THE SPITFIRE CALENDAR

Compiled by Pieter Jutte

MARCH

DAY
SPITFIRE & SEAFIRE CALENDAR FACTS
PRE-WAR -- WAR YEARS 1939-1945 -- POST-WAR
1
1944: Mock-up inspected of Spiteful by the Air Ministry
2
1942: First Merlin 61 engine for the Spitfire Mk IX delivered
3
1938: Further order for 200 Mk I's (delivered between Sept.'39 & Jan.'40)
1945: 'Ace' in a day' (29-12-'44 down's 5 e/a) Flt Lt D. Audet is killed by Flak (total; 10)
4
1943: 616 Sqn lost 3 Mk V's (BR585, BS453 coll. & BS465) during 'Spartan' Exercise
5
1936: Vickers testpilot Capt. J. 'Mutt' Summers first flight Type 300, K5054 (Spitfire prototype)
6
1936: Some claim this date as 1st flight of K5054 (including testpilot J. Quill)
1939: 'Ace' Alan Deere makes first flight in a Spitfire Mk I
7
1942: 31 Spitfire Mk VB's to Malta by carriers HMS Eagle & Argus
8
1942: 121 Eagle Sqn. first claim, damaging Bf 109 during sweep over France, P/O Dale
9
1943: Eric Brown performs 15 deck landings with Spitfire Mk XII on HMS Indomitable
10
1937: Gun test in prototype K5054 at alt. 9750 meter shows gunheating necessary
1944: 31st F.G. (USAAF) begin to exchange their Spitfire VIII for P-51B's (see 29-3)
11
1991: First post-restauration flight of Mk IXE, PL344/G-IXCC (see picture botom)
12
2006: Wg/cdr Christopher 'Bunny' Currant dies (total; 13 destroyed)
wwwwCurrant played also a role in the movie (on the Spitfire) 'First of the Few' (1942)
13
1968: First day of shooting the movie 'Battle of Britain'
14
1941: Spitfire PR 'Type F' first Allied plane over Berlin (Sqn.Ldr. Patrick Ogilvie)
1981: First flight post-rebuilt of Mk XIV, NH904/G-FIRE for owner Spencer Flack
15
1938: Second mishap first prototype K5054 during night landing, Sgt. Wareham (repaired)
1940: 1st flight Spitfire Mk III prototype, N3297 (later Mk IX prototype)

Even Churchill could not stop the folding wing development for the Seafire

MARCH

DAY
SPITFIRE & SEAFIRE CALENDAR FACTS
16
1940: First Sea Lord Winston Churchill canceled folding wing development RN Spitfires
17
1943: First operation of the 'Polish Fighting Team' (PFT) aka 'Skalski's Circus'
wwwwFlew with Spitfire Mk V's, a week later re-equip. with Mk IX's
18
1944: 6 Spitfires (453 Sqn) rocket attack on Baatasher-Mex, center The Hague (succes)
19
1940: First of Spitfire 2 PR.Mk IA's (N3069) of Heston Flight is lost during mission
20
1940: Spitfire Merlin II & III gets boost manifold pressure raised (official adopted)
wwww(Emergency use of +12 Lbs/sq extra power for max. 5 min.)
21
1940: Second of two Spitfire PR.Mk IA's (N3071) lost on ops. (see 19-3)
1945: First flight production Spitfire 22, PK312
22
1937: Prototype K5054 makes high 'G' turns & looping trials
23
1937: First accident with prototype K5054, wheels up landing, Flt. Lt. McKenna
1940: Spitfire Mk VB, BL676 fully converted to Seafire IB, MB328
1948: Three Type 509, Mk T.9 trainers delivered to Royal Dutch A.F.
24
1938: Third accident with K5054, nearly write off after heavy landing (10-1938 repaired)
25
1936: Supermarine testpilot George Pickering makes his first flight in prototype K5054
26
1936: Flt. Lt. Jeffrey Quill (assistant to Summers) makes his first flight in K5054
27
1942: Second prototype Spitfire Mk IX,(ex-Mk V, AB196)
1942: Supermarine approached for folding wing development on Seafire by D.T.D.
28
1943: 2 Spitfire Mk I's (K9850 & K9862) of 53 OTU collision Pontravel farm
29
1944: 31st F.G. Col. McCorke (USAAF) leads final flight of 36 Spitfires over Rome
wwww(After this swan-song they stept (reluctant) over in the P-51B Mustang)
30
1939: Heinkel He 100 achieves 463 mph (745 km/h), High Speed Spitfire cancelled
31
1942: First Rolls-Royce Griffon engine delivered
1944: First flight of first production Seafire LF Mk III (NF545)

Spitfire Mk IXE, PL344, (G-IXCC)