Corgi’s 1:72 scale RAF Short Stirling Mk. III Heavy Bomber – “The Gremlin Teaser”, No.199 Squadron, RAF North Creake, England, 1944
Back during the early days of World War II, British RAF pilots often blamed so-called “gremlins” for any malfunctions their aircraft experienced in combat. For purposes of discussion, a gremlin is a mischievous mythical creature that’s said to cause trouble to machinery, particularly in airplanes. When you’re a nervous flyer, confronting all sorts of man made issues, the last thing you want to think about are gremlins messing with the plane’s engines or other mechanical components.
The word gremlin first appeared in print in 1929. It emerged from the U.K.’s Royal Air Force aviator slang (possibly influenced by goblin), and it became especially popular during World War II, as pilots were forced to contend with FLaK, enemy fighters, poor weather and even night time flying to perform their missions.
Of course, there’s no such thing as a gremlin yet pilots persisted in blaming the mythical tricksters on otherwise inexplicable accidents — convenient scapegoats, if you will, for any odd issues they faced that couldn’t be explained away or overcome.
As if thumbing its nose at the supposed gremlin infestation plaguing other RAF aircraft, Stirling Mk.III LJ542 was unusual in that it sported rather elaborate nose artwork — a feature which wasn’t quite as prevalent on British aircraft as it was on those flown by the USAAF, but was particularly impressive nonetheless. Named “The Gremlin Teaser”, the artwork featured a pin-up girl wearing what appears to be strap-on angel wings, the inference thought to be that this angelic figure was flying in defiance of evil, in this age-old wartime struggle of good against evil, something its crew must have felt they were doing on a nightly basis.
While the Lancaster would go on to become synonymous with the RAF’s bombing campaign over Nazi-occupied Europe, aircraft such as the Short Stirling soldiered on alongside the Lancs. Indeed, the impressive stature of the Stirling was a result of the massive, lengthened undercarriage the aircraft employed, a design modification needed to give the Stirling a greater angle of attack during take-off.
The Stirling’s huge bomb bay allowed the aircraft to carry three times as many bombs as the Vickers Wellington and almost nine times the weight carried by a Bristol Blenheim, presenting the RAF with a potent new weapon with which to take the war to the enemy and pointing the way towards the future of night bombing operations.
“The Gremlin Teaser” would end up being a veteran of 60 operational sorties and during her time with No.199 Squadron, was involved in undertaking vital electronic countermeasures missions, particularly around the time of D-Day, confusing enemy defenses in advance of the Allied invasion.
Corgi’s latest Short Stirling bomber, “Gremlin Teaser”, is currently en route to us and available for shipping early next week.
Corgi’s 1:48 scale German Fokker Dr.1 Triplane Fighter – Werner Steinhauser, Jasta 11, Cappy Aerodrome, France, April 21st, 1918
Werner Steinhauser was beginning to develop into an extremely gifted aviator under the guidance of his inspirational Commanding Officer, Manfred von Richthofen, when he took off with the Flying Circus on the morning of April 21st, 1917. When he initially joined the unit earlier that year, he had only a solitary observation balloon victory to his credit. Now that he found himself in the company of some of the Luftstreitkrafte’s most gifted fighter pilots, he began to show real skill and poise during combat situations and as a consequence, his victory tally began increasing.
Flying alongside von Richthofen in his own distinctively marked personal Fokker Dr.1 fighter on the morning of April 21st, 1917, Steinhauser would be involved in the intense fighting with the Sopwith Camels of RAF No.209 Squadron, which ultimately resulted in the death of his mentor. The famed ‘Flying Circus’ never really recovered from the loss of von Richthofen and from this date, an ever increasing number of Allied fighters in the air at any one time would result in the loss of the majority of their most successful pilots. Going on to score a further six aerial victories after this fateful day, Werner Steinhauser would himself be shot down and killed near Neuilly on June 26th, just three days before he would have celebrated his 22nd birthday.
Corgi’s 1:48 scale German Fokker Dr.1 Triplane Fighter – Ltn Hans Weiss, Jasta 11, Cappy Aerodrome, France, April 21st, 1918
At 10am on April 21st, 1918, six Fokker Dr.1 fighter aircraft of Jasta 11 took off from Cappy aerodrome to embark on an offensive patrol over the Somme Valley region. Led by their inspirational commander, Manfred von Richthofen, this was an elite unit where only the finest fighter pilots were invited to join the squadron – the ‘Best of the Best’. Hans Weiss has joined Jasta 11 with a reputation as being something of a balloon specialist, but by this date, he was credited with an impressive ten combat victories.As the formation approached Le Hamel, they spotted a pair of Allied reconnaissance aircraft over the town and dived in to attack.
As the battle commenced, an unseen flight of Sopwith Camels joined the melee to protect the reconnaissance aircraft and just minutes later, the infamous reign of the Red Baron would be over. The distinctive white colored Fokker Dr.1 flown by Weiss had been hit by return fire from the British reconnaissance aircraft, severing one of his rudder cables and forcing an immediate return to Cappy. Nursing his damaged aircraft back to his home airfield, Weiss would live to fight another day, however, his Commanding Officer would not be quite so lucky.
Weiss would later command Jasta 11 himself, but only for a three week period, before he also fell in combat, the victim of Canadian ace Merrill Taylor.
Both triplanes are now winging their way to us from the Corgi Aerodrome and should be ready to seek vengeance for the death of the Red Baron by the third week of June.
The area around Leningrad is one of the most geographically diverse in the world, situated in the southern sub zone of the taiga – a snow covered forest found in the cold subarctic. The subarctic is an area of the Northern Hemisphere that lies just south of the Arctic Circle where forests occupy about 40% of the territory, and swamps a further 10%. There are cliffs in the Gulf of Vyborg and to the north of Lake Ladoga, huge swampy areas to the south, marshy valleys with granite boulders on the Karelian Isthmus, canyons and waterfalls, plains and hills to the south of Neva. By any military measure, the region was not conducive to mobile military operations much less ideal “tank country,” yet it nevertheless served as the backdrop for the first actions of the Tiger I heavy tank — an ill-suited baptism of fire its designers, the architects of the Blitzkrieg and troops picked to employ it would just as soon prefer to forget.
Forces of Valor’s German Initial Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – “100”, schwere Panzerabteilung 502, Leningrad, Russia, February 1943
Schwere Panzerabteilung 502 took the Tiger I into combat for the first time south of Lake Ladoga near Leningrad on September 16th, 1942. On September 22nd, after crossing a causeway, one Tiger became bogged down in the mud, thereby living up to its iconic unit heraldry of an elephant blindly on the march. After several unsuccessful attempts to recover it, the vehicle had to be abandoned, fierce enemy fire deterring the crew from reaching the vehicle. To prevent its capture, a decision was eventually made to destroy the vehicle, which was carried out on September 25th. All in all, a rather ignominious start for what was hoped to be a miracle weapon.
On that same day several new Tigers as well as Panzer IIIs arrived at the front, thereby bringing the unit up to its full armored complement. On January 14th, 1943, Soviet troops disabled and captured one of the battalion’s Tiger tanks near Leningrad during Operation Spark. A second vehicle was captured several days later. Both Tigers were quickly brought to the Kubinka experimental armor facility where they were thoroughly analyzed for strengths and weaknesses. Efforts were then made to develop and organize strategies to counter the tank.
A handful of additional Tiger Is were issued to the unit in February 1943, replacing several vehicles lost in combat. On April 1st, 1943, a second and third company were formed. Thirty one Tigers were shipped to the unit in mid to late May 1943, which brought the battalion up to full strength. In June 1943, due to a change in the organization of heavy tank battalions, the 1st company was completely outfitted with Tiger Is, rather than a mix of Tigers and Panzer IIIs.
The battalion participated in engagements on the Eastern Front during 1943 and 1944. The unit operated around Lake Ladoga from July to September 1943 and Newel, near Belarus during November and December 1943 covering the retreat of German forces from the Leningrad area. The 502nd held Narva, Estonia from February to April 1944. The 502nd fought in Pleskau in April and May 1944, then around Dunaburg, Latvia in July.
The battalion only received a few Tiger IIs. The last 13 Tiger IIs built were picked up directly at the factory by crews of the 3rd Company of the 510th and the 3rd company of the 502nd on March 31st, 1945.The 502nd received the lion’s share of the final batch produced – eight vehicles it then took into combat on April 1st, 1945. In hindsight, schwere Panzerabteilung 502 was both one of the first and, as it turns out, one of the very last heavy tank battalions formed during the second world war to take the Tigerwaffe into battle.
Forces of Valor’s German Initial Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – “100”, schwere Panzerabteilung 502, Leningrad, Russia, February 1943, is expected to rumble into battle this September, terrain and overwhelming numbers of enemy forces permitting.
DeAgostini’s 1:43 scale French Char 2C Alsace Multi-Turreted Super Heavy Tank – “Alsace”, 51e Bataillon de Chars de Combat, France, 1939
The concept of the battle tank was still evolving well after the lessons of World War I had been learned and put to bed. Many industrialized nations still weren’t sure what part the tank would play in a potential future conflict, some still believing it could do nothing more than accompany infantry at a sluggish pace into battle. As a result, all sorts of battle tanks and tankettes were produced during the inter-war period, some with merit, such as the German Panzer III and Czech CKD LT vz. 38 (later German 38(t)), while others were overblown carry overs from the Great War that had no place on the modern battlefield.
The Char 2C, also known as the FCM 2C, is a French heavy tank, later also seen as a super-heavy tank, developed during World War I but not deployed until after the war. It was, in physical dimensions, the largest operational tank ever made.
The origins of the Char 2C have always been shrouded in a certain mystery. In the summer of 1916, probably in July, General Leon Augustin Jean Marie Mourret, the Subsecretary of Artillery, verbally granted Forges et Chantiers de la Mediterranee (FCM), a shipyard in the south of France near Toulon, the contract for the development of a heavy tank, a char d’assaut de grand modele. At the time, French industry was very active in lobbying for defense orders, using their connections with high-placed officials and officers to obtain commissions; development contracts could be very profitable even when not resulting in actual production, as they were fully paid for by the state. The French Army had no stated requirement for a heavy tank, and there was no official policy to procure one, so the decision seems to have been taken solely on his personal authority. The reason he later gave was that the British tanks then in development by a naval committee seemed to be better devised as regarded lay-out, ventilation and fire protection, so a shipyard might improve on existing French designs. Exact specifications, if they ever existed, have been lost. FCM then largely neglected the project, apart from reaping the financial benefits. At that time all tank projects were highly secret, and thereby shielded from public scrutiny.
On September 15th, 1916, the British deployed tanks in battle for the first time in the form of the Mark I, and a veritable tank euphoria followed. When the public mood in Britain had been growing ever darker as the truth of the failure of the Somme Offensive could no longer be suppressed, tanks offered a new hope of final victory. The French people now became curious as to the state of their own national tank projects. French politicians, not having been over-involved in them and leaving the matter to the military, were no less inquisitive. This sudden attention greatly alarmed Mourret, who promptly investigated the progress that had been made at FCM and was shocked to find there was none. On September 30th, he personally took control of the project. On October 12th, knowing that the Renault company had some months earlier made several proposals to build a heavy tracked mortar which had been rejected, he begged Louis Renault to assist FCM in the development of a suitable heavy vehicle; this request Renault obliged. Even before knowing what the exact nature of the project would be, on October 20th Mourret ordered one prototype to be built by FCM.
This development coincided with a political demand by Minister of Armament Albert Thomas to produce a tank superior to the British types. On October 7th, he had requested Lloyd George to deliver some Mark Is to France but had received no answer. Correctly concluding that no such deliveries would materialize, on January 23rd, 1917, he ordered that French tanks should be developed that were faster, and more powerfully armed and armoured than any British vehicle. He specified a weight of forty tonnes, an immunity against light artillery rounds and a trench-crossing capacity of 3.5 meters.
Meanwhile, Renault had consulted his own team, led by Rodolphe Ernst-Metzmaier, which had been, since May 1916, in the process of designing the revolutionary Renault FT light tank. This work had not, however, stopped them from considering other tank types. Renault, always expecting his employees to provide new ideas instantly, had by this attitude encouraged the team to take a proactive stance – setting a pattern that would last until 1940 – and to have various kinds of contingency studies ready for the occasion, including a feasibility study for a heavy tank. This fortunate circumstance allowed a full-size wooden mock-up to be constructed in a remarkably quick time. It was visited by the Subsecretary of State of Inventions Jules-Louis Breton on January 13th, 1917, who was much impressed and developed a keen interest in the project. The design was presented to the Consultative Committee of the Assault Artillery on January 16th-17th, 1917, after the basic concept had been approved on December 30th. This proposed tank was the most advanced design of its time; it was received very favorably, also because of the enthusiastic report by Breton, and a consensus began to form that the project was most promising and a potential “war-winner”. It featured a 105 mm gun in a turret, had a proposed weight of 38 tons and 35 mm armor. The committee decided to have two prototypes developed, one with an electrical transmission, the other with a hydraulic transmission. In this period both the French and the British military had become aware of severe mobility and steering problems with heavy tracked vehicles; the French designs paralleled extensive British experiments with all kinds of improved tank transmissions to solve them.
While the Char 2C will eventually be released under the Armored Fighting Vehicles of World War II banner, it may be some time before it actually comes to fruition. As a result, we have decided to promote the DeAgostini version, which, apart from the lack of an acrylic display case, leaflet describing the vehicle and attractive outer packaging, is virtually identical to the upcoming AFV version. The DeAgostini replica is currently slated to arrive in very limited numbers in early June. Its massive when compared with a standard tank, and even some of the larger heavy tanks pale in size when compared to this ungainly land battleship. So, if you cannot wait for the AFV version, we strongly suggest you purchase the DeAgostini vehicle while it is still available.
AFV’s of WWII 1:43 scale British Valentine Mk. III Infantry Tank – “Harry I”, 8th Royal Tank Regiment, 7th Armoured Brigade, Libya, November 1941
The Tank, Infantry, Mk III, Valentine was an infantry tank produced in the United Kingdom during World War II. More than 8,000 of the type were produced in eleven marks, plus various specialized variants, accounting for approximately a quarter of wartime British tank production. The many variants included riveted and welded construction, petrol and diesel engines and a progressive increase in armament. It was supplied in large numbers to the USSR and built under license in Canada. It was used extensively by the British in the North African campaign. Developed by Vickers, it proved to be both strong and reliable.
There are several proposed explanations for the name Valentine. According to the most popular one, the design was presented to the War Office on St. Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 1940, although some sources say that the design was submitted on Valentine’s Day 1938 or February 10th, 1938. White notes that “incidentally” Valentine was the middle name of Sir John Carden, the man who was responsible for many tank designs including that of the Valentine’s predecessors, the A10 and A11. Another version says that Valentine is an acronym for Vickers-Armstrong’s Limited Elswick & (Newcastle-upon) Tyne. The “most prosaic” explanation according to David Fletcher is that it was just an in-house code word of Vickers with no other significance.
The Valentine was extensively used in the North African Campaign, earning a reputation as a reliable and well-protected vehicle. The first Valentines went into action in December 1941 with the 8th Royal Tank Regiment in Operation Crusader. The tank first served in Operation Crusader in the North African desert, when it began to replace the Matilda Tank. Due to a lack of cruisers, it was issued to armoured regiments in the UK from mid-1941. The Valentine was better armed and faster than the Cruiser Mk II. During the pursuit from El Alamein in late 1942, some tanks had driven more than 3,000 miles (4,800 km) by the time the Eighth Army reached Tunisia.
The Valentine shared the common weakness of the British tanks of the period in that its 2-pounder gun lacked high-explosive (anti-personnel) ammunition and soon became outdated as an anti-tank weapon. Introduction of the 6-pounder in British service was delayed until the loss of equipment in France had been made good, so the 2-pounder was retained longer.
DeAgostini’s 1:43 scale British Valentine Mk. III Infantry Tank – “Harry I,” 8th Royal Tank Regiment, Libya, 1941
The small size of the turret and of the turret ring meant that producing mountings for larger guns proved a difficult task. Although versions with the 6-pounder and then with the Ordnance QF 75mm gun were developed, by the time they were available in significant numbers, better tanks had reached the battlefield. Another weakness was the small crew compartment and the two-man turret. A larger turret, with a loader position added, was used in some of the 2-pounder versions but the position had to be removed again in variants with larger guns. Its relatively low height was an advantage in a battlefield with little cover, allowing it to take up a “good hull-down position in any convenient fold in the ground”.
Currently, we have in stock the DeAgostini version of the Valentine tank. The AFVs of WWII replica is expected to arrive in early June. The difference between the two is that the latter comes with an acrylic display case, leaflet describing the vehicle and more attractive packaging. Cosmetically they are identical.
By the end of the Second World War, the Royal Air Force saw little need to retain the large number of Bristol Beaufighter squadrons it currently had in service, so most units were simply disbanded, a couple were retained for home duties, with the remainder prepared for deployment to the Far East. One notable exception to this rule were RAF No.45 Squadron, who replaced their wartime Mosquitoes with the Beaufighter TF.X fighter bomber, before moving out to operate from a new base in Ceylon. In August 1948, the squadron moved to Kuala Lumpur in response to the Malayan Emergency, where it would take part in the combined Commonwealth actions to quell the guerrilla activities of the Communist backed Malayan National Liberation Army.
Using the legendary range and hard hitting attributes of this capable heavy fighter, the unit’s Beaufighters would loiter over the jungle, waiting to unleash a withering barrage of rocket and cannon fire on enemy positions, once given targeting instructions from Commonwealth troops patrolling in the vicinity. These ageing WWII warhorses were replaced by the new Bristol Brigand ground attack aircraft by the end of 1949, leaving the situation in Malaya to rumble on for a further ten years and with RAF support very much moving into the jet age during that time.
Corgi’s second ever Beaufighter is now in stock and ready for immediate shipment.
Hobby Master’s 1:32 scale USN Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat Fighter – “Paper Doll”, VF-27 “Kangaroos”, USS Princeton (CVL-23), October 1944
Established at NAS Norfolk,VA in April 1942 flying the Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat, VGF-27 became one of the most traveled Navy squadrons of the war. Following Operation Torch against French Morocco in November 1942, the squadron remained aboard the USS Suwannee as part of CVEG-27 through most of the next eight months. Upon re-designation as VF-27 in March 1943, the squadron operated their Wildcats ashore at Guadalcanal until July, except for a brief period at sea, again aboard the USS Suwannee, in June. Among the 12 victories credited during April through July, were the first for future standouts Cecil Harris, and Sam Silber.
After refitting with the Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat in the U.S. in early 1944, and intense training in Hawaii during March, and April 1944, VF-27 embarked aboard the USS Princeton CVL-23. This would prove to be one of the most spectacular Light Carrier cruises of the war. Under Lt. Cdr. Ernest Wood, the “Cat Mouthed” Hellcats flew warm-up missions against Saipan, and Tinian, on June 11th and 12th of 1944. Within a week the squadron participated in the “Great Marianas Turkey Shoot”, on June 19th. The Hellcats of VF-27 claimed 30 kills against Japanese aircraft attempting to strike Task Force 58. Squadron commander Lt. Cdr Wood was lost on this day however, his replacement was Lt. Cdr. Fred Bardshar. Future aces Bill Lamb, Dick Stambook, and Gordon Stanley splashed four enemy aircraft apiece during the operation. Lt. Cdr. Bardshar led VF-27 on a fighter sweep over Manila on Sept 21st, with VF-27 claiming 38 victories over IJN, and IJAAF aircraft. The days bag included 4.5 kills for Lt. John Rodgers, and 4 kills for Lt. Jim “Red” Shirley.
After strikes against Formosa in mid- October, the Princeton was back in the Leyte Gulf as part of Task Force 38.3 on October 24th. Near Pollilo Island in the eastern part of the gulf VF-27 wrecked havoc on the Japanese, destroying 36 enemy fighters that day. Four pilots emerged as “Aces in a Day” in this engagement. They were Lt’s Carl Brown, and Jim Shirley, plus Lt. (jg) Gene Townsend, and Ensign Tom Conroy.
However upon return to the fleet, “Sweet P”, the USS Princeton was found afire and sinking. At 9:38 that morning a lone Judy dive-bomber appeared suddenly out of thick clouds and dropped a single bomb on the Princeton’s flight deck. The bomb exploded amidst fueled and armed Grumman TBF Avengers on the hanger deck. The ship was rocked by multiple explosions, seven hours later gutted by fire the Princeton was scuttled by American torpedoes. VF-27’s 5 month war cruise was over. Of the 136 victories credited during the deployment, a staggering 104 occurred on three days. A record unbeaten by any other CVL fighter squadron during the war. Lcdr. Bardshar reformed the squadron in time to return to the Western Pacific aboard the carrier USS Independance. One more victory was scored before the war ended. VF-27 officially disbanded Nov 26th, 1945.
Like its counterpart “Minisi II”, Paper Doll is now available for immediate shipment.
Hobby Master’s 1:32 scale USN Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat Fighter – CDR. David McCampbell, “Minsi II,” Commander Air Group 15, USS Essex (CV-9), 1944
Captain David McCampbell (January 16th, 1910 – June 30th, 1996) was an American aviator, who became the US Navy’s all-time leading ace with 34 aerial victories during World War II.
Following service aboard a cruiser, 1935-37, McCampbell applied for flight training and was accepted. He received his “wings of gold” in 1938 and was assigned to Fighting Squadron Four on the East Coast. Subsequently he became a landing signal officer and survived the sinking of USS Wasp (CV-7) off Guadalcanal in September 1942.
From September 1943 to September 1944, McCampbell was commander of Air Group 15, in charge of fighters, bombers, and torpedo bombers aboard the aircraft carrier USS Essex. From April to November 1944, his group saw six months of continuous combat and participated in two major air-sea battles, the First and Second Battles of the Philippine Sea. During the more than 20,000 hours of air combat operations before it returned to the United States for a rest period, Air Group 15 destroyed more enemy planes (315 airborne and 348 on the ground) and sank more enemy shipping than any other Air Group in the Pacific War. Air Group 15’s attacks on the Japanese in the Marianas and at Iwo Jima, Taiwan, and Okinawa were key to the success of the ‘island hopping’ campaign.
In addition to his duties as commander of the ‘Fabled Fifteen,’ then Commander McCampbell became the Navy’s ‘Ace of Aces’ during the missions he flew in 1944. In October 1944, he and his wing man attacked a Japanese force of 60 aircraft. During the mission, Captain McCampbell shot down nine enemy planes, setting a single mission aerial combat record. When he landed his Grumman F6F Hellcat, his six machine guns had two rounds remaining and the plane had only enough fuel to keep it aloft for 10 more minutes. Captain McCampbell received the Medal of Honor for that action, becoming the only fast carrier task force pilot to do so. During a similarly courageous mission in June 1944, Air Group 15’s planes routed a large enemy force and McCampbell earned seven kills.
For his brilliant record in command of Air Group 15, McCampbell was awarded the Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, the Silver Star Medal, Legion of Merit with Combat ‘V’, the Distinguished Flying Cross with two Gold Stars in lieu of the second and third awards, and the Air Medal.
McCampbell’s legendary F6F Hellcat, produced in a mega sized 1:32 scale, is now in stock and ready for immediate shipment.
The Bristol Beaufort (manufacturer designation Type 152) is a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber. At least 1,180 Beauforts were built by Bristol and other British manufacturers.
Beauforts first saw service with Royal Air Force Coastal Command and then the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm from 1940. They were used as torpedo bombers, conventional bombers and mine-layers until 1942, when they were removed from active service and were then used as trainer aircraft until being declared obsolete in 1945. Beauforts also saw considerable action in the Mediterranean; Beaufort squadrons based in Egypt and on Malta helped interdict Axis shipping supplying Rommel’s Afrika Korps in North Africa.
As an Island nation, the protection of Britain’s sea lanes during the Second World War was a crucial battle which had to be won. Throughout the first few months of conflict, the German capital ship Gneisenau and her sister vessel Scharnhorst were posing a serious raiding threat and on receiving news that the ships had entered Brest harbor to undergo repairs in late March 1941, the RAF immediately planned raids intended to destroy, or at least damage the ships. On Sunday April 6th, 1941, Bristol Beaufort Mk.I N1016 (OA-X) took off from RAF St. Eval in Cornwall and headed for a rallying point off the coast of France, close to the entrance to the harbor. Even though the weather was poor, they were surprised to find that they were the only aircraft to make it and with radio silence crucial to the success of the mission, the crew faced the decision whether to press on with their attack alone, or return to base. Although the odds were seriously stacked against them, they turned towards the heavily defended harbor and began their attack run, descending to almost wave top height. Pilot Flying Officer Kenneth Campbell, expertly lined up his Beaufort for the optimum attack angle, passing so close to enemy shore batteries that they could hardly fail to hit their target, but only releasing the single torpedo when he was sure it would strike the warship.
Almost hitting the mast of the ship as the aircraft pulled away in a violent, banking turn, the Beaufort exposed its under surfaces to the anti-aircraft gunners, who raked it with everything they had. Having sustained heavy damage during its attack run against Gneisenau, Bristol Beaufort N1016 crashed into the harbor almost immediately, tragically claiming the lives of all souls on board. Unbeknown to them, their attack had successful and the torpedo had blown a huge hole under the waterline of Gneisenau, causing it to return to the dry dock from where it had only just emerged, in need of further repairs. It would be out of commission for almost six months following the attack and it is impossible to gauge how many lives were saved and how much vital cargo reached its destination as a result of the heroic actions of this single Beaufort crew. Launching their attack alone, the selfless actions of Flying Officer Kenneth Campbell and his crew would have probably gone unheralded had it not been for the intervention of the French resistance. Sending a report on the condition of the German battleship back to British authorities, they also described the actions of this brave Beaufort crew and how they had paid the ultimate price whilst heroically performing their duty. For displaying valor in the face of extreme peril and without regard for his own safety, Flying Officer Kenneth Campbell was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest award for valor in the presence of the enemy, an honor he would surely have gladly shared with the rest of his crew.
Corgi’s first Bristol Beaufort is currently en route to us and will be available for immediate dispatch by the middle of April.
The Russo-Ukrainian War is an ongoing and protracted conflict that started in February 2014, primarily involving Russia and pro-Russian forces on one hand, and Ukraine on the other. The war has centered on the status of Crimea and parts of the Donbas, which are largely internationally recognized as part of Ukraine.
Following the Euromaidan protests and the subsequent removal of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on February 22nd and amidst pro-Russianunrest in Ukraine, Russian soldiers without insignias took control of strategic positions and infrastructure within the Ukrainian territory of Crimea. On March 1st, 2014, the Federation Council of the Russian Federation unanimously adopted a resolution to petition Russian President Vladimir Putin to use military force in Ukraine. The resolution was adopted several days later, after the start of the Russian military operation on the “Returning of Crimea”. Russia then annexed Crimea after a widely criticized local referendum which was organized by Russia after the capturing of the Crimean parliament whose outcome was for the Autonomous Repulbic of Crimea to join the Russian Federation. In April, demonstrations by pro-Russian groups in the Donbas area of Ukraine escalated into a war between the Ukrainian government and the Russian-backed separatist forces of the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republic. In August, Russian military vehicles crossed the border in several locations of Donetsk Oblast. The incursion by the Russian military was seen as responsible for the defeat of Ukrainian forces in early September.
In November 2014, the Ukrainian military reported intensive movement of troops and equipments from Russia into the separatist-controlled parts of the eastern Ukraine. The Associated Press reported 40 unmarked military vehicles on the move in rebel-controlled areas. The Organziation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission observed convoys of heavy weapons and tanks in DPR-controlled territory without insignia. OSCE monitors further stated they observed vehicles transporting ammunition and soldiers’ dead bodies crossing the Russian-Ukrainian border under the guise of humanitarian aid convoys. As of early August 2015, OSCE observed over 21 such vehicles marked with the Russian military code for soldiers killed in action. According to The Moscow Times, Russia has tried to intimidate and silence human rights workers discussing Russian soldiers’ deaths in the conflict. OSCE has time and again reported that its observers were denied access to the areas controlled by “combined Russian-separatist forces”.
The majority of members of the international community and organizations such as Amnesty International have condemned Russia for its actions in post-revolutionary Ukraine, accusing it of breaking international law and violating Ukrainian sovereignty. Many countries implemented economic sanctions against Russia, Russian individuals or companies.
In October 2015, The Washington Post reported that Russia has redeployed some of its elite units from Ukraine to Syria to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In December 2015, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin admitted that Russian military intelligence officers were operating in Ukraine, insisting though that they were not the same as regular troops. As of February 2019, 7% of Ukraine’s territory is classified by the Ukrainian government as temporarily occupied territories.
As of February 6th, 2022, Russia has surrounded Ukraine militarily, and its force presence and posture continue to raise concerns that Russia will invade its neighbor and ignite a new conflict in Europe.
Russia now has over 130,000 troops, as well as a significant amount of weaponry and other hardware, in positions around Ukraine. Though Russia has denied having plans to attack, many in the West remain skeptical. Russia has troops in Belarus, western Russia, and Crimea.
US intelligence previously suggested Russia had plans to launch a military offensive against Ukraine in “early 2022” with a force of 175,000. Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week that Russia had enough troops and equipment in place now to launch an attack with “little warning.”
Ukraine is bracing for a Russian invasion as regular civilians train for war, and NATO is hardening its positions in Eastern Europe to deter Russia from pushing past Ukraine, should it decide to attack.
JC Wings’ recently released Ukrainian Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29MU1 ‘Fulcrum-C’ Fighter clad in a digitized winter camouflage scheme is now in stock and available for immediate shipment.
