Prinz Friedrich-Karl von Preussen

Roden recently released a 1/72 model of the Albatross D1 flown by Prinz Friedrich-Karl von Preussen. A really nice and easy kit, yet to add a pilot to this one also, I also need to add a cross to the tail plane, stuff up the decals for this, I may just paint a white box and add the cross later.

The prinz actually commanded a artillery battery but flew this kite for observation, for Flieger-abteilung A 258. He was shot down and taken prisoner on the 21st March 1917, by lt Pickthorne from the 32nd sqn RFC, the prinz later died from his head wounds he revived in the crash.

Cheers

Matt

Jasta 2 Lt D R Wilhelm Prien 1917

first German aircraft off the table for some time, this is the partner to the SE5a I built in the twin pack from italeri, a easy build, I chose to do lt DR Wilhelm Prien aircraft for Jasta 2 in June 1917. Prien
also flew with Jasta 10.

Se 5a 25th Areo Sqaudron 1918

Italeri have released a range of 1/72nd models in twin packs, great value for money, I selected to do the Se 5a of Lt Joseph E Boudain whilst flying for the 25th areo sqn, the first plane for my Americans, the sqn did not see a lot of action as its Se5a 'S were retrofitted with different motors that proved problematic. The unit saw action only twice before the armistice.

Bertholds Jagdstaffel 18

First miniatures off the desk this year are these three completed 1/72nd aircraft, most were base coated but not completed. They consist of two Roden Pfalz DIIIa and a Revell albatross DIII all with wartime miniatures pilots. Theses aircraft represent the Jagdstaffel under the command of Rudolf Berthold who commanded from August to October 1917. There are two more aircraft to be completed before I move onto Rabens Ravens.

Rudolf Berthold

Lt. Buttlar

Lt Paul Strahle

Cheers
Matt

Wartime WW1 1/72nd Pilots

Wartime Miniatures have released their long awaited 1/72nd scale pilots for WW1, these will fit into most if not all model aircraft on the market. Four different pilot options with mixed clothing combinations will give enough variation for any Jasta leader out there. I have purchased 20 till fit my current needs. I also noted that two of them would also be suitable for ww2 pilot figures too.

Cheers

Matt

June Club Meeting

Another great day for the bys with three games running, two Rapid Fire and one ww1 game, and the normal bring and buy stall to tempt looney collectors of lead like myself............ I will post all of the WW1 here and  the other Rapid Fire games I will post on my ww2 blog.


Pics from Johns WW1 game
The British end of the table towards the turk positions

Entrenched Turkish positions

Jonny Turk (Woodbine design and Copplestone)

Turk MG

French

British Arty and MMGs they done all of the damage!

The game underway

Bloody April

The month of April 1917 was known as Bloody April by the Royal Flying Corps. The RFC suffered particularly severe losses — about three times as many as the Imperial German Army Air Service  during the spring offensive in support of the ground assaults. 

This year at the club we decided to get out some of the 1/72nd planes I have been building and have a game using a set of rules I threw together for conventions, a sort of a play test before I run them out to the public in June.

We played 5 games in four hours (with two coffee and one lunch brake in between) we tuned up the game mechanics a little as we played, the game was on a six by five table with four players and was normally over in 15 minutes although one did last less than three minutes. The game basically has a card activation deck for initiative with three coloured cards each (hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs) and three jokers which allowed someone to step out of  initiative, 3 lengths of movement, stall, average and top speed, and five maneuver turns, sharp, drift, half, full and a  Immelmann loop. Interrupt fire was permitted at close range if someone flew past in their turn, and A D10 damage chart, with another D6 dice roll for engine and rigging. 

We had a good day out, the Germans however had the worse of it and this April ended up very bloody for them!  I was happy how the rules played, the key to convention rules is simplicity and speed so you can churn players through the game. A big thanks to Ryan, Boyd, Ian and Greg for helping me fine tune the game mechanics and to Greg for the pics!

cheers
Matt

Leutnant Hans Kirschstein Jasta 6

off the production line this week
Leutnant Hans Kirschstein in his dazzle camo, a lovely Roden DR1 in 1/72nd scale. Hand painted stripes as I couldn't find my masking tape!

cheers

matt

Jasta 6 WIP

So I have decided to get my final build in for the year by adding another Jasta to my growing 1/72nd scale WW1 collection. I have decided to do Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 6 (who flew with Richthofen jasta 11 in Jagdgeschwader 1). The squadron would remain part of the Flying Circus for the rest of the war. In June, July, and August of 1917, the Jasta lost a commanding officer per month to enemy action.  They had been credited with 196 confirmed aerial victories, at the cost of ten pilots KIA, 9 WIA, two killed in flying accidents, four Injured in flying accidents, and two pilots taken POW.

 Commanding Officers

Josef Wulff: 28 August 1916 - 1 May 1917

Leutnant Fritz Otto Bernert: 1 May 1917 - 9 June 1917

Oberleutnant Eduard Ritter von Dostler: 24 June 1917 - KIA 21 August 1917

Leutnant de Reserves Hans Ritter von Adam: 22 August 1917 - KIA 15 November 1917

Oberleutnant Wilhelm Reinhard: 16 November 1917 - 22 April 1918

Leutnant de Reserves Johannes Janzen: 28 April 1918 - POW 9 June 1918

Leutnant de Reserves Hans Kirschstein: 10 June 1918 - KIFA 16 July 1918

Leutnant de Reserves Paul Wenzel (Acting): 19 July 1918 - WIA 11 August 1918

Leutnant de Reserves Richard Wenzl (Acting): 11 August 1918 - 1 September 1918

Leutnant de Reserves Ulrich Neckel: 1 September - 11 November 1918

I will build one Fokker DR1, one DVII and one DVIII for the jasta at this stage, I will be following the images below as a guide!

Leutnant Hans Kirschstein

Leutnant Richard Wenzl

Leutnant Fritz Schliewen

cheers

matt

Jasta 27

Jasta 27

Jasta 27 was formed on 5 February 1917 at Ghent and mobilized a week later on 12 February. It was made part of Jagdgeschwader 3 along with Jasta 2, Jasta 26 and Jasta 36. 

The following officers had command of Jasta 27:

12 February 1917 - 15 February 1917 Lieutenant Hans von Keudell
22 February 1917 - 17 May 1917 Lieutenant Erich Wieland
17 May 1917 - 28 July 1918 Lieutenant Hermann Göring
29 July 1918 - 11 November 1918 Hermann Frommherz

another Albatross DV and a Yellow tailed DR1 will join Goring to fill out the 27th jasta!

Herman Gorings Albatross DV


Bruno Loerzer

Ltn. Rudolf Klimke

Allied aircraft

WOW Allied Aircraft

My first aircraft of the Allied airforce for 1/72nd Wings of War, these were put together by my good mate Chris who was up for the challenge of the Airfix RE8, and the Roden Se5 was a much kinder kit to build apparently. Both kits were painted with my trusty Aztek, then ink washed, then a combination of airbrush and brush highlighting and weathering, I don't know why but all allied transfers seem oversize so I have ordered some replacements for both of these aircraft, and I have some pilots (currently being sculpted, which I will put into production) on the way to fill the empty seats soon!

The trusty Aifix RE8, I ahve a second airfix kit that will be in Belgian colours

The Roden Se5, two more of these to build and paint!

cheers

Jasta 2 1917 WOW

A great many discussions have been had at the club over the last few years of moving to 1/72nd scale WW1 air combat. Mark had a head start and has been building fleets of aircraft for the last ten years mostly to play canvas eagles. Two years ago a few of the chaps started to get excited by Wings Of War and played a few club games using the rules and the aircraft available, a number of great games were had with lots of "dakka dakka" and sound effects provided by a snoopy toy plane!

Last Novemeber we all played WOW in 1/72nd scale for the first time, Mark had designed all of the decks and most of us decided to get a few kits and build some early war and late war planes, last month three of us at the club played WOW early war (see Gregs Post here).

I have decided to concentrate on late war so this is my first Jasta of my planned three Jasta's, each jasta will have around five aircraft. These two still need some wire work, and to be gloss then flat matt clear finish done. I have selected two historical colour schemes so far from Jasta 2, the other two or three will be made up I think.

Albatross DIII flown by Ltn Hermann Frommherz 1917 , I am the most happy with this Kite, all hand painted including the stripes.

Albatross DIII flown by Werner Voss, again hand painted, the cross in oakleaves should be a swastika, I will fix this before the gloss coat.

yet to do Paul Baumers Pfalz DIII

Cheers

Matt