THE SPITFIRE CALENDAR

Compiled by Pieter Jutte

JUNE

DAY
SPITFIRE & SEAFIRE CALENDAR FACTS
PRE-WAR -- WAR YEARS 1939-1945 -- POST-WAR
1
1939: First Spitfire loss of the month, Mk I, K9949 (66 Sqn) crashed at Duxford in night
1941: First Spitfire loss of the month, Mk I, X4318 (58 OTU), bad weather, crash in hill
2
1942: During offensive sweep, Mk V's BL811 & BM463 of 81 Sqn collided (fatal)
3
1936: First order of 310 Type 300 (Spitfires)
1942: 3 Spit's missing on ferry flight (Mk VC; BR308, BR313, BR322, Mk PR.IV; BR358)
1998: Spitfire Mk XVI, RW382/NX382RW, crashes/destroyed in USA
4
1941: First flight 2nd prototype Mk III (W3237) with Merlin XX
1944: All Allied planes involved in D-Day get invasion striping
2000: Fatal crash of Spitfire PRXI, PL983/G-PRXI, Rouen, France
5
1944: Air Defence of Great Britain has 22 Spitfire Squadrons (424 aircraft) ready for D-Day
6
1944: First Allied aircr. to land on D-Day in France, Spitfire IX, MJ339, 602 Sqn, Plt Off Kidd
1944: Spitfire Mk IX, MK732, shares 'kill' on Ju 88 over Normandy
7
1990: First flight wooden replica of prototype K5054 (owner Clive du Cros)
8
1944: Spitfire Mk IX, MK732, shoots down an FW 190
9
1940: 54 Sqn Spit. Mk I, P9398 collides with a Bf 109 & crash at Manston (Cat.E)
10
1936: 'Spitfire' becomes the official name for Type 300
1944: First RAF Spit. sqs (130 & 303 Sqn) land in Normandy, France after D-Day
1993: Spitfire Mk IX, MK732, 1st post-restauration flight
11
1937: Designer of the Spitfire, Reginald J. Mitchell, dies (42)
12
1993: Mk IX, MK732, returns on Dutch soil aft. restauration (Leeuwarden A.F.B.)
1957: Final flight of Spitfire in RAF service, PR.XIX, PS853 (meteo-sortie)
13
1947: 20 Spitfires Mk IX for 322 Sqn shipped to Dutch Indies for action against rebels
14
1946: Ex-High Speed Spitfire, K9834, struck-off charge
15
1942: 1st Seafires IB & IIC delivered to the Royal Navy

Seafires on board HMS Indomitable

JUNE

DAY
SPITFIRE & SEAFIRE CALENDAR FACTS
16
1941: Slotted flaps testflown on Mk IV, R6718 at Eastleigh
17
1944: A Spitfire Mk IX of 602 Sqn. straffes staff car Erwin Rommel
18
1936: First 'semi' public appear. for 300 invited for K5054 (proto Spitfire)
1940: First Spitfire nightfighter kill (He 111) (pilot Petra also went down, badly wounded)
19
1940: Night victory (2 X He 111) for S/L Adolf Malan in Spitfire, total: 27 destr./ 7 shared
20
1995: First flight post-rebuilt of Spitfire Mk XVIe, TE476/N476TE, for Kermit Weeks
21
1941: Spitfire PR VII, R7253 of 145 Sqn crashed during search for crashed a/c
22
1943: Flt Lt Raymond Hesselyn, 277 Air-Sea-Rescue, damaged FW 190 with old Mk II
wwwwEnds the war with 18 destroyed, 1 shared + 2 prob.
23
1944: F/O Kenn Collier, 91 Sqn. tips V1 with wing of Spitfire Mk XIV, NM698 (DL-F)
24
1940: 54 Sqn. lost 3 Spitfires Mk I's (N3184, N3192 & R6812)
1943: 'Ace' 'Johnny' Johnson scores his 15th victim (of 34)
25
1941: 'Ace' Neville Duke opens score on Bf 109 of Dunkirk in Mk V, 92 Sqn.
wwww(Total of 26 enemy aircraft destroyed and 2 shared)
26
1941: 'Ace' 'Johnnie' Johnson opens score on Bf 109E in Mk IIA, 616 Sqn
wwww(Total of 34 enemy aircraft destroyed and 7 shared)
1983: Compiler of this calender sees his first flying Spitire (G-FIRE) at Hilversum
27
1936: First general public appearance of prototype K5054 at RAF Pageant, Hendon
28
1941: Flt Lt Walter Lawson (19 Sqn) 'kills' Bf 109 & 1 prob. in Mk IIA, P7849
wwww(First kills in 7 months for 19 Squadron)
29
1942: First joint mission Spit. Mk XII Wing (28, 91 & 41 Sqn) escort B-17's to Le Mans
wwwwin Ramrod mission, led by Wing Cdr. Rhys Thomas
30
1936: 'Mutt' Summers flies K5054 at Hatfield at Soc. of British Aircraft Constructors
1944: First flight Spiteful (NN660)

A Spitfire Mk IX of 411 Squadron is being 'striped' prior D-Day, June 6, 1944