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Gentlemen in blue - No. 600 (City of London) Squadron RAuxAF , May 10th 1940 - Airfix 1/72 Blenheim Mk.IF [Done]


alt-92

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10/05/1940: Waalhaven, Rotterdam, NL

In the morning of the 10th May six Blenheim Mk.IF fighter-cruisers from Squadron 600 (under command of Squadron Leader James Wells) had been directed to Waalhaven Airport, at the south end of Rotterdam at the request of the Dutch govt.

The airfield had been overrun by German airborne infantry and Fallschirmjäger, and was now used to bring in large numbers of troops and equipment unobstructed. The other airfields in the area (Ypenburg, Ockenburg and Valkenburg) were also captured, so there was no chance of a counterattack by the LVA, the Dutch Air Force.

The planes left Manston at 1030 hours. They would never fulfill their mission, for twelve Messerschmitt Bf-110's of 3/ZG1  would intercept the British planes over Pernis. Five of the six Blenheims were shot down; the sixth plane, BQ-O (F/O Hayes and Cpl Holmes) returned with heavy damage.

 

 

-- 

Yes, it's one of those builds with a story again ;)  
This time, I can use the exact kit that pulled me back into the hobby.

Purchased at Flying Legends 2019, at the Blenheim Society's stand, this one was the first new one to be added to a long forgotten stash (which weirdly enough seems to have expanded to several times it's original size - wonder how that happened? )

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And by coincidence, it also has a set of markings for a 600 Sqn aircraft - BQ-O no less (albeit a later serial number).
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The original subject however would likely have had undersides in Black/White (black engine cowlings), and as you can see from the scribble, the exact serial could be either L1514 or L1517 (depending on which source is used). That's something I can print myself though.

 

 

 

 

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12 hours ago, alt-92 said:

Added to a long forgotten stash (which weirdly enough seems to have expanded to several times it's original size - wonder how that happened? )

 

Yes that is a recognised phenomenon amongst the modelling fraternity, but it hasn't been given a formal name yet....

 

Any takers ?

 

It's amazing how many of the early Blenheims are being built in this GB, this one with the story behind it is a very welcome addition. 

 

Best of luck.

 

Cheers Pat 

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  • 3 weeks later...

With the Karigane out in the wild and a B-25J build finished, time to get started on this one.

 

Clean-up on molding lines and mating surfaces started, and maybe a bit unconventional to start, but I decided to stick the front cockpit halves to the rest of the fuselage.

Dry-fit inserting the wings afterwards looks like that tactic may work. 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Turns out it really doesn't :D  The tactic may work on 1/48, apparently. 

--

Anyways:

As I will be doing this one in-flight, I'll take it easy on the wing's internals.

Should you want to do one with dropped flaps it pays to drill the 2 holes per section in the rear panel.

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Fuselage halves in the more traditional fashion. 

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Cockpit parts assembled, with a Yahu IP (quite like those).  Now also dabbling in figure painting in 1/72 - a skill long gone :D

 

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Before joining the wing halves, I'd sprayed some black/white on the nacelle undersides, as the gear attachment for in-flight is very flimsy. Doing it beforehand reduces need for much masking and it might even survive :)

 

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Engine cowlings and stuff also in progress. Looks a bit rough, but that's just the PPP in the minute seams.

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No. 600 (City of London) Squadron RAuxAF was formed at RAF Northolt on 14 October 1925 as a unit of the Auxiliary Air Force.

 

In 1922 Trenchard (Chief of the Air Staff) had laid down his proposals for the formation of reserve squadrons in the form of a draft Bill. Subsequently, in 1923, the Salisbury Committee, a subcommittee of the Committee of Imperial Defence, recommended that the Home Defence Air Force should consist of 52 squadrons and be organised in part on a regular and in part on a territorial or reserve basis. This would have the effect of increasing the strength of the RAF by 34 squadrons.

 

An Act of Parliament dated July 14, 1924 extended to the AAF the provisions of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act of 1907 and allowed for the organisation and conditions of service of the AAF.

Primary difference between Reserve and Auxiliary squadrons was in the composition of squadron personnel and the way in which the units were administered. Special Reserve squadrons comprised a nucleus of one-third of their strength who were regulars, including officers, airmen and the Officer Commanding, and were administered directly by the RAF. In contrast, the Auxiliary squadrons had a very much higher proportion of locally-raised volunteers, including the OC, who were administered by the County Territorial Associations.

 

Most of the original Auxiliary pilots had already qualified on D.H. Moths, Avro Avians or Blackburn Bluebirds at local civilian flying clubs. To assist their conversion and instruct raw recruits, a nucleus of RAF flying instructors was posted to each squadron. Avro 504Ns, and then Avro Tutors, were the basic trainers from which the pilots progressed to the more powerful D.H. 9 As, Westland Wapitis and Wallaces.

 

 

As such, 600 Sqn was equipped with Avro 504 trainers and Airco DH.9A day bombers. It moved to RAF Hendon at the end of 1926, replacing its DH.9As, veterans of the First World War, with more modern Westland Wapitis in 1929. It was designated a fighter squadron in July 1934.

From 1935 to early 1939, that role was embodied by the use of Hawker Hart, and later Hawker Demon aircraft. 

 

With the spectre of war looming, the role of reservists gained more importance.

In 1936 the RAF Volunteer Reseve was formed. In 1939, the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) was constituted.

It has been estimated that 150,000 men were released for front-line service owing to the WAAF being able to replace them on stations and headquarters.

During 1938-39, 14 AAF squadrons were reassigned as fighter squadrons, while five became part of Coastal Command or Army Co-operation Command. In August 1939 the AAF and the WAAF, together with their colleagues in the RAFVR, were embodied into the RAF. From September 3, 1939, the Auxiliaries could muster 20 flying squadrons, 47 balloon squadrons and 1,734 WAAFs. 

 

600 Sqn received it's first Blenheim fighters in early 1939 and transitioned to a fully equipped unit by mid-1939, based at Northolt, Hendon and Kenley 

On the outbreak of war day and night patrols were flown, experiments with airborne radar beginning in December 1939 operating from RAF Hornchurch and RAF Manston. 

 

 

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Front office built up. 

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I based the outfit and colours on the pilot figure on the re-enactment group that held their presentation on early  WWII RAF pilot gear at Duxford in 2019:

 

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Including the boots :P (and Yahu IP)

 

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On the other side of the North Sea, the tenuous neutrality policy that kept the Netherlands mostly out of major conflicts since 1839 came under increasing pressure. 
 

Before the Great War , Britain, France and Germany were mostly content with having a neutral state on the North Sea; the British because it prevented the German Empire from having greater access to open waters, the Germans because it allowed access to trade and raw materials, and the French because it gave them a buffer on their Northern flank - Belgium, since it's independence, under treaty obligations from the major powers (Treaty of London) as a neutral country was in a similar situation.

 

The Chief of the General Staff of the German Imperial Army however had different ideas.

 In 1905 and 1906, Schlieffen devised an army deployment plan for a war-winning offensive against the French and Russian Entente.

German forces were to invade France through the Netherlands and Belgium rather than across the common border, in a fast campaign, forcing peace negotiations on the Western front and free resources for fighting Imperial Russia (allied to France).  The adapted plan employed in WWI limited the campaign to Belgium/Luxemburg and Northern France. 

After losing the First World War, German official historians of the Reichsarchiv and other writers described the Schlieffen plan as 'a blueprint for victory' - setting the scene for the next war.

 

The events in the Great War had shown that aircraft and modern warfare offered little hope of maintaining that neutrality policy - overflights from British, French and German aircraft were frequent, and border incursions around Maastricht would foreshadow what was to come. 

 

 

 

A German map from 1939 illustrating the strategic position of the Low Countries in case of air war.

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https://wwii.germandocsinrussia.org/de/nodes/2438-akte-84-orientierungsheft-niederlande-unter-besonderer-ber-cksichtigung-der-fliegertruppe-und-flakartillerie#page/40/mode/inspect/zoom/4

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

 

At the start of the war in September 1939, almost all efforts were aimed at defending the Netherlands in the event of an attack from the east.‎

The Germans for their part were more concerned about an Allied attack* , as they did not yet have military superiority over the English and the French at that time. Everything indicates that in the early 1940s the Germans increasingly recognized the need for an occupation of the Netherlands, in order to prevent the Allies from doing so. The Germans attached so much importance to it that in 1940 they used about 10% of their total troop strength against the Netherlands.‎

 

‎The Belgians, who also needed to maintain their neutrality**, did not want to allow French and British troops, in the event of a possible attack on the Netherlands alone, to cross Belgium. Nevertheless, the French and British agreed to do so anyway, should it come to that. Their main concern was that the Dutch naval and air bases would fall into German hands and that the Germans could attack Britain from here.‎

‎The Germans feared that the Netherlands would eventually collude with Great Britain and would choose to allow British soldiers into Dutch territory, while the British were worried that the Netherlands would opt for the 'Danish option': the surrender of part or even the whole of the Netherlands to prevent a devastating war.‎

 

Military and diplomatic archives show that there has been much more contact between the top of the Dutch army and the Allies and Belgium than previously assumed, as the reports between military attachés to the RAF and RN show that frequent talks were held with the ML and Dutch Navy. 

 

Thus, plans were made to assist the Dutch military with RAF support, although the manner of that support would be cause for discussions even until today - expectations and reality are two different things. 

 

 

*Not entirely without merit: during WW1, Churchill - then Sea Lord - proposed striking at Germany via the Northeastern part of the Netherlands by landing troops and marching into Germany.

** Per treaty obligations 1839 & 1870 - the independent state of Belgium was supposed to be 'a perpetually neutral' state between Germany and France, but not voluntarily and without the other parties under any obligation to keep it that way ;) 

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Camo on. 
As it is totally up for discussion and completely unclear which serial number belonged to the subject aircraft, there's no good way to determine whether A or B scheme was used. A flip of the coin therefore. 

 

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Yes, this one isn't going to make the Gallery. I know. 

 

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May 10th 1940.

 

‎Waalhaven Airfield played an important role in the German plan of attack. All airborne troops and their equipment would land at this airfield, after the Dutch defense would have been eliminated by a bombardment and the landing of paratroopers.

At four o'clock in the morning, the bombardment took place, during which buildings and defensive positions at the airfield were hit.

An hour later, German planes dropped more than five hundred paratroopers around the airfield, attacking the Dutch defenders. Taking the airfield went slower than planned. It had not yet been captured when the first German aircraft with airborne troops tried to land. The Dutch defenders managed to damage or destroy a number of aircraft.

 

It wasn't until half past seven that the airfield was firmly in German hands. The Germans were now able to fly in large quantities of men and heavy equipment. The other airfields in the area between Rotterdam and The Hague (Ypenburg, Ockenburg and Valkenburg) were also captured, so a counterattack by the Dutch Air Force was ruled out. London was contacted, with the request that the airfields be attacked by the Royal Air Force.‎

 

‎The headquarters of the Royal Air Force charged B Flight of 600 'City of London' Squadron with the attack on Waalhaven airfield.

B Flight was based at RAF Station Manston in Kent.  Squadron Leader Jimmy Wells decided to lead the attack himself. He also decided to leave all the navigators on the base, except for his own navigator, Sergeant John Davis. He had to navigate the planes of B-flight to the right location.

 

Bristol Blenheim L6616
Pilot: Squadron Leader James M. Wells
Navigator: Sergeant John N. Davis
Air Gunner: Corporal Basil A. Kidd

 

Bristol Blenheim L1335
Pilot: Flying Officer Charles R. Moore

Air Gunner: Corporal Laurence D. Isaacs

 

Bristol Blenheim L1401
Pilot: Flying Officer Hugh C. Rowe
Air Gunner: Pilot Officer Robert W. H. Echlin

 

Bristol Blenheim L151?
Pilot: Pilot Officer Norman Hayes
Air Gunner: Corporal J. Holmes

 

Bristol Blenheim L1515
Pilot: Pilot Officer Michael H. Anderson
Air Gunner: Leading Aircraftman Herbert C.W. Hawkins

 

Bristol Blenheim L151?
Pilot: Pilot Officer Richard C. Haine
Air Gunner: Pilot Officer M. Kramer

 

‎After briefing, the six planes took off from RAF Manston at half past eleven. Due to a misunderstanding, there was no trace of the promised Spitfire escort.

Squadron Leader Wells decided to continue the attack anyway. In two formations of three aircraft, course was set for Rotterdam. When they arrived over the airfield, they carried out a diving attack, led by Wells' plane. Several German aircraft, which were grounded, were hit.

 

Pilot Officer Hayes: "I followed him (Wells) down and picked out a Junkers-52 that I shot all the way to pieces."

Pilot Officer Haine also claimed to have set several aircraft on fire.‎

 

‎B Flight did not get a chance of a second attack on the airfield‎.

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  • 3 months later...

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Destroyed Ju-52s on the airfield 

 

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Twelve Messerschmitt 110C fighters from 3./ZG1 bounced the formation over the Waalhaven airfield. Outnumbered, outflanked and outgunned, they stood little chance.


Moore and Isaacs' plane was probably the first to be shot down and crashed near Waalhaven. Both men were killed. 

L1515 of Anderson and Hawkins was shot down shortly afterwards and crashed in Hoogvliet. Both crew members were also killed in this crash. 

 

‎‎Squadron Leader‎‎ Wells' plane crashed near Pernis, killing Wells and Kidd. However, Wells had managed to keep the plane in the air long enough to give his navigator, ‎‎Sergeant‎‎ Davis, a chance to jump out of the plane. 
Rowe and Echlin's L1401 crashed at Piershil. Dutch soldiers stationed in Piershil managed to free an unconscious Rowe from the wreckage. He was transferred to a bandage post in Oud-Beijerland, and ended up PoW after the Dutch surrendered.‎


‎ Haine and Kramer's plane, BQ-N, was attacked several times and was severely damaged. They were forced to make an emergency landing at Herkingen polder, leaving the aircraft stranded on the marshes.

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The wreck of BQ-N at Herkingen polder.


 After three days, they, as well as ‎‎Sergeant‎‎ Davis, managed to reach Hook of Holland which was occupied by British troops of the ‎‎Harpoon Force.‎‎ 
The three men returned to England from Hook of Holland aboard H.M.S. Hereward - which also carried Queen Wilhelmina and her family from the Netherlands into exile. 

 

--

Gloss coat and engines fixed

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It was not uncommon to see engine cowlings both in black, and I like the quirk. No-one to prove me wrong :D

 

y4mn8KVVm_tgxnmFebVhGnFQu2L_AloqV-PfNNE4

 

Time for decals. 

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  • 1 month later...

*checks date*

Just in time. 

 

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The only aircraft from the flight that managed to escape was BQ-O with Pilot Officer Norman Hayes & Gunner Corporal Holmes.

Incredibly, there exists an after-action report from the German pilot chasing them!

 

Quote

"I was on patrol in the area of the Hague when I spotted a Blenheim and tried to catch him. I chased him around church spires, around sand dunes, around trees, round and round we went only 10-15 meters high. I was right behind him but couldn't get a shot at him. When he broke for the open sea I thought 'Now I'll get him!' I began closing in on him but after a few kilometers he began circling a steamship at only a few meters above the waves. Round and round the ship and I couldn't get a shot at him. Finally he again broke for the open sea toward England but now I was low on fuel and had to break off my chase. The last I saw of him he was skimming the waves as fast as he could towards home. That Englishman was some pilot."

Uffz Falcke, I/ZG 1

 

Although the plane was severely damaged, Hayes was able to return to Manston where consequently the aircraft was deemed a write-off.

 

Richard Haine later played an important role in the development of the British night fighter capability during the war.

He had a long career within the RAF and wrote a book about it; From Fury to Phantom, an RAF pilot’s story 1936-1970”

Richard Haine died 30 Sep 2008, the day before his 92nd birthday.

 

In 2010 a memorial panel dedicated to Haine & Kramer's crash at Herkingen and escape was erected near the site.  

In 2016, the memorial plaque for the attack was revealed in Waalhaven itself. 
https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/83480/Memorial-plaque-Attack-on-Waalhaven.htm

 

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Thanks for not giving up :P 

 

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  • alt-92 changed the title to Gentlemen in blue - No. 600 (City of London) Squadron RAuxAF , May 10th 1940 - Airfix 1/72 Blenheim Mk.IF [Done]

I say, Alt, old chap, you've made a rather splendid job of that & told a most entrancing story along the way, not to mention a fine tribute to brave men in the face of enormous adversity.  :poppy:

I also reckon it's a bit good. ;) :D

Steve.

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