maltadefender
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Posts posted by maltadefender
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Lovely... a real little gem. My 1/72s are feeling somewhat under-dressed as a result!
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I just love this kit... did two in my teens. It's just nice to see it being done to its fullest potential! More power to your elbow
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Thanks Howard - looking forward to it, I must admit.
Model shop mailed again this morning, confident that stoacks are high with his supplier and no extra delays expected.
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It is pretty clear that Hitler's preferred objective was a docile Britain with a government prepared to accept peace in return for doing his bidding. The reason behind this thinking was based simple reasoning... not the least of which being the size and scale of its Empire, which would need managing when that was the last thing that an over-stretched Germany could afford to take on so soon after moving east and west. Allied to this position was the picture of Britain he had been given by the number of influential British dignitaries toadying up to him through the 1930s who reinforced Hitler's belief that we were 'racially compatible': of the same Saxon stock with plenty of common ground between us politically.
The preferred solution was for Britain to 'see sense' after Dunkirk and capitulate, overthrow the 'warmonger' Churchill's government and sue for peace. Hitler would then reinstate Edward VIII (with an American queen), keep clear of responsibility for the British Empire (while holding the purse strings) and get on with the rest of his war: Russia, 'lebensraum', the eradication of Communism and Jewry and the subjugation of the Slavs. Anything other than that, after the fall of France, was a distraction. In Hitler's view North Africa and the Med were problems brought upon him by Mussolini and Britain was hostile because of the drunken ramblings of a maverick and unelected Prime Minister against whom he confidently expected public opinion to turn.
When British opinion was galvanised behind Churchill after Dunkirk the matter was handed over to Goering to eradicate the RAF and force a defenceless Britain to surrender... but Goering failed. Fighter Command won in that sense: it kept Britain in the fight and more importantly it kept the fight in the British people. The only thing that Fighter Command did not do in the summer of 1940 was prevent an invasion. That myth - and the phrase 'Battle of Britain' - were entirely political concoctions designed to give heart to a beleagured people and encourage America into believing that a victory had been won... concoctions of which the pilots themselves were often critical.
"We had barely 7,000 feet to make as we were to act as escort to the first bomber formation to attempt a daylight raid on France since the so-called Battle of Britain. So-called, as that then-familiar phrase related to a national crisis which for us had been merely part of a sustained period of activity against the Luftwaffe, a tidy but emotive expression for a tidy fourteen-week event, conveniently terminating on 31 October 1940. As though the war for us had started in July and ended in October, which it most definitely had not!"
- Flight Lt. T. E. Neil, 249 Sqn
The logistics of invading Britain were nigh-on impossible. At the most 3000 lightly-armed paratroopers could have embarked and casualties of almost fifty per cent could be expected, based upon their record to that point. Launching 1000 flat-bottomed river barges into the Channel wasn't realistic because of the forces of nature... and suicidal given the presence of 40 destroyers, four cruisers and hundreds of other vessels capable of attacking, tipping, ramming and wreaking havoc upon them - and that's before Bomber Command or Coastal Command came into play. The Germans had to wait for Britain to lose heart and roll out the red carpet, and thanks to Fighter Command we did not.
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In that case you definitely need Invasion 1940 as a starting point for the argument that the Germans couldn't have invaded thanks to the Royal Navy and never really intended to!
Ducks and runs...
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Two good sources are Fighter by Len Deighton and Invasion 1940 by Derek Robinson.
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Oh cack. Wake up this morning to find an email from the model shop telling me this kit is out of stock and it will be 5-10 days before they receive new supplies, provided there are no delays.
I suppose I should think positive and do something about the presentation.
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Two Hurricane Mk.1 sets available from the Aeromaster Early Hurricane Aces 1/48 sheet:
LK-M P/O Johnny Cock 87 Sqn and DT-A S/Ldr Stanford Tuck 257 Sqn
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Decals ordered and paint scheme confirmed for my Gracie Hurricane: Sky undersides, Sky spinner and two sky stripes on the tail to denote flight leader. Subtle but a bit different. Found a fantastic photo of a pilot lowering himself into the cockpit holding on to the rear-view mirror which I might try and copy if it's a wheels-down rendition, although I'm more tempted still to do her wheels-up if I can find a stand.
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Right then, obviously I'm playing catch-up a little here but the kit is due to arrive tomorrow and I think I've got all the paints and kit that I need... except an airbrush.
I've never owned, used or tried one and at the moment I've got neither the time or money to initiate myself, so I'm falling back on the old horsehair and a Tamiya rattlecan that has somehow survived the passage of time. I figure I've had some reasonable results over the past 30-odd years by going this route, so looking forward to cracking on.
The bigger considerations are how to present it for the build and how to keep it one piece when we (hopefully) move house in a couple of months. This particular aircraft was based on the Philippines, and from looking at Osprey's American Night Fighter Aces it would seem that the landscape on which the Bat's Eye unit found itself was fairly flat and sandy. So not a thrilling diorama, really! The temptation to a Tamiya US Navy Pilot set was strong until I realised that they would cost more than the aircraft, so I guess she'll have to be presented 'au naturel'. Meanwhile it looks like the Trumpeter 276mm x 316mm display case is going to be the best way of preserving her once she's done, so that's next week's pocket money taken care of!
I'm not very experienced with weathering and there seems to be precious little on show in the 1:1 examples in the book, save a few oily stains on the cowling and dust on the leading edges and thrown up by the undercarriage. All the better for me, then... I'll get a bit more adventurous with the Battle of Britain GB Hurricane. So all set and ready, just waiting for this to drop through the door...
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Whose blue are you going to use on this one, Geoff?
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I'll be chuffed if mine's a fraction as good. Top brushing!
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Keeping mine simple as a newcomer - 1/48 Hurricane Mk.I R2689 US-Z 56 Squadron, Flt. Lt. 'Jumbo' Gracie - later one of the legends of Malta. Looks like grey undersides and prop spinner, which is a bit different. Not sure whether I'll get time for a diorama too or do it as my preferred wheels-up number.
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Of course! What you going to build?
Hi JJ,
I've got 1/72 Malta-based Hurricane night fighter and Hurricane intruder in my stash but since last night I've really got the hots for a 1/48 Hellcat Night Fighter. I know there's already a 1/32 example in the group, but I'm going to tinker about a little and see what I can come up with... would rather keep it simple for my first-ever group build!
Thanks a million - I'll get weaving this week
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Hehehe Congrats on the wedding too
Thank you!
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Well this is the reason why I got back into building aircraft. Originally it was supposed to be set dressing for my slot car track, completed in time for my wedding reception but comprehensively trashed by the younger members of the party.
Meanwhile we had a few interlopers of the furry and feathery variety on my wife's vegetable patch, so I figured we should kill two birds... with cannon fire! It's the Revell 1/32 Spitfire in Malta trim, glued back together and weatherproofed - much more stylish than old Wet Wet Wet CDs or a broomstick with a sack and a smiley face methinks...
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Any chance for a latecomer???
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When they use the reference to "SEA CAMOUFLAGE" would that be understood to specifically mean the Temperate Sea Scheme or rather just any old dark blue-grey or blue colour to be applied?
Temperate Sea Scheme is the most probable intended meaning. Not very clear, but then the RAF in general could be vague (see the confusion in 1940 over what colour 'duck-egg blueish-green' might be!) and the Malta AOC was not really interested in the fighters anyway. He was a bomber man and his principal function was to hit Axis shipping rather than defend the island - few fighter boys seem to have had much rapport with him.
In practice there was a whole lot of scrabbling around going on to try and repaint the aircraft suitably. Somewhere between loading in Scotland and landing in Malta they did the best they could with whatever was available, which then resulted in a mish-mash in 1942 that we're still picking over now!
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Ahhh the best laid plans... I made a couple of 'Piece of Cake' Mk.IXs in my youth, thought that might be fun!
Probably a Hurricane, then. Possibly a Frantisek one if I can stump up for the decals...
Thanks for the welcome and the heads-up on regs one and all... looking forward to seeing the results this summer. I'm doing my bit to see as many commemorations as possible... off to Bletchley Park's open day this weekend, a BoB steam railway event next month and maybe an airshow or two, funds willing.
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OK thanks, if I find a squirell grey match I'll let you know! I look forward to reading your conclusions on the Malta fighter colours - that usually leads to some lively discussion! I'm currently reading a book called 'Life on a Spitfire Squadron' by a Spitfire pilot called Barney Barnfather. He flew a Spitfire into Malta off the Wasp & fought with 603 squadron. The book is mainly excerpts from the squadrons ORB, but is really interesting in showing what the island had to endure at the time! Nothing about colours in it though!
Keef
I've got the Barney Barnfather book on order... Waterstone's has made a complete hash of it so far. Ordered two books in-store with birthday voucher - one got stuck on the shelf and sold, the other AWOL. Can't get the staff these days!
Looking forward to this build, though...
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to the forums md.
I'm not planning on doing a squirrel grey machine for this GB, but I do have one on the list for the future. Do you have a colour match for it, either a ready mixed paint, or a mix, or FS number or....???
Cheers
Keef
Thank you! I can see I'm going to have to work up a whole bunch of new excuses to friends and family already!
I haven't got a colour match at all I'm afraid... right now I'm having enough fun colour matching Malta fighters to get into an extra research mission. I guess it will end up as a Desert Storm model with a saucy lady on the nose... but looking forward to this build tremendously.
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Deanflyer - I'm officially hopeless at anything like that I'm afraid. Managed to stuff up our wedding CD cover using WHSmith's pack!
John - Didn't realise Edding transfers were still around - my Dad used to cover everything in the house with them! Could be onto something there...
Thank you both
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Hi all,
I've got an old 1/32 Tiger Moth tucked away for future set dressing on my slot car track. I'd very much like to build her as the silver one from 'The English Patient' (G-AFFC) but I'm struggling for a source - is there such a thing?
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More reading and digging to do... thanks, Graham!
Congrats on the wedding too 
to the forums md.
Battle of France
in Aircraft WWII
Posted · Edited by maltadefender
Germany's much-vaunted air supremacy in 1939-40 was really a work of spin. The losses in Poland show this, as do the losses in France. And over Britain. And a little later on in Malta. Germany never had to fight for anywhere else prior to 1941.
France was ready to capitulate because the horrors of World War 1 were fresh in the minds of her people. If the Western Front had stretched from Carlisle to Canterbury doubtless we'd have been the same. Nominally going to war for Poland's sake was one thing, but inviting back the carnage of 1914-18 was quite another. Surrender would have been the lesser disgrace to a second Western Front... but those French units who did not toe the line, and the British Expeditionary Force, took one heck of a toll.
There is story after story of French aircraft being abandoned on their airfields and their aircrew sitting it out at home waiting for the news of surrender. And yet Germany lost 39 Ju52s in one raid from a total loss of half its paratroop carriers in the invasion of France... make no mistake, France wasn't a walkover