The Postcard

 

A postally unused carte postale by N.D. The medieval sculptor of the chimère had probably never seen a real elephant - he would have worked from an engraving. This would be why he has given the elephant claws.

 

Medieval craftsmen must have realised when they were carefully carving the chimères that few people would ever get close enough to them to appreciate their skill and artistry.

 

The Notre-Dame Fire

 

On the 15th. April 2019, fire broke out in the attic beneath the cathedral's roof at 18:18. At 18:20 the fire alarm sounded and guards evacuated the cathedral. A guard was sent to investigate, but to the wrong location – the attic of the adjoining sacristy – where he found no fire. About fifteen minutes later the error was discovered, but by the time guards had climbed the three hundred steps to the cathedral attic the fire was well advanced.

 

The alarm system was not designed to automatically notify the fire brigade, which was summoned at 18:51 after the guards had returned. Firefighters arrived within ten minutes.

 

Fighting the Notre-Dame Fire

 

More than 400 firefighters were engaged. A hundred government employees along with police and municipal workers moved precious artefacts to safety via a human chain.

 

The fire was primarily fought from inside the structure, which was more dangerous for personnel, but reduced potential damage to the cathedral - applying water from outside risked deflecting flames and hot gases (at temperatures up to 800 °C) inwards. Deluge guns were used at lower-than-usual pressures to minimise damage to the cathedral and its contents. Water was supplied by pump-boat from the Seine.

 

Aerial firefighting was not used because water dropped from heights could have caused structural damage, and heated stone can crack if suddenly cooled. Helicopters were also not used because of dangerous updrafts, but drones were used for visual and thermal imaging, and robots for visual imaging and directing water streams. Molten lead falling from the roof posed a special hazard for firefighters.

 

By 18:52, smoke was visible from the outside; flames appeared within the next ten minutes. The spire of the cathedral collapsed at 19:50, creating a draft that slammed all the doors and sent a fireball through the attic. Firefighters then retreated from within the attic.

 

Shortly before the spire fell, the fire had spread to the wooden framework inside the north tower, which supported eight very large bells. Had the bells fallen, it was thought that the damage done as they fell could have collapsed the towers, and with them the entire cathedral.

 

At 20:30, firefighters abandoned attempts to extinguish the roof and concentrated on saving the towers, fighting from within and between the towers. By 21:45 the fire was under control.

 

Adjacent apartment buildings were evacuated due to concern about possible collapse, but on the 19th. April the fire brigade ruled out that risk. One firefighter and two police officers were injured.

 

Damage to Notre-Dame

 

Most of the wood/metal roof and the spire of the cathedral was destroyed, with about one third of the roof remaining. The remnants of the roof and spire fell atop the stone vault underneath, which forms the ceiling of the cathedral's interior. Some sections of this vaulting collapsed in turn, allowing debris from the burning roof to fall to the marble floor below, but most sections remained intact due to the use of rib vaulting, greatly reducing damage to the cathedral's interior and objects within.

 

The cathedral contained a large number of artworks, religious relics, and other irreplaceable treasures, including a crown of thorns said to be the one Jesus wore at his crucifixion. Other items were a purported piece of the cross on which Jesus was crucified, the Tunic of St. Louis, a pipe organ by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, and the 14th.-century Virgin of Paris statue.

 

Some artwork had been removed in preparation for the renovations, and most of the cathedral's sacred relics were held in the adjoining sacristy, which the fire did not reach; all the cathedral's relics survived. Many valuables that were not removed also survived.

 

Lead joints in some of the 19th.-century stained-glass windows melted, but the three major rose windows, dating back to the 13th. century, were undamaged. Several pews were destroyed, and the vaulted arches were blackened by smoke, though the cathedral's main cross and altar survived, along with the statues surrounding it.

 

Some paintings, apparently only smoke-damaged, are expected to be transported to the Louvre for restoration. The rooster-shaped reliquary atop the spire was found damaged but intact among the debris. The three pipe organs were not significantly damaged. The largest of the cathedral's bells, the bourdon, was also not damaged. The liturgical treasury of the cathedral and the "Grands Mays" paintings were moved to safety.

 

Environmental Damage

 

Airparif said that winds rapidly dispersed the smoke, carrying it away aloft along the Seine corridor. It did not find elevated levels of particulate air pollution at monitoring stations nearby. The Paris police stated that there was no danger from breathing the air around the fire.

 

The burned-down roof had been covered with over 400 metric tons of lead. Settling dust substantially raised surface lead levels in some places nearby, notably the cordoned-off area and places left open during the fire. Wet cleaning for surfaces and blood tests for children and pregnant women were recommended in the immediate area.

 

People working on the cathedral after the fire did not initially take the lead precautions required for their own protection; materials leaving the site were decontaminated, but some clothing was not, and some precautions were not correctly followed; as a result, the worksite failed some inspections and was temporarily shut down.

 

There was also more widespread contamination; testing, clean-up, and public health advisories were delayed for months, and the neighbourhood was not decontaminated for four months, prompting widespread criticism.

 

Reactions to the Notre-Dame Fire

 

President of France Emmanuel Macron, postponing a speech to address the Yellow Vests Movement planned for that evening, went to Notre-Dame and gave a brief address there. Numerous world religious and government leaders extended condolences.

 

Through the night of the fire and into the next day, people gathered along the Seine to hold vigils, sing and pray.

 

White tarpaulins over metal beams were quickly rigged to protect the interior from the elements. Nettings protect the de-stabilised exterior.

 

The following Sunday at Saint-Eustache Church, the Archbishop of Paris, Michel Aupetit, honoured the firefighters with the presentation of a book of scriptures saved from the fire.

 

Investigation Into The Notre-Dame Fire

 

On the 16th. April, the Paris prosecutor said that there was no evidence of a deliberate act.

 

The fire has been compared to the similar 1992 Windsor Castle fire and the Uppark fire, among others, and has raised old questions about the safety of similar structures and the techniques used to restore them. Renovation works increase the risk of fire, and a police source reported that they are looking into whether such work had caused this incident.

 

The renovations presented a fire risk from sparks, short-circuits, and heat from welding (roof repairs involved cutting, and welding lead sheets resting on timber). Normally, no electrical installations were allowed in the roof space due to the extreme fire risk.

 

The roof framing was of very dry timber, often powdery with age. After the fire, the architect responsible for fire safety at the cathedral acknowledged that the rate at which fire might spread had been underestimated, and experts said it was well known that a fire in the roof would be almost impossible to control.

 

Of the firms working on the restoration, a Europe Echafaudage team was the only one working there on the day of the fire; the company said no soldering or welding was underway before the fire. The scaffolding was receiving electrical supply for temporary elevators and lighting.

 

The roofers, Le Bras Frères, said it had followed procedure, and that none of its personnel were on site when the fire broke out. Time-lapse images taken by a camera installed by them showed smoke first rising from the base of the spire.

 

On the 25th. April, the structure was considered safe enough for investigators to enter. They unofficially stated that they were considering theories involving malfunction of electric bell-ringing apparatus, and cigarette ends discovered on the renovation scaffolding.

 

Le Bras Frères confirmed its workers had smoked cigarettes, contrary to regulations, but denied that a cigarette butt could have started the fire. The Paris prosecutor's office announced on the 26th. June that no evidence had been found to suggest a criminal motive.

 

The security employee monitoring the alarm system was new on the job, and was on a second eight-hour shift that day because his relief had not arrived. Additionally, the fire security system used confusing terminology in its referencing parts of the cathedral, which contributed to the initial confusion as to the location of the fire.

 

As of September, five months after the fire, investigators thought the cause of the fire was more likely an electrical fault than a cigarette. Determining the exact place in which the fire started was expected to take a great deal more time and work. By the 15th. April 2020, investigators stated:

 

"We believe the fire to have been

started by either a cigarette or a

short circuit in the electrical system".

 

Reconstruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral

 

On the night of the fire Macron said that the cathedral, which is owned by the state, would be rebuilt, and launched an international fundraising campaign. France's cathedrals have been owned by the state since 1905, and are not privately insured.

 

The heritage conservation organisation Fondation du Patrimoine estimated the damage in the hundreds of millions of euros, but losses from the fire are not expected to substantially impact the private insurance industry.

 

European art insurers stated that the cost would be similar to ongoing renovations at the Palace of Westminster in London, which currently is estimated to be around €7 billion.

 

This cost does not include damage to any of the artwork or artefacts within the cathedral. Any pieces on loan from other museums would have been insured, but the works owned by the cathedral would not have been insurable.

 

While Macron hoped the cathedral could be restored in time for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, architects expect the work could take from twenty to forty years, as any new structure would need to balance restoring the look of the original building, using wood and stone sourced from the same regions used in the original construction, with the structural reinforcement required for preventing a similar disaster in the future.

 

There is discussion of whether to reconstruct the cathedral in modified form. Rebuilding the roof with titanium sheets and steel trusses has been suggested; other options include rebuilding in the original lead and wood, or rebuilding with modern materials not visible from the outside (like the reinforced concrete trusses at Reims Cathedral).

 

Another option would be to use a combination of restored old elements and newly designed ones. Chartres Cathedral was rebuilt with wrought iron trusses and copper sheeting after an 1836 fire.

 

French prime minister Édouard Philippe announced an architectural design competition for a new spire that would be:

 

"Adapted to the techniques

and the challenges of our era."

 

The spire replacement project has gathered a variety of designs and some controversy, particularly its legal exemption from environmental and heritage rules. After the design competition was announced, the French senate amended the government's restoration bill to require the roof to be restored to how it was before the fire.

 

On the 16th. July, 95 days after the fire, the law that will govern the restoration of the cathedral was finally approved by the French parliament. It recognises its UNESCO World Heritage Site status and the need to respect existing international charters and practices, to:

 

"Preserve the historic, artistic and architectural

history of the monument, and to limit any

derogations to the existing heritage, planning,

environmental and construction codes to a

minimum".

 

On the 15th. April 2020, Germany offered to restore some of the large clerestory windows located far above eye level with three expert tradesmen who specialize in rebuilding cathedrals. Monika Grütters, Germany's Commissioner for Culture was quoted as saying that her country would shoulder the costs.

 

As of the 30th. November all of the tangled scaffolding was removed from the spire area, and was therefore no longer a threat to the building.

 

Notre-Dame de Paris has now been restored to its former magnificence.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

The TIE/LN starfighter, or TIE/line starfighter, simply known as the TIE Fighter or T/F, was the standard Imperial starfighter seen in massive numbers throughout most of the Galactic Civil War and onward.

The TIE Fighter was manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems and led to several upgraded TIE models such as TIE/sa bomber, TIE/IN interceptor, TIE/D Defender, TIE/D automated starfighter, and many more.

 

The original TIEs were designed to attack in large numbers, overwhelming the enemy craft. The Imperials used so many that they came to be considered symbols of the Empire and its might. They were also very cheap to produce, reflecting the Imperial philosophy of quantity over quality.

 

However, a disadvantage of the fighter was its lack of deflector shields. In combat, pilots had to rely on the TIE/LN's maneuverability to avoid damage. The cockpit did incorporate crash webbing, a repulsorlift antigravity field, and a high-g shock seat to help protect the pilot, however these did next to nothing to help protect against enemy blaster fire.

 

Due to the lack of life-support systems, each TIE pilot had a fully sealed flight suit superior to their Rebel counterparts. The absence of a hyperdrive also rendered the light fighter totally dependent on carrier ships when deployed in enemy systems. TIE/LNs also lacked landing gear, another mass-reducing measure. While the ships were structurally capable of "sitting" on their wings, they were not designed to land or disembark their pilots without special support. On Imperial ships, TIEs were launched from racks in the hangar bays.

 

The high success rate of more advanced Rebel starfighters against standard Imperial TIE Fighters resulted in a mounting cost of replacing destroyed fighters and their pilots. That, combined with the realization that the inclusion of a hyperdrive would allow the fleet to be more flexible, caused the Imperial Navy to rethink its doctrine of using swarms of cheap craft instead of fewer high-quality ones, leading to the introduction of the TIE Advanced x1 and its successor, the TIE Avenger. The following TIE/D Defender as well as the heavy TIE Escort Fighter (or TIE/E) were touted as the next "logical advance" of the TIE Series—representing a shift in starfighter design from previous, expendable TIE models towards fast, well armed and protected designs, capable of hyperspace travel and long-term crew teams which gained experience and capabilities over time.

 

The TIE/E Escort, was a high-performance TIE Series starfighter developed for the Imperial Navy by Sienar Fleet Systems and it was introduced into service shortly before the Battle of Endor. It was a much heavier counterpart to the agile and TIE/D fighter, and more of an attack ship or even a light bomber than a true dogfighter. Its role were independent long range operations, and in order to reduce the work load and boost morale a crew of two was introduced (a pilot and a dedicated weapon systems officer/WSO). The primary duty profile included attack and escort task, but also reconnoiter missions. The TIE/E shared the general layout with the contemporary TIE/D fighter, but the cockpit section as well as the central power unit were much bigger, and the ship was considerably heavier.

 

The crew enjoyed – compared with previous TIE fighter designs – a spacious and now fully pressurized cockpit, so that no pressurized suits had to be worn anymore. The crew members sat in tandem under a large, clear canopy. The pilot in front had a very good field of view, while the WSO sat behind him, in a higher, staggered position with only a limited field of view. Both work stations had separate entries, though, and places could not be switched in flight: the pilot mounted the cockpit through a hatch on port side, while the WSO entered the rear compartment through a roof hatch.

 

In a departure from the design of previous TIE models, instead of two parallel wings to either side of the pilot module, the TIE Escort had three quadanium steel solar array wings mounted symmetrically around an aft section, which contained an I-s4d solar ionization reactor to store and convert solar energy collected from the wing panels. The inclusion of a third wing provided additional solar power to increase the ship's range and the ship's energy management system was designed to allow weapons and shields to be charged with minimum loss of power to the propulsion system.

 

Although it was based on the standard twin ion engine design, the TIE/E’s propulsion system was upgraded to the entirely new, powerful P-sz9.8 triple ion engine. This allowed the TIE/E a maximum acceleration of 4,220 G or 21 MGLT/s and a top speed of 144 MGLT, or 1,680 km/h in an atmosphere — almost 40 percent faster than a former standard TIE Fighter. With tractor beam recharge power (see below) redirected to the engines, the top speed could be increased to 180 MGLT in a dash.

In addition to the main thrusters located in the aft section, the TIE Escort's triple wing design allowed for three arrays of maneuvering jets and it featured an advanced F-s5x flight avionics system to process the pilot's instructions. Production models received a class 2, ND9 hyperdrive motivator, modified from the version developed for the TIE Avenger. The TIE/E also carried a Sienar N-s6 Navcon navigation computer with a ten-jump memory.

 

Special equipment included a small tractor beam projector, originally developed for the TIE Avenger, which could be easily fitted to the voluminous TIE Escort. Models produced by Ysanne Isard's production facility regularly carried such tractor beams and the technology found other uses, such as towing other damaged starfighters until they could achieve the required velocity to enter hyperspace. The tractor beam had limited range and could only be used for a short time before stopping to recharge, but it added new tactics, too. For instance, the beam allowed the TIE/E crews to temporarily inhibit the mobility of enemy fighters, making it easier to target them with the ship's other weapon systems, or prevent enemies from clear shots.

 

The TIE Escort’s weapons systems were primarily designed to engage bigger ships and armored or shielded targets, like armed freighters frequently used by the Alliance. Thanks to its complex weapon and sensor suite, it could also engage multiple enemy fighters at once. The sensors also allowed an effective attack of ground targets, so that atmospheric bombing was a potential mission for the TIE/E, too.

.

The TIE Escort Fighter carried a formidable array of weaponry in two modular weapon bays that were mounted alongside the lower cabin. In standard configuration, the TIE/E had two L-s9.3 laser cannons and two NK-3 ion cannons. The laser and ion cannons could be set to fire separately or, if concentrated power was required, to fire-linked in either pairs or as a quartet.

The ship also featured two M-g-2 general-purpose warhead launchers, each of which could be equipped with a standard load of three proton torpedoes or four concussion missiles. Depending on the mission profile, the ship could be fitted with alternative warheads such as proton rockets, proton bombs, or magnetic pulse warheads.

Additionally, external stores could be carried under the fuselage, which included a conformal sensor pallet for reconnaissance missions or a cargo bay with a capacity for 500 kg (1.100 lb).

 

The ship's defenses were provided by a pair of forward and rear projecting Novaldex deflector shield generators—another advantage over former standard TIE models. The shields were designed to recharge more rapidly than in previous Imperial fighters and were nearly as powerful as those found on capital ships, so that the TIE/E could engage other ships head-on with a very high survivability. The fighters were not equipped with particle shields, though, relying on the reinforced titanium hull to absorb impacts from matter. Its hull and wings were among the strongest of any TIE series Starfighter yet.

 

The advanced starfighter attracted the attention of several other factions, and the Empire struggled to prevent the spread of the technology. The ship's high cost, together with political factors, kept it from achieving widespread use in the Empire, though, and units were assigned only to the most elite crews.

 

The TIE/E played a central role in the Empire's campaign against rogue Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin, and mixed Defender and Escort units participated in several other battles, including the Battle of Endor. The TIE Escort continued to see limited use by the Imperial Remnant up to at least 44 ABY, and was involved in numerous conflicts, including the Yuuzhan Vong War..

  

The kit and its assembly:

Another group build contribution, this time to the Science Fiction GB at whatifmodelers.com during summer 2017. Originally, this one started as an attempt to build a vintage MPC TIE Interceptor kit which I had bought and half-heartedly started to build probably 20 years ago. But I did not have the right mojo (probably, The Force was not strong enough…?), so the kit ended up in a dark corner and some parts were donated to other projects.

 

The sun collectors were still intact, though, and in the meantime I had the idea of reviving the kit’s remains, and convert it into (what I thought was) a fictional TIE Fighter variant with three solar panels. For this plan I got myself another TIE Interceptor kit, and stashed it away, too. Mojo was still missing, though.

 

Well, then came the SF GB and I took it as an occasion to finally tackle the build. But when I prepared for the build I found out that my intended design (over the years) more or less actually existed in the Star Wars universe: the TIE/D Defender! I could have built it with the parts and hand and some improvisation, but the design similarity bugged me. Well, instead of a poor copy of something that was more or less clearly defined, I rather decided to create something more individual, yet plausible, from the parts at hand.

 

The model was to stay a TIE design, though, in order to use as much donor material from the MPC kits as possible. Doing some legwork, I settled for a heavy fighter – bigger than the TIE Interceptor and the TIE/D fighter, a two-seater.

Working out the basic concept and layout took some time and evolved gradually. The creative spark for the TIE/E eventually came through a Revell “Obi Wan’s Jedi Starfighter” snap fit kit in my pile – actually a prize from a former GB participation at phoxim.de (Thanks a lot, Wolfgang!), and rather a toy than a true model kit.

 

The Jedi Fighter was in so far handy as it carries some TIE Fighter design traits, like the pilot capsule and the characteristic spider web windscreen. Anyway, it’s 1:32, much bigger than the TIE Interceptor’s roundabout 1:50 scale – but knowing that I’d never build the Jedi Starfighter OOB I used it as a donor bank, and from this starting point things started to evolve gradually.

 

Work started with the cockpit section, taken from the Jedi Starfighter kit. The two TIE Interceptor cockpit tubs were then mounted inside, staggered, and the gaps to the walls filled with putty. A pretty messy task, and once the shapes had been carved out some triangular tiles were added to the surfaces – a detail I found depicted in SW screenshots and some TIE Fighter models.

 

Another issue became the crew – even though I had two MPC TIE Interceptors and, theorectically, two pilot figures, only one of them could be found and the second crewman had to be improvised. I normally do not build 1:48 scale things, but I was lucky (and happy) to find an SF driver figure, left over from a small Dougram hoovercraft kit (from Takara, as a Revell “Robotech” reboxing). This driver is a tad bigger than the 1:50 TIE pilot, but I went with it because I did not want to invest money and time in alternatives. In order to justify the size difference I decided to paint the Dougram driver as a Chiss, based on the expanded SW universe (with blue skin and hair, and glowing red eyes). Not certain if this makes sense during the Battle of Endor timeframe, but it adds some color to the project – and the cockpit would not be visible in much detail since it would be finished fully closed.

 

Reason behind the closed canopy is basically the poor fit of the clear part. OOB, this is intended as an action toy – but also the canopy’s considerable size in 1:50 would prevent its original opening mechanism.

Additional braces on the rel. large window panels were created with self-adhesive tape and later painted over.

 

The rear fuselage section and the solar panel pylons were scratched. The reactor behind the cockpit section is actually a plastic adapter for water hoses, found in a local DIY market. It was slightly modified, attached to the cockpit “egg” and both parts blended with putty. The tail opening was closed with a hatch from the OOB TIE Interceptor – an incidental but perfect match in size and style.

 

The three pylons are also lucky finds: actually, these are SF wargaming/tabletop props and would normally be low walls or barriers, made from resin. For my build, they were more or less halved and trimmed. Tilted by 90°, they are attached to the hull with iron wire stabilizers, and later blended to the hull with putty, too.

 

Once the cockpit was done, things moved more swiftly. The surface of the hull was decorated with many small bits and pieces, including thin styrene sheet and profiles, steel and iron wire in various strengths, and there are even 1:72 tank tracks hidden somewhere, as well as protective caps from syringes (main guns and under the rear fuselage). It’s amazing how much stuff you can add to such a model – but IMHO it’s vital in order to create some structure and to emulate the (early) Star Wars look.

  

Painting and markings:

The less spectacular part of the project, even though still a lot of work because of the sheer size of the model’s surface. Since the whole thing is fictional, I tried to stay true to the Imperial designs from Episode IV-VI and gave the TIE/E a simple, all-light grey livery. All basic painting was done with rattle cans.

Work started with a basic coat of grey primer. On top of that, an initial coat of RAL 7036 Platingrau was added, esp. to the lower surfaces and recesses, for a rough shading effect. Then, the actual overall tone, RAL 7047, called “Telegrau 4”, one of Deutsche Telekom’s corporate tones, was added - mostly sprayed from abone and the sides onto the model. Fuselage and panels were painted separately, overall assembly was one of the final steps.

 

The solar panels were to stand out from the grey rest of the model, and I painted them with Revell Acrylic “Iron Metallic” (91) first, and later applied a rather rich wash with black ink , making sure the color settled well into the many small cells. The effect is pretty good, and the contrast was slightly enhanced through a dry-brushing treatment.

 

Only a few legible stencils were added all around the hull (most from the scrap box or from mecha sheets), the Galactic Empire Seal were inkjet-printed at home, as well as some tactical markings on the flanks, puzzled together from single digits in "Aurebash", one of the Imperial SW languages/fonts.

For some variety and color highlights, dozens of small, round and colorful markings were die-punched from silver, yellow, orange, red and blue decal sheet and were placed all over the hull - together with the large panels they blur into the the overall appearance, though. The hatches received thin red linings, also made from generic decals strips.

 

The cockpit interior was a bit challenging, though. Good TIE Fighter cockpit interior pictures are hard to find, but they suggest a dark grey tone. More confusingly, the MPC instructions call for a “Dark Green” cockpit? Well, I did not like the all-grey option, since the spaceship is already monochrome grey on the outside.

 

As a compromise I eventually used Tamiya XF-65 "Field Grey". The interior recieved a black ink in and dry-brushing treatment, and some instruments ansd screens were created with black decal material and glossy black paint; some neon paint was used for sci-fi-esque conmtraol lamps everywhere - I did not pay too much intention on the interior, since the cockpit would stay closed, and the thick clear material blurs everything inside.

Following this rationale, the crew was also painted in arather minimal fashion - both wear a dark grey uniform, only the Chiss pilot stands aout with his light blue skin and the flourescent red eyes.

 

After an overall black ink wash the model received a dry brusing treatment with FS 36492 and FS 36495, for a weathered and battle-worn look. After all, the "Vehement" would not survive the Ballte of Endor, but who knows what became of TIE/E "801"'s mixed crew...?

Finally, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish, and some final cosmetic corrections made.

 

The display is a DIY creation, too, made from a 6x6" piece of wood, it's edges covered with edgebonder, a steel wire as holder, and finally the display was paited with semi-matt black acrylic paint from the rattle can.

  

A complex build, and the TIE/E more or less evolved along the way, with only the overall layout in mind. Work took a month, but I think it was worth the effort. This fantasy creation looks pretty plausible and blends well into the vast canonical TIE Fighter family - and I am happy that I finally could finish this mummy project, including the surplus Jedi Starfighter kit which now also find a very good use!

 

An epic one, and far outside my standard comfort zone. But a wothwhile build!

 

Working a demonstration goods train at Esk Valley is Southern Railway livered Schools class 926 REPTON minus smoke deflectors.

Alfred B Bales……………………………….......49 Canadian Batt

 

Name: BALES Initials: A B

Rank: Private Regiment: Canadian Infantry (Alberta Regiment) Unit Text: 49th Bn.

Date of Death: 07/04/1916 Service No: 436662

Grave/Memorial Reference: I. A. 22. Cemetery: MENIN ROAD SOUTH MILITARY CEMETERY

CWGC www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=95745

 

There is a picture of Private Alfred Benjamin Bales on Norlink

norlink.norfolk.gov.uk/02_Catalogue/02_013_PictureTitleIn...

 

The accompanying notes read

Private Bales was born at Norwich, 21st October 1892 and was educated at the Model and Municipal Secondary School. He enlisted in December 1914 and was killed in action at Ypres, 7th April 1916.

 

The 8 year Alfred appears on the 1901 Census at 19 Magdalen Street in the Parish of St Clements. This is the household of his parents, Ernest William, (aged 37 and a Saddle & Harness Maker and Leather Dealer from Norwich), and Anna Maria, (aged 39 and from Morwich). Their other children are:-

Anna Maud……………aged 12.………………born Norwich

Ernest William…………aged 11.………………born Norwich

 

Alfred Benjamin was baptised at St Clements on the 22nd December 1899. His birth date is simply given as 1882. Parents are Ernest William, a Saddler and Anna Maria. The family are living at Magdalen Street.

Alfred also appears on the NORWICH CATHEDRAL - BOYS MODEL SCHOOL WAR MEMORIAL

www.roll-of-honour.com/Norfolk/NorwichBoysModelSchool.html

 

The enlistment papers for Private Alfred Benjamin Bales can be seen on line here:-

www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/cef/001042-119.02-e...

www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/cef/001042-119.02-e...

 

They confirm he was born Norwich, but gives date of birth as the 18th October 1892. He gives his next of kin as E Wm Bales residing at 17 Magdalen Street. He was single and gave his occupation as farmer, (plus an undecipherable word). He had no previous military experience. At the time of his medical examination on the 25th January 1915 he was 22 years and three months, stood 5 foot 7 inches tall, with light brown hair, blue eyes, and a fair complexion.

 

It was the 31st Battalion that was the Albert Regiment. The 49th was the Edmonton Regiment. The battalion has no Battle Honours relating to the period of Alfred’s death.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_infantry_battalions_in_the_...

 

The 49th was in action at the St Eloi craters at this time, in one of the many pointless actions of the war based on the poor quality of the Army high command.

 

From Chapter 5 of the Nicholson Matrix, there is a description of the action, though no specific reference to the 49th but there is to the 31st .

 

Throughout 4 and 5 April the whole of the Canadian front line came under almost continual bombardment. The intensity of the German fire was described by a British artillery officer who had been in the Ypres Salient for the past year as far greater than any he had hitherto experienced.39 Both battalion sectors were hard hit, and 200 yards of trench in the 27th Battalion’s area were completely demolished. The destruction of the sandbag parapet in one of the 31st Battalion’s trenches exposed the Canadians to enfilade machine-gun fire from position 85 as well as to sniping from the German lines, only 150 yards away. Although each man dug his own slit trench in the mud, casualties mounted rapidly. By noon on the 4th every second man in one of the 27th’s forward companies had been hit. The battalion commander, Lt.-Col. I. R. Snider, was forced to thin out his front line, leaving in front of the craters only bombing parties supplied by battalions of the 5th Brigade and four Lewis gun detachments from the 5th Brigade Machine Gun Company. He had no contact with the 31st Battalion on his left. On the evening of 5 April small parties from the 28th Battalion were sent out to station themselves in the four big craters and act as snipers and observers until these could be trenched and garrisoned. There is doubt that the positions which they occupied were actually the designated craters. Later that same night the 29th Battalion began relieving the badly depleted forward companies of the 27th Battalion.40

 

This relief dragged out interminably. The incoming troops, burdened with extra equipment, had to struggle forward in a long line through the mud and congestion of the same narrow communication trench that was being used by pioneers moving up to work on the craters and by other parties coming to the rear, many of them wounded. The exchange was still in progress when at 3:30 a.m. on the 6th, following an intense barrage, the Germans attacked with two battalions* astride the road which ran from St. Eloi south-eastward to Warneton and before its destruction had passed between the sites of the 3rd and 4th craters. Effective resistance was impossible. West of the road the two relieving companies were not yet in position, having failed to find the positions manned by the 5th Brigade. They could do little more than deflect the tide of the German attack eastward, where it quickly wiped out the machine-gun posts and flowed through the resulting gap in front of the central craters. The eastern wing of the assault was held up momentarily by crossfire from the 31st Battalion’s machine-guns, which also repelled attacks against Craters 6 and 7 and the line to the east. Artillery fire on the enemy’s lines of approach by all available British field guns failed to stop the attackers, some of whom got through by splitting into small groups. The Germans quickly secured Craters 2 and 3 and from these points of vantage soon spread into Craters 4 and 5. In less than three hours the enemy had regained all the ground taken from him between 27 March and 3 April. 41

 

The Canadians launched local counter-attacks with the minimum of delay. The only feasible way to regain the craters seemed to be by bombing, but the element of surprise was missing and the efforts accomplished nothing. On the right bombers of the 27th and 29th Battalions attempting to reoccupy Craters 2 and 3 were caught in the mire and shot down before they could get close enough to fling their grenades. On the left Brig.-Gen. Ketchen ordered the 31st Battalion, reinforced with a detachment from the 28th, to retake Craters 4 and 5. But their unfamiliarity with the ground and the complete absence of recognizable landmarks caused the attackers to repeat the mistake made by British troops ten days earlier. Forced to make their approach from the side, they lost direction and occupied Craters 6 and 7, reporting that they had regained 4 and 5. German shellfire during the remainder of 6 April and on succeeding days isolated the two craters that the Canadians were holding, so that no reconnoitring officer could reach them in daylight. Because of bad weather no air photograph of the positions was taken from the 8th until the 16th. The mistake was to persist throughout that entire period.†42 The occupants of the two craters could see on their right the high edge of what they believed to be Crater 3 (The Mound), but which was in reality No. 5. On the night of 6-7 April the 28th Battalion sent out 75 bombers, supported by two companies, to regain this objective. Enemy shellfire and heavy rain held them up. Losing their way in the darkness they occupied a group of craters north of No. 4, and there captured several small German patrols. They had failed to attain their objective, or even identify it correctly. During the night the 4th Canadian Brigade (Brig.-Gen. R. Rennie) relieved the 6th Brigade, which had suffered 617 casualties in its four days of fighting.43 For the next week confusion was to persist with respect to the exact positions held by the Canadians.

cefresearch.com/matrix/Nicholson/Transcription/

 

Background to the creation of the battalion is here

www.lermuseum.org/ler/rh/ch1_page05.html

The same source has no mention of the 49th being involved in the St Eloi action

www.lermuseum.org/ler/rh/ch2_page03.html

 

Mack Billin,……………………………..............14th Essex Regiment

 

Name: BILLIN, MACK

Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Essex Regiment Unit Text: 13th Bn.

Date of Death: 13/11/1916 Service No: 28341

Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 10 D. Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

CWGC www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=768669

(Note - different Battalion)

No match on Norlink

 

The 6 year old Mack is recorded at 10 New Yard in the Parish of St Pauls. This is the household of his parents, Mark, (aged 36 and a Shoemaker from Norwich), ans Alice, (aged 29 and from Norwich). Their other children are:-

Alice…………………….aged 8.………………….born Norwich

Herbert………………….aged 5.………………….born Norwich

Lily………………………aged 7 months…………born Norwich

Walter……………………aged 7 months…………born Norwich

 

Monday 13th November 1916. Day 136

 

The Battle of the Ancre, the final battle of the Somme Campaign began today.

 

13th Essex (Part of 6 Brigade) - Redan Ridge

 

2nd Div attacked Redan Ridge north of Beaumont Hamel with 6 Bde on the left and 5 Bde on the right. 99 Bde was in reserve. 5 Bde formed up in No Man’s Land and, staying close to the creeping barrage, took the German front line with little difficulty. 2nd Bn, Highland Light Infantry and 24th Royal Fusiliers pressed on to Beaumont Trench. The Fusiliers blocked the trench because 6 Bde’s advance had fallen behind. They fought off some German bombing attacks.

 

6 Bde had real problems. Fog and mud slowed the advance as did fire from the Quadrilateral. Added to which the German wire was intact. Troops from the brigade’s four battalions entered the German trenches where they were pinned down by MG fire.

 

By 7.30 am only 5 Bde was ready to move on to the second objective, Frankfurt Trench. Only a few men reached this objective and soon withdrew. Also at 7.30am 99 Bde began to move forward to support the attack but orders for an advance by the brigade were cancelled and 2nd Div began to consolidate on it’s captured trenches. 6 Bde was withdrawn to re-org.

forum.irishmilitaryonline.com/showthread.php?t=9058&p...

 

14th (Reserve) Battalion

Formed at Brentwood in September 1915 from depot companies of 13th Bn.

Moved to Northampton in January 1916 and went on in the May to Aldershot.

1 September 1916 : converted into 98th Training Reserve Battalion of 23rd Reserve Brigade at Aldershot.

www.1914-1918.net/essex.htm

 

I suspect therefore Private Billin fell in the company of many from the 13th Essex, rather than the 14th Essex as shown on the church roll of honour as that unit never made it to france and had already effectively ceased to exist.

 

William Chilvers………………………………...1st Norfolks

 

Name: CHILVERS, WILLIAM

Rank: Lance Corporal Regiment/Service: Norfolk Regiment Unit Text: 1st Bn.

Age: 37 Date of Death: 31/07/1916 Service No: 3/10187

Additional information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. Chilvers, of Garden House, Newton, St. Faith's, Norwich; husband of Anna Elizabeth Gray (formerly Chilvers), of 12, Thoroughfare Yard, Magdalen St., Norwich.

Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 1 C and 1 D. Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

CWGC www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=760002

 

No match on Norlink

 

No obvious match on the 1911 or 1901 census However on the 1911 census there is a William born circa 1857 in Norwich now recorded in St Faiths district.

 

On the 1891 census that William is living at 52 Albany Road in the Parish of St Clements and is a Brush Finisher by trade. His wife is Amelia, aged 33 and a General Shop-keeper from Norwich. The eldest of their children is our man, “Willy”, aged 12 and born Norwich. Their other children are:-

Maud…………….aged 9.………………born Norwich

George…………..aged 8.……………….born Norwich

May……………aged 6.…………………born Norwich

Amelia…………aged 3.…………………born Norwich

Henry…………..aged 1.…………………born Norwich.

 

The Chilvers also have a lodger living with them, Harriet Harwood, (aged 25 and a Boot Machinist from Norwich), and her one year old daughter, Rosa.

 

On the 1901 census the family have moved to 69 Spencer Street in the Parish of St James with Pockthorpe. “Willie” has moved out, not surprisingly really as the family has grown to include

Nellie………….aged 9.…………………born Norwich

Laura………….aged 7.………………….born Norwich

Fred……………aged 6.…………………born Norwich

Edith V…………aged u/1.………………born Norwich

 

I initially found a baptismal record for a William Chilvers, but in the light of the above this is possibly the right person, its just that the dates don’t tie up. A William Chilvers, son of a William (Brush Finisher by occupation) and Amelia, took place at St Stephens, Norwich on 27th January 1879, and his birth date was given as 11th August 1877, which does not marry up to any of the other dates above. The family were living at Butcher’s Court, St Stephens.

 

I believe William’s brother Henry is recorded on the St Faiths War Memorial, which ties in with the family location in 1911

www.flickr.com/photos/43688219@N00/2871580378/

 

The 1st Norfolks were relieving a fellow Brigade Unit, the 1st Bedfords, on the day that Private Chilvers died.

 

31st July 1916

 

OPERATION ORDERS NO.7 1/BEDFORDSHIRE RGT. Ref. Sheet LONGUEVAL 31st July 1916

1. The Battn. will be relieved at dark by 1/NORFOLK Rgt.

2. On Relief Battn. will withdraw to area East of Church, where they will get into SLIT Trenches they dug on arrival in LONGUEVAL last night.

3. O.C. Coys. will report their arrival in this area to Battn. H.Q.

4. O.C. Coys. will send one guide each to Bn.H.Q. at once to guide NORFOLK coys up.

5. Later (about 11 p.m.) the 1/CHESHIRE RGT. will arrive in the area.

6. On arrival of 1/CHESHIRE Rgt, coys will withdraw independently to POMMIERS Redoubt, without being relieved.

7. O.C. Coys. will report the final departure of their coys to Bn.H.Q.

Report on Operations 30 July - 1st August 1916. REF. Sheet LONGUEVAL 1/BEDFORDSHIRE RGT 30.7.'16 6.45 P.M.

Orders received to reinforce in LONGUEVAL 2/K.O.S.B. holding Line. 1/R.W.Kents in support. Leading platoon moved off at 6.53 p.m. and reached LONGUEVAL at 7.45 p.m. relieving 1/R.W.KENTS 10.12 p.m. O.C. 2/K.O.S.B. reported that his men were retiring from Line S.11.d.9/5 to S.11.c.5/8. A & C Coys were directed to proceed with guides of K.O.S.B. to hold & consolidate this line. B & D Coys were directed to hold line S.11.d.9/5 to S.17.b.0/9. It was proposed to withdraw K.O.S.B. into reserve at dawn. 11.45 p.m. Message received by O.C. K.O.S.B. that GORDONS 51st DIVISION were in Sunken Road & that K.O.S.B. were to bomb towards them. 31.7.'16 12.10 A.M. Enemy started intense bombardment 12.45 A.M. Orderly returned from A & C Coys & reported K.O.S.B. Guides could not show them the way up to front line. O.C. A & C Coys were instructed to establish themselves on the Line B.C.D.E. (S.11.d.4/8 to S.11.c.5.5) & to send out patrols to ascertain if any K.O.S.B. were holding forward line. 2.30 A.M. All Coys reported heavy casualties [2 officers Killed & several wounded]. B & D Coys reported themselves to be in position as ordered from S.11.d.5/5 to S.11.b.0/9. Two wounded prisoners were taken by 'A' Coy. Reinforcements had been asked for at 10.54 A.M. O.C. D Coy reported that he had been able to get in touch with Division on right. O.C. C Coy reported that owing to mist darkness & shell fire it was impossible to recognise the line B.C.D.E, that he was in touch with K.O.S.B. & would establish himself in the forward position at dawn. Telephone communication established between Bn. H.Q. & front line 6.25 A.M. Order received from Bde to relieve K.O.S.B. who were to move into reserve. O.C. C.Coy. reported by Telephone that his patrols were unable to get forward. Two Machine Guns enfilading NORTH STREET & heavy sniping from his front. Companies were now as follows: - D.Coy from PICCADILLY to NORTH ST. on DUKE ST. B.Coy. continuing this line into DELVILLE WOOD. A.Coy. crossroads NORTH ST./FLERS RD. to ORCHARD. C.Coy. in support of A.Coy. with refused flank about S.11.d.8/3 & two platoons North of FLERS Rd. about S.11.d.4/4. C.Coy. were still endeavouring to gain touch with 2nd Divn. The position taken up could be seen from the opposite ridge & any movement attracted heavy shell fire. There was also considerable sniping from the direction of FLERS Rd. 6.0. P.M. 1/NORFOLK RGT. arrived and relieved 2/K.O.S.B. and the forward BEDF. coys, who were moved back to reserve position E. of Church. 10.30 P.M. 1/CHESHIRE RGT. arrived & relief of 1/BEDF. R. was completed by Midnight. 1/BEDF. R. returned to POMMIERS REDOUBT. 11 P.M. A patrol from C.Coy. trying to get into touch with 2nd Division approached the German line in NORTH of DELVILLE WOOD & attracted a big burst of fire.

Source www.bedfordregiment.org.uk/1stbn/1stbtn1916appendices.html

 

William John Chilvers………………………… .1st Rifle Brigade

 

Name: CHILVERS Initials: W J

Rank: Rifleman Regiment/Service: Rifle Brigade Unit Text: 1st Bn.

Date of Death: 29/03/1918 Service No: S/37032

Grave/Memorial Reference: I. J. 17. Cemetery: POINT-DU-JOUR MILITARY CEMETERY, ATHIES

CWGC www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=257132

 

The index to the Great War Roll of Honour confirms that Rifleman Chilvers was a William J.

 

No match on Norlink

 

There is a William John born circa 1899 in Norwich and now recorded in the district of Forehoe on the 1911 census, but otherwise there are plenty of William’s from Norwich and of the right sort of age. This individual, aged 2, is recorded at 99, Norfolk Street, in the Parish of St Stephens. This is the household of his parents, John Rackham, (aged 50 and a Gardener from Morton, Norfolk), and Anna Chilvers, (aged 23 and from Norwich)

 

Divisional Battle Honour

First Battle of Arras. 28 Mar 1918

 

At 3am on Thursday 28 March the early morning stillness was shattered by the chaotic din of a terrific German bombardment. Shortly after 7am German infantry attacked. Unaided by fog and, in places, going forward in mass formations, they met with devastating fire from British artillery and well-sited machine guns.

South of the Scarpe German infiltrations via communication trenches forced 3rd and 15th Divisions back from their front lines by 8.30am; gradual withdrawals were made to the rear of the Battle Zone; despite great pressure no effective breakthroughs were made. The greatest German efforts were made north of the Scarpe: attacking across difficult ground enemy infantry successfully progressed up the valley between 4th and 56th Division positions forcing British fighting withdrawals to the Battle Zone; despite repeated attacks the line held.

www.cwgc.org/spring1918/content.asp?menuid=34&submenu...

 

Charles Goulder………………………………....1st Norfolks

 

Name: GOULDER, CHARLES

Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Norfolk Regiment Unit Text: 1st Bn.

Age: 35 Date of Death: 27/07/1916 Service No: 3/8037

Additional information: Son of Henry and Sophia Goulder, of 49, Fishergate St., Norwich; husband of Sarah Goulder, of I, Tiger Yard, Fishergate St., Norwich.

Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 1 C and 1 D. Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

CWGC www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=786634

 

No match on Norlink

 

The 23 year old Charles , a Shoe Finisher from Norwich, is recorded on the 1901 Census at 49 Fishergate Street in the Parish of St Edmund. This is the household of his Step-father, William Eames, a 63 year old Tailor and Licensed Victualler from Bedford, and mother, Sophia Eames, (aged 53 and a Publican from Norwich). Making up the household is Charles brother John H Y Goulder, aged 26, and like his brother, a shoe finisher from Norwich.

 

Charles isn’t obviously on the 1891 Census., but on the 1881 one the “40” year old Sophia Goulder is a widow, living at what looks like Little Bull Close in the Parish of St Paul, with no occupation, and head of a household of 8, of which Charles is the youngest. Sophia also seems to be absent from the Genes Re-united transcription of the 1891 census, both as a Goulder and as an Eames.

 

Charles was baptised in the church of St Simon and St Jude on the 5th February 1878. His birth date was shown as the 26th December 1877. His father is listed as John Henry, a Labourer, and his mother is Sophia. They are listed simply as residing in the Parish of St Pauls.

 

Note none of these dates and ages from the Census & Baptismal record tie in with him being 35 in 1916, so I guessed he must have lied about his age.

 

Thursday 27th July 1916. Day 27

 

Delville Wood

 

At 7.10am after a one hour barrage on Delville Wood the 1st Bn, KRRC and 23rd Bn, Royal Fusiliers of 99 Bde, 2nd Div began their advance from the south. By 9am they had occupied a line 50 yards from the northern edge of the wood. At 9.30am a German attack forced back the right side of the line slightly so that it ran just east of King St.

 

In conjunction with 2nd Div, 1st Norfolk Regt and 1st Bedfordshire Regt of 15 Bde, 5th Div attacked the west end of the wood and Longueval village. The Bedfords linked up with 2nd Div in the northern end of the wood. Longueval was occupied almost as far as Duke Street

 

That night 17th Middlesex and 2nd South Staffords (6 Bde) relieved 99 Bde. 95 Bde relieved 15 Bde.

Source forum.irishmilitaryonline.com/showthread.php?t=9058&p...

 

REPORT ON OPERATIONS 26/28 JULY 1/BEDFORDSHIRE Rgt 26.7.'16 11.15.P.M.

The Battalion left its Bivouac POMMIERS REDOUBT and marched to Brigade Advanced H.Q. Here owing to very heavy Barrage & poison Gas shells in the Valley the Battalion halted for two hours. The Barrage was still intense but a fresh wind made advance possible & only two cases of gas poisoning have been reported. Shell fire was moderately severe in the valley and increased as the old German Second line Trenches were approached. 27.7.'16 [Capt. PARKER wounded] 3.50 A.M. Battn arrived in position of assembly in German 2nd Line Trenches and improved cover 5.30 A.M. Operation Orders received & communicated to Company Commanders. 7.0 A.M. A & B Coys in accordance with orders, left to take up their position in Reserve trenches at LONGUEVAL. 7.40 A.M. Report received from O.C. 1/NORFOLKS that owing to heavy shell fire, he required assistance 8.20 A.M. OC 1/BEDFORDSHIRE Rgt arrived at H.Q. 1/NORFOLK Rgt in LONGUEVAL having arranged for A & B Coys to assault the second line in conjunction with NORFOLKS & for C & D Coys to pass through & take third line. O.C. 16/ROYAL WARWICKSHIRE Rgt was requested to occupy front line trenches when these were vacated by C & D Coys. A & B Coys had at 7.30 A.M. occupied first line at 'E' & reserve trenches at 'B'. 9.00 A.M. C Coy arrived at E D Coy arrived at B and A Coy pushed across towards German Redoubt at F where the two leading NORFOLK Coys were being held up [100 prisoners surrendered here] Lt. FYSON with his platoon attacked house at G and took 32 prisoners. 9.5 A.M. C Coy advanced across PRINCES Street but were held up by Machine Gun fire from House at Cross Roads (I). This house was taken by a party of NORFOLK bombers. At the same time, two platoons of A Coy reached position marked H & K near FLERS Road where they were in touch in [sic] the ROYAL FUSILIERS on their right. A German counterattack was met with LEWIS Gun & Rifle fire, the estimated Enemy Casualties being 50. Several small posts were observed on the Ridge, apparently protected by wire. 9.30 A.M. C Coy crossed PRINCES STREET and took up a position parallel with NORTH Street joining up the two leading NORFOLK coys. They were unable to progress further owing to heavy Machine Gun fire from DUKE Street. They consolidated their position. 1 Officer & 30 men went forward from B Coy at C to reinforce a Coy of NORFOLKS at A. This coy was held up by Machine Gun fire from direction of DUKE Street & was unable to advance. STOKES Mortar Battery was asked to cooperate, but did not come into action. Later, heavy Artillery was asked to bombard this post. While awaiting this & the opportunity to advance, B & D Coys endeavoured to improve their cover under a hurricane bombardment.

 

6.30 P.M. ROYAL FUSILIERS on right, owing to heavy shell fire, retired and out line at K & H was slightly withdrawn to cover exposed flank. 7.0 P.M. B Coy received orders to retire to German Second Line trenches, leaving one platoon to hold line at A. A similar order was sent to D Coy but did not reach there and a second order was sent at 8.0 P.M. 9.0 P.M. C Coy tried to establish itself on East side of NORTH ST. but had to withdraw. They consolidated in touch with NORFOLKS & the SOUTH STAFFORDS of 2nd Division 28.7.'16 6 A.M. 1/D.C.L.I. & 1/E.SURREYS arrived & took over the line & the Battalion withdrew to POMMIERS Redoubt.

 

15th Infy. Bde. 1st Bedfords

The Brigadier-General Commanding wishes to express to all ranks of the Brigade his great admiration at the magnificent manner in which they captured the Village of LONGUEVAL yesterday. To the 1st NORFOLK Regiment and the 1st BEDFORDSHIRE Regiment and some of the 16th ROYAL WARWICKSHIRE Regiment, who were able to get into the enemy with the bayonet, he offers his heartiest congratulations. He knows it is what they have been waiting and wishing for many months. The 1st CHESHIRE Regiment made a most gallant and determined effort to reach their objective and failed through no fault of their own. The way in which the Troops behaved under the subsequent heavy bombardment was worthy of the best traditions of the British Army The Brigade captured 4 Officers and 159 other ranks 28/7/1916

Source www.bedfordregiment.org.uk/1stbn/1stbtn1916appendices.html

  

Walter Green………………………………........1st Norfolks

 

Name: GREEN, WALTER

Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Norfolk Regiment Unit Text: "B" Coy. 2nd Bn. Age: 33 Date of Death: 09/12/1915 Service No: 3/10638

Additional information: Son of Osborne Green, of Norwich; husband of Alice Maud Campbell (formerly Green), of 6, Peacock St., Norwich.

Memorial: DOIRAN MEMORIAL

CWGC www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1649433

 

Note - different Battalion.

 

No match on Norlink

 

The 18 year old Walter, a Printers Labourer from Norwich, is recorded on the 1901 census at 76 Silver Street, in the Parish of St James, Pockthorpe. This is the household of his brother-in-law, Jacob Sexton, (aged 31 and a Boot & Shoe Maker from Norwich.), and presumably his sister, Jacob’s wife, Rose Sexton, (aged 28 and from Norwich).. As well as four Sexton children, the household also contains Rose and Walter’s brother, Robert, (aged 21 and a Builder’s labourer from Norwich), and their father, Osborn Green, a 57 year old widowed Gas Works Labourer from Norwich.

 

On the 1891 census, the 47 year “Osborne” was already a Widower, although described there as an Engine Driver at a Gas Works. The address is difficult to decipher, but looks like 8, Harwardson’s Yard, in the Parish of St Paul.

 

Walter appears to have been baptised in the church of St James with Pockthorpe on the 15th March 1885. His birth date is given as 23rd July 1882. His parents are shown as “Osmond” and Martha. The father’s occupation is shown as Labourer. The family live at “Stewardsons” Yard.

 

Note to self - I’m sure I’ve seen something like Hawardsons Yard down Magdalen Street - go and check.

 

Not quite sure how Private Green ended up being commemorated on the Doiran. His unit was besieged in Kut in Iraq at this time if he was a 2nd Battalion man, or in the trenches on the Somme if he was a 1st Battalion man.

 

Ernest Grimwood………………………………..7th Norfolks

 

Name: GRIMWOOD, ERNEST JAMES

Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Norfolk Regiment Unit Text: 7th Bn.

Age: 18 Date of Death: 12/08/1916 Service No: 9675

Additional information: Son of Mrs. Annie Grimwood, of 5, Thoroughfare Yard, Magdalen St., Norwich.

Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 1 C and 1 D. Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

CWGC www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=787840

 

Brother of Robert below

No match on Norlink

 

The 2 year old Ernest is recorded on the 1901 census at 15 Handford Cut, Ipswich. This is the household of his parents, William, (aged 31 and a Boot Machinist from Ipswich), and Annie, (aged 28 and from Ipswich). Their other children are:-

Annie…………………….aged 4.……………….born Ipswich

Horace…………………aged 7.…………………born Ipswich

Robert…………………..aged 6.…………………born Ipswich

William…………………aged 9.…………………born Ipswich

 

Neither Ernest or Robert appear to be on the 1911 Census.

 

Saturday 12th August 1916. Day 43

 

7th Norfolk Regt and 9th Essex Regt captured Skyline Trench.

forum.irishmilitaryonline.com/showthread.php?t=9058&p...

(It must subsequently have been re-taken by the Germans. As the Oxs and Bucks Light Infantry seem to have sustained heavy casualties “taking” Skyline trench on the 14th and holding it against the subsequent counter-attacks until relieved. The 1st/1st Bucks Regiment also seemes to have been engaged in an attack to take the Skyline Trench on the 14/15th August)

 

Robert Grimwood……………………………….8th Norfolks

 

Name: GRIMWOOD, ROBERT

Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Norfolk Regiment Unit Text: 8th Bn.

Age: 20 Date of Death: 19/07/1916 Service No: 16154

Additional information: Son of Mrs Annie Grimwood, of 5, Thoroughfare Yard, Magdalen St., Norwich.

Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 1 C and 1 D. Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

CWGC www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=787844

 

Brother of Ernest above

 

No match on Norlink

 

See Ernest above for census details

 

Wednesday 19th July 1916. Day 19

 

Delville Wood

 

Fighting continued in Delville Wood all day. 53 Bde (18th Div) had been sent to reinforce 9th Div. 8th Norfolks attacked from south west of Longueval at 7am and occupied the southern part of Delville Wood. The 10th Essex, 6th Royal Berkshire Regt and 8th Suffolks were sent to the attack with little success.

Source forum.irishmilitaryonline.com/showthread.php?t=9058

 

6th Royal Berkshire War Diary for the day

3.30AM - Bn arrived at S22d Valley. CO rejoined with orders which were read and explained. Bn ready to move off at 4AM.

5.14 - Norfolks report Zero time to be 6.15AM.

5.40 - Norfolks commence to move off towards LONGUEVAL which was over a mile off. Enemy shell road to LONGUEVAL with field guns. Long halts cause delay and congestion in road.

7.5 - No 13 Platoon D Coy Berks moves off as leading platoon of the Bn. Enemy shelling road heavily with guns of all calibre. Many casualties from shell fire. Norfolks not yet attacked though barrage lifted.

9.0 - Entrance to village reached.

9.49 - B9 stating Barrage will lift at 11AM received.

10.50 - BM12 " " " " 11AM by 50 yards a minute received.

11.40 - Norfolks report S portion of wood clear. Battn starts to move on to wood.

11.55 - Bn in position in S portion of wood and in touch with Essex on right but very weak owing to heavy losses from shell fire. MG opened fire on to the leading platoons of D Coy from the NW corner of the Southern half of wood. This gun had not been reported by Norfolks.

NOON - CO arranged for rebombardment to start at 1pm for 30 minutes and for assault to take place after.

1pm - Heavies falling short among our own men. Shrapnel bursting short.

1.30pm - Barrage lifted. It was impossible to tell that a bombardment was on as the rate of fire was so slow and Coys had to be informed that it was time to attack. Germans brought heavy barrage on PRINCES ST line and opened with MGs on advancing troops. D Coy unable to advance owing to MG from a house somewhere on their left. C & B advanced about 150yds but suffered heavy casualties and were finally forced to drop back to the lines PRINCES ST where they started to dig in.

1.50 - Owing to heavy fire on working parties AC & B Coys forced to retire to original line - about 80 yds S of PRINCES ST.

2.15 - Coys ordered to consolidate on the line they hold. Bde calls for situation - reported verbally see back of message B729.

2,36 - Situation explained to Suffolks and Stokes Gun asked for but not received.

3.5 - Situation explained to Bde. MGs sent into the line proposed to hold. 4 guns under 2Lt Gilbert.

3.37 - Situation sent to Bde - work of consolidation of the line 120yds S of PRINCES ST complete. Efforts being made to deepen the line 40yds S of PRINCES ST.

4.10 - Preparations complete for further effort to advance on our left but owing to inability to get in touch with Suffolks on left advance was impossible. Reported to Brigade.

4.45 - Our heavies dropping short and causing casualties among our own men. Reported to Brigade.

5.30 - Situation reported to Brigade.

6.45 - Casualties reported to Brigade.

8.40 - Situation reported to Brigade.

9.40 - 2Lt GC Hollis arrived with details of arrangements for attack by RW Fus at dawn - circulated to other Battns for information.

9.50 - German counter attacked on left edge of wood and in the village - rifle and machine gun fire for ten minutes - attack apparently driven off.

10.40 - Details of new attack received from Bde.

10.45 - Details of change in dispositions received from Norfolks and arrangements made to comply with this.

10.50 - BM45 received from Bde and timed at 8.45pm. As Norfolks message was later and after conference with Essex it was decided to act on the Norfolks information. Wires to Brigade all broken.

11.50 - Heavy shelling by Germans.

Source www.thewardrobe.org.uk/wardiary.php

 

Jack Grigglestone……………………………….1st Norfolks

 

Name: GRIGGLESTONE Initials: J

Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Norfolk Regiment Unit Text: 1st Bn.

Date of Death: 20/12/1914 Service No: 6361

Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 4. Memorial: YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL

CWGC www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=907979

 

No match on Norlink

 

There is a 17 year old John Grigglestone on the 1901 census, who is listed at 7, Fishergate in the Parish of St Edmunds. John’s occupation is shown as “Soldier”. This is the household of his widowed mother, Mary Ann, (aged 38 and a Dressmaker from Norwich). Making up the household is her other son, William, aged 14 and a Boot Finisher from Yarmouth.

 

There is also a 7 year old John, born Ballater, Scotland, who is listed at 49, Peacock Street, in the Parish of St Paul. This is the household of his parents, George, (aged 45 and a Cabinet Makers Clerk, from Berr in Ireland), and Isabella, (aged 37 and from Fuchibridge in Scotland). Their other children are:-

Geoffrey……………………aged 1.……………………born Norwich

Henry P…………………….aged 10.…………………born Tricomalee, Ceylon

Isabella……………………..aged 3.…………………..born Norwich

William…………………….aged 5.…………………..born Ballater, Scotland

 

On the 1911 census, the individual who was a soldier now appears to be listed as a “Jack”. There is no trace of the younger John.

 

Battalion War Diary

17/12/14-28/12/14 Relieved DCLI at MESSINES. Very bad, wet approach

1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t...

*There is no reference to any casualties during this period. While fellow Brigade unit the 1st Cheshire’s records no action, there is this in the War diary of the 1st Bedfords, another Brigade Unit.

 

20 Dec 1914 Heavy bombardment of enemy's trenches, to cooperate with attack from other parts of our line, during yesterday, & to a lesser extent today. Enemy did not respond with much rifle fire, but shelled our trenches. About 12 yards of our front trench blown in by heavy explosive shell, & machine gun damaged. 2 men killed, 2 wounded by 'snipers'.

Source: www.bedfordregiment.org.uk/1stbn/1stbtn1914diary.html

 

William G Guyton………………………………3rd Lincs

 

Name: GUYTON, WILLIAM GEORGE

Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Lincolnshire Regiment Unit Text: 1st Bn.

Age: 24 Date of Death: 22/10/1915 Service No: 15599

Grave/Memorial Reference: I. 9. Cemetery: DIVISIONAL CEMETERY

CWGC www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=93259

Note - different Battalion

 

No match on Norlink

 

The 1911 census has a William Guyton, born circa 1891 in Norwich and still resident there.. However, this individual doesn’t appear to be on the Genes Re-united transcription of the 1901 census for England & Wales., and he was probably just to young to have made the 1891 census.

 

Bit of background on the family name can be found here

guyton.co.uk/Page_8.html

 

Robert Hawes……………………………….......Royal Engineers

 

Most likely

Name: HAWES Initials: R P

Rank: Pioneer Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers Unit Text: 126th Field Coy.

Date of Death: 17/09/1916 Service No: 84676

Grave/Memorial Reference: IV. D. 61. Cemetery: HEILLY STATION CEMETERY, MERICOURT-L'ABBE

CWGC www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=271203

 

The Great War Roll of Honour confirms that Pioneer Hawes is a Robert P.

 

There are several possible Robert’s with a Norwich connection on both the 1901 and 1911 census, but none are down as a Robert P. and there is nothing currently in the most likely searches of the Baptismal records - (baptised Norwich, date range 1881 - 1901, surname Hawes).

 

No match on Norlink

 

The 126th Field Company were attached to the 21st Division and supported the brigades of that Division in the attacks and counter-attacks at Fler-Courcelette during the period 15th - 22nd July.

Source www.reubique.com/126fc.htm

 

www.firstworldwar.com/battles/flers.htm

www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_flers_courcelette.html

 

Alfred Walter Jay……………………………….Australian Infantry Force

 

Name: JAY, ALFRED WALTER

Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Australian Infantry, A.I.F. Unit Text: 50th Bn.

Age: 23 Date of Death: 26/09/1917 Service No: 3421

Additional information: Son of Walter and Eliza Jay, of 8, Peacock St., Norwich, England.

Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 7 - 17 - 23 - 25 - 27 - 29 - 31. Memorial: YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL

CWGC www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=924472

 

No match on Norlink

The 8 year old Alfred, born Norwich, is recorded on the 1901 census at 46 Peacock Street, in the Parish of St Saviours. This is the household of his parents, Walter, (aged 37 and a Bricklayers Labourer from Norwich), and Eliza, (aged 30 and from Norwich).

 

Alfred was baptised in St Clements on the 18th September 1892. His parents were listed as Walter, a labourer by trade, and Eliza. No date of birth is listed. The family were living at Peacock Street.

 

The Army Records can be seen on line at the Australian National Archive

naa12.naa.gov.au/NameSearch/Interface/ItemDetail.aspx?Bar...

naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=7372245

 

Alfred Walter Jay, a seamen by trade, enlisted at Adelaide, South Australia on the 26th January 1917 as part of the ninth re-enforcements of the 50th Battalion. He gave his age as 25th, his birthplace as Norwich in the UK, and his next of kin as his mother, Eliza Jay, of no 8, Peacock Street, Norwich.

 

He is described as 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 150lbs, with brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion.

His distinctive marks include tattoo’s on both upper arms.

 

He embarked at Adelaide on the 10th February 1917, on HMAT “Seeang Bee”, arriving at Devonport on the 2nd May. The same day he “marched in from Australia” to the 13th Training Battalion at Codford . By the 6th August he was dispatched to France for his final training.

 

On the 7th September he was marched out to his unit, who record him as being taken on strength on the 10th. On the 26th he is recorded as being killed in action.

 

His records note that he was buried half a mile west of Westhoek - (the grave must have been destroyed in subsequent fighting as he is now commemorated on the Menin Gate memorial.

 

In his will, in which he bequeaths everything to his mother, he lists his Australian bank account, so it doesn’t look as if he was a seaman stranded in Australia. The records include a receipt signed by Eliza Jay for his personal effects.

 

Early in 1917, the battalion participated in the advance that followed the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, and attacked at Noreuil on 2 April. For his actions at Noreuil Private Joergen Jensen was awarded the Victoria Cross. Later that year, the focus of AIF operations moved to the Ypres sector in Belgium. There the battalion was involved in the battle of Messines between 7 and 12 June and the battle of Polygon Wood on 26 September. Another winter of trench routine followed.

Source : www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_11237.asp

 

50th Battalion War Diary

 

One of the appendices of the War Diary for September 1917 is the Commanding Officer’s report on the Battalions actions from 22nd to 27th September on ridge S E of Zonnebecke.

 

On the 22nd Sept the Bn was billeted in Canal area.

 

Prior to moving forward packs and all baggage were dumped, all ranks being then ready to move wearing “Fighting Order”. From the Canal area, routes forward to YPRES and WESTHOEK were reconnoitred by Officers and N.C.O’s of all Coys. A red stripe was painted on the back of Steel Helmet for 50th Bn, attacking Red Line and Blue for 49th and 51st Bn attacking Blue Line.

 

The Bn move to YPRES on the 23rd September 1917.

Two bombs, extra 100 rounds S.A.A & 4 sandbags per man, also 80 picks and 80 shovels were issued to each company. At 6.30 pm the Bn left for WESTHOEK & relieved the 52nd Bn, relief being completed by 10.20 pm, the 52nd Bn moving forward & taking over front Line.

 

On 24th Sept. routes from WESTHOEK to Front Line were reconnoitred by all officers, number of NCO, scouts and runners. Ground to be captured was well looked over & valuable information given by 52nd Bn officers.

 

On 25th Sept, Orders for attack were issued. Bn was given a 540 yard Frontage and had to attack to a depth of 750 yards. Task being to capture first objective, “RED LINE”, 49th & 51st Bn. then moving through to their Objective, “BLUE LINE”, 300 yards in advance of RED LINE.

 

Attack was carried out on four lines, each Coy in 100 YDS frontage.

Order of battle being from right to left, - “A”, “B”, “C” and “D” Coys.

Total number taking part in attack being 19(?) officers, 530 Other Ranks.

 

An extra water bottle and two days preserved rations were issued at 9 p.m on 25th Sept.

Casualties to midnight on 25th Sept. 14 O.R. killed, 1 Off 15 O.R wounded.

 

26th September 1917. Bn left WESTHOEK 1 am moving by platoons in single file 100 Yds interval between Platoons to front line and were formed up on tape ready to attack by 4.30 am.

Zero was at 5.50 am.

To this time there were no casualties.

Moving to position of assembly and forming on the tape were well done. Bn had a good start for the attack. On advancing under barrage troops in a few instances moved to close and casualties were sustained a few also being by short shooting of some batteries.

Barrage generally was very good.

Troops gained objective at 6.50 am, very few casualties to this time had been caused.

With a few exceptions no general resistance was met with. Germans surrendering very freely, one party of enemy only holding a group of four concrete dugouts causing most trouble, but were cleared up by previously detailed mopping-up party. 2 M.G’s, 3M.T.M’s & 15 enemy being captured from these dugouts. Mopping up did not cause much trouble, dugouts and all other likely places were bombed. Mopping up platoons of all Coys reported mopping up completed & rejoined their Coys about 10 minutes after objective had been reached.

Direction was easily maintained, connecting files between Head of Column being of assistance beside direction being maintained from left Flank. 4th Bde. The Bn.guiding section was also of assistance.

 

Consolidation was not difficult, digging was easy though wet & not much trouble was caused by enemy shelling., M.G’s or snipers.

 

The Bn dug in by establishing a series of posts which were afterwards connected up making an almost a continuous trench of an average depth of 6ft, sandbags being used for making fire steps.

 

Strong posts were constructed one on each flank, Left flank being covered by 3 Vickers, 2 T.M’s, Right Flank by 1 T.M.

 

Retaliation on front line was not heavy until about a hour & a half after zero hour when RED LINE and area behind was fired on continuously by 5.9’s and 4.8’s and indirect M G fire. Snipers & M G fire by this time

Had become very consistent, and were causing a great deal of trouble to Front Line and Support Line.

 

As this Bn was holding RED LINE nothing very definite can be said, although counter-attacks were made on both flanks and S.O.S signals being sent up. Our artillery response was almost immediate.

 

Although effect of M.G. barrage could not be observed the barrage was very thick, well maintained, and sounded good.

 

All communications from front line to rear were done by runner, it being not practicable to use & maintain telephonic communication. Visual work was attempted but owing to no suitable cover it was impossible to work through from front line.

 

Communication to aeroplane from front line was done by lighting RED FLARES 20 minutes after objective had been gained. From Battalion H.Qrs to Bde the communication was mostly maintained by telephone, runners being used on special occasions. Two messages were dispatched from same place & time to same destination, one by pigeon and one by telephone. Phone message arrived two minutes before pigeon. This was the only message sent by pigeon.

 

R.A.P was established really too far away from the objective but owing to lack of suitable accomodation this was unavoidable, consequently long carries were necessary making evacuation of wounded slow & giving much extra work to Regimental StretcherBearers.

 

It is thought than an improvement in the medical arrangements would have been an addition of bearers from a Field Ambulance.

 

The Battalion was relieved by Coys from Battalions of 49th and 51st on the morning of 27th September 1917, relief being completed by 5.50 am.

 

The 50th Bn then moved to old front line, being relieved from there by 46th Bn at 10 pm on 27th Sept.1917.

 

Counter attack was attempted at 6.45 pm on this night. Attack was evidently made on a broad frontage, S.O.S signals going up from our two flanks. No S.O.S was fired from the Bde frontage and enemy was not seen on our front.

 

Our artillery S.O.S barrage was most intense and presumably attack did not develop but was dispersed by artillery.

 

Total Casualties from operations

 

4 Officers

174 Other ranks

Killed

 

35 Other Ranks

 

Wounded

 

4 Officers

139 Other Ranks.

 

Source: www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/AWM4/23/AWM4-23-67-15.pdf

 

Wednesday 26th September 1917 - Day 52

 

Rainfall 0.5mm

 

Today marks the start of the Battle for Polygon Wood, lasting until 3rd October.

 

Zero Hour was 5.50 am.

 

4th Australian Div

 

The Australians attacked at 6.45 am almost an hour after Zero Hour. Whether this was planned or not I don’t know.

 

13 Bde

 

13 Bde attacked with the 50th Bn, supported by 49th and 51st Bns. On their way to the Green Line the 50th captured 2 machine guns and 19 prisoners. They then advanced to the Blue Line . 51st Bn moved up and captured the Brick Yard in Zonnebeke, in touch with 3rd Div. At 4 pm and 6 pm , German troops massing for a counterattack were dispersed with artillery.

forum.irishmilitaryonline.com/showthread.php?t=11535&...

 

www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8080/showPerson?pid=152718

 

William Henry Jewson (Major)…………………4th Norfolks

 

Name: JEWSON, WILLIAM HENRY

Rank: Major Regiment/Service: Norfolk Regiment Unit Text: 4th Bn.

Age: 42 Date of Death: 19/04/1917

Additional information: Son of George and Mary Jewson, of Tower House, Bracondale, Norwich.

Grave/Memorial Reference: Panels 12 to 15. Memorial: JERUSALEM MEMORIAL

CWGC www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1645790

 

There is a picture of Major Jewson on Norlink

norlink.norfolk.gov.uk/02_Catalogue/02_013_PictureTitleIn...

 

The accompanying notes read:-

Major Jewson was the eldest son of Alderman George Jewson of Norwich. He was killed in action 18th April 1917

(Note - this date is different to CWGC by a day)

 

The 1911 census has a Henry Jewson, born Tombland Norwich and recorded in Norwich, born circa 1876. The same individual doesn’t appear to be on the 1901 or 1891 or 1881 census.

 

On the 1901 census his parents are listed at 10 Cotman Road, Thorpe St Andrews. His father George is a timber merchant from Hertfordshire, his mother Mary. J from Norwich. The Jewsons have these children living with them:-

Dorothea………………..aged 16.………………..born Norwich

John C…………………..aged 11.………………..born Norwich

Kathleen S T……………aged 13.………………..born Norwich

 

As well as two live in servants. Which raises the question of where was Henry. If he was at boarding school, was it outside England and Wales, and why send a child away at the age of 4/5. If the Jewson’s had their children public school educated, why was John at home.

 

Oh the joys of the internet - some of the missing period is accounted for by the Roll of Honour site for the former pupils of The Leys School, Cambridge.

 

Jewson was born in 1876. Son of George and Mary Jewson, of Tower House, Bracondale, Norwich. He came to The Leys in 1891 at the age of 15 and went into School House.

On leaving school, Jewson worked for the family timber business in Norwich and was well known for his religious and philanthropic commitments. He founded and led a Boys Brigade Company and held a commission in the Territorial Army.

At the outbreak of war, Jewson re-joined the Norfolk Regiment, serving with distinction in the Dardanelles, Egypt and Palestine. He was killed in action during the Battle of Gaza on 19 April 1917. He was aged 42 and had reached the rank of Major.

Source: www.roll-of-honour.com/Cambridgeshire/CambridgeLeysSchool...

 

The history of the 1/4th and 1/5th Territorial Battalions in the Great War is so closely connected that it is possible and desirable to avoid repetition by dealing with both in the same section. They were together in the same brigade during the whole of the operations in which they took part in Gallipoli, Egypt, and Palestine, and even for a few days were amalgamated in a composite battalion.

The order for mobilization reached both battalions on the evening of August 4, 1914, a few hours before the formal declaration of war. Next morning the 1/4th Battalion assembled at the Drill Hall in Chapel Field, Norwich, and was billeted in the City of Norwich Schools on the Newmarket Road.On August 11th, the 1/4th Battalion left by special train for Ingatestone in Essex.

 

Listed amongst its officers at the time of mobilisation was Captain W H Jewson.

Source: user.online.be/~snelders/sand.htm

 

19th April 1917 During the 2nd Battle of Gaza,

 

Facing the Tank Redoubt was the 161st Brigade of the 54th Division. To their right were the two Australian battalions (1st and 3rd) of the Imperial Camel Corps Brigade who had dismounted about 4,000 yards from their objective. As the infantry went in to attack at 7.30am they were joined by a single tank called "The Nutty" which attracted a lot of shell fire. The tank followed a wayward path towards the redoubt on the summit of a knoll where it was fired on point blank by four field guns until it was stopped and set alight in the middle of the position.

The infantry and the 1st Camel Battalion, having suffered heavy casualties on their approach, now made a bayonet charge against the trenches. About 30 "Camels" and 20 of the British infantry (soldiers of the 5th (territorial Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment) reached the redoubt, then occupied by around 600 Turks who immediately broke and fled towards their second line of defences to the rear.

The British and Australians held on unsupported for about two hours by which time most had been wounded. With no reinforcements at hand and a Turkish counter-attack imminent, the survivors endeavoured to escape back to their own lines.

To the right (west) of Tank Redoubt, the 3rd Camel Battalion, advancing in the gap between two redoubts, actually made the furthest advance of the battle, crossing the Gaza-Beersheba Road and occupying a pair of low hills (dubbed "Jack" and "Jill"). As the advances on their flanks faltered, the "Camels" were forced to retreat to avoid being isolated.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Gaza

 

More than a thousand one hundred of the men of the 54th posted killed wounded or missing were from the two Norfolk regiment battalions, equating to 75% of their strength. Eastern Daily Press "Sunday" section May 5, 2007

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Gaza

 

John King……………………………….............1st Lincs

 

Name: KING, JOHN

Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Lincolnshire Regiment Unit Text: 1st Bn.

Age: 19 Date of Death: 09/06/1918 Service No: 51970

Additional information: Son of E. Charles and Matilda King, of 11, Long's Yard, Fishergate, Norwich.

Grave/Memorial Reference: XVII. F. 17. Cemetery: TERLINCTHUN BRITISH CEMETERY, WIMILLE

CWGC www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=4026031

 

The first rest camps for Commonwealth forces were established near Terlincthun in August 1914 and during the whole of the First World War, Boulogne and Wimereux housed numerous hospitals and other medical establishments. The cemetery at Terlincthun was begun in June 1918 when the space available for service burials in the civil cemeteries of Boulogne and Wimereux was exhausted. It was used chiefly for burials from the base hospitals, but Plot IV Row C contains the graves of 46 RAF personnel killed at Marquise in September 1918 in a bombing raid by German aircraft. In July 1920, the cemetery contained more than 3,300 burials, but for many years Terlincthun remained an 'open' cemetery and graves continued to be brought into it from isolated sites and other burials grounds throughout France where maintenance could not be assured.

CWGC www.cwgc.org/search/cemetery_details.aspx?cemetery=202753...

 

No match on Norlink

 

The 1 year old John, born Wroxham, is recorded on the 1901 census at 5, Baileys Yard, Norwich, in the Parish of St Pauls. This is the household of his parents, Edward Chas, (aged 27 and a basket maker from Limpenhoe, Norfolk), and Matilda, (aged 22 and from Stalham). The Kings also have a daughter, Annie Lama, aged 3 and born Belaugh.

 

The 1st Lincs were part of the 21st Division. According to the Regimental Warpath web-site, the Division includes amongst its battle honours

Battle of the Aisne. 27 May-7 Jun 1918, including the attack on Bligny and Bois des Buttes.

www.warpath.orbat.com/divs/21_div.htm

The German attack succeeded in pushing the Allies across the Aisne and down as far as the Marne at Chateau Thierry, capturing the towns of Soissons and La Fere-en-Tardenois as they did so.

www.1914-1918.net/bat24.htm

Absolutely fascinating thread here about the battle, although 1st Lincs only get mentioned in passing

1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=44335

 

By late May the battalion was holding positions in the Romigny sector when it was warned at 8:00pm on the 26th to expect a German assault the following morning. For the next three days the 1st Lincolns withheld repeated attacks by large numbers of German troops. When the battalion was ordered to fall back on the 29th at 7:00pm only 8 officers and 42 men remained unwounded and with the battalion

Source: www.21stdivision1914-18.org/georgewilliamboyall.htm

 

Arthur Leeste……………………………….......2/4th Norfolks

 

No surname Leeste or Leest or Leste on the CWGC database

No Leeste on the Great War Roll of Honour

No match on Norlink

No match for this surname on the 1901 or 1911 census or common variants. There is a surname Least, but they seem to live almost entirely in the North East.

 

2/4th Battalion

Formed in Norwich in September 1914 as a Second Line Battalion. Disbanded in UK in June 1918.

www.1914-1918.net/norfolks.htm

  

With its deflectors like elephant ears, the mammoth QJ class stands sentinel at Pingdingshan depot. Sadly, it had been relegated to stand-by duties, in case of diesel failure. The Pingdingshan coal mine system. January 2006 © David Hill.

 

Light: very close to Elinchrom beauty dish (silver, 70cm) + opal deflector + grid

The color for the deflector array was really hard. Eventually, though (like after a decade and a half), I found two colors that I think "get it" - dark azure and reddish brown. The real prop had blue lights in a gold hub. This seems to be the best way to get that.

 

The other thing is that stud.io seems to handle flex tubes far less well than LDD. Consequently, the flex tubes I would use for the phaser arrays are not shown. But the gaps they fit into almost give the effect of a dark ring around the saucer, so it works for these photos!

(My entry for the Christmas Contest)

 

NOTE: Noticed that the ejection port is placed in an awkward position. To temporarily remedy this issue, a downward shell deflector accessory will be attached to this gun. This means you cannot see the ejection port, but it doesn't mean it isn't there.

 

7.62x51mm winterized modular rifle.

 

The repeated reliability issues with GR's MOW-Sys. in winter conditions pressured Archwell to develop the WMR series of rifles along with the WDW-50 "Winter Garm" sidearm as a replacement for the aging GR standard issue loadout.

 

Taking design cues from the tried and true Kalashnikov designs, and modernized anti-freeze materials, the WMR began to take shape.

 

The WMR-SD is a supressed variant of the WMR-S, a sniper derivative of the four parent models built. Prototype models had a flat bolt, but was recently changed to a milled bolt found on the recent AWX series of sniper rifles.

 

Milled bolts reduce the surface area of which ice and precipitation can freeze on, reducing the risk of jamming in harsh winter conditions.

 

Even so, the heat generated by the 7.62x51mm rounds will keep the internals nice and toasty during extended winter fights.

 

Featuring a unique scope system, the user can switch from close range holographic and scope hybrid, to a long range multivision camera (the latter well suited for this configuration) with a simple twist of the switch.

 

Additional features include an adjustable stock, 15-round mag, and built-in foregrip.

Launch of V-2 Test Flight - 1 (TF-1), WSMR, 22 August 1951. The vehicle reached an altitude of 213.4 km (132.6 mi).

 

The depth, richness, detail/resolution of these vintage 1950's photographs never ceases to impress me. EVEN the cut of the photo paper, I mean the corners are at precise 90° angles.

 

See:

 

www.postwarv2.com/usa/ws/photoTF1.html

Credit: Beggs Aerospace...probably THE best place for post-WWII V-2 & Viking rocket photos...and a bunch more.

 

www.facebook.com/share/p/1FieDXax9t/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Credit: White Sands Missile Range Museum/Facebook

Color test small deflectors

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

The TIE/LN starfighter, or TIE/line starfighter, simply known as the TIE Fighter or T/F, was the standard Imperial starfighter seen in massive numbers throughout most of the Galactic Civil War and onward.

The TIE Fighter was manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems and led to several upgraded TIE models such as TIE/sa bomber, TIE/IN interceptor, TIE/D Defender, TIE/D automated starfighter, and many more.

 

The original TIEs were designed to attack in large numbers, overwhelming the enemy craft. The Imperials used so many that they came to be considered symbols of the Empire and its might. They were also very cheap to produce, reflecting the Imperial philosophy of quantity over quality.

 

However, a disadvantage of the fighter was its lack of deflector shields. In combat, pilots had to rely on the TIE/LN's maneuverability to avoid damage. The cockpit did incorporate crash webbing, a repulsorlift antigravity field, and a high-g shock seat to help protect the pilot, however these did next to nothing to help protect against enemy blaster fire.

 

Due to the lack of life-support systems, each TIE pilot had a fully sealed flight suit superior to their Rebel counterparts. The absence of a hyperdrive also rendered the light fighter totally dependent on carrier ships when deployed in enemy systems. TIE/LNs also lacked landing gear, another mass-reducing measure. While the ships were structurally capable of "sitting" on their wings, they were not designed to land or disembark their pilots without special support. On Imperial ships, TIEs were launched from racks in the hangar bays.

 

The high success rate of more advanced Rebel starfighters against standard Imperial TIE Fighters resulted in a mounting cost of replacing destroyed fighters and their pilots. That, combined with the realization that the inclusion of a hyperdrive would allow the fleet to be more flexible, caused the Imperial Navy to rethink its doctrine of using swarms of cheap craft instead of fewer high-quality ones, leading to the introduction of the TIE Advanced x1 and its successor, the TIE Avenger. The following TIE/D Defender as well as the heavy TIE Escort Fighter (or TIE/E) were touted as the next "logical advance" of the TIE Series—representing a shift in starfighter design from previous, expendable TIE models towards fast, well armed and protected designs, capable of hyperspace travel and long-term crew teams which gained experience and capabilities over time.

 

The TIE/E Escort, was a high-performance TIE Series starfighter developed for the Imperial Navy by Sienar Fleet Systems and it was introduced into service shortly before the Battle of Endor. It was a much heavier counterpart to the agile and TIE/D fighter, and more of an attack ship or even a light bomber than a true dogfighter. Its role were independent long range operations, and in order to reduce the work load and boost morale a crew of two was introduced (a pilot and a dedicated weapon systems officer/WSO). The primary duty profile included attack and escort task, but also reconnoiter missions. The TIE/E shared the general layout with the contemporary TIE/D fighter, but the cockpit section as well as the central power unit were much bigger, and the ship was considerably heavier.

 

The crew enjoyed – compared with previous TIE fighter designs – a spacious and now fully pressurized cockpit, so that no pressurized suits had to be worn anymore. The crew members sat in tandem under a large, clear canopy. The pilot in front had a very good field of view, while the WSO sat behind him, in a higher, staggered position with only a limited field of view. Both work stations had separate entries, though, and places could not be switched in flight: the pilot mounted the cockpit through a hatch on port side, while the WSO entered the rear compartment through a roof hatch.

 

In a departure from the design of previous TIE models, instead of two parallel wings to either side of the pilot module, the TIE Escort had three quadanium steel solar array wings mounted symmetrically around an aft section, which contained an I-s4d solar ionization reactor to store and convert solar energy collected from the wing panels. The inclusion of a third wing provided additional solar power to increase the ship's range and the ship's energy management system was designed to allow weapons and shields to be charged with minimum loss of power to the propulsion system.

 

Although it was based on the standard twin ion engine design, the TIE/E’s propulsion system was upgraded to the entirely new, powerful P-sz9.8 triple ion engine. This allowed the TIE/E a maximum acceleration of 4,220 G or 21 MGLT/s and a top speed of 144 MGLT, or 1,680 km/h in an atmosphere — almost 40 percent faster than a former standard TIE Fighter. With tractor beam recharge power (see below) redirected to the engines, the top speed could be increased to 180 MGLT in a dash.

In addition to the main thrusters located in the aft section, the TIE Escort's triple wing design allowed for three arrays of maneuvering jets and it featured an advanced F-s5x flight avionics system to process the pilot's instructions. Production models received a class 2, ND9 hyperdrive motivator, modified from the version developed for the TIE Avenger. The TIE/E also carried a Sienar N-s6 Navcon navigation computer with a ten-jump memory.

 

Special equipment included a small tractor beam projector, originally developed for the TIE Avenger, which could be easily fitted to the voluminous TIE Escort. Models produced by Ysanne Isard's production facility regularly carried such tractor beams and the technology found other uses, such as towing other damaged starfighters until they could achieve the required velocity to enter hyperspace. The tractor beam had limited range and could only be used for a short time before stopping to recharge, but it added new tactics, too. For instance, the beam allowed the TIE/E crews to temporarily inhibit the mobility of enemy fighters, making it easier to target them with the ship's other weapon systems, or prevent enemies from clear shots.

 

The TIE Escort’s weapons systems were primarily designed to engage bigger ships and armored or shielded targets, like armed freighters frequently used by the Alliance. Thanks to its complex weapon and sensor suite, it could also engage multiple enemy fighters at once. The sensors also allowed an effective attack of ground targets, so that atmospheric bombing was a potential mission for the TIE/E, too.

.

The TIE Escort Fighter carried a formidable array of weaponry in two modular weapon bays that were mounted alongside the lower cabin. In standard configuration, the TIE/E had two L-s9.3 laser cannons and two NK-3 ion cannons. The laser and ion cannons could be set to fire separately or, if concentrated power was required, to fire-linked in either pairs or as a quartet.

The ship also featured two M-g-2 general-purpose warhead launchers, each of which could be equipped with a standard load of three proton torpedoes or four concussion missiles. Depending on the mission profile, the ship could be fitted with alternative warheads such as proton rockets, proton bombs, or magnetic pulse warheads.

Additionally, external stores could be carried under the fuselage, which included a conformal sensor pallet for reconnaissance missions or a cargo bay with a capacity for 500 kg (1.100 lb).

 

The ship's defenses were provided by a pair of forward and rear projecting Novaldex deflector shield generators—another advantage over former standard TIE models. The shields were designed to recharge more rapidly than in previous Imperial fighters and were nearly as powerful as those found on capital ships, so that the TIE/E could engage other ships head-on with a very high survivability. The fighters were not equipped with particle shields, though, relying on the reinforced titanium hull to absorb impacts from matter. Its hull and wings were among the strongest of any TIE series Starfighter yet.

 

The advanced starfighter attracted the attention of several other factions, and the Empire struggled to prevent the spread of the technology. The ship's high cost, together with political factors, kept it from achieving widespread use in the Empire, though, and units were assigned only to the most elite crews.

 

The TIE/E played a central role in the Empire's campaign against rogue Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin, and mixed Defender and Escort units participated in several other battles, including the Battle of Endor. The TIE Escort continued to see limited use by the Imperial Remnant up to at least 44 ABY, and was involved in numerous conflicts, including the Yuuzhan Vong War..

  

The kit and its assembly:

Another group build contribution, this time to the Science Fiction GB at whatifmodelers.com during summer 2017. Originally, this one started as an attempt to build a vintage MPC TIE Interceptor kit which I had bought and half-heartedly started to build probably 20 years ago. But I did not have the right mojo (probably, The Force was not strong enough…?), so the kit ended up in a dark corner and some parts were donated to other projects.

 

The sun collectors were still intact, though, and in the meantime I had the idea of reviving the kit’s remains, and convert it into (what I thought was) a fictional TIE Fighter variant with three solar panels. For this plan I got myself another TIE Interceptor kit, and stashed it away, too. Mojo was still missing, though.

 

Well, then came the SF GB and I took it as an occasion to finally tackle the build. But when I prepared for the build I found out that my intended design (over the years) more or less actually existed in the Star Wars universe: the TIE/D Defender! I could have built it with the parts and hand and some improvisation, but the design similarity bugged me. Well, instead of a poor copy of something that was more or less clearly defined, I rather decided to create something more individual, yet plausible, from the parts at hand.

 

The model was to stay a TIE design, though, in order to use as much donor material from the MPC kits as possible. Doing some legwork, I settled for a heavy fighter – bigger than the TIE Interceptor and the TIE/D fighter, a two-seater.

Working out the basic concept and layout took some time and evolved gradually. The creative spark for the TIE/E eventually came through a Revell “Obi Wan’s Jedi Starfighter” snap fit kit in my pile – actually a prize from a former GB participation at phoxim.de (Thanks a lot, Wolfgang!), and rather a toy than a true model kit.

 

The Jedi Fighter was in so far handy as it carries some TIE Fighter design traits, like the pilot capsule and the characteristic spider web windscreen. Anyway, it’s 1:32, much bigger than the TIE Interceptor’s roundabout 1:50 scale – but knowing that I’d never build the Jedi Starfighter OOB I used it as a donor bank, and from this starting point things started to evolve gradually.

 

Work started with the cockpit section, taken from the Jedi Starfighter kit. The two TIE Interceptor cockpit tubs were then mounted inside, staggered, and the gaps to the walls filled with putty. A pretty messy task, and once the shapes had been carved out some triangular tiles were added to the surfaces – a detail I found depicted in SW screenshots and some TIE Fighter models.

 

Another issue became the crew – even though I had two MPC TIE Interceptors and, theorectically, two pilot figures, only one of them could be found and the second crewman had to be improvised. I normally do not build 1:48 scale things, but I was lucky (and happy) to find an SF driver figure, left over from a small Dougram hoovercraft kit (from Takara, as a Revell “Robotech” reboxing). This driver is a tad bigger than the 1:50 TIE pilot, but I went with it because I did not want to invest money and time in alternatives. In order to justify the size difference I decided to paint the Dougram driver as a Chiss, based on the expanded SW universe (with blue skin and hair, and glowing red eyes). Not certain if this makes sense during the Battle of Endor timeframe, but it adds some color to the project – and the cockpit would not be visible in much detail since it would be finished fully closed.

 

Reason behind the closed canopy is basically the poor fit of the clear part. OOB, this is intended as an action toy – but also the canopy’s considerable size in 1:50 would prevent its original opening mechanism.

Additional braces on the rel. large window panels were created with self-adhesive tape and later painted over.

 

The rear fuselage section and the solar panel pylons were scratched. The reactor behind the cockpit section is actually a plastic adapter for water hoses, found in a local DIY market. It was slightly modified, attached to the cockpit “egg” and both parts blended with putty. The tail opening was closed with a hatch from the OOB TIE Interceptor – an incidental but perfect match in size and style.

 

The three pylons are also lucky finds: actually, these are SF wargaming/tabletop props and would normally be low walls or barriers, made from resin. For my build, they were more or less halved and trimmed. Tilted by 90°, they are attached to the hull with iron wire stabilizers, and later blended to the hull with putty, too.

 

Once the cockpit was done, things moved more swiftly. The surface of the hull was decorated with many small bits and pieces, including thin styrene sheet and profiles, steel and iron wire in various strengths, and there are even 1:72 tank tracks hidden somewhere, as well as protective caps from syringes (main guns and under the rear fuselage). It’s amazing how much stuff you can add to such a model – but IMHO it’s vital in order to create some structure and to emulate the (early) Star Wars look.

  

Painting and markings:

The less spectacular part of the project, even though still a lot of work because of the sheer size of the model’s surface. Since the whole thing is fictional, I tried to stay true to the Imperial designs from Episode IV-VI and gave the TIE/E a simple, all-light grey livery. All basic painting was done with rattle cans.

Work started with a basic coat of grey primer. On top of that, an initial coat of RAL 7036 Platingrau was added, esp. to the lower surfaces and recesses, for a rough shading effect. Then, the actual overall tone, RAL 7047, called “Telegrau 4”, one of Deutsche Telekom’s corporate tones, was added - mostly sprayed from abone and the sides onto the model. Fuselage and panels were painted separately, overall assembly was one of the final steps.

 

The solar panels were to stand out from the grey rest of the model, and I painted them with Revell Acrylic “Iron Metallic” (91) first, and later applied a rather rich wash with black ink , making sure the color settled well into the many small cells. The effect is pretty good, and the contrast was slightly enhanced through a dry-brushing treatment.

 

Only a few legible stencils were added all around the hull (most from the scrap box or from mecha sheets), the Galactic Empire Seal were inkjet-printed at home, as well as some tactical markings on the flanks, puzzled together from single digits in "Aurebash", one of the Imperial SW languages/fonts.

For some variety and color highlights, dozens of small, round and colorful markings were die-punched from silver, yellow, orange, red and blue decal sheet and were placed all over the hull - together with the large panels they blur into the the overall appearance, though. The hatches received thin red linings, also made from generic decals strips.

 

The cockpit interior was a bit challenging, though. Good TIE Fighter cockpit interior pictures are hard to find, but they suggest a dark grey tone. More confusingly, the MPC instructions call for a “Dark Green” cockpit? Well, I did not like the all-grey option, since the spaceship is already monochrome grey on the outside.

 

As a compromise I eventually used Tamiya XF-65 "Field Grey". The interior recieved a black ink in and dry-brushing treatment, and some instruments ansd screens were created with black decal material and glossy black paint; some neon paint was used for sci-fi-esque conmtraol lamps everywhere - I did not pay too much intention on the interior, since the cockpit would stay closed, and the thick clear material blurs everything inside.

Following this rationale, the crew was also painted in arather minimal fashion - both wear a dark grey uniform, only the Chiss pilot stands aout with his light blue skin and the flourescent red eyes.

 

After an overall black ink wash the model received a dry brusing treatment with FS 36492 and FS 36495, for a weathered and battle-worn look. After all, the "Vehement" would not survive the Ballte of Endor, but who knows what became of TIE/E "801"'s mixed crew...?

Finally, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish, and some final cosmetic corrections made.

 

The display is a DIY creation, too, made from a 6x6" piece of wood, it's edges covered with edgebonder, a steel wire as holder, and finally the display was paited with semi-matt black acrylic paint from the rattle can.

  

A complex build, and the TIE/E more or less evolved along the way, with only the overall layout in mind. Work took a month, but I think it was worth the effort. This fantasy creation looks pretty plausible and blends well into the vast canonical TIE Fighter family - and I am happy that I finally could finish this mummy project, including the surplus Jedi Starfighter kit which now also find a very good use!

 

An epic one, and far outside my standard comfort zone. But a wothwhile build!

 

Work in progress (New Deflector Dish)

Finally got around to making another missile.

 

blast deflectors are all kinds of fun, even with the half-stud offsets on this one

 

going to be a hinged ramp under that hatch, linked so it raises with it to be flush with the deck

SCENE ONE, Hydra Base

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, and Sam Wilson are all currently working together to take down a Hydra Fortress. Cap runs through the hall, and throws his shield at a guard! Bucky hits his elbow against ones face, knocking them out! Sam flies overhead, blasting several of the agents with bullets!

 

Hydra Agent 1: Aghh!!!

 

Hydra Agent 2: Take this, America!

 

One of the Hydra Agents throws a grenade at Steve, but he blocks it with the shield, deflecting the explosion and killing the agent!

 

Hydra Agent 2: Nein- Ach!

 

Sam drops onto the ground, as all three of them stand in front of a door. Behind that door, are two of the strongest men in Hydra. Baron Strucker, and Baron Zemo.

 

Cap: Kick it.

 

Bucky kicks the door down, and gets out his gun.

 

Bucky: Let's take down these b#tches.

 

Baron Zemo sits in a thrown, but Baron Strucker stands before them, holding a couple bullets in his hand...

 

Strucker: I found these in the hallway, America. I'm assuming these weak, puny bullets are a work of your garbage country, eh? Hydra would never submit to such a low...

 

Falcon quickly gets his pistol out, and reigns fire on Strucker's chest, killing him! His body falls on the ground, dropping the bullets.

 

Falcon: If our bullets are so weak, then how'd they just kill you?

 

Cap: Nice one. Zemo! We know you're here.

 

Zemo: ...

 

Cap: Zemo?

 

Zemo: ...You have done practically nothing thus far, America.

 

Cap: Hm?

 

Zemo: You can kill as many of our men as you please, we can always swindle yours.

 

Cap: *deep breath*... Then we'll "swindle" them back.

 

Zemo: Sure you will...

 

Zemo back flips over his chair, gets out his sword before landing, then lands on his feet, and slashes the guns out of Falcon's hands!

 

Falcon: Alright... This gets nasty.

 

Falcon throws a kick at Zemo, but Zemo dodges it with his sword! Bucky fires bullets at Zemo, but he dodges every single one!

 

Bucky: Damn it!

 

Zemo: Nice try, Americans...

 

Captain America throws his shield at Zemo, but Zemo catches it! He then throws it at Bucky, knocking him down!

 

Bucky, blood coming out of mouth: Ouch... *cough*...

 

Zemo then knocks Cap on the ground, and holds his sword to Caps throat!!!

 

Zemo: Say it. Say the words, America...

 

Cap: *cough*... ugh...

 

Zemo: Hail... Hydra... Say it.

 

Cap: *wheeze*....

 

Zemo: Hail..! Hydra!!! Say it!!!

 

Cap: ...

 

Zemo: SAY IT!!!! HAIL!!!! HYDRA!!!! SAY IT!!!!

 

Suddenly, Falcon picks up Cap's shield from the ground, throws it at Zemo, knocking him off of Cap, and Cap picks up the shield and gets up!

 

Cap: *cough*... Never.

 

Zemo: Ach... Well played, Captain. You've bested me.

 

They all stand, looking at each other...

 

Zemo: Welp... Bye.

 

Zemo suddenly flips backwards through a window, landing in the ocean!!! Then, a ladder droops down, and Zemo climbs up!

 

Zemo: Farewell, foes!

 

Bucky: What the-...

 

The ladder apparently is attached to a helicopter, which flies away...

 

Cap: Don't worry, we'll find him...

 

Falcon: Yeah... Sure.

 

Cap: No...

 

Steve puts his hand on Falcon's shoulder...

 

Cap: We'll find him.

 

SCENE TWO, Helicopter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For those who are confused, let me explain. You see, Zemo was informed on a phone call that there will be a rescue helicopter to pick him up at 7:38 PM. There was an almost broken clock on the ground, which he kept an eye on while fighting the heroes. When it said roughly 7:38, he jumped out the window. Currently, the helicopter is flying away, with him standing on the ladder... Suddenly, the ladder begins to roll up, and Zemo crawls into the helicopter... He hears a deep voice...

 

???: We've got a lot to do...

 

He gets fully into the vehicle, to see the current head of Hydra driving.

 

Arnim Zola: ...Zemo.

 

~Madam Web

   

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

The Sd.Kfz. 124 Wespe (German for "wasp", also known as Leichte Feldhaubitze 18/2 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf.), "Light field howitzer 18 on Panzer II chassis (self-propelled)"), was a German self-propelled gun developed and used during the Second World War. During the Battle of France in 1940 it became apparent that the intermediate tank of the German forces, the Panzer II, had become unsuitable as a main battle tank and outdated. Though mechanically sound, it was both under-gunned and under-armored, and its small size prevented heavier armament and armor so that its development potential was limited. The chassis, however, proved serviceable for providing mobility to the 10.5 cm field howitzer, and important artillery weapon.

 

The design for the Wespe was produced by Alkett, based on the Panzer II Ausf. F chassis. Among other modifications the Panzer II's engine was moved forward, and the chassis slightly lengthened to accommodate the rear-mounted 10.5 cm leFH 18 howitzer. The boxy superstructure was left open at the top and rear and only lightly armored, with 10 mm armor plate, which was just enough to stop small arms fire. The vehicles were produced by FAMO's Ursus plant in Warsaw from February 1943 until June 1944, when Soviet forces approached the frontier. By that time, 676 had been produced. An additional 159 gun-less Wespe Munitionsträger were produced, too, to serve as mobile artillery ammunition carriers.

 

The Panzer II chassis also found use for the design of tank hunters: Existing chassis were converted to self-propelled artillery vehicles, such as the Marder II ("marten" in English). The latter was built on the basis of the original Panzer II chassis (with the engine at the rear) in two versions, the first mounted a modified Soviet 7.62 cm gun firing German ammunition, which had been acquired in significant numbers during the German advances the Ostfront, while the other mounted the German 7.5 cm PaK 40 gun. Its high profile and thin open-topped armor provided minimal protection to the crew, though. Nevertheless, the Marder II (as well as the similar Marder III, which was based on the Czech T-38 chassis) provided a great increase in mobility and firepower over contemporary German tanks during 1942 and into 1943.

 

By early 1944 the war situation had worsened for Germany and ever heavier tanks, esp. at the Eastern Front, appeared. The PaK 40 was effective against almost every Allied tank until the end of the war, only struggling to penetrate heavier vehicles like the Russian IS tanks, the American M4A3E2 Sherman 'Jumbo' assault tank and M26 Pershing, and later variants of the British Churchill tank. More firepower was needed, but the powerful new 88 mm PaK 43 was in short supply or earmarked for use in heavy battle tanks, which had received priority from the Oberkommando. An alternative anti-tank was the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70, the main armament of the Panther medium battle tank and of the Jagdpanzer IV self-propelled anti-tank gun. On the latter it was designated as the "7.5 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 42" (7.5 cm Pak 42).

 

The modified 7.5 cm gun had a longer barrel that increased muzzle velocity and operating pressure, resulting in much improved range and penetration. However, the new gun required a new armor-piercing projectile, the PzGr. 39/42. Apart from the addition of wider driving bands it was otherwise identical to the older 7.5 cm PzGr. 39. The wider driving bands added a little extra weight, from 6.8 kg for the old PzGr.39, to 7.2 kg for the new PzGr.39/42. The gun was fired electrically, the primer being initiated using an electric current rather than a firing pin. The breech operated semi-automatically so that after the gun had fired, the empty shell casing was automatically ejected, and the falling wedge type breech block remained down so that the next round could be loaded. Once the round was loaded the breech closed automatically and the weapon was ready to be fired again. Three different types of ammunition were used: APCBC-HE, APCR and HE.

 

This 7.5 cm Pak 42’s performance was almost equal to the bigger 88 mm PaK 43, and achieved a penetration of 106 mm hardened steel plate angled at 30° from vertical at 2.000 m (vs. 132 mm with the 88 mm PaK 43).

 

To increase the output of vehicles armed with the new 7.5 cm Pak 42, the Oberkommando ordered the conversion of existing vehicles, so that these reinforcements could be sent to the frontlines as quickly as possible, esp. at the East where the German troops were more and more caught in defensive battles. The chassis that appeared most suitable for this task was the Sd.Kfz. 124 Wespe, due to its internal layout. The 7.5 cm Pak 42’s long barrel (it was almost 5m/more than 16’ long) required a fighting compartment at the vehicle’s rear, with the engine in front of it – and the Wespe turned out to be suitable to accept the long weapon with relatively few modifications.

For the use on the open-top Wespe, the 7.5 cm Pak 42 was combined with the mount and shield of the old towed 7.5 cm PaK 40 gun, and this new construction simply replaced the Wespe’s original 10.5 cm leFH 18 howitzer. The superstructure’s armor was only minimally modified: the front opening was narrowed, because the longer 7.5 cm Pak 42 had a more limited field of fire than the 10.5 cm leFH 18. As a positive side effect, the superstructure’s walls could be slightly reduced in height (about 10 cm/4”) due to the 7.5 cm Pak 42’s lower gun carriage and front shield.

The vehicle’s internal layout and most of the equipment remained the same, just the crew was reduced from five to four, one loader was omitted. To cope with the slightly higher overall weight and the heavier front due to the long barrel, and the necessity to traverse the vehicle to aim, the gear ratio was lowered from 1:7.33 to 1:8 to reduce the stress on final gears and the wheels were replaced with reinforced alternatives that also used less rubber. Due to the smaller rounds, the internal ammunition supply rose from the Wespe’s forty 10.5 cm rounds to fifty-one 7.5 cm rounds, even though space for the crew became scarce when the Jagdwespe was fully loaded. No other armament was carried, even though a defensive 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun was frequently installed at the commander’s position to the right of the gun, sometimes with a protective armor shield.

 

Like its basis, the “Jagdwespe”, how this makeshift vehicle was unofficially called, was only lightly protected, but this was intentionally done in order to reduce the overall weight and speed up the production as much as possible. The armor thickness was also limited in order to not adversely affect the vehicle’s overall driving performance, as this was the main point of this vehicle. The use of the Panzer II light tank chassis was another reason why the armor thickness had to be kept minimal, as the added weight could significantly affect its performance.

The front armor of the hull was 30 mm thick and placed at a 75° vertical angle. The sides were 14.5 mm thick, the rear 14.5 mm at 10° horizontal and the bottom was only 5 mm thick. The front superstructure armor was 15 (or 20 mm) thick and placed at a 30° vertical angle. The sides and rear of the superstructure were 15 mm and the top 10 mm thick. The fighting compartment was protected by only 10 mm thick all-around armor. The front armor was placed at 66°, side 73°, and rear 74° vertical angle.

 

Strangely, the “Jagdwespe” was allocated an individual ordnance inventory designation, namely Sd. Kfz. 125. This was probably done to keep the practice of the Marder family of light Panzerjäger’s taxonomy, which had received individual Sd. Kfz. Numbers, too, despite being based on existing vehicles. Initially, mostly unarmed Wespe artillery ammunition carriers were converted into Jagdwespe SPGs, but later on Wespe SPGs – primarily damaged vehicles that were refurbished – were also modified, and a few of the final newly build Wespe hulls were finished as Sd.Kfz. 125, too. However, since battle tanks still had priority, Jagdwespe production and output was only marginal, and less than 100 vehicles were completed until early 1945.

 

Like the various Marder versions before that fought on all European fronts of the war, there was a large concentration of the Jagdwespe on the Eastern Front. They were used by the Panzerjäger Abteilungen of the Panzer divisions of the Heer and served as well with several Luftwaffe units to defend airfields. Like the Marders before, the Jagdwespe's weaknesses were mainly related to survivability. The combination of a relatively high silhouette and open-top fighting compartment made them vulnerable to indirect artillery fire, aircraft strafing, and grenades. The armor was also quite thin, making them vulnerable to enemy tanks or infantry with more than light machine guns or pistols.

Operationally, the Jagdwespe was best employed in defensive or overwatch roles. They were neither assault vehicles nor tank substitutes, and the open-top compartment meant operations in crowded areas such as urban environments or other close-combat situations weren't a valid tactical option. But despite their weaknesses, they were more effective than the towed antitank guns they replaced, and the 7.5 cm Pak 42 with the extended barrel meant a significant improvement in firepower. The vehicle was small, easy to conceal for an ambush and relatively agile, so that it could quickly change position after a shot, and the Panzer II chassis was mechanically reliable, what made it popular with its crews.

  

Specifications:

Crew: Four (commander, gunner, loader/radio operator, driver)

Weight: 12.5 tonnes (27,533 lb)

Length: 4.81 m (15 ft 9 in)

6.44 m (21 ft 1 1/2 in) overall

Width: 2.28 m (7 ft 6 in)

Height: 2.21 m (7 ft 3 in)

Suspension: Leaf spring

Fuel capacity: 170 L (45 US gal)

 

Armor:

5 - 30 mm (.19 - 1.18 in)

 

Performance:

Maximum road speed: 40 km/h (25 mph)

Operational range: 220 km (137 mi) on roads

100 km (62 mi) cross-country

Power/weight: 12.7 PS/tonne

 

Engine & transmission:

6-cyl petrol Maybach HL62 TR with 140 PS (138 hp, 103 kW)

 

Armament:

1× 7.5 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 42/L 70 (7.5 cm Pak 42) with 51 rounds

1× 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun with 2.000 rounds

  

The kit and its assembly:

This relatively simple German WWII what-if SPG was spawned from the thought that the light Wespe artillery SPG might also have been used for an anti-tank SPG, with relatively few modifications. The long-barreled 7.5 cm KwK 42/L70 appeared to be a suitable weapon for this kind of vehicle around 1944, so I tried to build a respective model.

 

The basis became the Italeri 1:72 “Wespe” kit, which is in fact a re-boxed ESCI kit. It goes together well, and you can build upper and lower hull separately for a final “marriage”. To change the Wespe’s look a little I exchanged the solid OOB wheels with those from a Panzer III, left over from a Revell/Mako kit. They are perfect in size, but due a lack of depth of their attachment openings (I only used the outer half of the Panzer III wheels) I glued them onto the hull before painting, normally I finish them separately and mount them in a final assembly step.

 

For the gun I had to improvise a little, because the open casemate would allow a good look at it. I settled for a straightforward solution in the form of a Zvezda 1:72 PaK 40. The gun was taken OOB, I just removed the wheel attachment points from its chassis and replaced the short gun barrel with a muzzle brake with a aluminum 1:72 L70 barrel for a Panther Ausf. F (with a Schmalturm) from Aber. Both elements were relatively easy to combine, and the gun shield could be taken over, too. Once the gun mount’s position in the Wespe hull was defined I narrowed the front opening a little with styrene wedges, added a deflector at its base, and reduced the height of the side walls for a coherent look. All in all the transplant looks very plausible!

Since the kit provides the option I decided to leave the driver’s hatch open and install the OOB driver figure on a raised seat. For the long barrel I scratched a support that was mounted to the front hull. Looks a bit awkward, though, because it obscures the driver’s field of view – but I could not find a better solution.

 

The only real trouble I had with the Italeri Wespe were the tracks: they were made from a really strange (and effectively horrible) vinyl material. This material repelled EVERYTHING with a kind of lotus effect – paints of any kind, even superglue! My usual method of mounting such tracks on the main wheels did not work at all, because the track would not hold at all. During these trials I also recognized that the tracks were too long – rather unusual, because 1:72 vinyl tracks tend to be too short so that some tension is needed to lengthen them properly. Two molded “links” had to be cut away, and on the kit’s box art you can see the overlength problem when you are aware of it! I guess that the ESCI designers once assumed that the tracks would be closed into a loop (= closing the track and using heat to literally weld it together) first and then forced onto/over the wheels. I was eventually able to outsmart the tracks through the massive use of superglue under the mudguards – while the tracks still do not really stick to the glue, the large surface of the dried instant adhesive keeps the tracks in place and under light tension. Not perfect, but the tracks remain in place…

  

Painting and markings:

Conservative, once more a variation of the Hinterhalt scheme. Once completed, the still separate hull, gun and shield received an overall base coat with RAL 7028 Dunkelgelb (TS-3 from a rattle can). On top of that I added vertical fields with Olivgrün (RAL 6003, Humbrol 86), and finally I applied branch-like thin stripes with a dark brown (Humbrol 98, which is darker and less reddish than the authentic RAL 8012, for a stronger contrast). The idea was to mimic dense brushes during spring and summertime, and to break up the vehicle’s outlines esp. through the brown lines. Following official camouflage practice the running gear area remained uniform Dunkelgelb, as a counter-shading measure against the upper hull, and to avoid “rotating” and therefore attention-catching color patches on the wheels when the vehicle moved.

 

Once the camouflage was completed the main wheels received rubber rims (with Revell 09 Anthracite) and the model received a dark red-brown washing. After that, the few decals were applied and overall dry-brushing with a mix of light grey and earth brown acrylic paint was done to emphasize edges and surface details, also on the gun and in the interior. Before their tedious fitting, the vinyl tracks (which came OOB in a metallic grey finish that looked really nice) had received a washing with black and brown acrylic paint as well as dry-brushing with medium grey, too.

  

A relatively simple and quick project, realized in a couple of days. The concept was quite clear, and thanks to good ingredients the result looks surprisingly plausible, with relatively few and little modifications. The different Panzer III wheels were not a necessary mod, but I like their look, and painting them while being already attached to the hull posed less problems than expected. The only real trouble came through the kit’s vinyl tracks, which I’d call rubbish and recommend a replacement. If they’d be made from a less repellant material, they’d be much easier to mount (and usable). However, the small Jagdwespe really looks like a juvenile Nashorn SPG!

 

WIP Dirt Deflectors

YG's in this neck of the woods carry smoke deflectors

Maisie passed another dance exam a few weeks ago and the awards ceremony was today. I thought I'd mark the moment using a photograph from earlier in the year, composited into a studio background.

 

Strobist:

 

Same setup as for 20/52: Party Dress (Setup)

 

Ranger A Head, B port at 5.0, 70cm white maxisoft with silver deflector and sock, above camera.

Ranger Quadra A Head, A port at 4.0, 135 Midi Octa with both diffusers, camera left.

Ranger Quadra A Head, B port at 2.8, 130x50 strip with both diffusers, rear camera left

Ranger Quadra A Head, B port at 2.8, 130x50 strip with both diffusers, rear camera right

RX600, 3.0, 21cm reflector and barn doors, rear camera left to light white background.

RX600, 3.0, 21cm reflector and barn doors, rear camera right to light white background.

 

Triggered by Skyport Speed.

Basilique Notre-Dame de l’Assomption - Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption.

 

2 of 2.

 

Is the netting a pigeon shit deflector?

 

Located on Avenue Jean Médecin, in the city centre, the Basilica of Notre-Dame de l'Assomption was built between 1864 and 1868 according to the plans of the French architect Louis Lenormand.

  

It is the largest church in Nice. In neogothic style, it is inspired by the cathedral of Angers.

 

The basilica has two square towers twenty-five meters high, surmounting on either side a large rose window depicting scenes from the mystery of the Assumption.

 

It is quite massive, and this is explained: its construction was part of a desire by the authorities to francize the city after the annexation of the county of Nice to France in 1860; and buildings in the Gothic style were indeed meant to be characteristic of a French style.

Model: Sarah

Hans van Eijsden Photography, The Netherlands

 

Lens: Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM on full frame.

 

Light: Large clamshell setup with the Elinchrom ELC 1000 through a Deep Octa with silver deflector from the front-top-side, which creates the ultra high metallic contrast in her face. Elinchrom ELC 500 with small strip box from the front-bottom-side, to lower the density of some shadows. Elinchrom ELC 500 through a dish on the background. I measured the light with the Sekonic L-758DR.

 

Postprocessing: Some local adjustment curves, some local cloning.

 

Portfolio: www.hansvaneijsden.com

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/hansvaneijsdenphotography

Hans van Eijsden Photography, The Netherlands

MUA: Martina Kató

 

Lens: Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM with 3-stop ND filter on full frame.

 

Light: An Elinchrom Quadra ELB 400 with one Pro head as key light from the front into an Elinchrom Maxi Spot with silver deflector, triggered via Skyports.

I measured the light with the Sekonic L-758DR.

 

Postprocessing: Some local adjustment curves, some local cloning.

 

Portfolio: www.hansvaneijsden.com

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/hansvaneijsdenphotography

Setup for:

 

Laura in Lockdown - Swim Bike Run

 

Strobist:

 

Ranger A Head, A port at 4.0, 70cm white maxisoft with white deflector and sock, abpve camera.

Ranger Quadra A Head, A port at 3.5, 130x50 strip with both diffusers, rear camera left.

Ranger Quadra A Head, A port at 3.5, 130x50 strip with both diffusers, rear camera right.

RX600, 1.5, 21cm reflector and barn doors, rear camera left to light background.

RX600, 1.5, 21cm relfector and barn doors, rear camera right to light background.

  

Triggered by Skyport Plus HS.

F-35C Lightning II carrier variant aircraft CF-2 is performing Jet Blast Deflector (JBD) tests at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey.

Model: Coco Gina

Hans van Eijsden Photography, The Netherlands

 

Lens: Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM on full frame.

 

Light: Large clamshell setup with the Elinchrom ELC 1000 through a large silver Beauty Dish with silver deflector from the front-top-side, which creates the high contrast in her face. Elinchrom ELC 500 with small strip box from the front-bottom-side, to lower the density of some shadows and to flatten the legs. Elinchrom ELC 500 through a large LiteMotiv Strip from the back. I measured the light with the Sekonic L-758DR.

 

Postprocessing: Some local adjustment curves, some painting, local cloning.

 

Portfolio: www.hansvaneijsden.com

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/hansvaneijsdenphotography

After a day of hard work I took Sera Yosta, my most beautiful lens and my Elinchrom light outside to the streets of Amsterdam, just to see what light can do. The temperature was quite high here in The Netherlands, 14 degrees Celcius in mid-december! So, the perfect moment to make some simple clicks.

As light I used the ELB400 & Elinchrom Deep Octa with translucent deflector and inner diffuser.

 

Lens: Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM on full frame.

 

Hans van Eijsden Photography, The Netherlands

 

Postprocessing: Some local adjustment curves.

 

Portfolio: www.hansvaneijsden.com

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/hansvaneijsdenphotography

Credits to Shockwave for letters, XTM panels and foregrip and to Elliot for ACR style brass deflector.

The locomotive built to lead a nation at war.

 

A build long in the making...for well over a year and spanning many life changes that attempted to derail this project, Union Pacific #844 finally emerges from my workshop.

 

UP #844 has captured my imagination since childhood, appearing in several mini-series, TV shows and ads from the early 1990’s. With a sleek body, brutish flat face, high stepping drivers and enormous smoke deflectors, it embodies every definition of monstrous speed and power.

 

Manufactured by the American Locomotive Company and delivered to UP in 1944 to accommodate both wartime traffic and the projected increase in passenger service after the war, #835-844 were built upon the nearly perfected FEF-1 and FEF-2 series of locomotives delivered between 1937-1939. The entire FEF-3 series proved to be a masterpiece of design and was continuously called upon to lead top priority freight and passenger service.

 

#844 was delivered on a cold December day in 1944 as the final steam locomotive ever received by UP. Truly an unsleeping giant, #844 is the only steam locomotive of any American Class 1 railroad that has never been struck from the roster. Throughout her revenue career, she headed express freight, fast mail, and the most prestigious passenger trains of the central high plains and mountainous west – The Overland Limited, Los Angeles Limited, Portland Rose, and Pony Express.

 

Fitted with 80-inch drivers and a 300 psi operating boiler pressure, #844 generates 63,800 lbs of tractive effort. She was designed to comfortably haul a 1,000-ton train at 100 mph and would regularly run at 120 mph.

 

Significant research was put into this model. Before even laying out the frame I had compiled an 80-year timeline documenting every minor, and major, upgrade, repainting, and alteration. I had one specific goal in mind: to capture her high-speed passenger service essence. As such, I have modeled her exactly as she would have appeared in April of 1949 – oil burning, with a Sellers exhaust steam injector and painted in the famous two-tone gray of Armour Yellow and Harbor Mist Gray. I am proud to say that this is one of the most accurate representations of a two-tone gray FEF-3 in the modeling world.

 

This model is 8-wide and precisely 1:48 scale. #844 represents the absolute apex of duel-service steam and I want this model to represent nothing less. It is powered by two L power function motors in a 1:1 gear ratio so that she has both high tractive effort and can travel at high speed. The tender is fitted with a power functions control switch and two V2 IR receivers, one dedicated to each motor, powered by a 20c 7.4V Turnigy battery.

 

I design all my models with usability in mind. That being said, due to the #844’s unavoidable long legs, the locomotive can technically snake its way through R56 curves but is much happier with R120. I will pride myself in saying that the tender can navigate R40 due to my engineering of a unique design to conquer the flexibility challenges that plagues centipede tenders.

 

Custom wheels and drivers were sourced from Brick Train Depot and Breckland Bricks while the Walschaerts valve gear is from Trained Bricks. I want to particularly thank Monty’s Trains who designed and printed all stickers you see on this model. Monty also provided the technical experience that allowed me to upgrade from a standard Lego battery pack to the vastly superior LiPo world.

 

I strive to make my models both detailed and accessible. As such, instructions ARE available for this model in both two-tone gray and black (accurately dated to July 1954). Additionally, both liveries come with simple and complex valve gear instructions.

 

Today known as The Living Legend, UP #844 is the last of a great breed and represents the absolute apex of duel-service steam as one of the most powerful, prestigious and well-engineered Northern type locomotives of all time.

 

I feel extremely grateful to the Union Pacific Steam Team for ensuring that, through unquantifiable amounts of continuous labor, #844’s clock is not approaching twilight, but held at dawn. She is poised to travel the high iron for time eternal, forever roaring across the heartland plains and into the rising sun.

 

Thank you everyone for taking time to read this post, I greatly appreciate your questions, comments and praise. This model represents the end of a personal era, and I appreciate all the encouragement and support that I received from the community along the way. Railroading and Lego modeling are my passions, and I am happy to be part of these growing communities.

 

Cort

 

When you store your F-111 in a Hardened Aircraft Shelter (HAS) ready to go at a moment's notice, you have to think about what happens to all that hot gas shooting from the engines as the 'plane exits the shelter. the answer used during the Cold War were the shed like lean-tos seen here on the back of the HAS. This is an efflux deflector, designed to diffuse and channel all that hot gas up and out.

 

Taken during SALT 8, the UK's only rally for Cold War Classics, held June 6-8 2014.

 

Camera: Nikon F5

Lens: Nikkor 28-80mm

Film: Kodak Ektar 100

 

For more of my photographs, see here

About a month ago I got the Canon Speedlight 430EX for my Canon Powershot S5 IS. It isn't really designed for a smaller than DSLR camera, but other than for macros works great. Too bad I shoot mostly macros. So I cut a white paper bag and taped it to diffuse and deflect the flash down. That works pretty well though it would be better if it was easily removable. I tore it a bit last time I took it off. I am usually looking for small stuff, but if I find anything big and further away I want to shoot, I have to remove it quickly or get a very dark and grainy shot.

 

I didn't like the price, but now that I have it I am really glad I got it. The refresh rate is awesome; fresh batteries and you can flash as fast as the camera can shoot in continuous mode. That really helps out when using the Raynox at full magnification. I take at least three or four shots of almost everything to make sure I got the focus just right.

 

The flash diffuser isn't quite as good with the S5's Super Macro. The distance to the subject is much closer than with the Raynox macro adapter so the light comes pretty much straight down. Regular macro is fine though and coming straight down can give an interesting effect.

 

Before the external flash, I used the CCRRFD, a styrofoam bowl flash diffuser attached to the lens. It worked great, and I still recommend it, but it don't use it much anymore since the external flash is up so high.

 

Before that was the CFFD, a coffee filter flash diffuser based on the CCRRFD idea because I didn't have any styrofoam bowls. This one is still the most portable, but I haven't used it in a long time since the bowl does a slightly better job.

 

I haven't used the CCRRFD much either since I got the new flash, but it certainly wins for the smoothest shadows and ease of use. It weighs a ton less. And I feel a lot more comfortable shooting bees with the CCRRFD between me and the bee. But you can't beat the flash's refresh rate.

 

See my updated setup here.

Hans van Eijsden Photography, The Netherlands

Model: Kristel de Sera

 

Lens: Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM on full frame.

 

Light: An Elinchrom ELB 400 with one HS head as key light from the front into an Elinchrom Deep Octa with silver deflector and with inner diffusor, triggered via the Skyport Plus HS. Light from the back is ambient light.

 

Postprocessing: Some local adjustment curves, some local cloning.

 

Portfolio: www.hansvaneijsden.com

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/hansvaneijsdenphotography

A wood carving of a pelican overgrown with lichen in the rain. Raindrops are stretched to short, vertical streaks of white. Some of the raindrops are deflected off the back of the pelican and form diagonal streaks.

Got the panels on to the bottom side and built up the rear section of the deflector and the dish (a blue skateboard!).

These things look kinda cool with out the smoke box deflectors.

 

Max Wipperman Collection.

Last used in the Saturn program, these flame deflectors directed the blast from the Saturn 1B out the sides of the launch stand.

It's been a while!

 

An impromptu shot of Maisie trying on a new party dress for a friend's birthday in a few days. Thought I'd put her in a palace for a bit of fun.

 

Strobist:

 

Ranger A Head, A port at 2.5, 70cm white maxisoft with silver deflector and sock, camera left.

Ranger Quadra A Head, A port at 2.0, 135 Midi Octa with both diffusers, camera right.

RX600, 3.5, 21cm reflector, rear camera left to light white background.

RX600, 3.5, 21cm reflector, rear camera right to light white background.

 

Triggered by Skyport Speed.

Her hardened stem and leaves deflect the gardeners touch, alone she stands rigid, ready to flower.....

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

The TIE/LN starfighter, or TIE/line starfighter, simply known as the TIE Fighter or T/F, was the standard Imperial starfighter seen in massive numbers throughout most of the Galactic Civil War and onward.

The TIE Fighter was manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems and led to several upgraded TIE models such as TIE/sa bomber, TIE/IN interceptor, TIE/D Defender, TIE/D automated starfighter, and many more.

 

The original TIEs were designed to attack in large numbers, overwhelming the enemy craft. The Imperials used so many that they came to be considered symbols of the Empire and its might. They were also very cheap to produce, reflecting the Imperial philosophy of quantity over quality.

 

However, a disadvantage of the fighter was its lack of deflector shields. In combat, pilots had to rely on the TIE/LN's maneuverability to avoid damage. The cockpit did incorporate crash webbing, a repulsorlift antigravity field, and a high-g shock seat to help protect the pilot, however these did next to nothing to help protect against enemy blaster fire.

 

Due to the lack of life-support systems, each TIE pilot had a fully sealed flight suit superior to their Rebel counterparts. The absence of a hyperdrive also rendered the light fighter totally dependent on carrier ships when deployed in enemy systems. TIE/LNs also lacked landing gear, another mass-reducing measure. While the ships were structurally capable of "sitting" on their wings, they were not designed to land or disembark their pilots without special support. On Imperial ships, TIEs were launched from racks in the hangar bays.

 

The high success rate of more advanced Rebel starfighters against standard Imperial TIE Fighters resulted in a mounting cost of replacing destroyed fighters and their pilots. That, combined with the realization that the inclusion of a hyperdrive would allow the fleet to be more flexible, caused the Imperial Navy to rethink its doctrine of using swarms of cheap craft instead of fewer high-quality ones, leading to the introduction of the TIE Advanced x1 and its successor, the TIE Avenger. The following TIE/D Defender as well as the heavy TIE Escort Fighter (or TIE/E) were touted as the next "logical advance" of the TIE Series—representing a shift in starfighter design from previous, expendable TIE models towards fast, well armed and protected designs, capable of hyperspace travel and long-term crew teams which gained experience and capabilities over time.

 

The TIE/E Escort, was a high-performance TIE Series starfighter developed for the Imperial Navy by Sienar Fleet Systems and it was introduced into service shortly before the Battle of Endor. It was a much heavier counterpart to the agile and TIE/D fighter, and more of an attack ship or even a light bomber than a true dogfighter. Its role were independent long range operations, and in order to reduce the work load and boost morale a crew of two was introduced (a pilot and a dedicated weapon systems officer/WSO). The primary duty profile included attack and escort task, but also reconnoiter missions. The TIE/E shared the general layout with the contemporary TIE/D fighter, but the cockpit section as well as the central power unit were much bigger, and the ship was considerably heavier.

 

The crew enjoyed – compared with previous TIE fighter designs – a spacious and now fully pressurized cockpit, so that no pressurized suits had to be worn anymore. The crew members sat in tandem under a large, clear canopy. The pilot in front had a very good field of view, while the WSO sat behind him, in a higher, staggered position with only a limited field of view. Both work stations had separate entries, though, and places could not be switched in flight: the pilot mounted the cockpit through a hatch on port side, while the WSO entered the rear compartment through a roof hatch.

 

In a departure from the design of previous TIE models, instead of two parallel wings to either side of the pilot module, the TIE Escort had three quadanium steel solar array wings mounted symmetrically around an aft section, which contained an I-s4d solar ionization reactor to store and convert solar energy collected from the wing panels. The inclusion of a third wing provided additional solar power to increase the ship's range and the ship's energy management system was designed to allow weapons and shields to be charged with minimum loss of power to the propulsion system.

 

Although it was based on the standard twin ion engine design, the TIE/E’s propulsion system was upgraded to the entirely new, powerful P-sz9.8 triple ion engine. This allowed the TIE/E a maximum acceleration of 4,220 G or 21 MGLT/s and a top speed of 144 MGLT, or 1,680 km/h in an atmosphere — almost 40 percent faster than a former standard TIE Fighter. With tractor beam recharge power (see below) redirected to the engines, the top speed could be increased to 180 MGLT in a dash.

In addition to the main thrusters located in the aft section, the TIE Escort's triple wing design allowed for three arrays of maneuvering jets and it featured an advanced F-s5x flight avionics system to process the pilot's instructions. Production models received a class 2, ND9 hyperdrive motivator, modified from the version developed for the TIE Avenger. The TIE/E also carried a Sienar N-s6 Navcon navigation computer with a ten-jump memory.

 

Special equipment included a small tractor beam projector, originally developed for the TIE Avenger, which could be easily fitted to the voluminous TIE Escort. Models produced by Ysanne Isard's production facility regularly carried such tractor beams and the technology found other uses, such as towing other damaged starfighters until they could achieve the required velocity to enter hyperspace. The tractor beam had limited range and could only be used for a short time before stopping to recharge, but it added new tactics, too. For instance, the beam allowed the TIE/E crews to temporarily inhibit the mobility of enemy fighters, making it easier to target them with the ship's other weapon systems, or prevent enemies from clear shots.

 

The TIE Escort’s weapons systems were primarily designed to engage bigger ships and armored or shielded targets, like armed freighters frequently used by the Alliance. Thanks to its complex weapon and sensor suite, it could also engage multiple enemy fighters at once. The sensors also allowed an effective attack of ground targets, so that atmospheric bombing was a potential mission for the TIE/E, too.

.

The TIE Escort Fighter carried a formidable array of weaponry in two modular weapon bays that were mounted alongside the lower cabin. In standard configuration, the TIE/E had two L-s9.3 laser cannons and two NK-3 ion cannons. The laser and ion cannons could be set to fire separately or, if concentrated power was required, to fire-linked in either pairs or as a quartet.

The ship also featured two M-g-2 general-purpose warhead launchers, each of which could be equipped with a standard load of three proton torpedoes or four concussion missiles. Depending on the mission profile, the ship could be fitted with alternative warheads such as proton rockets, proton bombs, or magnetic pulse warheads.

Additionally, external stores could be carried under the fuselage, which included a conformal sensor pallet for reconnaissance missions or a cargo bay with a capacity for 500 kg (1.100 lb).

 

The ship's defenses were provided by a pair of forward and rear projecting Novaldex deflector shield generators—another advantage over former standard TIE models. The shields were designed to recharge more rapidly than in previous Imperial fighters and were nearly as powerful as those found on capital ships, so that the TIE/E could engage other ships head-on with a very high survivability. The fighters were not equipped with particle shields, though, relying on the reinforced titanium hull to absorb impacts from matter. Its hull and wings were among the strongest of any TIE series Starfighter yet.

 

The advanced starfighter attracted the attention of several other factions, and the Empire struggled to prevent the spread of the technology. The ship's high cost, together with political factors, kept it from achieving widespread use in the Empire, though, and units were assigned only to the most elite crews.

 

The TIE/E played a central role in the Empire's campaign against rogue Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin, and mixed Defender and Escort units participated in several other battles, including the Battle of Endor. The TIE Escort continued to see limited use by the Imperial Remnant up to at least 44 ABY, and was involved in numerous conflicts, including the Yuuzhan Vong War..

  

The kit and its assembly:

Another group build contribution, this time to the Science Fiction GB at whatifmodelers.com during summer 2017. Originally, this one started as an attempt to build a vintage MPC TIE Interceptor kit which I had bought and half-heartedly started to build probably 20 years ago. But I did not have the right mojo (probably, The Force was not strong enough…?), so the kit ended up in a dark corner and some parts were donated to other projects.

 

The sun collectors were still intact, though, and in the meantime I had the idea of reviving the kit’s remains, and convert it into (what I thought was) a fictional TIE Fighter variant with three solar panels. For this plan I got myself another TIE Interceptor kit, and stashed it away, too. Mojo was still missing, though.

 

Well, then came the SF GB and I took it as an occasion to finally tackle the build. But when I prepared for the build I found out that my intended design (over the years) more or less actually existed in the Star Wars universe: the TIE/D Defender! I could have built it with the parts and hand and some improvisation, but the design similarity bugged me. Well, instead of a poor copy of something that was more or less clearly defined, I rather decided to create something more individual, yet plausible, from the parts at hand.

 

The model was to stay a TIE design, though, in order to use as much donor material from the MPC kits as possible. Doing some legwork, I settled for a heavy fighter – bigger than the TIE Interceptor and the TIE/D fighter, a two-seater.

Working out the basic concept and layout took some time and evolved gradually. The creative spark for the TIE/E eventually came through a Revell “Obi Wan’s Jedi Starfighter” snap fit kit in my pile – actually a prize from a former GB participation at phoxim.de (Thanks a lot, Wolfgang!), and rather a toy than a true model kit.

 

The Jedi Fighter was in so far handy as it carries some TIE Fighter design traits, like the pilot capsule and the characteristic spider web windscreen. Anyway, it’s 1:32, much bigger than the TIE Interceptor’s roundabout 1:50 scale – but knowing that I’d never build the Jedi Starfighter OOB I used it as a donor bank, and from this starting point things started to evolve gradually.

 

Work started with the cockpit section, taken from the Jedi Starfighter kit. The two TIE Interceptor cockpit tubs were then mounted inside, staggered, and the gaps to the walls filled with putty. A pretty messy task, and once the shapes had been carved out some triangular tiles were added to the surfaces – a detail I found depicted in SW screenshots and some TIE Fighter models.

 

Another issue became the crew – even though I had two MPC TIE Interceptors and, theorectically, two pilot figures, only one of them could be found and the second crewman had to be improvised. I normally do not build 1:48 scale things, but I was lucky (and happy) to find an SF driver figure, left over from a small Dougram hoovercraft kit (from Takara, as a Revell “Robotech” reboxing). This driver is a tad bigger than the 1:50 TIE pilot, but I went with it because I did not want to invest money and time in alternatives. In order to justify the size difference I decided to paint the Dougram driver as a Chiss, based on the expanded SW universe (with blue skin and hair, and glowing red eyes). Not certain if this makes sense during the Battle of Endor timeframe, but it adds some color to the project – and the cockpit would not be visible in much detail since it would be finished fully closed.

 

Reason behind the closed canopy is basically the poor fit of the clear part. OOB, this is intended as an action toy – but also the canopy’s considerable size in 1:50 would prevent its original opening mechanism.

Additional braces on the rel. large window panels were created with self-adhesive tape and later painted over.

 

The rear fuselage section and the solar panel pylons were scratched. The reactor behind the cockpit section is actually a plastic adapter for water hoses, found in a local DIY market. It was slightly modified, attached to the cockpit “egg” and both parts blended with putty. The tail opening was closed with a hatch from the OOB TIE Interceptor – an incidental but perfect match in size and style.

 

The three pylons are also lucky finds: actually, these are SF wargaming/tabletop props and would normally be low walls or barriers, made from resin. For my build, they were more or less halved and trimmed. Tilted by 90°, they are attached to the hull with iron wire stabilizers, and later blended to the hull with putty, too.

 

Once the cockpit was done, things moved more swiftly. The surface of the hull was decorated with many small bits and pieces, including thin styrene sheet and profiles, steel and iron wire in various strengths, and there are even 1:72 tank tracks hidden somewhere, as well as protective caps from syringes (main guns and under the rear fuselage). It’s amazing how much stuff you can add to such a model – but IMHO it’s vital in order to create some structure and to emulate the (early) Star Wars look.

  

Painting and markings:

The less spectacular part of the project, even though still a lot of work because of the sheer size of the model’s surface. Since the whole thing is fictional, I tried to stay true to the Imperial designs from Episode IV-VI and gave the TIE/E a simple, all-light grey livery. All basic painting was done with rattle cans.

Work started with a basic coat of grey primer. On top of that, an initial coat of RAL 7036 Platingrau was added, esp. to the lower surfaces and recesses, for a rough shading effect. Then, the actual overall tone, RAL 7047, called “Telegrau 4”, one of Deutsche Telekom’s corporate tones, was added - mostly sprayed from abone and the sides onto the model. Fuselage and panels were painted separately, overall assembly was one of the final steps.

 

The solar panels were to stand out from the grey rest of the model, and I painted them with Revell Acrylic “Iron Metallic” (91) first, and later applied a rather rich wash with black ink , making sure the color settled well into the many small cells. The effect is pretty good, and the contrast was slightly enhanced through a dry-brushing treatment.

 

Only a few legible stencils were added all around the hull (most from the scrap box or from mecha sheets), the Galactic Empire Seal were inkjet-printed at home, as well as some tactical markings on the flanks, puzzled together from single digits in "Aurebash", one of the Imperial SW languages/fonts.

For some variety and color highlights, dozens of small, round and colorful markings were die-punched from silver, yellow, orange, red and blue decal sheet and were placed all over the hull - together with the large panels they blur into the the overall appearance, though. The hatches received thin red linings, also made from generic decals strips.

 

The cockpit interior was a bit challenging, though. Good TIE Fighter cockpit interior pictures are hard to find, but they suggest a dark grey tone. More confusingly, the MPC instructions call for a “Dark Green” cockpit? Well, I did not like the all-grey option, since the spaceship is already monochrome grey on the outside.

 

As a compromise I eventually used Tamiya XF-65 "Field Grey". The interior recieved a black ink in and dry-brushing treatment, and some instruments ansd screens were created with black decal material and glossy black paint; some neon paint was used for sci-fi-esque conmtraol lamps everywhere - I did not pay too much intention on the interior, since the cockpit would stay closed, and the thick clear material blurs everything inside.

Following this rationale, the crew was also painted in arather minimal fashion - both wear a dark grey uniform, only the Chiss pilot stands aout with his light blue skin and the flourescent red eyes.

 

After an overall black ink wash the model received a dry brusing treatment with FS 36492 and FS 36495, for a weathered and battle-worn look. After all, the "Vehement" would not survive the Ballte of Endor, but who knows what became of TIE/E "801"'s mixed crew...?

Finally, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish, and some final cosmetic corrections made.

 

The display is a DIY creation, too, made from a 6x6" piece of wood, it's edges covered with edgebonder, a steel wire as holder, and finally the display was paited with semi-matt black acrylic paint from the rattle can.

  

A complex build, and the TIE/E more or less evolved along the way, with only the overall layout in mind. Work took a month, but I think it was worth the effort. This fantasy creation looks pretty plausible and blends well into the vast canonical TIE Fighter family - and I am happy that I finally could finish this mummy project, including the surplus Jedi Starfighter kit which now also find a very good use!

 

An epic one, and far outside my standard comfort zone. But a wothwhile build!

 

Seen at a public foot crossing at Peak Rail in Derbyshire the loco of the year already 4472 Flying Scotsman. Scanned negative

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

The TIE/LN starfighter, or TIE/line starfighter, simply known as the TIE Fighter or T/F, was the standard Imperial starfighter seen in massive numbers throughout most of the Galactic Civil War and onward.

The TIE Fighter was manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems and led to several upgraded TIE models such as TIE/sa bomber, TIE/IN interceptor, TIE/D Defender, TIE/D automated starfighter, and many more.

 

The original TIEs were designed to attack in large numbers, overwhelming the enemy craft. The Imperials used so many that they came to be considered symbols of the Empire and its might. They were also very cheap to produce, reflecting the Imperial philosophy of quantity over quality.

 

However, a disadvantage of the fighter was its lack of deflector shields. In combat, pilots had to rely on the TIE/LN's maneuverability to avoid damage. The cockpit did incorporate crash webbing, a repulsorlift antigravity field, and a high-g shock seat to help protect the pilot, however these did next to nothing to help protect against enemy blaster fire.

 

Due to the lack of life-support systems, each TIE pilot had a fully sealed flight suit superior to their Rebel counterparts. The absence of a hyperdrive also rendered the light fighter totally dependent on carrier ships when deployed in enemy systems. TIE/LNs also lacked landing gear, another mass-reducing measure. While the ships were structurally capable of "sitting" on their wings, they were not designed to land or disembark their pilots without special support. On Imperial ships, TIEs were launched from racks in the hangar bays.

 

The high success rate of more advanced Rebel starfighters against standard Imperial TIE Fighters resulted in a mounting cost of replacing destroyed fighters and their pilots. That, combined with the realization that the inclusion of a hyperdrive would allow the fleet to be more flexible, caused the Imperial Navy to rethink its doctrine of using swarms of cheap craft instead of fewer high-quality ones, leading to the introduction of the TIE Advanced x1 and its successor, the TIE Avenger. The following TIE/D Defender as well as the heavy TIE Escort Fighter (or TIE/E) were touted as the next "logical advance" of the TIE Series—representing a shift in starfighter design from previous, expendable TIE models towards fast, well armed and protected designs, capable of hyperspace travel and long-term crew teams which gained experience and capabilities over time.

 

The TIE/E Escort, was a high-performance TIE Series starfighter developed for the Imperial Navy by Sienar Fleet Systems and it was introduced into service shortly before the Battle of Endor. It was a much heavier counterpart to the agile and TIE/D fighter, and more of an attack ship or even a light bomber than a true dogfighter. Its role were independent long range operations, and in order to reduce the work load and boost morale a crew of two was introduced (a pilot and a dedicated weapon systems officer/WSO). The primary duty profile included attack and escort task, but also reconnoiter missions. The TIE/E shared the general layout with the contemporary TIE/D fighter, but the cockpit section as well as the central power unit were much bigger, and the ship was considerably heavier.

 

The crew enjoyed – compared with previous TIE fighter designs – a spacious and now fully pressurized cockpit, so that no pressurized suits had to be worn anymore. The crew members sat in tandem under a large, clear canopy. The pilot in front had a very good field of view, while the WSO sat behind him, in a higher, staggered position with only a limited field of view. Both work stations had separate entries, though, and places could not be switched in flight: the pilot mounted the cockpit through a hatch on port side, while the WSO entered the rear compartment through a roof hatch.

 

In a departure from the design of previous TIE models, instead of two parallel wings to either side of the pilot module, the TIE Escort had three quadanium steel solar array wings mounted symmetrically around an aft section, which contained an I-s4d solar ionization reactor to store and convert solar energy collected from the wing panels. The inclusion of a third wing provided additional solar power to increase the ship's range and the ship's energy management system was designed to allow weapons and shields to be charged with minimum loss of power to the propulsion system.

 

Although it was based on the standard twin ion engine design, the TIE/E’s propulsion system was upgraded to the entirely new, powerful P-sz9.8 triple ion engine. This allowed the TIE/E a maximum acceleration of 4,220 G or 21 MGLT/s and a top speed of 144 MGLT, or 1,680 km/h in an atmosphere — almost 40 percent faster than a former standard TIE Fighter. With tractor beam recharge power (see below) redirected to the engines, the top speed could be increased to 180 MGLT in a dash.

In addition to the main thrusters located in the aft section, the TIE Escort's triple wing design allowed for three arrays of maneuvering jets and it featured an advanced F-s5x flight avionics system to process the pilot's instructions. Production models received a class 2, ND9 hyperdrive motivator, modified from the version developed for the TIE Avenger. The TIE/E also carried a Sienar N-s6 Navcon navigation computer with a ten-jump memory.

 

Special equipment included a small tractor beam projector, originally developed for the TIE Avenger, which could be easily fitted to the voluminous TIE Escort. Models produced by Ysanne Isard's production facility regularly carried such tractor beams and the technology found other uses, such as towing other damaged starfighters until they could achieve the required velocity to enter hyperspace. The tractor beam had limited range and could only be used for a short time before stopping to recharge, but it added new tactics, too. For instance, the beam allowed the TIE/E crews to temporarily inhibit the mobility of enemy fighters, making it easier to target them with the ship's other weapon systems, or prevent enemies from clear shots.

 

The TIE Escort’s weapons systems were primarily designed to engage bigger ships and armored or shielded targets, like armed freighters frequently used by the Alliance. Thanks to its complex weapon and sensor suite, it could also engage multiple enemy fighters at once. The sensors also allowed an effective attack of ground targets, so that atmospheric bombing was a potential mission for the TIE/E, too.

.

The TIE Escort Fighter carried a formidable array of weaponry in two modular weapon bays that were mounted alongside the lower cabin. In standard configuration, the TIE/E had two L-s9.3 laser cannons and two NK-3 ion cannons. The laser and ion cannons could be set to fire separately or, if concentrated power was required, to fire-linked in either pairs or as a quartet.

The ship also featured two M-g-2 general-purpose warhead launchers, each of which could be equipped with a standard load of three proton torpedoes or four concussion missiles. Depending on the mission profile, the ship could be fitted with alternative warheads such as proton rockets, proton bombs, or magnetic pulse warheads.

Additionally, external stores could be carried under the fuselage, which included a conformal sensor pallet for reconnaissance missions or a cargo bay with a capacity for 500 kg (1.100 lb).

 

The ship's defenses were provided by a pair of forward and rear projecting Novaldex deflector shield generators—another advantage over former standard TIE models. The shields were designed to recharge more rapidly than in previous Imperial fighters and were nearly as powerful as those found on capital ships, so that the TIE/E could engage other ships head-on with a very high survivability. The fighters were not equipped with particle shields, though, relying on the reinforced titanium hull to absorb impacts from matter. Its hull and wings were among the strongest of any TIE series Starfighter yet.

 

The advanced starfighter attracted the attention of several other factions, and the Empire struggled to prevent the spread of the technology. The ship's high cost, together with political factors, kept it from achieving widespread use in the Empire, though, and units were assigned only to the most elite crews.

 

The TIE/E played a central role in the Empire's campaign against rogue Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin, and mixed Defender and Escort units participated in several other battles, including the Battle of Endor. The TIE Escort continued to see limited use by the Imperial Remnant up to at least 44 ABY, and was involved in numerous conflicts, including the Yuuzhan Vong War..

  

The kit and its assembly:

Another group build contribution, this time to the Science Fiction GB at whatifmodelers.com during summer 2017. Originally, this one started as an attempt to build a vintage MPC TIE Interceptor kit which I had bought and half-heartedly started to build probably 20 years ago. But I did not have the right mojo (probably, The Force was not strong enough…?), so the kit ended up in a dark corner and some parts were donated to other projects.

 

The sun collectors were still intact, though, and in the meantime I had the idea of reviving the kit’s remains, and convert it into (what I thought was) a fictional TIE Fighter variant with three solar panels. For this plan I got myself another TIE Interceptor kit, and stashed it away, too. Mojo was still missing, though.

 

Well, then came the SF GB and I took it as an occasion to finally tackle the build. But when I prepared for the build I found out that my intended design (over the years) more or less actually existed in the Star Wars universe: the TIE/D Defender! I could have built it with the parts and hand and some improvisation, but the design similarity bugged me. Well, instead of a poor copy of something that was more or less clearly defined, I rather decided to create something more individual, yet plausible, from the parts at hand.

 

The model was to stay a TIE design, though, in order to use as much donor material from the MPC kits as possible. Doing some legwork, I settled for a heavy fighter – bigger than the TIE Interceptor and the TIE/D fighter, a two-seater.

Working out the basic concept and layout took some time and evolved gradually. The creative spark for the TIE/E eventually came through a Revell “Obi Wan’s Jedi Starfighter” snap fit kit in my pile – actually a prize from a former GB participation at phoxim.de (Thanks a lot, Wolfgang!), and rather a toy than a true model kit.

 

The Jedi Fighter was in so far handy as it carries some TIE Fighter design traits, like the pilot capsule and the characteristic spider web windscreen. Anyway, it’s 1:32, much bigger than the TIE Interceptor’s roundabout 1:50 scale – but knowing that I’d never build the Jedi Starfighter OOB I used it as a donor bank, and from this starting point things started to evolve gradually.

 

Work started with the cockpit section, taken from the Jedi Starfighter kit. The two TIE Interceptor cockpit tubs were then mounted inside, staggered, and the gaps to the walls filled with putty. A pretty messy task, and once the shapes had been carved out some triangular tiles were added to the surfaces – a detail I found depicted in SW screenshots and some TIE Fighter models.

 

Another issue became the crew – even though I had two MPC TIE Interceptors and, theorectically, two pilot figures, only one of them could be found and the second crewman had to be improvised. I normally do not build 1:48 scale things, but I was lucky (and happy) to find an SF driver figure, left over from a small Dougram hoovercraft kit (from Takara, as a Revell “Robotech” reboxing). This driver is a tad bigger than the 1:50 TIE pilot, but I went with it because I did not want to invest money and time in alternatives. In order to justify the size difference I decided to paint the Dougram driver as a Chiss, based on the expanded SW universe (with blue skin and hair, and glowing red eyes). Not certain if this makes sense during the Battle of Endor timeframe, but it adds some color to the project – and the cockpit would not be visible in much detail since it would be finished fully closed.

 

Reason behind the closed canopy is basically the poor fit of the clear part. OOB, this is intended as an action toy – but also the canopy’s considerable size in 1:50 would prevent its original opening mechanism.

Additional braces on the rel. large window panels were created with self-adhesive tape and later painted over.

 

The rear fuselage section and the solar panel pylons were scratched. The reactor behind the cockpit section is actually a plastic adapter for water hoses, found in a local DIY market. It was slightly modified, attached to the cockpit “egg” and both parts blended with putty. The tail opening was closed with a hatch from the OOB TIE Interceptor – an incidental but perfect match in size and style.

 

The three pylons are also lucky finds: actually, these are SF wargaming/tabletop props and would normally be low walls or barriers, made from resin. For my build, they were more or less halved and trimmed. Tilted by 90°, they are attached to the hull with iron wire stabilizers, and later blended to the hull with putty, too.

 

Once the cockpit was done, things moved more swiftly. The surface of the hull was decorated with many small bits and pieces, including thin styrene sheet and profiles, steel and iron wire in various strengths, and there are even 1:72 tank tracks hidden somewhere, as well as protective caps from syringes (main guns and under the rear fuselage). It’s amazing how much stuff you can add to such a model – but IMHO it’s vital in order to create some structure and to emulate the (early) Star Wars look.

  

Painting and markings:

The less spectacular part of the project, even though still a lot of work because of the sheer size of the model’s surface. Since the whole thing is fictional, I tried to stay true to the Imperial designs from Episode IV-VI and gave the TIE/E a simple, all-light grey livery. All basic painting was done with rattle cans.

Work started with a basic coat of grey primer. On top of that, an initial coat of RAL 7036 Platingrau was added, esp. to the lower surfaces and recesses, for a rough shading effect. Then, the actual overall tone, RAL 7047, called “Telegrau 4”, one of Deutsche Telekom’s corporate tones, was added - mostly sprayed from abone and the sides onto the model. Fuselage and panels were painted separately, overall assembly was one of the final steps.

 

The solar panels were to stand out from the grey rest of the model, and I painted them with Revell Acrylic “Iron Metallic” (91) first, and later applied a rather rich wash with black ink , making sure the color settled well into the many small cells. The effect is pretty good, and the contrast was slightly enhanced through a dry-brushing treatment.

 

Only a few legible stencils were added all around the hull (most from the scrap box or from mecha sheets), the Galactic Empire Seal were inkjet-printed at home, as well as some tactical markings on the flanks, puzzled together from single digits in "Aurebash", one of the Imperial SW languages/fonts.

For some variety and color highlights, dozens of small, round and colorful markings were die-punched from silver, yellow, orange, red and blue decal sheet and were placed all over the hull - together with the large panels they blur into the the overall appearance, though. The hatches received thin red linings, also made from generic decals strips.

 

The cockpit interior was a bit challenging, though. Good TIE Fighter cockpit interior pictures are hard to find, but they suggest a dark grey tone. More confusingly, the MPC instructions call for a “Dark Green” cockpit? Well, I did not like the all-grey option, since the spaceship is already monochrome grey on the outside.

 

As a compromise I eventually used Tamiya XF-65 "Field Grey". The interior recieved a black ink in and dry-brushing treatment, and some instruments ansd screens were created with black decal material and glossy black paint; some neon paint was used for sci-fi-esque conmtraol lamps everywhere - I did not pay too much intention on the interior, since the cockpit would stay closed, and the thick clear material blurs everything inside.

Following this rationale, the crew was also painted in arather minimal fashion - both wear a dark grey uniform, only the Chiss pilot stands aout with his light blue skin and the flourescent red eyes.

 

After an overall black ink wash the model received a dry brusing treatment with FS 36492 and FS 36495, for a weathered and battle-worn look. After all, the "Vehement" would not survive the Ballte of Endor, but who knows what became of TIE/E "801"'s mixed crew...?

Finally, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish, and some final cosmetic corrections made.

 

The display is a DIY creation, too, made from a 6x6" piece of wood, it's edges covered with edgebonder, a steel wire as holder, and finally the display was paited with semi-matt black acrylic paint from the rattle can.

  

A complex build, and the TIE/E more or less evolved along the way, with only the overall layout in mind. Work took a month, but I think it was worth the effort. This fantasy creation looks pretty plausible and blends well into the vast canonical TIE Fighter family - and I am happy that I finally could finish this mummy project, including the surplus Jedi Starfighter kit which now also find a very good use!

 

An epic one, and far outside my standard comfort zone. But a wothwhile build!

 

"Oh, I'm afraid the deflector shield will be quite operational when your friends arrive." #toyphotography #starwars

they keep cool by running with their ears up to deflect air on their heads

Smoke deflector experiments on A3 pacifics..ironically the successful german type trough deflectors were not fitted until the 1960s when the locos had only a limited life left...from Ian Allan's Gresley Pacifics of the LNER.

Mission log: Sergeant Saber

well the drop went pretty well...that was about the best that could be said about the mission. blade squad was sent in as reinforcements in the hopes that we could stop the seppies from re-awakening the "Rakghoul" plague, during mission briefing we were told that a CIS freighter containing the plague (in a gas form) was docked in hangar 4, our objective was to capture the ship, and prevent the CIS from releasing the plague. upon drop, sparky and I made our way through the middle city and to the hangar, our firs approach was quashed upon seeing the droids Trolling patrolling the main entrance, so we took a back route through the scrap yard located to the back of the hangar. Unfortunately for us the the damned droids had put up a secure blast "gate".

 

Sparky: " cover me ill hack it"

Saber: " understood ill make sure no one takes your head off"

 

I picked up a discarded blast shield, and readied my blaster, meanwhile Sparky used his (as we call it in the corps) "hack box" and inserted the probe into a control panel on the wall.

"de-scrambling sir, laser retraction at 10%" said sparky. "Good" I replied, "nothing so far... Shit! At that moment a magnaguard had clanked onto the walkway above and fired a laser from a 17-S5 rifle, I deflected the lase using my blast shield, and unloaded a laser cartridge into the magnaguard's head. No effect, its head came of, but it still shot. "shit" I thought to myself " they can still fire seeing with their chest eye."

"sir, incoming transmission!" sparky yelled.

"Open link me after I kill this thing!" I said. Finally I managed to shoot out its eye with a precise shot, and it tumbled off the walkway in a smouldering heap. When I turned around, I noticed sparky was re-packing his "hack box", "Sparky, why are you putting that away, we haven't even retracted the door yet?"

"Sir... I listened to the transmission while you were battling the clanker, and command says to head back to the LZ... we're to late.

  

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

The TIE/LN starfighter, or TIE/line starfighter, simply known as the TIE Fighter or T/F, was the standard Imperial starfighter seen in massive numbers throughout most of the Galactic Civil War and onward.

The TIE Fighter was manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems and led to several upgraded TIE models such as TIE/sa bomber, TIE/IN interceptor, TIE/D Defender, TIE/D automated starfighter, and many more.

 

The original TIEs were designed to attack in large numbers, overwhelming the enemy craft. The Imperials used so many that they came to be considered symbols of the Empire and its might. They were also very cheap to produce, reflecting the Imperial philosophy of quantity over quality.

 

However, a disadvantage of the fighter was its lack of deflector shields. In combat, pilots had to rely on the TIE/LN's maneuverability to avoid damage. The cockpit did incorporate crash webbing, a repulsorlift antigravity field, and a high-g shock seat to help protect the pilot, however these did next to nothing to help protect against enemy blaster fire.

 

Due to the lack of life-support systems, each TIE pilot had a fully sealed flight suit superior to their Rebel counterparts. The absence of a hyperdrive also rendered the light fighter totally dependent on carrier ships when deployed in enemy systems. TIE/LNs also lacked landing gear, another mass-reducing measure. While the ships were structurally capable of "sitting" on their wings, they were not designed to land or disembark their pilots without special support. On Imperial ships, TIEs were launched from racks in the hangar bays.

 

The high success rate of more advanced Rebel starfighters against standard Imperial TIE Fighters resulted in a mounting cost of replacing destroyed fighters and their pilots. That, combined with the realization that the inclusion of a hyperdrive would allow the fleet to be more flexible, caused the Imperial Navy to rethink its doctrine of using swarms of cheap craft instead of fewer high-quality ones, leading to the introduction of the TIE Advanced x1 and its successor, the TIE Avenger. The following TIE/D Defender as well as the heavy TIE Escort Fighter (or TIE/E) were touted as the next "logical advance" of the TIE Series—representing a shift in starfighter design from previous, expendable TIE models towards fast, well armed and protected designs, capable of hyperspace travel and long-term crew teams which gained experience and capabilities over time.

 

The TIE/E Escort, was a high-performance TIE Series starfighter developed for the Imperial Navy by Sienar Fleet Systems and it was introduced into service shortly before the Battle of Endor. It was a much heavier counterpart to the agile and TIE/D fighter, and more of an attack ship or even a light bomber than a true dogfighter. Its role were independent long range operations, and in order to reduce the work load and boost morale a crew of two was introduced (a pilot and a dedicated weapon systems officer/WSO). The primary duty profile included attack and escort task, but also reconnoiter missions. The TIE/E shared the general layout with the contemporary TIE/D fighter, but the cockpit section as well as the central power unit were much bigger, and the ship was considerably heavier.

 

The crew enjoyed – compared with previous TIE fighter designs – a spacious and now fully pressurized cockpit, so that no pressurized suits had to be worn anymore. The crew members sat in tandem under a large, clear canopy. The pilot in front had a very good field of view, while the WSO sat behind him, in a higher, staggered position with only a limited field of view. Both work stations had separate entries, though, and places could not be switched in flight: the pilot mounted the cockpit through a hatch on port side, while the WSO entered the rear compartment through a roof hatch.

 

In a departure from the design of previous TIE models, instead of two parallel wings to either side of the pilot module, the TIE Escort had three quadanium steel solar array wings mounted symmetrically around an aft section, which contained an I-s4d solar ionization reactor to store and convert solar energy collected from the wing panels. The inclusion of a third wing provided additional solar power to increase the ship's range and the ship's energy management system was designed to allow weapons and shields to be charged with minimum loss of power to the propulsion system.

 

Although it was based on the standard twin ion engine design, the TIE/E’s propulsion system was upgraded to the entirely new, powerful P-sz9.8 triple ion engine. This allowed the TIE/E a maximum acceleration of 4,220 G or 21 MGLT/s and a top speed of 144 MGLT, or 1,680 km/h in an atmosphere — almost 40 percent faster than a former standard TIE Fighter. With tractor beam recharge power (see below) redirected to the engines, the top speed could be increased to 180 MGLT in a dash.

In addition to the main thrusters located in the aft section, the TIE Escort's triple wing design allowed for three arrays of maneuvering jets and it featured an advanced F-s5x flight avionics system to process the pilot's instructions. Production models received a class 2, ND9 hyperdrive motivator, modified from the version developed for the TIE Avenger. The TIE/E also carried a Sienar N-s6 Navcon navigation computer with a ten-jump memory.

 

Special equipment included a small tractor beam projector, originally developed for the TIE Avenger, which could be easily fitted to the voluminous TIE Escort. Models produced by Ysanne Isard's production facility regularly carried such tractor beams and the technology found other uses, such as towing other damaged starfighters until they could achieve the required velocity to enter hyperspace. The tractor beam had limited range and could only be used for a short time before stopping to recharge, but it added new tactics, too. For instance, the beam allowed the TIE/E crews to temporarily inhibit the mobility of enemy fighters, making it easier to target them with the ship's other weapon systems, or prevent enemies from clear shots.

 

The TIE Escort’s weapons systems were primarily designed to engage bigger ships and armored or shielded targets, like armed freighters frequently used by the Alliance. Thanks to its complex weapon and sensor suite, it could also engage multiple enemy fighters at once. The sensors also allowed an effective attack of ground targets, so that atmospheric bombing was a potential mission for the TIE/E, too.

.

The TIE Escort Fighter carried a formidable array of weaponry in two modular weapon bays that were mounted alongside the lower cabin. In standard configuration, the TIE/E had two L-s9.3 laser cannons and two NK-3 ion cannons. The laser and ion cannons could be set to fire separately or, if concentrated power was required, to fire-linked in either pairs or as a quartet.

The ship also featured two M-g-2 general-purpose warhead launchers, each of which could be equipped with a standard load of three proton torpedoes or four concussion missiles. Depending on the mission profile, the ship could be fitted with alternative warheads such as proton rockets, proton bombs, or magnetic pulse warheads.

Additionally, external stores could be carried under the fuselage, which included a conformal sensor pallet for reconnaissance missions or a cargo bay with a capacity for 500 kg (1.100 lb).

 

The ship's defenses were provided by a pair of forward and rear projecting Novaldex deflector shield generators—another advantage over former standard TIE models. The shields were designed to recharge more rapidly than in previous Imperial fighters and were nearly as powerful as those found on capital ships, so that the TIE/E could engage other ships head-on with a very high survivability. The fighters were not equipped with particle shields, though, relying on the reinforced titanium hull to absorb impacts from matter. Its hull and wings were among the strongest of any TIE series Starfighter yet.

 

The advanced starfighter attracted the attention of several other factions, and the Empire struggled to prevent the spread of the technology. The ship's high cost, together with political factors, kept it from achieving widespread use in the Empire, though, and units were assigned only to the most elite crews.

 

The TIE/E played a central role in the Empire's campaign against rogue Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin, and mixed Defender and Escort units participated in several other battles, including the Battle of Endor. The TIE Escort continued to see limited use by the Imperial Remnant up to at least 44 ABY, and was involved in numerous conflicts, including the Yuuzhan Vong War..

  

The kit and its assembly:

Another group build contribution, this time to the Science Fiction GB at whatifmodelers.com during summer 2017. Originally, this one started as an attempt to build a vintage MPC TIE Interceptor kit which I had bought and half-heartedly started to build probably 20 years ago. But I did not have the right mojo (probably, The Force was not strong enough…?), so the kit ended up in a dark corner and some parts were donated to other projects.

 

The sun collectors were still intact, though, and in the meantime I had the idea of reviving the kit’s remains, and convert it into (what I thought was) a fictional TIE Fighter variant with three solar panels. For this plan I got myself another TIE Interceptor kit, and stashed it away, too. Mojo was still missing, though.

 

Well, then came the SF GB and I took it as an occasion to finally tackle the build. But when I prepared for the build I found out that my intended design (over the years) more or less actually existed in the Star Wars universe: the TIE/D Defender! I could have built it with the parts and hand and some improvisation, but the design similarity bugged me. Well, instead of a poor copy of something that was more or less clearly defined, I rather decided to create something more individual, yet plausible, from the parts at hand.

 

The model was to stay a TIE design, though, in order to use as much donor material from the MPC kits as possible. Doing some legwork, I settled for a heavy fighter – bigger than the TIE Interceptor and the TIE/D fighter, a two-seater.

Working out the basic concept and layout took some time and evolved gradually. The creative spark for the TIE/E eventually came through a Revell “Obi Wan’s Jedi Starfighter” snap fit kit in my pile – actually a prize from a former GB participation at phoxim.de (Thanks a lot, Wolfgang!), and rather a toy than a true model kit.

 

The Jedi Fighter was in so far handy as it carries some TIE Fighter design traits, like the pilot capsule and the characteristic spider web windscreen. Anyway, it’s 1:32, much bigger than the TIE Interceptor’s roundabout 1:50 scale – but knowing that I’d never build the Jedi Starfighter OOB I used it as a donor bank, and from this starting point things started to evolve gradually.

 

Work started with the cockpit section, taken from the Jedi Starfighter kit. The two TIE Interceptor cockpit tubs were then mounted inside, staggered, and the gaps to the walls filled with putty. A pretty messy task, and once the shapes had been carved out some triangular tiles were added to the surfaces – a detail I found depicted in SW screenshots and some TIE Fighter models.

 

Another issue became the crew – even though I had two MPC TIE Interceptors and, theorectically, two pilot figures, only one of them could be found and the second crewman had to be improvised. I normally do not build 1:48 scale things, but I was lucky (and happy) to find an SF driver figure, left over from a small Dougram hoovercraft kit (from Takara, as a Revell “Robotech” reboxing). This driver is a tad bigger than the 1:50 TIE pilot, but I went with it because I did not want to invest money and time in alternatives. In order to justify the size difference I decided to paint the Dougram driver as a Chiss, based on the expanded SW universe (with blue skin and hair, and glowing red eyes). Not certain if this makes sense during the Battle of Endor timeframe, but it adds some color to the project – and the cockpit would not be visible in much detail since it would be finished fully closed.

 

Reason behind the closed canopy is basically the poor fit of the clear part. OOB, this is intended as an action toy – but also the canopy’s considerable size in 1:50 would prevent its original opening mechanism.

Additional braces on the rel. large window panels were created with self-adhesive tape and later painted over.

 

The rear fuselage section and the solar panel pylons were scratched. The reactor behind the cockpit section is actually a plastic adapter for water hoses, found in a local DIY market. It was slightly modified, attached to the cockpit “egg” and both parts blended with putty. The tail opening was closed with a hatch from the OOB TIE Interceptor – an incidental but perfect match in size and style.

 

The three pylons are also lucky finds: actually, these are SF wargaming/tabletop props and would normally be low walls or barriers, made from resin. For my build, they were more or less halved and trimmed. Tilted by 90°, they are attached to the hull with iron wire stabilizers, and later blended to the hull with putty, too.

 

Once the cockpit was done, things moved more swiftly. The surface of the hull was decorated with many small bits and pieces, including thin styrene sheet and profiles, steel and iron wire in various strengths, and there are even 1:72 tank tracks hidden somewhere, as well as protective caps from syringes (main guns and under the rear fuselage). It’s amazing how much stuff you can add to such a model – but IMHO it’s vital in order to create some structure and to emulate the (early) Star Wars look.

  

Painting and markings:

The less spectacular part of the project, even though still a lot of work because of the sheer size of the model’s surface. Since the whole thing is fictional, I tried to stay true to the Imperial designs from Episode IV-VI and gave the TIE/E a simple, all-light grey livery. All basic painting was done with rattle cans.

Work started with a basic coat of grey primer. On top of that, an initial coat of RAL 7036 Platingrau was added, esp. to the lower surfaces and recesses, for a rough shading effect. Then, the actual overall tone, RAL 7047, called “Telegrau 4”, one of Deutsche Telekom’s corporate tones, was added - mostly sprayed from abone and the sides onto the model. Fuselage and panels were painted separately, overall assembly was one of the final steps.

 

The solar panels were to stand out from the grey rest of the model, and I painted them with Revell Acrylic “Iron Metallic” (91) first, and later applied a rather rich wash with black ink , making sure the color settled well into the many small cells. The effect is pretty good, and the contrast was slightly enhanced through a dry-brushing treatment.

 

Only a few legible stencils were added all around the hull (most from the scrap box or from mecha sheets), the Galactic Empire Seal were inkjet-printed at home, as well as some tactical markings on the flanks, puzzled together from single digits in "Aurebash", one of the Imperial SW languages/fonts.

For some variety and color highlights, dozens of small, round and colorful markings were die-punched from silver, yellow, orange, red and blue decal sheet and were placed all over the hull - together with the large panels they blur into the the overall appearance, though. The hatches received thin red linings, also made from generic decals strips.

 

The cockpit interior was a bit challenging, though. Good TIE Fighter cockpit interior pictures are hard to find, but they suggest a dark grey tone. More confusingly, the MPC instructions call for a “Dark Green” cockpit? Well, I did not like the all-grey option, since the spaceship is already monochrome grey on the outside.

 

As a compromise I eventually used Tamiya XF-65 "Field Grey". The interior recieved a black ink in and dry-brushing treatment, and some instruments ansd screens were created with black decal material and glossy black paint; some neon paint was used for sci-fi-esque conmtraol lamps everywhere - I did not pay too much intention on the interior, since the cockpit would stay closed, and the thick clear material blurs everything inside.

Following this rationale, the crew was also painted in arather minimal fashion - both wear a dark grey uniform, only the Chiss pilot stands aout with his light blue skin and the flourescent red eyes.

 

After an overall black ink wash the model received a dry brusing treatment with FS 36492 and FS 36495, for a weathered and battle-worn look. After all, the "Vehement" would not survive the Ballte of Endor, but who knows what became of TIE/E "801"'s mixed crew...?

Finally, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish, and some final cosmetic corrections made.

 

The display is a DIY creation, too, made from a 6x6" piece of wood, it's edges covered with edgebonder, a steel wire as holder, and finally the display was paited with semi-matt black acrylic paint from the rattle can.

  

A complex build, and the TIE/E more or less evolved along the way, with only the overall layout in mind. Work took a month, but I think it was worth the effort. This fantasy creation looks pretty plausible and blends well into the vast canonical TIE Fighter family - and I am happy that I finally could finish this mummy project, including the surplus Jedi Starfighter kit which now also find a very good use!

 

An epic one, and far outside my standard comfort zone. But a wothwhile build!

 

Tamara Terzic @ Hans van Eijsden Photography, The Netherlands

MUA: Martina Kató

 

Lens: Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art on full frame.

 

Light: An Elinchrom Quadra ELB 400 with one HS head as key light from the front into an Elinchrom Deep Octa with silver deflector and inner diffuser and the second HS head through the large LiteMotiv strip from the back, triggered via Skyport HS.

 

Postprocessing: Some local adjustment curves, some local cloning.

 

Portfolio: www.hansvaneijsden.com

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/hansvaneijsdenphotography

The quantum torpedo launcher and deflector dish turned out well I think… among other things.

With a mark on the smoke deflector revealing where a rather fine cast plate was formerly attached, the once proudly decorated QJ No.7164 is cast aside on the scrap line at Daban depot by classmate No.7081 just after sunrise on 18th November 2005. QJ7164 was delivered to China Rail from Datong works in December 1986 and was withdrawn from service on 28th August 2005. QJ7081, also delivered in 1986, faired better and survived to be exported from China to the USA and now works on the Iowa Interstate Railroad.

 

© Copyright Gordon Edgar - No unauthorised use