The Greatest Air Battle; Dieppe, 19th August, 1942
The largest single-day air engagement of the war; simultaneously a tactical loss and strategic victory.
Author Archives
Mark Beckwith
“The Little Friends” Fighter Escorts of the Eighth Air Force, USAAF in the ETO 1944/45
This one is a multifaceted Feature Article containing a biography of the pilot, a description of the build and a piece describing the importance of the ground attack role the “Little Friends” played in addition to the bomber escort role they are more widely known for.
The “Convertible” F-14D of USN’s VF-213 “The Black Lions”
Something a little different; a jet for one thing. However, this one is a little lighthearted compared to most and I hope you enjoy it.
Lt. John “Ray” Johnson’s “Fighting Cocks” P-38L-1 Sep 1944 – Mar 1945
The 13th Air Force did not fight the most glamorous of wars, theirs’ was a war of ground attack, relentlessly destroying Japanese ground forces and infrastructure. They fought, not from centralized bases closely tied together, but from island bases, spread hundreds of miles apart.
No More Progress…
A change in the site structure…
No. 25 Squadron, RNZAF Piva Airfield, Bougainville, March – May 1944
This update brings to life another of the older articles, from around 2005-2006 and tells the story of No.25 Squadron RNZAF in Bougainville in mid 1944…
Col. James Beckwith’s 15th FG P-51D-25 Mustang “Squirt” at Iwo Jima, March-May 1944
Early on the morning of 7 April the 15th and 21st Groups were poised ready for the signal to start engines. The briefings of the day before and that morning had everyone eager to get the operation underway…
2nd Lt. John A. Weese’s USAAF P-47D-15-RE of 365th F/G, 386th F/S in June, 1944
“A short time later 2nd Lt. Weese reported that his engine was out and that he thought he could put his aircraft down behind friendly lines in the shallow water a little offshore Juno Beach. 1st Lt. Beaudrault reported that nothing more was heard from Wesse.”
“WALFISCH” THE WHALE Luftfahrzeug-Gellschaft m.b.H. (LFG) Roland C.IIa
This one is one of my favourite paint jobs. I don’t have a lot of interest in WW1 subjects, I took this one on simply to see if I could get a decent result in painting it.
F/O Les Clisby’s Hawker Hurricane Mk.I of No.1 Squadron RAF, France May 1940
I present my first previously unpublished Feature Article. The subject is F/O Les Clisby and his Hawker Hurricane Mk.1. This remarkable Australian fighter pilot was noted for his aggression, both in the air and on the ground… “Remarkably, Clisby landed nearby, drew his service sidearm and chased the German crewmen across the field as they tried to escape! He captured one in a rugby tackle…” I hope you enjoy the article.
