The Stuka last used in a combat mission

[Basilisk]

With most of the Air Forces which used Stukas represented in the STGB, I decided to build one aircraft of a user still missing. It is the well documented Ju-87B-2 from the Yugoslav Air Force. Of interest is the fact that this aging B-2 was the last Stuka used in anger during WWII.

 

Follow information is from the book "Guerrilla Nightmare - Luftwaffe Stukas at war against Tito's Partisans in Yugoslavia 1941-1945" published by Kagero.

 

A Ju 87B-2 from NSGr.10 with code 5B+ER landed by mistake on a Partisan held airstrip on 12 February 1945 at Sanski Most in Bosnia due to a navigation error. The crew took of from Butmir arfield in Sarajevo to transfer to Zagreb under the control of Oberfeldwebel (Ofw)  August Pautz as the pilot and Ofw Hermann Kübel as gunner and both were taken prisoner of war after their mistaken landing.

 

The Stuka, with hastily applied Partisan markings, was soon used against German positions on several occasions. During one of the mission, the aircraft suffered a flak hit into the rear part of the cockpit , loosing the whole rear sliding canopy with the installed MG 15 without insuring the crew. The aircraft received a replacement rear canopy but flew from then on without the rear MG.

 

Until 25th May 1945, the Stuka flew 34 combat sorties in the hands of the Yugoslav Partisan Army of a total duration of 33 hours and 15 minutes. During that period 16 50kg bombs and 88 12kg bombs had been dropped onto enemy positions. Some sources say that this aircraft was used for the last time on 28 May 1945 attacking German forces refusing to surrender, making it the last combat sortie of a Ju 87!

 

The Stuka was used by the new Yugoslav Air Force for a short time before it was given to the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade. Substantial parts of this aircraft sill exist and are in storage at the Yugoslav Aviation Museum in Belgrade.

 

Up to the event when it lost the rear canopy, the aircraft flew still with the Luftwaffe code and yellow theater markings in place as can be seen on these pictures.

 

Later on, the Lutwaffe code and yellow fuselage band got overpainted and when part of the Yugoslav Air Force, the temporary markings got replaced with the standard Air Force roundels.

Note the rear canopy replacement without the MG.

 

I intend to build the aircraft before the Luftwaffe code was overpainted and before the rear canopy was shot off.

For this build I will use the new tool Airfix kit building it mostly out of the box.

Cheers, Peter

[Mottlemaster]

Very intresting snippet of history and great choise of markings .

 

Cheers

Alistair

[modelling minion]

This is a great choice Peter and is indeed a fascinating story, I built this aircraft from the old (but still good) Airfix 1/48 kit a few years ago.

Which decals will you be using? I used the Lift Here set for mine and they worked very well and were accurate for the aircraft after the Luftwaffe codes were painted out.

[Basilisk]

On 1/11/2020 at 4:22 AM, modelling minion said:

This is a great choice Peter and is indeed a fascinating story, I built this aircraft from the old (but still good) Airfix 1/48 kit a few years ago.

Which decals will you be using? I used the Lift Here set for mine and they worked very well and were accurate for the aircraft after the Luftwaffe codes were painted out.

I have the Xtradecals and Lift Here decals for this aircraft of which neither has the German codes. I most likely use paint the markings instead.

 

I haven't forgotten this build and got all the bits ready for painting.

I closed off the rear and added the firewall. Will use the Quickboost seats which are made for the Academy kit and to fit them, some modifications were needed. The same with the IP as I use the Yahu one for the Zvezda kit as Yahu doesn't make an IP for the Airfix B-2. Also added the pilots armor plate. Otherwise all is OOB.

 

Cheers, Peter

[jean]

On 1/21/2020 at 2:49 PM, Basilisk said:

 The same with the IP as I use the Yahu one for the Zvezda kit as Yahu doesn't make an IP for the Airfix B-2.

Hi Basilisk,

 

do you really think using an IP meant for another kit is likely to cause problems? 

My feeling i that nobody would notice if it is slightly too small, etc. And Yahu tend to offer better IP colors than Eduard!

 

Whatever, Yahu is good!

JR.

[Basilisk]

14 hours ago, jean said:

do you really think using an IP meant for another kit is likely to cause problems? 

My feeling i that nobody would notice if it is slightly too small, etc. And Yahu tend to offer better IP colors than Eduard!

It all depends. If too small, looks are only affected, but if too large, that is a different story.

 

I too prefer the Yahu IPs over the Eduards offering, but in 1/72 some IPs do look ok with kit decals applied - specially if the cockpit canopy isn't opened.

 

And I did made some progress as the pit is now painted. I decided to paint the cockpit in RLM 66 as this airframe was still in use in 1945.

 

Some weathering is still needed and she can be closed up.

Cheers, Peter

[Basilisk]

I finished the detail painting and weathering.

The IP is from Yahu intended for the Zvezda kit and the Quickboost seats are also for the Zvezda kit. So both needed some "Tuning" to make them fit in the Airfix kit.

 

Cheers, Peter

 

 

[jean]

Hi Peter,

 

all this looks super good, and the illusion will be perfect once the fuselage is closed.

These little details are Oh so important and make all the difference.

Great show.

 

JR