  into White, Blue, Red and Yellow Flights, where each

  ight was made up of four aircraft.

  By the time all three squadrons of the 352nd FG and

  their 53 Mustangs formed up and turned eastwards

  Commanding Ocer of 487th FS Lt.Col. John C. Meyer

  in the cockpit of P-51D ‘Petie 2nd’, s/n 44-14151

  at Bodney, Great Britain.

• Page 16

  around 1000h, their charges had been in the air and over enemy

  territory for some time. Despite each squadron operating inde-

  pendently, their rendezvous with the bombers at the designa-

  ted location was almost simultaneous. The group with the call

  sign ‘Balance One Four’ was to come in from the North Sea, over

  Holland and the Ruhr to the area south of Hanover and from there

  continue on southeasterly towards Plauen, where they were to

  meet up with their ‘big brothers’. Although the assumption was

  that meeting the Luftwae was unlikely, the route to meeting the

  bombers was several times interrupted. The rst encounter with

  the enemy occurred at around 1130h when the 328th FS stumbled

  upon a ght in progress between the 4th FG and German ghters.

  Although subsequent reports put this event at 20 miles east of

  Meiningen, it was in all likelihood actually in the area of Eisenach,

  over 50km away. The engagement proved successful especially

  for Blue Flight of this squadron, with its CO Capt. William E. Hen-

  drian and his Number 2, Lt. Richard F. Semon, each claimimg an

  Fw 190. However, this came at the cost of the unit’s Number 3 man,

  Lt. Garland Rayborn, who was shot down and taken prisoner.

  The bad guys in this ght, which lasted over a half an hour, were

  Bf 109s and Fw 190s from I./JG 76, JGr. 10, II./JG 27, and

  II.(Sturm)/JG 300. Besides the aforementioned 352nd and

  4th Fighter Groups, the American side also included the 359th

  and 364th FG.

  Shortly after that, at around 1150h, and further to the north

  near Gottingen – Nordhausen – Mulhausen, pilots of the 328th

  FS, dubbed ‘Meyer’s Maulers’ spotted a group of around thirty

  German ghters forming up. These were, no doubt, connected to

  the German units taking part in the battle described immediately

  above and located about halfway between them and an unspeci-

  ed group of American bombers. The latter were most likely B-17s

  from the 1st Bomb Division headed for Merseburg/Lutzkendorf.

  The squadron leader, Lt. Col. John C. Meyer, later reported: ‘They

  were pulling contrails and appeared to be forming up. We headed

  towards them and as we got closer they dove out of contrails

  level in ones and twos. Contrail level was 28000´plus. At 29000´,

  I identied them as Me 109s and attacked one as he headed down

  in a 60° dive. The whole squadron then engaged small groups of

  the E/A after their original gaggle had been split up. At about

  17000´ the E/A I was chasing leveled o and I closed rapidly.

  He saw me and started in a steep climbing turn, my rst burst

  was about 20° deection at 300 yards. I observed few hits.

  I closed on him in the climbing turn and at 30° deection and 200

  yards I got hits on the rear portion of his fuselage, pieces coming

  o. He split S´d, recovered and turned into me. I had little di-

  culty in overtaking and in turning inside of him. At 20° and 300

  yards I got good strikes on wing root and E/A started to smoke.

  It rolled over and crashed straight into the deck from 8000´.

  Pilot seemed inexperienced, his breaks were conspicuously non-

  -violent. He was hesitant in all his maneuvers.’

  John C. Meyer did not get the described kill while in the coc-

  kpit of his iconic Mustang s/n 44-14151 HO-M, named ‘Petie 2nd’,

  which remained on the ground. Good fortune on this day was

  bestowed on Meyer by a borrowed, and a little orphaned, Mustang

  named ‘Stardust’, which carried the serial 44-13597 and code

  HO-F, who’s pilot, Lt. William E. Fowler, had just completed a com-

  bat tour.

  Sudetenländische Treibstowerke AG Brüx, September 11th, 1944, was the target for the 93rd Combat Wing (490th and

  493rd Bomb Group) with ghter escort provided by the 352nd Fighter Group.

• Page 17

  around 1000h, their charges had been in the air and over enemy

  territory for some time. Despite each squadron operating inde-

  pendently, their rendezvous with the bombers at the designa-

  ted location was almost simultaneous. The group with the call

  sign ‘Balance One Four’ was to come in from the North Sea, over

  Holland and the Ruhr to the area south of Hanover and from there

  continue on southeasterly towards Plauen, where they were to

  meet up with their ‘big brothers’. Although the assumption was

  that meeting the Luftwae was unlikely, the route to meeting the

  bombers was several times interrupted. The rst encounter with

  the enemy occurred at around 1130h when the 328th FS stumbled

  upon a ght in progress between the 4th FG and German ghters.

  Although subsequent reports put this event at 20 miles east of

  Meiningen, it was in all likelihood actually in the area of Eisenach,

  over 50km away. The engagement proved successful especially

  for Blue Flight of this squadron, with its CO Capt. William E. Hen-

  drian and his Number 2, Lt. Richard F. Semon, each claimimg an

  Fw 190. However, this came at the cost of the unit’s Number 3 man,

  Lt. Garland Rayborn, who was shot down and taken prisoner.

  The bad guys in this ght, which lasted over a half an hour, were

  Bf 109s and Fw 190s from I./JG 76, JGr. 10, II./JG 27, and

  II.(Sturm)/JG 300. Besides the aforementioned 352nd and

  4th Fighter Groups, the American side also included the 359th

  and 364th FG.

  Shortly after that, at around 1150h, and further to the north

  near Gottingen – Nordhausen – Mulhausen, pilots of the 328th

  FS, dubbed ‘Meyer’s Maulers’ spotted a group of around thirty

  German ghters forming up. These were, no doubt, connected to

  the German units taking part in the battle described immediately

  above and located about halfway between them and an unspeci-

  ed group of American bombers. The latter were most likely B-17s

  from the 1st Bomb Division headed for Merseburg/Lutzkendorf.

  The squadron leader, Lt. Col. John C. Meyer, later reported: ‘They

  were pulling contrails and appeared to be forming up. We headed

  towards them and as we got closer they dove out of contrails

  level in ones and twos. Contrail level was 28000´plus. At 29000´,

  I identied them as Me 109s and attacked one as he headed down

  in a 60° dive. The whole squadron then engaged small groups of

  the E/A after their original gaggle had been split up. At about

  17000´ the E/A I was chasing leveled o and I closed rapidly.

  He saw me and started in a steep climbing turn, my rst burst

  was about 20° deection at 300 yards. I observed few hits.

  I closed on him in the climbing turn and at 30° deection and 200

  yards I got hits on the rear portion of his fuselage, pieces coming

  o. He split S´d, recovered and turned into me. I had little di-

  culty in overtaking and in turning inside of him. At 20° and 300

  yards I got good strikes on wing root and E/A started to smoke.

  It rolled over and crashed straight into the deck from 8000´.

  Pilot seemed inexperienced, his breaks were conspicuously non-

  -violent. He was hesitant in all his maneuvers.’

  John C. Meyer did not get the described kill while in the coc-

  kpit of his iconic Mustang s/n 44-14151 HO-M, named ‘Petie 2nd’,

  which remained on the ground. Good fortune on this day was

  bestowed on Meyer by a borrowed, and a little orphaned, Mustang

  named ‘Stardust’, which carried the serial 44-13597 and code

  HO-F, who’s pilot, Lt. William E. Fowler, had just completed a com-

  bat tour.

  Sudetenländische Treibstowerke AG Brüx, September 11th, 1944, was the target for the 93rd Combat Wing (490th and

  493rd Bomb Group) with ghter escort provided by the 352nd Fighter Group.

  P-51D-5 Mustang s/n 44-13597 ‘STARDUST’, with which Lt.Col. John C. Meyer took part in the escort mission

  of September 11th, 1944. (Photo: 352nd Fighter Group Association, Peter Randall)

• Page 18

  After getting that rst kill of the day, Lt. Col. Meyer felt a little

  abandoned. He spotted another group of German ghters, made

  up of around fteen Bf 109s and Fw 190s, a little higher than him-

  self in altitude and further to the northwest. He climbed about

  2,000 feet above the level of his foes and attacked a mixed pair

  of aircraft, one of each type: ‘They had belly tanks and appeared

  to be forming up. I approached them from out of the sun and

  attacked the #2 of a pair of E/A that were farthest from the mass.

  I red at 15° deection from 300 yards to point blank range.

  The E/A burst into ames, I broke into the sun, cleared my tail

  and attacked the element leader, at 300 yards I got few strikes

  on his right wing tip and he broke. As he broke I got strikes in the

  vicinity of the cockpit and wing roots. The E/A rolled over and

  spiraled down, crashing into the ground.’

  Shortly afterwards, Meyer spotted his nal victim of this ght:

  ‘A lone Me 109 was emerging from a cloud in the vicinity of the

  large enemy gaggle. And as I was not yet under attack, I attacked

  the E/A. Only my right wing guns were now ring so I opened at

  200 yards and no deection closing to point blank range and 10°

  deection. I saw strikes all over the E/A and pieces ew o the

  tail and fuselage. He caught re at his left wing root. I broke o

  the attack and headed for the deck and home.’

  The combat that lasted only a few minutes brought Lt. Col.

  Meyer the rare triumph of four kills. The drama, though, was not

  at its end. After his last kill, pretty much out of ammunition and

  his fuel reserves leaving much to be desired, he turned for home

  and dropped down to a lower altitude where he would be safer.

  At that point, he spotted two Bf 109s below him that glued them-

  Lt. William ‘Flaps’ Fowler ended his combat tour on September 8th, 1944 with 3.5 enemy aircraft destroyed over

  69 combat missions (Photo: 352nd Fighter Group Association, Peter Randall).

  P-51D-5 Mustang s/n 44-13597 HO-F

  „STARDUST“, Lt. William E. „Flaps“ Fowler,

  Bodney, England, early September 1944

  (c) Jan Zdiarský, 2021

• Page 19

  After getting that rst kill of the day, Lt. Col. Meyer felt a little

  abandoned. He spotted another group of German ghters, made

  up of around fteen Bf 109s and Fw 190s, a little higher than him-

  self in altitude and further to the northwest. He climbed about

  2,000 feet above the level of his foes and attacked a mixed pair

  of aircraft, one of each type: ‘They had belly tanks and appeared

  to be forming up. I approached them from out of the sun and

  attacked the #2 of a pair of E/A that were farthest from the mass.

  I red at 15° deection from 300 yards to point blank range.

  The E/A burst into ames, I broke into the sun, cleared my tail

  and attacked the element leader, at 300 yards I got few strikes

  on his right wing tip and he broke. As he broke I got strikes in the

  vicinity of the cockpit and wing roots. The E/A rolled over and

  spiraled down, crashing into the ground.’

  Shortly afterwards, Meyer spotted his nal victim of this ght:

  ‘A lone Me 109 was emerging from a cloud in the vicinity of the

  large enemy gaggle. And as I was not yet under attack, I attacked

  the E/A. Only my right wing guns were now ring so I opened at

  200 yards and no deection closing to point blank range and 10°

  deection. I saw strikes all over the E/A and pieces ew o the

  tail and fuselage. He caught re at his left wing root. I broke o

  the attack and headed for the deck and home.’

  The combat that lasted only a few minutes brought Lt. Col.

  Meyer the rare triumph of four kills. The drama, though, was not

  at its end. After his last kill, pretty much out of ammunition and

  his fuel reserves leaving much to be desired, he turned for home

  and dropped down to a lower altitude where he would be safer.

  At that point, he spotted two Bf 109s below him that glued them-

  Lt. William ‘Flaps’ Fowler ended his combat tour on September 8th, 1944 with 3.5 enemy aircraft destroyed over

  69 combat missions (Photo: 352nd Fighter Group Association, Peter Randall).

  P-51D-5 Mustang s/n 44-13597 HO-F

  „STARDUST“, Lt. William E. „Flaps“ Fowler,

  Bodney, England, early September 1944

  (c) Jan Zdiarský, 2021

  John C. Meyer

  John C. Meyer was born on April 3rd, 1919 in Brooklyn. He joined

  the Army Air Force in November, 1939, with the intention of be-

  coming a pilot. He got his wings and the rank of 2nd Lieutenant

  in July, 1940 and for a short time, fullled instructional duties at

  Randolph Field in Texas, and at Gunter Field in Alabama. Before

  the United States entered the war, he was assigned to the 33rd

  Pursuit Squadron, with which he ew the P-40, and was tasked,

  among other things, with convoy support around Iceland. In Sep-

  tember, 1942, John C. Meyer was reassigned to the newly formed

  352nd Fighter Group and was given command of her 34th Pursuit

  Squadron. The unit was redesignated as the 487th Fighter Squadron,

  and was re-equipped with the P-47 Thunderbolt, and in this form,

  along with the entire 352nd Fighter Group, was moved to Euro-

  pe. The new home of the unit all the way to the end of the war

  was RAF Bodney, USAAF Station No.141. His rst aerial victory, and

  also the squadron’s rst, was recorded in November, 1943. John C.

  Meyer was the 487th Fighter Squadron’s CO over the course of all

  important time periods in the evolution of strategic operations over

  Europe, during which the unit was again re-equipped, this time

  from the P-47 to the P-51. John C Meyer gave up his command of

  the squadron when he was named deputy CO of the 352nd FG in

  November, 1944. Under his command, the squadron would see the

  emergence of aces the likes of Raymond H. Littge, William T. Whis-

  ner and, perhaps most importantly, George H. Preddy, the leading

  P-51 ace, Meyer’s friend and colleague who he was not able to

  best even after Preddy’s tragic death over Christmas, 1944. As luck

  would have it, fate would not oer much opportunity to do just

  that. On December 31st, 1944, John Meyer was able to shoot down

  an Arado Ar 234 jet. Immediately the next morning, the nal big

  show for John Meyer in the Second World War began. During Opera-

  tion Bodenplatte, when one of the Luftwae targets was the 352nd

  FG’s temporary home, Y-29 Ash in Belgium, John Meyer managed to

  shoot down an Fw 190 before he could even get his gear up after ta-

  king o. He subsequently dispensed with another Fw 190 and raised

  his Second World War score to the nal tally of twenty-four. For this

  rare feat, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Eight

  days later, he was the victim of an accident, and although doctors

  were able to save his life, it spelled the end of his ying days to

  the end of the war. Up to that point, he took part in ca 200 combat

  missions lasting some 462 hours, and besides the twenty-four kills,

  he was also credited with the destruction of 13 enemy aircraft on

  the ground.

  After the war, he completed his studies, ear-

  ning a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Geography.

  Postwar service with the US Army, later the

  USAF, was made up of various sta and admin

  functions up to August, 1950, when he was na-

  med Commanding Ocer of the F-86 equipped

  4th Fighter Wing. The unit was later moved to

  Korea, where John C. Meyer added another

  two kills to his total from 1943 – 1945. One was

  claimed on December 22nd, 1950 and the other

  on April 12th, 1951. Both victims were MiG-15s.

  After returning from Korea, he was taken on

  by the Air War College in Maxwell, where he

  would later remain as an instructor. In 1963,

  he was promoted to Major General and was

  subsequently given command of the 12th USAF.

  In 1967, this was followed by further promoti-

  on to Lieutenant General and function within

  the Strategic Air Command. He retired in July,

  1974.

  Among his military awards are, rst and fo-

  remost, the Distinguished Service Cross with

  two Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Distinguished

  Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Silver Star

  with Oak Leaf Cluster, Legion of Merit, Distin-

  guished Flying Cross with six Oak Leaf Clusters,

  Purple Heart, Air Medal with 14 Oak Leaf Clus-

  ters and the Croix de Guerre with Palm from

  both France and Belgium.

  John C. Meyer died on December 2nd, 1975 in

  Los Angeles at the age of 56.

  John C. Meyer during his stint as CO of the

  4th Fighter Wing in Korea between 1950

  and 1951. During the Korean War, he ew

  the F-86 Sabre and downed two MiG-15s.

• Page 20

  selves to his tail. For a short period of time, he set his thro-

  ttle to emergency boost and began climbing again at a rate

  of 300m per minute. The enemy aircraft pursued him at

  a distance of almost 300m, and still 100 to 120m from below.

  Every now and again, they would be able to lift their noses

  up and get o a few rounds, but to Meyer’s luck, without

  success. This unlikely group ew almost 180km between

  Kassel and Bonn, and when they reached the Rhine, the

  German pilots turned back.

  Besides John C. Meyer, other members of the squadron

  got a taste of success as well. Second Lt. Phanor B. Waters

  shot down an Fw 190, 1Lt. Duerr H. Schuh a Bf 109, Capt.

  John R. Bennett another Fw 190 with a Bf 109 probable and

  another damaged (both ‘109s were credited to him as dam-

  aged), and Lt. James H. Forga was credited with three kills,

  two Fw 190s and a Bf 109. Other members of the squadron

  destroyed four aircraft on the ground, and damaged ano-

  ther ve. These were 1Lt. Alex Sears, 1Lt. Ray. H. Littge

  and Lt. H.M. Stewart. According to reports, this all happe-

  ned at the airelds at Gotha and Gottingen between 1155h

  and 1230h.

  The last of the 352nd FG squadrons, the 486th under

  the leadership of Capt. Franklyn N. Greene, went through

  something similar to the 487th Squadron. They went into

  combat against a group of forming up German ghters at

  around 1145h. However, over the course of jockeying for

  position, the German ghters were lost in the sun and

  Capt. Greene took his unit down to an altitude of 3,000m

  where enemy contacts were reported. No enemy aircraft

  were encountered, however, and so targets of opportunity

  were sought out on the ground. After a short while, Gree-

  ne’s White Flight came across the rail yard at Herzberg am

  Harz and the rail line heading east towards Herzberg, which

  had several locomotives and rail cars on it. After a short

  while, Greene and his Number 2, Lt. Cameron, destroyed

  two locomotives. White ‘3’, Lt. Howard R. Combs, attacked

  a third locomotive. Whether he was hit from the ground or

  if it was a miscalculated maneuver, we shall probably never

  know. All that is known for certain is that Combs’ Mustang

  pressed home his attack to the point where both pieces

  of equipment ended up a massive reball. Lt. Kenneth S.

  Williams, who ew as Yellow 3, wrote: ‘… I observed a lone

  Blue Nosed P-51 making an attack on a marshalling yard.

  I immediately formed in his pattern and was following him

  in on a pass at a string of eight or ten good cars. His pass

  was very steep and his ship was about a sixty degree bank.

  I observed many strikes on all of the cars and then this

  ship hit the last three cars and exploded…’. Combs’ CO,

  Capt. Greene, added: ‘… he was observed pilling into the

  locomotive with his plane which blew up upon contact. His

  action caused the destruction of the locomotive and three

  goods cars. Five other cars were derailed.’ Lt. Combs, who

  according to German records, crashed at 1218h, was sub-

  sequently buried in Herzberg. Other locomotives and cars

  were destroyed by members of Yellow Flight, Capt. Miklaj-

  cyk, Lt. Grabowski, Lt. Smigalski and Lt. Williams.

  Most pilots of the 352nd Fighter Group were engaged in

  combat before they could meet up with the bombers that

  they were tasked with escorting to their targets at Brux in

  the Sudetenland on the border of the former Czechoslova-

  kia. That goal was eventually achieved by a single Flight

  from the 328th FS to the tune of four Mustangs. They joined

  up on the pair of 490th and 493rd Bomb Group combat bo-

  xes at 1201h in the vicinity of Plauen, where the 3rd Bomb

  Division split o. The bombers designated to hit Brux conti-

  nued on in a southeast course to their waypoint at the Klas-

  terec and Ohri (German name Klösterle/Eger), and then on

  directly along the Ore Mountains to their target. Although

  this took them into airspace where only a few minutes prior

  there took place a monumental air battle that destroyed

  over sixty aircraft shot down, the four 352nd FG Mustangs

  would be enough. By that time, all was said and done over

  the Ore Mountains…

  A copy of the original combat report led by

  Lt. Col. Meyer dated September 11th, 1944. (NARA)

• Page 21

  selves to his tail. For a short period of time, he set his thro-

  ttle to emergency boost and began climbing again at a rate

  of 300m per minute. The enemy aircraft pursued him at

  a distance of almost 300m, and still 100 to 120m from below.

  Every now and again, they would be able to lift their noses

  up and get o a few rounds, but to Meyer’s luck, without

  success. This unlikely group ew almost 180km between

  Kassel and Bonn, and when they reached the Rhine, the

  German pilots turned back.

  Besides John C. Meyer, other members of the squadron

  got a taste of success as well. Second Lt. Phanor B. Waters

  shot down an Fw 190, 1Lt. Duerr H. Schuh a Bf 109, Capt.

  John R. Bennett another Fw 190 with a Bf 109 probable and

  another damaged (both ‘109s were credited to him as dam-

  aged), and Lt. James H. Forga was credited with three kills,

  two Fw 190s and a Bf 109. Other members of the squadron

  destroyed four aircraft on the ground, and damaged ano-

  ther ve. These were 1Lt. Alex Sears, 1Lt. Ray. H. Littge

  and Lt. H.M. Stewart. According to reports, this all happe-

  ned at the airelds at Gotha and Gottingen between 1155h

  and 1230h.

  The last of the 352nd FG squadrons, the 486th under

  the leadership of Capt. Franklyn N. Greene, went through

  something similar to the 487th Squadron. They went into

  combat against a group of forming up German ghters at

  around 1145h. However, over the course of jockeying for

  position, the German ghters were lost in the sun and

  Capt. Greene took his unit down to an altitude of 3,000m

  where enemy contacts were reported. No enemy aircraft

  were encountered, however, and so targets of opportunity

  were sought out on the ground. After a short while, Gree-

  ne’s White Flight came across the rail yard at Herzberg am

  Harz and the rail line heading east towards Herzberg, which

  had several locomotives and rail cars on it. After a short

  while, Greene and his Number 2, Lt. Cameron, destroyed

  two locomotives. White ‘3’, Lt. Howard R. Combs, attacked

  a third locomotive. Whether he was hit from the ground or

  if it was a miscalculated maneuver, we shall probably never

  know. All that is known for certain is that Combs’ Mustang

  pressed home his attack to the point where both pieces

  of equipment ended up a massive reball. Lt. Kenneth S.

  Williams, who ew as Yellow 3, wrote: ‘… I observed a lone

  Blue Nosed P-51 making an attack on a marshalling yard.

  I immediately formed in his pattern and was following him

  in on a pass at a string of eight or ten good cars. His pass

  was very steep and his ship was about a sixty degree bank.

  I observed many strikes on all of the cars and then this

  ship hit the last three cars and exploded…’. Combs’ CO,

  Capt. Greene, added: ‘… he was observed pilling into the

  locomotive with his plane which blew up upon contact. His

  action caused the destruction of the locomotive and three

  goods cars. Five other cars were derailed.’ Lt. Combs, who

  according to German records, crashed at 1218h, was sub-

  sequently buried in Herzberg. Other locomotives and cars

  were destroyed by members of Yellow Flight, Capt. Miklaj-

  cyk, Lt. Grabowski, Lt. Smigalski and Lt. Williams.

  Most pilots of the 352nd Fighter Group were engaged in

  combat before they could meet up with the bombers that

  they were tasked with escorting to their targets at Brux in

  the Sudetenland on the border of the former Czechoslova-

  kia. That goal was eventually achieved by a single Flight

  from the 328th FS to the tune of four Mustangs. They joined

  up on the pair of 490th and 493rd Bomb Group combat bo-

  xes at 1201h in the vicinity of Plauen, where the 3rd Bomb

  Division split o. The bombers designated to hit Brux conti-

  nued on in a southeast course to their waypoint at the Klas-

  terec and Ohri (German name Klösterle/Eger), and then on

  directly along the Ore Mountains to their target. Although

  this took them into airspace where only a few minutes prior

  there took place a monumental air battle that destroyed

  over sixty aircraft shot down, the four 352nd FG Mustangs

  would be enough. By that time, all was said and done over

  the Ore Mountains…

  A copy of the original combat report led by

  Lt. Col. Meyer dated September 11th, 1944. (NARA)

  The escort duty of this lonely 352nd FG Flight was ocia-

  lly fullled on the return trip after the crossing of the Rhine

  at 1345h at Sankt Goar. Although most of the members of the

  group came back individually, in pairs or in Flights, the ocial

  end time of the mission with the return to Bodney was recorded

  a 1430h, giving it a time span of 4 hours and 30 minutes.

  Although Fowler’s ‘Stardust’ brought John C. Meyer luck, he

  was glad to see his old airplane again. He did not, however, gain

  any more kills ying ‘Petie 2nd’. His next successful day came

  on November 21, 1944, when he would down three Fw 190s

  near Merseburg. That was while ying ‘Petie 3rd’, s/n 44-15041.

  Through to the end of the war, John C Meyer would accumulate

  24 kills, making him the fourth most successful USAAF pilot in

  Europe.

  Fowler’s ‘Stardust’ was reassigned to Lt. Jack C. Landrum,

  who renamed the P-51 ‘Moose’. On October 24th, 1944, during

  a ground attack mission at Wildeshausen, he was brought down

  by ak and killed.

  Day of the Fighter Aces

  For the given time frame, the unusual frequency of clashes

  between American and Luftwae aircraft on September 11th,

  1944, gave rise to, among other things, the emergence or pro-

  sperity of several American ghter aces. Many pilots achieved

  two or more kills on that date. There were three conrmed

  kills credited to Lt. James H. Forga (352nd FG), Lt. Earl W.

  Fryer (55th FG), Lt. Donald E. McClish and Lt. Ethelbert M.

  Graham (both 339th FG), Lt. Henry W. Brown (355th FG),

  Capt. Benjamin H. King and Cyril W. Jones (both 359th FG)

  and Lt. William F. Rilson (364th FG). And, not to be outdone,

  there was a pair of pilots that would be credited with four

  conrmed kills. They were Lt. Frank R. Gerard (339th FG) and

  Lt. John C. Meyer of the 352nd FG.

  B-17G Flying Fortresses of the 490th Bomb Group. The identifying markings of this unit were red vertical tail surfaces

  and longitudinal wing bands.

  Sources:

  US National Archives and Record Admistration

  Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell, Alabama

  Museum of Air Battle over the Ore Mountains on September

  11th, 1944, Kovarska, Czech Republic

  352nd Fighter Group Association

  Peter Randall Archive, Little Friends project

  Fold3 Archives; www.fold3.com

  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C._Meyer

  airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf

  www.airforcemag.com/article/valor-four-star-ace/

  www.valka.cz/Meyer-John-Charles-t66982

  www.starduststudios.com/bill-fowler.html

  American Air Museum in Britain; Roger Freeman collection

  Title artwork by Piotr Forkasiewicz

• Page 22

  One of our planned new item releases for February, 2021

  includes an option for the Dornier Do17Z-5 coded “7T+HH”

  from Küsteniegergruppe 606. The Z-5 version was equipped

  for operations over water and was mainly used by this unit.

  The crew of “7T+HH” experienced some extremely dramatic

  moments during an attack on Liverpool that proved fateful for

  most of them. In the article, I will also touch on the citizens

  of Great Britain and Malta. There were those that succumbed

  to the eects of war, while others, as we shall see, were born

  into it.

  Navy Personnel in the Luftwaffe

  Küsteniegergruppe 606 was a unit within the German coastal

  air service. From the end of 1939, it specialized in patrol duties

  and attacks on surface vessels. The unit was equipped with the

  Do 17 and was based at Kiel-Holten. After being engaged against

  Denmark, Kï.Fl.Gr.606 was moved to the area of Brest in July,

  1940, and from September was made subordinate from Navy to

  Luftotte 3. The Gruppe was commanded by a former Navy ocer,

  Major Joachim Hahn, who became a naval cadet already in 1923.

  The unit had put into practice having the crew command functi-

  ons, and also those of the observer, performed by Naval Ocers.

  In terms of navigation over water, combat tactics and target iden-

  tication, this was deemed optimal. Over the course of the Battle

  of Britain, however, the main task of the unit became raids on Bri-

  tish cities, attacks against harbors, bombings of military targets

  from heights of only a few tens of meters, and also target marking

  for other bombers. Combat missions usually took the crews to

  western areas of Great Britain. Kü.Fl.Gr.606 was in these tasks

  very successful and Hahn was awarded the Ritterkreuz in October,

  1940 as a result. In 1942, he became Kommodore Kampfgeschwa-

  der 6, and he met his fate on June 3rd during an inspection tour,

  along with two other airmen, in a Messerschmitt Bf 108. Near Le

  Trepot, they were shot down by Spitres from No. 401 Squadron

  RAF, own by F/Sgt S.C. Cosburn and F/Lt E.L. Neal.

  Liverpool Raids

  During the Second World War, the second most hit target in

  Great Britain was Liverpool. The primary target was the city har-

  bor, which was among the biggest on the western shores of Great

  Britain. Liverpool and the surrounding area lost some 4,000 of

  its inhabitants between the summer

  of 1940 and the beginning of 1942.

  From one of the destroyed homes

  of Liverpool, paradoxically, came

  Hitler’s nephew, William Patrick

  Hitler, who served in the United States Navy during the Second

  World War.

  From the beginning of October, 1940, one of the units defen-

  ding Liverpool was No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron, based at

  Speke, which currently is Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport. The

  rst kill achieved by the squadron is probably also the quickest

  in the history of the RAF. F./Lt D.E. Gillam and his wingmen Alois

  Vašátko and Josef Stehlík were experienced pilots, and they shot

  down a Junkers Ju 88 A-1, coded “M7+DK” of Küsteniegergrup-

  pe 806 shortly after takeo. The task of the Ju 88 was to bomb

  the Rootes aircraft factory at Speke. All three Hurricanes were

  actually hit by defensive re coming from the German bomber.

  The bomber came down in the docks south of Liverpool. The crew

  commander, Lt. z. S. Herbert was killed by re from the Hurri-

  canes, and another three crewmen, Oblt. Helmuth Brückmann,

  Uz. Helmuth Weth and Obfhr. Horst Lehmann, were taken pri-

  soner. The combat over the city grabbed a lot of attention, and

  the gates to the air base had to be shut, because massive crowds

  showed up, wanting to show their appreciation to the Czechoslo-

  vak unit. Eighteen crews from Kü.Fl.Gr.606 attacked British tar-

  gets on the night of October 10th, thirteen of which were tasked

  with hitting the factory at Speke and the production facility of

  Rolls-Royce at Crewe. All of the bombers returned to their bases.

  However, the next event would play itself out dierently.

  During the evening hours of October 11th, 1940, six Do 17s from

  Hahn’s unit approached the area around Liverpool. One was hea-

  ded for Birkenhead, and the other ve were tasked with again hi-

  tting Speke and Crewe. Three of the aircraft were from 1. Stael

  and three from 2. Stael Kü.Fl.Gr.606.

  Title photo: Do 17 Z-5 (W. Nr. 2787) „7T + HH“ from the

  1st Stael of Küsteniegergruppe 606 at Lanvéoc-Poulmic

  base before the raid on October 11, 1940. White part of

  the fuselage cross is already painted in black, but you can

  still see the swastika, the unit emblem and white tip of the

  propeller cone. During the raid on October 11, all of that was

  already painted black to reduce visibility. The emblem of the

  unit was an eagle tearing Great Britain. Photo: Chris Goss

  Portrait photo: Karl-Franz Heine. Credit: uboat.net

• Page 23

  One of our planned new item releases for February, 2021

  includes an option for the Dornier Do17Z-5 coded “7T+HH”

  from Küsteniegergruppe 606. The Z-5 version was equipped

  for operations over water and was mainly used by this unit.

  The crew of “7T+HH” experienced some extremely dramatic

  moments during an attack on Liverpool that proved fateful for

  most of them. In the article, I will also touch on the citizens

  of Great Britain and Malta. There were those that succumbed

  to the eects of war, while others, as we shall see, were born

  into it.

  Navy Personnel in the Luftwaffe

  Küsteniegergruppe 606 was a unit within the German coastal

  air service. From the end of 1939, it specialized in patrol duties

  and attacks on surface vessels. The unit was equipped with the

  Do 17 and was based at Kiel-Holten. After being engaged against

  Denmark, Kï.Fl.Gr.606 was moved to the area of Brest in July,

  1940, and from September was made subordinate from Navy to

  Luftotte 3. The Gruppe was commanded by a former Navy ocer,

  Major Joachim Hahn, who became a naval cadet already in 1923.

  The unit had put into practice having the crew command functi-

  ons, and also those of the observer, performed by Naval Ocers.

  In terms of navigation over water, combat tactics and target iden-

  tication, this was deemed optimal. Over the course of the Battle

  of Britain, however, the main task of the unit became raids on Bri-

  tish cities, attacks against harbors, bombings of military targets

  from heights of only a few tens of meters, and also target marking

  for other bombers. Combat missions usually took the crews to

  western areas of Great Britain. Kü.Fl.Gr.606 was in these tasks

  very successful and Hahn was awarded the Ritterkreuz in October,

  1940 as a result. In 1942, he became Kommodore Kampfgeschwa-

  der 6, and he met his fate on June 3rd during an inspection tour,

  along with two other airmen, in a Messerschmitt Bf 108. Near Le

  Trepot, they were shot down by Spitres from No. 401 Squadron

  RAF, own by F/Sgt S.C. Cosburn and F/Lt E.L. Neal.

  Liverpool Raids

  During the Second World War, the second most hit target in

  Great Britain was Liverpool. The primary target was the city har-

  bor, which was among the biggest on the western shores of Great

  Britain. Liverpool and the surrounding area lost some 4,000 of

  its inhabitants between the summer

  of 1940 and the beginning of 1942.

  From one of the destroyed homes

  of Liverpool, paradoxically, came

  Hitler’s nephew, William Patrick

  Hitler, who served in the United States Navy during the Second

  World War.

  From the beginning of October, 1940, one of the units defen-

  ding Liverpool was No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron, based at

  Speke, which currently is Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport. The

  rst kill achieved by the squadron is probably also the quickest

  in the history of the RAF. F./Lt D.E. Gillam and his wingmen Alois

  Vašátko and Josef Stehlík were experienced pilots, and they shot

  down a Junkers Ju 88 A-1, coded “M7+DK” of Küsteniegergrup-

  pe 806 shortly after takeo. The task of the Ju 88 was to bomb

  the Rootes aircraft factory at Speke. All three Hurricanes were

  actually hit by defensive re coming from the German bomber.

  The bomber came down in the docks south of Liverpool. The crew

  commander, Lt. z. S. Herbert was killed by re from the Hurri-

  canes, and another three crewmen, Oblt. Helmuth Brückmann,

  Uz. Helmuth Weth and Obfhr. Horst Lehmann, were taken pri-

  soner. The combat over the city grabbed a lot of attention, and

  the gates to the air base had to be shut, because massive crowds

  showed up, wanting to show their appreciation to the Czechoslo-

  vak unit. Eighteen crews from Kü.Fl.Gr.606 attacked British tar-

  gets on the night of October 10th, thirteen of which were tasked

  with hitting the factory at Speke and the production facility of

  Rolls-Royce at Crewe. All of the bombers returned to their bases.

  However, the next event would play itself out dierently.

  During the evening hours of October 11th, 1940, six Do 17s from

  Hahn’s unit approached the area around Liverpool. One was hea-

  ded for Birkenhead, and the other ve were tasked with again hi-

  tting Speke and Crewe. Three of the aircraft were from 1. Stael

  and three from 2. Stael Kü.Fl.Gr.606.

  Title photo: Do 17 Z-5 (W. Nr. 2787) „7T + HH“ from the

  1st Stael of Küsteniegergruppe 606 at Lanvéoc-Poulmic

  base before the raid on October 11, 1940. White part of

  the fuselage cross is already painted in black, but you can

  still see the swastika, the unit emblem and white tip of the

  propeller cone. During the raid on October 11, all of that was

  already painted black to reduce visibility. The emblem of the

  unit was an eagle tearing Great Britain. Photo: Chris Goss

  Portrait photo: Karl-Franz Heine. Credit: uboat.net

  Dornier bombers over UK city,

  in this case it is London. Photo: IWM

  Airmen holding down the tail of

  a Supermarine Spitre Mark I, N3072,

  of No. 611 Squadron RAF during

  a ring test at the gun butts at Digby,

  Lincolnshire. Photo: IWM

  Commanding ocers of No. 312 Squadron

  in September 1940 in Duxford. From

  left: F/Lt Alois Hlobil, Czechoslovak unit

  commander S/Ldr Ján Ambruš, British

  unit commander S/Ldr. Frank H. Tyson

  and Flight leaders F/Lt Dennys E. Gillam,

  DFC and F/Lt Josef Duda. Photo: IWM

• Page 24

  This time, the RAF was ready, and Spitres from No. 611 (West

  Lancashire) Squadron were dispatched to the anticipated in-

  bound route just after 1730h. These aircraft came out of Ternhill.

  Berrie Heath and Tommy Williams of Yellow Section apparently

  shot down Dornier Do 17 Z-5 (W. Nr. 2772) “7T+EH” of 1. Stael,

  crewed by Lt. zur See Jürgen von Krause, who ditched the aircraft

  in the sea. However, the German crew was able to hit Williams’

  Spitre. The damage was bad enough for Williams to contemplate

  bailing from his stricken aircraft, but he ultimately did make it

  back to his base. One member of the German crew was listed as

  missing, while the remaining ones were taken prisoner.

  Pilots of Red Section, F/L W. J. Leather, P/O P. S. C. Pollard and

  P/O J. R. G. Sutton claimed the destruction of two bombers, the

  second of which was observed to have ames coming out of both

  engines, and two parachutes escaping from it. The rst victim was

  likely Do 17 Z-5 (W.Nr. 3475) “7T+FK” of Oblt. Friedrich-Wilhelm

  Richter of 2. Stael. None of his crew survived. The aircraft with

  both engines aming was without a doubt Do 17 Z-5 (W.Nr. 2787)

  “7T+HH” of 1. Stael, under the command of Oblt. z. S. Karl-Franz

  Heine.

  F/O Heath, Sgt Angos and Sgt Pattison of Blue Section attac-

  ked another two Do 17s and came away with one probable and

  one damaged. During the ght, a lone Hurricane from No. 312

  Squadron joined in. Kenneth Clifton Pattison chased one of the

  attackers in his Spitre for some hundred miles to Kidderminster

  in Worcestershire County. Ultimately, he was hit by defensive re

  from the bomber and suered serious injuries in the ensuing crash

  at Cooksey Green, the results of which he did not survive.

  The Czechoslovak unit dispatched two three ship ights of

  Hurricanes against the German bombers at just before 1800h.

  P/O Alois Vašátko and Sgt. Josef Keprt of Yellow Section lost con-

  tact with their British leader F/Lt Harry A. G. Comeford. So, they

  joined up on Red Section that included both commanders of the

  squadron, S/L Frank H. Tyson and S/L Ján Ambruš with P/O Josef

  Jaške. The ve Hurricanes then attacked a lone Do 17 heading

  southward. After several hits, the left engine began belching smo-

  ke, but was soon lost in the clouds. Jaške’s Hurricane was badly

  damaged from return re. The ve ghters used up virtually all

  of their ammunition, and some even red at point blank range.

  Harry Comeford, who’s Hurricane was observed by his colleagues

  in the Spitres, also attacked one of the Dorniers, but other than

  the rear gunner got silent, no other result was observed. Unfor-

  tunately, the Intelligence Ocer of the Czechoslovak unit, P/O

  F. S. Lamping, did not prepare victory claims on time. But from

  today perspective, it would appear that the end result was two

  damaged Do 17s.

  Dornier Do 17 under the re of RAF ghter during Battle of Britain. Photo: IWM

  Liverpool docks photographed by RAF after bombing raids from 1800 feet. Photo: IWM

• Page 25

  This time, the RAF was ready, and Spitres from No. 611 (West

  Lancashire) Squadron were dispatched to the anticipated in-

  bound route just after 1730h. These aircraft came out of Ternhill.

  Berrie Heath and Tommy Williams of Yellow Section apparently

  shot down Dornier Do 17 Z-5 (W. Nr. 2772) “7T+EH” of 1. Stael,

  crewed by Lt. zur See Jürgen von Krause, who ditched the aircraft

  in the sea. However, the German crew was able to hit Williams’

  Spitre. The damage was bad enough for Williams to contemplate

  bailing from his stricken aircraft, but he ultimately did make it

  back to his base. One member of the German crew was listed as

  missing, while the remaining ones were taken prisoner.

  Pilots of Red Section, F/L W. J. Leather, P/O P. S. C. Pollard and

  P/O J. R. G. Sutton claimed the destruction of two bombers, the

  second of which was observed to have ames coming out of both

  engines, and two parachutes escaping from it. The rst victim was

  likely Do 17 Z-5 (W.Nr. 3475) “7T+FK” of Oblt. Friedrich-Wilhelm

  Richter of 2. Stael. None of his crew survived. The aircraft with

  both engines aming was without a doubt Do 17 Z-5 (W.Nr. 2787)

  “7T+HH” of 1. Stael, under the command of Oblt. z. S. Karl-Franz

  Heine.

  F/O Heath, Sgt Angos and Sgt Pattison of Blue Section attac-

  ked another two Do 17s and came away with one probable and

  one damaged. During the ght, a lone Hurricane from No. 312

  Squadron joined in. Kenneth Clifton Pattison chased one of the

  attackers in his Spitre for some hundred miles to Kidderminster

  in Worcestershire County. Ultimately, he was hit by defensive re

  from the bomber and suered serious injuries in the ensuing crash

  at Cooksey Green, the results of which he did not survive.

  The Czechoslovak unit dispatched two three ship ights of

  Hurricanes against the German bombers at just before 1800h.

  P/O Alois Vašátko and Sgt. Josef Keprt of Yellow Section lost con-

  tact with their British leader F/Lt Harry A. G. Comeford. So, they

  joined up on Red Section that included both commanders of the

  squadron, S/L Frank H. Tyson and S/L Ján Ambruš with P/O Josef

  Jaške. The ve Hurricanes then attacked a lone Do 17 heading

  southward. After several hits, the left engine began belching smo-

  ke, but was soon lost in the clouds. Jaške’s Hurricane was badly

  damaged from return re. The ve ghters used up virtually all

  of their ammunition, and some even red at point blank range.

  Harry Comeford, who’s Hurricane was observed by his colleagues

  in the Spitres, also attacked one of the Dorniers, but other than

  the rear gunner got silent, no other result was observed. Unfor-

  tunately, the Intelligence Ocer of the Czechoslovak unit, P/O

  F. S. Lamping, did not prepare victory claims on time. But from

  today perspective, it would appear that the end result was two

  damaged Do 17s.

  Dornier Do 17 under the re of RAF ghter during Battle of Britain. Photo: IWM

  Liverpool docks photographed by RAF after bombing raids from 1800 feet. Photo: IWM

  A panoramic view of bomb damage caused by the Liverpool Blitz dated 1942. Photo: IWM

• Page 26

  Lennon‘s home at today 251 Menlove Avenue.

  Photo: Wikimedia Commons

  On the same page, a report on the birth of John Lennon

  was published!

  Article on previous page: Liverpool Echo of October 12, 1940

  with air raid descripton with details of Heine´s bomber with

  two burning engines.

  The next day, Saturday, October 12th, the Liverpool Echo

  newspaper reported on its third page a thorough accounting of

  the raid, its results and also air combats. The paper, on the same

  page, also reported that the Lennons had given birth to their son,

  John, three days prior.

  The Night Return of “7T+HH”

  The month of October, 1940, ended up as a tragic one for Kus-

  teniegergruppe 606. The unit lost over twenty airmen during

  the course of that month, which was more than the remaining

  months of the year combined. Heine’s crew lost two of its own du-

  ring the raid on October 11th. They were last spotted by ghters

  from Yellow Section of No. 611 Squadron over their target. Two

  crewmembers bailed out of the aircraft, which had ames coming

  from both of its engines. It was assumed that the aircraft came

  down somewhere in the forests of Wales.

  Radio operator Fw. Hans Staas was quickly captured at Martha-

  lyn (Mart of Llyn?) after bailing out. His colleague, Flight Engineer

  Uz. Heinz Johannsen was not as lucky. As he jumped out of the

  aircraft, he was struck by a section of the horizontal tail and was

  killed before he hit the ground at Deiniolen.

  Hans-August Johannsen came from Gettdorf (probably Gettorf)

  at Eckernförde, where he was born on October 1st, 1914. Imme-

  diately prior to the tragic ight, he celebrated his twenty-sixth

  birthday. From the records of this ight, we know that his target

  that night was Speke. The British buried him on October 15th in

  Prollheli in northern Wales, and through the Red Cross notied the

  Germans, who, in turn, passed the information on to his wife, Elly.

  Pilot Ofw. Wilhelm Hagen and Observer, and also crew commander,

  Oblt. zur See Heine, remained with the aircraft. As incredible as

  it may sound, they were able to put out both res and land the

  aircraft on blown tires back at Brest! The damage to the aircraft

  was placed at 45%, which typically meant that it was deemed

  repairable.

  „7T + HH“ after returning from the Liverpool mission on October 11, 1940. Clearly visible is overpainted swastika, damage

  caused by re from Spitres No. 611 Squadron and damage of tail section caused by the impact of Johannsen‘s body.

  Photo: Chris Goss

• Page 27

  Lennon‘s home at today 251 Menlove Avenue.

  Photo: Wikimedia Commons

  On the same page, a report on the birth of John Lennon

  was published!

  Article on previous page: Liverpool Echo of October 12, 1940

  with air raid descripton with details of Heine´s bomber with

  two burning engines.

  The next day, Saturday, October 12th, the Liverpool Echo

  newspaper reported on its third page a thorough accounting of

  the raid, its results and also air combats. The paper, on the same

  page, also reported that the Lennons had given birth to their son,

  John, three days prior.

  The Night Return of “7T+HH”

  The month of October, 1940, ended up as a tragic one for Kus-

  teniegergruppe 606. The unit lost over twenty airmen during

  the course of that month, which was more than the remaining

  months of the year combined. Heine’s crew lost two of its own du-

  ring the raid on October 11th. They were last spotted by ghters

  from Yellow Section of No. 611 Squadron over their target. Two

  crewmembers bailed out of the aircraft, which had ames coming

  from both of its engines. It was assumed that the aircraft came

  down somewhere in the forests of Wales.

  Radio operator Fw. Hans Staas was quickly captured at Martha-

  lyn (Mart of Llyn?) after bailing out. His colleague, Flight Engineer

  Uz. Heinz Johannsen was not as lucky. As he jumped out of the

  aircraft, he was struck by a section of the horizontal tail and was

  killed before he hit the ground at Deiniolen.

  Hans-August Johannsen came from Gettdorf (probably Gettorf)

  at Eckernförde, where he was born on October 1st, 1914. Imme-

  diately prior to the tragic ight, he celebrated his twenty-sixth

  birthday. From the records of this ight, we know that his target

  that night was Speke. The British buried him on October 15th in

  Prollheli in northern Wales, and through the Red Cross notied the

  Germans, who, in turn, passed the information on to his wife, Elly.

  Pilot Ofw. Wilhelm Hagen and Observer, and also crew commander,

  Oblt. zur See Heine, remained with the aircraft. As incredible as

  it may sound, they were able to put out both res and land the

  aircraft on blown tires back at Brest! The damage to the aircraft

  was placed at 45%, which typically meant that it was deemed

  repairable.

  „7T + HH“ after returning from the Liverpool mission on October 11, 1940. Clearly visible is overpainted swastika, damage

  caused by re from Spitres No. 611 Squadron and damage of tail section caused by the impact of Johannsen‘s body.

  Photo: Chris Goss

  Do 17Z-5, WNr. 2787, 1./KGr. 606, Lannion, Francie, říjen 1940

  Heinz Johannsen‘s grave in Cannock Chase. Uz. Pelzer was member of the reconnaissance unit of the Luftwae High Command -

  2./Aufkl. Gr. Ob. D. L. He belonged to the crew of the Dornier Do 215 of Lt. Book shot down as well by a Spitre

  No. 611 Squadron over Liverpool. Photo: Melvin Brownless

• Page 28

  Wilhelm Hagen

  There is not currently all that much known about the details of

  Wilhelm Hagen’s service with Küsteniegergruppe 606, but he did

  receive not only the Ehrenpokal for “actions above and beyond

  the call of duty” in air combat, but also the Deutsches Kreuz in

  Gold (January 30th, 1942). He is one of ve yers from this unit

  that are known to have received this award. This speaks to the

  fact that this was an extraordinary pilot, which he proved during

  his return ight from Liverpool. Towards the end of 1940, there

  were discussions about whether or not to return Major Hahn’s unit

  to the Kriegsmarine, or to leave it as a Luftwae unit. Ultimately,

  the decision made was consistent with the latter. The Luftwae

  also considered rearming Küsteniegergruppe with the He 111.

  Hahn was adamantly opposed to the idea, and the naval comman-

  ders supported him on this. In February, 1941, his unit began con-

  verting to the Ju 88. This was accompanied by a new designation,

  Kampfgruppe (Bomb Group) 606, but in subsequent loss reports,

  the unit was referred to as it was prior to the new designation.

  In October, 1940, Hahn’s unit went back to patrolling over wa-

  ter and attacking surface vessels. For example, on the 17th of

  that month, they recorded a hit against an enemy destroyer du-

  ring a clash of German and British ships. The tasks undertaken by

  the unit would remain basically the same through most of 1941,

  by which time the unit had sunk several tens of thousands of tons

  of transport shipping.

  At the end of November, 1941, KGr. 606 was moved to Catania

  on the island of Sicily. The date of December 7th was signicant

  for two direct hits against enemy destroyer and a sunk merchant

  vessel northwest of Benghazi.

  From the beginning of 1942, combat operations often took KGr.

  606 over Malta, and several of her crews were shot down by Hu-

  rricanes and Beaughters or antiaircraft units. Among the tasks

  of the German crews was also the dropping of SD-2 ‘Buttery’

  bombs, a weapon that was hell on the civilian population of Malta.

  Stfw. Hagen failed to return from a raid on an ‘unsinkable’

  aircraft carrier. This was on April 19th, 1942, interestingly enou-

  gh, on a day when the RAF was not able to put up a single gh-

  ter against the bombers. Over 270 bombers in some ten waves

  dropped over 430 tons of bombs on Malta. The main target of the

  raid were antiaircraft batteries , which killed several tens of men,

  but also killed were many inhabitants and the fatalities totaled

  some seventy people.

  The defenders brought down two Ju 88s. The rst was Ju 88

  A-4 (W. Nr. 3641) “3Z+KN” of 5./KG 77 of Lt. Horst Rosenfeldt.

  He was able to bail out of the stricken bomber along with his

  radio operator, Obgfr. Rudolf Krizek, but another two members

  did not survive.

  The second aircraft lost was Ju 88 A-4 (W. Nr. 1526) “7T+BH” of

  1./Kü.Fl.Gr. 606. Hagen’s entire crew went missing, including ob-

  server Fw. Heinz Uecker, Radio Operator Ofw. Ludwig Bachmann

  and Flight Engineer Ernst Althammer. The defenders reported

  seeing a bomber take a direct hit and disintegrate in midair over

  Grand Harbour. Willi Hagen was posthumously promoted to Ober-

  leutnant.

  Karl-Franz Heine

  The future pilot and submarine commander was born on Octo-

  ber 30th, 1915 in Kiel. He joined the military in April, 1934, and

  ve years later, he achieved the rank of Oberleutnant zur See

  and was assigned as an observer in the aerial operations. After

  leaving Küsteniegergruppe 606, he was trained in the subma-

  rine force, and in March, 1942, he was promoted to Kapitänle-

  utnant, followed by being given command of U-303 (Type VIIC)

  in July. He undertook training with his crew through to the end

  of 1942, and over the rst half of 1943, they undertook two patrols.

  On February 23rd, 1943, he managed to sink the American merchant

  vessel ‘Expositor’ (Convoy ON-166), but it came down to being

  a mercy kill. Initially, the ship was struck by U-606, and most of

  the crew were rescued by the corvette HMCS Trillium (K 172),

  which tried unsuccessfully to sink the damaged ship.

  As opposed to a list of other subs, Heine’s crew recorded no

  loss of personnel during tours on non-combat duty. That would,

  however, change on May 21st, 1943, when U-303 was on a training

  exercise south of Toulon. She got into the sights of the British

  submarine HMSM Sickle, commanded by Lt. J. R. Drummond, DSC,

  RN. The resulting explosion and sinking, which lasted somewhere

  around a half a minute, took the lives of twenty crew members,

  but another 28, including Heine, were rescued, which was a bit

  of a miracle.

  Heine took command of U-403 (Type VIIC) from Kptlt. Heinz-

  -Ehlert Clausen in mid June, 1943, and took the sub southwesterly

  into the Atlantic a month later. In the middle of the ocean, he met

  up with U-43 (Type X) on July 30th to take on fuel. Unfortunate-

  ly, convoy GUS-10, which included the escort Carrier USS Santee,

  was passing through the area. Both of the subs were attacked

  rst by LTJG Edward van Vranken with a Wildcat, followed by an

  Avenger crewed by LTJG Robert F. Richmond. U-43 was hit with

  a Mk.24 FIDO torpedo, and the entire crew of Oblt. Hans-Joachim

  Schwantke was lost. U-403 was able to escape both depth charges

  and a second torpedo. Heine then took the sub southeasterly, on

  a heading towards the coast of Africa. The voyage ended at Dakar.

  First, the sub was attacked on August 17, by a No. 200 Squadron

  RAF, Hudson own by F/O Philip Horbat, which was escorting Con-

  voy SL135. Twelve seconds after submerging, the British dropped

  four depth charges, after which an oil slick was observed. The

  convoy escort duty was then taken over by a Sunderland of ano-

  ther unit, while another two No.200 Squadron Hudsons joined

  in the search for U-403. The surface of the ocean yielded further

  oil slicks.

  The next day, U-403 was sunk by a Wellington Mk.XIII (HZ697)

  of 2. Flottille de Bombardement of the French naval air force.

  The crew of Lieutenant de vaisseau Ernest Bigo with pilot Premi-

  er-maitre Chevant dropped six depth charges on the sub. All 49

  crewmen, including Karl-Franz Heine, perished.

  Victoria Cross awarded on January 13, 1942 to submarine

  commander, Malta. Left to right: Lieut F Ruck-Keene;

  Lieut Cdr Wanklyn, VC, DSO, RN; Lieut J R Drummond,

  RN and Sub Lieut J H Norman, RNVR. Heine´s U-303

  was sunk by Drummond. Photo: IWM

  Drummond´s submarine HMSM Sickle. Photo: IWM

• Page 29

  Wilhelm Hagen

  There is not currently all that much known about the details of

  Wilhelm Hagen’s service with Küsteniegergruppe 606, but he did

  receive not only the Ehrenpokal for “actions above and beyond

  the call of duty” in air combat, but also the Deutsches Kreuz in

  Gold (January 30th, 1942). He is one of ve yers from this unit

  that are known to have received this award. This speaks to the

  fact that this was an extraordinary pilot, which he proved during

  his return ight from Liverpool. Towards the end of 1940, there

  were discussions about whether or not to return Major Hahn’s unit

  to the Kriegsmarine, or to leave it as a Luftwae unit. Ultimately,

  the decision made was consistent with the latter. The Luftwae

  also considered rearming Küsteniegergruppe with the He 111.

  Hahn was adamantly opposed to the idea, and the naval comman-

  ders supported him on this. In February, 1941, his unit began con-

  verting to the Ju 88. This was accompanied by a new designation,

  Kampfgruppe (Bomb Group) 606, but in subsequent loss reports,

  the unit was referred to as it was prior to the new designation.

  In October, 1940, Hahn’s unit went back to patrolling over wa-

  ter and attacking surface vessels. For example, on the 17th of

  that month, they recorded a hit against an enemy destroyer du-

  ring a clash of German and British ships. The tasks undertaken by

  the unit would remain basically the same through most of 1941,

  by which time the unit had sunk several tens of thousands of tons

  of transport shipping.

  At the end of November, 1941, KGr. 606 was moved to Catania

  on the island of Sicily. The date of December 7th was signicant

  for two direct hits against enemy destroyer and a sunk merchant

  vessel northwest of Benghazi.

  From the beginning of 1942, combat operations often took KGr.

  606 over Malta, and several of her crews were shot down by Hu-

  rricanes and Beaughters or antiaircraft units. Among the tasks

  of the German crews was also the dropping of SD-2 ‘Buttery’

  bombs, a weapon that was hell on the civilian population of Malta.

  Stfw. Hagen failed to return from a raid on an ‘unsinkable’

  aircraft carrier. This was on April 19th, 1942, interestingly enou-

  gh, on a day when the RAF was not able to put up a single gh-

  ter against the bombers. Over 270 bombers in some ten waves

  dropped over 430 tons of bombs on Malta. The main target of the

  raid were antiaircraft batteries , which killed several tens of men,

  but also killed were many inhabitants and the fatalities totaled

  some seventy people.

  The defenders brought down two Ju 88s. The rst was Ju 88

  A-4 (W. Nr. 3641) “3Z+KN” of 5./KG 77 of Lt. Horst Rosenfeldt.

  He was able to bail out of the stricken bomber along with his

  radio operator, Obgfr. Rudolf Krizek, but another two members

  did not survive.

  The second aircraft lost was Ju 88 A-4 (W. Nr. 1526) “7T+BH” of

  1./Kü.Fl.Gr. 606. Hagen’s entire crew went missing, including ob-

  server Fw. Heinz Uecker, Radio Operator Ofw. Ludwig Bachmann

  and Flight Engineer Ernst Althammer. The defenders reported

  seeing a bomber take a direct hit and disintegrate in midair over

  Grand Harbour. Willi Hagen was posthumously promoted to Ober-

  leutnant.

  Karl-Franz Heine

  The future pilot and submarine commander was born on Octo-

  ber 30th, 1915 in Kiel. He joined the military in April, 1934, and

  ve years later, he achieved the rank of Oberleutnant zur See

  and was assigned as an observer in the aerial operations. After

  leaving Küsteniegergruppe 606, he was trained in the subma-

  rine force, and in March, 1942, he was promoted to Kapitänle-

  utnant, followed by being given command of U-303 (Type VIIC)

  in July. He undertook training with his crew through to the end

  of 1942, and over the rst half of 1943, they undertook two patrols.

  On February 23rd, 1943, he managed to sink the American merchant

  vessel ‘Expositor’ (Convoy ON-166), but it came down to being

  a mercy kill. Initially, the ship was struck by U-606, and most of

  the crew were rescued by the corvette HMCS Trillium (K 172),

  which tried unsuccessfully to sink the damaged ship.

  As opposed to a list of other subs, Heine’s crew recorded no

  loss of personnel during tours on non-combat duty. That would,

  however, change on May 21st, 1943, when U-303 was on a training

  exercise south of Toulon. She got into the sights of the British

  submarine HMSM Sickle, commanded by Lt. J. R. Drummond, DSC,

  RN. The resulting explosion and sinking, which lasted somewhere

  around a half a minute, took the lives of twenty crew members,

  but another 28, including Heine, were rescued, which was a bit

  of a miracle.

  Heine took command of U-403 (Type VIIC) from Kptlt. Heinz-

  -Ehlert Clausen in mid June, 1943, and took the sub southwesterly

  into the Atlantic a month later. In the middle of the ocean, he met

  up with U-43 (Type X) on July 30th to take on fuel. Unfortunate-

  ly, convoy GUS-10, which included the escort Carrier USS Santee,

  was passing through the area. Both of the subs were attacked

  rst by LTJG Edward van Vranken with a Wildcat, followed by an

  Avenger crewed by LTJG Robert F. Richmond. U-43 was hit with

  a Mk.24 FIDO torpedo, and the entire crew of Oblt. Hans-Joachim

  Schwantke was lost. U-403 was able to escape both depth charges

  and a second torpedo. Heine then took the sub southeasterly, on

  a heading towards the coast of Africa. The voyage ended at Dakar.

  First, the sub was attacked on August 17, by a No. 200 Squadron

  RAF, Hudson own by F/O Philip Horbat, which was escorting Con-

  voy SL135. Twelve seconds after submerging, the British dropped

  four depth charges, after which an oil slick was observed. The

  convoy escort duty was then taken over by a Sunderland of ano-

  ther unit, while another two No.200 Squadron Hudsons joined

  in the search for U-403. The surface of the ocean yielded further

  oil slicks.

  The next day, U-403 was sunk by a Wellington Mk.XIII (HZ697)

  of 2. Flottille de Bombardement of the French naval air force.

  The crew of Lieutenant de vaisseau Ernest Bigo with pilot Premi-

  er-maitre Chevant dropped six depth charges on the sub. All 49

  crewmen, including Karl-Franz Heine, perished.

  Victoria Cross awarded on January 13, 1942 to submarine

  commander, Malta. Left to right: Lieut F Ruck-Keene;

  Lieut Cdr Wanklyn, VC, DSO, RN; Lieut J R Drummond,

  RN and Sub Lieut J H Norman, RNVR. Heine´s U-303

  was sunk by Drummond. Photo: IWM

  Drummond´s submarine HMSM Sickle. Photo: IWM

  Part of USS Santee diary describing aircraft attack against U-403 and U-43. Photo: Fold3

  The Avenger crew attack on the U-Boot in 1944 shows a situation similar to that of Heine‘s submarine. Photo: IWM

  Flight deck crewmen of USS Santee race to retrieve the bridle

  from a Grumman TBF that has just been catapulted, November

  1943. Photographed by Lieutenant Charles Fenno Jacobs,

  USNR. Photo National Archives

  A crewman assists an ocer, while setting fuse on a 325 pound

  depth bomb Mark XVII on the USS Santee carrier‘s hangar

  deck. Photo taken by Lieutenant Horace Bristol, at the time

  of the North African Operation, November 1942.

  Photo: National Archives

• Page 30

  USS Santee (ACV-29, later CVE-29) photograped circa mid-

  -October 1942, shortly before she participated in the invasion

  of Morocco. Aircraft on her ight deck include (from aft) SBD

  scout-bombers, F4F ghters and TBF torpedo planes. She is

  painted in Camouage Measure 17. Photo: National Archives.

  Crewmen checking Mark XVII 325 pound depth bombs

  on the hangar deck, at the time of the North

  Africa Operation, November 1942. Photographed

  by Lieutenant Horace Bristol, USNR. Note bomb

  carts, and Grumman F4F-4 and TBF-1 aircraft.

  Original color photo of Lockheed Hudson „J-Jig“ of No. 200

  Squadron, Royal Air Force, in ight over a coastal region

  of Africa. This unit damaged Heine´s U-403 on August 17,

  1943. Photo: IWM

• Page 31

  USS Santee (ACV-29, later CVE-29) photograped circa mid-

  -October 1942, shortly before she participated in the invasion

  of Morocco. Aircraft on her ight deck include (from aft) SBD

  scout-bombers, F4F ghters and TBF torpedo planes. She is

  painted in Camouage Measure 17. Photo: National Archives.

  Crewmen checking Mark XVII 325 pound depth bombs

  on the hangar deck, at the time of the North

  Africa Operation, November 1942. Photographed

  by Lieutenant Horace Bristol, USNR. Note bomb

  carts, and Grumman F4F-4 and TBF-1 aircraft.

  Original color photo of Lockheed Hudson „J-Jig“ of No. 200

  Squadron, Royal Air Force, in ight over a coastal region

  of Africa. This unit damaged Heine´s U-403 on August 17,

  1943. Photo: IWM

  French naval Wellington Mk.XIII (HZ704) of 2. Flottille de Bombardement. On August 18, 1943 this unit sunk Heine´s submarine

  U-403. Photo: Chris Goss

  I would like to express gratitude to Melvin Brownless, Chris

  Goss and Matti Salonen for their help in the writing of this artic-

  le. For more detailed research I highly reccomend books of Chris

  Goss and U-Boot im Focus Nr. 5 and 9 by Axel Urbanke.

  References:

  Publications:

  BLAIR C.: Hitler’s U-boat War (The Hunted, 1942-1945)

  CULL B., GALEA F.: Hurricanes Over Malta, June 1940 - April 1942

  GOSS C.: Dornier Do 17: The ‚Flying Pencil‘ in Luftwae

  Service, 1936 - 1945

  GOSS C.: Dornier Do 17: The Luftwae‘s ‚Flying Pencil‘

  HORN J.: Über allen Fronten, Chronik des

  Kapfgeschwaders 6, 1941 bis 1945

  HURT Z.: Czechs in the RAF, A Photographic Album of the

  Czechoslovakians That Went to War in the RAF During WWII

  PATERSON L.: Eagles Over the Sea: Luftwa-

  e Maritime Operations 1935–1942

  PATZWALL K., SCHERZER V.: Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945

  RAJLICH J.: Na nebi hrdého Albionu, 1. část, 1940

  THOMPSON A.: Kustenieger: The Operational History

  of the German Naval Air Service 1935-1944

  Kriegstagebuch der Seekriegsleitung, 1939 - 1945, Teil A

  U-Boot im Focus Nr. 9

  National Archives, UK:

  Combat reports Leather, Pollard, Sutton; AIR-50-173

  ORB No. 611 Sq.; AIR 27-2109-27, 28

  ORB No. 200 Sq.; AIR 27-1174-16

  Bundesarchiv

  Kartei der Verlust- und Grabmeldungen gefallener deutscher

  Soldaten 1939-1945 (-1948)

  Internet:

  Fold3.com

  Uboat.net

  www.ww2.dk

• Page 32

  1/48 Cat. No. 82153

  Eduard plastic parts

  Photo-etched set

  Paiting mask

  5 marking options

  KITS 02/2021

  Spitfire Mk.IIa 1/4 8

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  32

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 33

  KITS 02/2021

  P7881, S/Ldr. Michael L. Robinson, CO of No.609 Squadron, RAF Biggin Hill, Great Britain, April 1941

  P8387, Sgt. Stanislaw Blok, No.315 (Polish) Squadron, RAF Northolt, Great Britain, August 1941

  The Spiire Mk.IIa P7881 carries type B camouage, although it has an odd serial number. The Rotol spinner is sky-coloured with a red

  stripe. There is a black B on the lower engine cover and a command pennant of the No.609 Squadron commander is on both sides of the

  fuselage. The code leers are made in Medium Sea Gray and PR-B are the inials of the base commander, Group Captain Philip Reginald Bar-

  well, who occasionally ew as wingman of "Sailor" Malan. Barwell was accidentally shot down by a Spiire pilot on July 1st, 1942 above sea,

  and his body was found on the French coast. Squadron Leader Michael Lister Robinson of No. 609 Squadron recorded with P7881 several

  victories in May and June 1941. In total, he scored 16 victories, 6 of them in the Bale of Britain. He later led Biggin Hill Wing and Tangmere

  Wing. He was killed on April 10th, 1942, ghng the Focke-Wulfs of II./JG 26. Along with him died his French friend and wingman Maurice

  P.C. Choron.

  Spiire Mk.IIa P8387 carries camouage type A. De Havilland spinner is in Sky color. Nickname BARTY is painted on the fuselage and the

  code leer H is used for the female name Halina. Spiire served with No.611 Squadron since May 1941, but in the same month, Canadian

  ace Alfred Keith Ogilvie DFC of No.609 Squadron, used it to shoot down a Bf 109. In July 1941 the machine was taken over by the Polish

  No.308 Sqn where the naonal insignia was added on both sides of the cowling. In July 1941 Polish colleagues from the No.315 Squadron

  took over P8387. Later on, the machine was converted to the Mk.V version and was used by No.266, No.123 Sqn and 58.OTU. In July 1942,

  it was wrien o aer a collision with another Spiire. P8387 ew 872 hours and 30 minutes. Sgt. Stanislaw "Charlie" Blok, among others,

  ew with this Spiire with No.315 Squadron. During World War Two, he recorded 5 aerial victories.

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 34

  P8038, Fl/Lt. Brendan E.F. Finucane DFC, No.452 Squadron RAAF, RAF Kenley, Great Britain, August 1941

  P8081, Fl/Lt. Tomáš Vybíral, No.312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron, RAF Ayr, Great Britain, November 1941

  P7840, No.340 (Free French) Squadron, RAF Ayr, Great Britain, January 1942

  Spiire Mk.IIa P8038 is pained in type A camouage, although it has an even serial number. The Rotol spinner is in Sky color. Green shamrock

  with the leers BF on both sides of the fuselage is the personal emblem of Irish ghter ace "Paddy" Finucane, who claimed a total of

  26 individual victories. He was transferred to Australian No.452 Sqn in April 1941 aer serving with No.65 Sqn. With the P8038, he claimed 4

  victories and 1 probable. In January 1942 he became commander of No.602 Sqn. At the end of June he took over command of the

  Hornchurch Wing. He died on July 15th, 1942, in an emergency landing at sea aer his plane was hit by ak. Australians Sgt. Ian Milne and

  Sgt. Richard Gazzard also ew the P8038 with No.452 Sqn. Spiire was originally used by the Polish No.303 Sqn later on was also briey used

  by Czechoslovaks in No.313 Sqn. Aer conversion to Mk.Vb version, it was used by the No.611 and Norwegian No.332 Squadron.

  Spiire Mk.IIa P8081 was painted in scheme type A. From both sides of the fuselage there is a light gray inscripon GARFIELD WESTON IV.

  It is one of 16 aircra funded by Willard Gareld Weston, Canadian member of the House of Commons. This philanthropist was owner of the

  Allied Bakeries. He also helped to create a canteen system in the London Underground during the Blitz bombing oensive. P8081 rst served

  with the No.222 Sqn, where Sgt. Burgess used it to damage a Ju 88 in April 1941. Later on the Spiire was assigned to Australian No.452 Sqn

  for about a month and from October ll December it was used by Czechoslovak No.312 Sqn. A number of pilots ew with P8081, including

  F/Sgt Václav Šlouf. On November 17th, it was damaged by F/Lt. Tomáš Vybíral aer landing in poor visibility. This pilot scored 7 victories in

  the French Air Force and achieved the rank of Wing Commander in the RAF. Aer the war he emigrated from Czechoslovakia and joined the

  an-communist resistance.

  Spiire Mk.IIa P7840 is painted in scheme type B. Rotol spinner is in Sky color. On both sides of the bow is a blue or dull red Lorraine cross

  in a white shield. Below the canopy is a light grey inscripon related to aircra funding. Belfast Telegraph founded in North Ireland the

  Spiire Fund during the Bale of Britain, where its readers raised enough funds to buy 17 Spiires. A total of 12 of their airmen were killed

  in combat. The P7840 was the 13th machine of the Fund. The upper part of the inscripon refers to the song of the same name by the Irish

  composer Percy French. This Spiire served with the No.64 Sqn from February 1941 and was taken over in December by No.340 Sqn. Free

  French used it unl February 1942, when they switched to Spiires Mk.V. This unit conducted 7,845 combat ights, shot down 37 aircra

  and destroyed more than 500 ground targets. A total of 30 of pilots were killed and six were captured. Aer the war, unit received the Ordre

  de la Libéraon.

  KITS 02/2021

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 35

  KITS 02/2021

  481026 Spitre Mk.I landing aps 1/48 (PE-Set)

  FE1112 Spitre Mk.I seatbelts STEEL 1/48 (PE-Set)

  644080 Spitre Mk.II LööK 1/48 (Brassin)

  648579 Spitre Mk.I wheels 1/48 (Brassin)

  648580 Spitre Mk.I exhaust stacks 1/48 (Brassin)

  648589 Spitre Mk.I undercarriage legs BRONZE 1/48 (Brassin)

  648610 Spitre Mk.IIa gun bays 1/48 (Brassin)

  EX709 Spitre Mk.I TFace 1/48 (Mask)

  3DL48007 Spitre Mk.II SPACE 1/48 (3D Decal)

  Recommended for Spitfire Mk.IIa

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  35

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 36

  KITS 02/2021

  Nieuport Ni-17 1/72

  1/72 Cat. No. 7404

  Eduard plastic parts

  4 marking options

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  eduard

  36

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 37

  KITS 02/2021

  Nieuport Ni-17; N.1662; Paul Tarascon, Escadrille N.62, Chipilly, France, November 1916

  Nieuport Ni-17; N.1490; Charles Nungesser, Escadrille N.124, France, Bar-le-duc - Béhonne,

  France, July 1916

  Paul Albert Pierre Tarascon was a formidable ghter pilot not only because of his record of twelve aerial victories (plus ten probable), but

  also because of his perseverance. He lost his right foot in an aerial accident during his ying courses in 1911, ying Blériot XI. He nished the

  training though and despite his handicap he was accepted to the air corps at the outbreak of World War One. His colleagues called him “l'as

  la jambe de bois“ (the ace with the wooden leg) later. He served in the military aviaon school as instructor from January 1915, but was sent

  to the combat unit on October 6, 1915 upon his own request, and joined the Escadrille N.31. Aer short spell with N.3 he joined N.62 on his

  own request together with six other pilots in May 1916. Shortly aerwards he acted as interim commanding ocer from July 11 ll the end

  of the month, scoring his rst victory during this me (on July 15, 1916). Tarascon than started naming his mounts with the Zigomar name.

  The Zigomar was the name of conal criminal, who was terrorising France and the Europe with his accomplices. Tarascon ew this Nieu-

  port 17 in the autumn 1916. The aircra was painted in factory silvery paint coat, the red painng of the nose was heavily worn out. Paul

  Tarascon parcipated in the resistance against the German occupaon During the World War II. He died at the age of 94 on June 11, 1977.

  Charles Nungesser was one of the most amboyant French aces of Great War and, together with his good friend Jean Navarre, also the bo-

  geyman for Paris pubs, clubs, and brothels. His apete for wine, women and dangerous adventures made him popular (apart from his senior

  ocers), while his ying capabilies, bravery and insncts made him the third highest scoring French ace of WWI with 43 victories. Volun-

  teering for the French Army on May 18, 1914, he was reassigned to the air corps and underwent a pilot training. From April 1915 he ew 53

  bombing missions with Escadrille VB.106. In November 1915, aer necessary training on Nieuports he moved to Escadrille N.65 sta. Aer

  one of his many wounds, he suered during the war, he was temporarily assigned to the N.124 Escadrille La Fayee in the period of July 12

  to August 15, 1916. Nungesser was eager to y before his wound caused by shrapnel fully hailed and the N.124 was located close to the hos-

  pital and so the physicians could take daily care of him. Nungesser’s aircra carried the personal marking in the form of black heart with skull

  and con between two funeral candles were painted and his camouaged Ni-17 from La Fayee snt was no excepon. Nungesser kept on

  ying and risky ventures aer the war, but on May 8, 1927 disappeared together with Francois Coli during the aempt to cross the Atlanc

  ying the Levasseur PL 8 biplane.

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 38

  KITS 02/2021

  Nieuport Ni-17; N. unknown, Jean Maon, Escadrille N.48, France, Lunéville, France, July 1916

  Jean Maon was a cavalryman at the outbreak of World War I, but reassigned to the air corps at the end of 1915 he underwent pilot training

  at the military aviaon school of Pau. He nished his training on January 14, 1916, sent to Escadrille N.57, but detached to MF20 (MF deno-

  ng the use of Maurice Farman aircra) for the period between 2nd quarter of 1916 unl July 23, 1916. He scored his maiden victory shared

  with Georges Lachmann and Georges Flachaire ve days later as the regular member of N.57. The vicm was an Albatros C.I. On October

  8, 1916 he took command of the Escadrille and led the unit unl his death on September 10, 1917. Maon connued to score during this

  period with the eighth and ninth (and his last) one shared with Armand de Turenne on July 6, 1917. In the late aernoon on September 10,

  1917, he led the unit ying his SPAD VII (N.2416) for the aerial patrol. Near the Couckelaere (Belgium) the French pilots encountered combat

  with Jasta 7 pilots. Jean Maon fell vicm to one of them at 19.05, it is believed, his fatal opponent was German ace Carl Jacobs, for whom it

  was 7th of his 48 victories. Nieuport own by Maon during the summer of 1916 was in green and brown camouage, with the undersides

  probably in light blue colour (another opon is factory silver coat). The cock´s head, the unit´s symbol, was painted without usual circle

  around it.

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 39

  KITS 02/2021

  Nieuport Ni-17; N.1560; Mathieu Tenant de la Tour, Escadrille N.3, France, Cachy, August 1916

  Nine victories French ace Mathieu Tenant de la Tour was member of famous „Bande noire“ (Black Band) formed in June 1916 by four friends.

  Apart of him the members were Alfred Hertaux (21 victories), Albert Deullin (20 victories) and the most famous one – Georges Guynemer

  (53 victories). All had black triangle on the upper side of the fuselage painted. Although de la Tour began his military service with cavalry,

  he changed for air corps and received his military pilot license on May 6, 1915. He connued with advanced combat training, during which

  he survived an accident on October 30, 1915. He was assigned to Escadrille N.57 on December 29, 1915. His rst aerial victory was over

  observaon baloon on January 25, 1916. Aer wounded in acon on April 25, 1916 he joined Escadrille N.3, the famous Les Cigognes, where

  he started ying Nieuports. During the period between July and September 1916 de la Tour shot down ve aircra and another baloon.

  Aer being promoted to Lieutenent, he changed the unit to command the Escadrille N.26 where he scored his last victory. On December 17,

  1917, de la Tour conducted an aerobacs exhibion in Auchel (Pas-de-Calais). He lost control of his SPAD XIII and died in fatal accident. His

  Ni-17 from the summer 1916 sported the famous stork on the fuselage, which might be full red, or red with black wing feathers.

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 40

  KITS 02/2021

  1/48 Cat. No. 11147

  ICM plastic parts

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  Extra resin wheels including a tailwheel

  a n d  o a t a t i o n d e v i c e s f o r v e r s i o n Z - 5

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 41

  Do 17Z-1, 5./KG 3, Heiligenbeil, Germany, 1939

  Do 17Z-2, WNr. 1160, 7./KG 3, St. Trond, Belgium, August 1940

  Kampfgeschwader 3 was formed on May 1st, 1939 in Fürstenwalde in Brandenburg, with her II.Gruppe at the me ying from nearby

  Magdeburg. All of the subordinate units were equipped with the Do 17Z, and at the end of May, Stab, II. and III. Gruppe were relocated to

  Heiligenbeil, located in East Prussia. Training of crews connued there unl the invasion of Poland. Both Gruppe took part in this aack. The

  II. Gruppe, with its Do 17Zs, took part not only in the invasion of Poland, but also in the Bale of France and the subsequent Bale of Britain.

  The unit converted on to the more modern Ju 88 in the spring of 1941. Do 17Z bombers le the producon facility camouaged on the upp-

  er surfaces in RLM 70 and 71, with the lower surfaces sprayed RLM 65. Aircra of the II. Gruppe carried the unit marking below the cockpit,

  a scythe in a white circle. The 5th Stael marking of a stylized bird carrying a bomb was carried on the engine cowls.

  The last acon to be undertaken during the Bale of Britain by the crew commanded by Fw. Willi Emert (who was the pilot, bombardier

  Uz. Ritzel, radio operator Uz. Reinhardt and observer Gefr. Huhn) was an aack on the base at Debden and Hornchurch, planned for

  August 26th, 1940. During the raid, this aircra was shot down by a Deant from No.264 Squadron, RAF. Only the pilot and the bombardier

  survived. The wreck of this aircra was discovered in 2008, not far from the coast of the County of Kent. It was raised in 2013 and is currently

  on display at the RAF museum in Cosford. The unit marking carried under the cockpit of aircra of the III.Gruppe were playing cards and the

  Stab aircra all the card colours, and aircra of the 7. Stael carried clubs.

  KITS 02/2021

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 42

  Do 17Z-2, WNr. 2555, 8./KG 76, Cormeilles-en-Vixen, France, September 1940

  Do 17Z-5, WNr. 2787, 1./KGr. 606, Lannion, France, October 1940

  On August 15th, 1940, at ten minutes aer noon, this aircra was shot down by Spiires from No.609 Squadron own by F/O Dundas and

  F/O Tobin. The pilot of the Dornier bellied in near Castle Farm at Shoreham. Outside of observer Fw. Schmid, who was fatally wounded in

  the intercept, the crew was taken prisoner. Do 17Zs of the 8. Stael KG 76 carried the unit insignia under the cockpit, a red shield with three

  white bomber silhouees and a bomb in the background. Other idenfying markings were the red fuselage band behind the wing and red

  spinner ps. The aircra leer ‘F’ in red (the colour of the 8.Stael within the III.Gruppe) was edged in white. White, and in the case of KG

  76, pink, bands, used during the Bale of Britain as a formaon ying aid, were painted on the top surface of the le wing and on the out-

  side surfaces of the n and rudders.

  The Do 17Z-5 was equipped with oataon cells in the nose in order to give the crew more me to escape the aircra in cases of seng

  down on water. These aircra were issued to Küsteniegergruppe 606 as a maer of priority, a unit that specialized in aacking surface

  vessels. This aircra was heavily damaged on October 11th, 1940 during an aack on Liverpool, when No.611 Squadron Spiires lit up both

  of its engines. Two members of the crew (the radiooperator and mechanic) bailed out of the aircra, while the pilot and observer were able

  to actually make to France and make an emergency landing near Brest. The mechanic, Uz. Johansen, was struck by the tail surfaces of the

  aircra and died before he hit the ground aer bailing out over England. The radio operator reached the ground unscathed near Mart of Llyn

  and was captured. Aer a change in taccs that involved the bombing of English cies under the cover of darkness, the undersides of the air-

  cra, as well as the white porons of the balkenkreuz and swaskas on other surfaces, were painted black, which was the case here as well.

  The unit emblem appears below the cockpit.

  KITS 02/2021

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 43

  Do 17Z-2, 3./KG 2, Athens-Tatoi, Greece, May 1941

  Do 17Z, 7./KG 3, Wjazma, Soviet Union, Winter 1941

  One of the bomber units taking part in the Balkans campaign under Operaon Marita (the aack on Greece) was Kampfgeschwader 2. This

  unit’s Stab, I. and III. Gruppe (the contribuon of II.Gruppe was largely symbolic) aacked from the Bulgarian aireld at Plovdiv-Krumovo,

  and aer the occupaon of Macedonia, KG 2 moved to Thessaloniki, and by the very end of the acons against Greece, the unit operated

  from Tatoi aireld in Athens. Aircra that took part in Operaon Marita carried RLM 04 engine cowls and control surfaces in the tail. The unit

  insignia was carried under the cockpit.

  Over the course of the winter months of the war against the Soviets, ghters and bombers alike received applicaons of temporary white

  paint on their upper surfaces in an eort to beer conceal them from the enemy when on the ground or in the air. These paints were

  applied at unit level and with whatever method that was possible with no real preparaon, and the paint tended to wear away very quickly

  under the trac of the groundcrews, and the adverse weather condions played a role as well. It was the same with bombers of the 7.

  Stael KG 3, the last unit conducng operaonal ights with the by-then obsolete Do 17Z. Below the temporary, washable white paint, the

  original camouage scheme consisng of RLM 70/71 was visible on the upper surfaces, and the lower ones were sprayed RLM 65. Service

  on the Eastern Front was signied by the yellow fuselage band ahead of the tail surfaces and the yellow lower wingps.

  KITS 02/2021

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 44

  Do 17Z-2, 10./ZG 26, Castel Benito, Libya, 1941

  Do 17Z-3, fvänr. Olli Kepsu, 2/LeLv 46, Linnunniemi landing ground, Finland, February 1942

  The Do 17Z, used by several Luwae bomber units in the early phases of the Second World War, took part in every conict undertaken

  by Nazi Germany. North Africa was no excepon. Here, however, the use of the type was largely symbolic, and a few served with the 10.

  Stael Zerstörergeschwader 26, a unit ying the twin-engined Bf 110. This parcular aircra was discovered by advancing Brish troops at

  Castel Benito in Libya. Aircra used in North Africa were camouaged to suit the environment with upper and side surfaces painted RLM 79

  with squiggle paerns of RLM 80, while the lower surfaces were in RLM 78. It is not clear from photographs if this aircra had the RLM 80

  squiggle paern applied. As with other aircra on the southern front, this plane carried a white fuselage band ahead of the tail surfaces and

  white lower wingps.

  Finnish bomber units suered combat losses through the summer and fall of 1941 that they could not replace from local sources. Help

  came in the form of een Do 17Z aircra gied by the Luwae, which was in the process of phasing the type out of service. These air-

  cra entered Finnish inventory during January and February 1942, and began operaonal ights from April with LLv 46. Five of the Finnish

  airframes survived World War Two combat and the last was rered on October 1st, 1952. One of them was coded DN-55, which also was

  the last Finnish Air Force aircra to y a Second World War mission, when it photographed German units on April 4th, 1945, in the vicinity of

  Kilpisjärvi. The Dorniers reached the Finnish units at the beginning of 1942 camouaged in RLM 70/71/65, in the same scheme as they were

  own by the Luwae. The Finns also used temporary white paint as a winter camouage, and in the case of DN-55, this paint was applied

  over the RLM 71 elds.

  KITS 02/2021

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 45

  Recommended for Do 17Z

  48896 Do 17Z-2 exterior & bomb bay (PE-Set)

  48897 Do 17Z-2 landing aps 1/48 (PE-Set)

  49789 Do 17Z-2 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 (PE-Set)

  644082 Do 17Z bomber LööK 1/48 (Brassin)

  648161 SC 250 German bombs 1/48 (Brassin)

  648162 SC 500 German bombs 1/48 (Brassin)

  648264 SC 50 German WWII bombs 1/48 (Brassin)

  648609 Do 17Z bomber guns 1/48 (Brassin)

  KITS 02/2021

  OVERTREES

  Do 17Z

  Cat. No. 11147X

  1/48

  Cat. No. 11147-LEPT

  Cat. No. 644082

  Cat. No. 648609

  Cat. No. 648264

  Product page

  Product page

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 46

  BFC

  FOR BFC MEMBERS ONLY

  Cat. No. BFC108

  Cat. No. BFC109

  Cat. No. BFC110

  Tempest Mk.V Book

  MiG-23BN Book

  Riders in the Sky 1945 Book

  Product page

  Product page

  Product page

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 47

  BFC107

  Kampfstift: der Bleistift iegt weiter

  1/48

  1/48, Cat. No. BFC107

  Complete Kampfstift kit

  (Limited edition Cat. No. 11147)

  Extended with the West and East

  Front and from the Finnish Air Force.

  BFC

  FOR BFC MEMBERS ONLY

  Do 17Z-5, WNr. 1210, Flugbereitscha Luoe 2, 1940 – 1941

  Do 17Z-3, WNr. 1218, own by lun. Kalervo Kuula, 1./LeLv 46,

  Noljakka landing ground, Finland, June 1942

  Do 17Z-2, 15.(Kroat)/KG 53, Soviet Union, 1942

  Orders containing this item will be dispatched aer February 5th.

  Thank you for your understanding.

  Product page

  eduard

  47

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 48

  02/2021

  Brassin set - AIM-132 ASRAAM missiles in

  1/32 scale. The set consists of 2 missiles.

  Compable with F/A-18, Tornado ADV,

  Euroghter Typhoon.

  Set contains:

  - resin: 12 parts,

  - decals: yes,

  - photo-etched details: yes,

  - painng mask: no.

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seatbelts for Do 17Z bomber

  in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble, replaces

  plasc parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard / ICM

  Set contains:

  - resin: 2 parts,

  - decals: no,

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted,

  - painng mask: no.

  632165

  AIM-132 ASRAAM

  1/32

  644082

  Do 17Z bomber LööK

  1/48 ICM/Eduard

  Product page

  Product page

  eduard

  48

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 49

  Brassin set - the gun muzzles for Bf 110G-4

  in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 7 parts,

  - decals: no,

  - photo-etched details: yes,

  - painng mask: no.

  Brassin set - German WW2 MG 81Z gun

  in 1/32 scale. Set consists of 1 gun.

  Set contains:

  - resin: 2 parts,

  - decals: no,

  - photo-etched details: yes,

  - painng mask: no.

  648604

  Bf 110G-4 gun muzzles

  1/48 Eduard

  632167

  MG 81Z gun

  1/32

  BRASSIN 02/2021

  Product page

  Product page

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 50

  BRASSIN 02/2021

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels

  for Do 17Z in 1/48 scale. The set consists

  of the main wheels and a tailwheel. Easy

  to assemble, replaces plasc parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard / ICM

  Set contains:

  - resin: 5 parts,

  - decals: no,

  - photo-etched details: no,

  - painng mask: yes.

  Brassin set - the obliquely mounted

  guns for Bf 110G-4 in 1/48 scale. Ammo

  magazines included.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 8 parts,

  - decals: no,

  - photo-etched details: no,

  - painng mask: no.

  648608

  Do 17Z wheels

  1/48 Eduard/ICM

  648605

  Bf 110G-4 Schräge Musik

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  Product page

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  50

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 51

  Brassin set - the gun bays for Spiire

  Mk.IIb in 1/48 scale. The set consists of

  gunbays for both wings.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 28 parts,

  - decals: no,

  - photo-etched details: yes,

  - painng mask: no.

  Brassin set - the guns for Do 17Z bomber in

  1/48 scale. The set consists of 6 guns. Easy to

  assemble, replaces plasc parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard / ICM

  Set contains:

  - resin: 32 parts,

  - decals: no,

  - photo-etched details: yes,

  - painng mask: no.

  648611

  Spitre Mk.IIb gun bays

  1/48 Eduard

  648609

  Do 17Z bomber guns

  1/48 Eduard/ICM

  BRASSIN 02/2021

  Product page

  Product page

  eduard

  51

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 52

  BRASSIN 02/2021

  Brassin set - the SUU-23 gun pod

  in 1/48 scale. Set consists of 2 pods.

  Set contains:

  - resin: 16 parts,

  - decals: yes,

  - photo-etched details: yes,

  - painng mask: no.

  672253

  Z-37A spraying booms

  1/72 Eduard

  648612

  SUU-23 gun pod

  1/48

  Brassin set - the spraying booms for

  Z-37 / Z-37A Cmelak in 1/72 scale.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 7 parts,

  - decals: no,

  - photo-etched details: no,

  - painng mask: no.

  Product page

  Product page

  eduard

  52

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 53

  Brassin set - Russian / Soviet missile

  R-27R/R1 in 1/72 scale. Set consists

  of 4 misiles. Compable with MiG-29,

  Su-27.

  Set contains:

  - resin: 32 parts,

  - decals: yes,

  - photo-etched details: yes,

  - painng mask: no.

  Brassin set - the guided air-to-surface wea-

  pon GBU-31(V)1/B JDAM in 1/72 scale.

  The set consists of 4 bombs. Compable

  with F-15E, F/A-18E/F, F-22, F-35 etc.

  Set contains:

  - resin: 20 parts,

  - decals: yes,

  - photo-etched details: yes,

  - painng mask: no.

  672256

  R-27R/R1 / AA-10 Alamo-A

  1/72

  672254

  GBU-31(V)1/B JDAM

  1/72

  BRASSIN 02/2021

  Product page

  Product page

  eduard

  53

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 54

  BRASSIN 02/2021

  Collecon of 3 sets for A-26B Invader in 1/32 scale by Hobby Boss.

  - LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboard & Steelbelts),

  - TFace painng mask,

  - undercarriage wheels.

  634023

  A-26B Invader LööKplus

  1/32 Hobby Boss

  Product page

  eduard

  54

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 55

  Collecon of 4 sets for Mi-24V in 1/48 scale by Zvezda.

  - LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboard & Steelbelts),

  - TFace painng mask,

  - undercarriage wheels,

  - Pitot tubes.

  644085

  Mi-24V LööKplus

  1/48 Zvezda

  BRASSIN 02/2021

  Product page

  eduard

  55

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 56

  SPACE 02/2021

  #3DL48002

  #3DL48005

  #3DL48006

  for Eduard 1/48 kit

  for Eduard 1/48 kit

  for Eduard 1/48 kit

  P-51D-5 SPACE

  Spitfire Mk.I early SPACE

  Spitfire

  Mk.I late SPACE

  Product page

  Product page

  Product page

  eduard

  56

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 57

  SPACE 02/2021

  #3DL48007

  #3DL72004

  #3DL72003

  for Eduard 1/48 kit

  for Eduard 1/72 kit

  for Eduard 1/72 kit

  Spitfire Mk.II SPACE

  MiG-21PFM

  SPACE

  MiG-21PF

  SPACE

  Product page

  Product page

  Product page

  eduard

  57

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 58

  F-4EJ Kai 1/72 Fine Molds (73733)

  F-4EJ Kai 1/72 Fine Molds (SS733) (Zoom)

  F-4EJ Kai 1/72 Fine Molds (CX593) (Mask)

  F-4EJ Kai

  1/72 Fine Molds

  PHOTO-ETCHED AND MASK FEBRUARY 2021

  eduard

  58

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 59

  Cat. No. D32007

  Die alten Kanonen

  1/32 Meng

  DECAL SETS 02/2021

  479/17, own by Lt. August Raben, CO of Jasta 18,

  Monngen, France, October 1918

  503/17, own by Lt. Hans Körner, Jasta 19, Balatre,

  Belgium, April 1918

  450/17, own by Lt. Josef Jacobs, Jasta 7,

  Rumbeke, Belgium, March 1918

  557/17, own by Lt. Rudolf Klimke, Jasta 27,

  Halluin-Ost, France, May 1918

  Product page

  eduard

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 60

  DECAL SETS 02/2021

  Cat. No. D32008

  Flying circus / JG I

  1/32 Meng

  564/17, own by Ltn. Werner Steinhäuser, Jasta 11,

  Cappy, France, December 1917

  586/17, own by Ltn. Ernst Udet, CO of Jasta 4,

  „La Ferme Puisieux” Aireld near Laon, France,

  May 1918

  Fokker Dr.I, own by Ltn. Hans Körner, Jasta 2,

  Halluin-Ost, France, May 1918

  545/17, own by Ltn. Hans Weiss, CO of Jasta 11,

  Cappy, France, April 1918

  Product page

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 61

  Cat. No. D48072

  Harrier Gr.7/9 stencils

  1/48 Revell/Hasegawa

  Cat. No. D48071

  P-38 stencils

  1/48

  Tamiya/Academy/Hasegawa

  DECAL SETS 02/2021

  Product page

  Product page

  eduard

  61

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 62

  53262 SMS Viribus Unitis 1/350

  53263 SMSViribusUnitisagsSTEEL1/350

  53264 SMS Viribus Unitis railings 1/350

  32976 Mirage 2000D 1/32

  33269 Mirage 2000D/N seatbelts STEEL 1/32

  JX263 Mirage 2000D/N 1/32

  32977 Mirage 2000N 1/32

  33269 Mirage 2000D/N seatbelts STEEL 1/32

  JX263 Mirage 2000D/N 1/32

  BIG5358 SMS Viribus Unitis 1/350 Trumpeter

  BIG33125 Mirage 2000D 1/32 Kitty Hawk

  BIG33126 Mirage 2000N 1/32 Kitty Hawk

  All sets included in this BIG ED are available separately,

  but with every BIG ED set you save up to 30%.

  Product page

  Product page

  Product page

  eduard

  62

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 63

  481038 HH-34J cargo interior 1/48

  491132 HH-34J 1/48

  FE1133 HH-34J seatbelts STEEL 1/48

  FE1134 HH-34J cargo seatbelts STEEL 1/48

  EX736 HH-34J 1/48

  48699 S-2E bomb bay

  48700 S-2E undercarriage

  481039 S-2E exterior 1/48

  491135 S-2E interior 1/48

  FE1136 S-2E seatbelts STEEL 1/48

  EX326 S-2E/F 1/48

  72711 Beaufort Mk.I bomb bay 1/72

  72712 BeaufortMk.Ilandingaps1/72

  73725 Beaufort Mk.I 1/72

  CX588 Beaufort Mk.I 1/72

  BIG49276 HH-34J 1/48 Trumpeter

  BIG49277 S-2E 1/48 Kinetic

  BIG72163 Beaufort Mk.I 1/72 Airx

  All sets included in this BIG ED are available separately,

  but with every BIG ED set you save up to 30%.

  Product page

  Product page

  Product page

  eduard

  63

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 64

  PE-SETS AND MASKS 02/2021

  EDUARD MASK IT FITS!

  JX269 Tornado GR.4 1/32 Italeri

  JX270 Tornado GR.4 TFace 1/32 Italeri

  EX745 Ju 188 1/48 Revell

  EX746 Ju 188 TFace 1/48 Revell

  EX747 F-104DJ 1/48 Kinec

  EX748 F-104DJ TFace 1/48 Kinec

  EX749 Il-2 1/48 Zvezda

  EX750 Il-2 TFace 1/48 Zvezda

  EX751 MiG-21bis Weekend 1/48 Eduard

  EX752 Bf 110C TFace 1/48 Eduard

  EX753 Bf 110D TFace 1/48 Eduard

  EX754 Bf 110G-4 TFace 1/48 Eduard

  CX593 F-4EJ Kai 1/72 Fine Molds

  CX594 Nieuport Ni-17 Weekend 1/72 Eduard

  EX745

  JX269

  EX746

  CX593

  EX749 EX750

  EX750

  EX754EX754

  EX746

  JX270

  JX270

  eduard

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 65

  KITS

  82153 SpitreMk.IIa    1/48 ProPACK

  11147 Kampfstift 1/48 Limited edition

  7404 Nieuport Ni-17 1/72 Weekend edition

  PE-SETS

  32462 Tornado GR.4 exterior 1/32 Italeri

  32981 Tornado GR.4 interior 1/32 Italeri

  36458 Merkava MK.2D 1/35 Takom

  481041 Ju 188 exterior 1/48 Revell

  481042 Il-2landingaps    1/48 Zvezda

  491143 Ju 188 interior 1/48 Revell

  491145 Il-2    1/48 Zvezda

  491147 F-104DJ 1/48 Kinetic

  73733 F-4EJ Kai 1/72 Fine Molds

  144016 P-47DRazorback    1/144 Eduard/Platz

  ZOOMS

  33274 Tornado GR.4 1/32 Italeri

  33275 Tornado GR.4 seatbelts STEEL 1/32 Italeri

  FE1143 Ju 188 1/48 Revell

  FE1144 Ju 188 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Revell

  FE1145 Il-2    1/48 Zvezda

  FE1146 Il-2seatbeltsSTEEL    1/48 Zvezda

  FE1147 F-104DJ 1/48 Kinetic

  FE1148 F-104DJ seatbelts early STEEL 1/48 Kinetic

  FE1149 MiG-21bis Weekend 1/48 Eduard

  SS733 F-4EJ Kai 1/72 Fine Molds

  SS734 Nieuport Ni-17 Weekend 1/72 Eduard

  MASKS

  JX269 Tornado GR.4 1/32 Italeri

  JX270 Tornado GR.4 TFace 1/32 Italeri

  EX745 Ju 188 1/48 Revell

  EX746 Ju 188 TFace 1/48 Revell

  EX747 F-104DJ 1/48 Kinetic

  EX748 F-104DJ TFace 1/48 Kinetic

  EX749 Il-2    1/48 Zvezda

  EX750 Il-2TFace    1/48 Zvezda

  EX751 MiG-21bis Weekend 1/48 Eduard

  EX752 Bf 110C TFace 1/48 Eduard

  EX753 Bf 110D TFace 1/48 Eduard

  EX754 Bf 110G-4 TFace 1/48 Eduard

  CX593 F-4EJ Kai 1/72 Fine Molds

  CX594 Nieuport Ni-17 Weekend 1/72 Eduard

  BIGED

  BIG5358 SMS Viribus Unitis 1/350 Trumpeter

  BIG33125 Mirage 2000D 1/32 Kitty Hawk

  BIG33126 Mirage 2000N 1/32 Kitty Hawk

  BIG49276 HH-34J 1/48 Trumpeter

  BIG49277 S-2E 1/48 Kinetic

  BIG72163BeaufortMk.I    1/72 Airx

  BRASSIN

  632165 AIM-132 ASRAAM 1/32

  632167 MG81Zgun    1/32

  644082 Do17ZbomberLööK    1/48 Eduard/ICM

  648604 Bf110G-4gunmuzzles    1/48 Eduard

  648605 Bf 110G-4 Schräge Musik 1/48 Eduard

  648608 Do17Zwheels    1/48 Eduard/ICM

  648609 Do17Zbomberguns    1/48 Eduard/ICM

  648611 SpitreMk.IIbgunbays    1/48 Eduard

  648612 SUU-23 gun pod 1/48

  672253 Z-37Asprayingbooms    1/72 Eduard

  672254 GBU-31(V)1/B JDAM 1/72

  672256 R-27R/R1 / AA-10 Alamo-A 1/72

  LookPLUS

  634023 A-26BInvaderLööKplus   1/32 HobbyBoss

  644085 Mi-24VLööKplus    1/48 Zvezda

  DECAL SETS

  D32007 Die alten Kanonen 1/32 Meng

  D32008 Flying circus / JG I 1/32 Meng

  D48071 P-38stencils    1/48 Tamiya/Academy/Hasegawa

  D48072 Harrier Gr.7/9 stencils 1/48 Revell/Hasegawa

  SPACE

  3DL48002P-51D-5SPACE    1/48 Eduard

  3DL48005SpitreMk.IearlySPACE   1/48 Eduard

  3DL48006SpitreMk.IlateSPACE    1/48 Eduard

  3DL48007SpitreMk.IISPACE    1/48 Eduard

  3DL72003MiG-21PFSPACE    1/72 Eduard

  3DL72004MiG-21PFMSPACE    1/72 Eduard

  February 2021

  February Releases

• Page 66

  BUILT

  Spitfire Mk.IIa

  1/4 8

  Built by Jan Novotný

  CAMO D

  Cat. No. 82153

  #3DL48007SpitreMk.IISPACE(3DDecal)

  Product page

• Page 67

  BUILT

  P8081, Fl/Lt. Tomáš Vybíral, No.312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron, RAF Ayr, Great Britain, November 1941

  Spiire Mk.IIa P8081 was painted in scheme type A. From both sides of the fuselage there is a light gray inscripon GARFIELD WESTON IV.

  It is one of 16 aircra funded by Willard Gareld Weston, Canadian member of the House of Commons. This philanthropist was owner of the

  Allied Bakeries. He also helped to create a canteen system in the London Underground during the Blitz bombing oensive. P8081 rst served

  with the No.222 Sqn, where Sgt. Burgess used it to damage a Ju 88 in April 1941. Later on the Spiire was assigned to Australian No.452 Sqn

  for about a month and from October ll December it was used by Czechoslovak No.312 Sqn. A number of pilots ew with P8081, including

  F/Sgt Václav Šlouf. On November 17th, it was damaged by F/Lt. Tomáš Vybíral aer landing in poor visibility. This pilot scored 7 victories in

  the French Air Force and achieved the rank of Wing Commander in the RAF. Aer the war he emigrated from Czechoslovakia and joined the

  an-communist resistance.

  #648580SpitreMk.Iexhauststacks(Brassin)

  #648579SpitreMk.Iwheels(Brassin)

• Page 68

  BUILT

  #648336P-51Dexhauststacks(Brassin)

  Built by Matthias Becker

  CAMO B

  Cat. No. 82103

  Product page

  eduard

  68

  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 69

  BUILT

  F-6D-10, 44-14699, Lt. Cliord S. Slonneger, 109th TRS, 67th TRG, 9th AF, Gosselies, Belgium, 1945

  67th TRG history begins in September 1941 when it was formed in Louisiana as the Observation Group and its rst task were anti-submarine

  patrols alongside the United States East Coast which it carried out until March 1942. Transfer to the Great Britain followed in August 1942, where the

  training continued. In October 1943 it was ordered under the 9th Air Force command, renamed to 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group and 107th

  and 109th TRS under its command were equipped with F-6 Mustang. 109th TRS, in which ranks Lt. Slonneger ew 54 missions, operated this type

  on photo-reconnaissance sorties until the end of hostilities. After the War, the unit was transferred back to the United States in August 1945 and

  disbanded in March the following year. F-6D from this unit often had the oval window on the side of the fuselage covered. It is highly probable that it

  was the case of the aircraft named Shady Lady.

  #648572P-51D108galdroptanks(Brassin)

  #648512P-51Dwheelsrhomboidtreat(Brassin)

  #648495P-51DundercarriagelegsBRONZE(Brassin)

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 70

  BUILT

  Bf 109G-10 WNF/Diana

  1/ 48

  Built by Oliver Peissl

  Cat. No. 82161 + BFC099

  #648422 Bf 109G-10 cockpit (Brassin)

  #648265 Bf 109G external fuel tanks (Brassin)

  #644046Bf109G-10w/latewheelsLööKplus(Brassin)

  #49061SeatbeltsLuftwaffeWWIIFightersFABRIC(PE-Set)

  #648309Bf109GundercarriagelegsBRONZE(Brassin)

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 71

  BUILT

  Ernst Udet´s aircraft 1/48

  Built by Robert Szwarc

  CAMO F

  Cat. No. 11137

  Fokker D.VII (OAW), 20xx/18, Jasta 4,

  Beugneux-Cramoiselles Aireld, France, June 1918

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 72

  BUILT

  Built by Luboš Zach

  CAMO A

  Cat. No 82103

  Painted by

  CHANGE

  THE

  WAY

  YOU

  PAINT

  ZKUSTE

  BARVIT

  JINAK

  WWW.MISSIONMODELSUS.COM

  WWW.EDUARD.COM

  MISSION

  PREMIUM HOBBY PAINTS, PRIMERS & ADDITIVES

  MODELS

  NOW @ EDUARD.COM

  Product page

  eduard

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 73

  BUILT

  F-6D-15, 44-14874, Lt. John E. Jacoby, 82nd TRS, 71st TRG, 5th AF, Johnson Field, Japan, September 1945

  Since November 1944, 82nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, within 71st TRG, participated in reconnaissance missions over

  Philippines island of Luzon, ground units’ support, photographing and bombing of the airports on Formosa and China. Its next base

  became the island of Ie shima from where they were ying sorties over the Japanese island of Kyushu. Since the deployment over the

  Philippines until the middle of June 1945 the unit was commanded by Capt. William Shomo, probably the most famous F-6D pilot. At the

  end of hostilities, the unit was transferred to Irumagawa airbase on the Tokyo outskirts. The squadron deployed aircraft nr.54 from the

  very beginning of the combat on Philippines and she remained in the unit inventory even after the end of War and served as a part of

  occupying forces on Japanese territory. The aircraft appearance during its service changed signicantly. At the beginning of its service

  the aircraft carried only number 54 on the vertical tail surface, later the black stripes were added to the fuselage and wings, anti-glare

  panel was repainted black and the propeller spinner sported several versions of the coloration. Inscriptions on fthe fuselage nose are

  also documented in two di󰀨erent layouts. There is an 82nd TRS marking on the port side of the fuselage, most probably applied after the

  end of War.

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 74

  BUILT

  1/48

  Built by Zdeněk Müller

  CAMO B

  Cat. No 11139

  Product page

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 75

  BUILT

  85a Squadriglia, Albania, late 1918

  The 85a Squadriglia was formed on September 25th, 1917 and fought up to the end of the First World War on the Albanian front. The rst

  equipment of the unit was composed of French Nieuport ghters, which were replaced the following year by Hanriot HD.Is. The unit was

  disbanded in October 1919. As with the pilots of other nationalities, the Italians had a tendency to decorate their aircraft. A rendition of playing

  cards was not limited to aircraft of the 85a Squadriglia, but have also been seen on aircraft of Tenente Baracchini of the 76a Squadriglia.

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 76

  BIG33127 F-100F PART I 1/32 Trumpeter

  BIG33128 F-100F PART II 1/32 Trumpeter

  BIG49278 TF-104G 1/48 Kinec

  BIG49279 Tornado ASSTA 3.1 1/48 Revell

  BIG72164 C-130H PART I 1/72 Zvezda

  BIG72165 C-130H PART II 1/72 Zvezda

  632166 MG 15 guns 1/32

  632169 GBU-10 Paveway II 1/32

  644086 Il-2 LööK 1/48 Zvezda

  644089 MiG-21PF LööK 1/48 Eduard

  648613 Spiire Mk.II engine 1/48 Eduard

  648614 AGM-62 Walleye I Mk.I 1/48

  648617 Il-2 wheels 1/48 Zvezda

  648618 Il-2 exhaust stacks 1/48 Zvezda

  672255 GBU-31(V)3/B JDAM 1/72

  672257 R-27T/T1 / AA-10 Alamo-B 1/72

  672262 Z-37A aerial applicator M72 1/72 Eduard

  SIN64869 P-51D ADVANCED 1/48 Eduard

  634023 A-26B Invader LööKplus 1/32 Hobby Boss

  644085 Mi-24V LööKplus 1/48 Zvezda

  BIG ED (March)

  BRASSIN (March)

  BRASSIN (March)

  LöökPlus (March)

  BIG49279

  BIG33128

  BIG72164

  ON APPROACHON APPROACH

  MARCH 2021

  BRASSIN

  644086 Il-2 LööK 1/48 Zvezda

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 77

  644089 MiG-21PF LööK 1/48 Eduard

  632166 MG 15 guns 1/32

  BRASSIN

  MARCH 2021

  ON APPROACHON APPROACH

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 78

  632169 GBU-10 Paveway II 1/32

  BRASSIN

  ON APPROACHON APPROACH

  648613 Spitre Mk.II engine 1/48 Eduard

  MARCH 2021

  eduard

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 79

  648614 AGM-62 Walleye I Mk.I 1/48

  648617 Il-2 wheels 1/48 Zvezda

  BRASSIN

  ON APPROACHON APPROACH

  MARCH 2021

  eduard

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 80

  648618 Il-2 exhaust stacks 1/48 Zvezda

  BRASSIN

  ON APPROACHON APPROACH

  672255 GBU-31(V)3/B JDAM 1/72

  MARCH 2021

  eduard

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 81

  672262 Z-37A aerial applicator M72 1/72 Eduard

  BRASSIN

  672257 R-27T/T1 / AA-10 Alamo-B 1/72

  ON APPROACHON APPROACH

  MARCH 2021

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 82

  BRASSIN

  ON APPROACHON APPROACH

  644087 MiG-21MF early LööKplus 1/48 Eduard

  Collection of 4 sets for MiG-21MF in 1/48 scale by Eduard.

  -LööKset(pre-paintedBrassindashboard&Steelbelts),

  - TFace painting mask,

  - airbrakes,

  - undercarriage wheels.

  MARCH 2021

• Page 83

  BRASSIN

  644088 MiG-21MF LööKplus 1/48 Eduard

  Collection of 4 sets for MiG-21MF in 1/48 scale by Eduard.

  -LööKset(pre-paintedBrassindashboard&Steelbelts),

  - TFace painting mask,

  - airbrakes,

  - undercarriage wheels.

  ON APPROACHON APPROACH

  MARCH 2021

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 84

  SIN64869 P-51D ADVANCED 1/48 Eduard

  Collectionof4setsforP-51Din1/48scalebyEduard.

  - Hamilton Standard propeller,

  - engine,

  - gun bays,

  - 75gal drop tanks.

  All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,

  but with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30%.

  BRASSIN

  ON APPROACHON APPROACH

  MARCH 2021

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 85

  PE-SETS

  53265 HMS York 1/350 Trumpeter

  32463 A-26C Invader bomb bay 1/32 Hobby Boss

  32464 A-26C Invader undercarriage 1/32 Hobby Boss

  32982 Tornado GR.4 undercarriage 1/32 Italeri

  32983 A-26C Invader cockpit interior 1/32 Hobby Boss

  32984 A-26C Invader rear interior 1/32 Hobby Boss

  36459 Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.F 1/35 Tamiya

  36460 ZSU-23-4M Shilka 1/35 Zvezda

  481043 Ju 88C-6 exterior 1/48 ICM

  491150 Su-30SM 1/48 Kiy Hawk

  491152 Su-57 1/48 Zvezda

  491154 Su-27UB 1/48 Great Wall Hobby

  491156 F-16I SUFA 1/48 Kinec

  491159 Ju 88C-6 interior 1/48 ICM

  73735 F-4EJ 1/72 Fine Molds

  73736 Bf 109E-4 1/72 Special Hobby

  73737 Z-37A Weekend 1/72 Eduard

  ZOOMS

  33276 A-26C Invader 1/32 Hobby Boss

  33277 A-26C Invader seatbelts STEEL 1/32 Hobby Boss

  FE1150 Su-30SM 1/48 Kiy Hawk

  FE1151 Su-30SM seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Kiy Hawk

  FE1152 Su-57 1/48 Zvezda

  FE1153 Su-57 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Zvezda

  FE1154 Su-27UB 1/48 Great Wall Hobby

  FE1155 Su-27UB seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Great Wall Hobby

  FE1156 F-16I SUFA 1/48 Kinec

  FE1157 F-16I SUFA seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Kinec

  FE1158 P-39Q Weekend 1/48 Eduard

  FE1159 Ju 88C-6 1/48 ICM

  FE1160 Ju 88C-6 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 ICM

  SS735 F-4EJ 1/72 Fine Molds

  SS737 Z-37A seatbelts STEEL 1/72 Eduard

  MASKS

  JX271 A-26C Invader 1/32 Hobby Boss

  JX272 A-26C Invader TFace 1/32 Hobby Boss

  EX743 Su-30SM 1/48 Kiy Hawk

  EX744 Su-30SM TFace 1/48 Kiy Hawk

  EX755 Su-27UB 1/48 Great Wall Hobby

  EX756 Su-27UB TFace 1/48 Great Wall Hobby

  EX757 Su-57 1/48 Zvezda

  EX758 Su-57 TFace 1/48 Zvezda

  EX759 Ju 88C-6 1/48 ICM

  EX760 Ju 88C-6 TFace 1/48 ICM

  EX761 F-16I SUFA 1/48 Kinec

  CX592 Lysander Mk.III 1/72 Dora Wings

  CX595 F-4EJ 1/72 Fine Molds

  CX596 Z-37A Weekend 1/72 Eduard

  DECAL SETS

  D48073 Do 17 stencils 1/48 ICM

  D72030 Bf 109E stencils 1/72 Special Hobby

  D72031 Z-37A Čmelák 1/72 Eduard

  SPACE

  3DL32001 Tornado GR.4 SPACE 1/32 Italeri

  3DL48008 Il-2 SPACE 1/48 Zvezda

  3DL48009 P-38F SPACE 1/48 Tamiya

  3DL48010 P-38G SPACE 1/48 Tamiya

  3DL48011 P-38H SPACE 1/48 Tamiya

  3DL48012 P-39Q SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  MARCH 2021

  PE-Sets, Masks and Decal sets

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 86

  KITS

  Fw 190A-5

  ON APPROACHON APPROACH

  Cat. No. 82149

  1/48

  MARCH 2021

  Maj. Fritz Losigkeit, CO of I./JG 1, Deelen,

  the Netherlands, April 1943

  Maj. Hans Philipp, CO of JG 1, Deelen,

  the Netherlands, July 1943

  WNr. 1197, Oblt. Oo Stammberger,

  CO of 4./JG 26, Abbéville-Drucat, France, May 1943

  Lt. Rüdiger von Kirchmayr, TO of II./JG 1,

  Woensdrecht, the Netherlands, spring 1943

  WNr. 1230, Obstlt. Walter Oesau, CO of JG 2,

  Beaumont le Roger, France, June 1943

  WNr. 5888, Oblt. Maximilian Stotz, CO of 5./JG 54,

  Siverskaya, Soviet Union, May 1943

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 87

  KITS

  ON APPROACHON APPROACH

  Du doch nicht!!

  Cat. No. 2135

  1/72

  Albatros D.V Jasta 37, Wasquehal aireld,

  France, July 1917

  Fokker Dr.I 593/17, Jasta 4, Beugneux-Cramoisel-

  les Aireld, France, early June 1918

  Fokker D.VII (OAW), 20xx/18, Jasta 4,

  Beugneux-Cramoiselles Aireld, France, June 1918

  Fokker D.VII (OAW), 20xx/18, Jasta 4,

  Aireld “La Ferme Puisieux” near Laon,

  France, August 1918

  Fokker D.VIIF, 4253/18, Oblt. Ernst Udet, Jasta 4,

  Beugneux, France, July 1918

  Albatros D.V, 4476/17, Jasta 37, Phalempin Aireld,

  France, September 1917

  Albatros D.Va, Jasta 37, Wynghenge Aireld, France,

  late 1917/early 1918

  Fokker Dr.I, 586/17, Jasta 4, Aireld “La Ferme

  Puisieux” near Laon, France, late May 1918

  MARCH 2021

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 88

  OK-AKP

  Z-37A s/n 12-18, manufactured and registered to Slov Air in the

  Slovak Air Register in 1971. Aer many changes in ownership,

  the aircra is currently owned by Air Jihlava Servise Ltd. The

  No. 310 Squadron RAF badge on the engine cowling and the

  kill markings under the cockpit are consistent with these items

  painted on Spiire Mk.XVI TE184, when it was own as DU-N.

  OK-AKP was own with ger mof fuel tanks. The plane was

  stricken o charge in 2018 and became a source for spare parts.

  OK-NJB

  Z-37A s/n 25-02 was registered on August 2nd, 1983 with Slov-

  -Air Division 05 Brno. From January 28th, 1993, it was owned

  by Reas a.s. in Brno, then from November 28th, 2000 by Radek

  Jež, own by Bedřich Vávra, from August 22nd, 2001 by DARA

  Air s.r.o., and from March 22nd, 2006 by Air Jihlava Service,

  s.r.o. Airframe OK-NJB wore ger stripes on its tail going into an

  overhaul in 2012, and on the engine cowling thereaer.

  KITS

  ON APPROACHON APPROACH

  Z-37A Čmelák

  1/ 72

  Cat. No. 7456

  MARCH 2021

  RA-1349G

  This aircra was built in 1975 and delivered to East Germany,

  carrying the registraon DDR-SVW. In 1990, it was redesignated

  as D-SEVW. It found its way to Russia in 2010, with the regist-

  raon RA-1349G coming in 2015. On September 12th, 2018,

  y-two-year-old Vladimir Zelenov was crop dusng with this

  aircra when it crashed near the village of Tagay in the Uly-

  anovsk region. Unfortunately, the pilot did not survive the crash.

  OK-HJH

  Z-37A, with the serial number 23-11 was manufactured in 1977,

  and in May of that year, it was registered to Slov-Air in Prague,

  where it served with red elements on the wing. The mouth

  and caterpillar was added in 1990 at the aireld in Rakovník.

  Currently, it serves with the company AgroAirVa s.r.o. and is

  painted overall yellow.

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 89

  KITS

  P-39Q Airacobra

  ON APPROACHON APPROACH

  1/48

  Cat. No. 8470

  MARCH 2021

  P-39Q-5, 42-20351, Lt. William A. Shomo, 82nd TRS,

  71st TRG, 5th AF, Dobodura, New Guinea, March 1944

  P-39Q-1, 42-19467, 46th FS, 15th FG, 7th AF,

  Kanton Atoll, Phoenix Island, August 1943

  P-39Q-5, 42-20043, 70th FS, 347th FG, 13th AF,

  Torokina Aireld, Bougainville Island,

  Solomon Islands, autumn 1943

  P-39Q-5, 42-19896, William W. Gambill, 363rd FS,

  357th FG, 8th AF, Oroville CA, United States,

  autumn 1943

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  INFO Eduard - February 2021

• Page 90

• Page 91

  From time to time, I say to myself that

  it could be interesting to see a well-made

  psychological analysis of the animal known

  as the „scale modeller “. I have never seen

  such a work before, and I have no ability

  to create it. So, all I can do is to look for

  simple denitions and traits that are able to

  describe the modeller.

  When I sometimes read modelling forums,

  reviews, and the writings of critics etc…or

  when I get to listen to modeller’s discussi-

  ons, I have the feeling that one of most

  signicant characteristics of a modeller is

  to „know everything “necessary to press

  his own opinion and perspective. Someti-

  mes, it appears that the only good modeller

  is someone who has a denite opinion on

  what constitutes an error or mistake made

  by his peers/fellow modeller. This isn’t just

  restricted to other modeller’s work, but

  also about the numerous manufacturers

  of plastic kits and accessories (apparently,

  it is a well-known fact that manufacturers

  are the hobby’s own worst enemy!). Anyway,

  I believe it would be unfair to tarnish all mo-

  dellers by this giving them this label. More

  than likely, the truth will be that it is a ge-

  neral human trait that you will see in every

  type of hobby. If that’s the case, maybe we

  just focus ourselves on that very common

  trait, all too much. Who knows?

  An interesting and sometimes funny point

  of view (especially for the modeller who is

  totally absorbed and takes themselves far

  too seriously), is how the modeller sees his

  own surroundings. Most of what a modeller

  perceives is a result of his own interpretati-

  ons only, yet they sometimes choose to im-

  press that view on other modellers.

  I think for most people, the predominant

  image of a modeller is an introverted in-

  fant, sunk into his own world of paint and

  glue. I try to look at these things tolerantly

  and understand the unfathomable. Another

  I always hear people comment on, is that

  the modeller in question just „sticks to the

  little planes“ etc., or in a demeaning fashi-

  on that they are absorbed and in ‘their own

  little world’. Another view is that every cre-

  ative person has an element of infantility

  about them, and the transformation of his

  time and strength into „unnecessary things“

  is a waste of time and energy. But most pe-

  ople do not want to see the world through

  the eyes of others, thus, a modeler can view

  their own miniature world through their own

  eyes and their own personal interpretation.

  However, I don‘t think that this would be

  the right denition of model making - be it

  plastic, railway, ship, RC. I estimate that

  behind this hobby will be an age-old male

  desire to just build something. I don‘t want

  to relate this to fellow lady-modellers, as

  that‘s not the purpose of this simple stu-

  dy. I just believe that what I‘m describing

  is a characteristic historically given more

  to men. Even in today‘s age of various di-

  gital technologies, from which many of our

  desires can be lled with the virtual cotton

  wool of satisfaction, there remains a need

  to create something; to transform things

  and ideas into something tangible. Not all

  of us can build temples or carve naval ships,

  for example. In some way, we can turn our

  desires into these small things, or to ‘scaled

  down things’, for want of a better phrase.

  However, the desire to create with our own

  hands, an object that will have something of

  us in it, and that we can be proud of, will be

  able to measure of our art. With our fellow

  friends, this is a basic constant, and re-

  mains undiminished. As well as the desire to

  transform our never-ending learning, plastic

  scale modelling and our interpretation of

  a subject, is also such an example.

  I see plastic modeling as the essence of the

  above, with a need to create, and an ability

  to use technological processes, a knowledge

  of various methodologies and their develop-

  ment, as well as the knowledge and respect

  for the history the sub-

  ject we are building, or

  that specic era. Last

  but not least, a sen-

  se of both detail and

  art. Modelling is, in

  modern terms, a mul-

  ti-technological hobby

  which, if the result is

  to be rst-class, requi-

  res great skills, manual

  dexterity, extensive

  knowledge and the

  ability/willingness to

  constantly learn. This

  is also perhaps the re-

  ason why a relatively

  large percentage of

  modellers return to

  this hobby at a later

  age, after they origina-

  lly left it in their ado-

  lescence, or during entry to adulthood and

  the building of a career or a family.

  I myself returned to plastic modeling

  some time ago in just this way. However, my

  return was not so straightforward. I have

  always remained very closely connected

  with aviation and especially aviation history.

  During all those years, I observed modeling

  itself as a kind of parallel, from a distance

  and with respect. In addition, when I be-

  came part of the Eduard team more than

  13 years ago, I fell straight back into it.

  Of course, I found myself on the other side

  of the barricade, so to speak. I started to

  deal with scale modeling professionally, but

  not as a modeler. Make no mistake, this also

  applies to most of Eduard‘s creative per-

  sonalities. Real „practicing modelers“ are

  usually in the oppressed minority among the

  employees of a scale plastic kit company.

  Apart from lack of time, a simple thing such

  as a being unsure of my own abilities, pre-

  vented me from returning to this hobby. This

  was because some real gems passed through

  my hands from our cooperating modellers

  and builders of presentation models, the re-

  sults of which I believed I could never hope

  to achieve myself. But in the end, what rea-

  lly matters is the joy which modelling brings

  to the individual; the joy of what we crea-

  te. I didn‘t expect it, but my two sons, who,

  under the inuence of a non-modelling dad,

  fell in love with model-making and planes.

  This brought me to timidly put my own head

  above the parapet, and to „cut the plastic“

  again.

  At the same time, I remember the slogan

  of a British modelling club, which once fas-

  cinated me in Telford a few years ago, and

  which is not only a perfect antidote to the

  hardcore modelling individual that I wrote

  about above, but which is also an expressi-

  on that the general modeller is a creature

  that has a sense of humor and the ability to

  look at himself from the outside. I think this

  slogan says what I mean much better than

  all of my previous chatter, even though you

  have my respect for reading this far:

  WE GLUE WHAT WE LIKE.

  WE LIKE WHAT WE GLUE!

  Jan Zdiarský

  Psychology of a modeller

  eduard

  91

  INFO Eduard - February 2021