Product Spotlight

Product Spotlight: “Crouching Tiger”

Neo Dragon Armor’s 1:72 scale German Sd. Kfz. 141 PzKpfw III Ausf. N Infantry Support Tank with Extra Jerry Cans Atop the Turret and Rear – “Red 07”, schwere Panzerabteilung 501, Panzerarmee Afrika, Tunisia, 1942-’43

Schwere Panzerabteilung 501 was sent to North Africa following the Allied landings in Northwest Africa. The first tanks arrived in Tunisia in November 1942 while the second kompanie, was used for the occupation of Vichy France. It surrendered in Tunisia in May 1943 but was reformed later in September 1943 from the cadre of troops that had been withheld from Africa.

Following the Allied landing in French North Africa the battalion, with its 16 Panzer IIIs, arrived in Tunisia between November 1942 and January 1943.

Initially only three Tiger Is of the 501st landed at Tunis on November 23rd, 1942. These first elements of the battalion, along with four Panzer IIIs, were organized with other units into Kampfgruppe Lueder. They were involved in fighting just over a week later during the Axis counterattack on 1 December, destroying nine US and two British tanks on the first day while relieving German forces. On December 2nd, KG Lueder, with one Tiger and five Panzer IIIs, attacked Tebourba, stopping an Allied advance and knocking out six tanks and four anti-tank guns for the loss of three Panzer IIIs. On 3 December, the single operational Tiger I was reinforced by three newly arrived Tigers, which, with infantry support, surrounded Tebourba. The next day, with Junkers Ju 87 Stuka aircraft support, Kampfgruppe Lueder took Tebourba but was then disbanded, all of its Tigers being out of action. Of 182 tanks present, the Allies lost 134.

Neo Dragon Armor’s 1:72 scale German Sd. Kfz. 141 PzKpfw III Ausf. N Infantry Support Tank with Extra Jerry Cans – “White 124”, schwere Panzerabteilung 501, Panzerarmee Afrika, Tunisia, 1942-’43

Reinforcements of one Tiger and one Panzer III arrived on December 9th, which along with repairs of battle damage, gave an inventory of seven Tiger Is and five Panzer IIIs. The next day, they moved together with elements of 10th Panzer Division on the road to Massicault, attacking towards Majaz al Bab, gaining 13 km (8.1 mi) and destroying 14 M3 Stuart tanks. The next day, they covered the southern flank of the main attack and acted as a reserve element, 7 km (4.3 mi) east of Djedeida.

By the end of December 1942, strength was up to 11 out of 12 Tigers operational, plus 16 Panzer IIIs. On 15 January 1943, eight Tigers and eight Panzer IIIs were assigned to work with 756th Mountain Infantry Regiment, KG Lueder was re-established with five Tigers and 10 Panzer IIIs plus the 1st battalion of the 69th Mechanized Infantry Regiment. On January 18th, as part of Operation Eilbote I, the mountain infantry broke through enemy positions which were protected by anti-tank mines, and captured a crossing south west of Lake Kebir; one Tiger was scrapped due to a shortage of spare road wheels after hitting a mine. On January 19th, KG Lueder attacked along the road towards Robaa, then turned and took the crossing at Hir Moussa, capturing US personnel carriers which were turned over to their infantry. Skirmishes on January 20th resulted in the loss of a Tiger to a British 6 pdr anti-tank gun, and another blown up by British engineers. Over the next two days, British counterattacks were repelled; three enemy tanks destroyed for the loss of two Panzer III and one Tiger. On January 24th, more British attacks were repelled with heavy German losses.

14 Panzer IIIs plus 11 out of 16 available Tigers were operational on January 31st, 1943. They were split between the 756th and 69th again; under KG Weber they began Operation Eilbote II, but it was stopped by strong anti-tank defenses and minefields, then withdrew. Tiger armor was penetrated for the first time, two were knocked out; one burnt and was unrecoverable.

Neo Dragon Armor’s 1:72 scale German Sd. Kfz. 141 PzKpfw III Ausf. N Infantry Support Tank with Extra Jerry Cans Atop the Turret and Wooden Box and Oil Drum on its Rear – “Black 832”, schwere Panzerabteilung 501, Panzerarmee Afrika, Tunisia, 1942-’43

The six Tigers and nine Panzer IIIs of the 1st Company of the 501st were attached to 10 Panzer Division on 8 February for Operation Fruhlingswind. After night marches, they joined KG Reimann near Bou Thadi on 13 February. The next day, they broke through the Faïd Pass and joined the Battle of Sidi Bou Zid. Tigers knocked out 20 M4 Sherman tanks of the US 1st Armored Division. On February 26th, the 501st was re-designated III./Panzer-Regiment 7 of 10 Panzer-Division at the end of the Battle of the Kasserine Pass. Each company received 15 Panzer IVs as reinforcement.

The battalion that took part in the Axis offensive of Operation Ochsenkopf on February 27th. However it was stalled by numerous artillery bombardments, air attacks and mud. One Tiger also hit a mine. Continuing the attack overnight, seven more Tigers were immobilized by mines and Major Lueder was wounded. The next day, March 1st, all of the immobilized tanks were blown up, leaving one operational Tiger. The offensive failed with huge tank losses so much so that 501st had ceased to be an effective fighting force.

Over the next few days, more tanks were made operational, reaching six Tigers, 12 Panzer IIIs and seven Panzer IVs by March 10th. On March 17th, the remnants (11 Tigers) of the 501st were attached to the 504th, which had just arrived. On May 12th, 1943, the 501st were among over 230,000 Axis soldiers who surrendered at the end of the Tunisia Campaign following the Allied capture of Tunis.

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Product Spotlight: To Catch the Rising Sun

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo Reconnaissance Aircraft – 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, “Operation Sun Run”, November 27th, 1957

On November 27th, 1957, four USAF pilots of the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing successfully completed Operation Sun Run by establishing three new transcontinental speed records in a McDonnell RF-101C aircraft. The record-breaking mission showcased the speed and range of the RF-101C, an improved version of the first supersonic photo reconnaissance aircraft, the RF-101A.

Operation Sun Run called for six RF-101C aircraft — two to fly round-trip from Los Angeles to New York and back again, two for the one-way flight from Los Angeles to New York, and two for backups if problems arose with the four primary aircraft. The undertaking required massive coordination of aircraft crews and radar and weather stations from coast to coast.

Six pilots of the 17th and 18th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons of the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing were chosen for Operation Sun Run. Each prepared for the round-trip flight, since they would not know which flight they were assigned until a few days before the operation. All six pilots had extensive experience in photo reconnaissance aircraft, although the RF-101 was relatively new to Tactical Air Command.

The success of Operation Sun Run also depended on the performance of the newly available KC-135 Stratotanker, the USAF’s first jet tanker. The KC-135’s speed allowed the RF-101s to refuel at an altitude of 35,000 feet and a speed of Mach 0.8. Crews from Strategic Air Command and Air Force Research and Development Command prepared for the 26 re-fuelings the Operation Sun Run RF-101Cs would require.

The so-called “Sun Run” RF-101C Voodoo reconnaissance aircraft is now in stock and ready for immediate shipment.

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Product Spotlight: With the Desert, the Sand

Hobby Master’s 1:56 scale German Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Heavy Tank – “Red 131”, schwere Panzerabteilung 504, Medjed el Bab, Tunisia, North Africa, April 1943

When Hobby Master first came to the fore in 2006, one of their earliest offerings was a set of 1:56 scale Tiger I heavy tanks. Although a somewhat strange scale as far as collecting military vehicles go, the Tiger was soon followed up by a 1:56 scale Abrams tank, a slightly larger array of 1:48 scale King Tigers and Shermans, and lastly a long and ever evolving littany of 1:72 scale military vehicles. While a bit surprising that they would return to the 1:56 scale regime some 18 years later, this tank, in and of itself is rather special since it was captured by the British forces and is currently the only operational Tiger I heavy tank, trotted out regularly by Britain’s Tank Museum for all the world to see. But first its pedigree…

Although the Allies had become aware of a powerful new German heavy tank from its introduction on the Eastern Front in September 1942, British and Commonwealth forces would not encounter the mighty Tiger I until the final stages of the battles to capture Tunis in April 1943.

Schwere Panzerabteilung 504 was the second Tiger unit to be sent to Tunisia. It was issued 25 PzKpfw III plus two Panzerbefehlswagen Tiger in January, and 18 Tigers, comprising the battalion staff, workshop company, while the 1st tank company arrived in Tunisia on March 12th, 1943. Interestingly, the 2nd company remained in Sicily to help defend the island should Tunisia fall to the advancing Allid armies. The tank company had four platoons, each with two Tiger I tanks and two Pzkpw III support tanks. All of schwere Panzerabteilung 504’s Tigers were destroyed or captured. The surviving elements surrendered on May 12th, 1943.

During heavy fighting around Guriat el Atach, in Tunisia, one Tiger tank was abandoned by its crew and captured by British troops, who defended their impressive prize until it could be recovered and repaired. Highlighting the significance of this acquisition, Tiger “131” was later inspected by both King George VI and Winston Churchill and would become the most famous fighting vehicle in the world.

As it currently stands, look for Hobby Master’s newest 1:56 scale Tiger I to hit the hot desert sands of North Africa this summer. Its big, heavy in the hand and a fitting tribute to both the Panzerwaffe that operated the vehicle as well as the British forces tasked with its capture.

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Product Spotlight: With the Winter, the Snow

Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale German Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4 “Friedrich” Fighter – Oberleutnant Otto Kath, Stab/Jagdgeschwader 54 “Grunherz”, Staraya, Russia, December 1941

Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) “Grunherz” (Green Hearts) was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during the Second World War. It was known as the Green Hearts Wing, and was the second highest scoring wing of all time, JG 52 being the highest. JG 54 flew on the Eastern Front, racking up over 9,600 kills, with aces such as Walter Nowotny, Otto Kittel, Freiherr Peter Grunhertz, Hans “Phips” Philipp, Gunther Lutzow, Emil “Bully” Lang (Lang holds the record for most kills in a day,18), Max-Hellmuth Ostermann, Dietrich Hrabak, Werner Schroer and Hannes Trautloft being the most famous Experten.

Having enjoyed initial success over the Channel and South-east England during the summer of 1940, the unit was transferred to the Eastern Front in the spring of 1941 for Operation Barbarossa – the German invasion of the Soviet Union. JG 54 would remain a Jagdwaffe stalwart in the east, flying firstly Bf 109Fs and then the Fw 190.

JG 54 was known for its non-standard camouflage schemes. For example, Bf-109F-4’s on the Leningrad front 1941-42 were painted in black-green/dark-green splinter finish with yellow under cowling and under the wing tips.

JG 54 was assigned to Army Group North during Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of Soviet Union on June 22nd, 1941 as part of the Luftwaffe’s Luftflotte 1. From the first days of the conflict, the unit proved to be one of the most effective units of the entire eastern front. June 30th was one of its most successful days of the entire war: JG 54 claimed no less than 65 kills (mostly bombers without fighters escort) over the town of Daugavpils. The “Grunherz” pushed on, still supporting Army Group North, towards the Gulf of Finland, fighting through Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. JG 54’s operations for 1941-43 had a twofold objective: to keep the pressure on the Leningrad sector, and to reduce Soviet pressure on the Lake Ilmen area at the German flank. The Geschwader remained on that part of the Eastern Front for most of its existence. In the period June 22nd – December 5th, 1941, the unit destroyed 1,078 Soviet aircraft in return for 46 losses in aerial combat and a single fighter on the ground. Such was the pace and scale of fighting that JG 54 celebrated its 1,000 kill on August 1st, 1941, thanks to Lieutenant Max-Hellmuth Ostermann.

Hobby Master’s latest 1:48 scale release, a Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4 “Friedrich” Fighter that was piloted by Oberleutnant Otto Kath, is now in stock and ready for immediate shipment.

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Beyond the Observable

Ever since man took up arms against his fellow man, humankind has sought out ways to gain the upper hand in battle. In the case of cloaked or stealth aircraft, a number of nations have attempted to develop ways to detect that which is supposedly “un-seeable”, or at least get a better understanding of what they are confronting in the modern battlespace so that measures can be brought to bear to unravel their advantages.

One of the latest developments arising from the so-called “stealth wars” is IRST. An infrared search and track (IRST) system (sometimes known as infrared sighting and tracking) is a method for detecting and tracking objects which give off infrared radiation, such as the infrared signatures of jet aircraft and helicopters.

IRST is a generalized case of forward looking infrared (FLIR), i.e. from forward-looking to all-round situation awareness. Such systems are passive (thermographic camera), meaning they do not give out any radiation of their own, unlike radar. This gives them the advantage that they are difficult to detect.

However, because the atmosphere attenuates infrared to some extent (although not as much as visible light) and because adverse weather can attenuate it also (again, not as badly as visible systems), their range compared to a radar is limited. Within range, an IRST’s angular resolution is better than radar due to the shorter wavelength.

To date, Hobby Master has done an admirable job of modeling some of the latest experimental aircraft still undergoing testing by the USAF, all in an effort to once again gain the upper hand in aerial warfare. Their “chrome” covered F-22s sold out almost the moment they became available and are now commanding prices well in excess of their introductory price. That said, the USAF is conducting field testing of other experimental aircraft, eventually choosing the best means of protecting their aircraft in combat for the foreseeable future. The so-called “symbiote” F-22 represents another step towards remaining stealthy in aerial combat.

Nicknamed “Disco” or Symbiote F-22, the new Raptor with a reflective coating has been one of the highlights for the photographers gathered outside Nellis Air Force Base for Red Flag 22-2.

A second F-22 with a mirror-like coating has been spotted flying out of Nellis AFB, Nevada. As already explained, the new coating on this second stealth aircraft appears to be much different than the one on the Raptor [IDed as airframe #04-4065] that made its first appearance in November 2021: it features smaller, mirror-like tiles applied on the nose section, weapons bay doors, fuselage and also inner and outer face of the twin tails.

Hobby Master is already hard at work developing a model based upon the symbiote scheme. While pre-production photos are still a couple of months off, the manufacturer did release a four-sided illustration that ably demonstrates the look of their newest F-22. It is our belief that HA2828, as it is currently known, will instantly become a hit when it is released in 2024, and become hard to get in the after market. That said, there’s still time to pre-purchase this model before it flies off for the great blue yonder.

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Product Spotlight: Ganymede’s Ascent

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy North American RA-5C Vigilante Strike Bomber – 150834/604, RVAH-13 “Bats”, USS Kitty Hawk (CVN-63), 1966 [Experimental SEA Camouflage Scheme]

In Greek mythology, Ganymede is a divine hero whose homeland was Troy. Homer describes Ganymede as the most beautiful of mortals and tells the story of how he was abducted by the gods to serve as Zeus’s cup bearer in Olympus.

Like Ganymede, the North American RA-5C Vigilante strike bomber was one of the most beautiful aircraft to ever serve in the US Navy’s arsenal, swept up from its original purpose to serve in a completely different role.

Despite being designated by the US Navy as a “heavy”, the A-5 was surprisingly agile for such a large aircraft. Without the drag of bombs or missiles, even escorting fighters found that the clean airframe and powerful engines made the Vigilante very fast at high and low altitudes. However, its high approach speed and high angle of attack in the landing configuration made returning to the aircraft carrier a challenge for inexperienced or unwary pilots.

Given its original design as a carrier-based, supersonic, nuclear heavy attack aircraft, the Vigilante’s main armament was carried in a novel “linear bomb bay” between the engines in the rear fuselage, which provided for positive separation of the bomb from the aircraft at supersonic speeds. The single nuclear weapon, commonly the Mk 28 bomb, was attached to two disposable fuel tanks in the cylindrical bay in an assembly known as the “stores train”. A set of extendable fins was attached to the aft end of the most rearward fuel tank. These fuel tanks were to be emptied during the flight to the target and then jettisoned with the bomb by an explosive drogue gun. The stores train was propelled rearward at about 50 feet per second (30 knots) relative to the aircraft. It thereafter followed a typical ballistic path.

In practice, the system was not reliable and no live weapons were ever carried in the linear bomb bay. In the RA-5C configuration, the bay was used solely for fuel. On three occasions, the shock of the catapult launch caused the fuel cans to eject onto the deck resulting in one aircraft loss.

Hobby Master’s first set of Vigilantes has been out-of-stock for some time, neglected, some say, in favor of other more popular aircraft. Nevertheless, December marks the return of the Vigilante and a fitting tribute to any aviation enthusiast’s pantheon of diecast warplanes.

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Product Spotlight: By Fire and Storm

“In the fight of his life, Royce Williams had accomplished what no other American fighter pilot would ever accomplish: shoot down four MiG-15s in one fight.”

– Thomas McKelvey Cleaver, author of Holding the Line
Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale US Navy Grumman F9F-5 Panther Fighter – Captain Royce Williams, “Actions Speak Louder than Medals”, VF-781 “Pacemaker”, USS Oriskany (CV-34), November 1952

In 1952, then-Lieutenant Williams was serving with VF-781 aboard the USS Oriskany (CV-34) as part of Task Force 77. On November 18th, 1952, on his second mission of the day, while on combat air patrol near Hoeryong, North Korea, his group of four pilots spotted seven MiG-15s overhead. The other three pilots had to return to the carrier and the MiGs began to fire on Williams, putting him into a one-man dogfight with seven MiG-15s that lasted 35 minutes. It is believed to be the longest dogfight in U.S. Naval history. Commanders on his carrier ordered him away, but Williams had to tell them that he was already fighting for his life. He shot down four of the MiGs and likely hit two others. By the end of the 35-minute engagement, only one of the MiGs was still in the air with him, and he managed to escape back to his carrier, out of ammunition and having lost his hydraulics. He was uninjured, but 263 holes were counted in his Panther jet. He never saw the plane again; reportedly, it was pushed into the sea.

The US Navy’s record of the November 1952 incident said only that Williams had shot down one enemy (not listed as “Soviet”) plane and damaged another, for which he was awarded the Silver Star in 1953. However, the dogfight was recorded in Soviet archives which were released after the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. The Soviet records confirmed that of the seven MiGs, only one returned to its base. A 2014 Russian book, Red Devils over the Yalu: A Chronicle of Soviet Aerial Operations in the Korean War 1950-53, reported the battle and named Williams. The four MiGs were flown by Soviet Naval Aviation pilots, with Captains Belyakov and Vandalov, and Lieutenants Pakhomkin and Tarshinov being shot down. In his book Holding the Line about Task Force 77, Thomas McKelvey Cleaver described the fight, saying “On November 18th, 1952, Royce Williams became the top-scoring carrier-based naval aviator and the top-scoring naval aviator in a Navy jet of the ‘forgotten war’.” He added, “In the fight of his life, Royce Williams had accomplished what no other American fighter pilot would ever accomplish: shoot down four MiG-15s in one fight.”

Williams’ battle with the Soviet-piloted MiGs led to him being debriefed at the time by admirals, the Secretary of Defense, and a few weeks later by newly inaugurated President Dwight D. Eisenhower. These authorities made a decision to cover up the specifics of the battle, because at that time the Soviet Union was not officially a combatant in the Korean War and it was feared that publicity about the air battle would draw the Soviets further into the conflict. The dogfight was scrubbed from U.S. Navy and National Security Agency records, and Williams was sworn to secrecy about the incident – so much so that he never told anyone about it, not even his wife nor his pilot brother, until the Korean War records were declassified in 2002.

Two versions of Williams’ F9F-5 Panther fighter are scheduled to take to the skies in November.

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Product Spotlight: Moon Rise – Birth of the Wild Weasel

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF McDonnell F-4G Wild Weasel Fighter-Bomber – 69-7582, 52nd Tactical Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany, 1988

Wild Weasel is a code name given by the United States Air Force (USAF) to an aircraft of any type equipped with anti-radiation missiles and tasked with the suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD): destroying the radar and surface-air-to-missile (SAM) installations of enemy air defense systems. The task of a Wild Weasel aircraft is to bait enemy anti-aircraft defenses into targeting it with their radars, whereupon the radar waves are traced back to their source, allowing the Weasel or its teammates to precisely target it for destruction.

The Wild Weasel concept was developed by the USAF in 1965 during the Vietnam War after the introduction of Soviet SAMs and their downing of American strike aircraft participating in Operation Rolling Thunder in the skies over North Vietnam. The program was headed by General Kenneth Dempster. “The first Wild Weasel success came soon after the first Wild Weasel mission 20 December 1965 when Captains Al Lamb and Jack Donovan took out a site during a Rolling Thunder strike on the railyard at Yen Bai, some 75 mi (120 km) northwest of Hanoi.” Wild Weasel tactics and techniques were later adapted by other nations in subsequent conflicts, as well as being integrated into the suppression of enemy air defenses, a plan used by U.S. air forces to establish immediate air supremacy prior to possible full-scale conflict.

Initially known by the operational code “Iron Hand” when first authorized on August 12th, 1965, the term “Wild Weasel” derives from Project Wild Weasel, the USAF development program for a dedicated SAM-detection and suppression aircraft. The technique was also called an “Iron Hand” mission, though technically this term referred only to the suppression attack before the main strike. Originally named “Project Ferret”, denoting a predatory animal that goes into its prey’s den to kill it (hence: “to ferret out”), the name was changed to differentiate it from the code-name “Ferret” that had been used during World War II for radar countermeasures bombers.

Hobby Master’s latest F-4G Wild Weasel is currently on track for an October fly-in, provided it can evade enemy radar.

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Product Spotlight: Some Gave All

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter – 165536, “Top Gun”, NAS Fallon, Nevada, 2020

The United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program (SFTI program), more popularly known as TOPGUN, teaches fighter and strike tactics and techniques to selected naval aviators and naval flight officers, who return to their operating units as surrogate instructors. It began as the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School, established on March 3rd, 1969, at the former Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. In 1996, the school was merged into the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada.

In 1968, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Thomas Hinman Moorer ordered Captain Frank Ault to research the failings of the U.S. air-to-air missiles used in combat in the skies over North Vietnam. Operation Rolling Thunder, which lasted from March 2nd, 1965, to November 1st, 1968, ultimately saw almost 1,000 U.S. aircraft losses in about one million sorties. Rolling Thunder became the Rorschach test for the Navy and Air Force, which drew nearly opposite conclusions

The United States Navy Fighter Weapons School was established on March 3rd, 1969, at Naval Air Station Miramar, California. Placed under the control of the VF-121 “Pacemakers,” an F-4 Phantom-equipped Replacement Air Group (RAG) unit, the new school received relatively scant funding and resources. Its staff consisted of eight F-4 Phantom II instructors from VF-121 and one intelligence officer hand-picked by the school’s first officer-in-charge, Lieutenant Commander Dan Pedersen, USN. Together, F-4 aviators Darrell Gary, Mel Holmes, Jim Laing, John Nash, Jim Ruliffson, Jerry Sawatzky, J. C. Smith, Steve Smith, as well as Wayne Hildebrand, a naval intelligence officer, built the Naval Fighter Weapons School syllabus from scratch. To support their operations, they borrowed aircraft from its parent unit and other Miramar-based units, such as composite squadron VC-7 and Fighter Squadron VF-126. The school’s first headquarters at Miramar was in a stolen modular trailer.

According to the 1973 command history of the Navy Fighter Weapons School, the unit’s purpose was to “train fighter air crews at the graduate level in all aspects of fighter weapons systems including tactics, techniques, procedures and doctrine. It serves to build a nucleus of eminently knowledgeable fighter crews to construct, guide, and enhance weapons training cycles and subsequent aircrew performance. This select group acts as the F-4 community’s most operationally orientated weapons specialists. TOPGUN’s efforts are dedicated to the Navy’s professional fighter crews, past, present and future.”

Highly qualified instructors were an essential element of TOPGUN’s success. Mediocre instructors are unable to hold the attention of talented students. TOPGUN instructors were knowledgeable fighter tacticians assigned to one or more specific fields of expertise, such as a particular weapon, threat, or tactic. Every instructor was required to become an expert in effective training techniques. All lectures were given without notes after being screened by a notorious “murder board” of evaluators who would point out ambiguities or flawed concepts in the draft presentation. The curriculum was in a constant state of flux based upon class critiques and integration of developing tactics to use new systems to combat emerging threats. Instructors often spent their first year on the staff learning to be an effective part of the training environment.

The scheme shown here was afforded a prominent role in the recently released feature film Top Gun Maverick. You can nab the latest Top Gun Hornet later this month as part of Hobby Master’s October cache of military aircraft replicas.

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Product Spotlight: “The Star of Africa”

“As a fighter pilot he was absolutely supreme. Above all, he possessed lightning reflexes and could make a quicker judgement in a bigger orbit than anyone else… Marseille was unique.”

Eduard Neumann, commander of Jagdgeschwader 27 ‘Afrika’ during the North African Campaign from 1941 to 1943
Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale German Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4 “Friedrich” Fighter – “Yellow 14”, Hans-Joachim Marseille, 3./Jagdgeschwader 27 “Afrika”, Libya, February 1942

Regarded by many of his contemporaries as the most naturally gifted fighter pilot ever to take to the air, Hans-Joachim Marseille would make the clear blue skies of North Africa his hunting ground and the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter ‘Yellow 14’ his feared mount. Claiming 158 victories from 382 sorties flown, 151 of these were scored over the deserts of North Africa, making him the top scoring Luftwaffe ace in the Mediterranean theatre, gaining more victories against Western Allied airmen than any other pilot. Tragically, as was the case with so many of the young men who fought during WWII, the ‘Star of Africa’ would not survive the conflict and indeed would not live to see his 23rd birthday.

On September 30th, 1942, Marseille was leading his Squadron on a mission to support a flight of Stukas when his new Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2 fighter developed engine problems. With the cockpit filling with noxious fumes and unable to see out of the canopy, he relied on his wingman to guide him over friendly lines, before he could attempt to bale out. Once over German held territory, with the effects of smoke inhalation now causing disorientation, he turned the fighter on its back and rolled out of the cockpit. With the aircraft now adopting a nose down attitude, Marseille struck the tail of the Messerschmitt, probably killing him instantly and sending his lifeless body tumbling to the desert floor – the ‘Star of Africa’ had fallen.

A significant turning point in the career of Hans Joachim Marseille occurred in early 1941 when he was posted to North Africa, well away from distractions which had previously brought him so much trouble, now coming under the guidance of Commander Eduard Neumann. Neumann saw something special in Marseille and encouraged him to train himself to be a better fighter pilot and realize his combat potential – his style of man management seemed to suit Marseille, who began a regime of physical exercise and careful diet, strengthening his legs and abdominal muscles to better withstand the forces impost on a pilot during dogfighting. Unlike many of the other pilots of Jagdgeschwader 27, Marseille would never wear sunglasses during sorties, as he wanted his eyes to become accustomed to the harsh lighting in the desert. Significantly, he began to take a keen interest in his aircraft, preferring to spend much of his free time with his crew chief, or studying the art of deflection shooting, ensuring that he was better prepared for his next meeting with the enemy. With ever increasing regularity, these meetings would result in Marseille recording more victories and displaying exceptional flying ability and split second tactical awareness in the process – the ‘Star of Africa’ was beginning to shine.

The death of Hans Joachim Marseille was a terrible blow for the pilots of Jagdgeschwader 27 and indeed the entire German nation, who had started to think that the charismatic Marseille was invincible in the air. Facing increasingly superior numbers of Allied fighters in North Africa and with Rommel and his Afrika Korps now very much on the retreat, the Luftwaffe would never regain superiority of these desert skies again and it would not be long before the fighters of Jagdgeschwader 27 were redeployed to Northern France.

Eduard Neumann said of Marseille “As a fighter pilot he was absolutely supreme. Above all, he possessed lightning reflexes and could make a quicker judgement in a bigger orbit than anyone else… Marseille was unique.”

The distinctive yellow, black and brown crest of Jagdgeschwader 27 “Afrika”, signifying, in rather colorful fashion, its role in the aerial campaign over North Africa

Adolf Galland, himself one of the most celebrated Luftwaffe fighter aces of WWII, described Marseille as “An unrivaled virtuoso among the fighter pilots of World War II. His achievements had previously been regarded as impossible and they were never excelled by anyone after his death.”

Marseilles’ formidable 1:48 scale Bf-109F, Hobby Master’s first “Friedrich” version of the stalwart Messerschmitt Bf-109, is currently on track for an October release.

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