COVER STORY - HEINKEL 177 TS439 PHOTO ARCHIVE

ZERO TO HERO
LIVING THE DREAM
BIRTH OF AN AIR FORCE

DIGITAL ISSUE THREE

INGLEADER MAGAZINE
DIGITAL ISSUE THREE 1 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk
The exciting new historic aviation magazine from Wingleader
 IN THIS ISSUE
Managing Director:
Simon Parry (Co-Founder)
Editor and Design Director:
Mark Postlethwaite (Co-Founder)
Technical Director:
Wesley Cornell (Co-Founder)

Contributors to this issue:

Jonny Cracknell
Andrew Thomas
Simon Parry

W
Roger Tisdale
Arvo Vercamer elcome to the Digital Issue 3 of
Amy Shore Wingleader Magazine. Once

Editorial Submissions:
If you have any editorial content (news, comment,
again we’ve got four very different
articles for you, all backed up with some LIVING THE DREAM HEINKEL 177
articles etc.) that you would like us to consider for outstanding images including some rare
inclusion in the next edition of Wingleader Magazine,
WWII colour.
please email us at editorial@wingleadermagazine.co.uk
These four articles will now be combined
Advertising: with those from digital issues one and two to
advertising@wingleadermagazine.co.uk form our first Printed Compendium edition
which will be published at the end of March.
T: +44 (0)845 095 0346
E: hello@wingleadermagazine.co.uk These collectable printed editions are for those
W: www.wingleadermagazine.co.uk of you, like myself, who still prefer the look
and feel of real books! They will be published
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
quarterly and are available directly from our
website, see the back page for details.
© Wingleader Magazine Ltd 2019. All rights reserved. No part
of this magazine may be used or reproduced without the written
permission of the publisher. Wingleader Magazine is published We hope you enjoy this issue, look out for
by Wing Leader Ltd (08559824), registered in England and
Wales. Registered office: 12 Jordan Street, Liverpool, L1 0BP, digital issue four, publishing on 1st April!
United Kingdom. All information contained in this magazine is
for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at
the time of going to press. Wingleader Magazine cannot accept Mark Postlethwaite February 2019.
any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information.
Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every
care is taken, neither Wingleader Magazine nor its employees,
agents or subcontractors shall be liable for loss or damage. The
ZERO TO HERO BIRTH OF THE EADF
views expressed in Wingleader Magazine are not necessarily
the views of Wing Leader Ltd, its editors or its contributors.

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 2

LIVING THE DREAM
IS IT REALLY POSSIBLE TO BUY AND FLY YOUR OWN HURRICANE?

3 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

RESTORATIONS

A long lost Great Aunt has left you £20m in her

will, what do you do? Many aviation enthusiasts
would tell you that they would treat themselves to a
warbird and then learn how to fly it. But in the real
world, how easy is it to fulfil that dream? James
Brown did just that, although without the aid of a
philanthropic geriatric relative! Jonny Cracknell
asked James to describe his journey from making
Airfix Hurricanes to actually owning and flying the
real thing.

I
f someone were to grant every WW2
aviation enthusiast a wish, it would probably
be to buy their own historic warbird, and
then learn to fly it. Successful business
entrepreneur James Brown recently proved
that anything is possible by fulfilling that very
own childhood dream.

On the 30th September 2015 James

purchased the iconic, historic and then sole
flying Battle of Britain veteran MkI Hawker
Hurricane, which helped defend Britain’s
skies during the dark days of 1940. Hurricane
R4118 (G-HUPW) was and is one of the most
precious aircraft on the planet and has a
special connection to a monumental part of
not just this country’s, but world history.

Left: James Brown savours the moment after

completing his first flight in his Hurricane at
Duxford on 17th November 2018.
(All photos by the author unless specified)

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 4

 Three long years after purchasing R4118

RESTORATIONS
and following hundreds of hours of study and
flying training - James finally took to the skies
in his pride and joy from Duxford Airfield.

Like most enthusiasts – James grew up

with just a natural passion for aeroplanes. He
fondly remembers making Airfix models which
hung from the bedroom ceiling and sitting
in the garden watching aircraft fly over. He
also remembers that very first time he heard
a Merlin engine roar to life whilst at White
Waltham in the 70’s.
The dream was to be a pilot, and despite
limited time between work and family
commitments, he managed to fly when time
permitted. The software company James had
built was successful enough that it eventually
allowed him to buy his own Cessna 182 -
and over the course of 15 years he steadily
managed around 500hrs of flying between his
Cessna and PA28 aircraft.

The business continued to grow, taking up

most of his time, but his mind was always
elsewhere:
‘My passion for aeroplanes still burned
brightly and my daydreams remained filled
with the planes I wanted to fly next’.
He ambitiously wondered if one day
he could eventually ‘purchase one of the
warbirds of my childhood dreams: A Spitfire, or
- even better to my eye - the rugged Hurricane.’
Fate was to play her part in 2015.
The full-time running of his software
company meant very little spare time and
almost weekly visits to the US. It was on such a
trip across the Atlantic in February 2015 when
browsing a copy of ‘Flyer’ magazine, James
saw the headline How to Fly a Hurricane.
At the end of Keith Dennison’s expertly
written first-person style walkthrough of a full
Hurricane sortie there was an advertisement
at the bottom pronouncing Hurricane R4118
for sale. Most of us would have smiled
wistfully and dreamt of long lost Great Aunts
but James didn’t need one.
A month previously his company had been
approached by a potential buyer, which
if agreed would possibly enable James to
achieve his life-long ambition.
‘I flipped open my laptop again and wrote
a short, caveat-laden, email to owner Peter
Vacher to express my interest in his beautiful
aeroplane.’
Arrangements were made to visit Peter and
James recalls,
‘We walked out to his hangar and he turned
the lights on and there in the middle stood
this magnificent aeroplane which was just
absolutely mind-blowing, and I still feel that
way whenever I see it now’.
It was the first time James had really been
up close to a Hurricane and he admits,
‘I was just besotted with this aeroplane’.
With dreams of potentially flying her one
James Brown with his ‘new’ Hurricane. R4118
is an authentic Battle of Britain survivor having
flown operationally with 605 (County of Warwick)
Squadron, shooting down five enemy aircraft
during the Battle. (Darren Harbar Photography)
day, the concept of the challenge was never
underestimated.
‘I got to sit in her and the gulf sitting in a
Cessna 182 compared to R4 - it felt almost
inconceivable that you could bridge that gap’.

5 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

RESTORATIONS
Mid-2015 saw lots of uncertainty, but
everything finally aligned and the day
following the sale of the company, James
finally bought his beloved Hurricane.
The end of the 2015 flying season and the
subsequent period of winter maintenance
allowed James time to begin to construct a
training regime and to deconstruct how he
could convert from hundreds of hours of
Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk
nose-wheel flying into the necessary tail-wheel
experience required. He had formed his new
company ‘Hurricane Heritage’ and secured
an experienced team with the specialist
knowledge to continue the safe and successful
operation of R4118.
With the Hurricane then based at
Shuttleworth, James began his training regime
which would satisfy all required parties, and
6
most importantly, himself, so that he would
feel totally prepared if and when the time
came to be able to fly his Hurricane. Valuable
and experienced pilot advice was that training
in a Harvard (circa 50-70hrs), particularly from
the rear seat to experience poor forward
visibility on landing would provide the best
platform for Hurricane training. Hurricane
Heritage promptly added a 1942 Harvard
Above: James Brown flew 150 hours solo in
his Harvard before stepping up to the cockpit
of his Hurricane.
to their “fleet” from Sweden. Initial training
began in a Cub, followed by around 30 hours
on the Chipmunk with experienced pilot Peter
Tuplin, and then onto the Harvard.
 John Romain. The long road back was finally ‘I must have spent the best part of 10hrs

complete, and James was both astounded
and truly grateful for the professionalism and
precision of ARC’s work:
‘The guys at ARC did the most amazing job
putting her back together – she’s back now
better than ever’.
Just 5 days later, the long wait would be
at an end and the hundreds of hours of
preparation would be put into action. On the
run up to the 17th November James had spent
a lot of time flying the Harvard, again from the
back-seat, flying circuits and practising run and
breaks - which was solid preparation to set the
scene for landing in the Hurricane. He added,
RESTORATIONS
sitting in the aeroplane just getting familiar
with where everything was and touch drills.
The Hurricane now felt familiar, (having spent
so much time in the Harvard), compared to the
huge gulf when I very first sat in her.’
Weather had curtailed the opportunity
to fly her earlier that week - and on the day
itself visibility wasn’t ideal and had delayed
morning proceedings. However, the moment
finally came just after 13.00hrs as the weather
cleared sufficiently and James strapped in,
brought the beautifully smooth, purring Merlin
engine of R4118 to life and taxied her to the
end of the runway.

Left: In August 2017 R4118 was grounded when faults were found with the engine and propeller hub.

All was going well until August 2017
when there was a huge set-back. Whilst
preparing R4118 for a routine display, the
team discovered a problem. A small drop of
blue coolant, less than a millimetre wide was
noticed when re-panelling the engine. As
the team began to pull the engine to pieces,
it uncovered a cascade of further problems.
Both cylinder banks were cracked, the coolant
header tank had holes, there were leaks in
both the radiator and oil cooler and a problem
with the propeller hub.
It turned out to be a hugely fortunate
discovery as going further unnoticed could
have resulted in much more catastrophic
consequences - but the result was R4118 had
to be grounded for 15 months.
She was quickly transferred to the hugely
experienced Aircraft Restoration Company (ARC)
at Duxford to carry out the necessary work.
Below: Fully restored, James Brown conducts his walk round of R4118 before climbing aboard for his
first flight. Looking on is Battle of Britain veteran Hurricane pilot Archie McInnes.
James recalls a sad day in early 2018:
‘The aeroplane had its wings off, had no
engine and it was in pieces on a flatbed truck
- and I honestly thought this may be too big
a job!’
Whilst hugely disappointing and frustrating,
James turned the situation into a positive
opportunity by gaining further valuable flying
experience,
‘That was a real low, but that time allowed
me to put another 100hrs on the Harvard - and
in retrospect I needed that extra time.’
Indeed, by the time R4118 was ready to
take-flight again, James had flown over 150hrs
solo on the Harvard.
R4118 began post-restoration engine runs
during mid-October 2018 and had her first
successful test-flight from Duxford on the
12th November in the very capable hands of

7 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

 When asked what was going through his
RESTORATIONS
mind at that point,
‘You can have all the preparation and
policing in the world - but on the day of the
flight there is no choice but to sit at the end
of the runway and commit – just open the
throttle and go for it’.

At Plus 3 boost (3,000RPM) James

accelerated down the Duxford runway and
within a few seconds the front wheels lifted
from the grass, and his long-awaited moment
had arrived. Instantly noticing the aircraft was
very unstable in pitch, he climbed to around
3,000 ft heading north with the sun behind
and spent time getting a feel for her. With full
concentration and total focus there wasn’t
time to take a moment to himself - but knows
there will be plenty of opportunities for that
to come. The first flight wasn’t the time to sit
back or let concentration levels slip.

The twenty-minute sortie consisted of

practising slowing the aircraft down, dropping
the flaps, the undercarriage and getting her
into landing configuration at altitude.
‘That felt comfortable and generally felt
familiar.’
Upon heading back to Duxford into poor
visibility, he carried out the textbook run and
break, practised so often in the Harvard, and
bought R4118 safely back down onto the
hallowed Duxford turf.

Left: James presses the starter button and

brings R4118 to life in preparation for his first
flight in her.

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 8


‘My knees were shaking, and it was all a bit
overwhelming and I did just take a moment
to think that is just a momentous occasion for
me. I was most pleased to bring the aeroplane
back undamaged. I must have played it back
in my head a thousand times now and tried to
deconstruct what went well and what didn’t’.
Adding to what was already a momentous
occasion for James, also in attendance to
watch his quite incredible achievement was
veteran Battle of Britain and North Africa
Hurricane pilot, 99yr old Flt Lt Archie McInnes.
Archie had been invited by James and ARC
to visit Duxford and see R4118 up close and
have a tour of the ARC facilities - which he
thoroughly enjoyed.
Having not been overwrought by the
pressure of such a high-profile spectator,
James reflected,
‘The thing that really made it so special
for me was Archie being there. It turned what
was going to be a great day into the most
incredible experience. It was just magical to
have him there on the day that I got to fly the
aeroplane. Almost the last person that shook
my hand as I went off to fly the aeroplane
was Archie, and virtually the first person to
RESTORATIONS
congratulate me when I landed again was
him. It was the most moving, incredible
experience and it was such a privilege to have
Archie there. There are very few people that
have had their very first solo in one of these
warbirds in the presence of somebody who
actually fought in them during the Battle of
Britain and then subsequently in North Africa ‘One of the things I’m personally proud of
– it was just an amazing experience. In some is the way I’ve done it is the way they would
ways it made the day’. have done it back in the 30s/40s. I did go and
Asked if Archie gave any words of wisdom fly a Tiger Moth to experience that, and then
prior to the flight, worked up to the Harvard and had loads of
‘He said, she’ll look after you and it time in the Harvard’.
proved right’.
Above: Airborne at last!
James is incredibly humble and appreciates
James reflected further on achieving his how privileged he is, taking the responsibility
boyhood dream - of owning R4118 incredibly seriously,
9 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk
 ‘I genuinely view her as a national treasure
RESTORATIONS
and an absolutely iconic bit of British history
which is totally irreplaceable. It doesn’t feel
like ownership, it simply is custodianship -
hopefully for a very long time’.
His personal satisfaction comes equally
from making R4 accessible and available for
enthusiasts and the general public,
‘The joy is sharing her at air shows and
seeing people’s enthusiasm for her. People are
just delighted to watch R4 fly and listen to her
Merlin engine - it’s an amazing privilege’.

James’s passion and enthusiasm is

abundantly evident, and he is truly
appreciative for all of those who have helped
make things possible on his incredible journey,
‘One of the things you realise doing
something like this is that you simply cannot
do it without the generosity of loads and
loads of people around you, who give up their
time, help, expertise and advice. And there is
nothing in it for them, its pure altruism and
it’s quite humbling. You can’t do this without
the help of the community and I’ve met lots
of lovely people and had great people around
me who have been willing to give up their time
and help’.
In terms of what’s next, James is in no rush,
‘I just want to enjoy the aeroplane and not put
any pressure on myself. I’m looking forward to
those gorgeous, still summer days where I can
just enjoy being up in her. Next year (2020) is
the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain
and I’d love to potentially be able to display
her myself.’

Left: Having just completed his first Hurricane

flight, James was welcomed back by veteran
Hurricane pilot Archie McInnes.

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 10

Photo Archive :-Heinkel 177 TS439
11 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk
PHOTO ARCHIVE
A fine study of TS439 banking away
from the camera aircraft. The mottled
camouflage on the fuselage sides is clearly
In September 1944, the Allies ‘nicked’ a Heinkel
continued under the wings. 177 from southern France and flew it back
to Farnborough for tests. This huge German
bomber was a bit of an enigma as several had
been shot down over England but all had ended
up in tiny pieces. The photographers soon got
to work and produced these photos that are
probably the most comprehensive study of any
one of the 1000+ He177s built during WWII.

T
he Heinkel 177 was probably the
closest the Germans came to having a
truly ‘heavy bomber’ equivalent of the
Avro Lancaster or B-17 Flying Fortress. It was
almost identical in size to the Lancaster and
also had four engines, albeit paired together
in each wing to drive a single propeller.
It was plagued by technical problems
throughout its service life which resulted in it
failing to fulfil its undoubted potential.
It first flew operationally on the Russian
Front and appeared over England in early
1944 during Operation Steinbock. Its loss
rate was extremely low at this time due to its
high speed and the few that were shot down
all blew up on impact, leaving the RAF with
little information on this new threat.
After the invasion of France, it became
clear that the French Resistance could
probably ‘liberate’ a He177 from a repair
facility in southern France and so a plan
was formed to fly one back to England.
Remarkably, the plan worked and in
September 1944, F8+AP became TS439 and
the He177’s secrets were revealed.

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 12

 PHOTO ARCHIVE
The Heinkel was flown from France to England by Farnborough chief test pilot Roland Falk on 10 September 1944 . Because it was to fly over the Channel, it was given a full set of
invasion stripes and French markings to emphasise which side it was now on! These two photos show the aircraft shortly after arriving in England with the French markings. Note
how the sunlight and different film stock (or filter) used in the photo above, makes the fuselage sides look very pale, proving how difficult it is to interpret colours from black and
white photos.

13 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

PHOTO ARCHIVE

Another two photos that were taken at the same times as the previous two. Again the differences in light and tone can clearly be seen, especially in the roundels. Both locations
are Farnborough in September 1944.

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 14

 PHOTO ARCHIVE
A close up of the rear fuselage of the He177 at Farnborough giving a good close up of the
random brush strokes for the mottled camouflage. The F8 code is the original German code
carried on the aircraft to signify that it belonged to KG40. The aircraft’s full code was F8+
AP, but the (larger) AP codes have been hidden by the invasion stripes.

15 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

 Side, front and rear views taken at Farnborough.
PHOTO ARCHIVE

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 16

 PHOTO ARCHIVE
caption

Within a week or so, the Heinkel had been repainted with a full set of RAF markings and took to the air
for a series of test flights and photographic sorties. It also received the ‘prototype’ marking, a yellow P
in a circle, just forward of the fuselage roundel, and an RAF serial number TS439.

17 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

 ONE BOMBER - FOUR OWNERS
PHOTO ARCHIVE

caption

He177A-5/R6 W.Nr. 550062

RAF Air Intelligence had been aware that the main location for the repair and servicing
of He177s was at the airfield of Toulouse-Blagnac in the south of France. As soon as
practicable after the invasion of France a plan was put in place to ‘capture’ a He177 and
fly it to Farnborough. Troops parachuted into the Toulouse area on 17th August 1944, as
the region came under the control of the French Resistance. With the help of the Special
Operations Executive one was secured from the French engineers working for Ateliers
Industriel de l’Air, who had been sub-contracted by Heinkel to maintain KG40’s He177s
based at Bordeaux Mérignac.
At this time it carried the fuselage code F8+AP of 6/KG40 and had the number 60 painted
on its fin in yellow. Its radio call-sign was KM+UK.
To get the He177 to the UK, Group Captain Hards - Commanding Officer of Farnborough,
flew a Hudson carrying RAE Chief Test Pilot Wing Commander R J ‘Roly’ Falk, who would fly
it back assisted by Squadron Leader Pearce. On 2nd September the Hudson with a fighter
escort provided by two Beaufighters set off, but both fighter pilots lost their bearings and
came down in France. The Hudson, however, made it to Blagnac and eight days later, on
10th September 1944, Falk and Pearce flew to Farnborough in just 2 hours and 45 minutes.
By this time the Luftwaffe markings had been over-painted with French Armée de l’Air
markings and the words ‘Prise de Guerre’ (Prize of War) had been painted in small letters on
the rear fuselage.
Upon arrival at RAE Farnborough the French markings were over-painted with full RAF
markings and the aircraft was given the RAF serial number TS439. It made its first test flight
from Farnborough on 20th September with Squadron Leader A F Martindale at its controls.
Over the next five months it made 18 more test flights, totalling 17 hours 55 minutes flying
time, to assess many design features including the bombsight and heating system. Among
its pilots was Captain Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown who remarked that the cockpit was ‘like an
outsized goldfish bowl’.
Its last flight was from Farnborough to Boscombe Down, but the inevitable finally
happened and one of its troublesome engines failed. TS439 remained at Boscombe Down
where it was dismantled, awaiting shipment to America. The Americans had ambitious
plans to fly their own He177A-3 (W.Nr. 550256 GP+RZ) from Orly Airfield near Paris in
February 1945, but an accident on take-off wrecked this aircraft. The RAF offered them
TS439 which arrived at Freeman Field, but remained in a dismantled state and was allocated
A rare underside view showing the
the code FE-2100. It was last recorded, still crated for storage, at No. 803 Special Depot at
impressive wingspan of the type, almost
Park Ridge, California, on 4th October 1946 and then ‘vanished’ presumably broken up for
identical in length to the Avro Lancaster.
scrap in the 1950s.

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 18

 PHOTO ARCHIVE
The RAE test pilot slowly brings the He177 closer to the
camera aircraft. Although the photographic sortie took off from
Farnborough, the airfield below is actually RAF Hartfordbridge,
soon to be renamed Blackbushe.

19 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

PHOTO ARCHIVE
Many modellers over the years have painted the rudder red on TS439 after it received its RAF markings and admittedly, the
tone of the rudder does seem to match the red of the roundel exactly. However what would be the logic of painting it red?
Clearly it covers the French markings that were originally applied, in fact the blue stripe is still faintly visible in the inset photo.
You’ll also notice on the inset photo that with a different film stock or filter, the rudder now no longer appears to be the same
tone as the roundel red.. Our best guess is that the groundcrews were simply told to paint out the French markings and apply
the RAF versions. With the French fin flash not being covered by RAF markings, it’s more likely that they used a green or grey
to match the upper surface camouflage or even just their best match to the light blue fuselage sides.

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 20

 PHOTO ARCHIVE
Two views of TS439 low over the fields of Hampshire. The aircraft incorporated
many advanced features such as a remotely controlled gun turret. This turret is
visible on top of the fuselage just forward of the leading edge of the wings. The
gunner controlled the turret from the observation dome just behind the cockpit.

21 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

 A nice final view of TS439 as it banks away from the camera aircraft. Note the three pylons, one under each wing and one just
PHOTO ARCHIVE
behind the ventral nose gondola, which could each hold a Fritz X guided bomb.

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 22

PAI N T ING THE HEINKEL 1 77

ADVERTISING
by Mark Postlethwaite

T
his month’s cover painting features the
mighty Heinkel 177 in service with KG40
during Operation Steinbock.
The He177 is quite a challenge to paint with
its very long wings and oversized tail so the
natural solution is to paint it from the front,
reducing the impact of the tail, and to cut the
wings out of the frame. The latter is usually
not a good idea in aviation art as it breaks the

illusion of flight, (almost as if someone is
holding the wingtip of the ‘model’ out of
frame). In my experience, the way round
this problem is to include smaller complete
aircraft in the background.
I followed the same concept when
painting the cover art for Osprey’s
He177 Units book (left) which was
even more of a challenge due to its PRINTS ARE AVAILABLE OF THIS
portrait format. Again I’ve included a MONTH’S COVER PAINTING:
complete aircraft in the background to
give the sense of flight and used quite
a strong perspective to reduce the size MORE INFORMATION
of the tail.

23 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

 T HE L AS T BLITZ
ADVERTISING

READ THE FULL STORY OF OPERATION STEINBOCK WHEN THE

HEINKEL 177 FIRST APPEARED OVER ENGLAND
In December 1943, the Code-breakers at Bletchley Park received intelligence that the Luftwaffe’s bombers
were gathering for a major new operation. This new campaign, codenamed Operation Steinbock was to involve
over 500 bombers, including 46 He177 ‘Greif’ four-engined heavy bombers making a debut over Britain.
On the evening of 21st January, 227 bombers took off bound for London, their target marked by
Pathfinders from KG66. On their return to base, those bombers still serviceable were refuelled and rearmed
and in the early morning 220 aircraft repeated the attack.
For the next four months attacks continued on London, Hull, Bristol and other targets. Casualties in Britain
totalled 1,556 killed, with 2,916 seriously injured. The Luftwaffe lost 330 aircraft and their crews – for every
five people killed on the ground, the raiders lost one bomber and four trained crewmen killed or captured.
This is the first book dedicated to Operation Steinbock and features:
Detailed analysis of each raid.
Full listing of all Luftwaffe aircraft and crew losses with detailed crash investigations.
RAF combat reports and interrogation reports.
Comparison with RAF Bomber Command operations for the same period.
Size 250mm x 170mm 432 pages approx 150 b/w photos Hardback RRP £30

30% OFF!
FOR WINGLEADER MAGAZINE READERS
USE CODE: WLMAG3

BUY NOW - 30% OFF

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 24

 ZERO TO HERO
How the RAF’s unwanted batch of Airacobras went on to see action around the world

25 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

WORLD WAR II

The Bell Airacobra was the first

American day fighter to enter Royal Air
Force service, and arrived with great
anticipation. Unfortunately it proved a
great disappointment. Although heavily
armed and with several innovative
features, its lack of supercharger meant
that its altitude performance was woefully
inadequate. Andrew Thomas looks at
what happened to the unwanted RAF
Airacobras and finds that they redeemed
themselves in a very unexpected way.

T
he Bell P-39 Airacobra was a genuinely
innovative aircraft that incorporated
many new ideas and concepts. The
most significant difference between the P-39
and its contemporaries was the placing of the
engine in the mid-fuselage, behind the pilot.
This was done to allow the fitting of a heavy
cannon to fire through the propeller spinner.
This unconventional layout left no room for a
fuel tank in the fuselage which meant its range
would always be limited to what fuel it could
carry in the wings or with drop tanks.

Left: 601 Squadron lined up for the press at

Duxford, showing off their exotic American nose-
wheeled fighters. (ww2images.com)

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 26

 The Airacobra was also one of the first
fighters to have a tricycle undercarriage,
making it quite an exotic beast when it first
arrived in the UK.
601 Sqn under Sqn Ldr ‘Jumbo’ Gracie was
nominated as the first to be re-equipped and
its first two Airacobra Is, AH576 and AH577,
were delivered to Matlaske on 6 August amid
much excitement. 601’s pilots were keen to
receive them as was the Air Ministry due to the
political importance of having American fighters
in service. A press day was held at Duxford to
where 601 moved on 16 August where the
sleek looking Airacobras were photographed
in an impressive lineup whilst AH577 showed
off its paces in the air. From the start 601 was
disappointed with its new mount and regarded
being the pioneer squadron as a somewhat
dubious honour. Nonetheless, they were keen
to get into action with them.
Thus on 6 October Flt Lt Jaroslav Himr in
WORLD WAR II
AH589/UF-L led AH583 flown by Sgt Briggs,
Plt Off Jiri Manak in AH 595/UF-M, Sgt Scott
flying AH581 and Sgt Reynolds in AH591 from
Duxford at 14.40 for the 25 minute flight to
Manston. Bad weather prevented any ops
flying so Reynolds returned to Duxford later
in the afternoon. An operation was planned
Right: No 601’s CO was 30 year-old Sqn Ldr
‘Jumbo’ Gracie seen here climbing into his
Airacobra using the side-opening door. (author’s
collection)
Below: A rare photo of one of the 601 Sqn
Airacobras UF-B at Matlaske just before the
squadron moved to Duxford. The barrel of the
nose mounted 20 mm cannon is prominent in this
view. (via M W Payne)
27 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk
 Sqn Ldr Gracie’s aircraft was AH601 which wore the winged sword in place of the
aircraft letter. Although seen here being re-armed it never in fact fired its guns in
WORLD WAR II

anger and was lost in a crash landing on 12 December 1941. (P J Hulton)

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 28

for the following day but fog again prevented

WORLD WAR II
it happening. Fg Off Chivers then flew down Right: Flt Lt Jaroslav Himr, a Czech pilot, led the operational detachment to
in AH591 to join the detachment. Manston Manston on 6 October 1941 and led the first operational mission three days
remained fog bound on 8 October too so the later. (Z Hurt)
following morning Chivers in AH591 and Manak
flying AH595/UF-M flew back up to Duxford. Below: One of the four Airacobra Is used on operations was AH595/UF-M which
is seen at Manston soon after arriving on 6 October. Plt Off Jiri Manak flew two
However, that afternoon, the Airacobra operational sorties in it. (Z Hurt)
finally had its combat debut when at 17.45 Flt
Lt Himr in AH583 and Sgt Briggs flying AH881
left Manston on a Rhubarb. They flew low over
the Channel to Dunkirk where they shot up
some enemy troops on the pier and then ‘…
severely hurt the feelings of a trawler!’ They
arrived back at 18.20 hours. The CO, ‘Jumbo’
Gracie, noted: ‘…it was not much, but it was
a start.’
The next morning, 10 October, Briggs flew
AH581 to Duxford and Sqn Ldr Gracie arrived
at lunchtime in AH583. Shortly before that Plt
Off Jiri Manak set off in AH595/UF-M and flew
to France where he shot up several barges
in the canals behind Dunkirk before arriving
back at 13.00 having been up for just 45
minutes. Then at 1325 the CO flew a Rhubarb
but found nothing of interest, returning to
Manston after a 30 minute flight whilst 10
minutes after him Sgt Scott flew his first
operational Airacobra sortie in AH581 which
was also uneventful. There was no further
operational activity in the day due to the
weather but in the late afternoon Manak
flew back to Duxford, later returning in the
company of Plt Off Chivers who flew down
in AH584.

Early on the 11th Jaroslav Himr flew a

weather check over the Channel in AH583
returning at 07.20 with the news that things
looked suitable for operations. Accordingly, at
08.00 Himr in AH583, Manak in AH595/UF-M
and Chivers flying AH584 took off as escort

29 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

 to eight Hurricanes of 615 Sqn led by Flt Lt “Proceedings commenced with a before led Manak, Briggs and Himr back to Duxford
‘Dutch’ Hugo for a shipping reconnaissance breakfast sweep up the ‘single man’s side’ of where they landed at 15.15 so ending the
WORLD WAR II

off Boulogne. Unfortunately, the formation the coast to Ostend with 3 Airacobras of No 601 first, and only, operational detachment for
The clean lines of the Airacobra are
found nothing and so returned to base though Sqn. Nothing of interest was seen except flak.” the RAF Airacobras that flew just eight sorties.
well illustrated in this view of 601 Sqn’s
the Airacobras did experience some accurate In early 1942 601 Sqn was re-equipped with
aircraft lined up at Duxford. The red
light flak, but were undamaged. No 615 Sqn In the event, that final statement was a Spitfires and most RAF Airacobras, and those
winged sword on the fin flash had been
recorded the only ever Airacobra escort thus: requiem for the Airacobra’s operational service undelivered from the British order were
proudly carried on all the squadron’s
in the RAF. At 14.35 ‘Jumbo’ Gracie in AH581 shipped to Soviet Russia or transferred to the
aircraft over the years.
USAAF as the P-400.
(ww2images.com)

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 30

Pacific action

WORLD WAR II
Following the entry of the US into the War
many aircraft from the RAF Airacobra order
were transferred to the USAAF. However,
because of significant detail differences they
were designated as the P-400. To halt the
relentless Japanese advance south, substantial
US forces were sent to Australia and from
March 1942 the 8th Pursuit (later Fighter)
Group with a mix of the P-39D and P-400
was pushed forward to airfields around Port
Moresby, New Guinea. From the end of April
they were in action against the JNAF, claiming
some success as well as sustaining losses.
One of the first known P-400 victories was
claimed by 1/Lt Tom Lynch in a 35 FS aircraft
who claimed two Zeros of the Tainan Kokutai
destroyed over Waigani early on 20 May. Six
days later he was escorting some transports
to Wau that at 11.30 were intercepted by
Above: RAF contract Airacobra I BW114 was one of many transferred to the USAAF where they were designated as the P-400. It was shipped to Australia
and used by the RAAF for training duties at Lowood, Queensland, being damaged on 10 February 1943 and written off shortly afterwards. (RAAF)

Below: A section of P-400s taxy out at Turnbull Strip, Port Moresby for another mission over New Guinea in late 1942. (Krane via John Stanaway)

31 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

WORLD WAR II

Above: P-400 Airacobra BW167 ‘6’ and others of the 67 FS after arrival at Henderson Field,
Guadalcanal on 22 August 1942. (Bell Textron via John Stanaway)

Left: Capt Curran ‘Jack’ Jones of the 39 FS claimed the first P-400 victory over New Guinea, probably
in BW102 by which he is standing in June 1942. (C L Jones via John Stanaway)

16 A6M Zeros south west of Mount Lawson.
Using his height advantage, Lynch turned
into the enemy and he and his wingman each
claimed one destroyed. The 39th FS began
Airacobra operations at the start of June and
soon achieved its first victory. Flying a P-400
(believed to have been his regular mount,
BW102 ‘Flaming Arrow’) on the 9th, 1/Lt
Curran ‘Jack’ Jones led an escort to a B-26
raid on the Japanese base at Lae. They were
intercepted by some Zeros but Jones got on
the tail of one that he hit and saw the doomed
pilot jump out. He was believed to have
been the 15-victory ace Ens Satoshi Yoshino.
However, these were largely isolated successes
as at this stage Allied pilots had difficulty
coping with the nimble Japanese fighters. By
August the 80th FS had moved up to New
Guinea and on the 26th Lt Danny Roberts was
in a flight of ‘shark’s teeth’ decorated P-400s
over Buna that dived on a section of Zeros as
they was taking off. He hit one badly on the
first pass and others in the Flight then sent two
more down. Roberts turned into the others
and he shot two more down as the Airacobra’s
cannon armament proved devastating on the
Zero’s light structure.
By then the Americans were heavily
embroiled in bitter fighting on Guadalcanal in
the Solomon Islands and on 22 August the first
five P-400s of the 67th FS arrived at Henderson
Field led by Capt Dale Brannon. Two days
later he led a flight that intercepted a raid
by Aichi ‘Val’ dive bombers and along with
Lt Fincher, shot one down to claim the unit’s
first victory. However, during a heavy fight
on the 30th, Zeros shot down four P-400s,
though two Zeros were claimed in return. The
P-400s still suffered at altitude and gradually

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 32

they were replaced throughout the Pacific
theatre by later model P-39s or other more
effective types. Nonetheless, the RAF rejects
had proved a useful addition to the USAAF in a
time of genuine need.
Red Star Hero
In the wake of the huge losses inflicted on
the Red Air Force during the early weeks of
Operation Barbarossa, Winston Churchill had
promised to send Stalin fighters; but with
Spitfires in short supply, initially Hurricanes
were sent. US fighters allocated to Britain
under Lend Lease were also diverted, amongst
them the unwanted Airacobras. These
included the 84 aircraft serialed BW100-183
that were also divided between the USAAF
and Soviet Air Forces and the 300 Airacobras
of the batch BX135-434. For the Soviets the
266 ex-RAF Airacobras, 44 of which were sunk
en route, were the first of many thousands of
P-39s delivered from US production.
Christened Kobra by the Soviets, the first of
the ex-RAF Airacobras delivered was AH628
that was despatched with the first batch to
Archangel in November 1941. It was evaluated
at Kol’tsovo and twenty more aircraft were
taken on charge by 22 ZAP (Reserve Aviation
Regt) at Ivanovo (to the north east of Moscow)
for training. The ex RAF Kobras entered
operational service in May 1942 with 19 GIAP
(Guards Aviation Fighter Regt) at Afrikanda,
near Murmansk and were soon in action
over the far northern Front. They retained
their RAF serials and camouflage but with the
Soviet red stars in place of the overpainted
roundels. Capt Pavel Stepanovich Kutakhov
who commanded 19 GIAP’s 1st Eskadrilya
(squadron) conducted the first test flight of
an Airacobra I on 19 April. Despite the novel
WORLD WAR II
features that were new to the Soviet pilots,
they were soon won over by the Kobra.
Soon afterwards Maj Georgii Aleksandrovich
Kalugin (who had changed his name from the
Germanic sounding Reifschneider) led the
19th back to Shongui with 16 Airacobra Is (and
ten Kittyhawks) and flew their first operational
sorties on the evening of 15 May. The patrol
of four Kobras encountered a mixed formation
of Messerschmitt Bf 109s and 110s over Lake
Tulp’yavr west of Murmansk and during the
subsequent dogfight Pavel Kutakhov and Snr
Lt Ivan Bochov (both future aces) each claimed
a victory. Their victims were identified as ‘He
113s’ (clearly, Messerschmitt Bf 109s) but the
Kobra had been blooded over Russia! Bochov
was successful again the next day which also Above: Airacobra I BX237 ‘12’ of the 19th GIAP wears an impressive victory list of four solid
saw the first Kobra loss. Airacobra I AH660 was ‘individual’ and 25 outline ‘group’ victories. It is a suitable backdrop to some of the pilots, left to right
damaged by a Bf 109 and was force landed - Regiment CO, Maj Georgii Aleksandrovich Kalugin and next to him the CO of the 1st Eskadrilya Capt
in a forest by Snr Lt Ivan Gaidaenko. Despite Pavel Stepanovich Kutakhov and the (unknown) commanders of the 2nd and 3rd Eskadrilyas.
the aircraft being shredded by the trees he
was uninjured. A week later Ivan Bochov force Below: On 22 May 1942 soon after 19 GIAP began operations Snr Lt Ivan Bochov had to force land
landed AH692 ‘12’ near Shongui on 22 May. Airacobra I AH692 ‘12’ near its Shongui base. (both images via George Mellinger)
Six days later the newly promoted Maj
Kutakhov was also shot down during a fierce
battle, but survived unscathed.
The first major action by the ex RAF Kobras
with the Luftwaffe came a month later when
on 15 June six of them intercepted a similar
number of Ju 88 bombers escorted by 16 Bf
110s as they headed towards Murmansk. In
a whirling fight the Soviet pilots claimed nine
shot down for no loss with Ivan Bochov being
credited as bringing down one of each type
whilst Capt Konstantin Fomchenkov claimed
two. The 19th GIAP continued in action flying
its ex-RAF Kobras over the Murmansk Front
for the rest of the year, in November coming
under command of Maj Aleksei Efimovidn
Novozhilov. One of the Regiment’s last actions
33 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

WORLD WAR II
Above: One of the most successful early Kobra pilots with 19 GIAP was Snr Lt Ivan Bochov though Airacobra I ‘16’ behind him was the usual mount of fellow
ace Lt Efim Krivosheev. (via George Mellinger)
Left: The last Airacobra to be flown in British
colours was undoubtedly AH574 that was used
at RAE Farnborough for deck landing trials of a
tricycle undercarriage aircraft. Among others
it was flown by the renowned test pilot Lt Eric
‘Winkle’ Brown and is seen here at RAE in 1948.
(J D R Rawlings)
of 1942 came on 10 December when six
Airacobras, with Bochov at their head waded
into a large formation of Stukas and their Bf
109 escort. In the first pass two of the dive
bombers fell and then in the following short
fight, three more went down without loss.
One was credited to Bochov who in early 1943
became a Hero of the Soviet Union (HSU) but
on 4 April 1943 the 28 year-old fell in a battle
Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 34
with five Bf 109Gs so allowing has damaged
wingman to escape. Among the aircraft that
Bochov flew were AH962 ‘12’, AH726’36’ and
BX168 ‘15’. The ex-RAF Airacobras continued to
be used successfully by 19 GIAP and amongst
the other successful pilots to fly them were
Capt Ivan Gaidaenko who had 29 personal and
shared victories who flew AH636 ‘33’ and Maj
Aleksandr Zaitsev.
Another was Snr Lt Efim Krivosheev who
eventually gained a total of 20 victories flying
the Airacobra, regularly flying BX320 ‘16’. On 9
September 1942, having shot down a Bf 109,
Krivosheev saw his CO, Capt Pavel Kutakhov,
under attack by another German fighter and
having used all his ammunition deliberately
rammed the enemy fighter, albeit at the cost
of his own life; he was subsequently made a
Hero of the Soviet Union. Pavel Kutakhov, a
veteran of 367 sortie and 79 air battles during
which he scored 14 personal and 28 shared
kills, survived the war and in 1969 became a
Marshal Aviation, and Commander in Chief
of the Soviet Air Force. He died in 1984. Also
flying the ex-RAF Airacobra on the northern
front against the Germans and Finns in Karelia
was the 30th GIAP (formerly 180 IAP) whilst
153 IAP also converted to the Airacobra I at
Ivanovo. In the 28th GIAP (formerly 153 IAP) Lt
Nikolai Pas’ko used ex-RAF Airacobra BX 254 to
gain some of his 15 victories.
Thus, the RAF’s Airacobras had found
their niche over the frozen wastes of the
Russian Front. It remains one of the strange
dichotomies that the P-39 series that was
deemed so mediocre in the West should find
such success in Russia and be the weapon of
choice for some of the leading Allied aces of
the War. And so, over the frozen Arctic tundra
and endless Steppes, the ill-loved ’Cobra had
become the much loved Kobra and been
transformed from zero to hero!
THE BIRTH OF an Air Force

THE AIRCRAFT OF THE ESTONIAN AIR FORCE 1919 - 1926

35 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk
BETWEEN THE WARS
The end of the First World War saw many new countries emerge
in Europe, all of which would soon need an air force. With little
in the way of money or trade links, these countries, borrowed,
stole, traded and salvaged a wide variety of airframes to get
airborne. Roger Tisdale and Arvo Vercamer explore the British,
German, French and Russian types that were cobbled together
to form the Estonian Air Defence Force.

T
he origins of the Estonian military (Air Force, Army and Navy)
On 2 May 1919, through an order of the day, all Estonian military
can be traced back to the Russian (Bolshevik) revolution of 1917.
airplanes were ordered to be numbered sequentially. The ex-RAF Be.2c,
During this time, the Province of Estonia was granted a moderate
British serial number C.6981, was thus given the number “6” in the
degree of autonomy within the “new Russia” - including the right to
EADF. While in Estonia, RAF Flight Lieutenant Claude Scudamore Emery
establish Estonian-manned armed forces.
used this aircraft to train new Estonian pilots. C.6981 was removed
On 24 February 1918, between the period where Russian military
from service in Estonia in 1925.
forces retreated out of Estonia, and German military forces entered,

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 36

 HENRI FARMAN HF 30

BETWEEN THE WARS

Estonia declared its independence. Until
11 November 1918, the ongoing German
occupation of Estonia did not permit the
Estonians from (openly) organizing anything
that the Germans in Estonia considered a
threat to their authority and rule.
No sooner had the 11 November 1918
armistice been signed, than the Estonian
Provisional Government came out of hiding
and declared Estonia to be an independent
nation. One of the first official acts of the
new Estonian government was creation of a
military aviation department.
On 21 November 1918, Colonel Voldemar
Victor Riiberg, the Commander of the
(Estonian) Engineering Battalion, ordered
Lieutenant August Roos to organize a flight
unit - The Estonian Aviation Half-Company
(Lennupoolrood) of the Engineer Battalion.
Numerous abandoned and non-flight-worthy Estonia’s Henri Farman HF-30 was captured by Estonian cavalry and infantry forces near the City of Narva from the Bolsheviks, on 19 January 1919. It was
German land and seaplanes were immediately the only Estonian aircraft to carry the first Estonian Air Defence Force insignia design - a plain, black square. When it became known that Turkey already
seized in Tallinn, but it was not until January used that symbol, the Estonian black square was changed to a triangle in the colours of the Estonian national flag. In July of 1919, the Allied powers ordered
of 1919, that the first operational aircraft was Estonia to transfer the HF-30 over to the White Army of General Yudenitch.
acquired – a Soviet-marked Henri Farman
HF.30 was captured near the City of Narva.
On 22 November 1918, the Soviet Red
Army, not recognizing Estonia’s declaration
of independence, attacked and invaded
Estonia. Within a short period of time, 75%
of Estonia was under Soviet control. The
newly created Estonian Army (along with the
Aviation Company and Navy), with foreign
(overwhelmingly British) assistance, organized
a counter-attack in early January 1919. Success
was with the Estonians, as most of Estonia
(and even neighbouring Latvia) was quickly
cleared of Soviet forces.
Estonian Aviation, primarily Avro 504’s, Airco
DH.9s, Short 184’s and German DFW C.V’s,
completed a number of combat missions in
support of the Estonian Army during Estonia’s
War of Independence.

37 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

 SOPWITH STRUTTER
In February of 1920, a peace treaty with where Poland accepted scrap steel in lieu of
BETWEEN THE WARS

Soviet Russia was signed. Estonia had won her
War of Independence. Although, the Estonian
Army was demobilized after the peace treaty
was signed, the Aviation Half-Company was
retained and it was even expanded. With
the delivery of more aircraft from abroad,
the Aviation Company (Lennurood) was now
reorganized and upgraded to an Aviation
Regiment (Lennuväe rügement) - containing
a land-plane squadron, a seaplane squadron,
a flight school (headed by an RAF pilot with
his Sopwith Camel) and workshops. More
airbases and seaplane stations were built in
and around Estonia.
Estonia was a poor nation in the 1920s. She
spent 25-30% of her GDP on defence. Some
Airco DH.9s were purchased from Poland -
cash/precious metals for payment. The 1929
global stock market crash did not make things
any easier for Estonia.
Of importance to note is that some
Aviation Regiment pilots were involved in
the pro-Soviet coup d’etat attempt on 1
December 1924 - but this coup attempt
was crushed within hours. By 1925, most
of Estonia’s WWI surplus fighters, bombers
and trainers had reached the end of their
expected life spans. As these older aircraft
were withdrawn from active service or
relegated to training roles, newer military
aircraft were purchased from abroad (mostly
from France and the United Kingdom).

On 31 January 1919, Rudolf Piirile, a Bolshevik pilot of Estonian

heritage, defected to Estonia with his Sopwith 1½ Strutter
ex-RAF s/n A.2409, near the Võõpsu settlement in Estonia.
Piirile had been serving with the Soviet 10th Rifle Corps at the
time of his defection. Though in poor condition upon arrival,
Estonian mechanics were able to re-skin and repair the Strutter
- which received the number “3”, while she served in the EADF.
In December of 1921, she was no longer airworthy, and was
removed from active service.

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 38

 SOPWITH CAMEL

BETWEEN THE WARS

Sopwith 2F.1 Camel, RNAS s/n N.6616,
was the personal mount of Flight Lieutenant
Claude Scudamore Emery, who in 1919 was
assigned by London to help train the next
generation of Estonian pilots. N.6616 had
previously served aboard the British aircraft
carrier, HMS Vindictive. In Estonia, Captain
Emery (promoted in Estonia) was very
protective of “his” Sopwith Camel. The Camel
however became a total loss, when Estonian
student pilot Aleksander Vernik was at the
controls, and crashed the aircraft.
Estonia’s Henri Farman HF-30 can be seen
behind the Camel and behind the HF-30 are
two Be.2cs.

39 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

 DFW C.V
BETWEEN THE WARS

Right: DFW C.V, EADF nr 10: On 8 June

1919, Estonian ground forces downed the
DFW C.V, B/N 371/18, assigned to FA 16
near the City of Narva. During Estonia’s War
of Independence, 1918-1920, this aircraft
was operationally very active against German
Landeswehr and Bolshevik/Soviet forces.
It crashed on 2 July 1925, as a result of a
training accident.

Below: DFW C.V, EADF nr 11: This aircraft was

captured from the German FA 427 on 21 June
1919, which was fighting Estonian and Bolshevik
forces in southern Estonia. It was shot down
near Auciems, Latvia, by Estonian ground forces -
and seized relatively intact. During the Soviet-
instigated coup d’etat attempt in Estonia on 24
December 1924, when the coup failed, EADF
nr 11 and its pilot defected to the Soviet Union,
landing at the village of Moloskovitsh. Not being
able to convince Soviet authorities of a pro-Soviet
coup d’etat attempt, the pilot, Karl Fiskars, was
jailed and the plane seized. Both were returned
to Estonia in 1925.

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 40

 AVRO 504

BETWEEN THE WARS

Right and photo: The RAF’s Avro 504K, s/n
E.9467, was delivered to Estonia in 1919,
and received the number 15 in the EADF on 2
September 1919. Estonia was one of the first
nations in the world to establish an airmail
service and postage stamps - and nr 15 was used
to ferry airmail between Tallinn, Estonia, and
Helsinki, Finland. The RAF serial number E.9467
was retained on the lower wing, until the aircraft
was withdrawn from service in 1929/1930.

Left: Avro 504K; EADF Number 23: This aircraft entered

service with the EADF on 8 December 1919. It was
immediately deployed as a mail courier between Tallinn and
Helsinki. In 1920, it was involved in a serious crash - but was
repaired and made airworthy again. In its later years, nr 23
served in its original role as a training aircraft for the next
generation of Estonian pilots. It was withdrawn from service
in 1928.
Below: Avro 504R “Gosport”; EADF Number 112: This Avro
504R “Gosport” initially served with the 9th Squadron of
the EADF after delivery in 1930. It then served as a training
aircraft with the EADF until the Soviet occupation and
annexation of Estonia in August of 1940. EADF nr 112 was
involved in a number of minor accidents/crashes - but none
were severe enough to have it removed from active service
as a trainer.

41 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

 AGO C.VII
BETWEEN THE WARS

AGO C.VII, EADF nr 35: Only one example of the

AGO C.VII was ever constructed - and that one
aircraft wound up in the EADF after World War I.
On 3 October 1919, the German merchantman
S/S “Stadt Memel” departed from Stettin, with
two DFW C.Vs and one AGO C.VII aboard bound
for Estonia. The latter was accepted as an
operational aircraft on 4 October 1919, and was
retired in 1929.

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 42

 SPAD C.VII

BETWEEN THE WARS

In 1924, Estonia purchased a number of military aircraft from France,
including the two SPAD C.VIIs depicted in this photograph. Estonia’s two
SPADs were equipped with Chauviere propellers. They were both used
as unarmed training aircraft, with number 78 being written off in 1925
after a crash.

43 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

 NIEUPORT
BETWEEN THE WARS

Right: Estonia’s Russian Dux-built Nieuport 17, c/n 1797, was

numbered 46 in the EADF. She was obtained from the White
Army of General Yudenitch, who was fighting the Soviets/
Bolsheviks in north-eastern Europe. On 6 July 1921, RAF
Captain Claude Scudamore Emery, who was training new
Estonian pilots, performed the first test flight of number 46.
From then, until 1925, it was used as a training aircraft to
teach Estonian pilots how to attack enemy aeroplanes and how
to perform aerial dogfights.

Below: Nieuport 10; EADF Number 51: This

aircraft was obtained from the Russian
“Northern Army” (c/n 1501) and was
added to the EADF roster on 7 July 1920.
In very poor condition when obtained, it was
nevertheless made airworthy by Estonian
aviation mechanics by 10 June 1922.
On 24 February 1923, Captain C. Emery,
carried out a flypast over the Estonian
Independence Day ceremonies and parade
with this aircraft. It was withdrawn from
service in 1925.

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 44

 DH.9

BETWEEN THE WARS

Above: Estonia’s DH.9s, H.9153 and H.9133,
both arrived in Tallinn, Estonia from Great Britain
on 23 August 1919 aboard the Estonian steamer,
“Kodumaa” (Homeland). H.9133 received the
number 17 in the EADF. In late November 1919,
and early 1920, number 17 participated in
numerous combat and reconnaissance missions
against the invading Bolshevik/Soviet armies
during Estonia’s War of Independence. It was
retired from active service in 1925.

Left: Estonia’s DH.9, EADF number 71, had an

interesting history. It was originally the Polish
26.15, before being purchased by Estonia in
1923. As Estonia was very cash-poor in those
days, Poland accepted scrap metal deliveries as
payment. Number 71 was painted in Polish Air
Force colours throughout its career in Estonia,
being withdrawn from active service in 1933.

Above: DH.9 D.660 Estonian number 30, crashed on landing following

a flight from Helsinki to Tallinn carrying the first load of bank notes
for the newly created Estonian Republic and was written off on 11
February 1920.

45 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

 SEAPLANES
BETWEEN THE WARS

The EADF acquired eight Short 184 seaplanes in 1918.

N.9134 Number 41, (above) was withdrawn from active service in 1925.
RAF s/n N.9132, Estonia’s number 40, (right) was obtained from the Royal Navy in1920,
and entered service with the EADF in 1921. It was one of the longest serving aircraft in the
EADF, being finally written off on 2 November 1933 after a crash-landing at sea. The pilot
and the observer clung on to a broken pontoon for 17 hours in the ice-cold waters of the Gulf
of Finland, before being rescued.
Friedrichshafen FF 41AT; EADF nr.
53/55: Throughout their occupation
of Estonia in 1918, the German
naval authorities based and stored a
number of FF-41AT seaplanes along
Estonia’s shorelines, but especially
in hangars at Tallinn. After the
German surrender on 11 November
1918, Estonian military officials
quickly seized “Marine 997” from
the Germans. Though in very derelict
condition, the Estonians managed to
refurbish the seaplane somewhat.
Though technically assigned the
number 1 in the EADF, long ongoing
repairs caused it to be re-numbered
as EADF 55. It was withdrawn from
service in January of 1923.

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 46

 SEAPLANES

BETWEEN THE WARS

Above and right: Norman Thompson NT.2B; EADF Number 8:
On 25 April 1919, two NT.2B seaplanes were delivered from
the UK to Estonia aboard the steamer “Svanholm”; N.2286
and N.2287 respectively. These two seaplanes also served as
training airplanes in the EADF, as they had previously with the
RNAS. Number 8 was withdrawn from service in 1922.

Left and below: Grigorovich M -11; EADF

Number 54: Numerous M -11 seaplane
fighters served with the Imperial Russian
forces in the Baltic Sea during the First World
War. In early 1918, Russian Bolshevik troops
abandoned one M -11 in Estonia, as German
forces pushed the Bolsheviks further east.
When the First World War ended, Estonians
seized this one M -11 from the Germans,
before they had chance to destroy it. Never in
good mechanical and structural condition, it
was withdrawn from service in 1928.

Above: Grigorovich-Shchetinin M -16; EADF Number 4: During the First World War, as well as
the following Russian Civil War, a number of Grigorovich-Shchetinin M -16 seaplanes were based
at the (old) “Brigitovka” (Pirita) Naval Air Station near Tallinn and Haapsalu in Estonia, as well as
in Helsinki and Turku in Finland. In 1918, the Russians withdrew all surviving M -16’s to Helsinki,
to prevent them from falling into German hands. Estonia purchased one of these M -16’s for
25.000 (Estonian) Marks in late 1918, and the aircraft was delivered to Estonia in early 1919.
On 25 May 1919, it was involved in a crash, in close proximity to the British light cruiser
“Caledon”. Only two pontoons survived the loss of the seaplane.

47 Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk

BACK ISSUES AVAILABLE
IF YOU’VE ENJOYED READING DIGITAL ISSUE 3 THEN DO HAVE A BROWSE THROUGH OUR PREVIOUS
DIGITAL ISSUES 1 AND 2 LINKED HERE. FREE
DOWNLOAD
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ENJOY THE TOUCH AND FEEL OF PRINTED PAPER DON’T FORGET OUR
LIMITED EDITION LAUNCH ISSUE IS STILL AVAILABLE VIA THE LINK BELOW.
READ NOW!

OUR FIRST PRINTED COMPENDIUM ISSUE FEATURING THE ARTICLES FROM DIGITAL ISSUES 1, 2 AND
3 WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ORDER FROM THE END OF MARCH 2019. SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST TO
RECEIVE FULL DETAILS OF HOW TO ORDER..

DON’T MISS OUT! SUBSCRIBE TO THE MAILING LIST

£12
+P&P
ORDER NOW!

FREE
DOWNLOAD
READ NOW!

Wingleader Magazine - Download your copy FREE at wingleadermagazine.co.uk 48