Ingo Ritz

Not sure what happened to the text above. I tried to edit w/o success...

That little bird... Lower right corner of image... B/W drawing by Greg Reynolds, IPMS Quarterly. Described as Kingfisher with dark blue head and wings, orange breast and under wings,light bluetailfeathers... Cybermodel Dragon Decal 1/32 scale... Techmod Decals 1/32 scale...

Wick's machines have been popular subject's for box art. Here are three interpretations from Roy Cross and Shigeo Koike...

Wow! Your work is inspirational!

Awesome!

Very cool!

I think this is Yellow 2... And three more shots with late markings and painted wing tips.

The wing walk markings are present in the photos above. The the yellow fuel marking on the port fuselage appear to be obscured by the camouflage finish.

Pacific Coast Models does a Fw 190 A-4 in 1/32. The kit appears (to me) to be closely related to the Hasegawa kit and several major parts appear to be almost identical, so the Eagle Editions parts should be a drop fit. Although similar to the Hasegawa offering the kit has all the necessary changes for an A-4.

AK739 was the subject in the Canadian Aces decals released by IPMS Canada back in 2001. This machine was shot down 26 March 1942 with the loss of Sergeant Laurence as noted above. At some point this aircraft had the red/white checkerboard applied to the rudder.

Here are two similar photos showing the aircraft after the Kommodore markings were applied.

For purposes of discussion here is an interpretation of Wick's aircraft in the Warpaint Special No.2. All three depict the same aircraft from August 1940 to November 1940. These illustrations do not show the hummingbird figure which some claim is on the port fuselage forward of the yellow 2. The depiction of the camouflage pattern on the port tail plane is inconsistent with the photograph above.

Spectacular model, very realistic!

Those photos are exceptional and probably very valuable if they have not been previously published. I suggest you consult with a publisher who specializes in Luftwaffe history before you post the rest.

Here is a shot of W. Nr. 5344. I think that this machine was subsequently remarked with the fuselage winkel. Upper wings appear to to standard pattern, most likely RLM 71/02.

Here is a shot of GO-L. Flight Sergeant Edwards claimed a Bf 109 while flying this machine on 23 March 1942 . ORB shows Edwards assigned AK 858 that date. Did the letter identifying the aircraft stay the same after the squadron code changed? In other words would this aircraft have been marked FZ-L before the squadron code changed?

Nice photo by the way!

Eagle Editions had them in 1/32 Scale... Available here: Ultracast Parts are designed for Hasegawa kit, but should work with Revell.

I have to wonder if the British intent was to attack at sunset/twilight to put the Germans at a tactical disadvantage? My understanding that the raid on the airfield was a failure, perhaps the amount of light was a contributing factor. Is there is a surviving account by Otto Schulz?

Thanks again Geoffrey, your insights are extremely helpful! The German tank officer who was a witness to the 15 February event saw a group of British fighters overfly his position westbound. He subsequently observed them returning eastbound individually. The witness stated that he observed a Bf 109 engage and shoot down two fighters that crashed in flames, followed by a third which cartwheeled into the desert but did not burn, and a forth which also crashed in flames. The Bf 109 pilot, Otto Schulz, stated the Kittyhawks took no evasive action and concluded that the British pilots were novices. S/L Mason was no novice and had made a reputation as a skilled and aggressive fighter pilot. I would speculate that S/L Mason would likely be the last to leave Martuba which would suggest that he would have been the first one attacked by the Schulz. So if Mason's Kittyhawk was the first shot down it would be one of the aircraft that crashed in flames, according to the witness. I also recall reading that 10 days later British troops found Mason and his Kittyhawk and buried him nearby.

In regard to the fuselage code change, the picture below is apparently a 94 Squadron Kittyhawk, perhaps a hack or maybe the code was changed before the switch to Hurricanes?

I found another causality report for AK 807 dated one month after the Martuba raid... Sergeant M D Rochfort (RCAF): killed; Kittyhawk AK807, 94 Squadron; aircraft accident near Landing Ground 115, Egypt, 15 March 1942 Again AK 807 could not have been destroyed in the Martuba Mission and later be involved in a landing accident. Something is amiss.

Using the link provided by Geoffrey I found this... This is 94 Squadron's Operations Record Book Entry for February 2, 1942. The entries at the far left are aircraft serial numbers. The remaining columns are Crew, Duty, Time Up, Time Down, and Details. According to the ORB nine Kittyhawks departed at 1645. S/L Mason was flying AK 807 and is listed as missing. Also missing were Sgt. Belcher (AK 601), Sgt. Weightman (AK 733), and P/O Marshall (AK 858). The Air Ministry Casualty report entry provides conflicting information regarding Mason's assigned aircraft... Squadron Leader E M Mason: killed; Kittyhawk AK767, 94 Squadron; aerial combat over Martuba, Libya, 15 February 1942 But there is another casualty report for AK 767 in late May... Pilot Officer T Hindle: missing believed killed; Kittyhawk AK767, 260 Squadron, aircraft failed to return from an operational flight, 31 May 1942. Mason's aircraft was destroyed on the mission so it can't be involved in both incidents. At this point I believe the best evidence is that Mason was assigned AK 807.

Thanks Geoffrey, that is most helpful!

Here are two shots of another 94 Squadron Kittyhawk, marked FZ B, being examined by German soldiers. Fabric has been removed from the rudder where the checkerboard marking would have been applied, apparently for a souvenir. I have no information on the serial or history of this aircraft, but I wonder if it was one of the aircraft lost on the disastrous first combat mission.