Griffon Spitfire Aces: No. 81 (Aircraft of the Aces)

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Price, Alfred. The Spitfire Story. Enderby, Leicester, UK: Siverdale Books, 2002 (rev 2nd ed). ISBN 1-85605-702-X. The first Spitfire to be modified to carry underwing bombs was a Malta-based Mk Vc, EP201 X-V of 229 Squadron, which was adapted to carry one 250lb bomb under each wing in September 1942. [165] Many Mk V Spitfires equipped to carry a pair of 250-lb bombs attached beneath their wings were used as makeshift bombers, raiding Sicilian fortifications and air bases, and releasing their bombs at 7,000feet as they dived at an optimum angle of 60 degrees. [166] Shortly before the Second World War started Flg. Off. Maurice Longbottom submitted a paper to the Air Ministry, in which he proposed that the RAF equip itself with small, unarmed aircraft, stripped of unnecessary weight and equipped with cameras and extra fuel, to rely on high speed, a fast climb and high altitude to avoid enemy defences. He was thinking primarily about the Spitfire as the ideal aircraft. Although his idea was received with interest, it was shelved because there were not enough Spitfires to divert from Fighter Command.

The Free French and the Vichy French air force units in North Africa were merged in January 1943 and three former Vichy Squadrons re-equipped with Spitfires. In the end seven French Spitfire squadrons fought in western Europe and the Mediterranean.With the record in hand the aircraft was prepared for Reno, '79. During the final Gold Race with Steve Hinton in second place the old nemesis of blower gear failure occurred. This time however things went from bad to worse to catastrophic. Broken pieces of gear jammed the pressure oil pump resulting in rapid engine failure due to a failed rod. Steve could not get the prop feathered resulting in the contra prop acting as a massive air brake. The ensuing crash landing in the desert resulted in a huge fireball and total destruction of the aircraft but miraculously, Steve came out of it alive albeit seriously injured. Thus the final chapter was written on an aircraft that never saw it's true potential realized. Spitfire Mk IA, P9317, of No.222 Sqn force-landed at Le Touquet airfield on 1 June 1940. It was flown as "G-X" in a propaganda film, based in Kolberg. In the Greek Civil War, Spitfires played a major role, being flown by the RAF and SAAF during October–December 1944, and by the Hellenic Air Force that received 242 Supermarine aircraft from 1946 to the end of the war in August 1949. [194] German ace Heinz Bäer said "Of course the quality of the Spitfire needs no elaboration. They shot me down once and caused me at least six forced landings". [180] Fellow ace Gunther Rall, who test flew captured versions of practically all of the top Allied fighters, stated that he preferred the Spitfire. This was a common sentiment among Luftwaffe fighter pilots, who regarded the Spitfire as their most dangerous foe. Some of these aircraft were used in the so-called Zirkus Rosarius – 2.Staffel Versuchsverband Oberkommando der Luftwaffe. Aircraft in this unit were used for combat training and for develop new dogfight techniques. Spitfires used in Zirkus Rosarius were reequipped with R/T FuG 7 or FuG 7a for better communication between instructor and pupil. At least one Spitfire MK V was re-engined with a DB-601 in the fall of 1942. Rate of climb: 5,040ft/min (25.6m/s) in MS supercharger gear at 2,100 ft. 3,550 ft/min in FS supercharger gear at 22,100 ft. [54]

Maximum speed: 441mph (710km/h, 383kn) in FS supercharger gear at 29,500 ft. 391 mph in MS supercharger gear at 5,500 ft. [54] The Royal Australian Air Force, the Royal Indian Air Force and the RAF also used Spitfires against Japanese forces in the Pacific theatre. The first Spitfires in the Far East were two photo-reconnaissance (PR IV) aircraft which operated from airfields in India from October 1942. Another Italian fighter, the Reggiane Re.2005, although built in limited numbers, was occasionally encountered by Spitfires over Sicily. W.G.G. Duncan Smith considered: "The Re 2005 'Sagittario' was a potent aircraft. Having had a dog-fight with one of them, I am convinced we would have been hard pressed to cope in our Spitfires operationally, if the Italians or Germans had had a few squadrons equipped with these aircraft at the beginning of the Sicily campaign or in operations from Malta." [171] Italian Cobelligerent Air Force [ edit ] After the destruction of the main Itchen and Woolston works by the Luftwaffe in September 1940, all Supermarine manufactured Spitfires were built in a number of " Shadow Factories"; by the end of the war there were ten main factories and several smaller workshops which built many of the components. The main Castle Bromwich factory was also aided by a smaller number of the shadow factories. [50]

PRU Spitfires also kept a constant watch on the German capital ships in based in Brest harbour throughout 1941 to February 1942, as well as maintaining operations over Norway. [144] Spitfire LF 1XC, MK698, of No.412 Sqn force-landed near Wachtendonk (Krefeld) on 5 December 1944. It joined Zirkus Rosarius. From late 1942, in an attempt to achieve some degree of parity with the Fw 190, some squadrons received the L.F Mark VB. This version had reduced diameter supercharger impeller blades on the Merlin for optimum performance at lower altitudes and the wing-tips were removed and replaced by short fairings to improve their rate of roll. [60] These aircraft were unofficially known by their pilots as "clipped, cropped and clapped" Spits, referring to the fact that many of these Spitfires, thus modified, had seen better days ("clapped out"). [61]

Of the four types of Luftwaffe bombers, the Dornier Do 17, Heinkel He 111, Junkers Ju 87 and Junkers Ju 88, the Ju 88 was considered to be the most difficult to shoot down. As a bomber it was relatively manoeuvrable and, especially at low altitudes with no bomb load, it was fast enough to ensure that a Spitfire caught in a tail-chase would be hard pressed to catch up. In total Hurricanes shot down more Luftwaffe aircraft of all types than the Spitfire, mainly due to the higher proportion of Hurricanes in the air. Seven out of every 10 German aircraft destroyed during the Battle of Britain were shot down by Hurricane pilots. Losses were also higher among the more numerous Hurricane units. Post-war analysis showed that the Spitfire's "kill ratio" was marginally better than the Hurricane's. [23] Spitfire Mk I, 66 Squadron, P/O Crelin Bodie. On 7 September 1940 "Bogle" Bodie was forced to belly-land X4321 following combat with Bf 109Es.

In September 1944, with the end of the anti-"Diver" campaign, the Griffon-engined Mk XIV units 41, 350 and 610 Squadrons were transferred from the ADGB to 2 TAF and began operating from RAF Lympne. At about the same time 322 (Dutch) Squadron, which had been equipped with the Mk XIV, reverted to Spitfire IXs. On the last day of September 130 and No. 402 Squadron RCAF, also equipped with Mk XIVs, flew to airfield B.82, Grave. [112] Their arrival was timely as they, along with the Hawker Tempest units, were needed to counter the Me 262 nuisance raids. In December the three Lympne based units flew to join the others on the Continent, eventually becoming part of 125 Wing. Further deliveries of the potent Mk XIV were made to fighter-reconnaissance units and in February 1945, 610 Squadron was disbanded to help maintain the level of aircraft and pilots of these units. [113] Along with the Hawker Tempest squadrons, the Spitfire XIVs provided the 2 TAF with modern fighters for air-superiority, with the Spitfire being the primary high-altitude fighter, while the Tempest operated at low-to-medium altitude. [114] [115]