Deconstructing Ma.K

Grunt - Groundwork

2012-01-21T20:36:00.001-08:00

Grunt - Wear and Tear

2012-01-07T18:20:00.000-08:00

Grunt - Decals & ID Bands

2011-12-29T20:01:00.000-08:00

Grunt - Basic Paintwork

2011-12-22T15:00:00.001-08:00

Grunt - Colour Theory

2011-12-15T20:40:00.000-08:00

I'll be treating the suit as if it were the vertical fuselage of a german plane ... the rear will be RLM 76, the front will be a soft edge 74/75 pattern. There may be a little mottling along the sides to blend it all together. May also go for RLM 21 ID bands ... but not sure yet.

Markings are inspired by this very standard aircraft ...

Grunt - 1/20 Nitto Gustav

2011-12-14T23:25:00.000-08:00

Needed a break from working on a Nitto Krote (longest build of my model making life - and still a ways to go ) ... so I built this Gustav in just over a day because I really wanted to paint something. Built largely stock for speed (swapped out the arm joints for solder and putty, sculpted over the kit's leg joints, replaced the laser barrel with a Wave option part, fixed the crappy Nitto hand, added some weld beads and modified the hips so I can pull the legs out to paint separately), the interior and seat were painted prior to construction. The idea is for this suit to represent a regular ground slogger ... an SDR Grunt, so I'm going with a fairly 'low key' marking combination over a RLM 74/75/76 camo scheme.

The Little Mermaid

2011-11-25T20:15:00.000-08:00

This is a repaint of a 1/35 Hobby Base Melusine. I stripped the pre-painted figure with acetone, sanded back the seams and imperfections then repainted the model with Tamiya enamels. I also added an aerial and rear guard bracket with wire. A mix of 1/76 aircraft decals and the new Hasegawa decals from the 1/35 Gustav set were applied. The finished camo represents a suit from 'Panzerkampf Division 44, 22nd Kommando Kampanie'. The crushed cinderblocks were scratchbuilt from heavy card stock, textured and blended into the base with real dirt and gel medium. Base is a GW 40mm round which is the perfect size for 1/35 suits IMO.

Balls Out - Base 2

2011-07-29T22:25:00.000-07:00

I base coated the display with silver automotive spray then stippled on some masking fluid ...

Then I sprayed on some white primer. When the primer had dried I scrubbed off the masking fluid with a toothbrush ...

To soften the contrast I'm slowly starting to work some off-white filters into the base.

Balls Out - Base 1

2011-07-25T02:46:00.001-07:00

I cut up this Tamiya Merkava hull into as many small, flat planes as possible ...

... then rearranged them to create a base for my Superball build ...

Base with Superball and pilot figure ...

Desert Poacher - Groundwork and Decals

2011-07-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

Basic paint work is done, and groundwork has been completed. Groundwork is just dirt, rocks and matte gel medium. I don't like painting groundwork so over the years I've collected bags of different colored dirt to mix with gel medium to create a variety of environments - for this desert scene I used dusty shale from under a rail bridge. The grass is a product from Germany called 'miniNatur' ... it comes in a range of different colors and scales - these are 2mm autumn tufts (I gave them a bath in Tamiya flat earth then dusted them with the same fine dust I used on the base).
Decals were cut, line by line, from the Wave AFS decal sheet ... the unit marking was featured in the Hobby Japan special edition as the insignia of the 102nd independent armored hunting regiment.

Desert Poacher - Construction

2011-07-20T06:35:00.001-07:00

'Desert Poacher' was the SDR nickname given to the merc sandstalkers because they were often used to conduct SAS style raids and sneak attacks. This Sdh.222 Sandstalker was built using a 1/76 Fujimi kit as a base with details either scratchbuilt or taken from a variety of 1/72 & 1/76 kits ...

Hat Of Glass

2009-12-03T06:35:00.000-08:00

Below a Krote featuring the insignia of the 367th Assault Recce Company - a 'Zylinder Hut' or 'Top Hat' on a white disk.

"One of the devices employed by the 367th Assault Reconnaissance Company, which despite being the smallest company to have been issued with one, had the most combat success with the Krote. Each of the 4 Krotes in the company could easily defeat any of the three enemy units in service at the time, the AFS MKI, MKII or J-40."

While this particular Top hat motif was the staffel insignia of 2./JG 77, zylinder hut emblems had been popular with the luftwaffe since the Spanish Civil War originating with the Condor Legion fighter wing J/88. Possibly chosen as a symbol of the elite officer class, the top hat was ironically to become associated with the enemy.

This He 51 is one of the batch received by the Condor Legion in October 1936 and wears the first badge of 4.J/88, the Zylinder Hut (Top Hat), that would later be adopted by 2.J/88.

"The emblem that was painted on the first Messerschmitt was the one that had already been used by 2.J/88 on the very old Heinkel, that is to say, the 'Zylinder Hut'. The first major military action of 2.J/88 'Zylinder Hut' (Hat of Glass), with the emblem painted on the backs of its new mount, the Messerschmitt Bf-109B- 1, took place during the course of the Battle of Brunete in July 1937. The base chosen to welcome in 2.J/88 of the Condor legion was Avila, its mission to escort and to protect the Junkers Ju-52/3m bombers, but the inevitable cruelty and ferocity shown by both sides during 'hunting' became immediately apparent. However, from the 8th of July the National Side had dominion of the skies due to the action of the Legion Condor and in particular to the Messerschmitt of the 'Zylinder Hut'."

The Zylinderhut was adopted as a personal insignia by a number of pilots who had seen service with the Condor Legion in Spain. Major Handrick who had been Kommandeur of Jagdgruppe 88 continued to use the top hat emblem when he took command of JG 26. Another JG 26 pilot to display this emblem was Hptm Herwig Knüppel.

"The Legion Condor 'Zylinder Hut' given to its popularity between the German pilots was present on a multitude of fuselages of the Germanic airplanes during World War II. Lt. Hubert Kroeck of the Jagdgeswader 53 'Pik Ace' used the 'Zylinder Hut' of 2.J/88 as a personal emblem. Curiously the 'Hat of Glass' that was painted on the fuselage of his Messerschmitt was white and not black as was typical in 2.J/88 of the Legion Condor. Like Kroeck, another member of 2.J/88 'Zylinder Hut', Oblt. Herbert Ihlefeld also used the 'Hat of Glass' as a personal emblem, at least during the course of Battle of England in which he was Gruppenkomandeur of I. (j) LG 2. Oblt. Herbert Ihlefeld survived World War II and reached a total of 132 victories. Oblt. Reinhard Seiler, “Ace” in Spain and member of 2.J/88 'Zylinder Hut', also used the 'Hat of Glass' as his personal insignia during World War II. Oblt. Seiler served with Jagdgeswader 54 'Grünherz' fighting on the Russian Front and survived the end of war with 109 victories. Finally, another veteran of the Legion Condor in Spain, the Fw. Alfred Held, who flew with 4.J/88 'Pik Ace', also used the 'Hat of Glass' like a personal emblem, adorned by a legend that said “Kolle alaaf”. By the 4th of September 1940 Alfred Held had the singular honor of being the first Luftwaffe commander to have destroyed an airplane of the R.A.F."

The Worm That Turned

2009-12-03T06:21:00.001-08:00

"Even after other companies were equipped with the Neuspotter, the 402nd Armored Hunting Soldier Regiment continued to utilize the Krote. The 402nd's Krote were used for a long period after other company's reserves of Neuspotters were completely depleted. During that time, the Krote were fitted with stationery weapons and defeated many enemy AFS's."

Under The Thumb

2009-12-03T01:53:00.001-08:00

Below, a Krote of the 501st Independent Heavy Battle Car Battalion. The battalion insignia depicts a 'Zylinderhut' or 'Top Hat' being crushed under thumb.

"One of the 16 Krote's for the 501st Independent Heavy Tank Battalion that was able to handle the work until the critical modifications for the Neuspotter were completed in September 2885. The paint was very basic with green two-toned Splinter camouflage that was never repainted so it was damaged and faded."

The emblem was the staffel insignia of 7./JG 2.

"at its peak in popularity a reaction developed against the top hat, with the middle classes adopting bowler hats and soft felt hats such as fedoras, which were more convenient for city life, as well as being suitable for mass production. In comparison, a top hat needed to be handmade by a skilled hatter, with few young people willing to take up what was obviously a dying trade. The top hat became associated with the upper class, becoming a target for satirists and social critics. It was particularly used as a symbol of capitalism in cartoons in socialist and communist media, long after the headgear had been abandoned by those satirised.It was a part of the dress of Uncle Sam and used as a symbol of US monopoly power. By the end of World War I it had become a rarity in everyday life, though it continued to be worn daily for formal wear, such as in London various positions in the Bank of England and City stockbroking, or boys at public schools."

While the Zylinderhut motif may have been an attack on the U.S. personified as 'Uncle Sam' who's top hat had come to represent capitalism and a new enemy to the Luftwaffe, it may also have been a defiant stance against the British aristocracy, and in particular the Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.

Caricature of Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister at the outbreak of the Second World War wearing a top hat. Chamberlain was gravely concerned about the disastrous effects of leading Britain into another major European conflagration. He became the architect of the ‘appeasement' policy, attempting to avoid war.

Discredited by the failure of his policies and by his belief that Herr Hitler was a man of honour and integrity, Chamberlain was forced to resign in May 1940. He died in the November of the same year.

Kileak the Blood (The DNA Imperative)

2009-12-01T03:25:00.000-08:00

"Deep beneath the South Pole permafrost, a crazed scientist has unearthed an ancient DNA code, dormant for 2,000,000,000 years. Is this discovery of the "ultimate evolution"? Or does he now hold the damnation of mankind in his grasp? ... Only you can stop him!"

The year is 2038 and the International Peace Keeping Force has been ordered to investigate an invasion of an underground scientific research base. As the I.P.K.F. strike team arrives at the base in their 'Ligra' helicopter, heat-seeking missiles are fired and the aircraft is shot down smashing into a mountain. As Captain Matt Coda of the elite 'White Lightning' polar operations team you are the sole survivor of the crash. Armed with only your SJ107 protective armor, a 'wales gun' and a portable computer, you head towards the base to investigate. Fight your way through 15 foe filled levels and end the threat of the evil Dr. Kim.

'KILEAK The Blood' (released as 'KILEAK The DNA Imperative' outside of Japan) was the first ever 'first person shooter' released for the Playstation back in 1995. In this somewhat forgotten game developed by Genki you must battle against level after level of mechanical robots, solve puzzles and defeat an evil scientist before he wipes out humanity. The monotony of the gameplay seems to have been universally reviled by gamers and reviewers alike resulting in Kileak regularly being described as "one of the worst games ever made for the Playstation"...

"Here’s a genre I’ll never understand. Kileak is part of a practically dead breed of animal known as a corridor FPS (first person shooter). LikeDoom and Duke Nukem, you’re your own eyes running around shooting stuff. However, what keeps Kileak from ever being any fun is the one thing its niche template is based around; tediously mind numbing exploration in vast, boring levels. Everything looks the same, and its even worse when there’s literally only three textures to a level (if this place really had that many lights the heat generated would have melted the frozen prison it was stuck in)."

Despite these shortcomings as a game the project did feature Kow Yokoyama's mecha designs for both the lead character's 'Protect Armor' and the enemy robot 'Bosses'. These designs were published in a promotional book for the game ...

You can watch some of the story sequences from the game on youtube which look pretty good considering when the game was made ... but then contrast that with the actual game play.

Panzer Tier

2009-11-26T13:47:00.000-08:00

Panzer Tier, literally 'Tank Animal', was a 2003 joint project between Tomy, Wave Corporation and Kow Yokoyama. It was basically the 3rd re-release of the rarer 1/24 series of Zoids (Zoids typically being 1/72nd scale) ...

"In 1988, Tomy launched a sub-line of the OJR (Original Japanese Release), featuring larger-scale Zoids. The 1:24 line featuring Zoids of similar size to existing ones, but scaled for larger pilots. Each kit came with a 3 inch tall action figure of the pilot. Like the regular Zoids line, the Zoids were divided into Helic and Zenebas factions. The 1:24 Zoids were not a success, and discontinued after a year"

" In 1990, Tomy re-released several of the 1:24 scale Zoids in a new line called 'Zelve'. The Zoids were re-coloured from the OJR versions, and came with detailed, fixed-pose pilot figures instead of the action figure ones of the OJR. Zelve featured it's own 'Battle Story' on the boxes, but was unrelated to the Zoids battle story. Like the 1/24th Zoids, Zelve was a failure and quickly discontinued"

In 2003 the 'Zenebas Empire' Zoids from the 1/24 line that had been designed by Kow were re-issued under the new name 'Panzer Tier'. The Panzer Tier series box art featured re-colorized versions of the Zevle art (which had originally been painted by Yoshiyuki Takani-san, an artist famed for illustrating hundreds of tanks, combat aircraft and fighting ships since the late 1960's for companies such as Tamiya and Nichimo and also known to have been one of Yokoyama-san's main artistic influences) and a new painting by Kow for the Dontress. They were also re-imagined as 1/20 scale kits when Wave and Kow decided to add larger pilot sculpts by Heel-san of 'Love Love Garden' fame. The series consisted of 5 designs ...

Gorem ... a giant battle-ape armed with a '40mm Hyper Gatling Cannon'. Pilot sits inside the head, other crew can ride on a platform on it's back. Although slower than the Deathpion, the Gorem had much more firepower and was able to match the Megatropos to some levels of success.

The Roadskipper (ostrich type) was originally introduced when the republic was driven into the central mountain range by the first Death Saurers. The Empire made small-scale Zoids for combat in these areas in response to their guerrilla warfare tactics - the Roadskipper, in particular, was rival to the high speed Battlerover, the two being of similar size, speed and overall capability.

Shotwalker ... a lightly armed and armored spider scout.

The Deathpion was the 'weapon of choice' of the Zenebas Empire's special forces. This zoid was very balanced in all areas, making it a formidable opponent, being well armed in terms of both weapons and equipment. It was well protected for a zoid of it's size.

The Dontress, a mantis type zoid armed with 'Hyper Sabres' and a 'Beam Gun'.

Lucky Star

2009-11-16T16:37:00.000-08:00

The emblem of the 357th Armored Huntsman Regiment, 3rd company, 2nd platoon.

Bryan Krueger pointed out to me that the insignia is actually the Finnish air force's blue swastika (Hakaristi) with the gaps filled in (makes sense considering that the other Jerry marking was also Finnish in origin). Interestingly the Finnish Hakaristi predates the Nazi Hakenkreuz (Hook Cross), the symbol apparently being a popular good luck talisman for many pilots during the early years of aviation.

Finland became independent after the break-up of the Russian Empire. Blue and white had always been the Finns' national colours so they were chosen for the national flag and the air force's insignia. Count von Rosen of Sweden was very involved with the setting up of the first Finnish Air Force so his personal swastika emblem was used as a wing and fuselage marking in blue on a white disc. This was sometimes painted on the rudder.

"Von Rosen had painted his personal good luck charm on the Thulin Typ D aircraft. This charm – a blue swastika, the ancient symbol of good luck – was adopted as the insignia of the Finnish Air Force. The white circular background was created when the Finns tried to paint over the advertisement from the Thulin air academy. The swastika was officially taken into use after an order by Mannerheim on 18 March 1918. The FAF had to change the insignia after 1945, due to an Allied Control Commission decree, where the swastika had to be abandoned due to the association with the nazism."

The forces of the U.S.S.R. invaded Finland in 1939. With the German invasion of Russia in 1941, Finland threw in her lot with Germany. The country was forced to sign a peace treaty with the U.S.S.R. in 1944 and to declare war on Germany. A swastika marking was obviously inappropriate, so a white, blue, white roundel was adopted.

The swastika (from Sanskrit svástika) is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing (卐) form or its mirrored left-facing (卍) form. Archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates from the Neolithic period and was first found in the Indus Valley Civilization of the Indian Subcontinent. It occurs today in the modern day culture of India, sometimes as a geometrical motif and sometimes as a religious symbol; it remains widely used in Eastern and Dharmic religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

In the Western world, the symbol experienced a resurgence following the archaeological work in the late 19th century of Heinrich Schliemann, who discovered the symbol in the site of ancient Troy and associated it with the ancient migrations of Proto-Indo-Europeans. He connected it with similar shapes found on ancient pots in Germany, and theorized that the swastika was a "significant religious symbol of our remote ancestors", linking Germanic, Greek and Indo-Iranian cultures. By the early 20th century, it was used worldwide and was regarded as a symbol of good luck and success as evident in the above 1920's American postcard. Despite this usage, the symbol has become stigmatized and to some extent taboo in the Western world because of its iconic co-option by Nazi Germany.

Supersonic Lynx, Farting Moose

2009-11-13T05:18:00.000-08:00

The 'Wildcat' was one of the company insignia used by the 44th Armored Huntsman Regiment.

"This Jerry was painted for service in Northern Europe, summer 2885. 8 were sent to the 44th Armored Huntsman Regiment but one was lost and only 7 arrived. These went into battle immediately and, thanks to the heavy armor, even when hit didn't suffer any damage and managed their first kills on just the 2nd day after they were received. Unit emlem was the Wildcat and number was placed on the rear of the body instead of on the side as were the kill tallies."

The emblem is actually the 'Supersonic Lynx' of Finland's Lentolaivue 24 ...

Finland's premier fighter squadron during World War 2, Lentolaivue 24 (Flying Squadron 24) first saw action during the bloody Winter War of 1939-40, when the Soviet Red Army launched a surprise attack on the small Scandinavian country - the squadron enjoyed great success against numerically superior opposition. LLv 24 was once again in the thick of the action following the outbreak of the Continuation War in June 1941. Easily the air force's most successful fighter unit, LLv 24 claimed 877 kills, and its pilots won five direct and two indirect Mannerheim Crosses (Finland1s highest military award) out of a total of 19 presented to all Finnish soldiers. Most top aces also scored the bulk of their kills flying with this unit.

"No. 24 Squadron (Finnish: Lentolaivue 24 or LLv.24, from 3 May, 1942 Le. Lv.24), renamed No. 24 Fighter Squadron (Finnish: Hävittäjälentolaivue 24 or HLe.Lv.24 on 14 February 1944) was a fighter squadron of the Finnish Air Force during WWII. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 2.

During the Winter War, all Fokker D.XXIs - Finland's only modern fighter - were concentrated into the No. 24 Sqn, making it the only frontline fighter force.

No. 24 Squadron was the most successful fighter squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II, claiming 877 aerial victories for a loss of 55 aircraft. The unit produced seven Mannerheim Cross winners, including Ilmari Juutilainen and Hans Wind, the two top-scoring aces.

After the re-organization of the Finnish Air Force after WWII, HLeLv 24 was renamed into HLeLv 31. Today it is part of the Karelian Wing, flying F-18 Hornets and still sporting the "Supersonic Lynx" as its emblem."

A picture of the only surviving Brewster Buffalo fighter aircraft. The Finnish Air Force Brewster model 239 fighter BW-372 crashed in a lake in Sekee, Karelia (now part of Russia) during WW2 and was found and recovered in 1998. The former US Navy plane is now in the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, US.

"A Finnish Air Force Brewster BW-239 piloted by lieutenant Lauri Pekuri on a reconnaissance task behind enemy lines. Pekuri soon confronted enemy planes, four Hurricane fighters. In the ensuing dogfight he shot down one Hurricane, but was himself hit in the engine which started to burn. Trailing black smoke he turned west towards his home base. Pekuri soon realised he had to find a place to make an emergency landing. The only open spot in the forest-covered landscape was a lake, toward which he steered.

A roaring engine and a shadow above Pekuri's plane. One of the enemy Hurricanes zoomed past with surplus speed from its dive. The underside of the enemy plane suddenly fills the Brewster's sights. Pekuri fires a series against the Hurricane which folds and crashes in the forest. The Brewster pilot steers toward the lake for a belly landing. The plane flips on its back, becomes filled with water and sinks. Pekuri extricates himself from the wreckage, having reached the surface he kicks off his boots and swims to shore. Then he penetrates 15 miles on foot through the wilderness to the Finnish lines."

A more detailed account of Lauri Pekuri's miraculous escape can be read here.

Above is the 'Farting Moose' emblem of 2/Le. Lv.24, almost destroyed after being submerged in a Russian lake for more than half a century.

Mr Peanut goes to War

2009-11-12T23:23:00.000-08:00

According to the Maschinen Krieger back-story the armored fighting suits created by the Mercenary scientists and engineers were referred to as 'Peanuts' because of their thick, impenetrable shells. Subsequently the unmanned Strahl hovertanks that were designed to hunt down and destroy the A.F.S.s came to be known as 'Nutcrackers' (though due to a misunderstanding or mistranslation the Japanese authors used the word 'Nutrocker', a term which has stuck ever since).

"Originally designated 'P.K.H.103/1a & 1b' by the S.D.R. forces that used them as a stopgap measure until the P.K A. became available, the design proved unexpectedly successful on the battlefield right from the beginning and was dedicated to hunting down AFS units, which both the Shutoral and Mercenary forces called 'peanuts'. It destroyed so many 'peanuts' that it came to be called a 'nutcracker' by both friend and foe alike. Soon this nickname was adopted as it's formal name combined with it's official designation ... Nutcracker P.K.H. 103."

I think Mr. Peanut would have made a very appropriate unit insignia for the Mercenary army especially as top hats and monocles are recurring motifs in WWII nose art.

"Mr. Peanut reigns supreme in the antiques community as the first advertising icon. Introduced in 1916, the debonair marketing image of Mr. Peanut derived from a crude drawing by a Virginia schoolboy. Prompted by a nation-wide logo contest sponsored by the Planters Company, schoolboy Antonio Gentile won $5 for his design submission of Mr. Peanut. Then, a professional illustrator enhanced the youngster’s drawing adding the monocle and top hat to create the company logo that is a class above the rest."

The picture below illustrates the evolution of Mr. Peanut from his origins as a foppish dandy to the debonair gentleman we know him as today ...

Despite not making the grade as a Ma.K unit insignia, Mr. Peanut's 1950's incarnation did make a guest appearance in the Ma.K Falke profile in an article where Kow explains the benefits of painting two of the same figure at once ... did I read somewhere it was called 'peanut painting'?

Maybe this was how Corporal Robert Bush of the 14th Armored Hunting Soldier Regiment felt after his infamous ride on the back of the Nutrocker ...

Archelon - 'Ruler Turtle'

2009-11-11T05:36:00.000-08:00

It's little wonder that the AFS Archelon decal sheet includes turtle markings as the suit was named after the largest of all sea turtles known to have existed ... the colossal ARCHELON ISCHYROS (Greek - 'Ruler Turtle'), specimens of which have been discovered measuring up to 4 meters long and nearly 5 meters wide!

Carnage Heart

2009-11-10T19:19:00.001-08:00

Another of my interests is Kow's non-Ma.K work. As well as being a respected painter and model builder Yokyama-san has also contributed to the design of many computer games and even a few films. Among these lesser known projects were the Mecha that Kow created for the Playstation game 'Carnage Heart' and it's sequels. Some of these mechs could almost be seen as progressions of the designs he did for 'Robot Battle 7'. The blurb for the game reads ...

"In the near future, a giant corporation will have taken over one of Jupiter's moons, with the intention of mining minerals from the moon for profit. However, the World Government wants to use the minerals to benefit humanity. A war always breaks out when greed and altruism collide, and this is where you step in. You aren't a soldier, you're an engineer and computer programmer, and you are going to run the war. You'll have to Construct Overkill Engines (OKEs) which are unmanned mechs from available parts or invest money in research and design. Once the basic design for your OKEs is complete, program their AI. Every aspect of combat must be accounted for: when to dodge, how to attack, what evasive maneuvers to take. Then let the OKEs act according to their programs. In the war of CARNAGE HEART, brains, not brawn, will win the day."

The following article was written by Jeffrey Fleming for 'Games Collector's Melancholy' ...

"Carnage Heart was designed by Masaki Iizuka with mecha designs by artist and kit modeler Kow Yokoyama. It was firmly rooted in the ‘realistic robots’ tradition of Japanese sci-fi and featured mechs fighting corporate battles across the moons of Jupiter. Packaged with two dense manuals and a separate tutorial disc, Carnage Heart was not a game that one could just pick up and start playing.You begin by designing your combat units called Over Kill Engines, choosing their body type, engine size, armaments, and other accessories. This part is fairly generic and familiar to anyone who has spent time with Armored Core. Once a design is settled on, you also have to put it into mass production which involves managing factory assembly lines while making sure income levels stay in the black. There are also opportunities to do business with various trans-national corporations, buying technology, funding research, and engaging in a bit of industrial espionage.

So far, all of this sounds interesting but not radically different from many other strategy/economic sim games. What really makes Carnage Heart distinctive is that you have no direct control over your Over Kill Engines when they enter combat. Instead, during the design phase you must preprogram the combat behavior of your Over Kill Engine. This is done by laying out modules of set commands on a grid and linking them together in a flow chart of “IF... THEN...” statements. A simple example would be IF enemy detected within 100 meters THEN fire main weapon.

Of course, success in the game requires much more subtle strategies. There is a wide variety of modules to work with, including the ability for OKEs to communicate with each other, enabling complex, coordinated attacks. Once you become familiar with Carnage Heart’s programming language much of the pleasure of the game comes from working out clever OKE programs. It is a remarkable and creative experience to able to “play” the game while sitting at a table with pencil and paper, writing new programs to try out.

First published for Japan in 1995, Carnage Heart was brought to the U.S. in 1997 by Sony Computer Entertainment in an ambitious attempt to push the boundaries of console video games. Unfortunately, the game’s indirect and rigorously intellectual style of play was a hard sell to an audience more accustomed to fast action and glossy visuals. Spare, complex, and difficult, Carnage Heart was like a cup of hot, black coffee that few had the taste for.

Although Carnage Heart quickly vanished without a trace in America, the game enjoyed an extended life in Japan. In 1997 Artdink brought out a revised version of Carnage Heart called Carnage Heart EZ (Easy Zapping). A full sequel followed in 1998 titled Zeus Carnage Heart Second for both Playstation and Windows. In 1999, Artdink brought out Zeus II Carnage Heart and sponsored national Carnage Heart competitions in Japan to promote the game. The series lay dormant for several years until Carnage Heart Portable for the Sony PSP was recently published in Japan by Genki in the fall of 2006.

Resources for English speaking Carnage Heart enthusiasts are scarce. In the spring of ‘97 Sony began publishing its Playstation Underground CD magazine. Included in Volume 1, Issue 1 was a Carnage Heart demo along with a set of OKE designs from Artdink that could be downloaded on to a memory card. Issues of Playstation Underground show up from time to time for auction but generally do not sell for much.

Sometimes the most interesting games in a collection are not necessarily the most expensive ones. Carnage Heart can be found with relative ease for around $20, making it a painless acquisition for those wanting to add some depth to their collection."

Gameplay videos for Carnage Heart and Zeus 2.

Desert Viper

2009-11-07T21:33:00.000-08:00

Two units with similar snake motifs receive special mention on the Hornisse and PKA H1 camo cards ...

"Gear for Private Oswald Lenpge, of the 12th Armored Hunting Soldier Regiment 5th Company. This was used to defeat 2 AFS during the North American combat. It shows the snake that was the personal symbol of this private. (This later became the symbol of the platoon) It was learned that this private had committed a crime prior to enlisting but this went unnoticed in the activities of the regiment. Since it would have resulted in a military discharge and arrest, the private was desperate. At night, the private sprayed paint across the majority of the canopy, 2 places in the front and one place on each side, leaving a narrow transparent slit. Afterwards, the G model and G-night combat model were modified to this and he was kept active as well as promoted."

"Gear for the 114th Combat Air Force (JG 114) that was spread across North Africa in the subterranean lakes. The basic color was a sandy yellow~desert pink with green gray Splinter camouflage to combine the sandy region spotted with oasis. These units were typically equipped with a ventilation system that filtered sand."

Clearly both insignia are an homage to the mysterious 'Desert Viper' of 6/StG 2. Camouflage was obviously of secondary importance when this extraordinary paint job - producing undoubtedly the most colorful of all desert Stukas - was undertaken. Such a snake motif adorned at least two different aircraft, but whether they were both flown by the same pilot - Lt. Hubert Polz - or were a short-lived staffel (or even Kette) decoration is unknown.

"Hubert Polz's snake-marked Ju 87 is arguably the ultimate example of World War II German nose-art. Despite all the popularity this Ju 87R-2/trop is somewhat mysterious. It is even not sure if this very Stuka was his personal mount.

Probably during a certain period of time around July 1942 the entire flight of 6/StG 2 bore the snake emblem. It is still not established with any degree of certainty if the snake was white-and-red or white-and-sand. Analyzing surviving photos it is less likely that the snake was formed out of white outlines only"

The Cat and The Moon

2009-11-05T04:35:00.000-08:00

This emblem seems to have originated on the famous U-48 but then later it was also used on many other U-boats as officers from U-48 moved on to new commissions. U-564 also carried the famous 'three black cat' motif of Teddy Suhren who, along with Prien and Kretschmer, was one of the top U-Boat commanders during the battle of the Atlantic.

"U-48 or Unterseeboot 48 was a German Type VIIB submarine of the Kriegsmarine during World War II. U-48 was the most successful U-boat commissioned into the Kriegsmarine during the World War II. During her two years of active service, U-48 sank 55 ships for 321,000 tons, and damaged two more at 12,000 tons on twelve war patrols conducted during the opening stages of the Second Battle of the Atlantic. She was a Type VIIB submarine with five torpedo tubes and an 88 mm deck gun. She was very fast and agile, thanks to her dual rudders, and could patrol for approximately a month at a time, giving her a range comfortably across the North Atlantic."

A Dog's Life

2009-11-02T03:13:00.000-08:00

Bonzo the dog was a fictional character (a chubby little white pup with sparse spots, a stubby tail and big blue eyes) created by British artist George E. Studdy in the early 1920's.

"Bonzo became the inspiration for much commercial merchandise, such as cuddly and mechanical toys, ashtrays,pincushions, trinket boxes, car mascots, jigsaw puzzles, books, calendars, candies, and a profusion of postcards.

Bonzo, wearing a set of headphones, became associated with the "Crosley Pup", an affordable mass-produced AM radio introduced by Powel Crosley Jr. in the United States in 1925. Years later, both Bonzo commercial items and Crosley Pup radios became valuable as collectibles. A paper mâché Crosley Bonzo is on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C."

So what's the Ma.k connection you ask? I'm getting to it ...

Just as they had borrowed America's Mickey Mouse, the Luftwaffe also chose to adorn their aircraft with Britain's Bonzo the Dog who became the staffel insignia for I./JG 2.

In July 1942 11.(Hoehenflug) staffel was formed from 1./JG 2 in St. Pol, France ... the new unit continued to use the Bonzo insignia on their Bf 109G-3 high altitude variants.

"In January 1943 a small block of 50 aircraft were built by Messerschmitt at Regensburg to be employed in the high altitude Staffeln of JG 2, JG 11 and JG 26. The G-3 was developed alongside the G-4, as a pressurized variant.

Actual construction of the G-3 happened after the G-4 was already in production. The G-3 incorporated all the changes of the G-4 including larger main (660x160) and tail wheel (350x135). The larger wheel size necessitated corresponding bumps on the wings to allow for retraction. The larger wheels retained the early style of wheel spoke set up. It would not be until the later G-5/6 that the flat covered wheels would be introduced. The larger tail wheel forced the wheel to become non-retractable. The silica gel tablets in the windscreen and the pressurization armor plate behind the pilots’ head were retained from the G-1, as was the most noticeable feature, an air scoop on the left engine cowling for the pressurization system. The armament was the same as the G-4with two MG17s over the engine and a 20mm cannon firing through the spinner."

So finally we come full circle ... Bonzo (as he was depicted by 1./JG 2) was included on the Nitto 1/6 Melusine decal sheet as the insignia for the 7th Armor Hunting Soldier Battalion, 1st company, 3rd Platoon ...

"7th Armored Hunting Soldier (Army) Battalion 1st Company 3rd Platoon "Fighting Dog" Unit. The unit was unprepared for the New Zealand combat and suffered many casualties but for 8 months after the end of the war, they continued occupying this same territory. The diagram shows the camouflage from winter to early summer."

... Bonzo appeared again on the decal sheets of both Modelkasten Melusine releases.

Trouble With Jolanthe

2009-10-27T06:22:00.000-07:00

This little piggy first made an appearance on the SF3D era Raccoon decal sheets/camo cards as the insignia for the 30th SAFS Company. It later resurfaced as a graphic on the packaging of the Ma.K generation re-release of the same kit (quite apt as the profile of the Raccoon looks conspicuously porcine). In 2001 the pig was included on the decal sheet of the Modelkasten Snake Eye as the emblem of the 51st Combat Recce Company, 2nd Platoon. More recently the marking has made it's way on to the new Wave Snake Eye decals ...

The 'Jolanthe Kette', or 'Jolanthe Squadron', was the nickname given to the first three Stukas sent to Spain as part of Germany's secret military involvement in the Spanish Civil War. The three Stukas became known as the 'Jolanthe Squadron' most likely because the Ju 87's ungainly appearance as it taxied over rough air strips was reminiscent of the central character of a popular german cartoon film 'Trouble with Jolanthe' ...

"... they were officially incorporated into the Legion as the fighter wing's fifth staffel (5.J/88), but became universally known as the 'Jolanthe' Kette after their unit badge. This depicted a large pink sow, and could trace it's origins back to Barth, where the Gruppenkomandeur of IV.(St)/LG 1, Oberstleutnant Gunther Schwartzkopff (one of the few supporters of the Stuka concept) had nicknamed the Ju 87 after the eponymous heroine of a favorite film comedy of the day that centered around a pig 'Krach um Jolanthe' ('Trouble with Jolanthe')!"

"The popular German stage play Krach um Jolanthe was brought to the screen by producer-director Carl Froelich in 1935. Jolanthe is the name of a prize sow, the pride of a tiny rural community. Trouble begins when the sheriff comes calling, demanding to collect an exorbitant tax on the blue-ribbon oinker. When the owner can't pay up, the sheriff holds an auction to sell the sow to the highest bidder. The loyal townsfolk boycott the event, then plot a "jailbreak" when the sow is placed in custody of the local constabulary. Subtlety is hardly the strong suit of Krach um Jolanthe; the audience is invited to park its dignity at the door and laugh out loud unashamedly." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The U-Boat Connection

2009-10-21T05:15:00.000-07:00

This long armed froggy was originally included on the Nitto Konrad decal sheet as the insignia for 2./JG 26 and then later also appeared on the Oskar and Lunar Konigs Krote decals as well.

Interestingly this is not a luftwaffe insignia but instead a Kriegsmarine U-boat emblem. In fact it is the unique symbol applied to U-124 by Kptit. Jochen Mohr when he took command of the vessel ...

"The emblem of U-124, the Edelweiss, was inspired by the loss of U-64 in April, 1940. The boats had the same crew for the most part, including the commander Kptlt. Wilhelm Schulz. They were saved from the cold Norwegian waters by members of the German mountain troops. The grateful U-boat men adapted their emblem on their next U-boat, the U-124 commissioned in June, 1940.

When Kptlt. Johann Mohr took command of U-124, in late 1941, he added his own personnal emblem, a green frog, to the front of the tower. Keeping the Edelweiss on both sides."

It is possible to just make out the frog insignia on the tower of the U-Boat in the pictures below ...

Dead Eye Open

2009-10-20T16:48:00.000-07:00

This marking appeared on the Nutrocker decal sheet as the insignia of the 500th Independent Heavy Battle Car Battalion.

"The 500th Battlewagon Batallion, 1st through 3rd division were deployed from the Middle East extending through North Africa. When on maneuvers in the desert, all vehicles were painted with a dessert pink. The dry, sandy environment caused many problems for the NutRocker hover tank, with sand frequently being sucked into the turbines. Advanced filters were attached to the air intakes of some tanks to solve the problem. Peeling paint was also very common and noticeable on the tanks because of abrasion from the sand."

The emblem was actually the Holzauge ('Wood Eye') insignia of 1.J/88. Jagdgruppe 88 (J/88) was a German Condor Legion fighter group serving in the Spanish Civil War.

"The colors chosen for this emblem were already the habitual ones used by the Legion Condor in the majority of the standards that represented their Staffel, that is to say white and black. The image of 'Holzauge' appeared on a white disk trimmed by a black circle, located on both sides of the fuselage under the cockpit of the Messerschmitt Bf-109. From the 2nd of September 1938 and to the end of the war in April of 1939 the pilots of 1.J/88 'Holzauge' had several “mounts”. The Messerschmitt Bf-109 B was replaced on 17th of November 1938 and with that the Staffel accomplished missions on the Catalonia front from the aerodrome at Cenia. After occupation of Catalonia the Staffel received the new Messerschmitt Bf-109E “Emil”, that featured great advances such as the incorporation of a radio and oxygen masks. Like its predecessor the “Hababuk”, the image of “Holzauge” was not used by the Luftwaffe during the Second War World."

The 'Wood Eye' (English equivalent - 'Dead Eye') represents an expert marksman.

“The first Staffel has a Holzauge. Wood Eye -- what the Americans would call a dead eye. He was a cartoon figure, his eyes peeled skyward."

"The new emblem of 1.J/88 presented/displayed the image of a peculiar clown registered inside a white circle. This figure appears to be pointing at its eye while at the same time it glances at the sky. The name of this figure, which at that time would have been the indicative name of the Staffel, was 'Holzauge', that is to say 'wood Eye'. 'Holzauge 19' was the code name that was used by the Luftwaffe to designate an airplane or airplanes whose main mission was to watch the formation, warning others of the presence of the enemy and entering into combat with them so that their comrades could continue with their mission. As well, the Germans also called the adversary who undertook the same mission “Holzauge”. The gesture shown in the emblem corresponds nevertheless to a typical Spanish gesture, to put oneself on guard when danger is present by placing the forefinger on the eye."

'Umbrella Man'

2009-10-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered about the SDR's apparent hatred of umbrellas? Well the Luftwaffe's cartoon images of umbrellas being shot, hacked and thrown were a personal attack on Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1937 to 1940, nicknamed Umbrella Man because he often carried an umbrella in public and was invariably depicted with it in cartoons - sometimes even drawn as an umbrella. One such caricature appears on the Krachenvogel decals and cards.

But it wasn't just the luft. Below is a picture of Kriegsmarine U-47 ...

"A well-known photograph taken before U-47's departure to Scapa Flow on 8 October 1939 shows a drawing on the starboard side of the patchy conning tower. This drawing, of a skull and crossbones adorned with a top hat and umbrella, mocked the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Other U-boat insignia, such as those which adorned the towers of U-46, U-53, U-56, U-58, U-60 and U-61, also at some point included caricatures or references to Chamberlain."

All Hail The Rat

2009-10-19T18:43:00.001-07:00

The egg with hatchet and pistol is probably the most iconic of the Mercenary army's unit insignias. It was originally released as one of the decal options for the Nitto S.A.F.S. and has recently been re-released by Hasegawa on the new decal sheet included with their 'Ma.K figure set A (Mercenary Troops' Arms Cold District Maintenance Soldiers)'. According to notes on the cards that came with the figure set, the markings belong to the 15th AT regiment.

I believe that the 'egg' symbol is a pastiche of the emblems of two Luftwaffe Aces, Adolf "Dolfo" Joseph Ferdinand Galland and Lieutenant Colonel Oskar-Heinz (Heinrich) "Pritzl" Bär. Both men (who were apparently good friends) had variations of 'Micky Maus' painted on their planes and the 'egg' seems to borrow elements from both. Clearly the hatchet, pistol and pose come from Galland's ...

"Adolf was a constant cigar smoker. In fact the insignia on his Messerschmitt depicted a cigar smoking Mickey Maus also brandishing a pistol and hatchet! It was said that Galland got through 20 cigars a day and actually wrote orders giving him permission to smoke while flying on a mission. His was the only Messerscmitt with a cigar lighter and a cigar holder for when he was on oxygen."

... while the red circle was likely inspired by the blue one around Heinrich's Maus (which was also the unit symbol of 1./JG 51)

The origin of both 'Mickys' goes back as far as the Spanish Civil War (of which Galland was a veteran), as can be seen in this picture of Condor Legion pilot Hans Schhmoller-Haldy ...

"The 8th Staffel’s Oblt. Edu Neumann, inspired by the popularity of Mickey Mouse among the Condor Legion veterans, adopted another cartoon character as a symbol for his then 4th Staffel and took it with him to the 8th. He made it known that his choice, Adamson, was a good German rather than an American."

It appears that 'Steamboat Willie' had enjoyed a long history with the Luft even before the war ...

Above is another example of a Condor Legion 'Micky'.

Luftwaffe Ace Horst Carganico also famously displayed a 'Micky Maus' on his Bf. 109G-6 ... another of many examples of the nefarious rodent's ever changing allegiances during the war.

Mickey Mouse ... a true mercenary!

Who's Ma.K Girl?

2009-10-19T06:28:00.000-07:00

A while back I discovered that the Japanese model who posed in the Ma.K Falke profile has a website. Turns out that her name is Takako Lopez.

"Another specially selected image girl to represent the 2008 Super GT is Takako Lopez (ロペス貴子), a fine specimen of French (Edit - I have heard it mentioned elsewhere that her father is Mexican) and Japanese descent. This hot teen race queen started her grid career last year when she was only 17 in the Super Taikyu (スーパー耐久) endurance series and received the honor of first place “grid girl” at the 2007 F1 Japan at Fuji Speedway! I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of Takako in the near future."

In 2008 she 'starred' in her own DVD 'Seventeen' and it's sequel 'Seventeen 2' and in the same year became a Race Queen ...

Recently it was announced that 'Brickworks' will be releasing a Takako figure. A painted example can be seen on Kow's website.

The Early Bird Gets the ... er ... Umbrella?

2009-10-18T18:38:00.000-07:00

The last of the PKA HO unit emblems ... this time for the 2nd Heavy Artillery Battalion HQ.

"This PKA HO was deployed to Northern Ireland in November 2885 and was operated by Second Lieutenant Heintz Zakusenberk of the 2nd Heavy Artillery Battalion HQ. Heintz was tasked with the high altitude support of the 'Night Stalker'. The son of a leatherworker, he was considered odd due to the habit of going barefoot even during winter."

The emblem was really the 'weeping raven' of II./JG 51 designed by Luftwaffe pilot Hans Illner. Although Hans' nephew suggests the bird may have been a representation of Winston Churchill, it is more likely that it was a caricature of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain as the emblem had existed before Churchill had been voted to power and Chamberlain was often referred to as the 'umbrella man' by the press. Emblazoned on the shield in red writing is the belligerent catchphrase "Gott Strafe England" ... "May God punish England".

'Escuadron Azul' (The Blue Squadron)

2009-10-18T17:48:00.001-07:00

In the Ma.K universe this was the emblem of the 343rd Ground Support Platoon which utilized the PKA HO and PK41 in the Australian Desert in May, 2886.

"This platoon was used very often on operations but had almost no losses, with a very high percentage of it's pilots returning from their missions. But when the new high performance Falke arrived, many were captured."

In fact the unit ID has it's origins in the Spanish Civil War as the emblem of Garcia Morato's squadron 'Patrulla Azul' and was later used by 15. (Spanische) Staffel / 'Escuadron Azul' of JG 51 formed from a group of Spanish volunteers June 21, 1942 (though variations of this emblem were used by all of the Spanish Squadrons).

"By June it was clear that preparations for the Wehrmact's 1942 summer offensive in the east were all but complete. But the only material reinforcement for JG 51 came in the unexpected form of a staffel of Spanish volunteers. This was the second such volunteer unit that Spain's Generalissimo Franco had sent to Russia, the first having served originally under JG 27 during the winter of 1941- 42.

Attached operationally to II. Gruppe, the newcomers' official title was 15.(span)/JG 51, but Major Julio Salvador's unit was more usually referred to within the Geschwader simply as the "spanische Staffel" - the spaniards themselves preferred 2a Escuadrilla Azul (2nd Blue Squadron). Whatever their nomenclature, the Spaniards would fight alongside the pilots of JG 51 on the Moscow front throughout the coming summer and winter months"

The birds in the insignia are flying in the "Kette"- formation. This formation, consisting of three planes flying in a 'V', was used by all airforces at the time for ground attacks. The formation was invented by deputy squadron leader, Captain Muñoz Giménez. The motto "Vista Suerte Y Al Toro" translates as : A Glance, Luck, and at the Bull.

"During World War II, one air section, the "Blue Squadron" (Escuadrilla Azul),operated alongside the Blue Division (Division Azul). The Blue Division was a Spanish volunteer group which fought alongside the Axis Powers on the Eastern Front."

A couple of examples of 'Blue Squadron' aircraft here and here.

Hans Huckebein the Unlucky Raven

2009-10-18T17:11:00.000-07:00

"This was the personal suit used by Lieutenant Colonel Gerhardt Lal, Commander of the 2nd Night Assault Regiment. Because of the excessive noise generated by the PK4 when utilized for ground attack operations it was decided to demobilize the regiment for 2 months while alternate tactics were developed, however, during this time the Lieutenant was able to destroy an AFS."

The 'Habakuk', a cartoon diving bird which was the symbol of both 5./JG26 and I. Stukageschwader 1, is the closest match I could find to the 2nd Night Assault Regiment emblem (though I suspect it has borrowed the bomb from the insignia for 9. Staffel, III. Gruppe, Sturzkampfgeschwader 77) ...

As I researched the background of these staffel emblems I came across an interesting quote ...

"All Staffeln aircraft carried emblems from late 1939 until they replaced their Bf 109E’s with FW 190’s in the Autumn of 1941. The 5th Staffel’s was one of the first chosen in the Geschwader. Oblt. Herwig Knueppel’s cartoon raven, Hans Huckebein, was popular in the Condor Legion."

Who was Hans Huckebein and what was Condor Legion? Turns out that Hans was the protagonist of an illustrated children's book, an unfortunate cartoon raven created by German painter/poet Wilhelm Busch in 1867.

Hans Huckebein (the unlucky raven) Prologue

"His ending moves me; only, mind,
A diff'rent one I can't envision.
He dies - for tragically designed
Was our hero's disposition.

There is a predetermined fate,
And fortune seems to be essential;
But how to act, how to relate
- that is his fault, not providential.

The moral, thus, remains unchanged
And is no empty declaration,
For if once more this world he ranged,

He'd be the same old aggravation."

Apparently the likeness of Hans Huckebien had been borrowed earlier by the Luftwaffe during the Spanish civil war by pilots of the Condor Legion.

Pardon My French

2009-10-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

The 'archer' symbol from the Wave AFS decal sheet is based on the markings of 1. Escadrille 'Archers', Groupe de Chasse I/1, Escuadron de Chasse 1 of l'Armée de l'Air française (the French air force) ... as can be seen here and here.

Better The Devil You Know

2009-10-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

A familiar SDR unit marking in the Ma.K universe, the devil's head first appeared as one of the decal options included with the Nitto Gustav kit and is the insignia of the 401st Armor Hunting Soldier Battalion,1st company.

In reality this iconic Luftwaffe symbol (sometimes depicted on a white shield, yellow shield or even no shield) was commissioned by Hans-Ekkehard Bob when he took over command of 9. Staffel, III Gruppe, JG 54 (a typical aircraft of this unit can be seen here) Seeing this portrait of Hans-Ekkehard Bob makes me wonder if he was one of the models for the Gustav pilot bust?

"Hans-Ekkehard Bob was born in Freiburg/Breisgau, Germany, and grew up in the village of Staufen. In 1936 he joined the Luftwaffe and after training, flew the Arado Ar68 in Czechoslovakia. But later he was assigned the Bf109, his favorite fighter. Throughout the war, he flew the B, C, D, E, F, and G models of this unique little fighter.

With 9./JG54 he flew his first combat missions in Poland and France as a Schwarmfuhrer. His first victory was a Gloster Gladiator. He was later given command of 7.Staffel. But on November 28th 1940, he commanded 9.Staffel, where he asked an unteroffizier of logistics who was a skilled artist, to create several ideas for a unit emblem. The one which Bob chose was the 'Devil's Head,' which was applied to every aircraft and unit vehicle. (After Bob left the unit, the 'Devil's Head' emblem disappeared)."

Umbrella Aftermath

2009-10-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

This is the inevitable result of skeletons hurling umbrellas. Another marking from the Neuspotter decal sheets/camo cards, this time the insignia for the 300th Armored Mobile Infantry Regiment.

In actuality this was the insignia of 3./ JG 52.

The umbrella was undoubtedly a reference to the British Prime Minister (see post 'Umbrella Man').

'Piepmatz' (Cheeky Sparrow)

2009-10-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

Ever looked at the Nutrocker decal sheet and wondered what that black blobby thing was? Well it's a crying tweety bird ('Piepmatz'), only the original was in red and it was the unit badge of 8. Staffel, III. Gruppe, JG 54.

The Cat In A Bubble

2009-10-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

Is this mischievous minx the Strahl symbol for anti-gravity technology? It may well be as it features on the Neuspotter camo card and decals as the unit ID for the 21st Reconnaissance Company (from March 2885).

In reality it was the 'arched cat' emblem of 2. Staffel, JG 20 and later 8. Staffel, III. Gruppe, JG 51

Here an aircraft of the 8./JG 51 is being rearmed

The Ungrateful Dead

2009-10-17T06:02:00.000-07:00

As if a grinning skeleton riding a scythe weren't fearsome enough ... he's also hurling, um ... umbrellas? This pesky wraith made an appearance on the Hornisse decal sheet and camo cards as the insignia for the 41st Combat Air Force (JG-41).

Historically it was actually the unit symbol of 4. Staffel, II. Gruppe, JG 77 ... a typical example of which can be seen here. The umbrella being wielded by the wraith was another of the Luftwaffe's personal attacks on Neville Chamberlain (see post 'Umbrella Man').

"II./JG 77 has it`s ancestry back in 1936 and was first started as an "Kuestenjagdgruppe" and called I./136. It`s main duty was to guard the German Bight from its bases at Jever. The unit was part of the Kriegsmarine and consisted of 4 Staffel with He 51 planes. Some pilots went to J/88 (Legion Condor) during this period. These returned to the unit after the battle in Spain. The unit converted to the Bf 109B in 1938 and was renamed to II./JG 333 during the reorganisation of the Luftwaffe. One Staffel was given to II./186."

More information about JG 77 to be found here

Hello Hover Kitty

2009-10-17T05:19:00.000-07:00

This aircraft marking is a perfect match for the cat on the Nutrocker decal sheet which represents the insignia for the 503rd Independent Heavy Battle Car Battalion.

According to the source (The German Federal Archive), the photo is a picture of the unit emblem of 2. Jagdgeschwader 20 though it is somewhat unique in appearance. The 'arched cat' of 2./JG 20 was typically depicted in a white circle with the tail pointing away from the body, however I have seen quite a lot of variation in some staffel markings ...

"Jagdgeschwader 20 (JG 20) was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during the early phase of World War II in Europe. JG 20 was founded on 15 July 1939 in Jesau and comprisedof just one Gruppe and two Staffeln. A third Staffel was added on 5 November 1939 in Brandenburg-Briest. The sole Gruppe was redesignated as 3rd Gruppe ofJagdgeschwader 51 (III./JG 51) on 4 July 1940. During the Battle of France it was subordinated to Luftflotte 2."

Oberleutnant Georg "Murr" Schott, a 16-victory ace and the Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 1 also had a similar black cat painted as a personal motif on the side of his Fw 190 A-6 "White 11".

"On 22 June, Schott shot down a USAAF B-17 four-engine for his 17th victory. On 19 August 1943, Schott claimed his 20th, and last, victory when he shot down B-17. On 27 September 1943, Oberleutnant Schott was shot down during aerial combat with Allied bombers over the North Sea. He successfully baled out of his stricken Fw 190 A-6 (W.Nr. 550 476) “White 11”, landing in the sea. He managed to climb into his dinghy. However, an intensive search for him proved futile and the Schott’s remains and his dinghy were washed ashore on a beach of the island of Sylt on 11 October 1943."

'The Green Ghosts'

2009-10-17T02:02:00.000-07:00

The RAAF had their own unique variant of the Beaufighter. It was built by the Department of Aircraft Production and was referred to as the DAP Beaufighter or Mk.21. The DAP variant was given new engines, a tail-plane with dihedral and enhanced armour. These aircraft were used as an attack/torpedo bomber. Australian production ended in 1946 but not before 365 Mk 21s had been built. Because of its quiet engines and heavy firepower the Japanese referred to the Beaufighter as “Whispering Death”.

These aircraft markings are from 'Green Ghost 2' ... one of the Beaufighters that flew with No. 93 Squadron RAAF. The marking of the bee/wasp wearing a top hat and riding a rocket was included on the decal sheet that came with the recent Ma.K Falke profile.

The 93rd Squadron was formed on January 22 1945 without an official name or motto. So unofficially it was known as the “Green Ghost Squadron” and the unofficial motto was “Spookus Sneakinus”. Mid 1945 they transferred to an island off Borneo called Labuan. Their task was to disrupt Japanese shipping and airfields. In August 1945 the squadron was tasked with destroying a Japanese oil tanker. The ship was destroyed but turned out to be the 800 ton private yacht of the Rajah of Sarawak. The 93rd Squadron was disbanded on 22 August 1946.

No 93 Squadron

"After forming at Kingaroy, Queensland in January 1945, No 93 Squadron'sBeaufighters deployed to Labuan, Borneo in July. Referred to as the 'Green Ghost Squadron', the Squadron's first mission was flown on 26 July when two aircraft flew an armed reconnaissance over Borneo.

Five days later, rocket armed Beaufighters attacked a barge carrying Japanese soldiers accompanied by a vessel identified as a Japanese oil tanker. Eighteen hits were recorded on the 800-ton tanker, which was later reported to have sunk. Operations in the month following Japan's surrender saw the Beaufighters dropping leaflets over Japanese areas advising the isolated units that the war was over. The following months, No 93 Squadron Beaufighters provided navigation escorts to formations of RAAF single-engine fighters returning to Australia or proceeding to Japan on occupation duties.

Returning to Australia in 1946, No 93 Squadron was disbanded at Narromine New South Wales on 22 August 1946."

More about the squadron history here ...

'The Polar Bear Butchers'

2009-10-17T00:45:00.001-07:00

Noticed a discounted book in the local coffee shop this morning ... the title grabbed my attention "The Polar Bears - Monty's Left Flank". The blurb reads ...

"With its roots in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the 49th Infantry Division was originally a territorial unit formed in 1907 which fought with distinction throughout World War I earning three VCs. During 1940-42 it fought in the ill-fated campaign in Normandy, garrisoned Iceland for two years and earned itself the title of the Polar Bears. In the north west Europe campaign of 1944-45 it acted as Monty's left flank and suffered 11,000 casualties in 11 months. After the battle for Normandy, the Polar Bears took a major role in the capture of Le Havre, campaigned vigorously in Belgium, helped to take Arnhem and then liberated Utrech and Hilversum. In the last weeks of the war, the Polar Bears brought food supplies into starving Holland. This is an illustrated account of their exploits, based on first hand accounts of the men who actually fought with the Polar Bears."

Curious if there was a Ma.K connection, I did a little web hunting and found out more about the unit history. Apparently they were dubbed the Polar Bears by a Nazi propaganda broadcaster ...

I wonder if the AFS Polar Bear took it's name from this unit and if the insignia inspired the Wave Polar Bear decals?