Eastern Front 1941 Pt.5: IMAN Ro.56

[comrade harps]

Industrie Meccaniche Aeronautiche Meridionali (IMAM) Ro.56
a/c 3607, 12 Bomber Squadron, Croatian Air Force Legion , Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia (Zrakoplovstvo Nezavisne Države Hrvatske: ZNDH), Oryol, Russia, September, 1941


Using the brand name of IMAM, Meridionali produced the Ro.51 floatplane for the Regia Marina, which was a scout bomber capable of operations from water, catapult and land. Building upon this sound design, the company offered a series of dive-, attack-, level- and torpedo-bombers based on the Ro.51. These were:

• carrier-capable Ro.52 dive bomber and the R0.53 torpedo bomber for the Regia Marina
• land-based derivatives as the Ro.54 dive bomber and Ro.55 attack bomber for the Regia Aeronautica
• land-based Ro.56 reconnaissance/attack bomber for export customers

Although Meridionali built a single prototype for each of the type in this series, both the Regia Marina nor the Regia Aeronautica showed little interest.  The RM choose the CANT Z.2003  to be its dive bomber (but only 40 were built due to delays in the carrier program) and the service never did place a production contract for selected Reggiane Re.1900 torpedo bomber. The RA passed over its dive bomber offerings in preference to importing the proven Ju-87; the attack bomber requirement was split between the Breda BA.88 and Reggiane's Re.1901 proposal, the latter being a land-based derivative of the Re.1900 that could be used in the level bomber, attack bomber, torpedo bomber and photographic reconnaissance roles (see future installment, Eastern Front Pt.6).




The Italian Air Ministry, though, encouraged Meridionali to pursue the Ro.56 for export customers.  Armed with up to 500kg of bombs on external 3 hardpoints, 2 wing mounted 20mm cannon and a machine gun for rear defence, this two seater was marketed as a tactical reconnaissance and attack bomber suitable for forward basing thanks to its robust structure, slow landing speed and simplicity. A brochure distributed at the 1938 Paris Air Show described how the Ro.56's dive brakes gave it a "near dive-bomber performance" (note that it lacked the bomb swing arm usually associated with true dive bombers).



30 were ordered by Argentina and 15 each by Peru and Portugal. However, the first eleven of these aircraft were still being used for testing and training on 10 June, 1940, when Italy declared war on France and Britain. The Italian government immediately placed a ban on their export and ordered Meridionali to complete the 60 plane production run for delivery to the Regia Aeronautica; which, after a cursory evaluation, declared them surplus to requirements and encouraged the company to find alternative export customers. By March 1941 all 60 Ro.56s had been built and were  being kept in flyaway storage at company expense. When Yugoslavia joined the Axis Tripartite Pact on 25 March, Italian Fascist dictator Bonito Mussolini immediately offered the Ro.56s as a gift to his new Yugoslavian allies.



Two days later a coup deposed the government that had just signed on to the Tripartite Pact and the Ro.56s were again embargoed. On 6 April the Axis forced the issue with an invasion of Yugoslavia and the German puppet Independent State of Croatia was formed on the 10th. The ZNDH was formed on the the 19th and Italy again offered the Ro.56s as a gift of friendship. The ZNDH accepted, as most of its inherited inventory had been destroyed (or confiscated by the Germans) and it was expecting immediate combat assignments.



The volunteer Croatian Air Force Legion began training in Germany in July with one fighter squadron (equipped with Bf 109Es) and one attack squadron (equipped with Ro.56s), deploying to the Eastern Front in September. Although somewhat lacking in horsepower and protection, the Ro.56 proved to be structurally strong, reliable and a stable bombing platform. Based on combat experience additional armour was added and self-sealing fuel tanks were installed during the winter lay-off before returning to combat in the spring of 1942. In addition to tactical targets they also bombed Moscow and Leningrad during 1942 and were in action during the Axis debacle at Volgograd in the winter of 1942-43. Throughout their campaigns against the Reds the standard bomb load was a centrally mounted SC 250 and a pair of under-wing SC 50s.



The ZNDH withdraw its forces from the Eastern Front in February 1943 to concentrate on its domestic struggle against the Partisan guerrillas. Although by then there were only 11 Ro.56s still airworthy, they were used against the Partisans until late August, 1944, when the Ustashi government collapsed after Hitler's death and the Valkyrie coup against the Nazis. 3 Ro.56s survived to be operated by the Yugoslavian Communists and the last was retired in 1948 through a lack of spares.

[comrade harps]

The Ro.56 above and the VL Pöllö are intimately related kitbashes. They came about when I discovered that the wing roots for the Airfix Arado Ar 196 and the Airfic Vought Kingfisher are nearly an identical fit when cross-kitted with the alternate fuselages. Just cut off the locating tabs and they are have better fit than many kits have.

• So, to make the VL Pöllö , add one Airfix Ar 196 fuselage to two Airfix Kingfisher wings and engine nacelle, add the Italeri CR.42 undercarriage and various other bits and bobs from the spare boxes.
• And to make the Ro.56, combine two Airfix Arado Ar 196 mianplanes with two Airfix Kingfisher fuselage halves and add an Airfix Ki-46 prop and engine nacelle to give it that Italian Piaggio P.120 look, mix-in some Airfix IL-2 rear wings, two Revell Ju-87D/G fixed landing gear and some other stuff from the spares boxes.

Easy.

Hope you like.

[dumaniac]

nice model - nice camo

[zenrat]

The Ro.56 above and the VL Pöllö are intimately related kitbashes. They came about when I discovered that the wing roots for the Airfix Arado Ar 196 and the Airfic Vought Kingfisher are nearly an identical fit when cross-kitted with the alternate fuselages. Just cut off the locating tabs and they are have better fit than many kits have.

• So, to make the VL Pöllö , add one Airfix Ar 196 fuselage to two Airfix Kingfisher wings and engine nacelle, add the Italeri CR.42 undercarriage and various other bits and bobs from the spare boxes.
• And to make the Ro.56, combine two Airfix Arado Ar 196 mianplanes with two Airfix Kingfisher fuselage halves and add an Airfix Ki-46 prop and engine nacelle to give it that Italian Piaggio P.120 look, mix-in some Airfix IL-2 rear wings, two Revell Ju-87D/G fixed landing gear and some other stuff from the spares boxes.

Easy.

Hope you like.

Really?  I was convinced it was a modified Karas.  Excellent bashing Comrade.
The spats are gorgeous.

[PR19_Kit]

Really?  I was convinced it was a modified Karas. 

My initial thoughts were exactly the same, but it's much prettier........ 

[Snowtrooper]

Cute as a button! With that rounded rear fuselage and large, rounded wings and tailplanes, and cockpit taking up most of the length, she looks almost like an "eggplane" or something from Pixar's Planes

[comrade harps]

Really?  I was convinced it was a modified Karas.  Excellent bashing Comrade.
The spats are gorgeous.

I did look up the Karas while planning and building the Ro.56 as a source of inspiration. Well spotted  .

Thanks for your kind words on these kitbashes. I don't do much kitbashing like this, but I planned and built these two simultaneously and I'm quite pleased with how they turned out. They look about right.

[NARSES2]

Like others I assumed it was a Karas heavily modified. Great work and I do like your scenario 

[b29r]

Very enjoyable read and love the model.  That is a neat kitbash, and went together smooth.  Great camo too!
Best regards,
Kem

[Scotaidh]

I also thought it was a Karas.    Very nice job!