THE SPITFIRE CALENDAR

Compiled by Pieter Jutte

MAY

DAY
SPITFIRE & SEAFIRE CALENDAR FACTS
PRE-WAR -- WAR YEARS 1939-1945 -- POST-WAR
1
1950: Contract signed for 20 ex-RAF Spitfire 22's for Egypt
1954: Last ops. RAF Spitfire sortie; PR 19, PS888 looked for guerrilas, Malaya
2
1942: Flt Lt Tony Hill in PR Spitfire takes pict. of Giant Wuerzburg radar (Holland)
1945: First flight production Spiteful F XIV, RB515
3
1942: Youngest brother of Adolf, Paul Gallant scores 10th 'kill' (Spit. near Calais)
wwwwPaul Galland was killed 31-10-'42, total: 17 victory's
4
1939: Press day at Duxford to show 19 Squadron her Spitfire line
5
1947: PR XI (LV-NMZ) concludes longest flight Spitfire, from England/Argentina
6
1940: Order for 2 PR Mk III's (P9551 deliv. 21-9-40, P9552, on 22-2-41) £ 6,500 each
7
1944: Spitfires 72 Sqn shot down nine Bf 109's in four minutes, near Lake Bracciano, Italy
2009: Spitfire Oil (based at Perth, Australia) propose how to win gas in future
8
1945: VE Day! (Spitfires continue war sorties in Far East)
9
1943: Third launch of Spitfires (64) for Malta from Wasp & Eagle
10
1940: Spitfire squadrons are allowed to make cross-Channel offensive sorties.
11
1944: First operations with PR.X (MD193), 514 Sqn, along French coast
12
1940: First cross-Channel patrol, 66 Sqn (6 Spitfires) & 6 B.P.Defiants (264 Sqn)
wwwwover Holland, one Ju 88 damaged
13
1940: 2nd cross-Channel off.ops. over Holland, 6 Spitires 66 Sqn & 6 B.P.Defiants
wwwwOne Bf 109 & four Ju 87 destroyed, 1 Spitfire & 5 Defiants lost
1940: Topcover for Dutch Royal family & government, Spitfires of 74 Sqn.
14
1938: First flight for first production Spitfire Mk I (K9787)
15
1943: 124 Sqn. High altitude Spitfire Mk VII (BS142) 1st 'kill'; a FW 190 (11.580 m)
1943: 1000 'kills' for pilots flying from Biggin Hill

Spitfire Mk IA, P9374, shot down near Calais, and restored (G-MKIA) see below

May

DAY
SPITFIRE & SEAFIRE CALENDAR FACTS
16
1940: Stanford-Tuck & Alan Wright (92 Sqn) Spitfire escort Churchill to France
17
1943: PR XI, EN343, Flg Off J. Fray (542 Sqn) takes 1st pict. of breached Rhur dams
wwww(Operation Chastise, by 617 Squadron)
18
1943: Supermarine issues Specification 472 for Mk XIV (Type 379) with Griffon 65
19
1939: First delivery of Spitfire Mk I with Merlin III (K9980) at 611 Sqn at Speke
20
1895: Reginald Joseph Mitchell, father of the Spitfire, is born
21
1940: First 'kill' S/L J. Leathart (OC 54 Sqn) in Mk I, P9384 (He 111) (total; 7 + 1 shared)
22
1948: Egypt Spit. IX's bomb 32 Sqn. (Spit. XVIII) at Ramat David, Palestine
1995: First flight post-rebuilt of Mk XIV, SM832/G-WWII (TFC)
23
1940: Spitfire Mk I, K9867, 74 Sqn 1st Spitfire in German hands (forced land. Calais)
1941: First flight of a Spitfire Mk VB (W3248)
1943: Mk VC, MA648; 1st LF.IX with low rated Merlin 66 (most produced IX; 4010)
24
1940: R. Stanford-Tuck in Mk I, K9906 first Spitfire 'ace' (4 & 5th 'kill', Do 17)
1940: Spitfire Mk IA, P9374 shot down and landed on beach Calais (restored, see pict. below)
1944: First ops. with PR.XIX (RM628) 542 Sqn. S/L Ball over Le Havre
25
1939: First flight 251st production Mk I for export to France
wwww (only Spitfire to foreign country before the war)
1940: 'Ace' Colin Gray first 'kill' (Bf 109), total; 27 destroyed & 2 shared
1944: Spitfire MK732, LF.Mk IXC built at Bromwich Castle
26
1940: Until June 3, Dunkirk evac. (during cover, RAF lost 72 Spitfires in 2739 missions)
1941: First order for 2 Griffon Spitfire Mk IV's (DP845 & DP851)
27
1897: Joseph Smith is born (future successer of R.J. Mitchell)
1940: 'ace' George Unwin (19 Sqn) 1st 'kill' over Dunkirk (Hs 126)
wwww(total: 13 & 2 shared destroyed, 2 probably, 1 damaged)
28
1942: First flight of 1st production Seafire IIc (MA970), Merlin 46 (trop filter)
1945: First delivery Spitfire Mk XVIII to RAF (FR.XVIII, SM844)
29
1942: F/O Godlewksi (302 Sqn.) killed in Spitfire V P8725 (WX-B), crash at Fairmile Henley on Thames
30
1997: Release date for the movie 'The Spitfire Grill' in the UK
31
1945: RAF inventory at that moment; 5864 Spitfires (510 unserviceable)

Spitfire Mk IA, P9374, (G-MKIA), once shot down near Calais, and restored