Hi there,

Sorry for the confusion - I'm sure I clicked on WW2 Germany for the "group"!

I've got to make a base for my Bf109 entry in the BoB campaign and I wondered if anyone knows whether the Luftwaffe in France used the slatted wooden hardstands that appear in photos from Norway etc..

My reference photos show my particular a/c stood on grass, but the wooden boards would look rather cool!

All the best

Rowan

Hi Rowan, I've had a look through some of my BoB reference books. The only picture I found showing what appears to be wooden boards laid for the 109 is in Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 11. Don't know if you have that volume but on page 66 there is a pic of 109Es of 4/JG51 dispersed round the edge of the airfield. Under the nearest appears to be two lengths of planks. They are laid parallel so that the main undercarriage sits on them and they continue forwards to almost reach the perimeter track. By the looks of things the aircraft have been pushed in backwards and chocks put under the wheels and then branches laid against them for camouflage. Hope this helps.
Martin

ps Just had a thought, the Germans occupied French airfields so there may be pics in my books of the French campaigns, if the French used them they would have still been there for the Luftwaffe. If I find anything I will post under this thread.

Cheers Martin!

That's fantastic, thanks for the help!

Rowan

Happy to help. Hope you get done in time, I'm dying to see the finished builds for this campaign.
Martin

:-) Hi Rowan,
I don't honestly know the answer to your question. My take on this though is the Luftwaffe definately used planks somewhere, sometime and as it is an easy expedient for building hardstands then it was quite possably widespread. Even if you don't get diffinative proof, a wooden plank hardstand would be OK, for the campaign, as the requirement is for a simple base. So really anything goes. :-)
Mal
PS I would agree though that historically correct is better (you have the choice) :-)

Thanks everyone!

Well I've actually found a picture of a BoB '109 in a wooden-planked revetment, so that's proof enough for me that they are correct for the period! I've already started cutting the wood...

Cheers

Rowan

:-) Nice one Rowan :-)
Mal

I HAD THE CHANCE TO SEE THE REST OF AUDEMBERT AIR BASE ( HOME OF GALLAND `S GROUP) BEFORE THE AUTHORITIES DECIDED TO DISMANTLE THEM IN THE FIELDS
IT WAS HARD STAND MADE OF CONCRETE APPROX 1.60M HEIGHT IN A " T" SHAPE.
ALL OVER THE FIELD WITH A COMPLETE NET OF TAXIWAY TO THE RUNWAY WICH WAS MADE OF GRASS.
UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE NO PIC`S OF IT BUT IF I FIND SOME I WILL LET YOU KNOW.
BAT21

Thanks bat-21

Now that's the kind of reference that no number of photos can beat! Pacing the place out with a tape measure...

I'm the first to admit my base will feature a large amount of artistic licence! I think Galland was based at Marquise in Aug 1940, and my photos only show a grass field. However, I've found pics of Horst Tietzen's JG51 '109 on a wooden T-shaped floor, and Galland taxying on gravel in December at Abbeville, so I've taken the liberty of combining these to make a "typical" Luftwaffe airfield scene...

Fear not though - 1.6m is etched in my brain for when we do a Defending The Reich campaign!

Many thanks

Rowan

I PLANNED TO SPENT SOME HOLIDAY TIME IN WISSANT.
WISSANT WAS THE HEADQUARTER OF GALLANDS GROUP DURING BoB.
IT`S 5KM FAR AWAY FROM AUDEMBERT (IWILL TAKE SOME PICS OF HARDSTAND REMAINS FOR YOU).
DETAILS: THERE IS A PUB IN THE CENTER OF WISSANT NAMED " CHEZ NICOLE"
IN THE MAIN HALL YU CAN SEE ON THE WALL A BIG ARTIST DRAWING REPRODUCING
COLOGNE ( KOLN) AT NIGHT THE ARTIST WAS A MECHANIC OF THIS GROUP .
THOUGH THIS HOUSE WAS USED BY LUFTWAFFE TO HOUSE THE MAINTENANCE TEAM. ( I WILL ALSO TAKE PICS).
BAT-21

Nice one bat-21!

When you've got the pics, maybe you can write a reference article for us all...?

When I was a child, my father took me to see a pub in (Brasted?), Kent where RAF Battle of Britain pilots signed their names on a black-board. I was awestruck to see the signatures of my heros like Bob Stanford-Tuck for real. The landlord politely accepted a couple of my early models for his display - I hate to think what they looked like - but you can imagine how proud I was...

Too many historic sites are going under the bulldozer, so get those cameras clicking!

All the best

Rowan