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{"cz":"Info EDUARD"}
{"cz":"Měsíčník o historii a plastikovém modelářství.","en":"Monthly magazine about history and scale plastic modeling."}
08/2023
Dear Friends Welcome to the August edition of our newsletter and greetings from Corpus Christi, Texas, where my colleagues and I are passing through on our way to San Marcos for the traditional summer IPMS USA Nats. We will be in Texas for two weeks, after the Nats we will move north to Dallas where our main goal is to study three P-40 Warhawks.
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INFO Eduard# 162e-magazine FREE Vol 22 August 2023Page 2
INFO Eduard# 162e-magazine FREE Vol 22 August 2023© Eduard - Model Accessories, 2023FREE FOR DOWNLOAD, FREE FOR DISTRIBUTION!This material may only be used for personal use. No part of the textor graphic presentations can be used in another publication in any other mediaform or otherwise distributed without the prior writtenpermission of Eduard - Model Accessories and authors involved.Editorial and Graphics - Marketing department, Eduard - Model Accessories, Ltd.Page 3
eduardeduardAUGUST 2023CONTENTSEDITORIALKITSBRASSINPHOTO-ETCHED SETSBIG EDBUILTON APPROACH–September 2023TAIL END CHARLIEHISTORYBOXART STORYBf 109F-4 ProfiPACK 1/72THE ZIPPER Limited 1/48WILDER CAT Limited 1/48A6m3 Zero Type 32 Weekend 1/48MiG-21MF Fighter bomber ProfiPACK 1/72 Re-releaseWUNDERSCHÖNE NEUE MASCHINE 1/72MIDWAY 1/48Spitfire Mk.IXc early 1/48FM-2 Wildcat-“FM” as “fine modification“FM-2 WildcatNajhlbšie vrakyAir war over Ukraine-Ukrainian Offensive,Prigozhin CoupThe Magic HundredLoose formationA surplus star463034587492102108125Published by Eduard-Model Accessories, spol. s.r.o.Mírová 170, Obrnice 435 21support@eduard.com www.eduard.comPage 4
EDITORIALDear FriendsWelcome to the August edition of our newsletterand greetings from Corpus Christi, Texas, where mycolleagues and I are passing through on our way toSan Marcos for the traditional summer IPMS USANats. We will be in Texas for two weeks, after the Natswe will move north to Dallas where our main goal is tostudy three P-40 Warhawks. We want to check somedetails and shapes and possibly scan some sections,so we’re bringing along our trusted chief designer StanArchman and his amazing scanner, which alreadyafforded us a few rather interesting situations at thebeginning of our journey. And we haven't even scannedthe tip of the spinner yet! We don’t really need much;basically, we have the bulk of the thing ready. Wejust want to make sure we don't have a design flawand also see the plane in person to develop a properpersonal feel for it, you understand.In the morning we will view the USS Lexingtonand we’ll move on from there. And time is runningout, so we won't waste any of it and go straight to thepresentation of our new releases for August. For manyof you this will be a bit of a bummer because we'veactually been selling them for a few days now andmany of you already have them. So, I’ll at least give yousome background information that might interest you.KitsIn the Limited Edition line, we have an item called“Wilder Cat”, in which you’ll find an FM-2 Wildcat kit,a modernized and powerful version of the Wildcat,built by the Eastern Aircraft Division factory, a branchof General Motors. Compared to Wildcats built byGrumman, it had a number of changes, mainlya more powerful engine, a nine-cylinder WrightR-1820-56/56W with a power rating of 1350 hp,which means a changes on the nose section, and atthe rear, featured a higher vertical fin and rudder.There are also changes to the wing and other partsof the aircraft, and you’ll find mention of this in othersections further down in this newsletter. Ten markingoptions are offered, one of which is British. TheFM-2 served in the Royal Navy as the Wildcat Mk.VI,and this version set it apart from others through itsrelatively extensive service outside of the Pacific, i.e.the Atlantic. This brings about an expansion of colorvariants, since in the Atlantic, Wildcats were not blueas in the Pacific. The FM-2 has also not been activelypaid attention to by other manufacturers in 1/48th(with just one exception). On the other hand, I amconcerned about the extent to which the technical andoperational history of this interesting aircraft is knownto modelers. For the most part, retailers do not seemto have an extensive knowledge of the type, frankly.Some debate has been stimulated by the fact thatthis Limited Edition kit is not released as a Dual Comboboxing, but is a single kit with one set of plastic in thepackage. We decided on this version because we don'twant to force customers to buy a relatively expensivekit with two sets of moldings. To the contrary, we haveput the range of color versions available to ten aircraft;the decals are then designed in such a way that thestencil data and national markings cover two completemodels. So if someone wants to build two FM-2Wildcats, they can obtain the Overtrees componentsand basically create a Dual Combo boxing from the kitfor very reasonable money. Deciding which way to goand how many Wildcats you realistically want, or evenneed, is up to you! In the future, the key to decidingwhether a Limited Edition kit will be released asa Dual Combo or a classic single kit will be the technicalmake-up of the kit. If it contains two technicallydifferent sub variants of a given type, the kit will bea Dual Combo, as for example in Wunderschöne neueMaschinen, where there are a Bf 109 F-2 and an F-4,and there are two different sprues with fuselages andwings. The next WnM edition, dedicated to the Bf 109G-2 and G-4, will also be a Dual Combo, although thesprues will be identical, there will again be technicaldifferences, this time more or less only in the wing.In the end, all the Limited Edition kits covering theBf 109F/G/K series will be Dual Comb kits, not onlythose covering a specific type, but also the kits whoseconcept runs more along the lines of a theme, suchas the 1/72nd scale Africa, Barbarossa or Wilde Sauconcepts. Frankly, in these cases there is a risk ofeven more extensive sets. Among the other LimitedEditions being prepared, we have the Dual Combokit of the L-39 Albatros, which will be presented ina renewed premiere at E-day with a new canopy,as well as another 1/48th scale Zero, this time theA6M5/5a Zero Model 52. There is also a difference inthe wing here. The following Dual Combo will be the“Mezek”, which as most of you will know, is the S-199.Here, it is clear that there are different fuselages, andlater, the P-51B/C, where it’s also about fuselages.Single kit Limited Edition kits will then continue to beall repackaged kits, which will apply to the Su-25K inthe near future. It has always been that way with theseitems and it will continue that way. From our ownproduction, the closest to becoming a reality is theKurfürst, Bf 109 K-4, where there will be nine markingoptions, but technically all the machines will be thesame. Well … not completely, but for taller ruddersand tailwheel variations, we don’t need to include twosets of moldings. This is just a typical example of a kit,where Overtrees will solve the possible desire or needof the modeler to build more than one model.The second August Limited Edition item, dubbed“Zipper”, a 1:48th scale F-104C from the VietnamWar, is also designed as a single kit. The plastic thistime, unlike our previous Starfighters, come fromKinetic, and in addition to the standard photoetchingand masks, it also includes resin parts, and offers upseven marking options that focus on the 479th and8th TFW aircraft, operating in the Vietnam in the 1960s.Our series of 1:72nd scale ProfiPACK kits dedicatedto the many countless versions of the Bf 109 F, G andK begins in August with the Bf 109 F-4. If you are leftwith the impression that we forgot about the Bf 109F-2, don’t worry, we didn’t. September will tell. Thefirst reviews of the new 109s have already appeared,mostly positive, which makes us happy. However, somecriticisms also emerged from them. For example, theneed to repair a small step between the vertical tailsurface and its transition to the fuselage. There, aftergluing the fuselage and fin assemblies together, whichmust be glued there before the fuselage is closed up,a small step is created. Please note that contraryto how this has been widely reported, this is in factsupposed to be there and is not a mistake. We modeledit rather painstakingly and carefully watched over themold making to make sure it was there. On the realplane, there was a cover plate in this section, whichpassed into the keel in the form of just such a step.So please don’t fix it, no matter how tempting it is!With respect to 1/72nd scale ProfiPACK kits, theMiG-21MF is back on sale in the fighter-bomber version.In the Weekend line, we have the A6M3 Zero Model 32,also known under the Allied code name Hamp. I havea personal connection to this kit because this time lastyear we had a unique opportunity to get up close andpersonal with one of the Hamps undergoing extensiverestoration in Lafayette, Louisiana. At the time, we hadno idea that it was an even more interesting machinethan we thought, nor that this very machine would beincluded in the color options of one of our kits. Theunexpected has become reality, and the LafayetteHamp is actually, in two of its development guises,included in the new Weekend release, in addition tothe very special insignia featuring the red Hinomaru ina white square. This is also why this Zero is interesting,INFO Eduard4August 2023Page 5
and that’s why it was worth breaking tradition andadding five marking options to this Weekend release.ACCESSORIESAs usual, there are dozens of accessory itemsavailable in the new item listing. I will mention onlya few that I think would grab my attention, such as theF-35B 1/48th RAM Panel masks for the Italeri kit. Wehave recently started to deal more with these masksfor surface areas and high-quality markings, becausespraying them has become an increasingly popularmodeling technique. Of course, classic canopy masksare also on the list. In the LööK line, I would like topoint out the A-20G Havoc 1:32nd set for the HKM kit.In the SPACE line, we have, among other things, theBf 110 G-4 and FM-2 sets for the Eduard kits, and theA-10C from Academy, all in 1:48th scale.In the Brassin department, we have sets designedfor our own August releases such as bronze landinggear legs, exhausts and aileron mass balance weightsfor the Bf 109F in 1:72nd. We have several sets for the48th FM-2, and these include a cockpit, bronze landinggear legs, a wing fold and several smaller sets, andfor the F-104C, an exhaust nozzle and speedbrakes.For the 1:48th scale Bf 109F we have a newly designed3D printed cockpit, in this case with an older versionof the seat, that was the same as that found in theBf 109E. A number of the types mentioned are alsocovered in photoetching, but again, you can find muchmore on that by reading further on down through thisnewsletter.Historical articlesIt is clear to me that the most popular part of anyof our monthly newsletters are the historical andtechnical articles. As I already indicated above, theWildcat, in its FM-2 version, was a uniquely interestingaircraft, and we would like to coax modelers whohave neglected this “Wilder Cat” to draw the sameconclusion. For this reason, there are two articles thismonth focused on the topic of the FM-2. The first onewas written for us by the renowned American authorThomas McKelvey Cleaver, who describes probablythe most interesting, intensive and successfuldeployment of these aircraft. This was in the Battleof Samar Island, referred to by historians as “The USNavy’s Finest Hour”. Given that a large Japanese groupled by Admiral Kurita aboard the gigantic battleshipYamato, with two other battleships, eight cruisers, andeleven destroyers in tow, was driven off the island bya few destroyers and escort carriers, this is probablynot an overstatement. The second article was writtenby Richard Plos, and it is focused on the creation ofthe FM-2 and its technical differences compared tothe preceding F4F-4 and, by extension, the FM-1. MiroBarič’s miniseries about the search for lost shipsends with the fourth volume in this edition. Here thetopics crossed a bit. He also mentions, among otherthings, the Battle of Samar and the survey of wrecksconnected to it. The series about the air battlesover Ukraine by the same author continues with itsseventeenth edition. In this case, unfortunately, theending of the series is neither in the author’s nor ourhands ... The section of historical articles is roundedout by Boxart Story, a series of short articles thatdescribe the historically real events depicted on ourboxarts. The Bf 109 F-4 and A6M3 Zero Type 32 topicswere taken up by Jan Bobek and the third was addedby Richard Plos. This is an article relevant to ourreissue of the MiG-21MF, the box art of which depictsa future Vietnamese astronaut shooting down anAmerican B-52. Or maybe not …In closing, Wednesday marks the start of theIPMS USA National Convention, this year in SanMarcos, Texas. As every year, we organize an InternetAfterparty to go with it, this year it started already onthe weekend that has just passed. As you may haveguessed, my colleagues and I are heading to SanMarcos. I am finishing this introduction with sweatrunning down my face during this leg of the trip, andI will finish it off in Corpus Christi, a few hundredmeters from the USS Lexington, which is moored hereas a museum piece. Just note that writing an intro tothe newsletter on the road is always hell, and if I haveforgotten anything important, I am certain that you willfind in the flowing pages!Happy Modeling!Vladimir SulcINFO Eduard5August 2023“FM” as “fine modification”
The Wildcat was the first single-wing fighter aircraft produced by Grumman for active service. It bore the main burden of battles in the Pacific from the attack on Pearl Harbor until around February 1943, when the significantly more powerful F4U-1 Corsair and Wildcat’s direct successor, the F6F Hellcat, entered the scene. It was expected that the days of the Wildcat would be numbered with the arrival of these new powerful beasts, but the opposite turned out to be true. Thanks to the highly modernized version, FM-2, the Wildcat continued to participate in combat operations almost until the end of the war.
HISTORYDue to the Navy’s dissatisfaction with theCorsair’s landing characteristics on aircraftcarrier decks, the Hellcat became the Navy’smain fighter type until the second half of 1944,when the Navy accepted the improved Corsairsthat were previously serving with the USMCunits. Both types were powered by the big andexceptionally powerful Pratt & Whitney R-2800Double Wasp engine, an eighteen-cylinder,double-row engine, which designers decided toinstall into quite volumious airframe. In June 1943,squadrons equipped with the F4F-4 Wildcats stillrepresented a significant combat force, and bythat time, a version that aimed to address severalissues of its predecessor at once, was already inproduction.The Successor Worse Than Its PredecessorThe F4F-4 represented the worst-performingversion among all the Wildcat variants. Theaircraft, burdened with an additional pair ofmachine guns and with significantly reducedammunition per barrel compared to the F4F-3,required around 50 minutes to climb to an altitudethat would allow it to attack Japanese bombersflying at about 20,000 ft. Moreover, with only 250rounds of ammunition per gun, the pilots foundthemselves facing a shortage of ammo even inrelatively short dogfights.It became clear early on that the F4F-4version was not a wise step, but by mid-1942,when the F4F-4 was being introduced intoservice, Grumman was fully occupied with thedevelopment of the Hellcat, as well as the massproduction of Wildcats, Avengers, Ducks, andWidgeons. They simply did not have the capacityfor further development of a type that wassupposed to be replaced soon. The preparationsfor Hellcat production had the highest priority,The Wildcat was the first single-wing fighter aircraft produced by Grummanfor active service. It bore the main burden of battles in the Pacific from theattack on Pearl Harbor until around February 1943, when the significantly morepowerful F4U-1 Corsair and Wildcat’s direct successor, the F6F Hellcat, enteredthe scene. It was expected that the days of the Wildcat would be numberedwith the arrival of these new powerful beasts, but the opposite turned out to betrue. Thanks to the highly modernized version, FM-2, the Wildcat continued toparticipate in combat operations almost until the end of the war.Text: Richard PlosThe second production FM-2, BuNo. 15953, during flight tests.Photo: NHHCFM-2 WILDCATFM-2 WILDCAT“FM” as“fine modification“INFO Eduard6August 2023Page 7
HISTORYleading to the decision to entrust the productionof the first two mentioned types to anothermanufacturer.Aircraft Instead of CarsShortly after the outbreak of war with Japan,General Motors halted production at its fiveautomobile factories on the East Coast. Thecompany’s management was prepared to putthem to use for wartime production, especiallyto produce aircraft components. As early as1942, the Navy organized a meeting betweenGeneral Motors representatives and people fromGrumman, a key supplier to the Navy’s aviation.Grumman’s factory in Bethpage, New York, wasoperating at full capacity, so a solution wassought to shift the production of Wildcats andAvengers. GM representatives were somewhatsurprised when they were asked to take overthe entire production of aircraft instead of justmanufacturing parts and subassemblies forGrumman. To their credit, they accepted thechallenge. Numerous delegations and workteams followed. Grumman’s teams preparedthe automotive factories for aircraft production,while GM personnel learned about aircraftproduction in Bethpage. The advantage was theproximity of all the factories. Trenton was about160 km from Bethpage, and Linden was roughlyhalfway along this route. In the vast country’sterms, these plants were nearly neighbors ...By June 1942, all five GM factories had beenfully converted and ready to start aircraftproduction as an independent division calledEastern Aircraft Division. The Trenton factoryin New Jersey was responsible for producingAvengers. Unlike Grumman’s production,designated TBF, the Avengers from Trentonwere labeled as TBM. The second factory in NewJersey, located in Linden, was to manufactureF4F-4 Wildcats under the designation FM-1(F for Fighter, M for General Motors, and 1 as themanufacturer’s first type). The remaining threeEastern Aircraft Division factories in Bloomfieldand Baltimore supplied both final manufacturerswith the necessary parts.The Eastern Aircraft Division receiveda contract to produce 1800 Wildcats on April18, 1942, and Grumman subsequently deliveredprototype subassemblies and parts forassembling the first ten F4F-4s. At the same time,the factory received training examples markedas PK, where the joints were not riveted butrather connected with Parker-Kalon fastenersfor repeated assembly and disassembly. Theseexamples were used to train the workers.Before the war, the modern factory in Lindenhad produced cars for Buick, Oldsmobile, andPontiac and it was capable of a takt time onecar per minute. After the transition to Wildcatproduction, during the period when the parallelproduction was ongoing at Grumman, the factoryhad to maintain strict technological discipline toA Wildcat FM-2 landing on the deck of the escort aircraft carrier USS Anzio (CVE-57).Photo: NHHCParameter F4F-4 FM-2Maximum Speed 318 mph 332 mphInitial Climb Rate 2,190 ft/min 3,650 ft/minService Ceiling 33,700 ft 34,700 ftRange 1,275 mi 1,310 miCombat Radius 830 mi 900 miComparison of F4F-4 and FM-2 PerformanceWhile the Grumman F6F Hellcat is widely regardedas one of the most successful and effective fighteraircraft of World War II, with an impressive victory-to-loss ratio of 19:1, the FM-2 Wildcat actually surpassedit with an even higher ratio of 33:1!Page 8
ensure that parts from both manufacturers wereinterchangeable. Many parts manufactured byGM factories were sent to Grumman’s assemblyline and vice versa.The First “Fine Modification” (FM-1)The first Wildcat produced in Linden hadits maiden flight on August 31, 1942, i.e., at thetime of the intense battles for Guadalcanal,which exposed the shortcomings of the F4F-4version. Its poor climb rate and significantlyreduced ammo supply per gun compared to theF4F-3 did not win much favor among the pilots.The first ten FM-1 aircraft were assembledfrom Grumman parts in their original form, butstarting with the eleventh aircraft, it was decidedto remove the external machine guns to reducethe aircraft’s weight, resulting in improvedclimbing performance. After solving someproblems related to the wing folding system,the ammunition supply was almost restored tothe original level. While the F4F-3 carried 1800rounds (450 per gun), FM-1 pilots had 1720 roundsavailable (430 per gun). This was a significantimprovement compared to the mere 250 roundsper gun on the F4F-4.In May 1943, Grumman ceased the productionof Wildcats entirely. By that time, Linden’sproduction was running relatively smoothly,although out of the initial order for 1800 aircraft,only 839 were produced. Some of them wereassigned to Composite Squadrons, whichcombined fighter and attack aircraft, i.e., Wildcatsand Avengers. Many of FM-1s were allocated totraining units, and 311 aircraft were delivered tothe British Fleet Air Arm (FAA) under the initialdesignation Martlet V, which was later changedto Wildcat V in January 1944.With the introduction of Hellcats and Corsairs,it seemed that the fate of the aging Wildcat wassealed. However, the enormous need for air coverfor numerous task forces and transport convoysrequired more aircraft carriers than the Navyhad available. Building one Essex-class aircraftcarrier took at least 20 months (pre-war periodscould take up to 37 months) despite increasedwar efforts. Due to the required constructiontime and limited shipyard capacity, it was notpossible to expect any significant increase in thenumber of conventional aircraft carriers beforethe end of 1944, which was too late. However,a solution was found. At the end of 1942, theNavy began to receive the first escort aircraftcarriers of the Casablanca and Bogue classes.These were mostly conversions of merchantand cargo ships that received flight decks andother necessary equipment for carrying up to 27aircraft in composite squadrons (although therewere exceptions, and some operated purelyfighters, such as VF-26).Compared to Essex-class carriers, theescort carriers were more than 110 yardsshorter, lacked armor, multiple elevators forrapid flight deck and hangars exchanges, andother amenities. As a result, their designationCVE was ironically interpreted by the crew asCombustible, Vulnerable, Expendable. They wereslow vessels with limited space on the flightFM-2 from the aircraft carrier USS Card (CVE-11) of the Bogue class. The aircraft, in its typical Atlanticcamouflage, was photographed on February 10, 1944, and belonged to VC-55.One of the aces on FM-2 was Lt. Thomas B. Sedaker. In the photo,he poses with a cake baked by the cooks of the USS Makin Islandto celebrate the 2,000th catapult launch from the deck of that ship.Thomas Sedaker was the one who performed the launch.Squadron Aircraft CarrierNumber ofVictoriesVC-27 USS Savo Island 61.5*VF-26 USS Santee 31VC-81 USS Natoma Bay 21*VOC-1 USS Wake Island/USS Marcus Island 20VC-84 USS Makin Island 19*VC-21 USS Nassau/USS Marcus Island 18VC-3 USS Kalinin Bay 17VC-75 USS Ommaney Bay 17VC-93 USS Shamrock Bay 17VC-5 USS Kitkun Bay 16VC-10 USS Gambier Bay/USS Tacloban Field 16VC-80 USS Manila Bay 16Top-Performing FM-2 Squadrons*Plus one victory achieved by a TBM Avenger pilot.Photo: NHHCPhoto: NHHCHISTORYINFO Eduard8August 2023Page 9
deck, where at least nine or ten Avengers hadto be accommodated as part of the compositesquadron. This left little space for fighters,and the large Hellcats were not suitable forthese carriers. The Navy demanded a smalland lightweight fighter that could operate fromthese ships, but there was no time to developan entirely new type. Although the developmentof the Bearcat, which was to meet all therequirements, began in 1943, it did not reachcombat in time. Therefore, the only option wasto continue producing Wildcats, preferably ina more powerful version. Grumman thus preparedtwo prototypes of the XF4F-8, the precursor tothe following FM-2 production version.Lightened, Strengthened, and ReadyThe FM-2 version of the Wildcat is oftenoverlooked among its counterparts, as theF4F-3 and F4F-4 versions gained greaterfame due to the heroic performances of theirpilots during the battles in the Coral Sea, atthe Midway or Guadalcanal. These successfuloperations produced a whole series of famousfighter aces from both the Marine Corps andthe Navy. However, the purpose and operationaldeployment of the FM-2 were different; it was nomore the Navy’s main fighter type. Nevertheless,at least five more pilots achieved ace statuswith the FM-2 (compared to 54 aces flyingearlier versions), and the most successful ofall squadrons flying the FM-2, VC-27 “Saints,”eventually became the second most successfulunit operating Wildcats, regardless of the combatarea or period. Its pilots managed to shoot downa total of 61.5 enemy aircraft during the four-month battle for the Philippines. Only VF-5 with79 kills surpassed them. In this respect, the FM-2ultimately made its mark.The increase in the Wildcat’s performance wasmainly achieved by installing a more powerful yet230 lb lighter Wright R-1820-56 engine instead ofthe Pratt & Whitney R-1830-86. Along with othermodifications, the FM-2 was “slimmed down” by500 lb and gained a power improvement of 150hp compared to the F4F-4 version. As the newengine was supercharged by a single-stage, dual-speed compressor, the FM-2 lost its performanceadvantage at higher altitudes. However, this wasnot an issue since these aircraft were primarilyintended for anti-submarine operations, convoyprotection from low-level air threats, and attacksagainst ground or surface targets. High-altitudecombat was not considered part of their combatactivities. Additionally, most of the FM-2s wereequipped with engines in versions 56W or 56WA,featuring water injection to temporarily boost theengine output for up to ten minutes.The cooling system underwent a fundamentalchange. The two protruding radiators on thelower wing were removed, and their function wastaken over by a compact radiators located in thelower and upper part of the fuselage behind theengine. The wing openings were covered withshaped metal panels.The engine change and cooling systemredesign necessitated alterations to the nosecowlings. The exhaust outlets were not combinedfor the new engine; instead, each cylinder hadits individual exhaust. Three exhausts ended onthe right side, two on the left, and two pairs onthe bottom of the fuselage. The second fuselagetank was removed, leaving the FM-2 with onlyone 117 gallons volume. Due to this, FM-2 aircraftoften flew with additional drop tanks (each of58 gallons volume). Starting with aircraft BuNo.57044, the fuselage tank was slightly enlargedto 126 gallons.The glass windows under the cockpit werecovered, and a new universal tailwheel witha larger tire was developed for the FM-2. But themost noticeable change compared to all previousversions was the taller vertical tail fin andrudder to eliminate the increased torque fromthe propeller driven by more powerful engine.However, even with more power and moreefficient propeller, the flight decks of escortaircraft carriers were too short for a conventionaltakeoff, and catapults had to do most of the job.Nevertheless, the FM-2’s dimensions were veryadvantageous. With folded wings, it was only 14ft wide, allowing an entire composite squadronto be accommodated on a single ship’s deck.While up to 12 Avengers could be carried, thenumber of FM-2s typically ranged from 12 to 14.“Wilder Wildcat”The Wildcat aircraft modified into the FM-2version quickly won the favor of pilots. It wasa nimble and reasonably fast aircraft thatretained one of its typical characteristics –the ability to withstand significant damage incombat. Additionally, the pilot was protected bya new armor plate behind their back (though notall aircraft were equipped with it). No wonder thenew version earned the nickname Wilder Wildcat.USS Makin Island (CVE-93) sailing in the South Pacific.Pilot Squadron Aircraft CarrierNumber ofVictoriesLt. Ralph E. Elliott, jr. VC-27 USS Savo Island 9Lt. Cdr. Harold. N. Funk VF-26 USS Santee 6.5Lt. Kenneth G. Hippe VC-3 USS Kalinin Bay 5Ens. Joseph D. McGraw VC-10/VC-80USS Gambier Bay/Manilla Bay5Lt. Thomas B. Sedaker VC-84 USS Makin Island 5*Aces on FM-2*Some sources report 4.83 victories.HISTORYINFO Eduard9August 2023Page 10
Deliveries of the FM-2 began in the first half of1944, and squadrons operating both in the Pacificand the Atlantic received them. However, theirmain tasks were different. In the Pacific, the FM-2swere often used to support ground units duringlanding operations, aided by their ability to carrytwo 250 lb bombs under the wings (from BuNo.74359, FM-2s could also carry HVAR rockets).In the Atlantic, they primarily provided air coverfor supply convoys from the US coast to Europeand often assisted Avengers in hunting Germansubmarines. Of course, in the Pacific, FM-2 pilotsalso provided cover for supply ships or engagedin anti-submarine operations.The FM-2 scored its first kill on March 20, 1944,when Lt.(jg) J. H. Dinnen and Ens. R. P. Kirk ofVC-63 encountered and shot down a JapaneseKi-61 Tony. The most intense aerial combat forFM-2 pilots occurred during the two-day Battleof Leyte Gulf. On the first day of the battle,October 24, 1944, all American carrier-basedfighters claimed a total of 270 kills, with FM-2pilots achieving 65 of them.During the Philippine campaign, the WilderWildcat pilots were also known for providingclose air support and air cover over the invasionbeaches. During the Battle of Samar, they directlyattacked Japanese ships.Many Japanese pilots underestimated theFM-2 based on its familiar silhouette and weresubsequently unpleasantly surprised. SeveralJapanese pilots fell victim to their misjudgment,and until the surrender of Japan, FM-2 pilotsachieved a total of 432 kills. Lt. Kenneth G. Hippebecame the last American “ace in a day” whenhe shot down a total of five Ki-48 Lily bomberson October 24, 1944. On the same day but slightlyearlier, Lt. Cdr. Harold N. Funk achieved the samefeat, shooting down five enemy aircraft with hisFM-2, adding one more kill in the afternoon.And the most intriguing fact: While the Hellcatis generally considered the fighter aircraft withthe best victory-to-loss ratio, 19:1, there was onetype that significantly surpassed it. Yes, it wasthe FM-2. Its ratio of aerial victories to losses inair combat was 432:13, or 33:1! For comparison,the F4F-3 and F4F-4 versions recorded a ratio of5.9:1 in 1942.In British service, FM-2s were designated asWildcat VI. They were the only version of thistype that did not receive the Martlet designation.They performed similar tasks as in the US Navy.In addition to providing air protection for theirown ships and covering bombers, they alsoconducted ground attacks. For example, duringOperation Dragoon, to support the Allied landingsin southern France in August 1944, Wildcat VIaircraft carried out bombing attacks with 250lb bombs, carried on the modified racks usedfor drop tanks. They also used RP-3 rockets. Inthe North Sea, Wildcat VI pilots engaged in aircombat with German aircraft and scored severalkills. Perhaps the most interesting encounteroccurred on March 26, 1945, when aircraft fromNo. 882 Squadron of HMS Searcher clashed witheight Bf 109G planes. German fighters catch theopponents with surprise and shot down oneWildcat, but subsequently, British pilots usedthe agility of their planes and, according toreports, shot down four Bf 109Gs and damagedone. Although none of the British pilots becameaces flying Martlets and Wildcats, it was a highlypopular type.With a total of 4,437 produced units, theFM-2 became the most numerous version of theWildcat (a total of 7,905 Wildcats of all versionswere produced). Production only ceased in May1945 when Grumman began manufacturing theBearcat, which was meant to replace the FM-2.The first operational squadrons of this type wereenroute to the Japanese islands when the enemysurrendered, and the war ended.While the Bearcat represented a significantincrease in performance compared to the FM-2, itultimately did not leave as remarkable a mark inhistory as the FM-2 did. It was the Wilder Wildcatthat made sense for escort aircraft carriers ofthe Casablanca and Bogue classes, ensuringthe safety of millions of tons of material andhundreds of thousands of transported personnelin the Pacific and Atlantic. In some respects, theFM-2 can thus be considered the most significantWildcat version of them all.Sources:F4F Wildcat in detail & scale, Bert Kinzey, SQUADRON/SIGNAL PUBLICATIONS, INC.F4F Wildcat in action, Richard S. Dann, SQUADRON/SIGNAL PUBLICATIONS, INC.Fleet Air Arm, British Carrier Aviation 1039–1945, RonMackay, SQUADRON/SIGNAL PUBLICATIONS, INC.Wildcat Aces of WW2, Barrett Tillman, Osprey Pub-lishing, 1995The most successful FM-2 pilot with nine confirmed victories was Ralph Earle Elliott Jr.Photo: Patricia Elliott family collectionHISTORYINFO Eduard10August 2023Page 11
Different shapes of the exhaust pipes framing.1. Taller vertical tail surfaces2. Different cooling flaps3. Distinct exhaust system4. Different location of the gun camera port5. Reduced armament to four machine guns6. Relocated landing light7. Ability to install HVAR or RP-3 rockets8. Upright antenna mast9. Removal of the second fuel tankand its filling port10. Wright R-1820-56 engine11. Different propeller12. Different metal skin shaping underthe exhausts13. Removed wing-mounted radiators14. Blanked windows under the cockpit15. New tailwheelMain differences of FM-2 compared to F4F-4:HISTORYINFO Eduard11August 2023FM-2 WILDCAT
By the fall of 1942, production of the F4F Wildcat, which was seen as a useful aircraft for the composite squadrons operating from escort carriers that would provide anti-submarine cover and close air support for coming invasions, was transferred to General Motors Eastern Aircraft Division. However, Grumman was not completely through with the Wildcat. The possibility of developing a lighter version specifically for operation from escort carriers had been considered before production was taken over by General Motors.
HISTORYThe main difference of the new version ofWildcat was substitution of the 1,200 h.p. R-1830-86 with a 1,350 h.p. Wright R-1820-56 Cyclonethat was 230 lbs. lighter. The XF4F-8 had fourguns like the FM-1; it was visually distinguishedan enlarged rudder and vertical stabilizer tocounteract the increased torque of the morepowerful engine. The airplane was 530 lbs. lighterthan the F4F-4. Initial climb rate was nearlydoubled, service ceiling was boosted to 36,400ft. All in all, this was a “wilder” Wildcat. It wentinto production in early 1943; between then andAugust 1945 4,437 FM-2s were delivered, makingit the most numerous Wildcat of all.In the Pacific, the FM-2 showed up in the newComposite Squadrons (VC) in the fall of 1943.During the invasions of the Marshalls, Carolines,Marianas, and the Philippines, ten more Wildcatpilots became aces.The U.S. Navy’s Finest HourThe FM-2’s most memorable day came onOctober 25, 1944. Task Group 77.4, composed ofthree Task Units 77.1, 77.2, and 77.3 known asTaffy One, Two and Three for their radio callsign“Taffy,” were operating off the island of Samar toprovide air support to the invasion of Leyte; eachTask Unit was composed of six escort carriers,with two or three destroyers and four or fivedestroyer escorts for support. Each TU had 48TBM-1C Avengers and around 100 FM-2 Wildcatsbetween the six carriers.The previous day, October 24, the Wildcatsdefended the fleet against the many Japanese airattacks. The Wildcats of VC-10 aboard the carrierUSS Gambier Bay (CVE-73) – part of “Taffy Three”– were the most successful squadron in theentire Task Group. VC-10’s Wildcat pilots, who hadBy the fall of 1942, production of the F4F Wildcat, whichwas seen as a useful aircraft for the composite squadronsoperating from escort carriers that would provide anti-submarine cover and close air support for cominginvasions, was transferred to General Motors EasternAircraft Division. However, Grumman was not completelythrough with the Wildcat. The possibility of developinga lighter version specifically for operation from escortcarriers had been considered before production wastaken over by General Motors.By THOMAS McKELVEY CLEAVERFM-2 Wildcat fighter on combat air patrolduring the Leyte Invasion.Photo: NHHCINFO Eduard12August 2023Page 13
HISTORYfirst experienced air combat during the Marianasinvasion, when pilots shot down three attackingJapanese aircraft during the main battle on June18, 1944, shot down seven enemy aircraft. EnsignCourtney assisted in breaking up an attackon American transports by more than 15 twinengine bombers. He was credited with assistingin destroying one Ki-21 Sally and the probabledestruction of one Ki-48 Lily. Lieutenant R. W.Roby shot down one Lily and assisted in shootingdown one Sally and Lieutenant Seitz shot down aSally. Lieutenant (jg) Phillips probably destroyedtwo Zekes and Lieutenant(jg) Dugan shot downtwo Sallys. Lieutenant Joe McGraw and othersin a CAP flight intercepted a group of 15–20 twinengine bombers escorted by six to eight Oscarshe mistakenly identified as Zekes. McGrawdestroyed two Lilys and damaged a third.The next morning, the men, ships and aircraftof Taffy One, Two, and Three fought the Battle offSamar, which has been called “the Navy’s FinestHour.” This was the last surface engagement everfought by the U.S. Navy against an enemy fleet. Inthe words of Samuel Eliot Morrison, the PacificWar’s official historian: “In no engagement of itsentire history has the United States Navy shownmore gallantry, guts and gumption than in thosetwo morning hours between 0730 and 0930 offSamar.” The Battle off Samar involved ships thatshould never have been in the same ocean withtheir opponents, fighting against the greatestsurface fleet the Empire of Japan ever sent tosea.On October 24, the First Mobile Striking Force,commanded by Admiral Takeo Kurita, lost thegiant battleship Musashi, sunk by American carrieraircraft in the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea. FollowingMusashi’s loss, Kurita broke off his advance, whichwas spotted by American aircraft; Third Fleetcommander Admiral Willian F. Halsey decided theenemy had been defeated and ordered the FastCarrier Task Force to head north to attack theJapanese carrier fleet that had been found off CapeEngano. However – unknown to the Americans– Kurita was ordered to resume his attack. TheJapanese transited San Bernardino Strait thatnight and emerged into the Philippine Sea at dawn.Kurita, aboard Yamato – the world’s most powerfulbattleship – ordered the fleet to head south to attackthe American invasion fleet in Leyte Gulf.Taffy 3, northernmost of the three escort carriergroups, included USS St Lo (CVE-63), White Plains(CVE-66) Kalinin Bay (CVE-68), Fanshaw Bay(CVE-70), Kitkun Bay (CVE 71) and Gambier Bay(CVE-73), commanded by Rear Admiral CliftonSprague; the carriers were escorted by threeFletcher-class destroyers USS Johnston (DD-557), Hoel (DD-533) and Heerman (DD-532), andfour Butler-class destroyer escorts USS John C.Butler (DE-339), Dennis (DE-405), Raymond (DE-341) and Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413).At 0630 hours, a TBM-1C Avenger flown byEnsign Bill Brooks took off from St. Lo on themorning patrol. He spotted smoke on the horizonto the northwest at 0647 hours. It was the FirstMobile Striking Force, 17 miles from Taffy-3 andbearing down on the CVEs at 30 knots.At about the same moment, lookouts onSt. Lo reported the unmistakable shapes of“pagoda masts,” a sure identification of Japanesebattleships. At 0700 hours, Avenger pilot EnsignHans Jensen sighted the fleet; this was soonconfirmed by shipboard radar.Kurita’s ships had just changed to a circularantiaircraft formation when smoke was spottedon the horizon. At 0700 hours, Yamato openedfire with her 18-inch main battery. On Yamato’sbridge, no one could identify the silhouettes ofthe American carriers in the manuals. Kuritamistakenly assumed he had a task group ofthe Third Fleet under his guns. He immediatelyordered “General Attack.”The Americans RespondWith the CVEs limited to a top speed of 18knots, Taffy-3 had no hope of outdistancing theirpursuers. There was no possibility of out-shootingthem; each carrier had only one 5-inch/38-caliber gun on its stern. Admiral Sprague orderedthe force to turn south toward the others andordered the destroyers to make smoke to providecover while the carriers launched their aircraft.Gambier Bay managed to launch most ofher aircraft while battleship shells rumbledoverhead. LCDR Edward J. Huxtable, CO of VC-10,boarded his Avenger and asked his plane captainif he had a bomb load. “He said no, so I told himto call LCDR Buzz Borries, the air officer, to seeUSS Kitkun Bay (CVE-71) prepares to launch FM-2 Wildcats fighters during the action.FM-2s of Composite Squadron 10 at TaclobanPhoto: USN via Thomas CleaverPhoto: NHHCINFO Eduard13August 2023Page 14
HISTORYif I had time to get a load. We had not turned upengines yet and I could not see going off withoutsome ordnance. I saw Borries talking to CaptainViewig, who made a sweeping motion with hisarm – ‘Get ‘em off!’”“About this time, I was startled by what seemedlike a rifle shot. I looked out and saw it wasa salvo of heavy-caliber stuff splashing alongsideWhite Plains. Until this moment, I had no idea theenemy was so near. Now I was more than readyto get on that catapult! Three TBMs launchedahead of me. The ceiling was at 1,200 feet. I calledup Admiral Sprague and asked what our orderswere. ‘Attack immediately!’”Following the catapult launches of theAvengers, the FM-2 Wildcats were hurriedlylaunched; some were armed with rockets forstrikes ashore, but most were armed only withtheir four .50-caliber machine guns.Huxtable broke out into better visibility.“I spotted four cruisers nearby and what appearedto be four battleships further back in the gloom.There was no possibility of making a high-altitudeattack. I pulled up into the ceiling and started forthe cruisers. I had no idea what loads the otherplanes had, but at least we would give thema good scare.”Huxtable was joined by his Annapolis classmate,LCDR Richard Fowler, who led Kitkun Bay’s VC-5. They attempted coordinated “hot” and “dry”attacks, with FM-2s strafing the ships ahead ofthe Avengers, which dropped their 500-poundgeneral purpose bombs. “Our bombs had no effecton the ships, but possibly the explosions scaredthe crewmen.”The Wildcats and Avengers of Taffy-3 kept anunrelenting string of aircraft over Kurita’s fleet,giving the admiral the impression the Americanshad far greater resources than they did.Lt(jg) Norman Johnson of Fanshaw Bay’sComposite Squadron 68 piloted an Avengerwith four 500-pound general-purpose bombs.He later remembered: “Climbing at full throttle,I penetrated the lower cloud cover and leveled offat 11,000 feet. I took a final look at the enemy ships,which were firing on our ships. When I was aboutfive miles away, I nosed down to pick up speed.The Japanese battle force was at that momentoccupied in anti-aircraft protection against anair attack. Varied colored bursts mushroomed atseveral levels. It was quite dense and somethingI had to penetrate. I kept my bomb doors closedas speed increased. I saw three large battleshipswith rudders hard over and guns spitting flame. At7,000 feet, I pushed over into my attack, selectingthe lead battleship as my target. My radiomanreminded me ‘Open the bomb bay doors!’ I openedthe doors and the immediate drag was apparentas the airplane was really barreling along now.“I was intent on adjusting the target in mysight. Suddenly the airplane corkscrewed, andthe right-side sliding part of the canopy peeledoff. I pressed the bomb release at what seemedthe best altitude and concentrated my effort onpulling out. The target was so large the bombscouldn’t miss. It was a close call as I leveled off50 to 100 feet over the water. I pulled up to avoidmore AA and then hid in the clouds in case therewere any enemy aircraft around.”Over the next 30 minutes, aircraft from the sixsquadrons made repeated bombing and rocketruns on the enemy ships, strafing their decksas they pulled out. At Tacloban, the field becamea muddy bog; landing aircraft were damaged asthey ground-looped in the mud and slammedinto other planes. By mid-day the airfield wascovered with wrecked Avengers and Wildcats.The Naval “Charge of the Light Brigade”While the pilots desperately attempted todistract the enemy, Taffy-3’s “small boys” movedto defend the carriers after Admiral Spragueordered the three destroyers to attack despitethe hopeless odds.At 0700 hours USS Johnston made smoke inresponse to the incoming shell fire that bracketedthe carriers. Ten minutes later, Gunnery OfficerRobert Hagen opened fire at a range of 18,000yards and registered several hits on the leadingheavy cruisers with his radar-directed gunfire.After five minutes, Hagen concentratedfire on heavy cruiser Kumano. At maximumrange, Johnston scored several hits on hersuperstructure, which erupted in flame. Kumanothen targeted Johnston in turn and she wassoon bracketed by colorful shell splashes.Johnston made smoke and zigzagged while sheaccelerated to flank speed and headed towardthe enemy fleet alone, firing over 200 roundsnearly continuously.Captain Evans brought Johnston to 9,000 yardsfrom the enemy and fired all ten torpedoes. Twohit Kumano at 0724 hours and blew her bow off.The four other torpedoes continued on toward theenemy fleet and battleship Kongô was forced toturn away north to avoid them, which took herout of the fight. Heavy cruiser Suzuya, which hadsuffered damage from air attacks, stopped herpursuit of the Americans to assist Kumano.Johnston’s audacious attack confused AdmiralKurita, who thought he had been engagedby American cruisers. When the rest of theJapanese ships were forced to turn away to avoidthe torpedoes, the carriers gained more preciousminutes to launch aircraft.Evans turned back into his own smoke, but at0730 hours, the enemy guns found him. Firingat a range of 17,000 yards, Kongô, hit Johnstonwith three 14-inch shells which penetrated intoher port engine room, where the explosions cuther speed in half and disrupted power to the aftUSS GAMBIER BAY (CVE-73) and two destroyer escorts making smoke at the start of the battle off Samar,October 25, 1944. Japanese ships are faintly visible on the horizon.Photo: Phi Willard Niet via NHHCINFO Eduard14August 2023Page 15
HISTORYgun mounts. Moments later, three 6-inch shellsfrom Yamato struck Johnston’s bridge. Everyonewas wounded and Commander Evans’ fingersof his left hand were traumatically severed byshrapnel. Johnston was badly mangled withdead and dying sailors strewn across her bloodydecks. She found refuge in a rain squall, while thedamage control parties restored power to two ofthe three aft mounts and repair the fire controlradar. With repairs completed at 0735 hours, sheopened fire on Japanese destroyers while hiddenin the smoke.Johnston then retired to the Task Group.Minutes later, she encountered Heermann and analready-damaged Hoel headed in to attack. Evanscould have continued back to the fleet and no onewould have faulted him. Instead, he reversedcourse and made smoke to help obscure the twoas they headed toward the onrushing Japanese.Samuel B. Roberts, known to her crew as “SammyB” followed. The attack was a naval “Charge ofthe Light Brigade” that actually happened on the90th anniversary of the event immortalized inTennyson’s poem.Over the next 40 minutes, Evans engaged inseveral duels with the enemy. At 0830 hours,Johnston opened fire on the cruiser Chokai,which was firing at the helpless Gambier Bay.She then closed to 6,000 yards and traded fire forten minutes with the battleship Haguro, scoringnumerous hits. At 0840 hours, she intercepteda formation of seven destroyers spotted closing inon the carriers. Evans attempted to pass in frontof the enemy, “crossing the T” as gunnery officerHagen opened fire. Johnston was hit severaltimes by return fire. The lead enemy destroyerturned away to the west and took a dozen hitsfrom Johnston as she did so. Hagen quicklyshifted fire to the next in line and scored five hitsbefore it too veered off and the entire squadronturned west to avoid Johnston. Three destroyersfired their torpedoes at the carriers from 10,500yards but no hits were scored. The Japaneseand American ships were now intertwined ina confused jumble.More Avengers and Wildcats from the othertask groups appeared out of the cloudy skies andattacked the enemy, while destroyer Hoel headedtoward the battleship Kongô and took a salvo of14-inch shells in her bridge. She closed to 9,000yards and fired five torpedoes - none hit, but thetorpedoes forced Kongô to turn away. Despitehaving three of her five gun mounts as well asher port engine knocked out, Hoel drew Japanesefire for the next hour as she chased shells anddistracted the enemy from the carriers. An 8-inchshell stopped her at 0830 hours. Having taken 40hits, Hoel went down with 259 of her crew. Only86 survived, including 19-year old Bob DeSpain, aformer lifeguard from San Pedro, California, whoover the next hours swam from group to groupand gathered the survivors together (this writerwas privileged to know Bob over the last sixyears of his life; he worked as a docent aboardthe battleship Iowa in San Pedro).Samuel B. Roberts closed to 4,000 yards ofthe cruiser Chôkai, moving at 28 knots after thechief engineer, Lieutenant “Lucky” Trowbridgebypassed all the safety mechanisms in theengines. Her captain, LCDR Robert W. Copeland,USNR, announced over the ship’s public address:„This will be a fight against overwhelming oddsfrom which survival cannot be expected. Wewill do what damage we can.“ Chôkai couldnot lower the guns sufficiently to hit the littledestroyer escort. Sammy-B launched her threetorpedoes. One blew off Chôkai’s bow. The littleship then showed why she would be known everafter as “the destroyer escort that fought like abattleship.” She battled on for another hour, firingmore than 600 5-inch shells from her two guns.Maneuvering at very close range, she mauledChôkai with her 40mm and 20mm AA guns. At 0851hours, she was hit twice and lost her after 5-inchgun when a breech explosion killed and woundedseveral of the crew. She then engaged Chikuma,which was also under fire by Heerman. The twoAmerican ships ripped Chikuma‘s superstructurewith salvo after salvo: armor-piercing shells,high-explosive shells, anti-aircraft shells, andeven star shells which created chemical fires inmetal plates hit the cruiser.Firing her remaining 5-inch gun, Sammy-Bdevastated Chikuma’s bridge. Fires spreadthrough the cruiser’s superstructure. Sammy-B’slast shot put the number three gun turret out ofaction just as three 14-inch shells from Kongôhit her. The order “Abandon Ship” was given at0935 hours and Sammy-B sank 30 minutes later,taking 89 of her crew. The 120 survivors clung tothree life rafts. It would be 50 hours before 80were finally rescued from the open sea.Cruisers Tone and Chikuma, followed by thedamaged Chôkai and Kumano, closed in onTaffy-3. As they opened fire, Heermann fired hermain 5-inch battery at Chikuma, then launchedfive torpedoes. Again, they all missed but flagshipYamato was now forced to turn away which puther out of the fight. With one gun mount knockedout, Heermann continued to engage Chikuma.Two Avengers and several Wildcats launchedfrom Taffy-1 and Taffy-2 attacked the cruiser. Justas she turned away, a single shot from Heermanstruck in her aviation gasoline stowage. Chikumablew up and sank.From Defeat to VictoryGambier Bay was hit in her starboard engineroom at 0847 hours. The second hit set fueledaircraft afire on the hangar deck. Enormousshells passed through her without explodingbecause her thin steel wasn’t enough to stopthem. She went dead in the water at 0900 hoursas Tone, Chikuma, and the damaged Chôkaiclosed in. At 0907 hours she capsized, sending700 survivors into the water. Gambier Bay wasthe only American aircraft carrier ever sunk ina surface engagement.Chokai sped past the sinking carrier and tookaim at White Plains. The little carrier’s 5-inch guncrew manned their weapon on her stern. Openingfire on Chokai at maximum range, the third shothit the cruiser in her torpedo stowage and Chokaiexploded, sinking in less than two minutes andleaving no survivors. White Plains became theonly aircraft carrier in history to sink an enemywarship with surface gunfire.Japanese battleship Musashi under attackPhoto: USN via Thomas CleaverINFO Eduard15August 2023Page 16
HISTORYAt 0940 hours, Johnston, which had come underattack from several enemy destroyers, lost allpower from the hits and went dead in the water.The enemy surrounded her and continued theirfire. Evans was finally forced to order “AbandonShip” at 0945 hours. At 1005 hours, Johnstonsank with 186 of her crew going down with her.Evans managed to get into the water with othercrewmen but was never seen again. While he wasposthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, it wasthe Japanese themselves who first recognizedhis courage. Seaman Robert Billie and severalother crewmen in a raft watched an enemydestroyer cruise slowly past as her captain stoodon his bridge, saluting the sinking Johnston as anhonorable opponent.Aboard Yamato, Admiral Kurita becameconvinced by the renewed air attacks by theWildcats and Avengers that his fleet had stumbledinto contact with the U.S. Third Fleet. ExpectingAmerican battleships to come over the horizonat any moment and realizing that his ships wereso dispersed from their evasive maneuvers thatit was impossible for them to return to a fightingformation to take on the expected enemy, hesignaled to his fleet to break off action and turnback to San Bernardino Strait at 0945 hours.American sailors struggling in the sea, andthose manning their battle stations aboardthe ships, were amazed as the gunfire fadedaway and the enemy soon disappeared over thehorizon. Had Admiral Kurita continued on, therewas nothing stopping his fleet from sinking allthe escort carriers and moving into Leyte Gulfto attack the invasion fleet. The reservists whomanned the carriers and destroyers and aircraftsquadrons – most of whom had never seen anocean before they went aboard the ships in whichthey fought and died – had saved the invasion ofthe Philippines.After the sinking of Gambier Bay, VC-10Wildcat pilot Ensign McGraw was among thesurviving aircrews who landed on Manila Bay.That afternoon, he was launched with other pilotsfrom that ship to intercept a formation Val divebombers escorted by Zeke fighters attemptingto attack the escort carriers. McGraw shot downone Val and one Zeke to become VC-10’s only ace.A bit more than an hour after the Battle offSamar concluded, the U.S. Navy was introducedto the power of a new and deadly enemy whenthe Shikishima Unit of the 201st Air Group foundthe surviving carriers of Taffy-3 at 1047 hours. At1052 hours, a Zeke believed flown by LieutenantSeki dived on the escort carrier St. Lo. Theairplane hit the center of the flight deck. The250-kilogram bomb penetrated the flight deckand exploded on the port side of the hangar deckin the midst of several aircraft in the processof being refueled and rearmed. A gasoline firequickly broke out, followed by six secondaryexplosions that ended with the detonation of thetorpedo and bomb magazine. Engulfed in flame,St. Lo sank 30 minutes later. From an 889-mancrew, 113 were killed or missing. Thirty survivorslater died of their wounds. The 434 survivorswere rescued from the water by Heermann andthe destroyer escorts John C. Butler, Raymond,and Dennis. The U.S. Navy’s most deadly foe hadentered the battle.Exploze na USS St. Lo (CVE-63) poté, co byla zasažena 25. října 1944 útokem Kamikaze u Samaru.Foto: Phi Willard Niet via NHHCproduct page#11175INFO Eduard16August 2023Page 17
Searching for lost ships with Paul Allen
In this last installement of searching for the lost ships with Paul Alled we will talk about the shipwrecks lying in the greatest depths of the world. They sank to the bottom of the ocean during the Battle of Samar. These are the American destroyers which, heavily outnumbered, bravely faced the enemy for whom this battle was a swan song.
HISTORYThe Battle of Santa Cruz, during which theaircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) was sunkin October 1942, was for a long time the lastcarriers encounter. While the Allies graduallytook over the strategic initiative, the Japanesecarriers were recovering from the losses.The damaged ships needed repairs but aboveall the lost aircraft had to be replenished andnew pilots trained. During the whole 1943 nofurther aircraft carriers battle took place. TheJapanese Navy was saving the resources andpreparing for the so-called decisive battle.The opportunity arrived in June 1944 when theUS carriers attacked the Mariana Islands. TheJapanese threw all they had into the counterattack – 1st Mobile Fleet formed by total of 83vessels, including 3 large aircraft carriers,6 light aircraft carriers and 5 battleships.They faced the American 5th Fleet composedof 139 ships. The backbone of the US fleetwas formed by 7 large aircraft carriers,8 light aircraft carriers and 7 battleships. TheAmerican dominance was to be compensatedby deployment of further 300 Japanese aircraftoperating from the land bases.The result of the Battle of Philippine Seadoesn’t need a detailed description, its first daywent down in the history as a Great MarianaTurkey Shoot. The great lack of quality inJapanese aircraft and pilots‘ training wasaparent and the Japanese aircraft were fallingof the skies in hundreds. One of the Americanpilots described the combat after landing asshooting turkeys back home in old times. Thegreatest American fighter aces increased theirscores thanks to it. Cdr. David McCampbell, whoup until then was credited with two kills (out oftotal 34), on June 19, 1944, during his first sortie,shot down fine D4Y Judy dive bombers andduring the next sortie added two A6M fighters.Lt. Alexander Vraciu, whose score stood at 12kills at that time (out of total 19), on the sameIn this last installement of searching for the lost ships with Paul Alledwe will talk about the shipwrecks lying in the greatest depths of theworld. They sank to the bottom of the ocean during the Battle of Samar.These are the American destroyers which, heavily outnumbered,bravely faced the enemy for whom this battle was a swan song.SEARCHING FOR LOST SHIPSWITH PAUL ALLENSHIPWRECKS IN THEGREATEST DEPTHSText: Miro BaričUSS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413)photographed in the beginning ofsummer 1944. It is the deepestlying shipwreck known currently inthe world.Photo: U.S. Naval History and Heritage CommandLt.(jg) Alexander Vraciu shows his six fingers for the aerial kills he scored on June 19, 1944.Photo: National ArchivesINFO Eduard18August 2023Page 19
HISTORYday during one sortie shot down six D4Y Judybombers. It took him eight minutes and he spent360 12.7 mm caliber rounds.While the American pilots fought the Japaneseaircraft, on that day the Japanese ships wereonly attacked by the American submarines.They fared very well indeed. USS Cavalla hitShokaku with three torpedoes and sank her.USS Albacore hit the new carrier Taiho withonly a single torpedo but a poor execution ofthe rescue operations caused the fuel fumes toaccumulate under the deck which later caused aseries of explosions and Taiho sank as well. Theaircraft from the American carriers attackedthe Japanese vessels on June 20, 1944, at thelimit of their range and almost at night. Theysank light carrier Hiyo and two tankers. Theyalso damaged several other ships. However,they paid the price by loosing 100 aircraft,only 20 were shot down in combat tough. Theremaining 80 had to crash land due to the lackof fuel and the crews were mostly rescued.The Japanese losses were significantly higher.The air forces they had gathered during thewhole previous year, were lost in two days. Theremaining Japanese aircraft carriers withoutairplanes could not longer play an active roleand in the following battle they were used asdecoy.Four battles in oneIt took place during the Philippines landingin October 1944. Actually there was a seriesof several naval battles which became to beknown under the common name, the Battle ofLeyte Gulf. The Japanese Navy did not recoverfrom the preceding defeats but had to reactto the Allied invasion. The Japanese deployedthe old samurai tactics of the feign attack.The Northern Force, commanded by ViceAdmiral Ozawa, assumed the role of a decoy.On the paper it looked strong composed of twobattleships, aircraft carrier Zuikaku and threelight carrier Zuiho, Chiyoda and Chitose, howeverthey altogether carried 108 aircraft only. In themeantime, the Center Force led by ViceadmiralKurita and Southern Force consisting of twogroups led by Viceadmirals Nishimura andShima were to approach the Allied invasionfleet through different passages. They wereat the disadvantage though due to the strictradio silence and the admirals were unable tocoordinate their actions and each of them actedindividually. Therefore they gradually clashedwith the US Navy in four battles.The first one took place in Sibuyan Sea. First,on October 23, 1944, Kurita’s Center Forcewas spotted and attacked by the Americansubmarines USS Darter and USS Dace. Theysank two heavy cruisers and damaged anotherone. Then, on October 24, 1944, the Japaneseships became targets of five waves of theAmerican carrier-borne aircraft. Those sankthe battleship Musashi and damaged severalother ships. Kurita therefore turned around180 degrees and started to retreat, and theAmericans took the bait. Musashi’s wreck wasone of the first Paul Allen found. It happenedin March 2015 using his older ship Octopus.Musashi lies 900 meters deep and Allen’sexpedition discovered that she had explodedwhile sinking. The bow stands upright on theocean’s bottom and the stern is turned upsidedown. The main superstructure and stack lie onthe sides.Nine kills in one sortieIn the meantime, three waves of Japaneseairplanes from the land bases attacked theAmerican ships. During their defenses Cdr.David McCampbell distinguished himself again.Only in a pair formation, just with his wingman,he attacked the formation of 60-80 airplanesapproaching the American ships. In the combat,which lasted an hour and 35 minutes, he shotdown 9 Japanese fighters and two probables.His wingman, Lt. Roy Rushing was credited withanother six kills. They completely dismantledthe Japanese formation. After the landingthe mechanics did not find any fuel left inCampbell Hellcat’s tanks and there were two12.7 mm caliber rounds left for his machineguns. For this achievement, as well as theprevious success in the Battle of Philippine Seafour months ago , McCambell was decoratedwith the highest American award, Medal ofHonour. The rare success by the Japanese sidewas scored by a D4Y Judy dive bomber whichpenetrated the defences and suddenly appearedPhoto: U.S. NavyPhoto: U.S. NavyCdr. David McCampbell in the cockpit of his Hellcat on board of USS Essexin the beginning of October 1944. At that time his score stood at 21 kills.McCampbell is posing in the cockpit of his Hellcat for a propaganda photograph in the endof October 1944. By scoring additional 9 kills in a day, he raised his score to 30 victories.INFO Eduard19August 2023Page 20
USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) in October 1944, couple of days before her sinking.USS Johnston (DD-557) in October 1943, right after her entry in the service.USS Hoel (DD-533) in August 1944.Cdr. Ernest Evans, commanding officer of destroyerJohnston.LCdr. Robert Copeland, commanding officer of SamuelB. Roberts escort destroyer.Photo: U.S. Naval History and Heritage CommandPhoto: U.S. Naval History and Heritage CommandPhoto: U.S. Naval History and Heritage CommandPhoto: U.S. Naval History and Heritage CommandPhoto: U.S. NavyHISTORYINFO Eduard20August 2023Page 21
above the light aircraft carrier USS Princeton.Its bomb exploded in the hangar among fullyfueled Avenger bombers. The result was a firewhich after several hours caused an enormousexplosion of the stored bombs. The ship wasimpossible to rescue and she sank with 108 soulslost. Further 233 American sailors perishedon board of the light cruiser USS Birminghamwhich was at the time of Princeton explosion ather side helping with putting out the fires.Battle of Surigao Str aitIn the meantime the Japanese Southern Forcetried to fight its way through Surigao Strait. OnOctober 24, 1944 the American airplanes barelycaused any damage to Nishimura’s ships but theAmerican vessels set up a trap for him in thestrait. First he faced the attack of the torpedoboats and destroyers. Those sank the battleshipFuso. Six battleships and eight cruisers underthe command of Admiral Oldendorf waited forthe Japanese at the exit from the strait. OnDecember 7, 1941, five of these battleships weresunk or damaged at Pearl Harbor. California,Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and WestVirginia then underwent the extensive repairsand rebuilds. On the night of October 24-25,1944, time of their revenge arrived. Their radar-controlled cannon fire sank Yamashiro anddamaged the cruiser Mogami. It was the lastbattleship encounter in the history.The second part of the Southern Force didnot engage in this battle because it laggedbehind Nishimura. When Shima realized thatthe first part had been massacred, he ordereda retreat. At that moment, Mogami collidedwith the heavy cruiser Nachi and was furtherdamaged. This heavy cruiser met a similar fatein the Battle of Midway when it collided withits sister ship, Mikuma. The collision sloweddown both ships, making them vulnerable tothe dive bombers, and Mikuma was eventuallysunk. Though Mogami survived Midway, it wasso severely damaged that they had to removeits rear turrets and rebuild it as a hybrid cruiser– a seaplane carrier. Now, after the collisionwith Nachi, its fate was sealed. The pursuingAmerican cruisers inflicted further damage onMogami, and in the morning, it was finished offby bombs from an Avenger bomber.The wrecks of Yamashiro and Fusō werediscovered by Paul Allen and his ship RV Petrelon November 25, 2017. Both ships lie upsidedown at a depth of around 200 meters. On May8, 2019, RV Petrel also found the wreck of thecruiser Mogami, which lies at a depth of 1450meters.Battle of Cape EngañoAlthough Ozawa’s Northern Force withaircraft carriers tried to attract the attention ofthe Americans, they only discovered it last, inthe evening of October 24, 1944. However, thisturned out to be coincidentally perfect timing forthe Japanese. At the same time, Kurita's CenterForce had turned back in retreat. AmericanAdmiral William Halsey was convinced thatKurita’s ships were out of action and focused onOzawa.The final battle of the aircraft carriers tookplace on October 25, 1944. Early in the morning,Ozawa launched an attack wave of 75 aircraft.That was all the Japanese aircraft carrierscould muster, having been decimated in previousbattles. Most of these planes were shot down,and Ozawa had no more left. Subsequently,he had to face six waves of American attacks,which sank all four Japanese aircraft carriers.The Battle of Samar IslandThe Japanese original plan almostsucceeded. While the Japanese aircraftcarriers were being used as a bait and beingmassacred, the core of Kurita’s Center Forceappeared near the invasion beaches. Kuritahad feigned a retreat and then turned back tohis original course, sneaking through the SanBernardino Strait unnoticed during the night.USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73) in April 1944.The American destroyers and escort destroyers laying the smoke screen during the Battle of Samar.Photo: U.S. Naval History and Heritage CommandPhto: U.S. NavyHISTORYINFO Eduard21August 2023Page 22
American Admiral William Halsey sent his mainforces north against Ozawa, leaving the straitunguarded. Another mistake made by Halseywas his delayed reaction to reports of theJapanese battleships' penetration; he was tooeager to destroy the enemy’s aircraft carriers.Unfortunately, this exposed the entire Philippinelanding to a deadly risk.Against four Japanese battleships, sixheavy cruisers, and eleven destroyers, therewere only three groups of small and slowescort aircraft carriers providing support tothe landing forces – Taffy 1, Taffy 2, and Taffy3. When the Japanese ships appeared on thehorizon, Taffy 3, commanded by Admiral CliftonSprague, was the closest to them. The groupconsisted of six escort carriers (Fanshaw Bay,Gambier Bay, Kalinin Bay, Kitkun Bay, St. Lo,and White Plains), three destroyers (Heermann,Hoel, and Johnston), and four escort destroyers(Dennis, John C. Butler, Raymond, and Samuel B.Roberts). The destroyers of the Fletcher class,armed with five 127mm guns and ten torpedotubes, were the most heavily armed ships inTaffy 3. The escort destroyers were smaller andslower, carrying only two 127mm guns and threetorpedo launchers. To put it in perspective, thebattleship Yamato had a larger displacementthan the entire American force combined!In the ensuing battle of David against Goliath,the Japanese cruisers Chōkai, Chikuma, andSuzuya were sunk, while on the American side,the destroyers USS Johnston, USS Hoel, and USSSamuel B. Roberts were lost. The escort carrierUSS Gambier Bay was destroyed by gunfirefrom the cruisers Tone and Chikuma. It was theonly American aircraft carrier sunk by surfacegunfire. After the battle with Kurita's forces, theheavily tested Taffy 3 group had to face the firstorganized kamikaze attack. Several ships weredamaged, and the escort carrier USS St. Lo wassunk when a Zero carrying a bomb crashed intoits flight deck and exploded in the hangar amongrefueling aircraft.The total American losses in the Battle ofSamar Island were nearly 1,200 sailors andaviators, which is more than the casualtiesin the Battles of Midway and the Coral Seacombined. It is no wonder that Clifton Spragueharshly criticized Halsey's actions.The Battle of Samar Island is renowned asthe “finest hour of the U.S. Navy,” and moredetailed information about it can be found inTom Cleaver’s article on page 12 of this issue.Now, let’s focus on the wrecks of the ships leftbehind after the battle...In the Philippine TrenchThe Battle of Samar Island took place on theedge of the Philippine Trench, and as a result, allthe sunken ships rest in great depths. The wreckof USS St. Lo was discovered by the researchvessel RV Petrel in May 2019, lying at a depth of4,736 meters. In the same month, researchersalso located the cruiser Chōkai at a depth of5,173 meters.However, in October 2019, RV Petrel foundparts of a ship believed to be from USS Johnston.They were located at a depth of 6,218 meters,USS Gambier Bay photographed from the deck of USS Kalinin Bay during the Battle of Samar.Gambier Bay lagged behind the rest of the group. In thepicture we can see as the Japanese grenades explodingaorund her.Saving the survivors of the Battle of Samar.Photo: U.S. Naval History and Heritage CommandPhoto: U.S. Naval History and Heritage CommandPhoto: U.S. Naval History and Heritage CommandHISTORYPage 23
making it the deepest known shipwreck at thattime. The discovery included a gun, a propellershaft, and several other fragments. Indicationson the seabed suggested that the rest of theship had sunk even deeper, beyond the reach ofthe exploration robot.Enter Victor Vescovo, an entrepreneur andinvestor who served in the U.S. Navy for 20years and now dedicates himself to deep-seaexpeditions. He has dived to the deepest pointsin all the world's oceans, including reachingthe bottom of the Mariana Trench's ChallengerDeep in April 2019. It was only the third mannedmission to this location in history.On March 31, 2021, Vescovo’s researchvessel DSV Limiting Factor found the remainingwreckage of USS Johnston at a depth of 6,469meters, definitively identifying it. This discoveryset a new record for the deepest knownshipwreck.However, this record was broken again inJune 2021 when Vescovo and his team foundthe wreck of the escort destroyer USS SamuelB. Roberts at a depth of 6,895 meters. Accordingto their observations, the ship descended inone piece before crashing onto the seabed withits bow first, causing hull deformations andthe detachment of the stern, which now lies5 meters away from the main wreck. The hullalso bears visible damage caused by Japaneseshelling, including a broken mast.Currently, the USS Samuel B. Roberts holdsthe title of the deepest known shipwreck.Still, it is believed that some of the shipssunk in the Battle of Samar Island lie evendeeper. Searching for them in the depths of thePhilippine Trench is extremely challenging. USSGambier Bay and USS Hoel are yet to be found,with the destroyer potentially resting at a depthof up to 7,300 meters. Even deeper is presumedto be the Japanese cruiser Suzuya, which isbelieved to lie at a depth of up to 8,400 meters.End of RV Petrel?The fate of the research vessel RV Petrel hasbecome a symbolic conclusion to the seriesof discoveries mentioned earlier. After PaulAllen's passing on October 15, 2018, the RVPetrel continued her work. Its crew discoveredmany wrecks mentioned in our articlespublished in 2019. At the beginning of 2020,several expeditions were undertaken as partof a partnership between the National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and thePaul G. Allen Family Foundation.In June 2020, the RV Petrel underwentmodernization and was equipped with newinstruments. However, due to the COVID-19pandemic, it was put into indefinite storage in adry dock in Scotland. In October 2022, the UnitedStates Navy purchased the vessel for $12.4million. Nonetheless, it remained in the dry dockat the port of Leith in Edinburgh.Tragedy struck on March 22, 2023, duringstrong winds, when the RV Petrel broke freefrom its moorings and capsized at a 45-degreeangle. 33 people were injured, but luckily therewere no fatalities. The extent of the damage andthe future of the vessel remain unknown at thistime.Number 413 seen on the shipwreck ofescort destroyer USS Samuel B. Roberts.USS Samuel B. Roberts‘ bow.Broken stern of USS Samuel B. Roberts.The number 557 can be seen on the hull of destroyer USS Johnston.The rear gun turret of USS SamuelB. Roberts featuring the 127 mm calibercannon.The captain‘s bridge of USS SamuelB. Roberts. Twin barrel of the 40 mmcaliber cannon can be seen on thestarboard and 20 mm cannon on the port.A gun turret featuring 127 mm calibercannon on board of USS Johnston.Photo: Victor VescovoPhoto: Victor VescovoPhoto: Victor VescovoPhoto: Victor VescovoPhoto: Victor VescovoPhoto: Victor VescovoPhoto: Victor VescovoHISTORYINFO Eduard23August 2023Air war over Ukraine - Ukrainian Offensive, Prigozhin Coup
June was an extremely hot month in Ukraine, and we’re not referring to global warming. Events unfolded on the front lines that laid the groundwork for significant changes in the future – not only for Ukraine but also for Russia. The Ukrainian offensive began, which, though seemingly progressing slowly, was steady. In Russia, the Wagner Group revolted, but they quickly changed their minds, yet the regime remained shaken. Things were set in motion.
HISTORYText: Miro BaričPhotos: Ukrainianarmed forces, socialmedia and other publicsourcesAir war over UkraineUkrainian Offensive, Prigozhin CoupUkrainian Mi-24P at a field base.June was an extremely hot month in Ukraine, and we’re not referringto global warming. Events unfolded on the front lines that laid thegroundwork for significant changes in the future – not only for Ukrainebut also for Russia. The Ukrainian offensive began, which, thoughseemingly progressing slowly, was steady. In Russia, the WagnerGroup revolted, but they quickly changed their minds, yet the regimeremained shaken. Things were set in motion.In this part of the series, we’ll follow eventsfrom June 1 to July 1, but first, let’s revisit anevent from the previous period. On May 13, anattack group of Russian aircraft, consistingof Su-34, Su-35, and 2 × Mi-8 helicopters,was shot down in the Bryansk region nearthe Ukrainian border. When the previous partwas being completed, the exact details ofwhat happened had not been confirmed, andvarious possibilities were being considered.However, the Ukrainian Armed Forces laterreleased a video in which they boasted of theirsuccesses in air defense. The footage showeda Patriot system with markings indicating thescore, confirming that they were responsiblefor that mentioned Russian group. On theside, there are painted silhouettes of aircraftand helicopters with the date May 13. By theway, they have three Mi-8 helicopters paintedthere, but officially only two were confirmed.The Ukrainians, therefore, claim one more.It is possible that the Russian group at that timeconsisted of two Mi-8MTPR-1 helicopters forelectronic warfare and a third Mi-8 preparedfor search and rescue in case of the attackbomber being shot down.In addition to this group, the aforementionedPatriot system has an impressive collection ofmissiles, including Kinzhals, missiles with a lowflight path, and drones painted on its side. TheUkrainians also demonstrated decent scoresagainst the S-300 and NASAMS systems.The Patriot system excelled, especiallyduring the intensive attacks on Kyiv in May. TheRussian shelling of the capital decreased inJune. They probably realized that their attackswere just wasting rockets - but officially, theyaccomplished their mission because, accordingto Putin’ְs words, they destroyed five or sixPatriot systems near Kyiv. Never mind thatUkraine received only two of them ...Ukrainian OffensiveAnother reason for shifting the Russiancommand’s attention away from Kyiv was theUkrainian counteroffensive. After prolongedanticipation, it began in early June in theZaporizhzhia Oblast, southern Ukraine. TheINFO Eduard24August 2023Page 25
Shot of the Patriot system in a video released by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.NASAMS system score.Detail showing silhouettes of two aircraft and three Mi-8 helicopters with the dateMay 13, 2023.The S-300 battery marked with four aircraft, 21 missiles with a flat flight path,and 15 rockets kills.HISTORYUkrainian Armed Forces started pushing inthree directions – from Velyka Novosilkanear Vuhledar towards Mariupol, from Orikhivtowards Tokmak and Melitopol, and near Lobovaon the banks of the Kakhovka Reservoir.For Russian propaganda, this was a welcomechange. In anticipation of the Ukrainianoffensive, they began publishing various falsefootage of Western military equipment beingdestroyed. There was an instance of usinga photo of a destroyed Turkish Leopard 2 tankfrom Syria and a video of a Russian helicopterdestroying combine harvesters and otheragricultural machinery that didn't resembletanks at all. After the actual start of theUkrainian offensive, true losses of Westernequipment were, of course, revealed.The Russians had been building fortificationsin southern Ukraine for almost a year. Theseinclude several lines of trenches and, mostimportantly, extensive minefields. Theseminefields proved to be the most challengingobstacle. In one attack attempt, a group ofBradley infantry fighting vehicles and severalLeopard 2 tanks got stuck on the mines. TheRussians filmed this group from multiple anglesand repeatedly published the footage until theUkrainians made progress and withdrew thedamaged vehicles for repair. Unlike Russianequipment, Western military vehicles fulfilltheir primary purpose – protecting the crew.Most Leopard and Bradley machines did notexplode after being hit; their crews survived,and the vehicles can be repaired later.Although the Ukrainian advance is slow, it issteady – they have liberated more territory ina month than the Russians occupied during theirwinter offensive in six months. In addition tothe mines, Russian helicopters initially sloweddown the Ukrainians. Ka-52 helicopters weredeployed to perform long-range missile strikeson enemy equipment since the Ukrainian sidecouldn't get air defense systems close enoughto the frontlines, and portable Stinger missileshave limited range. The Ukrainians reportedshooting down one to two Ka-52 helicoptersalmost daily, but only one was officiallyconfirmed. The confirmed one was captured onvideo flying with a damaged tail. The Russianside claimed that the tail was damaged dueto the firing of their own missile, but this isunlikely. It is more plausible that it was hit bya Ukrainian surface-to-air missile. Thanks to itstwo counter-rotating rotors, the helicopter wasable to continue flying and make an emergencylanding.The Ka-52 helicopters primarily operatedfrom the Berdiansk base, where satelliteimagery captured them. However, for unknownIf there were no war, this shot of the Mi-8 on a field base would be downright idyllic. Notice the machine gun in thehelicopter’s nose.INFO Eduard25August 2023Page 26
HISTORYreasons, the Ukrainians attacked this airfieldonly on June 30, several weeks after the satelliteimagery was published. Prior to that, they hadrepeatedly targeted other military facilitiesin Berdiansk with Storm Shadow missiles.After the airfield attack, Russian helicoptersdeparted from there, and their activity on thefrontlines decreased. The reduction in activityis also related to the change in Ukrainian tactics– they deploy less equipment on the front linesand use consequent infantry attacks in groups.This lack of targets makes it impractical forthe Ka-52s to risk further losses. At least 39helicopters of this type have been destroyedduring the war in Ukraine.Since the beginning of the offensive, theUkrainian advance has been supported bystrong artillery and missile attacks. Theseattacks not only destroy Russian trenches butalso target logistical and command centersin the rear, as well as Russian artillery. Lastsummer, Russian artillery played a significantrole in their offensive, but now it’s merelya shadow of what it used to be.Destroyed DamHowever, what significantly alteredUkrainian plans was the destruction of theKakhovka Dam on the Dnieper River. Its 3.2 kmlong wall exploded in the central part earlyin the morning on June 6, just two days afterthe start of the Ukrainian offensive. The damheld back over 18 cubic kilometers of water,which flooded the city of Kherson and another40 villages downstream on both sides of theDnieper. Approximately 60 civilians lost theirlives, and the floodwaters took several days torecede.Although both sides blamed each otherfor the dam’s explosion, it is certain that theRussians had control over it. The massive damThe destruction of the Kachovska dam caused enormous damage.A Russian Ka-52 helicopter with a damaged tail wascaptured on video on June 19.INFO Eduard26August 2023Page 27
HISTORYcould not be threatened from the outside withweapons accessible to Ukraine; it had to bedestroyed by an explosion from inside the dam,where only the Russians had access. They blewit up to prevent the Ukrainians from attemptingto cross the river. The flooded and waterloggedareas made it impossible for some time.However, the result is also a hugeenvironmental disaster. A significant amountof chemicals has been released into the riverand subsequently into the sea, causing thedeath of many animals. What is even worse,four irrigation canals that were fed by thedam have dried up. This will negatively affectagricultural production and access to drinkingwater for hundreds of thousands of people formany years.The emptying of the Kakhovka Dam alsoposes a threat to the Zaporizhzhia NuclearPower Plant. The dam water also served asa reservoir for cooling the nuclear reactors.Furthermore, the Russian forces have laidmines in the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plantcomplex and are refusing to allow inspectorsfrom the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) into some areas.Prigozhin’s CoupAfter all the events in Ukraine, the Russiansturned against each other. On the evening ofJune 23, an attempted coup by the WagnerGroup mercenaries began. Its leader, YevgenyPrigozhin, called it the "March of Justice," citingalleged shelling of the base of mercenaries ineastern Ukraine by the Russian army, whichtried to take control of the group. In reality,Prigozhin had been planning this uprising fora long time and had been amassing vehicles,ammunition, and fuel for it, as westernintelligence agencies discovered from satelliteimages.Prigozhin’s goal was to capture RussianDefense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief ofthe General Staff Valery Gerasimov at thecommand center in Rostov, near the Ukrainianborder, both of whom he had publicly criticizedfor a long time. However, Shoigu and Gerasimovmanaged to escape Rostov in time. Prigozhinonly caught their deputies at the commandcenter. The Wagner Group occupied Rostovand subsequently started advancing towardsMoscow on Saturday, June 24th. They took overVoronezh and got within about 200 km of thecapital. Their columns faced little resistance onthe ground, as their path was only obstructedby roadblocks that could be easily overcome.The Russian Air Force attempted to resist.Helicopters, for instance, destroyed a fueldepot in Voronezh, which the Wagner Grouphad occupied. However, the mercenariesalso had air defense systems, which causedanother bleak day for the Russian Air Force. SixFuneral of the Il-22M crew in Ivanovo.The wreckage of the Il-22M carrying the registration RF-75917 near Kantemi-rovka in the Voronezh region. It was also shot down by the Wagner Group onJune 24th.Mi-8MTPR-1 shot down by the Wagner Group on June 24 in the Voronezhregion.Ka-52 registered RF-13418 withbort number “yellow 72” from the15th brigade of the Russian ArmyAviation was shot down by theWagner Group on June 24th near thevillage of Komintern in the Voronezhregion. Lieutenant Colonel AlexeyVorozhtsov and Lieutenant DenisOleynikov were killed.Burning Il-22M shortly beforecrashing into the ground. The tail,the outer wing parts, and both outerengines were torn off during the fall.INFO Eduard27August 2023Page 28
HISTORYhelicopters and one airplane were destroyed,and according to various sources, 15 to 30 oftheir crew members lost their lives.Two shot-down attack helicopters wereMi-35 and Ka-52, and four Mi-8 helicoptersincluded three Mi-8MPTR-1 versions for radio-electronic warfare. The destroyed plane wasan IL-22M, a flying command post based on thetransport aircraft Il-18. The aircraft belongedto the 610th Combat Training and ConversionAviation Center located in Ivanovo, northeastof Moscow. The dramatic video captured theaircraft's last moments. The burning planespiraled violently as it crashed, resulting inits tail, wing parts, and two external enginesbeing torn off. The entire crew of ten peopleperished. The names of eight of them werereleased - Lieutenant Colonel Artem Milovanov(43), the deputy chief of the mentioned 610thcenter, Captain Artem Sharoglazov (31), theaircraft commander, Major Gennady Belyakin(50), the navigator, Captain Viktor Polov (43),the flight engineer, Captain Igor Volochilov (49),the airborne technician, Senior Warrant OfficerSergey Starushok (49), the airborne radiooperator, Senior Sergeant Viktor Podrepny(42), the airborne radio operator, and SeniorSergeant Alexey Skrykov (29), the airbornemechanic. Most of them were buried together inIvanovo, while Milovanov was buried separatelyin Tambov.End of the CoupThe Wagner Group was advancing towardsMoscow smoothly until the evening of June24, when Prigozhin ordered them to halt andretreat. The next day, they also left Rostov,which they had fully controlled. Allegedly, theagreement to stop the action was brokered byBelarusian dictator Lukashenko in exchangefor impunity for the Wagner Group and theirexile in Belarus. Putin agreed to it, althoughhe had declared in a morning TV speech thatsevere punishment awaited the rebels.Paradoxically, it turned out that in Russia,you can drive tanks, occupy governmentbuildings in cities, and shoot down aircraft andhelicopters of the Russian Air Force withoutany consequences officially. However, if youtry to protest against the war or even hold upa blank piece of paper without any inscriptionin public, you may be imprisoned for severalMi-24P carrying the registration RF-92501 and bort number “red 27” crashed on June 22 in Belarus.A new shot of the wreckage of the Su-34, which wasshot down last year in May on the banks of the OskilRiver near Izyum.Shots of the Ka-52, which was destroyed last yearin September at the Melitopol airbase.INFO Eduard28August 2023Page 29
HISTORYyears on charges of extremism ... It is likelythat Prigozhin hoped that a portion of the armywould join him or that he could sway part ofthe population to his side. He also wanted tocapture Shoigu and Gerasimov and use them ashostages. None of this worked out for him, so hedecided to retreat.A side effect of this action is that the WagnerGroup is no longer fighting at Bachmut oranywhere else in Ukraine. The Ukrainian armyis advancing north and south of Bachmut, tryingto encircle the city. After averting the coup,purges also began in the Russian army. Severalgenerals and other officers were dismissed,transferred, or arrested and interrogated.Further Russian LossesIn addition to the helicopters and aircraftdestroyed during Prigozhin’s coup, the RussianAir Force suffered more losses. On Thursday,June 22, a Russian Mi-24P helicopter with theregistration RF-92501 and bort number “Red27” crashed near the village of Lesnaya in theBrest Region of Belarus. The helicopter wentdown on the edge of a forest beside the road,and all three crew members were injured.On Friday, June 23, in the Luhansk Region,a Mi-8MPTR-1 helicopter was shot down. Out ofthe four crew members, only one managed toparachute to safety. The other three perished,and one of them was identified as officer KirillBabayev.On Thursday, June 29, soldiers of theUkrainian 10th Mountain Assault Brigadesuccessfully used a portable Igla missile toshoot down a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft.The hit was captured on video. The Ukrainiansalso claimed to have shot down another Su-25on Wednesday, June 7, but that one remainsunconfirmed.During the observed period, previouslyunknown footage of destroyed aircraft fromboth sides emerged. For example, the wreckageof a helicopter, likely a Ka-52, destroyed onthe ground during a Ukrainian rocket attackon the Melitopol base on September 1, 2022,was captured on video. It was filmed by a crewmember of another Russian helicopter duringtakeoff from that base.Ukrainian LossesDuring the observed period, the UkrainianAir Force suffered two confirmed losses. OnFriday, June 2nd, a MiG-29 was shot down nearPokrovsk in the Donetsk Region. It was pilotedby Major Vladyslav Saveliev with the callsign “Nomad” from the 114th Tactical AviationBrigade. He had previously participated in a U.S.training program at Columbus Air Force Basein Mississippi. Unfortunately, he did not survivethe destruction of his fighter jet.In the Kharkiv Region, on Friday, June 9,a Mi-8 helicopter from the 18th IndependentArmy Aviation Brigade of the Ukrainian Armywas lost under unknown circumstances. Atleast one crew member, Lieutenant VladyslavZozulya, did not survive the accident.Tragically, civilian populations in Ukrainehave also suffered losses. An example is theattack on a pizzeria in the city of Kramatorskin eastern Ukraine, where Russian rocketsstruck on Tuesday, June 27, killing 13 people.Among the victims were three children,including 14-year-old twin sisters. WriterViktoria Amelina, who was injured in theattack, succumbed to her injuries a few dayslater. Ukrainian forces detained an informantresponsible for providing the Russians withcoordinates for the attack. The Russiansclaimed that they targeted a military objectiveand killed 200 foreign mercenaries and50 Ukrainian generals and high-ranking officers.However, the casualties reported were highlyexaggerated and implausible for the size ofa pizzeria.In June, there were also increasingdiscussions about the possible training ofUkrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets. Thisinitiative, which required significant effortsfrom both sides and considerable funding, camelate in the conflict (considering the ongoingoffensive without air cover). Some argue thatit would be more pertinent to invest in artilleryand missile munitions and enhance air defensecapabilities. More on this topic will be coveredin the next part of the series.Mi-24 helicopter delivered to Ukraine from the Czech Republic.This Mi-14PS carrying the bort number “yellow 34”; from the 10th brigade of the Ukrainian Naval Aviation was shot down last year in May by a Russian Su-35S fighterin the Odessa region. Photos of its wreckage surfaced only recently.INFO Eduard29August 2023Page 30
BOXART STORYWith 158 victories, he became the mostsuccessful German fighter pilot fightingagainst the Western Allies. Marseille hadversatile skills in both piloting and gunnery.He did not hesitate to manoeuvre at low speedin enemy formation and to perform deflectionshooting. He often scored several kills inone day. The question remains, of course,how successful a fighter Marseille actuallywas. Researchers Dan Case and Nick Hectorconclude that 135 kills can be documentedout of the Marseille´s total of 158 officiallycertified and five unconfirmed victories.Marseille thus has an 82.8 % accuracy ratefor his claimed victories.From the end of May 1942 and in the firsthalf of June his unit, I./JG 27, was deployedin support of ground forces during the Battleof Gazala. Its pilots also escorted bombersover Crete and after the fall of Tobruk, theoperations concentrated on the fight forthe air base of Gambut. June 1942 was animportant month in the young fighter pilot'scareer. He was appointed commander ofthe 3rd Staffel and as he increased hisscore, the magic mark of 100 aerial victoriesapproached. He surpassed this milestone onJune 17.Around noon of that day, a four fightersflight (Schwarm) of MesserschmittsBf 109 under Marseille’s command attackeda formation estimated by the Germans to betwenty Curtiss P-40s and ten Hurricanes.This was fighter escort of Bostons, whichactually consisted of three Kittyhawks fromNo. 250 Sqn RAF and twelve Hurricanes fromNo. 73 Sqn RAF. Although outnumbered bythe enemy, the Germans still confidentlythrew themselves into the fight. Withinminutes Marseille was battling the alliedfighters while the other three German pilotscovered him. Attacking from above, he hithis first opponent, then shot down anotherwhile performing an evasive manoeuvrewith RAF fighters behind him. He thenspotted the Hurricanes conducting defensivecircle around their colleague, who deployedparachute and descended to the ground.Marseille joined the circling formation andshot down two more aircraft. After whilehe targeted a Hurricane flying at about 100meters above Gambut airfield and under hisfire the British machine crashed in flamesinto an anti-aircraft defence position. Thecoveted 100th kill was achieved.Marseille in this fierce aerial combatreported as shot down two Curtiss P-40sand three Hurricanes. In fact, none of theCurtisses were hit, but four Hurricanes fromNo. 73 Sq RAF fell victim to Marseille. Sqn LdrD. H. Ward and P/O G. J. Wooley were killedwhile Sgt. Goodwin and P/O Stone bailed out,however, both were wounded. Two of theircolleagues each claimed one damaged Bf 109.On their return to base, Marseille andhis three colleagues spotted two Spitfiresnear Sidi Barrani. These were Mk.IV photoreconnaissance Spitfires from 2 PRU.“Jochen” Marseille climbed up to theunsuspecting pair and with accurate fire sentF/Lt F. Spicer down, killing him in his machine.Upon landing, the exhausted Marseillewas immediately withdrawn from combatoperations and flown to Berlin. From thehands of Adolf Hitler, he received the Swordsto the Knight’s Cross with oak leaves. A Nazipropaganda machine awaited him, as wellas a visit to the Messerschmitt company inAugsburg. For the first time, he was able to tryout the new G version of the MesserschmittBf 109. He returned to fighting in Africa atthe end of August 1942. A month later hewas killed when bailing out from a Bf 109G-2 after its engine caught fire. In November1942, I./JG 27 was withdrawn to Germany and,after replenishing losses and resting, wasdeployed in January 1943 to fight over France.This “African” unit fought in Western Europeuntil the end of the war.New Zealander Derek Harland Ward,DFC & Bar, who may have been Marseille's100th victim, was a veteran of the Battle ofFrance and the Battle of Britain. He becamecommander of No. 73 Sq RAF in September1941 and had six victories to his credit. Thefateful 17 June was marked as “tragic” inthe unit diary. On the same day the unit hadto withdraw from Gambut in the face of theadvancing Germans. However, it continuedfighting in North Africa and in December 1942recorded its 300th air victory.Illustration: Marek RyśThe Magic HundredText: Jan Bobek#70155INFO Eduard30August 2023Page 31
#84191BOXART STORYThe B-17 bomber played a key role in theEuropean and Mediterranean theater ofoperations, but also figured prominentlyduring the early years of the Pacific War.However, in the Pacific, B-17s flew less thantwo percent of the total combat sorties ofthis type. In contrast to Europe, where B-17sserved with thirty-three bomber groups,there were only five in the Pacific. Neither thenumber of available planes per Group withinthe Pacific units was comparable to the ETO.Particularly early in the conflict, Pacific BGshad only five to twenty planes available perunit. B-17s were involved in combat as earlyas the attack on Pearl Harbor, albeit moreas casualties. At this time, the series of B-17(B, C, and D) that rarely made it to Europewere in service.In the early period of B-17 service in thePTO, mostly versions without a tail turretwere used. This influenced the developmentof combat boxes. In the event of an attack byJapanese fighters from the rear, B-17B/C/Dpilots would bring the aircraft into anS-style turn, giving their waist gunners theopportunity for more effective defensivefire. That caused necessity of larger spacebetween planes in formation. That spacing wasmaintained later when B-17 versions E and F,which already had a tail turret, predominated.Unlike in the ETO, where it was attempted tokeep the formation as tight as possible, in thePacific, individual aircraft were given morefreedom to maneuver, resulting in formationsthat appeared relatively disorganized. Whilethe basis of formations in the Pacific wasalso the V-shape element of three machines,formations here tended to be much smaller,usually consisting of only 10 to 15 aircraft.The B-17, despite its obvious advantages,proved to be not quite suitable for the PTO.In the early phases of the conflict, when theytargeted marine convoys and other targets atsea, they achieved marginal success. Suchtargets were much more suitable for dive andtorpedo bombers. Later, when land targetsbecame more numerous, B-17 service in thePTO was past its zenith. Beginning in early1943, they were replaced by faster, longer-range B-24s. And by the time Japan itselfbegan to be bombed, the more modern B-29sbore the brunt of the attacks.Two missions of B-17 bomber crews,whose route took them around the eastcoast of New Guinea on August 14, 1942,were characteristic of this battlefield. First,a B-17E crew from the 435th BS, 19th BG, tookoff from Port Moresby in the early morninghours on a reconnaissance flight to Rabauland Kavieng. The machine was named “ChiefSeattle”, the crew was commanded by 1st Lt.Wilson L. Cook and one RAAF member wason board. The bomber was paid by citizens ofSeattle through war bond campaign and itsnom de guerre honoured the memory of ChiefSeattle, who was the leader of the Suquamishand Duwamish tribes.Unfortunately, the reconnaissancemachine encountered nine patrolling Zerosof the Tainan Kōkūtai under the command ofLt.(jg) Jōji Yamashita. Their mission was toprovide cover for two cargo vessels and theirescorting warships. Cook’s outnumberedmachine was shot down during a five-minuteair battle with no survivors. One Zero wasdamaged by defensive fire and, together withits wingman, its pilot returned to Buna, NewGuinea.The remaining seven Zeros continuedto cover the convoy, which was partiallyprotected by cloud cover. Six B-17s from the19th BG searched for the Japanese vessels.The formation was led by the CO of the 30thBS, Maj. Dean C. Hoevet. Just as the Americanswere about to drop their bomb load, theywere attacked by Yamashita’s Zeros. Duringthe five-minute battle, four bombers weredamaged, one of them severely. The Americangunners managed to shoot down a Zero flownby PO3c Masami Arai, who was killed in hismachine. The Japanese pilots reported thatthe bombers dropped eight bombs, but inthe bad weather, the crews of the Japanesevessels didn’t even notice the bombers’attack . Piotr Forkasiewicz captured theopening part of this encounter in his painting.Tainan Kōkūtai was deployed to the fightingover Guadalcanal from August 1942. This unitretained the new A6M3 Type 32 Zeros withshorter range on New Guinea. The fightingover the New Guinea at the end of Augustwas disastrous for Tainan Kōkūtai, which isdescribed in the article Headhunters overBuna in the January 2023 issue of INFOEduard magazine.Text: Jan Bobek and Jan ZdiarskýIllustration: Piotr ForkasiewiczLoose formationINFO Eduard31August 2023Page 32
BOXART STORY #70142The last major offensive of the Vietnam Warwas launched by the North Vietnamese Armyon March 30, 1972, under the name Nguen Hue.In response to this “Easter Offensive,” PresidentNixon suspended the ongoing peace talks andordered the launch of the airborne OperationLinebacker. Intended to disrupt supplies to enemytroops, it was conducted from May 9 to October23, 1972, when it was suspended on the promiseof further peace talks. But these collapsed again,and so Linebacker II was launched. Beginning onDecember 18, an intensive twelve-day bombingcampaign began, during which more than20,000 tons of bombs were dropped on militaryand industrial targets. Fifteen B-52s were shotdown in the process, mostly by SAM anti-aircraftmissiles. One Stratofortress was claimed byPham Tuan, future Vietnam’s first astronaut, whotook off against the enemy on the night of 26–27December in MiG-21MF No. 5121 from Noi Baibase. The GCI directed him to a B-52 formation,and he was given permission to attack with twomissiles and withdraw immediately.It was the ninth day of Operation LinebackerII and a total of 57 B-52s were sent to theairstrikes that night. These were to bomb railwaystations at Lang Dang, Due Noi and Trung Quan,six were to target warehouses at Van Dien andthree formations of three aircraft were to attackthree different SAM missile sites. Over Due Noi,Black 03 suffered minor damage but returned toUtapao base without incident. Much worse wasthe situation over Trung Quan, where 12 bomberswere targeted by 45 SAM missiles and one ofthem hit the Cobalt 01 of Capt. Frank D. Lewis.All crew members suffered injuries, navigator1/Lt. Ben. L Fryer being mortally wounded. Themachine was engulfed in flames, electricalsystems failed. Shortly after the hit, the pilotordered all crew members to eject. In theprocess, Maj. Allen L. Johnson, EWO, lost his life.This was the last B-52 shot down with its crewcaptured.The event, which occurred during an attack ona SAM site VN-243, had a happier ending despiteits drama.The Ash 02 of Capt. John D. Mize was one ofa trio bombing that target and one of the 15 SAMmissiles fired at them hit his left wing while hewas executing a steep turn away from the targetafter dropping the bombs. Shrapnels injuredthe pilot’s left leg and arm. The badly damagedB-52 lost all its left engines, one of which wason fire. The bomber fell several thousand feetbefore Mize was able to get it levelled off. It wasalmost superhuman effort, as the big bomberhad lost most of its boosters, not to mention theasymmetrical thrust of the engines. Morerover,Mize was wounded, as was the navigator,1/Lt William L. Robinson, who anyway was ableto give his pilot a heading to leave the targetarea without navigational equipment. “It wasnot a question of making it back to the base, butone of how far we could get before we had toabandon the aircraft”, Mize later said, flying thecrippled bomber only by his skills and instinctsas all he had left of his flight instruments werethe airspeed indicator and altimeter.A rescue ship HC-130 joined Ash 02 on theborder with Laos and, sitting on its right wing,gave it cross-check and directed Mize and hismen to a safe area. But the badly wounded B-52was literally disintegrating in mid-air. Mize wasabout to give the order to eject, but the navigatorcautioned him that they were over mountains,and if they could stay airborne for some thirtymiles, they would have flat rice-paddy fieldsunder them. With the last of his strengthCapt. Mize kept his aircraft in the air, but aftera while he had to give up and order the crew toeject. Lt. Robinson suffered an ejection systemmalfunction and informed his Captain he wouldattempt to jump out through the hole made byejection of radar navigator. Mize gave him threeminutes, knowing that once the navigator lefthis seat, he would lose contact with him. Almostexactly after that time elapsed, all electricalsystems failed, and Mize had no choice but toeject himself as well. But, to his relief, the wholecrew landed safely on parachutes and wasrescued. Capt. Mize was awarded the Air ForceCross for his heroic performance. He was laterpromoted to rank of Major and stayed in serviceuntil August 1, 1984. He passed away on June 15,2012. Other crew members were awarded theDFC and the Purple Heart.And what about Pham Tuan? It is highly unlikelythat his missile could have caused such extensivedamage to a B-52, nor does the testimony of thecrew itself add up. The Vietnamese fighter firedhis missiles, but they probably didn’t hit anything.His MiG-21MF is now on display in a museum witheight kill stars under the cockpit, but at least oneof them is surplus ...Illustration: Adam ToobyA surplus starText: Richard PlosINFO Eduard32August 2023Page 33
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Bf 109F-4/Trop, WNr. 10137, Oblt. Hans-Joachim Marseille,CO of 3./JG 27, Ain-el-Gazala, Libya, June 1942Bf 109F-4, WNr. 7183, Hptm. Hans Hahn, III./JG 2,St. Pol, France, October 1941Bf 109F-4, Maj. Hannes Trautloft, CO of JG 54, Relbitsy,the Soviet Union, March 1942Hans-Joachim “Jochen” Marseille became themost successful German fighter pilot fightingagainst the Western Allies. He was awarded theKnight’s Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords andDiamonds. As an excellent pilot, and masterof gunfire and dogfighting, he also shoveda respect and grace to his opponents as he triedto save downed enemy airmen in the desert bydropping news of their fate on the other side ofthe front. On September 30, 1942, he flew theMesserschmitt Bf 109G-2/Trop as he led escortmission of the 3. Staffel to cover a squadron ofJu 87 Stukas. On the return leg, a smoke filledthe cockpit and Marseille was forced to bail out.Hitting the rudder after the emergency exit of theplane, he lost consciousness, and his parachutedid not open. Seconds later, Marseille died fromthe impact on the ground. The aircraft had theupper camouflage color RLM 79 sprayed all overthe fuselage sides as a non-standard finish. Thelower surfaces were sprayed with RLM 78 and thecamouflage was complemented by the markingsof the aircraft operating on the Southern front,i.e., white wingtips, white spinner and a band onthe aft fuselage of the same color. The enginecowling bore the emblem of I. Gruppe JG 27 onboth sides.Hans “Assi“ Hahn, a fighter ace and recipient of theKnight's Cross with Oak Leaves was in commandof 4./JG 2 from December 1939. From October 1940he overtook the lead of III./JG 2. Fifty kill marks onthe rudder of his aircraft represented his combatsuccess on the Western Front. Hahn added thefiftieth kill to his tally on October 13, 1941, whenhe shot down a Spitfire near Boulogne-sur-Mer.Altogether he destroyed 66 enemy aircraft in theWest. In late 1942 “Assi” Hahn moved to the Eastand commanded II./JG 54 from November 1, 1942.On February 21, 1943, he was downed, capturedand spent seven years in captivity, returning backto Germany in 1950. He wrote a book about hislife in prison “Ich spreche die Wahrheit” (I Speakthe Truth). Hahn’s total score stands at 108 kills.The rooster head painted on the fuselage was thecrest of III./JG 2, based on Hahn’s family name(“der Hahn” means “the rooster” in English).Hannes Trautloft entered combat in the SpanishCivil War. He flew the Bf 109 and participatedin the development of tactics for this fighteraircraft. He fought in the Polish campaign as wellas in France and managed to achieve at least onevictory in every campaign. On August 25, 1940, heassumed command of JG 54. He led this fighterunit through Operation Barbarossa, the attackon the Soviet Union, and in subsequent combattill July 5, 1943. Trautloft was credited with 58victories and he was awarded the Knight’s Crosson July 27, 1941. His personal aircraft wore a non-standard camouflage scheme. It is not clear whichcolors were used by JG 54 during its deploymentto the Soviet Union.KITS 08/2023INFO Eduard35August 2023Page 36
Bf 109F-4/Z, WNr. 13325, Oblt. Viktor Bauer, 9./JG 3, Shchigry,the Soviet Union, June 1942Bf 109F-4/B, Oblt. Frank Liesendahl, 10.(Jabo)/JG 2,France, June 1942Bf 109F-4, WNr. 13169, Fw. Heinrich Bartels, 8./JG 5,Petsamo, Finland, September 1942This aircraft was flown by Viktor Bauer, the holderof the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves and an acewith 106 kills. He achieved most of them in combatwith Soviet pilots. Bauer flew this particularaircraft in the summer of 1942, when GermanGroup of Armies A advanced on Stalingrad. Theunit received Messerschmitts originally intendedfor service in North Africa, thus camouflaged inRLM 78/79 colors. The segments of RLM 74/70(some sources state RLM 75/71) were addedto the desert camouflage scheme to make thecamouflage more effective in the Eastern Frontenvironment. The yellow wingtips, fuselage bandand lower cowling were typical for airplanesflown in the East Front. The name Ellen referredto Bauer’s wife, the III./JG 3 emblem was paintedon the nose of the aircraft. Bauer achieved his106th and last kill on August 9, 1942, northwest ofStalingrad. The very next day he was hit by enemyfire, wounded, and had to belly-land his crippledplane. After rescue, Bauer served in various postsof Ergänzungs (replacement) units.During late 1941, the Luftwaffe consideredrenewing bombing of Great Britain and coastalshipping. Each fighter unit fighting against theGreat Britain was ordered to single out oneStaffel for this purpose. The 10. (Jabo) Staffelplayed this role within JG 2. Under command ofOblt. Frank Liesendahl pilots sank 20 vessels(total tonnage 630,000 BRT) over a four-monthperiod. Liesendahl was killed when attackingcargo vessels near Brixham on July 17, 1942.Posthumously he was promoted to Hauptmannrank and was awarded the Knight’s Cross as well.Liesendahl’s personal mount wore a standard dayfighter camouflage consisting of RLM 74/75/76.The ship-munching fox was a 10. (Jabo) Staffelbadge. Note the symbols of vessels damaged orsunk by Liesendahl on the rudder.The Austrian Heinrich Bartels, a German acewith 99 kills achieved during some 500 combatsorties and holder of the Knight’s Cross servedon all fronts the Luftwaffe units were engaged.Half of his kills were gained in the north whilewith JG 5 against Soviet pilots. He met his fate onDecember 23, 1944, against P-47s of the USAAF’s56th FG in the Battle for the Ardennes. The wreckof his aircraft was discovered in 1968 near thetown of Bad Godesberg in Germany. He flew thisaircraft in the second half of 1942 during fightingin northern Finland. The aircraft was camouflagedin RLM 75/71/76 in a non-standard style dictatedby operational conditions. In September 1942, therudder displayed 29 kill marks, corresponding tohis score. After Bartels was awarded the Knight’sCross and after reaching 45th victory, his crewchief painted the award on the rudder of theairplane.KITS 08/2023INFO Eduard36August 2023Page 37
Recommended:for Bf 109F-4 1/72672313 Bf 109F propeller early PRINT (Brassin)672314 Bf 109F propeller late PRINT (Brassin)672315 Bf 109F gun barrels PRINT (Brassin)672316 Bf 109F wheels PRINT (Brassin)672317 Bf 109F undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)672318 Bf 109F radio compartment PRINT (Brassin)672321 Bf 109F/G external fuel tanks (Brassin)672322 Bf 109F wheel bays rounded PRINT (Brassin)672323 Bf 109F/G wheels bays angular PRINT (Brassin)672324 Bf 109 SC250 bomb (Brassin)672325 Bf 109F/G exhaust stacks PRINT (Brassin)672326 Bf 109F/G/K gun pods PRINT (Brassin)672329 Bf 109 balance weights PRINT (Brassin)3DL72018 Bf 109F SPACE (3D Decal Set)#672329#672318#672326#672317OVERTREES#70155XBf 109F-41/72Product pageOVERLEPT#70155-LEPTBf 109F-4 PE-Set1/72Product pageKITS 08/2023INFO Eduard37August 2023Page 38
THE ZIPPERThe Limited edition of the kit of the US jet fighter plane F-104CStarfighter in 1/48 scale. The selection of aircraft is focusedon the units taking part in the Vietnam War.plastic parts: Kineticmarking options: 7decals: EduardPE parts: yes, pre-paintedpainting mask: yesresin parts: yes, senzor, wheels and seat#111691/48Product pageKITS 08/2023INFO Eduard38August 2023Page 39
F-104C-5-LO, 56-0891, Maj. Charles H. Drisko, 435th TFS, 479th TFW, Udorn RTAFB, Thailand, 1967F-104C-5-LO, 56-0891, Col. George Laven Jr., 479th TFW, George AFB, California,United States, 1959F-104 serial number 56-0891 arrived in Udorn,Thailand, in January 1967. In the following monthsit was a personal mount of Major Herb Drisko,who had the ground personnel paint on the portside a cartoon of Snoopy wearing brown leatherjacket and yellow scarf flying on the 20mm VulcanGatling Gun with its barels blasting. Under Snoopythere was an inscription “SNOOPY SNIPER“. Theairplane’s starboard was decorated with Herb’swife name Nancy J. After the operations wereover, in June 1967 F-104 was flown over to theUSA, to Muniz AFB in Puerto Rico. Charles HerbertDrisko, called Herb by his friends, was borne onOctober 26, 1928, in Bartlesville, OK and afterhe graduated from the high school, during theperiod after the war, he worked in the oil fields inWyoming. In July 1951 he joined the Air Force andafter completing the training and receiving hisofficer‘s commission he served in the Korean Waras a radar operator on F-89 out of Okinawa. Afterthat he completed his pilot training and duringthe Vietnam war flew F-104. He left the Air Forcein 1971 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. HerbDrisko passed away on October 26, 2000.“SNOOPY SNIPER“ history was very colorful. Theaircraft serial number 56-0891 was received onOctober 15, 1958 as the first C-version airframeat Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada. The aircraftwas christened Really George as its home basewas supposed to be 479th TFW at George AFB,California. The aircraft was assigned to thecommander, Col. George Laven Jr., who wasa WWII ace credited with five kills. Same as hisprevious personal aircraft. Laven’s new F-104sported rather gaudy coloration which graduallydeveloped to the point that the superior officersordered its removal as it was deemed too wild.It was followed by the more moderate blue coatwith four stripes representing colors of all four479th TFW squadrons. George Laven Jr. wasa self-confident Texan known for his daringstyle of flying. He joined the USAAF in the end ofDecember 1940 and completed his pilot trainingin August 1941. He gained his fame during hisservice with 343rd FG flying P-38s and 54th FGin Alaska where he guided P-39s. During thisperiod he scored four aerial victories and hedestroyed almost two dozens of locomotives inEurope. In March 1945 he was assigned to the49th FG Headquarters but regardless he flewcombat as much as possible and on April 26,1945 he shot down H8K2 as his fifth kill. After thewar he continued in the service. At George AFBhe commanded several groups and wings. In theend of 1950s he was in the command of the 479thTFW. He retired as a veteran of three wars and in1969 he became a McDonnell Douglas consultantin Israel. He continued flying F-4 Phantom II andF-15 Eagle.KITS 08/2023INFO Eduard39August 2023Page 40
F-104C-10-LO, 57-0923, Lt. Col. Robert A. Preciado, 435th TFS,479th TFW, Udorn RTAFB, Thailand, July 1967F-104C-5-LO, 56-0886, 476th TFS, 479th TFW, Da Nang AB,South Vietnam, April 1965F-104 serial number 57-0923 arrived in Udornon September 19, 1966. It was assigned to theflight commander Lt. Col. Robert Preciado wholet both sides of his aircraft nose painted withthe nickname of his wife Dolly Hellooo Dolly,long Hellooo coming from the famous musicalHello Dolly starring Barbra Streisand. After theoperations in Udorn were completed, the aircraftwas flown back to the USA where, in July 1967,it arrived in Muniz AFB in Puerto Rico. Startingin August 1968 it was assigned to the 198th TFS.Robert Preciado was a veteran of three wars.During WWII he flew in the Pacific with the AirTransport Command and continued his aviationcareer in Korea and Vietnam.In 1965 Starfighter serial number 56-0886 flewout of Da Nang airbase in the South Vietnam.Its nose was decorated with the red inscriptionFannie and it was one of few 479th TFW planesthat had their nicknames painted on the fuselage.In April 1965, the 479th TFW dispatched 28 F-104Cto Da Nang airbase. They flew the combat patrolsover the bay of Tonkin to protect EC-121 WarningStar nicknamed College Eye or Disco. The effectof the F-104 deployment on the North Vietnameseand Chinese MiG operations was immediate. TheVietnam Peoples Republic‘s pilots learned verysoon to avoid any contact with EC-121 airplaneswhich were escorted by F-104. During the whole479th TFW deployment in 1965 only two briefencounters between F-104C and MiGs took place.KITS 08/2023INFO Eduard40August 2023Page 41
F-104C-5-LO, 56-0910, Capt. James B. Trice, 435th TFS,479th TFW, Udorn RTAFB, Thailand, 1967F-104C-5-LO, 56-0938, Maj. Bobby D. Betsworth, 435th TFS,479th TFW, Udorn RTAFB, Thailand, June-August 1967One of the first F-104 delivered to the Udorn AFBon June 6, 1966 was Starfighter serial number56-0910. It was assigned as a personal mount toCapt. James Trice who had his Starfighter nosedecorated with a nose art with the inscriptionPUSSYCAT. Initially the noseart consisted of thecat caricature only, the text was applied later.After the operations in Udorn ceased, in July 1967the aircraft was flown back to the USA to theMuniz AFB in Puerto Rico and starting in August1967 it was assigned to the 198th TFS.This Starfighter was one of the first eight aircraftof this type delivered to the Udorn AFB on June6, 1966. It was typically flown by Maj. BobbyBedsworth who hailed from Missouri nicknamedShow Me State. For that reason the nose of hisaircraft was decorated with a mule and thisinscription. After the operations in Udorn ceased,on August 20, 1967 the airplane was flown back tothe USA to the Muniz AFB in Puerto Rico.KITS 08/2023INFO Eduard41August 2023Page 42
F-104C-5-LO, 56-0898, Maj. Hugh B. Spencer, 435th TFS,479th TFW, Udorn RTAFB, Thailand, 1967This Starfighter took part in the very first missionin Vietnam in 1965. After the overhaul it was oneof twelve aircraft which on July 22, 1966 landedat Udorn. During the following combat missions itwas mostly flown by Maj. Hugh Spencer. In March1967 the pin up girl named SEX MACHINE waspainted on the aircraft’s nose. After the operationsin Udorn were completed, in July 1967 the aircraftwas flown back to the USA to the Muniz AFB inPuerto Rico and in August 1967 it was assignedto the 198th TFW. Currently the aircraft is ondisplay in the Kalamazoo Air Zoo Aviation HistoryMuseum in its original markings carried whileflying at 434th TFS, the large fuselage numberFG-898 and red markings.Recommended:for F-104C 1/48FE1270 F-104A/C seatbelts STEEL (PE-Set)644158 F-104C LööK (Brassin)644168 F-104C LööKplus (Brassin)648028 AIM-9B Sidewinder (Brassin)648188 M 117 bomb early (Brassin)648231 LAU-3/A (Brassin)648389 BLU-27 (Brassin)648891 F-104A/C airbrakes PRINT (Brassin)648892 F-104A/C exhaust nozzle PRINT (Brassin)3DL48064 F-104C SPACE (3D Decal Set)EX851 F-104A/C TFace (Mask)#648892#648891#648231#648389#648168KITS 08/2023INFO Eduard42August 2023Page 43
1/48WILDER CATThe Limited edition of the kit of the US WWII aircraft carrier-based fighter FM-2 Wildcatin 1/48 scale. This version of the Wildcat was built by the Eastern Aircraft Divisionof General Motors and was easily recognizable thanks to taller fin. It was also themost potent of all Wildcats thanks to the more powerful engine.plastic parts: Eduardmarking options: 10decals: EduardPE parts: yes, pre-paintedpainting mask: yesresin parts: no#11175Product pageKITS 08/2023INFO Eduard43August 2023Page 44
FM-2 - new sprues in detailSprue DSprue KKITS 08/2023INFO Eduard44August 2023Page 45
Sprue PKITS 08/2023INFO Eduard45August 2023Page 46
Ens. Darrell C. Bennett, VC-10, USS Gambier Bay, August 1944Lt. Leopold M. Ferko, VC-4, USS White Plains, November 1944The Composite Squadron 10 was establishedon September 23, 1943 and adopted the nameMallards. The unit served on board the carrierUSS Gambier Bay from April 5 and after hersinking in the Battle off Samar on October 25,the unit operated from airfields in Leyte. InJanuary 1945, VC-10 was reformed and preparedfor further deployment, but this never happenedand it was inactivated at the end of the war. Ens.Darrell Bennett was born in Hamburg, Iowa, onMarch 30, 1924 and entered the Navy as an aircadet on October 1, 1943. Ten months later hewas sent on his first operational tour with theVC-10 aboard the USS Gambier Bay. On the dayhe arrived, he had his picture taken in front ofthe FM-2 with a painting of two girls on the portside of the engine cowling. The first was basedon a painting called Patriotic Gal by the famousAntonio Vargas. It is not known who had the twogirls painted on the aircraft, but the paintingsalready bore signs of modification and wear. It ispossible that Bennett only had “Smokey’s” addedto the inscription “Lucky Witch”, as the “Smokey”was his nickname. He fought heroic battles withVC-10 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf and narrowlyescaped sinking with the USS Gambier Bay, whichwas shot up by Japanese cruisers at the Battleoff Samar. Bennett survived the war and stayedin the Navy afterwards. He flew combat missionsin Korea and later trained recruits. During hiscareer, he rose to command Fleet Air Miramar.After retirement in 1965 he flew as a private pilot.He died in December 2020.Leopold Martin Ferko was born to Slovak parentson January 29, 1915, in Great Falls, Montana. Heearned his bachelor’s degree from StanfordUniversity, where he was also a star of theAmerican football team there. He then taughtmath and English at San Francisco High Schooland also coached the local football team beforesigning up with the Navy and beginning flighttraining on February 3. He then continued as aninstructor at Corpus Christi, Texas, before beingtransferred to Pearl Harbor in June 1943, wherehe embarked with the VC-4 on the USS WhitePlains. The unit consisted of 16 FM-2s and 12 TBMAvengers. During the three days of the Battle ofLeyte Gulf, he scored all five of his kills, althoughthe first two may have been his last. After shootingdown two Oscars he was in fact attacked himselfand his FM-2 took one hit after another before theattacking enemy was shot down by the Ens. Pool.Ferko then had to make an emergency landing atTacloban due to a damaged elevator. There, theaircraft was repaired, and he was able to returnin time to score three more kills. Leopold Ferkoretired from the Navy with the rank of LieutenantCommander and died on May 16, 1992, in SanFrancisco. This FM-2 was the second one he usedand the kill symbols were probably only on theright side. However, the decals also offer theoption of placing the symbols on the left side.KITS 08/2023INFO Eduard46August 2023Page 47
BuNo. 55643, VC-69, USS Guadalcanal, spring/summer 1944BuNo. 74626, VC-8, Lt.(jg) Harry N. O’Connor, USS Nehenta Bay, August 1945FM-2s played a significant role in the Atlantic,where the Composite Squadrons focused onsupport of anti-submarine missions as theGerman U-boats were a major threat to supplyconvoys. The Composite Squadrons operatedfrom small Casablanca or Sangamon classescort carriers and consisted usually of the TBMAvengers and the FM-2 Wildcats. Smaller size ofFM-2 suited better to the cramped conditions onboard than the massive Hellcats. USS Gadalcanalwas converted from the freighter AstrolabeBay and entered service in September 1943.During her maiden voyage she destroyed threesubmarines. As a flagship of the Task Group 22.3USS Guadalcanal added two more U-boats to herscore on the second tour. More to it, the TG 22.3managed to capture lightly damaged Germansubmarine. After that tour the VC-8 was replacedby VC-69 in the fall. The unit was activated onJuly 1, 1943 and first was placed on board of USSBogue from May to July 1944. During this cruise,pilots were credited with the destruction of theJapanese submarine I-52, which was on a secretmission to German-occupied Lorient, France.No further similar successes were recordedby this squadron aboard USS Guadalcanal, andthe unit was inactivated on June 22, 1945. HerFM-2s bore the later Atlantic livery of Dark GullGray and white. The inner part of the propellerblades were painted white to lighten theappearance of the “dark hole” in the nose of theaircraft. The unit’s emblem was a wolf’s headwith aviator’s goggles; VC-69 aircraft sported iton both sides of the nose.Combined Squadron VC-8 operated aboard theaircraft carrier USS Nehenta Bay from May toSeptember 1945. Prior to that, it had operatedfrom the decks of USS Mission Bay and USSGuadalcanal. With USS Nehenta Bay, she left theAtlantic theater and moved to the Pacific. USSNehenta Bay had been operating in the area sinceJune 1944, when she joined with TF-51 aboardfor offensive operations against the Marianas.Subsequently, from August 1944 to January 1945,she escorted and protected, with VC-11 aboard,tankers for refueling at sea, allowing for moreefficient use of naval forces. She returned to theU.S. on February 19, 1945, for repairs at San Diego,and on May 9, already with VC-8 aboard, shearrived at Ulithi, where she prepared for attackson Okinawa as part of Task Unit 52.1. She thenprotected tankers again from late June until earlyAugust, and after the fighting ceased, anchored atPearl Harbor on September 24. There, VC-8 wasinactivated on October 8. This aircraft, with Lt.(jg)O’Connor in the cockpit, crashed on landing onAugust 5, striking the aircraft on board. Two otherFM-2s (BuNos. 75081 and 74508) were destroyed.The aircraft bore the identifying markings of thecarrier and Task Unit, i.e., white fields on theailerons (extending slightly into the wing) whiteaft under the horizontal tail surfaces, and twinyellow stripes on the wing and fuselage in frontof the tail surfaces.KITS 08/2023INFO Eduard47August 2023Page 48
VC-80, USS Manila Bay, autumn 1944Lt. O’Neill, VC-13, USS Tripoli, spring 1944Composite Squadron VC-80 was established onDecember 16, 1943 and, after embarking on USSManila Bay, participated in the battles of Leyteand Luzon. The ship operated during the Battleof Leyte as part of Task Group TG 77.4.2 (callsign Taffy 2) of Rear Admiral Felix B. Stump andVC-80 contributed significantly to the successof American forces in the largest naval battlein history. Then, during the fighting in LingayenGulf, the USS Manila Bay was hit by a kamikazeattack at 1750 hours on January 5. It damaged herradar and communications equipment, causeda fire, and most importantly, cost the lives of14 men. The resulting fire was quickly dealtwith by firefighters, and some 24 hours laterVC-80 aircraft were already beginning limitedoperations from her deck. The aircraft depictedbore the typical three-color Pacific livery, themarkings complementing the symbol assignedto units operating from USS Manila Bay, a whitechevron on the vertical tail surfaces.VC-13 was established on January 3, 1944 and onFebruary 16 of that year embarked on the newescort carrier USS Tripoli. The ship suffered a fireshortly after her maiden cruise when an acetylenetorch ignited fuel that was inadvertently dumpedinto the water on the starboard bow. Two seamenwere killed. After repairs, USS Tripoli departedSan Diego on January 31 for her new homeport inNorfolk, Virginia. She arrived there on February16 and sailed for her first mission on March 15as the flagship of Task Group 21.15, in which shewas accompanied by five destroyers. The grouppatrolled west of Cape Verde, disrupting therefueling of German submarines. On April 19, anAvenger crew spotted German U-513 awaiting her“Milch Cow” (a refueling submarine). Subsequentattacks were unsuccessful, and the submarineescaped. VC-13 thus returned from the cruisewithout success and was replaced on board byVC-6 on April 29. New duty station of VC-13 wasUSS Anzio (formerly USS Coral Sea), which thesquadron embarked on March 22 to engage insupport of the invasion of Okinawa. The aircraftdepicted here is from the Atlantic missionperiod. Lt. O’Neill had his photograph taken withthis FM-2, but it was probably not his personalaircraft. Interesting is the white paint extendingover the leading edges to the upper surfaces. Oneither side of the engine cowling was painted thesquadron emblem, a black cat with its front pawsin an obscene gesture. It might have blue or graybackground. The decals offer both options.KITS 08/2023INFO Eduard48August 2023Page 49
VC-93, Lt.(jg) Robert Sullivan, USS Petrof Bay, Okinawa, April–May 1945VC-14, USS Hogatt Bay, November 1944VC-93 was established on February 23, 1944 andits personnel was first to be trained aboard theUSS Matanikau (from October 14, 1944). During itscruises off the Californian coast, this ship trained1,332 pilots in the following months until June1945. VC-93 replaced VC-76 aboard USS PetrofBay on March 10, 1945 and sailed from Guam onMarch 21 to prepare for the Battle of Okinawa aspart of Task Unit 52.1.2. VC-93 pilots supported theMarines first in the capture of the Kerama andKeise Shima archipelagos and then in the mainoperation on Okinawa. Beginning on April 13, thepilots then focused on neutralizing Japaneseairfields on the Sakashima Archipelago, fromwhich the Kamikaze pilots were taking off. By theend of their mission on May 26, VC-93 pilots haddestroyed many enemy aircraft on the groundand shot down 17. Two of these kills were creditedto Lt.(jg) Robert Sullivan. For her next mission,VC-93 sailed aboard USS Steamer Bay on June10, 1945 and, as part of the 3rd Fleet, assistedin the neutralization of Japanese airfields inthe Sakishima Gunto Archipelago beginningJune 14. This was followed by a return to SanDiego and the end of the war. VC-93 aircraftoperating from aboard USS Perof Bay bore thedistinguishing symbol of a four-leaf clover on thevertical tail surfaces and on the upper right andbottom left wing halves. The all-blue livery wascomplemented by a photographically documentedsymbol of Sullivan’s first kill on the right sidebelow the cockpit. It is uncertain whether it wasalso on the port side.Composite Squadron 14 was established onOctober 12, 1943 and deactivated on October 1, 1945.Its history is associated solely with the escortcarrier USS Hogatt Bay, which was commissionedon January 11, 1944 and, after a necessary testcruise and one transport mission to and fromPearl Harbor, took aboard VC-14’s equipment andpersonnel. Training flight operations followedfrom March 26, with the first landing aboardUSS Hogatt Bay conducted by Captain WilliamVincent Saunders. The ship embarked on her firstoperational tour on May 1, 1944 and was assignedto Task Unit 16.14.6. VC-14 pilots subsequentlyconducted anti-submarine operations and aircover for destroyers in the Western Pacific areauntil late November. They were then replaced byVC-88 on board and VC-14 did not see furtheroperational deployment. This Wildcat is shownhere in its late service form on the USS HogattBay. Of interest is the Judy inscription on the rightside of the engine cowling, as well as the non-standard appearance of the ENCLOSURE RELEASEstencil on the right side below the windshield. Thepilot’s name is difficult to read in the availablephotographs, it might be Lt.(jg) Newburn.KITS 08/2023INFO Eduard49August 2023Page 50
VC-27, Lt. Ralph Elliot, Jr., USS Savo Island, January 1945JV640, Sub-Lt W. Park, No. 881 Squadron FAA, HMS Pursuer, August 1944Although the FM-2 Wildcats were the mostpowerful and most numerous version of this type,they were less frequently engaged in combatwith enemy aircraft than the previous F4F-3sand F4F-4s. Nevertheless, ten pilots managedto achieve fighter ace status flying them, and themost successful squadron with the FM-2 in termsof kills was VC-27, called “The Saints”. Its pilotsmanaged to shoot down a total of 61.5 enemyaircraft in aerial combat, making it the secondmost successful Wildcat squadron regardless ofversion or period. They were surpassed only bythe VF-5 with 79 kills. VC-27 was established inMay 1943 and operated from the escort carrierUSS Savo Island from July 1944 to January 1945.During this time, she participated in five majoroperations, including the epic naval battle offSamar, where a small task force repelled a muchstronger Japanese fleet. Under the command ofLt. Cmdr. Percival Jackson, pilots of VC-27 shotdown more than twice as many enemies as anyother composite squadron. The commander of theVF-27 fighter division, Lt. Ralph Elliott Jr., was themost successful ace on FM-2 with nine confirmedkills. In addition to its success in aerial combat,VC-27 also sank or destroyed 30 Japanese vesselsand destroyed or damaged over 250 objects suchas bridges, buildings, fuel or ammunition depots,vehicles, and the like. In March 1945, Ralph Elliott,Jr. took command of the entire squadron, butthe war ended before VC-27 could rejoin thefighting. Elliott’s FM-2 was emblazoned with theinscription BALDY, documented on the right side,which also featured nine kill marks.The British Fleet Air Arm used Wildcat FM-2sunder the designation Wildcat Mk. VI, as theMartlet name was dropped for the last F4Fversions. The British Navy used these aircraftfor similar duties as the American ones, i.e., forservice on escort carriers, from whose decks theyprovided air cover for convoys and also operatedagainst ground or surface targets. Under the LendLease program, 340 FM-2s were delivered to theFAA (220 in 1944 and the rest in 1945), and the firstof these were received by No. 881 Sqn, which tookpart in the invasion of southern France in August1944 aboard HMS Pursuer (Operation Dragoon).The unit also took part in actions off the coastof Norway before being rearmed with GrummanHellcat Mk.II aircraft in March 1945. In total,FM-2s served with 22 FAA combat squadrons,with others assigned to non-combat squadronsas trainers. The JV640 aircraft sported a drawingof a tiny hare with a sword and a Viking shield onthe right side of the engine cowl and had a non-standard rear-view mirror on the windshield.KITS 08/2023INFO Eduard50August 2023Page 51
Recommended:for FM-2 1/48481119 FM-2 landing flaps (PE-Set)644222 FM-2 LööK (Brassin)648061 HVAR rockets (Brassin)648886 FM-2 undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)648887 FM-2 wheels (Brassin)648888 FM-2 seat PRINT (Brassin)648889 FM-2 folding wings PRINT (Brassin)648890 FM-2 gun barrels PRINT (Brassin)648895 FM-2 cockpit PRINT (Brassin)3DL48128 FM-2 SPACE (3D Decal Set)OVERTREES#82205XFM-2 Wildcat1/48Product pageOVERLEPT#11175-LEPTWildcer Cat PE-Set1/48Product page#648895#648886#644222KITS 08/2023INFO Eduard51August 2023Page 52
A6M3 Zero Type 32The Weekend edition kit of Japanese WWII naval fighter plane A6M3 ZeroType 32 in 1/48 scale. This version of Zero had wing of reduced span andthe folding wingtips were eliminated.plastic parts: Eduardmarking options: 4decals: EduardPE parts: nopainting mask: noresin parts: no#841911/48Product pageKITS 08/2023INFO Eduard52August 2023Page 53
c/n 3028, Tainan Kōkūtai, Buna airfield, New Guinea, August 1942c/n 3305, Kōkūtai 204, Buin, Bougainville island, January 1943Warrant Officer Matsuo Hagiri, Rabaul, New Britain, July 1943This aircraft, released by Mitsubishi on June 28,1942, was assigned to Lt. Inano, commander ofBuna detachment of Tainan Kōkūtai. It was donatedby citizens of Hongwon County in North Korea,captured by Allied units at Buna on December 27,1942 and selected for further evaluation as wellas rebuild. Allied personnel at Eagle Farm Fieldbuilt a flyable A6M3 Zero using parts of threeZeros transported from Buna Airfield. Inano’ssurname was originally Takabayashi, but hechanged that before mid-1941. In late November1941, smaller part of Tainan Kōkūtai under hiscommand was transferred to French Indochinaand temporarily became part of 22. Kōkū SentaiHQ fighter squadron. Lt. Inano returned to TainanKōkūtai in July 1942 to participate in combat overNew Guinea and Guadalcanal. From January 1943he was involved in evaluation of weapons for newnaval aircraft. From October 1944 he served asHikōtaichō of Tainan Kōkūtai (II) in Taiwan.This aircraft was manufactured by Mitsubishi,probably on November 25, 1942. The radio equipmenthas been dismantled due to weight reduction. At thesame time, it was equipped with long-barrel gunsand a later type rudder trim that could be operatedfrom the cockpit. Previously known aircraft of thisunit with yellow fuselage markings had identificationnumbers of values under 148. The wreckage of thisaircraft was recovered by the Allies in May 1944 offKolombangara Island. The camouflage and markingswould indicate that its pilot was leader of Chūtai ofKōkūtai 204 in early 1943. The first candidate couldbe Lt. Tatenoshin Tanoue, who was shot down ina dogfight with Wildcats from VMF-121 on January15, 1943, while covering a convoy. However, thecrash site is too far from the area where combattook place. The pilot of the aircraft may have beena Lt(jg) Kiyoharu Shibuya, who was lost on January23, 1943, in dogfight with the Wildcats of VMO-251while escorting the cargo vessel Toa Maru 2 and thedestroyer Oshio.This aircraft was painted in green camouflageapplied in field conditions and had radio equipmentremoved to reduce weight. Kōkūtai 204 appears tohave been the only unit in the area to apply greenfield camouflage plus white outline of Hinomaruon fuselage and upper wing surfaces. Its pilot wasMatsuo Hagiri. He was born in 1913 in ShizuokaPrefecture and served with the Yokosuka Kōkūtaifrom 1935. In 1937 and 1938 he served on the aircraftcarrier Sōryū and took part in battles in China. In1940, he was among the pilots of the 12th Kōkūtaiwho first tested the Zero in combat conditions. Inthe raid on Chengtu on October 4, 1940, he was oneof four pilots who landed at an enemy base and setits equipment afire. More to it, Hagiri shot downthree Chinese fighter aircraft after take off fromthe burning enemy base. After further service withYokosuka Kōkūtai, including tests of the Raiden andZero Model 32, he was assigned to Kōkūtai 204 inJuly 1943. In a dogfight on September 24 over VellaLavella, he managed to score two victories, butsuffered injuries himself and had to be transportedto Japan. In April 1945, he was wounded again, thistime in combat against a B-29. In all, he achieved13 victories. After the war, he became a Fuji CityCouncilor and a member of the Shizuoka PrefecturalCouncil. He died in January 1997.KITS 08/2023INFO Eduard53August 2023Page 54
Recommended: A6M3 Zero Type 32 1/48481091 A6M3 Zero landing flaps (PE-Set)481092 A6M3 Zero (PE-Set)644185 A6M3 LööK (Brassin)644189 A6M3 Zero LööKplus (Brassin)648695 A6M undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)648786 A6M3 seat PRINT (Brassin)648787 A6M3 tailwheel PRINT (Brassin)648788 A6M3 cannon barrels & cockpitguns PRINT (Brassin)648799 A6M3 wheels (Brassin)648800 A6M3 cockpit PRINT (Brassin)648801 A6M3 exhausts PRINT (Brassin)648802 A6M3 Type 32 landing flaps PRINT (Brassin)648808 A6M wheels w/smooth tire (Brassin)648883 A6M3 gun bays short barrel (Brassin)648884 A6M3 gun bays long barrel (Brassin)3DL48088 A6M3 SPACE (3D Decal Set)EX899 A6M3 Zero TFace (Mask)c/n 3285, Rabauru Kōkūbuntai, Rabaul, New Britain, August 1943c/n 3285, Rabauru Kōkūbuntai, Ballale Airfield, Ballale Island,Solomon Islands, October 1943This aircraft was manufactured by Mitsubishiin November 1942 and early the following yearreceived field camouflage consisting of elongatedgreen spots on the factory paint of light grey.Its markings were changed several times. Thereconstruction of both markings of this aircraftis based on parts of the wreck that have beenphotographically documented. The tail apparentlyfirst bore the designation T2, which would placeit with Kōkūtai 204. In mid-1943, it bore the whitecode 3-174 and a white square was painted aroundHinomaru on the side of both sides of the fuselage.This is the only Zero so far where such a markingwas photographically documented. The exactpurpose of the white square is unknown and it wasremoved in August 1943. In the second half of thatyear, the tail codes of the aircraft of the Rabaulfighter units changed and numerals ranging from1 to 9 began to be used. The assignment of thenumerals to individual units is still not reliablydetermined. Aircraft with these markings areunofficially assigned to a combat group calledRabauru Kōkūbuntai (Rabaul Air Force). There areseveral theories to explain the meaning of thesenumerical designations. The only unit that usedseveral A6M3 Model 32s in the area in the secondhalf of 1943 was the aforementioned Kōkūtai 204.In August 1943, the white squares on the side ofthis aircraft were repainted and its marking waslater changed from white 3-174 to yellow code5-136. In September and October 1943, Kōkūtai204 operated in this area with the last two Model32s. It is likely, therefore, that despite the changeof the tail code this Zero was still in service withthis unit. Most of unit’s armament consisted ofA6M2 Model 21 and A6M3 Model 22, and it alsoreceived its first A6M5 Model 52 during this period.Following the neutralization of the Ballale base,the unit lost one Model 32. This was apparentlyaircraft with serial number 3285, which wassalvaged from Ballale in 1968 by Robert Diemert.It showed the strafing damage that occurredwhile the aircraft was on the ground. Zero 3285was stored at Friendship Airfield in Canada andsome of its parts were used to rebuild otherZeros. It was later purchased by John and EarlCalverley of the Blayd Corporation. After that,3285 was in a collection in Australia where JohnFallis purchased it several years ago with thehelp of Graham Orphan of New Zealand’s ClassicWings magazine and is restoring it to airworthycondition at his company CHUZY SUZY LLC inLafayette, Louisiana. In 2022, the aircraft partswere photographed by Eduard staff and with thehelp of researcher Ryan Toews a reconstructionof both forms of this unique aircraft was made.KITS 08/2023INFO Eduard54August 2023Page 55
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No. 5121, Phạm Tuân, 921 Fighter Regiment, Noi Bai AB, Democratic Republic of Vietnam, December 1972No. 9712, 9 Fighter Regiment, Bechyně, Czechoslovakia, 1989–1993No. 127, 812th Training Air Regiment, Kharkiv Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots,Kupyansk Airfield, the Soviet Union, August 1991MiG-21MF with tactical number 5121 is currently ondisplay in the museum of the Vietnam People’s AirForce in Hanoi. Reportedly, on December 27, 1972,Phạm Tuân flew this aircraft when he shot downan American B-52 which took part in bombingoperations during the Linebacker II offensive. Itwould be the only MiG-21MF kill of a Stratofortress,but American sources claim the bomber was lostto anti-aircraft SAM system. Phạm Tuân wouldlater become the only Vietnamese astronaut.He was a crewmember of Soyuz 37 missionand orbited the earth 142 times in the Salyut 6space station. For his accomplishments, he wasawarded high Vietnamese commendations andwas one of a few foreigners to be awarded theHero of the Soviet Union.This aircraft with serial number 969712 wasbuilt in 1974 and subsequently delivered toCzechoslovakia, where it served with the 4 slp(stíhací letecký pluk - Fighter Regiment) basedin Pardubice. It was handed over to 9 FighterRegiment in Bechyně in May 1989. There it flewwith the coat of arms of the Bechyně town onthe left side of the nose. After the dissolution ofCzechoslovakia the aircraft was assigned to theSlovak Air Force, and is currently in the collectionof the air museum at Trenčín, Slovakia. Theaircraft still has the original camouflage schemefrom the Soviet Union delivery.This aircraft, adorned with a shark mouth andeyes, served with the 812. UAP (812 Training AirRegiment) operating within the structure of theKharkiv higher training facility, which was in2003 named after the famous fighter ace andtriple Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan N. Kozhedub(who was in fact Ukrainian). This one was amongthe aircraft that were displayed during the openhouse on August 18, 1991.KITS 08/2023INFO Eduard56August 2023Page 57
No. 127, 812th Training Air Regiment, Kharkiv Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots,Kupyansk Airfield, the Soviet Union, August 1991No. 8447, No. 46 Squadron, Egypt, 1973No. 9111, 3 Squadron of Tactical Aviation, Poznań Krzesiny, Poland, 2002This is an aircraft from No. 46 Squadron as itappeared during combat exercises prior to theYom Kipur War in 1973. To allow quick identification,aircraft carried a large black letter with whiteoutline on the fin. The nose sported painting ofthe goddess Nekhbet, protector of Upper Egypt.Aircraft coded 8447 survived the Yom Kipur Warand was photographed with this camouflage andmarkings at Cairo in October 1975.The 3 ELT (Eskadra Lotnictwa Taktycznego –Squadron of Tactical Aviation) was formed atPoznań Krzesiny on January 1, 2001. The unit wasequipped with MiG-21MF, bis and UM aircraft, butthe MiG-21MFs were used for two years only, i.e.,till the end of 2002. The MiG-21bis version stayeduntil 2003 when it was decided to replace themwith F-16s. On April 1, 2008, the 3 ELT, 6 ELT andthe 31 Baza Lotnicza (31 Air Base) were disbandedand the 31 Baza Lotnictwa Taktycznego (31 TacticalAir Base) was formed. Since 2007, this aircrafthas been displayed at Poznan Krzesiny. It iscamouflaged in the same shades of grey as usedon F-15s and F-16s. The raven’s head markingon the finwas applied in 2002 on the occasion ofa gathering of commanding officers in Berlin.The emblem of 3 Squadron, the predecessor ofthe 3 ELT, is painted below the windscreen.Recommended:for MiG-21MF Fighter bomber 1/7272689 MiG-21MF (PE-Set)672181 MiG-21MF exhaust nozzle (Brassin)672182 MiG-21MF wheels (Brassin)672189 UB-16 rocket launchers for MiG-21 (Brassin)672191 RS-2US missiles for MiG-21 (Brassin)672193 MiG-21MF airbrakes (Brassin)672197 MiG-21MF ejection seat (Brassin)SIN67217 MiG-21MF armament (Brassin)3DL72002 MiG-21MF SPACE (3D Decal Set)CX511 MiG-21MF (Mask)OVERTREES#70142XMiG-21MF1/72Product pageProduct pageOVERLEPT#70142-LEPTMiG-21MFPE-Set 1/72KITS 08/2023INFO Eduard57August 2023Page 58
BRASSINLööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard and STEELseatbelts for A-20G in 1/32 scale. Easy to assemble,replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: HKMSet contains:- resin: 3 parts- 3D print: 2 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted- painting mask: noLööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard andSTEEL seatbelts for Hurricane Mk.I in 1/48 scale.Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.Recommended kit: Hobby BossSet contains:- resin: 2 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted- painting mask: no634039A-20G LööK1/32 HKM644220Hurricane Mk.I LööK1/48 Hobby BossProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard58August 2023Page 59
644222FM-2 LööK1/48 EduardLööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard and STEELseatbelts for FM-2 in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble,replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- resin: 1 part- 3D print: 1 part- decals: no- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted- painting mask: noBRASSINLööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboardand STEEL seatbelts for MiG-17F in 1/48 scale.Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.Recommended kit: AMMOSet contains:- resin: 1 part- decals: no- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted- painting mask: no644223MiG-17F LööK1/48 AMMOProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard59August 2023Page 60
BRASSINCollection of 4 sets for Spitfire Mk.Ia in 1/32 scale.Recommended kit: Kotare- LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)- TFace painting mask- undercarriage wheels- exhaust stacksCollection of 4 sets for Do 335A in 1/48 scale.Recommended kit: Tamiya- LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)- TFace painting mask- undercarriage wheels- exhaust stacks634040Spitfire Mk.Ia LööKplus1/32 Kotare644221Do 335A LööKplusTamiyaProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard60August 2023Page 61
BRASSINBrassin set - radio equipment for Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. Cin 1/35 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: AcademySet contains:- 3D print: 14 parts- resin: 1 part- decals: yes- photo-etched details: yes- painting mask: noBrassin set - the undercarriage wheels for A-20Gin 1/32 scale. The set consists of the main wheelsand a nose wheel. Easy to assemble, replacesplastic parts. Recommended kit: HKMSet contains:- resin: 3 parts- 3D print: 2 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: yes- painting mask: yes632197A-20G wheels1/32 HKMProduct pageProduct page635033Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. C radio equipment PRINT1/35 AcademyINFO Eduard61August 2023Page 62
635034WWII German fire extinguishers PRINT1/35648875Bf 109F cockpit w/ early seat PRINT1/48 EduardBRASSINBrassin set - fire extinguishers for GermanWWII AFV in 1/35 scale. The set consistsof 6 extinguishers. Made by direct 3D printing.Set contains:- 3D print: 6 parts- decals: yes- photo-etched details: yes- painting mask: noBrassin set - cockpit for Bf 109F in 1/48 scale.Made by direct 3D printing. Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 17 parts- resin: 1 part- decals: yes- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted- painting mask: no- SPACE 3D decals: noProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard62August 2023Page 63
BRASSINBrassin set - angular wheel bays for Bf 109Fin 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 2 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: no648881Bf 109F wheel bays angular PRINT1/48 EduardBrassin set - rounded wheel bays for Bf 109Fin 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 2 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: no648880Bf 109F wheel bays rounded PRINT1/48 EduardProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard63August 2023Page 64
BRASSINBrassin set - the undercarriage wheels for F-4Ein 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main wheelsand nose wheels. Easy to assemble, replaces plasticparts. Recommended kit: MengSet contains:- resin: 4 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: yesBrassin set - gun bays for A6M3 in 1/48 scale. Designedfor Zeroes Type 32 and 22 with short-barreled wing guns(guns not protruding from the leading edge of the wing).Made by direct 3D printing. Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 22 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: yes- painting mask: no648883A6M3 gun bays short barrel PRINT1/48 Eduard648882F-4E wheels1/48 MengProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard64August 2023Page 65
BRASSINBrassin set - the undercarriage wheels for FM-2in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main wheelsand a tail wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- resin: 9 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: yes- painting mask: yes648887FM-2 wheels1/48 EduardBrassin set - the undercarriage legs forFM-2 in 1/48 scale. The legs are made of bronze.Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 4 parts- bronze: 2 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: no648886FM-2 undercarriage legs BRONZE1/48 EduardProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard65August 2023Page 66
BRASSINBrassin set - the seat for FM-2 in 1/48 scale.Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble,replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 1 part- decals: no- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted- painting mask: yesBrassin set - folding wings for FM-2 in 1/48 scale.The set consists of parts for both wings.Made by direct 3D printing. Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 10 parts- plastic: 4 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: yes- painting mask: no648889FM-2 folding wings PRINT1/48 Eduard648888FM-2 seat PRINT1/48 EduardProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard66August 2023Page 67
BRASSINBrassin set - airbrakes for F-104A/C in 1/48 scale.Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: Kinetic/EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 2 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: no648891F-104A/C airbrakes PRINT1/48 Kinetic/EduardBrassin set - gun barrels for FM-2in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 4 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: no648890FM-2 gun barrels PRINT1/48 EduardProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard67August 2023Page 68
BRASSINBrassin set - exhaust nozzle for F-104A/Cin 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.Recommended kit: Kinetic/EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 4 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: noBrassin set - cockpit for FM-2in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 1 parts- decals: yes- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted- painting mask: no- SPACE 3D decals: no648895FM-2 cockpit PRINT1/48 Eduard648892F-104A/C exhaust nozzle PRINT1/48 Kinetic/EduardProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard68August 2023Page 69
BRASSINBrassin set - gun pods for Bf 109F/G/Kin 1/72 scale. Easy to assemble, replacesplastic parts. Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 8 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: yes- painting mask: no672326Bf 109F/G/K gun pods PRINT1/72 EduardBrassin set - the undercarriage legs for Bf 109Fin 1/72 scale. The legs are made of bronze.Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 2 parts- bronze: 2 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: no672317Bf 109F undercarriage legs BRONZE1/72 EduardProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard69August 2023Page 70
BRASSINBrassin set - wing balance weights for Bf 109F in 1/72 scale.The set consists of 10 balance weights. Easy to assemble,replaces plastic parts. Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 10 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: noBrassin set - the undercarriage wheels for MiG-29in 1/72 scale. The set consists of the main wheelsand nose wheels. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.Recommended kit: Great Wall HobbySet contains:- resin: 4 parts- 3D print: 1 part- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: yes672330MiG-29 wheels1/72 Great Wall Hobby672329Bf 109 balance weights PRINT1/72 EduardProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard70August 2023Page 71
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BRASSINCollection of 4 sets for F-35A in 1/48 scale.Recommended kit: Tamiya- cockpit- exhaust nozzle- undercarriage wheel- Remove Before Flight tags SPACEAll sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,but with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30 %.SIN648108F-35A1/48 TamiyaProduct pageINFO Eduard72August 2023Page 73
BRASSINCollection of 7 sets for F-4E in 1/48 scale.Recommended kit: Meng- AGM-65 Maverick (3 sets)- AIM-7M Sparrow- AN/ALQ-131 (shallow) ECM pod- GBU-10 Paveway I- AIM-9M/L SidewinderAll sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,but with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30 %.SIN648109F-4E armament1/48 MengProduct pageINFO Eduard73August 2023Page 74
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3DL72020 OV-10A SPACE 1/72 ICMwww.eduard.com/bfcBUNNY BUNNY FIGHTERFIGHTERCLUBEduard's special membership club for all modeling enthusiasts!15% Permanent Club discount at Eduard Store – you will receive permanent 15% discount on all Eduardproducts 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 soldproducts, specially made for BFC members.Even better prices at Eduard events stand – do you know that Eduard usually has huge discounts ontheir products at fairs and events all over the world? BFC members will have even higher discount atthese 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 availableto 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 ChampionshipBOX CONTENT:Plastic parts, Marking options 6, Decal Set, PE parts, Maska, Brassinparts (two different types of wheels, landing flaps, dust filter witheyelid, intake ring and RP-3 60lb rockets), 3D decals for main and si-dewalk instrument and control panels with photo-etched details andseat belts.BOX CONTENT:Plastic parts, Marking options 4, Decal Set, PE parts, Maska, Brassinparts (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 Eduardproduct in your shopping cart. To apply this discount, the Activation product has to be in your shoppingcart. Activation product is excluded from this calculation.Activation products:Activation products:Tempest Mk. V + T-shirt 1/48MiG-21MF + T-shirt 1/72Page 86
Rivet the Eddie way
Working instructions
Rivet the Eddie wayEDDIE THE RIVETERAssemble the model and prepare the model forthe painting. Spray with Mr. Finishing Surfacer1500, add drops of Super Gloss Clear to themixture so that the sprayed model has glossysurface (same grade of smoothness of the surfacelike for decal application).INFO Eduard87August 2023Page 88
EDDIE THE RIVETERPrepare mixture of water(100 ml) and dishwashingsaponite (2–3 drops). Soakthe dishwashing sponge in themixture.Cut off a section with rivetsfrom the decal paper withscissors or sharp modelingknife.Put it on the sponge then pushthe sponge so that the decalis wet.INFO Eduard88August 2023Page 89
EDDIE THE RIVETERWait until the decal couldbe released from the paper.Put drops of water/saponitemixture on the model surfacewhere you want to place thedecal, then place the decal onits position.Placed decal.Press the applied decal to thesurface with dry dishwashingsponge and remove all water.Do not move the sponge!Just apply gentle press andthen draw the sponge apartfrom the surface vertically.Otherwise, the decal might getdeformed.INFO Eduard89August 2023Page 90
EDDIE THE RIVETERAfter all the decals are on their positions,allow at least 24 hours for drying. Thenspray 3–5 very thin layers of Mr. FinishingSurfacer 1500 over the whole model usingairbrush. Do not use spray in can!Continue with painting and final assemblyof the model. Pay maximum attention tomasking when using masking tape. Theadhesion of the tape must be reduced toavoid damage of the Surfacer layer or eventhe decal!INFO Eduard90August 2023Page 91
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BIG EDAll sets included in this BIG ED are available separately,but with every BIG ED set you save up to 30%.BIG33152 CH-54A 1/35 ICMBIG49373B-24D PART II 1/48 Revell321008 CH-54A 1/3532482 CH-54A exterior 1/3533348 CH-54A seatbelts STEEL 1/35JX307 CH-54A 1/35481102 B-24D exterior 1/48481104 B-24D bomb bay 1/48491339 B-24D nose interior 1/48Product pageProduct pageINFO Eduard92August 2023Page 93
All sets included in this BIG ED are available separately,but with every BIG ED set you save up to 30%.BIG EDBIG49374 Mi-17 1/48 AMKBIG49375F-86D 1/48 RevellBIG49376PV-1 PART I 1/48 Academy481110 Mi-17 cargo floor 1/48491352 Mi-17 1/48491353 Mi-17 cargo seatbelts 1/48FE1353 Mi-17 seatbelts STEEL 1/48EX942 Mi-17 1/48491350 F-86D 1/48FE1351 F-86D seatbelts STEEL 1/48EX940 F-86D 1/48491348 PV-1 1/48FE1349 PV-1 seatbelts STEEL 1/48EX944 PV-1 1/48Product pageProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard93August 2023Page 94
MASKSIT FITS!EX964 A-10C TFace1/48 AcademyEX965 FM-2 TFace1/48 EduardEX966 F-16D Block 30/40/501/48 KineticEX967 F-16D Block 30/40/50TFace1/48 KineticEX968 F-35B RAM coating1/48 ItaleriEX969 A6M2-N Rufenational insignia1/48 EduardEX970 A6M3 Zero Type 32Weekend1/48 EduardCX650 OV-10A1/72 ICMEX966 F-16D Block 30/40/50EX966 F-16D Block 30/40/50EX967 F-16D Block 30/40/50 TFaceEX967 F-16D Block 30/40/50 TFaceEX967 F-16D Block 30/40/50 TFaceEX967 F-16D Block 30/40/50 TFaceEX964 A-10C TFace EX964 A-10C TFaceEX964 A-10C TFaceEX964 A-10C TFaceINFO Eduard94August 2023Page 95
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RELEASESAUGUST 2023KITSPE-SETSZOOMSMASKS70155 Bf 109F-4 1/72 ProfiPACK11169 THE ZIPPER 1/48 Limited11175 WILDER CAT 1/48 Limited84191 A6M3 Zero Type 32 1/48 Weekend70142 MiG-21MF Fighter bomber Re-release 1/72 ProfiPACK53295 USS Nimitz CVN-68 part 1 1/350 Trumpeter32484 A-20G bomb bay 1/32 HKM32485 A-20G main wheel wells 1/32 HKM481118 F-16 reinforcement straps STEEL 1/48 Kinetic481119 FM-2 landing flaps 1/48 Eduard481120 A-10C formation lights 1/48 Academy491369 F-16D Block 30 1/48 Kinetic491370 F-16D Block 40 1/48 Kinetic491371 F-16D Block 50 1/48 Kinetic491373 A-10C 1/48 Academy73805 OV-10A 1/72 ICMFE1369 F-16D Block 30 1/48 KineticFE1370 F-16D Block 40 1/48 KineticFE1371 F-16D Block 50 1/48 KineticFE1372 F-16D Block 30/40/50 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 KineticFE1373 A-10C 1/48 AcademyFE1374 A-10C seatbelts STEEL 1/48 AcademyFE1375 A6M3 Zero Type 32 Weekend 1/48 EduardSS805 OV-10A 1/72 ICMEX964 A-10C TFace 1/48 AcademyEX965 FM-2 TFace 1/48 EduardEX966 F-16D Block 30/40/50 1/48 KineticEX967 F-16D Block 30/40/50 TFace 1/48 KineticEX968 F-35B RAM coating 1/48 ItaleriEX969 A6M2-N Rufe national insignia 1/48 EduardEX970 A6M3 Zero Type 32 Weekend 1/48 EduardCX650 OV-10A 1/72 ICMDECALEDDIE THE RIVETERD72045 Bf 109F stencils 1/72 EduardER32001 Single riveting rows 1/32ER48006 Single riveting rows 1/48ER72001 Single riveting rows 1/72INFO Eduard96August 2023Page 97
BIG-EDBIG-EDBIG EDBIG33152 CH-54A 1/35 ICMBIG49373 B-24D PART II 1/48 RevellBIG49374 Mi-17 1/48 AMKBIG49375 F-86D 1/48 RevellBIG49376 PV-1 PART I 1/48 AcademyRELEASESBRASSINLöökPLUSBIG SINSPACE634039 A-20G LööK 1/32 HKM644220 Hurricane Mk.I LööK 1/48 Hobby Boss644222 FM-2 LööK 1/48 Eduard644223 MiG-17F LööK 1/48 AMMO632197 A-20G wheels 1/32 HKM635033 Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. Cradio equipment PRINT 1/35 Academy635034 WWII German fire extinguishers PRINT 1/35648875 Bf 109F cockpit w/ early seat PRINT 1/48 Eduard648880 Bf 109F wheel bays rounded PRINT 1/48 Eduard648881 Bf 109F wheel bays angular PRINT 1/48 Eduard648882 F-4E wheels 1/48 Meng648883 A6M3 gun bays short barrel PRINT 1/48 Eduard648886 FM-2 undercarriage legs BRONZE 1/48 Eduard648887 FM-2 wheels 1/48 Eduard648888 FM-2 seat PRINT 1/48 Eduard648889 FM-2 folding wings PRINT 1/48 Eduard648890 FM-2 gun barrels PRINT 1/48 Eduard648891 F-104A/C airbrakes PRINT 1/48 Kinetic/Eduard648892 F-104A/C exhaust nozzle PRINT 1/48 Kinetic/Eduard648895 FM-2 cockpit PRINT 1/48 Eduard672317 Bf 109F undercarriage legs BRONZE 1/72 Eduard672326 Bf 109F/G/K gun pods PRINT 1/72 Eduard672329 Bf 109 balance weights PRINT 1/72 Eduard672330 MiG-29 wheels 1/72 Great Wall Hobby634040 Spitfire Mk.Ia LööKplus 1/32 Kotare644221 Do 335A LööKplus 1/48 TamiyaSIN648108 F-35A 1/48 TamiyaSIN648109 F-4E armament 1/48 Meng3DL48127 Bf 110G-4 SPACE 1/48 Eduard3DL48128 FM-2 SPACE 1/48 Eduard3DL48129 F-16D Block 30 SPACE 1/48 Kinetic3DL48130 F-16D Block 40 SPACE 1/48 Kinetic3DL48131 F-16D Block 50 SPACE 1/48 Kinetic3DL48132 A-10C SPACE 1/48 Academy3DL72020 OV-10A SPACE 1/72 ICMAUGUST 2023INFO Eduard97August 2023Page 98
GUNZE PRODUCTS-WEATHERINGWEATHERING COLORSYAKUMOWWII WESTERN FRONTCAT.NO.: WY01These Yakumo Colors—Mr. Weathering Color and Mr. Weathering Paste-based weathering colors—were supervised by the world-famous modeler, Mr. Mig Jimenez. The mud and dirt colors are madewith pigments that have been collected from all over the world.WY01 is a weathering paint set for German vehicles in theWWII Western Front. Thin each color with the separately-soldMr. Weathering Colour Thinner (WCT101/102); or MIG015 thinner(YAKUMO thinner).From a modeler’s perspective, Europe was the setting of manyof the most interesting battles of the war, including Normandy,the Battle of the Bulge, Hungary, the Warsaw Uprising and the fallof Berlin. On these fronts the Germans used several standardizedcamouflage patterns, but each was always based on green andbrown camouflage colours over a dark yellow base (C039 darkyellow, C041 red-brown and C070 dark green). Dust in summer anddry mud were the most common effects seen in German vehicles.In addition to the two products used to represent these effects,the perfect wash tone is also included, and another for streakeddirt stains. For the most complete finish, combine with SETD-BASICS.MIGMIGMIGMIGMIG001003002002004DARK WASHApply the wash with a fine brush to details, in panel lines,and around hatches to enhance contrast and volume.Remove the excess with a clean brush moistened withYAKUMO thinner. Let it dry 24 hours.DRY MUDYou can apply the mud with a thick brush to the undersideof the vehicle, the tracks, and the suspension. You canalso apply splashed earth effect with the mud productby the flicking a thick brush loaded with product usinga toothpick. This will create mud splatter effects. Makea few tests on an old model or a piece of paper beforetrying it on the model. Let it dry 24 hours.DARK STREAKING GRIMEStroke well Draw vertical lines on vertical or slopedsurfaces with irregular shapes and different intensity,then blend with a flat brush and YAKUMO thinner tosoften. Let it dry 24 hours.EUROPE DUSTPigment colour to simulate dust effects, particularlyon the horizontal areas and around surface details.Apply the pigment dry with a brush and then moisten thesurface with thinner. Once dry, it can be moistened againand touched up to achieve the desired effect.Product pagePage 99
GUNZE PRODUCTS-WEATHERINGWWII EASTERN FRONTCAT.NO.: WY02WY02 is a weathering paint set for winter camouflaged vehiclesin WWII Eastern Front. Thin each color with the separately-soldMr. Weathering Colour Thinner (WCT101/102); or MIG015 thinner(YAKUMO thinner).The Germans camouflaged their vehicles in the harsh Russianwinters with white paint to blend it with the snowy landscape.A white vehicle needs a very special treatment of aging and dirtto be realistic and credible. This special set for German wintervehicles includes the necessary products to achieve a realisticappearance in a winter environment such as the battles of Moscow,Stalingrad, or the siege of Leningrad. This set is specially designedfor white camouflage applied on German panzer grey colour(Panzer Grey - C040 German Grey, C513 „Dunkelgrau“, C514 „Grau“etc). For the most complete finish, combine with SET D-BASICS.MIGMIGMIGMIG005007006008WINTER WASHsee MIG 001 for descriptionMIG-007 - FRESH DARK MUDsee MIG 003 for descriptionWINTER STREAKING GRIMEsee MIG 002 for descriptionMIG-008 - DRY EARTHsee MIG 004 for descriptionWWII AFRIKA KORPSCAT.NO.: WY03WY03 is a weathering paint set for model vehicles in the WWII AfrikaKorps. It can add realistic sand stains from the harsh weatherconditions of Africa to your scale model. Thin each color withthe separately-sold Mr. Weathering Colour Thinner (WCT101/102);or MIG015 thinner (YAKUMO thinner).The landscapes of Tunisia or Libya were very harsh and hostileenvironments for the vehicles of the German Afrika Korps (DAK).The scorching sun and heat faded the colours quickly whilethe dust was ubiquitous. The Germans over painted their greyvehicles with various shades of sand colour (i.e. C039 Dark Yellow)to make them less visible on the open desert plains. The productincluded in this set allow you to apply washes, dirt effect, and largeaccumulations of dust to give your model realistic look. For morecomplete finish, combine with SET D-BASICS.MIGMIGMIGMIG011010009012SAND FILTERApply the filter over the entire surface of model uniformly fora transparent and subtle effect, without letting the productaccumulate in recesses and panel lines. Allow the filter to dryfor 24 hours.GRAY STREAKING GRIMEsee MIG 003 for descriptionDESERT WASHApply the wash with a fine brush to details, in panel lines, and aroundhatches to enhance contrast and volume. Remove the excess witha clean brush moistened with YAKUMO thinner. Let it dry 24 hours.MIG-008 - DRY EARTHsee MIG 004 for descriptionProduct pageProduct pagePage 100
GUNZE PRODUCTS-WEATHERINGBASICSCAT.NO.: WY04WY04 is a weathering paint set that can be used on variousmilitary models including tanks. This set of paints can replicatebasic oil stains, chipped paint, and rust. Thin each color with theseparately-sold Mr. Weathering Colour Thinner (WCT101/102);or MIG015 thinner (YAKUMO thinner).Most German military vehicles showed certain universalweathering effects, no matter the setting or time of the year. Tanksor half-tracks usually showed chipped paint, rust effects, or largeareas of fuel stains soaked into caked dust or dirt over top. Theseare the weathering effects that bring more life and realism to themodel, and that is the reason why you must pay special attentionwhen adding them. This universal set will allow you to createextremely realistic effects on your models, no matter the locationor time of the year in which they are set. The colours and effectsare accurate for the cold Russian winter, the Normandy campaignor the barren landscapes of the North Africa. Always use this setin combination with one of the YAKUMO sets for military vehiclesin a specific setting.MIGMIGMIGMIG015014013016FUEL & OILApply this product to the sides of model in the shape of verticallines, or add small drops over a surface treated with MIG014pigment. This effect can be diluted with YAKUMO thinner to createa softer and more natural effect. Use this effect sparingly andapply the effect in scale. Let it dry 12 hours.CHIPPINGThe perfect colour to represent chipped paint effects on yourmodels, as long as the surface you are depicting was made outof iron or steel in the real vehicle. Use a brush with a fine tip topaint the chips on the zones most exposed to wear and tear, Youcan also apply the chipping with a piece of sponge or packing foam.Let it dry 10 minutes. Can be cleaned with water.EARTH & GRIMEA pigment tone to simulate accumulated dirt, or to create a baseonto which you can apply fuel stains. Apply the pigment dry witha brush to the designed areas. It can also be used to emphasizeshadows or dirt effect on nooks and crannies.MIG-008 - DRY EARTHEventually all vehicles rust in specific areas due to rain, snow anddew. Apply the product in small quantities around small detailssuch as screw heads, brackets or other fixtures, as well as onvertical or sloped surfaces in the form of faded lines. Use he effectsparingly and apply the effect in scale.Product pagePage 101
DOBŘÍŠSKÁ ŠELMAVíce informací: www.facebook.com/dobrismodel/ • www.dobrismodel.cz • modelari.dobris@gmail.com • tel. 728 074 851PLASTIKOVÉ A PAPÍROVÉ MODELY OD MODELÁŘŮ Z CELÉ ČR • PRODEJCI MODELŮ A MODELÁŘSKÝCH POTŘEBDOPOLEDNE DOPROVODNÁ VÝSTAVA AUTO A MOTO VETERÁNŮ • OBČERSTVENÍ • VSTUPNÉ DOBROVOLNÉSOBOTA 19. SRPNA 2023 OD 10:00 DO 15:00MODELÁŘSKÁ SOUTĚŽNÍ VÝSTAVA• Online přihlašování modelů:dobris.ipmscz.eu• Přejímka modelů:19. srpna od 8:00 do 10:00• Startovné: děti zdarma, dospělí 100 Kč• Otevřeno pro veřejnost: 10:00 – 15:00SPORTOVNÍ HALA, ŠKOLNÍ 36, DOBŘÍŠ – BOČNÍ VCHODPage 102
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Bf 109F-4, Uffz. Hans Döbrich, 6./JG 5, Petsamo, Finland, September 1942This aircraft was flown by Hans Döbrich, a fighterace credited with 65 victories. He was downedthree times and seriously wounded during thelast incident. He never flew a combat sortieagain. During the second half of 1942, II./JG 5was equipped with “Friedrichs” manufacturedfor service in a tropical environment. The desertcamouflage colors consisting of RLM 79 andRLM 78 were applied at the factory. Feldflugpark(Repair Field Unit) in Pori added segments of RLM74/70 (some sources state RLM 75/71) whichhelped to camouflage effect over the northernterritory. The green shamrock on the cowling wasa crest of 6./JG 5.BUILTINFO Eduard103August 2023Page 104
F4F-3 & F4F-4 WildcatBUILT1/48built by Jan Baranec#11166KAMO CProduct pageAccessories used:644171 F4F-3 early LööK (Brassin)648766 F4F-3 exhausts PRINT (Brassin)648767 F4F-3 wheels early (Brassin)648769 F4F gun barrels PRINT (Brassin)648777 F4F-3 cockpit w/ reflector gun sight PRINT (Brassin)648795 F4F-3 wheel bay PRINT (Brassin)648827 F4F-3A engine PRINT (Brassin)648767 F4F-3 wheels early (Brassin)648827 F4F-3A engine PRINT (Brassin)INFO Eduard104August 2023Page 105
F4F-3A, BuNo. 3920, Lt. James Seton Gray, VF-6, USS Enterprise (CV-6), February 1942Milwaukee, Wisconsin native, James Seton Grayloved the flying since the childhood. In 1930, atthe age of sixteen years he became the youngestpilot license holder. After he graduated from theUnited States Naval Academy in 1936, he servedon the ships. In 1938 he started his pilot trainingand after its completion he was assigned to VF-6on board of USS Enterprise (CV-6). After the USAentered the war, he took part in the first Navyraid against the Japanese on Taroa island inMarshall Islands. During the raid he shot downtwo A5M Claude fighters. During the Battle ofMidway he commanded the whole VF-6 escortingVT-6 Devastators on their attacks against theJapanese carriers. During the afternoon CAP onthat day he shot down E13A Jake floatplane. Grayadded further kills to his score while commandingthe night fighters aboard USS Enterprise in 1944and became a fighter ace. Lt. Gray’s Wildcatin which he fought over Marshall and Gilbertarchipelagos was camouflaged in Light Gray andBlue Gray. The rudder sports nine red and whitestripes. The national markings on the fuselageand wings were already supposed to be enlargedhowever the aircraft photograph shows that thelarge insignia were painted on the fuselage andstarboard wing only. The port wing retained theoriginal size insignia.BUILT644171 F4F-3 early LööK (Brassin)648795 F4F-3 wheel bay PRINT (Brassin)648766 F4F-3 exhausts PRINT (Brassin) 648769 F4F gun barrels PRINT (Brassin)648777 F4F-3 cockpit w/ reflectorgun sight PRINT (Brassin)INFO Eduard105August 2023Page 106
BUILTbuilt by Angelo LodettiAccessories used:48765 Spitfire Mk.IXc landing flaps (PE-Set)SIN64808 Spitfire Mk.IXc ESSENTIAL (Brassin)Supermarine Spitfire MK IX 101° Gruppo, 5° Stormo - Vicenza/Italy 1950Used aftermarket decals.Spitfire Mk.IXc early1/48INFO Eduard106August 2023Page 107
BUILTINFO Eduard107August 2023Page 108
ON APPROACHSEPTEMBER 2023644224F-4E LööK1/48 Meng644225A-10C LööK1/48 Academy644227Bf 109K-4 LööK1/48 EduardBIG33153 Spitfire Mk.I 1/32 KotareBIG33154 AH-64E 1/35 TakomBIG49377 PV-1 PART II 1/48 AcademyBIG49378 Mi-8MT 1/48 TrumpeterBIG49379 Mi-8MT CARGO INTERIOR 1/48 Trumpeter644224 F-4E LööK 1/48 Meng644225 A-10C LööK 1/48 Academy644227 Bf 109K-4 LööK 1/48 Eduard635035 Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. C radio equipment dark yellow PRINT1/35 Academy648884 A6M3 gun bays long barrel PRINT 1/48 Eduard648893 F-16D ejection seats PRINT 1/48 Kinetic648894 Bf 109 balance weights PRINT 1/48 Eduard648896 FM-2 cockpit w/ armoured headrest PRINT 1/48 Eduard648897 Hurricane Mk.I wheels 1/48 Hobby Boss648898 Hurricane Mk.I exhaust stacks PRINT 1/48 Hobby Boss648899 MiG-17 wheels 1/48 AMMO648900 FM-2 gun bays PRINT 1/48 Eduard648902 Bf 109K-4 engine 1/48 Eduard648903 Bf 109K-4 propeller PRINT 1/48 Eduard648913 Bf 109K-4 exhaust stacks PRINT 1/48 Eduard648914 Bf 109K-4 wheels 1/48 Eduard672327 Bf 109F cockpit PRINT 1/72 Eduard672331 MiG-29A ejection seat PRINT 1/72 Great Wall Hobby672332 MiG-29 exhaust nozzles PRINT 1/72 Great Wall Hobby634041 A-20G LööKplus 1/32 HKM644226 FM-2 LööKplus 1/48 EduardSIN648110 Anson Mk.I 1/48 AirfixSIN648111 A-10C armament 1/48 AcademyBIG ED (September)BRASSIN (September)LöökPlus (September)BIGSIN (September)LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboardsand STEEL seatbelts for F-4E in 1/48 scale.Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.Recommended kit: MengSet contains:- resin: 5 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details:yes, pre-painted- painting mask: noLööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboardand STEEL seatbelts for A-10C in 1/48 scale.Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.Recommended kit: AcademySet contains:- resin: 2 parts- 3D print: 1 part- decals: yes- photo-etched details:yes, pre-painted- painting mask: noLööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboardand STEEL seatbelts for Bf 109K-4 in 1/48 scale.Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- resin: 1 part- decals: no- photo-etched details:yes, pre-painted- painting mask: noPRELIMINARY IMAGESPRELIMINARY IMAGESPRELIMINARY IMAGESINFO Eduard108August 2023Page 109
635035Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. C radio equipment dark yellow PRINT1/35 AcademyON APPROACHBrassin set - radio equipment for Sd.Kfz. 251/1Ausf. C in 1/35 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: AcademySet contains:- 3D print: 14 parts- resin: 1 part- decals: yes- photo-etched details: yes- painting mask: no648884A6M3 gun bays long barrle PRINT1/48648893F-16D ejection seats PRINT1/48 KineticBrassin set - gun bays for A6M3 in 1/48 scale.Designed for Zeroes Type 32 and 22 with long--barreled wing guns (guns protruding from theleading edge of the wing). Made by direct 3Dprinting. Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 18 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: yes- painting mask: noBrassin set - ejection seats for F-16D in 1/48 scale.The set consists of 2 seats. Made by direct 3Dprinting. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.Recommended kit: KineticSet contains:- 3D print: 10 parts- decals: yes- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted- painting mask: noINFO Eduard109August 2023Page 110
ON APPROACHSEPTEMBER 2023648894Bf 109 balance weights PRINT1/48 Eduard648896FM-2 cockpit w/ armoured headrest PRINT1/48 Eduard648897Hurricane Mk.I wheels1/48 Hobby BossBrassin set - wing balance weights for Bf 109Fin 1/48 scale. The set consists of 10 balance weights.Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts. Made bydirect 3D printing. Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 10 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: noBrassin set - cockpit for FM-2 in 1/48 scale.Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 13 parts- decals: yes- photo-etched details:yes, pre-painted- painting mask: no- SPACE 3D decals: noBrassin set - the undercarriage wheels forHurricane Mk.I in 1/48 scale. The set consistsof the main wheels and a tail wheel.Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.Recommended kit: Hobby BossSet contains:- resin: 3 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: yesINFO Eduard110August 2023Page 111
ON APPROACHSEPTEMBER 2023648898Hurricane Mk.I exhaust stacks PRINT1/48 Hobby Boss648899MiG-17 wheels1/48 AMMO648900FM-2 gun bays PRINT1/48 EduardBrassin set - exhaust stacks for Hurricane Mk.Iin 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.Recommended kit: Hobby BossSet contains:- resin: 2 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: noBrassin set - the undercarriage wheelsfor MiG-17 in 1/48 scale. The set consistsof the main wheels and a nose wheel.Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.Recommended kit: AMMOSet contains:- resin: 3 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: yesBrassin set - gun bays for FM-2 in 1/48 scale.Made by direct 3D printing. Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 16 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: yes- painting mask: noINFO Eduard111