





Here is Dragon’s Jagdpanzer IV. A great little kit and a pleasure to build. This a more recent offering than Hasegawa’s kit. While the Hasegawa kit is nice, Dragon’s is the better of the two. The DS tracks are a strong point, they really look the part and are easy to work with.
The Bridgebusters: The True Story of the Catch-22 Bomb Wing
By Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
Hardcover in dustjacket, illustrated, 288 pages
Published by Regnery History, May 2016
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1621574881
ISBN-13: 978-1621574880
Dimensions: 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
During the Second World War the USAAF’s 57th Bomb Wing flew B-25 Mitchell medium bombers from airfields in Corsica. Their mission was the interdiction of German supply routes supporting the Axis armies fighting in Italy. While medium bomber units are not as well documented as those flying fighters or heavy bombers, the 57th has achieved some notoriety as the inspiration for Joseph Heller’s novel Catch-22.
Bridgebusters follows a template familiar to readers of military aviation histories – specifics of the missions are detailed giving dates, places, participating units, and personal anecdotes. Research is thorough and the writing style keeps the reader engaged. I found the ordeals of downed aircrew particularly interesting, the situation on the ground in Italy was complicated as the population at any given location could be aligned with either side (or both!).
Where author Tom Cleaver really shines lies in providing strategic context for the efforts of the 57th Bomb Group and the Italian Campaign in general. There is an old military axiom which states that “Captains discuss tactics, Generals discuss supply”. The 57th’s primary focus was interdiction of German supply routes through the Brenner Pass and cutting off the German Armies in the field. Severing road and rail networks becomes a contest first between the bombers and Luftwaffe flak gunners, and then the amount of damage caused versus the speed of the repair crews. When the weather is good the bombers cut more of the supply routes, when the weather is bad the repair crews complete more repairs to the lines. Bridges are obvious targets to both the attacker and the defender. Cleaver’s writing supplies the “why” to the aerial campaign and counter efforts, often missing in aviation books.
Issues on the ground are also detailed. While their duties were not as hazardous as combat aircrew, the work of arming and servicing the aircraft was far from safe and hardships were shared by all. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius was an unusual event which destroyed more of the Group’s aircraft than the Germans did. The USAAF employed a rotation system where aircrews could return home after completing a certain number of missions, but when the mission requirements were increased incrementally from 50 to the eventual 70 due to lack of replacements, the effects on morale were predictable. This is where Cleaver provides some insights into Heller’s experiences and their influence on his novel.
Overall a very enjoyable read, one of the better written aviation histories. This book provides insights into medium bomber operations and the Italian Campaign, neither of which are covered very extensively in aviation literature. It also provides useful insights into Heller’s experiences, so read this one first if you plan on reading Catch-22.
Photographs taken at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
More completed Ki-27 photographs here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2019/08/01/icm-ki-27-nate-of-2lt-hiromichi-shinohara-in-1-72nd-scale/
The Junkers Ju 88H-1 was an extended range maritime reconnaissance aircraft operated in small numbers by the Luftwaffe’s Fliegerfuhrer Atlantik. The length of the fuselage was extended forward and aft of the wing to provide additional fuel tanks, giving the aircraft a range of 3,200 miles. It carried a FuG 200 search radar in the nose and three camera in the rear fuselage. Defensive armament was augmented by a pod under the nose known as a Waffentropfen for two MG 131s. These faced to the rear, and were sighted by the pilot using a periscope.
The base kit for this conversion is Revell of Germany’s excellent Ju 88A-4. The fuselage was cut and resin extensions were inserted fore and aft. Engines were replaced with spare BMW 801D’s from a Hasegawa kit. The Waffentropfen was made from two bomb halves from the Revell kit and some Evergreen, filed to shape. The nose radar is Aimes PE, canopies are vacuforms from Squadron.
This is the ESCI Jagdpanther. Not a bad kit given it’s age. I’ve added towing shackles from Dragon spares and handles from wire. It comes with side skirts but they’re too thick and best replaced. The spare tracks on the rear hull are poorly defined and should also be replaced (as here) or left off. Tracks here are link and length. I struggle with these and am hoping that practice improves my efforts.
Subchaser in the South Pacific: A Saga of the USS SC-761 During World War II
By J. Henry Doscher, Jr.
Paperback, illustrated, 110 pages, indexed
Published by Ibooks, Inc. April 2006
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1596873329
ISBN-13: 978-1596873322
Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.4 x 8.4 inches
During the Second World War the U.S. Navy operated a large assortment of small combatants. One of the most numerous were the SC-497 class submarine chasers. A total of 438 were built. These were of wooden construction, 110 feet long, and displaced about 100 tons. Propulsion was provided by two Diesel engines. Armament varied, but mainly consisted of light guns and anti-submarine weapons as the name implies. Crew was twenty seven.
Written by one of her Officers this is the story of one such vessel, the USS SC-761 (most smaller vessels were not named, but commissioned only with their type designations and hull numbers). Much of her war was spent on escort and patrol duties in the Solomons. These boats were also used for liaison duties, SC-497 picked up Australian coastwatchers from submarines on two occasions. Her journeys took her from construction at Ipswich Massachusetts across the Pacific as far south as New Zealand and back.
Having served on a large ship, I find life on the smaller ships interesting. Even though they are small, they are still U.S. Navy warships and are expected to maintain the same core proficiencies as their larger compatriots. When one factors in that the crew was almost exclusively comprised of Reservists who were only very recently untrained civilians, the fact that they sailed halfway around the world and went to war in small wooden ships is all the more impressive.
A short book, but a fun read.
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Scale Modeling and Military History
Scale Modeling and Military History
Scale Modeling and Military History
Scale Modeling and Military History
Scale Modeling and Military History
Scale Modeling and Military History
Scale Modeling and Military History
Scale Modeling and Military History
Scale Modeling and Military History
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