Saturday 29 August 2015

ZG 52 Bf 110 C/D -daily Ebay photo find #129



Nice shots of  Me 110 C/D (nose air intake absent) with the Drachenwappen of I./ZG 52 on the nose.

Below, I./ ZG 52 machine 'A2+AK', possibly the machine assigned to a Staffelkapitän. In a later image this machine has a small number of rudder victory markings so unless obscured here these images would date from April/May 1940, taken either prior to or during the Westfeldzug - the campaign in France. Note the lighter camouflage finish.





currently on offer here

Tuesday 25 August 2015

Captured German Me 110 G4 Night Fighter Along Autobahn - ebay daily photo find #128



..while 'post-war' GI pics don't have quite the same 'wow' factor as a period image in my view - one of the reasons I've never bothered with the Eagle Editions 'Wings of the Black Cross' series - here are two more nice GI pictures currently on offer here




Saturday 22 August 2015

new photo Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a WNr.110956 coded white "17" -daily Ebay photo find # 127






Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a WNr.110956 coded white "17" and white "S" (S - Schulemachine) of III./EJG 2 captured at Lechfeld on 29 April 1945. ..Note the sign in German behind the cockpit on the side of the hut. " Stop  - beware of aircraft taking off and landing " .


On offer here




 Photo:"Me262, The Production Log" by Dan O'Connell (Classic, 2005)

Thursday 20 August 2015

Caudron C-445 Goéland ZG 1 St.G 1 RS models 1:72nd scale - first look and reference pictures - latest edit February 2018




The Caudron C 445 Goéland was an important school and training type in the inventory of the Luftwaffe with over 500 new-build machines seeing service in the Luftwaffe in additional to those Beute machines captured with the fall of France. The type was the most-produced aircraft type in French factories during the German occupation. Even heavy Allied bombing raids on the Caudron-Renault Courbevoie factory and the Renault works at Billancourt in the suburbs of Paris during September 1943 which resulted in large loss of life could not stop the flow of Goélands to the Luftwaffe. Between 1936 and 1948 over 1400 examples were constructed and large numbers saw service with Air France and Lufthansa.

A selection of 20 the best of recent Ebay photos of C 445 Goélands in Luftwaffe service as reference for the new-tool injection molded C 445 from Robert Schneider's RS Models. Click on the image to view large..



C 445 A-1 - WNr.0841 - BC+ZC - FFS(A/B)11 & FFS(A)125 - 45% loss, Elbing, Germany on 13-Dec-43. Emergency landing due to a technical failure


Below;  the machine in the next two images may be CD+YK or CD+YL either of the Stabsstaffel Fliegerführer Afrika or Kurierstaffel Tropen. The animal depicted in the emblem is a kangaroo with boxing gloves. Possible loss data - C 445 A-1 - WNr.0518 - CD+KQ (listed as WNr.518) St.St.Fliegerführer Afrika - 100% loss, Derna, Libya on 17-Dec-41. Destroyed by own retreating forces





C445 of FFS 20



RS models site, new-tool Caudron C-445 here





Test shot build via the RS Models FB page here



C 445 cockpit detail photo of a C445 of FFS AB 61. via 'Die Flugzeugfuhrer-Ausbildung der Deutsche Luftwaffe'


C.445 in Luftwaffe markings is reproduced (along with a paraphrased caption) from " Die Deutsche Luftwaffe, Zerstorer-und Nachtjagdverbande, Teil 1" [VDM, 2007]

Caudron C.445 coded TE+WO, WNr.957 was used by ZG 1 for liaison flights. It is not known when this photo was taken, but Luftflottennachrichtenschule 3 registered this aircraft in July 1943




Coded BC+QN, WNr. 438 of Fliegerführer Nord - 80% loss - Belly landed due to engine failure at Stavanger, Norway 09-Oct-41 - Ogefr.Hermann Wilke (Bm) injured [source: Gen.Qu.6.Abt. (mfm #4)-Vol. 6 &  p72 of "Le Caudron Goéland" by P.Cortet and R.Esperou published by Lela Presse



C 445 A-1, WNr.0567 coded DF+UO of Stab I./StG 3 which was to sustain 25% damage when crash landing at Derna in Libya on 19-May-42 [source: Gen.Qu.6.Abt.











C 445 A-1 der A/B 11 Schönwalde "RC+YA" oder "RC+PV"

Uffz. Hans Dahmen's Bf 109 G-10 " Red 8" 'Gisela' 2./ JG 300




Uffz. Hans Dahmen's Bf 109 G-10 " Red 8" 'Gisela' 2./ JG 300 from the Revell 1/32 scale kit by Franck Oudin, finished with Barracuda Studios and MDC resin bits, markings painted with Miracle Paint Masks.




Tuesday 18 August 2015

Walkaround video Messerschmitt Bf 109 'Red 7' Andreas Haferkorn, Chief Engineer and Volkar Bau, Chief Test Pilot on the Bf 109 G-4 / Hispano Aviacion H. A. 1112 M-1-L, W.Nr. 139 (EADS)



Andreas Haferkorn, Chief Engineer on the 'Messerschmitt Stiftung' EADS 'Red 7' presents a small 'walkaround' video filmed at RIAT 2015, while Volkar Bau, Chief Test Pilot discusses contending with torque in the Bf 109


Andreas Haferkorn, Chief Engineer and Volkar Bau, Chief Test Pilot, take us around a Messerschmitt Bf 109.Video: AC Stuart Wareing
Posted by Royal Air Force on Thursday, 23 July 2015


Also on this blog read my article    Contending with torque

" ..the problem with this aircraft is takeoff and landing...." Volkar Bau

" ..The day was rounded off with a demonstration of captured American aircraft, in particular a P-51 Mustang – it was stressed that our Bf 109s and Fw 190s were generally superior to this type. We soon realised on our first combat sortie that this statement was not entirely accurate....”

Uffz. Kurt Scherer II./JG 4



Sunday 16 August 2015

Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe Teil 13/I Reichsverteidigung 1944 1.1 bis 5.6. 1944 -latest Luftwaffe books




The latest Prien/Rodeike/Stemmer/Bock Jagdfliegerverbände volume arrived. No need to introduce this series to the hard-core enthusiast. You either buy these or you look at pictures on Facebook.( well, I do both, but you know what I mean!) Volume 13 covers 'Defence of the Reich' from 01 January to 05 June 1944 in over 500 pages of closely-typed German text. Nice images too on thicker glossy paper, many unpublished especially of I./JG 11 and many via the 'Archive of Modern Conflict'. Look out for the selection of Fw 190 A-8s of 1./ JG 11 at Rothenberg during April 1944 on pages 362-363; fuselage and upper surface Balkenkreuze and Hakenkreuze (swastikas) are all absent, most probably over-sprayed. In terms of format, this volume is somewhat different from previous books; there are no claims lists - at least not in Teil 13/I - just daily overviews of the "Angriffe" and details of fighter deployment "Abwehreinsätze" presented in a day-by-day diary format. I ordered my copy via the publisher Buchverlag Rogge's Ebay.de site




Friday 14 August 2015

Ju-88-mit-Radarantenne-des-FuG-202-Lichtenstein


Click to view large
Currently on offer here

Wednesday 12 August 2015

Henschel Hs 123 V1 D-ILUA


..currently on offer here is this nice press photo of the Hs 123 V1 prototype light dive bomber. This interesting pic shows the 'beefed-up' strut supports on the wing under-surfaces and the rather clumsy and overly large main wheel fairings which were replaced by a much neater 'boot' from the V3. D-ILUA carried no armament and was powered by the BMW licence-built version of the P&W Hornet radial. It was first shown to Luftwaffe representatives including Ernst Udet at Berlin's Johannisthal airfield on 8 May 1935. While the ultimate fate of this machine is unknown, in his very nice booklet on the aircraft for MMP Robert Panek presents photographic evidence that this aircraft went to Spain with the Legion Condor (page 53). Click to view large


JG 77 Luftwaffe Gallery special edition Erik Mombeeck - new Luftwaffe books

..here's news of a forthcoming publication from Erik Mombeeck that I was invited to work on; all personal accounts, photo and artwork captions newly translated and rendered in English by this blog author...


" .. it is with very great pleasure that I'm writing to tell you of the publication - within 3-4 weeks - of the second volume in the Lufwaffe Gallery 'special' series. This new volume is devoted to JG 77, a colourful Geschwader in more ways than one - and not just because of the range of emblems and insignia displayed on its Bf 109s. JG 77 saw hard-fought action on all fronts (Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, France, Greece, USSR, North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Romania...) and counted among its ranks many successful fighter aces (Bar, Gollob, Mucheberg, Ihlefeld, Steinhoff, Reinert...). As was the case with Volume 1 dedicated to the Abbeville Boys of JG 26 - sold out in a matter of months and now a collector's item- this new volume features 96 landscape A-4 pages illustrated with 34 of Thierry Dekker's superb artworks, some 234 photos (many previously unpublished) and a large number of newly translated first person accounts from Geschwader veterans. As you can imagine, this new publication is the result of many years of painstaking research....."



".... By the way, I'd also like to confirm the imminent publication of volume 4 of the the chronicle of JG 2 "Richthofen" – " Dans le Ciel de France" (in French only - there no English version currently planned). Volume 4 is devoted to the year 1943 and comprises 233 pages, about 350 photos, mostly unpublished and gathered from the albums of Geschwader veterans. In addition to the many first person accounts and excerpts from correspondence, the book includes a multitude of details of the fighting (including on the Allied side), losses and victories, and the daily lives of the "Richthofener" on the aerodromes of Beaumont Brest/Guipavas, Vannes/Meucon, Lille/Vendeville, Triqueville, Conches, Saint-André-de-l'Eure, Bernay, Gael, Octeville, Evreux, Poix, Vitry-en-Artois, Caen/Carpiquet, Calais/Marck and many others. One change to note from previous volumes; the limited print run of these new books! I need to create some space before the end of the year and thus have drastically cut back the numbers of copies ordered from the printer. If you have any interest in acquiring one or both of these volumes you need to let me know as soon as possible (send me a PM with your e-mail adress). Best regards Erik..."

Go to http://www.luftwaffe.be  /   'what's new' to reserve your copy

Monday 10 August 2015

Desert Storks - Wüstennotstaffel eArticle Air War Publications- reference for the Hasegawa/Revell Fi 156 32nd scale





 The Wüstennotstaffel was a rather unique Luftwaffe unit - a "desert rescue squadron". Equipped with the remarkable Fieseler Fi 156 'Storch' STOL aircraft, 1./Wüstennotstaffel served as a ‘jack-of-all trades’ for Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel throughout the North African campaign. The story of the unit is a fascinating one and it has been superbly written up and published by AirWar Publications in their eArticle series. For French readers the story is told in the current issue (no 48) of Chris Ehrengardt's Aerojournal magazine.

It is a story that involved a number of lively escapades and events in the two years from its creation in the summer of 1941 to its disbandment in the summer of 1943. Although rarely reporting more than a dozen aircraft on strength, the Wüstennotstaffel carried out all manner of tasks in the desert war, ranging from its regular rescues of downed Axis and Allied airmen, to evacuation of wounded German soldiers, providing assistance to various Axis special forces and irregular units, transporting senior German army and air force personnel, and generally doing whatever miscellaneous tasks it was required to perform. The unit’s Staffelkapitän, Heinz Kroseberg, was awarded the Ritterkreuz for his efforts in rescuing friend and foe alike, although the award was given posthumously after he sacrificed his life trying to save some downed German airmen in the Mediterranean Sea off the North African coast. This article outlines the history of the unit in North Africa, and delves into several of the more prominent events that it was involved in.

The range of duties performed by the Wüstennotstaffel was surprisingly wide. The unit was involved in the battle against the British LRDG and SAS, undertook sabotage missions of their own, transported the likes of Rommel and Kesselring, and undertook dozens of other tasks. The authors have unearthed some really good stories, and as a result of extensive correspondence with the family of Heinz Kroseberg (the Wüstennotstaffel leader from June 1941 to May 1942), the article includes lots of previously unpublished first-hand accounts.

As we've said before on this blog Air War Publications' earticles are a great idea, always packed with interesting details, so many congratulations to Morten and Andrew for yet another winner. I also have to say that it looks extremely good on my Ipad mini!

This 10,000 word article featuring artworks and a fine collection of images is available for download in two parts for not much more than the cost of a print magazine on the AirWar Publications site here

Fi 156 CQ+QP, 1./Wüstennotstaffel, late-1941 - early 1942. The eArticle also includes a page of modellers colour notes



Reference and colour notes for modellers building the Hasegawa/Revell Fi 156 in 1/32nd scale

below; colour image from "Recon for Rommel" by S.Ommert shows the effects of a sand storm on a Fi 156 C coded 5F+YK of AufklGr 14. The camouflage scheme consists of a 'dark' and quite dense mottle of a sand colour, possibly of Italian origin, over the RLM 79, while the lower surfaces are likely to be RLM 78. Note the white fuselage theatre band..



1. Most, if not all, desert Fi 156s carried only the white fuselage band as theatre markings.
2. The underside of the fuselage on Fi 156 Storks delivered in the RLM 79/RLM 78 scheme was RLM 78
3. Photos show that the inside of the cockpit door was almost certainly RLM 66 as was the instrument panel, but the rear cockpit wall was a lighter colour (RLM 02?). Photos of Fi 156 Ds (ambulance version - all theatres) show the area around where the stretchers are fitted is this same lighter colour.

 Fi 156 C-5/Trop, probably liaison Aircraft of Stab/JG 27, taking off from a North-African desrt airstrip, 1942




two more Wüstennotstaffel machines, above, repainted after capture by the British but retaining the Staffel emblem on the nose and, below, DL+AW











Hasegawa/Revell Fi 156 in 32nd scale built by Peter Dixon of London