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Introduction: The primary organization of the IPMS/USA Review website is by IPMS/USA National Contest Class. Within each Class there are sub-menus by kits, decals, books, etc. The Miscellaneous Class is for items that are not class specific or that cross two or more classes.

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Book Cover

Pacific Profiles Volume 14: Allied Bombers: B-25 Mitchell Series Australia, New Guinea and the Solomons 1942-1945
Book Author(s)
Michael John Claringbould
Review Author
James Kelley
Published on
Company
Avonmore Books
MSRP
$36.95

With the newest addition to the “Pacific Profiles” series, Michael John Claringbould has done it again. A subject matter expert on all things Pacific air war, he brings to us a treasure trove of the B-25 Mitchell series in the WWII Pacific theatre. The Pacific Profiles series presents the most accurate WWII profiles of Allied and Japanese aircraft which served throughout Australia, New Guinea the South Pacific. ThisVolume 14 covers those B-25, PBJ & F-10 Mitchell models which served in these theatres from March 1942 until the end of the war. Mitchells served a total of 21 USAAF bomber and reconnaissance squadrons, plus others were operated by the USMC, RAAF and NEIAF.

Book Cover

The Battle of Tinian
Book Author(s)
John Grehan, Alexander Nicoll
Review Author
Brett W Scholten
Published on
Company
Frontline Books
MSRP
$28.95

Frontline books cover a small but vital part of the War in the Pacific in “The Battle of Tinian”.

This is another offering in the Images of War series of books. The book is 175 pages long with over 200 photographs and illustrations.

The book starts with the Battle of the Philippine Sea (occurred just before the Saipan operation began) and the great Marianas Turkey Shoot.

Afterwards, the book looks at how both sides approached the upcoming battles. The Japanese High Command was looking for a final battle to defeat the Allied Forces, and stop their advance. The A-Go battle plan. The Japanese initially thought the next allied attack would happen in the Carolinas Island chain, until air attacks on the Marianas Island chain convinced them (correctly) that the next allied attack would occur there.

Book Cover

Frontkämpfer - Wehrmacht Photo Albums from the Front
Book Author(s)
Jeff D. Eberle
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Fonthill Media
MSRP
$45.00

The author, Jeff D. Eberle, started collecting authentic photographs and albums from World War II. “Sourced from veterans, auction houses, rummage sales, and antique shops”, he accumulated thousands of photographs. The author’s focus over 30 years ago was the Eastern Front, although he also has the Western Europe, Battle of Britain, North Africa, Norway, the Balkans, and the war at sea present in mostly chronological order. A collection of over 400 of these photographs are presented in this magnificent book.

The photographs and their captions are the focus of the book except for the three pages of commonly used terms and a page and a half introduction. This photographic reference book is composed of the following sections:

  • Glossary of Commonly Used Terms
  • Introduction
  • Part I: 1939-1942
  • Part II: 1943-1961

The Introduction is succinct and summarizes the book well:

Package

Justitia, Roman Goddess of Justice
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Morland Studios
Scale
54mm
MSRP
$14.95

Morland Studios produces 32mm and 54mm figures; 200mm busts; along with bases and scenics with the focus on quality display miniatures. Morland Studios is the home of the Officially Licensed Nene Thomas, Howard David Johnson, and Order of the Stick miniature lines. Justitia, the Roman Goddess of Justice, is a 54mm metal figure sculpted by Sebastian Archer that was released in February 2015.

The kit comes in a somewhat square box stuffed with confetti-like paper to pad the parts. Pulling out the parts, you get a 54mm white metal figure, a black plastic base, and a zip-lock bag with the remaining kit parts. The zip-lock bag contains two chains and three white metal parts. The Howard David Johnson painting on which this kit is based is depicted on the side of the box.

Detail & Scale P-38 Lightning Part 2

Detail & Scale P-38 Lightning Part 2
Book Author(s)
Bert Kinzey, Haagen Klaus
Review Author
Paul Mahoney
Published on
Company
Detail & Scale, Inc.
MSRP
$21.99

Detail & Scale produced some incredible references back in the 1980s/90s, and I recall the research within several of them helping to advance my building skills as a young modeler. Recently, the company revitalized itself and has been issuing new (or fully updated) publications with even more comprehensive coverage of aviation subjects. These are now available in digital format as well as traditional printed volumes. As before, there is a brief but detailed history of the subject aircraft, followed by loads of photos of both museum and contemporary aircraft, and a modelers’ section.

The P-38 Lightning Part 2: P-38J through P-38M Variants (also covers the F-5B, F-5E, F-5F & F-5G Photo Reconnaissance Variants) is the first of this newer round of publications I have had the pleasure to read and review.