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Tsetse Mosquito


Luka

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Hi all,

Can someone help me identify this Tsetse Mosquito?
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I found this on the Airfix forum, and oddly there it was identified as 'red Y' HR138, while the pic clearly shows a 'T' and the serial seems to read LR 34(x) (unfortunately the last digit is unreadable).
Also there's an odd light area on the fin and the port prop seems to be feathered (apparently combat damage)

Thanks in advance,
Luka

Edited by Luka
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Hello Luka,

 

The info. you are looking for, for this Mosquito is LR347 " T " as shown in the book, Camouflage and Markings, RAF Fighter Command 1936 - 1945.

 

Steve.

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55 minutes ago, Rafdec said:

Hello Luka,

 

The info. you are looking for, for this Mosquito is LR347 " T " as shown in the book, Camouflage and Markings, RAF Fighter Command 1936 - 1945.

 

Steve.

Found it, thanks!
It seems the photo descriptions in Camouflage and Markings on that page are reversed, and the wrong description was copied on the Airfix forum. I thought that description looked weird for that photo!

Thanks again for the pointer,
Cheers,
Luka

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As has been said the captions in the Ducimus C&M book are not exactly clear. MMP published a book on the TseTse Mosquito by AlexCrawford  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mosquito-TSE-Alex-Crawford/dp/8389450453 In his book Crawford lists all the Mosquito airframes that were equipped with the Molins gun. His list of TseTse Moisquitos does not include either HR138 or LR347.

 

Steve

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HR138 is described above as a Mk.VI.   I've been looking at the photo in the initial posting and am increasingly unconvinced that this isn't another Mk.VI.  I suspect it isn't the cannon we are seeing under the cowling but the air intake.  If we were seeing that much of the fuselage we would also see the bulge aft of the barrel, but we don't.  If it is LR347 then as Steve points out, this isn't a Mk.VIII.

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Taking the aircraft in order of appearance, and drawing on the 248 Sqn ORB (Air 27/1497): on 10 July 1944 LR347 (FBVI) made a successful belly landing back at base,  on one engine after taking flak hits to both engines. Base, in this case (according to Jeff Jefford's 'bible' on RAF Squadrons, would've been Portreath.

 

On 9 June HR138/Y (an FBVI) collided over base with Tse-Tse HX903/'I' on returning from a sortie; HR138, flown by Wg Cdr Phillips and Fg Off Thomson landed safely, but HX903 crashed into the sea. Fg Off Alwyn Bonnett (RCAF) and Fg Off Allan  McNicol were both killed.  Alwyn Bonnet is buried in Brookwood military cemetery (near Pirbright) and Allan McNicol in St Illogen Churchyard (which isn't far from Portreath)

On 4 July, Wg Cdr Anthony Phillips DSO, DFC and Fg Off Robert Thomson DFC were hit by flak while attacking minesweepers in the river Odet; the aircraft went out of control immediately and crashed; Wg Cdr Phillips and Fg Off Thomson are buried in Benodet Communal Cemetery

Edited by XV107
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Aagh. It looks as if C&M's caption strictly isn't even wrong (apart from the reverse) but that it has likely been interpreted wrong: see (among others) this profile found on Wings Palette;
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Indeed, after following the link to Mossie.org they ('Y' and 'T') are not listed as XVIIIs.

With this, I apologise for adding to the spread of this misinterpretation and wish to thank the BritMod community for providing me with new sources of information.

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I'd also suggest that this colour scheme is wrong: the photo appears to show an aircraft in the Coastal Command scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey over Sky.  By 1945 this was being at least complemented by aircraft retaining the Night Fighter Scheme of Medium Sea Grey overall with Dark Green disruptive on the upper surfaces.   The profile shows the Mosquito Day Bomber scheme (the Day Fighter Scheme without Fighter Command trim) which was seen for a while in 2 TAF because one of the  MUs used it rather than simply retaining the Night Fighter scheme as delivered from the factory.  I haven't seen this scheme in Coastal Command, and although I wouldn't say this was impossible, I don't think that Y is an example.

Edited by Graham Boak
typing error - Ocean not EDS Grey. I hope nobody read it!
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14 hours ago, dogsbody said:

From that page of said book. Yeah, that caption is messed up.

 

50222849842_846eec38d8_o.jpg

 

 

 

 

Chris

Depends how it is interpreted? The caption does not actually say the Mosquitoes shown are Tsetse ones but merely states the fact that they were escorted by MK VIs and then details the MKVIs shown?

 

Mike

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35 minutes ago, mick b said:

Depends how it is interpreted?

 

Indeed - and the caption does say ''...these Coastal Command FBVIs''. And then goes on to say the camouflage scheme of the aircraft in the picture matches that Wings Palette profile might be correct colourwise even if it shows the wrong variant! (Wouldn't be much of a stretch to think the artist based his profile on that photo.)

 

Keith

 

Edit: the book mentioned is one of my most thumbed and I haven't looked at it for years so just dug it out. Reading the text accompanying the photo I think clarifies the caption is only indicating that the aircraft in the photo is a FBVI used as an escort. The picture is also clearer in the book and to my eyes at  least does show a DG, OG, MSG camouflage scheme

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3 hours ago, keefr22 said:

the book mentioned is one of my most thumbed and I haven't looked at it for years so just dug it out. Reading the text accompanying the photo I think clarifies the caption is only indicating that the aircraft in the photo is a FBVI used as an escort. The picture is also clearer in the book and to my eyes at  least does show a DG, OG, MSG camouflage scheme

scans available here

https://boxartden.com/reference/gallery/index.php/Modeling-References/Camoflage-Markings/06-De-Havilland-Mosquito

 

De%20Havilland%20Mosquito%206%20(01)-960

 

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