**** DONE: GB-36 1/48 Bf110D - Axis Manufactured Aircraft of WWII

[Airframes]

Bf110D 'Dackelbauch', M8+CH, W.Nr. 3155 of 1/ZG76, August 15th, 1940.

Username : Airframes.
Name : Terry.
Category : Judge - Non-competing.
Aircraft : Bf 110D 'Dackelbauch'.
Kit : Eduard Bf110E 'Weekend' edition..
Scale : 1/48th.
Accessories : 'True Details' resin wheels, 'Quickboost' resin exhausts, additional decals from 'Xtradecal' and decals files.


This will be an addition to my ongoing 'BoB - Hardest Days' collection, one of around 28 models, and representing a Bf110D shot down on the August 15th raid against targets in the north east of England.
I had originally intended to use the older, but still good, Fujimi kit, with added detail, but as the Eduard kit has the rib detail on the huge 'Dackelbauch' belly tank, lacking on the Fujimi example, the Eduard kit will be employed, with the Fujimi being used for another 'D', without the tank.

My thanks to Karl (Rochie) for providing the spare fuselage parts incorporating the extended 'boat' tail, included in some issues of this kit, but not in the 'Weekend' edition.

Details of the kit, the aircraft, and the background to its loss, will follow in my next post.

 

[Wurger]

Looking forward to that building my friend. A nice choice.

 

[Airframes]

Thanks my friend.
I need to sort a few options in the way of swapping some parts around, and leaving out unseen detail parts, but I hope to start work on the kit by, or over, the weekend.
Just collating the background details, which I'll post shortly.

 

[Wurger]

Sounds good. Do you need anything that can come in handy?

 

[Airframes]

I don't think so, although I need to determine if the early 'D' model (D-O I believe) had the folding seat between the radios and the rear gunner's seat. This is included in the Eduard kit, which is an 'E' model, but I'm not sure if it was fitted to the 'C' and 'D' models.
One thing I might need are a pair of white letter 'C' decals for the fuselage codes, as I've been unable to source any suitable white decals. However, I have one white 'C', and some 'white 'O' rub-down letters, so I can adapt a letter 'O' to make a second 'C' if needs be.

 

[Wurger]

OK I'll check on what I can do for you. Could post a profile of the kite?

 

[Airframes]

I don't have a profile of the actual aircraft, but I do have two profiles showing a 'Dacklebauch' of ZG76, and an earlier 'C' of the same crew, which I'll include in my 'details' post.
Just done some checking, and it looks like the folding seat was not fitted to the C and D variants.

 

[Wurger]

Are you sure of the werk nummer? Here is the same but the marking is M8+OK.

 

[Wurger]

But the one is said to be the C-1 variant.

 

[Airframes]

The photo is one I have of my subject, W.Nr.3155. The code letter in the photo looks like it might be red, as shown in the profile, but this aircraft was definitely 'White C' when shot down on August 15th, 1940, as will be seen when I post the background details.
The aircraft also carried the large wing tanks on the day, which were jettisoned, when empty, over the North Sea.
The second profile, showing 'White C', is an earlier mount of the same crew, and is the profile I was going to post, but is not the aircraft this crew used on August 15th.

Details to follow........................

 

[Jeff Hunt]

Nice.

Jeff

 

[Wurger]

Here is a shot of the rear cockpit dated on 1940. Not sure it may be useful for the folding seat.It is said to be of the C-1.

 

[Wurger]

Terry I have enlarged the shot with the code for the 3155 and I wouldn't say the code letter was white there. IMHO it's of the red with the white outline. What do you think?
BTW Other profiles of the squadron planes by Kagero show the yellow code letters there.

 

[T Bolt]

Excellent pick Terry

 

[Wurger]

Terry here is another kite coded M8+OK but she is said to be of WNr.3148 in 1941

.

 

[Airframes]

Thanks Jeff.

Background Details.

August 15th, 1940, was the day the Luftwaffe attacked the British Isles in strength, with raids being mounted against the south of England, and an attack on targets in the north east being carried out by units from Luftflotte 5 from bases in Norway and Denmark.
For Zerstorer Geschwader 76, the day proved to be disastrous, with II/ZG76 sustaining heavy losses over the English Channel and the south of England, whilst their comrades in 1/ZG76, based at Stavanger, Norway, were equally hard hit over the North Sea and the north east of England.
Messerschmitt Bf110D, W. Nr.3155, coded M8+CH (White C), flown by Oblt. Hans-Ulrich Kettling, with his Bordfunker, Obgfr. Fritz Volk, of 1/ZG76, took off from Stavanger to rendezvous with the He-111's of KG 26, providing escort for the attacks on airfields and other targets in Northumberland, County Durham, and North Yorkshire.
The long sea crossing necessitated the use of the large under-wing drop tanks, which would be jettisoned over the North Sea when empty, as well as the huge, and ungainly, plywood-faired 'Dackelbauch' belly tank, which was not jettisonable.
This tank was greatly disliked by the crews as, apart from it reducing speed, and affecting handling as the fuel sloshed about, it was also highly flammable - a feature which lead to the loss of more than one of the unit's aircraft in the combats that were soon to be fought, as the vapour in the part empty tanks exploded violently when hit by tracer bullets.
As the formation of Bf110s and He-111s approached the north east coast of England at 15,000 feet, they were attacked by the Spitfires of 41 Sqn, from Catterick.
Kettling's Zerstorer was first hit in the starboard engine by fire from the guns of P.O. Ted Shipman. The prop was feathered and the engine shut down, whilst Kettling transmitted a 'Mayday' call and tried to reach the protection of the bombers above him.
Unable to gain height, the '110 started down for the cover of some cloud, when a second attack took out the port engine, shattered the windscreen, and wounded the Bordfunker, Volk.
P.O. Ben Bennions of 41 Sqn followed the '110 and delivered another 3 second burst before Kettling's aircraft reached the safety of the clouds, heading in a south westerly direction.
Emerging below the clouds, Kettling selected a large meadow at Streatlam, near Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, and managed to put the aircraft down, although at fairly high speed.
The Messerschmitt crashed through a low stone wall, hidden by vegetation, ripping off the fuselage behind the cockpit, with the dinghy, stowed in the tail, bouncing along behind the still moving forward section, still attached by its retrieval cable.
When the aircraft finally came to rest, Kettling was able to get out safely and rescue Volk and carry him to safety, before disabling the radios with rounds from his pistol, and setting the aircraft alight with the on-board incendiaries, burning his right hand in the process.
A crowd soon gathered, some armed with sticks and stones, and shouting and threatening, until some Military Police arrived and took control.
Kettling and Volk, who had now partially recovered, were taken to the local Police Station, where their wounds were treated by a Doctor, before they were taken away for interrogation and eventually to a PoW camp.

The photos below show Oblt. Hans-Ulrich Kettling, and his Bf110D before and after the crash. Note that the 'before' shot, which is the same aircraft, W.Nr. 3155, appears to show what is probably a red, outlined white, letter 'C' as the individual code, indicating 2 Staffel, but this aircraft was definitely coded 'White C' on 15th August, as was Kettling's previous Bf110.
As white is the staffel colour for 1/KG76, it is reasonable to suppose that W.Nr. 3155 was transferred to 1/KG76 from 2/KG76.
Camouflage was RLM 70/71 splinter on upper surfaces, with RLM 65 under sides. Unit codes in a semi-gloss black, with white Werke Nummer on the starboard rear fuselage, with white spinner tips.

 

[Airframes]

Thanks for the photos Wojtek - the interior shot is one of those I found in my books and other references, along with a cutaway and interior drawings, and it appears that the C and D variants did not have the extra folding seat, as I suspected.
Regarding the code letter and identity, this has now been clarified in my previous post.

 

[Wurger]

 

[rochie]

Good stuff Dogsbody, another one local to me, i like it.

Did i also give you the belly tank with the fuselage ?

 

[Airframes]

I don't think so - need to check - but I know you also gave me some Eduard guns etc, for use with the Fujimi kit, which I'll be doing as a 'D' from Ep Grp 210, with belly ETC bomb rack.
No problem though, as I have two of the Eduard kits, both of which have the ribbed belly tank, as well as the wing tanks and a huge amount of extra parts for the spares box.
The Fujimi belly tank actually looks more accurate in shape, especially around the joint to the fuselage, but it lacks the prominent ribs, so I'll use the kit tank.