+++ 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 Royal Iraqi Air Force (RIrAF) considered its founding day as 22 April 1931, when the first pilots flew in from training in the United Kingdom. The RIrAF was first used in combat against the revolts by tribes in Diwaniya and Rumaytha southern Iraq in 1934 under order of Bakr Sidqi, where it suffered its first combat loss.
Its first combat against another conventional military was in the 1941 Anglo-Iraqi War when the Iraqi government made a bid for full independence following a coup by Rashid Ali against pro-British Iraqi leaders. The RIrAF was destroyed as a fighting force, resulting in an alliance with the Axis which involved Luftwaffe aircraft (painted in Iraqi markings) and Italian Regia Aeronautica aircraft assisting Iraqi ground forces.
The German units were Special Staff F and Fliegerführer Irak, who commanded the so-called Sonderkommando Junck.
On 1 April 1941, Rashid Ali and members of the "Golden Square" led a coup d'état in Iraq. During the time leading up to the coup, Rashid Ali's supporters had been informed that Germany was willing to recognize the independence of Iraq from the British Empire, there had also been discussions on matériel being sent to support the Iraqis and other Arab factions in fighting the British.
The resulting Anglo-Iraqi War started on 2 May. According to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the “vigorous instructions” provided by Hitler were "belated" and developed at a time when “all chance of useful Axis intervention had passed.”
On 3 May Dr. Fritz Grobba, German ambassador, secretly returned to Iraq to head up a diplomatic mission to channel support to the Rashid Ali regime. Grobba's mission was accompanied by a military force commanded by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, or OKW (the High Command of the Armed Forces).
The military mission had the cover name 'Sonderstab F' (Special Staff F); it included components from the Abwehr-based Brandenburgers and from the Luftwaffe. Sonderstab F was commanded by General der Flieger Hellmuth Felmy.
While Felmy was a General der Flieger, he did not command the air component of Sonderstab F. General Felmy commanded Sonderstab F from Greece and it was Major Axel von Blomberg who flew to Iraq. He was the commander of the reconnaissance group in Iraq until his untimely death. Had he lived, von Blomberg was to integrate the Luftwaffe component, Fliegerführer Irak, with Iraqi armed forces in operations against the British. In addition, he and other members of the Brandenburger Regiment were to raise a German-led Arab Brigade (Arabische Brigade). The brigade was to have been raised in Iraq from the thousands of Arab volunteers available from Iraq, from Syria, from Palestine, from Saudi Arabia, and from throughout the Arab world. After his death and after the mission was a failure, the small group of German Military Intelligence (Abwehr) officers who followed him discussed the destruction of all oil facilities in Iraq. But this was pure fantasy for the four Brandenburgers available.
On 6 May, in accordance with the "Paris Protocols", Germany concluded a deal with the Vichy French government to release war matériel, including aircraft, from sealed stockpiles in Syria and transport them to the Iraqis. The French also agreed to allow the passage of other weapons and stores as well as loaning several air bases in northern Syria, to Germany, for the transport of their aircraft to Iraq.
Also on 6 May, Luftwaffe Oberst Werner Junck received instructions in Berlin that he was to take a small force of aircraft to Iraq. That force was 'Fliegerführer Irak' (Commander of Aviation Iraq) and also known as 'Sonderkommando Junck'. The aircraft of 'Sonderkommando Junck' had Iraqi markings and operated from an air base in Mosul, some 240 miles north of Baghdad.
'Fliegerführer Irak' was to consist of a squadron of Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighters (12 aircraft) from IV/ZG 76, a squadron of Heinkel 111 bombers (12 aircraft) and Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters (12 aircraft) from IX/JG 52. These Bf 109s were relatively new E-7 types, the E-7 entered service and seeing combat at the end of August 1940. The aircraft for Fliegerführer Irak' received tropical equipment like a dust filter for the engine as well as a quick camouflage update on their transfer via Greece from the Russian front.
One of the limitations of the earlier Bf 109E was their short range of 660 km (410 mi) and limited endurance, as the design was originally conceived as a short-range interceptor. The E-7 rectified this problem as it was the first subtype to be able to carry a drop tank, usually a 300 L (80 US gal) capacity unit mounted on a rack under the fuselage, which increased their range to 1,325 km (820 mi).
Alternatively, a bomb could be fitted and the E-7 could be used as a Jabo fighter-bomber.
In addition, to assist in transporting the force to Iraq, Junck was lent 13 Junkers 52 and Junkers 90 transport aircraft. All but three of these transports had to be returned to Greece immediately to prepare for the invasion of Crete, though.
On 23 May, the instructions for Sonderstab F were detailed by Directive No. 30 (Weisung Nr. 30). It detailed German intervention in support of Arab nationalists who seized the government in Iraq and were being confronted by the British Army (10th Indian Infantry Division). The mission included a Brandenburger Regiment, a German Air Force (Luftwaffe), and a German Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) component. Many members of the various mission components had received orders prior to 23 May and were in Iraq at the time Weisung Nr. 30 was issued.
In accordance with ’’Weisung Nr. 30’’, the command structure for the Luftwaffe component of Sonderstab F was independent from the rest of the mission. Luftwaffe Colonel Werner Junck commanded 'Fliegerführer Irak' in Iraq. He reported directly to Lieutenant General Hans Jeschonnek in Germany. Fliegerführer Irak arrived in Iraq on 13 May, fought against the British under conditions which became more and more difficult, and, by the end of the month, was forced to abandon Iraq.
British forces had already begun to counterattack in Iraq. By 15 May, Junck knew that "Habforce" was on its way to RAF Habbaniya and Kingcol had taken Rutba Fort. Junck sent a lone Heinkel bomber to find "Kingcol" at Rutba. The bomber found and attacked "Kingcol", which alerted the British to the German military assistance to the Iraqi regime.
On the same day, von Blomberg was sent by Junck to Baghdad to make arrangements for a council of war with the Iraqi government. The council was planned for 17 May. However, von Blomberg was killed by friendly fire from Iraqi positions. His Heinkel 111 was shot at from the ground as it flew low on approach and von Blomberg was found to be dead upon landing.
Junck visited Baghdad in place of von Blomberg on 16 May. He met Dr. Grobba, Rashid Ali, General Amin Zaki, Colonel Nur ed-Din Mahmud, and Mahmud Salman. The group agreed on a number of priorities for Fliegerführer Irak. The first was to prevent Kingcol from reaching RAF Habbaniya. The second was for Iraqi ground forces to take Habbaniya with air support provided by Fliegerführer Irak. It was also very important to the Germans to provide the Royal Iraqi Army with a "spine straightening." Much of the RIrA was known to be terrified of bombing by British aircraft.
On the same day, Junck arranged for a raid by Fliegerführer Irak on Habbaniya. Six Messerschmitt 110s and 3 Heinkel 111s attacked the base, which took the RAF personnel there by surprise. However, while a number of defenders were killed on the ground, the Germans lost a Heinkel in exchange for an Audax and a Gladiator.
On 17 May, three Messerschmitt 110s attacked an extended column of Kingcol in the open desert. Luckily for the British, the fighters had not attacked the previous day when many vehicles were caught up to the axles in soft sand.
On the same day, the British Royal Air Force (RAF) paid Junck back with his own coin. Two cannon-firing, long-range Hawker Hurricanes which had arrived unannounced from Egypt, and six Bristol Blenheim bombers from 84 Squadron, struck the Germans at Mosul. For the loss of one Hurricane, two German aircraft were destroyed and four damaged. In addition, two Gladiator biplane fighters from Habbaniya encountered two Messerschmitt 110s attempting to take off from Rashid Airfield in Baghdad. Both Messerschmitts were destroyed.
By 18 May, Junck's force had been whittled down to 10 Bf 109s, 8 Messerschmitt 110s, 4 Heinkel 111s, and 2 Junkers 52s. This represented a roughly 30 percent loss of his original force. With few replacements available, no spares, poor fuel and aggressive attacks by the British, this rate of attrition did not bode well for Fliegerführer Irak. By the end of May, Junck had lost 14 Messerschmitts and 5 Heinkels.
On 27 May, twelve Italian Fiat CR.42s of the Regia Aeronautica (Royal Italian Air Force) arrived in Mosul to operate under German command. By 29 May, Italian aircraft were reported over Baghdad. According to Winston Churchill, the Italian aircraft accomplished nothing.
Grobba sent a panicked message from Baghdad to Berlin on 28 May reporting that the British were close to the city with more than "one hundred tanks." By then, Junck had no serviceable Messerschmitt 110s and only two Heinkel 111s with just four bombs between them.
However losses, a lack of spares and replacements resulted in their departure, following which the coup was defeated by British forces. The German military mission to Iraq left under cover of darkness on 29 May. Dr. Grobba himself fled Iraq the next day...
General characteristics:
Crew: One
Wingspan 32ft 4½in (9.87m)
Length 28ft 4½in (8.64m)
Height 8ft 2½in (2.50m)
Wing Area 174.05 sq feet (16.7 sq m)
Unladen weight 4,189 lbs (1,190 kg)
Laden weight 5,875 lbs (2,665 kg)
Performance:
Max Speed (Sea Level) 290 mph (466 k/ph)
Max Speed (14.560 ft) 348 mph (560 k/ph)
Cruising Speed 233 mph (375 k/ph)
Climbing Rate 3,510 ft/min (17.83 m/sec)
Max range (on internal fuel):410 miles (660 km) at cruising speed, 820 mi (1.325 km) with drop tank
Service Ceiling 36,500 feet (11,125 m)
Powerplant:
1ˣ Daimler-Benz DB601N with direct fuel injection, rated at 1,175 hp,, inline
Armament:
2ˣ MG FF 20 mm cannons in the wings (60 RPG)
2ˣ 7.9mm MG 17 machine guns above the engine (1.000 RPG)
1ˣunderfuselage hardpoint for a 300l (80 US gal) drop tank or a 250kg (550 lb) bomb
Avionics:
FuG 16Z radio
The kit and its assembly:
This small whif aircraft was inspired by a profile of a Bf 110D from the aforementioned, real 'Sonderkommando Junck' – a grey aircraft, with a white nose, yellow engines, its flanks repainted in sand color and bearing Iraqi markings plus a shark mouth! How odd can reality be?
Anyway, doing a respective Bf 110 is one thing, but a whiffy twist could not hurt. Since storage space is an issue I decided to add some Bf 109 fighters to the German detachment (what did NOT happen!), and build a respective and realistic whif.
I am not a fan of the Bf 109 (as well as the Spitfire), so I kept the building aspect simple: I used a Hobby Boss Bf 109 E-7/trop as basis, and the kit was almost 100% built OOB – it's a nice kit, with very good details and even a decent cockpit!
Only changes I made are a metal axis for the propeller and a respective styrene tube as an adapter, and I put some dark gray styrene foam into the lower fuselage because I was afraid that light could shine through the cooler openings. I also cut the canopy into three pieces, in order to allow an open display. The drop tank and its hardpoint come with the kit.
Painting and markings:
This is where the fun really begins. I used the Bf 110 from IV./ZG 26 as benchmark – it would be a gray aircraft, quickly re-painted for its new operators, and weathered from heavy use in a desert environment.
That said, the aircraft initially received its Eastern Front livery: a RLM 74/75 splinter scheme with a high waterline from above (and some mottles on the flanks), RLM 65 for the lower sides, and a yellow engine (Revell 310, a very good tone for RLM 04) – I took a real aircraft as a benchmark.
Then, the conversion started: firstly, the aircraft would lose its original yellow operation theater markings like a yellow fuselage band and wing tips: painted over with RLM 78 (below) and 79 (upper sides). The same was done with any former national and tactical markings. I made sure that this would look rough and “made by hand”.
Then the upper surfaces received an extra treatment with RLM 78: the flanks were completely painted over (in different shades, beyond the Modelmaster Authentic tone I also used Humbrol 63 and 94), and the upper wing surfaces received a cloudy paint job, too, even though the overpainted national markings were to stand out with a bit of more contrast and the original gray shades below showing through everywhere. The yellow engine received a similar treatment, even though I left the lower side in RLM 04.
All interior surfaces (cockpit, landing gear) were held in RLM 02, while the spinner became white, kept from the Russian front.
The Iraqi markings were puzzled together – the insignia and the fin colors come from a Special Hobby Northrop A-17 bomber, the tactical number belongs to a Egyptian PZL-104 – I am not certain whether the aircraft from 'Fliegerführer Irak' carried any at all? But without any code I found the aircraft to be a bit too bleak... it's a whif, anyway. Some stencils were taken from the OOB sheet, too.
Finally, a thin black ink wash was applied, as well as details with Tamiya “Smoke” and light dry painting with sand and gray all over, and black gun and exhaust soot stains. The aircraft was to look pretty beaten, from the final days of May 1941.As a last step, all was sealed under a coat of matte Revell Acrylic varnish.
A quickie, and a new personal record, I guess, because the whole thing was tinkered together in two days/less than 36 hours overall, and as a novelty I tried to edit a video with sound!
