Airfix 1/72 bf109e-4 Franz von Werra

[Lee Drennen]

I agree with Andy Brilliant

 

[yak face]

Tony, the Crashed Enemy Aircraft Report noted, "Starboard wing showed many .303 strikes". That doesn't mean that there were none elsewhere, but that is where they were most noticeable to an observer standing next to the aircraft on the ground.

P/O Stapleton's Combat Report notes that, "I attacked him [von Werra] from the low quarter, he dived vertically towards the ground and flattened at ground level. I then did a series of beam attacks from both sides, and the e/a was turning into my attacks. He finally force landed. He tried to set his machine on fire by taking off his jacket, setting fire to it, and putting it into the cockpit. He was prevented by the L.D.V." Stapleton would have fired several hundred rounds in those attacks, though unhelpfully, Stapleton did not fill that in when he made his report. He didn't fill much in, but I suppose he and his squadron were a bit busy.

See below:

View attachment 507662

View attachment 507663

Excellent info steve ,thanks . I’ll look at drilling some holes in the starboard wing and maybe a few in the cowling . Cheers tony

 

[vizenz]

I think you can see some of the bullet holes in this picture. On the standing wings on the far right behind the British Air Force soldier.

 

[stona]

Andreas is correct. Those are bullet strikes, the small holes with a larger area of missing paint are typical of the damage caused by the .303 bullets that Stapleton would have been firing at von Werra.

Also, just a caution about taking to literally some of the information in reports like Stapleton's Combat Report. Remember that he was flying over von Werra's crash site and could only have had a glimpse of what von Werra was up to. His assertion that the German pilot attempted to burn his aircraft is almost certainly second hand, and is definitely incorrect.

Von Werra was not initially apprehended by members of the L.D.V. but by men from a nearby searchlight battery. As the soldiers entered the field they saw von Werra take some items from his jacket pocket, replace one which he wanted to keep, and then squat down to set them on fire. The soldiers may well have thought that he was attempting to destroy his aircraft because they shouted and began to run towards von Werra. It was papers that von Werra was burning, and he was seen to spread them out to destroy them more quickly, something he had succeeded in doing as the first soldier, an unarmed cook, arrived. Hard on his heels came fellow gunners with rifles and von Werra surrendered without any resistance.

The men from the search light battery had fired their Lewis gun at von Werra as he came in to land and believed it was they who had shot him down! The local papers all credited the gunners with bringing down a 'leading Nazi fighter ace'.

The aircraft 'diving vertically with no tail unit' was Spitfire X4264 and the man in a parachute seemingly circled by von Werra was its pilot P/O Robin Rafter, who survived. Rafter had been wounded by a small piece of shrapnel in the leg and, more seriously, had suffered head injuries when he was thrown through the canopy of his Spitfire as he unbuckled and prepared to abandon the aircraft. He later wrote:

"The next part of my experience was rather a miracle. The machine's nose dropped violently thus having the effect of throwing me forward, the force so great that I went through the canopy thus injuring my head. You can't imagine my surprise. I was then at about 15,000 feet and floating about in the air rather like a cork."

 

[yak face]

Thanks chaps , very useful and interesting info .Bullet holes on their way !

 

[Magneto]

Thanks chaps , very useful and interesting info .Bullet holes on their way !

That’s why I asked if you were going to put mg strikes on plane

I recall Von Werra being also shot at from a makeshift tower with a light mg (probably a Bren)

 

[stona]

That’s why I asked if you were going to put mg strikes on plane

I recall Von Werra being also shot at from a makeshift tower with a light mg (probably a Bren)

Von Werra was shot down by B.G. 'Stapme' Stapleton of No. 603 Squadron. It is possible that von Werra's aircraft had been damaged by either F/Lt Webster* or P/O Bennions (both of No.41 Squadron) but the man who finally shot him down was Stapleton.

As von Werra came in to make his forced landing the men of a searchlight battery, who would eventually take him prisoner, fired a burst at the Bf 109 from their Lewis gun. This was enough to convince them, and the local press, that they had downed a 'leading Nazi fighter ace', but it is not true.

Von Werra himself told various versions of his demise, few of them even flirting with the truth. In one version he shot down three British planes before colliding with another Messerschmitt and being forced to land - a tale vaguely reminiscent of another well known porky told by a certain Douglas Bader. Von Werra always maintained that his aircraft caught fire when it crashed, he being miraculously thrown clear of the wreckage and knocked unconscious. This too is demonstrably nonsense. In another version he was captured by men of the Home Guard who, armed with only shotguns, advanced on him cautiously across the field (presumably after he regained consciousness). It's just more nonsense.

I believe that Tony will base the bullet strikes on those recorded in the Crashed Enemy Aircraft Report, though there were surely more and plenty of room for artistic licence.

*Sadly Webster was killed later this same day in a collision with a damaged Hurricane flown by F/Lt. RE Lovett. Though Webster was killed, Lovett survived the collision, only to be killed two days later. Lest we forget.

 

[yak face]

After a nice week away , ive got a bit more done to this one . After reading the crashed enemy aircraft report and looking at the photo andreas posted I made several bullet holes . The report stated that the starboard wing had quite a few strikes so I did the majority on there plus one through the engine cowling which would probably be a likely cause of the crash. Stapletons report also states that he fired on von Werra from both sides as he chased him so I put a few on the port side wing and cowling too. The holes were first lightly drilled with a 1.2,mm bit for a slight indent then a 0.6 mm for the actual hole . The larger indent was painted silver and the smaller hole black . While I had the micro drills out I drilled the machine guns before fitting and painting them . The nav lights have been painted and the aerial and wire fitted .
This is about it for the airframe , just a bit of dust to scatter over the wings once its on the base .

 

[papa 695]

Great work Tony, liking the bullet holes. And the base is top notch.

 

[Jim R]

Looking great Tony. I like the bullet holes. So much interesting history to read and enjoy

 

[HAWKERHUNTER]

Great work Tony. You have nailed it with the paint work and the aerial wire is spot on.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Superb stuff.

 

[Neil Merryweather]

Ooh yummy!

 

[Jakko]

Those bullet holes look good, but I’d probably make some more of them (and, TBH but too late now, smaller — these look more like 40 mm cannon hits than .303 bullets).

 

[yak face]

Those bullet holes look good, but I’d probably make some more of them (and, TBH but too late now, smaller — these look more like 40 mm cannon hits than .303 bullets).

Yes I did think they looked a little big for .303 rounds but to do them to scale they would probably be invisible , plus I dont think I could drill the tiny holes without breaking the drill bit! I’m going to touch up the edges and make them seem a bit smaller , but as for adding any more , I’m satisfied with the number Ive got , dont want it looking like Bonnie and Clydes Ford V8 !

 

[Waspie]

Yes I did think they looked a little big for .303 rounds but to do them to scale they would probably be invisible , plus I dont think I could drill the tiny holes without breaking the drill bit! I’m going to touch up the edges and make them seem a bit smaller , but as for adding any more , I’m satisfied with the number Ive got , dont want it looking like Bonnie and Clydes Ford V8 !

I used to use a large needle, heated then poke them into the plastic to replicate the bullet holes. I finished them off with a dot pop black paint around the hole!!!! But I was only 12 or 13 then !!! I would have to be a bit more subtle these days!! Yours look most excellent Tony. Probably safer than a hot needle too!

 

[A_J_Rimmer]

That is superb work Tony!