04/2024

Good evening, dear Friends, We've had a hectic March. I understand that it might not seem that way to you, but every bar looks different from the dining room than it does from the kitchen. In order for the view from the dining room, in other words, from you, the customers, to be positive, the staff in the kitchen (us), has little choice but to be very busy. So, hectic is good.

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  e-magazine FREE Vol 23 April 2024

  INFO Eduard

  # 170

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  INFO Eduard

  # 170

  e-magazine FREE Vol 23 April 2024

  © Eduard - Model Accessories, 2024

  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

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  eduard

  eduard

  APRIL 2024

  CONTENTS

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

  Mírová 170, Obrnice 435 21

  support@eduard.com www.eduard.com

  EDITORIAL

  KITS

  BRASSIN

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED SETS

  SPACE

  BUILT

  ON APPROACH

  –

  May 2024

  TAIL END CHARLIE

  ARTICLES

  BOXART STORY

  Gustav pt.2 Limited 1/72

  F4F-4 Wildcat late ProfiPACK 1/48

  Fokker E.III Weekend 1/48

  MiG-21PFM ProfiPACK 1/48 Re-release

  F6F-5 Hellcat ProfiPACK 1/72 Re-release

  Albatros D.III 1/48

  Sparviero 1/48

  Spitfire Mk.Vc

  Gardening the Danube

  All About the Bays

  Air War in Ukraine

  -

  Summary of the Second Year of Conflict

  1/72ND SCALE MODEL KIT L-410 TURBOLET

  BY GAVIA AND KP

  Hartmann's Gustav

  African intermezzo

  "My dear Fokker"

  A Hell of a Morning

  4

  6

  39

  44

  66

  78

  90

  100

  106

  122

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  EDITORIAL

  Good evening, dear Friends,

  We've had a hectic March. I understand that

  it might not seem that way to you, but every

  bar looks different from the dining room than

  it does from the kitchen. In order for the view

  from the dining room, in other words, from you,

  the customers, to be positive, the staff in the

  kitchen (us), has little choice but to be very busy.

  So, hectic is good. The goal of the kitchen staff is

  to have a dining room full of satisfied guests, and

  that is also the case with us. A proven method is

  to bring new ideas and new stimuli to the table.

  In our case, we also launched a mobile canteen,

  with which we went to one exhibition every week

  through March. We've never done that in the past.

  There was some doubt as to whether or not it

  was even manageable, and it turned out to be

  just that. So we set out for Verona, Bytom, Prosek

  and Prostejov, and all in all, the time and effort

  invested was well worth it, certainly at least for

  those of us who attended and prepared those

  exhibitions. Our customers liked it, they looked

  satisfied, no one complained, so we will continue

  with our event participation program. The rest of

  the year will be a little more subdued and in April,

  we are going to only one exhibition, in Moson.

  But I won't be there, I'm going to a wedding on

  the same date. Martina Kurakovais getting

  married, and she is a shareholder in Eduard,

  making her my business partner, and is also the

  chief technologist of our tool shop, the lady who

  is largely responsible for the appearance of our

  kits. She is marrying Mr. Ladislav Jonáš. This is

  the man who designed, among others, the Focke-

  Wulf Fw 190 and all the Spitfires that Eduard

  has produced. He is also responsible for the

  MiG-21s, including the upcoming MiG-21F. Now

  he's constructing another sweet little item, but

  I won't tell you what that is just yet. We will have

  plenty of time for that later.

  In Prostějov, our exhibition and production

  activities were closely related. During March,

  we completed all the molds for the P-51B

  Mustang in 1:48th, we also completed other

  operations necessary for the release of kits,

  such as the design and start of production of

  decals, instructions, photoetched, masks and the

  basic Brassin sets. So right now we're ready to

  release the Mustang, and we've been hitting the

  market in March to see what customers think.

  And customers like it, which is very positive

  news after two years of no one ripping down

  walls to get at new kits. This is also new to

  our operations. At the beginning of March, pre-

  orders of the Royal Class P-51B took place with

  an unexpectedly good result, which saw us reach

  almost 4000 ordered items. This is significantly

  more than the usual sales of kits of this series

  released so far. It shows that the modellers'

  demand for the restoration of the Royal Class line

  has a solid foundation and that I was wrong to

  underestimate the call. We then took a hundred

  boxes of this tasty little Mustang morcel in white

  boxes to Prostejov, where we sold them all, plus

  54 Overtrees. In Moson, similar activities will be

  repeated, because the new releases for May will

  be on sale there, and they will again be mainly

  about the Mustang!

  April Releases

  In April, we are releasing another Gustav,

  a Limited Edition kit dedicated to the late versions

  of the Bf 109 G-6 and Bf 109 G-14. I understand that

  the 72nd scale kits are perhaps getting a little old

  for some people who see them as nothing special,

  but I'd say that the opposite is, in fact, true. The

  version of the Bf 109 G, which the kit is dedicated

  to, has not been taken seriously by anyone yet,

  really. There are some G-14 kits out there, but

  they are quite old, and the late G-6 versions,

  the Erla canopy and tall rudder machines, or

  a combination of the two, have been more or

  less avoided by most serious manufacturers.

  However, we will not be accused of dropping

  the ball on these aircraft. If we're going to make

  these Messerschmitts, we're going to make them

  properly. As well as the Wildcat, one more of

  which, the late version F4F-4, we are releasing

  in Profipack form (1/48th) also in April, along with

  the Fokker E.III in the Weekend line, and again, in

  1:48th. Plus a lot of photoetched, masks, Brassins

  and other accessories, as you will see as you

  scroll down the pages of this month’s newsletter.

  Hyperscale

  As promised, I started a discussion on

  Hyperscale. The beginning was quite a rush, and

  I admit that I found it difficult to keep up, but now

  things have simmered down a bit. I'd say we get

  along with the modelers rather nicely, I've only

  had two minor misunderstandings so far, and

  that's better than it was in my early days other

  forums. The only snag is one thread where we

  are dealing with how the wing should look on

  the Mustang. It's about whether it should be

  completely smooth or whether it can have panel

  INFO Eduard4

  April 2024

• Page 5

  lines like we have. This is a vast topic that would

  be worth an in-depth article. So I have quite

  a lot of background for this, to tell the truth,

  I have been dealing with the topic for almost

  ten years. I have hundreds, maybe thousands,

  of photos reviewed, lots of articles and other

  sources, 48 Mustangs that we went over in great

  detail and one flight in a Mustang in the back

  seat. I admit that at the time, I didn't really look at

  how this particular machine’s wing surface was

  treated, because when I climbed into it, my main

  concern was to shove my 190 cm and 120 kilos

  frame into that slot behind the pilot's seat, and

  when I was climbing out of the cockpit after the

  flight, I really couldn’t see straight for a while

  and it was all I could do to stand on my feet. You

  can see from this that the priorities of historical

  research can be different at different times, and

  it was kind of the same with that wing surface on

  the Mustang. I'd say in general it was that they

  polished the wing first on most units and then

  they dropped the practice in general because

  they had other things to worry about, plus they

  found out that if you hang additional tanks under

  the wing, you can polish to your heart’s content,

  but it won't fly any faster anyway. You can do the

  same for your models. If you don't like our panel

  lines, putty, sand, polish and spray paint them.

  This will make your building experience all the

  more authentic because you will be working just

  like the workers and technicians on the North

  American production line. If you note that we

  have panel lines on the wing of our releases, then

  our Mustang is actually no different from other

  kits already released, and I recommend that you

  take a good look at the kit first and do not make

  hasty judgments, because I am sure that there

  are some very fundamental differences between

  ours and theirs. It's just something completely

  different than what you get from anyone else.

  I admit that I had the urge to write an article on

  the subject of Mustang wings, but I have already

  promised our editor-in-chief so much that I don't

  know when I will deliver all that I have already

  committed to. So I will stick to my original plans

  and not jump to other topics. We're not going to

  make any changes to our Mustang wing now, and

  we couldn’t even if we wanted to, and we don’t,

  because we are confident that our interpretation

  is the best, given available references.

  Articles

  That brings me to today's articles. We have

  another installment of the Air War over Ukraine

  series by Mira Barič. The author confided in us

  that he receives various hateful and aggressive

  letters. It is clear that they are not from

  supporters of Ukraine. We are supporters of

  Ukraine and we stand behind our author. At the

  same time, we also express our sincere regret

  for the victims of the terrorist attack on the

  Moscow concert hall and express our sincere

  condolences to the survivors and the victims of

  this barbaric act. At the same time,

  however, we also think that if the

  Russian security forces can arrest

  a person on the street with a banner

  or a quote from the constitution in

  a matter of minutes, they should

  also be able to take action against

  terrorists in less than an hour. Here

  in the decadent West, our security

  forces can do that. On the other

  hand, quoting the Constitution or

  protesting against the government

  are fundamental rights for us.

  We also have two historical articles in this

  issue of our newsletter. The Danube article

  by Peter Kaššák is about mine laying in the

  Danube in 1944, the other by Jan Bobek is about

  the downing of Erich Hartmann and one of his

  Bf 109s. In addition, we have three shorter but

  engaging Boxart stories, about the Wildcat, the

  Hellcat and about the Fokker E.III. And I wrote

  a travelogue about a research trip to Italy in which

  I participated as the main driver and expedition

  leader, Jakub Nademlejnský as the coordinator

  and Stan Archman as the main researcher. In this

  way, I think we achieved par with the recognized

  standard makeup of various expeditions of other

  institutions, whether sporting or academic.

  And that is it from me today.

  Happy Modelling!

  Vladimir Sulc

  EDITORIAL

  INFO Eduard

  5

  April 2024

• Gardening the Danube

  With a length of 2,845 km, the Danube is the second-longest river in Europe after the Volga. On almost 2,415 km (from Kelheim to Sulina) the river is navigable for international cargo transport. On its way from the Black Forest (Germany) to the Black Sea (Romania and Ukraine), the Danube passes by or through ten riparian states, which makes it the most international river in the world.

  ARTICLES

  Peter Kaššák

  With a length of 2,845 km, the

  Danube is the second-longest

  river in Europe after the Volga.

  On almost 2,415 km (from

  Kelheim to Sulina) the river

  is navigable for international

  cargo transport. On its

  way from the Black Forest

  (Germany) to the Black Sea

  (Romania and Ukraine), the

  Danube passes by or through

  ten riparian states, which

  makes it the most international

  river in the world.

  The complex of oil refineries

  situated near Vienna was one of

  the biggest in Austria and due

  to its strategic position close to

  the River Danube guaranteed

  easy access for the importation

  of crude oil from Romania and

  elsewhere. Floridsdorf, Wiener

  Neustadt, Moosbierbaum,

  Lobau, Schwechat and Kagran

  became infamously known to

  crews of the American 15th

  United States Army Air Force.

  In 1944, approximately 88

  Heavy Flak Batteries protected

  this complex, with 604 heavy

  flak and 840 light flak guns

  aimed at the American combat

  boxes of bombers. Operating

  at maximum efficiency, it threw

  into the air against US planes

  some 600 shells every three

  seconds.

  But it was not only Austrian

  refineries that were using

  the Danube as a transport

  route. The Apollo oil refinery in

  Bratislava represented in 1944

  an important oil-producing

  facility as did oil refineries

  in Hungary such as Szony,

  Pétfürdő, Almásfűzűtő, Pét and

  refineries in Budapest (Fanto,

  Shell, Koolaz and Hungary

  Petroleum Co.). Further

  downstream were the Kuçovë

  refinery, Doiceşti and the oil

  storage depot at Targoviste,

  Bulgaria, Brod refinery in

  Yugoslavia, and finally the well-

  known refinery and depots at

  Ploesti, in Romania.

  The smooth functioning of the

  Danube transport system was

  crucial for Germany, so its

  disruption was highly desirable

  for the Allies. Two main options

  presented themselves to the

  allied planners in Italy. One

  involved the destruction of the

  oil refineries, port facilities

  and other infrastructure. The

  other required the interdiction

  of Danube river traffic by

  mining. Both options would be

  resorted to as the USAAF and

  RAF sought to cut Germany

  off from its much-needed

  Romanian oil.

  Ground crew of 70 squadron B flight posing at their base with the ‘cucumbers’.

  Gardening the Danube

  mining the Europe’s second

  largest river in April 1944

  INFO Eduard6

  April 2024

• Page 7

  ARTICLES

  During the first period during which the

  moon was full or near full, mining operations

  were planned on eight nights, but sorties flown

  on only three, weather conditions making

  accurate minelaying impossible on the rest.

  The first operation, on 8/9 April, was carried

  out as planned, but that on the following night,

  described in the 205 Group Operations Record

  Book as ‘Completion of Mining in Danube’ was

  cancelled, as was what would have again been

  a ‘Completion’ on 10/11 April. On 12/13 April,

  mining was successfully carried out, but a repeat

  the next night was cancelled. Success came

  again on 14/15 April, but yet another repeat, on

  15/16 April, had to be cancelled. The cancellation

  of the early ‘Completion’ drops was unfortunate,

  in that it gave the German authorities time to

  begin planning counter-measures.

  205 Group scheduled a major raid on the

  Tököl airfield, Budapest, on 8/9 April 1944,

  but this was cancelled late in the day, so the

  Group’s first mining operation was the only one

  undertaken that night. Two Wings operated, 231

  Wing dispatching twenty Wellingtons from 37 and

  70 Squadrons, and 240 Wing three Liberators

  of 178 Squadron, their designated ‘beds’ in the

  Danube lying between Bazias and Belgrade.

  Preparation for what was, for 205 Group,

  an entirely new operational experience was not

  without its difficulties, the Group Operations

  Record Book April summary stating:

  ‘Gardening’ operations commenced in April

  1944, and the River Danube was mined with

  approximately 200 mines, Mark IV and V. Difficulty

  was experienced in obtaining the necessary

  slings, suspension bands, and bomb beams; and

  the necessary experienced electrical personnel

  specialized in the preparation of the mines.

  The electrical personnel were eventually flown

  from the Middle East the day prior to the operation.

  It seems likely that the ‘electrical personnel’

  came from squadrons in Egypt specializing in

  minelaying and anti-shipping operations, such

  as 38 Squadron, though the actual briefing was

  carried out by Royal Navy personnel.

  Ten Wellingtons of 37 Squadron were detailed

  to mine the Danube, laying ‘cucumbers’ in

  a three-mile bed east of Belgrade, but one did not

  operate because of magneto failure. The other

  nine were airborne at Tortorella between 20:20

  and 20:27 hours. Three crews, LN920 “C” of W/O

  J.C. Bailey (RAAF), MF139 “K” of Lt. M. Britz (SAAF)

  and ME872 of F/Sgt. H.C.M. Johnson (RAAF), were

  forced to abandon their tasks, F/Sgt. Johnson’s

  encountering severe electrical storms, while

  W/O. Bailey’s and Lt. Britz’s crews were unable to

  identify crucial pinpoints. All three brought their

  mines back. F/O. Pagram’s crew laid its mines

  six miles west of the prescribed bed. The rest,

  LP182 of F/Sgt. G.D.E. Adamson, HE518 of F/Lt.

  R.M. Cranchey, HZ814 of W/O. E.D. Upson (RAAF),

  JA522 of F/Sgt. J.C. Macallum (RAAF) and JA531

  of F/Lt. C.H. Muggeridge, did so in the prescribed

  areas east of Belgrade between 22:27 and 23:21

  hours from between 400 and 500 feet. F/Sgt.

  Johnson’s aircraft landed at Tortorella at 23:35,

  the remainder between 00:48 and 01:47.

  Ten Wellingtons of 70 Squadron were detailed

  to mine the Danube and took off from Tortorella

  between 20:20 and 20:41. In fairly good weather,

  though some cloud, nine crossed the Dinaric

  Alps and pinpointed the River Sava and Belgrade.

  LP130 “D” (F/Sgt. G.J. Custance) experienced

  engine overheating and rising oil temperatures

  that developed almost immediately after take

  off. The crew turned back and landed at Celone at

  22:30, as instructed, with mines on board. Seven

  planes, LN640 “A” of F/Lt. H.C. Bownas, MF194

  “F” of F/Sgt. D.C. Twigg (RAAF), LN985 “K” of F/O.

  C.O. Ellison (RAAF), HE694 “L” of F/Sgt. P.D. Nihill

  (RAAF), LN489 “O” of F/Sgt. R.P.F. Gelle (RAAF),

  LN870 “U” of F/Sgt. H. Pollard and LP126 “Z” of

  F/Sgt. A.S.R. Ross (RAAF) claimed to have planted

  their ‘cucumbers’ in the correct gardens, seeing

  parachutes and noting the splashes, but F/Lt. L.M.

  Mason and crew in LN851 “Y” slightly overshot

  and may have planted in a neighbouring garden.

  Mining was carried out between 22:29 and 23:10

  from a height of 250 to 500 feet, crews planting

  sixteen 1600lb Mk.III and IV mines.

  Four rear gunners strafed barges, Sgt. M.W.

  Maddick in LN640 firing 2000 rounds near

  Omoljica and Starčevo, Sgt. A. Roberts in LM870

  1000 rounds at Ritopek, and Sgt. Graysmark, rear

  gunner in HE694, 1000 rounds at a fair-sized

  vessel near a neighbouring garden. The greatest

  success, however, was achieved by Sgt. E.R.

  Butcher in LN985, who opened fire on six barges

  being towed by a tug. The tug cast off its tow on

  being attacked, which appeared to cause some

  consternation on the barges.

  P/O. Gibson and crew failed to return.

  The remaining eight crews landed at Tortorella

  between 00:39 and 01:40.

  Vickers Wellington B.Mk.X LP139 “B” of 70

  Squadron ditched in the Danube after having the

  starboard engine set on fire by light flak while

  mining between Belgrade and Bazias. Two of

  those who died, navigator F/O. Jeffrey J.K. Burr

  and air gunner Sgt. Clifford J. Selby, were buried

  locally, but reinterred post-war in Belgrade War

  Cemetery, the former in grave 9.A.A4 and the

  latter in 9.A.B.5. But W. Operator F/Sgt. Frank

  Dadd, also interred locally at the time, at Pencevo,

  is buried in Cassino War Cemetery, grave

  XVII.C.22. It seems F/Sgt. Dadd was recovered

  from Pencevo by the American Military, who

  believed he was an USAAF pilot, and buried in the

  Naples US Military Cemetery. Later, however, the

  body was identified as that of F/Sgt. Dadd and in

  Vickers Wellington LN640 ‘A’ of 70 Squadron. In the background a B-17 of the 15th Air Force is landing.

  INFO Eduard

  7

  April 2024

• Page 8

  1948 was handed over to the British authorities

  for re-burial.

  The two survivors, pilot P/O. J.A. Gibson and

  air bomber F/O. W.R. Elvin, made contact with

  Chetnik irregulars , and forty days later were

  evacuated from Yugoslavia by C-47, returning to

  their squadron. Both went on to complete their

  tour of operations with 70 Squadron.

  Air bomber Elwin reported upon return and

  report has been filled as follows:

  “Whilst on a mining operation over the Danube,

  East of Belgrade at approximately 22:45 hours,

  aircraft while losing height to 200 feet over the

  river, was hit by a light gun believed situated

  on an Island near Pancevo. Fire broke out in the

  starboard engine, and the Captain decided to

  ditch. The two mines on board were immediately

  jettisoned (in the correct “bed”), and before

  the bomb doors could be closed, the aircraft

  hit the water in a shallow dive. It immediately

  filled with water and within a few minutes was

  completely submerged. There was no time to

  take up ditching stations, and only the captain

  P/O Gibson and Bomb-aimer F/O Elvin are

  known to have survived. They escaped through

  the pilot´s escape hatch, P/O Gibson suffering

  only slight facial abrasion, though F/O Elvin had

  dislocated one shoulder and sprained the other

  arm. It was extremely dark and by the time the

  two men came to the surface the aircraft had

  completely submerged. P/O Gibson found the

  dinghy floating, right side up, and managed to

  swim to it whilst F/O Elvin floated in his “Mae

  West”. After a struggle, they both succeeded in

  climbing aboard and then attempted to find the

  W/Op F/S Dadd whose cries they had heard after

  surfacing. By this time, however, they had floated

  a considerable way downstream and nothing

  could be heard or seen of the W/Op. Of the other

  two members of the crew, nothing was heard

  after the aircraft submerged, nor did the two

  survivors hear anything further whilst they were

  with the villagers in the district. They did hear

  rumors, however, that Germans were working to

  salvage the aircraft from its position in the center

  of the river.

  As they had great difficulty in steering the

  dinghy, they blew whistles as they were still

  in the center of the river, and eventually were

  sighted by a man who came out in a punt and

  collected them and their dinghy. They tried to

  prevail on him to search for other members of

  the crew, but failed, and learnt later that he was

  unwilling to risk being seen by Germans from the

  left (i.e. North) bank.

  They were taken to the nearest village where

  they rested for a time in the school room, being

  treated quite well by the villagers through

  conversation was extremely limited as they had

  no interpreter. Fortunately, the B/A thought it

  better to discover the local political sympathies

  before asking to be taken to Tito, for as they

  later discovered, these villagers on the south

  of Belgrade were overwhelmingly Chetnik

  supporters and bitter opponents on the partisans.

  About 1 am. A Chetnik N.C.O. entered, had them

  take off their clothing and don local garbs, and

  drove them by bullock cart to the Chetnik district

  leader in another village. This leader and his staff

  – one of whom spoke French with P/O Gibson –

  treated them very well, fed them, and introduced

  them to the local brew of plum juice.

  The following morning, to avoid any possibility

  of detection, they were taken into the hills,

  where they met an American divinity student

  who told them he had been studying for the

  Orthodox Priesthood for some time. He acted

  as their interpreter for two days, during which

  time they were often questioned about Britain´s

  attitude towards the Chetnik and Partisans, the

  general complaint apparently being that supplies

  of arms and ammunition were no longer being

  dropped to the Chetniks. Later on, they found

  that the Chetniks, whilst well disposed to Britain,

  dared not openly resist the Germans for fear of

  reprisals on their villages, though they kept a

  sharp look-out and were always well informed

  of German movements. Above all, they seemed

  to hate and to fear the Partisans and took

  every opportunity of fighting against them. It is

  interesting to note that during the whole time

  they were in Yugoslavia, P/O Gibson and F/O Elvin

  saw only one German truck, as they kept away

  from main roads, using secondary roads whose

  surfaces were indescribably bad and were

  therefore avoid by the Germans.

  With their interpreter, they travelled by bullock

  cart to a village some seven hours journey

  South West where F/O Elvin was attended by

  a local doctor who did not cure the dislocation

  – not put right until he reached the British party.

  All medical supplies seemed to be very limited.

  At this village they stayed two nights, living as

  usual in a local commandant´s house.

  The following day the Major, who appeared

  during the evening of previous day, sent them

  with a strong escort to the boundary of his district,

  after which two bodyguards continued with them,

  continuing South-West and putting up at villages

  each evening, travelling often on foot though

  sometimes by cart or horseback. Everywhere

  they were well treated, until eventually they

  reached a British Mission H.Q. who passed details

  of their escape to the outside world.

  Apparently a number of these Missions were

  being recalled at this time, and plans were

  discussed for leaving the country. The proposal

  to make their way across country was turned

  down, as the Chetniks would not allow them to

  pass into regions controlled by the Partisans,

  and indeed disapproved of their intention to leave

  the country and of Britain´s increasing support

  The Partisans were organized on the initiative of

  Tito following the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in

  April 1941, and began an active guerrilla campaign

  against occupying forces after Germany invaded

  the Soviet Union in June. A large-scale uprising

  was launched in July, later joined by Draža

  Mihailović's Chetniks, which led to the creation of

  the short-lived Republic of Užice. More information:

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chetniks

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard8

  April 2024

• Page 9

  of Tito. The next alternative was escape by air.

  P/O Gibson was taken to a level patch of pasture

  on a hill top and asked whether he considered

  it practicable for use as a night landing ground

  for Lysander. He considered that it was, but as

  some hitch occurred in the pans for receiving

  Lysander co-operation, he eventually heard that

  three transport aircraft were to attempt the job.

  Gooseneck flares etc. were dropped to them,

  M.A.P.R.W. aircraft took photos of the landing

  ground, and Gibson was made officer in charge

  of night flying.

  The party now consisted of 109 men, as several

  American airmen had bailed out nearby and joined

  the “mission”. After three nights work – most of

  it interesting and exciting as aircraft were taking

  off on a short improvised landing ground (filled to

  capacity) – the whole party was safely evacuated.

  P/O Gibson boarded the last transport together

  with the British C.O.”

  As a last Squadron airborne that night for

  Gardening mission was 178 Squadron. Three

  Liberator crews took off from Celone between

  20:50 and 21:00 hours, detailed to mine the

  River Danube near what the geographically-

  challenged compiler of the squadron Operations

  Record Book said was Bucharest, but which

  was actually Belgrade. Between 23:28 and 23:39

  hours, from a height of between 125 and 500 feet

  the three crews dropped 12 x 1000 lb. Mk.V mines

  as designated, the Liberators, on this first mining

  raid, carrying only four mines each, instead of the

  six that were carried thereafter.

  On debriefing, W/Cdr. D.C. Smythe and his

  crew, flying in BZ947 “N”, described in detail the

  sequence they followed in this, the squadron’s

  first mining operation:

  “23:15 hours – arrived at target area. Orbited

  to port and lost height to 2500 ft flying up river

  as far as the island of Cibulski [44°48N: 21°12E].

  Turned to port again and flew back along Danube

  heading west losing height to 200 ft near island

  of Okilova [44°46N: 21°12E]. 23:28 hours, 180 ft –

  mining run on heading 210°. IAS [Indicated Air

  Speed] 170 mph. All mines dropped in one stick

  with three second spacing... All four parachutes

  seen to open and splashes observed as mines fell

  in Danube, making fountains of water.”

  F/Lt. J.H.C. Lewis and his crew (plane BZ930

  “S”) also dropped in one stick, but S/Ldr. R.A.

  Brown (in plane BZ929), making his first run at

  23:32, found he could only drop two mines before

  the aircraft passed over land, and so turned to

  port and flew down river again in order to repeat

  the mining run, dropping his second pair of mines

  at 23:39. Interestingly, there seems to have been

  no hard and fast requirement as to the height at

  which the mines were dropped, or a prescribed

  speed, since while W/Cdr. Smythe dropped from

  180 feet at 170 mph, S/Ldr. Brown chose to drop

  from 300 feet at 180 mph, and F/Lt. Lewis went

  lowest of all at 125 feet. Crews experienced slight

  machine gun or antiaircraft fire from barges and

  tugs north and west of Dubovic and Dubovska

  Ada islands and the crew of BZ930 decided to

  investigate after turning away from its mining

  run. Observing several small vessels, the crew

  attacked from 200 feet, the tail gunner fired about

  1000 rounds, the mid upper gunner 400 rounds

  and the beam gunner 200 rounds. All observed

  the rounds ricocheting off the vessels. The crews

  landed at Celone between 01:20 and 02:00.

  In the morning of 9 April 1944, river traffic

  on the Danube was paralyzed. Among the first

  victims was the 650 hp. passenger steamer

  Tulln of the D.D.S.G, which was sunk at kilometer

  marker 1150 at 07:45. Six of those on board died.

  D.D.S.G. also lost a tug on the 9th, but this was

  just the beginning. ‘Gardening’ was to badly affect

  this large transporting company in the next seven

  months. Another death was reported on tanker X

  of the Slovak company S.D.P., which was sunk at

  km 1128 along with a Serbian police boat.

  After three nights on which mining was

  planned, but abandoned, better weather meant

  that mining operations could be resumed on the

  12th by the three squadrons involved in the first

  mining operation on 8/9 April. 205 Group’s major

  scheduled operation that night was an attack

  by sixty-five crews from the three Wellington

  wings on the Ferencváros Marshalling Yards

  at Budapest, but seventeen Wellingtons from

  231 Wing and twelve Liberators from 240 Wing

  were detailed to mine between Backa Palanka

  and Futog, east of Novi Sad, while five 231 Wing

  Wellingtons mined further east, between Bazias

  and Belgrade.

  Eleven Wellingtons of 37 Squadron took off

  from Tortorella between 22:30 and 22:40, seven

  detailed to lay mines in the Danube between

  Gardinovci, near Novi Sad, and Surnik, and four

  between Bazias and Belgrade, near Dubravica.

  Seven crews, including crews of W/O. J.C.

  Bailey (RAAF) in Wellington LN920 “C”, F/Sgt. J.

  Photo taken in Yugoslavia in 1944. From left to right are standing unknown

  chetnick, pilot Jacobsen (unidentified crew), William Elvin and another

  unknown chetnick.

  Photo of the 37 Squadron crew, in which flew W.R. Elwin – standing as second

  from right.

  Personal photo of William R. Elwin taken in 1945

  upon return from the war.

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• Page 10

  Calvert-Fisher in LN958, Lt. M. Britz (SAAF) in

  LN924, F/Sgt. H.C.M. Johnson (RAAF) in ME572,

  F/Lt. J.F. Fisher in MF196, Lt. D.R. Hjelm (SAAF)

  in LP182 and F/Sgt. J. Evans (RAAF) flying in

  LN799 successfully laid twelve 1000 lb. mines in

  the Danube in the area between Gardinovci and

  Surnik from a height of between 100 and 200

  feet. HF477 (W/O. E.D. Upson (RAAF)) and ME875

  (F/Lt. R.M. Cranchey) both had a mine hang up and

  on return, at 04:20, landed at Foggia Main, with its

  longer runway, with the mines on board.

  The four crews detailed to mine between Bazias

  and Belgrade all did so successfully, laying their

  mines from a height of 300 to 500 feet.

  Pilot P/O. D.C. Burcham (plane JA472)

  described his feelings as he undertook his first

  mining operation:

  “It turned out to be one of the most exhilarating

  of trips. Having crossed the mountains at 10,000

  feet, we then pinpointed our ‘garden’ and dived

  down to 2000 feet above the hazily moon-lit river,

  feeling rather vulnerable as we had no idea what

  was cooking-up along the dark river banks. In the

  event nothing happened and we were able to drop

  our two mines!

  (Macdonald pp. 15–16)

  The Operations Record Book states that the

  rear gunner of JA531, Sgt. Blyth, fired 200 rounds

  at barges, but Maurice Lihou, who was captaining

  JA531, recalls, in It’s Dicey Flying Wimpeys

  Around Italian Skies, pp. 68–9, that the air bomber,

  Sgt. Antiel, also attacked the barges from the

  front turret:

  “In the brilliant moonlight they found their

  vegetable patch (target area). Flying low along

  the Danube with the riverbanks rising on either

  side of them, they could clearly see motor traffic

  with dimmed headlight moving along; they must

  belong to an enemy convoy they concluded. They

  laid their deadly traps and continued flying low

  at 200 feet over the river. To Lee [Lihou] it was

  a tremendous thrill.

  ‘Lets see if we can find some barges to shoot

  up’, suggested Lee. ‘Want to go into the front

  turret, Len?’

  ‘OK. Skipper’. It wasn’t long before the first

  barges came into sight sitting low in the river,

  chugging along leaving a telltale wake of white

  foam behind them. They were much bigger than

  Lee had expected, he counted eight of them, four

  lots of two side by side.

  ‘Got them in your sights Len? Then go to it first.

  Are you ready at the back, Jock?’

  Len needed no second bidding, the burst of

  machine gun fire filled the aircraft and as they

  flew on over the barges it was Jock’s turn in the

  rear gunner’s turret to have a go, he also let rip.

  ‘What about a second run chaps?’ asked Lee.

  ‘OK by us Skipper’.

  They turned, flew alongside of the riverbank,

  turned again and flew on them from the rear.

  There seemed to be no one on board. They did

  a second run over them, both turrets in action.

  They flew on for a few more miles, but no more

  were sighted.

  ‘Better head for home now, Lee’, said Riggy.”

  Nine crews landed at Tortorella between 03:11

  and 04:20.

  Ten aircraft of 70 Squadron, LF640 “A” piloted

  by F/Sgt. G.B. Sinclair (RAAF), LN699 “C” with

  Lt. N.K. Weekes (SAAF), LP130 “D” with F/Sgt.

  G.J. Custance (RAAF), MF194 “F” with Sgt. D.H.R.

  McPherson (RAAF), LN985 “K” with F/Sgt. H.

  Pollard, HE694 “L” F/Sgt. K.E. Turley (RAAF),

  LN479 “O” with F/Sgt. R.P.F. Gelle (RAAF), NP135

  “T” with F/Sgt. J.R. Turvey (RNZAF), LN870 “U”

  with F/Sgt. B.E. Marstin (RAAF), LP126 “Z” with

  F/Sgt. R.P. Case and LN851 “Y” manned by crew

  of F/Lt. K.G. Hubbard, were detailed to plant

  mines between Palanka and Stari Futag, west

  of Novi Sad. In addition, F/Sgt. Custance and

  crew, foiled on the earlier mining raid by engine

  problems, were detailed to plant in the ‘old’

  bed east of Belgrade. All eleven crews took off

  from Tortorella between 22:40 and 22:54 and

  approached the target in good weather, admiring

  the snow-capped Dinaric Alps en route. Between

  01:00 and 01:45 hours crews successfully planted

  a total of twenty 1000 lb. Mk.V and two 1600 lb.

  Mk.VI mines from 80 to 400 feet successfully.

  Two crews, F/Sgt. Turvey’s and F/Sgt.

  Custance’s, encountered opposition south of

  Masbar, which, although slight, was sufficiently

  accurate to hole F/Sgt. Turvey’s aircraft in several

  places and damage the intercom. Nonetheless,

  he and his crew successfully completed their

  mining run.

  Crews landed at Tortorella between 03:05 and

  04:35.

  Detailed to mine the River Danube between

  Backa Palanka and Futog, west of Novi Sad,

  twelve Liberators of 178 Squadron took off from

  Celone between 23:59 and 00:31, each carrying

  six mines. Eleven crews located the designated

  beds and between 02:55 and 03:46 sixty-five

  1000 lb. Mark V mines were laid successfully

  from a height of between 80 and 500 feet. The

  crew of Lt. W.J. Van der Merwe (SAAF) flying in

  BZ932 had one mine hang up. It was jettisoned

  safe over the Adriatic. Several crews reported

  difficulty in identifying the drop zone because of

  flooding, and F/Lt. D.A. Eardley and his crew in

  EV939 abandoned the operation after searching

  for the drop zone at 1500 feet for more than thirty

  minutes. Two of its six mines were jettisoned safe

  over the Adriatic.

  Seven crews strafed barges, reporting hits,

  the .5 inch machine guns carried by the Liberators

  having much more penetrative power than

  the .303 inch machine guns of the Wellingtons.

  Several crews made prolonged strafing attacks,

  Lt. Van der Merwe’s crew, for instance, raking

  barges with machine gun fire for 12 minutes.

  The most spectacular results, however, were

  obtained by the crews of EV820 “R” (Lt. T.E. Knight

  (SAF)) and EV822 “V” (F/Lt. J.H.C. Lewis). In the

  latter Lt. Knight’s mid upper and beam gunners

  attacked and set fire to a 100 ft. long vessel,

  believed to be a tanker, which blew up. EV820’s

  gunners attacked another tanker, which also

  blew up, setting fire to a row of six ships, leaving

  the river covered in burning oil and the resulting

  explosions visible 85 miles away.

  On the return flight over the Adriatic, Lt. N.E.

  Hayman’s crew (in EV962) spotted red very

  flares fired from the sea, which they reported

  at debriefing. Group Flying Control was advised

  and the outcome was the rescue the following

  morning of S/Ldr. C.F. Mervyn-Jones and his

  40 Squadron crew, returning from an attack on

  the Ferencvaros Marshalling Yards, Budapest,

  which had ditched out of fuel after flak damage.

  Rear Gunner of 37 Squadron. [Photo: E. Robertson]

  F/Sgt. B.E. Marstin RAAF, who captained LN870

  on this raid. [Photo: AWM]

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  Other participating crews which were not

  mentioned due to nonproblematic flights were Lt.

  J.N. Hall (SAAF) in BZ928, Lt. G.C.E. Gibson (SAAF)

  in BZ929, Lt. J.G. Schuurman (SAAF) in BZ930 “S”,

  Lt. J.F. Young (SAAF) in BZ946 “L”, W/O. J. Strenach

  (RAAF) in BZ947 “N”, F/Lt. E.F.S. May in EV825 “D”

  and F/Sgt. A.L. Steele in EV841. All crews landed

  at Celone between 05:43 and 06:30.

  Newly planted ‘cucumbers’, as the mines

  were often called in the RAF slang, found their

  victims again. On the 13th, seven ships were sunk,

  including B.L. tanker 778, N.F.R’s Hotin and the

  M.F.T.R. tug Grof Szapary Gyula lost at km 1466.

  Aboard the tug ten people lost their lives.

  Originally, for the night 14/15 April 1944 the

  205 Group scheduled a major attack on the Turnu

  Severin Marshalling Yards in Romania, but this was

  cancelled, and in its place modest-sized raids by

  the three Wellington wings were mounted against

  shipping and harbor installations at Piombino,

  San Stefano and Leghorn. One Wellington from

  236 Wing was also detailed to carry out a leaflet

  drop (‘nickelling’) over Romania. It was therefore

  only the Liberators of 240 Wing that operated

  upon what was to be the final mining operation

  of the first full moon period, and easily the least

  successful.

  Between 22:00 and 00:01, 178 Squadron

  dispatched eleven crews to mine the Danube near

  Jiul, in Romania, with six of them detailed to drop

  leaflets over Romanian cities prior to mining. Two

  aircraft crashed shortly after take-off and of the

  remaining nine only one, EV959 “T” of F/Lt. D.A.

  Eardley, managed to locate the designated bed

  with any certainty. Of the rest, two (BZ932 “Y” of Lt.

  W.J. Van der Merwe and BZ946 “L” of Lt. J.F. Young,

  both SAAF) mined the Danube, though uncertain

  as to where, while W/O. Strenach’s crew (in BZ930

  “S”) dropped their mines 15 miles south of Craiova

  in the river Jiul after they could not locate the

  Danube. In all, thirty Mk. 5A mines were laid

  between 03:20 and 03:44 from a height of 50 to

  200 feet. The other crews of Lt. H. Hosken (SAAF)

  in BZ947 “N”, F/Sgt. A.L. Steele in BZ929 and

  F/Sgt. W.A. Molyneux in EV822 “V were defeated

  by a combination of haze and a waning moon low

  in the sky, conditions worsening as the night

  progressed, with crews unable later to identify

  the Danube, despite having used it successfully

  as a pinpoint earlier, en route to nickelling. Two

  aircraft successfully dropped leaflets over

  Ploesti, and one each over Bucharest and Craiova.

  Returning crews all highlighted the difficult

  weather conditions and the efforts they had

  made to locate the designated drop zone.

  S/Ldr. R.A. Brown’s crew, flying in B-24 BZ928, for

  instance, reported:

  “Tried to find Danube after dropping ‘nickels’

  but unsuccessful. A town brightly lit up and all

  pinpoints coincided with Turnu Măgurele but

  Danube could not be located. Moon was giving

  poor illumination as it shone just above haze.

  Orbited to find Danube but still unsuccessful.

  Flew South and made astrosight which gave

  aircraft at 43°05’N: 22°47’E at 03:05 hours. This

  gave aircraft too far South of Danube to mine

  before 03:20 hours. Decided to abandon operation.

  Fifteen minutes later another astrofix confirmed

  the other one. 04:16 hours – two mines jettisoned

  from rear bay at position 42o04’N: 18o32’E from

  9000 feet on heading 260°.”

  W/O. Strenach and his crew had to contend not

  only with difficult weather, but also with enemy

  opposition:

  “01:54 hours made a complete circuit of

  Ploesti – searchlight shot up and caught aircraft

  straight away. Light stayed on for approx. 30secs

  then moved off then another repeated. Master

  searchlight held aircraft, the others swinging

  towards aircraft’s course passing on to the master.

  Evasive action taken and searchlights lost. 02:20

  hours en route back to Danube. A single radial-

  engined aircraft (unidentified) observed flying

  same way as ‘S’. ‘S’ turned to port. Height 4000

  ft – fighter’s height 3000 ft. Unidentified aircraft

  then lost. After losing unidentified aircraft spent

  at least one hour searching for Danube. Aircraft

  flew at 300 ft following rivers to see if they

  flowed into the Danube but was unable to find it.

  03:44 hours, 200 ft – mines dropped in Jiul River

  from Craiova which is fairly large. Unable to find

  Danube owing to evasive action, bad visibility,

  black night and haze.

  Returning aircraft landed at Amendola

  between 05:50 and 06:40.”

  Two aircraft of the 178 Squadron were lost that

  night. Consolidated Liberator B.Mk.VI EV825 “D”

  took off normally but crashed shortly afterwards,

  one kilometer east of San Marco. The cause was

  never established. All crewmembers, including

  pilot Lt. Harold E. Rogan (SAAF), navigator Sgt.

  Denis A. Bennett, Air Bomber Sgt. Bernard E.

  Hart, Wireless Operator Sgt. John C.W. Martin,

  Flight Engineer Sgt. George H. Evans, Air Gunner

  M.F.T.R. tug Grof Szapary Gyula lost on 13 April 1944 at km 1466.

  178 Squadron RAF Liberator being armed with mines.

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• Page 12

  Sgt. James Atkinson and Air Gunner Sgt. John B.

  Baskerville were killed and are buried in Bari War

  Cemetery, Lt. Rogan in grave XV.C.7, Sgt. Bennett

  in XV.B.38, Sgt. Hart in XV.C.38, Sgt. Martin in

  XV.C.6, Sgt. Evans in XV.C.13, Sgt. Atkinson in

  X.C.33 and Sgt. Baskerville in XV.B.39.

  Consolidated Liberator B. Mk.VI EV820 “R” took

  off at approximately at 23:50 hours and was last

  seen climbing away from the runway. About two

  hours later navigator Sgt. J. Patterson, arrived

  at the aerodrome on foot. It appears that almost

  immediately after take-off the aircraft lost

  height and crashed, killing three men including

  pilot Lt. Keith Shaw (SAAF), Air Bomber P/O.

  Michael Wishak (RCAF) and Flight Engineer Sgt.

  Raymond H. Birch. Patterson, who was badly cut

  about the head, was knocked out, and when he

  came to consciousness, he found he was lying on

  the ground alongside the aircraft.

  After doing what he could for the other injured

  members of the crew he saw the aerodrome

  Beacon flashing about 2 miles away and started

  to walk towards it. On his arrival, the ambulance

  with Medical Officer and crash tender left

  immediately for the scene of the crash. It was

  found that three members of the crew had

  been killed. The aircraft did not catch fire and it

  crashed in open country, which accounted for the

  crash not having been discovered earlier.

  Beside navigator, survivors of the crash were

  Wireless Operator Sgt. R.C. Pain, Air Gunner Sgt.

  H.F. Pollington, and Air Gunner Sgt. E. Gollings.

  The dead are buried in Bari War Cemetery,

  Lt. Shaw in grave XV.C.8, P/O. Wishak (who is

  listed in the 178 Squadron ORB as Warrant Officer,

  the unit not having then been advised of his

  commissioning) in grave XV.C.2, and Sgt. Birch in

  grave XV.C.9.

  The newly laid mines made the Danube even

  more dangerous, since previously laid mines

  had yet not been swept and the list of victims

  was growing every day. Among the victims of

  the newly laid mines were the M.F.T.R. passenger

  steamer Erszebet Kiralyne lost on 15 April, the

  motor barge Ressel lost on the 30th and the S.O.R.

  tug Vojvoda Putnik lost on 2 May.

  Being inspected by the pilot, Liberator EV962 “F” of 178 Squadron suffered minor repairable damage.

  This plane flew a ‘gardening’ operation on 14/15 April 1944.

  Crew of B-24 EV820 “R”. Upper row right Sgt.

  Pollington, in the middle row left Sgt. Patterson and

  right Sgt. Pain. Below them are sitting left 2nd Lt.

  Shaw and right W/O Wishak. It is a cut off from bigger

  phot, and the upper left airman was not a member of

  the crew. [credit: Wishak family via P. Vančata].

  Pilot Officer Michael Wishak was born in

  Czechoslovakia in 1921. His parents moved to Canada,

  where in August 1941 Michael joined the RCAF. On 17

  March 1944 he was assigned to 178 Squadron.

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  The first mining in April apparently caught the

  enemy unprepared, as minesweeping equipment

  was totally inadequate. Traffic came to a halt

  over the greater part of the river, and, although

  the enemy succeeded in developing its counter

  measures within a few weeks, subsequent

  mining in May and June again increased the

  problem. It appears that the enemy experienced

  little difficulty in his actual sweeping operations,

  as the mines in use were not of a complicated or

  particularly modern type, but the intensification

  of mining after mid-July made it impossible

  for the available sweepers to meet the strain

  imposed upon them.

  There can be no doubt as to the outstanding

  success of 205 Group ‘Gardening’ operations.

  Overall, between April and August 1944, the

  volume of traffic on the Danube was reduced by

  some 60 to 70 per cent. The enemy was forced

  to deploy, along a considerable length of the

  river, great quantities of anti-aircraft equipment,

  including balloons and guns as well as trained

  crews to man them. Skilled minesweeping crews,

  both naval and air, were diverted to the Danube

  at a time when their services could ill-be spared

  elsewhere. Finally–and most important of all,

  considerable aid was given to the Russian Forces

  in their westward drive, when the transport of

  German reinforcements to the Eastern Front

  suffered long delays.

  The 1000 h.p. motor barge D.D.S.G. Ressel, which was lost on 30 April 1944 at km 1552,0.

  M.F.T.R. passenger steamer Erszebet Kiralyne.

  (a slightly modified and enriched excerpt of a text

  from book: “Gardening by Moonlight” from Peter

  Kaššák and David Gunby, available at lulu.com)

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard

  13

  April 2024

• All About the Bays

  Don’t panic people, I am not going into detailed descriptions surrounding the Battle of the Bay of Biscay, Danzig Bay or even the Bay of Pigs. They’re not the type of Bays I have in mind. I am more geared towards a good discussion of the wheel bays of our new 48th scale P-51B Mustang.

  All

  About the Bays

  Vladimír Šulc

  Before leaving Most, we washed our company van,

  nicknamed Mayer. Our colleagues did not hand it

  over to us in a completely presentable condition.

  Don’t panic people, I am not going into detailed

  descriptions surrounding the Battle of the Bay

  of Biscay, Danzig Bay or even the Bay of Pigs.

  They’re not the type of Bays I have in mind. I am

  more geared towards a good discussion of the

  wheel bays of our new 48th scale P-51B Mustang.

  The 3D design of our P-51B Mustang in 1:48th

  was led by our chief designer Stan Archman

  who worked on it together with designers Tomáš

  Fikar and Robert Theiner. The construction was

  completed at the beginning of last summer,

  and the files were transferred over to our

  technologists, elevating the project to the next

  stage, allowing Stan to focus his attention on the

  P-40 Warhawk project. Part of the preparation

  included scanning several aircraft in Texas,

  which we combined with our trip to the IPMS USA

  Nationals in San Marcos. This is a town located

  just north of San Antonio. The first USS Texas, an

  ironclad of 1892, was renamed the San Marcos

  in 1911 to allow her original name to be used for

  the new USS Texas, a New York-class battleship

  that survives to this day and was in for repairs

  at the Galveston docks at the time of our visit.

  The first USS Texas, already under the name

  USS San Marcos, ended up worse, shot up as

  a practice target on the shoal of Theang Strait

  in Chasepeake Bay, but I already wrote about

  that once. Interestingly, a significant moment in

  the development of our 48th scale P-51B project

  occurred at San Marcos.

  Stan was showing off a 3D model of the

  Mustang in San Marcos, and on that occasion

  he learned from one of the modelers, John

  Ferdico, that his wheel well design suffered

  a major flaw. He had based it around the well of

  the P-51A, or rather all Mustangs with the Alison

  engine. But the P-51B did not have wheel bays

  like the P-51A, in fact having more in common

  with the wells of the P-51D, though not being

  idential. It basically comes down to the engine.

  The hoses leading from the radiator to the engine

  are routed lower on the Alison powered aircraft

  than those using the Packard Merlin, where they

  were higher up, closer to the ceiling of the wheel

  bay. Thus, it was clear that we had a problem

  ARTICLES

  Standa Archman constructing.

  INFO Eduard14

  April 2024

• Page 15

  Standa Archman after work at the hotel in Varese.

  Jakub Nademlejnsky in CH-47 Chinook in Volandia. The author at an artistic pizza in Varese.

  A cement truck overturned across

  the highway, stranding both

  directions until the spilled load

  was removed.

  A nice four-hour traffic jam

  on the way to Bergamo.

  and that we needed to find documentation for the

  P-51B wheel wells. Not that we didn't have such

  documentation before, but our sources featured

  P-51A bays. Getting photos and drawings of the

  right bay was not easy, but thanks to John Ferdic,

  Ed Mautner, Billy Crisler and Brian Niklas, we

  got access to some during September. And so,

  shortly after E-day, Stan was able to begin the

  redesign of those damn wheel wells.

  But another complication arose. As the work

  on tooling up progressed, the time for the

  redesign of the wells began to get away from us

  a bit. If we were to complete the entire project by

  April and officially release the first kit of the new

  Mustang in May, the tooling for the last mold, the

  one incorporating the parts of the protagonist of

  this essay, the wheel well, had to be finished by

  October. The basic prerequisite for meeting this

  deadline was the completion of the redesign in

  the first week of October. And that was exactly

  the time we were scheduled to travel to Italy.

  There we needed to see another P-40, in this case

  a P-40F, and above all, we had an appointment to

  scan a Macchi C.205 at the Leonardo factory near

  Varese, a visit to the museum in Vigna di Valle,

  where they also have other Macchi fighters, and

  we were supposed to end the Italian part of the

  trip at a local model exhibit in Bergamo. It was

  practically impossible to cancel the trip.

  Stan decided to work on the redesign during

  the course of the trip. He bought a 12V voltage

  converter for the car's electrical system to

  220V, which is needed to power his laptop.

  We loaded the scanner, boxes of kits needed

  for the exhibition, our luggage and a supply of

  coffee, and the team of Vladimír Šulc, Jakub

  Nademlejnský and Stanislav Archman headed

  out on the first leg of our trip, Cheb-Munich-

  Bregenz-Vaduz-Varese. From the driver's point

  of view, the first part of the journey from Most to

  the German border beyond Cheb went smoothly,

  only strange mouse clicks and dark cursing

  could be heard from the back of the car. Before

  Regensburg, however, the situation calmed

  down, and during a break in Vadus, Stan looked

  relatively optimistic, and it seemed that the well

  would acquire the right proportions during the

  journey, but a wrench was occasionally thrown

  into the mix. For example, he reduced the

  sensitivity of the mouse to the lowest possible

  level, because hitting an icon while moving

  the mouse inside of a moving car, noting that

  the Siemens NX program utilizes such icons,

  is really a very difficult activity. We normal non-

  designers do not notice the tiny vibrations driving

  can generate or how relevant they can be in such

  an endeavor. Another problem was unexpected

  braking, because he didn't have the laptop fixed

  to anything, and it had a tendency to drift away

  uncontrollably when braking. The laptop also

  had a tendency to heat up significantly, another

  thing that one doesn't fully realize when working

  with a laptop normally.

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  During the trip, we received word that the

  C.205 scan was being moved up by a day.

  So we extended our stay in Varese, which wasn't

  exactly easy because there was some apparently

  important cycling event going on in Varese

  the next day and the hotel was full of racers,

  coaches and service team members. We used the

  extra free day to visit the Volandia Museum on

  the grounds of the former Caproni factory near

  Milan’s Malpensa Airport and the town of Stresa

  on Lake Maggiore, where I completed one matter

  that I had not managed to during my stay in

  Stresa two years earlier. Stan did not go with us.

  He stayed at the hotel and worked on his wheel

  bay design. Unfortunately, at that time his new

  design team, we can call it the ‘P-40 Operational

  Group’, was already starting the design of the 3D

  model of the P-40E, and they urgently needed

  to go over some things. This took up four hours,

  so after Jakub and I returned from Stresa, the

  well was still not finished. So we went to dinner.

  We placed our faith in a ‘modernist’ pizzeria

  with design-oriented types of pizza whose

  names none of us have ever heard before and

  will probably never hear again. Colleagues didn't

  like their pizzas, and I forgot what I actually

  had on mine. There were definitely anchovies,

  and even got extras in a can. There are always

  crossroads of decisions with any design stuff.

  Truth is, the box, with only two anchovies left in

  it, looked a bit like the wheel well of the Mustang

  in Stan’s background photos. Actually, the thing

  resembled the wheel well of a Mustang whose oil

  cooler had been shredded by flak while strafing

  somewhere over Germany. But that also could

  have been the wine. In any case, we still didn't

  Landing gear bay for P-51A

  Landing gear bay for P-51B/C

  The Ansaldo SVA 5 in Volandia is a scaled-down replica (90%), built by Professor

  Antonio Angelucci in 2001. It was built after the original, machine serial number

  11721, which is in the collections of the museum in Vigna di Valle. This exhibit has

  been in Volandia since July 2022, when it was donated to the museum

  by Professor Angelucci's son Giuseppe.

  We have already met a Macchi C.205 in Volandia.

  In this case it is a fiberglass replica.

  The Savoia-Marchetti S.55 flying boat is of great importance to Italian aviation not

  only because of its unique design (it was a flying catamaran), but especially because

  of the long-distance flights that the crews of these machines undertook both alone

  and in large groups. The first of such flights was the "flight of the four continents",

  in which Colonel Francesco de Pinedo and his crew flew across Africa to South

  America, from there to the USA and back to Europe via Canada. The route of the

  flight was 46 960 km long. This was followed by flights of large aircraft formations,

  led by Marshal Balbo. The first flight across the Mediterranean (25 May - 2 June

  1928) involved 61 flying boats, 10 of which were of the S.55 type. These were later

  followed up by Balbo's transatlantic flights, the first of which was a flight of 14 S.55s

  in 1930. S. 55A, crewed by Umberto Maddalena and Stefano Cagna, made

  a significant contribution to the rescue of General Umberto Nobile's expedition that

  was wrecked in the Arctic in the summer of 1928.

  The exhibit in Volandia is a 1:1 scale replica that is still being worked on

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  have our well and time was running out.

  The next day, October 4th, the Macchi C.205

  Veltro was scanned. A beautifully restored

  example stands in the entrance hall of the

  administrative building at Leonardo, formerly

  Aermacchi, on the outskirts of Venegono

  Superiore. The machine is repaired to essentially

  an airworthy condition, but it is evidently not

  expected to ever fly again. Aermacchi owned an

  airworthy Veltro that was severely damaged in

  a crash. The crash damage prevented the

  machine from being repaired to airworthy

  condition again, so it was refurbished for static

  display purposes for the museum, and the

  company traded it with the National Technical

  Museum of Milan (Museo nazionale scienza

  e technologia Leonardo da Vinci) for another

  Veltro that was in good airworthy condition.

  However, after the repair work was complete

  The Volandia Museum is built on the site

  of the Caproni factory, founded in 1910.

  Jakub Nademlejnsky got some additional

  data about SF-260 for our colleagues

  at Special Hobby.

  In the lobby of Leonardo's office building is, of course, the original Macchi C. 205V. Working on such a machine is

  a sheer joy!

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  at Aermacchi, the management of the company

  did not allow any further flying, given the

  rare nature of the specimen, and the Veltro

  ended up in the entrance of the administration

  building, where we spent a good half day with it.

  We scanned the critical parts, which is the

  usual procedure, because it doesn't make sense

  for us to scan the entire plane. We do the main

  part of the design work of the basic 3D model

  according to drawings, but we verify the shapes

  of critical parts, such as the nose, tail section,

  wing-fuselage transition, wingtip shapes and

  wheel wells according to the data obtained by

  scanning. We use the scanner in the next stages

  of the development of the kit, especially when

  checking the finished mold, when we scan

  the mold and compare the shape of the parts

  with the 3D pattern model. The introduction of

  this method saves us tens to lower hundreds

  of working hours that we used previously for

  necessary fine tuning. The scan, interrupted by

  lunch in the cafeteria and carried out with the

  enthusiastic interest of the local staff, did not

  finish until after four in the afternoon, we said

  goodbye to our hosts and set off south to the

  Piana delle Orme area near Anzio.

  Since we were leaving Venogona Superiore

  after four in the afternoon and had almost 750

  kilometers to go, it was clear to us that we

  weren't going to arrive at our hotel at any decent

  hour before midnight, and we didn't.. But the

  administrator was kind to us. Stan, who had

  been designing very responsibly even during

  this leg of the journey, declared that he wanted

  to live in a single room by himself and that he

  would continue to do the work at hand, because

  tomorrow, which at that moment meant today,

  our technologists needed to have the design

  in their computers. Otherwise, there would be

  a problem in meeting the time schedule. In the

  morning at breakfast it was clear that he had

  really been plugging away through the night. At

  breakfast, Stan reported that he uploaded the

  files to the company network at half past four in

  the morning.

  A P-40L was waiting for us at the museum

  in Piana delle Orme. We didn't do any scanning

  there, we just needed to take a good look at the

  nose and compare it to the nose of the P-40E

  and N. It's all about the engine; as you know, the

  The Veltro has beautifully detailed workmanship.

  The Mustang's undercarriage shaft design was a walk

  in the park compared to the Veltro shaft.

  A good old measure tools always comes in handy when working on such a project.

  The undercarriage legs are articulated parts with lots of fine details. They are always

  a challenge for the designer.

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  P-40F and L had a Packard Merlin engine, versus

  the Alison engine that powered the other P-40s.

  So we assumed that there would be a different

  cowling on the F/L and we needed to verify that.

  The museum at Pianna delle Orme is dedicated

  to the history of the Allied landings at Anzio, but

  also has a section dedicated to the development

  of agricultural technology and a section

  dedicated to post-war aviation with a large

  proportion of aircraft of the Italian Financial

  Guard (Guardia di Finanza), an armed branch

  in Italy with significant air and naval assets.

  The exhibits dedicated to the Anzio landings are

  interestingly designed as dioramas and contain

  a number of significant exhibits, of which we

  were, of course, particularly interested in the

  aforementioned P-40L. It is also displayed as

  part of a diorama. This is a wreck recovered

  from the sea in very good condition.

  The exhibitions in the Piana delle Orme museum are designed as large dioramas. Such is the case for the halls dedicated to the Anzio landings.

  The outdoor display features aircraft of the

  post-war Italian Air Force. The aircraft are

  in very good condition, this licensed Fiat

  F-86K Sabre serial number MM53-8299

  is beautifully restored. Before becoming

  a museum exhibit, it served for many

  years as a gate guard at Milano-Bergamo

  Orio Airport.

  The diorama also incorporates the P-40L. A P-40L-15CU, serial number 42-10857,

  with tactical designation X49, belonging to the 86th FS/ 79th FG (12th AF), named

  "Gipsy Rose Lee," landed for engine failure on the beach at Capoportiere on

  31 January 1944. The pilot, Lt. M. Mauritz was captured. The aircraft laid in the

  sea off the coast for many decades. In 1998 it was recovered from the sea,

  and is now the only surviving example of the P-40L.

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  A P-40L-15CU, Serial Number 42-10857, coded

  X49, belonging to the 86th FS/ 79th FG (12th

  AF) and named ‘Gipsy Rose Lee’, landed due to

  engine failure on the beach at Capoportiere on

  January 31st, 1944. The pilot Lt.M.Mauritz was

  captured. The aircraft lay in the sea off the coast

  for decades, was recovered in 1998, and today it

  is the only preserved example of a P-40L.

  From Pianna delle Orme, we moved 120

  kilometers north to the edge of the town of Vigna

  di Valle on the shores of Lake Lago di Braciano,

  to the Museum of the History of Military Aviation

  (Museo storico dell` Aeronautica Militare di

  Vigna di Valle).

  Here too, we were interested in Macchi

  fighters, and this museum boasts all three main

  types of Macchi series fighters, the C.200, C.202

  and C.205. In the case of these exhibits, there is

  some doubt about their 100% authenticity, while

  in the case of C.205 these doubts are certainly

  justified. Our plan for this summer's trip to the

  Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon, serial number MM80074, ex US NAVY N7486C, is apparently the only surviving Harpoon in museums outside the United States.

  The outdoor exhibit includes a collection of machines from the Italian Financial Guard,

  Guardia di Finanza. This Piaggio P-166 visited Prague on October 17, 2007. As an owner

  and rider of a Piaggio scooter, I have a personal relationship with this brand!

  Collection of Macchi M racing seaplanes M.39, M.57 and M.72

  Also from the Financial Guard is this Breda-Nardi NH-500MC licensed helicopter.

  Another machine of the same type and in the same colouring, but of course with

  a different fuselage marking, is in the collections of the Volandia Museum.

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  United States is to scan critical parts of C.200

  and C.202s in American museums. There’s

  a C.200 in Dayton, Ohio, and a C.202 at the

  NASM in Washington, DC. For many years it

  hung in a museum building in the city, near the

  National Mall, and is currently scheduled to be

  dismantled at Steven F. Udwar-Házy at Dulles

  Airport in Chantilly. We are already very familiar

  with this facility.

  In any case, the museum in Vigna di Valle

  is worth a visit regardless of the condition of

  the machines mentioned above. After all, you

  wouldn't know anything was wrong with them

  as a regular visitor anyway, the planes are

  very nicely restored and in excellent condition.

  However, I am sure that as modelers, you would

  suspect this in our kits, especially if you were

  given the necessary information by an expert

  taken at his word, and that word may even be

  given prior to a kit release, as it often is.

  The C.200-205 series fighters are not the only

  Macchi aircraft in Vigna di Valle. They have this

  stunning collection of three Macchi M.39, M.57

  and M.72 floatplanes racers. These are wonderful

  machines, built for the then famous Schneider

  Cup. On October 23rd, 1934, pilot Francesco

  Agello set a world record of 709.209 km/h in an

  M.72 with two counter-rotating propellers and

  powered by a twenty-four-cylinder Fiat AS.6

  engine with an output of 2,300hp. However, the

  maximum speed of this machine is stated to be

  711.426 km/h! These Macchi birds aren't the only

  seaplanes in the museum, after all the museum

  is built on the grounds of a former seaplane base.

  Here you will also find another Fiat C.29 racer,

  as well as a huge three-engine Cant Z.206 and

  a wonderful Austro-Hungarian Lohner L-1, which

  can be taken as one of the themes in Vigna di

  Valle with a Czech or Czechoslovak connection.

  Another such item is a replica of the gondola

  of the airship Italia, which in 1928 under

  the command of Umberto Nobile set out on

  a journey to the North Pole, only to be wrecked

  in a storm on May 25th, 1928, about 100 km

  north of Northeast Land, one of the islands of

  the Svalbard archipelago. Of the sixteen crew

  members, eight people were saved during

  a dramatic rescue operation in which the famous

  Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen

  disappeared without a trace, along with the

  operation’s commander Umberto Nobile, his dog

  and the mascot of the expedition, a Fox Terrier

  named Titina and the Czech scientist František

  Běhounk. I was mesmerized by Běhounk's

  book ‘Castaways of the Polar Sea’ as a boy and

  I wanted to be a polar explorer, which I was later

  somewhat introduced to by the Italian-Soviet

  film ‘Red Tent’ from 1969, with Peter Finch in the

  role of Nobile and Sean Connery in the role of

  Amundsen. My later experiences with winter

  maneuvers in Šumava during my military service

  were completely brought out. In Vigna di Valle,

  they also have a documentation center of this

  fascinating story of human courage, the desire

  for knowledge and sacrifice to save human lives,

  where various remains of Nobile's expedition,

  his personal library and archives, are stored. We

  didn't have time to do that, and you can only go

  there after prior ordering, so I have to go there

  at least once more.

  The third, but this time Czechoslovak or, more

  precisely, Slovak connection, is the Caproni Ca-3

  three-engine bomber. One of the founders of the

  first Czechoslovak Republic, a Slovak scientist,

  aviator and the first Minister of Defense of the

  newly formed Czechoslovakia, General Milan

  Rastislav Štefánik, died on this type of aircraft

  while returning to his homeland. They don't

  mention this much in Vigna di Valle, and if they

  do, I missed it. But even so, this exhibit has

  an incredible history behind it. This machine,

  a survivor of World War I, was bought after

  its retirement by its pilot Casimiro Buttini,

  reportedly for 30,000 lire, stored in a barn,

  from where it was purchased by the Italian Air

  Force for museum purposes in 1958. I confess at

  this point that this plane is one of my all time

  favorites. I've admired it like a ravenous cat

  several times in Dayton, Ohio, and I'll be gazing

  into its gorgeous eyes again this year, and we've

  even started designing it as a kit at Eduard.

  The design is in progress but momentarily hidden

  in a drawer with our designer Karel Mišák.

  The Lohner L-1 is associated with the most successful Austro-Hungarian naval aviator Gotfried von Banfield,

  who scored 6 kills in a Lohner L-1 with fuselage designation L16. The machine in the museum in Vigna di Valle,

  with the fuselage designation L127, reached Italy on 3 June 1918 after the defection of its two-man crew, which

  landed in the port of Fano. The machine is very well preserved, having undergone a complete refurbishment in

  1988. A total of 93 aircraft of this type were built, the L127 being one of 24 produced in Hungary by UFAG.

  The Caproni Ca-3 heavy three-engined bomber on display at Vigna di Valle was purchased by its pilot, Casimiro

  Buttini, after his retirement from the Italian Air Force, reportedly for 30 000 lire and stored in his barn, from

  where it was bought by the Italian Air Force for museum purposes in 1958. Another original piece of this type is

  in the USAF museum at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio, and a replica, built at the Aircraft Repair Shop in

  Trencin, is on display at the museum in Piešt'any, Slovakia.

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  ARTICLES

  And there are so many more treasures to

  explore, including such one-of-a-kind pieces

  as Italy's first Caproni-Campini jet from 1942 or

  the SPADA engine that killed Francesco Barraca,

  and they also have a Fiat CR-32, which is another

  aviation love of mine. As you can see, I am

  a multiple bigamist when it comes to airplanes,

  and as I see now, many of my loves are Italian

  ladies. I strangely didn't realize that before. Either

  way, I have plenty of reasons to keep coming

  back to Vigna di Valle, and I highly recommend

  you all go there when the opportunity presents

  itself in your own travels. Take a look at the

  photo gallery for inspiration.

  From Vigna di Valle we left for Viterbo for

  the evening, we slept in the small historic town

  of San Martino al Cimino, and the next day we

  passed through Viterbo, another historical gem

  of Bagnoregio and one absolutely perfect four-

  hour Italian traffic jam, caused by a cement

  truck overturned all along the highway, tarriving

  in Bergamo shortly before midnight. Stand had

  stopped his design work by then, the wheel

  bay was already in the possession of and being

  worked by technologist Venca Pospíšil, and Stan

  was able to use his technological skills to track

  down the owner of our room, who only left an

  angry message on the doorbell saying that he

  only accepts guests until 5:00 p.m. This was also

  successful, the angry lodger turned out to be

  a very friendly piano teacher who devotedly took

  care of us for the rest of our stay in Bergamo.

  The modeling competition was small but nice.

  The Italian modelers gave us a warm and friendly

  welcome, and the closing party with them and

  a local mountain band is unforgettable and

  indescribable. If you want to experience it, go

  to the competition in Bergamo in October, and

  when you're gluing the wheel well into your new

  Mustang, put on some Italian classics, preferably

  Bella Ciao by Goran Bregovic or some Pavarotti!

  The Hispano-Suisa 8a engine from SPAD VII, which was used to kill the most

  successful Italian fighter of WWI, Francesco Barraca.

  The Macchi M.72 reached a top speed of 711.426 km/h.

  The Fiat CR-32 Chirri on display at Vigna di Valle is a Hispano HA-132L built in Spain.

  INFO Eduard22

  April 2024

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  ARTICLES

  Fiat CR-42 Falco

  We will be equally interested in the Macchi C.202 Folgore at the Steven F. Udwar

  Hazy Center in Washington DC.

  The Macchi C.200 Saetta will be of great interest to us again this summer

  at the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio.

  Macchi C.205 Veltro in Vigna di Valle is not completely restored. For example,

  both wing halves have the same span. In fact, each half of the wing of C.205 had

  a different span. It was a solution to eliminate the effect of propeller torque,

  a characteristic of Macchi's C.200/202/205 series fighters.

  INFO Eduard

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  A view of the Badoni hangar. Behind

  the Macchi C.205 and C.202 is the

  three-engined Fiat G.212 transport.

  Fiat G.55 Centauro

  Savoia-Marchetti S.79 Sparviero unfortunately blends

  in the display due to its all-green paint.

  Vigna di Valle also has

  a very valuable collection

  of jet aircraft.

  Not to be missed is the perhaps

  ubiquitous SF-260 in Italy.

  The CANT Z-506S Airone makes a monumental impression in the museum display.

  This multi-purpose seaplane, introduced in 1935, lasted in service for almost a quarter

  of a century despite its wooden construction, the last examples being retired from

  service in 1959.

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard24

  April 2024

• Page 25

  www.eduard.com

  The famous twin-engined supersonic jet F-5E Tiger II

  in the markings of the US Air Force, US Navy, US Marines,

  South Vietnam, Democratic Republic of Vietnam, Brazil

  and Thai Air Forces.

  • Freedom Tiger F-5E

  • Plastic parts AFV Club

  • Brassin 3D print parts for added detail

  73-00878, 63rd Tactical Wing, RVNAF, Bien Hoa,

  South Vietnam, 1974

  73-00878, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, 2023

  renovation at The Aviation Museum Kbely,

  Prague, Czech Republic

  VFC-13 „Fighting Saints“, US Navy, NAS Fallon,

  Nevada, USA, 1998

  Maj. Lenny Bucko, NSFTIP, US Marines, MCAS Miramar,

  California, USA, 1983

  F-5E, 73-00897, USAF, 57th Fighter Weapons Wing,

  65th Fighter Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, 1981

  VFA-127 „Royal Blues“, US Navy, NAS Fallon,

  Nevada, USA, 1993

  425th Squadron, 58th TFTW, Luke AFB, US Air Force,

  Arizona, USA, late 70s

  Bf 108 1/48 #8078

  Spitfire Mk.IXc 1/48 #8281

  Bf 109G-2 1/72 #70156

  Fw 190A-5 1/48 #84118

  1º/14º GAV „Esquadrão Pampa“, FAB,

  Canoas AB, Brazil, 2005

  211 Squadron, Wing 21, Royal Thai Air Force, Ubon AB,

  Thailand, late 90s

  • Photo-etched pre-painted parts

  • Die-cut masks for easy painting

  • Decals for 8 marking options

  #11182

• Air War in Ukraine - Summary of the Second Year of Conflict

  Two years have passed since the senseless war began, bringing nothing but devastation, bloodshed, and ruin to all involved. Therefore, in today's continuation, we will look not only at the traditional monthly period (this time from February 1st to February 29th) but also at the summary of what happened in Ukraine in the second year of the conflict. But first, allow me a personal address.

  Miro Barič

  Air War in Ukraine

  Summary of the Second Year of Conflict

  Residential building in Avdiivka destroyed by a Russian rocket.

  During these two years, I've learned a lot

  about various people around me, but also

  about myself. For example, that I am a war

  instigator, relishing in senseless killing, and

  am an activist paid by the West to spread

  Western propaganda.

  Well, perhaps I am a war instigator in the

  sense that from the beginning of the war, I have

  insisted that the aggressor cease attacking,

  which would lead to immediate peace. Unlike

  calls for the capitulation of defenders, which

  would only lead to the destruction of Ukraine

  and Ukrainians themselves.

  There's no point in reacting to various

  "whataboutisms". However, I insist that lies

  are not opinions, and I certainly won't respect

  them. I also reject claims that relativize the

  truth by saying that none of us were there, so

  we don't know how it was. I wasn't in Auschwitz

  either, yet I know who was the embodiment of

  evil there and who was the victim – the same

  applies to Bucha or Mariupol.

  And if you don't like my alleged "Western

  propaganda," there's a simpler solution – follow

  the spokesman for the Russian Ministry of

  Defense, Konashenkov. In the summer of 2022,

  he announced the destruction of 40 HIMARS -

  out of less than 20 that were delivered at that

  time. By the way, in the last observed period,

  the first evidence appeared that the Russians

  at least damaged two HIMARS with a missile.

  At the beginning of March, they managed to

  demonstrably destroy the very first HIMARS -

  but that will be in the next installment of the

  article. It won't be missing from it because my

  alleged "Western propaganda" doesn't conceal

  it...

  Two years have passed since the senseless war began,

  bringing nothing but devastation, bloodshed, and ruin to

  all involved. Therefore, in today's continuation, we will look

  not only at the traditional monthly period (this time from

  February 1st to February 29th) but also at the summary of

  what happened in Ukraine in the second year of the conflict.

  But first, allow me a personal address.

  ARTICLES

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  April 2024

• Page 27

  On February 10, Antonov An-124-100M named "Be

  brave like Okhtyrka" landed at Harrisburg International

  Airport in Pennsylvania. The aircraft with registration

  UR-82008 belongs to Antonov Airlines. It brought

  two M142 HIMARS rocket launchers for repair to the

  USA. One of them likely had its right front wheel torn

  off by a mine explosion and damaged the lower part

  of the cabin. The other one has at least 16 shrapnel

  impacts in the cabin, both front windows cracked,

  and both front tires damaged. These are the first two

  demonstrably damaged HIMARS out of 39 delivered.

  March 2023

  During this period, Poland and Slovakia

  delivered MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.

  Warsaw provided at least four aircraft in March,

  with another 10 scheduled to be delivered the

  following month. Slovakia provided 13 units,

  three of which were without engines and

  suitable only as a source of spare parts. Only

  four out of the remaining ten aircraft flew to

  Ukraine under their own power (numbers 2123,

  6124, and 6627 in gray-green camouflage and

  0921 in digital camouflage). The flight from

  Sliač took place on March 23rd. The remaining

  aircraft were transported by ground.

  A serious incident between Russian and

  Western armed forces occurred on March

  14th. Two Russian Su-27 fighters attacked an

  American MQ-9 Reaper drone in international

  airspace over the Black Sea and caused it to

  crash by hitting its propeller.

  April 2023

  Kyiv became the target of rocket shelling

  again on April 28th after 51 days of peace. This

  happened on the day when the Slovak President

  Zuzana Čaputová and the Czech President Petr

  Pavel were visiting the Ukrainian capital. Both

  had to take cover in an air raid shelter.

  In addition to Ukraine, Russia also

  bombed its own territory when on April 20th,

  a Su-34 mistakenly dropped bombs on the city

  of Belgorod.

  Ukrainian drones attacked the fuel depot of

  the Black Sea Fleet in the city of Sevastopol

  on April 29th, destroying approximately half of

  the tanks.

  May 2023

  At the end of the previous month, two

  Patriot system batteries arrived in Ukraine

  and were involved in the defense of the capital

  from the beginning of May. The first Russian

  "undestructible" missile Ch-47M2 Kinzhal was

  shot down on May 4th in the early morning

  over Kyiv. The Russians tried to overwhelm

  the Patriot with a large number of missiles to

  destroy it. In such a mass attack on May 16th,

  Ukrainians shot down another six Kinzhals.

  Ukrainians also used the Patriot defensively,

  and on May 13th, they set a trap for a Russian

  group flying to bomb the Ukrainian Chernihiv

  region with gliding bombs. However, the whole

  group was shot down on their side of the border,

  in the Russian Bryansk region. It included

  one Su-34, one Su-35, and at least two Mi-8

  helicopters modified for electronic warfare.

  Such losses were admitted by the Russians

  themselves. According to the Ukrainians,

  another Mi-8 helicopter was shot down -

  a total of five aircraft at once.

  In May, there was also the first use of

  Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jets showcasing blue-yellow paint on their underside.

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• Page 28

  British-French Storm Shadow / SCALP

  -

  EG

  cruise missiles. Ukrainians launch them

  from modified Su-24 aircraft. They also used

  ADM-160 MALD decoys alongside them.

  At the end of May, the Russians managed

  to capture the ruins of the destroyed city of

  Bakhmut, which had been fought over for

  almost 10 months. However, Ukrainians began

  counterattacks around the city, and fighting

  for Klyshchivka, located south of Bakhmut,

  continues to this day.

  June 2023

  In the early days of June, the Ukrainian

  counteroffensive began in the south of the

  country in the Zaporizhia region. However, it

  progressed slowly from the start against well-

  fortified Russian positions with numerous

  minefields. Two days after its start, on June

  6th, fearing a possible crossing of the Dnieper

  River, the Russians blew up the Kachovska

  Dam north of the city of Kherson. This caused

  a huge humanitarian and ecological disaster.

  At the end of the month, mercenaries from

  the Wagner group who led the main charge

  (and also the losses) in the battle for Bakhmut,

  rebelled. Their leader, Prigozhin, seized

  Rostov-on-Don on June 23rd. He hoped to

  capture Russian Defense Minister Shoigu and

  Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov, whom

  he had long publicly criticized. However, they

  managed to escape from Rostov just before.

  On the next day, Wagner's columns headed

  towards Moscow. They occupied one city after

  another and shot down six Russian helicopters

  and one Il-22M aircraft - a flying command post.

  However, Prigozhin halted his mercenaries

  200 km from Moscow. Shortly afterward, they

  also withdrew from Rostov in exchange for

  an alleged promise of impunity. As a result,

  the coup failed, and Wagner's forces as

  a significant force came to an end.

  July 2023

  The Kerch Strait Bridge leading to the

  occupied Crimea became the target of another

  naval drone attack on July 17th. At least one

  road section was damaged. At the same time,

  the grain agreement, which allowed the export

  of Ukrainian agricultural products to the

  world, expired. Russia began attacking grain

  depots and port infrastructure not only on the

  Ukrainian coast of the Black Sea but also on the

  Danube River near the borders with Romania.

  During his month, Ukraine began receiving

  cluster munitions from the USA for its artillery.

  August 2023

  Denmark, the Netherlands, and subsequently

  Norway announced this month that they would

  supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. However,

  after the necessary training of pilots and ground

  personnel, Ukrainians will start receiving

  them only in 2024. Altogether, it could be about

  70 aircraft in the F-16AM Block 20 MLU version.

  In August, the Crimean Peninsula became

  the target of serious Storm Shadow missile

  attacks. Several bridges were hit, and at least

  two S-400 system batteries were destroyed.

  Ukrainian drones also attacked airports on

  Russian territory. At Soltsy-2 base, a Tu-22M3

  bomber caught fire, and at the Pskov airport,

  two Il-76 transport aircraft were destroyed,

  and two more were damaged.

  Exactly two months after the attempted

  coup by Wagner mercenaries, revenge came.

  During a flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg,

  a civilian Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 600 was

  shot down. Prigozhin and other Wagner leaders

  died aboard. Two surface-to-air missiles

  likely hit the plane, although the official

  Russian version is that the passengers were

  playing with a grenade during the flight, which

  exploded.

  Two-seater MiG-29UB from the Ukrainian 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade taking off from a highway.

  Ukrainian Mi-24P helicopters

  during a combat mission.

  Loading of the unguided rockets into Mi-24P

  helicopters.

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  September 2023

  Ukraine scored a strategic victory over

  Russia in the Black Sea. It managed to lift

  the Russian blockade and resume grain

  exports independently. It continues to do so

  today and in greater volume than before the

  grain agreement allowed. On September 13th,

  the Minsk landing ship and the Rostov-on-

  Don submarine were destroyed by Storm

  Shadow missiles in the dry dock at the port of

  Sevastopol. Subsequently, on September 22nd,

  the Sevastopol headquarters of the Black Sea

  Fleet was also destroyed in the same way. It

  preferred to move its ships further east.

  Russia began using Lancet drones with

  longer range, hitting several Ukrainian

  aircraft at airports near the cities of Kryvyi

  Rih and Mykolaiv. The results of the attacks

  were monitored by Russian reconnaissance

  drones. Their operations dozens of kilometers

  behind the front line continue to cause

  problems for Ukrainians to this day.

  October 2023

  The month began with another terrible

  Russian war crime. During a mourning

  gathering held at the funeral of a soldier in

  the village of Hroza in the Kharkiv region,

  an Iskander missile was launched. It killed

  59 people - 36 women, 22 men, and one child.

  A UN investigation confirmed that all victims

  were civilians, and Russia bears responsibility

  for their deaths.

  Ukraine received ATACMS missiles with

  a longer range, and on October 17th, they were

  used against Russian helicopter airfields in

  Berdiansk and Luhansk. Russian armed forces

  lost 46 helicopters.

  On the ground, a stalemate occurred.

  The Ukrainian advance to the south halted

  in the Robotyne and Verbove areas after

  reaching the third - main Russian defense line.

  Conversely, the Russians launched their own

  massive attack on Avdiivka near Donetsk.

  November 2023

  In the port of Kerch on the occupied Crimea,

  the Russian corvette Askold was destroyed

  by Storm Shadow missiles on November 4th.

  In November, Russians increased the intensity

  of attacks with Iranian Shahed drones. They

  helped them map Ukrainian air defense

  positions. Allies were strengthening it before

  winter. Germany supplied the IRIS

  -

  T system

  and another Patriot, while Norway provided

  additional NASAMS systems. Results from

  the FrankenSAM program, which combines

  elements of various systems - such as

  American missiles with Soviet launchers or

  Soviet radars with Western launchers, began

  arriving from the USA

  December 2023

  The Patriot system delivered from Germany

  became very active. On December 5th,

  a Russian Su-24M was shot down near the

  Snake Island while attempting to attack Odesa.

  Both crew members died. The identity of one of

  them was confirmed only now, he was Captain

  Yevgeny Baterin. Subsequently, on December

  17th, a Russian Su-25 was shot down, and on

  December 22nd, three Su-34s were shot down

  at once. On Christmas Eve, December 24th,

  Ukrainians announced another Su-34 and one

  Su-30 shot down.

  The destruction of the Black Sea Fleet

  Former Czech Kub system in Ukraine

  Storm Shadow missile on the pylon of a Ukrainian

  Su-24.

  Mobile machine gun in action against drones.

  Night time interception of the drones.

  Shot down Iranian-made Shahed drone sporting black

  paint for night missions.

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  29

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• Page 30

  continued as Storm Shadow missiles

  were launched on December 26th at the

  Novocherkassk landing ship in the port of

  Feodosia. The explosion of carried ammunition

  and subsequent fire contributed to its sinking.

  At the end of December, Russia launched

  the largest rocket attacks on Ukrainian cities

  since the beginning of the war. 18 strategic

  bombers participated in the raids on December

  29th. In total, Russians launched 122 missiles

  and cruise missiles and 36 drones. The attack

  claimed 58 human lives and injured more than

  160 people.

  January 2024

  Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities

  continued. For example, on January 2nd,

  a total of 134 missiles and drones were

  launched. This attack also involved 16 Tu-95MS

  bombers. However, Russians did not only

  bomb Ukrainian targets. Their own munitions

  increasingly fell accidentally on their own

  cities and towns.

  Russians suffered a significant loss in the

  air on January 14th when an early warning and

  control aircraft, Beriev A-50, was destroyed.

  It crashed into the Sea of Azov. Along with it, the

  airborne command and communication post

  Il-22M was also hit. Despite being peppered

  with shrapnel and having casualties on board,

  it managed to make an emergency landing.

  However, the aircraft is now considered

  a write-off. Additionally, on January 24th,

  a transport Il-76M crashed in the Belgorod

  region after being hit by an anti-aircraft

  missile. It is still unclear what or who it was

  carrying.

  February 2024

  In the last month covered, two significant

  events occurred. Ukrainian President

  Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed popular

  General Valeriy Zaluzhny from the position

  of the highest commander of the Ukrainian

  armed forces on Thursday, February 8th. He

  was replaced by the former commander of

  ground forces, General Oleksandr Syrsky.

  Syrsky lead a successful defense of Kyiv in the

  spring of 2022 and a rapid counteroffensive in

  the Kharkiv region in the fall of 2022. However,

  he also led the battles around Bakhmut, where

  many soldiers criticized him for mistakes in

  rotation at the beginning of 2023. Zaluzhny is

  to become the new Ukrainian ambassador to

  Great Britain at his own request.

  The second significant event was the

  Ukrainian retreat from Avdiivka, which was

  completed on Saturday, February 17th. It is the

  first such success of the Russian army since

  May 2023 when Bachmut fell. Russia paid for

  it with tens of thousands of dead and wounded

  soldiers and hundreds of destroyed pieces of

  equipment. The fall of Avdiivka was mainly

  contributed to by two factors - the limitation

  of ammunition supplies from the West and

  Russian aerial bombing.

  The decision to withdraw from Avdiivka was

  made earlier and began to be implemented

  when Valeriy Zaluzhny was the commander of

  the Ukrainian army. Ukrainians moved the 3rd

  assault brigade to Avdiivka under the pretext

  of rotation and strengthening the defense.

  However, its real task was to cover the retreat

  of other units. When the Russians realized what

  was happening, they threw all their forces into

  the attack. The result was chaos over which

  neither side had any control. Small units mixed

  in the ruins of the city and often had to fight

  surrounded. Several wounded Ukrainians had

  to be left behind during the retreat because

  they couldn't move and couldn't be carried

  away. Some fell into captivity, but others were

  massacred by the Russians.

  While last summer, Ukrainian artillery

  managed to overcome the Russian in some

  areas, in Avdiivka in the last period, it had to

  remain silent due to a lack of ammunition. Its

  deliveries from the EU are delayed, and those

  from the USA have completely stopped due to

  domestic disputes in Congress.

  Russian mass attacks on Avdiivka, which

  began in October 2023, seriously disrupted

  artillery even before Russian soldiers

  approached within the range of small arms.

  Therefore, especially during the initial attacks,

  Russians suffered significant losses. However,

  nothing like this happened in the last weeks

  before the fall of Avdiivka. Russian formations

  could prepare for the attack undisturbed, and

  Ukrainian infantry in defense could rely only

  on their own weapons and the support of

  Bradley armored vehicles, which emerged

  from shelters to help them.

  The second significant factor was Russian

  aerial bombing. Shortly before the Ukrainian

  retreat, around 50 glide bombs fell on Avdiivka

  daily. Their accuracy was not high, but with

  a weight of 500 kg, they caused damage

  wherever they fell. In Avdiivka, they mainly

  destroyed tall apartment buildings used by

  Ukrainians for battlefield observation and

  defense.

  This mobile machine gun shows 15 Shahed drones and

  one Lance drone kill marks. It is not known whether

  these are the achievements of one gun or the entire unit.

  The erodynamic shields‘ test during the pre-flight

  preparation of a Russian Su-25.

  A Russian rescue unit, which on February 17, picked

  up the downed pilot of a Su-35 fighter jet with a Mi-24

  helicopter.

  An image of the Russian A-50.

  Captain Fyodor Graboveckiy, who was less fortunate

  on February 19 and died in the Azov Sea after his

  Su-35 was shot down.

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  After the Ukrainian retreat, this bombing

  began on the new defensive line and also near

  Bachmut, where the Russians renewed their

  efforts to advance westward. The number of

  dropped bombs began to reach up to 100 daily,

  and new glide bombs with a weight of up to

  1500 kg appeared.

  Russian Bombing and Losses

  The insufficient deliveries of weapons and

  ammunition also relate to Russia's ability to

  bomb Avdiivka undisturbed for a long time.

  Ukrainians do not have enough air defense

  systems to effectively defend the entire front

  line. Batteries of air defense systems were

  moved to Avdiivka only in the second half of the

  month to cover the end of the retreat. Among

  them, the third battery of the Patriot system

  stood out, which was supplied from Germany

  at the end of last year. Ukraine previously had

  two batteries, one deployed for the defense of

  Kyiv and the other for the defense of Odessa.

  The advantage of the third German battery is

  that its individual components are mounted on

  trucks. American Patriot systems are mounted

  on trailers, and even the highly trained crew

  takes 30-40 minutes to prepare them for

  relocation. The German battery can be moved

  almost immediately. According to Austrian

  military expert Tom Cooper, Ukrainians

  may have further divided this battery into

  smaller components by adding other guidance

  radars to several launchers. Based on the

  FrankenSAM program, it may also include

  radars from originally Soviet systems, such

  as the S-300. This division of the battery into

  smaller elements allows coverage of a larger

  section of the front.

  Ukrainians already announced the downing

  of two Su-34s and one Su-35 on Saturday,

  February 17th. Claims continued almost on

  a daily basis - on February 18th, another

  Su-34 was claimed, on February 19th, one

  Su-34 and one Su-35, on February 21st,

  another Su-34, on February 27th, two Su-34s,

  and during February 29th, three Su-34s were

  claimed consecutively. In total, twelve aircraft

  were claimed to be shot down, but verifying

  their downing poses a challenge. Russian social

  media confirmed the loss of only two Su-35s.

  Ukraine provided blurry videos as evidence of

  the downing of two Su-34s. However, the fate

  of the remaining eight claimed Sukhoi aircraft

  remains uncertain. A definitive answer will

  have to wait, similar to previous installments

  of this series. In practically every part, some

  photographic confirmation of loss from

  previous months is mentioned - on both sides.

  In the currently monitored period, damaged

  Su-34s after emergency landings appeared in

  footage, indicating events that surely occurred

  sometime in the past, although it is unknown

  which event they are linked to.

  However, some insight into Russian losses

  may be gleaned from satellite image analysis

  of Russian airfields. It suggests that during

  the period when Ukrainians claimed the

  aforementioned shootdowns, six Su-34s did

  not return to their bases.

  Let's take a closer look at the confirmed

  losses. On Saturday, February 17th, a Su-35

  was shot down over eastern Ukraine.

  Tail section of an A-50 that was shot down on February 23.

  Major Valeriy Borovikov commanded the shot-down

  A-50.

  On February 11, in the Voronezh region, the

  transportation of a crashed Su-34 was filmed.

  The circumstances of the incident are unknown.

  Ukrainian Su-25M1K with tail number "blue 21".

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  The pilot ejected, and he was rescued by

  a Mi-24 helicopter crew on a combat search

  and rescue mission (CSAR). After successfully

  rescuing the Su-35 pilot, the helicopter unit

  took a group photo, essentially confirming the

  downing of the Russian fighter jet.

  The second Su-35 was shot down two days

  later, on Monday, February 19th. This time,

  it crashed into the Sea of Azov near the village

  of Rybacke, south of Mariupol. It was piloted

  by Captain Fedor Graboveckyi. Although he

  managed to successfully eject from the falling

  aircraft, he died in the cold water before

  rescue helicopters could reach him.

  Another A-50

  During this reporting period, in addition to

  fighters and fighter-bombers, the Ukrainian air

  defense was also successful in shooting down

  another airborne early warning and control

  aircraft, a Beriev A-50. Its demise on Friday,

  February 23, was captured by several videos.

  In one of them, the aircraft is seen descending

  and releasing decoy targets, with two missiles

  aiming at it. One missile managed to divert

  away and exploded far behind the aircraft.

  However, the second missile hit it, causing the

  aircraft to fall in flames. Subsequent videos

  showed a strong fire after the crash and the

  detached tail of the aircraft on the ground,

  confirming its identity immediately.

  The A-50 crashed near the village of

  Trudovaya Armenia on the Russian side of the

  Sea of Azov, more than 200 km from the nearest

  Ukrainian positions. The Ukrainian secret

  service stated that it was shot down with the

  help of a modified S-200 missile. After the first

  A-50 was shot down in January, these Russian

  aircraft began to move further away from the

  front line. Ukrainians therefore sought ways to

  successfully target them. Although old S-200

  missiles had been retired, some versions of

  this missile have a range of up to 300 km.

  The downed A-50 had the designation

  RF-50610 and the fuselage number "red 42".

  It belonged to the 610th Center for Combat

  Training and Retraining of Air Personnel. There

  were at least 10 crew members on board, but

  none of them survived. Among them were

  Major Valeriy Borovikov, Major Alexander

  Ruluk, Captain Alexander Provalov, Lieutenant

  Valeriy Telmanov, and Sergeant Dmitry

  Khrulev. For Russia, this is a significant loss

  because it is not easy to manufacture such an

  aircraft, and its crew consisted of specialists

  with years of training that cannot be replaced.

  Ukrainian Losses

  Moving the air defense closer to the front

  line carries increased risks, and Ukrainians

  paid dearly for it. During the period under

  review, they lost an S-300 battery, and on

  February 26, the first NASAMS launch device

  was destroyed in the Zaporizhzhia region.

  During the period under review, Ukraine

  demonstrably lost two aircraft. Firstly, on

  Wednesday, February 7, a Su-25 from the 299th

  Tactical Aviation Brigade was destroyed during

  a combat flight. Its pilot, Major Vladyslav

  Rykov, was killed. He was most likely shot

  down by an R-37 missile fired from a Russian

  Su-35 fighter.

  On Tuesday, February 13, a Mi-17V-5

  helicopter of the Ukrainian Army Aviation

  was shot down in the Robotyne area of the

  Zaporizhzhia region. Two crew members

  were killed (one of them was named Vadim

  Pokatajev), and a third crew member was

  critically injured.

  Additionally, the death of a Russian pilot,

  Captain Maxim Kuzminov, who defected to the

  Ukrainian side, may be mentioned. On August

  9, he defected to the Ukrainian side with

  a Mi-8AMTŠ helicopter marked RF-04428 and

  fuselage number "red 62". Two other crew

  members had no idea about his intention to

  defect and were shot after landing. Kuzminov

  was labeled a traitor in Russia, and intelligence

  services sentenced him to death. In Ukraine,

  he received half a million dollars and three

  options to choose from: to fight for Ukraine, to

  stay in Ukraine as a civilian, or to live abroad.

  Kuzminov chose the last option and settled

  in Spain. However, he violated the rules of

  secrecy when he contacted his girlfriend. This

  likely led to his location being traced, and he

  was shot. By the way, during the period under

  review, the identities of the remaining two

  On February 7th, Major Vladyslav Rykov from the 299th

  Tactical Aviation Brigade perished in a shot down

  Ukrainian Su-25.

  One of the confirmed casualties of the shot down

  Mi-17V-5 is Vadim Pokatayev.

  On February 17, near Robotyne, a Ukrainian Mi-17V-5 helicopter was shot down and two crew members were killed.

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• Page 33

  crew members who died during his defection

  were also revealed. They were Captain

  Chushbacht Tursunov and Lieutenant Nikita

  Kiryanov. Kuzminov's killing indicates that

  Ukrainian efforts to persuade other Russian

  pilots to defect are likely to be ineffective.

  Ships at the Bottom

  During the period under review, the

  destruction of the Russian Black Sea Fleet

  continued using naval drones. On Thursday,

  February 1, a Tarantul-class missile corvette,

  Ivanovec, was sent to the bottom, The ship

  was attacked by a pack of Magura V5 drones,

  which harassed her like voracious predators.

  Gradually, two drones hit its rear section,

  likely disabling its propulsion. Subsequently,

  one drone caused a large hole on the port

  side, into which the fourth drone then flew and

  exploded inside the ship. The video also shows

  an explosion on the starboard side. Thus, the

  corvette was hit by at least five drones. At the

  end of the video, published by the Ukrainian

  military intelligence GUR, only the silhouette

  of the sinking ship protruding vertically above

  the water is visible.

  Subsequently, on Wednesday, February

  14, the same way, the landing ship Cézar

  Kunikov was destroyed off the coast of Crimea.

  It was carrying cargo from Novorossiysk

  to Sevastopol when it was tracked down by

  a swarm of Magura V5 drones. After several

  explosions, the ship overturned and sank.

  The ship belonged to the Ropucha class and

  sank exactly 81 years after the death of Major

  Cézar Kunikov, after whom it was named.

  He had been fatally wounded in the battles for

  Novorossiysk and died on February 14, 1943.

  The Mi-8AMTŠ helicopter with registration RF-04428 and tail number "red 62", in which Russian pilot Captain

  Maxim Kuzminov defected to the Ukrainian side on August 9, 2023.

  Maxim Kuzminov was shot dead in Spain in February.

  Lieutenant Nikita Kiryanov, who died during Kuzminov's defection.

  Captain Chushbacht Tursunov, who died during Kuzminov's defection.

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  33

  April 2024

• 1/72ND SCALE MODEL KIT L-410 TURBOLET BY GAVIA AND KP

  In March of this year, the L-410 Turbolet kit in 1/72 scale was released under the Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) brand and entered the market. Upon comparing this kit's mouldings with those of the Gavia kit of the same type and scale, we have concluded that the KP kit is a direct copy of the Gavia kit released in 1997. The KP kit was created using plastic parts of Gavia kit based on master model made by Michal Vlačilík and Petr Podvala, the owners of Gavia company. The author of the KP kit most likely utilized mouldings that were acquired several years ago by owner of KP, Mr. Petr Muzikant as part of a delivery from the toolmaking company Pavel Vandělík.

  1/72ND SCALE MODEL KIT

  L-410 TURBOLET

  BY GAVIA AND KP

  Michal Vláčilík

  Petr Podvala

  Pavel Vandělík

  Vladimír Šulc

  In March of this year, the L-410 Turbolet kit in

  1/72 scale was released under the Kovozávody

  Prostějov (KP) brand and entered the market.

  Upon comparing this kit's mouldings with those

  of the Gavia kit of the same type and scale, we

  have concluded that the KP kit is a direct copy

  of the Gavia kit released in 1997. The KP kit was

  created using plastic parts of Gavia kit based

  on master model made by Michal Vlačilík and

  Petr Podvala, the owners of Gavia company.

  The author of the KP kit most likely utilized

  mouldings that were acquired several years

  ago by owner of KP, Mr. Petr Muzikant as part of

  a delivery from the toolmaking company Pavel

  Vandělík.

  The ownership rights to the Gavia L-410

  Turbolet 1/72 scale model, moulds, and mouldings

  are outlined as follows:

  The master model was created by Michal

  Vláčilík and Petr Podvala in 1997, and they hold

  the copyright to it.

  • The mould was made by Pavel Vandělík and

  is owned by his toolmaking company registered

  under his name.

  • The authority to use the mould for moulding

  production is held by EDUARD

  -

  MODEL

  ACCESSORIES, spol. s r.o. (Eduard) under

  contracts with companies Gavia and Pavel

  Vandělík.

  • In practice, this ownership structure works

  on the principle that if a third party, such as

  Mr. Muzikant a few years ago, wishes to purchase

  mouldings of this or another Gavia kit, they

  can acquire them directly from company Pavel

  Vandělík with the consent of Eduard.

  • Should someone desire to utilize the original

  master or mouldings for modification and create

  a new master for mould production, they may

  only do so with the agreement of the copyright

  owners, i.e., Michal Vláčilík and Petr Podvala.

  The mere purchase of mouldings does not

  grant the purchaser the right to modify them,

  create their own set of moulds based on a copy of

  them, or sell their own kit based on the original

  mouldings. We deem such practices unethical

  and deceptive, particularly misrepresenting

  a kit created in this manner as the author's own

  project.

  Michal Vláčilík, one of the authors of the Gavia

  kit, assessed the level of similarity between the

  Gavia and KP kits:

  “A couple of days ago, I acquired a new plastic

  kit of the Let L-410 Turbolet aircraft in 1:72

  scale, released under the brand Kovozávody

  Prostějov, located at Nad vápenkou 364, Křenice

  u Říčan, 250 84, Praha - východ, with the ID

  No.: 43643060. According to the trade register,

  it belongs to the self-employed person Petr

  Muzikant. Even before comparing both products,

  I received information indicating that these

  mouldings closely resemble our kit of the same

  aircraft and scale, which we introduced in 1997

  under our brand GAVIA. This kit marked our

  inaugural release and shortly after its launch,

  it received the Model of the Year award at the

  1998 MODEL HOBBY show.

  The original master model for our kit was

  developed in our studio specifically for the

  purposes of plastic kit production, as it was

  commissioned by Let Kunovice, the company

  manufacturing the actual L-410 aircraft. The

  creation of the master model for our kit involved

  collaboration with Let Kunovice's design

  department and was based on drawings provided

  by the aircraft manufacturer.

  I opted to compare the mouldings of both kits

  with the aim of describing the differences or

  similarities between the two products. Here's

  what I discovered:

  1. Fuselage: Besides a slight alteration in the

  bow side plan and a few engraved lines, the

  mouldings are virtually identical.

  2. The similarity in the shape of the windows

  on the fuselages of both kits provides a clue

  for assessing whether the KP mouldings are

  a replica of the Gavia mouldings. These windows

  were individually shaped by hand on the Gavia

  kit mould, each possessing a unique shape.

  Replicating these shapes precisely becomes

  nearly impossible, but it appears that the

  positions and shapes of the windows on both kits

  are identical.

  3. However, the KP kit features technically

  primitive holes for affixing the windows to

  the fuselage, accompanied with distinctive

  flashings. This aspect, on one hand, complicates

  the comparison of the fuselage parts of both

  kits, albeit it is not impossible. On the other hand,

  it renders the task of cleanly affixing the

  windows to the fuselage essentially impossible.

  The presence of flashings on the parts serves as

  one of the indicators of a poorly executed copy of

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard34

  April 2024

• Page 35

  the original Gavia kit.

  4. Wings: the only change is the joining of

  the upper halves of the wing into one piece,

  otherwise the mouldings are identical.

  5. Horizontal tail surfaces: minor changes in

  engraving, otherwise the mouldings are identical.

  6. Landing gear nacelles: mouldings are

  identical in shape and surface details.

  7. Engine nacelles: mouldings are identical in

  shape and surface details.

  8. Interior (dashboard, floor, fuselage

  bulkheads, seats, seat bases): the mouldings are

  identical, only the floor of the KP kit is modified,

  it is cut, while the floor of the cockpit is moulded

  separately.

  9. Small parts (propeller blades, propeller

  sleeves, propeller covers): the mouldings are

  identical.

  In my assessment, upon comparing the two

  sets of mouldings, it becomes quite apparent

  that the KP mouldings are derived from a copy of

  our (Gavia) original 1997 mouldings. Throughout

  my career, I've developed numerous plastic kit

  prototypes and encountered various instances

  of more or less disguised copies of plastic

  kits. However, in this instance, I must conclude

  that the author of the KP kit either exhibited

  significant laziness or lacked the capability

  to conceal his process. Essentially, he utilized

  our original mouldings without making any

  substantial alterations or attempting to mask

  the fact that he copied mouldings from a kit that

  is 27 years old.

  Following the release of the kit, testimonies

  from associates of Mr. Muzikant surfaced online,

  admitting to the method used in creating the

  KP kit. Among other claims, they assert that

  Mr. Muzikant “corrected and improved” the

  original Gavia mouldings. Upon examining the

  KP mouldings, I must assert that the mould from

  which they are produced exhibits considerably

  inferior technical parameters than our mould.

  It fails to produce mouldings as clean as those

  still achievable from the original mould of our

  kit, which was created 27 years ago. There is no

  room for discussion regarding any improvement

  or correction of our original work.

  I never anticipated that a manufacturer

  of plastic kits would engage in evaluating

  competitors' products. However, in this

  particular instance, I feel compelled to provide

  a brief assessment of the L-410 Turbolet 1:72 kit

  marketed under the brand Kovozávody Prostějov:

  I am utterly dismayed by Mr. Muzikant's

  approach to creating his L-410 Turbolet 1/72 kit.

  Not only does he show blatant disregard for our

  rights and shamelessly exploit our work for his

  personal gain, but he also deceives consumers

  by claiming to offer a completely new kit made

  from new moulds. While the moulds may indeed

  be new, the resulting product is far from being

  a genuinely new kit. It is, in fact, a low-quality

  imitation of our own product, a kit produced by

  our company, Gavia.”

  Dear modelers and traders,

  We implore you to carefully weigh the added

  value of purchasing a KP kit and to contemplate

  whether you wish to support an entrepreneur

  who unscrupulously utilizes copies of others'

  kits without the consent of their authors and

  owners to develop his own products.

  To scale modelling journalists and reviewers,

  we request not to shy away from reviewing KP

  kits. We urge you to truthfully and accurately

  depict the distinctions and resemblances

  between Gavia and KP kits in your evaluations.

  Equally, we encourage you to candidly describe

  the disparities in quality between the two

  products.

  Thank you for your attention and for adopting

  a responsible approach to reviewing both kits!

  Michal Vláčilík and Petr Podvala, owners of the

  former Gavia company and authors of the Gavia

  L-410 Turbolet 1/72 kit.

  Pavel Vandělík, owner of the toolmaking

  company Pavel Vandělík, creator and owner of

  the mould for production of plastic parts for the

  L-410 Turbolet 1/72 Gavia kit.

  Vladimír Šulc, managing director of Eduard,

  company with the rights to use the mouldings of

  the L-410 Turbolet 1/72 Gavia kit.

  Gavia KP

  KPGavia

  2. The similarity in the shape of the windows on the fuselages of both kits provides a clue for assessing whether the KP mouldings are a replica of the Gavia mouldings.

  These windows were individually shaped by hand on the Gavia kit mould, each possessing a unique shape. Replicating these shapes precisely becomes nearly impossible,

  but it appears that the positions and shapes of the windows on both kits are identical.

  3. However, the KP kit features technically primitive holes for affixing the windows to the fuselage, accompanied with distinctive flashings. This aspect, on one hand,

  complicates the comparison of the fuselage parts of both kits, albeit it is not impossible. On the other hand, it renders the task of cleanly affixing the windows to the

  fuselage essentially impossible. The presence of flashings on the parts serves as one of the indicators of a poorly executed copy of the original Gavia kit.

  4. Wings: the only change is the joining of the upper halves of the wing into one piece, otherwise the mouldings are identical.

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard

  35

  April 2024

• Page 36

  Gavia

  Gavia

  Gavia

  KP

  KP

  KP

  7. Engine nacelles: mouldings are identical in shape and surface details.

  8. Interior (dashboard, floor, fuselage bulkheads, seats, seat bases): the mouldings are identical, only the floor of the KP kit is modified, it is cut, while the floor of the cockpit

  is moulded separately.

  The only change made to the fuselage is approximately

  a 2 mm extension of the KP part. The KP mold

  is placed under the Gavia's.

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard36

  April 2024

• Page 37

• Hartmann's Gustav

  With 352 victories to his credit, Erich Hartmann is a fighter pilot whose name is known even to people who are not interested in the Luftwaffe. A significant topic is the number of his victories and their credibility. Of Erich Hartmann's first 100 victories, 38 claimed kills can be compared in detail with Soviet losses, as the time and place of these kills are known. I am basing this on a summary prepared by Danny Case and Nick Hector. For these 38 victories, it is impossible to trace on the opposing side 13 losses that match the circumstances of the alleged shootdowns.

  With 352 victories to his credit, Erich Hartmann is

  a fighter pilot whose name is known even to people

  who are not interested in the Luftwaffe. A significant

  topic is the number of his victories and their

  credibility. Of Erich Hartmann's first 100 victories,

  31 claimed kills can be compared in detail with

  Soviet losses, as the time and place of these kills are

  known. I am basing this on a summary prepared by

  Danny Case and Nick Hector. For these 31 victories,

  it is impossible to trace on the opposing side

  10 losses that match the circumstances of the alleged

  shootdowns. In contrast, the 21 casualties that can

  be identified represent more than 60% credibility

  of Hartmann's victories from this period. A similar

  analysis was prepared by Ivan Lavrinenko, focusing

  on the 35 victories Hartmann claimed in the fighting

  over Romania between May 31 and June 6, 1944.

  The analysis revealed that, unlike many of Hartmann's

  colleagues whose claims were very accurate,

  in reality, this darling of propaganda shot down only

  one aircraft in the above period, and another six to

  seven Soviet aircraft may have fallen victim to either

  Hartmann or other German pilots.

  Hartmann's results in the battles over Hungary at

  the turn of 1944 and 1945 were similar. Authors Dan

  and Gábor Horváth published a detailed analysis of

  these in their book “Verified Victories: Top JG 52 Aces

  over Hungary 1944-45”. Their work shows that of

  the 34 victories claimed by Hartmann in the battles

  over Hungary, only seven can be documented that

  he definitely achieved or may have participated in.

  This is no more than a 22% credibility of his claims.

  By comparison, Gerhard Barkhorn's claims were

  as accurate as 79% in the same period, and Helmut

  Lipfert's victories have up to 93% accuracy compared

  to Soviet losses. Interestingly these two airmen had

  lower accuracy of their claims in the earlier period,

  as documented by Ivan Lavrinenko in his book on the

  fighting over Crimea in the period 1943-1944.

  I would venture to say that the credibility

  of Hartmann's victories declined as his career

  progressed, and his claimed victories were least

  accurate when some significant milestone in his

  kills was approaching and there was a film crew and

  photographers on the airfield. Günther Rall recalls

  in his memoirs that he never wanted to appoint

  Hartmann to command a Staffel, and when Rall, as

  Kommandeur III/JG 52, was on leave, another officer

  appointed Hartmann to command 9./JG 52 in Rall's

  absence.

  One of the Luftwaffe fighter units that fought

  in Hungary in early 1945 was I./JG 53 under the

  command of Maj. Jürgen Harder. He led this

  Jagdgruppe for almost a year and reformed it into

  one of the most successful units in southern Europe.

  However, on January 22, he had to leave it because

  he was appointed Kommodore of JG 11 with bases in

  Germany. The unit was briefly led by Hptm. Ernst, but

  at the end of January Hptm. Erich Hartmann, who

  until then had led 4./JG 52 in Hungary as part of

  II./JG 52, was appointed commander of I./JG 53. The

  command of I./JG 53 was his first opportunity to take

  command of a Jagdgruppe. Strangely enough, he

  was appointed to such a position outside of JG 52, for

  he soon returned to his “home” unit, as commander

  of I./JG 52 in Silesia.

  During his short service with I./JG 53, Hartmann

  immediately ordered the upper surfaces of I./JG 53

  aircraft to be repainted with washable white paint,

  but he showed little interest in combat activity. This

  was disappointing to his new subordinates. But they

  explained it by the fact that Hartmann apparently

  did not see much importance in further combat and,

  moreover, he had already achieved all the military

  honours. After a fortnight, Hartmann handed over

  command of I./JG 53 to Hptm. Lipfert, who was

  previously in command of 6./JG 52.

  An interesting topic is the personal aircraft

  that Hartmann used during this period. Marek

  Ryś depicted it on the box art of the Gustav part

  2 kit. At the beginning of January 1945, I./JG 53 had

  two Bf 109 G-6/U4s, ten G-14/U2 (U2 is an error in

  unit´s monthly summary), sixteen G-14/U4 version,

  and two G-10/U4s. In several photos of Hartmann's

  machine, the battery cover at the rear of the cockpit

  is clearly visible, which should indicate the G-14

  version. Erich Somavilla was using this plane as well

  and his logbook notes this aircraft as a G-6 version.

  Somavilla's personal aircraft was the G-14/AS version.

  A photograph of Hartmann's Bf 109 that I discovered

  years ago in the Preussischer Kulturbesitz digital

  archive shows that the machine has no intakes on

  the sides of the cockpit under the windscreen of the

  cockpit overlay, which identifies the Erla plant as its

  manufacturer. According to some researchers, it is

  a Bf 109 G-6 of the Erla factory of the 412xxx or 413xxx

  series. I dare not confirm whether this is the case

  or not. Production of these series ended in August

  1944, and both the Bf 109 G-6/U2 and Bf 109 G-14 were

  produced in the blocks mentioned. Anyway, when

  building scale model of this Hartmann´s aircraft as

  per the instructions in the kit manual, use the correct

  windscreen and also the bulge on the right side of

  the engine cowling. Photos of the Hartmann aircraft

  can be found on the Falke Eins blog by Neil Page.

  Erich Hartmann pictured in the spring of 1944 after

  being awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross.

  Photo: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe

  Tulip markings were introduced by Hermann Graf on his aircraft in 1943. After he became Kommodore of

  JG 52 in the autumn of 1944, this pattern also appeared on several of Erich Hartmann's aircraft, as well as

  on the machines of the Stab JG 52. During Hartmann's brief tenure with I./JG 53, the black tulip also adorned

  his personal aircraft with the Gruppe commander's markings. Following Hartmann's departure from the units,

  some of his tulip-patterned aircraft were reassigned and utilized by other pilots.

  Hartmann's

  Gustav

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard38

  April 2024

• Page 39

  Whoever stood on board the escort carrier

  USS Cabot in April 1945 and had the opportuni-

  ty to see the Hellcat flown by VF-29 commander

  Lt. Cdr. “Bill” Eder, probably stared in disbelief

  at the score that was marked on both sides of

  the fuselage under the cockpit overlay. In addi-

  tion to the symbols of nearly forty bombing mi-

  ssions, there were seven Japanese aircraft shot

  down, nine other Japanese planes destroyed on

  the ground, and, rather unusually, three French

  flags added.

  Behind Eder was clearly a successful combat

  career that had taken him beyond the Pacific.

  From VF-29, which was reformed in the spring

  of 1944, he built an outstanding unit that notched

  113 certain victories and lost only five missing

  and two killed pilots. Eder was not only the com-

  mander of VF-29 at the time, but he also led the

  entire Carrier Air Group of the USS Cabot.

  Willard Ernest Eder was born on September

  27, 1916, in Buffalo, Wyoming. He was descended

  from German immigrants on his father's side.

  Grandfather Olof was from Darmstadt, Upper

  Hesse, and grandmother Dorothea, née Rehder,

  was born in Holstein. On his mother's side, Eder

  had Irish and probably German ancestry.

  In 1938 he graduated from the University of

  Wyoming with a degree in political science, in-

  terrupted his service in the Army and joined

  the Navy. At the beginning of the Pacific War, he

  served in VF-3 aboard the USS Saratoga. After

  she was torpedoed he was transferred to the

  USS Lexington. This gave him the opportunity to

  train and fight with the best naval fighter avia-

  tors of the time, as the unit commander was Lt.

  John S. Thach and other officers included Edward

  H. O'Hare.

  During the Battle of Bougainville on February

  20, 1942, Eder shared destruction of G4M Betty

  of 4th Kōkūtai´s 2nd Chūtai, led by Lt. Masayoshi

  Nakagawa. The formation of nine bombers was

  completely destroyed and Eder received a DFC.

  The legendary combat fought by Lt. O'Hare on the

  same day, took place during a skirmish with the

  1st Chūtai of the 4th Kōkūtai.

  Eder became a member of VF-2 aboard the

  USS Lexington in April 1942 and received the

  Navy Cross for his performance in the Battle of

  the Coral Sea, during which he scored one Zero

  in combat with fighters from Shōkaku on May 8,

  1942, and also scored one probable kill of a fixed

  gear aircraft.

  Eder's next unit became VGF-29, which was

  established in July 1942 at NAS Norfolk under the

  command of Lt. J. T. Blackburn, who later beca-

  me commander of VF-17, a unit with Corsair fi-

  ghters in the Solomon Islands area. VGF-29 em-

  barked aboard the escort carrier USS Santee in

  early October 1942 and became part of the task

  force involved in the North African landings.

  Allied forces landed in North Africa as part of

  Operation Torch on November 8, 1942, including

  Free French forces. Canada, the Netherlands and

  Australia also participated with their naval ve-

  ssels. The landings occurred in northwest Moro-

  cco and in the Oran and Algiers areas of Algeria.

  The aim of the operation was not only to land and

  open a second front on African soil, but also to

  pressure the forces of Vichist France to change

  sides. The Americans were in a very strange si-

  tuation. Not only were the French their traditio-

  nal ally, but the U.S. government in 1940, unlike

  the British, recognized the Vichy government. In

  the Moroccan area, their opponents were French

  pilots with Curtiss H.75 fighters, and the Ame-

  ricans soon noticed emblem of a Sioux head on

  their fuselages, the symbol of the American La-

  fayette Squadron of World War I.

  Experienced U.S. Navy aviators aboard four

  aircraft carriers met unexpected resistance and

  lost 46 aircraft during the three days of fighting,

  albeit in part due to accidents or crews losing

  their bearings. For instance Tom Blackburn

  spent two days at sea after running out of fuel.

  The USS Santee's suffered the highest losses,

  losing ten Wildcats, four Dauntlesses, and se-

  ven Avengers. One airman was killed, two were

  wounded, and four were taken prisoner. Three

  fighter pilots from VGF-29 received Silver Stars

  for this operation, including “Bill” Eder, who de-

  stroyed three French bombers on the ground.

  VGF-29, later redesignated VF-29, participated in

  anti-submarine patrols in the South Atlantic for

  one year beginning in December 1942.

  A large number of Vichy units switched to

  the Allied side in the second half of November

  1942. , but some naval officers, for example, did

  not share this decision. The commander of the

  submarine Le Tonnant attempted to torpedo an

  American aircraft carrier, probably the USS Ran-

  ger. The submarine then headed for Cadiz, Spain,

  where its crew sank it.

  Text: Jan Bobek

  Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz

  African intermezzo

  #82203

  BOXART STORY

  INFO Eduard

  39

  April 2024

• Page 40

  BOXART STORY

  Fokker monoplanes had become a significant

  challenge for their opponents since the summer

  of 1915 thanks to their synchronization device,

  which bolstered the highly aggressive behavior

  of their pilots. Fighter aces flying monoplanes

  such as Wintgens, Boelcke, and Immelmann

  became synonymous with what British

  adversaries termed the “Fokker Scourge”.

  However, Fokker's superiority was seriously

  challenged in the spring of 1916 with the

  introduction of new fighters like the Nieuport

  11 and Airco DH.2.

  One of the airmen who experienced this

  transition period was Josef Jacobs. In August

  1914, at twenty years old, he enlisted in the

  air service. After training with FEA 3, he was

  assigned to Feldflieger-Abteilung 11 in July

  1915. From December 1915 onwards, he piloted

  the Fokker A.I (A210/14) and the E.I (63/15)

  equipped with an 80 hp engine. In January

  1916, he conducted several training flights with

  63/15, and on 13 January, he engaged a pair of

  enemy aircraft. He attacked one of them from

  a distance of 100 meters. Subsequently, his

  target rapidly descended in a spiral near

  Choisy-au-Bac, though the victory was not

  confirmed. He encountered the enemy again

  on February 1, 1916. Once more, he was not

  officially credited with a victory, yet it appears

  that the French indeed suffered a loss during

  this encounter. Reportedly, it was a Caudron

  from Escadrille C 28, and its crew, Sgt Joseph

  J. Hiriat and Sgt René Jean, were taken prisoner

  after crashing between German trenches.

  In late February, Jacobs' Fokker was

  equipped with a new 100 hp engine. However,

  in early March, this machine suffered an

  engine fire during a dogfight with a Farman

  crew. Fortunately, he managed to land in time

  to extinguish the fire. Another life-threatening

  incident occurred on 13 March. While pursuing

  a Caudron, Jacobs' Fokker was thrown

  off balance by a gust of wind. The aircraft

  plummeted tail-first, its engine died, and its

  springs were broken. Despite the damage,

  Jacobs eventually regained control and

  performed an emergency landing in a freshly

  ploughed field, causing his Fokker to flip over

  onto its back. It was later revealed that the

  “gust of wind” was actually caused by a German

  anti-aircraft shell that narrowly missed Jacobs.

  During that period, Jacobs was also piloting

  the new Fokker E.III (608/15), and on March

  1916, he successfully downed an enemy balloon.

  However, his victory was apparently not officially

  recognized, and Jacobs did not mention it in his

  diary, which was unusual given the meticulous

  care with which he maintained it. Nevertheless,

  the balloon was indeed destroyed, belonging

  to the 66° Cie d' Aérostiers, and the observer,

  Sgt Armand Legube, sustained injuries.

  By the end of March 1916, several fighter

  monoplanes were detached from FFA 7, 11, and

  39. From 1 April, a provisional Fokkerstaffel

  West was established at La Ferme du Faux.

  Jacobs joined this unit upon his return from

  an extended leave in early May. Upon joining

  the new unit, he was reunited with his 608/15

  machine, which he affectionately referred to in

  his diary as “my dear Fokker”. He had used this

  term previously, suggesting that he may have

  been flying 608/15 since February 1916 with FFA

  11.

  With this aircraft, he also achieved his

  first confirmed victory by shooting down

  a Caudron G.4 of Escadrille C 30 on May 12,

  1916. Although anti-aircraft gunners attempted

  to claim the victory, only Fokker machine gun

  hits were found in the wreckage of the Caudron.

  Furthermore, Jacobs' claim was corroborated

  by a French airman, MdL Hulin, after he was

  captured the following day.

  Jacobs received a new aircraft, a Fokker

  E.III (339/16), on 9 June, but flew it only until

  16 June when the engine was damaged due to

  a lack of oil. Therefore, the situation depicted

  on the box art by Adam Tooby regarding this

  machine is rather hypothetical. Subsequently,

  Jacobs flew with his old 608/15 until 8 July.

  It appears that on 1 July, he attempted to attack

  an enemy balloon with this Fokker, but due to

  propeller damage, the attack was unsuccessful.

  The E.III 339/16 was back with a new engine on

  8 July. However, by August 1, 1916, Jacobs was

  transferred to another aviation unit, much to

  his displeasure. He returned to his original unit,

  FFA 11, on 1 September.

  For more detailed information on Jacobs

  and his service on Eindeckers, I recommend

  referring to the publications “Blue Max Airmen

  Vol. 20” by Lance J. Bronnenkant and “KEKs and

  Fokkerstaffels” by Johan Ryheul. Additionally,

  Jacobs' diary, with comments by Stephen

  Lawson, can be found in Cross & Cockade

  International Vol. 27, No. 2.

  Illustration: Adam Tooby

  "My dear Fokker"

  Text: Jan Bobek

  #8419

  INFO Eduard40

  April 2024

• Page 41

  At first glance, there is nothing remarkable

  about the illustration depicting Hellcats created

  in 2011 by our colleague Petr Štěpánek. A group of

  Hellcats from VF-27, led by Lt. “Brownie” Brown,

  circles above the mothership USS Princeton. This

  boxart, however, is tied to one of the most dramatic

  moments in the history of the U.S. Navy's aviation

  units. Twenty-seven-year-old Carl Allen Brown,

  Jr. hailed from Texarkana, Texas, and joined the

  Navy in 1941. After serving in the Aleutian area, he

  was assigned to VF-27 aboard the USS Princeton

  in May 1944. He scored 5.5 confirmed aerial

  victories in the air battles over Marianas, over

  Philippines, and off Taiwan by mid-October 1944.

  The first combat action for VF-27, however,

  was Operation Torch in North Africa in November

  1942 aboard the USS Suwannee. Unit then

  moved to the Pacific, operating from a land

  base on Guadalcanal from February to July

  1943 and scoring 12 victories. During her second

  operational tour, VF-27 was reorganized at NAS

  Alameda and embarked aboard USS Princeton

  in May 1944. The toughest test awaited Brown

  and his carrier during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in

  October 1944.

  It was the largest naval battle in human history,

  involving two hundred thousand personnel on

  board, some 300 vessels on the Allied side, and

  approximately 70 warships of the Japanese Navy.

  The Allied objective was to secure a landing on

  the Philippine island of Leyte. The battle occurred

  during several engagements between 23 October

  and 26 October 1944. The Japanese failed to

  prevent the landing and lost the aircraft carrier

  Zuikaku, three light carriers, three battleships,

  ten cruisers and eleven destroyers. The Americans

  lost one light carrier, two escort carriers, two

  destroyers, and two escort destroyers. The battle

  was overwhelmingly affected by the numerical

  superiority of the US naval aircraft and the

  experience of its aviators. The Japanese naval

  and army air forces, weakened by the recent

  fighting off Taiwan, were unable to counter this

  onslaught, although the naval units resorted to

  Kamikaze airmen tactics for the first time.

  However, this was a hard won victory as

  shown by the fate of VF-27 and USS Princeton

  . This carrier, nicknamed “Sweet Pea”, was part

  of Task Force 38.3. Japanese naval aviators

  managed to locate the American force during the

  first night , and at dawn of 24 October, a strike

  group was sent against TF 38.3. A total of 105 A6M

  Zero fighters, six more Zeros as fighter-bombers,

  21 N1K George fighters, 38 D3A Val dive bombers

  and 12 D4Y Judy bombers attacked. The Japanese

  strike group, which was divided into several

  formations, was met primarily by airmen from

  VF-27 and VF-15 (USS Essex). It was in this fight

  that Cdr. David McCampbell of VF-15 achieved

  nine victories. VF-27, which was outnumbered

  1 to 10 early in the fight, destroyed 36 enemy

  fighters, with one pilot achieving six victories

  in this engagement and three other airmen,

  including Lt. Brown, claiming five kills. Brown,

  however, had to break away from the fight with

  a badly damaged machine, two shrapnel wounds

  in his left leg and four Zeros behind him.

  Returning to his mother ship, he was horrified

  to find the “Sweet Pea” in flames. At 10:00 a.m she

  had been hit by a bomb launched by the crew of

  a lone dive-bomber Judy. Brown was successively

  refused landing by the USS Lexington and the

  USS Langley. However, he managed to contact

  USS Princeton, which was trying to coordinate

  a pickup by a destroyer if Brown ditched.

  Eventually, colleagues from the USS Essex got in

  touch and offered to allow Brown to land if he did

  so immediately. Brown landed with the hydraulics

  damaged, lowered the landing gear with the

  emergency system, managed to release the

  hook by hitting the ramp hard, and immediately

  afterwards caught the first wire. For this action,

  he was awarded the Navy Cross.

  The bomb hit the hangar of the USS Princeton,

  where the Avenger bombers were refuelled and

  armed. Sixteen Hellcats were on board, but they

  never had a chance to take off. The other nine,

  which were still in flight at this time, landed on

  other carriers. The light cruiser USS Birmingham,

  commanded by Capt. Thomas B. Inglis and three

  other vessels tried to help with the rescue and

  firefighting. But collisions with the aircraft

  carrier and other explosions aboard damaged her

  saviours. After eight hours of raging fire, the USS

  Princeton eventually sank following a last large

  explosion. Total 108 of her crew were killed, but

  241 men aboard the USS Birmingham were also

  killed and 412 others were injured. When Capt.

  Inglis was asked if he would have done the same

  if he had known the risk to his cruiser, he replied,

  “I should take the same action – providing the

  same factors were involved and I had no crystal

  ball.”

  Text: Jan Bobek

  Illustration: Petr Štěpánek

  A Hell of a Morning

  #7077

  BOXART STORY

  INFO Eduard

  41

  April 2024

• Page 42

  USS PRINCETON – 24. 10. 1944

  The light aircraft carrier USS Princeton (CV-23) was originally intended as the

  Cleveland-class light cruiser Tallahassee. However, in early 1942, the purpose of the

  vessel changed to that of an Independence-class light aircraft carrier. The Navy took

  her over in early 1943, and in the fall of that year, she engaged with her carrier air

  group in combat in the Pacific. Her battle name served as a reminder of the Battle of

  Princeton, which occurred on January 3, 1777. It became one of two minor victorious

  engagements that boosted the morale of Americans at the beginning of the War of

  Independence. This photo shows her on her shakedown cruise in the summer of 1943

  with Hellcat and Dauntless aircraft on deck. Fighters from VF-27 earned a total of

  134 confirmed victories during their service on this ship.

  Photo: Naval History and Heritage Command

  Princeton's port forward area, as seen from

  USS Birmingham (CL-62) during attempts to

  control her fires during the afternoon of 24

  October. Note damage to Princeton's

  40mm gun position and catwalk, caused by

  Birmingham's Number Two 6/47 gun turret

  as the two ships grind together. Also note

  flight deck tractor partially hung up on

  Princeton's deck edge, F6F and TBM airplanes

  parked forward, floater nets and life rafts on

  Birmingham's gun turret.

  Photo: Naval History and Heritage Command

  Princeton burning soon after she was hit by a Japanese bomb while operating off the

  Philippines on October 24, 1944. This photograph was taken from USS South Dakota

  (BB-57) at about 10:01 hrs. Crew of a D4Y Judy bomber that scored the fatal hit took

  off from Mabalacat airfield in Central Luzon.

  Photo: Naval History and Heritage Command

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard42

  April 2024

• Page 43

  The U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Reno (CL-96) comes alongside the burning light aircraft carrier USS

  Princeton to assist in fighting fires. USS Reno, at 17:46, took over the task of scuttling Princeton.

  Photo: Naval History and Heritage Command

  Lt. Carl Brown, Jr., flying the Hellcat

  “Paper Doll” of VF-27 aboard the USS

  Essex, returned from a combat flight on

  October 24, 1944, during which he shot

  down five Zeros. The burning aircraft

  carrier USS Princeton, from which Brown

  took off in the morning, can be seen in the

  background.

  Photo: US Navy

  The deck crew of the aircraft carrier USS Essex pushes

  Brown's damaged Hellcat towards the other aircraft on

  board to make space for the Hellcats belonging to their

  own Carrier Air Group.

  Photo: US Navy

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard

  43

  April 2024

• Page 44

  #2145

  GUSTAV pt.2

  1/72

  The Limited edition of the kit of the famous German WWII fighter aircraft Bf 109G in 1/72 scale. The kit offers aircraft of G-6 late and G-14

  versions. Marking selection covers all fronts of WWII where these “Gustavs” were fighting including airplanes from the Ilmavoimat (Finish

  Air Force), Italian Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana and Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Királyi Honvéd Légierő).

  plastic parts: Eduard

  marking options: 10

  decals: Eduard

  PE parts: yes, pre-painted

  painting mask: yes

  resin parts: no

  Product page

  KITS 04/2024

  Dual Combo

  INFO Eduard44

  April 2024

• Page 45

  Bf 109G-6/R6, WNr. 160303, Hptm. Friedrich Eberle, CO of III./JG 1, Volkel,

  the Netherlands, November 1943 – January 1944

  Bf 109G-6/R1, Lt. Max-Bruno Fischer, Stab II./JG 3, Evreux-Fauville,

  France, June 1944

  Friedrich Eberle, the commanding officer of III.

  Gruppe of JG 1, was downed in this Bf 109G-6 on

  January 30, 1944. The man who shot him down

  was a Thunderbolt jockey, Lt. Robert Booth of

  the 369th FS, 359th FG, a fighter ace with a total

  of eight kills to his credit. Booth himself was

  downed a few months later, on June 8, 1944 and

  became a POW. Eberle was injured but survived

  the encounter with Booth and led III. Gruppe until

  April 27, 1944. In July 1944, he was appointed the

  CO of III./JG 4. Eberle led this unit in Operation

  Bodeplatte, the attack on Allied airfields, on

  January 1, 1945. He was court martialed for

  cowardice but finally was acquitted of the charge

  and survived the war with 33 kills. Eberle’s

  aircraft had been marked with a double chevron

  but in accordance with temporary orders, this

  marking was painted over and the commander’s

  aircraft was marked with a number. The JG 1

  crest was painted on the left side of the cowling

  only. The rear part of the fuselage was partially

  overpainted with RLM 76 to tone it down.

  This aircraft was originally part of Geschwaderstab

  JG 3 “Udet” and bore the designation of one of

  the Kommodore’s wingmen. The white band on

  the fuselage served as a quick identification

  element for JG 3 within fighter formations on the

  Western European battlefield. In early June 1944

  Maj. Heinz Bär assumed command of JG 3 and he

  replaced the aircraft in his Stab with Fw 190As

  and transferred the original planes of his flight

  to Stab II./JG 3, commanded by Hptm. Gustav

  Frielinghaus (74 victories). However, at the

  beginning of the invasion, the CO of II./JG 3 was

  unfit for combat activities, and the Gruppe was

  led during the move to Normandy by his Adjutant,

  Lt. Max-Bruno Fischer. During the flight to Evreux

  base, Fischer was the sole II./JG 3 airman to

  arrive at the base due to poor weather conditions.

  He faced a field court martial threat for this,

  which was halted thanks to JG 2 Kommodore Maj.

  Bühlingen. From the very first day of deployment

  in Normandy, II./JG 3 conducted strafing attacks

  against the invading forces. Fischer later became

  the Adjutant of III./JG 4 and achieved a total of

  three victories.

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard

  45

  April 2024

• Page 46

  Bf 109G-6, Lt. Anton Hafner, CO of 10./JG 51, Tilsit-East,

  the Soviet Union, August 1944

  Bf 109G-14, Hptm. Erich Hartmann, CO of I./JG 53, Veszprém,

  Hungary, February 1945

  Anton Hafner achieved a total of 204 victories,

  all within the ranks of JG 51. He also fought with

  the unit in Tunisia, where he was shot down and

  wounded, but the vast majority of his successes

  were achieved on the Eastern Front. He was

  awarded the Knight’s Cross on August 23, 1943,

  and received the Oak Leaves on April 11, 1944.

  He became the commander of 8./JG 51 (later

  redesignated 10./JG 51) in mid-May 1944. At that

  time, III./JG 51 completed the rearmament from

  Fw 190A to Bf 109G aircraft. Hafner, at the helm

  of his Staffel, achieved 68 victories. His last fatal

  engagement was on October 17, 1944, when he shot

  down a Yak-9, but then crashed into trees east of

  Schweizersfelde in East Prussia, apparently due

  to a pilot’s error. He did not survive the impact.

  The Bf 109 shown is one of three Hafner aircraft

  that are photographically documented from

  the summer and autumn of 1944, but its serial

  number is unknown. The original Stab markings

  on the sides of the fuselage appear to have been

  painted over.

  Erich Hartmann, the fighter ace with the

  highest number of claimed victories in history,

  commenced his combat career with 7./JG

  52 on October 10, 1942. He remained loyal to

  JG 52 until the end of hostilities when he held

  command of I./JG 52. His tally of claims ceased

  at 352. In recognition of his achievements, he

  was bestowed with the Knight's Cross with Oak

  Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds on August 25,

  1944. Post-war, he was handed over to the Soviets

  by the Americans and was not released until 1955.

  During the initial half of February 1945, he briefly

  assumed command of I./JG 53. The young airmen

  sought his guidance for experience and moral

  support, yet Hartmann remained notably passive,

  engaging in only one combat flight, during which

  he claimed his 337th victory. The standard RLM

  74 and RLM 75 camouflage had large white

  patches on the upper surfaces. A black, white-

  lined tulip graced the nose, while a heart bearing

  Hartmann's wife's name was added under the

  cockpit on the left side. A yellow band denoted

  the machines serving on the Eastern Front.

  Additionally, a large yellow V on the left wing

  distinguished Bf 109 from Romanian machines in

  the area, as Romania at the time fought on the

  Allied side.

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard46

  April 2024

• Page 47

  Bf 109G-6, WNr. 165267, Majuri Eino Luukkanen, 1/HleLv 34,

  Taipalsaari airfield, Finland, July 1944

  Bf 109G-14, Oblt. Rolf Schlegel, 10./JG 4, Jüterbog-Damm,

  Germany, March 1945

  Eino Altero Luukkanen was born in 1909 in

  Jaakkima and started his military aviation

  service in 1930. In January 1938, he became

  Adjutant of Lentorikmentti 1. During the Winter

  War he commanded 3/LLv 24 and achieved

  2.5 victories in Fokker D.XXI. From the beginning

  of the Continuation War, he commanded 1/LLv

  24 on Brewsters and achieved 14.5 victories. From

  March 1943 he led LeLv 34 with Messerschmitt

  Bf 109Gs at the rank of Major. Luukkanen was

  awarded the Mannerheim Cross on June 18, 1944.

  In the Bf 109G-6 (WNr. 165267) Eino Luukkanen

  achieved his last, 56th confirmed victory.

  His victim was a Soviet Yak-7 over Narvi, Karelia,

  on August 5, 1944, during a battle with a formation

  of six Il-2s and six Yak-7s from the 12 KIAP, KBF.

  It was the only kill achieved with this aircraft,

  which was delivered to Finland on June 23, 1943.

  The original German WNr. is visible on the rudder.

  At that time, it also carried wing nacelles with

  MG 151/20 guns. It was written off after a crash

  on August 25, 1947.

  After completing his fighter training, he was

  assigned to 11./JG 2. With this unit, he soon moved

  to the African battlefield, and before the end of

  1942, he was reassigned to II./JG 53. Here, he

  suffered an injury, and after recuperation, he was

  directed to EKdo 16, a test unit designed to test

  the Me 163 rocket fighter. By the summer of 1944,

  he was already serving with JG 4, specifically

  its Sturmgruppe (II./JG 4), flying heavily armed

  Fw 190A-8/R2s. Later, he flew with JG 4’s

  III. Gruppe in Bf 109s. Before the end of the war,

  he was transferred to III./EJG 2, flying the Me

  262 jet, and his next unit was to be JG 7. In total,

  he achieved nine victories. The aircraft, in the

  typical camouflage of the late Bf 109G-14s

  produced in Leipzig at the Erla factory, had the

  original markings repainted in fresh RLM 74 and

  bore the emblem of JG 4 on the nose. The wide

  bands around the rear of the aircraft were an

  element for quick identification of JG 4 within the

  units fighting in Western Europe.

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard

  47

  April 2024

• Page 48

  Bf 109G-14, WNr. 465437, Hptm. Franz Dörr, CO of III./JG 5,

  Gossen, Norway, May 1945

  Bf 109G-14/U4, WNr. 512382, Lt. Horst Schlick, 4./JG 77, Schönwalde,

  Germany, November 1944

  Franz Dörr was born in Mannheim in 1913.

  He served as a reconnaissance pilot during

  the Polish and Western campaigns in 1939 and

  1940. Dörr achieved his first kill as a member

  of 1.(Erg.)/JG 3, shooting down a Wellington on

  September 29, 1941. On January 1, 1942, this unit

  was redesignated 7./JG 5, and in September

  1943, he became its commander. In early August

  1944, he took command of III. Gruppe JG 5 and

  held that position until the end of the war. On the

  northern front, he scored 121 victories (although

  some sources mention 127) in 437 combat sorties.

  His tally was marked on the rudder of his personal

  aircraft. He was awarded the Knight’s Cross on

  August 19, 1944. The aircraft, manufactured at

  the Erla factory, bore distinctive features of local

  production such as distinct gun ducts on the

  engine cowling and a small bulge on the right

  side of the engine cowling. Though the serial

  number is not proven, the camouflage matches

  the markings of the 465xxx series. Aircraft of

  this series are documented at Gossen, Norway in

  May 1945. A small circle on the rear of the aircraft

  identified it as serving with III Gruppe.

  Horst Schlick was born in 1921 in Bartenstein,

  East Prussia. From 1939, he served in I.(J)/LG 2,

  which was redesignated I./JG 77 in January 1942

  in Mariupol. Schlick was a seasoned veteran

  who achieved two kills on the Eastern Front

  and at least thirty more on the Mediterranean

  and Western Fronts. He served most of the time

  as a member of its 1. Staffel. Change came in

  September 1944 when he took command of the

  4. Staffel, with which he achieved his last three

  victories. In the spring of 1945, he was transferred

  first to training III./EJG 2, then to JG 7, equipped

  with Me 262 jets. However, he achieved no further

  success here. During the war, he participated in

  480 combat sorties, during which he achieved

  33 kills. The color scheme depicts Schlick’s

  WNF-produced plane shortly after he achieved

  his 31st kill. It is possible that this Bf 109 had the

  engine cowling used on the machines produced

  by Erla in Leipzig. The emblem on the rear of

  the fuselage was the new designation for the 4.

  Staffel aircraft, and the emblem on the nose was

  Jagdgeschwader 77.

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard48

  April 2024

• Page 49

  Bf 109G-14, WNr. 464380, Maggiore Mario Bellagambi, CO of 5ª Squadriglia, 2° Gruppo

  Caccia ANR, Osoppo, Italy, March 1945

  Bf 109G-14, WNr. 782205, Lt. Antal Szebeni, 101/5. Vadászszázad MKHL,

  Börgönd, Hungary, October 1944

  After the declaration of Italian Social Republic

  on September 18, 1943, a puppet state on the

  territory of Italy occupied by German military

  under the command of Benito Mussolini,

  Germany allowed this Republic to establish its

  own military force consisting of four divisions.

  Its air force component called Aeronautica

  Nazionale Repubblicana consisted of two fighter

  plane groups (Gruppo Caccia), torpedo groups

  (Gruppo Aerosiluranti Buscaglia) and several

  transportation squadrons. In 1945, both fighter

  plane squadrons flew Messerschmitts Bf 109G-6/

  G-10/G-14. The commander of 5

  a

  Squadriglia

  (called Diavoli Rossi) was Maggiore Mario

  Bellagambi, a fighter ace with 14 victories. In 1949

  he was once again admitted to Italian air force

  where he became Generale di brigata aerea prior

  to his retirement. He died in Florence on June 25,

  2001. Bellagambi’s 109 was camouflaged with RLM

  74/75/76 colors. The Verde Oliva Scuro 2 color is

  applied to the stain under the red devil painting,

  the emblem of 5

  a

  squadriglia. The rudder was

  supplied by one of the subcontractors and bears

  a camouflage consisting of RLM 81 and RLM 82.

  The yellow outline of fuselage ANR marking was

  either reversed or had yellow triangles around

  the flag as compared to other aircraft.

  This aircraft was produced in September 1944

  at the Messerschmitt Regensburg plant and

  was received by the Hungarian Fighter Group

  101/II. From the end of 1944, the unit was involved

  in combat against the Soviet Air Force and

  occasionally engaged with American forces. The

  W0+58 was flown by Lt. Szebeni, who achieved

  a total of three victories by the end of the war.

  In the final months of the war, this unit also

  received Bf 109G-10 and G-10/U4 aircraft. Szebeni

  crashed one of these planes during a landing

  at Szombathely on March 25, 1945. The “Black

  4” rolled over on its back and was destroyed.

  Lieutenant Szebeni, however, escaped unharmed.

  He was also fortunate on April 14, 1945, during

  a dogfight northeast of Vienna. A Soviet fighter

  hit his Bf 109G-10/U4 “Black 14”, causing it to

  catch fire. Szebeni, flying low over the ground,

  was unable to bail out. Consequently, he fired

  the magazines of his weapons before the belly

  landing, inadvertently hitting a Yak-9 that passed

  in front of him. Szebeni managed to make an

  emergency landing at Grafenwörth and returned

  to the unit uninjured.

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard

  49

  April 2024

• Page 50

  Recommended:

  for GUSTAV pt.2 1/72

  #672347

  #672344

  672292 Luftwaffe rudder pedals PRINT (Brassin)

  672324 Bf 109 SC250 bomb (Brassin)

  672329 Bf 109 balance weights PRINT (Brassin)

  672338 Bf 109G undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)

  672344 Bf 109G radio compartment PRINT (Brassin)

  672346 Bf 109G propeller PRINT (Brassin)

  672347 Bf 109G-5/G-6 cockpit PRINT (Brassin)

  672348 Bf 109G-5/G-6 wheels PRINT (Brassin)

  672352 Bf 109G-6 engine PRINT (Brassin)

  672355 Bf 109G-5/G-6 gun barrels PRINT (Brassin)

  OVERTREES

  #70160X

  Bf 109G-5/6/14 late

  1/72

  Product page

  OVERLEPT

  #2145-LEPT1

  Gustav pt.2

  PE

  -

  Set 1/72

  Product page

  #672352

  #672338

  #672329

  #672346

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard50

  April 2024

• Page 51

  1/48

  F4F-4 Wildcat late

  The ProfiPACK edition kit of the US carrier based WWII fighter plane F4F-4 Wildcat late in 1/48 scale.

  From the kit it is possible to build Wildcats of the US Navy operating in the Atlantic and Pacific and also

  a fighter from the US Marine Corps.

  plastic parts: Eduard

  marking options: 6

  decals: Eduard

  PE parts: yes, pre-painted

  painting mask: yes

  resin parts: no

  #82203

  Product page

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard

  51

  April 2024

• Page 52

  Lt.(Jg) William E. Eder, VGF-29, USS Santee (CVE-29), November 1942

  BuNo.11992, Ens. Leroy Childs, VF-11, Guadalcanal,

  May 1943

  Prior to his assignment to VGF-29, William Eder

  fought with VF-3 at the Battle of Bougainville

  and with VF-2 at the Battle of the Coral Sea.

  He downed one Zero and shared a victory over

  a Betty bomber plus one probable kill of a Val

  bomber during these engagements. In all, Eder

  is credited with 6.5 kills of Japanese aircraft,

  and he destroyed another 10 of them on the

  ground. He also destroyed three French aircraft

  during Operation Torch. The Wildcat that Eder

  flew during Operation Torch wore standard

  camouflage consisting of shades of Light Gray

  and Blue Gray, the insignia being complemented

  by a yellow border on the fuselage and underside

  of the wing. Below the cockpit, two kills and the

  unit emblem were painted on both sides.

  VF-11 was established at NAS North Island

  California on October 10, 1942 and was equipped

  with Wildcats. To emphasize its fighting spirit

  and superiority over the Japanese, the squadron

  chose the name Sundowners. The emblem

  featured two Wildcats shooting down a rising

  sun. From April to July 1943, VF-11 Wildcats

  shot down a total of 55 enemy aircraft in aerial

  combat at Guadalcanal. After returning to the

  U.S. and rearming with the new F6F Hellcat,

  VF-11 embarked on the USS Hornet in October

  1944 and joined the fighting. By February 1945,

  her pilots had achieved 102 enemy kills in the air

  and destroyed dozens more on the ground. With

  this Wildcat was shot down Ens. Leroy Child on

  May 6, 1943. He was last seen breaking away from

  the formation and his body was never recovered.

  He was posthumously awarded the Air Medal and

  the Purple Heart. Wildcat number 16 was painted

  in standard camouflage shades of Light Gray

  and Blue Gray with a diffuse gradient of colors.

  On both sides of the fuselage there were the white

  lettering "JEANIE" and the unit emblem of VF-11

  painted. The aircraft had numerous camouflage

  repairs to the fuselage and wings.

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard52

  April 2024

• Page 53

  Lt. Philip H. Torrey Jr., CO VF-22, USS Independence (CVL-22), June 1943

  VC-13, USS Core (CVE-13), August-September 1943

  The VF-22 unit was activated on September

  30, 1942 and flew from the aircraft carrier USS

  Indenpedence (CVL-22) during World War II. The

  unit was flew F4F Wildcats, later F6F Hellcats.

  The unit’s first commander was Lt. Philip H. Torrey

  Jr. who commanded the unit until the summer of

  1943. During the summer of 1943, Torrey became

  the commanding officer of Fighting Squadron

  9 (VF-9), operating from the USS Essex (CV-9).

  In March 1944, he was transferred to Carrier Air

  Group 9 (CAG-9) operating aboard USS Lexington

  (CV-16) with F6F Hellcats. On February 16, 1945,

  Torrey volunteered for his first mission which

  was to fly over Tokyo. Over the target, however,

  his Hellcat was shot down by a Japanese fighter

  and Torrey fatally crashed in the village of Habu

  near Narita. His Wildcat, which he flew with

  VF-22, had a non-standard camouflage with

  a third shade of Semi-Gloss Sea Blue applied to

  the original older Blue Gray/Light Gray scheme

  on the upper fuselage and wings.

  The Tacoma-built Bogue-class escort carrier USS

  Core (CVE-13) was commissioned on December

  10, 1942, and named after Core Sound. USS Core

  operated on the west coast off San Diego, but

  soon joined the Atlantic Fleet to take part in

  the bloody war against submarines with TBF-1C

  Avengers and F4F-4 Wildcats on board. Core’s

  first combat cruise in the Atlantic lasted from

  June 27 to July 31, 1943, during which VC-13 hit

  a pair of submarines. USS Core and VC-13 scored

  a total of four submarine kills by the end of 1943,

  helping to end the good times of the German

  U-boat fleet. The Wildcats on USS Core carried

  an interesting combination of colors from the

  factory blue-grey NS through light grey NS

  as well as both the then-new ASWN I and II

  schemes designed for the Atlantic. The aircraft

  shown, with the black identification number

  6 on the rudder, had a unique design of the unit

  emblem painted on the fuselage with the number

  13 inscribed on it. This made it a popular

  background for photographs of VC-13 pilots.

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard

  53

  April 2024

• Page 54

  Lt. (jg) Dean S. Laird, USS Ranger (CV-4),

  Operation Leader, October 1943

  Dean Samuel “Diz” Laird was the only US Navy

  ace with kills on both the Pacific and European

  battlefields. He also served in the Korean War

  and Vietnam War after the World War II. Laird

  shot down 5.75 enemy aircraft in combat and

  damaged one. Two of his victims were German

  Ju 88 and He 115 aircraft, shot down in October

  1943 near Norway during Operation Leader.

  The others were Japanese aircraft. Laird flew

  138 combat sorties during World War II and was

  awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and

  the Congressional Gold Medal, among other

  awards. He flew the F4F Wildcats and then the

  F6F Hellcats and was assigned to the aircraft

  carrier USS Ranger (CV-4) from November 1942

  to March 1943. From November 1944 to March

  1945, he operated from the USS Essex (CV-9).

  In 1969, he was one of the three lead pilots in the

  movie Tora! Tora! Tora! Laird helped reenact the

  attack on Pearl Harbor during its filming and flew

  approximately 164 hours during the production.

  VMF-441, Nanumea, November 1943

  Marine Fighting Squadron 441 (VMF-441) was

  formed on October 1, 1942 at Tutuila, American

  Samoa, from part of VMF-111 and flew F4F

  Wildcats. By the end of May 1943, the entire

  squadron moved to Funafuti in the Ellice Islands,

  followed by another move to Nanumea Base on

  September 28, 1943. The squadron moved back to

  Tutuila in December 1943, where it rearmed to the

  F4U-1 Corsair. VMF-441 was also known as “The

  Blackjacks”. The unit was credited with a total

  of 49 aircraft shot down during World War II and

  was inactivated after the surrender of Japan on

  July 11, 1946. The Wildcat shown here wore non-

  standard camouflage with a third shade of Semi-

  Gloss Sea Blue added to the original older Blue

  Gray/Light Gray scheme on the upper fuselage

  and wing surfaces. The nose of the aircraft was

  decorated with a white “Little Joe” inscription on

  the left side of the engine cowling with a dice

  motif.

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard54

  April 2024

• Page 55

  481093 F4F-4 landing flaps (PE

  -

  Set)

  FE1290 F4F seatbelts STEEL (PE

  -

  Set)

  644164 F4F-4 LööK (Brassin)

  648769 F4F gun barrels PRINT (Brassin)

  648779 F4F undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)

  648803 F4F-4 cockpit PRINT (Brassin)

  648815 F4F-4 wheels early (Brassin)

  648816 F4F-4 wheels late (Brassin)

  648817 F4F-4 landing flaps PRINT (Brassin)

  648818 F4F-4 folding wings PRINT (Brassin)

  648820 F4F-4 exhausts PRINT (Brassin)

  648828 F4F-4 engine PRINT (Brassin)

  648829 F4F-4 wheel bay PRINT (Brassin)

  648853 F4F-4 gun bays PRINT (Brassin)

  3DL48090 F4F-4 SPACE (3D Decal Set)

  EX904 F4F-4 TFace (Mask)

  Recommended: for

  F4F-4 Wildcat late 1/48

  OVERTREES

  #82203X

  F4F-4 Wildcat late

  1/48

  Product page

  OVERLEPT

  #82203-LEPT1

  F4F-4 Wildcat late

  PE

  -

  Set 1/48

  Product page

  #648829

  #648818

  #648779

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard

  55

  April 2024

• Page 56

  #8419

  Fokker E.III

  1/48

  The Weekend edition kit of German WWI fighter

  aircraft Fokker E.III in 1/48 scale.

  plastic parts: Eduard

  marking options: 4

  decals: Eduard

  PE parts: no

  painting mask: no

  resin parts: no

  Product page

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard56

  April 2024

• Page 57

  E339/16, Lt. Josef Jacobs, Fokkerstaffel West, June 1916

  E105/15, Ernst Udet, KeK Habsheim, 1916

  The advent of Fokker monoplanes armed

  with synchronized machine guns brought

  a fundamental change to the course of air

  warfare from the summer of 1915. The original

  assignment of these monoplanes to FFA

  (Feldflieger Abteilung) field aviation units

  changed in early 1916 when the first German

  fighter units were formed. The Kampfeinsitzer

  Kommando (KeK) was a grouping of pilots still

  belonging to the respective FFA but assigned

  to fight enemy aircraft. Later, these pilots were

  allocated to the official fighter units, the Staffeln,

  in which many future aces grew up. One of them

  was Josef Carl Peter Jacobs, who spent the first

  year of his flying career as an observation pilot

  in FFA 11, only to join Fokkerstaffel West in April

  1916. He achieved his first confirmed victory in

  May when he shot down a two-seat Caudron and

  possibly an observation balloon. His Eindecker

  was given a coat of green paint on upper and side

  surfaces, which was complemented by brown

  patches, which camouflaged the aircraft not only

  in the air but also on the ground. By the end of the

  war, his tally stood at 48 victories. Jasta 12 was

  formed from the Fokkerstaffel West personnel

  on October 6, 1916, but Jacobs was transferred to

  Jasta 22 just a month later.

  The most successful surviving fighter of World

  War I was Ernst Udet, who started his flying

  career with Feldflieger Abteilung 206, from

  where he moved to FFA 68. There he was given

  his first Eindecker, but he destroyed it due to an

  engine malfunction during take-off. He was then

  assigned an older example of the same type.

  On March 18, 1916, Udet achieved his first aerial

  victory. Later that year, FAA 68 was transformed

  into Kampfeinsitzer Kommando Habsheim and

  then became Jasta 15 on September 28. Udet’s

  E.III was given paint of unspecified shade of

  green, which was complemented by an oblique

  black and white stripe. For this, the black section

  was later overpainted with a different shade of

  green. The color scheme and decals offer both

  variations.

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard

  57

  April 2024

• Page 58

  Gotthard Sachsenberg, MFFA I, April–November 1916

  Austro-Hungarian Navy, Abwehrflugstation Altura, Austro–Hungaria, 1918

  The second most successful fighter of the

  German Navy started his flying career as an

  observer in the Freiwilliges Marine-Fliegerkorps.

  In December 1914, he was transferred to

  Marine-Feldflieger-Abteilung I. In the first half

  of April 1916, the unit took over this D.III number

  LF196 and it most likely became the aircraft of

  the then newly trained fighter pilot Gotthard

  Sachnsenberg. The aircraft was left in gradually

  accumulated oil stains and other dirt and,

  according to photographs, was put "on its nose"

  by its pilot during an emergency landing near

  Ostend. We do not know when this happened,

  but the aircraft was subsequently taken to the

  airfield in a dismantled state and continued to fly

  until the end of November, when most E.IIIs were

  retired in favor of new Halberstadts.

  Within the Austro-Hungarian Air Force and

  Navy served Fokker E.IIIs with the designation

  A.III. Some of them had the Austro-Hungarian

  Schwarzlose machine gun installed instead of

  the original German LMG. However, this was not

  the case with this aircraft. This one was armed

  with the LMG machine gun, but it was the Navy

  version with simple gunsight and a slightly

  different perforation of the barrel housing.

  The A.III Fokkers were gradually withdrawn to

  training units, where they served during the

  last year of the war. This was also the case with

  this aircraft, which served for training at Altura

  airfield. There, on February 24, 1918, the Brno

  native Leodegar Ustynek fatally crashed during

  a training flight. When shooting on a target,

  the engine failed, the aircraft lost speed and

  crashed from a height of about 50 m. Interestingly,

  there are two types of crosses used on the

  aircraft. While on the wings there was an older

  type, on the fuselage a newer one was used.

  For the bottom surfaces, historians are inclined

  towards a light blue color.

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard58

  April 2024

• Page 59

  The ProfiPACK edition kit of Soviet Cold War

  jet aircraft MiG-21PFM in 1/48 scale.

  plastic parts: Eduard

  marking options: 5

  decals: Eduard

  PE parts: yes, pre-painted

  painting mask: yes

  resin parts: no

  Product page

  1/48

  MiG-21PFM

  #8237

  Re-release

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard

  59

  April 2024

• Page 60

  921 Fighter Regiment, Vietnamese People’s Army Air Force,

  Noi Bai airfield, Democratic Republic of Vietnam, 1968

  No. 7909, 11 Fighter Air Regiment, Czechoslovak Air Force, Žatec airfield,

  Czech and Slovak Federative Republic, March 1991

  Baurnal Higher Air Force School, Kamen na Obi/Slavgorod airbases,

  the Soviet Union, ca 1988

  This aircraft was flown by 921 Fighter Regiment

  “Sao Do” (Red Star) in 1968. The first examples

  of MiG-21PFM were delivered to this unit during

  that year. Some sources say that this particular

  aircraft was flown by Nguyen Van Coc, a fighter

  ace credited with nine kills. The B&W photos of

  this aircraft can be interpreted in several ways.

  One of the theories says that green splotches

  were sprayed on the upper sides. The splotches

  were not sharp-edged, and the surrounding area

  was also covered by the thin layer of the green

  color. This gave this area light-green appearance.

  The canopy frame and the antenna were left in

  natural metal finish.

  The No. 7909 MiG-21PFM was delivered to

  Czechoslovakia on January 29, 1969. At the

  beginning it was assigned to 9 slp (9th Fighter

  Air Regiment); from April 1973 served with 1 slp.

  From December 1982 onwards this aircraft was

  flown by 11 slp. It was put out of operation in March

  1991 and consequently flown to the disposal

  site at the Vodochody airfield on March 20, 1991.

  The coat of arms of Žatec town was painted on

  the nose, the yellow band on the tail identified

  the aircraft which was to be put out of operation.

  The rest of the aircraft remained in natural metal

  finish, which was a common practice regarding

  this type.

  Three-digit numbers were used for aircraft flown

  by Air Force schools in Soviet Union. The White

  105 served with Barnaul Highter Air Force School

  in late 80ties. The exact Regiment that flew this

  MiG is not known. It belonged either to 59 UAP

  (59th Training Air Regiment) based in Kamen na

  Obi AFB or to 96 UAP that used Slavgorod AFB

  as its home. The colorful camouflage was applied

  during the service in the school. Note the large

  area of the brown camouflage color under the

  white fuselage number, where the former two-

  digit number used by the frontline unit, the

  previous operator, was overpainted.

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard60

  April 2024

• Page 61

  Egyptian Air Force, Inshas air base, Arab Republic of Egypt, early 80´s

  1 Eskadra of the 62 Pułk Lotnictwa Myśliwskiego,

  Polish Air Force, Poznan – Krzesiny AB, Poland, 1994

  This aircraft is one of the few MiG-21PFMs flown

  by Egyptian Air Force following the Six-Day War.

  Prior to this Arab–Israeli conflict, total of 235

  various MiG-21s were delivered to Egypt but only

  about ten of them survived the war. The first

  and surprising Israeli aerial attack on Egyptian

  airbases on June 5, 1967, known as the Operation

  Moked, cost Egyptians about 90 of their MiG-21s

  itself. This aircraft was delivered to Egypt around

  1970 and took part in the US

  –

  Egyptian military

  exercise Bright Star in 1982.

  This aircraft had been delivered to Poland on

  April 5, 1968 and served with 34. Pułk Lotnictwa

  Myśliwskiego (34th Fighter Air Regiment). This

  profile depicts the 6910 how it looked during

  the service with 62. PLM. The tail marking was

  applied in connection with 40th anniversary

  of the unit establishment (1954 – 1994). In 1995

  the unit designation was changed to 3. PLM and

  according to this the number 62 in the unit badge

  on the A/C nose was replaced with the new one.

  This PFM was armed with GP-9 gun pod and

  Monsun rack for two R-3S missiles. The aircraft

  was oversprayed with thin layer of aluminium

  coat.

  Recommended:

  for MiG-21PFM 1/48

  49658 MiG-21PFM interior (PE

  -

  Set)

  648026 MiG-21 wheels (Brassin)

  648049 MiG-21 wheel wells (Brassin)

  648064 MiG-21 late airbrakes (Brassin)

  648080 MiG-21 undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)

  644090 MiG-21PFM LööK (Brassin)

  644099 MiG-21PFM grey LööK (Brassin)

  644102 MiG-21PFM LööKplus (Brassin)

  644109 MiG-21PFM grey LööKplus (Brassin)

  3DL48172 MiG-21PFM grey SPACE (3D Decal Set)

  3DL48173 MiG-21PFM turquoise SPACE (3D Decal Set)

  D48018 MiG-21PFM stencils (Decal Set)

  EX638 MiG-21PFM TFace (Mask)

  OVERTREES

  #8239X

  MiG-21PFM

  1/48

  Product page

  OVERLEPT

  #8237-LEPT1

  MiG-21PFM

  PE

  -

  Set 1/48

  Product page

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard

  61

  April 2024

• Page 62

  The ProfiPACK edition kit of US carrier

  based WWII fighter plane F6F-5 Hellcat

  in 1/72 scale.

  plastic parts: Eduard

  marking options: 4

  decals: Eduard

  PE parts: yes, pre-painted

  painting mask: yes

  resin parts: no

  Product page

  1/72

  F6F-5 Hellcat

  #7077

  Re-release

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard62

  April 2024

• Page 63

  BuNo 70143, Cdr. David McCampbell, CO of CAG-15 USS Essex (CV-9),

  October 1944

  Lt. Carl A. Brown Jr., VF-27, USS Princeton (CVL-23), October 1944

  David McCampbell, commander of the Carrier Air

  Group 15, was the most successful fighter pilot

  within the US Navy. He achieved at least 20 of his

  34 victories flying this Hellcat. During the Great

  Marianas Turkey Shoot on June 19, 1944, he shot

  down seven Japanese aircraft and a few days

  later, on October 24, another nine during fight

  against a large Japanese numerical advantage.

  He was twice awarded the Congressional Medal

  of Honor. “Minsi III” was lost in December 1944 in

  an accident when flown by another pilot.

  “Paper Doll” was the personal mount of Lt. (jg)

  Robert Burnell. The distinctive shark mouth

  painting was used on the earlier aircraft by

  the squadron, and it appears here in a simpler

  form. On October 24, 1944, during the Battle of

  Leyte Gulf, Lt. Carl A. Brown intercepted a large

  formation of enemy aircraft at a time when the

  USS Princeton had suffered serious damage.

  During the intercept, Lt. Brown was able to

  down five of the Japanese aircraft but was hit

  and injured himself. He landed on the USS Essex

  (CV-9), as the Princeton was out of action. “Paper

  Doll” was pushed overboard to make room for

  other landing aircraft.

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard

  63

  April 2024

• Page 64

  BuNo 72534, Ens. Donald McPherson, Bill Kingston, Jr., Lyttleton Ward,

  VF-83, USS Essex (CV-9), May 1945

  Lt. Leo Bob McCuddin, VF-20, USS Enterprise (CV-6), October 1944

  Starting from the end of January 1945, US Navy

  aircraft in the Pacific carried striking geometric

  symbols. Two white triangles belonged to aircraft

  of the USS Essex. White 115 also sported an

  emblem consisting of a skull and crossbones

  and the inscription “Death and Destruction”.

  The victory marks painted on the cockpit sides

  possibly included all the success achieved by

  the pilots who flew the plane. White 115 was

  mostly flown by Ensigns Donald McPherson,

  Bill Kingston, Jr., and Lyttleton Ward. The last

  mentioned downed three Alfs and one Oscar

  during one of the most concentrated kamikaze

  attacks on TF-58 ships on May 4, 1945. During this

  event Ward attained the ace status

  Famous Navy pilot Leo Bob McCuddin flew this

  aircraft on many of his combat sorties. He flew

  F6F Hellcats as a pilot with VF-20 from the USS

  Enterprise from April 1944. All five of his victories

  were gained during his combat tour with

  VF-20. He participated in the attack on the “Fuso”

  Class battleship and in the sinking of an escort

  destroyer during the Battle of the Philippine Sea

  on October 24 and 25, 1944.

  OVERTREES

  #7077X

  F6F-5 / Hellcat Mk.II

  1/72

  Product page

  OVERLEPT

  #7077-LEPT1

  F6F-5 Hellcat

  PE

  -

  Set 1/72

  Product page

  Recommended:

  for F6F-5 Hellcat 1/72

  73792 F6F-3 (PE

  -

  Set)

  672038 US 250lb bombs (Brassin)

  672203 F6F wheels (Brassin)

  672345 F6F wheel bays PRINT (Brassin)

  #672345#672203

  KITS 04/2024

  INFO Eduard64

  April 2024

• Page 65

  www.eduard.com/bfc

  BUNNY BUNNY FIGHTERFIGHTER

  CLUB

  Eduard's special membership club for all modeling enthusiasts!

  15% Permanent Club discount at Eduard Store – you will receive permanent 15% discount on all Eduard

  products and also discount on various other non-Eduard products. Fixed, permanent, forever!

  Unique valuable Club kits and accessories – you will gain access to unique and nowhere else to be sold

  products, specially made for BFC members.

  Even better prices at Eduard events stand – do you know that Eduard usually has huge discounts on

  their products at fairs and events all over the world? BFC members will have even higher discount at

  these events.

  Club T-shirt – you will receive fancy BFC T-shirt with unique design and special barcode

  (used for event discounts). This exclusive T-shirt will be only available

  to the members of BFC.

  Free entry fee on E-day – you will not have to pay a penny to visit Eduard's E-day.

  That means lot of fun at E-day for two days and entry kit, absolutely free!

  * E-day - INTERNATIONAL SCALE KIT EXHIBITION - IPMS Czech Republic Championship

  BOX CONTENT:

  Plastic parts, Marking options 6, Decal Set, PE parts, Maska, Brassin

  parts (two different types of wheels, landing flaps, dust filter with

  eyelid, intake ring and RP-3 60lb rockets), 3D decals for main and si

  -

  dewalk instrument and control panels with photo-etched details and

  seat belts.

  BOX CONTENT:

  Plastic parts, Marking options 4, Decal Set, PE parts, Maska, Brassin

  parts (undercarriage wheels, cockpit, exhaust nozzle, FOD).

  How to become a member of BFC?How to become a member of BFC?

  Simply by purchasing the Activation product. You will be given 15% discount on (almost) every Eduard

  product in your shopping cart. To apply this discount, the Activation product has to be in your shopping

  cart. Activation product is excluded from this calculation.

  Activation products:Activation products:

  Tempest Mk. V + T-shirt 1/48MiG-21MF + T-shirt 1/72

• Page 66

  BRASSIN

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seatbelts for F-5E in 1/48 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: AFV Club / Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seatbelts for F-35B in 1/48 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Tamiya

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  644258

  F-5E LööK

  1/48 AFV Club/Eduard

  644259

  F-35B LööK

  1/48 Tamiya

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard66

  April 2024

• Page 67

  644260

  Sea King HU.5 LööKplus

  1/48 Airfix

  Collection of 3 sets for Sea King HU.5 in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Airfix

  - LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)

  - TFace painting mask

  - undercarriage wheels

  BRASSIN

  Collection of 4 sets for TBF-1C in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Academy

  - LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)

  - TFace painting mask

  - undercarriage wheels

  - seats

  644261

  TBF-1C LööKplus

  1/48 Academy

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  67

  April 2024

• Page 68

  BRASSIN

  Collection of 4 sets for TBM-3 in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Academy

  - LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)

  - TFace painting mask

  - undercarriage wheels

  - seats

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seatbelts for Bf 109G-2 in 1/72 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  644262

  TBM-3 LööKplus

  1/48 Academy

  674004

  Bf 109G-2 LööK

  1/72 Eduard

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard68

  April 2024

• Page 69

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - a cockpit for F-16C Block 42

  (pre-2006 production) in 1/48 scale.

  Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Kinetic

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 14 parts

  - resin: 1 part, pre-painted

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seatbelts for Bf 109G-4 in 1/72 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  674005

  Bf 109G-4 LööK

  1/72 Eduard

  Product page

  Product page

  648970

  F-16C Block 42 till 2005 cockpit PRINT

  1/48 Kinetic

  INFO Eduard

  69

  April 2024

• Page 70

  648971

  F-16C Block 42 from 2006 cockpit PRINT

  1/48 Kinetic

  648974

  F-16C wheel bays early PRINT

  1/48 Kinetic

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - a cockpit for F-16C Block 42

  (2006 onwards production) in 1/48 scale.

  Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Kinetic

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 14 parts

  - resin: 1 part, pre-painted

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - wheel bays for F-16C in 1/48 scale.

  The set consists of nose and main wheel bays.

  Made by direct 3D printing. Recommended kit: Kinetic

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 10 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard70

  April 2024

• Page 71

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - airbrakes (an early production type)

  for Su-25 in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Zvezda

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 4 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  648981

  Su-25 airbrakes early PRINT

  1/48 Zvezda

  Brassin set - gun muzzle for Su-25

  in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Zvezda

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 1 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  648980

  Su-25 gun muzzle PRINT

  1/48 Zvezda

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  71

  April 2024

• Page 72

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - right engine for P-38J

  in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Tamiya

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 48 parts

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for F4U-1A

  and F4U-2 in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main

  wheels and a tail wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces

  plastic parts. Recommended kit: Magic Factory

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  648985

  F4U wheels

  1/48 Magic Factory

  648982

  P-38J right engine PRINT

  1/48 Tamiya

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard72

  April 2024

• Page 73

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - engine for Bf 109G-2 and Bf 109G-4

  in 1/72 scale. The cownlings are included.

  Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 18 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  672353

  Bf 109G-2/G-4 engine PRINT

  1/72 Eduard

  Product page

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for Me 410

  in 1/72 scale. The set consists of the main wheels.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Airfix

  Set contains:

  - resin: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  672354

  Me 410 wheels

  1/48 Airfix

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  73

  April 2024

• Page 74

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - gun barrels for Bf 109G-5 a Bf 109G-6

  in 1/72 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 4 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - exhaust stacks for Me 410

  in 1/72 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Airfix

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 8 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  672356

  Me 410 exhaust stacks PRINT

  1/72 Airfix

  672355

  Bf 109G-5/G-6 gun barrels PRINT

  1/72 Eduard

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard74

  April 2024

• Page 75

  Dunstable Business Centre, Office Suite No.2, Blackburn Road, Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire LU5 5BQ

  Tel: +44 (0)1582 668411, Email: kim@guidelinepublications.co.uk

  All major credit cards accepted.

  Orders can be placed by mail, telephone, email or through the website.

  (www.guidelinepublications.co.uk) Plus postage and packing on all

  orders. Overseas readers pay postage at air mail printed paper rate.

  Warpaint on the web

  For more information and secure ordering please visit:

  www.guidelinepublications.co.uk

  1 Bristol Beaufighter £13.00

  2 Blackburn Buccaneer £13.00

  3 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka £13.00

  4 North American F-100 Super Sabre £13.00

  5 Hawker Typhoon £13.00

  6 Avro Shackleton £14.00

  7 Junkers Ju 88 £13.00

  8 Hawker Hunter £17.00

  9 Grumman F4F Wildcat/Martlet £13.00

  10 Vickers Wellington £13.00

  11 de Havilland Sea Vixen £13.00

  12 Fairey Swordfish £15.00

  13 Focke Wolfe Fw 200 Condor £14.00

  14 BAC Lightning £18.00

  15 Short Stirling £14.00

  16 Hawker Sea Fury £13.00

  17 Gloster Javelin £14.00

  18 Douglas Skyraider £14.00

  19 de Havilland Hornet and Sea Hornet £14.00

  20 Supermarine Seafire (Griffon engine) £15.00

  21 Armstrong Whitworth Whitley £14.00

  22 Gloster Meteor £20.00

  23 Fairey Gannet £15.00

  24 Dornier Do 217 £14.00

  25 Short Sunderland £14.00

  26 Bristol Blenheim £15.00

  27 de Havilland Vampire £20.00

  28 Fairey Firefly £17.00

  29 Hawker Sea Hawk £15.00

  30 Avro Vulcan £16.00

  31 RAF/RN Phantoms £17.00

  32 Douglas A-20 Boston/Havoc £17.00

  33 Heinkel He 177 £14.00

  34 Avro Lincoln £16.00

  35 Fairey Barracuda £15.00

  36 Handley Page Victor £16.00

  37 Gloster Gladiator £17.00

  38 Republic F-105 Thunderchief £15.00

  39 Supermarine Walrus £13.00

  40 Canadair/Commonwealth Sabre £16.00

  41 Fairey Fulmar £15.00

  42 Boulton Paul Defiant £13.00

  43 Lockheed F-104 Starfighter £18.00

  44 de Havilland Venom £15.00

  45 Martin B-57 Canberra £16.00

  46 Handley Page Halifax £17.00

  47 McDonnell F-101 Voodoo £15.00

  48 Westland Lysander £15.00

  49 Fiat G.91 £15.00

  50 Bristol Beaufort £15.00

  51 Lockheed Neptune £16.00

  52 Fairey Albacore £15.00

  53 Avro Anson £16.00

  54 Westland Whirlwind F.Mk I £13.00

  55 Hawker Tempest £14.00

  56 Blackburn Firebrand £14.00

  57 Handley Page Hampden £14.00

  58 Supermarine Swift £14.00

  59 Lockheed Hudson £14.00

  60 English Electric Canberra £20.00

  61 Savoia Marchetti S.79 Sparviero £14.00

  62 Handley Page Hastings £14.00

  63 Vickers Valiant £14.00

  64 Convair F-102 £15.00

  65 Westland Wessex £17.00

  66 Bristol Bulldog £13.00

  67 Folland Gnat and Ajeet £13.00

  68 Bristol Brigand £13.00

  69 Martin B-26 Marauder £14.00

  70 Vought Corsair £18.00

  71 Armstrong Whitworth 650/660 Argosy £14.00

  72 Vickers Supermarine Merlin Seafire £14.00

  73 North American B-25 Mitchell £15.00

  74 Hawker Siddeley Harrier £17.00

  75 BAe Sea Harrier £15.00

  76 Grumman Tracker/Trader/Tracer £17.00

  77 Curtiss P-40 £15.00

  78 Aer Macchi C.202-205 Folgore-Veltro £15.00

  79 Consolidated PBY Catalina £17.00

  80 Saab Draken £17.00

  81 Junkers Ju 52 £14.00

  82 BAC Jet Provost £17.00

  83 Fairey Battle £17.00

  84 Grumman F6F Hellcat £18.00

  85 Supermarine Scimitar £15.00

  86 Vickers Wellesley £15.00

  87 Grumman Avenger £18.00

  88 Lockheed T-33A £15.00

  89 Avro Lancaster £18.00

  90 Boeing B-17 £18.00

  91 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 'Fishbed' £27.00

  92 Grumman HU-16 Albatross £17.00

  93 Messerschmitt Me 262 £15.00

  94 Supermarine Attacker £15.00

  95 Westland Sea King £18.00

  96 Consolidated B-24 Liberator £27.00

  97 North American RA-5C Vigilante £18.00

  98 Avro York £17.00

  99 McDonnell Demon £17.00

  100 Republic F-84F and RF-84F £20.00

  101 de Havilland D.H.82 Tiger Moth £16.00

  102 Convair B-36 £16.00

  103 Avro Manchester £14.00

  104 General Dynamics F-111 & EF-111A £20.00

  105 Sopwith Pup £14.00

  106 Sikorsky S-55/H-19 & Westland Whirlwind £18.00

  107 Ilyushin Il-2 ‘Sturmovik’ £15.00

  108 Martin Mariner and Marlin £17.00

  109 Douglas C-54/R5D Skymaster & DC-4 £21.00

  110 Westland Scout & Wasp £16.00

  111 Vought OS2U Kingfisher £16.00

  112 Douglas A3D Skywarrior £20.00

  113 Panavia Tornado ADV £17.00

  114 McDonnell F-4 Phantom II £25.00

  115 Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle £14.00

  116 Hawker Fury and Nimrod £17.00

  117 Douglas F4D/F-6 Skyray & F5D Skylancer £15.00

  118 NAA B-45 Tornado £16.00

  119 Grumman F9F Panther £15.00

  120 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 £17.00

  121 Douglas A-4 Skyhawk £26.00

  122 Albatros D.I - D.III £16.00

  123 de Havilland (Canada) Chipmunk £15.00

  124 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 £17.00

  125 Bristol Britannia, Argus and Yukon £17.00

  126 Grumman F-14 Tomcat £26.00

  127 Cessna T-37 A/B/C and A-37 A/B £21.00

  128 Bristol Scout £15.00

  129 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 £18.00

  130 Ilyushin Il-28 £18.00

  131 Auster in British Military & foreign air arm service £18.00

  132 Boeing B-52 Stratofortress £25.00

  133 Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota £25.00

  134 Aero L-29 Delfin £21.00

  135 DH.89 Dragon Rapide & Dominie £17.00

  136 Airspeed Oxford & Consul £18.00

  137 Douglas SBD Dauntless £28.00

  138 Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk £18.00

  139 de Havilland (Canada) DHC-2 Beaver £18.00

  Warpaint Specials

  No.1 Republic P-47 Thunderbolt £19.00

  No.2 Messerschmitt Bf 109 £25.00

  No.3 de Havilland Mosquito £25.00

  No.4 Cessna Bird Dog £12.00

  No.5 NAA P-51 Mustang and Derivatives £22.00

  No.6 Dambusters and the Lancaster £20.00

  The Vickers VC.1 Viking was a British twin-engine short-range airliner derived from the Vickers Wellington

  bomber and built by Vickers-Armstrongs Limited at Brooklands near Weybridge in Surrey. After the Second

  World War, the Viking was an important airliner with British airlines, pending the development of turboprop

  aircraft like the Viscount. An experimental airframe was fitted with Rolls-Royce Nene turbojets and first flown

  in 1948 as the world's first pure jet transport aircraft. Military developments were the Vickers Valetta and

  the Vickers Varsity. The Valetta was a military derivative of the Viking developed in transport and

  training variants for the Royal Air Force. The Varsity was a versatile twin piston-engined aircraft

  developed from the Viking and Valetta but with a tricycle undercarriage and ventral pannier for

  bomb-aimer training, among other changes. It was brought into RAF service in 1951 for crew

  training as a replacement for the Wellington T10. The most outstanding quality of the Varsity was that

  it could provide excellent training for pilots, flight engineers, radio operators, navigators and bomb

  aimers simultaneously. The prototype Varsity T Mk I made its maiden flight on 17 July 1949. The RAF

  took its first deliveries in October 1951 which went to No.201 Squadron, Advanced Flying School at

  Swinderby, Lincolnshire. Production of the Varsity T Mk I for the RAF ceased on 28 February 1954 after a total of 163 had

  been built, the type serving the RAF faithfully until being withdrawn from use in 1976. This Warpaint relates the history of all three types,

  focussing on the military operators, as per the series title. It is profusely illustrated by over 100 top quality photographs, nearly all in colour from the

  author’s extensive photograph archive and supported by the excellent colour profiles and plans by Sam Pearson.

  Vickers

  VVIIKKIINNGG,, VVAALLEETTTTAA && VVAARRSSIITTYY

  In military service

  Adrian M. Balch

  Varsity T.1s, WL629-K & WJ917-AA, of RAF

  5 FTS near Oakington, Cambridgeshire in

  1968 (Author's collection)

  WARPAINT SERIES No.141

  ty.qxp_Warpaint Master 28/12/2023 10:10 Page 54

  The full story of the first true Multi-Role Combat Aircraft, the OV-10 Bronco, still flying operationally after

  nearly six decades of service, is told here for the first time in a bumper 104-page Warpaint. Detailed first-

  hand information gathered over many years has enabled the author to bring together the many facets of

  this remarkably versatile aircraft including pre-cursors, competitors and prototypes, through Vietnam and

  combat service with some eleven US and foreign Air Arms, and its part in the development of modern

  precision weapons, to its astonishing array of uses since. These include fighting drug cartels in Columbia,

  fires in California, mosquitos in South Carolina, and ISIS in Northern Iraq. Also, finally covered in full and

  accurate detail are the German ‘jet’ Broncos. The world’s largest restoration project and current training

  of US and NATO JTACS bring the story up to date. De-classified information has made it possible to

  detail for the first time all the long-nose D model conversions and all the Broncos that served in Desert

  Storm, their preparation, the epic trans-continental deployment of one squadron by air, and the key role

  played by the Broncos during the war. The detailed and revealing narrative is copiously illustrated

  throughout with fully captioned photographs - many previously unseen- and backed by personal

  accounts, Individual aircraft histories, airframe lists, scale plans and specially commissioned art work

  with comprehensive colour scheme information.

  All these titles are available in printed format via our on demand printing service. Please contact our office for further information.

  £19.00

  Warpaint series No.141

  Orders from the world’s book

  and hobby trade are invited

  New

  release

  Previous Warpaint titles

  £28.00

  Warpaint series No.140

  G

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  D

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  Vickers

  V

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  North American

  OOVV--1100 BBrroonnccoo

  By Mike Verier

  'Triple nuts' the CO of VMO-2's aircraft, on the ramp at MCAS

  Camp Pendleton in 1987, freshly painted in the then-new three-

  colour camouflage. Like all D models 155499 was converted from

  a Vietnam era OV-10A. Subsequently upgraded to 'D+' '499 went

  on to serve in Desert Storm and is today preserved at Pima

  County Air & Space Museum. (Mike Verier)

  WARPAINT SERIES No.140

  0 Warpaint OV-10 Bronco.qxp_Warpaint Master 02/10/2023 18:50 Page 54

  Warpaint 141 Viking Valetta Varsity + OV-10 Bronco.qxp_Warpaint Advert 04/01/2024 20:05 Page 1

• Page 76

  BRASSIN

  Collection of 4 sets for FM-1 in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  - engine

  - wheel bay

  - landing flaps

  - gun bays

  All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,

  but with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30 %.

  SIN648123

  FM-1 ADVANCED

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  INFO Eduard76

  April 2024

• Page 77

  BRASSIN

  Collection of 5 sets for F-35B in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Tamiya

  - AIM-120C AMRAAM (2pcs)

  - GBU-12 bomb

  - GBU-39 w/ BRU-61

  - AIM-9X

  - GBU-31(V)1/B JDAM

  All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately, but

  with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30 %.

  SIN648124

  F-35B ARMAMENT

  1/48 Tamiya

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  77

  April 2024

• Page 78

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  APRIL 2024

  HMS Ark Royal 1939

  1/350 I LOVE KIT

  #53305; #53306; #53307; #53308

  INFO Eduard78

  April 2024

• Page 79

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  INFO Eduard

  79

  April 2024

• Page 80

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer

  1/35 Takom

  #36517

  INFO Eduard80

  April 2024

• Page 81

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  MiG-29K

  1/48 Hobby Boss

  #491436

  #FE1436

  #FE1437

  INFO Eduard

  81

  April 2024

• Page 82

  U-2R

  1/48 Hobby Boss

  #491438

  #FE1438

  #FE1437

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  INFO Eduard82

  April 2024

• Page 83

  OV-10D+

  1/72 ICM

  #73820

  #SS820

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  INFO Eduard

  83

  April 2024

• Page 84

  INFO Eduard84

  April 2024

• Page 85

  B-17 ACCESSORIES

  INFO Eduard

  85

  April 2024

• Page 86

  B-17 ACCESSORIES

  INFO Eduard86

  April 2024

• Page 87

  B-17 ACCESSORIES

  INFO Eduard

  87

  April 2024

• Page 88

  B-17 ACCESSORIES

  INFO Eduard88

  April 2024

• Page 89

• Page 90

  3DL48168 U-2R SPACE 1/48 Hobby Boss

  3DL48169

  MiG-29K SPACE 1/48 Hobby Boss

  Product page

  Product page

  easy

  application

  INFO Eduard90

  April 2024

• Page 91

  SPACE

  3DL48170 P-47D-30 SPACE 1/48 MINIART

  3DL48171

  Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster SPACE 1/48 HKM

  SPACE

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  91

  April 2024

• Page 92

  3DL48173 MiG-21PFM turquoise SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  SPACE

  3DL48172 MiG-21PFM grey SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  INFO Eduard92

  April 2024

• Page 93

  SPACE

  3DL72029 OV-10D+ SPACE 1/72 ICM

  3DL72030

  PBM-5A SPACE 1/72 Academy

  SPACE

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  93

  April 2024

• Page 94

  BIG ED

  All sets included in this BIG ED are available separately,

  but with every BIG ED set you save up to 30 %.

  BIG5370 USS Nimitz CVN-68 PART II 1/350 Trumpeter

  BIG33160

  F-35B 1/32 Trumpeter

  53298 USS Nimitz CVN-68 part 4 1/350

  53299 USS Nimitz CVN-68 part 5 1/350

  53300 USS Nimitz CVN-68 part 6 1/350

  53301 USS Nimitz CVN-68 part 7 1/350

  32886 Remove Before Flight STEEL

  321016 F-35B 1/32

  33364 F-35B seatbelrs STEEL 1/32

  JX322 F-35B 1/32

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard94

  April 2024

• Page 95

  All sets included in this BIG ED are available separately,

  but with every BIG ED set you save up to 30 %.

  BIG ED

  BIG49400 Hurricane Mk.IIc 1/48 Hobby Boss

  BIG49401

  P-47D-25 1/48 MINIART

  BIG49402

  Fulmar Mk.I 1/48 Trumpeter

  481128 Hurricane Mk.IIc landing flaps 1/48

  491411 Hurricane Mk.IIc 1/48

  FE1412 Hurricane Mk.IIc seatbelts STEEL 1/48

  EX1000 Hurricane Mk.IIc TFace 1/48

  491407 P-47D-25 1/48

  FE1408 P-47D-25 seatbelts STEEL 1/48

  EX997 P-47D-25 1/48

  491409 Fulmar Mk.I 1/48

  FE1410 Fulmar Mk.I seatbelts STEEL 1/48

  EX999 Fulmar Mk.I TFace 1/48

  Product page

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  95

  April 2024

• Page 96

  MASKS

  EX1021 U-2R

  1/48 Hobby Boss

  EX1022 U-2R TFace

  1/48 Hobby Boss

  EX1023 MiG-29K

  1/48 Hobby Boss

  EX1024 MiG-29K TFace

  1/48 Hobby Boss

  EX1025 P-47D-30

  1/48 MINIART

  EX1026 P-47D-30 TFace

  1/48 MINIART

  EX1027 Lancaster B Mk.III

  Dambuster 1/48 HKM

  EX1028 Lancaster B Mk.III

  Dambuster TFace

  1/48 HKM

  CX661 OV-10D+

  1/72 ICM

  EX1022 U-2R TFace

  EX1024 MiG-29K TFace

  EX1024 MiG-29K TFace

  EX1024 MiG-29K TFace

  EX1024 MiG-29K TFace

  EX1022 U-2R TFace

  EX1021 U-2R

  EX1023 MiG-29K

  EX1023 MiG-29K

  EX1021 U-2R

  EX1022 U-2R TFace

  EX1022 U-2R TFace

  IT FITS!

  INFO Eduard96

  April 2024

• Page 97

  EX1026 P-47D-30 TFace

  EX1028 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster TFace

  EX1026 P-47D-30 TFace

  EX1028 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster TFace

  EX1026 P-47D-30 TFace

  EX1028 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster TFace

  EX1026 P-47D-30 TFace

  EX1028 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster TFace

  EX1025 P-47D-30

  EX1027 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster

  EX1025 P-47D-30

  EX1027 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster

  CX661 OV-10D+ CX661 OV-10D+

  INFO Eduard

  97

  April 2024

  MASKS

• Page 98

  RELEASES

  APRIL 2024

  KITS

  PE

  -

  SETS

  ZOOMS

  MASKS

  2145 Gustav pt. 2 Dual Combo 1/72 Limited

  82203 F4F-4 Wildcat late 1/48 ProfiPACK

  8419 Fokker E.III 1/48 Weekend

  8237 MiG-21PFM Re-release 1/48 ProfiPACK

  7077 F6F-5 Hellcat Re-release 1/48 ProfiPACK

  53307 HMS Ark Royal 1939 part 3 1/350 I LOVE KIT

  53308 HMS Ark Royal 1939 part 4 1/350 I LOVE KIT

  36517 Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer 1/35 Takom

  481133 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster

  undercarriage 1/48 HKM

  481134 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster

  landing flaps 1/48 HKM

  481135 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster bomb bay 1/48 HKM

  481136 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster radiators 1/48 HKM

  491432 P-47D-30 1/48 MINIART

  491434 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster cockpit 1/48 HKM

  491436 MiG-29K 1/48 Hobby Boss

  491438 U-2R 1/48 Hobby Boss

  72735 PBM-5A exterior 1/72 Academy

  72736 PBM-5A bomb bay 1/72 Academy

  73820 OV-10D+ 1/72 ICM

  73821 PBM-5A interior 1/72 Academy

  FE1432 P-47D-30 1/48 MINIART

  FE1433 P-47D-30 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 MINIART

  FE1434 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster 1/48 HKM

  FE1435 Lancaster B Mk.III

  Dambuster seatbelts STEEL 1/48 HKM

  FE1436 MiG-29K 1/48 Hobby Boss

  FE1437 MiG-29K seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Hobby Boss

  FE1438 U-2R 1/48 Hobby Boss

  FE1439 U-2R seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Hobby Boss

  SS820 OV-10D+ 1/72 ICM

  SS821 PBM-5A 1/72 Academy

  SS822 PBM-5A seatbelts STEEL 1/72 Academy

  EX1021 U-2R 1/48 Hobby Boss

  EX1022 U-2R TFace 1/48 Hobby Boss

  EX1023 MiG-29K 1/48 Hobby Boss

  EX1024 MiG-29K TFace 1/48 Hobby Boss

  EX1025 P-47D-30 1/48 MINIART

  EX1026 P-47D-30 TFace 1/48 MINIART

  EX1027 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster 1/48 HKM

  EX1028 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster TFace 1/48 HKM

  CX661 OV-10D+ 1/72 ICM

  BIG ED

  BIG5370 USS Nimitz CVN-68 PART II 1/350 Trumpeter

  BIG33160 F-35B 1/32 Trumpeter

  BIG49400 Hurricane Mk.IIc 1/48 Hobby Boss

  BIG49401 P-47D-25 1/48 MINIART

  BIG49402 Fulmar Mk.I 1/48 Trumpeter

  BIG-EDBIG-ED

  INFO Eduard98

  April 2024

• Page 99

  RELEASES

  BRASSIN

  LöökPLUS

  BIG SIN

  SPACE

  644258 F-5E LööK 1/48 AFV Club/Eduard

  644259 F-35B LööK 1/48 Tamiya

  674004 Bf 109G-2 LööK 1/72 Eduard

  674005 Bf 109G-4 LööK 1/72 Eduard

  648970 F-16C Block 42 till 2005 cockpit PRINT 1/48 Kinetic

  648971 F-16C Block 42 from 2006 cockpit PRINT 1/48 Kinetic

  648974 F-16C wheel bays early PRINT 1/48 Kinetic

  648980 Su-25 gun muzzle PRINT 1/48 Zvezda

  648981 Su-25 airbrakes early PRINT 1/48 Zvezda

  648982 P-38J right engine PRINT 1/48 Tamiya

  648985 F4U wheels 1/48 Magic Factory

  672353 Bf 109G-2/G-4 engine PRINT 1/72 Eduard

  672354 Me 410 wheels 1/72 Airfix

  672355 Bf 109G-5/G-6 gun barrels PRINT 1/72 Eduard

  672356 Me 410 exhaust stacks PRINT 1/72 Airfix

  644260 Sea King HU.5 LööKplus 1/48 Airfix

  644261 TBF-1C LööKplus 1/48 Academy

  644262 TBM-3 LööKplus 1/48 Academy

  SIN648123 FM-1 ADVANCED 1/48 Eduard

  SIN648124 F-35B ARMAMENT 1/48 Tamiya

  3DL48168 U-2R SPACE 1/48 Hobby Boss

  3DL48169 MiG-29K SPACE 1/48 Hobby Boss

  3DL48170 P-47D-30 SPACE 1/48 MINIART

  3DL48171 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster SPACE 1/48 HKM

  3DL48172 MiG-21PFM grey SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  3DL48173 MiG-21PFM turquoise SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  3DL72029 OV-10D+ SPACE 1/72 ICM

  3DL72030 PBM-5A SPACE 1/72 Academy

  APRIL 2024

  INFO Eduard

  99

  April 2024

• Page 100

  BUILT

  1/48

  built by Karel Pádár

  #8114

  Albatros D.III

  Oblt. Rudolf Berthold, Jasta 18, Harelbeke, Belgium, September 1917

  Shortly after taking command of Jasta 18, Rudolf

  Berthold introduced a new livery for the unit’s

  aircraft. It consisted of a red nose and blue

  fuselage and possibly also of blue on the upper

  surfaces of both wings. These were the uniform

  colors of the infantry regiment with which

  Berthold served before the war. The red and blue

  livery was first applied to Berthold’s Albatros D.III,

  built in Johannisthal, but during the autumn of 1917

  Berthold flew one more Albatros, this one built in

  Schneidemühl (O.A.W.). This aircraft carried the

  same paint scheme, but it is likely that the upper

  surfaces of the lower wing retained the original

  camouflage paint. Berthold crashed this aircraft

  under unclear circumstances, probably shortly

  before suffering a devastating gunshot wound to

  his right arm while flying a second Albatros on

  October 10, 1917. This injury took him out of combat

  for a long time and left his right arm permanently

  paralyzed. After the war, Berthold formed his

  own Freikorps infantry unit and fought against

  the Bolsheviks. These battles proved fatal for him,

  however, when he was attacked and lynched by

  an angry mob in Hamburg as he retreated from

  combat on March 15, 1919.

  Product page

  INFO Eduard100

  April 2024

• Page 101

  BUILT

  D.1996/16, Lt. Hans-Georg Edward Lübbert, Jasta 11, La Brayelle, France, March 1917

  This attractively colored Albatross D.III was

  a personal mount of Edward Lübert during

  his service with Jasta 11. According to the

  interpretation of the black and white photographs,

  the aircraft most likely bore a yellow and blue

  fuselage livery, with the order of colors being

  reversed on the left and right sides, as well as

  on the rudder and vertical stabilizer. However,

  the serial number was left unpainted on the

  wooden base on both sides. Lübbert was

  wounded in combat with this aircraft on March

  6, 1917 (shoulder gunshot wound) but managed

  to land it and Manfred von Richthofen flew it

  back to the unit. The Red Baron also borrowed

  Lübbert’s aircraft on March 17 and scored his 27th

  kill with it. Less than two weeks later, on March

  30, Lübbert was shot down and killed, but he did

  not fly this aircraft on that occasion. It remained

  with the unit until May 11, 1917, after which it was

  used by Lt. Rudolf Hohberg of FF(A) 263 for photo

  reconnaissance purposes. Edward Lübbert was

  nicknamed Kugelfang (bullet catcher), as there

  was perhaps not a single engagement from which

  his aircraft did not bring some sort of damage.

  On the D.1996/16 there are patches of shots-

  through of the vertical stabilizer clearly visible.

  INFO Eduard

  101

  April 2024

• Page 102

  1/48

  built by Josef Choreň

  #11179

  MARKING A

  Sparviero

  SM.79

  EDUARD

  EDUARD

  EDUARD

  Accessories used:

  481129 SM.79 bomb bay (PE

  -

  Set)

  481130 SM.79 undercarriage (PE

  -

  Set)

  648963 Italian WWII torpedo A.130 (Brassin)

  Built video here.

  BUILT

  INFO Eduard102

  April 2024

• Page 103

  BUILT

  MM23838, Capt. Carlo E. Buscaglia, 281

  a

  Squadriglia, 132

  o

  Gruppo AS, Gadurra, Rhodes, summer 1941

  Carlo Emanuele Buscaglia started his military

  career with the 50a Bomber Squadriglia and in

  the ranks of 252a Sq., he took part in a combat

  baptism, a raid on the port of Marseille, on June

  21, 1940. His fame began to rise after training for

  torpedo attacks and his subsequent assignment

  to 278a Sq. operating from El Adem. Tenente

  Buscaglia hit the heavy cruiser Kent, the light

  cruiser Glasgow and several transport ships

  during his stay with the unit. On March 5, 1941,

  281a Squadriglia was formed, and Capitano

  Buscaglia was appointed as commanding

  officer, subsequently becoming CO of the 132o

  Gruppo in early April 1942. On November 12, 1942,

  a Sparviero flown by Buscaglia was shot down

  by a Spitfire and Buscaglia was declared dead.

  However, he survived with severe injuries and

  burns and was transferred to a POW camp at

  Fort Meade, MD. After the surrender of Italy,

  Allies offered him command of the 28o Gruppo

  Bombardemento. Ironically, his former 132o

  Gruppo, now operating on the ANR side, was

  renamed 1o Gruppo Aerosiluranti Buscaglia.

  On August 23, 1944, Buscaglia crashed while

  taking off. His Baltimore exploded and Buscaglia

  succumbed to his injuries and burns the following

  day.

  INFO Eduard

  103

  April 2024

• Page 104

  BUILT

  Spitfire Mk.Vc

  built by Mariusz Hasiuk

  #82126

  1/48

  Product page

  INFO Eduard104

  April 2024

• Page 105

  BUILT

  INFO Eduard

  105

  April 2024

• Page 106

  ON APPROACH

  MAY 2024

  644263

  Gannet AS.1/AS.4 LööK

  1/48 Airfix

  644266

  Bf 108 LööK

  1/48 Eduard

  674006

  Bf 109G-6 LööK

  1/72 Eduard

  648268

  P-51B/C LööK

  1/48 Eduard

  BIG5371 USS Iowa BB-61 1/350 Hobby Boss

  BIG49403 Ki-21-I 1/48 ICM

  BIG49404 Go 244B 1/48 ICM

  BIG49405 SM.79 1/48 Eduard

  644263 Gannet AS.1/AS.4 LööK 1/48 Airfix

  644266 Bf 108 LööK 1/48 Eduard

  644268 P-51B/C LööK 1/48 Eduard

  674006 Bf 109G-6 LööK 1/72 Eduard

  674007 Bf 109F LööK 1/72 Eduard

  648972 F-16C Block 52 till 1996 cockpit PRINT 1/48 Kinetic

  648973 F-16C Block 52 from 1997 cockpit PRINT 1/48 Kinetic

  648984 F-16C wheel bays late PRINT 1/48 Kinetic

  648986 P-51B/C wheels diamond tread 1/48 Eduard

  648987 P-51B/C wheels oval tread 1/48 Eduard

  648988 P-51B/C wheels cross tread 1/48 Eduard

  648992 P-51B/C exhaust stacks 1/48 Eduard

  648993 P-51B/C exhaust stacks w/fairing 1/48 Eduard

  648994 P-51B/C undercarriage legs BRONZE 1/48 Eduard

  648995 F-35B lift fan PRINT 1/48 Tamiya

  648996 Gannet wheels 1/48 Airfix

  648997 P-51B/C gun bays PRINT 1/48 Eduard

  6481002 P-51B/C seat Type 1 PRINT 1/48 Eduard

  672357 L-39 ejection seats PRINT 1/72 Eduard

  644243 Fw 190A-7 LööKplus 1/48 Eduard

  644267 F-35B LööKplus 1/48 Tamiya

  SIN648125 Su-25 1/48 Zvezda

  SIN67223 Bf 109G-6 1/72 Eduard

  BIG ED (May)

  BRASSIN (May)

  LöökPlus (May)

  BIGSIN (May)

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seatbelts for Gannet AS.1 and AS.4

  in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble, replaces

  plastic parts. Recommended kit: Airfix

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seatbelts for Bf 109 in 1/48 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard and STEEL

  seatbelts for Bf 109G-6 in 1/72 scale. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seatbelts for P-51B and P-51C in 1/48 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  PRELIMINARY IMAGES

  PRELIMINARY IMAGES

  PRELIMINARY IMAGES

  INFO Eduard106

  April 2024

• Page 107

  674007

  Bf 109F LööK

  1/72 Eduard

  ON APPROACH

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seatbelts for Bf 109F in 1/72 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  648972

  F-16C Block 52 till 1996 cockpit PRINT

  1/48 Kinetic

  648973

  F-16C Block 52 from 1997 cockpit PRINT

  1/48 Kinetic

  Brassin set - a cockpit for F-16C Block 52

  (pre-1996 production) in 1/48 scale.

  Made by direct 3D printing. Recommended kit: Kinetic

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 14 parts

  - resin: 1 part, pre-painted

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - a cockpit for F-16C Block 52

  (1997 onwards production) in 1/48 scale.

  Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Kinetic

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 14 parts

  - resin: 1 part, pre-painted

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  INFO Eduard

  107

  April 2024

• Page 108

  ON APPROACH

  MAY 2024

  648984

  F-16C wheel bays late PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  648986

  P-51B/C wheels diamond tread

  1/48 Eduard

  648987

  P-51B/C wheels oval tread

  1/48 Eduard

  Brassin set - wheel bays for F-16C in 1/48 scale.

  The set consists of nose and main wheel bays.

  Made by direct 3D printing. Recommended kit: Kinetic

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 10 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for P-51B

  or P-51C in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main

  wheels and a tail wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces

  plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for

  P-51B or P-51C in 1/48 scale. The set consists

  of the main wheels and a tail wheel.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  INFO Eduard108

  April 2024

• Page 109

  ON APPROACHMAY 2024

  648988

  P-51B/C wheels cross tread

  1/48 Eduard

  648992

  P-51B/C exhaust stacks

  1/48 Eduard

  648993

  P-51B/C exhaust stacks w/fairing

  1/48 Eduard

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for P-51B

  or P-51C in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main

  wheels and a tail wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces

  plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  Brassin set - exhaust stacks for P-51B

  or P-51C in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D

  printing. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic

  parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - exhaust stacks for P-51B or P-51C

  in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  INFO Eduard

  109

  April 2024

• Page 110

  ON APPROACH

  648994

  P-51B/C undercarriage legs BRONZE

  1/48 Eduard

  Brassin set - the undercarriage legs for P-51B

  or P-51C in 1/48 scale. The legs are made

  of bronze. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 4 parts

  - bronze: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  648996

  Gannet wheels

  1/48 Airfix

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for Gannet

  in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main wheels

  and a nose wheels. Easy to assemble, replaces

  plastic parts. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Airfix

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 4 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  648995

  F-35B lift fan PRINT

  1/48 Tamiya

  Brassin set - lift fan for F-35B in 1/48 scale.

  Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Tamiya

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  MAY 2024

  INFO Eduard110

  April 2024

• Page 111

  648997

  P-51B/C gun bays PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  Brassin set - gun bays for P-51B or P-51C

  in 1/48 scale. The set consists of gun bays

  for both wings. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 20 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  ON APPROACH

  6481002

  P-51B/C seat Type 1 PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  672357

  L-39 ejection seats PRINT

  1/72 Eduard

  Brassin set - pilot seats for P-51B or P-51C

  in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - ejection seat for L-39 in 1/72 scale.

  Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  MAY 2024

  INFO Eduard

  111

  April 2024

• Page 112

  Collection of 3 sets for Fw 190A-7 in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  - LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboard & Steelbelts)

  - TFace painting mask

  - undercarriage wheels

  644243

  Fw 190A-7 LööKplus

  1/48 Eduard

  ON APPROACH

  MAY 2024

  INFO Eduard112

  April 2024

• Page 113

  ON APPROACH

  Collection of 4 sets for F-35B in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Tamiya

  - LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboard & Steelbelts)

  - TFace painting mask

  - undercarriage wheels

  - ejection seat

  644267

  F-35B LööKplus

  1/48 Tamiya

  MAY 2024

  INFO Eduard

  113

  April 2024

• Page 114

  SIN648125

  Su-25

  1/48 Zvezda

  Collection of 5 sets for Su-25 in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Zvezda

  - ejection seat

  - wheels

  - gun muzzle

  - slats & landing flaps

  - air brakes (early type)

  All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,

  but with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30 %.

  ON APPROACH

  MAY 2024

  INFO Eduard114

  April 2024

• Page 115

  SIN67223

  Bf 109G-6

  1/72 Eduard

  Collection of 6 sets for Bf 109G-6 in 1/72 scale.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  - cockpit

  - engine

  - undercarrigae legs BRONZE

  - propeller

  - undercarriage wheels

  - radio compartment

  All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,

  but with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30 %.

  BRASSIN 02/2022BRASSIN 02/2022

  ON APPROACHMAY 2024

  INFO Eduard

  115

  April 2024

• Page 116

  PE

  -

  SETS

  53309 USS Sangamon CVE-26 1/350 Trumpeter

  36518 Sd.Kfz. 251/18 Ausf. A 1/35 ICM

  481137 FM-1 landing flaps 1/48 Tamiya

  481138 MC.200 landing flaps 1/48 Italeri

  491440 Buccaneer S.2B 1/48 Airfix

  491441 Buccaneer S.2B Gulf War 1/48 Airfix

  491443 FM-1 1/48 Tamiya

  491445 F-14A 1/48 Great Wall Hobby

  491447 MC.200 1/48 Italeri

  73823 CR.32 1/72 Italeri

  ZOOMS

  FE1140 Buccaneer S.2B 1/48 Airfix

  FE1441 Buccaneer S.2B Gulf War 1/48 Airfix

  FE1442 Buccaneer S.2B seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Airfix

  FE1443 FM-1 1/48 Tamiya

  FE1444 FM-1 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Tamiya

  FE1445 F-14A 1/48 Great Wall Hobby

  FE1446 F-14A seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Great Wall Hobby

  FE1447 MC.200 1/48 Italeri

  FE1448 MC.200 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Italeri

  FE1449 P-51B/C seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Eduard

  SS823 CR.32 1/72 Italeri

  MASKS

  EX1029 FM-1 1/48 Tamiya

  EX1030 FM-1 TFace 1/48 Tamiya

  EX1031 FM-1 US national insignia 1/48 Tamiya

  EX1032 FM-1 US national insignia w/ red outline 1/48 Tamiya

  EX1033 FM-1 British national insignia 1/48 Tamiya

  EX1034 Buccaneer S.2B 1/48 Airfix

  EX1035 Buccaneer S.2B TFace 1/48 Airfix

  EX1036 P-51B/C framed canopy TFace 1/48 Eduard

  EX1037 P-51B/C Malcolm Hood canopy TFace 1/48 Eduard

  EX1038 P-51B/C US national insignia 1/48 Eduard

  EX1039 MC.200 TFace 1/48 Italeri

  EX1040 F-14A windshield TFace 1/48 Great Wall Hobby

  CX662 CR.32 1/72 Italeri

  SPACE

  3DL48174 FM-1 SPACE 1/48 Tamiya

  3DL48175 Buccaneer S.2B SPACE 1/48 Airfix

  3DL48176 Buccaneer S.2B Gulf War SPACE 1/48 Airfix

  3DL48177 P-51B/C SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  3DL48178 F-14A SPACE 1/48 Great Wall Hobby

  3DL48179 MC.200 SPACE 1/48 Italeri

  3DL72031 CR.32 SPACE 1/72 Italeri

  EDDIE THE RIVETER

  ER32004 Surface panels 1/32

  ER32005 Single radial rows 1/32

  ER48010 Single radial rows 1/48

  ER72005 Single radial rows 1/48

  ON APPROACH

  MAY 2024

  INFO Eduard116

  April 2024

• Page 117

  ON APPROACH

  OVERLORD: D

  -

  DAY MUSTANG #11181 1/48

  P-51B-10-NA, s/n 43-6934, Capt. Henry White,

  328th FS, 352nd FG, 8th AF, Bodney,

  Great Britain, June 1944

  P-51B-10-NA, s/n 42-106472,

  Lt. Carlton Fuhrman, 486th FS, 352nd FG,

  8th AF, Bodney, Great Britain, June 1944

  P-51B-10-NA, s/n 43-6688, 1Lt. Arval J. Roberson,

  362nd FS, 357th FG, 8th AF, Leiston, Great Britain,

  June 1944

  MAY 2024

  INFO Eduard

  117

  April 2024

• Page 118

  ON APPROACH

  P-51C-1-NT, s/n 42-103309, Lt. William B.

  Overstreet, 363rd FS, 357th FG, 8th AF,

  Leiston, Great Britain, June 1944

  P-51B-15-NA, s/n 42-106924, 2nd Lt. Ralph

  K. Hofer, 334th FS, 4th FG, 8th AF, Debden,

  Great Britain, June 1944

  P-51B-10-NA, s/n 42-106647, Capt. John

  R. Brown Jr., 382nd FS, 363rd FG, 9th AF,

  Staplehurst, Great Britain, June 1944

  Mustang Mk.III, FB382, S/Ldr Eugeniusz Horbaczewski,

  No. 315 (Polish) Squadron, RAF Coolham, Great Britain,

  June 1944

  P-51B-10-NA, s/n 42-106448, Cpt. Henry

  W. Brown, 354th FS, 355th FG, 8th AF,

  Steeple Morden, Great Britain, June 1944

  P-51B-5-NA, s/n 43-6425, Maj. Jack

  T. Bradley, CO 353rd FS, 354th FG, 9th AF,

  A.2 Criqueville, France, June 1944

  P-51B-15-NA, s/n 42-106763, Capt. George

  R. Rew, 374th FS, 361st FG, 8th AF, Bottisham,

  Great Britain, June 1944

  MAY 2024

  INFO Eduard118

  April 2024

• Page 119

• Page 120

  Spitfire Mk.IXc late

  1/48

  ON APPROACH

  #84199

  MK392, W/Cdr James E. Johnson, No. 144 Wing, RAF Ford,

  Great Britain / B.3 Sainte-Croix-sur-Mer, France, June 1944

  MJ671, Cpt. Michael Boudier, No. 341 Squadron,

  RAF Selsey, Great Britain, June-July 1944

  ML407, F/O John A. Houlton,

  No. 485 (New Zealand) Squadron,

  RAF Selsey, Great Britain, June 1944

  ML214, S/Ldr John A. Plagis, No. 126 Squadron,

  RAF Harrowbeer, Great Britain, June-July 1944

  MAY 2024

  INFO Eduard120

  April 2024

• Page 121

  ON APPROACH

  Spitfire Mk.IXc late #7473 1/72

  ML407, F/O John A. Houlton,

  No. 485 (New Zealand) Squadron,

  RAF Selsey, Great Britain, June 1944

  MJ671, Cpt. Michael Boudier, No. 341 Squadron,

  RAF Selsey, Great Britain, June-July 1944

  MK392, W/Cdr James E. Johnson,

  No. 144 Wing, RAF Ford, Great Britain

  / B.3 Sainte-Croix-sur-Mer, France,

  June 1944

  ML214, S/Ldr John A. Plagis, No. 126 Squadron,

  RAF Harrowbeer, Great Britain, June-July 1944

  MAY 2024

  INFO Eduard

  121

  April 2024

• Swap Meets, Shows and Contests…

  This year, my exhibition team colleagues got down to business pretty quickly. We have only completed the first three months of this year and we have already visited five events: the toy fair in Nuremberg, the toy fair in Verona, the modeling festival in Bytom, the Panthers Cup modeling competition in Prosek and the exhibition of plastic models at the event known here as Easter Prostějov. I think this represents a record, and if by some chance it doesn’t, it was definitely a record performance for our exhibition teams in March, with, apart from the first weekend of the month, they were at one event or another and believe me it was a real buzz.

  This year, my exhibition team colleagues got

  down to business pretty quickly. We have only

  completed the first three months of this year

  and we have already visited five events: the

  toy fair in Nuremberg, the toy fair in Verona,

  the modeling festival in Bytom, the Panthers

  Cup modeling competition in Prosek and the

  exhibition of plastic models at the event known

  here as Easter Prostějov. I think this represents

  a record, and if by some chance it doesn’t,

  it was definitely a record performance for our

  exhibition teams in March, with, apart from

  the first weekend of the month, they were at

  one event or another and believe me it was

  a real buzz. And not only for us, but also for

  all of our other colleagues who, in one form

  or another, participated in the preparation for

  the events, whether it was their work on pre-

  orders, the preparation of goods that we took to

  the events, and also the marketing department

  that supports sales and coordinates transport,

  accommodations and everything else that

  needed attending to. And we do it because,

  actually, we do enjoy coming out to you, our

  customers. In addition, we often combine these

  trips with the preparation of references for our

  future projects, as was the case, for example,

  during our trip to Italy in the fall, which you have

  certainly already read about in Vladimír Šulc's

  article in this issue.

  This list is far from complete for the year

  and will only grow! In addition to the already

  traditional and well-established events, you

  will be able to meet us, for example, at an

  exhibition in Zagreb, Croatia, or at the tank

  museum in Saumur, France. This year is a kind

  of testing year for new exhibitions for us, and

  so far I have to say that the visits we have tried

  out as an experiment have proven themselves.

  The toy fair in Verona was a pleasant surprise,

  and our participation in Bytom was also positive

  according to the feedback from our colleagues,

  so I expect that we will participate in both

  events next year as well.

  To the contrary though, another traditional

  event that Eduard has been participating in

  for over thirty years surprised us this year in

  a disappointing way. Let me return once again to

  the Nuremberg Toy Fair this year. I wanted to take

  a break from evaluating this event and wait to

  see how other editors and other commentators

  reacted to this year’s event. And you know what

  I learned? Practically nothing. Not much at all

  was written about Nuremberg. I read some

  rather superficial reports, as if the authors

  were not even at the fair, and the impression

  was that the fair didn’t interest many. After all,

  practically none of the companies in our field

  announced any truly fresh, breathtaking news

  at the show. Even we only repeated previously

  announced projects. We held a conference at

  our table for this purpose, where only three

  guests showed up that were representatives of

  the modeling public or the press. But through

  their virtual absence, I learned something about

  Nuremberg. Was there any reason to attend?

  Does it actually make sense to participate in

  such a fair anymore?

  I think the organizers needlessly dealt

  with matters that actually did not attract

  participants. A good example was this year's

  allowing the general public admission to the

  halls and permission for participants to sell

  exhibited goods. The fair takes place from

  Wednesday to Saturday, but I think we could

  organize meetings and seminars where it would

  be possible to discuss everything necessary

  in just two days. Such informal discussions

  at the tables would disappear and important

  matters could be dealt with. We could discuss

  other matters over a beer in the evening as well.

  In short, instead of unnecessary incremental

  (and unnecessary) innovations, the organizers

  should rather think about decreasing the

  costs of the exhibition spaces and shortening

  the event, which would make the fair more

  accessible, more attractive for a larger number

  of exhibitors, and also for the people traveling

  to the fair., who are constantly decreasing due

  to the ever-increasing prices of the tables,

  because it no longer makes any real sense for

  them to attend. This would ultimately make the

  fair more meaningful for other companies, the

  press and the public, the numbers of which

  could be reversed and increase.

  But I also see no need to be exclusively

  negative, either. We were still happy to be able to

  meet representatives of a number of companies

  from the industry, whom we have not seen in

  Nuremberg for a few years due to covid. We had

  several such meetings, because, apart from us,

  ICM, Revell, Special Hobby, Miniart, Academy,

  Gunze, Hobby Boss/Trumpeter (these sharing

  a common table), Tamiya and Zvezda through

  their Austrian representatives took part in the

  fair. The participation of Ukrainian companies

  was a surprise for me personally, especially

  ICM, who’s presence despite the destruction

  in Kiev, put a smile on my face. However, the

  other events this year have excited us greatly

  so far, and I expect the trend to continue.

  The next upcoming event is the exhibition in

  Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary, and I hereby

  invite you all to our exhibit and tables and you

  definitely have something to look forward to, as

  we will bring along our limited edition 1:48th

  scale P-51B Mustang!

  SWAP MEETS, SHOWS AND CONTESTS…

  Text: Jakub Nademljenský

  The team at the Eduard table at the Nuremberg fair

  (from left Jan Zdiarský, Martin Ferkl, Vladimír Šulc,

  Jakub Nademlejnský and Jan Bobek)

  Table at the Panthers Cup contest.

  The table at Bytom.

  Limited Edition Spitfire Mk.Vb Early prepared especially

  for the Bytom Festival with extra Polish markings.

  INFO Eduard122

  April 2024

• Page 123

• Editorial

  
  

  Good evening, dear Friends,
  

  We've had a hectic March. I understand that it might not seem that way to you, but every bar looks different from the dining room than it does from the kitchen. In order for the view from the dining room, in other words, from you, the customers, to be positive, the staff in the kitchen (us), has little choice but to be very busy. So, hectic is good. The goal of the kitchen staff is to have a dining room full of satisfied guests, and that is also the case with us. A proven method is to bring new ideas and new stimuli to the table. In our case, we also launched a mobile canteen, with which we went to one exhibition every week through March. We've never done that in the past. There was some doubt as to whether or not it was even manageable, and it turned out to be just that. So we set out for Verona, Bytom, Prosek and Prostejov, and all in all, the time and effort invested was well worth it, certainly at least for those of us who attended and prepared those exhibitions. Our customers liked it, they looked satisfied, no one complained, so we will continue with our event participation program. The rest of the year will be a little more subdued and in April, we are going to only one exhibition, in Moson. But I won't be there, I'm going to a wedding on the same date. Martina Kurakovais getting married, and she is a shareholder in Eduard, making her my business partner, and is also the chief technologist of our tool shop, the lady who is largely responsible for the appearance of our kits. She is marrying Mr. Ladislav Jonáš. This is the man who designed, among others, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and all the Spitfires that Eduard has produced. He is also responsible for the MiG-21s, including the upcoming MiG-21F. Now he's constructing another sweet little item, but I won't tell you what that is just yet. We will have plenty of time for that later.

  In Prostějov, our exhibition and production activities were closely related. During March, we completed all the molds for the P-51B Mustang in 1:48th, we also completed other operations necessary for the release of kits, such as the design and start of production of decals, instructions, photoetched, masks and the basic Brassin sets. So right now we're ready to release the Mustang, and we've been hitting the market in March to see what customers think. And customers like it, which is very positive news after two years of no one ripping down walls to get at new kits. This is also new to our operations. At the beginning of March, pre-orders of the Royal Class P-51B took place with an unexpectedly good result, which saw us reach almost 4000 ordered items. This is significantly more than the usual sales of kits of this series released so far. It shows that the modellers' demand for the restoration of the Royal Class line has a solid foundation and that I was wrong to underestimate the call. We then took a hundred boxes of this tasty little Mustang morcel in white boxes to Prostejov, where we sold them all, plus 54 Overtrees. In Moson, similar activities will be repeated, because the new releases for May will be on sale there, and they will again be mainly about the Mustang!

   

  April Releases

   In April, we are releasing another Gustav, a Limited Edition kit dedicated to the late versions of the Bf 109 G-6 and Bf 109 G-14. I understand that the 72nd scale kits are perhaps getting a little old for some people who see them as nothing special, but I'd say that the opposite is, in fact, true. The version of the Bf 109 G, which the kit is dedicated to, has not been taken seriously by anyone yet, really. There are some G-14 kits out there, but they are quite old, and the late G-6 versions, the Erla canopy and tall rudder machines, or a combination of the two, have been more or less avoided by most serious manufacturers. However, we will not be accused of dropping the ball on these aircraft. If we're going to make these Messerschmitts, we're going to make them properly. As well as the Wildcat, one more of which, the late version F4F-4, we are releasing in Profipack form (1/48th) also in April, along with the Fokker E.III in the Weekend line, and again, in 1:48th. Plus a lot of photoetched, masks, Brassins and other accessories, as you will see as you scroll down the pages of this month’s newsletter.

   

  Hyperscale

   As promised, I started a discussion on Hyperscale. The beginning was quite a rush, and I admit that I found it difficult to keep up, but now things have simmered down a bit. I'd say we get along with the modelers rather nicely, I've only had two minor misunderstandings so far, and that's better than it was in my early days other forums. The only snag is one thread where we are dealing with how the wing should look on the Mustang. It's about whether it should be completely smooth or whether it can have panel lines like we have. This is a vast topic that would be worth an in-depth article. So I have quite a lot of background for this, to tell the truth, I have been dealing with the topic for almost ten years. I have hundreds, maybe thousands, of photos reviewed, lots of articles and other sources, 48 Mustangs that we went over in great detail and one flight in a Mustang in the back seat. I admit that at the time, I didn't really look at how this particular machine’s wing surface was treated, because when I climbed into it, my main concern was to shove my 190 cm and 120 kilos frame into that slot behind the pilot's seat, and when I was climbing out of the cockpit after the flight, I really couldn’t see straight for a while and it was all I could do to stand on my feet. You can see from this that the priorities of historical research can be different at different times, and it was kind of the same with that wing surface on the Mustang. I'd say in general it was that they polished the wing first on most units and then they dropped the practice in general because they had other things to worry about, plus they found out that if you hang additional tanks under the wing, you can polish to your heart’s content, but it won't fly any faster anyway. You can do the same for your models. If you don't like our panel lines, putty, sand, polish and spray paint them. This will make your building experience all the more authentic because you will be working just like the workers and technicians on the North American production line. If you note that we have panel lines on the wing of our releases, then our Mustang is actually no different from other kits already released, and I recommend that you take a good look at the kit first and do not make hasty judgments, because I am sure that there are some very fundamental differences between ours and theirs. It's just something completely different than what you get from anyone else. I admit that I had the urge to write an article on the subject of Mustang wings, but I have already promised our editor-in-chief so much that I don't know when I will deliver all that I have already committed to. So I will stick to my original plans and not jump to other topics. We're not going to make any changes to our Mustang wing now, and we couldn’t even if we wanted to, and we don’t, because we are confident that our interpretation is the best, given available references.

   

  Articles

   That brings me to today's articles. We have another installment of the Air War over Ukraine series by Mira Barič. The author confided in us that he receives various hateful and aggressive letters. It is clear that they are not from supporters of Ukraine. We are supporters of Ukraine and we stand behind our author. At the same time, we also express our sincere regret for the victims of the terrorist attack on the Moscow concert hall and express our sincere condolences to the survivors and the victims of this barbaric act. At the same time, however, we also think that if the Russian security forces can arrest a person on the street with a banner or a quote from the constitution in a matter of minutes, they should also be able to take action against terrorists in less than an hour. Here in the decadent West, our security forces can do that. On the other hand, quoting the Constitution or protesting against the government are fundamental rights for us.

  We also have two historical articles in this issue of our newsletter. The Danube article by Peter Kaššák is about mine laying in the Danube in 1944, the other by Jan Bobek is about the downing of Erich Hartmann and one of his Bf 109s. In addition, we have three shorter but engaging Boxart stories, about the Wildcat, the Hellcat and about the Fokker E.III. And I wrote a travelogue about a research trip to Italy in which I participated as the main driver and expedition leader, Jakub Nademlejnský as the coordinator and Stan Archman as the main researcher. In this way, I think we achieved par with the recognized standard makeup of various expeditions of other institutions, whether sporting or academic.

  And that is it from me today.

   

  Happy Modelling!

  Vladimir Sulc

  
  

• Hartmann's Gustav

  Erich Hartmann pictured in the spring of 1944 after being awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. Photo: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe

  
  

  Text: Jan Bobek

  
  

  With 352 victories to his credit, Erich Hartmann is a fighter pilot whose name is known even to people who are not interested in the Luftwaffe. A significant topic is the number of his victories and their credibility. Of Erich Hartmann's first 100 victories, 38 claimed kills can be compared in detail with Soviet losses, as the time and place of these kills are known. I am basing this on a summary prepared by Danny Case and Nick Hector. For these 38 victories, it is impossible to trace on the opposing side 13 losses that match the circumstances of the alleged shootdowns. In contrast, the 25 casualties that can be identified represent more than 60% credibility of Hartmann's victories from this period. A similar analysis was prepared by Ivan Lavrinenko, focusing on the 35 victories Hartmann claimed in the fighting over Romania between May 31 and June 6, 1944. The analysis revealed that, unlike many of Hartmann's colleagues whose claims were very accurate, in reality, this darling of propaganda shot down only one aircraft in the above period, and another six to seven Soviet aircraft may have fallen victim to either Hartmann or other German pilots.

  Hartmann's results in the battles over Hungary at the turn of 1944 and 1945 were similar. Authors Dan and Gábor Horváth published a detailed analysis of these in their book “Verified Victories: Top JG 52 Aces over Hungary 1944-45”. Their work shows that of the 34 victories claimed by Hartmann in the battles over Hungary, only seven can be documented that he definitely achieved or may have participated in. This is no more than a 22% credibility of his claims. By comparison, Gerhard Barkhorn's claims were as accurate as 79% in the same period, and Helmut Lipfert's victories have up to 93% accuracy compared to Soviet losses. Interestingly these two airmen had lower accuracy of their claims in the earlier period, as documented by Ivan Lavrinenko in his book on the fighting over Crimea in the period 1943-1944.

  I would venture to say that the credibility of Hartmann's victories declined as his career progressed, and his claimed victories were least accurate when some significant milestone in his kills was approaching and there was a film crew and photographers on the airfield. Günther Rall recalls in his memoirs that he never wanted to appoint Hartmann to command a Staffel, and when Rall, as Kommandeur III/JG 52, was on leave, another officer appointed Hartmann to command 9./JG 52 in Rall's absence.

  One of the Luftwaffe fighter units that fought in Hungary in early 1945 was I./JG 53 under the command of Maj. Jürgen Harder. He led this Jagdgruppe for almost a year and reformed it into one of the most successful units in southern Europe. However, on January 22, he had to leave it because he was appointed Kommodore of JG 11 with bases in Germany. The unit was briefly led by Hptm. Ernst, but at the end of January Hptm. Erich Hartmann, who until then had led 4./JG 52 in Hungary as part of II./JG 52, was appointed commander of I./JG 53. The command of I./JG 53 was his first opportunity to take command of a Jagdgruppe. Strangely enough, he was appointed to such a position outside of JG 52, for he soon returned to his “home” unit, as commander of I./JG 52 in Silesia.

  During his short service with I./JG 53, Hartmann immediately ordered the upper surfaces of I./JG 53 aircraft to be repainted with washable white paint, but he showed little interest in combat activity. This was disappointing to his new subordinates. But they explained it by the fact that Hartmann apparently did not see much importance in further combat and, moreover, he had already achieved all the military honours. After a fortnight, Hartmann handed over command of I./JG 53 to Hptm. Lipfert, who was previously in command of 6./JG 52.

  An interesting topic is the personal aircraft that Hartmann used during this period. Marek Ryś depicted it on the box art of the Gustav part 2 kit. At the beginning of January 1945, I./JG 53 had two Bf 109 G-6/U4s, ten G-14/U2 (U2 is an error in unit´s monthly summary), sixteen  G-14/U4 version, and two G-10/U4s. In several photos of Hartmann's machine, the battery cover at the rear of the cockpit is clearly visible, which should indicate the G-14 version. Erich Somavilla was using this plane as well and his logbook notes this aircraft as a G-6 version. Somavilla's personal aircraft was the G-14/AS version. A photograph of Hartmann's Bf 109 that I discovered years ago in the Preussischer Kulturbesitz digital archive shows that the machine has no intakes on the sides of the cockpit under the windscreen of the cockpit overlay, which identifies the Erla plant as its manufacturer. According to some researchers, it is a Bf 109 G-6 of the Erla factory of the 412xxx or 413xxx series. I dare not confirm whether this is the case or not. Production of these series ended in August 1944, and both the Bf 109 G-6/U2 and Bf 109 G-14 were produced in the blocks mentioned. Anyway, when building scale model of this Hartmann´s  aircraft as per the instructions in the kit manual, use the correct windscreen and also the bulge on the right side of the engine cowling. Photos of the Hartmann aircraft can be found on the Falke Eins blog by Neil 

  Tulip markings were introduced by Hermann Graf on his aircraft in 1943. After he became Kommodore of JG 52 in the autumn of 1944, this pattern also appeared on several of Erich Hartmann's aircraft, as well as on the machines of the Stab JG 52. During Hartmann's brief tenure with I./JG 53, the black tulip also adorned his personal aircraft with the Gruppe commander's markings. Following Hartmann's departure from the units, some of his tulip-patterned aircraft were reassigned and utilized by other pilots.

• African intermezzo

  Text: Jan Bobek

  Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz

  Cat. No. 82203

  
  

  Whoever stood on board the escort carrier USS Cabot in April 1945 and had the opportunity to see the Hellcat flown by VF-29 commander Lt. Cdr. “Bill” Eder, probably stared in disbelief at the score that was marked on both sides of the fuselage under the cockpit overlay. In addition to the symbols of nearly forty bombing missions, there were seven Japanese aircraft shot down, nine other Japanese planes destroyed on the ground, and, rather unusually, three French flags added.

  Behind Eder was clearly a successful combat career that had taken him beyond the Pacific. From VF-29, which was reformed in the spring of 1944, he built an outstanding unit that notched 113 certain victories and lost only five missing and two killed pilots. Eder was not only the commander of VF-29 at the time, but he also led the entire Carrier Air Group of the USS Cabot.

  Willard Ernest Eder was born on September 27, 1916, in Buffalo, Wyoming. He was descended from German immigrants on his father's side. Grandfather Olof was from Darmstadt, Upper Hesse, and grandmother Dorothea, née Rehder, was born in Holstein. On his mother's side, Eder had Irish and probably German ancestry.

  In 1938 he graduated from the University of Wyoming with a degree in political science, interrupted his service in the Army and joined the Navy. At the beginning of the Pacific War, he served in VF-3 aboard the USS Saratoga. After she was torpedoed he was transferred to the USS Lexington. This gave him the opportunity to train and fight with the best naval fighter aviators of the time, as the unit commander was Lt. John S. Thach and other officers included Edward H. O'Hare.

  During the Battle of Bougainville on February 20, 1942, Eder shared destruction of G4M Betty of 4th Kōkūtai´s 2nd Chūtai, led by Lt. Masayoshi Nakagawa. The formation of nine bombers was completely destroyed and Eder received a DFC. The legendary combat fought by Lt. O'Hare on the same day, took place during a skirmish with the 1st Chūtai of the 4th Kōkūtai.

  Eder became a member of VF-2 aboard the USS Lexington in April 1942 and received the Navy Cross for his performance in the Battle of the Coral Sea, during which he scored one Zero in combat with fighters from Shōkaku on May 8, 1942, and also scored one probable kill of a fixed gear aircraft.

  Eder's next unit became VGF-29, which was established in July 1942 at NAS Norfolk under the command of Lt. J. T. Blackburn, who later became commander of VF-17, a unit with Corsair fighters in the Solomon Islands area. VGF-29 embarked aboard the escort carrier USS Santee in early October 1942 and became part of the task force involved in the North African landings.

  Allied forces landed in North Africa as part of Operation Torch on November 8, 1942, including Free French forces. Canada, the Netherlands and Australia also participated with their naval vessels. The landings occurred in northwest Morocco and in the Oran and Algiers areas of Algeria. The aim of the operation was not only to land and open a second front on African soil, but also to pressure the forces of Vichist France to change sides. The Americans were in a very strange situation. Not only were the French their traditional ally, but the U.S. government in 1940, unlike the British, recognized the Vichy government. In the Moroccan area, their opponents were French pilots with Curtiss H.75 fighters, and the Americans soon noticed emblem of a Sioux head on their fuselages, the symbol of the American Lafayette Squadron of World War I. 

  Experienced U.S. Navy aviators aboard four aircraft carriers met unexpected resistance and lost 46 aircraft during the three days of fighting, albeit in part due to accidents or crews losing their bearings. For instance Tom Blackburn spent two days at sea after running out of fuel. The USS Santee's suffered the highest losses, losing ten Wildcats, four Dauntlesses, and seven Avengers. One airman was killed, two were wounded, and four were taken prisoner. Three fighter pilots from VGF-29 received Silver Stars for this operation, including “Bill” Eder, who destroyed three French bombers on the ground. VGF-29, later redesignated VF-29, participated in anti-submarine patrols in the South Atlantic for one year beginning in December 1942.

  A large number of Vichy units switched to the Allied side in the second half of November 1942. , but some naval officers, for example, did not share this decision. The commander of the submarine Le Tonnant attempted to torpedo an American aircraft carrier, probably the USS Ranger. The submarine then headed for Cadiz, Spain, where its crew sank it.

• "My dear Fokker"

  Text: Jan Bobek

  Illustration: Adam Tooby

  Cat. No. 8419

  
  

  Fokker monoplanes had become a significant challenge for their opponents since the summer of 1915 thanks to their synchronization device, which bolstered the highly aggressive behavior of their pilots. Fighter aces flying monoplanes such as Wintgens, Boelcke, and Immelmann became synonymous with what British adversaries termed the “Fokker Scourge”. However, Fokker's superiority was seriously challenged in the spring of 1916 with the introduction of new fighters like the Nieuport 11 and Airco DH.2.

  One of the airmen who experienced this transition period was Josef Jacobs. In August 1914, at twenty years old, he enlisted in the air service. After training with FEA 3, he was assigned to Feldflieger-Abteilung 11 in July 1915. From December 1915 onwards, he piloted the Fokker A.I (A210/14) and the E.I (63/15) equipped with an 80 hp engine. In January 1916, he conducted several training flights with  63/15, and on 13 January, he engaged a pair of enemy aircraft. He attacked one of them from a distance of 100 meters. Subsequently, his target rapidly descended in a spiral near Choisy-au-Bac, though the victory was not confirmed. He encountered the enemy again on February 1, 1916. Once more, he was not officially credited with a victory, yet it appears that the French indeed suffered a loss during this encounter. Reportedly, it was a Caudron from Escadrille C 28, and its crew, Sgt Joseph J. Hiriat and Sgt René Jean, were taken prisoner after crashing between German trenches.

  In late February, Jacobs' Fokker was equipped with a new 100 hp engine. However, in early March, this machine suffered an engine fire during a dogfight with a Farman crew. Fortunately, he managed to land in time to extinguish the fire. Another life-threatening incident occurred on 13 March. While pursuing a Caudron, Jacobs' Fokker was thrown off balance by a gust of wind. The aircraft plummeted tail-first, its engine died, and its springs were broken. Despite the damage, Jacobs eventually regained control and performed an emergency landing in a freshly ploughed field, causing his Fokker to flip over onto its back. It was later revealed that the “gust of wind” was actually caused by a German anti-aircraft shell that narrowly missed Jacobs.

  During that period, Jacobs was also piloting the new Fokker E.III (608/15), and on March 1916, he successfully downed an enemy balloon. However, his victory was apparently not officially  recognized, and Jacobs did not mention it in his diary, which was unusual given the meticulous care with which he maintained it. Nevertheless, the balloon was indeed destroyed, belonging to the 66° Cie d' Aérostiers, and the observer, Sgt Armand Legube, sustained injuries.

  By the end of March 1916, several fighter monoplanes were detached from FFA 7, 11, and 39. From 1 April, a provisional Fokkerstaffel West was established at La Ferme du Faux. Jacobs joined this unit upon his return from an extended leave in early May. Upon joining the new unit, he was reunited with his 608/15 machine, which he affectionately referred to in his diary as “my dear Fokker”. He had used this term previously, suggesting that he may have been flying 608/15 since February 1916 with FFA 11.

   With this aircraft, he also achieved his first confirmed victory by shooting down a Caudron G.4 of Escadrille C 30 on May 12, 1916. Although anti-aircraft gunners attempted to claim the victory, only Fokker machine gun hits were found in the wreckage of the Caudron. Furthermore, Jacobs' claim was corroborated by a French airman, MdL Hulin, after he was captured the following day.

  Jacobs received a new aircraft, a Fokker E.III (339/16), on 9 June, but flew it only until 16 June when the engine was damaged due to a lack of oil. Therefore, the situation depicted on the box art by Adam Tooby regarding this machine is rather hypothetical. Subsequently, Jacobs flew with his old 608/15 until 8 July. It appears that on 1 July, he attempted to attack an enemy balloon with this Fokker, but due to propeller damage, the attack was unsuccessful. The E.III 339/16 was back with a new engine on 8 July. However, by August 1, 1916, Jacobs was transferred to another aviation unit, much to his displeasure. He returned to his original unit, FFA 11, on 1 September.

  For more detailed information on Jacobs and his service on Eindeckers, I recommend referring to the publications “Blue Max Airmen Vol. 20” by Lance J. Bronnenkant and “KEKs and Fokkerstaffels” by Johan Ryheul. Additionally, Jacobs' diary, with comments by Stephen Lawson, can be found in Cross & Cockade International Vol. 27, No. 2.

• A Hell of a Morning

  Text: Jan Bobek

  Illustration: Petr Štěpánek

  Cat. No. 7077

  
  

  At first glance, there is nothing remarkable about the illustration depicting Hellcats created in 2011 by our colleague Petr Štěpánek. A group of Hellcats from VF-27, led by Lt. “Brownie” Brown, circles above the mothership USS Princeton. This boxart, however, is tied to one of the most dramatic moments in the history of the U.S. Navy's aviation units. Twenty-seven-year-old Carl Allen Brown, Jr. hailed from Texarkana, Texas, and joined the Navy in 1941. After serving in the Aleutian area, he was assigned to VF-27 aboard the USS Princeton in May 1944. He scored 5.5 confirmed aerial victories in the air battles over Marianas, over Philippines, and off Taiwan by mid-October 1944.

  The first combat action for VF-27, however, was Operation Torch in North Africa in November 1942 aboard the USS Suwannee. Unit then moved to the Pacific, operating from a land base on Guadalcanal from February to July 1943 and scoring 12 victories. During her second operational tour, VF-27 was reorganized at NAS Alameda and embarked aboard USS Princeton in May 1944. The toughest test awaited Brown and his carrier during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944.

  It was the largest naval battle in human history, involving two hundred thousand personnel on board, some 300 vessels on the Allied side, and approximately 70 warships of the Japanese Navy. The Allied objective was to secure a landing on the Philippine island of Leyte. The battle occurred during several engagements between 23 October and 26 October 1944. The Japanese failed to prevent the landing and lost the aircraft carrier Zuikaku, three light carriers, three battleships, ten cruisers and eleven destroyers. The Americans lost one light carrier, two escort carriers, two destroyers, and two escort destroyers. The battle was overwhelmingly affected by the numerical superiority of the US naval aircraft and the experience of its aviators. The Japanese naval and army air forces, weakened by the recent fighting off Taiwan, were unable to counter this onslaught, although the naval units  resorted to  Kamikaze airmen tactics for the first time.

   However, this was a hard won victory  as shown by the fate of VF-27 and  USS Princeton . This carrier, nicknamed “Sweet Pea”, was part of Task Force 38.3. Japanese naval aviators managed to locate the American force during the first night , and at dawn of 24 October, a strike group was sent against TF 38.3. A total of 105 A6M Zero fighters, six more Zeros as fighter-bombers, 21 N1K-J George fighters, 38 D3A Val dive bombers and 12 D4Y Judy bombers attacked. The Japanese strike group, which was divided into several formations, was met primarily by airmen from VF-27 and VF-15 (USS Essex). It was in this fight that Cdr. David McCampbell of VF-15 achieved nine victories. VF-27, which was outnumbered 1 to 10 early in the fight, destroyed 36 enemy fighters, with one pilot achieving six victories in this engagement and three other airmen, including Lt. Brown, claiming five kills. Brown, however, had to break away from the fight with a badly damaged machine, two shrapnel wounds in his left leg and four Zeros behind him.

  Returning to his mother ship, he was horrified to find the “Sweet Pea” in flames. At 10:00 a.m she had been hit by a bomb  launched by the crew of  a lone dive-bomber Judy. Brown was successively refused landing by the USS Lexington and the USS Langley. However, he managed to contact USS Princeton, which was trying to coordinate a pickup by a destroyer if Brown ditched. Eventually, colleagues from the USS Essex got in touch and offered to allow Brown to land if he did so immediately. Brown landed with the hydraulics damaged, lowered the landing gear with the emergency system, managed to release the hook by hitting the ramp hard, and immediately afterwards caught the first wire. For this action, he was awarded the Navy Cross.

  The bomb hit the hangar of the USS Princeton, where the Avenger bombers were refuelled and armed. Sixteen Hellcats were on board, but they never had a chance to take off. The other nine, which were still in flight at this time, landed on other carriers. The light cruiser USS Birmingham, commanded by Capt. Thomas B. Inglis and three other vessels tried to help with the rescue and firefighting. But collisions with the aircraft carrier and other explosions aboard damaged her saviours. After eight hours of raging fire, the USS Princeton eventually sank following a last large explosion. Total 108 of her crew were killed, but 241 men aboard the USS Birmingham were also killed and 412 others were injured. When Capt. Inglis was asked if he would have done the same if he had known the risk to his cruiser, he replied, “I should take the same action – providing the same factors were involved and I had no crystal ball.”

• Markings for Gustav pt.2 1/72

  Bf 109G-6/R6, WNr. 160303, Hptm. Friedrich Eberle, CO of III./JG 1, Volkel, the Netherlands, November 1943 – January 1944

  Friedrich Eberle, the commanding officer of III. Gruppe of JG 1, was downed in this Bf 109G-6 on January 30, 1944. The man who shot him down was a Thunderbolt jockey, Lt. Robert Booth of the 369th FS, 359th FG, a fighter ace with a total of eight kills to his credit. Booth himself was downed a few months later, on June 8, 1944 and became a POW. Eberle was injured but survived the encounter with Booth and led III. Gruppe until April 27, 1944. In July 1944, he was appointed the CO of III./JG 4. Eberle led this unit in Operation Bodeplatte, the attack on Allied airfields, on January 1, 1945. He was court martialed for cowardice but finally was acquitted of the charge and survived the war with 33 kills. Eberle’s aircraft had been marked with a double chevron but in accordance with temporary orders, this marking was painted over and the commander’s aircraft was marked with a number. The JG 1 crest was painted on the left side of the cowling only. The rear part of the fuselage was partially overpainted with RLM 76 to tone it down.

   

  Bf 109G-6/R1, Lt. Max-Bruno Fischer, Stab II./JG 3, Evreux-Fauville, France, June 1944

  This aircraft was originally part of Geschwaderstab JG 3 “Udet” and bore the designation of one of the Kommodore’s wingmen. The white band on the fuselage served as a quick identification element for JG 3 within fighter formations on the Western European battlefield. In early June 1944 Maj. Heinz Bär assumed command of JG 3 and he replaced the aircraft in his Stab with Fw 190As and transferred the original planes of his flight to Stab II./JG 3, commanded by Hptm. Gustav Frielinghaus (74 victories). However, at the beginning of the invasion, the CO of II./JG 3 was unfit for combat activities, and the Gruppe was led during the move to Normandy by his Adjutant, Lt. Max-Bruno Fischer. During the flight to Evreux base, Fischer was the sole II./JG 3 airman to arrive at the base due to poor weather conditions. He faced a field court martial threat for this, which was halted thanks to JG 2 Kommodore Maj. Bühlingen. From the very first day of deployment in Normandy, II./JG 3 conducted strafing attacks against the invading forces. Fischer later became the Adjutant of III./JG 4 and achieved a total of three victories.

   

  Bf 109G-6, Lt. Anton Hafner, CO of 10./JG 51, Tilsit-East, the Soviet Union, August 1944

  Anton Hafner achieved a total of 204 victories, all within the ranks of JG 51. He also fought with the unit in Tunisia, where he was shot down and wounded, but the vast majority of his successes were achieved on the Eastern Front. He was awarded the Knight’s Cross on August 23, 1943, and received the Oak Leaves on April 11, 1944. He became the commander of 8./JG 51 (later redesignated 10./JG 51) in mid-May 1944. At that time, III./JG 51 completed the rearmament from Fw 190A to Bf 109G aircraft. Hafner, at the helm of his Staffel, achieved 68 victories. His last fatal engagement was on October 17, 1944, when he shot down a Yak-9, but then crashed into trees east of Schweizersfelde in East Prussia, apparently due to a pilot’s error. He did not survive the impact. The Bf 109 shown is one of three Hafner aircraft that are photographically documented from the summer and autumn of 1944, but its serial number is unknown. The original Stab markings on the sides of the fuselage appear to have been painted over.

   

  Bf 109G-14, Hptm. Erich Hartmann, CO of I./JG 53, Veszprém, Hungary, February 1945

  Erich Hartmann, the fighter ace with the highest number of claimed victories in history, commenced his combat career with 7./JG 52 on October 10, 1942. He remained loyal to JG 52 until the end of hostilities when he held command of I./JG 52. His tally of claims ceased at 352. In recognition of his achievements, he was bestowed with the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds on August 25, 1944. Post-war, he was handed over to the Soviets by the Americans and was not released until 1955. During the initial half of February 1945, he briefly assumed command of I./JG 53. The young airmen sought his guidance for experience and moral support, yet Hartmann remained notably passive, engaging in only one combat flight, during which he claimed his 337th victory. The standard RLM 74 and RLM 75 camouflage had large white patches on the upper surfaces. A black, white-lined tulip graced the nose, while a heart bearing Hartmann's wife's name was added under the cockpit on the left side. A yellow band denoted the machines serving on the Eastern Front. Additionally, a large yellow V on the left wing distinguished Bf 109 from Romanian machines in the area, as Romania at the time fought on the Allied side.

   

  Bf 109G-6, WNr. 165267, Majuri Eino Luukkanen, 1/HleLv 34, Taipalsaari airfield, Finland, July 1944

  Eino Altero Luukkanen was born in 1909 in Jaakkima and started his military aviation service in 1930. In January 1938, he became Adjutant of Lentorikmentti 1. During the Winter War he commanded 3/LLv 24 and achieved 2.5 victories in Fokker D.XXI. From the beginning of the Continuation War, he commanded 1/LLv 24 on Brewsters and achieved 14.5 victories. From March 1943 he led LeLv 34 with Messerschmitt Bf 109Gs at the rank of Major. Luukkanen was awarded the Mannerheim Cross on June 18, 1944. In the Bf 109G-6 (WNr. 165267) Eino Luukkanen achieved his last, 56th confirmed victory. His victim was a Soviet Yak-7 over Narvi, Karelia, on August 5, 1944, during a battle with a formation of six Il-2s and six Yak-7s from the 12 KIAP, KBF. It was the only kill achieved with this aircraft, which was delivered to Finland on June 23, 1943. The original German WNr. is visible on the rudder. At that time, it also carried wing nacelles with MG 151/20 guns. It was written off after a crash on August 25, 1947.

   

  Bf 109G-14, Oblt. Rolf Schlegel, 10./JG 4, Jüterbog-Damm, Germany, March 1945

  After completing his fighter training, he was assigned to 11./JG 2. With this unit, he soon moved to the African battlefield, and before the end of 1942, he was reassigned to II./JG 53. Here, he suffered an injury, and after recuperation, he was directed to EKdo 16, a test unit designed to test the Me 163 rocket fighter. By the summer of 1944, he was already serving with JG 4, specifically its Sturmgruppe (II./JG 4), flying heavily armed Fw 190A-8/R2s. Later, he flew with JG 4’s III. Gruppe in Bf 109s. Before the end of the war, he was transferred to III./EJG 2, flying the Me 262 jet, and his next unit was to be JG 7. In total, he achieved nine victories. The aircraft, in the typical camouflage of the late Bf 109G-14s produced in Leipzig at the Erla factory, had the original markings repainted in fresh RLM 74 and bore the emblem of JG 4 on the nose. The wide bands around the rear of the aircraft were an element for quick identification of JG 4 within the units fighting in Western Europe.

   

  Bf 109G-14, WNr. 465437, Hptm. Franz Dörr, CO of III./JG 5, Gossen, Norway, May 1945

  Franz Dörr was born in Mannheim in 1913. He served as a reconnaissance pilot during the Polish and Western campaigns in 1939 and 1940. Dörr achieved his first kill as a member of 1.(Erg.)/JG 3, shooting down a Wellington on September 29, 1941. On January 1, 1942, this unit was redesignated 7./JG 5, and in September 1943, he became its commander. In early August 1944, he took command of III. Gruppe JG 5 and held that position until the end of the war. On the northern front, he scored 121 victories (although some sources mention 127) in 437 combat sorties. His tally was marked on the rudder of his personal aircraft. He was awarded the Knight’s Cross on August 19, 1944. The aircraft, manufactured at the Erla factory, bore distinctive features of local production such as distinct gun ducts on the engine cowling and a small bulge on the right side of the engine cowling. Though the serial number is not proven, the camouflage matches the markings of the 465xxx series. Aircraft of this series are documented at Gossen, Norway in May 1945. A small circle on the rear of the aircraft identified it as serving with III Gruppe.

   

  Bf 109G-14/U4, WNr. 512382, Lt. Horst Schlick, 4./JG 77, Schönwalde, Germany, November 1944

  Horst Schlick was born in 1921 in Bartenstein, East Prussia. From 1939, he served in I.(J)/LG 2, which was redesignated I./JG 77 in January 1942 in Mariupol. Schlick was a seasoned veteran who achieved two kills on the Eastern Front and at least thirty more on the Mediterranean and Western Fronts. He served most of the time as a member of its 1. Staffel. Change came in September 1944 when he took command of the 4. Staffel, with which he achieved his last three victories. In the spring of 1945, he was transferred first to training III./EJG 2, then to JG 7, equipped with Me 262 jets. However, he achieved no further success here. During the war, he participated in 480 combat sorties, during which he achieved 33 kills. The color scheme depicts Schlick’s WNF-produced plane shortly after he achieved his 31st kill. It is possible that this Bf 109 had the engine cowling used on the machines produced by Erla in Leipzig. The emblem on the rear of the fuselage was the new designation for the 4. Staffel aircraft, and the emblem on the nose was Jagdgeschwader 77.

   

  Bf 109G-14, WNr. 464380, Maggiore Mario Bellagambi, CO of 5ª Squadriglia, 2° Gruppo Caccia ANR, Osoppo, Italy, March 1945

  After the declaration of Italian Social Republic on September 18, 1943, a puppet state on the territory of Italy occupied by German military under the command of Benito Mussolini, Germany allowed this Republic to establish its own military force consisting of four divisions. Its air force component called Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana consisted of two fighter plane groups (Gruppo Caccia), torpedo groups (Gruppo Aerosiluranti Buscaglia) and several transportation squadrons. In 1945, both fighter plane squadrons flew Messerschmitts Bf 109G-6/G-10/G-14. The commander of 5a Squadriglia (called Diavoli Rossi) was Maggiore Mario Bellagambi, a fighter ace with 14 victories. In 1949 he was once again admitted to Italian air force where he became Generale di brigata aerea prior to his retirement. He died in Florence on June 25, 2001. Bellagambi’s 109 was camouflaged with RLM 74/75/76 colors. The Verde Oliva Scuro 2 color is applied to the stain under the red devil painting, the emblem of 5a squadriglia. The rudder was supplied by one of the subcontractors and bears a camouflage consisting of RLM 81 and RLM 82. The yellow outline of fuselage ANR marking was either reversed or had yellow triangles around the flag as compared to other aircraft.

   

  Bf 109G-14, WNr. 782205, Lt. Antal Szebeni, 101/5. Vadászszázad MKHL, Börgönd, Hungary, October 1944

  This aircraft was produced in September 1944 at the Messerschmitt Regensburg plant and was received by the Hungarian Fighter Group 101/II. From the end of 1944, the unit was involved in combat against the Soviet Air Force and occasionally engaged with American forces. The W0+58 was flown by Lt. Szebeni, who achieved a total of three victories by the end of the war. In the final months of the war, this unit also received Bf 109G-10 and G-10/U4 aircraft. Szebeni crashed one of these planes during a landing at Szombathely on March 25, 1945. The “Black 4” rolled over on its back and was destroyed. Lieutenant Szebeni, however, escaped unharmed. He was also fortunate on April 14, 1945, during a dogfight northeast of Vienna. A Soviet fighter hit his Bf 109G-10/U4 “Black 14”, causing it to catch fire. Szebeni, flying low over the ground, was unable to bail out. Consequently, he fired the magazines of his weapons before the belly landing, inadvertently hitting a Yak-9 that passed in front of him. Szebeni managed to make an emergency landing at Grafenwörth and returned to the unit uninjured.

• Markings for F4F-4 Wildcat late 1/48

  Lt.(Jg) William E. Eder, VGF-29, USS Santee (CVE-29), November 1942

  Prior to his assignment to VGF-29, William Eder fought with VF-3 at the Battle of Bougainville and with VF-2 at the Battle of the Coral Sea. He downed one Zero and shared a victory over a Betty bomber plus one probable kill of a Val bomber during these engagements. In all, Eder is credited with 6.5 kills of Japanese aircraft, and he destroyed another 10 of them on the ground. He also destroyed three French aircraft during Operation Torch. The Wildcat that Eder flew during Operation Torch wore standard camouflage consisting of shades of Light Gray and Blue Gray, the insignia being complemented by a yellow border on the fuselage and underside of the wing. Below the cockpit, two kills and the unit emblem were painted on both sides.

  
  

  BuNo.11992, Ens. Leroy Childs, VF-11, Guadalcanal, May 1943

  VF-11 was established at NAS North Island California on October 10, 1942 and was equipped with Wildcats. To emphasize its fighting spirit and superiority over the Japanese, the squadron chose the name Sundowners. The emblem featured two Wildcats shooting down a rising sun. From April to July 1943, VF-11 Wildcats shot down a total of 55 enemy aircraft in aerial combat at Guadalcanal. After returning to the U.S. and rearming with the new F6F Hellcat, VF-11 embarked on the USS Hornet in October 1944 and joined the fighting. By February 1945, her pilots had achieved 102 enemy kills in the air and destroyed dozens more on the ground. With this Wildcat was shot down Ens. Leroy Child on May 6, 1943. He was last seen breaking away from the formation and his body was never recovered. He was posthumously awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart. Wildcat number 16 was painted in standard camouflage shades of Light Gray and Blue Gray with a diffuse gradient of colors. On both sides of the fuselage there were the white lettering "JEANIE" and the unit emblem of VF-11 painted. The aircraft had numerous camouflage repairs to the fuselage and wings.

   

  Lt. Philip H. Torrey Jr., CO VF-22, USS Independence (CVL-22), June 1943

  The VF-22 unit was activated on September 30, 1942 and flew from the aircraft carrier USS Indenpedence (CVL-22) during World War II. The unit was flew F4F Wildcats, later F6F Hellcats. The unit’s first commander was Lt. Philip H. Torrey Jr. who commanded the unit until the summer of 1943. During the summer of 1943, Torrey became the commanding officer of Fighting Squadron 9 (VF-9), operating from the USS Essex (CV-9). In March 1944, he was transferred to Carrier Air Group 9 (CAG-9) operating aboard USS Lexington (CV-16) with F6F Hellcats. On February 16, 1945, Torrey volunteered for his first mission which was to fly over Tokyo. Over the target, however, his Hellcat was shot down by a Japanese fighter and Torrey fatally crashed in the village of Habu near Narita. His Wildcat, which he flew with VF-22, had a non-standard camouflage with a third shade of Semi-Gloss Sea Blue applied to the original older Blue Gray/Light Gray scheme on the upper fuselage and wings.

   

  VC-13, USS Core (CVE-13), August-September 1943

  The Tacoma-built Bogue-class escort carrier USS Core (CVE-13) was commissioned on December 10, 1942, and named after Core Sound. USS Core operated on the west coast off San Diego, but soon joined the Atlantic Fleet to take part in the bloody war against submarines with TBF-1C Avengers and F4F-4 Wildcats on board. Core’s first combat cruise in the Atlantic lasted from June 27 to July 31, 1943, during which VC-13 hit a pair of submarines. USS Core and VC-13 scored a total of four submarine kills by the end of 1943, helping to end the good times of the German U-boat fleet. The Wildcats on USS Core carried an interesting combination of colors from the factory blue-grey NS through light grey NS as well as both the then-new ASWN I and II schemes designed for the Atlantic. The aircraft shown, with the black identification number 6 on the rudder, had a unique design of the unit emblem painted on the fuselage with the number 13 inscribed on it. This made it a popular background for photographs of VC-13 pilots.

   

  Lt. (jg) Dean S. Laird, USS Ranger (CV-4), Operation Leader, October 1943

  Dean Samuel “Diz” Laird was the only US Navy ace with kills on both the Pacific and European battlefields. He also served in the Korean War and Vietnam War after the World War II. Laird shot down 5.75 enemy aircraft in combat and damaged one. Two of his victims were German Ju 88 and He 115 aircraft, shot down in October 1943 near Norway during Operation Leader. The others were Japanese aircraft. Laird flew 138 combat sorties during World War II and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Congressional Gold Medal, among other awards. He flew the F4F Wildcats and then the F6F Hellcats and was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CV-4) from November 1942 to March 1943. From November 1944 to March 1945, he operated from the USS Essex (CV-9). In 1969, he was one of the three lead pilots in the movie Tora! Tora! Tora! Laird helped reenact the attack on Pearl Harbor during its filming and flew approximately 164 hours during the production.

  
  

  VMF-441, Nanumea, November 1943

  Marine Fighting Squadron 441 (VMF-441) was formed on October 1, 1942 at Tutuila, American Samoa, from part of VMF-111 and flew F4F Wildcats. By the end of May 1943, the entire squadron moved to Funafuti in the Ellice Islands, followed by another move to Nanumea Base on September 28, 1943. The squadron moved back to Tutuila in December 1943, where it rearmed to the F4U-1 Corsair. VMF-441 was also known as “The Blackjacks”. The unit was credited with a total of 49 aircraft shot down during World War II and was inactivated after the surrender of Japan on July 11, 1946. The Wildcat shown here wore non-standard camouflage with a third shade of Semi-Gloss Sea Blue added to the original older Blue Gray/Light Gray scheme on the upper fuselage and wing surfaces. The nose of the aircraft was decorated with a white “Little Joe” inscription on the left side of the engine cowling with a dice motif.

• Markings for Fokker E.III 1/48

  E339/16, Lt. Josef Jacobs, Fokkerstaffel West, June 1916

  The advent of Fokker monoplanes armed with synchronized machine guns brought a fundamental change to the course of air warfare from the summer of 1915. The original assignment of these monoplanes to FFA (Feldflieger Abteilung) field aviation units changed in early 1916 when the first German fighter units were formed. The Kampfeinsitzer Kommando (KeK) was a grouping of pilots still belonging to the respective FFA but assigned to fight enemy aircraft. Later, these pilots were allocated to the official fighter units, the Staffeln, in which many future aces grew up. One of them was Josef Carl Peter Jacobs, who spent the first year of his flying career as an observation pilot in FFA 11, only to join Fokkerstaffel West in April 1916. He achieved his first confirmed victory in May when he shot down a two-seat Caudron and possibly an observation balloon. His Eindecker was given a coat of green paint on upper and side surfaces, which was complemented by brown patches, which camouflaged the aircraft not only in the air but also on the ground. By the end of the war, his tally stood at 48 victories. Jasta 12 was formed from the Fokkerstaffel West personnel on October 6, 1916, but Jacobs was transferred to Jasta 22 just a month later.

   

  E105/15, Ernst Udet, KeK Habsheim, 1916

  The most successful surviving fighter of World War I was Ernst Udet, who started his flying career with Feldflieger Abteilung 206, from where he moved to FFA 68. There he was given his first Eindecker, but he destroyed it due to an engine malfunction during take-off. He was then assigned an older example of the same type. On March 18, 1916, Udet achieved his first aerial victory. Later that year, FAA 68 was transformed into Kampfeinsitzer Kommando Habsheim and then became Jasta 15 on September 28. Udet’s E.III was given paint of unspecified shade of green, which was complemented by an oblique black and white stripe. For this, the black section was later overpainted with a different shade of green. The color scheme and decals offer both variations.

   

  Gotthard Sachsenberg, MFFA I, April–November 1916

  The second most successful fighter of the German Navy started his flying career as an observer in the Freiwilliges Marine-Fliegerkorps. In December 1914, he was transferred to Marine-Feldflieger-Abteilung I. In the first half of April 1916, the unit took over this D.III number LF196 and it most likely became the aircraft of the then newly trained fighter pilot Gotthard Sachnsenberg. The aircraft was left in gradually accumulated oil stains and other dirt and, according to photographs, was put "on its nose" by its pilot during an emergency landing near Ostend. We do not know when this happened, but the aircraft was subsequently taken to the airfield in a dismantled state and continued to fly until the end of November, when most E.IIIs were retired in favor of new Halberstadts.

   

  Austro-Hungarian Navy, Abwehrflugstation Altura, Austro–Hungaria, 1918

  Within the Austro-Hungarian Air Force and Navy served Fokker E.IIIs with the designation A.III. Some of them had the Austro-Hungarian Schwarzlose machine gun installed instead of the original German LMG. However, this was not the case with this aircraft. This one was armed with the LMG machine gun, but it was the Navy version with simple gunsight and a slightly different perforation of the barrel housing. The A.III Fokkers were gradually withdrawn to training units, where they served during the last year of the war. This was also the case with this aircraft, which served for training at Altura airfield. There, on February 24, 1918, the Brno native Leodegar Ustynek fatally crashed during a training flight. When shooting on a target, the engine failed, the aircraft lost speed and crashed from a height of about 50 m. Interestingly, there are two types of crosses used on the aircraft. While on the wings there was an older type, on the fuselage a newer one was used. For the bottom surfaces, historians are inclined towards a light blue color.

• Markings for MiG-21PFM 1/48

  921 Fighter Regiment, Vietnamese People’s Army Air Force, Noi Bai airfield, Democratic Republic of Vietnam, 1968

  This aircraft was flown by 921 Fighter Regiment “Sao Do” (Red Star) in 1968. The first examples of MiG-21PFM were delivered to this unit during that year. Some sources say that this particular aircraft was flown by Nguyen Van Coc, a fighter ace credited with nine kills. The B&W photos of this aircraft can be interpreted in several ways. One of the theories says that green splotches were sprayed on the upper sides. The splotches were not sharp-edged, and the surrounding area was also covered by the thin layer of the green color. This gave this area light-green appearance. The canopy frame and the antenna were left in natural metal finish.

   

  No. 7909, 11 Fighter Air Regiment, Czechoslovak Air Force, Žatec airfield, Czech and Slovak Federative Republic, March 1991

  The No. 7909 MiG-21PFM was delivered to Czechoslovakia on January 29, 1969. At the beginning it was assigned to 9 slp (9th Fighter Air Regiment); from April 1973 served with 1 slp. From December 1982 onwards this aircraft was flown by 11 slp. It was put out of operation in March 1991 and consequently flown to the disposal site at the Vodochody airfield on March 20, 1991. The coat of arms of Žatec town was painted on the nose, the yellow band on the tail identified the aircraft which was to be put out of operation. The rest of the aircraft remained in natural metal finish, which was a common practice regarding this type.

   

  Baurnal Higher Air Force School, Kamen na Obi/Slavgorod airbases, the Soviet Union, ca 1988

  Three-digit numbers were used for aircraft flown by Air Force schools in Soviet Union. The White 105 served with Barnaul Highter Air Force School in late 80ties. The exact Regiment that flew this MiG is not known. It belonged either to 59 UAP (59th Training Air Regiment) based in Kamen na Obi AFB or to 96 UAP that used Slavgorod AFB as its home. The colorful camouflage was applied during the service in the school. Note the large area of the brown camouflage color under the white fuselage number, where the former two-digit number used by the frontline unit, the previous operator, was overpainted.

   

  Egyptian Air Force, Inshas air base, Arab Republic of Egypt, early 80´s

  This aircraft is one of the few MiG-21PFMs flown by Egyptian Air Force following the Six-Day War. Prior to this Arab–Israeli conflict, total of 235 various MiG-21s were delivered to Egypt but only about ten of them survived the war. The first and surprising Israeli aerial attack on Egyptian airbases on June 5, 1967, known as the Operation Moked, cost Egyptians about 90 of their MiG-21s itself. This aircraft was delivered to Egypt around 1970 and took part in the US–Egyptian military exercise Bright Star in 1982.

   

  1 Eskadra of the 62 Pułk Lotnictwa Myśliwskiego, Polish Air Force, Poznan – Krzesiny AB, Poland, 1994

  This aircraft had been delivered to Poland on April 5, 1968 and served with 34. Pułk Lotnictwa Myśliwskiego (34th Fighter Air Regiment). This profile depicts the 6910 how it looked during the service with 62. PLM. The tail marking was applied in connection with 40th anniversary of the unit establishment (1954 – 1994). In 1995 the unit designation was changed to 3. PLM and according to this the number 62 in the unit badge on the A/C nose was replaced with the new one. This PFM was armed with GP-9 gun pod and Monsun rack for two R-3S missiles. The aircraft was oversprayed with thin layer of aluminium coat.

• Markings for F6F-5 Hellcat 1/72

  BuNo 70143, Cdr. David McCampbell, CO of CAG-15 USS Essex (CV-9), October 1944

  David McCampbell, commander of the Carrier Air Group 15, was the most successful fighter pilot within the US Navy. He achieved at least 20 of his 34 victories flying this Hellcat. During the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot on June 19, 1944, he shot down seven Japanese aircraft and a few days later, on October 24, another nine during fight against a large Japanese numerical advantage. He was twice awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. “Minsi III” was lost in December 1944 in an accident when flown by another pilot.

  
  

  Lt. Carl A. Brown Jr., VF-27, USS Princeton (CVL-23), October 1944

  “Paper Doll” was the personal mount of Lt. (jg) Robert Burnell. The distinctive shark mouth painting was used on the earlier aircraft by the squadron, and it appears here in a simpler form. On October 24, 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Lt. Carl A. Brown intercepted a large formation of enemy aircraft at a time when the USS Princeton had suffered serious damage. During the intercept, Lt. Brown was able to down five of the Japanese aircraft but was hit and injured himself. He landed on the USS Essex (CV-9), as the Princeton was out of action. “Paper Doll” was pushed overboard to make room for other landing aircraft.

   

  BuNo 72534, Ens. Donald McPherson, Bill Kingston, Jr., Lyttleton Ward, VF-83, USS Essex (CV-9), May 1945

  Starting from the end of January 1945, US Navy aircraft in the Pacific carried striking geometric symbols. Two white triangles belonged to aircraft of the USS Essex. White 115 also sported an emblem consisting of a skull and crossbones and the inscription “Death and Destruction”. The victory marks painted on the cockpit sides possibly included all the success achieved by the pilots who flew the plane. White 115 was mostly flown by Ensigns Donald McPherson, Bill Kingston, Jr., and Lyttleton Ward. The last mentioned downed three Alfs and one Oscar during one of the most concentrated kamikaze attacks on TF-58 ships on May 4, 1945. During this event Ward attained the ace status.

   

  Lt. Leo Bob McCuddin, VF-20, USS Enterprise (CV-6), October 1944

  Famous Navy pilot Leo Bob McCuddin flew this aircraft on many of his combat sorties. He flew F6F Hellcats as a pilot with VF-20 from the USS Enterprise from April 1944. All five of his victories were gained during his combat tour with VF-20. He participated in the attack on the “Fuso” Class battleship and in the sinking of an escort destroyer during the Battle of the Philippine Sea on October 24 and 25, 1944. 

• Swap Meets, Shows and Contests…

  Text: Jakub Nademlejnský

  
  

  This year, my exhibition team colleagues got down to business pretty quickly. We have only completed the first three months of this year and we have already visited five events: the toy fair in Nuremberg, the toy fair in Verona, the modeling festival in Bytom, the Panthers Cup modeling competition in Prosek and the exhibition of plastic models at the event known here as Easter Prostějov. I think this represents a record, and if by some chance it doesn’t, it was definitely a record performance for our exhibition teams in March, with, apart from the first weekend of the month, they were at one event or another and believe me it was a real buzz. And not only for us, but also for all of our other colleagues who, in one form or another, participated in the preparation for the events, whether it was their work on pre-orders, the preparation of goods that we took to the events, and also the marketing department that supports sales and coordinates transport, accommodations and everything else that needed attending to. And we do it because, actually, we do enjoy coming out to you, our customers. In addition, we often combine these trips with the preparation of references for our future projects, as was the case, for example, during our trip to Italy in the fall, which you have certainly already read about in Vladimír Šulc's article in this issue.

   This list is far from complete for the year and will only grow! In addition to the already traditional and well-established events, you will be able to meet us, for example, at an exhibition in Zagreb, Croatia, or at the tank museum in Saumur, France. This year is a kind of testing year for new exhibitions for us, and so far I have to say that the visits we have tried out as an experiment have proven themselves. The toy fair in Verona was a pleasant surprise, and our participation in Bytom was also positive according to the feedback from our colleagues, so I expect that we will participate in both events next year as well.

   To the contrary though, another traditional event that Eduard has been participating in for over thirty years surprised us this year in a disappointing way. Let me return once again to the Nuremberg Toy Fair this year. I wanted to take a break from evaluating this event and wait to see how other editors and other commentators reacted to this year’s event. And you know what I learned? Practically nothing. Not much at all was written about Nuremberg. I read some rather superficial reports, as if the authors were not even at the fair, and the impression was that the fair didn’t interest many. After all, practically none of the companies in our field announced any truly fresh, breathtaking news at the show. Even we only repeated previously announced projects. We held a conference at our table for this purpose, where only three guests showed up that were representatives of the modeling public or the press. But through their virtual absence, I learned something about Nuremberg. Was there any reason to attend? Does it actually make sense to participate in such a fair anymore?

   I think the organizers needlessly dealt with matters that actually did not attract participants. A good example was this year's allowing the general public admission to the halls and permission for participants to sell exhibited goods. The fair takes place from Wednesday to Saturday, but I think we could organize meetings and seminars where it would be possible to discuss everything necessary in just two days. Such informal discussions at the tables would disappear and important matters could be dealt with. We could discuss other matters over a beer in the evening as well. In short, instead of unnecessary incremental (and unnecessary) innovations, the organizers should rather think about decreasing the costs of the exhibition spaces and shortening the event, which would make the fair more accessible, more attractive for a larger number of exhibitors, and also for the people traveling to the fair., who are constantly decreasing due to the ever-increasing prices of the tables, because it no longer makes any real sense for them to attend. This would ultimately make the fair more meaningful for other companies, the press and the public, the numbers of which could be reversed and increase.

  But I also see no need to be exclusively negative, either. We were still happy to be able to meet representatives of a number of companies from the industry, whom we have not seen in Nuremberg for a few years due to covid. We had several such meetings, because, apart from us, ICM, Revell, Special Hobby, Miniart, Academy, Gunze, Hobby Boss/Trumpeter (these sharing a common table), Tamiya and Zvezda through their Austrian representatives took part in the fair. The participation of Ukrainian companies was a surprise for me personally, especially ICM, who’s presence despite the destruction in Kiev, put a smile on my face.

   However, the other events this year have excited us greatly so far, and I expect the trend to continue. The next upcoming event is the exhibition in Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary, and I hereby invite you all to our exhibit and tables and you definitely have something to look forward to, as we will bring along our limited edition 1:48th scale P-51B Mustang!

  The team at the Eduard table at the Nuremberg fair (from left Jan Zdiarský, Martin Ferkl, Vladimír Šulc, Jakub Nademlejnský and Jan Bobek).

  Table at the Panthers Cup contest.

  The table at Bytom.

  Limited Edition Spitfire Mk.Vb Early prepared especially for the Bytom Festival with extra Polish markings.

• Gardening the Danube

  Ground crew of 70 squadron B flight posing at their base with the ‘cucumbers’.

  
  

  - mining the Europe’s second largest river in April 1944

  
  

  Text: Peter Kaššák

  
  

  With a length of 2,845 km, the Danube is the second-longest river in Europe after the Volga. On almost 2,415 km (from Kelheim to Sulina) the river is navigable for international cargo transport. On its way from the Black Forest (Germany) to the Black Sea (Romania and Ukraine), the Danube passes by or through ten riparian states, which makes it the most international river in the world.

  The complex of oil refineries situated near Vienna was one of the biggest in Austria and due to its strategic position close to the River Danube guaranteed easy access for the importation of crude oil from Romania and elsewhere. Floridsdorf, Wiener Neustadt, Moosbierbaum, Lobau, Schwechat and Kagran became infamously known to crews of the American 15th United States Army Air Force. In 1944, approximately 88 Heavy Flak Batteries protected this complex, with 604 heavy flak and 840 light flak guns aimed at the American combat boxes of bombers. Operating at maximum efficiency, it threw into the air against US planes some 600 shells every three seconds.

  But it was not only Austrian refineries that were using the Danube as a transport route. The Apollo oil refinery in Bratislava represented in 1944 an important oil-producing facility as did oil refineries in Hungary such as Szony, Pétfürdő, Almásfűzűtő, Pét and refineries in Budapest (Fanto, Shell, Koolaz and Hungary Petroleum Co.). Further downstream were the Kuçovë refinery, Doiceşti and the oil storage depot at Targoviste, Bulgaria, Brod refinery in Yugoslavia, and finally the well-known refinery and depots at Ploesti, in Romania.

  The smooth functioning of the Danube transport system was crucial for Germany, so its disruption was highly desirable for the Allies. Two main options presented themselves to the allied planners in Italy. One involved the destruction of the oil refineries, port facilities and other infrastructure. The other required the interdiction of Danube river traffic by mining. Both options would be resorted to as the USAAF and RAF sought to cut Germany off from its much-needed Romanian oil.

  
  

  During the first period during which the moon was full or near full, mining operations were planned on eight nights, but sorties flown on only three, weather conditions making accurate minelaying impossible on the rest. The first operation, on 8/9 April, was carried out as planned, but that on the following night, described in the 205 Group Operations Record Book as ‘Completion of Mining in Danube’ was cancelled, as was what would have again been a ‘Completion’ on 10/11 April. On 12/13 April, mining was successfully carried out, but a repeat the next night was cancelled. Success came again on 14/15 April, but yet another repeat, on 15/16 April, had to be cancelled. The cancellation of the early ‘Completion’ drops was unfortunate, in that it gave the German authorities time to begin planning counter-measures.

  205 Group scheduled a major raid on the Tököl airfield, Budapest, on 8/9 April 1944, but this was cancelled late in the day, so the Group’s first mining operation was the only one undertaken that night. Two Wings operated, 231 Wing dispatching twenty Wellingtons from 37 and 70 Squadrons, and 240 Wing three Liberators of 178 Squadron, their designated ‘beds’ in the Danube lying between Bazias and Belgrade. Preparation for what was, for 205 Group, an entirely new operational experience was not without its difficulties, the Group Operations Record Book April summary stating:

  ‘Gardening’ operations commenced in April 1944, and the River Danube was mined with approximately 200 mines, Mark IV and V. Difficulty was experienced in obtaining the necessary slings, suspension bands, and bomb beams; and the necessary experienced electrical personnel specialized in the preparation of the mines. The electrical personnel were eventually flown from the Middle East the day prior to the operation.

  It seems likely that the ‘electrical personnel’ came from squadrons in Egypt specializing in minelaying and anti-shipping operations, such as 38 Squadron, though the actual briefing was carried out by Royal Navy personnel.

  
  

  Ten Wellingtons of 37 Squadron were detailed to mine the Danube, laying ‘cucumbers’ in a three-mile bed east of Belgrade, but one did not operate because of magneto failure. The other nine were airborne at Tortorella between 20:20 and 20:27 hours. Three crews, LN920 “C” of W/O J.C. Bailey (RAAF), MF139 “K” of Lt. M. Britz (SAAF) and ME872 of F/Sgt. H.C.M. Johnson (RAAF), were forced to abandon their tasks, F/Sgt. Johnson’s encountering severe electrical storms, while W/O. Bailey’s and Lt. Britz’s crews were unable to identify crucial pinpoints. All three brought their mines back. F/O. Pagram’s crew laid its mines six miles west of the prescribed bed. The rest, LP182 of F/Sgt. G.D.E. Adamson, HE518 of F/Lt. R.M. Cranchey, HZ814 of W/O. E.D. Upson (RAAF), JA522 of F/Sgt. J.C. Macallum (RAAF) and JA531 of F/Lt. C.H. Muggeridge, did so in the prescribed areas east of Belgrade between 22:27 and 23:21 hours from between 400 and 500 feet. F/Sgt. Johnson’s aircraft landed at Tortorella at 23:35, the remainder between 00:48 and 01:47.

  Ten Wellingtons of 70 Squadron were detailed to mine the Danube and took off from Tortorella between 20:20 and 20:41. In fairly good weather, though some cloud, nine crossed the Dinaric Alps and pinpointed the River Sava and Belgrade. LP130 “D” (F/Sgt. G.J. Custance) experienced engine overheating and rising oil temperatures that developed almost immediately after take off. The crew turned back and landed at Celone at 22:30, as instructed, with mines on board. Seven planes, LN640 “A” of F/Lt. H.C. Bownas, MF194 “F” of F/Sgt. D.C. Twigg (RAAF), LN985 “K” of F/O. C.O. Ellison (RAAF), HE694 “L” of F/Sgt. P.D. Nihill (RAAF), LN489 “O” of F/Sgt. R.P.F. Gelle (RAAF), LN870 “U” of F/Sgt. H. Pollard and LP126 “Z” of F/Sgt. A.S.R. Ross (RAAF) claimed to have planted their ‘cucumbers’ in the correct gardens, seeing parachutes and noting the splashes, but F/Lt. L.M. Mason and crew in LN851 “Y” slightly overshot and may have planted in a neighbouring garden. Mining was carried out between 22:29 and 23:10 from a height of 250 to 500 feet, crews planting sixteen 1600lb Mk.III and IV mines.

  Four rear gunners strafed barges, Sgt. M.W. Maddick in LN640 firing 2000 rounds near Omoljica and Starčevo, Sgt. A. Roberts in LM870 1000 rounds at Ritopek, and Sgt. Graysmark, rear gunner in HE694, 1000 rounds at a fair-sized vessel near a neighbouring garden. The greatest success, however, was achieved by Sgt. E.R. Butcher in LN985, who opened fire on six barges being towed by a tug. The tug cast off its tow on being attacked, which appeared to cause some consternation on the barges. 

  P/O. Gibson and crew failed to return. The remaining eight crews landed at Tortorella between 00:39 and 01:40.

  Vickers Wellington LN640 ‘A’ of 70 Squadron. In the background a B-17 of the 15th Air Force is landing.

   

  Vickers Wellington B.Mk.X LP139 “B” of 70 Squadron ditched in the Danube after having the starboard engine set on fire by light flak while mining between Belgrade and Bazias. Two of those who died, navigator F/O. Jeffrey J.K. Burr and air gunner Sgt. Clifford J. Selby, were buried locally, but reinterred post-war in Belgrade War Cemetery, the former in grave 9.A.A4 and the latter in 9.A.B.5. But W. Operator F/Sgt. Frank Dadd, also interred locally at the time, at Pencevo, is buried in Cassino War Cemetery, grave XVII.C.22. It seems F/Sgt. Dadd was recovered from Pencevo by the American Military, who believed he was an USAAF pilot, and buried in the Naples US Military Cemetery. Later, however, the body was identified as that of F/Sgt. Dadd and in 1948 was handed over to the British authorities for re-burial.

  The two survivors, pilot P/O. J.A. Gibson and air bomber F/O. W.R. Elvin, made contact with Chetnik irregulars , and forty days later were evacuated from Yugoslavia by C-47, returning to their squadron. Both went on to complete their tour of operations with 70 Squadron.

   

  The Partisans
  

  The Partisans were organized on the initiative of Tito following the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, and began an active guerrilla campaign against occupying forces after Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June. A large-scale uprising was launched in July, later joined by Draža Mihailović's Chetniks, which led to the creation of the short-lived Republic of Užice. More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chetniks

   
  

  Air bomber Elwin reported upon return and report has been filled as follows:

  “Whilst on a mining operation over the Danube, East of Belgrade at approximately 22:45 hours, aircraft while losing height to 200 feet over the river, was hit by a light gun believed situated on an Island near Pancevo. Fire broke out in the starboard engine, and the Captain decided to ditch. The two mines on board were immediately jettisoned (in the correct “bed”), and before the bomb doors could be closed, the aircraft hit the water in a shallow dive. It immediately filled with water and within a few minutes was completely submerged. There was no time to take up ditching stations, and only the captain P/O Gibson and Bomb-aimer F/O Elvin are known to have survived. They escaped through the pilot´s escape hatch, P/O Gibson suffering only slight facial abrasion, though F/O Elvin had dislocated one shoulder and sprained the other arm. It was extremely dark and by the time the two men came to the surface the aircraft had completely submerged. P/O Gibson found the dinghy floating, right side up, and managed to swim to it whilst F/O Elvin floated in his “Mae West”. After a struggle, they both succeeded in climbing aboard and then attempted to find the W/Op F/S Dadd whose cries they had heard after surfacing. By this time, however, they had floated a considerable way downstream and nothing could be heard or seen of the W/Op. Of the other two members of the crew, nothing was heard after the aircraft submerged, nor did the two survivors hear anything further whilst they were with the villagers in the district. They did hear rumors, however, that Germans were working to salvage the aircraft from its position in the center of the river.

  As they had great difficulty in steering the dinghy, they blew whistles as they were still in the center of the river, and eventually were sighted by a man who came out in a punt and collected them and their dinghy. They tried to prevail on him to search for other members of the crew, but failed, and learnt later that he was unwilling to risk being seen by Germans from the left (i.e. North) bank.

  They were taken to the nearest village where they rested for a time in the school room, being treated quite well by the villagers through conversation was extremely limited as they had no interpreter. Fortunately, the B/A thought it better to discover the local political sympathies before asking to be taken to Tito, for as they later discovered, these villagers on the south of Belgrade were overwhelmingly Chetnik supporters and bitter opponents on the partisans. About 1 am. A Chetnik N.C.O. entered, had them take off their clothing and don local garbs, and drove them by bullock cart to the Chetnik district leader in another village. This leader and his staff – one of whom spoke French with P/O Gibson – treated them very well, fed them, and introduced them to the local brew of plum juice.

  The following morning, to avoid any possibility of detection, they were taken into the hills, where they met an American divinity student who told them he had been studying for the Orthodox Priesthood for some time. He acted as their interpreter for two days, during which time they were often questioned about Britain´s attitude towards the Chetnik and Partisans, the general complaint apparently being that supplies of arms and ammunition were no longer being dropped to the Chetniks. Later on, they found that the Chetniks, whilst well disposed to Britain, dared not openly resist the Germans for fear of reprisals on their villages, though they kept a sharp look-out and were always well informed of German movements. Above all, they seemed to hate and to fear the Partisans and took every opportunity of fighting against them. It is interesting to note that during the whole time they were in Yugoslavia, P/O Gibson and F/O Elvin saw only one German truck, as they kept away from main roads, using secondary roads whose surfaces were indescribably bad and were therefore avoid by the Germans.

  With their interpreter, they travelled by bullock cart to a village some seven hours journey South West where F/O Elvin was attended by a local doctor who did not cure the dislocation – not put right until he reached the British party. All medical supplies seemed to be very limited. At this village they stayed two nights, living as usual in a local commandant´s house.

  The following day the Major, who appeared during the evening of previous day, sent them with a strong escort to the boundary of his district, after which two bodyguards continued with them, continuing South-West and putting up at villages each evening, travelling often on foot though sometimes by cart or horseback. Everywhere they were well treated, until eventually they reached a British Mission H.Q. who passed details of their escape to the outside world.

  Apparently a number of these Missions were being recalled at this time, and plans were discussed for leaving the country. The proposal to make their way across country was turned down, as the Chetniks would not allow them to pass into regions controlled by the Partisans, and indeed disapproved of their intention to leave the country and of Britain´s increasing support of Tito. The next alternative was escape by air. P/O Gibson was taken to a level patch of pasture on a hill top and asked whether he considered it practicable for use as a night landing ground for Lysander. He considered that it was, but as some hitch occurred in the pans for receiving Lysander co-operation, he eventually heard that three transport aircraft were to attempt the job. Gooseneck flares etc. were dropped to them, M.A.P.R.W. aircraft took photos of the landing ground, and Gibson was made officer in charge of night flying.

   

  The party now consisted of 109 men, as several American airmen had bailed out nearby and joined the “mission”. After three nights work – most of it interesting and exciting as aircraft were taking off on a short improvised landing ground (filled to capacity) – the whole party was safely evacuated. P/O Gibson boarded the last transport together with the British C.O.”

   Personal photo of William R. Elwin taken in 1945 upon return from the war.

   Photo taken in Yugoslavia in 1944. From left to right are standing unknown chetnick, pilot Jacobsen (unidentified crew), William Elvin and another unknown chetnick.

   Photo of the 37 Squadron crew, in which flew W.R. Elwin – standing as second from right.

   

  As a last Squadron airborne that night for Gardening mission was 178 Squadron. Three Liberator crews took off from Celone between 20:50 and 21:00 hours, detailed to mine the River Danube near what the geographically-challenged compiler of the squadron Operations Record Book said was Bucharest, but which was actually Belgrade. Between 23:28 and 23:39 hours, from a height of between 125 and 500 feet the three crews dropped 12 x 1000 lb. Mk.V mines as designated, the Liberators, on this first mining raid, carrying only four mines each, instead of the six that were carried thereafter.

  On debriefing, W/Cdr. D.C. Smythe and his crew, flying in BZ947 “N”, described in detail the sequence they followed in this, the squadron’s first mining operation:

  “23:15 hours – arrived at target area. Orbited to port and lost height to 2500 ft flying up river as far as the island of Cibulski [44°48N: 21°12E]. Turned to port again and flew back along Danube heading west losing height to 200 ft near island of Okilova [44°46N: 21°12E]. 23:28 hours, 180 ft – mining run on heading 210°. IAS [Indicated Air Speed] 170 mph. All mines dropped in one stick with three second spacing... All four parachutes seen to open and splashes observed as mines fell in Danube, making fountains of water.”

  F/Lt. J.H.C. Lewis and his crew (plane BZ930 “S”) also dropped in one stick, but S/Ldr. R.A. Brown (in plane BZ929), making his first run at 23:32, found he could only drop two mines before the aircraft passed over land, and so turned to port and flew down river again in order to repeat the mining run, dropping his second pair of mines at 23:39. Interestingly, there seems to have been no hard and fast requirement as to the height at which the mines were dropped, or a prescribed speed, since while W/Cdr. Smythe dropped from 180 feet at 170 mph, S/Ldr. Brown chose to drop from 300 feet at 180 mph, and F/Lt. Lewis went lowest of all at 125 feet. Crews experienced slight machine gun or antiaircraft fire from barges and tugs north and west of Dubovic and Dubovska Ada islands and the crew of BZ930 decided to investigate after turning away from its mining run. Observing several small vessels, the crew attacked from 200 feet, the tail gunner fired about 1000 rounds, the mid upper gunner 400 rounds and the beam gunner 200 rounds. All observed the rounds ricocheting off the vessels. The crews landed at Celone between 01:20 and 02:00.

  In the morning of 9 April 1944, river traffic on the Danube was paralyzed. Among the first victims was the 650 hp. passenger steamer Tulln of the D.D.S.G, which was sunk at kilometer marker 1150 at 07:45. Six of those on board died. D.D.S.G. also lost a tug on the 9th, but this was just the beginning. ‘Gardening’ was to badly affect this large transporting company in the next seven months. Another death was reported on tanker X of the Slovak company S.D.P., which was sunk at km 1128 along with a Serbian police boat.

   After three nights on which mining was planned, but abandoned, better weather meant that mining operations could be resumed on the 12th by the three squadrons involved in the first mining operation on 8/9 April. 205 Group’s major scheduled operation that night was an attack by sixty-five crews from the three Wellington wings on the Ferencváros Marshalling Yards at Budapest, but seventeen Wellingtons from 231 Wing and twelve Liberators from 240 Wing were detailed to mine between Backa Palanka and Futog, east of Novi Sad, while five 231 Wing Wellingtons mined further east, between Bazias and Belgrade.

  Eleven Wellingtons of 37 Squadron took off from Tortorella between 22:30 and 22:40, seven detailed to lay mines in the Danube between Gardinovci, near Novi Sad, and Surnik, and four between Bazias and Belgrade, near Dubravica.

  Seven crews, including crews of W/O. J.C. Bailey (RAAF) in Wellington LN920 “C”, F/Sgt. J. Calvert-Fisher in LN958, Lt. M. Britz (SAAF) in LN924, F/Sgt. H.C.M. Johnson (RAAF) in ME572, F/Lt. J.F. Fisher in MF196, Lt. D.R. Hjelm (SAAF) in LP182 and F/Sgt. J. Evans (RAAF) flying in LN799 successfully laid twelve 1000 lb. mines in the Danube in the area between Gardinovci and Surnik from a height of between 100 and 200 feet. HF477 (W/O. E.D. Upson (RAAF)) and ME875 (F/Lt. R.M. Cranchey) both had a mine hang up and on return, at 04:20, landed at Foggia Main, with its longer runway, with the mines on board.

  The four crews detailed to mine between Bazias and Belgrade all did so successfully, laying their mines from a height of 300 to 500 feet.

  Pilot P/O. D.C. Burcham (plane JA472) described his feelings as he undertook his first mining operation:

  “It turned out to be one of the most exhilarating of trips. Having crossed the mountains at 10,000 feet, we then pinpointed our ‘garden’ and dived down to 2000 feet above the hazily moon-lit river, feeling rather vulnerable as we had no idea what was cooking-up along the dark river banks. In the event nothing happened and we were able to drop our two mines! (Macdonald pp. 15–16)

  The Operations Record Book states that the rear gunner of JA531, Sgt. Blyth, fired 200 rounds at barges, but Maurice Lihou, who was captaining JA531, recalls, in It’s Dicey Flying Wimpeys Around Italian Skies, pp. 68–9, that the air bomber, Sgt. Antiel, also attacked the barges from the front turret:

  “In the brilliant moonlight they found their vegetable patch (target area). Flying low along the Danube with the riverbanks rising on either side of them, they could clearly see motor traffic with dimmed headlight moving along; they must belong to an enemy convoy they concluded. They laid their deadly traps and continued flying low at 200 feet over the river. To Lee [Lihou] it was a tremendous thrill.

  ‘Lets see if we can find some barges to shoot up’, suggested Lee. ‘Want to go into the front turret, Len?’

  ‘OK. Skipper’. It wasn’t long before the first barges came into sight sitting low in the river, chugging along leaving a telltale wake of white foam behind them. They were much bigger than Lee had expected, he counted eight of them, four lots of two side by side.

  ‘Got them in your sights Len? Then go to it first. Are you ready at the back, Jock?’

  Len needed no second bidding, the burst of machine gun fire filled the aircraft and as they flew on over the barges it was Jock’s turn in the rear gunner’s turret to have a go, he also let rip.

  ‘What about a second run chaps?’ asked Lee.

  ‘OK by us Skipper’.

  They turned, flew alongside of the riverbank, turned again and flew on them from the rear. There seemed to be no one on board. They did a second run over them, both turrets in action. They flew on for a few more miles, but no more were sighted.

  ‘Better head for home now, Lee’, said Riggy.”

  Nine crews landed at Tortorella between 03:11 and 04:20.

  Rear Gunner of 37 Squadron. [Photo: E. Robertson]

   

  Ten aircraft of 70 Squadron, LF640 “A” piloted by F/Sgt. G.B. Sinclair (RAAF), LN699 “C” with Lt. N.K. Weekes (SAAF), LP130 “D” with F/Sgt. G.J. Custance (RAAF), MF194 “F” with Sgt. D.H.R. McPherson (RAAF), LN985 “K” with F/Sgt. H. Pollard, HE694 “L” F/Sgt. K.E. Turley (RAAF), LN479 “O” with F/Sgt. R.P.F. Gelle (RAAF), NP135 “T” with F/Sgt. J.R. Turvey (RNZAF), LN870 “U” with F/Sgt. B.E. Marstin (RAAF), LP126 “Z” with F/Sgt. R.P. Case and LN851 “Y” manned by crew of F/Lt. K.G. Hubbard, were detailed to plant mines between Palanka and Stari Futag, west of Novi Sad. In addition, F/Sgt. Custance and crew, foiled on the earlier mining raid by engine problems, were detailed to plant in the ‘old’ bed east of Belgrade. All eleven crews took off from Tortorella between 22:40 and 22:54 and approached the target in good weather, admiring the snow-capped Dinaric Alps en route. Between 01:00 and 01:45 hours crews successfully planted a total of twenty 1000 lb. Mk.V and two 1600 lb. Mk.VI mines from 80 to 400 feet successfully.

  Two crews, F/Sgt. Turvey’s and F/Sgt. Custance’s, encountered opposition south of Masbar, which, although slight, was sufficiently accurate to hole F/Sgt. Turvey’s aircraft in several places and damage the intercom. Nonetheless, he and his crew successfully completed their mining run.

   F/Sgt. B.E. Marstin RAAF, who captained LN870 on this raid.  [Photo: AWM]

  
  

  Crews landed at Tortorella between 03:05 and 04:35.

  Detailed to mine the River Danube between Backa Palanka and Futog, west of Novi Sad, twelve Liberators of 178 Squadron took off from Celone between 23:59 and 00:31, each carrying six mines. Eleven crews located the designated beds and between 02:55 and 03:46 sixty-five 1000 lb. Mark V mines were laid successfully from a height of between 80 and 500 feet. The crew of Lt. W.J. Van der Merwe (SAAF) flying in BZ932 had one mine hang up. It was jettisoned safe over the Adriatic. Several crews reported difficulty in identifying the drop zone because of flooding, and F/Lt. D.A. Eardley and his crew in EV939 abandoned the operation after searching for the drop zone at 1500 feet for more than thirty minutes. Two of its six mines were jettisoned safe over the Adriatic.

  Seven crews strafed barges, reporting hits, the .5 inch machine guns carried by the Liberators having much more penetrative power than the .303 inch machine guns of the Wellingtons. Several crews made prolonged strafing attacks, Lt. Van der Merwe’s crew, for instance, raking barges with machine gun fire for 12 minutes. The most spectacular results, however, were obtained by the crews of EV820 “R” (Lt. T.E. Knight (SAF)) and EV822 “V” (F/Lt. J.H.C. Lewis). In the latter Lt. Knight’s mid upper and beam gunners attacked and set fire to a 100 ft. long vessel, believed to be a tanker, which blew up. EV820’s gunners attacked another tanker, which also blew up, setting fire to a row of six ships, leaving the river covered in burning oil and the resulting explosions visible 85 miles away.

  On the return flight over the Adriatic, Lt. N.E. Hayman’s crew (in EV962) spotted red very flares fired from the sea, which they reported at debriefing. Group Flying Control was advised and the outcome was the rescue the following morning of S/Ldr. C.F. Mervyn-Jones and his 40 Squadron crew, returning from an attack on the Ferencvaros Marshalling Yards, Budapest, which had ditched out of fuel after flak damage.

  Other participating crews which were not mentioned due to nonproblematic flights were Lt. J.N. Hall (SAAF) in BZ928, Lt. G.C.E. Gibson (SAAF) in BZ929, Lt. J.G. Schuurman (SAAF) in BZ930 “S”, Lt. J.F. Young (SAAF) in BZ946 “L”, W/O. J. Strenach (RAAF) in BZ947 “N”, F/Lt. E.F.S. May in EV825 “D” and F/Sgt. A.L. Steele in EV841. All crews landed at Celone between 05:43 and 06:30.

  Newly planted ‘cucumbers’, as the mines were often called in the RAF slang, found their victims again. On the 13th, seven ships were sunk, including B.L. tanker 778, N.F.R’s Hotin and the M.F.T.R. tug Grof Szapary Gyula lost at km 1466. Aboard the tug ten people lost their lives.

   M.F.T.R. tug Grof Szapary Gyula lost on 13 April 1944 at km 1466.

  
  

   Originally, for the night 14/15 April 1944 the 205 Group scheduled a major attack on the Turnu Severin Marshalling Yards in Romania, but this was cancelled, and in its place modest-sized raids by the three Wellington wings were mounted against shipping and harbor installations at Piombino, San Stefano and Leghorn. One Wellington from 236 Wing was also detailed to carry out a leaflet drop (‘nickelling’) over Romania. It was therefore only the Liberators of 240 Wing that operated upon what was to be the final mining operation of the first full moon period, and easily the least successful.

  178 Squadron RAF Liberator being armed with mines.

  
  

  Between 22:00 and 00:01, 178 Squadron dispatched eleven crews to mine the Danube near Jiul, in Romania, with six of them detailed to drop leaflets over Romanian cities prior to mining. Two aircraft crashed shortly after take-off and of the remaining nine only one, EV959 “T” of F/Lt. D.A. Eardley, managed to locate the designated bed with any certainty. Of the rest, two (BZ932 “Y” of Lt. W.J. Van der Merwe and BZ946 “L” of Lt. J.F. Young, both SAAF) mined the Danube, though uncertain as to where, while W/O. Strenach’s crew (in BZ930 “S”) dropped their mines 15 miles south of Craiova in the river Jiul after they could not locate the Danube.  In all, thirty Mk. 5A mines were laid between 03:20 and 03:44 from a height of 50 to 200 feet. The other crews of Lt. H. Hosken (SAAF) in BZ947 “N”, F/Sgt. A.L. Steele in BZ929 and F/Sgt. W.A. Molyneux in EV822 “V were defeated by a combination of haze and a waning moon low in the sky, conditions worsening as the night progressed, with crews unable later to identify the Danube, despite having used it successfully as a pinpoint earlier, en route to nickelling. Two aircraft successfully dropped leaflets over Ploesti, and one each over Bucharest and Craiova.

   Returning crews all highlighted the difficult weather conditions and the efforts they had made to locate the designated drop zone. S/Ldr. R.A. Brown’s crew, flying in B-24 BZ928, for instance, reported:

  “Tried to find Danube after dropping ‘nickels’ but unsuccessful. A town brightly lit up and all pinpoints coincided with Turnu Măgurele but Danube could not be located. Moon was giving poor illumination as it shone just above haze. Orbited to find Danube but still unsuccessful. Flew South and made astrosight which gave aircraft at 43°05’N: 22°47’E at 03:05 hours. This gave aircraft too far South of Danube to mine before 03:20 hours. Decided to abandon operation. Fifteen minutes later another astrofix confirmed the other one. 04:16 hours – two mines jettisoned from rear bay at position 42o04’N: 18o32’E from 9000 feet on heading 260°.”

  W/O. Strenach and his crew had to contend not only with difficult weather, but also with enemy opposition:

  “01:54 hours made a complete circuit of Ploesti – searchlight shot up and caught aircraft straight away. Light stayed on for approx. 30secs then moved off then another repeated. Master searchlight held aircraft, the others swinging towards aircraft’s course passing on to the master. Evasive action taken and searchlights lost. 02:20 hours en route back to Danube. A single radial-engined aircraft (unidentified) observed flying same way as ‘S’. ‘S’ turned to port. Height 4000 ft – fighter’s height 3000 ft. Unidentified aircraft then lost. After losing unidentified aircraft spent at least one hour searching for Danube. Aircraft flew at 300 ft following rivers to see if they flowed into the Danube but was unable to find it. 03:44 hours, 200 ft – mines dropped in Jiul River from Craiova which is fairly large. Unable to find Danube owing to evasive action, bad visibility, black night and haze.

  Returning aircraft landed at Amendola between 05:50 and 06:40.”

   Being inspected by the pilot, Liberator EV962 “F” of 178 Squadron suffered minor repairable damage. This plane flew a ‘gardening’ operation on 14/15 April 1944.

  
  

  Two aircraft of the 178 Squadron were lost that night. Consolidated Liberator B.Mk.VI EV825 “D” took off normally but crashed shortly afterwards, one kilometer east of San Marco. The cause was never established. All crewmembers, including pilot Lt. Harold E. Rogan (SAAF), navigator Sgt. Denis A. Bennett, Air Bomber Sgt. Bernard E. Hart, Wireless Operator Sgt. John C.W. Martin, Flight Engineer Sgt. George H. Evans, Air Gunner Sgt. James Atkinson and Air Gunner Sgt. John B. Baskerville were killed and are buried in Bari War Cemetery, Lt. Rogan in grave XV.C.7, Sgt. Bennett in XV.B.38, Sgt. Hart in XV.C.38, Sgt. Martin in XV.C.6, Sgt. Evans in XV.C.13, Sgt. Atkinson in X.C.33 and Sgt. Baskerville in XV.B.39.

  Consolidated Liberator B. Mk.VI EV820 “R” took off at approximately at 23:50 hours and was last seen climbing away from the runway. About two hours later navigator Sgt. J. Patterson, arrived at the aerodrome on foot. It appears that almost immediately after take-off the aircraft lost height and crashed, killing three men including pilot Lt. Keith Shaw (SAAF), Air Bomber P/O. Michael Wishak (RCAF) and Flight Engineer Sgt. Raymond H. Birch. Patterson, who was badly cut about the head, was knocked out, and when he came to consciousness, he found he was lying on the ground alongside the aircraft.

  After doing what he could for the other injured members of the crew he saw the aerodrome Beacon flashing about 2 miles away and started to walk towards it. On his arrival, the ambulance with Medical Officer and crash tender left immediately for the scene of the crash. It was found that three members of the crew had been killed. The aircraft did not catch fire and it crashed in open country, which accounted for the crash not having been discovered earlier.

  Beside navigator, survivors of the crash were Wireless Operator Sgt. R.C. Pain, Air Gunner Sgt. H.F. Pollington, and Air Gunner Sgt. E. Gollings.

  The dead are buried in Bari War Cemetery, Lt. Shaw in grave XV.C.8, P/O. Wishak (who is listed in the 178 Squadron ORB as Warrant Officer, the unit not having then been advised of his commissioning) in grave XV.C.2, and Sgt. Birch in grave XV.C.9.

  Pilot Officer Michael Wishak was born in Czechoslovakia in 1921. His parents moved to Canada, where in August 1941 Michael joined the RCAF. On 17 March 1944 he was assigned to 178 Squadron.

   Crew of B-24 EV820 “R”. Upper row right Sgt. Pollington, in the middle row left Sgt. Patterson and right Sgt. Pain. Below them are sitting left 2nd Lt. Shaw and right W/O Wishak. It is a cut off from bigger phot, and the upper left airman was not a member of the crew. [credit: Wishak family via P. Vančata].

  
  

  The newly laid mines made the Danube even more dangerous, since previously laid mines had yet not been swept and the list of victims was growing every day. Among the victims of the newly laid mines were the M.F.T.R. passenger steamer Erszebet Kiralyne lost on 15 April, the motor barge Ressel lost on the 30th and the S.O.R. tug Vojvoda Putnik lost on 2 May.

   The 1000 h.p. motor barge D.D.S.G. Ressel, which was lost on 30 April 1944 at km 1552,0.

   M.F.T.R. passenger steamer Erszebet Kiralyne.

  
  

  The first mining in April apparently caught the enemy unprepared, as minesweeping equipment was totally inadequate. Traffic came to a halt over the greater part of the river, and, although the enemy succeeded in developing its counter measures within a few weeks, subsequent mining in May and June again increased the problem. It appears that the enemy experienced little difficulty in his actual sweeping operations, as the mines in use were not of a complicated or particularly modern type, but the intensification of mining after mid-July made it impossible for the available sweepers to meet the strain imposed upon them.

  There can be no doubt as to the outstanding success of 205 Group ‘Gardening’ operations. Overall, between April and August 1944, the volume of traffic on the Danube was reduced by some 60 to 70 per cent. The enemy was forced to deploy, along a considerable length of the river, great quantities of anti-aircraft equipment, including balloons and guns as well as trained crews to man them. Skilled minesweeping crews, both naval and air, were diverted to the Danube at a time when their services could ill-be spared elsewhere. Finally–and most important of all, considerable aid was given to the Russian Forces in their westward drive, when the transport of German reinforcements to the Eastern Front suffered long delays.

  (a slightly modified and enriched excerpt of a text from book: “Gardening by Moonlight” from Peter Kaššák and David Gunby, available at lulu.com)

  
  

• All About the Bays

  Before leaving Most, we washed our company van, nicknamed Mayer. Our colleagues did not hand it over to us in a completely presentable condition.

  
  

  Text: Vladimír Šulc

  
  

  Don’t panic people, I am not going into detailed descriptions surrounding the Battle of the Bay of Biscay, Danzig Bay or even the Bay of Pigs. They’re not the type of Bays I have in mind. I am more geared towards a good discussion of the wheel bays of our new 48th scale P-51B Mustang.

   The 3D design of our P-51B Mustang in 1:48th was led by our chief designer Stan Archman who worked on it together with designers Tomáš Fikar and Robert Theiner. The construction was completed at the beginning of last summer, and the files were transferred over to our technologists, elevating the project to the next stage, allowing Stan to focus his attention on the P-40 Warhawk project. Part of the preparation included scanning several aircraft in Texas, which we combined with our trip to the IPMS USA Nationals in San Marcos. This is a town located just north of San Antonio. The first USS Texas, an ironclad of 1892, was renamed the San Marcos in 1911 to allow her original name to be used for the new USS Texas, a New York-class battleship that survives to this day and was in for repairs at the Galveston docks at the time of our visit. The first USS Texas, already under the name USS San Marcos, ended up worse, shot up as a practice target on the shoal of Theang Strait in Chasepeake Bay, but I already wrote about that once. Interestingly, a significant moment in the development of our 48th scale P-51B project occurred at San Marcos.

   Stan was showing off a 3D model of the Mustang in San Marcos, and on that occasion he learned from one of the modelers, John Ferdico, that his wheel well design suffered a major flaw. He had based it around the well of the P-51A, or rather all Mustangs with the Alison engine. But the P-51B did not have wheel bays like the P-51A, in fact having more in common with the wells of the P-51D, though not being idential. It basically comes down to the engine. The hoses leading from the radiator to the engine are routed lower on the Alison powered aircraft than those using the Packard Merlin, where they were higher up, closer to the ceiling of the wheel bay. Thus, it was clear that we had a problem and that we needed to find documentation for the P-51B wheel wells. Not that we didn't have such documentation before, but our sources featured P-51A bays. Getting photos and drawings of the right bay was not easy, but thanks to John Ferdic, Ed Mautner, Billy Crisler and Brian Niklas, we got access to some during September. And so, shortly after E-day, Stan was able to begin the redesign of those damn wheel wells.

   But another complication arose. As the work on tooling up progressed, the time for the redesign of the wells began to get away from us a bit. If we were to complete the entire project by April and officially release the first kit of the new Mustang in May, the tooling for the last mold, the one incorporating the parts of the protagonist of this essay, the wheel well, had to be finished by October. The basic prerequisite for meeting this deadline was the completion of the redesign in the first week of October. And that was exactly the time we were scheduled to travel to Italy. There we needed to see another P-40, in this case a P-40F, and above all, we had an appointment to scan a Macchi C.205 at the Leonardo factory near Varese, a visit to the museum in Vigna di Valle, where they also have other Macchi fighters, and we were supposed to end the Italian part of the trip at a local model exhibit in Bergamo. It was practically impossible to cancel the trip.

   Stan decided to work on the redesign during the course of the trip. He bought a 12V voltage converter for the car's electrical system to 220V, which is needed to power his laptop. We loaded the scanner, boxes of kits needed for the exhibition, our luggage and a supply of coffee, and the team of Vladimír Šulc, Jakub Nademlejnský and Stanislav Archman headed out on the first leg of our trip, Cheb-Munich-Bregenz-Vaduz-Varese. From the driver's point of view, the first part of the journey from Most to the German border beyond Cheb went smoothly, only strange mouse clicks and dark cursing could be heard from the back of the car. Before Regensburg, however, the situation calmed down, and during a break in Vadus, Stan looked relatively optimistic, and it seemed that the well would acquire the right proportions during the journey, but a wrench was occasionally thrown into the mix. For example, he reduced the sensitivity of the mouse to the lowest possible level, because hitting an icon while moving the mouse inside of a moving car, noting that the Siemens NX program utilizes such icons, is really a very difficult activity. We normal non-designers do not notice the tiny vibrations driving can generate or how relevant they can be in such an endeavor. Another problem was unexpected braking, because he didn't have the laptop fixed to anything, and it had a tendency to drift away uncontrollably when braking. The laptop also had a tendency to heat up significantly, another thing that one doesn't fully realize when working with a laptop normally.

  Standa Archman constructing. 

  Standa Archman after work at the hotel in Varese.

  A nice four-hour traffic jam on the way to Bergamo. 

  A cement truck overturned across the highway, stranding both directions until the spilled load was removed. 

  Jakub Nademlejnsky in CH-47 Chinook in Volandia.

  The author at an artistic pizza in Varese. 

  Landing gear bay for P-51A

  Landing gear bay for P-51B/C

  
  

   During the trip, we received word that the C.205 scan was being moved up by a day. So we extended our stay in Varese, which wasn't exactly easy because there was some apparently important cycling event going on in Varese the next day and the hotel was full of racers, coaches and service team members. We used the extra free day to visit the Volandia Museum on the grounds of the former Caproni factory near Milan’s Malpensa Airport and the town of Stresa on Lake Maggiore, where I completed one matter that I had not managed to during my stay in Stresa two years earlier. Stan did not go with us. He stayed at the hotel and worked on his wheel bay design. Unfortunately, at that time his new design team, we can call it the ‘P-40 Operational Group’, was already starting the design of the 3D model of the P-40E, and they urgently needed to go over some things. This took up four hours, so after Jakub and I returned from Stresa, the well was still not finished. So we went to dinner. We placed our faith in a ‘modernist’ pizzeria with design-oriented types of pizza whose names none of us have ever heard before and will probably never hear again. Colleagues didn't like their pizzas, and I forgot what I actually had on mine. There were definitely anchovies, and even got extras in a can. There are always crossroads of decisions with any design stuff. Truth is, the box, with only two anchovies left in it, looked a bit like the wheel well of the Mustang in Stan’s background photos. Actually, the thing resembled the wheel well of a Mustang whose oil cooler had been shredded by flak while strafing somewhere over Germany. But that also could have been the wine. In any case, we still didn't have our well and time was running out.

  The Volandia Museum is built on the site of the Caproni factory, founded in 1910. 

  The Ansaldo SVA 5 in Volandia is a scaled-down replica (90%), built by Professor Antonio Angelucci in 2001. It was built after the original, machine serial number 11721, which is in the collections of the museum in Vigna di Valle. This exhibit has been in Volandia since July 2022, when it was donated to the museum by Professor Angelucci's son Giuseppe.

  The Savoia-Marchetti S.55 flying boat is of great importance to Italian aviation not only because of its unique design (it was a flying catamaran), but especially because of the long-distance flights that the crews of these machines undertook both alone and in large groups. The first of such flights was the "flight of the four continents", in which Colonel Francesco de Pinedo and his crew flew across Africa to South America, from there to the USA and back to Europe via Canada. The route of the flight was 46 960 km long. This was followed by flights of large aircraft formations, led by Marshal Balbo. The first flight across the Mediterranean (25 May - 2 June 1928) involved 61 flying boats, 10 of which were of the S.55 type. These were later followed up by Balbo's transatlantic flights, the first of which was a flight of 14 S.55s in 1930. S. 55A, crewed by Umberto Maddalena and Stefano Cagna, made a significant contribution to the rescue of General Umberto Nobile's expedition that was wrecked in the Arctic in the summer of 1928. The exhibit in Volandia is a 1:1 scale replica that is still being worked on.

  We have already met a Macchi C.205 in Volandia. In this case it is a fiberglass replica. 

  Jakub Nademlejnsky got some additional data about SF-260 for our colleagues at Special Hobby.

  
  

   The next day, October 4th, the Macchi C.205 Veltro was scanned. A beautifully restored example stands in the entrance hall of the administrative building at Leonardo, formerly Aermacchi, on the outskirts of Venegono Superiore. The machine is repaired to essentially an airworthy condition, but it is evidently not expected to ever fly again. Aermacchi owned an airworthy Veltro that was severely damaged in a crash. The crash damage prevented the machine from being repaired to airworthy condition again, so it was refurbished for static display purposes for the museum, and the company traded it with the National Technical Museum of Milan (Museo nazionale scienza e technologia Leonardo da Vinci) for another Veltro that was in good airworthy condition.

   However, after the repair work was complete at Aermacchi, the management of the company did not allow any further flying, given the rare nature of the specimen, and the Veltro ended up in the entrance of the administration building, where we spent a good half day with it. We scanned the critical parts, which is the usual procedure, because it doesn't make sense for us to scan the entire plane. We do the main part of the design work of the basic 3D model according to drawings, but we verify the shapes of critical parts, such as the nose, tail section, wing-fuselage transition, wingtip shapes and wheel wells according to the data obtained by scanning. We use the scanner in the next stages of the development of the kit, especially when checking the finished mold, when we scan the mold and compare the shape of the parts with the 3D pattern model. The introduction of this method saves us tens to lower hundreds of working hours that we used previously for necessary fine tuning. The scan, interrupted by lunch in the cafeteria and carried out with the enthusiastic interest of the local staff, did not finish until after four in the afternoon, we said goodbye to our hosts and set off south to the Piana delle Orme area near Anzio.

   Since we were leaving Venogona Superiore after four in the afternoon and had almost 750 kilometers to go, it was clear to us that we weren't going to arrive at our hotel at any decent hour before midnight, and we didn't.. But the administrator was kind to us. Stan, who had been designing very responsibly even during this leg of the journey, declared that he wanted to live in a single room by himself and that he would continue to do the work at hand, because tomorrow, which at that moment meant today, our technologists needed to have the design in their computers. Otherwise, there would be a problem in meeting the time schedule. In the morning at breakfast it was clear that he had really been plugging away through the night. At breakfast, Stan reported that he uploaded the files to the company network at half past four in the morning.

  In the lobby of Leonardo's office building is, of course, the original Macchi C. 205V. Working on such a machine is a sheer joy!

  The Veltro has beautifully detailed workmanship. 

  A good old measure tools always comes in handy when working on such a project. 

  The undercarriage legs are articulated parts with lots of fine details. They are always a challenge for the designer.

  The Mustang's undercarriage shaft design was a walk in the park compared to the Veltro shaft.

  
  

   A P-40L was waiting for us at the museum in Piana delle Orme. We didn't do any scanning there, we just needed to take a good look at the nose and compare it to the nose of the P-40E and N. It's all about the engine; as you know, the P-40F and L had a Packard Merlin engine, versus the Alison engine that powered the other P-40s. So we assumed that there would be a different cowling on the F/L and we needed to verify that. The museum at Pianna delle Orme is dedicated to the history of the Allied landings at Anzio, but also has a section dedicated to the development of agricultural technology and a section dedicated to post-war aviation with a large proportion of aircraft of the Italian Financial Guard (Guardia di Finanza), an armed branch in Italy with significant air and naval assets. The exhibits dedicated to the Anzio landings are interestingly designed as dioramas and contain a number of significant exhibits, of which we were, of course, particularly interested in the aforementioned P-40L. It is also displayed as part of a diorama. This is a wreck recovered from the sea in very good condition.

   A P-40L-15CU, Serial Number 42-10857, coded X49, belonging to the 86th FS/ 79th FG (12th AF) and named ‘Gipsy Rose Lee’, landed due to engine failure on the beach at Capoportiere on January 31st, 1944. The pilot Lt.M.Mauritz was captured. The aircraft lay in the sea off the coast for decades, was recovered in 1998, and today it is the only preserved example of a P-40L.

  The exhibitions in the Piana delle Orme museum are designed as large dioramas. Such is the case for  the halls dedicated to the Anzio landings. 

  The diorama also incorporates the P-40L. A P-40L-15CU, serial number 42-10857, with tactical designation X49, belonging to the 86th FS/ 79th FG (12th AF), named "Gipsy Rose Lee," landed for engine failure on the beach at Capoportiere on 31 January 1944. The pilot, Lt. M. Mauritz was captured. The aircraft laid in the sea off the coast for many decades. In 1998 it was recovered from the sea, and is now the only surviving example of the P-40L. 

  The outdoor display features aircraft of the post-war Italian Air Force. The aircraft are in very good condition, this licensed Fiat F-86K Sabre serial number MM53-8299 is beautifully restored. Before becoming a museum exhibit, it served for many years as a gate guard at Milano-Bergamo Orio Airport.

  Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon, serial number MM80074, ex US NAVY N7486C, is apparently the only surviving Harpoon in museums outside the United States. 

  The outdoor exhibit includes a collection of machines from the Italian Financial Guard, Guardia di Finanza. This Piaggio P-166 visited Prague on October 17, 2007. As an owner and rider of a Piaggio scooter, I have a personal relationship with this brand!

  Also from the Financial Guard is this Breda-Nardi NH-500MC licensed helicopter. Another machine of the same type and in the same colouring, but of course with a different fuselage marking, is in the collections of the Volandia Museum.

  
  

   From Pianna delle Orme, we moved 120 kilometers north to the edge of the town of Vigna di Valle on the shores of Lake Lago di Braciano, to the Museum of the History of Military Aviation (Museo storico dell` Aeronautica Militare di Vigna di Valle).

  Here too, we were interested in Macchi fighters, and this museum boasts all three main types of Macchi series fighters, the C.200, C.202 and C.205. In the case of these exhibits, there is some doubt about their 100% authenticity, while in the case of C.205 these doubts are certainly justified. Our plan for this summer's trip to the United States is to scan critical parts of C.200 and C.202s in American museums. There’s a C.200 in Dayton, Ohio, and a C.202 at the NASM in Washington, DC. For many years it hung in a museum building in the city, near the National Mall, and is currently scheduled to be dismantled at Steven F. Udwar-Házy at Dulles Airport in Chantilly. We are already very familiar with this facility.

   In any case, the museum in Vigna di Valle is worth a visit regardless of the condition of the machines mentioned above. After all, you wouldn't know anything was wrong with them as a regular visitor anyway, the planes are very nicely restored and in excellent condition. However, I am sure that as modelers, you would suspect this in our kits, especially if you were given the necessary information by an expert taken at his word, and that word may even be given prior to a kit release, as it often is.

   The C.200-205 series fighters are not the only Macchi aircraft in Vigna di Valle. They have this stunning collection of three Macchi M.39, M.57 and M.72 floatplanes racers. These are wonderful machines, built for the then famous Schneider Cup. On October 23rd, 1934, pilot Francesco Agello set a world record of 709.209 km/h in an M.72 with two counter-rotating propellers and powered by a twenty-four-cylinder Fiat AS.6 engine with an output of 2,300hp. However, the maximum speed of this machine is stated to be 711.426 km/h! These Macchi birds aren't the only seaplanes in the museum, after all the museum is built on the grounds of a former seaplane base. Here you will also find another Fiat C.29 racer, as well as a huge three-engine Cant Z.206 and a wonderful Austro-Hungarian Lohner L-1, which can be taken as one of the themes in Vigna di Valle with a Czech or Czechoslovak connection.

   Another such item is a replica of the gondola of the airship Italia, which in 1928 under the command of Umberto Nobile set out on a journey to the North Pole, only to be wrecked in a storm on May 25th, 1928, about 100 km north of Northeast Land, one of the islands of the Svalbard archipelago. Of the sixteen crew members, eight people were saved during a dramatic rescue operation in which the famous Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen disappeared without a trace, along with the operation’s commander Umberto Nobile, his dog and the mascot of the expedition, a Fox Terrier named Titina and the Czech scientist František Běhounk. I was mesmerized by Běhounk's book ‘Castaways of the Polar Sea’ as a boy and I wanted to be a polar explorer, which I was later somewhat introduced to by the Italian-Soviet film ‘Red Tent’ from 1969, with Peter Finch in the role of Nobile and Sean Connery in the role of Amundsen. My later experiences with winter maneuvers in Šumava during my military service were completely brought out. In Vigna di Valle, they also have a documentation center of this fascinating story of human courage, the desire for knowledge and sacrifice to save human lives, where various remains of Nobile's expedition, his personal library and archives, are stored. We didn't have time to do that, and you can only go there after prior ordering, so I have to go there at least once more.

   The third, but this time Czechoslovak or, more precisely, Slovak connection, is the Caproni Ca-3 three-engine bomber. One of the founders of the first Czechoslovak Republic, a Slovak scientist, aviator and the first Minister of Defense of the newly formed Czechoslovakia, General Milan Rastislav Štefánik, died on this type of aircraft while returning to his homeland. They don't mention this much in Vigna di Valle, and if they do, I missed it. But even so, this exhibit has an incredible history behind it. This machine, a survivor of World War I, was bought after its retirement by its pilot Casimiro Buttini, reportedly for 30,000 lire, stored in a barn, from where it was purchased by the Italian Air Force for museum purposes in 1958. I confess at this point that this plane is one of my all time favorites. I've admired it like a ravenous cat several times in Dayton, Ohio, and I'll be gazing into its gorgeous eyes again this year, and we've even started designing it as a kit at Eduard. The design is in progress but momentarily hidden in a drawer with our designer Karel Mišák.

   And there are so many more treasures to explore, including such one-of-a-kind pieces as Italy's first Caproni-Campini jet from 1942 or the SPADA engine that killed Francesco Barraca, and they also have a Fiat CR-32, which is another aviation love of mine. As you can see, I am a multiple bigamist when it comes to airplanes, and as I see now, many of my loves are Italian ladies. I strangely didn't realize that before. Either way, I have plenty of reasons to keep coming back to Vigna di Valle, and I highly recommend you all go there when the opportunity presents itself in your own travels. Take a look at the photo gallery for inspiration.

   From Vigna di Valle we left for Viterbo for the evening, we slept in the small historic town of San Martino al Cimino, and the next day we passed through Viterbo, another historical gem of Bagnoregio and one absolutely perfect four-hour Italian traffic jam, caused by a cement truck overturned all along the highway, tarriving in Bergamo shortly before midnight. Stand had stopped his design work by then, the wheel bay was already in the possession of and being worked by technologist Venca Pospíšil, and Stan was able to use his technological skills to track down the owner of our room, who only left an angry message on the doorbell saying that he only accepts guests until 5:00 p.m. This was also successful, the angry lodger turned out to be a very friendly piano teacher who devotedly took care of us for the rest of our stay in Bergamo.

   The modeling competition was small but nice. The Italian modelers gave us a warm and friendly welcome, and the closing party with them and a local mountain band is unforgettable and indescribable. If you want to experience it, go to the competition in Bergamo in October, and when you're gluing the wheel well into your new Mustang, put on some Italian classics, preferably Bella Ciao by Goran Bregovic or some Pavarotti!

  The Lohner L-1 is associated with the most successful Austro-Hungarian naval aviator Gotfried von Banfield, who scored 6 kills in a Lohner L-1 with fuselage designation L16. The machine in the museum in Vigna di Valle, with the fuselage designation L127, reached Italy on 3 June 1918 after the defection of its two-man crew, which landed in the port of Fano. The machine is very well preserved, having undergone a complete refurbishment in 1988.  A total of 93 aircraft of this type were built, the L127 being one of 24 produced in Hungary by UFAG. 

  The Caproni Ca-3 heavy three-engined bomber on display at Vigna di Valle was purchased by its pilot, Casimiro Buttini, after his retirement from the Italian Air Force, reportedly for 30 000 lire and stored in his barn, from where it was bought by the Italian Air Force for museum purposes in 1958. Another original piece of this type is in the USAF museum at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio, and a replica, built at the Aircraft Repair Shop in Trencin, is on display at the museum in Piešt'any, Slovakia.

  The Hispano-Suisa 8a engine from SPAD VII, which was used to kill the most successful Italian fighter of WWI, Francesco Barraca. 

  Collection of Macchi M racing seaplanes M.39, M.57 and M.72

  The Macchi M.72 reached a top speed of 711.426 km/h. 

  The Fiat CR-32 Chirri on display at Vigna di Valle is a Hispano HA-132L built in Spain.

  Fiat CR-42 Falco

  The Macchi C.200 Saetta will be of great interest to us again this summer at the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio. 

  We will be equally interested in the Macchi C.202 Folgore at the Steven F. Udwar Hazy Center in Washington DC.

   Macchi C.205 Veltro in Vigna di Valle is not completely restored. For example, both wing halves have the same span. In fact, each half of the wing of C.205 had a different span. It was a solution to eliminate the effect of propeller torque, a characteristic of Macchi's C.200/202/205 series fighters.

  Fiat G.55 Centauro

  The CANT Z-506S Airone makes a monumental impression in the museum display. This multi-purpose seaplane, introduced in 1935, lasted in service for almost a quarter of a century despite its wooden construction, the last examples being retired from service in 1959. 

  Savoia-Marchetti S.79 Sparviero  unfortunately blends  in the display due to its all-green paint. 

  Vigna di Valle also has a very valuable collection of jet aircraft.

  And also helicopters. 

  Not to be missed is the perhaps ubiquitous SF-260 in Italy.

  A view of the Badoni hangar. Behind the Macchi C.205 and C.202 is the three-engined Fiat G.212 transport.

• Air War in Ukraine

  Residential building in Avdiivka destroyed by a Russian rocket.

  
  

  Summary of the Second Year of Conflict

  
  

  Text: Miro Barič

  
  

  Two years have passed since the senseless war began, bringing nothing but devastation, bloodshed, and ruin to all involved. Therefore, in today's continuation, we will look not only at the traditional monthly period (this time from February 1st to February 29th) but also at the summary of what happened in Ukraine in the second year of the conflict. But first, allow me a personal address.

  
  

  During these two years, I've learned a lot about various people around me, but also about myself. For example, that I am a war instigator, relishing in senseless killing, and am an activist paid by the West to spread Western propaganda.

  Well, perhaps I am a war instigator in the sense that from the beginning of the war, I have insisted that the aggressor cease attacking, which would lead to immediate peace. Unlike calls for the capitulation of defenders, which would only lead to the destruction of Ukraine and Ukrainians themselves.

  There's no point in reacting to various "whataboutisms". However, I insist that lies are not opinions, and I certainly won't respect them. I also reject claims that relativize the truth by saying that none of us were there, so we don't know how it was. I wasn't in Auschwitz either, yet I know who was the embodiment of evil there and who was the victim – the same applies to Bucha or Mariupol.

  And if you don't like my alleged "Western propaganda," there's a simpler solution – follow the spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defense, Konashenkov. In the summer of 2022, he announced the destruction of 40 HIMARS - out of less than 20 that were delivered at that time. By the way, in the last observed period, the first evidence appeared that the Russians at least damaged two HIMARS with a missile. At the beginning of March, they managed to demonstrably destroy the very first HIMARS - but that will be in the next installment of the article. It won't be missing from it because my alleged "Western propaganda" doesn't conceal it...

   On February 10, Antonov An-124-100M named "Be brave like Okhtyrka" landed at Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania. The aircraft with registration UR-82008 belongs to Antonov Airlines. It brought two M142 HIMARS rocket launchers for repair to the USA. One of them likely had its right front wheel torn off by a mine explosion and damaged the lower part of the cabin. The other one has at least 16 shrapnel impacts in the cabin, both front windows cracked, and both front tires damaged. These are the first two demonstrably damaged HIMARS out of 39 delivered.

  
  

  
  

  March 2023

  During this period, Poland and Slovakia delivered MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. Warsaw provided at least four aircraft in March, with another 10 scheduled to be delivered the following month. Slovakia provided 13 units, three of which were without engines and suitable only as a source of spare parts. Only four out of the remaining ten aircraft flew to Ukraine under their own power (numbers 2123, 6124, and 6627 in gray-green camouflage and 0921 in digital camouflage). The flight from Sliač took place on March 23rd. The remaining aircraft were transported by ground.

  A serious incident between Russian and Western armed forces occurred on March 14th. Two Russian Su-27 fighters attacked an American MQ-9 Reaper drone in international airspace over the Black Sea and caused it to crash by hitting its propeller.

   Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jets showcasing blue-yellow paint on their underside.

  
  

  April 2023

  Kyiv became the target of rocket shelling again on April 28th after 51 days of peace. This happened on the day when the Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová and the Czech President Petr Pavel were visiting the Ukrainian capital. Both had to take cover in an air raid shelter.

  In addition to Ukraine, Russia also bombed its own territory when on April 20th, a Su-34 mistakenly dropped bombs on the city of Belgorod.

  Ukrainian drones attacked the fuel depot of the Black Sea Fleet in the city of Sevastopol on April 29th, destroying approximately half of the tanks.

   Two-seater MiG-29UB from the Ukrainian 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade taking off from a highway.

  
  

  May 2023

  At the end of the previous month, two Patriot system batteries arrived in Ukraine and were involved in the defense of the capital from the beginning of May. The first Russian "undestructible" missile Ch-47M2 Kinzhal was shot down on May 4th in the early morning over Kyiv. The Russians tried to overwhelm the Patriot with a large number of missiles to destroy it. In such a mass attack on May 16th, Ukrainians shot down another six Kinzhals.

  Ukrainians also used the Patriot defensively, and on May 13th, they set a trap for a Russian group flying to bomb the Ukrainian Chernihiv region with gliding bombs. However, the whole group was shot down on their side of the border, in the Russian Bryansk region. It included one Su-34, one Su-35, and at least two Mi-8 helicopters modified for electronic warfare. Such losses were admitted by the Russians themselves. According to the Ukrainians, another Mi-8 helicopter was shot down - a total of five aircraft at once.

  In May, there was also the first use of British-French Storm Shadow / SCALP-EG cruise missiles. Ukrainians launch them from modified Su-24 aircraft. They also used ADM-160 MALD decoys alongside them.

  At the end of May, the Russians managed to capture the ruins of the destroyed city of Bakhmut, which had been fought over for almost 10 months. However, Ukrainians began counterattacks around the city, and fighting for Klyshchivka, located south of Bakhmut, continues to this day.

  Ukrainian Mi-24P helicopters during a combat mission.

  Loading of the unguided rockets into Mi-24P helicopters.

  
  

  June 2023

  In the early days of June, the Ukrainian counteroffensive began in the south of the country in the Zaporizhia region. However, it progressed slowly from the start against well-fortified Russian positions with numerous minefields. Two days after its start, on June 6th, fearing a possible crossing of the Dnieper River, the Russians blew up the Kachovska Dam north of the city of Kherson. This caused a huge humanitarian and ecological disaster.

  At the end of the month, mercenaries from the Wagner group who led the main charge (and also the losses) in the battle for Bakhmut, rebelled. Their leader, Prigozhin, seized Rostov-on-Don on June 23rd. He hoped to capture Russian Defense Minister Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov, whom he had long publicly criticized. However, they managed to escape from Rostov just before. On the next day, Wagner's columns headed towards Moscow. They occupied one city after another and shot down six Russian helicopters and one Il-22M aircraft - a flying command post. However, Prigozhin halted his mercenaries 200 km from Moscow. Shortly afterward, they also withdrew from Rostov in exchange for an alleged promise of impunity. As a result, the coup failed, and Wagner's forces as a significant force came to an end.

   Storm Shadow missile on the pylon of a Ukrainian Su-24.

  Former Czech Kub system in Ukraine.

  
  

  July 2023

  The Kerch Strait Bridge leading to the occupied Crimea became the target of another naval drone attack on July 17th. At least one road section was damaged. At the same time, the grain agreement, which allowed the export of Ukrainian agricultural products to the world, expired. Russia began attacking grain depots and port infrastructure not only on the Ukrainian coast of the Black Sea but also on the Danube River near the borders with Romania. During his month, Ukraine began receiving cluster munitions from the USA for its artillery.

   Mobile machine gun in action against drones.

  Night time interception of the drones.

  
  

  August 2023

  Denmark, the Netherlands, and subsequently Norway announced this month that they would supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. However, after the necessary training of pilots and ground personnel, Ukrainians will start receiving them only in 2024. Altogether, it could be about 70 aircraft in the F-16AM Block 20 MLU version.

  In August, the Crimean Peninsula became the target of serious Storm Shadow missile attacks. Several bridges were hit, and at least two S-400 system batteries were destroyed. Ukrainian drones also attacked airports on Russian territory. At Soltsy-2 base, a Tu-22M3 bomber caught fire, and at the Pskov airport, two Il-76 transport aircraft were destroyed, and two more were damaged.

  Exactly two months after the attempted coup by Wagner mercenaries, revenge came. During a flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg, a civilian Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 600 was shot down. Prigozhin and other Wagner leaders died aboard. Two surface-to-air missiles likely hit the plane, although the official Russian version is that the passengers were playing with a grenade during the flight, which exploded.

   Shot down Iranian-made Shahed drone sporting black paint for night missions.

  This mobile machine gun shows 15 Shahed drones and one Lance drone kill marks. It is not known whether these are the achievements of one gun or the entire unit.

  
  

  September 2023

  Ukraine scored a strategic victory over Russia in the Black Sea. It managed to lift the Russian blockade and resume grain exports independently. It continues to do so today and in greater volume than before the grain agreement allowed. On September 13th, the Minsk landing ship and the Rostov-on-Don submarine were destroyed by Storm Shadow missiles in the dry dock at the port of Sevastopol. Subsequently, on September 22nd, the Sevastopol headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet was also destroyed in the same way. It preferred to move its ships further east.

  Russia began using Lancet drones with longer range, hitting several Ukrainian aircraft at airports near the cities of Kryvyi Rih and Mykolaiv. The results of the attacks were monitored by Russian reconnaissance drones. Their operations dozens of kilometers behind the front line continue to cause problems for Ukrainians to this day.

   The erodynamic shields‘ test during the pre-flight preparation of a Russian Su-25.

  
  

  October 2023

  The month began with another terrible Russian war crime. During a mourning gathering held at the funeral of a soldier in the village of Hroza in the Kharkiv region, an Iskander missile was launched. It killed 59 people - 36 women, 22 men, and one child. A UN investigation confirmed that all victims were civilians, and Russia bears responsibility for their deaths.

  Ukraine received ATACMS missiles with a longer range, and on October 17th, they were used against Russian helicopter airfields in Berdiansk and Luhansk. Russian armed forces lost 46 helicopters.

  On the ground, a stalemate occurred. The Ukrainian advance to the south halted in the Robotyne and Verbove areas after reaching the third - main Russian defense line. Conversely, the Russians launched their own massive attack on Avdiivka near Donetsk.

   A Russian rescue unit, which on February 17, picked up the downed pilot of a Su-35 fighter jet with a Mi-24 helicopter.

  Captain Fyodor Graboveckiy, who was less fortunate on February 19 and died in the Azov Sea after his Su-35 was shot down.

  
  

  November 2023

  In the port of Kerch on the occupied Crimea, the Russian corvette Askold was destroyed by Storm Shadow missiles on November 4th. In November, Russians increased the intensity of attacks with Iranian Shahed drones. They helped them map Ukrainian air defense positions. Allies were strengthening it before winter. Germany supplied the IRIS-T system and another Patriot, while Norway provided additional NASAMS systems. Results from the FrankenSAM program, which combines elements of various systems - such as American missiles with Soviet launchers or Soviet radars with Western launchers, began arriving from the USA.

   An image of the Russian A-50.

  Tail section of an A-50 that was shot down on February 23.

  Major Valeriy Borovikov commanded the shot-down A-50.

  
  

  December 2023
  

  The Patriot system delivered from Germany became very active. On December 5th, a Russian Su-24M was shot down near the Snake Island while attempting to attack Odesa. Both crew members died. The identity of one of them was confirmed only now, he was Captain Yevgeny Baterin. Subsequently, on December 17th, a Russian Su-25 was shot down, and on December 22nd, three Su-34s were shot down at once. On Christmas Eve, December 24th, Ukrainians announced another Su-34 and one Su-30 shot down.

  The destruction of the Black Sea Fleet continued as Storm Shadow missiles were launched on December 26th at the Novocherkassk landing ship in the port of Feodosia. The explosion of carried ammunition and subsequent fire contributed to its sinking.

  At the end of December, Russia launched the largest rocket attacks on Ukrainian cities since the beginning of the war. 18 strategic bombers participated in the raids on December 29th. In total, Russians launched 122 missiles and cruise missiles and 36 drones. The attack claimed 58 human lives and injured more than 160 people.

   On February 11, in the Voronezh region, the transportation of a crashed Su-34 was filmed. The circumstances of the incident are unknown.

  
  

  January 2024
  

  Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities continued. For example, on January 2nd, a total of 134 missiles and drones were launched. This attack also involved 16 Tu-95MS bombers. However, Russians did not only bomb Ukrainian targets. Their own munitions increasingly fell accidentally on their own cities and towns.

  Russians suffered a significant loss in the air on January 14th when an early warning and control aircraft, Beriev A-50, was destroyed. It crashed into the Sea of Azov. Along with it, the airborne command and communication post Il-22M was also hit. Despite being peppered with shrapnel and having casualties on board, it managed to make an emergency landing. However, the aircraft is now considered a write-off. Additionally, on January 24th, a transport Il-76M crashed in the Belgorod region after being hit by an anti-aircraft missile. It is still unclear what or who it was carrying.

   Ukrainian Su-25M1K with tail number "blue 21".

  On February 7th, Major Vladyslav Rykov from the 299th Tactical Aviation Brigade perished in a shot down Ukrainian Su-25.

  
  

  February 2024

  In the last month covered, two significant events occurred. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed popular General Valeriy Zaluzhny from the position of the highest commander of the Ukrainian armed forces on Thursday, February 8th. He was replaced by the former commander of ground forces, General Oleksandr Syrsky. Syrsky lead a successful defense of Kyiv in the spring of 2022 and a rapid counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region in the fall of 2022. However, he also led the battles around Bakhmut, where many soldiers criticized him for mistakes in rotation at the beginning of 2023. Zaluzhny is to become the new Ukrainian ambassador to Great Britain at his own request.

  The second significant event was the Ukrainian retreat from Avdiivka, which was completed on Saturday, February 17th. It is the first such success of the Russian army since May 2023 when Bachmut fell. Russia paid for it with tens of thousands of dead and wounded soldiers and hundreds of destroyed pieces of equipment. The fall of Avdiivka was mainly contributed to by two factors - the limitation of ammunition supplies from the West and Russian aerial bombing.

  The decision to withdraw from Avdiivka was made earlier and began to be implemented when Valeriy Zaluzhny was the commander of the Ukrainian army. Ukrainians moved the 3rd assault brigade to Avdiivka under the pretext of rotation and strengthening the defense. However, its real task was to cover the retreat of other units. When the Russians realized what was happening, they threw all their forces into the attack. The result was chaos over which neither side had any control. Small units mixed in the ruins of the city and often had to fight surrounded. Several wounded Ukrainians had to be left behind during the retreat because they couldn't move and couldn't be carried away. Some fell into captivity, but others were massacred by the Russians.

  While last summer, Ukrainian artillery managed to overcome the Russian in some areas, in Avdiivka in the last period, it had to remain silent due to a lack of ammunition. Its deliveries from the EU are delayed, and those from the USA have completely stopped due to domestic disputes in Congress.

  Russian mass attacks on Avdiivka, which began in October 2023, seriously disrupted artillery even before Russian soldiers approached within the range of small arms. Therefore, especially during the initial attacks, Russians suffered significant losses. However, nothing like this happened in the last weeks before the fall of Avdiivka. Russian formations could prepare for the attack undisturbed, and Ukrainian infantry in defense could rely only on their own weapons and the support of Bradley armored vehicles, which emerged from shelters to help them.

  The second significant factor was Russian aerial bombing. Shortly before the Ukrainian retreat, around 50 glide bombs fell on Avdiivka daily. Their accuracy was not high, but with a weight of 500 kg, they caused damage wherever they fell. In Avdiivka, they mainly destroyed tall apartment buildings used by Ukrainians for battlefield observation and defense.

  After the Ukrainian retreat, this bombing began on the new defensive line and also near Bachmut, where the Russians renewed their efforts to advance westward. The number of dropped bombs began to reach up to 100 daily, and new glide bombs with a weight of up to 1500 kg appeared.

   On February 17, near Robotyne, a Ukrainian Mi-17V-5 helicopter was shot down and two crew members were killed.

  
  

  Russian Bombing and Losses

  The insufficient deliveries of weapons and ammunition also relate to Russia's ability to bomb Avdiivka undisturbed for a long time. Ukrainians do not have enough air defense systems to effectively defend the entire front line. Batteries of air defense systems were moved to Avdiivka only in the second half of the month to cover the end of the retreat. Among them, the third battery of the Patriot system stood out, which was supplied from Germany at the end of last year. Ukraine previously had two batteries, one deployed for the defense of Kyiv and the other for the defense of Odessa. The advantage of the third German battery is that its individual components are mounted on trucks. American Patriot systems are mounted on trailers, and even the highly trained crew takes 30-40 minutes to prepare them for relocation. The German battery can be moved almost immediately. According to Austrian military expert Tom Cooper, Ukrainians may have further divided this battery into smaller components by adding other guidance radars to several launchers. Based on the FrankenSAM program, it may also include radars from originally Soviet systems, such as the S-300. This division of the battery into smaller elements allows coverage of a larger section of the front.

  Ukrainians already announced the downing of two Su-34s and one Su-35 on Saturday, February 17th. Claims continued almost on a daily basis - on February 18th, another Su-34 was claimed, on February 19th, one Su-34 and one Su-35, on February 21st, another Su-34, on February 27th, two Su-34s, and during February 29th, three Su-34s were claimed consecutively. In total, twelve aircraft were claimed to be shot down, but verifying their downing poses a challenge. Russian social media confirmed the loss of only two Su-35s. Ukraine provided blurry videos as evidence of the downing of two Su-34s. However, the fate of the remaining eight claimed Sukhoi aircraft remains uncertain. A definitive answer will have to wait, similar to previous installments of this series. In practically every part, some photographic confirmation of loss from previous months is mentioned - on both sides. In the currently monitored period, damaged Su-34s after emergency landings appeared in footage, indicating events that surely occurred sometime in the past, although it is unknown which event they are linked to. However, some insight into Russian losses may be gleaned from satellite image analysis of Russian airfields. It suggests that during the period when Ukrainians claimed the aforementioned shootdowns, six Su-34s did not return to their bases. Let's take a closer look at the confirmed losses. On Saturday, February 17th, a Su-35 was shot down over eastern Ukraine. The pilot ejected, and he was rescued by a Mi-24 helicopter crew on a combat search and rescue mission (CSAR). After successfully rescuing the Su-35 pilot, the helicopter unit took a group photo, essentially confirming the downing of the Russian fighter jet. The second Su-35 was shot down two days later, on Monday, February 19th. This time, it crashed into the Sea of Azov near the village of Rybacke, south of Mariupol. It was piloted by Captain Fedor Graboveckyi. Although he managed to successfully eject from the falling aircraft, he died in the cold water before rescue helicopters could reach him.

   One of the confirmed casualties of the shot down Mi-17V-5 is Vadim Pokatayev.

  The Mi-8AMTŠ helicopter with registration RF-04428 and tail number "red 62", in which Russian pilot Captain Maxim Kuzminov defected to the Ukrainian side on August 9, 2023.

  Maxim Kuzminov was shot dead in Spain in February.

  Lieutenant Nikita Kiryanov, who died during Kuzminov's defection.

  Captain Chushbacht Tursunov, who died during Kuzminov's defection.

  
  

  Another A-50

   During this reporting period, in addition to fighters and fighter-bombers, the Ukrainian air defense was also successful in shooting down another airborne early warning and control aircraft, a Beriev A-50. Its demise on Friday, February 23, was captured by several videos. In one of them, the aircraft is seen descending and releasing decoy targets, with two missiles aiming at it. One missile managed to divert away and exploded far behind the aircraft. However, the second missile hit it, causing the aircraft to fall in flames. Subsequent videos showed a strong fire after the crash and the detached tail of the aircraft on the ground, confirming its identity immediately.

   The A-50 crashed near the village of Trudovaya Armenia on the Russian side of the Sea of Azov, more than 200 km from the nearest Ukrainian positions. The Ukrainian secret service stated that it was shot down with the help of a modified S-200 missile. After the first A-50 was shot down in January, these Russian aircraft began to move further away from the front line. Ukrainians therefore sought ways to successfully target them. Although old S-200 missiles had been retired, some versions of this missile have a range of up to 300 km.

   The downed A-50 had the designation RF-50610 and the fuselage number "red 42". It belonged to the 610th Center for Combat Training and Retraining of Air Personnel. There were at least 10 crew members on board, but none of them survived. Among them were Major Valeriy Borovikov, Major Alexander Ruluk, Captain Alexander Provalov, Lieutenant Valeriy Telmanov, and Sergeant Dmitry Khrulev. For Russia, this is a significant loss because it is not easy to manufacture such an aircraft, and its crew consisted of specialists with years of training that cannot be replaced.

   

  Ukrainian Losses

   Moving the air defense closer to the front line carries increased risks, and Ukrainians paid dearly for it. During the period under review, they lost an S-300 battery, and on February 26, the first NASAMS launch device was destroyed in the Zaporizhzhia region.

   During the period under review, Ukraine demonstrably lost two aircraft. Firstly, on Wednesday, February 7, a Su-25 from the 299th Tactical Aviation Brigade was destroyed during a combat flight. Its pilot, Major Vladyslav Rykov, was killed. He was most likely shot down by an R-37 missile fired from a Russian Su-35 fighter.

   On Tuesday, February 13, a Mi-17V-5 helicopter of the Ukrainian Army Aviation was shot down in the Robotyne area of the Zaporizhzhia region. Two crew members were killed (one of them was named Vadim Pokatajev), and a third crew member was critically injured.

   Additionally, the death of a Russian pilot, Captain Maxim Kuzminov, who defected to the Ukrainian side, may be mentioned. On August 9, he defected to the Ukrainian side with a Mi-8AMTŠ helicopter marked RF-04428 and fuselage number "red 62". Two other crew members had no idea about his intention to defect and were shot after landing. Kuzminov was labeled a traitor in Russia, and intelligence services sentenced him to death. In Ukraine, he received half a million dollars and three options to choose from: to fight for Ukraine, to stay in Ukraine as a civilian, or to live abroad. Kuzminov chose the last option and settled in Spain. However, he violated the rules of secrecy when he contacted his girlfriend. This likely led to his location being traced, and he was shot. By the way, during the period under review, the identities of the remaining two crew members who died during his defection were also revealed. They were Captain Chushbacht Tursunov and Lieutenant Nikita Kiryanov. Kuzminov's killing indicates that Ukrainian efforts to persuade other Russian pilots to defect are likely to be ineffective.

   

  Ships at the Bottom

   During the period under review, the destruction of the Russian Black Sea Fleet continued using naval drones. On Thursday, February 1, a Tarantul-class missile corvette, Ivanovec, was sent to the bottom, The ship was attacked by a pack of Magura V5 drones, which harassed her like voracious predators. Gradually, two drones hit its rear section, likely disabling its propulsion. Subsequently, one drone caused a large hole on the port side, into which the fourth drone then flew and exploded inside the ship. The video also shows an explosion on the starboard side. Thus, the corvette was hit by at least five drones. At the end of the video, published by the Ukrainian military intelligence GUR, only the silhouette of the sinking ship protruding vertically above the water is visible.

   Subsequently, on Wednesday, February 14, the same way, the landing ship Cézar Kunikov was destroyed off the coast of Crimea. It was carrying cargo from Novorossiysk to Sevastopol when it was tracked down by a swarm of Magura V5 drones. After several explosions, the ship overturned and sank. The ship belonged to the Ropucha class and sank exactly 81 years after the death of Major Cézar Kunikov, after whom it was named. He had been fatally wounded in the battles for Novorossiysk and died on February 14, 1943.