Miss Virginia on the Eastern Front

[comrade harps]

Hawker Hurricane 1B
Miss Virginia, 469th Fighter Squadron, Joint Anglo-American Fighter Wing, Pyriatyn Socialist Republic, Socialist Union, 22 June, 1944



469th Squadron was one of three squadrons formed in late 1941 to train pilots and ground crew from the Socialist Union (S.U.) in the operation of American Lead-Lease fighters. The 469 trained Reds on the P-39, while sister squadrons 467 trained with the P-40 and 468 on the P-50. By the end of 1943 this training was no longer required, but instead of leaving the Reds to their own devices on the Eastern Front, the USAAF applied President Roosevelt's "war on all fronts" strategy to form Eastern Command and send two squadrons of fighters to join the RAF's 153 Wing in Russia.




During the winter of 1943-44, 153 Wing laid-up in British occupied Iran to regroup and re-equip. Their Hurricane IIC and D fighter-bombers were replaced with Typhoon 1B and their Spitfire Vs with Spitfire IXs. Re-organised into the Joint Anglo-American Fighter Wing (JAAFW), the RAF reduced their commitment to the Eastern Front by two squadrons, their place being taken up by 468th (flying Spitfires) and 469th (flying Typhoons). In March, 1944, JAAFW entered combat against the Axis on the Eastern Front. By then, the Spitfire squadrons were receiving P-50Js, which were American built long-range Spitfires.

The existence of Eastern Command and the establishment of JAWF was a prelude to Operation Frantic, an USAAF shuttle bombing campaign. Several Frantic mission were flown between June and August, 1944, ending as secret negotiations between the British and Americans and the German anti-Nazi coup leaders began. JAAWF's primary role was to "gather intelligence through combat" on Axis Eastern Europe, overflying and photographing key landmarks, potential targets and routes. To disguise this, a deception campaign was waged that saw JAAWF attack targets not associated with Frantic and used as a propaganda tool eulogising East-West co-operation in American and British newspapers and newsreels.




Miss Virginia was the personal mount of Captain James Elliott, the plane being named after his sister, Rose Marie Elliott, who was Miss Virginia in 1939 and fourth runner-up in the Miss America pageant that year.  Captain Elliott had previous flown F-6A Mustangs with the 111th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in the Mediterranean. Like the Typhoon, the F-6A was armed with four 20mm cannon and this, along with his experience at flying armed reconnaissance missions, probably contributed to his selection for the JAAWF. Indeed, several pilots with reconnaissance and intelligence experience were recruited to the 469th for its JAAWFassignment.

The two kill markings on Miss Virginia are both Captain Elliot's. The first was a Luftwaffe Ju-52 shot down whilst returning from an armed reconnaissance mission near Sicily in 1943. The second was a Luftwaffe Bf109G shot down over Ukraine in May, 1944.



Miss Viginia is depicted here as photographed on 22 June, 1944. The night before, Luftwaffe bombers had destroyed 47 USAAF Operation Frantic B-17s at Poltava. In reply, JAAWF conducted an attacked on airfields around Minsks where many of the Luftwaffe bombers had massed for the attack. 43 Lufwaffe aircraft were destroyed.  As was usual wing JAAWF's long-range missions, drop tanks were used (limiting the rocket load to two per wing).

JAAWF remained in the field until 17 August, 1944, when it was recalled and Eastern Command disbanded. Its men were flown back to Iran, although the fighters were flew across Axis occupied Europe to Italy without incident. By then, peace negotiations were drawing to a conclusion and relations with the Reds had completely broken down. The Americans and the British publicly stated that, as the German's were rapidly withdrawing, shuttle bombing was no longer necessary. Therefore, JAAWF and Eastern Command, as supporting elements to Operation Frantic, were no longer needed. On 21 August, 1944, the guns fell silent across Western Europe as the Germans and the Western Allies announced their Separate Peace, what is known to the Reds as the Great Betrayal. The Reds finally defated the Germans and those nations in Eastern Europe alligned with them in May, 1946.

[Hobbes]

Good job!

[Vulcan7]

Great looking build & back story 

[NARSES2]

Really nice

[RussC]

Nice model and history idea. 

[pyro-manic]

Excellent back story, and a lovely model. I did a USAAF Tempest a couple of years ago - they really do look good!

[TomZ]

Great model and very good history! 

TomZ

[Mossie]

Very nice, like the camo over metal finish.