Carl_Brisgamer
05-04-2013, 22:07
My WGS Project #13 for 2013 is a flight of 1/200 AIM Douglas A-24-DE Banshee dive bombers. I've had these resin miniatures sitting primed in a box for nearly two years, and it was Marechallannes (Sven) who prompted me to finish them off with his plans for a New Guinea WGS campaign.
88701
The success of the Stuka in 1940 prompted the USAAC to order the US Navy's SBD Dauntless dive bomber. The first deliveries were transferred Navy SBD-3 aircraft, designated A-24-DE Banshees. With the start of the Pacific War A-24's were sent to the Philippines, but were diverted to Australia. These aircraft were used to equip the 91st Bombardment Squadron sent to Java, with the remaining Banshees in Australia used to equip the 8th Bombardment Squadron of the 3rd Bombardment Group. From 1 April 1942 the 3BG was involved in combat operations flying out of Port Moresby New Guinea. On 26 July 1942, seven A-24s attacked a convoy off Bun, but only one survived. The Japanese shot down five and damaged the sixth so badly that it did not make it back to base. Regarded by many pilots as too slow, short ranged and poorly armed, the remaining A-24s were relegated to non-combat missions.
88695
These A-24 Banshees represent the following three aircraft assigned to the 8th Bombardment Squadron.
88700
41-15773 was lost at 0740hrs 11 April 1942 during an airstrip strike on Lae. 2nd Lt. "Lou" Gus Kitchens and Sgt. George F. Kehoe crewed the aircraft. Also lost during this strike was Curtiss P40E A29-38 of 75 Squadron RAAF flown by Sgt. Don S. Brown. Both of these aircraft were shot down by Zeros. The escort totalled seven RAAF P40E's (A29-12/15/30/31/38/ 41&48). Despite sustaining damage F/O John Piper in A29-41 managed to shoot down a single Zero.
41-15797 was lost on 29 July 1942. Crewed by Major Floyd Rodgers and Cpl. Robert E. Nichols, the aircraft was shot down 20 miles north of Buna.
41-15798 was lost on 29 July 1942. The aircraft was came down in vicinity of Lae with Lt. Henry G. Swartz and Sgt. John Stevenson, who were captured by the Japanese and beheaded.
88698
8BS A-24 Banshees escorted by Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawks from 75 Squadron RAAF.
88697
Upper surfaces are olive drab, undersides neutral grey, national decals are AIM and tail numbers are Microscale. The models were finished with a couple of coats of Tamiya TS80 flat clear.
Game stats for the A-24 Banshee are from the Fire in the Sky Boxed set:
Manouver Deck: I
Damage Points: 19
Firepower: Short range B / A, Long range A / A
Top Altitude 9
Climb Rate 5
88701
The success of the Stuka in 1940 prompted the USAAC to order the US Navy's SBD Dauntless dive bomber. The first deliveries were transferred Navy SBD-3 aircraft, designated A-24-DE Banshees. With the start of the Pacific War A-24's were sent to the Philippines, but were diverted to Australia. These aircraft were used to equip the 91st Bombardment Squadron sent to Java, with the remaining Banshees in Australia used to equip the 8th Bombardment Squadron of the 3rd Bombardment Group. From 1 April 1942 the 3BG was involved in combat operations flying out of Port Moresby New Guinea. On 26 July 1942, seven A-24s attacked a convoy off Bun, but only one survived. The Japanese shot down five and damaged the sixth so badly that it did not make it back to base. Regarded by many pilots as too slow, short ranged and poorly armed, the remaining A-24s were relegated to non-combat missions.
88695
These A-24 Banshees represent the following three aircraft assigned to the 8th Bombardment Squadron.
88700
41-15773 was lost at 0740hrs 11 April 1942 during an airstrip strike on Lae. 2nd Lt. "Lou" Gus Kitchens and Sgt. George F. Kehoe crewed the aircraft. Also lost during this strike was Curtiss P40E A29-38 of 75 Squadron RAAF flown by Sgt. Don S. Brown. Both of these aircraft were shot down by Zeros. The escort totalled seven RAAF P40E's (A29-12/15/30/31/38/ 41&48). Despite sustaining damage F/O John Piper in A29-41 managed to shoot down a single Zero.
41-15797 was lost on 29 July 1942. Crewed by Major Floyd Rodgers and Cpl. Robert E. Nichols, the aircraft was shot down 20 miles north of Buna.
41-15798 was lost on 29 July 1942. The aircraft was came down in vicinity of Lae with Lt. Henry G. Swartz and Sgt. John Stevenson, who were captured by the Japanese and beheaded.
88698
8BS A-24 Banshees escorted by Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawks from 75 Squadron RAAF.
88697
Upper surfaces are olive drab, undersides neutral grey, national decals are AIM and tail numbers are Microscale. The models were finished with a couple of coats of Tamiya TS80 flat clear.
Game stats for the A-24 Banshee are from the Fire in the Sky Boxed set:
Manouver Deck: I
Damage Points: 19
Firepower: Short range B / A, Long range A / A
Top Altitude 9
Climb Rate 5