Firefly was an extension of the two seat multi role aircraft that had led to the Fulmar. It was conceived and developed in the late '30s, with amuch wider mission capability than the Fulmar.
Tactical trials were carried out by the Naval Air Fighting Development Unit, at RAF Wittering, late in 1943. These revealed that the Firefly would not be a great daytime naval interceptor in the same way as the Seafire could. its speed and rate of climb were in the same class as the Martlets, and this was just too slow to react to fast moving strike aircraft. However its high dive speed and manouverability suggested it had considerable potential as an offensive strike fighter. With a range of 1300nm it had excellent range and endurance. It carried a very heavy fixed armamanert, and could carry nearly 2000lb bombload with maximum fuel. The patented Fairey Youngman flaps meant that it could opt for high speed as a fighters, controlled dives with a divespeed of less than 200mph. Though not designed as a divebomber, it turned out to be the most effective divebomber the RN produced during the war. Replacing the youngman Flaps was a totally unneccessary requirement, these flaps could and were used very effectively as dive brakes when so needed. There was nothing quite comparable in the US inventory to these pieces of equipment, and they are a big part of the key to understanding why the Firefly was a remarkable multi role aircraft. It could undertake attacks at angles of up to 80 degrees, but the flaps that it caried meant it could do so very controllably. Further trials undertaken in 1943 suggested ordinance delivery within 50 feet of the aiming point for well over 70% of attacks. By any stretch that is accurate bombing. Its great weight meant that it could fly with a high degree of stability, which explains why postwar it was adopted as the RNs and CW chief ASW aircraft afloat.
In 1945, a number of aircraft were taken in hand for conversion to a NF configuration. Again the conversion was completely successful, so i am at a loss as to why it would be described as unsuccessful or unsuitable for this role. They remained the RNs chief night fighter asircraft until 1954 as i understand it. Guess the RN was happy to keep flying them in a role they were allegedly unsuited to.... The capacious cockpit allowed a proper outfit for the detection gear, 42 were so converted, and provided vital interception capabilitiies over the North Sea in 1945, where I believe a number of German intruders were intercepted and shot down, along with some scores of V-1 bombs. Not bad for an aircraft that is now being alleged as a failure as a fighter, indeed, as an aircraft.
The first front line squadron to receive the Firefly was No.1770 Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton, which received its first aircraft on 27 September 1943; it's second on 5 October and built up to a strength of sixteen aircraft and fourteen crews over the next two months. The squadron deployed to HMS Indefatigable for its combat debut, taking part in the 17 July 1944 attack on the Tirpitz. The main attack was to be made by a force of Fairey Barracudas, supported by Fireflies, Hellcats, Corsairs and Seafires. The Fireflies opened the entire attack, diving in to attack anti-aircraft guns around the Tirpitz, but the overall attack was foiled by German smoke.
No.1770 Squadron began a second tour off Norway on 7 August, using its Fireflies to fighter escorts and minelayers: they were also tasked for hazardous flak suppression. Evidently they didnt get the memo they were flying a failure, bwecause the crews were enthusiastic about the types performance... The squadron returned to the Tirpitz on 22 August, taking part in two attacks, again on 24 August and a fourth time of 29 August. The Tirpitz was hit, but survived these attacks, eventually being sunk by RAF 12,000lb Tallboy bombs on 12 November 1944.
No.1770 Squadron's last mission off Norway came on 19 September 1944. The Indefatigable then departed for the Pacific, and her role off Norway was taken on by No.1771 Squadron and HMS Implacable. No.1771 Squadron's first mission came on 18 October and was a reconnaissance flight that discovered the Tirpitz off Haakoy Island. This first tour ended on 7 November and was followed by a second tour, which started on 22 November, and by a third (5-9 December). The squadron then spent three months on shore before going to join the Pacific Fleet.
No.1770 Squadron was the first Firefly squadron to reach the Far East, arriving in Ceylon in December, and rejoined the Indefatigable on 24 December. Once there she joined the fleet carriers Victorious and Indomitable for the attacks on oil refineries on Sumatra on 4 January 1945, where the Fireflies were used to attack anti-aircraft batteries, although they also claimed two Ki-42 Hayabusas, not a bad effort for a proven failure as a fighter......guess they didnt get the memo either. The Illustrious then joined the fleet, and all four carriers took part in a series of attacks on south-east Sumatra, beginning with an attack on Palembang on 24 January 1945. This saw the fighter escort of Corsairs and Hellcats become separated from the strike force, forcing the Fireflies to act as fighters in a dogfight with Ki-43 Hayabusas (Oscar) and Ki-44 Shokis (Tojo). More successes as a fighter came during the 29 January attack on Soengi Gerong, when one Ki-44 and one Ki-43 were claimed. In the attacks against Palembang, the FAA demonstrated a high degre of accuracy, with the Fireflies demonstrating their adaptability and effectiveness in both the fighter and the divebomber role in spades.
In mid-March 1945 the British Pacific Fleet joined the American 5th Fleet as Task Force 57. The British carriers were used to attack the Sakashima Gunto islands to prevent the Japanese from using their airfields to ferry aircraft to Okinawa. The Fireflies were again selected for the most hazardous part of the mission, that of flak suppression. Why would they be selected for the hardest mission if they were not considered a successful type??????? Meanwhile other aircraft attacked the airfields. These attacks began on 26 March and ran through to 7 April.
On 18 March No.1772 Squadron reached Australia with its Fireflies. These would be used to reinforce the existing squadron, with one flight joining No.1770 on the Indefatigable, arriving in time to take part in an attack on Kiirun harbour on Formosa on 12 April. The fleet then returned to the Sakashima Gunto islands, carrying out raids between 16 April and 25 May, before returning to Australia for replenishment.
This also saw No.1770 Squadron's war come to an end. It was replaced by No.1771 Squadron and a section from No.1772 Squadron, both on HMS Implacable. Their first mission was a rocket attack on Truk in the Carolines on 14 June. The British Pacific Fleet then moved to the American base at Manus, where it joined the US 3rd Fleet as Task Force 37, to take part in the final attacks on the Japanese homeland. These began on 17 July with a series of rocket attacks on Japanese airfields, and continued on to 15 August, when six Avengers, eight Seafires and four Fireflies attacked Kizarazu airfield in the last British combat sortie of the Second World War.
After the end of the fighting the Fireflies were used to locate POW camps and to drop supplies, but by mid-September they were all back in Australia. The three Firefly squadrons were soon disbanded - No.1770 on 30 September, No. 1771 on 16 October and No.1772 on 10 March 1946 on its return to Britain.
The Fireflies continued in RN Canadian, Dutch and quite a few others service until 1954, in Australia they were not retired until 1957. Again, begs the question if they were so unsuccessful as a type, why did they remain in frontline service with so many for so long.