GB46 - 1/48th Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV - WW2 Eastern front / Twin Engine aircraft and gliders.

[Airframes]

Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV, 82 Sqn RAF, August 1940.

Username - Airframes.
Name - Terry
Category - Judge - non competing/
Model - Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV
Scale - 1/48th
Kit - Classic Airframes
Accessories - 'Ultracast' resin main wheels, decals from kit and decals files, some scratch-building.

This will be built as one of the Blenheims of 82 Sqn which failed to return from the disastrous attack on the airfield at Aalborg, north Jutland, Denmark, on 13th August, 1940, and will join my "RAF 2 Group" collection.
Twelve Blenheims from the Squadron set out from Watton, and the satellite station at Bodney, to attack the Ju-88 airfield and seaplane base nearby - one turned back near the Danish coast, due to fuel shortage (more on this later), and the remaining eleven were all shot down, either by flak or fighters.
I'm still in the process of completing research, in order to 'pin down' a specific aircraft ( I have details of all aircraft involved, with serial numbers, codes, crew details etc etc), as I'd prefer to build this without the transparent gun blister beneath the nose .( The kit provides a vac-formed part for this, which could cause problems when it comes to masking and painting).
There are also quite a few modifications to do, especially in the cockpit and nose area, as the kit appears to be based on extant Bollingbroke aircraft, which had totally different internal details, such as the location of the throttles etc.
Once I've got all the info I need, I'll start the build, but it'll probably be a week or so before I do, as there is quite a lot of pre-planning to undertake first.
My references include the excellent, recently received book "The Bristol Blenheim, a complete history", 2nd edition, by Graham Warner, "RAF 2 Group, 1935 - 1946", by Martin Bowman, Osprey "Blenheim Squadrons in WW2", "The Forgotten Bomber" DVD, "Blenheim Mk.IV / Mk.V Pilot's Notes" on CD, as well as various sections of other books, notes and various web-sites.
I'll use the next post to show the kit parts and further details of the operation against Aalborg ( pronounced Awlborr), and the specific aircraft chosen for the subject of the model,
meanwhile, the box top is shown below..

 

[Airframes]

Some pics of the kit parts below, showing the injection moulded main parts, the clear nose section parts and vac-formed lower gun blister ( 2 provided ), the two bags of resin parts, for internal fittings, engines and wheel bays etc, and decals, with a close-up comparing the 'Barracuda' resin wheels with the kit examples.
With the mix of resin and injection parts, especially the clear nose halves, some careful planning will be needed in order to align things, and add extra detail.
I've now decide on which aircraft to model, and details of this, and the attack on Aalborg, will follow shortly.

 

[Wurger]

 

[rochie]

Good stuff Dogsbody

 

[Crimea_River]

Looking forward to this one Terry. It looks like you're well-covered for references but if helps to have me run to Nanton to measure or photograpgh something of their Bollingbroke, it's easily done.

 

[le_steph40]

 

[Airframes]

Thanks very much chaps.

Andy, at the moment, there's only one area where I could use some extra info.
The stanchion and bracket under the nav table in the nose, was used to mount the Mk.IX course setting bomb sight ( on the Duxford Mk.IV nose section, a round, swivel seat is fitted to this !). I can "guesstimate" it's position, but if it's possible to measure the distance from the front of the table to the stanchion, that would be very helpful - if it's fitted of course !
Please don't go 'out of your way' to do this, but if you're going anyway, and can sort it, that would be great. Pic below shows the stanchion arrowed.

I think I've now settled on a subject aircraft - just need to check a few more details. I'll post the details of the aircraft, and the attack on Aalborg airfield, along with pics of the kit parts, in the second post above, later today.

 

[Crimea_River]

OK Terry, I will see what I can do. The museum will not officially reopen until June 6 but I may be down to do work on the Mosquito next week in which case I will have access. That said, it may not be possible to crawl inside the cockpit to take measurements but I'll see. In the meantime, I can include the following pictures that I previously took. The museum has two examples of this area; one is the full sized airplane and the other is just the nose section.

 

[Airframes]

Brilliant !
Great pics Andy, and they'll do nicely to calculate the location of the stanchion. Note the circular, swivel seat - this seems to be a feature of the Bollingbroke, as the Blenheim Mk.IV had lift-up, rectangular Navigator's seat, which could fold out for use with bomb sight.
Not also that the Bollingbroke appears to be painted Interior Green (as was the Duxford example originally ), whereas the Blenheim was Cockpit Grey Green inside.

I've now added the pics to Post #2, details of the subject aircraft etc following very soon.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Airframes]

The attack against Aalborg airfield, 13th August, 1940.

The height of the Battle of Britain, and the Luftwaffe's 'Adler Tag', on 13th August, also saw a disaster for 82 Squadron, of 2 Group, RAF.
The Squadron had been virtually wiped out, losing all 12 aircraft during a raid on Gembloux on 17th May. Now, with mainly replacement crews, the Squadron was tasked with attacking the base of KG 30, who's Ju-88's were based at Aalborg and Aalborg West, in North Jutland, Denmark.
Six aircraft from 'A' Flight departed from Watton, in Norfolk, at 08.40 hrs, led by the new CO, W/Cdr E.C. de Virac Lart, with six from 'B' Flight taking off from the satellite station at Bodney, all twelve forming up into four 'Vics' of three aircraft, setting off on the long haul over the North Sea.
Approaching the Danish coast, one Blenheim, flown by Sgt. Baron, turned back, due to shortage of fuel to complete the mission. This may have been due to the mixture being set at 'Rich', or may have been a faulty fuel gauge, but whatever the reason, the pilot was charged, and due to appear before a Courts Marshal, but was killed on another operation before the hearing could take place.
The relatively inexperienced lead navigator, plotting his course by dead reckoning using the forecast winds, was 2 degrees to starboard off course, an error which, although noticed by other navigators in the formation, could not be transmitted to the leader, because of strict radio silence. An attempt to signal by Aldis lamp went unnoticed.
This resulted in the remaining eleven aircraft making landfall at Sodervig, 50 miles south of the intended crossing point. With a 20 minute straight course to Aalborg, the defences were alerted, and the airfield 'flak' opened up as the Blenheims arrived, shooting down five aircraft over the airfield. The Bf109's of 5/JG77 shot down the remaining six aircraft.
Of the 33 crew members who reached the target, twenty were killed, and thirteen survived, some seriously injured, to become PoW's.
One crewman, Sgt. Bill Magrath, form Blenheim R2772, coded UX-T, although injured, escaped from hospital and eventually returned to England, via Spain and Gibraltar, and was subsequently award the Military Medal.
With little damage caused to Aalborg airfield, the raid was a disastrous failure. However, the courage and sacrifice demonstrated by the RAF crews did have the effect of inspiring the Danes to create a Resistance Movement in Denmark, the country having been, until then, compliant to the Nazi rule.

***
​

The subject for my model will be Blenheim Mk.IV, Serial No. R3829, coded UX-S, flown by S/Ldr. R. Wardell, with F/Sgt. G. Moore (Obs) and Sgt. T. Girvan (Wop/AG), which was shot down in the target area. Only the pilot survived to become PoW.
The pics below show the locations of Watton, and the long route across the North Sea to Aalborg, along with a photo, from Graham Warner's book, showing the remains of R3829 with, below this, the wreckage of T1889, UX-L, the crew of which survived to become PoW's, with the pilot repatriated in 1943.
The third pic, from Airliners .Net, shows Graham Warner's Blenheim, when it flew as a Mk.IV (now a Mk1 'short nose), in the colours of R3821, UX-N of 82 Sqn, also lost on the Aalborg operation, and gives an idea of how the finished model should look.
I have a somewhat vague connection with the model subject, having been born and raised in the area of north east England that was the target for the Ju88's of KG30 during August 1940, and having flown into and out of Aalborg airport as it now is, a couple of times.

I'll make a start on this just as soon as I've finished the planning, and checking a few more internal details etc.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Wayne Little]

Excellent choice Terry, look forward to it.

If you don't use them in the future Terry, would love to take the set of Finnish Markings off your hands....if and when Airfix release that version of the Blenheim I want to do BL-129 with those mission markings...

 

[Airframes]

Thanks chaps,
No problem Wayne, i'll get the Finnish decals off to you when I'm next in town.

 

[A4K]

Great choice Terry!
Andy, cheers for posting the cockpit shots, they will help when I do my Mk.IVF!

 

[Crimea_River]

Lots more where those came from. I only posted stuff related to the stanchion Terry was looking for.

 

[Airframes]

Give me a shout if you need cockpit shots Evan - note that the Bollingbroke ( the type where most cockpit pics are available) had a different layout to the Blenheim.

 

[Wayne Little]

much appreciated Terry.

 

[Bernhart]

quite the journey if he evaded from Denmark, by way of Spain and Gibraltar.

 

[Crimea_River]

That was a pretty standard route through the war. Escape and evasion lines (World War II) - Wikipedia