Hurricane IIC model in the desert camouflage, but without the cannons, for Pierre Vizentini is an inspiration to tell the story of Jules Morlat, mysterious French fighter ace who fought under the sky of Europe, Asia and Africa on both sides of the great world’s conflict.
Pierre wrote:
THE PILOT
Jules MORLAT lived on “we don’t know” to “we don’t know”… This man is very secret! We just know that he is Saint’Cyrian [famous French Military Academy Saint-Cyr graduate] .. moreover! Before 1939? We know nothing!
Commander MORLAT commands the Fighter Group CGII/3 from September 1939 on Morane Saulnier MS406 until May 9 when he goes on Dewoitine D520! The Ju 87 will be his favourite prey, 3 victories out of his 6 victories! His Morane wears a two-tone red and blue band (colours of the two squadrons)… Some II/3 planes wear the same band but only in the colour of their squadron!
After the end of fights in France the squadron leaves almost in order from Perpignan-La Salanque to North Africa with its D520.
In July 1941, MORLAT was in ALEPPO (Syria) fighting on Dewoitine D520 N°343 marked with “blue M” against British forces during operation EXPORTER (British invasion of Vichy-France controlled Syria and Lebanon)… the results were fortunately meagre for II/3 (2 Blenheims, 1 P-40 shot down), even if “there are losses in men and especially in equipment”.
The group is transferred BEFORE the end of operations on July 11 and 12. EXPORTER ends on the 14th!
And at the end of 1941, he is in SFAX (Tunisia) with the Dewoitine n°173.. still marked with the “M”!
November 8, 42, during the TORCH operation the squadron… will not take off: FOG! So much the better!
On 6 December 1942, MORLAT handed over command to DARTOIS! But what happened with him??? Not the slightest trace for 2 years before the GCDA!
With the Hurricane, he was the chief of the G.C.D.A (Groupement de Chasse et de Défense Aérien) 550, a unit formed in North Africa and attached to the 1st French Air Corps – ex-F.A.T.A.C. (Air Forces of the Tactical Air Command) – itself attached to the 1st Army, in the same way as the Fighter and Bombing Squadrons.
In 1947 he was still a commanding officer in Dole, on P-47 Thunderbolts. Around 1953, we find him being a base commander flying on VAMPIRES. This man is really very discreet!
THE AEROPLANE
MORLAT’s Hurricane serial number was HW750, I do not have the exact history but it seems that MORLAT recovered it as a personal liaison aircraft, in its original outfit. The plane is seen in the photo at DOLE, while MORLAT is at GCDA 550 precisely based at Dole Tavaux! The aeroplane kept its desert outfit with the red nose!
By the way, HW750, at that time, didn’t have its guns, not even stumps. But it had C WING without guns, not an A or B WING at all, just a minor surgery has been performed by the fitter and plugging with canvas of painted linen!
PAINTS AND DECALS
The decals come from a generic French post-1943 BERNA sheet. Fin flash is painted and blue “M” too, but with paint mask from MAKETAR! For finflash French blue is a personal cocktail. Red is AK REAL COLOR and white is the TAMIYA XF. The AZURE BLUE is Xtracrylics, MIDDLE STONE and DARK EARTH by GUNZE (with some MIDDLE STONE in the DARK EARTH, the blue color of “M” is a personal cocktail (Gunze and Tamiya).
The masks for the camouflage scheme are from EDUARD.
See also:
- Hurricane Mk IIc Expert Set kit and Quickboost, Master, Eduard and Yahu accessories in the Arma Hobby webstore
Hurricane Mk IIc – myśliwiec na każdą porę, w nocy i w dzień
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