THE SPITFIRE CALENDAR

Compiled by Pieter Jutte

APRIL

DAY
SPITFIRE & SEAFIRE CALENDAR FACTS
PRE-WAR -- WAR YEARS 1939-1945 -- POST-WAR
1
1945: First 'kill's' (3 Zero's) for Seafire in Pacific, 894 Sqn, Lt Reynolds
1954: Last ops. for RAF No. 18 Sqn with Spit. Mk XIX over Malaya
2
1941: First plastic (aerolite) fuselage of Spitfire complete (contract for 2nd)
3
1945: Seafire XVII, SX232 to High Post, testing interior cockpit painted matt black
wwww(to cure cockpitglare, introduced to prod. 1 June, 1945)
4
1944: First of 16 photo-recon. Spitfire PR X (MD192) with pressurised cockpit delivered.
5
1942: First action for Spit. Mk VA's of 133 Eagle Sqn, destr. Do 217 during convoy patrol
1945: Seafire Mk III test with 4 six-inch rocket projectiles (R.P.'s)
6
1945: 'Ace' 'Johnny' Johnson promoted to Group Capt. of 127 Wing (w. Spit. Mk XIV's)
7
1959: Wreck FR Mk XIVe, MT853 collected to be scraped from Harskamp (target range)
8
1948: Spit. Mk IX, NH238 prop.test causing force landing (after repair, crashed 14 Sept '48)
9
1941: 57 OTU has 8th Spit. misshap till then (total on 2-5-'45; 116, most Cat-E)
10
1936: Modifications to K5054, rudderbalance reduced, engine mount stronger,
wwwwand carburator intake modified
11
1949: Spitfire VIII trainer conversion (ex-MT818, G-AIDN) demonstrated for RAF
12
1942: Bob v/d. Stok bail out over St Omer from Mk V, BL595 (POW 'Great Escape')
1945: 2nd TAF, No 125 Wing Spitfires first to cross Rhine
13
1946: First delivery of production Spitfire F.24 (VN301), (last (VN496) on 20-2-48)
14
1943: Spit. Mk VB, AD388, 132 Sqn, collides w. Mk II, P8548, 1 CAACU (both Cat-E)
15
1944: Fleet Air Arm No 899 Sqn. begin carrier operations with Seafire III
2000: Crash of Spitfire F.IXE, TE213 '5553' at Swartkop, S-Africa, Lt-Col N. Thomas injured

A lot of Spitfires made 'hard' landings, but could be repaired

APRIL

DAY
SPITFIRE & SEAFIRE CALENDAR FACTS
16
1943: Wg Cdr Ian Gleed, OC 244 Wing, Tunisia is killed (tot; 13 & 3 shared)
1985: First post-restauration flight of Tr 9, ML407/G-LFIX, Nick Grace
17
1942: Two 53 OTU Spitfire Mk V's (X4990 & X4993) collide and are written of
18
1942: Supermarine gets order to conv. 100 Mk V's to Mk IX's (all deliv. end of June)
1943: 12 Spitfires (92 Sqn) & 47 P-40's down 77 German planes ('Palm Sunday Massacre')
19
1943: During unauthorised dog-fight betw. P-51's (430 Sqn) and Spitfires (602 Sqn),
wwwwP-51B Mustang, AP181 collided with Spitire Mk VB, AR430, both written off
20
1945: No 401 Sqn Ldr Bill Klersy makes final kill (4.5), with Spitfire IXB PL344/YO-H
1942: USS Wasp lauches 54 Spit. for Malta (47 make it), German attack reduce it to 18!
21
1943: 1st PR.XIII (AD354) enter service with No.1 PRU at Benson
1955: Flt Lt Adrian Rowe-Evans makes last active sortie in Spitfire 24, VN485
22
1944: 442 & 443 Sqn. (144 Wing) Spitfires from Manston sweep deep into Germany (Coblenz)
1947: Spitfire Mk IX, MK732 appointed to Royal Dutch A.F. (delivered 27 June, 1948)
23
1943: First Westland Seafire III, LR765, leaves production line
24
1945: Sqn Ldr Harold Walmsley OC 350 Sqn, downs a FW 190 in Mk XIVE, SM825
wwww Repeats it on 25-4-'45 (total victory's: 11 & 1 shared, 1 prob. & 2 on ground)
25
1946: First flight Seafire 47 (PS944)
26
1945: No 91 Sqn Spitfires 21 (only operation in war) straf and sink midget submarine
27
1940: Pilot 611 Sqn in Mk I, N3063 blinded by searchlights, went into spin and baled out
28
1942: First flight first production Seafire IIC, MA970
1943: S/L J. Lynch (OC. 249 Sqn) scores 1000th victory (Ju 52) of Malta defence
29
1945: Flg Off Bob Connell (17 Sqn) claimes last Spitfire victory over Burma, a Japanese Ki-84
1953: Dutch Mk IX, MH434 (famous preserved Spit) test flown as SM-41 for Belgium AF.
30
1945: Last great airbattle against Germany, Spitfires and other fighters claim 37 E.A.
1946: Sqn Ldr 'Ginger' Lacey (17 Sqn) 1st Spitfire pilot over Japan
1946: First 2 F.24's delivered to 33 MU at RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire

Spitfire F.IXE, TE213, (5553) crashed at Swartkop on April 15, 2000