Conversion Work

Admittedly one of the easiest conversions to tackle....

I picked up a mix of items from a fellow historian who also happens to be a gamer. In the mix were eight Messerschmitt Bf 109E models, metal castings from Raiden. On three of the planes some of the wing 20mm cannon barrels were broken off, and I could not decide what to do with them. Yes, I like my barrels to be present, thank you very much. After a little thought I have decided to convert them into the earlier E-1 variant, one that was equipped only with four 7.92mm MG 17 machineguns (two in the fuselage and one in each wing).  The wing machineguns were flush with the leading edge of the wing, so the lack of barrels is a good thing. While the Raiden castings are the later E-4 variant with a squared off canopy, removing the cannon barrels as well as the underwing bulge created by the cannon, provides a "good enough for government work" version of the E-1 variant. The E-1 was used during the Spanish Civil War and stayed in service into late summer of 1940. 

Clean up phase

Using an X-acto knife, a flick of the wrist removed the remaining barrels. I also removed both barrels from a fourth Messerschmitt so that I could have a schwarm of converted models (think I will do the other four as Romanian Messerschmitts as Sieben Schwaben Spiele have decals for the E-3 model). The X-acto knife also did a decent job cutting off the cannon bulges, and the remaining nubs were then filed flush with the underside of the wing.

While the planes already had a coat of primer, the filing took some of the paint off of the wings - and I did some cleanup work on seam lines and the like - so a new coat of primer was applied. Next was to start painting the proper RLM colors to the miniatures. As I already have some decals for the Bf 109 in Spain (Scale Specialties Code 300AC-GER006 on the I-94/Raiden site), and the fact that the scheme is relatively simple, I had decided to do four Legion Condor versions, but then I also realized that I could just go with German markings to use them in 1940 - the E-1, E-3, and E-4 models were used in France and the skies over Britain.* 

Regardless of how I use the E-1s, the undersurfaces are all painted in RLM 65 (hellblau - light blue) went on the undersurfaces.

Vallejo Model Air 71.255 applied and the removal of the 20mm barrel and bulge.

As I make a final decision on what theater to use these modified Messerschmitts I will post more on this conversion.

* I am working on a 1940 booklet that feature scenarios of Swiss neutrality violations and also included will be scenarios that highlight Groupe de Chasse Polonais I/145 flying the Caudron-Renault CR.714.

And More New Toys

As part of my new Spanish Civil War project, I ordered small batches of a few needed planes from both Flight Deck Decals and Table Top Flights. From Flight Deck came three I-15s, three Arado Ar 68s, three I-16 Type 10s, and mistakenly (because I might have been ordering while I was at work), one Tupolev Tu-2, which has nothing to do with the Iberian Peninsula! I had to double check my order for the Arado, thinking maybe I pulled another bone-head move and ordered the 1/200 scale as that plane is a beast compared to the diminutive Soviet fighters - no, the Arado is simply a beast! 

I-15

I-16 Type 10

Arado Ar 68

From Table Top I sourced three I-16 Type 5s, three Nieuport NiD-52s, three Breguet XIXs, and six Heinkel He 51s, the latter being my initial prime focus for the Legion Condor scenarios I am working up (and four appear on the Downloads page).

Breguet XIX

NiD-52

The Type 5 I-16

Heinkel!

Scenario Booklets Available

49th Fighter Group P-40Es near Darwin.

The three scenario booklets I have been teasing the last couple of weeks are now available in both print (staple and coil bound) and pdf format for those wanting to download. The print versions are on lulu.com while the pdfs can be found on Wargames Vault. Links for both these sites are to the left.

Over the next few months I will be working on more scenario booklets, with Nomonhan, Spanish Civil War, Sino-Japanese, Taiwan Crisis, East Africa, 99th Fighter Squadron (think early "Red Tails"), Operation Torch, Aleutians, and the American 49th Fighter Group over Darwin all as possibilities. The 49th Fighter Group has all the scenarios created (I need to update the formatting a bit but there are a dozen scenarios ready to go) and I would need to add the background and other relevant gaming info to make a complete booklet, or I can start taking various theaters and placing them into scenario books without worrying about publishing specialized topics.

Regardless of the direction I take, I am happy and a bit taken aback about the support the first three booklets have received in just a few days. As previously stated, the goal is not to make money, to to offer more scenarios for gamers to (hopefully) enjoy!

Books on the Spanish Civil War

This will be an ongoing post, meaning that I will be updating it periodically as I collect more titles on this war. As I am focusing on the Legion Condor's participation, I will not be mentioning books that discuss other factions, for example, the Italians, as that is beyond the scope of my narrowed focus. And while there are numerous titles on the Legion Condor, what follows are the ones I own and recommend.

Crespo, Carlos Fresno and Pérez, Artemio Montera - Aircrafts of the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939. Abteilung502, 2021. An amazing work which includes 226 profiles in its 232 pages! Not the most affordable title on this list, but certainly for those wanting the deepest dive it is worth having.

Forsyth, Robert - Aces of the Legion Condor (Aircraft of the Aces Book 99). Osprey Publishing. 2011. An exceptional title that includes, as usual for the Aircraft of the Aces series, numerous color profiles. There is a decent amount of focus on the early German contributions as well, with many of the same quotes found in the Ries and Ring book listed below.

Howson, Gerald - Aircraft of the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939. Smithsonian, 1990. A tour de force that covers every possible aircraft used by both sides during the war. Each plane has at least one photograph along with some performance details as well as its history within the war. Highly recommended for those wanting a comprehensive coverage.

Martinez, Eduardo Manuel Gil and Cerdá, Juan Arráez - The Spanish Civil War in the Air, Volume 1: 1936-1937. Helion and Company, 2026. As part of the Europe@War series, this is a nicely detailed account with photographs and some color profiles. Planned as a two part coverage of the war and expanded and revised from an earlier one volume publication.

Mombeck, Eric, with Smith, J. Richard, and Creek, Eddie J. - Jagdwaffe, Lutwaffe Colours Volume One Section 2: The Spanish Civil War. Classic Publications, 1999. A long title but a softcover book worth finding at second hand markets. Nearly 100 pages in an oversized format, filled with black and white photographs along with several color profiles of the German fighter aircraft used during the war. I am not 100% confident about the colors shown in the profiles - they seem a tad on the darker side, but useful illustrations nonetheless. This is part of a series of books that cover the Luftwaffe's fighter arm through the Second World War.

 

Ries, Karl and Ring, Hans - The Legion Condor 1936-1939. Schiffer Military History, 1997. A highly detailed work, with a heavy volume of photographs. The only downfall is the lack of color profiles, because one can never have too many color profiles! This title can be found on aftermarket sites for a reasonable price.

Spanish Civil War Update

Quick post but now there are three Spanish Civil War scenarios plus the stats needed to game the Legion Condor scenarios I am focusing on. These can be found on the Downloads page under the Spanish Civil War section. My initial focus will be on developing the scenarios that feature the Heinkel He 51, which rules the skies against the early Republican fighters, held even with the I-15, but struggled mightily against the I-16 (although the skilled German pilots did have some success even against the speedy I-16).

Downloads

Prepping for the Condor Legion Scenarios

Moving into the realm of buying aircraft for the Spanish Civil War...

While the scenario list I have created includes a huge number of aircraft, I am not looking to go into yet another massive project. To that end, I have placed a couple of orders, more like sample orders, to review some of the cool aircraft that can be found in the Spanish Civil War.

From Dan at Flight Deck Decals I have on order three Arado Ar 68s, three Polikarpov I-15s, and three Polikarpov I-16 Type 10s. I forgot to order Tupolev SB-2s but will do so in the near future.

From Mike at Table Top Flights I have ordered three Polikarpov I-16 Type 5s, three Nieuport NiD-52s, three Breguet XIXs, and six Heinkel He 51s. These fill in the gaps that Flight Deck does not cover. 

My focus will most likely be on scenarios that feature the Heinkel – I just find it to be neat plane even though it was not a great performing one.

Once these arrive I will write a post to review the miniatures and include pictures.

Spanish Civil War Stats - Legion Condor Scenarios

I am not certain if everyone will agree with the results, but I have been working on stats for the aircraft that make an appearance in the Spanish Civil War scenarios I have created that feature the Legion Condor. As this conflict started over three years prior to the start of the Second World War, the aircraft are, for the most part, relics of the early 1930s and hence many fly at would be an excruciating speed on the tabletop, if one were to keep the same speed band parameters as defined in Check Your 6! I've played in some early war Italian scenarios where the top speed of the aircraft was a paltry three, and not only does it take some time for the forces to close, once the sides get within shooting range the resultant furball stays withing a one foot square. Recognizing that the slower speeds might lead to frustration on the part of the players, I have used a 75 mile per hour band, and have used maximum speeds for both fighters and bombers (there is a reason for not using cruising speeds for bombers - certain types during this conflict could pull away from older fighters and using cruising rates would not yield that ability on the tabletop). 

Oh Mickey, you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind. Hey Mickey!

To that end, I offer my take on Check Your 6! stats for the Spanish Civil War:

Click on the image for a larger version

HERE is a download version.

Spanish Civil War - Scenarios

Galland in his Heinkel He 51

It's back! The interest in the Spanish Civil War, as yet another obscure gaming project, has made a return. Part of the reason is I started playing, albeit very poorly, War Thunder, and have been using a Heinkel He 51. Yes, long time followers of this blog might have noticed that several years ago I had posted some wonderfully painted Spanish Civil War planes, but I had traded that collection for some Korean War aircraft (and yes, regret is a rearward looking trait) and sold off my research materials. But now, the urge, the itch as it were, has returned and Amazon is winging four books my way, and AI has helped me create a slew of potential scenario outlines featuring the Legion Condor.

Granted, several of the scenarios on the chart are HUGE, and I will need to scale them down significantly for gaming purposes. I will also be creating what I hope to be a very complete and accurate listing of aircraft data for Check Your 6! Most likely I will scale the speeds as SCW aircraft, for the most part, are slow and slow aircraft have a tendency to accumulate in about a one foot square of gaming surface.

For now, I have created one scenario featuring Adolf Galland, entitled Galland's Carpet, found on the Downloads page. 

The What If War

Yep, I have a hankering! 

In 1937 Europe was unsettled, to say the least. The rise of Germany was on the near horizon and it was unknown to the other European powers what Germany's impact would be on future events. Austria was still "free" although the Austrian socialists were making strides towards controlling the country (with a little shove called German annexation in March 1938). There were some rumblings of the Germans and Czechs having a bit of a "have at you" as well. Using this unsettled setting as a background, I wanted to create a biplane encounter, using some planes not often seen on the tabletop, and appearing in eye appealing schemes. 

The setting is late 1937 with the Austrians causing some angst among the Czechs by repeated violations of Czechoslovakian air space by the CR.32s of the Austrian Luftstreitkräfte. The Czechs have been hesitant to do more than protest as they have concerns of a larger conflict that would see Germany supporting Austria. However, on a beautiful fall day over the Vltava River the Czechs had had enough and scrambled fighters to intercept the latest Austrian incursion.

Austria - The Austrians had as their main fighter the Fiat CR.32. I just love the Austrian roundel over top a gray or natural metal scheme and have been looking for an excuse to buy a sheet of Austrian decals (which might wind up on some Tunnans as well). As Table Top Flights make the CR.32 in 1/285, grabbing a flight (or two) of these will be a no-brainer. However, does anyone know what constituted an Austrian flight?

Czechoslovakia - And now I can get some double duty from my Slovak-Hungarian War Avia B-534s! Or, it gives me an excuse to order more! I am asking Flight Deck Decals to scale some of these for me in 1/285. I know the Czechs used three-plane formations, so three flights of these will do nicely, thank you very much.

Germany - Okay, I should use an early model of the Bf 109, but I miss the Heinkel He 51s I used to have for the Spanish Civil War (traded them years ago) and want more! And I really like the above scheme, the medium blue speaks to my Bavarian roots. Like the Czechs, the Germans were using three-plane formations, so as a support to the Austrians, I might just grab three of the Heinkels. Again, I am having Flight Deck scale these to 1/285.

The good news is that all three antagonists have paint schemes that I should be able to pull off myself.

I have created a scenario (well, you KNOW I was going to) in which the aggressor (the Austrians) intentionally violate Czech airspace to embarrass the Czechs, with the Czechs unexpectedly responding in force, and with the Germans coming to the Austrians rescue. Check the Downloads page for the Violence over the Vltava scenario.

Stop! Magnet Time!

Heinkel He 51s painted by Kevin Hammond

In order to host an upcoming Check Your 6! game, one set during the Spanish Civil War, I had to take some time and add magnets to the various aircraft that Kevin Hammond, he of Miscellaneous Miniatures fame, painted up for me quite some time ago! Using my trusty magnet tool I picked up from Corsec Engineering, I not only knocked out the Spanish Civil War aircraft that were in need of magnets, but also some Korean War planes, painted by Chris Geisert from I-94, that were still needing this necessary accessory.

I was able to find some nicely priced magnets from K and J Magnetics. Unfortunately, based on some completed aircraft I had picked up I ordered the incorrect size, very small fiddly ones, so I had to place another order after looking over my own aircraft to get the size magnets I truly wanted. K and J offer a huge variety of sizes, with good shipping rates. 

Check Your 6! Updates

A bit of a summary, mostly for my own later reference, but some of the projects I am toying with for Check Your 6!

Spanish Civil War - I have a few Heinkel He 51s, Bf 109s, and now with my friend's collection, some CR.32s. I need some more bad guys to go against them.  I do have four I-16s painted up, but in Soviet markings.

German-Czech What If - Just got my order for eight Avia B-534s from MSD, and I plan on buying some early mark Bf.109s to go against them, but I still need to find a few period German bombers to add in. Most of the German bombers on the market that were round in 1938 are later period versions, and so a bit incorrect.

Romanian-Soviet Front - I like the Heinkel He 112, a lot. While there were only a few made (less than 100) it is still a cool looking bird. There is a neat encounter in June, 1941 in which Romanian He 112s are strafing a Soviet airfield while the I-16s based on the field are taking off. Turns into a hairball of a fight, with a dozen Heinkels facing upwards of thirty Ratas. Rating the He 112 is a bit of a bear, seemingly a tad slower than the Bf 109B, less agile, but more maneuverable, I think I would rate the 112 as follows:  A4+1, with a robustness of 1, and armed with FF: 2xLVC, 2xLMG. This would make them a tad better than the I-16, with a better punch for armament, which should help a bit with the number disparity. I already have four I-16s painted in Soviet colors, but would need to order some Heinkels from MSD along with a slew more of the Ratas.

American Volunteer Group - I've always liked their story, and with the addition of several scenarios in one of the Check Your 6! books that was released recently, there are now something like fifteen scenarios published that include the Tigers. I have no aircraft for this project.

Wake Island - Another one of those stories that pull me in again and again. However, while I look the look of those Marine Wildcats at Wake, after the initial Japanese bombing attack, only four remained, and they faced Mavis flying boats after the initial attack. I can't see buying a ton of flying boats for one project - they are expensive! Perhaps I can do something from the Cactus Air Force scenario book as I do like the look of those early Wildcats!

Spanish Civil War

A picture of the expanded Spanish Civil War collection. As mentioned in my previous post, I selected my friend's Italian collection as I have fond memories of a Check Your 6! game I played in a few years ago. In this collection were also some Spanish Civil War aircraft. I already had a few planes painted up for this conflict (nicely done by Kevin Hammond at Miscellaneous Miniatures), and now there is an Italian component added to the mix. I am not 100% certain of all the plane types, and I am going to need plenty more Republican forces, but it is a start!

The top row of Bf 109s and the He 51s are ones that I had Kevin paint for me. The remainder are from Bob's collection - Bf 109s, CR.32s, I-16s, I-15s, a Ford Tri-motor (I think), and something in the middle I have yet to identify. There are a mixture of companies represented as well - Raiden and Shapeways, and maybe one or two others.

I'll get the large force of World War II Italian planes together for a future post.