Messerschmitt Bf109E

My first Luftwaffe aircraft in ages. This is the Airfix 1:72 scale Messerschmitt BF109E-4 (1538) as flown by Oberleutnant Anton Schon with 8 Staffel Jagdgeschwader 54 (8/JG54), Luftwaffe in 1940

I had a real challenge with both the masking and airbrush on this build

At the age of 28, Anton was  KIA on 27 September, 1940 over Tilbury-Kent  while trying to put his crippled 109E fighter down, when he hit a fence, somersaulted over main road and crashed in flames near Brenley House, Boughton, near Canterbury, Kent, 12.05pm.

I loved the number of different decals included with this kit

 

He was buried at Boughton under Blean churchyard, and later moved to the War Cemetery at Cannock Chase, Block 1, Gr 177.

The detailing Airfix have thrown in is really impressive compared to an Me109
I have in my collection from 10 years ago.

Prior to his death, he had already he survived a mid-air collision on 15 November, 1939 over Lingen/Ems and on 12 August, 1940 being wounded over the Guines-South airfield in NE France c. 10.5 km S of Calais and 1 km SW of the village of Guînes when his aircraft sustained 60% damage. The airfield served as a forward Luftwaffe fighter field in 1940, abandoned after the Battle of Britain.It was on this same date that he recorded his first victory, a Spitfire at Ramsgate. One of the first fighter pilots to receive the EK 2 (Iron Cross 2nd Class).

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The Kit ....

Brand: Airfix
Title: Messerschmitt Bf109E-4
Number: A01008A
Scale: 1:72
Released: 2018 | Rebox (Changed decals)