Eastern Front Greeks: PZL.37H

[comrade harps]

PZL.37H
a/c Ω, 201st Mirae βομβαρδιστικό, of the Greek Air Force, Northern Expeditionary Group (NEG)
"Somewhere in Russia" summer 1941
Personal mount of Flight Lieutenant Kostas Stafylidis and crew



The 201st Mirae βομβαρδιστικό was the only twin-engined bomber squadron of the Greek Air Force's volunteer Northern Expeditionary Group (NEG) during the NEG's 1941 deployment to the Eastern Front. Nine PZL.37H bombers (plus 2 or 3 held in reserve at any one time) were issued to the 201st Mirae βομβαρδιστικό to perform tactical bombing in support of the Greek I Army Corps, fighting with the Axis against the Moscow Pact nations.




The Hellenic State Aircraft Factory (HSAF) signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Polish aircraft manufacturer PZL (Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze - State Aviation Works) in 1933. This made a great deal of sense, as both were state-owned companies in right-wing, vehemently anti-Communist dictatorships and the Greek and Polish governments were major supporters of the French-instigated Cordon Sanitaire. This partnership bore fruit as the Greek Air Force set about re-equipping its combat units, resulting in the acquisition of three PZL- designed types: the PZL.23 reconnaissance bomber, the PZL.24 fighter and the PZL.37 bomber. To help the HSAF undertake a program of licence production, PZL took a 15% investment in the company in 1935.




The PZL.37H featured locally-built Pegasus XX engines (also used by the HSAF  PZL.23H) and revised landing gear. Following the German occupation of Poland, the Nazis transferred PZL's assets to the state-owned Junkers company. After Greece joined the Axis in April 1940, Junkers and HSAF developed a close relationship and saw HSAF manufacture a Junkers Jumo 211-powered version of the bomber. The resulting PZL.37J was produced from late-1940 to mid-1943, by which time the type was considered obsolete and production ceased. Many Greek  PZL.37s were converted to transport versions; these saw considerable use on the Eastern Front.




The aircraft modelled here entered combat in October 1941 and was the NEG's second PZL.37H marked Ω. The earlier Ω completed 21 combat sorties and was destroyed in a wheels-up crash landing following flak damage. These 21 missions were recognised on the replacement Ω in the form of yellow mission markings, as the two shared the same crew (except for the radio operator/gunner, who was badly injured and sent home to recover). On its first combat sortie, the new Ω took cannon fire in the nose. With glazing and the nose machine gun position damaged and replacement parts unavailable, some of the glazing was replaced with sheet metal and a simplified machine gun mount was installed. Meant to be temporary measures, these ad hoc repairs were flown on the aircraft's 23rd and subsequent missions until the NEG withdrew to Greece in late December to regroup.



When the NEG returned to the Eastern Front in April 1942 the 201st Mirae βομβαρδιστικό was joined by a second bomber unit, the 202nd Mirae βομβαρδιστικό, both flying the PZL.37J.

[zenrat]

Once again, another great camo scheme.
Good job.

[comrade harps]

Once again, another great camo scheme.
Good job.

I paint better than I build! 

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice! And very plausible, too.

[Old Wombat]

She looks good &, as said Fred, another great camo scheme.

[NARSES2]

I'm a great fan of these 3 colour upper camouflage schemes, and I may have to "borrow" this one. 

Forgive me if I've missed it, but who's kit is it ? I've a couple in the stash including the newer IBG kits which are very nice.

Coincidentally I've been musing on a back story with Greece joining the Axis, which is quite plausible if you sideline Mussolini's activities, but I've got around to thinking of a Third Balkan War sometime in the 30's instead.

[comrade harps]

I'm a great fan of these 3 colour upper camouflage schemes, and I may have to "borrow" this one. 

Forgive me if I've missed it, but who's kit is it ? I've a couple in the stash including the newer IBG kits which are very nice.

You may borrow it and it's the Fly kit, which I struggled with.

[TheChronicOne]

Quite right, mate!!   

[NARSES2]

I'm a great fan of these 3 colour upper camouflage schemes, and I may have to "borrow" this one. 

Forgive me if I've missed it, but who's kit is it ? I've a couple in the stash including the newer IBG kits which are very nice.

You may borrow it and it's the Fly kit, which I struggled with.

I had heard some stories about the Fly kit