Eastern Front 1941 Pt.7: French I-153

[comrade harps]

Socialist Unity Aviation Collective (SUAC) I-153
a/c 1, Groupe de Chasse GC 3 Normandie, Armée de l'air
7 December, 1941, Vaenga, Socialist Union



Thrown into crisis by the Axis invasion of 22 June, 1941, the Socialist Union had little choice but to make common cause with what until then had been referred to as the Western Imperialist Allies. Moscow ordered its diplomats in London and Washington to make appeals for assistance within days of the assault.




Although anti-Communist, Churchill and Roosevelt responded favorably, as did the Free French government in exile. By 9 July, 1941, a proposal had been agreed whereby the Royal Navy would send the first of many an aid convoys to Murmansk and Archangel in August. Among the arms and logistics sent would be 40 Hurricane IIBs, plus pilots and ground crew to train the Reds in the unpacking, assembly, maintenance, procedures and tactics of Hurricane operations. The RAF formed 151 Wing for the mission and drew its personnel from 81 and 615 squadrons, both units being highly experienced on the Hurricane. 81 Sqd included Australian, British and Canadian personnel and 615 Sqd was commanded by a British officer but mostly staffed with Free French. 151 Wing also included 147 Squadron RCAF with 18 Bristol Fairchild Bolingbroke IVD radar-equipped fighters, intended to provide both local night fighter air defence and convoy escort.




Called Force Benedict, the mission provided vital aid to the Reds at a critical moment, introducing them to the use of modern technology and control systems (including radar), fighter tactics and prepared them to accept further Hurricane deliveries. It also played a significant diplomatic role, as it gave backbone to the calls from London and Washington for the Finnish government not to advance beyond the territory it lost to the Red Army in the 1939-40  Winter War. The deployment demonstrated to the Finns that further offensive action against the Socialist Union, including moves to cut the railway line from Murmansk, would result in direct military confrontation with the Western Allies. An additional response wanted from the Finns was to halt or limit their support for the German-led offensive aimed at Murmansk that was operating from northern Finland.




Force Benedict went ashore at Archangel on 1 September, 1941, and quickly established the airfield at Vaenga, near Murmansk, as their base. 151 Wing was declared operational on 10 September and from the next day to 17 October the RAF crews engaged in a combination of combat and training, officially handing over the last of the 36 surviving Hurricanes from the first batch on the 18th. By then the RAF pilots were credited with shooting down 6 Luftwaffe planes. The Reds achieved their first Hurricane victory over the Luftwaffe on 26th. The Australian, British and Canadian personnel started for home from mid-October and the last left on 1 December, but the Free French of 615 Sqd remained to fight alongside the Reds. On 1 November, 1941, 615 Sqd was renamed Groupe de Chasse GC 3 Normandie.




By the start of December over 100 Hurricanes IIBs had arrived by sea, but all were earmarked for the Reds. The French were eager to get back into combat but were now without planes, so from early November transitioned to the best of the SUAC I-153s that local Red units had discarded for the Hurricane. Although operations were severely restricted by weather and the declining hours of daylight, several armed reconnaissance and bombing missions were flown through to the end of the year. Winter camouflage and the removal of the wheel covers (to ease the problem of mud and ice build up) adapted the planes to the conditions.



This aircraft was photographed before taking off on a mission against German troops that had taken up defensive positions on the Litsa Front, 7 December, armed with four FAB 50 bombs. Note that, as there was no chance of mis-identification with Vichy French aircraft, standard Armée de l'air roundels were applied on GC 3's I-153s (with underwing red stars retained in order to reduce the chance of friendly ground fire). Unlike the activities of Force Benedict, which were secret at the time, the operations of GC 3 whilst flying Red aircraft in the Socialist Union were highly publicised for propaganda purposes.

[Sport21ing]

Great Job with the I-153

[AXU]

  I like it !

[Dizzyfugu]

Cool, weird. I like it much. 

A suggestion concerning the finish: Maybe add some (more) whitewash over the decals, too? The result looks a little strange?

[NARSES2]

Looks good

[Glenn Gilbertson]

Novel & good looking!

[comrade harps]

After spending lots of time doing the painstaking paint work on the Regianne Re.9001 FB I wanted to do something quick and dirty. That's one thing I like about modelling, that each project can have it's own terms of reference and approach.

Cool, weird. I like it much. 

A suggestion concerning the finish: Maybe add some (more) whitewash over the decals, too? The result looks a little strange?

I thought about doing that, but refrained for a couple of reasons: VVS winter camos often retained un-obscured markings (like below) and the need in this backstory to make the French markings prominent. I assumed that the winter camo might have been applied before the French markings went on.



I really enjoyed doing this and I'm happy with how it came out.

[zenrat]

Nice work comrade.

[NARSES2]

I thought about doing that, but refrained for a couple of reasons: VVS winter camos often retained un-obscured markings

Yup. Even a lot of hastily whitewashed aircraft seem to have left the markings relatively un-obscured.