Strana 7
USS Block Island CVE-21, pt. 1
History / Vladimír Šulc
USS Block Island CVE-21 was a Bogue-class escort aircraft carrier.
A total of 45 Bogue-class carriers were built based on the hulls of C-3 type
transport ships. The first 22 were conversions of completed or partially built
C3-S
-
A1 or C3-S
-
A2 ships. Of these, 11 ships were transferred to the Royal
Navy under Lend-Lease and served as the Attacker-class. The remaining
23 were purpose-built as escort carriers and all went to the Royal Navy,
which classified them as the Ruler-class, the largest carrier class
in Royal Navy service.
The two-part article on the USS Block Island is not just about the ship
itself; it also reflects the history of the fierce battles fought in the Atlantic
to maintain vital transport routes between North America and
Great Britain.
Leopold Anslinger and His Fokker
in Galicia
Model & Story / Jan Bobek, Danny Clark
The aerial battles of the First World War in Eastern Europe remain somewhat
overshadowed by the stories of famous aviators like Manfred Freiherr von
Richthofen, René Fonck, Billy Bishop, and Mick Mannock. Over the eastern
frontlines, however, under very different geographical and logistical conditi-
ons, German and Austro-Hungarian airmen engaged in fierce combat against
the air forces of Imperial Russia and its allies. During World War I, the
Austro-Hungarian Empire awarded the prestigious Order of the Iron Crown,
Third Class with War decoration, to only three German combat aviators.
Two of these honors went to Manfred von Richthofen and Oswald Boelcke
in recognition of their achievements on the Western Front. The third recipi-
ent, however, was honored for his service on the Eastern Front: Lieutenant
Leopold Anslinger. Although his name is not widely known today, Anslinger
achieved the highest number of aerial victories of any Central Powers pilot
in the Eastern Theater.https://emd.eduard.com/en/04-2025
Biscay Aces
History / Chris Goss
With the air war over the eastern Atlantic escalating by the end of 1941,
it was obvious to the Luftwaffe that some form of long-range fighter
cover was needed. No solution immediately sprang to mind but early
in 1942, the latest version of the Ju 88C-6 was coming off the production line.
With increased offensive and defensive armament, on 23 June 1942, the
Luftwaffe promised four Ju 88C-6s to protect U-boats entering and leaving
the Bay of Biscay. Three days later, four Ju 88C-6s fresh from the production
line were allocated and would be based at Bordeaux-Mérignac, the unit
initially being designated Zerst.St./Küstenfliegergruppe 106 (Zerst.St./Kü.Fl.
Gr. 106) or Zerst.St./KG 6 subordinate to the Fw 200 unit III./KG 40. On 2 July
1942, it was then announced these four aircraft would be increased by
another 24. V. Gruppe/Kampfgeschwader 40 (V./KG 40) was the result
and over the next two years, a number of aces would emerge.