Exercise Spartan Spitfire

[fubar57]

Looking for photos of 421 or 416 Squadron Spitfires that took part in the above exercise. I've found one photo of 421 Mk.Vb Spifires with the white stripe marking on the front of the fuselage; no codes or serial numbers can be made out.

Exercise Spartan - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[mjfur]

Sorry not a Spit, but it's got the stripe.

Typhoon IB of No. 183 Squadron RAF during exercise | World War Photos

Typhoon IB of No. 183 Squadron RAF during exercise Spartan, March 1943

www.worldwarphotos.info

 

[fubar57]

Thank you. This confirms that the attacking forces had black distemper paint under the left wing. Not sure if 416 & 421 were attackers or defenders but the white on the Spitfires extended down to the Medium Sea Grey at the front of the fuselage, attacker perhaps. M mjfur PM sent

 

[fubar57]

Dang.....forgot I downloaded all the RCAF ORB during Covid and dang, the month of March is missing from 421. Just downloaded it and have all the serial numbers. Now to see if I can find a code letter AU⦾???? They are all Mk.Vb's

 

[fubar57]

Dang. Found serial numbers for 21 aircraft that flew during Spartan. Found three photos but they were taken after the aircraft had left 421....dang

 

[Crimea_River]

Scanned through Bracken's volumes. We have few pre-Spartan references but there's an undated pic of BL772 AU_S being flown by Art Sager. This a/c wet to 610 Sqn in April of 43, presumably as part of 421's conversion to Mk IX's shortly after Spartan in mid March 1943.

416 Sqn seems to have been very camera shy.

 

[fubar57]

Thanks for looking Andy. Unfortunately not listed in the ORB. It was involved in a flying accident, then a ground accident and finally fuels system mods and wing stiffening from May '42. A shame, its a nice photo

 

[mjfur]

Forum Le Monde en Guerre - Operation SPARTAN

Le Forum de référence sur la Seconde Guerre Mondiale 1939 1945. - Operation SPARTAN.

www.39-45.org

 

[fubar57]

Thank you sir, you're a star. We have the codes, MN⦾P and the s/n EE738. Aircraft was shot down six months later.

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks for looking Andy. Unfortunately not listed in the ORB. It was involved in a flying accident, then a ground accident and finally fuels system mods and wing stiffening from May '42. A shame, its a nice photo

Yeah, that matches my info too, though I didn't look in the ORBs. Odd there was such a long lag between the May 1942 mods and the transfer to 610 almost a year later. surely the mods would not have taken that long. The noted accidents were before the mods so not really relevant.

 

[fubar57]

Ok. I have the Italeri Mk.Vc kit. Just did a test fit of some of the known issues.... Spitfire Mk.VC Yankee Spitfires Review by Brett Green (Classic Airframes 1/48) It'll take a while