GB-40 1/48 Vickers Wellington Mk. III - Heavy Hitters III

[Crimea_River]

Username: Crimea River
First name: Andy
Category: Judge – Non competing
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Trumpeter
Model Type: Vickers Wellington Mk. III
Aftermarket addons: None planned

I will be depicting aircraft s/n X3763 coded KW-L of 425 "Alouette" Squadron RCAF at the time of her crash on the night of 14/15 April 1943. There has been a discussion about the markings of this particular aircraft already here when Jeff Hunt built this same model for GB 25 so I won't go over that again. Suffice to say that several pictures of this aircraft exist when it was coded KW-E but that, at the time of its crash, the aircraft was coded "L".

On the night of 14/15 April, 1943, 462 aircraft of Bomber Commands (146 Wellingtons, 135 Halifaxes, 98 Lancasters, 83 Stirlings) bombed Stuttgart. Of this force, some 30 Halifaxes from 405, 408, and 419 Squadrons were joined by 91 Wellingtons from 420, 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, and 431 Squadrons from the Canadian 6 Group. A total of 23 aircraft (8 Stirlings, 8 Wellingtons, 4 Halifaxes, 3 Lancasters) were lost on this raid, representing 5% of the force. KW-L took off from its base at Dishforth some time after 2107 on April 14 and was among those that did not return as can be seen by the ORB report

Aboard the aircraft were 6 crew (the Wellington normally carried 5):

Pilot F/O Joseph Alexander Theodore Doucette, DFC RCAF aged 24.

Sgt Albert Jones,RAF aged 19 (listed as pilot in archival documents, possibly on the mission as "second dicky" and the 6th crew member of what would normally be 5. Note that he has no missions credited in the ORB report, suggesting that this was his first mission)

Navigator F/O Joseph Omer Leopold Desroches, DFC, RCAF, aged 24

Observer Sgt Derek Vollans RAF aged 23

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner F/O George Paul Henri Ledoux RCAF aged 27

Air Gunner W/O2 Pierre Paul Trudeau Air Gunner RCAF aged 22

All of the crew perished in the crash and they are buried together at the MUSSEY-SUR-MARNE COMMUNAL CEMETERY in Haute-Marne France.

The reasons for the crash are not readily available to me as all the documentation that I've been able to find on my limited internet search does not specifically state a cause. However, a number of the aircraft lost on the raid were known to be downed by night fighters. The ORB simply states that the aircraft was missing.

From a modelling perspective, I will represent the aircraft as best as I can how it appeared on its fateful last mission. The ORB lists the bomb load for this mission as shown below

Unfortunately it's hard to read so I've magnified it a bit.

Maybe someone can help me with this. It looks like "240x__, 24x30, and 30x__ lb 'X' Type incend." Can someone verify and fill in the blanks?

 

[SANCER]

May by are "4" numbers... as reference the other "4s" in the same text, and the typography of the typewriters of that time.

Interesante proyecto a seguir!!

 

[Crimea_River]

I was thinking that. There were 4lb incendiaries but not sure why they would break it up as 240 and then 30.

 

[rochie]

Nice choice Andy.
Looks like 240 x 4lb and 30 x 4lb to me.

 

[Crimea_River]

Don't see one in my reference Karl. Probably these are what's referenced:

 

[rochie]

Don't see one in my reference Karl. Probably these are what's referenced:

View attachment 516100View attachment 516101

Yes, i changed my post as there was no 1lb bomb and looking again it looks like 4lb also known as I.B ?

 

[Crimea_River]

Maybe. Anyway, looked in the kit and there aren't any incendiaries anyway so will either need to make them or use a different load out.

 

[rochie]

On another note, Dishforth where your subject took off from is 30 minutes south of me

 

[Jeff Hunt]

You will have a ton of fun with this one Andy and I will be watching closely to see how you make out.

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks Jeff. Karl that's very interesting. I see from Google Earth that much of the base still seems to be there.

 

[rochie]

Thanks Jeff. Karl that's very interesting. I see from Google Earth that much of the base still seems to be there.

Yes, mostly helicopters fly from there now i believe, though not very often

 

[fubar57]

Great backstory and looking forward to the build Andy. I may have to cave in on peer pressure as I don't have one of these.........yet

 

[Crimea_River]

Noticed in Jeff's thread that Wojtek ID'd a LW night fighter pilot who claimed the destruction of KW-L.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Airframes]

Great subject Andy, and a kit I've long fancied building.
BTW, there are resin 1/48th scale 4lb incendiary SBC's available from 'Belcher Bits', and they are nicely done - I have some for a forthcoming Lancaster build.

 

[Crimea_River]

Ah, thanks fro the tip Terry. Any idea why the ORB would list them as 240x4 and then again as 30x4? I'm of the understanding the SBC's carried a fixed number of sticks.

 

[Airframes]

Can't quite work that out Andy.
There were two sizes of SBC as far as I know - a 160lb SBC, which could hold 40 x 4lb incendiaries, and the commonly seen larger SBC, holding 90 x 4lb sticks.
It's the larger version that Belcher Bits provide. There's probably a pic on their web-site, but if not, and you want to see what they look like, let me know and I'll photograph mine.

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks Terry. I've seen pics of he Belcher Bits ones and there's one here with some SBC's loaded. Not sure I'm going to do this now as I don't really want to buy pricey aftermarket stuff for this kit at this time and I'm perplexed by the 30x4 call out.

 

[rochie]

I wonder if it was a jerry rigged set up to get a few more lb's of bombs in an empty space ?

 

[Airframes]

Possibly, or perhaps a typo ?.
The SBC's in that photo look like the smaller type - 40 x 4lb.