Syrian MIG -17

  Another Syrian aircraft off the desk. The MIG 17 is marked with pre 1962 Roundels, painted with AK interactive Real Colour aluminum and gun metal. 

Cheers

Matt

 

Katanga Airforce Fouga Cm-170 Magister

The Fouga Cm-170 Magister is a first generation two seater jet trainer. Its distinctive V-shaped tail makes it easily recognisable to most aviation lovers. While primarily operated as a trainer aircraft, the Magister was also  used in combat as a close air support platform by 22 air forces. It saw action during the Six-Day War, the Salvadoran Civil War, the Western Sahara War, and the Congo Crisis. The Magister was also chosen by many aerobatics display teams, including the Patrouille de France, the Belgian Red Devils, Brazils Smoke Squadron, Austrian Silver Birds, the Luftwaffe flying school FlugzeugFuhrerSchule and the Irish Silver Swallows. The Fouga Magister was nicknamed "the whistling turtle" by the Belgian Air Force and the “whistling Rooster” by the Finns due to the motor whistling while in idle. 

The aircraft could be equipped with two 7.5 mm or 7.62 mm nose machine guns and had two hard points for bombs or missiles. 

The Fouga Magister in AVIKAT service 

In 1960, after the independence of Congo, the province of Katanga separated and became an independent republic. The President of Katanga, Moïse Tshombé, ordered 9 planes from Potez Air Fouga. Only three aircraft were delivered to Katanga at Luano (Elisabethville airfield). 

On February 15, 1961, the arrival of the three Katangese Fouga was announced by the "Daily Mail" of February 6, 61. 

The six Fouga Cm-170 Magisters that were still to be delivered to the Katangese government were in Pointe Noire (Congo Brazaville) in October 1961. But following the UN embargo, the ship brought them back to Antwerp where they were taken care of by customs. These were later sold to the Irish Airforce. 

AVIKAT Markings 

Katangan Fouga KAT 91. 

It crashed on June 23, 1961, during a maneuver over the old Eville runway. 
Very few photographic documents exist of it.

 

Katangan Fouga KAT 93

Its engine was being repaired when the UN launched Operation "Rhum Punch" on August 28, 1961, which aimed to expel foreign personnel from the Gendarmerie and the Avikat. KAT 93 flew a few missions but was seized by the UN at the end of August 1961. 

The most common depicted AVIKAT Fouga

KAT 93 in front of the Luano control tower.

KAT 93 on the tarmac at Luano. 

President Moïse Tshombe sits in the passenger seat

  

  

Standing next to KAT 93 the Swedish Air Force Colonel Sven Lampell, head of ONUC air operations and head of the UN fighter wing which included the "F22" Saab J-29 squadron, the Iranian Sabre jet squadron and the Ethiopian Sabre jet squadron. 

Katangan Fouga KAT 92

Markings for AVIKAT aircraft 

Without a doubt, the most infamous of the Katangan Fouga Magisters, KAT 92 seen the most service and caused the most controversy. Kat 92 operated from September 14 to 19, 1961, against UN forces. Damaged by ground fire on the 18th but grounded while peace talks commenced and then came into effect on the 20th. 

On the 3rd December 1961 it was damaged during an air attack, Indian UN Canberra bombers permanently grounded it at Kolwezi. Damaged, it was evacuated by rail on December 5, 1961, to Kisenge where it awaited replacement parts.

Thanks to this single training aircraft, based in Kolwezi, the Katangese "hunt" caused panic among the United Nations. The KAT 92 carried out rapid overflights of UN positions, dropping a few 50kg improvised bombs here and there. These interventions boosted the morale of the Katangese Gendarmerie and mercenary troops and sowed consternation among the ranks of the ONUC troops. The Fouga were an excellent means of psychological warfare against the ONUC soldiers and forced them to deploy air support. This Fouga also played a vital role in the attack on UN Kamina Airbase on the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th of September destroying one DC4 on the ground and killing two UN pilots. Then the strafing and bombing of the Irish at Jadotville between the 13th and 17th. During at ground attack on the Kamina Airbase on the 18th it received damage. 

José Magain “the lone Prowler”

The pilot of the Fouga 92 was the Belgian José Magain who had flown with the Belgian Air Force. Joseph Delin the commander of Kolwezi airbase accompanied him as co-pilot on several missions including the staffing of Jadotville But when the journalists and photographers showed up in Kolwezi, José Magain disappeared… because no one could know that he had piloted the Fouga Magister. In reality he should no longer have been in Katanga and should have returned to Belgium on August 28, 1961, just like the other members of Avikat expelled by the UN (Operation “Rumpunch 27th August - October 1961”).
 

Armament for KAT 92, originally armed with 7.50 mm guns and ammunition, it was re-chambered for 7.62 caliber as ammunition was readily available. for bombing ground attack missions required manufacture of 50 kg bombs from mortar rounds and a primitive dropping and aiming system organized with the means at hand. The Fouga KAT 92 flew about 50 missions, claiming a UN DC-6, a DC-4, a DC-3, a dozen trucks, strafing the positions Jadotville, and a UN radio installations was destroyed at Kamina. The end of each of these missions was punctuated by a message to the control tower manned by the UN: "See you soon, gentlemen; I will be happy to come and see you again!" 

“The Ghost Sqaudron” a dummy aircraft on Kolwezi runway

 Hammarksjöld “affair”

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The event that has attracted the most attention regarding KAT 92 is the crash of Dag Hammarksjöld's DC-6 on September 17, 1961. Dag Hammarksjöld was the Secretary-General of the United Nations and was dispatched to the Congo to try to resolve the crisis. 
On the evening of September 17, his plane took off from Leopoldville for N'Dola. He was going there with the aim of meeting Moïse Tshombé...… The DC-6, "Albertina", never landed in N'Dola and crashed around midnight on a hill near N'Dola. Initially, the Fouga Magister KAT 92 was accused of having shot down the plane of the Secretary General of the United Nations, later it is thought a De Havilland Dove that did have night flying ability dropped mortar bombs onto the aircraft. 

DC-6 “Albertina” registered SE-BDY which transported UN Secretary General Dag Hammarksjöld on September 17, 1961.

The international commission of inquiry sent to the scene by the UN to analyze the causes of the crash concluded that the reasons were certainly accidental. This same international commission from Rhodesia went to Kolwezi on October 20, 1961 to monitor the activity of the Fouga KAT 92 on the day of Mr. Hammarksjöld's death. On site, Major DELIN proved to them that the aircraft's autonomy was insufficient to reach N'Dola and, what's more, the Kolwezi airfield was not equipped for night flights. This exonerated (officially), at the same time, the Belgian pilot of the Fouga, Joseph Delin... (unofficially) we have since known that it was José MAGAIN who was the jet's assigned pilot! 

Cheers

Matt

Congo Militia

 

 Congo Militia 

Completed a few Congo plastic militia from Caesar Miniatures. A simple paint job, base colors, wash and one highlight. Quite happy with them, I plan on adding some more metal ones so I can have a decent sized battalion of militia for Force on Force.

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday - Hot Food Van

 

 Hot Food Van

A Citroen Hot Wheels car was picked up a few weeks ago whilst shopping, I opted to paint it in split colours. I do intend adding a table and garbage bin on the grassed area as soon as I find them in my model railway bits box, it will join my Cold War collection. Now I need a name for it! My wife suggested to call it Matts chew and spew….. as she detests take away….

Happy with the results 

Cheers

Matt

 

Israeli Dassault Super Mystère

A very old Airfix Dassault Super Mystere B2 kit, a very clean build but the decals were not in great shape so aftermarket were added. It will serve in my Arab Isreali games nicely. Really happy with this one as part of my May Day aircraft builds. 

Cheers

Matt

Luftwaffe F4 Phantom

 

 Luftwaffe F 4 phantom 

This aircraft has been almost complete pile for 10 years at least, the interior and base coat was painted, but no detailing done, panel lines, weathering  decals or pilot.

 Last month I unpacked boxes of kits from storage to complete some for the 30 day kit build. In these boxes were a number of aircraft in various stages of completion, mostly built but no paint, or pilots. So my goal this month is to finish off as many as I can before moving onto armour! 

Now I also have 3d files for pilots, so I have started printing loads of ww2, helicopter and jet pilots and looking for or purchasing decals to complete a number of builds that had stalled along with matching canopies (which is ok for some but difficult for others….). So expect a lot of aircraft over the coming month as I paint pilots, airbrush built kits and add decals. 

Really happy with my results although I think I would like to build it again and be more careful within my fit and finish. Overall really good to have it completed. 

Cheers

Matt

KGB border guards

  In between completing some decals on aircraft last week I completed some Esci warpac figures. I intend using them as KGB border police I think as they do look different in the Parker style uniform to my other Warpac figures. 

Cheers

Matt

Soviet NBC road checkpoint

 A bit slow this week, after a month of assembly of plastic kits. This weekend I pulled out some Soviet NBC chaps from the moderns project draw.  The figure with rifles are from a old Esci box of Warsaw pact figures, the figure with the note board is from Airfix I think 

Cheers

Matt

Battle of Serabaeum October 1973

 

Battle of Serabaeum October 1973 

 Pedro and I played a simple Rapid Fire Able Archer.game based on the Israeli attacks west of the Suez in 1973 around the village of Serabaeum. We are play testing the new Able Archer rules before their release later in the year. We are planning English, French and German language release, then Finnish, Spanish and Chinese (as these languages cover all of our French Wargame Holiday guests) 

Village is considered as hard cover, observation to fire required, auto observation at 6 inches, armour must morale test to enter village, artillery observation by Observation team and infantry commanders only. Isreali infantry and centurions elite.

Israeli Order of Battle 

243rd Paratrooper Brigade

After taking the village the Orders hold village of Serabaeum for 10 turns against Egyptian counter attack. Support infantry and armour arrives on a D10 turn.

1st parachute battalion (in village) 

HQ 

OC + 5 radio, light mortar team, anti tank team vehicle 

1st company 

8 figs, lmg, grenade launcher 

2nd parachute battalion arrive Radom D10 turn 

HQ 

OC + 5 radio, light mortar team, anti tank team 

1st company 

8 figs, lmg, grenade launcher 

2nd company 

8 figs, lmg, grenade launcher 

Tank Company 

2 x Sho ‘t Meteor Centurions L7 105mm, class 3 gun, class C armour, medium 

Egyptian order of Battle 

Egyptian orders are to recapture the village and prevent the Israelis from taking the high ground to the west of the village. 

73rd Sa’iqa Parachute Regiment  

1st Battalion 

HQ 

OC, radio, sniper, observer element + 2 vehicle 

1st Coy 

RPG, MMG, rifle grenade + 5 + vehicle 

2 Coy 

RPG, MMG, rifle grenade + 5 + vehicle 

3rd Coy 

RPG, MMG, rifle grenade + 5

Support coy 

HMG, 81mm mortar, sagger AT vehicle 

2nd Battalion (arrive on D6 turn)

HQ 

OC, radio, sniper, observer element + 2 vehicle 

1st Coy 

RPG, MMG, rifle grenade + 5 + vehicle 

2 Coy 

RPG, MMG, rifle grenade + 5 + vehicle 

3rd Coy 

RPG, MMG, rifle grenade + 5

Support coy 

HMG, 81mm mortar, sagger AT vehicle 

Armour Battalion (arrive D6 turn) 

Morale tests per company for armour 120mm class 2 gun, D class armour, slow

HQ 

1 x JS3

1 x zSU 57-2

1st company 

3 x  JS3 

Rocket battery 

BM13 Katyusha rocket 132mm 10 points table 4, unguided rocket templates 4 rounds, after observation, use rocket template.

The village of Serabaeum

Egyptians arrive, the HQ Armoured coy arrived with the first battalion 

The first IS 3 falls victim to antitank fire

The Egyptians assault 

Isreali reinforcement arrives turn 5, immediately the first centurion is knocked out by long range fire from the IS-3

Israeli reinforcements arrive in the village turn 6

Second of Egyptians battalion arrives 

A draw,

Israelis lost one company of Para, and both centurions, but held two buildings at the end of turn 10

 Egyptians held the one building of the edge of the village, and contested another, lost one JS3 however one battalion lost a commander and was down to below 50% but managed to pass its morale check. 

Next game more armour and add reconnaissance by air, then air support. 

Cheers

Matt

VW beetle

 

 VW beetle 

I am always on the lookout for civilian bits that will fit my Cold War scenes, I was excited to come across a hot wheels collection of VW cars which in due course will hit the painting desk. This one my my wife’s mothers car in the 80s. Very snazzy at the time in two tone orange and white. 

Cheers

Matt

Bundesgrenzschutz VW cars

 

 Bundesgrenzschutz Cars 

More VW vehicles for the Bundesgrenzschutz, again a mix of matchbox and hot wheels. Quite happy with them. 

Cheers

Matt