Owing to other commitments (read my son's rain delayed football season) I've missed gaming at the club for a while BUT did manage to catch up with my mates Ian and Leigh who very generously purchased some of my new you-beaut air stands AND supplied me with one very-hard-to-get Bristol Blenheim bomber made from the old Airfix 1/72nd kit (thanks Ian!) A lick of paint, some bogging, filing and a new set of decals and I've made one of the 212(?) Blenheim squadron that flew out of Greece. Its a terrific little model so I hope I've done it justice.
It matches up nicely with my little Hurricane. Actually I was surprised at how small it was - its about the same size as the Bf110 fighter - so it couldn't have carried much of a bomb load. The version I got isn't, strictly speaking, one that they used in the Mediterranean or Greece but the version kitted out as a low-level ground attack fighter-bomber with the second twin MG turret under the nose used in Europe and North Africa. A minor detail I'm sure as its such a nice model anyway.
Also of interest is the sky-blue underbelly colour scheme which was unique to that theatre. The usual lighter duck-egg blue on many planes must have stood out against the Med sky. The top colour scheme of mustard yellow and chocolate brown is surprisingly effective against a Mediterranean landscape, as can bee seen in the above shot of the bomber and its Hurricane escort.
It compares well with the Bf110 escorting the JU52 - which are both in the colours used over Crete.
The two final planes to collect will be Italian - I used to have the old Airfix Machetti bomber when I was a kid so I'm really looking forward to building one again - as soon as I can find it of course! But I really should get off this model aircraft thing as I'm a wargamer/collector at heart and my first love are always the figures.
I've been painting up some of my latest order from Perry's and recently finished - after much bad language and a lot of superglue - the British 6 pdr AT gun and half-naked crew. I've done them up to match in with my 2/7th Aussies for Crete.
How bloody nice is it? (The model not my duff paint-job!) I must admit it was a challenge to put together with only the photo off the boy's website as a guide but the end result was well worth it. Although I already have a German AT gun I'm now tempted to get the Perry Afrika Korp one - and I notice they even have an Italian version on the workbench as well. That's the problem ain't it? Always another 'must-have'!!!
Well that's it for WWII for now. I have a platoon of infantry in battledress to do, a Vickers tankettte and a horde of Italians but they will have to wait until I've finished my battalion of Napoleonic French Middle Guard Chasseur Grenadiers. I also have an artillery caisson done so I'll likely post on that when I get around to it!
Hmmm, I really want to paint up some WWII Italians too... c'mon Doc, get a grip!
Ciao for now!
