GB-38 1/48th Ju88A-1 - Axis A/C

[Airframes]

1/48th scale Junkers Ju88A-1, W.Nr. 3134, Code 9K + EL, 3/KG 51, 12th August 1940.

Username - Airframes.
Name - Terry.
Category - Judge - non competing.
Aircraft - Junkers Ju88A-1
Kit - Revell Junkers Ju88A-4
Scale - 1/48th
Accessories - MDC resin conversion kit, some scratch-building, decals from kit and spares files.

Yet another one for my BoB collection, this will be a conversion from the Revell 'A-4' kit, into the earlier 'A-1' version as used during the BoB. The main external differences were the shorter wing span, lack of the supercharger 'bulges' beneath the engine nacelles, and the earlier, single rear gun rear canopy section, which lacked the 'blown' roof panels of later versions.
To convert the A-4 into the A-1 is a fairly straightforward task even without the resin conversion kit (I converted a A-4 into a A-5 some years ago, the A-5 having the longer wings of the A-4 but otherwise similar to the A-1), but as I managed to pick up the Model Design Construction resin conversion kit a while back, at around half price, I might as well use it !
I'll post pics of the resin set in a future post, and details of the subject aircraft will follow in the next post.
I'm aiming to make a start on this once the Spitfire is done for GB 37, which hopefully shouldn't take long, now that the Heinkel is almost done.

 

[Airframes]

August 12th, 1940, Portsmouth, and Ventor RDF Station, Isle of Wight, 11.50 to 12.15 hrs.

The Ju 88s of KG 51 were part of a large mixed force of bombers, fighters and 'Zerstorers' tasked with destroying RDF (Radar) stations in the west, along with the naval dockyards at Portsmouth, with other forces attacking RDF stations and airfields further east, in Kent.
The RDF Station at Ventnor, on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, first detected the build-up over the Cherbourg Peninsular, with two groups of 30+, and two smaller groups plotted, orbiting just off the coast.
A little later, at 11.40 hrs, the plots were defined as 150 + approaching the Isle of Wight, with a further 30+ further west, heading for Selsey Bill.
The main Luftwaffe force was made up of 50+ Me109s leading 40+ Ju 88s on the western edge, with 15 + He 111s and 40+ Me110s in the center, whilst on the eastern flank there were 20+ Me109s ahead of 12+ Ju88s, with escort of 20+ Me110s.

Spitfires of 609 Sqn and 152 Sqn, with Hurricanes from 213 Sqn approached the raiders from the north west, whilst Hurricanes of 143, 257 and 43 Sqns, along with 12 Spitfires from 266 Sqn, were scrambled to intercept the incoming eastern raid.
A huge air battle ensued, but Portsmouth was heavily bombed, with damage to the town and naval dockyards, and Ventnor RDF Station was put out of action.
Luftwaffe damage and losses were heavy, with no less than 10 of the Ju88s from KG 51 alone failing to return, including the aircraft from Stab KG51, 9K + AA, with the Geschwader Kommodore,. Oberst Dr. Johan-Volkmar Fisser, who was killed, although the remainder of his crew survived, wounded, to become PoWs.
Three Ju88s from this formation returned damaged, one crash-landing at Le Havre.
RAF losses were six Hurricanes and one Spitfire missing, with the pilots lost, and a further five Hurricanes and one Spitfire damaged, some severely, with the Spitfire burned out after a forced landing at Bembridge, on the Isle of Wight.

The Ju88A-1 from 3/KG51, code 9K + EL, W.Nr. 3134, was crewed by Ufz. Walter Floeter (Pilot), Oblt Hans Graf (Beobachter), Ofw. Horst-Gunther Czepik (Bordfunker), and Gfr. Gunther Flieschmann (Bordmekaniker), and was finished in the standard splinter scheme of RLM 70 / RLM 71 on upper surfaces, with RLM 65 undersides. Code letters were in black, with the individual letter 'E' in yellow, and the Werke Nummer was carried on both sides of the top of the fin, in white. The KG 51 shield, a white Edelweiss on a blue background, was displayed on both sides of the nose, beneath the cockpit.
The aircraft took off from Melun, near Paris, tasked with attacking Portsmouth, and was attacked by fighters at 9,000 feet, when the radio operator, Czepik, was killed, and an engine hit.
The aircraft went into a spin, and broke up in the air, with the tail gun section landing outside the Operations Room at RAF Thorney Island, and the aircraft crashing at Horse Pasture Farm, Rowlands Castle, Hampshire .
Only the Flight Engineer, Gunther Fleischmann, managed to bail out, wounded, landing at Hayling Island, with the remainder of the crew being killed.

The photos below show 9K + EL before being lost, and the main wreckage at Horse Pasture Farm.

 

[Wurger]

 

[fubar57]

Nice

 

[Crimea_River]

Very good Terry.

 

[T Bolt]

Should be a good one Terry

 

[Airframes]

Thanks chaps.
I've posted the details of the aircraft and its loss in Post #2, along with photos of the aircraft and the wreckage.

Pics below show the 30 pieces of the MDC resin conversion kit - the correct rear canopy section is included in the kit, as a 'Part not for use'.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

Good. Now get on with it!

 

[Airframes]

All in good time old chap - got to finish ... er... start the Spitfire first !

 

[T Bolt]

Thoes "Parts not for use" sure come in handy some times, don't they

 

[Airframes]

Yep !

 

[JKim]

Awesome subject Terry! Interested to see the MDC components being used.

 

[Micdrow]

Not sure if this well help you Terry, one is the same as your picture though wider view. Both came from the book Luftwaffe Codes, Markings & Units 1939-1945 by Barry C Rosch. I will see if I can find any more.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Airframes]

Thanks John - looks like they should work out quite well, having done a quick comparison with the kit. They should save some time and effort too, rather than cutting, filling and re-shaping parts.

Thanks Paul, I have that other pic somewhere, but can't remember where. The shot I posted was cropped slightly, as I couldn't get the book fully onto the scanner without possibly damaging the spine. I should have scanned it from another book, where the page orientation was better.

 

[Micdrow]

Figured you had seen it but you never know

 

[Micdrow]

Seems like lots of pictures of this aircraft at different angles.

 

[Airframes]

Yep, got that page, in the Klampflieger series.
Bit of conflicting evidence in one book, which describes the crash from the RAF Crash Report, as shown in my details post, and an 'eyewitness' account, which describes the aircraft approaching over trees, with a crew member bailing out, before crash landing at Horse Pasture Farm.
As some wreckage landed on the RAF airfield at Thorney Island, and the main wreckage came down, in pieces, further inland, at the farm, as shown in the photos, I'm guessing the 'eyewitness' was either mistaken, or possibly confusing this with another incident.

 

[Micdrow]

Humm sounds like I need to give up on this one. you found every thing you need LOL