Scale Plastic & Rail

Captured Eagles vol.1 from Vintage Eagle

German WWII Aircraft Captured By The Allies
By Roger S Gaemperle
Vintage Eagle Publishing
Softback, A4 format, 72 pages
ISBN 978-3-033-03007-7
RRP €24.90 from Vintage Eagle Publishing

Introduction
Vintage Eagle Publishing was founded in Switzerland earlier this year by Roger S. Gaemperle with the intention of providing photo books with an emphasis on previously unpublished photos and high quality research. I am delighted to review Vintage Eagle's first book here, which concentrates on German aircraft captured by the Allies as they advanced into Germany and other previously occupied countries. The book is accompanied by decals for some of the aircraft featured in the book. Available in both 1/48 and 1/32 scales, these decals are available with the book as a combination, or sold separately, and available here; they will be covered in a separate review, shortly.

I understand that future volumes may cover also armour, in what seems to be an increasingly popular format amongst some authors and publishers. This trend is certainly one that pleases me, as I am a big fan of detailed modelling references being married to accurate photographic research.

Contents
The book is fairly standard softback A4 format, with 72 pages. About two thirds of the book is taken up by the 91 photos – all but two of which are black and white; the balance of the book comprises the accompanying descriptions to the various pictures. There are also eight colour profiles by the well known aviation artist Simon Schatz.

There are nine chapters, broken down roughly by aircraft type, which I will go through in turn, picking out some of the more interesting subjects. It is worth pointing out that on the Vintage Eagle website there is an Album page where each photo that appears in the book is hosted, and where if one has specific information or research, one can post comments; you can also simply read what others have written if you wish. This is a very neat feature I think.

text supported by photographs.

The subjects covered are not just limited to mainstream Me109s and Fw190s as you will see, and include some quite rare aircraft types and variants eg Ju88 G-7, Ju290, Ju88 Mistel and a Fw190 D-13.

I - Reconnaissance

It had never occurred to me that the Me410 was used in this capacity, but there are two pictures of Me410A-3/U3, along about a page of technical information about the type and this specific aircraft. Both this Me410 and a Ju88 C-6 are featured in colour profile – the 88 in particular having some interesting camouflage and id markings.

II - Bombers

This is only a short chapter, but there is the rather odd sight of a He111 that presumably emergency landed on the Salzburg-Munich autobahn, and also a pic of three US servicemen all dressed up in Kampfloeger garb, posing in front of "their" Ju88. I'm not sure that all these years later they realised they would look rather silly!

III – Ground Attack Aircraft

There are two nice shots of a Ju87 D with extended wing tips and flame-dampening exhausts, but frustratingly we can't see the id codes or W.Nr. The star of the show in this section is a Fw190 F-8 featured in six photos – the aircraft is strangely not one of the decal subjects, but from the pictures there is more than enough information for you to have your own masks made if the subject piques your interest.

IV - Destroyers

Only two pictures here, both of Me410s, but one of them provides an excellent point of reference for flap deployment as well as how the engine cowls unhinge.

V - Fighters

This is the largest chapter in the book. It begins with the relatively obscure - a Me109 F-2 devoid of standard Luftwaffe markings, sporting the pre-war red tail fin with Hakenkreuz in white circle; this was a Daimler Benz test aircraft. There is an excellent three-quarter angle shot of a Me109 K-4 showing its VDM-9-12159 propeller of to great effect.

There are four colour profiles in this section: a Me109 G-10, two Fw190 A-8s, and a Me109 K-4 after German markings have been painted over; all bar the 109 K-4 are feature aircraft on the accompanying decal sheets.

There are two excellent close-ups of a Fw190 joystick, followed at the end of the chapter by the burned out remains of a Fw190 Dora which on closer examination proves to be one the ultra rare D-13 variants. As the text notes, "unlike the Fw190 D-9, which was equipped with a VS 111 propeller with solid hub, this aircraft was fitted with a large wooden paddle bladed VS 9 propeller with a hollow hub", so we are left in little doubt that this indeed quite a rare bird!

VI - Jets

The final aircraft subject of the decal sheets is a He162 A-2, of which there are four great pictures, and a two sided profile; in one of them a GI sits in the cockpit, and you realise just how close the pilot was to the jet intake just behind his head. For those looking to model a late war aircraft before it was painted, there are two good shots of another He162 showing putty application along panel lines.

VII - Nightfighters

One does not immediately think of the Me109 when considering nightfighters, but some were employed in that capacity, and we have four shots of a I./EJG 2 109 G-6/AS; those who model their aircraft showing extreme chipping effects when weathering the wing roots below the cockpit will find all the vindication they need.

This chapter contains the other true rarity in this book, a Ju88 G-7. Although it is uncertain if this variant ever made it into the air, there is evidence of at least three being partially constructed and, with the three photos and accompanying technical information in the book, there is enough a modeller to finish what the Luftwaffe started!

VII – Mistel

If ever there was an embodiment of desperation, it is for me the Mistel projects. There are a couple of nice pics of Ju88 G-10 'hosts', one of which really shows off the extended fuselage length of this variant.

IX – Under Allied Flag

I have never been a fan of aircraft painted in their captors' colours – somehow they just look so wrong to me. Nevertheless, they are often popular with modellers, and here we see RAF roundels on a Me110 and Ju88, and the American Star on Me109s and another Ju88.

The book finishes with an appendix of references used (it is quite extensive) as well as a small map pointing out where each picture was taken.

So What Do We Think?
As I said at the outset, I am a big fan of this increasingly popular format, especially when there is a companion set of decals produced. The subjects in this book should have something for pretty much any Luftwaffe enthusiast, and although the book is mostly pictures, the in-depth captions are to be commended. The colour profiles are excellent, and it is always good to have the primary source for said profile right in front of you, something that in the past has been rare with other ore mainstream publishers. My only wish is that there were more profiles, and that they included top and bottom views as well. But this is really only a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things, and I am thoroughly looking forward to Vintage Eagle's next work, because their first attempt is excellent.

Highly recommended

With thanks to Roger Gaemperle for the review sample.

Vintage Eagle Publishing books and decals can be purchased directly here.

Nicholas Mayhew