Manufacturer: Academy/Minicraft
Scale: 1/144
Additional parts: none
Model build: May - Jul 2013
Luftwaffe Conolidated B24
Minicraft
1/144
1/144
Captured Liberator
Made with Suno
Nightingale
Captain Erich Hartmann gripped the control yoke, sweat slicking his palms. Below, the patchwork of farmland blurred into a nervous green and brown mess. He wasn't used to piloting a Liberator. This wasn't a sleek Messerschmitt he was accustomed to. This was a captured American B-24, a hulking beast the Luftwaffe mechanics had christened "Der Greif" – The Griffin.
Hartmann wasn't on a bombing run. Kampfgeschwader 200 had a different mission for Der Greif tonight. They were to insert a lone operative, codenamed "Nachtigall" (Nightingale), deep behind Allied lines in England. Nachtigall, a woman with nerves of steel and a talent for blending in, catching vital information about Allied troop movements.
"ETA to drop zone, five minutes, Kommandant," rasped the voice of Franz, the navigator, over the intercom. Der Greif rumbled through the night, a monstrous bird painted in the deceptive markings of the Royal Air Force. Nerves gnawed at Hartmann. He knew this was a suicide mission. Getting in undetected was a gamble, but getting out with Nachtigall… that was near impossible.
"British fighters, ten o'clock, closing fast!" Franz's voice crackled with urgency. Hartmann cursed. They'd been spotted. The Griffon wasn't exactly nimble, and facing Spitfires in this lumbering beast was a recipe for disaster.
"Smoke screen, now!" Hartmann barked into the intercom. A thick plume of white smoke billowed out from behind Der Greif, momentarily obscuring their position. The harsh chatter of machine guns filled the air as the Spitfires tore through the smoke, frustration lacing their radio transmissions.
Using the smokescreen as cover, Hartmann pushed Der Greif to its limits. The engines roared in protest as he banked sharply, throwing the crew against their harnesses. Through the haze, he glimpsed the drop zone, a lonely patch of farmland bathed in moonlight.
"Prepare for drop!" He yelled, fighting the controls. The rear door swung open, revealing Nachtigall standing silhouetted against the moon. "This is it, Fräulein," he shouted above the din. She gave him a curt nod, her face resolute.
With a jolt, Der Greif lurched as Nachtigall bailed out. A green flare blossomed in the night sky, marking the drop zone. Adrenaline coursing through him, Hartmann slammed the door shut and executed a daring maneuver, diving low and skimming the treetops to throw off the pursuing Spitfires.
Der Griff sputtered back towards German-held territory, riddled with bullet holes but stubbornly airborne. As dawn painted the horizon with streaks of orange and pink, they finally crossed back into friendly airspace. Hartmann slumped in his seat, hands shaking. They had done it. They were against all odds, a captured American bomber on a clandestine mission, and they had delivered their Nightingale.
News of their success sent ripples through the Luftwaffe high command. Der Greif, a symbol of both enemy technology and German ingenuity, would continue to fly these daring missions behind enemy lines, a testament to the desperation and innovation that fueled the final years of the war.
Captured Consolidated B-24 in German Service
During the Second World War, several Consolidated B-24 Liberators of the United States Army Air Forces made emergency landings in German-held territory, particularly after sustaining damage during bombing missions over the Reich. Unlike most crash-landed aircraft, a handful of these heavy bombers were in sufficiently repairable condition to be restored to flying status by the Luftwaffe.
Initial flights were conducted at Rechlin, where the B-24s were evaluated extensively to develop countermeasures and refine Luftwaffe interception tactics. German engineers were particularly interested in the B-24’s distinctive high-aspect wing and long-range performance, and operational data gathered from these tests was disseminated to front-line Jagdgeschwader to improve interception success rates.
By 1944, the surviving airworthy examples were transferred to Kampfgeschwader 200 (KG 200), the Luftwaffe’s clandestine unit for special missions. In KG 200 service, the B-24s were repainted in Allied markings and repurposed for covert operations behind enemy lines. Their missions included:
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Supply Drops to German Agents: Disguised as friendly bombers returning from missions, the B-24s could penetrate deep into Allied-held territory, releasing canisters of supplies or parachuting agents over France and the Low Countries.
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Evacuation of German Personnel: On several occasions in late 1944, B-24s of KG 200 were used to extract high-value intelligence officers and collaborators from rapidly advancing Allied sectors. Their appearance in Allied livery enabled them to approach airfields and drop zones with less suspicion than standard Luftwaffe transports.
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Special Cargo Missions to the Eastern Front: One aircraft, known within KG 200 as Blaue Vier, was assigned to supply isolated German garrisons cut off by Soviet advances. Its long range allowed it to carry critical equipment such as radio sets, ammunition, and medical supplies into areas beyond the reach of Ju 52 transports.
While effective for a time, these missions carried enormous risks. Allied fighter patrols became increasingly vigilant for lone four-engine aircraft flying unusual routes. In January 1945, one KG 200-operated B-24 was shot down by a P-51 Mustang flight near Liège after its false identity was discovered.
By war’s end, only a single captured B-24 remained in German hands, grounded at Rechlin. Following Germany’s surrender, it was seized by American forces, inspected, and ferried back to the United States, where its unusual history as a “renegade Liberator” attracted considerable attention among aviation specialists.
It's a Minicraft 1:144 scale kit, build out-of-the box, but with some thrid party decals of course.
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