The Little World

Ist Fighter Squadron, De Kooy, Netherlands. Autumn 1939.

Den Helder was the location and the Dutch had about 30 operational Fokker D.XXI fighters at the base. They were used in May 1940 as defence against the Luftwaffe and the official history records some remarkable successes for the type.

It was more manoeuvrable than the Bf 109 or the Bf 110 and ended up with a plus score when the armistice was signed. Sheer numbers of German aircraft and bombing raids against the Dutch fields gave the Luftwaffe victory.

This model is SOOTB but it closely resembles a replica D.XXI that is currently flying in the European show circuit. The colours on the box do not match the monochrome call -out, but the photos of the real replica are new and at least it can be accurate to that.

This was quite the find, and encourages me to look for the Fokker twin-engine fighter of the period as well.