-
{"cz":"Info EDUARD"}
{"cz":"Měsíčník o historii a plastikovém modelářství.","en":"Monthly magazine about history and scale plastic modeling."}
10/2024
INFO Eduard is a monthly scale model-historical magazine published in Czech and English by Eduard Model Accessories since 2010. The magazine is available for free on the Triobo platform and can be downloaded in PDF format. Eduard is a manufacturer of plastic models and accessories with over 30 years of tradition. Throughout its history in the plastic modeling industry, Eduard has become one of the world's leaders. Further details about the company and its product range can be found at www.eduard.com. You can subscribe to the INFO magazine and receive product information for free at: https://www.eduard.com/cs/info-eduard/
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INFO Eduarde-magazine FREE Vol 23 October 2024# 176Page 2
INFO Eduarde-magazine FREE Vol 23 October 2024# 176© Eduard - Model Accessories, 2024FREE 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
eduardeduardOCTOBER 2024CONTENTSPublished by Eduard-Model Accessories, spol. s.r.o.Mírová 170, Obrnice 435 21support@eduard.com www.eduard.comEDITORIALKITSBRASSINPHOTO-ETCHED SETSSPACEBUILTON APPROACH–November 2024TAIL END CHARLIEARTICLESBOXART STORYL-410UVP Turbolet Limited 1/72THEY FOUGHT TO REBUILD Limited 1/48P-51B/C Mustang w/ dorsal fin ProfiPACK 1/48L-39ZA Albatros ProfiPACK 1/48Bf 109G-10 1/72P-51D Mustang 1/48P-51B Mustang Birdcage canopy 1/4880th Anniversary of the Air Battle Over the Ore MountainsFIREWORKS OVER BUDAPESTTHEY FOUGHT TO REBUILDAir War over Ukraine-He Who Sows the Wind Reaps theStorm in the Kursk RegionMáňaWith the National Guard in ChinaDo zteče!463538647692102110126Page 4
Dear FriendsAlthough we all are told that lightning never strikestwice in the same spot, sometimes we feel like anexception has been made and history does repeatitself. Often bad history, it seems. I had exactly thatfeeling two weeks ago when it started raining andthe floods came that devastated the east half ofour country. Back in 2002, just before the secondinstallment of E-day, conditions were very similar.At that time, the August floods swept through theentire country and, unfortunately, also the area of thePilsen shooting range, where the first E-day eventswere held. Thanks to the efforts of members of theco-organizing modeling clubs, Pilsen and Kaznejov,the area was then cleaned up and prepared, allowingthat year’s E-day to take place on time. Today we havenineteen more years under our belts and believe it ornot, many of those who organized and rescued E-dayin 2002 were with us at E-day this year, and many ofthem were involved in the organization aspects yetagain. Fortunately, this year we did not have to savethe event or the grounds. This year's flood was againdevastating in many areas of our country, but aftertwenty-two years we are much further along. Thanksto more accurate weather forecasts, the country wasmuch better prepared, and Central Bohemia andMilovice were not seriously affected. Nevertheless,many modelers were affected by the floods, such asthose at Revi magazine in Ostrava who were floodedout, making it impossible for them to publish thecurrent issue of the magazine and it also preventedthem from attending the show. Many modelers helpedduring the floods, for example Pepa Choren, one ofour best modelers. The YouTuber and firefighter byprofession came to Milovice not from Most innorthern Bohemia, where he lives, but from Silesia,where a team of firemen were tasked with helpingin the cleanup of the aftermath of the catastrophicweather conditions. He went right back to work afterthe show.Perhaps at every E-day, maybe even at everymodeling competition not limited to the CzechRepublic, the question of what the future for modelingholds is discussed. This year was no different. It seemsthat the modeling community feels a certain sense ofvulnerability. The approaching demise of modelinghas been talked about for a long time, perhaps sincethe end of the nineties. The end is in sight accordingto the word on the street, sometimes it seems likethe debaters are giving the hobby a year, two at most.In reality, however, the end is not in sight. Modelersabound and they're having a blast. You cannot ignorethe fact that just in the Czech Republic alone, wehave a model show practically every weekend, andin some weeks we even have two or three events.Of course, we are in a completely different placethan we were in the 90s, to say nothing of the 80s.The world has changed and continues to change, andso do we. Our hobby and the industry that depends onit are producing new and consistently better products.When looking at what stores, admittedly mostly online these days, it is true that most items get notmuch more than a passing glance. Still. there is nodecline in activity nor a reduction in the assortment ofproduct as a whole. To the contrary, we see incredibleactivity and a resulting flood of new items, producedmonth after month. And we at Eduard do our part. Wecertainly do not smell the stench of stagnation andsubsequent extinction. We are experiencing goldentimes of activity, creativity and abundance.If we accept the theory of a famous egyptologistand now a sitting senator, that every civilizationgoes through the peak of its development andthen collapses, then we are probably experiencinga golden age and perhaps the peak of the developmentof our hobby, but I also firmly believe that we arefar from the end, that we still have a lot of cardsup our sleeves, especially technological ones, andwe still have a lot to invent, imagine, and to excitethe modelers of today and the future. I also believethat, at least here in Europe, demographics are notforeshadowing anything negative. In Milovice thisyear, as in previous years, it certainly did not look likea retirement home. All age groups were representedboth among the visitors and among the competingmodelers, and we old farts were definitely not themajority. Perhaps, the vision of an early demiseultimately comes from the older minority, becausethat's simply the view of the world that older peopleoften have, regardless of nationality, social status,marital status, and practiced hobbies. But here italso seems to me that, even at this point, the modelworld is not bad off. Both at model exhibitions and ondiscussion forums, optimistic individuals, constantlyhungry for new things and dissatisfied with theirquantity, dominate. Which is saying something in thisday and age of abundance!So I read Professor Barta's book on the demise ofcivilizations, but after careful consideration I did notaccept his conclusions. I'd say it's because a lot of hisactivity takes place in and around tombs. That view ofthe world from the grave is just so... let's say, ‘specific’.When you're in a grave, the inevitable conclusion is,well…..inevitable.This year, we did some video documenting at E-day,using several cameras, and we also had severalphotographers there, recording the Q and A sessions,discussions and workshops. We will presenta complete report from the 21st year of E-day ina special edition of our newsletter that will come outin mid-October.Two weeks before E-day, there was one small,relatively short, but still important meeting.It concerned the money we collected four years agoin a fundraiser to support Václav Šorel, who wasfighting a serious illness at the time. Vaclav finallylost his battle. After his passing, almost $33,000USremained in the account of the foundation fund. Thismoney was transferred in mid-September to thenewly established Vaclav Šorel Foundation, which isheaded by his daughter, Magdalena Šorelova. I remaina member of the foundation's board of directors,along with Dr. Zdenek Šebesta. The foundation aimsto support children's modeling activities, children'scompetitions, children's modeling representationand other activities related to the education of theyoung modeling generation. About the Vaclav ŠorelFoundation proper, we will provide basic informationabout the activities and plans of the foundation,contacts, conditions for using support from thefoundation fund and other important informationin forthcoming issues of our newsletter. We believethat the foundation’s activities will also contribute tosupport modeling, sowing the seeds that will help itto remain with us for many years to come and will beenjoyed by many generations to follow.Well, I don’t see much of a need to go into any greatdetails about this month’s releases, as they have beenon sale and available for over a week now, and youcan get a good look at them below, in the pages ofthis issue of our newsletter. So, I wish you all a good,enjoyable read.Happy Modeling,Vladimir SulcEDITORIALINFO Eduard4October 2024Page 5
EDITORIALINFO Eduard5October 202480th Anniversary of the Air Battle Over the Ore Mountains
On Saturday, September 7, with some friends I attended an international aviation event , which commemorated the 80th anniversary of the air battle that took place on September 11, 1944, over Kovářská, Czech Republic, in the Ore Mountains. I have already visited several times Kovářská and its local museum, dedicated for many years to the air battle. This article is not only a summary of my impressions of the aviation event but also an outsider’s perspective on the broader context surrounding Kovářská and the battle itself.
A Freezing BattlefieldI have long been interested in history of aerialwarfare, particularly from the Second World War,but it wasn’t until this year that I truly graspedthe horrific conditions under which Americanbomber crews fought over Europe. Flying at alti-tudes comparable to the peaks of the Himalayas,they made their way to their targets and back totheir bases while enduring flak, enemy fighterattacks, freezing cold, and thin air. Every missi-on was a freezing equivalent of the Battle of theBulge. Unlike ground forces, they couldn’t takecover in trenches or hope for medical evacua-tion. They were virtually unprotected, with onlythe thin skin of their bombers‘ fuselage standingbetween them and the surrounding threats. Youprobably guessed correctly—I realized this whilewatching the series Masters of the Air.Bomber crews had to rely primarily on theirgunners and their pilots‘ skills, and strict disci-pline in maintaining formation. The tight forma-tions of bombers instilled fear in German fighterpilots, often causing panic. Fighter escorts werenot commonplace because, with few excepti-ons, American fighters did not provide direct,sustained escort to specific bomber groups.The fighters‘ range did not match that of the fou-r-engine bombers until early 1944. When a bom-ber was shot down over enemy territory, its crewmembers often had no idea where they were pa-rachuting, where their aircraft had crash-landed,or what awaited them on the ground.Many viewers held their breath while wat-ching the Masters of the Air series, particular-ly during the episode depicting the 100th BombGroup‘s loss of nine aircraft on August 17, 1943,during the raid on Regensburg, or during thescenes of the October 10, 1943, raid on Münster.The „Bloody Hundredth“ lost twelve aircraft in thatmission, and the only bomber to make it back tobase—despite having two engines knocked out—was flown by Lt. Robert „Rosie“ Rosenthal, whowould go on to become a legend within the unit.In the first half of 1944 the Luftwaffe was sys-tematically weakened by Allied bombing raidsand, most notably, by the determined efforts ofAmerican fighter units to destroy enemy fighteraircraft anytime, anywhere, and at any altitude.The fighting over Normandy in the summer of1944 was a bloodbath for German fighter units.Yet, on rare occasions, they still managed to in-flict heavy losses on individual bomber formati-ons over Germany. Fighter escorts were simplynot omnipresent. In addition, specialized Sturm-gruppen equipped with heavily armed and armo-red Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A aircraft joined the fight.Oil CampaignThe German petrochemical industry was a keytarget for Allied bombers. Both the US 8th and15th Air Forces, along with the British RAF, con-ducted a similar number of raids on these tar-gets during the so-called Oil Campaign. Each airforce carried out around 200 raids, collectivelydropping over 200,000 tons of bombs on Germanpetrochemical plants, with the RAF responsiblefor nearly half of that total. Despite the challen-ges of precision bombing, this campaign createdimmense difficulties for the Nazi regime. By thewar’s end, the Luftwaffe did not face a shortageof aircraft or pilots, although the quality of pilottraining had declined significantly. The main is-sue for Hitler’s armed forces was the lack of fuel.One significant event in this campaign occu-rred on September 11, 1944, when the US 8th AirForce conducted a major raid. The targets of itsthree bomber divisions were ten petrochemicalplants, including those in Ruhland-Schwarzheide,Böhlen, Chemnitz, and Brüx (now Most), locatedin the Sudetenland, a former Czechoslovakianborder region annexed by Germany in 1938 af-ter the Munich Agreement. Over 1,000 bombers,escorted by fighter aircraft from nearly every8th Air Force fighter group, flew deep into enemyterritory. The Luftwaffe scrambled more than 350fighter aircraft, its largest deployment since theNormandy invasion, but suffered heavy losses inthe ensuing battles.On Saturday, September 7, with some friends I attendedan international aviation event , which commemorated the80th anniversary of the air battle that took place on Sep-tember 11, 1944, over Kovářská, Czech Republic, in the OreMountains. I have already visited several times Kovářskáand its local museum, dedicated for many years to the airbattle. This article is not only a summary of my impres-sions of the aviation event but also an outsider’s perspec-tive on the broader context surrounding Kovářská and thebattle itself.Photo:Michael P. Faley,Jan Zdiarský andarchive of the Museumof Air Battle overthe Ore MountainsSome of the honorary guests associated with the 100th Bomb Group after the cere-mony at the memorial to fallen airmen in front of the school in Kovářská, 7 September2024.INFO Eduard6October 2024Page 7
A Freezing BattlefieldI have long been interested in history of aerialwarfare, particularly from the Second World War,but it wasn’t until this year that I truly graspedthe horrific conditions under which Americanbomber crews fought over Europe. Flying at alti-tudes comparable to the peaks of the Himalayas,they made their way to their targets and back totheir bases while enduring flak, enemy fighterattacks, freezing cold, and thin air. Every missi-on was a freezing equivalent of the Battle of theBulge. Unlike ground forces, they couldn’t takecover in trenches or hope for medical evacua-tion. They were virtually unprotected, with onlythe thin skin of their bombers‘ fuselage standingbetween them and the surrounding threats. Youprobably guessed correctly—I realized this whilewatching the series Masters of the Air.Bomber crews had to rely primarily on theirgunners and their pilots‘ skills, and strict disci-pline in maintaining formation. The tight forma-tions of bombers instilled fear in German fighterpilots, often causing panic. Fighter escorts werenot commonplace because, with few excepti-ons, American fighters did not provide direct,sustained escort to specific bomber groups.The fighters‘ range did not match that of the fou-r-engine bombers until early 1944. When a bom-ber was shot down over enemy territory, its crewmembers often had no idea where they were pa-rachuting, where their aircraft had crash-landed,or what awaited them on the ground.Many viewers held their breath while wat-ching the Masters of the Air series, particular-ly during the episode depicting the 100th BombGroup‘s loss of nine aircraft on August 17, 1943,during the raid on Regensburg, or during thescenes of the October 10, 1943, raid on Münster.The „Bloody Hundredth“ lost twelve aircraft in thatmission, and the only bomber to make it back tobase—despite having two engines knocked out—was flown by Lt. Robert „Rosie“ Rosenthal, whowould go on to become a legend within the unit.In the first half of 1944 the Luftwaffe was sys-tematically weakened by Allied bombing raidsand, most notably, by the determined efforts ofAmerican fighter units to destroy enemy fighteraircraft anytime, anywhere, and at any altitude.The fighting over Normandy in the summer of1944 was a bloodbath for German fighter units.Yet, on rare occasions, they still managed to in-flict heavy losses on individual bomber formati-ons over Germany. Fighter escorts were simplynot omnipresent. In addition, specialized Sturm-gruppen equipped with heavily armed and armo-red Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A aircraft joined the fight.Oil CampaignThe German petrochemical industry was a keytarget for Allied bombers. Both the US 8th and15th Air Forces, along with the British RAF, con-ducted a similar number of raids on these tar-gets during the so-called Oil Campaign. Each airforce carried out around 200 raids, collectivelydropping over 200,000 tons of bombs on Germanpetrochemical plants, with the RAF responsiblefor nearly half of that total. Despite the challen-ges of precision bombing, this campaign createdimmense difficulties for the Nazi regime. By thewar’s end, the Luftwaffe did not face a shortageof aircraft or pilots, although the quality of pilottraining had declined significantly. The main is-sue for Hitler’s armed forces was the lack of fuel.One significant event in this campaign occu-rred on September 11, 1944, when the US 8th AirForce conducted a major raid. The targets of itsthree bomber divisions were ten petrochemicalplants, including those in Ruhland-Schwarzheide,Böhlen, Chemnitz, and Brüx (now Most), locatedin the Sudetenland, a former Czechoslovakianborder region annexed by Germany in 1938 af-ter the Munich Agreement. Over 1,000 bombers,escorted by fighter aircraft from nearly every8th Air Force fighter group, flew deep into enemyterritory. The Luftwaffe scrambled more than 350fighter aircraft, its largest deployment since theNormandy invasion, but suffered heavy losses inthe ensuing battles.On Saturday, September 7, with some friends I attendedan international aviation event , which commemorated the80th anniversary of the air battle that took place on Sep-tember 11, 1944, over Kovářská, Czech Republic, in the OreMountains. I have already visited several times Kovářskáand its local museum, dedicated for many years to the airbattle. This article is not only a summary of my impres-sions of the aviation event but also an outsider’s perspec-tive on the broader context surrounding Kovářská and thebattle itself.Photo:Michael P. Faley,Jan Zdiarský andarchive of the Museumof Air Battle overthe Ore MountainsSome of the honorary guests associated with the 100th Bomb Group after the cere-mony at the memorial to fallen airmen in front of the school in Kovářská, 7 September2024.The Americans also experienced significantlosses, with the number of aircraft lost beingdouble that of previous weeks’ missions. Somebomber units faced severe trials. The 92nd BombGroup was particularly hard-hit when Focke--Wulfs from two Sturmgruppen broke throughthe fighter escort, destroying eight B-17s overGermany, with three more crashing in Alliedterritory. The 100th Bomb Group endured an evenmore brutal fight, making this mission the secon-d-worst in its history.Fighting Over Thuringiaand the Ore MountainsFrom the British base at Thorpe Abbotts,a total of 36 bombers from the 349th, 350th,351st, and 418th Bomb Squadrons flew over ene-my territory. Aforementioned „Rosie“ Rosenthal,commander of the 350th Squadron, did not parti-cipate in this raid, having been wounded the daybefore during a combat mission over southwestGermany. He was in the hospital after an emer-gency landing in France.The 100th Bomb Group‘s target was the Brabagpetrochemical plant in Schwarzheide nearRuhland. Their fighter escort first encounteredGerman fighters over Oberhof in Thuringia. Theformation of B-17 bombers was soon attacked byheavily armed Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8/R2s fromII (Sturm)/JG 4 and Messerschmitt Bf 109 Gs fromIII/JG 4. Fourteen B-17s were shot down in suc-cession, with about half of them crashing in thetown of Schmiedeberg (now Kovářská) or in itssurrounding areas in the Ore Mountains (Czech:Krušné hory, German: Erzgebirge). Thirteen ofthe downed crews were from the „Bloody Hun-dredth,“ nine of which belonged to Rosenthal‘s350th Squadron. One bomber‘s rear fuselage lan-ded on the roof of a local school with an air-raidshelternestled in the basement. It was midday onMonday, and the children not only endured theterror of the battle overhead but also the shockof the bomber crashing into their school just abo-ve them. Miraculously, one airman survived thefuselage‘s impact on the roof.Shortly after the devastating strike on theFlying Fortresses, Mustang fighters arrived onthe scene. Along with the bombers‘ gunners,they managed to bring down many German figh-ters, resulting in losses for JG 4 exceeding fortyaircraft. Some of the German fighters crashed di-rectly in the Schmiedeberg area. The Americanslost four Mustangs while defending the bomberformation, and dozens of aircraft were dow-ned over the relatively small mountain terrain.Fifty-three American airmen were either killedin combat or died of injuries in German captivi-ty, while 48 others survived and returned fromcaptivity after the war. Several bombers limpedback to base with damage and wounded crewmembers onboard. Yet, despite these losses, the100th Bomb Group took off for another raid thevery next day.JG 4, meanwhile, suffered heavy casualties,with 21 killed and 10 seriously or critically woun-ded in the fighting over the Ore Mountains.KovářskáFor the inhabitants of Schmiedeberg, the airbattle and its aftermath were a complete shock.Even the following day, wreckage from the planescontinued to burn near their homes. Until then,the war had not directly touched this mountainregion. However, local families had already suf-fered losses, with many men either killed or mi-ssing in action on the Eastern Front—this aftermost of the population had initially welcomed theannexation by the Reich in 1938.Schmiedeberg was founded in the 14th cen-tury, its population mainly consisting of Germanswho had migrated to the Bohemian Kingdom fromWestern Europe to settle the border regions (socalled Sudetenland). The original German nameSchmiedeberg meant „smithy hill“. After the es-tablishment of Czechoslovakia in 1918, the Czechversion of name, Šmídeberk, was also used,though German remained the common and offi-cial language for the German minority in Czecho-slovakia. Before World War II, Schmiedeberg wasa prosperous town with over 5,000 inhabitants.After the war, the Czechoslovak authorities re-turned to the region, leading to the displacementof most of the German population of Czechoslo-vakia to Germany. In 1947, the town was renamedKovářská, meaning „smith‘s“.New inhabitants arrived from other parts ofCzechoslovakia, as well as from Hungary andRomania, as in other areas of the Sudetenland.A formation of B-17Gs belonging to the 350th BS, 100th Bomb Group.Monday, September 9, 2024 - A rainbow over theschool in Kovarska, exactly where the rear of B-17G42-102657 crashed on September 11, 1944.INFO Eduard7October 2024Page 8
Although the northern neighbour was now thesocialist state of East Germany from 1949, thestate border divided the mountain region. Withthe rise of the Kremlin-controlled communistgovernment in Czechoslovakia and the onset ofthe Cold War, efforts were made to erase the me-mory of U.S. military involvement in the liberationof parts of Czech territory. While memories of thetragic air battle of September 11, 1944, were par-tially preserved on the German side of the OreMountains, few on the Czech side were aware ofit, and it was not encouraged to take an interestin the American aerial combat with the Germans.As a result, the children of the new residentswent to school in Kovářská with no knowledge ofthe dramatic event that had taken place in theautumn of 1944, right in their school building.Revived HistoryGradually, however, the events of the war be-gan to resurface. Wreckage of planes remainedin the area, visible traces of damage lingered onhouses, and some residents shared memories orpassed along information. Aviation archaeologyslowly became possible during the final two de-cades of the communist regime. A group of localenthusiasts, including my current colleague JanZdiarský, began investigating the details of the airbattle—who had participated, where the wrec-kage of downed planes lay, and, often, where theremains of airmen were located. In 1984, a boys‘amateur search began, which led, more thana decade later, to the opening of a museum dedi-cated to the air battle. The year 1989 and the fallof the communist dictatorship brought freedomof travel and communication, making it possibleto connect with veterans from both sides of theconflict. This allowed collaboration with rese-arch groups in the Czech Republic, neighboringGermany, and various memorials and archives,which together uncovered the full and unexpec-ted scale of the air battle, helping to piece to-gether the larger historical picture.On the 50th anniversary of the battle, Septem-ber 11, 1994, a monument to the downed airmenwas unveiled in Kovářská. The local elementa-ry school, already known for the fact that therear part of one of the downed B-17s had fallenon it during the battle, was given the honoraryname „Sgt. J. C. Kluttz Elementary School,“ af-ter the B-17 tail gunner, who survived the crash.The memorial was unveiled by Czech aviation ve-terans, including members of the British Royal AirForce. Two of them, Gen. František Fajtl, DFC, andCol. Alois Šiška, removed the white cloth from themonument dedicated to their Allied comrades, aswell as their former Luftwaffe enemies, at the pre-cise moment when the watch of one of the downedairmen had stopped fifty years earlier.The Museum of the Air Battle Over the OreMountains was founded in 1996, following morethan twelve years of documentation and histo-rical research by the Letecko historická skupinaKovářská (Kovářská aviation historical group)and the SLET Plzeň. The third founding entity wasthe municipality of Kovářská, which provided thepremises, financial support, and continues to bea key supporter of the museum‘s activities.On the eve of the main day of the meeting, on Friday, 7 September, the new part of the exhibition, which the muse-um had been preparing for several years, was officially opened.Two couples from the group of American guests at this year’s meeting. Lodi and Tim Claypole on the left and Cher-yl and Brad Hempy on the right. The display case behind Lodi Claypole belongs to the crew of Lt. Howard R. Schul-te, in which her father, Sgt. Lester Swink, served as radio operator. Brad Hempy’s uncle, Lt. Harry M. Hempy, alongwith his co-pilot Jack W. Janssen, brought their B-17 back to base from that battle with only two working engines.This B-17 is the subject of the display case that Brad Hempy is currently standing at. Both cases were previouslyrepresented in the display, but were given more space in the newly opened section where they were moved.Gunner Butler, a member of the current U.S. Air Force,stands near the wreckage of the tail of B-17G 42-97834in which his great-grandfather, S/Sgt. William E. Kenney,the rear gunner of the crew of Lt. Everitt, was seriouslywounded.INFO Eduard8October 2024Page 9
Although the northern neighbour was now thesocialist state of East Germany from 1949, thestate border divided the mountain region. Withthe rise of the Kremlin-controlled communistgovernment in Czechoslovakia and the onset ofthe Cold War, efforts were made to erase the me-mory of U.S. military involvement in the liberationof parts of Czech territory. While memories of thetragic air battle of September 11, 1944, were par-tially preserved on the German side of the OreMountains, few on the Czech side were aware ofit, and it was not encouraged to take an interestin the American aerial combat with the Germans.As a result, the children of the new residentswent to school in Kovářská with no knowledge ofthe dramatic event that had taken place in theautumn of 1944, right in their school building.Revived HistoryGradually, however, the events of the war be-gan to resurface. Wreckage of planes remainedin the area, visible traces of damage lingered onhouses, and some residents shared memories orpassed along information. Aviation archaeologyslowly became possible during the final two de-cades of the communist regime. A group of localenthusiasts, including my current colleague JanZdiarský, began investigating the details of the airbattle—who had participated, where the wrec-kage of downed planes lay, and, often, where theremains of airmen were located. In 1984, a boys‘amateur search began, which led, more thana decade later, to the opening of a museum dedi-cated to the air battle. The year 1989 and the fallof the communist dictatorship brought freedomof travel and communication, making it possibleto connect with veterans from both sides of theconflict. This allowed collaboration with rese-arch groups in the Czech Republic, neighboringGermany, and various memorials and archives,which together uncovered the full and unexpec-ted scale of the air battle, helping to piece to-gether the larger historical picture.On the 50th anniversary of the battle, Septem-ber 11, 1994, a monument to the downed airmenwas unveiled in Kovářská. The local elementa-ry school, already known for the fact that therear part of one of the downed B-17s had fallenon it during the battle, was given the honoraryname „Sgt. J. C. Kluttz Elementary School,“ af-ter the B-17 tail gunner, who survived the crash.The memorial was unveiled by Czech aviation ve-terans, including members of the British Royal AirForce. Two of them, Gen. František Fajtl, DFC, andCol. Alois Šiška, removed the white cloth from themonument dedicated to their Allied comrades, aswell as their former Luftwaffe enemies, at the pre-cise moment when the watch of one of the downedairmen had stopped fifty years earlier.The Museum of the Air Battle Over the OreMountains was founded in 1996, following morethan twelve years of documentation and histo-rical research by the Letecko historická skupinaKovářská (Kovářská aviation historical group)and the SLET Plzeň. The third founding entity wasthe municipality of Kovářská, which provided thepremises, financial support, and continues to bea key supporter of the museum‘s activities.On the eve of the main day of the meeting, on Friday, 7 September, the new part of the exhibition, which the muse-um had been preparing for several years, was officially opened.Two couples from the group of American guests at this year’s meeting. Lodi and Tim Claypole on the left and Cher-yl and Brad Hempy on the right. The display case behind Lodi Claypole belongs to the crew of Lt. Howard R. Schul-te, in which her father, Sgt. Lester Swink, served as radio operator. Brad Hempy’s uncle, Lt. Harry M. Hempy, alongwith his co-pilot Jack W. Janssen, brought their B-17 back to base from that battle with only two working engines.This B-17 is the subject of the display case that Brad Hempy is currently standing at. Both cases were previouslyrepresented in the display, but were given more space in the newly opened section where they were moved.Gunner Butler, a member of the current U.S. Air Force,stands near the wreckage of the tail of B-17G 42-97834in which his great-grandfather, S/Sgt. William E. Kenney,the rear gunner of the crew of Lt. Everitt, was seriouslywounded.In September 1997, the former opponents ofthe battle—German and American airmen—metin Kovářská for the first time in 53 years to inau-gurate the museum together. For the first timesince World War II, they returned to the veryplaces where they had experienced the horrificevents of September 11, 1944. They stood againwhere they had parachuted from burning plan-es, or where their comrades had fallen. In manycases, something extraordinary happened—fri-endships were formed between former enemies,something they likely never imagined.I have attended several of these reunions, andeach visit has been an enriching experience. Themuseum itself has expanded its exhibits eve-ry year for nearly three decades. I also had theprivilege of speaking with some of the veterans.A conversation with Don Bradley, who participa-ted in the air battle as the 100th Bomb Group‘son-board photographer, remains vivid in my me-mory. Equally unforgettable is Hellmut Detjens ofIII./JG 4, who recounted how he shot down oneof the Flying Fortresses with his Messerschmitt.I also remember meeting people whose na-mes I did not know. One former German residentof Kovářská told me how, as a schoolboy, heexperienced the raid while hiding in a corridorin the basement of the school building. On ano-ther occasion, I helped translate a conversationbetween a young American air officer and a vete-ran of JG 4. The elderly gentleman, deeply affec-ted by his wartime experiences, held a stronganti-war stance. As a survivor of Hitler’s war ofconquest, he emphasized to his young Americancolleague that nations should never go to war,especially not over pretexts like oil.The organizers once invited me to bring ina veteran of JG 54, Mr. Heribert Koller, to speak.As with the other wartime airmen, the publicshowed great interest in him. After the talk, Mr.Koller surprised everyone by saying he wantedto take a picture of the audience. At his advancedage, he nimbly climbed onto a chair and immor-talized the astonished crowd with his camera.Many similar encounters have created a per-sonal connection to the town of Kovářská and theair battle for veterans, their families, residentsfrom both the Czech and German sides of theThe 80th anniversary event was well atten-ded. By some estimates, attendance exceeded4,000 visitors.During the ceremony at theFallen Airmen’s Memorial, thenames of all those who perishedin the battle were read in alpha-betical order, without distinctionof nationality. The names wereread by family members of air-men shot down or participatingin the battle.Pictured at right is John Gately,whose father participated inthe battle as a tail gunner inthe crew of Lt. Bennett andwas among the lucky oneswho returned to base that day.INFO Eduard9October 2024Page 10
Ore Mountains, and aviation history enthusiasts.Kovářská has become one of the key places forfamilies of veterans—not just from the 100thBomb Group—to visit. However, time is relentless,and after eighty years, very few veterans remain.That’s why I’m even more fascinated when I seerecent footage from the USA of 102-year-oldJohn „Lucky“ Luckadoo, a former pilot from the100th BG, presenting historical topics. He standstall, without a cane, speaking confidently intoa microphone without notes. That’s the kind ofform I hope to be in at 102 as well.80th AnniversaryThis year‘s international aviation meeting,commemorating the 80th anniversary of the airbattle, attracted significant interest from boththe Czech and German public. Although noneof the veterans were able to attend in person,it was heartwarming to see their family mem-bers as honoured guests.The ceremony, symbolically opened aftera parade of historic vehicles at the exact momentthe tragic battle took place over the town, inclu-ded speeches in Czech, English, and German. Thenames of all the fallen airmen from both sideswere also read aloud, with their descendants ta-king part in this moving tribute.Due to the overwhelming interest, it was ini-tially difficult to enter the museum, which hadexpanded its exhibition and added a charmingaviation-themed café. The public‘s enthusiasmwas evident, with displays of combat gear andmilitary equipment from the Second World Warset up in and around Kovářská.I was particularly interested in the presen-tations and equipment demonstrations by theinternational team of Army Nurse Corps volun-teers. This time, they focused on the work of U.S.Army flight nurses. Their presence is a highlightat many major events across Europe, and I highlyrecommend seeing them in action. Another me-morable display was the demonstration of U.S.survival equipment used after parachute jumps—something you don‘t often see. In fact, I suspectsome modern air forces may not even have suchadvanced gear today.The program also featured an exhibition ofplastic models, demonstrations of RC models,a group parachute jump, and musical performan-ces.In the afternoon, a convoy of historic vehic-les took the family members of the 100th BombGroup to the site where one of the unit‘s bomberscrashed. The families of three airmen who died inthe crash were present, along with several do-zen members of the public attending the event.At a memorial service at the crash site, the Ame-rican guests received small pieces of the planethat had carried their ancestors on their lastcombat flight.I was intrigued by two presentations that tookplace under an overcrowded U.S. Army WWII tent,which from a distance appeared to stand on do-zens of human feet. In the first presentation, JanZdiarský, director of the Museum of the Air Battleover the Ore Mountains, described the bac-kground and course of the battle. Like every pre-sentation by Jan, this one was exceptional. Forinstance, I had not previously understood whyone of the Me 163 Komet pilots had been invitedamong the air battle veterans. In fact, during theReenactment groups from the Czech Republic and Germany have a strong presence at events in Kovářská. Someof them bring their original equipment and accessories to the extreme. Such as the group of fighter pilots orient-ed here on Jagdgeschwader 4 in the period summer/autumn 1944.The Allied armies, especially the US Army and its part, the USAAF, have a major presence in the reenactment.For example, this year’s premiere was the amazing reenactment by the ladies of the Flying Nurses, whose tentsare in the background of the bottom photo.A discussion with 100th Bomb Group historian and expert advisor to the Masters of the Air movie series,Michael P. Faley, drew great interest. It was held in a large WWII US Army tent.INFO Eduard10October 2024Page 11
Ore Mountains, and aviation history enthusiasts.Kovářská has become one of the key places forfamilies of veterans—not just from the 100thBomb Group—to visit. However, time is relentless,and after eighty years, very few veterans remain.That’s why I’m even more fascinated when I seerecent footage from the USA of 102-year-oldJohn „Lucky“ Luckadoo, a former pilot from the100th BG, presenting historical topics. He standstall, without a cane, speaking confidently intoa microphone without notes. That’s the kind ofform I hope to be in at 102 as well.80th AnniversaryThis year‘s international aviation meeting,commemorating the 80th anniversary of the airbattle, attracted significant interest from boththe Czech and German public. Although noneof the veterans were able to attend in person,it was heartwarming to see their family mem-bers as honoured guests.The ceremony, symbolically opened aftera parade of historic vehicles at the exact momentthe tragic battle took place over the town, inclu-ded speeches in Czech, English, and German. Thenames of all the fallen airmen from both sideswere also read aloud, with their descendants ta-king part in this moving tribute.Due to the overwhelming interest, it was ini-tially difficult to enter the museum, which hadexpanded its exhibition and added a charmingaviation-themed café. The public‘s enthusiasmwas evident, with displays of combat gear andmilitary equipment from the Second World Warset up in and around Kovářská.I was particularly interested in the presen-tations and equipment demonstrations by theinternational team of Army Nurse Corps volun-teers. This time, they focused on the work of U.S.Army flight nurses. Their presence is a highlightat many major events across Europe, and I highlyrecommend seeing them in action. Another me-morable display was the demonstration of U.S.survival equipment used after parachute jumps—something you don‘t often see. In fact, I suspectsome modern air forces may not even have suchadvanced gear today.The program also featured an exhibition ofplastic models, demonstrations of RC models,a group parachute jump, and musical performan-ces.In the afternoon, a convoy of historic vehic-les took the family members of the 100th BombGroup to the site where one of the unit‘s bomberscrashed. The families of three airmen who died inthe crash were present, along with several do-zen members of the public attending the event.At a memorial service at the crash site, the Ame-rican guests received small pieces of the planethat had carried their ancestors on their lastcombat flight.I was intrigued by two presentations that tookplace under an overcrowded U.S. Army WWII tent,which from a distance appeared to stand on do-zens of human feet. In the first presentation, JanZdiarský, director of the Museum of the Air Battleover the Ore Mountains, described the bac-kground and course of the battle. Like every pre-sentation by Jan, this one was exceptional. Forinstance, I had not previously understood whyone of the Me 163 Komet pilots had been invitedamong the air battle veterans. In fact, during theReenactment groups from the Czech Republic and Germany have a strong presence at events in Kovářská. Someof them bring their original equipment and accessories to the extreme. Such as the group of fighter pilots orient-ed here on Jagdgeschwader 4 in the period summer/autumn 1944.The Allied armies, especially the US Army and its part, the USAAF, have a major presence in the reenactment.For example, this year’s premiere was the amazing reenactment by the ladies of the Flying Nurses, whose tentsare in the background of the bottom photo.A discussion with 100th Bomb Group historian and expert advisor to the Masters of the Air movie series,Michael P. Faley, drew great interest. It was held in a large WWII US Army tent.return of the American formation, he had shotdown the last B-17 of that formation near Leipzig,after it had gone through the bloody slaughterover the Ore Mountains.The highlight of the day for me was a dis-cussion with Michael P. Faley, the historian ofthe 100th Bomb Group and a consultant for theMasters of the Air series. It was absolutely fas-cinating to hear how the families of the veteranswere involved in the production of the series, of-ten uncovering the past of their siblings, fathers,and grandfathers for the first time since thewar. The series was partly created during theCOVID-19 pandemic, making communication withan international team that was often unable tomeet in person quite challenging. Mike spoke ca-ndidly about the compromises the creators hadto make in the script, as well as the portrayal ofevents that seemed incredible to the filmmakers.However, thanks to historical documents, Mr. Fa-ley was able to convince them. One such scenedepicted „Rosie“ Rosenthal‘s maneuvering fightwith German fighters during the raid on Münsteron October 10, 1943.The organizers successfully accommodatedan unexpectedly large number of visitors to theevent, demonstrating that this anniversary holdssignificance not only for the Czech public but alsoresonates strongly with the German neighboursof this mountain region.In the years to come, I wish the museum teamdedicated to this air battle many more discove-ries and new encounters with the descendantsof the participants. One of the downed airmenis still missing, and his family is waiting for hisreturn home after his last battle over the OreMountains in the heart of distant Europe. Thisremains as one of significant tasks for the mu-seum‘s volunteers and their friends in Kovářská.Since the 100th Bomb GroupFoundation, of which MichaelFaley is Vice President, wasEduard’s partner for thelimited edition B-17F 1/48“The Bloody Hundredth 1943”,Mike received his personalbox directly from VladimirŠulc.The public program included a visit to the crash site of B-17G 42-97834, with family members of three crew-members from that aircraft. The photo below shows a display case dedicated to this aircraft and its crew.INFO Eduard11October 2024FIREWORKS OVER BUDAPEST
In 1944 Hungarian oil took on an added importance in the planning of Germany’s oil plant dispersal program. Hungarian crude had always been of particular value in view of its 30 per cent gasoline content as compared with an average gasoline content of German and Austrian crude oils of not more than 10 per cent. In the Geilenberg dispersal program an important part in gasoline production was to be played by the plants designated as Ofen, which were primitive topping plants. Over twenty of these plants were planned and their most efficient feedstock would have been Hungarian crude by the use of which the gasoline offtake of these plants would ‘have been three times as large as the use of German crudes would have allowed. While the capacities of the Hungarian refineries were small compared to other larger refineries in other Axis held European countries, their value to the Axis was greatly out of proportion to their capacities because of their strategic locations and because Hungarian crude oil was being produced in excess of Hungarian refining capacity. Air offensive against Hungarian important strategical war targets started in February 1944, but the first raid on oil refinery was on 14 June 1944, performed by the USAAF during daylight. The first night attack of the RAF bombers was realized on night from 12 to 13. June 1944, when oil refinery was bombed. The raiders were the crews of 205. Group RAF. And more attacks on Hungarian oil refineries followed...
HISTORYIn 1944 Hungarian oil took on an added importance in the planning of Germany’soil plant dispersal program. Hungarian crude had always been of particular valuein view of its 30 per cent gasoline content as compared with an average gasolinecontent of German and Austrian crude oils of not more than 10 per cent. In theGeilenberg dispersal program an important part in gasoline production was tobe played by the plants designated as Ofen, which were primitive topping plants.Over twenty of these plants were planned and their most efficient feedstockwould have been Hungarian crude by the use of which the gasoline offtake ofthese plants would ‘have been three times as large as the use of German crudeswould have allowed. While the capacities of the Hungarian refineries were smallcompared to other larger refineries in other Axis held European countries, theirvalue to the Axis was greatly out of proportion to their capacities because oftheir strategic locations and because Hungarian crude oil was being produced inexcess of Hungarian refining capacity. Air offensive against Hungarian importantstrategical war targets started in February 1944, but the first raid on oil refinerywas on 14 June 1944, performed by the USAAF during daylight. The first nightattack of the RAF bombers was realized on night from 12 to 13. June 1944, when oilrefinery was bombed. The raiders were the crews of 205. Group RAF. And moreattacks on Hungarian oil refineries followed...Sky over Budapest. Flares and markersfrom the bomber decks fall from themountain, and anti-aircraft artillery head-lights and missile missiles illuminate theattackers from the ground.INFO Eduard12October 2024Page 13
Attack of 205. Group RAFat the Shell refinery, BudapestIn 1944, the 205th Group of the British RoyalAir Force was included in the subordinationof MASAF (Mediterranean Allied StrategicAir Force). As part of the British BomberCommand since its formation in 1941, it hasbeen instrumental in destroying Rommel‘ssupply lines by bombing the ports of Tripoli,Benghazi and Bizerte on the African continent.Its squadron, mostly armed with Wellingtonbombers of various versions, operated fromthe Egyptian base of Kabrit and Shallufa.After Rommel‘s troops were expelled fromNorth Africa, the squadrons of the 205th RAFGroup moved to Tunis. During the months ofMay and June 1943, they supported the Alliedlandings in Sicily and Italy by night bombingfrom the Kairouan base.After a successful invasion and the transferof Allied air activity to air bases in Italy,during the winter, spring and summer of 1944,the 205th Group gradually came under thecommand of the US 15th Air Force. It thusbecame the only RAF unit in the history ofthe British Royal Air Force to fall under theoperational control of another country. Wemust also mention at this point that in the RAFsystem, the Group was a higher organizationalunit than the Wing - unlike the US Air Force.Following the liberation of southern Italyand the establishment of an air base in theFoggia area, units under the 205th RAF Grouphave relocated to their new locations:- 231. Wing was deployed at the base ofTortorella. It consisted of the 37th and 70thSquadron, which were armed with WellingtonB.Mk.X bombers;- 236. Wing was deployed at the base ofFoggia and consisted of 40th and 104thSquadron. Wellington B.Mk.X aircraft werealso in service;- 240th Wing operated from the base ofAmendola and consisted of the 178th Squadron,which was armed with Liberator B.Mk.VI and614th Squadron, which operated on the Britishbombers Handley Page Halifax B.Mk.II. At theend of June, the South African 31st Squadron,which had Liberator B.Mk.VI bombers, wastemporarily active within the 240th Wing;- 330. Wing was deployed at Regina Base. Histwo subordinate 142nd and 150th Squadronwere both in service again using bomberVickers Wellington B.Mk.X.Another Wing was created in July. The 2ndSAAF (South African Air Force) Wing wasdeployed at Celone Airport and consisted ofthe 31st and 34th Squadrons, both armed withLiberator aircraft.The most important task of the 205th RAFGroup in 1944 was the mining of the Danubeunder the code name „Operation Gardening“.However, in the spring and summer of 1944,the bombers also targeted the supply points ofenemy units such as ports, marshalling yardsand bridges, as well as refineries and fueldepots. Crews attacked targets in northernItaly, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Hungaryand Austria.On the night of June 25-26, 1944, the 205thGroup bombers were tasked with attacking theShell Koolaz refinery in the Csepel district ofBudapest. Let us make one remark here. Thename Koolaz is taken from the Hungarianword from the word Kőolaj, which, however,does not mean anything other than crude oilin translation, and therefore the name wouldsound correct to Shell‘s crude oil refinery,Budapest. Shell began construction ofa refinery in Csepel in 1929. Plans wereprovided by Dutch engineers, but theequipment came from Hungary. The refinerywas put into production in 1930. Shell alsoadded a warehouse with tanks for oil products,unloading and workshops to the refinery. Untilthe mid-1930s, the refinery produced a quarterof Hungarian oil production. But let‘s go back tothe events of 1944.From the Italian bases, 75 Wellingtonsbelonging to the 231st, 236th and 330thWing, 21 Liberators of the 240th Wing andsix Halifaxes of the 614th Squadron took off.The crews of one Wellington, one Liberatorand two Halifaxes had to return prematurely.HISTORYAirmen from the crews of the 37th Squadron leave the combat mission after returning tiredto report to the intelligence officer.Aerial view and situational drawing of the Csepel peninsula on the Danube in Budapest, where several oil processing facilities were located next to each other.[Foto: USAAF a Janos Lazanyi]INFO Eduard13October 2024Page 14
HISTORYThe three photographs on the left side and the photograph above show the damage to the Shell refinery in Budapest Csepel after the RAF and USAAF bombing raids in thesummer of 1944.The crew of one Wellington had to drop theirbombs in an emergency.A total of 73 Wellingtons, 20 Liberatorsand two Halifaxes flew over the target,dropping 182.6 tons of bombs of various types,including several 4,000 pound (1,716 kg) bombs.The bombing took place from 23:35 on June25 until 00:10 June 26. The bomber crewsreported the scattered impacts of individualbombs around the target in the areas of Csepel,Budafok, Újpest, Pestszenterzsébet, Ráckeve,Dunaharaszti. Numerous explosions and fireswere observed, but the refinery experiencedonly minimal damage. Three Halifaxesilluminated the target by dropping markerINFO Eduard14October 2024Page 15
lights. The strikes were recorded at the portpool and port facilities north of the target.In the still unfinished premises of thedistribution company Magyar Olajművek Rt.five cubic meters of roofing materials weredamaged by the attack and the main buildingwas hit.For example, Weiss Manfréd Works, locatedsouth of the port, received 67 hits. In additionto the Shell refinery and the distributioncompany Magyar Olajművek Rt. Vacuum OilCompany, The Steaua Hungarian Petroleum Co.,Shell and Hungarian-Belgian Mineral Oil Co.also had storage facilities for rent. During theraid, the adjacent District IX (Ferencváros) andthe Fanto refinery on Soroksári Street and theHungarian Petroleum Industry on Kén Streetwere not significantly affected.Leaflets were also dropped over the targetarea.There was a slight, not very precise flakof various calibers in the target area. Threeunidentified twin-engine enemy aircraft werespotted. There were air battles with enemynight fighters. Onboard gunners 231st Wingclaimed one probable victory. The British lostsix Wellingtons in this raid - three of the 231stWing and three of the 330th Wing, and oneHalifax of the 614th Squadron.Fourteen Wellingtons (LP257, LP255, LN750,LN810, ME875 „X“, MF121, LN790 „C“, LP182,MF116, LN958 „A“, MF130, LP502 „H“, ME989 andMF241 „B“) were prepared with crews of 37thSquadron for action against the Shell refineryin Budapest. Twelve of them got over the target,where their crews dropped 18.5 tons of bombsa minute to five minutes after midnight froma height of 9,000 - 11,500 feet. The impact ofthe bombs was observed in the northern partof Csepel Island and in the area of the ManfredWeiss Works factory.After the action, the 37th Squadron wasmissing two machines. The crew of P/O pilotBruce Eassie (RAAF) took off at 21:01 from theairport. For no reason, their Vickers WellingtonMk.X LN958 „A“ crashed near Gárdony, nearLake Velence. However, the crew jumped onparachutes and together with the pilot werecaptured Sgt. J. Pettit, Sgt. R.L. Scott, Sgt. G.G.P.Hine, Sgt. R. Lowing and F/Sgt J.J. McClurg.After the initial internment in the Budapestprison, some airmen traveled, probably non-commissioned officers, including R.L. Scott onJuly 10 to the Stalag Luft IV camp in Tychow andat the end of the war they moved to Stalag LuftXI.B located near Hanover. Pilot Bruce Eassiespent captivity from Aug. 6. at the Stalag LuftIII camp in Sagan and at the end of the war healso moved to Tarnstedt.The second lost squadron machine was theWellington Mk.X ME875 „X“. The entire crewfell victim to a night fighter, probably Oblt.Knieling over the Hungarian city of Fürged.Pilot W/O Richard Brandon Mander (RNZAF),navigator Sgt. Laurence Forrester Grindle,radio operator Sgt. William George Amey,bombaimer F/Sgt. Edward Jones and gunnerF/Sgt. Leonard Robert Jones. They are allburied in the military cemetery in Budapest.Another victim of the same German fighterwas probably the crew from the 70th Squadron,commanded by pilot W/O Kevin James Hiskins(RAAF). After a night fighter attack, theirburning Wellington LP228 „W“ landed inErdösháza-puszta, near Martonvásár inHungary. Together with the pilot died alsobombaimer F/Sgt Sidney Raymond Lewis,navigator F/Sgt Roy David McAlister Howden(RAAF), W.Op / Air.G. W/O George AlexanderWilliams and gunner F/Sgt. Finlay EwartMunro Crawford (RAAF). Hiskins is buried ingrave II.A.6., other airmen in common graveII.A. places 7-10.HISTORYOblt. Wolfgang Knieling. They award him 5 to 7 victories.He died on the night of August 7-8, 1944, when he washit by the Wellington defensive fire near Graz. Duringhis military career, he flew with II./NJG 1, III./NJG 3,4./NJG 5, Stab II./NJG 5 and Stab III./NJG 6.Pilot Bruce Eassie in a photo from enlistingin the military. (via RAAF archive)W/O Richard B. Mander (RNZAF), pilot of the 37th Squadron, captain of the Wellington Mk.X ME875 „X“, who died with hiscrew on June 26, 1944 near the city of Fürged and next to him a photograph of his tombstone in the cemetery in Budapest.INFO Eduard15October 2024Page 16
Hiskins‘ crew was part of the twelve thatthe 70th Squadron sent into action that night.Between 21:04 - 21:17 took off and headedover Hungary and Budapest Wellington LP348„V“ (W/O K Turley), LN751 „T“ (Lt. GB Marquard),LN873 „B“ (F/S GA Seagrove), LP267 „N“( P/O PD Nihill), LP130 „D“ (W/O GJ Custance),JA471 „A“ (F/S BJN Bensley), JA508 „Z“ (F/O COEllison), MF236 „R“ (S/L BM O´Connor), JA520„X“ (F/O DA Sandman), LN699 „C“ (Lt. NK Weeks)and HE493 „P“ (F/O HW James).The crew in the machine marked „W“under the command of F/S Hiskins stoppedradiocorrespodence during the flight to thedestination home. We have already mentionedthe reason. The remaining 11 crews had goodweather during their arrival ovrer the target.They identified a turning point according toa green marker on the ground. Above thetarget, however, the situation with the targetdesignation has worsened. They could notidentify markers from the 614th Squadron,nor did the main marker respond. Onlythe northern tip of the target was marked.Photograph from August 18, 1944, when therefinery repair began. [Foto: Ferenc Kamme-rer, Hungarian Oil and Gas Museum]HISTORYINFO Eduard16October 2024Page 17
Therefore, seven crews bombed only thepresumed location of the target. All 11 crewsreturned home, but W/O Custance on the LP130„D“ had an accident, when after a turn over thetarget and a subsequent descent collided withanother arriving Wellington. The collision toreoff 6-7 feet of his right wing. However, the pilotand co-pilot managed to haul the damagedmachine to the home airport and land. Identityof the second participant of the collision is yetunknown. Either was the damage minimal andwas not reported or what is more probable,it was one of the lost planes.Also nine crews of the 104th Squadron(LP131 „L“ F/S JJ Laughton, LP499 „B“ F/O EABillen LN841 „C“ F/S Courtney, MF420 „N“ P/OPJT Pile, LP122 „V“ F/S RWG Taylor, LN977 „R“W/O CT Cutler, LN754 „W“ W/O DGD Whitehead,MF137 „H“ P/O KC Harrison, LP338 „G“ P/O TTCStephenes) aimed at a refinery in Hungariancapital. They arrived over the target withoutany problems. However, the impact of thebombs was unconcentrated. Most of the planesbombed according to the focus on the firedflares and therefore inaccurate. The resultswere not observable. The markers markedonly the northern part of the target. The workwas disturbed by 25-30 headlights.From the 142nd Squadron took off fromAmendola Airport between 20:20 and 21:00fifteen Wellington Mk.X. They were HZ516„O“ pilot F/S C Morgan, LN262 „P“ F/S D Dean,MF120 „Q“ F/O K Jones, LN700 „R“ Lt. K Kelly,LN767 „S“ F/S J Ashwell, „U“ (serial unknown)Cpt. VD Westhuisen, LP297 „V“ Lt. W Wallace,LN719 „A“ F/Lt. J Long, LN808 „B“ P/O EGalloway, LP117 „C“ F/S P Cooke, LN748 „E“ F/SSchonfield, LN914 „G“ Lt. J Koekemoer, LP189„H“ W/O S Bryant, MF371 „K“ F/S C Hill and LP467„L“ pilot F/O H Morton.The LN748 with the fuselage code „E“ carrieda crew commanded by F/Sgt. JW Scholefield.However, it did not manage to reach thetarget. They were shot down by a night fighter,probably Oblt. Wilhelm Johnen from 8./NJG 6.A burning bomber landed at Dunaharaszti inHungary. Along with the pilot, also died F/Sgt.J Thompson, Sgt. GR McKnight and Sgt.D Nelson. The only one who escaped byparachute was Sgt. J Robertson (RCAF) andended up in captivity.The 150th Squadron lacked two bombersafter returning from night action. WellingtonMk.X LN811 „L“ took off from Amendola Airportinto the dark night at 20:46. During the fighting,he was hit by a flak and exploded. Radioperator F/Sgt. Stanley Jeacocke DFM (RAAF)was the only one to survive, remembering thatnight years later as follows:“After setting course from Lake Balaton toBudapest we encountered terrific Flak whichappeared to be box barrage at first, but aftertaking evasive action proved to be predicted.We were using window which appeared toupset the accuracy for a couple of minutesbut we were suddenly hit and I found myselflying on the floor of the aircraft beside thebed. I was on look out duties in the astrodome.I tried to struggle onto my feet but could notdo so because of the speed at which we weregoing down. The port side was on fire. I believefrom the port engine back as far as the tri-cellchute position. Not knowing that my telephoneplug was out, I expected at any moment tohear the order to bale out and so continuedtrying to get on to my knees at least in order tocrawl to the emergency exit when the bale outorder should be given. The aircraft suddenlycommenced to spin and I found it impossibleto even roll myself over. I counted four spinsF/Sgt. Stanley Jeacocke (RAAF) photographedin March 1944.Pilot P/O Robert Edward Seymour Shearer (RAAF)Page from a Logbook of Lt. Bryan Desmond „Davie“ Jones, 31. Squadron SAAF, who flew as a navigatorand bombardier in the crew of Lt. Klette on board of Liberator EV941 „Q“ in the night to 26.6.1944.[Foto: via Darryl Jones]HISTORYF/Sgt. Finlay Ewart Munro Crawford (RAAF)Pilot W/O Kevin James Hiskins (RAAF).INFO Eduard17October 2024Page 18
and knew nothing further until I found myselfconscious and falling through space. As I hadbeen flying with my parachute on for the wholeof the astrodome duties pulled the ripcord andit opened at somewhere between two and fourthousand feet. While coming down I noticeda fire on the deck which later proved to be ouraircraft. I believe the position of the crash wasabout ten miles from the northern tip of thelake Balaton and I know there was a three orfour line railway connecting two towns about100 yards west of my position. I think I musthave been blown out of the aircraft by theexplosion of the photoflash or possibly the portfuel tanks. As I found my telephone cable andplug burnt into my left flying boot on landingand proving I was not on the inter-comm withthe crew I don´t know if any of the rest of thecrew up the front had been killed when we werehit but knowing from past conversations thatI was the only one who used to fir my parachuteover the defended areas I presume that allthe crew would find it impossible to leave theaircraft. As there was a huge explosion about30 seconds after I landed which I believe tohave been the bomb load I presume them tohave been killed. I received no news of themlater, even after visiting the casualty sectionof Air Min. An enemy motor vehicle visitedthe wreckage late the following afternoonbut as I kept myself hidden in the wheat fieldI don´t know if they found any bodies. Theyremained about an hour or more there beforeI heard the vehicle driven away. I also heardcivilian women talking and laughing amidst thenoise of tearing up cloth which I believe wasparachute silk.”Jeacocke was captured on June 30, 1944 andspent several days in solitary confinement ina Budapest prison before being transferred tothe Stalag Luft VII prison camp in Germany.As already indicated, the remaining fourairmen from the crew perished. Pilot F/OThomas Bernard McAneney (RCAF), navigatorF/Sgt. Frederick Stanley Sparrow, bombaimerF/Sgt. Thomas Bell and gunner Sgt. EdwinCharles Hum were exhumed at the cemeteryin Tordas and were transferred to the militarycemetery in Budapest (common grave II. C.5-8). The wreckage of their Wellington wasfound 4 miles (6.5 km) east of Tordas nearErdőmajorpuszta in Hungary. The locals tookeverything that was of any use. The starboardengine Hercules S.S.22689 was found ina landfill in Budapest and the identity of thewreckage was determined accordingly.The second lost machine was the WellingtonMk.X LP249 „Z“, which was operated by thecrew of pilot P/O Robert Edward SeymourShearer (RAAF), navigator F/Sgt. JW Chaplin,bombaimer W/O2 NTS Reed (RCAF), radiooperator Sgt. J Jackson and gunner F/Sgt.Terence Desmod Murray (RAAF). After thestart at 20:47 they headed for their target.During the flight over Hungary, they fellvictim to German night fighters. Deadly shothelpless bomber crashed near the villageof Dunaharaszti in Hungary, burying all fiveairmen in its wreckage. After being lifted fromthe wreck, their remains were transported tothe military cemetery in Budapest.Let us add the list of twelve aircraft whichtook off for the 150th Squadron: LN797 „E“,MF284 „Y“, LP505, LP503, LP207 „J“, LP310,LP148 „P“, LP239 „Q“, JA191, LN756 „T“ , LP203and LP183 „O“.Of the eight 614th Squadron aircraft thattook off to illuminate the target the Shellrefinery in Budapest on the night of June 25-26,1944, two (the crews of W/O TE Scotland andF/S JE O´Brien) had to prematurely turn back.The paradox is that the ORB (Operation RecordF/O Thomas Bernard McAneney, 24, pilot and DeputyFlight Commander, did not return from action on thenight of June 25-26, 1944. Together with him in WellingtonMk.X LN811 „L“ died navigator F/Sgt. Frederick StanleySparrow, bomb aimer F/Sgt. Thomas Bell and gunner Sgt.Edwin Charles Hum. McAneney received pilot wings onApril 9, 1942 in Brantford and moved overseas a monthlater. In November 1942, he was seriously injured duringan emergency landing on the coast of England.Photograph of the original cross on McAneney‘s grave in the Budapest cemetery.The last entry in McAnneney‘s flight log is written by an official. In the morning, they completed a training flightwith the crew with bombing training, and in the evening they took off on their last mission to Budapest.HISTORYINFO Eduard18October 2024Page 19
Book) lists both crews flying in the JP186. Oneaircraft did not reach the target and was lost.It was a Halifax II JP107, manned by captainW/O EG Gittings. The remaining five aircraft„attacked“ from a height of 15,000 feet. Thethree crews dropped their markers, but did nothit the target and illuminated the area about5 miles north. The main marker crew was notable to identify the aiming point during thethree flights over the target, even though thenorthern end of the island was identified.Participating machines and crews: JP110(W/O WTH Fleckney), JP109 (W/O CM Hall),JP241 (P/O TW Parker), JP183 (F/O IH Bruce),JP288 (F/S TE Sparrow), returnees JP186 (F/SJE O´Brien) and JP186 (W/O TE Scotland), andmissing JP107 “S” (W/O EG Gittings).Handley Page Halifax II JP107 „S“ wasdispatched from the base Foggia No.1 / Celoneat 20:35 and headed for Budapest. Above thetarget, the machine got into the headlights.And that made the work of night fighters easier.The exact aiming pilot was probably Oblt. JosefKraft from 7./NJG 6. The hit Halifax fell to theground 15 km north of the target, at 32 AranyJános St. Tab. All six crew members, namelypilot P/O Eric George Gittings, navigator F/Sgt.Kenneth John Skinner, bombaimer P/O GordonM. Williams, gunners F/Sgt. Samuel Cater, Sgt.Alec Shaw and F/Sgt. Albert SH Brown died andare buried in the military cemetery in Budapest.The seventh 205th Group RAF aircraftdeployed after the action was the WellingtonLP212 „N“, belonging to the 150th Squadron.After the attack of night fighters, the crew ofSgt. JE Richardson registered the shot in thehydraulic system. After a successful return tobase, they had to make an emergency landingand the plane was scrapped.Fourteen Liberators of the 178th Squadronalso performed between 20:29 and 03:25.a mission on a refinery in Budapest, wherethey dropped bombs from 12,200 to 15,000 feetbetween 00:02 and 00:07. One of the aircraftmarked EV822 with crew of Lt. Hosken had toreturn prematurely due to a failure of one ofthe engines, which manifested itself an hourand a half after takeoff at 22:20. The crewdropped all 12 500 lb. bombs and at 23:37landed at the base.Only five aircraft could observe the resultsof their attack after the raid. Explosions wereobserved, which caused large fires.The participating aircraft and crews for the178th Squadron were as follows:F/O P.J. Bootham na stroji EW266 „L“,Lt. J.W. VanDerMerwe (EV974 „D“), P/O J.P.Blackenberg (KG828 „F“), Lt. N.E. Hayman(EV961 „C“), Sgt. A.D. Nicholas (EV906 „K“),F/Lt. D.A. Eardley (EW233 „H“), Lt. G. RosenthalA highly feared adversary of all Allied bombers was the German flak (Fliegerabwehrkanone), which thickenedthe airspace over larger agglomerations and industrial areas to such an extent that it was almost impossibleto escape from its precision fire without damage.Oblt. Josef Kraft was born in Vienna. During the SecondWorld War, he achieved 56 victories, for which he wasawarded the Knight‘s Cross with oak branches on April17, 1945. Flew at II./ NJG 4, II./ NJG 5, and NJG 6.HISTORYThe Liberator EW233 „H“ was used by several crews within 178th Squadron RAF. The photo shows the crewof P/O Raw. [Foto: via J. Ansel]INFO Eduard19October 2024Page 20
(EW160 „B“), Sgt. F.M. Watson (EV839 „J“),S/Ldr. J.H.C. Lewis (BZ946„L“), Sgt. J.B. Rush(EW231 „R“), Lt. T.E. Knight (EW106 „U“),F/O K. Travena (KG835 „A“), Lt. G.C.E. Gibson(EV959 „T“), F/O G.E.S. McNaughton (BZ947 „N“)a F/O J.H. Hosken (EV822 „V“).As part of the 240th Wing, the South African31st Squadron also took part in the raid. ForSouth Africans, this was the first raid ona target in Europe. The squadron offeredcommand to deploy 10 machines, but from21:01 to 21:10 only the requested six crews onLiberator planes took off from the home airport.They were B-24 marked EW248 „P“ (Lt.Col. DNel), EV970 „F“ (Maj. JA Mouton), EW104 „Y“(Lt. DJS Haggie), EW144 „A“ (Cpt. IJM Odendaal),EV941 „Q“ (Lt. PR Klette) and KG950 „V“ (Cpt. RBBird). Through Mali Drvenik and Lake Balaton,they got over the target, where they dropped72 pieces of 500 lb. GP bombs.Operating Commander of 31st Squadron,Lawrence Isemonger, after years wrote aboutthis event:“Our eight (sic.) Liberators attracted theattention of fifteen headlights, which wasaccompanied by heavy anti-aircraft fire; thebomb aimers were blinded. Photos from theraid showed that our bombs were scatteredin various ways, and most of them landed atthe Weiss armaments plant south of the target.All our 8 (sic.) Liberators have returned safely.”The bombing of the Shell Koolaz refinerywas inaccurate. Most of the bombs landedon the target area and individual explosionswere scattered throughout the city. Most of thebombs hit the Western and Eastern RailwayStations (Nyugeti and Keleti pályaudvar), aswell as the Rákosrendező Railway Stationand their surroundings. The bombs also hitresidential areas in the suburbs of Csepel,where the refinery was located, as well asin the parts of Újpest, Pestszenterzsébet andBudafók.On June 15, the 8. Jagddivision wasestablished. This measure was forced by theactivities of the Strategic Allied Air Force,which attacked targets in Central Europefrom the southern direction. Along with theair units of day fighters, two groups of nightfighters were included in the 8. Jagddivision.They were III./NJG 6, which was armed withMesserschmitt Bf 110 G-4. In June, this groupwas transferred to the Szombathely base. Thesecond group in this section was II./NJG 101,which was equipped with Dorniers Do 217 N andoperated from the airports Vienna - Seyringand later Budapest - Ferihégy.Both units were deployed against RAFbombers, which flew on the night of June25-26, 1944 at a refinery in Budapest.The memory of this period was described inhis memoirs by Oblt. Wilhelm Johnen, pilotIII./NJG 6:“At the beginning of June 1944, an order totransfer to Szombathely in Hungary struckus like a bolt from the blue. I‘ve never heardthe name of this city. But Germany‘s borderschanged from the ground up, and one was notsurprised that Budapest was suddenly calleda „Germanic fortress“ and that our brothers andsisters in Bačka were hailed as „compatriotswho had returned to the great Empire.“ One ofthe friends described Szombathely as a suburbof Vienna, half an hour from Grinzing. The restof Hungary is a country of noble Tokaj, fierypeppers and spirited Juliska. But who - whatare we to pursue here at night? When oneknows nothing certain, rumors spread likeasparagus in a flower bed after the springrain. I didn‘t worry, and after my „state visit“ toSwitzerland, I was looking forward to the tripto Hungary (from our previous Hagenau base).In Szombathely - the German nameSteinamanger - our Gruppe will be subject tothe orders of the commander of the 8th FighterDivision, Oberst Handrick. He is a commanderaccording to our taste: sporty, friendly andhas his heart in the right place for his fighters.He explained to us what our task would be:to protect the capitals of Vienna and Budapestfrom the RAF‘s night raids from Italy, as wellas to fight the planes arriving at night fromthe east and supplying the partisans. Whilein the West, night pursuit bound by guidancehas been replaced by free prosecution „WildeSau“, we will fly according to the old system.The days of waiting are over. Nothing happensduring these hot clear nights in Hungarywith a starry sky. Every evening we sit in thebarracks and wait for the fish to jump on thehook. The mood of the pilots and ground staffdropped to zero. Some talk about exile, othersabout spa relaxation ...... On the night of June 26, 1944, an Englishmanstruck the Hungarian capital. Flying bombershave already been reported over the Adriatic.At 10:45 p.m. we took off from our airport.North of the city of Baja, far from the capital,we intercepted an English combat formationand decimated it. Only scattered bombs fellon Budapest, fires appeared only rarely. OurGruppe scored 16 shots. Oberleutnant SeppKraft also claimed two victories during theattack - one Wellington and one Mitchell. We‘rea little surprised, Mitchell from Italy - that‘s notentirely possible. The unpleasant explanationcomes right away. They call Budapest and askif one of our fighters accidentally shot oneDo 2 17. Ice silence. T he c ommander immediatelycompares the shooting time from the reportwith the shooting time Do 217. It can only bethe shot down „Mitchell“, which claimed SeppObranná reakcia Luftwaffe(III./NJG 6 a II./NJG 101)Oblt. Wilhelm Johnen achieved 34 victories during World War II. The victory of June 26, 1944 was his 20thand first, but not the last, achieved over Hungary. On October 29, 1944, he received the Knight‘s Cross.HISTORYINFO Eduard20October 2024Page 21
Kraft. The actual shooting times are exactly thesame and so are the location data. Fortunately,the four-member crew was rescued froma burning machine on parachutes, whichsaved the embarrassing session of the courtmartial. Lieutenant Colonel Sepp Kraft isdepressed. But I can‘t hide some mischief, andI‘m just noticing by the way: well, so you werewrong about the ox with the horse! Once again,whoever laughs last laughs the best! ”The Red Army Air Force used the B-25Mitchell during this period to supply partisanunits. Crews III./NJG 6 were alerted to thepresence of Do 217 N in the common operatingarea. A similar concept of the B-25 and Do 217types - two engines, a double rudder - createda precondition for confusion in the darkness ofnight. The pilots had a B-25 model, on whichthey could study its silhouette from differentangles. They realized that extra care would beneeded to identify the adversary.Some pilots admitted the possibility ofconfusion more, others less. Oblt. Kraftwas one of them: “Mitchell from Do 217 mustrecognize an infant!“Fortunately for all involved, this incidenthad no consequences. Shot down Do 217 N,belonging to II./NJG 101, was the only loss ofthe Luftwaffe in this deployment against theRAF.According to Wilhelm Johnen‘s memory,members of III./NJG 6 made 16 winning claims.The number of officially confirmed shots wasrealistic and corresponded to the total lossesof the Royal Air Force.Two Dornier Do-217N night fighters were lostthat night by 6./NJG 101, stationed in Parndorf,in the area of western Bohemia (the villagesof Konratice and Horní Planá), but not dueto combat deployment but due to adverseweather and technical problems.Crew Uffz. Kornen Günter and Obgf. MüllerGeorg died near the village of Konratice,district České Budějovice.The second crew pilot Uffz. Hans WernerSchmidt, Bordfunker Uffz. Heinz Jansen andon-board mechanic Obgf. Wilhelm Knufer wentto the ground after their machine was struckby lightning. The pilot and the Bordfunkerescaped with injuries, but the fire broke out.The mechanic died in the wreckage after hefailed to jump out and use the parachute silk.The plane had to explode in the air as thedebris is located in a large perimeter from thepresumed epicenter of the impact in the ČeskýKrumlov district.ConclusionThe attack on the Shell refinery in Budapestwas far from the last. Several more times,American and British bombers reached thecapital of Hungary, but also other targets,whether in Hungary or the whole occupiedEurope, in order to attack not only the oil-processing industry, which was the basisA visual aid for German fighters, depicting the weaknesses and defense of the Vickers Wellington bomber.HISTORYINFO Eduard21October 2024Page 22
for the war machine of the Third Reich, butalso with attacks on the railway network,warehouses, military and industrial facilities,they disrupted the operation and strength ofthe German armed forces and thus contributedto the victory in Europe.Sources:The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK.- Operations record books: AIR-27-392-11, AIR-27-392-12, AIR-27-617-11, AIR-27-617-12, AIR-27-822-11,AIR-27-822-12, AIR-27-975-11, AIR-27-975-12, AIR-27-1012-11, AIR-27-1012-12, AIR-27-1120-11, AIR-27-1120-12, AIR-27-2121-9, AIR-27-2121-10,National Archives of Australia, KingstonGunby D., Temple P.: RAF Bomber Losses in theMiddle East & Mediterranean Volume 2: 1943-1945,Air-Britain. 1st. 2018Persons: David Gunby, Nový Zéland; Marian Hrodegh,Trenčín; Nandor Mohos, Maďarsko; Matti Salonen,FínskoPhotographs for which no other credit is indicatedare from the author's archive.Detail on the nose of the night fighter Messerschmitt Bf 110 G from 7./NJG 6 (2Z + GR) from the previous page.The shooting armament of this machine consisted of two MG 151 cannons instead of the classic four MG 17 andwas complemented by very advanced radar technology in the form of radar FuG 220 SN-2c. Notice the flamedumpers on the exhausts.HISTORYNight fighter Messerschmitt Bf 110 G from 7./NJG 6 marked (2Z + GR) at the airport in Hungary in 1944.INFO Eduard22October 2024Page 23
Bf 109G-10Dual Combo 1/72Bf 109G-10/U4, WNr. 613165, 101. Puma vadászrepülöosztály, Neubiberg, Germany, May 1945Bf 109G-10, 1./KG(J) 6, Prague-Kbely, Protectorateof Bohemia and Moravia, March/April 1945Bf 109G-10, WNr. 491407, Capt. Cesare Marchesi, 3aSquadriglia, 1o Gruppo Caccia, ANR, Lonate Pozzolo,Italy, March 1945Bf 109G-14/AS, WNr. 782xxx, str. Vladimir Sandtner,2.ZLJ, Lučko, Croatia, April 1945www.eduard.com# R0022Bf 109G-10, WNr. 152xx6, 11./JG 300, Prague-Kbely,Czechoslovakia, May 1945Bf 109G-14/AS, WNr. 784938, III./JG 6, Bissel,Germany, January 1945Bf 109G-10, 13./JG 27, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany,March 1945Bf 109G-10, Hptm. Erich Hartmann, CO of I./JG 52,Görlitz, Germany, April 1945Bf 109G-10/U4, II./JG 52, Brno, Protectorateof Bohemia and Moravia, April 1945The Royal Class edition kit of the German ghter aircraftBf 109G-10 in 1/72 scale. The kit offers markings for 10aircraft. The box contains plastic sprues for two completekits, Bf 109G-10 version produced in Erla facory in Leipzigor Bf 109G-10 from Wiener Neustädter Fabrik or Bf 109G-10or Bf 109G-14/AS from Messerschmitt factoryin Regensburg.plastic parts Eduardphoto-etched set and painting mask10 marking optionsEduard Brassin wheels (2 sets / 2 variants),exhaust stacks (2 sets)landing gear bays masking plugs by OmaskBONUS: Magnet sticker - Bf 109G-10 ErlaWerke manufacturer plate replica10 x 3,2 cm sizeAvia S-99, Police Air Patrol Unit, CzechoslovakPolice Air Force, Prague-Kbely, 1947THEY FOUGHT TO REBUILD
Czechoslovak fighter pilots made their mark in the history of World War II air combat on several fronts, but the most significant was undoubtedly their service in the Royal Air Force. And the aircraft used by the Czechoslovaks in the most numerous numbers was the Spitfire Mk.V. It stayed in operational service of each Squadron and subsequently the entire Czechoslovak Wing until January 1944, when it was replaced by the Mk.IX version.
In the first half of 1941, when Spitfire Mk.V fighters began to equip thefighter squadrons of the Britain’s RAF, a total of three fighter units withthe designation ‘Czechoslovak’ operated within the service. These weresquadrons No. 310, No. 312 and No. 313. The first two, founded in 1940, hadHawker Hurricane Mk.IIa and Mk.IIbs in their inventory. Only No. 313 Sqn,established on May 10, 1941 at Catterick, was armed with the SupermarineSpitfire, and it was not until August of 1941 that it went from flying the Mk.Iato the Mk.IIa.At that time it was already clear that if No. 310 and No. 312 Sqn were tomaintain their status as a fighter unit, they would necessarily need toconvert to a more potent aircraft. At the same time, the pressure to createa higher Czechoslovak unit, a Wing, within which all three Czechoslovakfighter squadrons would operate together, grew stronger. The firstprerequisite for its creation was the standardization of the equipment ofall three squadrons.Gradual retrainingGradual retrainingNo. 310 Sqn and No. 312 Sqn personnel were required to convert fromexisting Hurricanes to the more powerful Spitfire, which offered greaterpotential for further development. On July 19, 1941, No. 310 Sqn moved to thebase at Dyce in Scotland, where it carried out patrol duties with its Mk.IIaand Mk.IIb Hurricanes. In the second half of October 1942, the unit took overthe first older Spitfires intended for conversion training. There was oneMk.Ia Spitfire and fifteen Mk.IIa fighters on hand. At the end of October1941, retraining on Spitfires began, while the unit continued to performoperational patrols in their Hurricanes. At the beginning of November 1941,the unit took over another four Spitfire Mk.IIas. In mid-November, the firstMk.Vb Spitfires, which were to become the unit’s new weapon, began toarrive.A portion of the pilots with the new fighters joined the operational patrolduties as early as November 25, 1941. However, some of them continuedto fly operational flights with Hurricanes until December 9, 1941. From thefollowing day, No. 310 Sqn performed operational patrols exclusively withnew equipment, the Spitfire Mk.Vb. These were from the AD series producedat the Castle Bromwich factory and No. 310 Sqn was their first user(AD328, AD331, AD365, AD366, AD374, AD378, AD382, AD412, AD414, AD420,AD422, AD423, AD453, AD462, AD464, AD574, AD582). After re-equipping,No. 310 Sqn moved to Perranporth in Cornwall on December 24, 1941.No. 312 Sq. moved its Hurricane Mk.IIbs to Prestwick, Scotland, on August 19,1941, RAF Ayr, and on October 20, 1942, it received the first six older Spitfiresdestined for conversion training. There were five aircraft of the Mk.IIaversion and one of the Mk.IIb version with wing cannons. The machineswere assigned to B Flight and retraining of personnel began immediately.By October 25, 1941, however, the first Spitfire loss occurred at No. 312 Sqn,when P/O Hekl, during a training flight with P75410 coded DU-W, clippeda wing on the surface of Loch Doon and was killed as a result. In November1941, the unit took over from sister squadron No. 313 Sqn another threeMk.IIa Spitfires for the same purpose of converting. In early December1941, No. 312 Sqn received its first Spitfire Mk.Vbs, which were to becomeits new main armament. These were mostly new airframes produced bythe Castle Bromwich factory from the AD (AD415, AD539, AD541, AD553,AD572) and BL ranges (BL252, BL254, BL260, BL289, BL293, BL343, BL381,BL470, BL487, BL512, BL516, BL529). The exception was the Eastleigh-builtplane serialed AB172. The older aircraft from the W series (W3249, W3445)came from the same manufacturer, and R6833, originally produced asa Mk.Ia , which was rebuilt in 1940 and received a wing cannon, was a rarity.It was then used for testing and in February 1941 it was converted to a Mk.Vb.This was complemented by the addition of two Mk.IIb airframes, taken fromNo. 616 Sqn. After the rearmament was completed, No. 312 Sqn moved toFairwood Common on January 1, 1942.Relatively speaking, the smoothest transition was experienced by No. 313Sqn, flying their Spitfire Mk.IIas from Portreath. The unit took delivery ofits first Spitfire Mk.Vb in the second half of October. The re-armament tookplace on a continuous basis and the airmen with the new fighters wereCzechoslovak fighter pilots made their mark in the history of World War II air combat on Czechoslovak fighter pilots made their mark in the history of World War II air combat onseveral fronts, but the most significant was undoubtedly their service in the Royal Air several fronts, but the most significant was undoubtedly their service in the Royal AirForce. And the aircraft used by the Czechoslovaks in the most numerous numbers was the Force. And the aircraft used by the Czechoslovaks in the most numerous numbers was theSpitfire Mk.V. It stayed in operational service of each Squadron and subsequently the entire Spitfire Mk.V. It stayed in operational service of each Squadron and subsequently the entireCzechoslovak Wing until January 1944, when it was replaced by the Mk.IX version. Czechoslovak Wing until January 1944, when it was replaced by the Mk.IX version.text text KAREL TŮMAKAREL TŮMA(photos by Karel Beinhauer, (photos by Karel Beinhauer,No. 313. Squadron RAF; via Radim Vojta)No. 313. Squadron RAF; via Radim Vojta)THEY FOUGHT TO REBUILDTHEY FOUGHT TO REBUILDSpitfires of No. 312 Squadron at Ibsley airfield in September 1943. Spitfires of No. 312 Squadron at Ibsley airfield in September 1943.In the foreground Spitfire BM567 DUIn the foreground Spitfire BM567 DU--Z which was very often flown Z which was very often flownby F/Lt Josef Stehlik. Photo Ing. Karel Beinhauerby F/Lt Josef Stehlik. Photo Ing. Karel BeinhauerCzechoslovak Pilots and the Spitfire Mk.VHISTORYINFO Eduard24October 2024Page 25
gradually involved in ongoing operational activities together with theiroriginal Mk.IIa aircraft. During the process of rearmament, No. 313 Sqnreceived new aircraft from the Castle Bromwich facility in the AD series(AD192, AD353, AD361, AD380, AD384, AD390, AD391, AD394, AD424, AD465,AD464, AD547), one AB series airframe (AB916), those from Eastleighfactory in the AA series (AA865, AA869) and AA series units coming out ofChattis Hill (AA757, AA765). These were supplemented by older W seriesmachines (W3177, W3962, W3965, W3969) assembled at High Post Aerodromeand P8537 from the Castle Bromwich factory. No. 313 Sqn remained atPortreath after conversion until December 15, 1941 when it moved southto Hornchurch. By re-arming all three squadrons, one of the conditionsfor the future creation of a higher Czechoslovak Fighter Wing was fulfilled.At that time, few would have believed that the Spitfire Mk.V would remainthe main piece of equipment of Czechoslovak fighter squadrons until thebeginning of 1944, when the pilots received the much desired Spitfire Mk.IX.Czechoslovak pilots fought on Spitfire Mk.Vbs and Mk.Vcs for more thantwo years.With the strength of WingWith the strength of WingOver the course of those two years, the stocks of Spitfire Mk.Vb and laterVc fighters were replenished at all three squadrons, and when moving tonew areas of operation, these aircraft were also often exchanged withother units. And so machines from different series from basically allmanufacturers gradually appeared in the inventory of the Czechoslovakfighter units. In the case of the Mk.Vb, these were machines producedby Castle Bromwich (series P, AB, AD, BL, BM, EN, EP), Eastleigh (seriesR, W, X, AA, AB), Chattis Hill (series W, AA, AB), High Post Aerodrome(W, AB series) and Westland (AR series). The Vc version aircraft came fromthe production facilities of Westland (series AR, EE), Eastleigh (series AA,AB), High Post Aerodrome (series AB) and Chattis Hill (series BP). On May 3,1942, the Czechoslovaks saw the creation of a higher Czechoslovak FighterWing, established at RAF Exeter (Exeter Czechoslovak Fighter Wing).It consisted of the above-mentioned Czechoslovak squadrons, Nos. 310, 312and 313, which in the period from May 7 to June 7, 1942 was supplementedby No. 154 Sqn. All three squadrons operated as the Exeter CzechoslovakFighter Wing until June 26, 1943. After that, they separately stood down fora period of R and R. Czechoslovak units met up again in the period fromSeptember 18 to November 8, 1943, when together they formed the IbsleyCzechoslovak Fighter Wing. The Wing was commanded by W/Cdr AloisVašátko (who from May 3 to June 23, 1942 flew a personal Spitfire Mk.VbBM592 coded with his initials AV), W/Cdr Karel Mrázek (June 26, 1942 toMarch 31, 1943 with personal Spitfire Mk.Vbs EN765 and EP461 and Mk.VcsAR502 and EE626, all coded KM) and W/Cdr František Doležal (March 31,1943 to February 1, 1944, Spitfire Mk.Vb EP461 and Vc EE626; both coded FD).During the period when Czechoslovak squadrons flew the Spitfire Mk.V,they took part in a number of important operations. For example, on August19, 1942, the pilots of Nos. 310 and 312 Sqn with the Spitfire Mk.V flew outof Redhill in support of Operation Jubilee and on the 9 of September, 1943,No. 313 Sqn from Hawkinge Airfield took part in support of OperationStarkey which saw black and white stripes used on the wings for the firsttime as a rapid identification feature. At the time of the use of the SpitfireMk.Vb, personal artwork also appeared on Czechoslovak Spitfires, even ifonly for a short time. This happened at the beginning of 1942 at No. 313 Sqn,commanded at the time by S/Ldr Karel Mrázek. On several Spitfire Mk.Vbs,artwork inspired by characters from Walt Disney cartoons appeared at therequest of the pilots. The author of the drawings was a pilot with the unit,Sgt Karel Pavlík, a calligrapher by profession in civilian life.Modifications and modernisationsModifications and modernisationsThe Spitfire Mk.V also underwent a number of upgrades during theirrelatively long service career with the Czechoslovak squadrons, increasingthe combat value of the aircraft. For example, there was a modification tothe fuel system, which allowed the use of auxiliary fuel tanks, which greatlyincreased the operational radius of the aircraft. A number of aircraftgot their wings clipped, which increased their maneuverability duringoperations at lower flight levels. The system of supplying ammunition tothe wing cannons was also changed, which increased the reliability of theweapons and the number of rounds carried, and there were many othermodifications. The period of use of the Spitfire Mk.V by Czechoslovak unitsis, in addition to a number of successes, also associated with significantlosses of flight personnel, which did not escape even the command corps.For the Czechoslovak Air Force, major losses came with the death ofW/Cdr Alois Vašátko, the first commander of the Czechoslovak Fighter Wing,who died on June 23, 1942 in his personal Spitfire Mk.Vb BM592 coded AVafter a collision with a German Fw 190 during Operation Ramrod 23 and alsoS/Ldr Jaroslav Himr, who died on the 27 of September, 1943 in the cockpitW/Cdr Karel Mrázek, DFC, commander of the Exeter(Czechoslovak) Wing, next to his Spitfire Mk.Vb EN765 markedwith his personal monogram “KM”. July 1942.Close-up of the front of Dolezal’s Spitfire MK.Vb EP461 “FD” atExeter airfield in May 1943. The Wing Commander’s emblem isdrawn under the left cockpit visor of EP461. In the background areSpitfires of No.310 Squadron. The first in the line of Spitfires Mk.Vbis BM121 „NN-A“.HISTORYINFO Eduard25October 2024Page 26
of Spitfire Mk.Vc BP8586 coded RY-H during Operation Ramrod 87, when hefirst shot down a German Bf 110G-2 from II./ZG 1 but was subsequently shotdown by another Bf 110G from the same unit.At the end of January and beginning of February 1944, all three Czechoslovakfighter squadrons finally received their desired rearmament and exchangedtheir Spitfire Mk.Vb and Mk.Vc fighters for the more powerful Spitfire Mk.IX.Nevertheless, the Spitfire Mk.V, even if only for a short time, found itself intothe inventory of No. 313 Sqn once more. It was between July 11 and October3, 1944 that the squadron operated as part of a down time in the north ofGreat Britain at Skeabrae and Sumburgh. Additionally, Czechoslovak pilotsdid not come into contact with the Spitfire Mk.V inside Czechoslovak unitsalone. A number of Czechoslovak pilots also flew with other units withinthe RAF (see below) and, besides operational squadrons, Czechoslovakpilots also flew the Spitfire Mk.V as part of training with OTUs, OperationalTraining Units, up to the very end of the war. This is part of the reason whythe Spitfire Mk.V became the most used aircraft by Czechoslovak pilots interms of quantity during the entire war, and they thus have an irreplaceableplace in the history of Czechoslovak resistance in the air.The “thirteen thirty-three” planes from the first half of 1942 areknown for their cartoon characters from Walt Disney comicbooks. The author of these drawings was Sgt. Karel Pavlik, whoused his profession as a letter painter to decorate the individualSpitfires under the cockpit faceplate as the pilots wished.The drawing of Robber the kitten was painted by Karel Pavlikon a Spitfire AD380 RY-R.Czechoslovak Pilots With Other Units Czechoslovak Pilots With Other UnitsNo.19 SquadronThe unit began converting to Spitfire Mk.Vs in October 1941, and by June 1942, Sgt Lysický,Sgt Netopil, Sgt Sokol, F/Sgt Střihavka, P/O Bernard, F/O Borovec and Sgt Mečíř flew theSpitfire Mk.Vb.No.41 SquadronIn April and May of 1942, F/Lt Vykoukal flew Spitfire Mk.Vbs with this unit.No.54 SquadronFrom September 1941, Sgt Plášil, F/Sgt Pavlů, Sgt Karásek and Sgt. Konvalina flew theSpitfire Mk.V while serving with this unit.No.65 SquadronThe unit flew the Spitfire Mk.Vb after converting to it in October 1941, and a relatively largenumber of Czechoslovak pilots flew with the unit. These included Sgt Štulíř, Sgt Loucký, SgtKopeček, Sgt Karásek, Sgt Konvalina, Sgt Pavlů and Sgt Štefan.No.66 SquadronDuring his time with this unit, F/Lt Kruml flew the Spitfire Mk.Vb and Mk.Vc in November andDecember 1942.No.72 SquadronIn the summer of 1941, Sgt Lamberton and Sgt. Valenta flew with this unit in the summer of1941.No.81 SquadronFrom April 1942, Spitfire Mk.Vbs were flown by F/Sgt Pípa and between July and August1942, by F/Sgt Maňák.No.111 SquadronThis unit converted to the Spitfire Mk.Vb in September 1941. They were flown by F/Sgt (laterP/O) Hrubý, Sgt Zouhar, F/O Kopecký, Sgt Zadrobílek, F/Sgt (later P/O) Příhoda and F/OHartman.No.118 SquadronIn May and June 1944, Sgt J. Čermák flew the Spitfire Mk.Vb.No.122 SquadronBetween May and August 1943, Spifire Mk.Vb flights were conducted by F/Lt Kruml.No.124 SquadronThis unit converted onto the Spitfire Mk.Vb in November 1941, and were flown by F/Lt Kulhá-nek, F/Lt Bartoň, F/O Bachůrek and Sgt. KotibaNo.129 SquadronBetween May and July 1942, F/Lt Vancl flew the Spitfire Mk.Vb.No.131 SquadronIn January and February 1943, P/O Hlaďo, F/Lt Kruml and P/o Smik flew Spitfire Mk.Vbs.No.167 SquadronBetween March and May 1943, P/O Papoušek flew the Spitfire Mk.Vb and Mk.Vc.No.222 SquadronIn June 1943, P/O Hlaďo and P/O Smik flew Spitfire Mk.Vbs. (The main fighter at the timewith this unit was the Spitfire Mk.IX.)No.234 SquadronF/Lt Hýbler flew Spitfire Mk.Vbs with this unit in May 1942.No.501 SquadronThis unit took on the Spitfire Mk.Vb in September 1941. Examples of the type were flownby F/Sgt Dvořák, Sgt Vendl, Sgt Vrtiš, F/O (later F/Lt Raba, Sgt Ročovský, Sgt Bauman andSgt Jeřábek. Spitfire Mk.Vcs began to appear in May 1942, and the Czechoslovak pilots flewthem as well.No.601 SquadronSgt Mareš flew the unit’s Spitfire Mk.Vb which it converted to in March 1942.No.602 SquadronThe Spitfire Mk.Vb was flown in this unit by Sgt Ptáček in February and March 1942.No.610 SquadronFrom the end of March to May 1942, Sgt Mareš and Sgt Kohout flew the unit’s Spitfire Mk.Vbs.During Operation Starkey, black-and-white invasion stripeswere used for the first time on aircraft participating in low-altitude operations to distinguish their own and foreignmachines. They looked different from those known from thelater Normandy landings. The photo shows F/Lt Otmara Kučerain front of his personal Spitfire LF Mk.Vb EP110 “RY-R”.HISTORYINFO Eduard26October 2024Page 27
Spitfires LF Mk. Vb from No. 313 Squadron take off from Hawkinge airfield as part of Operation Starkey on September9, 1943. The unitmoved to Hawkinge airfield, which was under the command of 11 Group, Fighter Command, in mid-August 1943 after a recuperation stayand patrol in the north over the Orkneys. The squadron thus became involved in the operational flights of Operation Starkey as part of theHawkinge Wing.Spitfires of No. 310 Squadron at Exeter airfield in spring1943. Closest in the photo is the front part of Dolezal’sSpitfire Mk.Vb EP461. The black “FD” marking on thelower engine cowling is clearly visible.Members of the ground staff of No. 313 Squadron with Spitfire AD380 RY-R. Interesting features of this aircraft are the drawing of Robberthe kitten painted by Karel Pavlík under the front plate and the different shade of the code letters RY-R, with the first letter R in Sky colorand the following letters Y-R in Sky Blue. Also, the propeller cone and ring in front of the VOP is in Sky Blue with the s/n AD385 at the top.The original Sky color is visible underneath. The serial number AD385 was never actually used with No. 313 Squadron, it was probablya misspelling when the camouflage was corrected. The actual serial number of this Spitfire was AD380.HISTORYINFO Eduard27October 2024Air War over Ukraine - He Who Sows the Wind Reaps the Storm in the Kursk Region
Ukraine has been attempting retaliation on enemy territory since the first day of Russian aggression. Initially, these were sporadic missile, or drone strikes on key targets, gradually intensifying and now amounting to a strategic offensive. There have also been several ground raids by Russian legions fighting against Putin’s regime, though they always quickly retreated back to Ukrainian territory. However, during the observed period (from August 1 to August 31), the war fully expanded into the Russian territory.
Miro BaričHe Who Sows the Wind Reaps the Storm in the Kursk RegionIt began on Tuesday, August 6, when theRussian border in the Kursk region was crossedat multiple locations. This time, it was nota small raid, even though Russian authoritiesinitially downplayed the situation. For the firsttime, Ukrainian soldiers (not just members ofRussian legions) attacked Russian territory,using heavy equipment. The offensive wascarefully planned and, importantly, kept secret,with even Ukraine’s Western allies unaware ofit. Russian units at the borders had warned ofa possible attack, but their leadership ignoredthe warnings.Ukraine took advantage of the fact thatRussia had only weak forces at the Kurskregion’s borders, consisting partly ofconscripts in the basic military service andpartly of soldiers recovering from losses inprevious battles on the eastern Ukrainianfront. Most either fled or were captured.Ukrainians first infiltrated Russian territorywith special units, attacking Russian suppliesand using jamming devices against Russiandrones. Russian drones did not fly in the earlydays, while Ukrainian drones largely destroyedthe reinforcements Russia was sending.The initial Ukrainian attack was carried outby small units with a few armored vehiclesthat moved quickly and ambushed Russianforces, with the main forces following behind.This resulted in maneuver warfare, to whichRussia struggled to find an adequate response.On the eastern front in Ukraine, Russian forcesty pic al ly procee d by f irst bombarding Uk rainianpositions with glide bombs from aircraft, thenattacking with waves of infantry. In the Kurskregion, this was not possible since Ukrainianunits were constantly moving, and Russianglide bombs can only target stagnant targets.As a result, Russia resorted to its usual tactic—razing villages and towns to prevent theUkrainians from establishing positions there,though now this was happening on Russian soil.One of Ukraine's objectives was to createa buffer zone so that Russia could notbombard the Ukrainian border. Other goalsincluded inflicting damage and losses onthe Russian army, disrupting Russian supplyroutes, and improving Ukraine's negotiatingposition in potential peace talks. Ukraine alsosought to force Russia to relocate its forcesfrom other regions to the Kursk area. Russiadid this, but only from less critical parts ofthe front. Russian troops remained in theirmost important offensive direction, towardPokrovsk in the Donetsk region, where theycontinued to attack. However, Russia wasunable to send reinforcements to Pokrovsk asquickly as they might have wished. By the endof the period, their advance in Pokrovsk hadsignificantly slowed.During this time, both sides were intenselyengaged: Russia was attacking in the easternUkrainian Donetsk region, while Ukrainemaintained the initiative in the Russian Kurskregion. By the end of the month, Ukraine hadoccupied the town of Sudzha and severaldozen other villages, most of whose civilianpopulation had been evacuated. Ukrainecaptured over 600 Russian soldiers, initiallyfacing challenges in relocating such a largenumber of prisoners to the interior. Among thecaptives were evidently important individuals,as Russia requested a prisoner exchange forthe first time, having shown little interest inthis before Ukraine's incursion into the Kurskregion.Ukraine has been attempting retaliation on enemy territory since the first day ofRussian aggression. Initially, these were sporadic missile, or drone strikes on keytargets, gradually intensifying and now amounting to a strategic offensive. Therehave also been several ground raids by Russian legions fighting against Putin’sregime, though they always quickly retreated back to Ukrainian territory. However,during the observed period (from August 1 to August 31), the war fully expanded intothe Russian territory.The first F-16 fighter jetsappeared over Ukraine at theturn of July and August.Air War over UkraineUKRAINEINFO Eduard28October 2024Page 29
Losses in the Kursk RegionA significant portion of air operations andlosses during the observed period occurred inconnection with the fighting in the Kursk region,particularly on the Russian side. Due to issueswith drone jamming, Russia attempted to repelthe Ukrainian attack mainly with helicoptersand aircraft. On the first day of the Ukrainianoffensive, Tuesday, August 6, the first RussianKamov Ka-52 helicopter was shot down.The pilot died in the crash, and the navigatorwas injured. On the same day, a Ukrainian FPVdrone in the Kursk region struck a RussianMi-28 helicopter, damaging its tail rotor, butthe crew managed to make an emergencylanding. This was the first time in history thata drone intentionally hit an enemy aircraft inflight. Shortly after, a similar attack occurredwhen a Ukrainian drone hit a Mi-8 helicopter,although details on this incident are scarce,despite it being captured on video.On Saturday, August 10, another Ka-52helicopter was shot down by portable missilesin the Kursk region. The crew, LieutenantColonel Nikolai Shulgin and Captain ErlanMedeuov from the 440th IndependentHelicopter Regiment in Vyazma, did not survive.The Ukrainian soldier in the Kursk region.Wreckage of a Ka-52 helicopterthat was shot down on August 6 inthe Kursk region.Ukrainian equipment in the Kurskregion uses markings in the formof white triangles.UKRAINEINFO Eduard29October 2024Page 30
Ukraine claimed further successes inthe Kursk region, stating they had also hitaircraft, though only the aforementionedlosses are confirmed. By the end of the period,a photo surfaced of a severely damagedMI-8MTV-5 helicopter, likely suitable onlyfor cannibalization for spare parts. This maybe the helicopter struck by the FPV dronementioned earlier.Indirectly related to the war in Ukraine wasthe loss of a Tu-22M3 bomber on Thursday,August 15, near Mikhailovka in the Irkutskregion, due to an accident. These aircraft areheavily used in attacks on Ukrainian cities, andthe high operational pace leads to the crewand material fatigue, increasing the numberof accidents. The aircraft bore the designationRF-94238 with fuselage number “Red 78.”Its four-member crew ejected before the crash,but navigator Nikita Jerevalov did not survive.Attacks on the AirportsIn addition to air losses, Russia’s air forcealso suffered ground damage. The Ukrainianoffensive against Russian airports continuedsuccessfully. On Friday, August 2, a massivedrone attack hit the Morozovsk airbase inthe Rostov region. Extensive fires broke out,hitting a munitions warehouse, and a Su-34fighter-bomber burned down on the tarmac.On Friday, August 9, Ukrainian dronestargeted the Lipetsk airbase in the Lipetskregion, adjacent to Kursk. A strong explosionforced the evacuation of residents from fourneighboring villages. Ukraine claimed itsdrones hit a warehouse containing 700 glidebombs.This Russian convoy on the way to the Kursk region was destroyed by Ukrainian missiles. In the chaos at the startof the offensive, however, several convoys were hit by the Russians themselves, even by Ka-52 helicopters.Another Ka-52 was shot down on August 10, when it was hit at close rangeby portable missiles.A Su-34 that burned down on August 2 at the Morozovsk base. Ammunition depot destroyed on August 2 at the Morozovsk base.Wreckage of a Tu-22M3 bomber with tail number "red 78," which crashedon August 15 in the Irkutsk region.A heavily damaged Russian Mi-8MTV-5 helicopter,which had to make an emergency landing sometimein August, though further details are unknown.UKRAINEINFO Eduard30October 2024Page 31
The most significant damage occurred onThursday, August 22, when Ukrainian dronesattacked the Marinovka base in the Volgogradregion. Metal shelters for aircraft were hit,with the confirmed destruction of a Su-34 anda non-operational Su-24M, and three otheraircraft were damaged.Ukrainian LossesRussia also continued its attacks onUkrainian airbases. On Monday, August 12,a rocket strike hit the Myrhorod base in thePoltava region, severely damaging a Su-27.On Friday, August 16, an Iskander-M ballisticmissile destroyed a MiG-29 at an airfield inDnipro.On August 12, Ukraine suffered a particularlysad loss when a MiG-29 with the call sign"White 72" was shot down near Kramatorsk,killing Captain Oleksandr Myhulya fromthe 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade, who hadcompleted 160 combat flights. Russia claimedthe MiG was downed by a Su-30 fighter.Ukraine also suffered one non-combataviation loss during training. A Mi-2MSBhelicopter from the 203rd Training AviationBrigade crashed, killing Major Nazar Prokazjukand a cadet from the National Air ForceUniversity in Kharkiv.F-16’s First Combat and First LossOn Monday, August 26, the Ukrainian AirForce suffered a major loss. It wasn’t justthe destruction of an F-16 from the smallcontingent (reported as 10 aircraft) thathad arrived in Ukraine only a month earlier.Far more tragic was the death of the respectedAttack on the Marinovka base on August 22. Destroyed aircraft shelters at the Marinovka base.During the observed period, Ukrainian drones also hit a large fuel depot in Proletarsk in the Rostov region.It burned for over a week.Captain Oleksandr Myhulya of the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade of Ukraine and the wreckageof the MiG-29 fighter jet in which he died on August 12.Ukrainian operator Oleksandrnext to the IRIS-T air defensesystem with marked successesagainst Russian cruise missiles.Notice that the fifth symbol fromthe right is doubled. At that time,the Ukrainians hit one Russianmissile with a rocket, and itsexplosion destroyed anotherRussian missile.UKRAINEINFO Eduard31October 2024Page 32
pilot, Colonel Oleksiy Mes, call sign "Moonfish."On that day, Russia launched one of its largestattacks since the war began, sending morethan 200 missiles and drones toward Ukraine,targeting 15 of its 24 regions. F-16s participatedin this defense, likely marking their firstcombat action. President Volodymyr Zelenskyannounced the next day, Tuesday, August 27,that the F-16s had achieved their first aerialvictories against Russian missiles. However,on Thursday, August 29, it was revealed thatone F-16 was lost during this action, along withits pilot.The news was confirmed by MP MarianaBezuhla, who stated that Oleksiy Meswas shot down by a Patriot missile due topoor coordination among Ukrainian forces.Ukrainian Air Force Commander LieutenantGeneral Mykola Oleshchuk responded sharplyto the MP's remarks, but the next day, on Friday,September 30, President Zelensky dismissedhim from his post, appointing LieutenantGeneral Anatoliy Kryvonozhko as the newcommander of Ukraine's Air Force.Even a month later, it is still unclear whatexactly happened. During his combat mission,Mes destroyed three cruise missiles and onekamikaze drone. While he was approachinganother target, communication was lost. Theplane crashed, and the pilot died. Severalpossible causes have been suggested,including friendly fire from a Patriot missile,a technical malfunction, or a collision withdebris from a destroyed Russian missile,a known risk in such missions. Ukraine hadalready lost four fighters (two MiG-29s andtwo Su-27s) this way.The destruction of Ukraine’s first F-16 andthe death of Oleksii Mes holds not only militarysignificance but also great symbolic meaning.At the start of the war, Mes commanded a unitequipped with MiG-29 fighter jets. He was oneof the voices in the campaign that advocatedfor the delivery of F-16 aircraft from Westernallies. Together with Major Andrii Pilshchykov,who had the call sign "Juice," they lobbied inthe U.S. during the summer of 2022.Tragically, Pilshchykov died before thisdream could materialize - on August 25,2023 perishing in a training flight collisionbetween two L-39 Albatros aircraft. At thattime, in August 2023, Mes became one ofthe first Ukrainian pilots to begin training inthe West. In the fall of 2023, he transitionedfrom a simulator to the cockpit of a real F-16,becoming the very first Ukrainian pilot to doso. He also played a major role in integratingthese fighter jets into Ukraine’s air force.Mes died exactly one year and one day after hiscomrade Pilshchykov.The first F-16 fighter jets appeared over Ukraineat the turn of July and August.Andriy Pilshchykov and Oleksiy Meslobbied for the delivery of F-16s. The firstone died on August 25, 2023, and the secondone exactly one year and one day later.Oleksiy Mes during the training on F-16.The Ukrainian Air Force published a series of photos of the Su-27.A new photograph of the ex-Slovak MiG-29 fighterjet in Ukrainian service.UKRAINEINFO Eduard32October 2024Page 33
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Overseas readers pay postage at air mail printed paper rate.Warpaint on the webFor more information and secure ordering please visit:www.guidelinepublications.co.uk1 Bristol Beaufighter £13.002 Blackburn Buccaneer £13.003 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka £13.004 North American F-100 Super Sabre £13.005 Hawker Typhoon £13.006 Avro Shackleton £14.007 Junkers Ju 88 £13.008 Hawker Hunter £17.009 Grumman F4F Wildcat/Martlet £13.0010 Vickers Wellington £13.0011 de Havilland Sea Vixen £13.0012 Fairey Swordfish £15.0013 Focke Wolfe Fw 200 Condor £14.0014 BAC Lightning £18.0015 Short Stirling £14.0016 Hawker Sea Fury £13.0017 Gloster Javelin £14.0018 Douglas Skyraider £14.0019 de Havilland Hornet and Sea Hornet £14.0020 Supermarine Seafire (Griffon engine) £15.0021 Armstrong Whitworth Whitley £14.0022 Gloster Meteor £20.0023 Fairey Gannet £15.0024 Dornier Do 217 £14.0025 Short Sunderland £14.0026 Bristol Blenheim £15.0027 de Havilland Vampire £20.0028 Fairey Firefly £17.0029 Hawker Sea Hawk £15.0030 Avro Vulcan £16.0031 RAF/RN Phantoms £17.0032 Douglas A-20 Boston/Havoc £17.0033 Heinkel He 177 £14.0034 Avro Lincoln £16.0035 Fairey Barracuda £15.0036 Handley Page Victor £16.0037 Gloster Gladiator £17.0038 Republic F-105 Thunderchief £15.0039 Supermarine Walrus £13.0040 Canadair/Commonwealth Sabre £16.0041 Fairey Fulmar £15.0042 Boulton Paul Defiant £13.0043 Lockheed F-104 Starfighter £18.0044 de Havilland Venom £15.0045 Martin B-57 Canberra £16.0046 Handley Page Halifax £17.0047 McDonnell F-101 Voodoo £15.0048 Westland Lysander £15.0049 Fiat G.91 £15.0050 Bristol Beaufort £15.0051 Lockheed Neptune £16.0052 Fairey Albacore £15.0053 Avro Anson £16.0054 Westland Whirlwind F.Mk I £13.0055 Hawker Tempest £14.0056 Blackburn Firebrand £14.0057 Handley Page Hampden £14.0058 Supermarine Swift £14.0059 Lockheed Hudson £14.0060 English Electric Canberra £20.0061 Savoia Marchetti S.79 Sparviero £14.0062 Handley Page Hastings £14.0063 Vickers Valiant £14.0064 Convair F-102 £15.0065 Westland Wessex £17.0066 Bristol Bulldog £13.0067 Folland Gnat and Ajeet £13.0068 Bristol Brigand £13.0069 Martin B-26 Marauder £14.0070 Vought Corsair £18.0071 Armstrong Whitworth 650/660 Argosy £14.0072 Vickers Supermarine Merlin Seafire £14.0073 North American B-25 Mitchell £15.0074 Hawker Siddeley Harrier £17.0075 BAe Sea Harrier £15.0076 Grumman Tracker/Trader/Tracer £17.0077 Curtiss P-40 £15.0078 Aer Macchi C.202-205 Folgore-Veltro £15.0079 Consolidated PBY Catalina £17.0080 Saab Draken £17.0081 Junkers Ju 52 £14.0082 BAC Jet Provost £17.0083 Fairey Battle £17.0084 Grumman F6F Hellcat £18.0085 Supermarine Scimitar £15.0086 Vickers Wellesley £15.0087 Grumman Avenger £18.0088 Lockheed T-33A £15.0089 Avro Lancaster £18.0090 Boeing B-17 £18.0091 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 'Fishbed' £27.0092 Grumman HU-16 Albatross £17.0093 Messerschmitt Me 262 £15.0094 Supermarine Attacker £15.0095 Westland Sea King £18.0096 Consolidated B-24 Liberator £27.0097 North American RA-5C Vigilante £18.0098 Avro York £17.0099 McDonnell Demon £17.00100 Republic F-84F and RF-84F £20.00101 de Havilland D.H.82 Tiger Moth £16.00102 Convair B-36 £16.00103 Avro Manchester £14.00104 General Dynamics F-111 & EF-111A £20.00105 Sopwith Pup £14.00106 Sikorsky S-55/H-19 & Westland Whirlwind £18.00107 Ilyushin Il-2 ‘Sturmovik’ £15.00108 Martin Mariner and Marlin £17.00109 Douglas C-54/R5D Skymaster & DC-4 £21.00110 Westland Scout & Wasp £16.00111 Vought OS2U Kingfisher £16.00112 Douglas A3D Skywarrior £20.00113 Panavia Tornado ADV £17.00114 McDonnell F-4 Phantom II £25.00115 Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle £14.00116 Hawker Fury and Nimrod £17.00117 Douglas F4D/F-6 Skyray & F5D Skylancer £15.00118 NAA B-45 Tornado £16.00119 Grumman F9F Panther £15.00120 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 £17.00121 Douglas A-4 Skyhawk £26.00122 Albatros D.I - D.III £16.00123 de Havilland (Canada) Chipmunk £15.00124 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 £17.00125 Bristol Britannia, Argus and Yukon £17.00126 Grumman F-14 Tomcat £26.00127 Cessna T-37 A/B/C and A-37 A/B £21.00128 Bristol Scout £15.00129 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 £18.00130 Ilyushin Il-28 £18.00131 Auster in British Military & foreign air arm service £18.00132 Boeing B-52 Stratofortress £25.00133 Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota £25.00134 Aero L-29 Delfin £21.00135 DH.89 Dragon Rapide & Dominie £17.00136 Airspeed Oxford & Consul £18.00137 Douglas SBD Dauntless £28.00138 Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk £18.00139 de Havilland (Canada) DHC-2 Beaver £18.00140 North American OV-10 Bronco £28.00141 Vickers Viking, Valetta & Varsity £19.00Warpaint SpecialsNo.1 Republic P-47 Thunderbolt £19.00No.2 Messerschmitt Bf 109 £25.00No.3 de Havilland Mosquito £25.00No.4 Cessna Bird Dog £12.00No.5 NAA P-51 Mustang and Derivatives £22.00No.6 Dambusters and the Lancaster £20.00Having launched the signature bomber for use in the European Theatre, Boeing embarked on a voyage intothe unknown. Bringing together numerous untried technologies the Boeing Aircraft Company launched itsmost significant bomber, the B-29 Superfortress. Although beset by development problems and havingsuffered the loss of the prototype and its Chief Test Pilot Eddie Allan, the company pushed on to create thefirst long-range strategic bombers. Once the Pacific Islands had been captured the B-29 Bomb Groupsbegan bombing raids on the Japanese Home Islands. On the other side of the Himalayas further bombgroups launched attacks against targets in Japan. As combat experience grew the focus turned todestroying as much as possible of its production facilities, mainly by firebombing areas known to havethese targets. And then the world changed forever. The use of two atom bombs against Hiroshima andNagasaki had shown the power of the atom. When the Japanese finally surrendered the Cold Wararrived to take its place. War in Korea followed, being the swan song for the B-29 while its youngersibling, the B-50, assumed the mantle of Strategic Defence, a position it held until the B-47 Stratojetarrived. One of the largest aircraft of World War II, the B-29 remained in service in various roles throughout the1950s, being retired in the early 1960s after 3,970 had been built. The Royal Air Force flew the B-29 with the service name‘Washington from 1950 to 1954’ while the re-engined B-50 Superfortress Lucky Lady II became the first aircraft to fly around the worldnon-stop, during a 94-hour flight in 1949. The Soviet Union produced 847 Tupolev Tu-4s, an unlicensedreverse-engineered copy of the B-29. This latest in the essential Warpaint series offers a comprehensive look atthe famous bomber in all its guises, with history, development, service details, and colour artwork and scale plansby Sam Pearson.BoeingBB--2299andBB--5500SuperfortressBy Kev DarlingB-29 Superfortress 44-70072 X-55 named Limber Richard of the 5thBombardment Squadron, 9th Bombardment Group, flying toward Japanwith other squadron bombers in 1945. The bombing missions againstJapan a 3,500 mile round trip, could last as long as sixteen hours. Alsoshown is at least one B-29 of the 1st BS of the same group, completewith black and yellow rear fuselage and fin bands. (USAF via DRJ)WARPAINT SERIES No.143paint Master 21/06/2024 14:48 Page 118During the 1960s, Dassault commenced development of what would become the Mirage F1 as a privateventure, alongside the larger Mirage F2. Work on the F1 eventually took precedence over the more costlyF2, which was cancelled during the late 1960s. The Armée de l'Air took great interest in the fledgling F1 tomeet its requirement for an all-weather interceptor aircraft. The Mirage F1 was of similar size to the MirageIII and Mirage 5 and was powered by the same SNECMA Atar engine that had been used on thelarger Dassault Mirage IV, however, unlike its predecessors, it had the layout of a swept wing, but mountedhigh on the fuselage, and a conventional tail surface as used by the F2. Although it had a smaller wingspanthan the Mirage III, the Mirage F1 nevertheless proved to be superior to its predecessor, carrying morefuel while possessing a shorter take-off run and greater manoeuvrability. This latest addition to theWarpaint series includes all the usual reference and historical material that has made the series the go-to source for modellers and aviation enthusiasts alike. This book is written by Andy Evans and issuperbly illustrated by Sam Pearson.All these titles are available in printed format via our on demand printing service. Please contact our office for further information.£25.00Warpaint series No.143Orders from the world’s bookand hobby trade are invitedNewreleasePrevious Warpaint titles£19.00Warpaint series No.142Boeing BB--2299 and BB--5500SuperfortressGGUUIIDDEELLIINNEE PPUUBBLLIICCAATTIIOONNSS LLIIMMIITTEEDDDassaultMMIIRRAAGGEE FF11By Andy EvansA French Air Force Mirage F1 returns to its missionafter receiving fuel from a US Air Force KC-10Extender while flying over Afghanistan in support ofOperation ‘Enduring Freedom’, on 25 November2010. (US Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)WARPAINT SERIES No.14242 Warpaint Mirage F1.qxp_Warpaint Master 19/03/2024 20:24 Page 58Dassault MMiirraaggee FF11Warpaint 143 B-29 & B-50 + Mirage F1.qxp_Warpaint Advert 22/06/2024 09:42 Page 1Page 34
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#2148BOXART STORYThe L-410UVP, serial number 810731, wasmanufactured by LET Kunovice, on 25 November1981. It was equipped with the standardcamouflage for this type, i.e. two shades of greenon the upper and side surfaces, and light greyunderneath. At the time when it was intended fortransporting NATO observers during exerciseson the territory of Czechoslovakia, the nose, partof the tail surfaces and the ends of the wingswere painted yellow. Subsequently, during aninspection at the factory, it was fitted with 'VIPcamouflage' in white and grey with tricolour onthe fuselage sides.In the middle of 2005, the aircraft was handedover to the Pardubice Centre of Aviation Training(CLV) of the state enterprise LOM PRAHA, whereit complemented the already used L-410UVP-Taircraft,fuselage number 0928, for trainingUniversity of Defence Brno students intended forthe transport aviation. Pilots Štěpán Ručka andPetr Kříženecký took over the "new" aircraft fromKbely. However, they did not flew off on their firstattempt, because the aircraft showed significantcontrol defects, perhaps due to previous damageduring ground handling. However, after severaladjustments, the aircraft was finally taken over,although for the rest of its flying life it sufferedpermanent consequences in the form of constant,albeit small, slipping. Any change in speed orwing configuration thus required re-adjustmentof the rudder and aileron trims. Over time, theaircraft was nicknamed "Máňa“ (pronouncedMania, meaning "Little Mary").In 2012, the aircraft "0731"underwent theR2 revision at the manufacturer. Due to theextent of the work being carried out, there wasa discussion in CLV on the subject of a newcamouflage to fit within our fleet. Out of manyideas from pilots and technicians, the currentlook of the "CLV" L-410s was finally chosen.That's why the aircraft "0928" received it as wellin 2017 during its R2 revision in Kunovice.An interesting feature is the inscription onthe bottom of the fuselage - AEROTRAINING,which was supposed to be the call sign of theaircraft used in CLV. The call sign of this aircraftfor communication with air traffic controlauthorities at that time was "Aerotraining 731".On 22 October 2020 the aircraft landed forthe last time in Pardubice, it was then with thecrew of Antonín Karmazín, Jiří Červený and JiříSeidl. The need for another R2 revision and theengines and propellers overhaul, together withthe necessary modernisation of the avionicequipment, meant very high costs. Therefore, thedecision was made to decommission the aircraftand no longer operate it.In the end, "Máňa" ended its aviation journeyin the Aviation Museum in Kunovice. The aircraftwas transported there on two trucks on March 7,2024, where it was displayed to the public afterassembly with the help of the production plantemployees. "Máňa" flew a total of 7,479 hoursand 25 minutes and safely completed 13,892landings.Illustration: Antonis KarydisMáňaText: Jaroslav ŠpačekINFO Eduard35October 2024Page 36
BOXART STORY #82108World War II gave rise to many unusualsituations, events, and units. Among thesewas the Connecticut National Guard'sreconnaissance aviation unit, which ultimatelyachieved over 70 confirmed aerial victories on<