Another Plastic Soldier StuG III, this time with the Saukopf gun mantlet and concrete armor added to the front of the fighting compartment. The concrete armor was added to some StuGs late in the war. The Schürzen armored plates were designed to offer protection against the Soviet PTRS-41 and PTRD 14.5 mm anti-tank rifles which were produced in great numbers and proved capable of penetrating the side armor of the StuG III. The skirts also proved useful against hollow-charge weapons such as the American Bazooka.
As is typical for Osprey’s New Vanguard series (and Osprey books in general), this volume provides a brief but valuable overview of the topic. In this case, the various USN Patrol Torpedo boat classes are described – the 77 foot Elcos, 78 foot Higgins, and 80 foot Elcos, with the latter two being the most important.
The book covers the design and construction of these boats which was similar, featuring wooden hulls and high-octane aircraft engines for speed. The armament of these boats varied greatly, progressing from torpedo-armed ship killers through anti-submarine weapons, and culminating in the heavy gun and rocket armament of the “barge busters” aimed at interdicting Japanese coastal traffic. The particulars of these diverse weapons and their characteristics are described in detail. There is also some discussion of the tactical considerations of torpedo attacks. Logistics and support of the PT Squadrons is not neglected either which offers insights into the roles of the tenders, many of which were converted from LSTs.
The book is well illustrated with photographs. Several full-color plates show plans and profiles of these boats which are useful, and these are augmented by a cut-away showing the internal layout. These focus on the 78 foot Higgins and 80 foot Elcos which were by far the most numerous types.
There is little in the way of the combat history of the PT boats and no first-hand accounts of crew narratives, a limitation of the brevity of the format. Still, this is an interesting presentation and a nice introduction to the topic which will inspire further reading. Recommended.
I’ve had the idea for this post in the back of my mind for quite some time now. I’ve mentioned many of these items in various construction threads but I’ve really never shown what I was talking about. These are all things which are useful to have laying about the modeling bench and make modeling more efficient and enjoyable.
In a spectacular “well, duh” moment I inserted a pin into a cheap pin vice. The result is one of the more useful tools on my bench, I find myself reaching for it often. It can be used to make rivet impressions, start pilot holes for drilling, open up clogged glue bottles, remove sanding dust from panel lines, or applying small drops of glue, among many other things.
I am old enough to have used mechanical drafting at work, I actually find it relaxing. One of the tools which migrated from the drafting table to the modeling bench is this proportional divider. It is just the right tool for measuring odd little distances on models to fabricate parts – one example which comes to mind is measuring lengths between struts for rigging biplanes.
Buying paint thinners and the “thin” glues from the hobby store is great if you are rich or don’t build quickly. Otherwise consider getting these items at the hardware store and saving some money. Most thin cements are composed mainly of Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK). This 32 ounce can cost me $8.89 at the hardware store, or $0.28 per ounce. Compare that to a bottle of your favorite thin glue at the hobby store. I decant the MEK and paint thinners into smaller bottles for use on the workbench and spend the savings on kits.
Razor saws are a must-have item, this is another UMM-USA product. The blades are replaceable but will last a long time if they are not twisted when cutting. Each side has a different tooth course and makes and extremely fine cut.
This is a rather silly “tool” but it works, I have had this for years. It is the lid from a Humbrol paint tin. I find it is the perfect size for mixing small amounts of paint for detail work.
These scissors go by a number of names, often all at once. They are Noyes spring iris surgical scissors or some variation of those terms. They are really good at cutting thin plastic or even metals, and useful for cutting out small or tightly printed decals.
These little measuring spoons are intended for the kitchen but are just the thing for transferring paint to the airbrush. It is easy to mix proportions if you are matching a formula, and the size allows them to dip into bottles with small openings.
A good punch and die set is not cheap but should last forever with the proper care. They are surprisingly useful and come in handy in unexpected ways, far beyond producing the holes and disks which are the most common tasks. You will need to locate a small hammer to use them, which I found to be not as easy as I expected.
BB’s make good ballast, so it’s always good to have several thousand laying about. They are useful for preventing aircraft with tricycle landing gear from becoming tail-sitters or adding a bit of heft to your armor models. I fix them in place with casting resin or epoxy glue. Cheap when bought in quantity.
Yet another Curtiss P-40 with spectacular nose art, this is P-40N-5 serial number 42-105233 of the 89th Fighter Squadron, 80th Fighter Group stationed at Nagaghuli in Assam, India in 1944. The Burma Banshees each carried large skulls on the engine cowlings of their Warhawks, and each skull was unique. Decals are from the kit and are printed by Cartograph. Living up to their reputation, the decals performed flawlessly.
As a result of several friendly fire incidents during and following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, on 23DEC41 CinC Pacific issued a directive that all US aircraft in the Hawaiian area were to carry national markings in six locations (upper and lower surfaces of both wings, both sides of the fuselage) and red and white tail stripes on the rudder. By early January various other commands had followed suit, and the changes became official. Here is a beautiful color shot of a factory fresh Avenger in the standard Blue Gray over Light Gray camouflage and the specified markings in effect from 23DEC41 to 06MAY42. (NASM, Rudy Arnold Collection)Leroy Grumman designed the wing fold mechanism which was applied to the F4F-4 Wildcat, TBM Avenger, and F6F Hellcat, and is still in use on the C-2 Greyhound today. Called the STO-wing, it allows the wing to pivot as it is rotated along the fuselage. Adoption of the folding wing allowed an increase of approximately 50% to the aircraft capacity of U.S. Navy carriers. This is a relatively rare view of the wing in mid-fold. (NASM, Rudy Arnold Collection)With the wing completely folded the space savings is obvious. Modelers should note that the inside of the wing is finished in the upper surface Blue Gray color, not in primer. Also note the landing gear leg, wheel hub, and gear cover are in the underside Light Gray color. (NASM, Rudy Arnold Collection)To eliminate any confusion with the Japanese Hinomaru, the red centers of the US national insignia were ordered to be removed by ALNAV97 on 06MAY42. Rudder stripes were also painted out at this time, preferably with blue gray to match the upper surface camouflage, but many units made do with whatever paint was available. This is a factory-fresh Avenger in the specified markings, which the first Avengers to see combat wore during the Battle of Midway. (NASM, Rudy Arnold Collection)There were several variations in the size and location of the insignia, modelers are well advised to seek photographs of the specific subjects they wish to portray whenever possible. This Avenger has an unusually-small fuselage insignia. (NASM, Rudy Arnold Collection)1943 was a confusing year for US Navy aircraft markings, with many changes being made and some only partially adopted in the field. Effective 01FEB43, SR-2c directed that naval aircraft revert back to four national insignia, upper port wing, lower starboard wing, and both fuselage sides. Photographic evidence suggests that many field units did not eliminate the extra wing insignia. On 28JUN43 ALNAV 12 directed that the national insignia be modified to incorporate a white bar on either side of the star, and the entire insignia was to be outlined in red. This directive generated considerable opposition in the Pacific Theater, commanders fearing any red might lead to confusion with the Japanese Hinomaru. On 31JUL43 Third Fleet issued a directive for its subordinate units NOT to outline the national insignia in red, and AN-I-9b of 14AUG43 made the change official by changing the outline color to Insignia Blue. This Avenger sports the short-lived red border to the national insignia. (NASM, Rudy Arnold Collection)A major camouflage change came about when SR-2C of 05JAN43 introduced a graded scheme consisting of Non-Specular Sea Blue, Semi-Gloss Sea Blue, and Intermediate Blue over white. This began showing up at the front in the summer of 1943 and was in effect until the scheme was changed to glossy Sea Blue overall by SR-2c, effective 07OCT44. (LIFE photograph)An interesting photograph of the underside of an Avenger with its bomb bay doors open. Note how the white underside color extends down the fuselage sides under the wings and horizontal tail plane. (LIFE photograph)This rocket-armed Avenger aboard the USS Cape Glouchester (CVE-109), a Commencement Bay-class Escort Carrier. It wears the overall Sea Blue scheme authorized 07OCT44.The range and internal volume of the Avenger lent itself well to auxiliary roles, keeping variants in service after the war ended. This is a TBM-3R, modified for Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) transport duties. The rear gun turret was removed and faired over and seating was provided for seven passengers. In addition, a special basket was designed to allow cargo to be carried inside the bomb bay. The basket could be raised and lowered using the Avenger’s internal bomb hoists facilitating a rapid exchange of the pre-loaded baskets. This Avenger carries the post-war red barred insignia authorized on 14JAN47.
This is a Plastic Soldier Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. G Assault Gun. These kits are intended for the wargaming market and come packaged three kits to a box. I built this one to represent a StuG III on the Russian Front during 1943 / 44. I replaced the overly-thick Schürzen which also helps hide the rather basic running gear and added various other details to spruce it up a bit. The commander figure is included with the kit.
The 79th Fighter Group: Over Tunisia, Sicily, and Italy in World War II
By Dan Woerpel
Hardcover in dustjacket, 264 pages, illustrated, appendixes, indexed, twelve color profiles
Published by Schiffer Publishing July 2001
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0764313223
ISBN-13: 978-0764313226
Dimensions: 8.8 x 1.0 x 11.1 inches
The 79th Fighter Group first saw combat over North Africa in early 1943 equipped with Curtis P-40 Warhawks. After the Axis armies were defeated in North Africa the Group moved on to Sicily, and then the Italian mainland where it was re-equipped with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, which it flew until the end of the war. The Group was mainly engaged in ground attack and interdiction missions as the Luftwaffe presence was reduced while the Italian Campaign progressed. 138 Axis aircraft were claimed destroyed in the air; the list of ground targets destroyed is also impressive and includes damaging the Italian aircraft carrier Aquilla.
The Group was comprised of three squadrons; the 85th Fighter Squadron “Flying Skulls”; 86th FS “Comanches”; and 87th FS “Skeeters”. For a time the 99th FS was also attached while the Group was in Sicily.
Being a unit history, the book follows the 79th Fighter Group from its formation to the end of occupation duty in Germany. The account is quite detailed and covers each mission the squadrons flew with an accounting of claims and losses from each. While this can get somewhat repetitive, there are enough personal accounts from the pilots to keep things interesting. The author has done an outstanding job of describing the overall strategic progress of the war which provides vital context for the Group’s movements and assignments. There is also an entire chapter devoted to the experiences of pilots shot down behind enemy lines and their successful evasion or ultimate captivity.
Many Schiffer publications consist almost entirely of photographs with a small portion of the book devoted to text. This is not one of those books. Although there are a number of photographs the focus of this work is on the history. While I would always prefer more pictures there are enough here to help tell the story. These are augmented by twelve nicely done color illustrations by artist S. W. Ferguson which are rendered in perspective.
The 79th Fighter Group was unique in the number and variety of Axis aircraft which its personnel rebuilt and returned to flightworthy condition. While other units would also occasionally refurbish a few captured aircraft, it was almost an obsession with the 79th. There is mention of some of these aircraft but I would have liked to have seen much more material included on this as it was a defining peculiarity of the unit.
This is a large book, definitely not just an evening’s read. I did find it interesting and informative. It is well-written and I enjoyed the author’s style. If you’re interested in the Italian Campaign or the daily operations of a Fighter Group then I would not hesitate to recommend this book.
WHENEVER ANY FORM OF GOVERNMENT BECOMES DESTRUCTIVE OF THESE ENDS (LIFE,LIBERTY,AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS) IT IS THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO ALTER OR ABOLISH IT, AND TO INSTITUTE A NEW GOVERNMENT― Thomas Jefferson
Inch High Guy 