|
DAY |
SPITFIRE & SEAFIRE CALENDAR
FACTS
PRE-WAR --
WAR YEARS 1939-1945 -- POST-WAR |
|
1 |
1943: Name 'Victor' officially dropped for new generation Spits. (stays 'Spitfire') |
|
2 |
1942: 'Ace' S/Lr Hugo Armstrong scores 9th 'kill' (FW 190), in Mk IX, BS435/FY-F
wwwwWas first with 611 Sqn, other 8 with 129 & 72 Sqn (total; 12 & 2 prob.) |
|
3 |
1938: First Spitfire Mk I (K9792) write off, Plt Off G. Sinclair unhurt |
|
4 |
1939: Supermarine Specification No.466 design for Spit. Mk IV with Griffon engine
|
|
5 |
1968: Spitfire Mk IIA, P7350 handed over to Battle of Britain Memorial Flight |
|
6 |
1946: Only PR Mk XIX in Dutch serv. on loan as instruction Spit. at Langham
wwwwReturned to RAF 17-12-'47 |
|
7 |
1938: Prototype K5054 is transferd to Farnborough |
|
8 |
1942: First action for Seafires (Operation 'Torch', allied invasion North Africa)
wwwwfirst 'kill' a Dewoitine D520 for 807 Sqn, Lt G.C.Baldwin |
|
9 |
1942: First testing folding wings on Seafire IIC, MA970 |
|
10 |
1938: First flight Type 323, High Speed Spitfire (conversion Mk I, K9834) |
|
11 |
1940: 41 Sqn Plt Off Wells encounters Fiat R42's over the Channel (1 damag.) |
|
12 |
1941: Griffon Hurricane abandonned in favour to Spitfire Mk IV development
1988: First flight post-rebuilt of Spitfire Mk IXE, MJ730/G-HFIX |
|
13 |
1942: Major Josef 'Sepp' Wurmheller gets Eichenlaub (to his Deutsches Kreuz)
wwwwWurmheller scored 56 Spitfires (most between 24-7-41 & 31-10-42) |
|
14 |
1940: Spitfire Mk IA, R6817 returned to RAF, after assesment by Royal Navy |
|
15 |
1943: RAF Fighter Command temporarily named 'Air Defence Great Britain' |
|
16 |
1942: First Spitfire PR.IX (BS497) weighed at Worthy Down |
|
17 |
1938: J. Quill flies Mk I, K9814 (28th prod.) in 42.5 min. to Paris Air Salon |
|
18 |
1939: First ops. photo-reconn.(Mk I, N3071) to Aachen, Flt Lt M.Longbottom
1943: Captured Mk VB, EN830 (131 Sqn) to Daimler-Benz Flight Test Department
1949: Worst crash with a Spitfire in peacetime in Holland
wwwwMk IX, NH197 smacked into building & controlt. Twente AFB. killing 3 & pilot |
|
19 |
1942: 'Ace' Sgt Peter Durnford, 124 Sqn shot down by Flak (POW), total; 5 destroy. |
|
20 |
1939: First 'kill' with Spitfire (74 Sqn) on Heinkel He 111
1942: Maiden flight of the first Spitfire Mk VIII (JF724)
1986: First flight post-rebuilt of PR.XIX, PS915 for Battle of Britain Memorial Flight |
|
21 |
1939: Test by RN Fleet Air Arm with Spitfire Mk I, R6718 (for Seafire trial)
1942: Maiden flight of first Spitfire PR.XI (BS492) |
|
22 |
1945: Spitfire Floatplane Mk IX, MJ892, struck-off charge |
|
23 |
1954: Disbanding Fleet Air Arm No.764 Sqn (ends Seafire Sevice)
1990: First flight post-rebuilt of Spitfire Mk XVIE, TE184/G-MXVI |
|
24 |
1940: Ex-High Speed Spitfire as K9834 to Photo Recc. Unit RAF Hendon |
|
25 |
1940: Air Marshal Sholto Douglas appoint. Commander-in-Chief of RAF Fighter Com. |
|
26 |
1943: Spit. Mk VB, AB274, 306 Sqn hit 3 parked USAAF a/c at Heston during take-off |
|
27 |
1941: First flight Spitfire Mk IV with 1735 hp Griffon IIB (J. Quill pilot) |
|
28 |
1940: 'Ace' Major Helmut Wick (56 destr.) shot down by Flt Lt. J.Dundas of 609 Sqn.
wwwwPOW. Wick escaped later back to Germany (movie 'The One That Got Away') |
|
29 |
1941: 340 (French) Sqn (1st French RAF sqn) gets operational w. Spit. Mk II's |
|
30 |
1942: First sortie with a Spitfire PR.XI (BS338), 541 Sqn over Boulogne |
