<-- Mosquito FB.VI - Twin Engined Aircraft of WWII

[Airframes]

1/48th scale D.H. Mosquito FB.VI, 464 Sqn RAAF, March 21 1945.

User Name : Airframes.
Name: Terry.
Category: Judge - non competing.
Model: Mosquito FB.VI.
Scale: 1/48th.
Manufacturer : Airfix.
Accessories: 'Master' brass machine guns,'Paragon' resin wing tanks, 'Eduard' instrument panel and other bits, some 'True Details' resin cockpit parts, home made resin 'Gee' Receiver and Indicator, some scratch-building, various decals from the files.

My second entry for this GB is another Mosquito, this time the FB.VI Fighter-Bomber version, using the old, but still good, Airfix kit.
This kit was first released around 1980, with my example dated 1987, and was way ahead of its time when first released, being, as rumour has it, a 'test' for the proposed 1/24th scale kit - which didn't arrive until nearly thirty years later !
The model will depict one of the aircraft which took part in the famous 'Operation Carthage', the attack on the Gestapo Headquarters in the Shell House, Copenhagen, on 21st March 1945, and details of this, the aircraft and the crew, will follow in the next post.

 

[Airframes]

The subject of this build is Mosquito FB.VI, serial number PZ353, code SB-G, of 464 Sqn, RAAF, flown by Flt.Lt Knowle Shrimpton, DFC, (RAAF), and his Navigator, Flg.Off. Peter Lake, DFC, (RAAF).

I was privileged to meet Knowle and Peter at the 50th Anniversary of the Shell House raid, in Copenhagen in 1995, and we kept in touch for some years. A nicer pair of gentlemen you couldn't wish to meet, and I was able to ask questions, and get the answers, without reservation - and some humorous tales were told too !

The Squadron had returned from Rossieres en Santerre in France, to Fersfield, Norfolk, UK, along with the other two squadrons of 140 Wing (21 and 487 Sqns), especially for the raid, laid on at short notice, at the request of the Danish Freedom Council, Resistance, and SOE, and were in the second wave, taking off from Fersfield and heading out over the North Sea at very low level.
The loose formations crossed the North Sea below 50 feet, in very difficult conditions, which resulted in salt spray freezing on the windscreens, which had to be cleaned off by opening the 'quarter light' window, and wiping off the iced spray with a gloved hand !
The turbulent crossing was especially difficult, and painful, for Knowle. Being a very tall gentleman, there was not much clearance between the top of Knowle's head, and the framing of the cockpit canopy, which resulted in his head hitting the frame at every bump. For most of the journey across the cold, choppy waters, Knowle had blood running down his face, from beneath his leather flying helmet.
Having dropped their wing tanks at the agreed spot, a lake inland from the Danish coast, Knowle followed Peter's directions, and got on track for the target, still at tree-top height.
Unfortunately, the wing tank jettison switch had been accidentally wired-in to the same circuit as the tactical camera ('Strike' camera in today's terminology), housed in the mid rear fuselage, and angled, by a mirror and prism, to 'shoot' to the rear, recording the strikes on a target. This resulted in the cameras activating, and exposing the entire reel of film, recording some wonderful, very low level images of the Danish countryside !

On the run-up to the target, Peter spotted smoke off to port, and called to Knowle not to bomb, as he wasn't sure if the wrong target had been hit, or if they were somehow off track.
Knowle took the Mosquito into a left hand circuit, to go around for another run to the real target, the pre-war HQ of the Danish Shell Oil company, 'Shell House', the only camouflaged building in the whole of Copenhagen - making it stand out easily !
The smoke seen by Peter was either from the Jeanne d'Arc School, or the wreckage of the Mosquito of Wg.Cdr Peter Kleboe, DSO, DFC, AFC, the O.C of 21 Sqn.
Flying as the fourth aircraft in the first wave, Kleboe's Mosquito clipped a tall lighting pylon in a rail marshaling yard, and crashed near the Jeanne d'Arc school.
At least one of the following Mosquitoes, mistaking the smoke from the crash as the target, accidentally bombed the school.
Having completed a low-level orbit over the rooftops of Copenhagen, and escaped the 'flak' arcing overhead, Knowle now lined-up for another run at the target but, on seeing that the building had already been hit, and was badly damaged, with smoke and dust rising, he decided not to bomb, believing that more bombs on the Shell House could kill or seriously injure the prisoners they were trying to save.
The Mosquito returned to England with its bombs still on board, but both Knowle and Peter shared feelings of failure, or at least disappointment, that they had not completed their mission by dropping the bombs on target.

After the war, Knowle moved to Canada, living in Ontario, and Peter settled in Surrey Hills, Victoria, Australia.
I hope that my model can do justice to the service, courage and memory, of these two splendid gentlemen, who volunteered and traveled half way across the world to do their part in the fight for the freedom we now enjoy.

PIC 1. My painting of the Shell house attack, commissioned to help raise funds for the 50th Anniversary Commemoration, and depicting the lead Mosquito, an aircraft 'borrowed' from 487 Sqn, flown by Gp. Cpt. R.N. 'Bob' Bateson, DSO, DFC, AFC, and lead Navigator Sqn. Ldr. Ted Sismore, DSO, DFC*, of 21 Sqn, immediately after bombing the Shell House.
PIC 2. Flg. Off. Pete Lake, DFC (Nav) and Flt. Lt. Knowle Shrimpton, DFC (Pilot). Photo from Derek Carter.
PIC 3. Mosquito FB.VI, PZ353, SB-G, flown by Knowle and Peter, over Soborg, just to the north of Copenhagen. Photo via Derek Carter.
PIC 4. Shell House as it looked on 21st March, 1995, fifty years to the day after the attack.

I'll start the build within the next few days, in between painting sessions on the Mosquito NF.XII in my other build thread. Just waiting for the Eduard parts to arrive, so that I can plan and measure up.

 

[fubar57]

Awaiting info.................

 

[Crimea_River]

Good stuff Terry. You've been planning this one for a while if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Wildcat]

Great subject choice Terry!

 

[Wurger]

 

[destrozas]

Nice and good choose

 

[Airframes]

thanks very much chaps.
Yes Andy, you're correct. I've been planning to build an example of the Mosquitoes flown by all those crews I've met or corresponded with over the years, this one being the second example.
My late friend Bob Kirkpatrick flew one of the FPU Mosquito B.IVs on this raid, but I've already started (and must get back to!) a conversion to an FB.VI, in 1/32nd scale, from the Revell B.IV kit, of the 21 Sqn Mossie he flew on the night of 24th December, 1944.
I have a 1/48th scale Tamiya B.IV which will eventually be built as the aircraft in which Ted Sismore was Navigator, when three Mossies bombed Berlin, disrupting speeches by Goebells and Goering.
Next in line will be a 1/48th scale PR.IX, converted from the Airfix PR.XVI kit, representing an aircraft flown by a chap I used to know, and then a 're-build' of a B.XVI in 1/48th scale, converted over 20 years ago, from the Airfix FB.VI kit. This will be improved, altered slightly in the way of internal detail, and re-painted as an aircraft from a squadron which a colleague flew with.
And there might be further Mossies to follow some day ......

 

[Micdrow]

Terry, not sure if any of these will help but two different models, some times the real thing help

Pictures I took at Airventure and EAA museum

 

[Micdrow]

More, all of these I took either at Airventure or the EAA museum

 

[Micdrow]

More

 

[Airframes]

Thanks Paul, some of those will come in useful, especially the first shots, which are a TT35, converted from a B.35 and back to a facsimile B.35 !
Some details are similar to the PR.IX I'll be building, maybe for this GB.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Micdrow]

Thanks guys, I just seem to have a liking for twin engine planes LOL.

 

[Airframes]

I'm similar, but rather twin-engined females !!!

 

[Micdrow]

I'm similar, but rather twin-engined females !!!

I see, getting married soon then LOL

 

[Airframes]

Nah, I found out I can get marzipan at Tescos !

 

[Micdrow]

Nah, I found out I can get marzipan at Tescos !

LOL Terry

 

[XBe02Drvr]

I'm similar, but rather twin-engined females !!!

Me too, but I prefer twin-turbofan females!!

 

[Airframes]

Whilst waiting for the 'porridge' to set on the Mossie NF.XII, I've made a start on the FB.VI.
As I want to display the model with the entrance hatch open, and the old Airfix kit has this moulded as part of the fuselage, with some raised detail on the inside surface, I had to cut out the aperture, by first drilling a series of holes around the periphery, and then sawing round these to remove the door.
Unfortunately, the plastic around the door aperture and nose section cracked, but can be repaired when the fuselage is joined.
With the door removed, the aperture was then filed to shape, as shown in the pics, although a little more filing and sanding is required to get the correct size and shape.
I had intended to scratch-build and detail the door, but I purchased a resin cockpit set, in order to use some of the detail parts on a forthcoming build of a PR.IX and, as this is designed for the FB.VI version, and includes a cockpit door, I'll be using this instead.
The pics show the progress so far, and, once the Eduard PE cockpit parts arrive, I can then proceed with building and detailing the cockpit.