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Red Wrath - North American B-25D Mitchell The four squadrons making up the 345th BG 'Air Apaches' arrived in Port Moresby, New Guinea during the summer of 1943, routing from Australia, with crews intent on continuing the work started by the 38th BG 'Sunsetters' in using B-25 Mitchells as low flying, heavy hitting strafing gunships. Fitted with an additional eight forward firing .50 calibre machine guns, the aircraft of the 498th BS 'The Falcons' would become some of the most flamboyantly presented aircraft of the Pacific War, with the glazed section of their noses overpainted in a green, yellow and red representation of a falcon's head. With all those .50 cals firing in unison, must have made for a fearsome sight, particularly if you were unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of their attentions. This distinctive aircraft named 'Red Wrath', was one of the hard-working strafing Mitchells of the 498th BS and made a name for itself whilst leading a raid against Japanese forces on the Island of Rabul in October 1943, one of the first such operations. Piloted by Lt. Col. Clinton L True, 'Red Wrath' flew at the head of a force of 36 Mitchells leaving their base at Dobodura Airfield, with 200 miles of open ocean between them and their target. Bad weather forced the mission to be aborted, however, the leader of the B-25 Mitchell force apparently didn't receive the order and the Mitchells pressed on alone. True had a reputation for being a particularly aggressive pilot and wore his 'Fearless' nickname with pride, and whilst it was claimed he simply chose to ignore the order, that was never definitively proven. Pressing their attack home with ferocity, once the Mitchells were over the target, they pounded the Japanese airfield complex, claiming at least 22 enemy aircraft destroyed in the air and countless others put out of action on the ground. Only 2 B-25s failed to make the return flight home to Dobodura Airfield.

Note any reference to MSRP MAP above in description are to be ignored. They represent USA $ pricing and are not valid for Canadian prices.

Junkers JU-88C-6 - R4+HH - Gerhard Bohme - Catania, Sicily 1942 Features Include:• Detailed crew figures• Rotating Propeller• Moving Reat/Ventral Gun(s)• Optional Landing Gear• Optional Armaments• Wingspan 10.9" • Flight stand Undoubtedly one of the most effective aircraft types operated by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War, the Junkers Ju 88 was developed as a speedy 'Schnell Bomber', but it was flexible enough to become arguably the most useful German aircraft of the entire war. In its C-6 variant configuration, the Junkers had been optimised for the heavy fighter role, easily making the transition to supporting the Luftwaffe's nightfighter force. Initially, single-engined fighters were used to defend German territory at night, however, due to the limitations of the German night defence network, they had neither the range nor firepower to pose a serious threat to British night intruders. The Junkers Ju 88, however, was a very different proposition, with its size, speed and firepower making this the consummate nocturnal hunter and many a Bomber Command aircraft would fall prey to their guns. The Luftwaffe airfield at Catania on Sicily was the principle airfield in the region and was used as the staging point for many Axis airborne operations across the Mediterranean and into North Africa. The airfield was also home to the nightfighting Junkers Ju 88 heavy fighters of I./NJG2, even though their fighters were regularly deployed across the entire Mediterranean Theatre. This aircraft was recalled to Catania during the Summer of 1942, presumably to provide night defence support for the proposed Axis invasion of Malta, as increased Allied night air incursions were expected.

Note any reference to MSRP MAP above in description are to be ignored. They represent USA $ pricing and are not valid for Canadian prices.

Junkers Ju-52/3M Air Ambulance - Stalingrad EvacuationOrdered to stay and hold their positions by Hitler, the encircled German 6th Army at Stalingrad were informed that the Luftwaffe were about to establish an Air Bridge to keep them supplied with the food, ammunition and general supplies needed to allow around 300,000 German troops to keep fighting. In the depth of a Soviet winter and woefully unprepared for such an undertaking, Luftwaffe crews quickly learned that if Soviet aircraft didn’t shoot them down during the flight in, they were just as likely to be destroyed on the ground, striking one of the many snow covered shell craters that littered Pitomnik airfield, or being hit by mortar or artillery fire from Soviet forces who were fighting their way ever closer.If they did land safely, inexperienced ground crews lengthened the time aircraft stayed in this ‘hell hole’ and when they did eventually leave, their aircraft would be laden with injured troops, desperate to escape the Stalingrad cauldron. With Luftwaffe supply efforts never coming anywhere close to delivering even the minimum quantities required by the beleaguered German troops in the Stalingrad region, Pitomnik airfield soon resembled something of an airfield graveyard, with burnt out and destroyed transport aircraft lining the edge of the runway, serving as something of a macabre aviation guard of honour for the aircrews which were still engaged in this increasingly desperate supply operation.

Note any reference to MSRP MAP above in description are to be ignored. They represent USA $ pricing and are not valid for Canadian prices.