Short post, mostly for reference for those who might be interested. Here are the Check Your 6! ratings for the various aircraft used in the 100 Hour War.
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| Yugoslavian pilots with the first production IKZ, Summer 1940 |
The what? The Yugoslavian Rogožarski IKZ fighter, also known at times as the IK-3 (the 3 and Z in Cyrillic are very similar in look, hence the "error"). It was designed in the mid-1930s, having its first flight in May 1938, and went into production March 1940. Only thirteen of the IKZ were built, and they did see some action in 1941 when Yugoslavia was invaded by the Axis powers. In its first encounter against the Germans, five IKZs claimed five Bf.109Es as kills, while losing a pair of IKZs in return. During other sorties against German bomber formations, the pilots manning the IKZ would claim four twin-engine bombers shot down, with one IKZ taking fifty-six hits, but managing to return to base. Other claims were a Junkers Ju 87 and a Bf 110 before the Yugoslavs, with their bases being threatened of being overrun, burned the remaining IKZs. One pilot, Milislav Semiz, claimed four victories during the short campaign.
The IKZ had a smaller turning radius than the Bf.109, and a smaller wingspan than the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire, which in turn gave it a higher speed for its Avia-built Hispano-Suiza V-12 liquid-cooled engine that developed 860 horsepower. The Yugoslavs tested the IKZ against the Hawker Fury, Heinkel He 112, the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406, and the Hawker Hurricane. Performance most closely matched the Morane-Saulnier, although the IKZ was faster by twenty-five miles per hour. In mock combat against the Bf.109, it was found that the IKZ was more maneuverable in level flight, allowing the Yugoslav fighter to perform tighter turns and get on the tail of the German fighter.
So, not being an expert on things like wing loading, roll rate, and other assorted values, what I can determine is that the IKZ climbed about 2,300 feet per minute, while the Bf 109E climbed about 3,500 feet during the same timeframe. Hence, the IKZ needs to climb at a slower rate than the Messerschmitt. The Ms.406 and IKZ had an identical rate of climb, so I can use the French fighter's climb rate. I have no idea how to determine dive speed. So, the following is what I have come up with:
Who makes the IKZ? Well, good
news (for me) and bad news (for others) here. Leading Edge Miniatures made a lovely 1/300 scale casting of the
IKZ, and while Museum Miniatures bought that range some years ago, they seem to
be out of production these days. I was able to secure ten of these miniatures
from Noble Knight Games, a place that usually charges too much for used items,
but at three bucks a pop, I cleaned them out. I do not need ten IKZs, but as my
friend The G Dog says, "If you want it, buy it, because you never know
when it might become unavailable." I will not need more than four or six,
so if you want a couple leave a comment. I will only charge the paltry sum of one
million dollars!
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| How the Leading Edge planes were packaged - a little historical background in a small baggie |
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| Very clean lines on the casting. Shame they are no longer in production |
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| Another angle |
However, although Leading Edge is not available, you are in a bit of luck - Heroics & Ros makes the IKZ (listed as a IK-3) in 1/300 scale. H&R's lower quality may be a factor, but at least there is an option. Did I mention my price for my extra IKZs?
No problem here as Flight Deck Decals makes a set of Royal Yugoslav Air Force national insignia in 1/300 scale.
Here is a bit of a problem as the various sources are all over the map. I have seen both darker toned camouflage and a much brighter version. I prefer the darker tone, but not being an expert cannot say that the brighter colors are not the way to go. An eye of the beholder situation to be certain.
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| Feeling too much yellow in the tan |
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| This one feels a bit too muted |
The IK range of fighter aircraft was the focus of a Profile Publications Aircraft Profile (#242), which can be still found for varying prices on places like eBay. There are also other, but far more expensive, books on the IKZ.
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| Ratings are from a post on the Check Your 6! group |
After the Wright Flight Wings of War gaming session, a few of us played Check Your 6!, doing the Heinz Bär, Jet Ace scenario from the rulebook. I gave each player just one plane, which made it a bit of a shorter affair, but one that seemed to work well as we had two relatively newer players involved. I used the charts designed by Joe Chacon as they are meant to teach newer players, and they worked very well - I'll be using them for a convention game in March.
My buddy Matt supplied the Me.262 while the P-47s came from the collection of our departed friend Bob.
Matt took the jet, and climbed to get up to the P-47s as the latter descended from a higher CAB. Bill lined up the Me.262 well, hoping for a tail shot, but Matt had plotted an Immelmann and a nose to nose attack was the result. With the differences in pilot skill playing a part (the jet as an ace and this P-47 as skilled), Bill needed a 9 to hit. He did not make the roll. In return Matt's to hit roll was easier, and he blasted the P-47 into tiny bits, rolling several high numbers on his four 20s. Bill greatly failed his robustness roll, and that was that. One Thunderbolt gone.
The other three P-47s tried to close on the German, but Matt smoked another one with another high damage result. It looked like The German would meet his victory conditions easily...a combination of three damaged and/or destroyed Thunderbolts. But on the second attack Matt went out of ammo. He no longer had the ability to win the game. The remaining two Americans tried to close the gap. They were rolling 11s and 12s to hit, and just could not come up with the desired hit. The jet was able to safely extricate off of a friendly edge. The end result was a tie.
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| This is not going to end well for someone |
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| Meanwhile the other 'bolts were turning to get into firing arc. |
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| The result was another Thunderbolt blasted from the sky |
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| Last turn and last chance for the Americans to hit...fail. |
Yesterday was the monthly gaming session of the Wright Flight, and while I was planning on doing Polish-Soviet action using a slew of house rules, the lack of players meant we went with just one table, eventually getting up to eight attendees.
We did two games of early war action (then why was there an Aviatik D.I on board?), seeing a mix of German aircraft against various early model Nieuports. I pulled out my Escadrille Americaine Lawrence Rumsey repaint for the first game, and in the second game I jumped over to the German side and used my Shapeways Siemens-Schuckert D.I, a copy of the Nieuport 17 but one that performs like the Nieuport 11. In both early war games I took a few hits, gave out a few hits, and jumped off the board before dying in either game.
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| A cluster of Nieuports, with a new player turning right towards my Rumsey! |
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| Second game's plane of choice! |
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| Nothing to see here (and I survived this passing attack) |
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| Bill, that Halberstadt does make a nice photo. |
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| Matt's nicely painted Shapeways British N.11 |
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| Passing planes over the Channel |
We played another game with six participants, a later war affair. This time I had a chance to use my little Pfalz Dr.I, and the little beauty performed well. The O Deck is a dream, and I shredded a SE.5a that flew right into my arc. The Allies took a bit of beating...they did shoot down the Baron (well, somebody had to do it) and put some damage on the Fokker D.VII, but with the SE.5a unable to put out its fire and the Camels having taken a crap ton of damage, it would be considered a German victory. We also used my new range sticks from Pro Painted Studios, and they, along with my modified firing ranges, seemed to work well. Next time I'll add in deflection!
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| The Germans gather |
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| Say hello to my little friend - the SE.5a takes a fire result. I would apologize for my actions, but I wouldn't mean it, and why waste a good apology? |
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| Soon the end of the Baron...no one likes that Prussian anyway |
We had a couple of new players, who had a tendency to ignore spatial awareness, or even friendly planes, and plotted turns that caused collisions. Luckily in the late war game my C Damage card was a goose egg for the goose-stepping Pfalz pilot, but Lord, gotta watch those new players!
In a previous post I provided the Curtiss P-36/Model 75 in terms of Check Your 6! ratings. This post focuses on the Model 75’s service with the Finnish Air Force.
The Curtiss P-36, known variously as the Hawk, Mohawk, or Model 75, was used very little by its country of origin (the United States), seeing limited action at Pearl Harbor. However, several other nations used the Curtiss, in several different models, with varying degrees of success. France, in an effort to ramp up its military, purchased the Curtiss Model 75, Models A-1 through A-3, which resulted in the Curtiss making up nearly a third of the French fighter force by May 1940. Another country that used the Curtiss with great results was Finland, using captured versions obtained from Germany after France’s capitulation – the Finns utilized the Curtiss well into 1944, and donned the fighter with the name Sussu (Sweetheart). This post will delve a bit into the Curtiss while in Finnish service.
In Check Your 6! the Curtiss handles itself decently well for an early war aircraft. While using the A Maneuver Chart, the Model 75 also offers very good agility when not moving at maximum speed (+3). Speed and firepower are where the Curtiss suffers when compared to aircraft introduced after 1941, but the ability to out turn most opponents along with upgrading the armament with two heavy machineguns (by the end of 1942) keeps the Curtiss relative even into 1944. Factoring in the overall exceptional Finnish aircrew quality, the Curtiss makes for a tough opponent. The A-4 version saw the introduction of the 1200 horsepower Wright Cyclone, but the Finns replaced the Cyclone with the lower powered Twin Wasp as it was deemed more reliable.
Nearly all of the Model 75s served in one squadron during the Continuation War, that being Lentolaivue 32, which completely converted to the Curtiss from the Gloster Gladiator shortly after the start of the Continuation War. The squadron typically consisted of three flights (of four to six aircraft each) and a command element. Of the fifty-eight pilots known to fly the Sussu at least sixteen of them became aces, Curtiss pilots claiming 190 kills, with the loss of just fifteen Model 75s, a ratio of nearly 13:1. Versions used by the squadron were the A-1 to A-4, and the A-6, a total of forty-four of all five types having been purchased from Germany. The Finns enjoyed flying the Sussu, calling it both robust and maneuverable. One might consider dropping the Agility penalty when moving at maximum speed and even increasing the Robustness to R2.
We are blessed with several publications that cover the Finnish Air Force during the Second World War, many of them in English for us non-Finnish speakers. I will not list them all, but instead offer a few useful titles that I own:
Keskinen, Kalevi – Curtiss Hawk 75A – Stenman, 2004. A title that is mostly in Finnish but has English photo captions and an English translation section. Worth grabbing as it is focused mostly on the Model 75 (it does also have some information on the P-40M).
Keskinen, Kalevi and Stenman, Kari – Finnish Aces of World War 2. Osprey Publishing, 1998. Typical Osprey offering that covers the aces that used various fighters in Finnish service.
Keskinen, Kalevi and Stenman, Kari - Finnish Air Force 1939-45. Squadron/Signal Publications, 1998. Numerous black and white pictures with some color profiles.
Persyn, Lionel, Stenman, Kari, and Thomas, Andrew – P-36 Hawk Aces of World War 2. Osprey Publishing, 2009. While there is a heavy focus on the Curtiss in French service, the Finnish use of the Model 75 is also covered in some detail.
Stenman, Kari – Finnish Aces: Their Planes and Units 1939-1945. MMPBooks, 2022. This pricey but large hardcover book (432 pages that weigh in at four pounds) is a deep dive into each Finnish ace, usually with a wartime photo of the pilot, black and white photos showing their various aircraft, and almost always a color profile of one of their aircraft. Included is a list of their victories, both confirmed and claimed but unconfirmed. This hefty book also provides detailed unit histories and several other appendices of information. Well worth the price if you are wanting a deep dive into Finnish fighter aces.
Aircraft colors are often the subject of debate and confusion. However, the colors used on the Finnish Curtiss have been documented extremely well. I was able to find on the interwebs a document compiled by A. S. Marshall that provides Federal Standard 595b, RGB, and CMYK equivalents for not only the exterior but also for identification markings. The information for the Federal Standard colors came from Suomen ilmavoimien maalaukset ja merkinnät (Finnish Air Force camouflage and markings), written by Kari Keskinen, Kari Stenman, and Klaus Niska, published in 1996 by Apali Oy.
Most Finnish Model 75s were painted black and olive green on the upper surfaces, tail, and fuselage sides, with the under surfaces painted in RLM 65 light blue (some illustrations show light grey). As the black was faded in most cases, I suggest mixing light gray at a ratio four parts black to one part light gray. A few of the Model 75s did not use black at all, the upper surfaces being completely olive green. As with German-allied forces on the Eastern Front, the use of yellow on the cowling and under surface wingtips, along with a yellow fuselage band, were added to the Model 75s. Each flight had a distinctive color used for the aircraft number that appeared on the tail (yellow, white, or insignia blue with white outline). The aircraft number was the last digit of the plane’s serial number, a combination of a two-letter aircraft manufacturer code (CU for the Curtiss) and a three-digit number (example: CU-581 had a 1 on its tail). The serial number appeared in black on both sides of the fuselage. The hakaristi national insignia appeared in six positions (top and bottom of the wings and on the fuselage sides). Propellor hubs were usually painted black. There seems to have been no squadron insignia used for Lentolaivue 32.
AK Interactive makes a set of four acrylic paints for the Finnish Air Force. The colors included are black, olive green, light blue, and light grey. Arcus Hobby Colors also has a line of paints, available in enamel or acrylic, tailored for the Finns including a set for the Continuation War that has white, black, olive green, light blue, yellow, and grey. Lifecolor also makes a Finnish aircraft set, the acrylic colors being olive green, light grey, two shades of light blue, yellow, and black.
Blue Sky Decals, Combat Miniatures, GHQ, Heroics & Ros, Hostile Aircraft, I-94 Enterprises, and Small Scale Hobbies all make Finnish hakaristi in 1/285 or 1/300 scale. I am sure there are others, but these were the ones most prominent when searching online. Before someone makes a comment about the illustration of the hakaristi keep in mind that it was a symbol of luck prior to its modern day connotations.In the Battles Above 4 scenario book (which features Eastern Front scenarios and available from I-94 Enterprises) there are three scenarios that include Model 75s (Claims For Everyone, Attack is the Best Defense, and 65 to 0). On the Check Your 6! discussion group there is also a scenario titled Finland’s Hawks, Stalin’s Falcon’s. The maximum number of Finnish Model 75s one would need to do all four scenarios is seven miniatures.
There are a few companies making the Curtiss Model 75 in either 1/285th or 1/300th scale. As I use the former, I will list only those companies making 1/285th Model 75s that I have dealt with and highly recommend.
Flight Deck Decals – If I was choosing just one manufacturer, I would have to go with Flight Deck Decals. They offer the Curtiss in 1/300 but will do large custom orders in 1/285. These are printed planes, but the quality of the print and the resin material used is so good as to be amazing. You can find the Curtiss listed in two places – Other Nations WWII and USA WWII planes (both of these are found under the 3d Miniatures tab). In both cases look for Curtiss P-36-H75 Hawk. The price will be somewhere in the $2.00-$3.00 range per plane. You will have to order via email until 1/285 is added to the website.
Raiden Miniatures – Code USA29 P-36 Mohawk can be found under the United States listing. At the time of this post, cost per plane was $3.00. My P-36s for Pearl Harbor are Raiden Miniatures. They are cleanly cast (being a newer addition to the Raiden line). Service from I-94 is exceptional, and they have online ordering.
Table Top Flights – A company with equally exceptional service, these are resin printed miniatures. Under the United States listing, look for Curtiss P-36/Hawk 75 (product code A-08-009-285) and be certain to click on the 1/285 box (they also make the Curtiss in 1/200 and 1/144). Cost is $3.50. The detail is excellent if subtle and the planes are cleanly printed. Easy to use online ordering makes working with Mike at TTF a breeze.
Yesterday I hosted a Pearl Harbor Check Your 6! event featuring the Second Strike scenario (found under the downloads on the left). Being that it happened to be December 7th, I thought it would be an ideal scenario to run.
We wound up with eight players for what is really about a six player game, but was able to get everyone into the game. Thanks to my long time friend Matt for providing the Japanese forces! Also, it was the birthday of another long time friend, so I hope you enjoyed your day, Scott!
Setup for the game see the Japanese approaching from the northeast, while the Americans heads in from the northwest. Six Zeros are escorting three Kates and three Vals, the Kates heading to Hickam Field and the dive bombers targeting Ford Island and Battleship Row. Unlike the first time I hosted this game, the Japanese had four successful bombing runs (at four victory points each) and a number of successful strafing attacks by the Zeros. The American anti-aircraft, particularly the medium guns, placed some hits on the Vals, and those four d10 should have shredded the fragile dive bombers, but passing robustness rolls seemed to be the mantra on the part of the Japanese players. One Japanese plane did run out of ammunition fairly early in the game, but it looked like it was going to be quite the overwhelming win for the Emperor's forces.
The American fighters, consisting of three P-40s and three P-36s, finally made their way into the fight. However, American gunners on the ground did not seem to care about national insignia and fired at the Americans nearly as frequently as they were at the Japanese planes. The Japanese, after having pounded their targets, were trying to move towards their friendly edge, but the American fighters started wreaking havoc, and Japanese planes started falling from the sky and several others were damaged. One Japanese plane took a blackout lucky hit (which I had never seen before in our games) but was able to recover the following turn.
The Americans turned the tide, and by the end of the sixteenth turn, edged out a victory with a score of 28 to 24. It was a hard fought affair! I think one thing the Japanese might have done was to escort the bombers a bi more closely - the Vals pretty much fought on their own hook as the Zeros focused on Hickam Field and the area between Ford Island and Hickam.
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| The initial American force - a pair of P-40Bs |
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| A gaggle of Zeros! |
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| Kates and Vals making their way |
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| A pair of pretty birds - the P-36/Hawk 75 has become one of my favorite aircraft |
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| On the right, three Zeros strafe Hickam while the Kates line up for their bombing run. On the left the Vals are pounding Ford Island and Battleship Row |
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| The mixed section |
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| The Vals are now being targeted by a pair of P-40s |
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| The strafing Zeros turn towards the northwest while the Kates have hit Hickam Field |
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| Did I mention my affinity for the P-36/Hawk 75? |
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| The Americans have scattered the Vals, shooting one down while damaging the remaining pair |
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| One Val left, while the Zeros seem to flit about |
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| Endgame |
I used the custom mat I had made by Deep Cut Studio, the American planes are all Raiden, wonderfully painted by Kevin Hammond at Miscellaneous Miniatures. The Japanese planes I believe are a variety of manufacturers - painted nicely by Matt.
Nine Nates faced off against three pairs of Allied aircraft - Hawk 81s of the American Volunteer Group's 1st Squadron, Buffalos of the British 67th Squadron, and the aforementioned Hurricanes. It was interesting to watch the player's morale ebb and flow with the game. After spotting the Buffaloes, and having a set of the three Nates drop down from above just a few hexes away from them, the Japanese players continued to place hits on the Brewsters, but the robustness of the Buffalo coupled with the two light machineguns of the Nates meant that the Buffalos were not going anywhere for some time. However, the tide began to turn a bit with one of the Buffalos taking damage and the other receiving a lucky hit, impacting its fuel. By this time the slow climbing and slow moving Hurricanes, along with the faster Hawks, made their way into the fry, but the Nates were able to react and drive off the Allies. If memory serves me correctly, one Nate was shot down and one damaged, with the Allies suffering the loss of a Buffalo, the other damaged, a Hurricane shot down, and a Hawk likewise. Several of the Nate ran out of ammo during the course of the game (I believe four in total, but it was still an overall Japanese victory. I probably should have balanced the players a bi more as the Japanese side all had experienced gamers, while the Allies had one experienced gamer, one who had played CY6 a few times, and one who had never played.
All the planes were painted by Miscellaneous Miniatures.
