Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force

Revell Frog 1/72 Vultee Vengeance

Originating as the two seat Vultee V-72 and ordered for the RAF in 1940 the aircraft was designated as the A-31 in the US and the Vengeance in the RAF. However with the failure of the Stuka against defended targets, the dive bomber concept was soon dropped in the European theater and the Vengeance saw operational service only in the CBI Theater with RAF, RAAF and Indian Air Force squadrons. The first IAF sqns to receive the Vengeance Is were No 7 (Battleaxes) and 8 (Eighth Pursoot) in mid Dec 1942. While 7 sqn trained with the Chindits near Gwalior for Wingates second expedition, No 8 entered battle at the start of the second Arrakan campaign from Double Moorings (now in Bangladesh). 7 Sqn was thrown into the desperate holding battles in the Imphal campaign where it struck Japanese targets all along the Chindwin. Diving through 10/10 clouds IAF Vengeances destroyed the vital Manipur bridge along the Tiddim road. Vengeances continued to strike along the Chindwin river from Myohit to Thangdut in Burma and played key roles in the relief of Imphal and kalewa and Fort White areas. No 7 and 8 sqns handed in their Vengeances for Hurricane IIcs and Spitfire VIIIs respectively in Oct 44 thus ending a short but outstanding contribution of the Vengeance in the IAF. This Frog re-issue by Revell is a very bare bones no nonsense kit of the MkII/III providing decals for one RAAF sqn. A straight OOB build with thinning of the grotesque canopy and rear gun allowed reasonable representation. I finished the model in standard SEAC markings post 1943. The only variation was that the unique configuration of the Vengeance’s wings and its size did not require the white ID bands seen on other allied fighters in theater. The diorama depicts the very dry conditions in the Akyab during summer.