Military Model Scene

Title: Pacific Profiles Vol 16
Author: Michael John Claringbould
Publisher: Avonmore Books
ISBN: 978-0-9756423-5-1

Allied Bombers: B-17 Flying Fortress Series Australia, New Guinea and the Solomons 1942-1944 brings us to the 16th volume in the excellent series from Avonmore Books, distributed here in the UK via Script Books Military. A 124-page soft-cover book.
This covers the use of the B-17 from bases in Australia and the Pacific region, all E and F models, from early in the war in the Pacific through to 1944, when they were replaced with B-24s. It starts with a chapter on Markings and Technical Details and then there is a chapter on each of the 18 bombardment squadrons, along with 3 reconnaissance squadrons, split over 4 Bombardment Groups. At the end of the book are sections on Armed Transports and aircraft used by senior commanders, including 'Bataan' used by Douglas MacArthur. Each chapter has some basic history of each unit, along with the individual details on the 107 individual colour profiles that are spread throughout the book, along with plenty of archive photos. Lots of interesting stories among the featured profiles, and that many aircraft were moved from one unit to another, so often had more than one name during their service. Some very unusual locally applied camouflage schemes, plus a few aircraft originally built for the RAF but taken for use in the Pacific. Some remained in their RAF camouflage while others were overpainted, and one is mentioned as the wreck is still in New Guinea and the paint has weathered so those RAF markings are now showing through. Others of note include modifications in the nose, to mount twin .50cal machine guns, and another, unnamed at the time, was shot down and crashed into a swamp, and since being recovered is now known as the 'Swamp Ghost', and is being restored in the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, where I saw it back in 2018.
Lots of interesting detail in this one once again, and all from original source material as laid out in the book. Some unusual colour schemes and detail that are rarely seen on models, so this might well generate a good deal of new interest among modellers. The colour profiles are every bit as good as we have come to expect from this series of books, and it made for interesting reading.
Thanks to Script Books Military, part of Pen & Sword, for the review copy.

Robin