Inspirations Thread

[CANSO]

Not an inspiration, just a question for those who can answer it:
I've seen photos of Skuas an Rocs having roundels without the white ring - I don't know the exact type of these roundels(I know it now - it's B1).
In the photos a/cs from both types fly together with airplanes with "normal" roundels. Is there any particular reason, time period, mission etc. for those roundels? Unfortunately I don't have the book of Matthew Willis to check for some details.




Thank you in advance!

P.S. On one of my favorite sites I think I found the answer: the Type B1 (or B-1) roundel was " a rare variant of the Type B roundel and included a thick outer band of yellow. It was used only on "some" aircraft between March and December of 1939."
P.P.S. I added the last photo  with the 5 "Roc"s where the insignia differences are even more curious. Are 2 of the a/cs sporting roundels with overpainted yellow rings? In blue?
Photo is from late March 1940.

[Librarian]

I meant North of the Scottish Border.
Nazi aligned free Scots making fighter sweeps across Northumbria from their secret bases in The Trossachs tying up 12 Group and pulling them away from the bombers and zerstorers heading in from Norway...

However, what if Messerschmitt had plumbed the Bf 109 E3 or 4 for drop tankage (instead of it not being done until the E7)?
Longer range escort fighters in the Battle would have pressed the RAF harder and possibly meant more bombers got through.

The free scots needs a Bf 110 squadron 

drod tanks would have been the solution and have the RAF pushed to the wall.

Hotte

Didn't Hess try to deliver one

[Mossie]

Not an inspiration, just a question for those who can answer it:
I've seen photos of Skuas an Rocks having roundels without the white ring - I don't know the exact type of these roundels(I know it now - it's B1).
In the photos a/cs from both types fly together with airplanes with "normal" roundels. Is there any particular reason, time period, mission etc. for those roundels? Unfortunately I don't have the book of Matthew Willis to check for some details.

P.S. On one of my favorite sites I think I found the answer: the Type B1 (or B-1) roundel was " a rare variant of the Type B roundel and included a thick outer band of yellow. It was used only on "some" aircraft between March and December of 1939."

Here's the original order on Rafweb (along with others):
http://www.rafweb.org/Squadrons/Sqn%20Markings/sqn_codes.htm

I believe the blue/red markings on the fuselage occurred when the order was interpreted incorrectly.

[CANSO]

Here's the original order on Rafweb (along with others):
http://www.rafweb.org/Squadrons/Sqn%20Markings/sqn_codes.htm
I believe the blue/red markings on the fuselage occurred when the order was interpreted incorrectly.

Thank you!
AMO A154/39 (27 April 1939) orders a blue ring surrounding a red centre  on both sides of the fuselage and on upper surface of wing tips  . Maybe only adding the yellow ring to the old roundels was a misinterpretation?

[NARSES2]

Could someone please do a Focke-Wulf Fw 187 Falke?? its fast, good looking and unusual, should be a perfect project for this build 

I will be building one

[Captain Canada]

Great shots Canso thanks for sharing those !

[rickshaw]

It appears to me that we are seeing too much of a concentration on the single-engined fighters and not enough on their prey!

A selection of Luftwaffe bombers:

[Mossie]

I had a thought, what about Irish involvement in the BoB?  The question is, which side?

I can't say I know much about Irish politics of the period except that things were still very frosty with the UK.  But had Ireland decided not to pursue neutrality, it's not clear cut as to which way they would have turned and might be a interesting exercise in alternative history.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_neutrality_during_World_War_II
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emergency_(Ireland)

[zenrat]

Isn't the protagonist in The Eagle Has Landed (and indeed a number of other Jack Higgins books) an IRA man working for the nazis?

[Mossie]

Yes.

[tigercat]

Stupid question  but they've gone to lots of trouble to camouflage  a large slowish relatively defenceless Ju 52 then painted parts of it high visibility  yellow.

[zenrat]

It appears to me that we are seeing too much of a concentration on the single-engined fighters and not enough on their prey!

A selection of Luftwaffe bomber...

Hmmmm, I have one of these...

[Captain Canada]

Great selection of Luftwaffe pics.



I was wondering about Ireland. The Airfix Gladiator has those lovely decals......

[NARSES2]

I'll be doing a different dive bomber 

As for the Republic it's highly unlikely they would have got involved overtly unless the German's had landed and even then it's still unlikely. There were loads of southern Irish guys serving in HM Forces at the time as well. Now if it looked as though Germany would win I could see a Republic force moving into the north to "protect" it but the consequences don't bear thinking about. The Republic's forces were absolutely minimal at this time.

There is a program on the History channel this week about the IRA and Germany in WWII. Part of the series on Collaboration.

[Mossie]

I agree it's unlikely Chris, and I understand that Ireland's neutral position in WW2 remains a contentious issue, so we need to tread carefully.

There are though, so many potential different scenarios for an alternative history.  From simply providing more troops (officially or otherwise), providing basing or being invaded by either side. 

That documentary sounds interesting, worth a watch.