I am currently working on the Hippo Models 1:48 Gotha. Unfortunately I have hit a dead end since I am looking for another finish than the kit supplied one (Aschoff`s light blue-grey snake machine). I am not aware of any 1:48 night bomber lozenge decals. Are there any lozenge decal availabe that might be useable for this? I found a picture on the internet showing a couple of late Gothas in a hangar, one being in a very dark finish with Aschoff`s snake on the fuselage. So the question is: Did Aschoff fly another Gotha marked with a snake apart from the well-known light camouflaged one in the Hippo and AZ Models boxing? Any comments would be much appreciated! Thanks alot in advance!

Greetings Phillip,

The markings are for Gotha G.V (670/16), Kagohl 3, Belgium, 1917 of course. This was a daylight bombing unit. There are several decent sources for Gotha schemes. As the war progressed lozenge fabric was used and in some cases the lozenge was hand painted.

Kit review here.

Orion Miniatures Used to have lozenge decals fo the Gotha but I haven't heard from them in a couple of years.

Russian Site link

Windsock Datafile on the Gotha types

Squadron used to have a monograph on German WWI bombers. For further research on the pilot, Schiffer pub. had a series of books on the "Aviation Awards of Imperial Germany and the men who won them" by the late Dr. Neal O'Connor. Oberleutnant Walter Aschoff.

"Walter Aschoff, born 10-04-1892, was a World War II Oberst of the Wehrmacht. He was in his younger years a pilot and observer. Serving in the Kasta 18, the Kogohl 3, and later in Bosta 17, and flew in several bombing raids over England. He also wrote a book about the campaign, “London flüge 1917". "Flights over London", Der Kampf des ersten Englandgeschwaders, the fight of the first England squadron. Aschoff served as an Oberleutnant in the and later in the rank of an Oberst and commanding officer of the Flughafenbereichs Kommando 22/XI in Brüssels until 1943. At the end of the war he landed in Belgium prison and died their at the age of 53, on 14-01-1946. He is buried on the large, 39.000 graves, cemetery of Kriegsgräberstätte, Lommel in Belgium, the largest German cemetery in Europe. . ."

Greetings Stephen,
thank you very much for your quick response! I think I was unfortunately born after the "glorious days" when the Windsock datafiles on Gotha and Staaken, Squadron bomber book and Americal Gryphon decals were still available To make matters even more complicated, I am working in 1:48, 1:72 would be no problem thanks to Roden! Any ideas how to solve the problem of finishing my Gotha in another scheme than a daybomber? At least I could finally get hold of the great Grosz/Haddow R-Plane book, great read! Any ideas where to get the other mentioned reference books?
Thanks alot!

Other than Orion Americal/Gryphon decals did these decals but you will have to check on an auction site like e-bay. Try the search and you will come up with beau coupe references.