Hobby Master 1/48 HA8760 Messerschmitt BF109G-6 Mato Dukovac Croatia Air Force 1944
The Croatian Air Force Legion was a component of the German Luftwaffe and manned by Croatian volunteers. The unit trained in Germany using the Bf-109 and the Dornier Do-17 before being sent to the Eastern Front. During the units time on the Eastern Front the Bf-109s managed to score 283 victories and the Do-17 flew 2,332 missions. The unit was disbanded on July 21, 1944 and became the Croatian Air Force Training Group. Mato Dukovac was the leading Croatian Fighter Ace with between 40 and 44 victories.
The first Bf-109G “Gustav” entered service in March 1942. New features were a pressurized cockpit with three larger guns mounted on the nose and none on the wings but could be field mounted. The Bf-109G could overheat causing oil leaks; starting a fire forcing the pilot to bail out. The Gustav was produced in many variants including long-range fighters, recon fighters and bomber destroyers. The Bf-109G-6 lacked a pressurized cockpit but was the most numerous Bf-109 produced and the first to carry 13mm machine guns; equivalent to the American 50 caliber Browning.