A guide to Spitfires seems to be along the lines of a Guide to Elephants that goes if you do encounter a pink one try not to become visibly agitated or alarmed as this is considered poor manners, even if it is really not playing the trumpet well.
The UK official history lists four Spitfire airframe types,
A, Merlin II, III, XII so marks I, II and IV (PR), it was stretched to do the marks V, VI, PR VII, PR XIII, and Seafire I.
B, Mark VC, based on the mark III fighter prototype, stretched to do the mark IX and XII
C, Mark VII and VIII, and the two stage Griffon variants to the mark XIX.
D, F.21 and later.
The airframe was successively strengthened, so A was stronger than B, C was stronger than B and D was stronger than C.
C Wing,
Supermarine start October 1941, last B wing February 1942
Westland start April 1942, last B wing June 1942 (Westland started Seafire production in June 1942, finished Spitfire in October 1943)
Castle Bromwich start August 1942 (there was 1 in June), last B wing December 1942
The wing armament list is what we now designate things, including the D wing which had the large leading edge fuel tanks for the reconnaissance versions. The trouble is finding contemporary documents using the designations. The mark VA/VB/VC/VII/VIII/IX/XII were just that to February 1943, from March it was F.VC, F.VII and F.XII only, while F.IX, LF.IX and HF.IX depending on engine fit, similar for the mark VIII, there was also the LF.XVI, it was the prefix, not suffix, that mattered as all had the c/universal wing. Though the mark VIII wing had other changes.
Plenty of early Spitfires, mostly mark V, ended up as IX and some could have had the B wing as built but in fact the IXB was an unofficial designation for the LF.IX when it was introduced 8 months after the F. The replacement of the 0.303 inch with 0.50 inch was simply an ability of the c/universal wing and not considered worthwhile to record. Later the mark XVIII could be considered to have introduced the E wing when it eliminated the structures for the outboard 0.303 inch machine guns.
Then there is the use of the LF designation to mark V, the RAF February 1943 to June 1944 census *only* uses LF for VIII and IX.
The only low altitude engine for Spitfires built was the 55M, meant for Seafire, The Ministry of Aircraft Production has no record for Merlin 45M or 50M or conversions to them. The Merlin 45 ceased production in June 1942 apart from 74 built November 1942 to January 1943, there were 729 Merlin 50 built November 1942 to June 1943, replaced by the Merlin 55/55M.
Having said that dropping in on AIR 16/1085 The Fighter Command Order of Battle January 1942 to December 1943, for 30 December 1943, as written, where L.F is mentioned
9 Group, 222 Squadron Spitfire (L.F) VB
11 Group, 501 Squadron Spitfire (L.F) V (L.R) plus some IXF, 322 Squadron Spitfire (L.F) V (L.R), 349 Squadron Spitfire (L.F) VB (L.R)
12 Group, 64, 611, 316, 402, 416 squadrons all (L.F) V (L.R), 234, 140 squadrons (L.F) VB
13 Group, 485, 504, 453, 118 Squadrons all Spitfire (L.F) VB
Now all you need are the definitions if L.F and L.R, note the Command has very few day fighter squadrons with the latest types.
For most of 1942 the RAF was after altitude performance for the Spitfire at least, the Typhoon problems and the increasing use of low level Fw190 fighter bombers resulted in the Spitfire F.XII. Then on 14 October 1942 the ADFU reported on what happened when you clipped the Spitfire wing. In early/mid November 39 kits were ordered with 20 meant for 91 squadron Spitfire VB as a trial, it is therefore no surprise it became a Spitfire XII squadron in April/May 1943, joining 41 squadron which also converted from VB but in February/March. Forming the core of what became a low altitude Spitfire force in 1943 joined by Spitfire V squadrons with low altitude rated engines as they helped escort the increasing allied light and medium day bomber force.
Apart from the VI, VII and some VIII which had extended wing tips all Spitfires were delivered with standard wings well into 1944. The obvious possible/probable exception would be the XII, which stayed in production until September 1943. Clipped wings were conversions limited to experiments and some of the low altitude force during 1943.
The mark V is the transition to the new wing, C, engines do not matter when designating the version. After that it is engine matters, not wing, when designating the version.
).
)
. I definitely don't have a lot of stats on it, I'm not deeply invested in the issue, but I have seen quite a few photos of Spitfires from wartime units from 1943 onward which do clearly have clipped wings.
